COLLECTIVE MADNESS



Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Peacemaker and divisive former IRA spokesperson says he will retire next year after leading Sinn Fein for 35 years.

Gerry Adams, the veteran leader of the Irish Republican party, Sinn Fein, has announced plans to step down from his role after almost 35 years.

His replacement will be elected by party members in the coming months, Adams told the partys annual conference in Dublin on Saturday.

Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now, Adams said in his speech.

The Belfast-born 69-year-old leader has long been a divisive figure in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

He was the leader of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), during its decades-long bombing campaign aimed at ending British control of Northern Ireland.

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Adams was also a key figure in peace negotiations in the 1990s, which saw Sinn Fein enter a government with their pro-British counterparts.

The Belfast Agreement  dubbed the Good Friday accord  largely saw the end of violence in Ireland in which more than 3,500 people lost their lives.

The 1998 deal fell short of the IRAs goal of a united Ireland, but the movement largely remained united behind the leadership of Martin McGuinness and his longtime colleague, Adams.

I thought I needed to tell you  I have been privileged to be part of an amazing leadership, Adams said in his speech to the Sinn Fein conference.

One of our greatest achievements has been to build a peace process. I will not be standing for the Dail, he said, referring to the Irish parliament.

Somewhat toxic

Ken Murray, a correspondent for Politico in Dublin, said Adams replacement would likely be untainted by links to the IRA.

The established parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail dont want to do business with Sinn Fein because, with Adams in charge, the party is viewed as somewhat toxic, Murray told Al Jazeera.

Fine Gael, who are the governing party here, and the main opposition party, Fianna Fail, believe that as long as Adams remains in charge of Sinn Fein it is viewed as being a terrorist party, he added.

Murray argued that with Adams stepping down, Sinn Fein will find it easier to develop relationships with other Irish parties, giving it the potential to be part of future coalition governments.

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Adams has been in charge of Sinn Fein since 1983. But things have been happening here over the last couple of years. In the general elections last year in the Republic of Ireland, Sein Fein increased its number of seats in the Dublin parliament from 14 to 23, Murray said.

They all but wiped out the Irish Labour Party and they ended up holding the balance of power, he added.

Adams said the move to leave politics to the next generations was agreed upon with McGuinness before his death in March. Michelle ONeill, 40, was elected as Sinn Feins leader at Stormont (Northern Ireland parliament).

Party delegates elected Adams to carry on as president until 2018 and agreed to hold a special conference to discuss the new leadership.
Demonstrations against government corruption have erupted in Port-au-Prince the day that the Haitian president reinstated the national army.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Haiti calling for President Jovenel Moise to step down.

Its the latest of ongoing protests against Moise that began two months ago.

It comes on the day Moise officially reintroduced the national army, some 22 years after it was disbanded, and a week after an investigation revealed millions of dollars in earthquake relief had been stolen.

Al Jazeeras Teresa Bo reports from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Indonesians on Philippine island of Balut receive birth certificates for the first time, ending decades of legal limbo.

Davao Occidental, Philippines  On the screen flashed Indonesias world-renowned destinations. They were told if they could name one, a cash prize awaits. But many were clueless about what they were seeing, or worse, what the man  who introduced himself as their countrys representative  was talking about.

Who among you here can speak Indonesian? Berlian Napitulu, Indonesian Consul General to the Philippines, asked the crowd of some 60 people.

There were 16 hands raised in the air. The rest spoke nothing but local languages on the Philippine island of Balut. Some, including Pidinsia Barahama Pareda, could only speak Sangirese, the language of her people, the Sangirs.

Pareda could not recall how old she is. What she knows, however, is that she was born in 1960, a year written on her birth certificate, a document she received on November 16 along with more than 100 other Sangir people  or what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) calls people of Indonesian descent (PID).

Back in the day, local officials said Indonesians like her could not apply for a birth certificate as they were not Filipinos.

We were told that a baptismal certificate was enough, she told Al Jazeera in an interview.

But over the years, she said, local officials eventually began asking them to register. So in 2005, when one of the village leaders offered to arrange their birth certificates for $3.90 each, she gave him money. But since then there was never news about the document, while the rest of her neighbours have long gotten theirs.

It was already paid in full, she said in Sangirese.

On the day she finally received her birth certificate, she had to be accompanied by her son-in-law, Walter Manabung, 39. Pareda barely spoke Cebuano nor Filipino, two languages in the Philippines, despite having been living on Balut all her life. Both her parents, too, have settled here long before she was born. Their main livelihood is harvesting coconuts for copra and fishing  just like many other Indonesian Sangirs living on the island.

Balut, including Sarangani, are two major islands that comprise the Sarangani municipality in the province of Davao Occidental. A huge concentration of the total 8,745 recorded people of Indonesian descent come from these islands, according to UNHCR research from 2016.

They are third generation Indonesians whose ancestors, according to historical accounts, come from the neighbouring Sangihe Islands in North Sulawesi. One common story of their migration to the Philippines was that when their fishermen forefathers saw these islands, they went back from Sangihe  this time taking their families with them.

This occurred long before the Philippines and Indonesia began establishing boundaries between them. Thus, those crisscrossing the waters of Sulawesi and the Philippines were eventually subject to border rules imposed by the two countries.

In the case of the Indonesians in the Philippines, they were to secure an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) that gives them the right to stay. Payment for this document is done annually, but families have to travel from their villages to General Santos City on mainland Mindanao, which spirals up the costs they have to pay.

And they cant afford to pay for it because they dont have proper income. And why dont they have proper income? Because they dont have a proper job, said Napitulu.

According to the Indonesian official, the shortage of employment all boils down to the lack of proper documents. Indeed. Its complicated. And this is a lengthy process to finally solve their problems.

Efforts to save these people from the risk of statelessness was strengthened in 2006 when the Republic of Indonesia reformed its citizenship law, so those who lost their nationality could reacquire it.

We will give them a certificate of citizenship based on what their certificates tell. Now if it shows that theyre Indonesians, we will move on to the next part of the process which is to give them a passport, he continued.

Since last year, more than 3,000 people of Indonesian descent in the Philippines have been confirmed of their nationality.

In 2011, the Philippines Justice Department issued a draft circular proposing how to determine a stateless person. It also sought assistance from the UNHCR in making the draft compliant with the 1954 Convention.

A year later, the country came out with its own statelessness determination procedure. Whats more, former justice minister and now detained Senator Leila De Lima said they cannot be deported.

The countrys leniency towards undocumented aliens stretches back to the 1930s. At the time, Manila welcomed refugees from Germany who were escaping the Holocaust. It also opened its doors to Vietnamese refugees who were sailing to Palawan in the 90s. While it has welcomed refugees, the Philippines was also hoping they would eventually return home.

In the case of these Indonesians, their government, through the Consulate General, has offered free sea transportation for those who decide to take a one-way ticket home.

By all means, please. But dont tell us that we were the ones who encouraged you to do so, Napitulu warned.

Interestingly, that morning when he addressed Indonesians  many of whom could not understand what he was talking about  he mentioned the achievements of the administration of President Joko Widodo.

Widodo has made 47 major achievements, among those are massive infrastructure projects, he said. Some 7,000km of the road has been completed in his term with 3,800km in Papua. There are many jobs because of the nations aggressive public spending, Napitulu added.

Indonesia is a changed country now, he said, as if signaling it was the right time to go home.
Former UK foreign secretary suggested his willingness to talk to Palestinian faction led to his sacking in 2006.

Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has hinted that his removal may have been down to a willingness to talk to Hamas.

Labour Party member Straw served in the role for five years between 2001 and 2006, overseeing Britains involvement in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq under Tony Blair, then prime minister.

That post came to an end for him after Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, sparking a US-led boycott of the Palestinian Authority, which Blair supported at the time.





At the Middle East Monitors conference on the ongoing Saudi crisis on Saturday, Straw is reported to have said: I am unhappy about our boycotting of Hamas. I talked off the record to some journalists in Riyadh in early 2006 and said we ought to be talking to Hamas.

He went on to add that some people believed he had been removed from his position after news of the comments spread.

Straw has previously told British media outlets that neo cons close to the then-US President George W Bush were never terribly keen on him and may have pressured Blair into firing him.

Blair has since rescinded his support for the boycott of Hamas.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper in October, the former British prime minister said the UK should have tried to establish a dialogue with the group.

The change of posture came after Blair held a series of meetings with former Hamas chief, Khaled Meshaal.
At least 15 women killed in a stampede in west Morocco while gathering to receive food aid.

At least 15 women have been killed in a stampede in west Morocco during distribution of food aid, according to the interior ministry.

Local media outlets reported on Sunday that the incident happened as hundreds of poor women gathered to receive supplies in Sidi Boulaalam.

At least another 40 women were reportedly injured as a private charity struggled to contain the crowd.

Medics told Moroccos Channel 2 News that all of the fatalities were women aged over 40.

Videos uploaded on social media showed scenes of panic as ambulances rushed to the scene to evacuate the injured.

King Mohammed ordered that the victims families be given any assistance they needed, the ministry said in a statement, adding that a criminal investigation had been opened.

Last month, the King dismissed the ministers of education, planning and housing, and health after an economic agency found imbalances in implementing a development plan to fight poverty in the Rif region.
Following unprecedented rallies, party members say leader should resign as committee set to vote on 93-year-olds fate.

Harare, Zimbabwe  A day after tens of thousands of Zimbabweans rallied to demand Robert Mugabe relinquish power, calls for the 93-year-old to quit grew louder leading up to a second round of negotiations between the president and army.

Members of the Central Committee of Zimbabwes ruling ZANU-PF party, which has turned against its leader, are meeting on Sunday to decide on the presidents fate.

They will vote on recalling Mugabe as first secretary of the liberation movement  essentially removing him as party leader  and reinstating sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

In opening remarks, Obert Mpofu, the minister of home affairs who is chairing the meeting, blamed First Lady Grace Mugabe and her allies for taking advantage of the veteran leader.

We meet here today with a heavy heart because Mugabes wife and her close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition and abused the resources of the country, he told members. I warmly welcome you all to this historic meeting which will mark a new era, not only for our country but for the party.

Members cheered as the resolution to recall Mugabe was read out.

According to the party constitution, there needs to be a quorum of 150 plus on members to pass decisions. Of more than 300 members, 171 are in attendance.

Earlier on Sunday, the Zanu-PF Youth League, which Grace Mugabe leads, called for her expulsion from Zanu-PF forever and demanded the president to resign as leader of the country and party, so that he can rest as the elderly statesman he is.

The group also condemned the unprocedural expulsion of Mnangagwa, who Mugabe sacked on November 6.

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, later told reporters in Harare: The army must finish with him today. Hed better give in to them now.

Meeting with military

Mugabe has been under military quarantine at his residence since Wednesday, when the army placed him under house arrest and took over state TV and key government sites.

According to the Sunday Mail, a state-owned weekly paper, talks between Mugabe and the army commanders will be mediated by Catholic Priest, Father Fidelis Mukonori.

Mukonori facilitated the first round of mediation talks on Thursday, attended by two South African envoys representing President Jacob Zuma.

Sundays meeting will include two local government mediators, Aaron Nhepera, the acting director-general of the Central Intelligence Organisation, and George Charamba, the presidential press secretary and secretary for media, information and broadcasting services, the paper says.

Mugabes decision to sack Mnangagwa, who was touted as his most likely successor, spurred an internal power struggle.

First Lady Grace Mugabe was tipped to takeover as second secretary and vice president, prompting a military takeover with the army saying it wanted to target criminals around Mugabe who were leading the party and state astray.

In a rare sign of solidarity between the people and the army, which has often been a pillar of support for Mugabes near 40-year rule, Zimbabweans on Saturday expressed support and praise for the militarys operation.

Huge crowds swelled on the streets.

Civilians could be seen giving hugs and fist bumps to soldiers, and taking selfies with army personnel camped outside parliament, the presidential offices and other strategic sites.

There was a convivial mood in the capital as people played loud music and danced after marching to State House to demand Mugabes resignation, in scenes described as historic and representing a day of freedom.

Zimbabweans have never before gathered in such numbers to march against Mugabe.

Breakthrough prayer

Activist pastor Evan Mawarire has called for a breakthrough prayer on Sunday for Zimbabweans to come together and pray for a change to the struggling nations fortunes.

Mawarire, who attended Sundays march, stressed he does not support the army takeover but described the rally as a momentous occasion and an opportunity for a fresh start to advance democratic change.

In 2016, Mawarire called for a strike, the first mass protest in almost a decade. He has previously faced charges of undermining the president and trying to overthrow an elected government for calling on Zimbabweans to protest against spiralling economic and political problems.

Incredibly moving images out of Zimbabwe in the last few days. Still a long road to be walked but an exciting time for Zimbabweans.

: @DougColtart pic.twitter.com/74hPJzDah4  David Pocock (@pocockdavid) November 19, 2017

Regional dignitaries from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which South African President Zuma chairs, are keenly watching the unfolding situation.

The SADC bloc is expected to hold an extraordinary session on Tuesday to discuss the Zimbabwe situation in neighbouring Botswana where the SADC is headquarters is located.

While the regions leaders remain silent on Mugabes fate, Botswanas President Ian Khama has openly called for the worlds oldest president to step down.

Follow Tendai Marima on Twitter @i_amten
It has been 50 years since the UN adopted Resolution 242, calling for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories.

The Six-Day War in June 1967 culminated in Israels capture of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Apart from the Sinai Peninsula, the territories remain occupied to this day.

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 242 on November 22, 1967, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict. It emphasised the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in which every State in the area can live in security.

While all parties ultimately accepted the resolution, it took two decades for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to do so. The PLO criticised the resolution for viewing Palestinians only as refugees, and not as a people with national rights.

Al Jazeera spoke with Palestinians to find out how they view Resolution 242 a half-century since its adoption.

Mariam Bargouthi, Ramallah-based writer and activist

UN Resolution 242 lays the cornerstone for Israeli policy to call for its legitimacy without actually moving forward towards a just peace. It epitomises all UN resolution efforts, to lay in the dustbin of history as Israeli violations continue.

Instead of imposing any real consequences on acts of war and violent land annexation, the resolution merely stands as a futile effort to insinuate that the UN has principles. They never enforce their resolutions, as we clearly see in the Palestinian case that has gathered numerous resolutions for its benefit, and, still, we continue to be occupied and violated daily.

The resolution was an attempt to garner support from the Arab states to agree to Israels legitimacy, despite its colonial strategies, instead of conjuring genuine agreements of peace, justice and dignity. Palestinians are hardly even mentioned in the resolution, which plays into Israels hands, further isolating Palestinians and dealing with them as a people that dont exist.

Diana Buttu, Haifa-based analyst and former legal adviser to Palestinian negotiators

Its a resolution that ended up very sadly and most unfortunately legitimating Israels illegal takeover of Palestinian land. Between the period of before 1948 and in the period between 1948 and 1967, the Israelis ended up taking more land than had even been allotted to them under the partition plan. Resolution 242 begins the process of legitimating this takeover of land.

Some people say that Resolution 242 only refers to the West Bank and Gaza  Others, myself included, say, actually, the definition should be much more expanded to include all of that land that Israel took, even in violation of the partition plan.

If you can recall the history of it under the partition plan  also unfair, unjust and illegal  Israel was allotted 55 percent of Palestine, and then, in violation of even the partition plan, Israel ends up taking 78 percent of historic Palestine just in the period of 1948.

The problem with Resolution 242 is the way people are interpreting it; theyre only focused on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip  not at all focusing on the original takeover of land that happened in violation of international law and in violation of even the UN resolution calling for partition.

We have a whittling away, eating away or erosion of the principle that conquest is not allowed in international law. And it seems that the Israelis have been given the message that not only is conquest allowed, but even post-1967, as we see more and more settlements being built and expanded, that the world is also turning a blind eye to that.

Haider Eid, Gaza-based policy adviser and professor

When 242 was issued, it was within the context of what we call the setback, or Naksa, which ushered Israeli hegemony in the Arab World.

The resolution has some major problems. One, it does not deal with Palestinians as a people entitled to the right of self-determination. Two, it only asks occupation forces to withdraw from occupied lands, without specifying those lands. Three, it does not provide any mechanisms of penalising the occupation forces. Four, it does not deal with the settler-colonial nature of the state of Israel.

It, therefore, cannot be the basis of any negotiations that will lead to justice and peace in the Middle East.

Mohammed Daraghmeh, Ramallah-based journalist and political analyst

The resolution itself opened the way for the Israelis to make the 1967 boundaries disputed and not [considered as] a Palestinian or international line. [Since then], the Israelis started their settlement projects in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and created huge facts on the ground. No one can ask them now to remove these facts, simply because there are around 750,000 Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territories.

[The Israelis] are  drawing the border deep inside the Palestinian territories and are turning the Palestinian communities into isolated ghettos, while opening the land for settlers to build houses, settlements, factories, farms, etc  The Israelis are paying no attention to the international resolutions and are implementing their own resolutions on the ground.
Zimbabwes president vows to preside over ruling partys congress next month despite being sacked as ZANU-PF leader.

Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe has resisted mounting pressure to step down, telling the nation that he will preside over a ruling party congress next month.

The 93-year-old Zimbabwean leader had been widely expected to announce his resignation as Zimbabwes head of state and government on Sunday, five days after a surprise military takeover in which he was placed under house arrest.

But in his much-anticipated TV address from his State House office, Mugabe acknowledged criticism but said the country needs to return to normalcy without making any statement on his position.

Whatever the pros and cons of how they [the army] went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns, said Mugabe, seated alongside army commanders.

We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions real or perceived in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit, he added.

It was a dramatic turn of events in a week that has seen the army taking control and the streets of Harare filled with tens of thousands of people expressing support for the militarys action and calling for the president to step down.

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Earlier on Sunday, there were jubilant scenes at the ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare as the ruling party announced the expulsion of Mugabe as its leader and gave him a Monday noon ultimatum to step down as president, or face impeachment.

ZANU-PF officials said Mugabe, who has been leading Zimbabwe for 37 years, would face impeachment proceedings in parliament on Tuesday if the deadline passed.

Party members also expelled his wife, Grace, from its ranks and voted to name the sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe fired on November 6, as the new party leader.

Despite having been dismissed as ZANU-PFs leader, Mugabe vowed to preside over a key party conference in December.

The party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes, he said in his national address.

Surprise and disbelief

Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa, reporting from Zimbabwes capital, Harare, said a lot of people are surprised Mugabe did not step down after all this pressure.

There is no celebration on the streets, just disbelief, she said.

Sources behind the scenes say that he is being stubborn and for now he isnt going anywhere, added Mutasa.





It could be a plan hes working on to exit gracefully, or it could also be that he doesnt understand there is such a massive unhappiness, she added, noting all eyes would now be on the Monday midday deadline.

Some Zimbabweans who tuned in to watch Mugabes speech live said they were let down by his refusal to step down.

We are still just waiting to hear something definitive, like Im stepping down, said a young Harare resident.

He just spoke a lot and he didnt say anything, he added.

Blank shots

Stephen Chan, a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, said that despite Mugabes defiant stance, his decades-long rule was effectively over.

Ill be most surprised if he survives the week, Chan, author of Robert Mugabe: A Life of Power and Violence, told Al Jazeera from the UK capital, London.

He cant address the Congress; he is no longer the president of the party.

This is just defiance  this is simply the old man going down with all of his guns firing. They are blank shots, however, because they cant have any real effect.

Georgina Godwin, a Zimbabwean journalist, pointed to the presence of army officials next to Mugabe to argue that his speech had been approved by the military.

Im sure the army must have agreed to this  all the generals were sitting there, she told Al Jazeera.

This is the way to have a dignified exit.
ZANU-PF members vote to fire President Robert Mugabe as party leader, less than one week after military takeover.

Zimbabwes ruling party, ZANU-PF, has voted to sack President Robert Mugabe as its leader.

Members also voted to name sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who Mugabe fired on November 6, as new party leader.

They were determined to fire Mugabe as leader of the party, said Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa, reporting from Harare, as she described jubilant scenes.

Mugabe remains president of the country, however, amid calls for him to resign following a military takeover on November 15.

In opening remarks at ZANU-PFs Central Committee meeting, Obert Mpofu, the minister of home affairs who chaired the gathering, blamed First Lady Grace Mugabe and her allies for taking advantage of the veteran leader.

We meet here today with a heavy heart because Mugabes wife and her close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition and abused the resources of the country, he told members. I warmly welcome you all to this historic meeting which will mark a new era, not only for our country but for the party.

Members cheered as the resolution to recall Mugabe was read out.

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Earlier on Sunday, the ZANU-PF Youth League, which Grace Mugabe leads, called for her expulsion from ZANU-PF forever and demanded the president to resign as leader of the country and party, so that he can rest as the elderly statesman he is.

The group also condemned the unprocedural expulsion of Mnangagwa, who Mugabe sacked on November 6.

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, later told reporters in Harare: The army must finish with him today. Hed better give in to them now.

Succession bid

Mugabe has been under military quarantine at his residence since Wednesday, when the army placed him under house arrest and took over state TV and key government sites.

Mugabes decision to sack Mnangagwa, who was touted as his most likely successor, spurred an internal power struggle.

First Lady Grace Mugabe was tipped to takeover as second secretary and vice president, prompting a military takeover with the army saying it wanted to target criminals around Mugabe who were leading the party and state astray.

In a rare sign of solidarity between the people and the army, which has often been a pillar of support for Mugabes near 40-year rule, Zimbabweans on Saturday expressed support and praise for the militarys operation.

Huge crowds swelled on the streets.

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Civilians could be seen giving hugs and fist bumps to soldiers, and taking selfies with army personnel camped outside parliament, the presidential offices and other strategic sites.

There was a convivial mood in the capital as people played loud music and danced after marching to State House to demand Mugabes resignation, in scenes described as historic and representing a day of freedom.

Zimbabweans have never before gathered in such numbers to march against Mugabe.
After Senator Al Franken became the latest of a series of high-profile Americans to face allegations of sexual misconduct, President Donald Trump lashed out at Frankens actions.

After Senator Al Franken became the latest of a series of high-profile Americans to face allegations of sexual misconduct, President Donald Trump lashed out at Frankens actions while ignoring his own misconduct and that of would-be Senator Roy Moore.

Democratic Senator Al Franken has apologised, after a radio host accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her more than 10 years ago.

Franken released a second apology, after many viewed his initial apology as incomplete and lackluster, and he has requested a Senate ethics investigation into his actions.

But other accused American politicians have not shown any contrition at all.

Al Jazeeras Patty Culhane reports from Washington, DC.
There has been a new wave of anti-government protests in Togo. Demonstrators are calling for an overhaul of the political system and an end to the ruling family who has been in power for 50 years.

There has been a new wave of anti-government protests in Togo. Demonstrators are calling for an overhaul of the political system and an end to the ruling family who has been in power for 50 years.

But the president is showing little interest in vacating his seat after 16 people were killed in protests that began three months ago.

Al Jazeeras Mereana Hond reports.
Scavengers as young as eight years old eke out a living in unimaginable conditions at the Tibar landfill near Dili.

Dili, East Timor  Smouldering fires. Haphazard explosions. Malnourished children. The disintegration of law and order and the absence of social services.

In 1999, images such as these sparked widespread public anger around the world and the dispatch of an international peacekeeping force to East Timor after anarchy erupted following the countrys independence referendum on leaving Indonesia.

But nearly two decades after peace was restored in East Timor nothing much has changed at the Tibar landfill near the capital, Dili, where rubbish scavengers as young as eight years old eke out a living in unimaginable conditions.

The unregulated dumping ground for most of Dilis rubbish  including lethal asbestos and untreated hospital waste  the seven-acre site set in the belly of a steep valley is an environmental and public health catastrophe.

According to World Health Organization, about 100 tonnes of hazardous wastes are produced every year in Dili from healthcare activities alone. As there is no centralised treatment or disposal facility available for such waste, they are quite often disposed [of] with municipal waste in Tibar.

Smoke in your eyes

The first thing that strikes visitors to the Tibar landfill are wafts of acrid black smoke released by fires set by scavengers to melt the plastic off items such as washing machines and chairs that can then be sold as scrap metal.

The smoke really surprised me. Its surreal  a 24/7 smouldering heap, says Chris Kaley, a tourist from Australia who visited the landfill with Bruce Logan, the Australian co-owner of Dilis Beachside Hotel.

I come here once or twice a week to dump rubbish. I also bring any of our guests who are interested in seeing how the other half live, Logan says. I call it the stop-your-whingeing tour because coming here gives you a reality check about the trivial things people complain about in Australia.

The moment Logan parks his utility vehicle, a group of 20-odd scavengers dressed in torn filthy rags raid the bags of rubbish stacked on his vehicles tray.

Among them is Domingos, a 61-year-old man working at the landfill for six months. The valuable things are bottles and cans, he says. If I collect a big pile of cans, I can sell it for $1.

There are also children in the group, including an eight-year-old girl named Vanya who lives just outside the dump. She says she has been working here all her life.

I like it here because I can be with my parents and friends, she says.

Vanya claims she attends school, but when asked why she isnt there at that moment, she does not reply.

Bio, an 11-year-old boy, caked in filth and grime, also claims he studies in the afternoon, though its hard to imagine how he could attend class in such a condition. At that very moment, an aerosol can concealed in a burning heap behind the two children explodes, emitting an ear-piercing roar. Translator Rosentina Borges de Araujo and this reporter flinch with fright, while Bio and Vanya only smile.

No outside help

On the edge of the valley, we speak to Magdalena, a 70-year-old woman working at the landfill since 2006 who sleeps under a corrugated iron sheet supported by four short posts.

Her shanty conflicts with information offered by an employee of the sanitation department working onsite, who said on condition of anonymity, it is not allowed for people to live inside the landfill. Hes also the only individual interviewed at the site who claims to earn a living wage  albeit a paltry sum of US$150 per month.

On the other end of the spectrum, Magdalena claims to earn no income at all despite efforts to sell scrap metal for US$2 per pile. I dont make any money, she says. I cant remember the last time I sold anything.

Magdalena says the government doesnt offer any kind of assistance to scavengers at Tibar, but that a number of NGOs have come here over the years to offer jobs on the outside. I never got one, she says. Only some other people did.

London-based Small Steps Project is among the many NGOs that have tried  and apparently failed  to make a difference at Tibar.

According to the groups website, it previously distributed food, water and shoes to 130 children living in the area and assisted two large families who desperately needed food, cooking tools, cutlery and plates. But the programme is no longer active.

The Ryder Cheshire Foundation, another NGO, previously provided medical support for emergencies on the site. But there is no evidence of healthcare at Tibar today.

I am sick. We are all sick. We have coughs, says rubbish scavenger Maria. When it hurts we go to the hospital to get medicine. Then we come back to work.

Adds Aliso, a 55-year-old man working at Tibar since 2004. I am sick all of the time from the smoke. I have a cough. During the day its okay, but it hurts more at night.

Making the best of it

Despite the dangerous and unprofitable nature of rubbish scavenging at Tibar, many of those who work here claim they are satisfied with their lot.

I like my job because no one bosses me around, says the sanitation department employee.

Domingos the scavenger adds: This is our place. We help each other. We collect food for pigs. Sometimes, we also find treasure buried here.

It may look like a war zone, but I did not feel an extreme sense that the people here were helpless, says Chris Kaley from Australia. Somehow they all survive.

Masa Oki is a truck driver from Dili dumping rubbish at the site. This is their habit. Its not for us to say if its good or bad. I think it would be difficult to get them to leave this place.

But the World Health Organization says improvements are required.

Institutional arrangements for solid waste management in Dili need strengthening with necessary logistics and manpower support. Dumping site at Tibar needs an urgent upgrading from the current crude dumping to a controlled tipping situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host his Iranian and Turkish counterparts at his official residence in the coastal city of Sochi to discuss the Syrian conflict.

The event on Wednesday will be preceded by a meeting on Sunday in Turkeys resort city of Antalya between the three countries foreign ministers.

It comes days after Russia vetoed a US-initiated draft United Nations Security Council resolution on extending the mandate of the UNs mission for investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and the Japan-initiated draft on a provisional extension of the missions mandate.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley accused Moscow of dealing a deep blow to international efforts to deter chemical attacks, saying it bodes ill for Russias future role in Syrian peace efforts.

How, then, can we trust Russias supposed support for peace in Syria? How can anyone take Russias proposal of political talks in Sochi seriously? she asked.

The choice of participants

According to Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, the summit will include only these three countries, because they are the guarantors of the political settlement and stability and security that we see now in Syria.

The trio brokered a ceasefire in Syria in December 2016 and held peace talks in Kazakhstans capital of Astana in parallel to UN-backed negotiations in Geneva.

The collaboration comes despite the fact that Turkey is still officially on an opposing side of the Syrian conflict to Russia and Iran, who support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu credited the unlikely alliance for the improved situation in Syria over the past six months.

Since Aleppo, we have been cooperating with Russia, and we have made a lot of progress, he said. Eventually, we also included Iran to the system and to the process. And here is the result: The situation on the ground is much better than it was six months ago.

The agenda

Turkeys 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 towards a lasting political solution in Syria.

According to Russias Tass news agency, the summit will pay special attention to the situation in Idlib, a de-escalation zone where the three states have been deploying observers.

Cavusoglu said on Friday that Putin and Turkish President Erdogan could also discuss Russias veto of the latest UN resolution on Syria.

The Syrian conflict has killed more than 400,000 people since 2011.
Saudi Arabias heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Salmans policies have been the focus of a conference in London attended by analysts, academics and senior political figures.

Saudi Arabias heir to the throne has recently been making bold political moves  detaining some of his relations and a number of the kingdoms wealthiest businessmen amid an ongoing war with Yemen.

Mohammed bin Salmans policies have been the focus of a conference in London attended by analysts, academics and senior political figures.

The conference aims to highlight whats at stake, namely the stability of the Gulf region and that of other countries like Lebanon and Iran.

Al Jazeeras Jamal Elshayyal reports from London.
A lack of toilets in rural areas has been causing significant harm to the development of children.

Cambodia has been badly affected by people going to the toilet in the open, but is also cited as one of the most successful in getting people to install and use toilets.

The key to that success is a peer pressure strategy developed in Bangladesh by Dr Kamal Kar and adopted worldwide.

You are not allowed to defecate in the open by the community. Use your friends toilet or your relatives toilet, Dr Kar of CLTS Foundation tells a regional conference considering solutions in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh.

It seems to be working in Kampong Speu province as well where the NGO WaterSHED has organised a sales pitch for the toilet.

Yim Khleung, who used to go into the field at the back of her house, now owns a toilet, and her friends want one too.

My neighbour says when her daughter sends her money the next time, she will buy one, she says.

Good business

Simple concrete pipes sunk into the ground, she got her toilet from contractor Phuy Seakphy, who started making them two years ago.

Its good business. Im now selling about 15 to 20 a month, he says.

A lack of toilets in rural Cambodia does significant harm to the development of children. It is estimated a third of under five-year-olds suffer from stunted growth.

When children are exposed to faeces in their environment, they repeatedly get bouts of diarrhea. So the good things that are going in are coming straight out, says James Wicken, the country director of WaterAid Cambodia.

The problem also affects women and girls as going out at night in remote areas carries with it the risk of attack.
Days after a surprise military takeover, ZANU-PF gives embattled president Monday ultimatum and sacks him as its leader.

Zimbabwes ruling party has told Robert Mugabe that he must resign as president of the country by midday on Monday, or face impeachment.

The ultimatum given to the veteran leader, who has been in power for 37 years, came five days after the military seized power and placed Mugabe under house arrest.

The embattled 93-year-old leader has so far appeared resistant to demands to step down, but is increasingly running out of options.

On Sunday, the ruling ZANU-PF party dismissed Mugabe as its leader and also expelled his wife, Grace, from its ranks.

It said if Mugabe does not resign by midday on Monday, then it will start impeachment proceedings when parliament resumes on Tuesday.

Members also voted to name the sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe fired on November 6, as new party leader.

Let the old man resign and go home

In opening remarks at ZANU-PFs Central Committee meeting, Obert Mpofu, the minister of home affairs who chaired the gathering, blamed First Lady Grace Mugabe and her allies for taking advantage of the veteran leader.





We meet here today with a heavy heart, because Mugabes wife and her close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition and abused the resources of the country, he told members. I warmly welcome you all to this historic meeting which will mark a new era, not only for our country but for the party.

Members cheered as the resolution to recall Mugabe was read out.

It will be very honourable for him to resign than to face impeachment, a war veteran in the capital, Harare, told Al Jazeera.

It will continue to soil his record  and thats our advice, please let the old man resign and go home.

Earlier on Sunday, the ZANU-PF Youth League, which Grace Mugabe leads, called for her expulsion from ZANU-PF forever and demanded the president resigns as leader of the country and party, so that he can rest as the elderly statesman he is.

The group also condemned the unprocedural expulsion of Mnangagwa.

Power struggle

Mugabe has been under military quarantine at his residence since Wednesday, when the army placed him under house arrest and took over state TV and key government sites.

Mugabes decision to sack Mnangagwa, who was touted as his most likely successor, spurred an internal power struggle.

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First Lady Grace Mugabe was tipped to take over as second secretary and vice president, prompting a military takeover with the army saying it wanted to target criminals around Mugabe who were leading the party and state astray.

In a rare sign of solidarity between the people and the army, which has often been a pillar of support for Mugabes near 40-year rule, Zimbabweans on Saturday expressed support and praise for the militarys operation.

Huge crowds swelled on the streets.

Civilians could be seen giving hugs and fist bumps to soldiers, and taking selfies with army personnel camped outside parliament, the presidential offices and other strategic sites.

There was a convivial mood in the capital as people played loud music and danced after marching to State House to demand Mugabes resignation, in scenes described as historic and representing a day of freedom.

Zimbabweans have never before gathered in such numbers to march against Mugabe.

Its very hard

Patrick Chinamasa, a senior ZANU-PF official and former minister, said he was expecting cooperation from Mugabe following the overwhelming decision taken by the ruling partys central committee and Saturdays massive demonstration.





It will make the transfer of power smooth, and it will be very good for our country if in fact we were able to achieve it without any prolonged and protracted procedure, he told Al Jazeera from Harare.

Chinamasa said if Mugabe refused to step down, then there was no other option than the parliament to begin impeachment proceedings.

It is a route that we dont want to go  it will be most unfortunate if we were to go down that road  but its the constitutional route available to parliament to remove a president from his position, he added.

Striking a more emotional tone about the events of the past few days, Chinamasa said Mugabe has been a politician that has shown very good leadership over the years, but was recently taken advantage of by the people close to him, including his wife.

We have travelled with the president for decades, he said.

We have faced many challenges together as a party and he has provided very good leadership, and the unfortunate thing which is happening to me, when you part ways with a person you respect, who has scored many achievements for this country, for the region, for the continent and for the world, it is very hard [to see it ending this way].

But its all unfortunately because of his advance in age, he became a victim to his wife and the allies of his wife who basically abused his position and directed him to do things which were not in the interest both of the party and government.

Zimbabwe is expected to hold elections next year.

With reporting from Haru Mutasa and Tendai Marima in Harare.
Palestinian leaders have threatened to end all communication with the US government over PLO office closure.

Over the past 50 years, since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, there have been countless talks, negotiations and United Nations resolutions.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) has been at the forefront of peace talks over the years.

But now US President Donald Trumps administration says it will shut down the PLOs office in Washington, DC. That is in response to Palestinian efforts to raise the issue of Israels occupation at the International Criminal Court.

And if the US goes ahead with its plans, Palestinians say they will end all communication with Washington.

But what will this move mean for Trumps Middle East peace plan?

Presenter: Laura Kyle

Guests:

Qais Abdel Karim  PLO member

Hillary Mann Leverett  Former White House national security and state department official

Ian Black  Visiting senior fellow at the Middle East Centre, London School of Economics
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.










English News India: To protect credibility of Parliament & Judiciary, Prashant should file a PIL & launch a Party

Alwihda Info | Par Hem Raj Jain - 19 Novembre 2017



Bengaluru, India

Dear Editor



Sub:- (i)- Escapism from fight in AAP has culminated into humiliation of Adv. Prashant Bhushan in Supreme Court in MCI case (ii)- Criminal cases about Judges of Higher Judiciary can be tried only by Parliament (iii)- Present Parliament full of corrupt and criminal elements hence cant discharge its responsibilities properly hence Judges of Higher Judiciary are emboldened to damage judiciary (iv)- Anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare was meant to mainly clean Parliament (v)- Anti-corruption movement has gone waste because Prashant, Kejariwal etc have ditched it (vi) Entire political establishment is corrupt and for cleaning it Prashant should file a PIL about recovery of Rs ~ 1,000 Trillion State capital (vii)- Prashant should also launch a political party to provide clean alternative to presently corrupt Indian politics



------The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has been rocked on November, 10 by a controversy over judicial corruption and the propriety of judges hearing cases in which they may have an involvement. 46 medical colleges were barred by the government from admitting students owing to a lack of facilities. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the charge that the college tried to use back-door methods to influence the judicial process. In the FIR, the CBI alleged that promoters of the medical college approached retired High Court judge and sought his help in this matter. On September 19, 2017 the CBI had registered a very serious FIR, alleging that there was a conspiracy to bribe judges of the SCI, in connection with a Medical College case which was going on before the SCI. Immediately after that FIR, the CBI conducted raids and arrested some people, including a retired judge of the Odisha High Court and recovered about Rs 20 million in cash. CBI also arrested a middleman from Odisha who had been engaged to influence the Judges of SCI.



SCI Advocate Prashant Bhushan (representing an NGO called the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform, CJAR, who as CBI now allegedly not pursuing this case properly) had sought an Special Investigating Team (SIT) investigation in said medical college bribery scam, said Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra on November, 10 overriding J. Chelameshwars order marked a very sad day in the history of the SCI. Prashant further said ( as mentioned at https://thewire.in/196431/prashant-bhushan-supreme-court-chief-justice-conflict-of-interest/ ) that its really a very very sad day in the history of the SCI  firstly, I have not seen this kind of extraordinary interest being taken by a CJI in a matter which involves him directly, and secondly, because of the kind of unseemly proceedings which took place in SCI. Just a day after feverish proceedings in SCI when it repeatedly warned the petitioners (Advocates Kamini Jaiswal, Dushyant Dave, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan) against committing Contempt of Court, the bench on November, 14 reportedly decided to exercise restraint in order to not deepen the crises within SCI and the split in the Bar of SCI.



Prashant faced this frustration and humiliation because he has failed to realize the importance of politics and the meaning of constitutional provisions about disciplining the judges of higher judiciary (Supreme Court and High Court). Prashant should know that the Judges of Higher Judiciary can be tried only by Parliament under Article 124 (4) (for Supreme Court Judges) and Article 217 (b) (for High Court Judges) of the Constitution. Because High Court is not subordinate to SCI [unlike Subordinate Courts (District and Lower Courts) are subordinate to High Courts] hence even High Court Judges can be tried only by Parliament and not by SCI or any other court. Because like many previous Parliaments the present Parliament is also full of corrupt and criminal elements it cant discharge its responsibilities properly. Hence Judges of higher judiciary (who have never been impeached by Parliament despite many case of corruption, high-handedness, misbehavior, incapacity etc against them) are emboldened to damage the judiciary.



Precisely for the purpose of cleaning the present political system from corruption, the all India anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare was launched in 2011-12 in which Prashant Bhushan along with others (like Arvind Kejariwal etc who are presently in Delhi Government). But said anti-corruption movement has gone waste because Prashant Bhushan, Kejariwal etc have ditched it first by calling-off the agitation (instead of filling the jail as Jan Lok Pal Bill was not enacted by Parliament) and then launching a power hungry Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is presently ruling in Delhi and have some members of Parliament & Legislative Assembly from the State of Punjab.



But Prashant Bhushan left AAP also in 2015 due to internal fight of AAP which came to ugly pass due to simple reason that its Constitution is not properly drafted where in addition to other deficiencies in AAP Constitution the ordinary members of AAP are not given right to vote (which may be one in comparison to 2 or more for active members). Everybody knows (even Prashant said so during TV interviews) that if they go to court then illegal National Council meeting on March 28, 2015, illegal proceeding of this NC meeting, illegal resolution of this illegal meeting, illegal removal of Internal Lok Pal Admiral Ramdas etc can be declared null and void. But Prashant for the reasons best known to him only instead of going to court (and to Election Commission) preferred not only to suffer humiliation, disgrace and defeat but also became a party in making the AAP political experiment / revolution (for the benefit of ~1.3 billion people of India) a failure.



Even now if Prashant Bhushan is really interested in cleaning India of every form of corruption then he should do the following:-



(1)- Prashant should launch a political party to achieve what anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare tried to achieve



(2)- Because entire political establishment is corrupt hence for cleaning it Prashant should file a writ petition (PIL) about recovery of Rs ~ 1,000 Trillion State capital from Income Tax as mentioned at http://www.alwihdainfo.com/Now-India-bound-to-get-Rs--1000-Trillion-income-tax-as-Delhi-Police-steps-in_a31456.html l and http://www.newsnation.in/article/121125-news-nation-disclosure-on-blackmoney-kharabpati-farmers-take-agriculture-route-t.html



It is hoped that Prashant Bhushan will realize that he is one of the very few Indians who are very knowledgeable and have good of India in their hearts. Hence Prashant should not waste his time and energy in less crucial matters and rather should do as suggested above (to start with, file a PIL and launch a political party) so that not only Prashant but even his illustrious father (former Union Minister and Advocate Shanti Bhushan) can have satisfaction that they have given India in competent, incorruptible and patriotic hands.



Regards



Hem Raj Jain



(Author of Betrayal of Americanism)



Bengaluru, India





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News / National

by Staff reporter

Allies of embattled President Robert Mugabe have either gone into hibernation or fled the country altogether.This follows the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)'s announcement mid this week that they are taking corrective action to pacify a degenerating political, social and economic situation in the country, which if left unchecked, would have resulted in violent conflict.To remedy the situation, the military is going after "criminals" in Mugabe's administration.Events of the past few days suggest that the ZDF is after key members of the Generation 40 (G40) faction, accused of persecuting former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.The first batch of Cabinet ministers to be taken into custody by the ZDF include Finance minister Ignatius Chombo, Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere.Kudzanai Chipanga, the Zanu PF youth league secretary, was also arrested and is currently in the custody of the military and so is Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Paul Chimedza.Since then, there have been several arrests with reports suggesting that minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Mandi Chimene, has fled the country.Chimene has been one of the vocal figures in calling for the purging of axed Mnangagwa and Zanu PF politicians linked to the Midlands godfather.Officials close to Chimene, however, said the politician went to China on the Zimbabwe-China Friendship Association business.When contacted by a local provincial weekly newspaper, Chimene said there was no need for her to flee the country as she had not committed any criminal offence.Other ministers such as Samuel Undenge (Energy), deputy Tourism minister Anastancia Ndlovu, Makhosini Hlongwane (Sports) and deputy Public Service minister Tapiwa Matangaidze have all not been reporting for duty, fearing arrests."The majority of these guys have deserted their offices and gone underground because they know the army is going for them. They were overzealous and they know they will not be spared," a government source said.Unconfirmed reports also suggested that the army had placed under house arrest the top brass of the police, including commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri.Higher Education deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa, Paddy Zhanda and Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister Webster Shamu were also detained for about five hours before they were released.The military has also set up several security checkpoints across the country and on borders to look out for those who might attempt to flee.At the Forbes Border Post, the gateway to Mozambique, reports say there has been heavy presence of military personnel since Wednesday morning.The security check points are manned by uniformed soldiers.Soldiers at the security check points are asking for identity documents and purpose of visit from passers-by before being allowed to progress.A small group of about six police officers seen near the border post on Wednesday were clearly not concentrating with goings-on around the soldiers, seemingly discussing their own issues.
Theres a lot going on in DC this week, but it seems to be overshadowed by Weinstein case creep -- the penchant for women coming out of the woodwork to accuse high profile men of sexual misbehavior, much of it from decades earlier and most of it unverifiable. Some these allegations are clearly fabrications. That certainly seems to be true of the claims against Roy Moore. On Twitter, Thomas Wictor has made a credible analysis establishing that the one piece of non-testimonial record against Moore, a yearbook notation purportedly by Judge Moore in 1977, is a forgery made with two different inks, and the D.A. after his name (at a time when he was not district attorney) are the initials of his law clerk, who signed the court paper used as the forgery template.

Gloria Allred, notorious for sitting with unpersuasive sobbing women as she daubs their tears and peddles incredible tales, repeatedly refused to answer Wolf Blitzers questions about whether the signature was a forgery and has said she never even asked her client, Mrs. Wilson, whether she actually saw Judge Moore sign it.

Moore has demanded the yearbook be turned over for forensic examination and Allred says shell turn it over only to a (nonexistent) Senate Committee for its investigators to study.

Foolish deflection from a woman as to whom complaints are (as far as I can determine) still pending before the DC and California bars and whose claims in any event, based on her past performances, deserve to be disregarded.

The charge, however, has put Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell under fire. Esther Goldberg argues that sex was just the pretext and that Judge Moore is merely a pawn in the fight between Mitch McConnell and Steve Bannon, a repeat of the war they fought against President Trump.

Goldbergs theme centers on a lead editorial in the Wall Street Journal that describes the Bannonites (as they once described Trumps supporters) as cranks and outliers and attacks them for their agenda of trade protectionism and slashing immigration, views Goldberg rightly notes were winning themes in 2016. Like me, she sees the problem with the candidates McConnell and the WSJ would approve of as non-starters:

Problem is that candidates have to get elected first, and the candidates blessed by Mitch McConnell and his swamp creatures havent been able to do so. And those that have been in the legislature for years dont seem to be interested in doing any of these things. Except for that insurgent Donald Trump whos been busy getting his originalist judges confirmed. Having submitted 105 individuals to vacancies on appeals courts, district courts, and U.S. attorney positions, Trump finally succeeded in lighting a fire under McConnell to speed up the confirmation process in the last few weeks. Theyre waiting forever on line, said the President. It shouldnt happen that way. Its not right, its not fair. Roy Moore is only a pawn in this Game of Thrones. The allegations against him are laughable. We do not want to live in a country or political culture in which every accusation of sexual misconduct is automatically accepted as true, piously intones the Journal before going on to automatically accept them as true, after a desultory nod to Moores right to challenge his accusers for acts alleged to have happened more than 30 years ago. Mitch McConnell had no qualms about convicting Judge Moore on the spot, however, the constitutional presumption of innocence be damned. I believe the women, yes, he said. This is about as courageous as declaring I dont like Nazis. And as disgustingly superficial and manipulative.

She notes that while McConnell praised Ted Kennedy for being able to separate the personal from the political after the latter left a young woman trapped in his car to die underwater, he cannot do that with those who threaten his power even when the best he can do is argue they engaged in some unspecified (and unproven) sexual misconduct decades earlier.

In any event, Allred seems to have opened a Pandoras box. Because now the always vulgar clown Senator Al Franken is under the spotlight for specific sexual misconduct. Hes admitted the most serious charge to date and apologized, but some in his party are demanding that he resign, although at least one self-described feminist has leapt to his defense.

Some on the left even have found (20 years late) words to admit they were wrong in defending Bill Clinton saying he should have resigned over the Lewinsky affair. McConnell appears to be not the only party leader trying to get rid of inconvenient colleagues and former colleagues, using womens tears as weapons. (Its hard for me to imagine how I am woman hear me roar fits in with claims that a pinch on the butt or an unwelcome advance (rejected) can prove a traumatic event of a lifetime.

The suggestion by some that Franken should be subject to a Senate ethics hearing (which Franken said hed agree to), drew Iowahawks tweet: He deserves a fair hearing by a jury of his pervs.

And theres a basis for that characterization. The Congressional Office of Compliance notes that an unspecified but substantial amount (quotes of $15 million dollars appear to be an exaggeration) has been paid out of a not previously disclosed slush fund (hush fund?) as settlement of Congressional harassment claims -- and this after accusers have had to first undergo lengthy mediation and counseling sessions. The public is entitled to a more specific accounting of these claims.

The enacted Legislative Branch Appropriations bills of 1996 through 2017 have appropriated funds awards, and settlements under the Act. This year alone almost a million dollars of tax money was spent to settle eight such claims.

Now theres talk about setting up harassment training for Congress -- you know, like the idiotic time wasters their laws have imposed on the rest of us. Iowahawk (peace be upon him) will have none of it:

Forget the stupid "harassment training" fig leaf. If Congress is serious about this, release details of their $15 million harassment slush fund payments, including on whose behalf they were paid.

While attention is focused on the kind of things of great interest only to viewers of daytime television, strapped to hospital beds and unable to reach a remote to turn it off, some important things are happening.

The House has passed a tax cut bill, which is heading to the Senate, where I hope the harassment training wont cut into their work time, as it apparently has the U.S. Navys operations.

Senator Chuck Grassley has announced hes going ahead with a confirmation hearing for David Stras, a nominee for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, ignoring Al Frankens blue slip effort to stop the confirmation hearing, and will as well hold a confirmation hearing for Kyle Duncan for the 5th Circuit, despite his home state senator John Kennedy s blue slip. Former senator Harry Reid undid a slew of Senate traditions, and his party paved the way for the new majority to follow his lead. Senatorial courtesy, which once allowed a home state senator to block a nominee from his own state, seems to be a dying tradition.

Rumors are strong that Justice Anthony Kennedy is about to resign from the Supreme Court and the White House has announced five new additions to the slate of potential nominees to fill that slot:

The White House on Friday announced the addition of five new names to President Trumps list of potential Supreme Court nominees...



Two of the latest candidates, Judge Amy Coney Barrett and Judge Kevin C. Newsom, were both nominated to their current positions by Trump in May, according to the White House.



Barret serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and Newsom serves on U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, the statement said. The White House announced both nominations in May.



Also on the list are Justice Britt C. Grant of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Justice Patrick Wyrick of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma.



The update comes amid ongoing rumors that Justice Anthony Kennedy, 81, who has served on the court for more than 20 years, is considering retirement.

Probably the most important development this week is the effective end of the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), a power grab by Democrats led by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, which gives a single director who can only be fired for cause by the president (a structure designed to operate outside Congressional or executive control) power to regulate mortgages, credit cards, and retirement and pension investments -- in sum, all consumer financial transactions. Warren originally wanted to run this outfit, but when it was clear shed never get Congressional approval, Richard Cordray became the one-man credit czar. Last October the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that placing so much power in a single commissioner not answerable to the president was unconstitutional.

The Obama Administration sought en banc review by the entire Circuit Court Panel. In March, the new administration reversed the governments position. The entire panel heard the case in May. While the decision in that case is still pending, Cordray this week resigned, and the president appointed in his place OMB chief Mike Mulvaney as interim head. Mulvaney strongly opposed the creation of this bureau. The President thus has now put in place someone who can be counted on to undo the Democrats machinations to control all our financial transactions by the fiat of a single man. By their own hands, they created a situation they are powerless to undo -- just as by tarring Judge Moore with suspect accusations they open themselves to the same treatment.
The outing of U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) as the latest high profile alleged abuser of women  accompanied by photographic evidence  calls for a cautious analysis. Not because there is any doubt about the veracity of the accusations by Frankens main accuser, Leeann Tweeden. After all, Ms. Tweeden has come forward with an incriminating photo and a detailed recounting of Frankens sexual harassment and humiliation of her in 2006, two years before he was elected to the U.S. Senate. As of this writing, Franken has issued three increasingly detailed written apologies for what he did to Ms. Tweeden which adds significant credibility to her claims.

The incriminating photo: Al Franken and Leeann Tweeden December 2006

What needs to be examined closely and critically is how the mainstream media and the powers that be  including elements of the Resistance, the Shadow Government, and the Deep State  are preparing to use this story to advance their ultimate agenda: The take down and removal from office of President Donald J. Trump.

It was surprising to see the media, and even many Democrat politicians, jump on the Franken story as soon as it broke on Thursday November 16. It was full-speed ahead to attack Franken and even to call for his resignation from the Senate. The Teflon coating that almost always protects Democrats and, until recently, most left-wing moguls and celebrities when they get in trouble, especially of a sexual harassment nature, was stripped away  and the feeding frenzy piling on of Franken was off and running.

Dont get me wrong. I am not sorry to see Al Franken exposed for being the creep that he is. His entire career as a writer, comedian, and performer before he got into politics in 2007 absolutely reeks. Examples of his sleazy and disgusting work that have helped to lower the bar of the popular culture starting in 1975 are abundant. Until Thursday, Franken, to my knowledge, was never publicly accused of actually acting against anyone based on his immature, puerile, and sexist beliefs.

Jake Tapper interviews Leeann Tweeden CNN Nov. 16, 2017

An example of the unusual media focus on this story is the coverage of it on CNN on day one. On Thursday evening, CNN preempted the second hour of Anderson Coopers AC360 at 9 P.M. E.S.T. and substituted a special edition hour long episode of The Lead with Jake Tapper that usually airs five hours earlier.

Tappers special prime time show started with an uninterrupted, commercial-free replay of his entire interview with Leeann Tweeden that originally ran live on his afternoon show earlier Thursday. The fact that no commercials were shown for over 35 minutes straight was almost unprecedented. That kind of rare preemption of advertising spots is usually reserved for instances of major breaking news, like a terrorist attack or a hurricane about to make landfall on the U.S.

Amanda Carpenter

Symone Sanders

The prerecorded segment with Tweeden, with a new live intro by Tapper was followed by a live discussion featuring familiar CNN talking heads Amanda Carpenter, former communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Symone Sanders, former press secretary for Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and a CNN political commentator. Both of these analysts are consistently anti-Trump.

From CNNs transcript of the program:

JAKE TAPPER: And this  this is not a partisan issue. AMANDA CARPENTER: No. TAPPER: Democrats are doing this to women. Republicans are doing this to women. SYMONE SANDERS: Independents have probably done it as well, Green Party folks, people that  dont even believe in a political system. This is about the overall culture and system. We have  it has far exceeded a problem. (INAUDIBLE) had a really great piece in (INAUDIBLE) a couple weeks ago specifically about sexual culture, and talking about the fact that this is from the Hollywood Hills, to the boardroom, and everywhere in between. And so this is a system and we have to examine what it is about our culture or sexual culture that seems to support this. We talk a lot about rape culture, but rape should not have been the bar that is met for us to have a conversation about this, for us to do something. Because its not just rape, its those sexual microaggressions, the cat calling on the street, its the someone pushing up on you in an office in a professional setting. None of these things are OK, but we are only now liberated to have these conversations because women have been courageous in coming forward, so now  because this is bigger than Al Franken. . . CARPENTER: They [U.S. Senate] can vote to censure him [Franken] in a simple majority vote and take a stand on this issue. And for that matter, Donald Trump or anyone else they see fit. SANDERS: Yes. I mean, I guess its just  it just troubles me because Donald  it seems like everyone else in this moment has had to account for what theyve done and what theyve been accused of except for the president of the United States [emphasis added.]. . . CARPENTER:  I remember America  SANDERS: We are America. CARPENTER: [In 2016] I was encouraging the delegates to vote for someone else other than Donald Trump. I stood on a panel with Van Jones. He said you cannot abort your candidate at this point in time. I said it is the right thing to do and look what happened, Donald Trump became president. . . SANDERS: Yes. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the accusers of Donald Trump liars. And so, people that live in glass houses have a tendency not to want to try to throw stones. And thats what were seeing here. So, the president, his hands are essentially tied. If he thinks Roy Moore should step down, Im wondering if he then is going to turn in his resignation as president of the United States of America. [emphasis added.] TAPPER: Well, I am hearing a lot of people today saying Al Franken needs to step down, but theyre not saying the same thing about President Trump. I mean  SANDERS: We have to address this across the board, OK? So if we are going to really attack this issue, if we really want to change the system, we have to have a certain set of standards by which we engage in this work of combating sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual microaggression. So, we cant have one standard for somebody and another standard for someone else.

Accusations of sexual harassment and worse that were leveled against candidate Donald Trump in the closing days of the 2016 campaign, which were never heard in a court of law and largely disappeared as soon as he was elected, clearly did not impede his path to victory in the November election. During the past year, however, the perception of him as a sexual aggressor has permeated virally especially through social media. It continues to motivate the anti-Trumpers and is now gaining new currency. The scorched earth campaign that assumes men accused of sexual misconduct are automatically guilty is expanding  apparently by design now  to include Democrats, giving it a patina of bipartisan credibility. This strategy is already being used as a tactic in the effort to destroy President Trump.

Thomas Lifson had a summary of his similar concerns about the Franken story and what it might lead to, in the November 17 American Thinker, Al Frankens career is collateral damage for the Dems on the way to getting Trump:

That sinking feeling Al Franken is experiencing is the realization that his career is now a pawn in the fanatical efforts of Democrats to get President Trump out of office. . . The logical steps for getting Trump are clear. Step one: Establish that sexual harassment before taking office is sufficient grounds to remove someone from office. This is the necessary predicate. Frankens departure from office will establish the purported sincerity of the Democrats in establishing this brand-new principle. . . Step two: Apply this doctrine to Roy Moore if he should win the Senate seat for which he is running. If he loses, triumphantly announce that even the reddest of red states agrees that previous misbehavior is dispositive in removing an incumbent. Step three: Throw Bill Clinton under the bus. . . . Step four: As the hysteria mounts, following the blood sacrifices, demand that President Trump be impeached for actions before he took office. Failing that, tell voters that by hanging onto office, he is disgracing the nation and telling little boys to grope their little girl classmates in first grade.

Lifson was prescient in his predictions, including his step three. On Thursday evening November 16, Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat U.S. Senator from New York and a potential candidate for president in 2020, in an interview with the New York Times in effect threw Bill Clinton under the bus. The Washington Post reported Friday morning, Why Kirsten Gillibrand saying that Bill Clinton shouldve resigned is a big deal:

Asked directly if she believed Mr. Clinton should have stepped down [when as president he faced his own allegations of sexual impropriety], Ms. Gillibrand took a long pause and said, Yes, I think that is the appropriate response.

On Friday evening, the most read article at the Washington Post was What Trump has said about assault allegations against Franken, Moore, Clinton  and himself. The #2 article was the one on Gillibrand.

On Hannity, Fox News Channel Friday evening, with Jeanine Pirro substituting for Sean Hannity, Democrat strategist Doug Schoen, echoing the opinions of many in his party, insisted that Franken should resign. Another guest, Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce, a libertarian conservative and former feminist, commented:

What this [the Democrat Partys reaction to the Franken scandal] is really about is the fact that the Democrats  theyre this dangerous now. They dont care that they facilitated this [serial sexual misconduct by Bill Clinton] in the 90s. All they want to do now is to try to remake history so that they can pretend to be our moral betters  our moral superiors  again so that they can lecture us on the Republicans who are doing it. They do not care about the issue, they do not care about women. The bottom line here is that this is a complete meltdown  and its not just Gillibrand. Its pretty much every [Democrat] throwing Clinton under the bus. . . The Democrats have been treating women like crap for decades and this is a reckoning.

Over at CNN, April Ryan, a CNN political analyst, speaking on Don Lemons show, commented that President Trumps alleged past sexual misconduct before he became president is an albatross around the presidents neck. In my opinion, Ryan speaks for many representatives of the MSM and the Deep State in terms of where this all goes from here. Target: Donald J. Trump.

My recommendation: Pay very close attention as this story unfolds. Be prepared to read between the lines and keep Lifsons, and my, analysis and admonitions in mind.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran reporter and analyst of news on national politics, media, and popular culture. Follow Peter on Twitter @pchowka.
What is reality? Do you we think we know what is true today?

What if I told you, that what you think you know of our [current] reality is but a lie? A series of images projected upon a wall in a cave.

Plato wrote of such a thing in his prisoners in a cave allegory. In it he describes prisoners being born in a cave, shackled, facing a wall. Images passed in front of a fire, are projected onto a wall in front of the prisoners. This for the prisoners, is reality. They know of nothing beyond what theyre exposed to by the light. As the allegory continues, what if a prisoner is somehow freed? He at once, seeing the fire, would be blinded by its brightness, so that he would no longer be able to see the shadows. If told that this is reality, in his pain and fear, he would not believe, and would demand to be reshackled to the wall. Continuing further, what if he was forced from the cave altogether? Again, he would be blinded by the light of the sun. Eventually, as his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he would see the world for what it truly is. Plato concludes the allegory by suggesting that, seeing reality (for what it is), our freed prisoner would feel sorry for his fellow prisoners, and seek to return to the cave, to help free his fellow prisoners. Upon returning to the cave, our enlightened prisoner would be blinded by the darkness. The prisoners, believing that the journey outside the cave harmed this man, would fight to the death, any attempts to free them from their bondage.

Freedom / Bondage

A similar story is told in the Bible, in Exodus 16:3, and recounted again in Numbers 14:4.

The Israelites said to them (Moses & Aaron), "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

I have always been struck by this passage. Would a people prefer bondage to freedom? Seemingly so.

Today, we are increasingly faced with a contrived reality. A mirage. Images shone on a wall (television screens, cell-phone, laptops) portraying what our captors wish for us to believe (is reality).

What is truth? Let me suggest that truth, increasingly, is a byproduct of force. Are any important matters reasoned true today, or are we stuck in a battle of messaging wills? In this, let me suggest, the Left are winning, as weve abandoned reason, and are left with, whatever message can be advanced enthusiastically enough, to run roughshod over the other. As Goebbels stated;

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie; and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.

What we see playing out in America, and throughout the world, is two starkly different worldviews: Freedom and the State (bondage). Of course, bondage isnt being sold as such. Its being sold as free stuff and safety and security from the ravages of hatred. Who doesnt want free stuff and safety and security? Of course, reason informs us that there is no such thing as free stuff, and that safety and security for some, demands that freedom for others must be infringed upon and/or suppressed.

Let me suggest that the Left have ingeniously played the long game. For a century, they have patiently infiltrated the institutions of influence; Academia, Media, Politics, and the Church. They have operated in the shadows, advancing lies as truth. This past decade has seen what I believe is the beginning of the final battle between light and darkness. Between freedom and bondage.

What is truth, if we no longer live in an age of reason? A discomfort exists amongst all. What is true has been abandoned, for what advances the interest of my tribe, or the will of my masters? It is seemingly no longer possible to reason a way forward, but to exert a force of will, to advance ones particular worldview. In this, we Conservatives are at a disadvantage, and in my opinion, will represent our eventual demise.

Individualism (freedom), our greatest virtue becomes are biggest tactical weakness. It is much easier to mount a force of will, when all of your forces pull in the same direction, without question. In this, as a top-down, command and control ideology, the Left have an advantage. Leftist masters determine a path forward, which gets disseminated throughout their institutions of influence. Their foot-soldiers then advance on the path until theyve secured victory. See any man on the street video, where these clowns are asked to articulate why theyre protesting. Watch any CNN or MSNBC (FAKE NEWS) broadcast. Or, the actions of our representatives in Congress. Does anything that theyre saying or doing ring true? Do they appear to be open to reason, or are they advancing their force of will?

Let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt (or the cave). In the end, the people (the mob) will accept the comfort of lies (bondage), over the reality of truth (freedom). Our efforts to free our fellow captors are being met with fear and anger. As Plato suggests, they will fight to the death, to maintain their belief that what theyre seeing on the cave wall is true.
Friendship is a beautiful thing, and it's really good to know that Robert Mueller, Comey, Brennan, and Clapper have known each other for many years. They're loyal friends.

Mueller is a former top FBI dude, who helped to clear Bill Clinton after that impeachment mess, and like Mr. Comey, he did his very best. Clapper was the single most powerful man in the "intelligence" "community," a centralized directorate (as the Soviets used to call it), which was George W. Bush's principal response to 9/11/01.

Now don't get me wrong: I'm sure all these brave men (or persons, I should say) made great contributions to the safety and welfare of all of us. But here they are at the peak of their careers, each one of them, and Democrat candidate Hillary is suddenly exposed to the world with her email fiasco as SecState. Violating the very first rule of intelligence and statecraft, to protect your country's secrets. And she obviously sold secret and sensitive information to Clinton Foundation "donors" around the world, including old friend Vladimir Putin (who now owns 20 percent of U.S. uranium, or possibly more), the Muslim Brotherhood (friends of Huma), the Iranians (who sponsor half the terror attacks in the world), the Chinese (who want more of our secret high tech), and probably the French (who understand bribery and just wanted to get access to Hillary as POTUS).

We've seen how Bill sold U.S. rocket-launching secrets to the Chinese for campaign money...or personal money. It's so hard to tell the difference.

Well, skip that.

So the wife of the perp becomes a senator from the State of New York, which is well known for the purity of its politics. Why did she become senator? Was she a resident of N.Y. State? Was she the best qualified person to represent the Great State (etc.)? Or did the N.Y. machine just pick her and scare everybody else away?

So Hillary has violated any number of laws all of her adult life, ever since she was hired by the Senate Watergate Committee to lynch Richard Nixon  which worked just as it was meant to. Nixon resigned, but for the Democrats, he should have been hanged, drawn, quartered, waterboarded, and made to read the NYT op-ed page for extra punishment. I know Democrats who still hate Richard Nixon with a hellish fury. Nixon is the gift that keeps on giving. Hillary's major role in the persecution of President Nixon  a duly elected POTUS  was to urge that all his constitutional rights be taken away. That was the young Hillary right after law school.

The major difference from Watergate today is that no sane and sentient human being believes the NYT or the WaPo anymore. They have permanently blown their cover.

And yet the Axis of NYT-WaPo tells us that Donald Trump is just suspected of nefarious dealings with the Russians, which presumably caused the Russians to break into Hillary's ridiculous emails and the DNC file system, sending truthful (but wicked) information to WikiLeaks, to be dumped at strategic moments of the election campaign.

Notice well that nobody claims that the Hillary dumps were false. They were true enough. That's why they hate Trump and his imaginary Russian sources. It's the truth that hurt Hillary.

So that's their problem. It's not that Hillary isn't a crook, as proven by an endless number of leaked sources, including her ridiculous email setup. This was arguably treason by the U.S. secretary of state in a time of war  a war that the Bushes, Clintons, and Obamas refused to name, because that might kick in the constitutional provisions for declaring war and living with the reality of treason.

So Trump catches wind of that swamp stink and fires Comey, Clapper, and Brennan. Comey then plants a bomb in the media alleging that Trump had Moscow ladies of the night peeing on Obama's bed.

Seriously.

That's what set off this whole witch hunt, and Oliver Cromwell would have been ashamed of these goofballs. When the English witch-hunters went after suspects, waterboarding was the least of their methods of interrogation.

Along the way, the Brits got involved in this story of high crimes and misdemeanors, because if you believe that that old MI6 guy Chris Steele didn't tell his fellow spooks over there about dumping Moscow prostitute stories into the FBI, the CIA, and the NSA, not to mention the top of the DNC, you'd better think again. The U.K.-E.U. role in all this is never talked about  a mighty suspicious gap in the story. Chris and his old MI6 buds probably passed the story around just for laughs.

So Trump and Russia allegedly colluded, according to the Steele "dossier," which was freely passed around D.C. for months while no "respectable" news outlet would publish it.

Now, that phoney-baloney "dossier" looked mighty suspicious to the Monsters of the Deep, like Comey, who instantly demanded a special counsel to pursue Trump and anybody associated with him. The "special counsel," an invention of the Watergate plot against Nixon that violates every principle of the U.S. Constitution, turned out to be...guess who!

Yes! It's former FBI boss Robert Mueller, who got Bill Clinton out of all that trouble with the Chinese missile secrets.

Mueller's integrity is unquestionable. See? Proof of that is his close friendships with Comey, Clapper, Brennan, and the rest. Friends of Bill and Hillary. This man's integrity is above suspicion.

Now, let's suppose that all these characters are monuments of human integrity, fierce defenders of the United States and its Constitution. Like Hillary, Bill, the Obamas, and all.

I know it's hard to believe all that, but try your best.

Now Robert Mueller has recruited for his honest and even-handed process a posse of Democrat lawyers who have proven their prosecutorial zeal for scapegoats like Scooter Libby and Martha Stewart.

The obvious kicker in all this is that Robert Mueller is part and parcel of the Hillary Cover-Up. We know more about Hillary's misdeeds, thanks to all those WikiLeaks plus FOIA exposures of misfeasance and malfeasance galore, going back to the Bill Clinton and Paula Jones days, when Hillary ran the Bimbo Eruptions intimidation campaign. We have huge amounts of believable evidence about these crooks and corruptocrats, going back to Arkansas and the rest.

The single most important fact is that nobody has ever been prosecuted for these crimes. That fact by itself throws serious doubts on the entire justice system of the United States.

The farcical Mueller witch hunt against POTUS Trump is going to slather the whole U.S. Justice Department with that same stinky swamp water. It's inevitable.

You can't put a close friend of the perps in charge of the "special counsel"  a made-up name that appears nowhere in the U.S. Constitution or the Federalist Papers. It's just an eructation of swamp gas from the Watergate years, meaning nothing.

And when Robert Mueller comes out with his solemn report on the Moscow prostitutes and Trump's golden showers, you can expect every single liberal paper to cheer itself hoarse.

Because "justice" is not what this is about.
The meaningful, if unstated, question is whether the Beatles, the enormously successful rock band formed in Liverpool, northern England, in 1960 can save William Gladstone, the British politician and leader of the Liberal Party who served as prime minister for 12 years in nonconsecutive four terms between 1868 and 1894, the only British prime minister to serve four terms.

Now, students at the University of Liverpool, led by a 20-year-old named Alisha Raithatha, are petitioning the university to have Gladstone's name removed from a dorm, a hall of residence, which also carries the name of Roscoe, in a building which is currently being demolished to be redeveloped. Raithatha may be regarded as one of the increasing number of "snowflakes" among British students, youngsters who are part of and live according to the prescriptions of grievance culture, judging the past by the standards of today, more prone to take offence than previous generations, disinviting or preventing controversial speakers at their universities. The sad situation now is, as Professor Robert George has said, "too few have courage to stand up to those who want to shout down dissenting speech."

Snowflakes are falling and keep falling all over the political place, bringing with them an atmosphere of self-righteousness, temper tantrums, and unwillingness to engage in any robust debate on issues not to their liking. The snowflakes are attempting to "decolonize" the English Department at Cambridge University in England, to remove the 19th century imperialist, though generous philanthropist, Cecil Rhodes from Oriel College, Oxford, to influence the BBC TV production of Howard's End by incorporating black characters who never appear in the famous novel by E.M. Forster published in 1910. Curiously, a sentence from the book seems relevant to present circumstances: "Actual life is full of false clues and signposts that lead nowhere. We nerve ourselves for a crisis that never comes."

The issue of past slavery is a compelling one in Britain as in the U.S. One surprising target in recent years has been and remains Lord Nelson, the heroic and widely admired admiral, whose tall statue in Trafalgar Square, London, is the welcome home for pigeons who rest on his head. Snowflakes have called for the removal of the statue. The pigeons should not suffer because Nelson used his seat in the House of Lords to support friends who ran slave plantations in the West Indies. And now in New York City, Italian-Americans and others may soon be saying Goodbye Columbus to the great 16th century Admiral from Genoa.

The Liverpool snowflakes were "horrified" that were living in a building that was made unpleasant by the name of Gladstone. The students evidently lack any real knowledge of this austere figure, educated at Eton and Oxford, member of Parliament at age 23, a reformer who switched parties from conservative to liberal, and grew more radical with age. In many ways he laid the basis of the British welfare state, introduced the secret ballot for voting, expanded in 1884 the vote to working men in rural areas, critic of imperialism, and a person who spent a lifetime trying to obtain Home Rule for Ireland, a project that was defeated in the House of Lords in 1893.

The snowflakes did not know all this, but they perhaps know that William's father, Sir John Gladstone, owned sugar plantations in the Caribbean, British Guyana, and Jamaica, for which he was compensated with 100,000 for losing hundreds of slaves when slavery was abolished in 1833. As an MP, William Gladstone, who favored banning the slave trade, had also favored owners getting compensation as well as calling for the improvement of the conditions of the slaves.

Instead of Gladstone, the snowflakes suggested the name of their building should be changed to Jon Snow, a Channel 4 newsreader. Paradoxically, Snow, now 70, had been expelled from the university in 1970 while a law student there for participating in a demonstration against the university's investments in apartheid South Africa. However, later in 2011 he got an honorary degree from the university.

This call for change of name in the case of Gladstone resembles that a few years ago when the Colston Girl's School in Bristol, west England, had to grapple with the call to change the name of the school because of the link to Edward Colston, a prominent slave trader in the 17th century. He had shipped 100,000 African slaves to the West Indies and America, but was also a leading philanthropist in Bristol and had financed the creation of the school. The Colston name remains.

In the case of Gladstone in Liverpool, the Beatles may come to the rescue. One of their well-known songs is Penny Lane, written in 1967 probably by Paul McCartney. Penny Lane is a bus terminus and a shopping area in Liverpool where McCartney and John Lennon used to meet. The possible problem is not the sexual allusions in the song, but that the area is named after James Penny, a slave ship captain, a local slave trader who opposed the abolition of the slave trade.

Liverpool public authorities are not likely to entertain, and thousands of Beatle fans would agree, any call to remove the name Penny Lane, "in my ears and in my eyes." It must remain, irrespective of past slavery. Similarly, Liverpool University authorities should act in similar fashion. And perhaps the remaining Beatles might write another song, Gladstone is my bag.

The Liverpool snowflakes should go back to their dorm and their studies and be informed of the amusing words of Benjamin Disraeli on Gladstone, his fierce political rival, "he had no single redeeming defect." From a meteorological point of view, snowflakes are light and pleasant, but in mass they are dangerous, and may cause a blizzard and obstruction. Liverpool should take care.
"Plunge into political crisis leaves Lebanon vulnerable to war" is yet another Washington Post attempt to cast Israel as the aggressor rather than the surrounding terror groups and countries that explicitly call for Israel's destruction. In this version, the Post remarks that "Israel has been accused of regularly bombing across its northern border, targeting convoys and military depots in Syria linked to Hezbollah" but omits that these are defensive attacks. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israeli-Lebanon conflict (and signed by both sides), called for all armed groups (referring to Hezb'allah) to disarm. Yet current reports are that Hezb'allah has been stockpiling over 100,000 missiles  a failure to comply with the resolution by any stretch of the imagination. And the U.N. does nothing to stop this build-up!

The Post, as usual, speaks of the "Israeli narrative" while describing the Hezb'allah view as if it were fact. E.g., "[e]ven Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah pointed to the fact that 'Israel has its own agenda.'" And he has credibility? Would the Post say, "Even Korean dictator Kim Jung-un..." or "Even the Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei..." to make anything sound credible? It's ludicrous!

If the Post researched the conflict, it would find that Hezb'allah's 100,000 missiles are all aimed at Israeli civilian population centers...and Hezb'allah and its sponsor Iran freely admit it! Israel's goal, on the other hand, is only to protect itself from neighbors who regularly call for her destruction. Israel has no desire or wish to attack Lebanon. How could this basic element of the Israeli-Lebanon (Hezb'allah) conflict evade Washington Post thought?
Arizona Senator Jeff Flake was caught on a hot mic saying that "If we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast."

Flake made the remark in a conversation with a friend, Mesa Mayor John Giles, at a tax reform event in Mesa.

ABC News:

Moore is running for the vacant Senate seat in Alabama left by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He has come under fire for a number of allegations of sexual harassment and assault, but has refused to leave the race. Trump is a frequent opponent for Flake, who announced last month he would not seek re-election in 2018 in a fiery speech condemning the president from the floor of the Senate. Flake indirectly called out Trump in his Senate speech, saying, "We must dedicate ourselves to making sure that the anomalies never becomes the normal, with respect and humility." He told ABC News' Mary Bruce of Moore in a Nov. 9 interview on Capitol Hill, "If there is any shred of truth to these stories, he ought to step aside. And now."

Jeff Flake is out of touch with the new political realities in the Trump era. Under the old paradigm, he might have been correct. The toxicity of Trump and especially Roy Moore would doom the GOP to defeat in 2018.

But politics doesn't work that way anymore. Witness Alabama voters hanging with Roy Moore despite sexual depravity charges from what even the Governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, says are "credible" witnesses. Ivey and the state Republican party have all said they continue to support Moore. And while Trump's juvenile name calling, fact free rants, and flip flops have turned off a certain percentage of voters, his support among Republicans remains strong.

Flake just doesn't get it. No one cares about the sideshows anymore. Most GOP voters have not only turned off the media, but also question whether what the press is reporting is true at all. Most GOP candidates will probably not embrace Moore. But the only chance they have for victory in many cases is to embrace Trump.

The dynamics of off year congressional elections have dramatically changed since 2010 when Republicans tapped the anger of voters over the passage of Obamacare. The tsunami that hit the Democrats resulted in the GOP flipping 63 House seats and 6 Senate seats.

That election was won because of the massive turnout of Republican voters. Few voters switched sides. It was a turnout election all the way.

And that's why most GOP candidates will either embrace Trump or make an effort not to upset his supporters. Nothing that Donald Trump has done or said will cost the GOP the House or Senate. Rather, it has been a do nothing Congress that has angered voters from both parties. But they will surely lose if they try to distance themselves from the president, angering his supporters in their districts. They need those Trump voters to win which leaves them little choice but sink or swim with Trump at the head of the party.

No wonder Jeff Flake decided not to run for re-election.
News / National

by Lloyd Msipa

The Zanu PF Party route



The Parliamentary route

Mugabe's family as leverage



The Peoples have spoken

Conclusion

Despite a popular show of people power demanding Mugabe to step down, he has stuck to his guns arguing that he is an elected president and in terms of the Zimbabwe Constitution he has a mandate until 2018. He also argues that the desired replacement, Emmerson Mnangagwa, his former deputy was fired from the party and therefore in terms of the ZANU PF Constitution he cannot replace him. What are the options available for the removal of Mugabe? To remove President Robert Mugabe legal, social and political solutions are required. We must not lose sight of the fact that Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years. His rulership is entrenched, not only in the national psyche, but constitutionally, at party and national level. His entrenchment also extends to the regional bodies of whom he commands huge respect and efforts seem to be afoot to try and rescue him. His rulership in Zimbabwe is multi-layered, like onion layers and he will not be removed by one single act. Mugabe will have to be removed in instalments. So, what are the options.Following the resolutions arrived at by the party's ten provincial coordinating committees, recalling president Mugabe, it is now imperative for the party to convene the Central Committee. The required threshold for the central committee to convene is resolutions by six provinces. The Central Committee is the principal organ of Congress and acts on behalf of Congress when it is not in session. It has the unfettered powers to "make rules, regulations and procedures to govern the conduct of the party and its members, implement all policies, resolutions, directives, decisions and programmes enunciated by congress" and most importantly "make changes to the Constitution, if deemed necessary, subject to ratification by Congress".The President and first secretary or one of his vice president would ordinarily chair the constitution. To recall President Robert Mugabe the Central Committee has to meet, constitute a quorum and elect a chair amongst themselves as the first order of business. After this it is then possible to recall Robert Mugabe from his position as first secretary of the party, also ask him to step down as president of the country. Using the argument that Emmerson Mnangagwa, was un-procedurally expelled from the party without following the party constitutional guidelines, he remains a member of Zanu PF, he will now be confirmed as the acting leader of the party pending the ratification of the same at the December Congress. Using the same argument all other members of the party expelled from the party can be pronounced as readmitted at this sitting. The Central Committee can't recall President Mugabe from his position as Head of State and President of Zimbabwe. All they can do is ask him to step down, as the party no longer backs him. He may constitutionally refuse and stick to his guns. This is because he is elected directly by the people of Zimbabwe. This takes us to option two.Zanu PF and the MDC party command the majority of members of parliament in both the Senate and the House of Assembly. In terms of section 97 (1) "The Senate and the National Assembly, by joint resolution passed by at least one half of the total membership, may resolve that the question whether or not the president be removed from office for-a. Serious misconductb. Failure to obey, uphold or defend this Constitutionc. Wilful violation of the Constitution; ord. Inability to perform the functions of the office because of physical or mental incapacity;Considering that the opposition MDC is working with the current initiative to remove president Mugabe, it is then plausible for either political parties to cause a Parliamentary Caucus to impeach the president should he refuses to heed the call to step down. This process, should it succeed will take away his presidency.Mugabe, as part of the ongoing negotiations with Father Fidelis Mukonori has made numerous demands. One of them has been the protection of his family from prosecution. Considering he is playing hard ball, the military may also consider leveraging these demands on crimes that Grace Mugabe and her family have committed. Grace Mugabe has been usurping some of President Mugabe's powers, taking advantage of his old age. The position of first lady is not provided for in the constitution and yet she wielded so much power to a point of getting elected legislators to kneel before her. The threat of arrest and detention of Grace Mugabe will have far reaching effects on president Robert Mugabe. He will not function. It may break the barriers of bravado that he is putting up. The safety of his family is paramount to him. The smoking gun is in the public domain. His sons have been filmed on numerous occasions spending lavishly in nightclubs. Surely that money couldn't have been legitimate. The fact that the former Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa has called for Grace Mugabe to be investigated suggests that indeed there is a smoking gun somewhere. So, this is not about Robert Mugabe, but also his relatives who will be exposed if he leaves unceremoniously without an option.The rally organised by the Zimbabwe war veterans yesterday has done most of the work. It would truly be something else if Robert Mugabe remains stubborn after the people of Zimbabwe rejected him. Robert Mugabe doesn't take rejection very well. We saw this recently when he reacted angrily when his own wife was booed at a Bulawayo youth interface. He is a very proud man. The message passed by the people yesterday was loud and clear. He is aware that the people have rejected him.Robert Mugabe has been rejected by the military, the people and his party. The removal of Mugabe has to take a multi-faceted approach. He was entrenched legally, politically and socially. A legal route will not succeed without using political and social pressure. Let's not forget that the military is negotiating with a sword. They have the option to use it if all else fails and take the consequences. Either way Mugabe is history.
Sex scandals are the news item du jour, even pushing Robert Mueller's Russian collusion fantasy to the back pages. The latest bad boy is Senator Al Franken, grinning in a photograph while groping a female journalist.

The irony is rich. From Franken's website comes the headline "Fighting for women in Minnesota and across the nation." One of his top priorities is ensuring that women have "a life free from domestic and sexual violence." How's that working out, Senator?

The groping senator has a 100-percent rating from Planned Parenthood and NARAL, illustrating how these organizations really feel about women. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network featured Sen. Franken as one of its "Lawmakers Making a Difference." He sure made a difference in Leeann Tweeden's life.

The Minnesota Coalition against Sexual Assault laud "his outstanding dedication to raising awareness about sexual violence." That photo certainly raised awareness about Franken's sexual violence.

How inconvenient for Democrats  another one of their own caught abusing women. Just when they had Roy Moore in their sights, and President Trump on deck.

Rush Limbaugh threw more water on their parade this week by pointing out that "Roy Moore was a Democrat when a lot of this was going on."

Indeed, he was. He switched his political affiliation to Republican in 1992. In 1977, the time of the yearbook entry, he was still a Democrat.

Another interesting tidbit is that Roy Moore married his current wife, Kayla Kisor, in 1985. She was fourteen years his junior. Therefore, no big surprise that he would also date women younger than himself, meaning a woman in her late teens while he was in his late twenties or early thirties.

For comparison, Ted Kennedy was 22 years older than his wife, Victoria. President Trump is 24 years older than his wife, Melania. Bill Clinton is 27 years older than his non-wife Monica Lewinsky.

Not only did Roy Moore change political parties, but so did Donald Trump  at least five times since the 1980s, according to voting records. No surprise. Trump is not a partisan and likely got frustrated with whatever party he belonged to, much as many current Republican Party members have switched to independent after years of GOP ineptitude.

In 2001, Trump became a Democrat, returning to the GOP eight years later. Perhaps he saw George W. Bush acting more like a Democrat than a Republican and hopped on the bandwagon.

How interesting that Trump's big sex scandal  not groping or raping, but trash-talking  occurred in 2005, when he was a Democrat. This was the time of the Billy Bush Access Hollywood conversation. Trump talked the talk, while Weinstein, Franken, Spacey, and others walked the walk.

Both Moore and Trump were Democrats when behaving badly, with the caveat that Moore has denied his allegations, while Trump offered a mea culpa. Regardless, they were members of the Democratic Party at the time  the party of women's rights.

One possible explanation is that both were following their party leaders of the time  Ted Kennedy in the case of Moore and Bill Clinton in the case of Trump. The "Lion of the Senate" and the 42nd president of the United States. These are sexual predators, yet they are heroes of the Democratic Party, revered by feminists and women's rights groups.

These were role models for up-and-coming Democrats, which both Roy Moore and Donald Trump were at the time. Neither Kennedy nor Clinton was held to account for his abuse of women  manslaughter, rape, harassment, and abuse.

Both got a pass, from their political party and from the media, paving the way for such behavior in others based on how their party leaders were treated.

Too bad for the Democrats. Their two biggest targets, Moore and Trump, were Democrats at the time of their indiscretions. How inconvenient.

Brian C Joondeph, M.D., MPS, is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Jeff Flake made a slew of headlines by announcing that the GOP is 'toast' if it becomes the party of Donald Trump and Roy Moore. It's rubbish. Ol' Jeff is just looking for attention.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., was caught on a hot mic Friday telling a Republican mayor that "if we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast." Flake made the comment to Mesa, Ariz. Mayor John Giles following a town hall event at which Giles had asked Flake about the possibility of running for president in 2020.

Party of Trump. Disaster. Oh woe is me. What on earth does he man by 'party of Trump?' Trump won the election. He's the leader now. Go start some alternative party if you don't like it, Jeff.

It's one of those nonsensical plaintives from the NeverTrump crowd in a lingering bid to redo the election and rewrite history. Because what is he really saying? That the GOP should get rid of its own president and let a Democrat rule instead? So that the GOP can stay pure (and unelected) as he sees it? That all of the votes of Trump voters are illegitimate, as Hillary Clinton now seems to be saying? I am not sure what he is really saying when he says 'party of Trump' or Roy Moore. The GOP is just as much their party as it is his. Does he really mean 'party of Flake'? It's utter nonsense. The party is the party, with all its interlocking parts.

Perhaps he is projecting the Obama effect on the Democrats, given that the last president pretty well sucked the life out of his own party and more than a thousand state and federal Democratic Party seats were lost on his watch. That had a lot to do with voters moving to the other side due to his continuous habit of making unpopular decisions, often by decree, or by strongarm moves on Democrats to pass unpopular laws such as Obamacare. Even more important, it had a lot to do with how party funds were shifted and misallocated toward Obama's legacy and vanity projects and away from Democrats getting elected at election time, as Donna Brazile mentions in her new book, Hacks. In both cases, it's nothing to do with Trump.

It's just such a useless, ennervating exercise that Flake is engaging in. In the CBS News piece, he speaks of running to vote Democrat if the other choice is Republican Roy Moore. Moore may or many not have done what he is accused of doing, but Flake shows zero understanding of the consequences of placing another Democrat into the Senate to keep Obamacare torturing the voters and taxes at sky-high Obama levels.

John Hinderaker at Powerline outlines the horrible scenario of GOP wobblers (such as Flake?) failing to pass tax reform and as a consequence, throwing the Congress to the Democrats.

If the Democrats take the House, every one of them will vote to impeach President Trump, no matter how absurd the articles of impeachment (the first set of which have already been filed) may be. That will lead to an impeachment trial in the Senate. Of course the Democrats wont be able to get the two-thirds majority necessary to evict President Trump from office, but all or nearly all Democrats will vote for conviction. The last two years of Trumps administration will be consumed by impeachment drama, which will be enthusiastically cheered on by the liberal media. The Trump administration will be unable to accomplish anything. Even Trumps power of appointment may effectively be lost. For example, if there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the Democrats will argue that it shouldnt be filled by a president who has been impeached and is under threat of removal from office. The impeached President Trump probably wont run for a second term, and in 2020, the Democratic presidential nominee will waltz to victory. Who knows, it might even be Hillary if she is well enough, at that point, to make the effort. That is how the future looks unless Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Ron Johnson and every other Republican Senate and House member get their act together NOW and pass tax reform.

That's what Flake is asking for when he urges voters to vote Democrat, based on unproven allegations on Moore. It shows what an unserious, impractical person he is.

Flake obviously thinks that NeverTrumpers can somehow win elections, even though the voter verdict tells a different story. Yet he can't accept this, and keeps throwing monkey wrenches of inarticulate naysaying into the maw of the eager leftwing media to spread around. You don't see Democrats doing that. Even after being stiffed by the Democratic National Committee itself, which really would be a good reason to go rebel on them, Bernie Sanders continues to soldier on. Or as Tom Perez told The Hill: 'I came here to win elections.' Ol' Perez doesn't care about who's pure. He's got the party muscle to make his people pure.

Not so guys like Flake. He got the headlines and adoring attention he wanted for putting down his party and president, but it's telling to know that this is nothing new for him. In fact, it's an old game of his he's been playing all year long.

Get a load of these headlines from The Hill:

Oct. 28, 2017: Flake: 'I couldn't sleep at night having to support Trump

July 31, 2017: Flake: 'Republicans in denial about Trump'

July 30, 2017: Flake: Republicans who don't call out Trump are complicit

What is it with this guy? Isn't about time he left the scene? A guy who hates his party that much has no place in it. He should go join the Democrats he vows to support over in Alabama.
Insider wheeling and dealing has a long, dishonorable history in our nations capital. There are many lessons to be learned from an all but forgotten insider at the heart of scandal in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. The death on November 12 of Robert G. Bobby Baker on his 89th birthday recalls another time long ago when political scandals and sexual pecadillos were also very much in the news. It was 1963, and Baker, a top U.S. Senate staffer and the protege of and closest aide to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, was about to become embroiled in a scandal involving influence peddling, the bribing of leading politicians with payoffs, sex, and alcohol, and other typical goings-on in the D.C. swamp that normally didnt come to light back then.

Baker  at age 17 the head page of the U.S. Senate, the assistant secretary to the (Democrat) minority by January, 1954 and elected by acclamation to secretary to the (Democrat) majority in the Senate by January, 1955  was one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes players in the nations capital. As LBJ said, He is the first person I talk to in the morning and the last one at night.

Life cover story on Baker November 8, 1963

The scandal that ensnared Baker only months before JFKs assassination began his undoing. Almost overnight, courtesy of cover stories in Time and Life magazines, Baker personified for the media, and the Republicans, the sleazy world inhabited and ruled by the Democrats and Bakers boss, LBJ. At one time, Johnson said that Baker was like a son to me because I dont have one of my own. Ultimately, when the scandals Baker was involved in came to the attention of the media, the public, and the courts, he quickly became a poster boy for corruption in Washington, and a convenient scapegoat for his superiors who were the ones calling the shots in the nefarious and illegal dealings that characterized that era of near-total Democrat rule.

In 1967, Baker was convicted of tax evasion and other crimes and eventually served 16 months in federal prison. He has been almost totally off the radar since 1967.

After getting out of prison in 1972, Baker moved to Florida and pursued legitimate business interests including investments in real estate and motels. In 1978, he published a memoir, Wheeling and Dealing: Confessions of a Capitol Hill Operator. Since his death, the book has risen in popularity (and price of used copies at Amazon). As a boy in the 1960s when all of this was going down, I recall the words most often associated with Baker, and with LBJ, after 1963 were wheeler dealer. A dictionary with an entry for wheeler dealer could simply have had a picture of Baker.

In the fall of 2015, Coast Style magazine of Maryland tracked Baker down in Florida. He was all too willing to give the magazine an extensive interview, which became the publications Sept.-Oct. 2015 cover story, Finding Bobby Baker. Its a fascinating read.

What do you regard as your greatest accomplishment, Bobby? Being the youngest elected secretary to the United States Senate Majority. What was your biggest mistake? Not suing for prejudice in my legal troubles. To whom do you owe the biggest apology? I owe the biggest apology to my wife, Dorothy. How would you like your epitaph to read? He had a great life.

Bobby Baker in 2015 with Time cover story on him published on March 6, 1964

The New York Times and Washington Post obituaries of Baker are also very interesting reading. His life, and his rise to and fall from the apex of power more than a half century ago, are emblematic of the post-World War II political world at the height of the American Century  one of the most colorful, significant, and problematic periods of U.S. history.

Bakers local obituary is here. It has a long list of his many survivors  including children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. A Roman Catholic Memorial Mass for Baker will be celebrated on December 1 at 9 A.M. at St Anastasia Catholic Church, 5205 A1A South, St Augustine, FL 32080.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran reporter and analyst of news on national politics, media, and popular culture. Follow Peter on Twitter @pchowka.
Al Franken is getting a blast from the past, and may even be starting to feel sorry for himself, because the rules have not only changed, they are being applied ex post facto to behavior that once upon a time seemed to him not just normal, but worthy of performance onstage.

Happy Jack Feder, writing at the American Spectator, recalls a blatant case of sexual assault on a coed, done before an audience:

From a USO show at Ramstein AFB

Front row, right side at Student Union Ballroom of Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana. Winter of 1979 or 1980. Actually, I witnessed both Al Franken and his then partner, Tom Davis, commit acts of unwanted sexual harassment. (snip) Franken (or was it Davis?) announced it was time to take a break from the rollicking hilarity and laughter. It was time to dance! They each stepped off the front of the stage and into the chairs and picked out two comely young college girls and brought them up to the stage. The lights dimmed. Soft, romantic music began to play. Franken and Davis wrapped their arms around their partners and pressed their bodies close. The girls complied. They danced. They swayed. And then Als hands slid down to his dancing partners ass. And I use the word ass because in that context, thats the word youd use. Not buttocks or fanny or tail or bottom. Ass. His hands began fondling her ass. Same with Davis. Ha ha ha. There was laughter from the assembled voyeurs, excuse me, spectators. The girls both reached behind and moved the roving hands up. After which the hands slid back down to cop another slow, sensuous feel. Over and over and over. (snip) In my early twenties, I wasnt prissy. Hardly. But I remember thinking this was a pretty weird skit. Or at least I scratched my head wondering what I was missing. I didnt laugh. I kept waiting for a punchline, as though the ass grab was a setup. But it wasnt a setup. Fondling the fanny was the whole point. I also recall a sort of protective reaction. (Go ahead, accuse me of White Male Savior Complex.) These were two young Montana girls, 18 to 20, and Franken and Davis were a seasoned pair of high power comedians at the height of Saturday Night Live fame. They were stars. They owned New York City, for crying out loud. These girls might have been cheerleaders at Three Forks High School. Maybe even prom princesses. Not cosmopolitan New Yorkers. These two successful entertainers put two girls on stage, in front of maybe two hundred people, in roles of dancers, and began fondling them. Straight and simple as that. Maybe Franken and Davis whispered instructions into the girls ears, I dont know. In any event, the ass grabbing continued for the duration of the song. Meanwhile, a couple hundred people watched. Or leered. Or laughed uncomfortably.

If we assume that Feder is correct in his memories, then it is unlikely that Bozeman was not the only performance in which this schtick was employed. One suspects that the female victims maintain their memories of this, and perhaps some of them will speak up.

If it is necessary for Franken to suffer public disgrace and perhaps even loss of his political career, well, so be it. You cant make a Trump impeachment omelet without breaking a few Democrat perv eggs. Sacrificing the welfare of specific individuals in the name of a broader political goal is the Democrats standard operating procedure, after all. Group identity and power are all that matter, after all.

The principle that behavior decades ago, prior to entering political office, is grounds for taking out politicians is what counts. Al is just collateral damage, and hed better get ready for his designated role in the planned overturning of a presidential election.

Hat tip: Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit
Controversial Irish activist Gerry Adams, president since 1983 of Sinn Fein, the "political arm" of the Irish Republican Army, announced he was stepping down next year.

Adams guided Sinn Fein through the worst of IRA violence against British soldiers and protestant activists in the 1980s and ended up being perceived as something of a peacemaker, helping to bring about the Good Friday peace agreement with the British government in 1998.

Reuters:

Adams said he would be replaced as party president, a position he has held since 1983, at a party conference next year. He would also not stand for reelection to the Irish parliament. "Republicanism has never been stronger... But leadership means knowing when it is time for change. That time is now," Adams said in an emotional speech to a packed party conference. "I have complete confidence in the next generation of leaders," he said. Adams stayed on stage as the 2,500-strong crowd, some in tears, gave him a standing ovation and sang a traditional Irish song about the road home, followed by the national anthem. Adams will almost certainly hand over to a successor with no direct involvement in the decades of conflict in Northern Ireland, a prospect that would make Sinn Fein a more palatable coalition partner in the Irish Republic where it has never been in power. Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, an English literature graduate from Trinity College Dublin who has been at the forefront of a new breed of Sinn Fein politicians transforming the party's image, is the clear favourite to take over. That would mean the left-wing party being led on both sides of the Irish border by women in their 40s after Michelle O'Neill succeeded Martin McGuinness as leader in Northern Ireland shortly before the former IRA commander's death in March.

Any reasonable person examining the life and political career of Gerry Adams must come to the conclusion that he was a terrorist enabler, a terrorist sympathizer, and possibly guilty of terrorist crimes. His contemporaries in the IRA confirm his involvement in their activities. And the fig leaf of respectability given the IRA terrorist group by Adams and Sinn Fein made negotiations with the British government far more difficult. The British knew full well who Adams was and what and who he represented. There was reluctance to negotiate with someone responsible for killing British soldiers.

But Adams learned to be a crafty politician as well. When the opportunity presented itself in 1997 to negotiate with the left wing government of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Adams was ready. His real challenge was to convince the violent members of the IRA to lay down their arms. There were some ultra radical factions that broke away, but without the support of the mainline IRA, they were either captured or gave up.

How will Adams be remembered? While he will be seen as a patriot by many Catholics in Ireland, his sympathy for the tactics of the IRA mark him as a terrorist. More than 3600 people were murdered by the IRA during the "troubles" which is a record no "patriot" should be proud of.
The latest federal gang sweep of 214 Mara Salvatrucha-13 gang thugs has turned up quite a panoply of the people President Obama sought to encourage and accomodate in the U.S. during his last years in office

According to Breitbart News:

Nearly one third, or 64 arrestees, were Obama's much-vaunted 'unaccompanied children' - otherwise subjects of teary news stories and images of cute little toddlers playing pattycake in immigration detention centers. Like this one here. In reality, quite a large number of these 'unaccompanied children' were more like this.

Ninety-three of the arrestees were wanted for state and federal crimes and will likely do time here before being thrown out.

One hundred ninety-three of the 214 arrested were illegal aliens, more than 90%, people who came here to do harm.

The "unaccompanied minors" who were encouraged and let into the country by Obama back in 2014 and up until his last day in office are worth a look, because Democrats did so much to browbeat Republicans and neighborhood groups who tried to stop it. such as the multiracial (this fact was never noted) people of Murrieta, Calif., who protested the dumping of these 'unaccompanied minors' in their community, unwilling to turn their small city of 100,000 into 'another Pomona' as one told me.

Here's what got the press narrative on CNN:

"It is deplorable that people espousing anti-immigrant hate language created unnecessary tension and fear for immigrant mothers and their children," Pedro Rios, a community representative of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, said in a statement. "Even more concerning is that elected officials in the City of Murrieta instigated this tension. Mothers and their children on these buses have suffered through enough trauma."

Here are the kinds of pictures that got printed:

Here's what came along with them as they were all lumped in one big group we owed our 'compassion' and 'justice' to:

Here's the mendaciously treacly narrative promoted by the Obama-linked Democratic think tank, the Center for American Progress:

1. Violence is causing these children to flee Violence is the leading factor forcing unaccompanied children from Central America to the United States. Honduras has become the murder capital of the world and gang violence has increased dramaticallyincluding in El Salvador and Guatemalaover the past few years. In fact, El Salvador and Guatemala rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in terms of the highest worldwide murder rates. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State describes the violence level in Honduras and El Salvador as critically high. Interviewing more than 400 unaccompanied minors, researchers found that many of them had fled forcible join or die gang recruitment or gang threats against themselves and their families. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, 58 percent of unaccompanied minors raise potential international protection claims. This means that they have a viable claim to refugee protections under international law. One 17-year-old interviewed by the UNHCR fled El Salvador after gang members who had killed students at his school told him if [he] returned to school, [he] wouldnt make it home alive. 2. Smugglers and traffickers prey on these children, who are increasingly younger and female ... 3. This is a regional crisis ... 4. There are no free passes into the United States as unaccompanied minors can be deported ... 5. Some in Congress are playing politics with a humanitarian issue ...

Blah blah blah. So they're all innocent, eh? Will bet you money they aren't going to say anything about these current revelations showing that so many of these vaunted 'minors' were full-blown gang members.

Obama, meanwhile, said they'd all be treated humanely and deported fast, and his press allies at PBS insisted that they were just fleeing violence, not bringing it in:

The administration has worked to send a clear message in recent weeks that new arrivals will be targeted for deportation. But immigrants arriving from those countries say they are fleeing pervasive gang violence and crushing poverty.

Well, the Breitbart report shows a very different picture. Far from being universal objects of compassion, they were a mixed bag, as any unscreened and non-law-abiding group would be expected to be. Hoodlums, toddlers, DREAMers, political activists looking for 'justice' - all lumped in as a special interest group championed by the left.

It's about time the truth came out instead.
For the 5th time this year, a US warship belonging to the 7th Fleet has been involved in a crash. The guided missile destroyer USS Benfold collided with a Japanese tug boat in Sagami Bay. Damage to the warship is unkown and there were no injuries on either vessel.

NBC News:

The USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer, sustained minor damage when a tugboat lost propulsion and drifted into the ship, the Navy said. No one was injured on either vessel and an initial assessment of the damage showed that the destroyer only sustained minimal damage including scrapes. But the accident comes at a time when the Navy's 7th Fleet and the U.S. Pacific Command have come under increased scrutiny after several deadly collisions in the region earlier this year. In June, seven sailors died when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine container ship. Then, in August, the USS McCain collided with a tanker off the coast of Singapore, killing 10 sailors. After the collision, the Navy ordered the entire fleet to take a one-day operational pause to ensure that the ships were meeting safety standards. In the wake of the accidents, several of the 7th fleets leaders were ousted and Admiral Scott Swift, the commander of the U.S. Navys Pacific fleet, announced that he would retire from his position after he learned there was no chance for him to be promoted.

Other incidents were minor, but troubling in their implications:

The USS Antietam ran aground off the coast of Japan on Jan. 31, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water. The guided-missile destroyer grounded near the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, after anchoring out in high winds, the Navy Times reported. The USS Lake Champlain, also a guided-missile cruiser, collided with a South Korean fishing boat in the Sea of Japan May 9. The warship was engaged in routine training when it collided with the 9.8-ton fishing boat off South Korea's east coast, according to The Associated Press.

Is this a leadership problem? Inadequate safety protocols? Or just bad luck?

The Navy thought that leadership was at least partly to blame when they scrambled the fleet command. But with all the electronic wizardry on these ships, you would think some crewman somewhere would have alerted the ship's command to the proximity of other vessels. Why not?

A report on the two fatal collisions supplies some answers:

The report reveals that both collisions came after critical failures of officers and sailors on the bridge and raises troubling questions about the basic proficiency of the Japan-based 7th Fleet and the surface Navy as a whole. In both incidents, sailors on the bridge failed to sound a ship-wide alarm notifying the crew of danger, which is a standard Navy procedure. Ships at sea must sound five short blasts of the ships whistle to alert the crew and the other ship of a coming collision. That did not occur in either collision. Neither the crew members below deck nor the other ships involved had any warning from the Navy that their ships were headed for disaster, the reports found. Also, neither bridges watch standers sought to make bridge-to-bridge radio communication with the approaching ship, which is also a standard Navy procedure.

This is nearly incomprehensible. Bad luck certainly had nothing to do with those fatal collisions. As for this latest incident, it sounds as if similar breakdowns observing safety protocols may also be at fault.

Is this a consequence of the high tech gadgetry on board giving the crew a false sense of security? Or is it dereliction of duty? More answers are needed to determine why this spate of accidents is occurring and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.
Armando Valladares saw it all in Cuba's political prisons. He wrote about it in "Against All Hope," an international bestseller that should be required reading in any freshman class.

Reinaldo Arenas wrote his story in "Before Night Falls: A Memoir."

In both cases, they relate the horrors and torture of Castro's prisons. I believe everything because their stories are similar to what my father's late cousin told me and what many other political prisoners have said.

So is anyone surprised that the Castro regime would use "sonic attacks" on prisoners? I am not surprised at all.

This is a story from The Daily Signal:

A group of Cuban exiles and former political prisoners gathered on Capitol HillWednesday to recount human rights abuses that they and their relatives suffered at the hands of the Fidel Castro regime. In a hearing organized by Freedom House and the Justice Cuba International Commission, survivors told gripping stories about friends and family who were imprisoned, tortured, and killed for resisting communist rule in Havana. The tales of two former political prisoners stood out among the heart-wrenching accounts of abuses, if only for their parallels to the strange, unexplained sonic attacks inflicted upon U.S. diplomats in Havana last year. Ernesto Diaz Rodriguez and Luis Zuniga, anti-Castro dissidents who were sent to hideous regime prisons, said they were repeatedly subjected to "ultra-sonic" torture over more than 20 years in confinement. "The methodology consisted of placing large loudspeakers around 4 feet high each ... at both ends of the hallway of cells," Zuniga recalled of his experience in 1979. "Then, they were connected to some sort of electronic device that produced high-pitched sounds." "The sounds oscillated from high pitch to very high pitch that almost pieced the eardrums," he added. Zuniga went on to describe symptoms from the torture sessions, saying that he began to feel "increasingly uneasy" and "unable to think." Other prisoners suffered debilitating headaches. The brutal punishment lasted for days, he recalled, leading to the suicide of a fellow inmate. "This torture was kept [up] for days and nights without a respite," Zuniga said. "It ended when one of the prisoners ... hung himself. He died from the torture." For the former prisoners and exiles gathered at Wednesday's hearing, the memories of audio torture were made fresh this summer, when it was revealed that American diplomatic personnel had been subjected to similar treatment over the previous year.

This story confirms that Cuba's communist regime was perfectly capable of using this technology against its enemies, or the Cuban political prisoners.

Did they use it against U.S. diplomats? Did someone give the order to target U.S. diplomats? We don't know for sure, but they had the capabilities to do it.

As some have speculated, the attack on U.S. diplomats may have come from a third country. By the way, North Korea is sending a delegation to Cuba to renew old relations. Russia has been talking to Cuba, too. North Korea and Russia were the two countries that immediately came to mind as potential sources of these attacks on U.S. diplomats.

We will wait for the U.S. to present its report on the sonic attack. Let's not forget that Castro's Cuba had lots of experience engaging in these attacks.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
The invaluable Salena Zito once again has talked to ordinary folks in a location that barely gets any attention from media swells, and delivers an insight that future historians will honor, even of the Pulitzer Prize committee continues to snub her. She has demonstrated that the mainstream media are able to suppress life-changing news that could rescue the beleagured economy of an entire state so thoroughly that ordinary folks in street are unaware of it.

Writing in the New York Post:

Last weekend in Beijing, as part of his 12-day trip to Asia, President Trump announced that the US and China had signed an $83.7 billion deal to create a number of petrochemical projects in West Virginia over the next 20 years. If the agreement holds tight, it is an economic game changer for the state. And yet, speaking to the locals here, you wouldnt even know it had happened. I am surprised I heard nothing about it on the national news, nor in my local paper and newscasts, said Jerald Stephens, 67, a West Virginia native and union rep, who has been a keen observer of local politics for as long as he can remember. The BBC and CNN covered the news in their business sections, while The New York Times picked up a short story by The Associated Press on the deal. The stories headlines were muted; their placement low-key. One would have suspected that the prospect of an investment this large  nearly three times the total annual budget for the department of energy  would have been front-page news, said Paul Sracic, political-science professor at nearby Youngstown State University.

That is an understatement. Bloomberg has covered it, of course, but thats because it gets paid by decision-makers to keep them well informed (because investment decisions are affected). In additon, virtually everyone in West Virginia would be affected by the deal, and the news has been out for over two weeks. Yet they have been kept in ignorance because general news outlets they read have been totally silent.

Bruce Einhorn of Bloomberg described the project on Nov. 8:

West Virginia: the state signed an MOU with China Energy Investment Corp. The Chinese company plans to invest in West Virginian shale gas development and chemical manufacturing projects over two decades, according to the states Department of Commerce, which did not offer details. The size of the proposed investment is $83.7 billion, larger than the states gross domestic product last year of $73.4 billion.

Jim Poulson of Bloomberg added details the following day:

The memorandum of understanding marks the first step in a series of commitments the company expects to make in West Virginia. These include power generation, chemical manufacturing and underground storage of natural gas liquids derivatives.

However, the deal is not carved into stone, which should mean that the entire State of West Virginia is on tenterhooks.

Although the deals non-binding, it was welcomed in a state thats borne the brunt of coals long-term decline. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a coal and real estate mogul elected to office last year, has lobbied the Trump administration to prop up the states coal-mining sector. Expanding Appalachias energy infrastructure, including developing a regional storage hub and market for natural gas liquids, will have a transformative effect on our economy, our security and our future, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican, said in the statement.

So, this is a deal that would transform economic life for some of the most economically depressed people in the country, and they have no idea at all that it is in process, needs their support, and could be derailed. And they have no clue!

Iowahawk, another supremely insightful commentator unjustly snubbed by Pulitzer, has already gained immortality with this tweet, that completely sums up this incident.

Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop moving.  David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 9, 2013

As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to make deals that would benefit America. He is precisely delivering on this promise. In addition to the project in West Virginia, deals amounting to a quarter trillion dollars were announced in the wake of the visit to China.

[media crickets]

In addition, the deal reveals that President Trump has gotten the Chinese to consider becoming dependent on America for important energy supplies. That makes them far less likely to be antagonistic toward us, and addresses the chronic huge balance of payemnts deficit we suffer with China, keeping two more promises: to keep us safe and to keep us from digging that trade deficit hole deper.

But this is news too helpful to Trump to be reported.
At a security conference in Nova Scotia, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), said in response to a question that he would refuse to obey an "illegal" order from President Trump to launch nuclear missiles.

"I think some people think we're stupid," Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario. "We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?" Hyten was responding to a question about testimony by former STRATCOM commander retired Gen. Robert Kehler before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this week. Kehler said that nuclear operators would refuse to implement an unlawful order. Hyten agreed, and argued that the process in place to launch a nuclear strike would prevent such a situation from arising in the first place. As head of STRATCOM, Hyten is responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear arsenal. "I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," Hyten added. "And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated." Hyten said he has been trained every year for decades in the law of armed conflict, which takes into account specific factors to determine legality -- necessity, distinction, proportionality, unnecessary suffering and more. Running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order is standard practice, he said. "If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life," Hyten said. Hyten's comments come against the backdrop of continued tension with North Korea. In the past, the president has pledged to unleash "fire and fury" and to "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary. Hyten's comments also come as Congress is re-examining the authorization of the use of military force and power to launch a nuclear strike.

The general's observation about people perceiving general officers in charge of nuclear weapons being "stupid" brings to mind Mark Twain's famous quote:

'"It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt."

What is Hyten talking about? Generals do not make national policy - especially when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons. By law, the decision whether or not to launch nuclear weapons resides solely with the commander in chief - the president of the United States. The "checks" on his power to launch are to prevent a madman from destroying the world not contradict the national policy of the United States.

If Trump were to order a launch on Switzerland or some other nation not threatening the US, it is barely fathomable that the general would have a point. But that's not even a remotely realistic scenario. All the general succeeded in doing was to dangerously place doubts in the minds of adversaries like Kim Jong-un who might entertain the fantasy that he could get away with launching a nuclear missile at the US or our allies.

There is a movement in Congress among Democrats to actually restrict the president's power to unilaterally launch nuclear weapons without congressional approval.

Senator Ben Cardin:

The most likely attack against our country is not a massive surprise nuclear attack by Russia or China, but an escalating conflict with a smaller nuclear adversary like North Korea. In a more limited or targeted attack circumstance, where the danger is still high but we would not face the same use them or lose them pressure we faced during the Cold War, it is possible and would be wise for the president to consult Congress before the profound decision to use nuclear weapons. The bottom line is that authority for use of nuclear weapons should reflect the current realities of nuclear power. The current structures, however, leave the U.S. open to potentially catastrophic decision-making.

Can the Senator be so sure that there is no nuclear threat from Russia or China? Apparently, Cardin doesn't read the papers and is unaware of Russia's threats against Eastern Europe and the Baltic States or China's flexing of its military muscles in the South China Sea. Becoming embroiled in a conventional conflict with either of those two powers is not impossible to imagine, which means an escalation to a nuclear war is also not entirely unimaginable.

General Hyten should be cashiered for his stupidity.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

A Zanu-PF minister on Sunday reportedly told a UK publication that the frail 93-year-old current president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has gone on hunger strike.According to UK Daily Mail, Mugabe has not accepted any food since Saturday.Mugabe is apparently held under house arrest at his Blue Roof mansion.Patrick Zhuwao on Saturday told another UK newspaper that his uncle, Mugabe, was 'willing to die for what is correct'.According to Daily Mail, a Zanu-PF minister confirmed that Mugabe is also refusing to speak as part of his days-long protest."The old man has been trying a lot of various tricks since last night," the minister, who asked not to be named, told the publication. "Hunger strikes, making threats and refusing to talk."The army threatened to let a mob lynch the dictator if he didn't stand down, Daily Mail revealed on Saturday. Now Mugabe has responded by rejecting all food.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Rabidly opposed to the Generation 40 in Zanu-PF factional politics, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa - better known as "Ngwena (Crocodile)" - was born in Zvishavane on September 15, 1942 and is reportedly fronting the Team Lacoste faction that is rooting for the Midlands politician taking over from President Robert Mugabe.Mnangagwa did his "O" and "A" Levels through correspondence while in prison although after his release, he later completed his studies in law in Zambia where he was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Zambia in 1976.During the liberation struggle, Mnangagwa was a member of the "Crocodile Gang", which at some point included William Ndangana, Mnangagwa, Matthew Malowa, Victor Mlambo, James Dhlamini and Master Tresha.Besides smuggling arms into the country, one of the gang's other tasks included recruiting supporters from Salisbury, Fort Victoria, Mberengwa and Macheke, smuggling them out through the border at Mutoko for political and military training in Tanzania. They travelled on foot between Salisbury and Mutoko.During one of their operations, they killed a resident farmer and police reservist, Petrus Oberholtzer, at Nyanyadzi, Chimanimani District and sabotaged a locomotive train in the then Fort Victoria (Masvingo).Ngwena accompanied Mugabe to the Lancaster House negotiations that led to the independence of Zimbabwe and led the first group of civilian leaders which included Didymus Mutasa and and Eddison Zvobgo from Maputo, Mozambique to Zimbabwe in April 1980.Mnangagwa, was a long-time confidante and ally of Mugabe - having spent the better part of the liberation struggle as his personal assistant.At independence in 1980, Mnangagwa was appointed into Mugabe's Cabinet as minister of National Security.The Midlands godfather has held several Cabinet positions under Mugabe, including at one point being demoted to the less influential post of minister of Rural Housing in 2005.He, however, regained Mugabe's favour after masterminding the 93-year-old's retention of power in the March 2008 harmonised elections, negotiating a power-sharing agreement with the Movement for Democratic Change's Morgan Tsvangirai on Mugabe's behalf.In that election, Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe albeit without a decisive majority to enable him to form a government.The result was a presidential run-off from which Tsvangirai withdrew citing the killing of over 200 of his supporters.In Mugabe's next government, Mnangagwa was appointed Defence minister, the capacity in which he served until July 2013 when Zimbabwe held another general election.Following the 2013 elections, Ngwena became Justice minister, a post he held concurrently with the vice presidency post following the sacking of Joice Mujuru - Mugabe's deputy for 10 years - in December 2014.Until recently, Mnangagwa had almost become Mugabe's successor. However, the rise of Mugabe's wife - Grace - to the top women's league post led to a meteoric rise in her political profile.After leading the assault on Mujuru, Grace went all-out for Mnangagwa, attacking him left, right and centre at all political rallies she addressed.Mnangawa fell ill during a youth interface rally in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province in August and had to be airlifted to South Africa where he underwent surgery. He has since said he had been poisoned by his enemies in G40.Mugabe finally fired his deputy on November 6, leading to a series of dramatic events that culminated in the military stepping in to get at "criminals around Mugabe".After being fired by Mugabe, Mnangagwa skipped the country when it became apparent that he was going to be arrested. A close ally of Defence Forces Commander Constantino Chiwenga, the former vice president is believed to have gone to China via South Africa.In a biting statement issued immediately after his axing Mnangagwa, who clearly enjoys the support of the military, promised to be back into the country in a few weeks' time to confront Mugabe.Unconfirmed reports say that Ngwena is back in the country after the military take-over of power.Meet some of Mnangagwa's key backersJosiah HungweHungwe is one of the oldest members of Zanu-PF from Masvingo province and was handed a ministerial post - that of State for Liaising on Psychomotor Activities in Education - by Mugabe.At some point, Hungwe worked as Provincial Governor for Masvingo Province but was removed following allegations of leaking secrets to the United States alongside his wife and ex-Labour minister July Moyo.Hungwe is a key member of the Team Lacoste faction, which is rooting for Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over the presidency from Mugabe.Christopher MutsvangwaBorn on May 24, 1955, Mutsvangwa is a key member of the team Lacoste faction who served as a diplomat in China in Robert Mugabe's government.Mutsvangwa is a war veteran and a former War Veterans minister from where he was kicked out by Mugabe in March 2016.Attempts to kick him out as leader war veterans chairperson failed catastrophically after encountering legal hurdles.A splinter group of war veterans led by Patrick Nyaruwata, Mandi Chimene and George Mlala, has been effectively rendered illegal by the courts.Energy MutodiSungura musician, politician who is also an academic, Energy Mutodi was born on August 4, 1978 and was educated at the University of Zimbabwe and Witwatersrand University. He was a member of the Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial executive until his expulsion from the party over spurious allegations.An avid Facebook follower, Mutodi has a pending court case involving one of his Facebook posts.A self-confessed Mnangagwa loyalist, Mutodi is a key member of Team Lacoste.
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News / National

by Staff reporter

The current military take-over in Zimbabwe is a "guardian" coup where the army has had to step in to deal with poor or bad governance, political analysts have said.They said while the political crisis in the country has just spun into a new orbit, it remains generally with us.Political analyst, Mcdonald Lewanika, said on the strength of the military's pronouncements on dealing with "criminal elements" around President Robert Mugabe, and the various injunctions they issued to different sectors of the community, as well as the limited bloodletting so far, the propaganda suggests that this will be a "guardian coup."He said on the strength of the evidence, stemming from political developments in recent weeks and General Constantino Chiwenga's statement on Monday, it appears this is a veto coup - calculated to pre-empt imminent threats to the interests of the military establishment."This can be evidenced by the clear factional stance that Chiwenga took, and the institution of purges against who the army perceives as criminal elements aimed at the G40 faction whose members we understand are either arrested or on the run," said Lewanika."While the military has always had a hand in Zanu-PF affairs, this has often been covert and deniable, and also in service to Zanu-PF and Mugabe, this time it is overt and undeniable and ostensibly in defence of democracy in Zanu-PF but certainly against actions that the party has taken, especially around purging pretenders to Mugabe's throne who coincidentally have been veterans of the liberation struggle."He said it is fairly clear that things have changed in Zimbabwe, and while it is not yet fully comprehensible, Zimbabwe will not be the same with several scenarios set to play out depending on what kind of a coup this actually turns out to be between guardian and veto coups.Social commentator Rashweat Mukundu said it is good that both former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military recognise the precarious situation that Zimbabwe is going through both politically and economically."The agenda of upholding the Constitution, human rights and development is the sole role of leadership and we urge the incoming leadership to focus on that and restore the prerogative of citizens to elect a government of their choice," said Mukundu.Analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said the country needs to be allowed to re-configure a genuine electoral process."The army has achieved its purpose, to remove the dictator, so there is no need to eliminate anyone."Mugabe, in my opinion, should be brought before the courts to explain how he destroyed our nation. He should return each and every cent; and each and every property he pilfered from the people of Zimbabwe."Hopewell Chin'no said: "The process is over, Mugabe is gone. Emmerson like Mugabe is a stickler for the law; he will want to do things according to the book. The army should hand over to a civilian authority which I have no doubt they will do."Mugabe will be allowed to leave without incident in my view. They respect him and unlike Mugabe, they will show him compassion. So he is safe but I would imagine that he needs to leave for a clean break to take place."Political analyst Nigel Nyamutumbu said: "The army has for long been the backbone of the ruling party in Zimbabwe and the current events are a manifestation of the already entrenched military factor in the country's politics."The only way to salvage the Constitution and resemblance of democracy is for Mugabe to resign and Zanu-PF appointing a successor and a civilian transitional authority that will usher the country to holding free and fair elections."Lewanika said whatever the case Mugabe is likely to be asked to step down and Parliament allowed to institute a constitutional change of leadership, which in Zimbabwe's case means asking Zanu-PF to second someone else."This would mean the Congress in December is allowed to continue, and Zanu-PF 'allowed' to bring back and chose Mnangagwa so that the take-over is legal, with Mnangagwa possibly rewarding the generals through appointing Chiwenga as his deputy or instituting a transitional government with the opposition, and possibly postponing elections to allow for stability, reforms and so on."Alternatively, Mugabe maybe retained briefly, but becomes titular, Mnangagwa returns, with Mugabe being allowed to step down in December at Zanu-PF congress."Whatever the case to minimise outrage the military will still need some civilian authorities to action their plans, if not Mugabe then Mphoko but with the aim of ushering in a dispensation that protects their personal and institutional interests, and we hope national and people's interests."He said the path that Zimbabwe is now on is uncharted and treacherous, a lot will depend on the extent to which Chiwenga and the military can hold steady and ensure compliance with their demands."
The proposal will now be submitted for approval from the Council of States, in the winter session.

Berne/New Delhi: Paving the way for India to get instant access to details on Indians with Swiss accounts, a key parliamentary panel in Switzerland has approved an automatic information exchange pact between the two countries.

The Commission for Economic Affairs and Taxes of the Council of States -- a key panel of the Swiss Parliament's Upper House -- approved the proposed pact with India as also with 40 other countries, but suggested strengthening the provisions for individual legal claims.

It has asked the Swiss government to submit to Parliament an amendment "to strengthen concrete individual legal protection and to ensure that no exchange of information can take place for individual cases where a violation of essential legal claims is likely", as per the minutes of its last meeting on November 2.

The proposal will now be submitted for approval from the upper chamber of Swiss Parliament, the Council of States, in the winter session beginning November 27.

The pact will help provide a continuous access to details about alleged black money hoarders in once-all-secret Swiss banks. The information that could be exchanged under this framework would include account number, name, address, date of birth, tax identification number, interest, dividend, receipts from insurance policies, credit balance in accounts and proceeds from sale of financial assets.

The exchange will work like this -- If an Indian has a bank account in Switzerland, the bank concerned will disclose the financial account data to authorities there; the Swiss authority will automatically forward the information to its peer in India who can then examine the person's details.

To help check cross-border tax evasion, nearly 100 countries, including India and Switzerland, have so far committed to adopt this global standard for the automatic exchange of information (AEOI). However, domestic bank client confidentiality in Switzerland is not affected by the AEOI.

The keenly-awaited pact, which proposes the automatic information exchange on financial accounts between India and Switzerland with effect from the next year and first exchange of information in 2019, was approved by the Lower House of Parliament, the National Council, in September.

A major right-wing political party had raised objection to the pact with India and some other countries citing corruption and other risks, but those objections were rejected by a majority in the National Council, where the proposal was discussed by the Committee on Economy and Royalties of the National Council (CER-N), among others.

While approving the pact, the economic affairs committee of the Upper House has now asked the government to put some additional safeguards in the automatic information exchange framework with India and other countries.

With regard to the control mechanism decree, it has sought addition of an additional paragraph obliging the Federal Council -- the top decision-making body of the Swiss government equivalent to a Cabinet -- to examine regularly and from the point of view of risks whether the partner states (such as India) still fulfil the decisive conditions and then to consult the competent parliamentary committees.

"... It is thus a question of keeping the countries that can pose problems under the radar of the Federal Council and Parliament," the Council observed.

It also expressed concern that some people may be persecuted in some foreign countries following the introduction of the automatic information exchange pact and has accordingly suggested stronger legal protection measures.

Once the pact gets approval from the Upper House of Parliament, the automatic exchange of information will come into effect between India and Switzerland.

The decision is not subject to any referendum -- which means there should be no further procedural delay in its implementation after parliamentary approval.

The issue of black money has been a matter of big debate in India, and Switzerland has been long perceived as one of the safest havens for the illicit wealth allegedly stashed abroad by Indians.

Earlier, while agreeing to the pact with India and other countries in June, Switzerland had sought strict adherence to confidentiality and data security.

The Swiss government will prepare a situation report before the first exchange of data for which confidentiality and data protection requirements are to be strictly followed.
The incident came to light after a first-year student studying in the college reported it.

The fined Darbhanga students include both first-year and second-year students. (Photo: Representational)

Patna: At least 54 students of girls hostel in Darbhanga Medical College have been fined Rs 25,000 each for allegedly ragging their juniors.

The incident came to light after a first-year student studying in the college reported about the incident to the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The monetary fine ranges from Rs 25,000 to one lakh. We have imposed minimum fine of Rs 25000 on entire batch with the deadline of 25 November. Those who don't oblige will be suspended for six months, said Nodal Officer, Anti-ragging committee Radharaman Prasad Singh.

The fined Darbhanga students include both first-year and second-year students.

While the seniors have been fined for their alleged involvement in ragging, the juniors have been financially punished for refusing to identify their tormentors.

The victim went to the MCI directly instead of complaining to the college authority.

No complaint has been filed against students to the police authorities.

However, the police authorities are keeping their eyes and are constantly monitoring the situation near the college.

This is not the first time that a ragging incident has been reported from the college.
The CWC will meet at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence at 10:30 am on November 20.

Once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the Congress' Central Election Authority will notify the same. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Decks are set to be cleared for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the next chief, with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday to approve the schedule for the party president's election.

Party sources have said that Rahul will be elected as the national president of the grand old party before the Gujarat Assembly elections, which starts on December 9.

The decision will be taken at the meeting of the CWC at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence at 10:30 am on Monday.

The CWC will approve the schedule for the Congress president's election, they said.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

Once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the party's Central Election Authority will notify the same.

Party leaders say though it was not necessary to convene a formal meeting of the CWC to approve the schedule of the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi has decided to get the approval of the party's highest decision-making body.

The party's organisational election has to be completed before December 31. The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.
Opinion / Columnist

"The words you speak become the house you live in." What a killer and loaded statement from Hafiz.Dziri seiko dzimba dzamakazvivakira nemashoko? Mumwe nemumwe mumba yake. Let me leave this story for now.But it really wouldn't kill to remind you dear congregants that a few weeks ago, I said "ngatimbosiya Zanu-PF ichivhunura."Now to today's sermon. Let me start with an unreserved apology.We are really sorry. A big apology. We are very sincere about this. Our apology we didn't give the regional and international media the story that they wanted.They wanted blood on the streets. They wanted dead bodies on the streets. They wanted to see buildings on fire, shops being looted and women being raped at every street corner.The sound of guns was supposed to jam our ears. The Harare CBD was supposed to be turned into a war zone.Ohh, they wanted it even more juicer. They wanted the army to be merciless. They wanted the army to be disrespectful. They wanted the army to embarrass President Mugabe. Remember what the army in Cote d'Ivoire did to the then president Laurent Gbagbo and his wife in April 2011?Screaming and kicking, the army dragged him and his wife from their beds. Mean-looking generals pulled them as if they were pulling mabhero emazitye ane tsvina.I remember seeing those pictures and saying to myself instead of showing a weak Gbagbo, the pictures showed how barbaric the soldiers were. Whatever crime they were accusing Gbagbo and his wife of having committed, a little respect would have earned those generals lots of friends.Well, the generals in Zimbabwe were not being personal and it was never about kuwonererwa. Look, there is no one who doubts that President Mugabe remains an African legend. Whatever will happen won't take away the fact that this revolutionary deserves a special place in this country's history.The "soft-military coup" as some are calling it was so smooth, you would be tempted to think izvi zvinenge nani pane kunyeperwa nedemocracy.You see, I view democracy as the biggest cultural imperialism act ever by the West. Hehe, elections, hehe voting and hehe people's power. Democracy is a big lie, just like concepts such as good governance and human rights.Comaroff and Comaroff (1997) argue that colonialism was multifaceted from its beginning. They assert that colonialism was as much a cultural as a political enterprise."Pardon me dear congregants, this Bishop is a cultural relativist. I don't believe in universalism. I consider universalists, especially those in Africa, as victims of coloniality, which Nelson Torres has defined as the long-standing patterns of power that emerged as a result of colonialism, that define culture, labour, intersubjective relations and knowledge production well beyond the strict limits of colonial administrators.Anyway, let's leave this discussion about these foreign concepts for now. We have a more serious issue to deal with.Peace, calm and restraint is what the regional and international community called for. Hapana kana akamboti "Stop It!" Everyone was calling for a peaceful resolution to the "soft-military coup."The regional and international media were disappointed. From South Africa, the eNCA kept asking it's reporters in Harare, "How is the situation on the ground since the military takeover?" All the time, the bored reporters had a short response, "lt's very calm and peaceful." You could see the disappointment on the faces of the news anchors. They wanted some bloody action.As for CNN and BBC, the news anchors kept asking, "How can it be calm when the military has taken over?"In their minds, the Zimbabwean army was supposed to be so barbaric in their acts. This is an army that was born out of a long and protracted liberation struggle. Many people died while others were injured in this bloody war. So this army was supposed to give us some blood on the streets.But no. Everything went on cool and steady. Others said this is a "military coup that went to private school."I particularly enjoyed this joke: "Our coup is more peaceful than elections. Can't we amend the constitution so that we can have a coup every 5 years."Zimbabweans are an amazing lot. They joke about everything and anything. It's some socio-economic and political therapy for them. Someone said, "That's why Zimbos are easy to rule."As the army was executing it's plan, opportunists could smell an opening. It's as if the military yakaenda kunofukunura zvitunha kusome political cemetery.A clearly sick Morgan dumped all his medicine in South Africa and rushed home. Dumiso Dabengwa was born again. Joice Mujuru felt the comrades should not forget her.Morgan had rushed home to something that he didn't know what it was. When he was asked by CNN "is this a military coup", he didn't know what to say for a good 50 seconds. He starred at the ground with those eyes that said, honestly I don't know but then I have to say something. Indeed, he said something. He said what was happening "was unconstitutional blah, blah." Poor Morgan. Itai mupore Save.They all preached about something they are calling a transitional arrangement. Vese vari kuda kutokwanawo imomo. Hey vanhu, siyai mauto apedze tsoro yawo. Ukada kukwira train ichifamba unovhunwa makumbo.Tsvangirai was even more desperate and dramatic saying he had not yet been consulted about the transitional arrangement. Kikikiki kikikiki, consulted nani? Panyaya yei? Ko Save vakuda kuchimhanya pachinhu chavati its unconstitutional? Zviri kumbofamba sei?Imbomirai nhai imi vanhu. This is not a laughing matter. While the whole country is focussed on President Mugabe, there are some people who have suddenly become "un-people." Spare a thought for the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, Dr Ignatius Chombo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Prof Jonathan Moyo and others.But this army sooka? Just like that? Ummm, indeed education is power. And as a student of social sciences allow me to add, "discourse is power yet to be seized." The army has seized discourse.And because the army has seized discourse, I prefer they continue to own the discourse. Little puppies like Lumumba and all that harem of jokers are back in town to bark a little. This Bishop is seeing spoilers. This issue of marches is just not on for me. The opposition in this country has made marches too stale for our politics. Anyway, I am just a Bishop.Let me finish this sermon with wise words. John F. Kennedy once said, "Those who make peace revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable." Very true.Mahatma Gandhi chips in saying: "An eye for an eye will only make the world blind." Also very true.The Holy Book warns us: "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone." That's 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 15.Let's continue making this "soft-military coup" boring for the regional and international media. We are not seeking media stars, we are seeking solutions to our challenges.Bishop is out!
A SC-appointed environment board said that particles from coal and diesel are more harmful than wind-blown dust.

Studies have underlined that its the chemical composition of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 or PM10, and not their volume, which determines the toxicity of air. (Photo: File/PTI)

New Delhi: Dust may be the most visible marker of Delhi's air pollution, but its sheer abundance may actually be masking the bigger killers -- emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants and industries.

Studies and research reports have underlined that its the chemical composition of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 or PM10, and not their volume, which is more crucial in determining the toxicity of air.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), a Supreme Court-appointed pollution watchdog, made a similar point in a report the apex court, that particles from coal and diesel are more harmful than wind-blown dust, as they can lead to an increase in heart disease-related deaths.

"Similarly, particles from diesel combustion are very toxic and have been classified by the World Health Organisation as a class I carcinogen for strong links with lung cancer, putting them in the same bracket as tobacco smoking and asbestos.

"This suggests that we must prioritise the more harmful particulates for action. Combustion sources -- vehicles, power plants and industry -- need more stringent and priority action," the report says.

The EPCA mentioned it separately under a section -- addressing quantum vs toxicity.

An Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur report, which assessed the chemical composition of pollution from various sources in the city, also concluded that combustion -- vehicular and industrial alike -- was responsible for the formation of PM2.5 in greater quantity.

Among PM2.5 and PM10, the most dominant pollutants in Delhi's air, PM2.5 is deadlier owing to its tinier size -- up to 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair -- aiding it in lodging deep in the lungs and subsequently entering the bloodstream.

The IIT report found that PM2.5 Nitrate particles formed from nitrogen oxides and sulphate particles formed from sulphur dioxides can be 25 per cent of the total PM2.5 load in the city.

Both nitrates and sulphates are classified as 'secondary particles', which are formed due to the reaction of gases such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emitted from vehicles, thermal power plants and industries.

"In a broad sense, fractions of secondary particles of both PM 10 and PM2.5 in two seasons were consistent and need to be controlled for better air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region," the report pointed out.

It estimates that of around 312 tons of NOx produced per day in the city, nearly 52 per cent come from industrial point sources such as power plants and 36 per cent from vehicular emissions, "probably making it the most important emission".
Sarang said nobody, not even filmmakers, has the right to tamper with history.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh minister Viswas Sarang on Friday demanded to bar filmmakers who distorted history for commercial purposes from producing movies.

Mr Sarang said nobody, not even filmmakers, has the right to tamper with history.

The filmmakers must ensure that history is not distorted in their movies and no ones sentiment is hurt, he told reporters here.

Filmmakers who distort history commercial purpose and pay no heed to feelings of the people should be barred from producing movies, he said.

BJP national vice-president and MP Prabhat Jha also regretted that some contents in the controversial movie Padmavati has hurt sentiments of a section of society and called upon the promoters of the film to reconsider the contentious scenes.

Earlier on Thursday evening, majority of BJP legislators demanded to ban the screening of the movie in Madhya Pradesh for hurting sentiments of a section of people. Meanwhile, Rajput Karni Sena, on Friday threatened to stop screening of the movie.
The Cong prez said Indira Gandhi was 'one of the greatest' as she fought for secularism and against all kinds of divisive forces.

New Delhi: On the birth centenary of Indira Gandhi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday described her as a prime minister for whom there was only one religion  that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi was "one of the greatest" as she fought for secularism and against all those forces seeking to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.

"For her, as the prime minister, there was one religion, a sacred creed passionately held -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," Sonia Gandhi said at a function at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of the former prime minister.

The former prime minister fought not for her personal ascendancy but for her principles and against vested interests, the Congress president said.

"She fought for secularism, against all those forces seeking to divide the Indian people on lines of religion and caste. She gloried in the rich diversity of India, its profound democratic and secular values," Sonia Gandhi said.

The Congress chief, who along with former president Pranab Mukherjee and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, was present at the event, said Indira Gandhi fought for the poor and the weak wherever they were being oppressed and were denied their rights; she toiled for their material well-being.

"I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the 'Iron Lady'. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits," Sonia Gandhi said.

"She fought, yes -- but not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas. She could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairness. That was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battles- those she took on and those that she faced," the Congress president said.

At the event, Manmohan Singh unveiled a special catalogue on Indira Gandhi, bringing out her fond memories.

On the occasion, an exhibition on the former prime minister titled 'A Life of Courage' was organised by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Sonia Gandhi said in the 16 years that were given to Indira Gandhi to lead the country, she had to confront many challenges, from the endemic problems of combating poverty and inequality to the critical ones of war and terrorism.

She faced them all with courage, fortified by her dedication to making India strong, united and prosperous.

In all her efforts she was sustained by the faith reposed in her by her fellow countrymen and women, the Congress president said.

Indira Gandhi, the first woman prime minister of the country, was born on this day in 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad.
The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on January 20.

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused BJP leader Subramanian Swamy of delaying the trial in the National Herald case filed by him against them and others. This was stated by the Gandhis and four other accused Congress leaders in a reply to an application by Mr Swamy, who had sought admission or denial of various documents filed by him.

They told metropolitan magistrate Ambika Singh that the application filed by the complainant suffers from a series of infirmities and it needs to be rejected at the very outset. The reply said, this exercise undertaken by the complainant to file multiple applications, choosing to withdraw some and further choosing to change the relief sought in one by replacing it with another is nothing but an absolute disregard for the precious time of this court and of the larger judicial process. It sought dismissal of Mr Swamys application. Mr Swamy has accused the Gandhis and the others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just `50 lakh through which the Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover `90.25 crore that the Associate Journals Limited (AJL) owed to the Congress.

The BJP leader had filed a set of documents of around 450 pages reportedly relating to the Congress party, National Herald and others before the court, seeking a response from the accused as to whether these were correct. The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on January 20. The Gandhis and the other accused  senior party leaders Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda  have denied the allegations levelled against them in the case. The court had summoned the accused persons on June 26, 2014. On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia, Rahul, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to summonses. Pitroda was granted bail on February 20, 2016 when he had appeared in the court. Sonia, Rahul, Vora (AICC treasurer), Fernandes (AICC general secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for the alleged offences of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating, read with criminal conspiracy of the IPC.
The CBI has arrested 18 accused in the Srijan scam. Over 19 cases have been registred in three districts.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is under attack from RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for alleged scams during his tenure.

Patna: The Election Commissions decision to allot the reserved arrow election symbol to the JD(U) faction led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has come as a boost for the party chief at a time when he is facing political heat in the state over a series of alleged scams.

Mr Kumar, whose political USP has been his clean image and zero tolerance policy on corruption, is facing stiff criticism from the Opposition parties over cases of four alleged financial wrongdoings by NGOs and officials this year.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his younger son Tejashwi Yadav have been alleging that Mr Kumar is trying to cover up scams by deputing officials of his choice to probe the scams exposed by the Opposition.

Nitish Kumar can get an idea of scam at any point of time (sic), the RJD chief said in a tweet recently. He took a dig at Nitish Kumar after government officials and functionaries of NGOs were booked for their involvement in scams and questioned his claims about giving clean governance to the people of the state.

Peeved over the allegations levelled against him and his government, Mr Kumar recently said, Strict action will be taken against all those who have been involved in embezzling public money. Zero tolerance for corruption has been the policy of our government.

Sources claimed that the state government is now planning to strengthen the monitoring mechanism against NGOs to ensure that there is no embezzlement of public funds.

Evidence has emerged to show that public money was siphoned off d by several government officials and NGOs in the recently surfaced scams. Reports suggest around four scams have surfaced within a span of one year.

One of the major scams which plunged the state government into crisis was the one associated with NGO Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti which offered vocational training to women As per the claims of Opposition parties, the scam may cross Rs 1000 crores if properly investigated.

The case was handed over to the CBI by the state government after the main opposition RJD raised the issue. Over 19 cases were registered in connection with the scam in Bhagalpur, Saharsa and Banka districts on the basis of statements recorded from the officials. So far around 18 accused have been arrested.

However, three Srijan scam accused were granted bail by the special CBI court recently after investigating officer (IO) of the case failed to file a charge sheet against the arrested persons.

The CBI has so far filed three separate charge sheets against 19 persons which includes government and bank officials and Manorama Devi, the founder of Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti who died in February last year.

The scam involved diversion of public funds to the accounts of Srijan Samiti for private use. Investigation showed district officials, bankers and NGO functionaries forged signatures of senior administrative officers to siphon off government funds.

The scam, according to Lalu Yadav took place between 2005 and 2013 when Nitish Kumar was the chief minister and Sushil Kumar Modi was the finance minister and deputy chief minister.

Another scam which created political turmoil in Bihar was the toilet scam. State government officials and NGO functionaries were charged with misappropriating funds to the tune of `15 crores meant for construction of public toilets.

The initial probe had shown that funds meant for construction of public toilets in Patna were not transferred to accounts of beneficiaries during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Two government officials and six NGOs have been charged with misappropriating funds, officials said.

Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar had found irregularities in the withdrawal of funds during the review meeting of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).

Two other scams which rocked the state were Mahadalit Vikas Mission scam and SC/ST scholarship scam. The scholarship scam which surfaced in 2016 revolved around financial assistance for SC/ST students pursuing education in technical fields outside the state.

Reports suggest that funds to the tune of around Rs 10 crores were embezzled in the financial year 2013-14. The state vigilance department probing the scam had registered an FIR in November 2016 against senior IAS officer S.M. Raju and 13 others.

The alleged irregularities in the withdrawal of funds had come to light in 2016 when SC/ST students mostly from East Champaran district informed the state government that they had not received scholarships for the previous financial year.

Mr Raju, a 1991 batch IAS officer, was the principal secretary of the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe welfare department during the period, officials said.

The vigilance department is also probing Mr Rajus involvement in another scam related to Mahadalit Vikas Mission. The IAS officer was suspended after his name appeared in the case.

The vigilance investigation department which had received a complaint regarding embezzlement of Rs 4.25 crores in the training programme of Mahadalit Vikas Mission under the SC/ST department had registered FIR against 10 government and private firm officials.
We know that there is something magical about dolphins.

We know that there is something magical about dolphins. (Photo: Pixabay)

Swimming with wild dolphins is something most can only dream of, and jumping into pools with captive animals has become increasingly controversial with environmentalists condemning it as cruel.

But a Dutch non-profit believes it has found a way to bring people, especially the disabled, closer to such a joyful experience through the technological, immersive advances offered by virtual reality (VR).

The Dolphin Swim Club is the realisation of a more than two-decade journey by artist Marijke Sjollema, who had her first chance encounter with a dolphin in 1993 while snorkeling off the coast of Mexico.

"I saw this grey shadow under the water and my first thought was this is the end. I thought it was a shark," she told AFP.

She tried to stay calm "but this shadow was following me. And then there was this split second that I realised that it wasn't a shark. It was a dolphin."

"I didn't know anything about dolphins, but I instinctively knew, 'Oh a dolphin, I'm fine. This is a good thing'."

From that moment on, Sjollema's love of dolphins and all cetaceans was born.

"We know that there is something magical about dolphins. We think of joy, and playfulness and happiness and innocence when we meet dolphins. And this is even a healing quality," she told AFP.

She and her business consultant husband, Benno Brada, have devoted their spare time, energy and personal resources to their mission of enabling people to discover their own encounter with dolphins.

Healing qualities

Their first project using normal VR headsets playing a film of the dolphins launched in late 2015.

But last month they went a step further, unveiling waterproof VR glasses, which allow people to drift around a pool watching bottlenose and spinner dolphins playing around them in virtual reality.

This VR dolphin therapy in a pool, still at the trial stage, is thought to be a world first.

"The dream was to find an alternative to dolphin-assisted therapies using dolphins in captivity," Brada told therapists at a residential community for disabled people run by the 's Heeren Loo organisation who were testing out the waterproof goggles in the pool.



dolphins one afp

The Dolphin Swim Club is the realisation of over two-decade journey by artist Marijke Sjollema (AFP)

The centre has been using the land version of the VR glasses since 2016, and has seen noticeable benefits.

"Some 82 percent of our clients feel actually relaxed by seeing the films," said the organisation's policy advisor Johan Elbers.

"It takes them away from the world they are in, they enter a new world in another mindset, think differently, feel differently, see differently, and relax completely."

He recalled how one young woman, who had long had trouble sleeping, now watches a VR film of the dolphins swimming at night, and falls quietly asleep.

Another man is able to completely forget an agonising pain in his arm.

Dion, a 21-year-old resident of the community, said watching the film made him feel "peaceful."

"The dolphin noises and the water calms me down, that calms me from all the noises that there are, then you're zen," he said.

Sharks next?

The pool-safe VR goggles, developed thanks to 50,000 euros ($59,000) grant from the Dutch government, consist of a waterproof Samsung smartphone in a waterproof backing mounted on a special 3D-printed rig made of recycled plastics.

"Stress is very important as a driver of all kinds of psychiatric problems," explains psychiatrist Wim Veling, from the University of Groningen.

"So we are trying in therapy to make people more relaxed," said Veling, who has been studying the use of VR to help people with mental health disorders.

"The power of virtual reality is in the immersion" into another world, he says on the Dolphin Swim Club site.

For Sjollema, the VR glasses offer huge advantages. Not only can they bring the dolphins to disabled people, who would not be able to travel to see them, but they also avoid the use of captive dolphins.

"Right from the beginning we wanted to make this an alternative for existing therapies with dolphins in captivity," she said.

The films were made during a 10-day shoot in December 2015 at the Red Sea, by a specialist VR team Viemr, using free divers capable of holding their breath for up to five minutes so as not to scare away the dolphins.

The dry version glasses are already being used in more than 150 universities, hospitals and community centres around the world.

And the hope is that the waterproof ones will prove equally beneficial. Sjollema and Brada are looking for a partner to launch their commercial production.

But Dion is ready for something a little more exhilarating.

He would like to watch "a film with sharks" or lions "where the animal is hunting a prey. It would be fun to see a little bit of action."
Over 250 students from 9th, 10th and 11th standards attended the workshop on social media and online games, including Blue Whale Challenge.

The concerned students will now interact with their classmates and juniors at their respective institutions and help spreading the message.(Photo: File/Representational)

Kolkata: More than 250 students from 62 ICSE-affiliated schools of Kolkata and its neighbouring districts learned about social media and its impact on our everyday life at a day-long workshop on Saturday.

The seminar, conducted by counsellors and cyber experts, deliberated on the positives and negatives of social media networks like Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and online video games, including Blue Whale challenge, Secretary of the Association of ICSE Schools in West Bengal Nabarun De said.

"Every school was represented by three students - from 9th, 10th and 11th standards - and a teacher at the workshop and the response was very encouraging," he said.

De said the concerned students will now interact with their classmates and juniors at their respective institutions and help spreading the message.

Such interactions became necessary as smart phones are now an inevitable part of our lives and school children are not exception, Navneet Sharma, one of the attending teachers, said.

The workshop also sensitised students about the deleterious effects of smart phone addiction on their education and extracurricular activities, De said.

"We have always encouraged students to involve themselves in sporting activities and asked all member schools to encourage their peers to participate in on-field games, necessary for all-round development of young ones," he said.


The police has registered a case against two people under various sections.

Mumbai: A Mumbai-based former model, Rashmi Shahbazker (37) has accused her Muslim husband of torturing her and forcing her to convert to Islam. However, when Ms Shahbazkar refused, her husband Asif tried to kill her, she has claimed in the complaint registered at Bandra police station. Ms Shahbazkar said that Asif assaulted her after he married another Hindu girl a few months ago. The police have registered a case against two people under various sections. The Bandra police said the investigation is underway.

Shahbazker, who married her husband Asif 12 years ago, was a Hindu by birth. She was very clear that she would not convert to Islam after marriage. The couple have a seven-year-old child together. But a few months ago when Asif married a woman half his age, he started hitting her, asking her to convert to Islam or leave him. When the complainant protested, Asif tried to kill her, alleged Shahbazker.

Speaking to The Asian Age, Pandit Nivrutti Thackeray, senior police inspector of Bandra police station said, We have registered a case of domestic violence against the accused person, and are confirming the allegations that have been put forth by the complainant. No arrests have been made as of now.

In the complaint, the former model also alleged that she was subjected to physical abuse several times after she refused to convert to Islam. Adding to the allegations, Shahbazker said that her child was also brainwashed to convert to Islam, and was taught that his mother is evil. She further added that her husband and his new wife were trying to evict her from the house. As she has not given in to the pressure, she was being threatened.

The police have registered a case against two persons under sections 354, 323, 324, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to assault, causing hurt, intentional insult, criminal intimidation and common intention respectively.
This case also became a reason for marches to become faceless. A few young girls led the marches in the state.

Mumbai: After the court convicted all the 3 accused in the Kopardi rape and murder case, the victim's parents said that convicts should be given capital punishment so that it would send a stern message to the society. We waited for a long time and today the court held all the three men guilty. To send a stern message to the society, the convicts should be awarded death punishment so that no one will dare commit such an act in the future, the girl's mother said. The victim's father, a farmer, also echoed similar sentiments. Entire Maratha community feels that the convicts should get nothing but the death sentence, he said.

The Kopardi rape case had stirred Maharashtras socio-political ethos. Maratha community hit the streets across the state just days after a Maratha caste girl was raped and murdered in Kopardi in 2016. Though there were many other reasons including demand for reservation but Kopardi rape case was a trigger point for the communitys outburst.

This case also became a reason for marches to become faceless. A few young girls led the marches in the state. Though marches have stopped now, but there is still anger over the Kopardi rape case.

Mammoth marches by Maratha community in almost all districts had created tension in the state. The first march started after the incident of Kopardi rape case came to light. The march was held in Aurangabad, capital of Marathwada which is also near Kopardi.
As a politician Indira real test came after she lifted the Emergency, and in the ensuing elections in 1977, was decisively defeated.

There is a story, perhaps apocryphal, that Narendra Modi, when preparing for the bid to be Prime Minister, had a choice to model himself on one of two of Indias leading politicians, one from his own party, the BJP, and the other from the party he wanted to defeat. The choice was between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi. Unhesitatingly, he chose Indira Gandhi. Like her, he wanted to be seen as decisive, authoritative, resolute, determined, focused, strong, and unemotional in dealing with opponents.

Today, on her centennial birthday, it is interesting to ruminate on why Indias only female Prime Minister still occupies so much of the mind-space of the Indian people. It is equally plausible to argue that, a leader who imposed the dreaded Emergency in (1975-77), should be remembered only for this direct assault on Indian democracy. But, Indira Gandhi, returned triumphantly to power in 1980, and even today, is remembered more for her remarkable political acumen than for the  brief but undeniable  authoritarian streak in her.

Legendary leaders become part mythology part history. With the passage of time, their aberrations diminish and their achievements amplify, or vice versa. In the case of Indira, people remember her more for her persona, an elegant woman who never accepted defeat, had her hand on the pulse of the people, displayed an uncanny sense of political timing, was shrewder than the shrewdest of politicians, dealt with opponents ruthlessly, had an unmistakable aesthetic sensibility, took decisions firmly when required, and died a martyr.

What people also find fascinating is the manner in which she transformed as a person. An insecure child with an unsettled childhood, overshadowed by the towering image of her father Jawaharlal Nehru, trapped in a less-than-happy marriage with Feroze, diffident, reclusive and withdrawn, transformed in the space of a few years, from the gungi gudiya (dumb doll) her opponents derisively called her, to a leader who was like a fish in the treacherous waters of Indian politics. Her great moment of glory came when she successfully dismembered Pakistan during the 1971 war. Then, even the leader of Opposition, the ever magnanimous Atal Bihari Vajpayee, hailed her as Durga in action.

As a politician her real test came after she lifted the Emergency, and in the ensuing elections in 1977, was decisively defeated. This was the time when, in a period of great adversity, her adroit political skills stood out in stark contrast to the bungling shenanigans of the motley Janata Dal coalition that came to power. For every ill-planned move they made to pillory her, she had a rapier response. When Charan Singh, the home minister, sent the police to arrest her, she took her time to get ready  and in that period alerted the entire media and her party workers  and then, when the time came to leave for jail, refused to go without being handcuffed. The police were not carrying handcuffs, and what is worse, did not even have clear instructions where to incarcerate her! She spent one night in jail and was unconditionally released the very next day.

In December 1978, she was arrested again. There is an incident of this time which illustrates her remarkable political acumen. Charan Singhs birthday on December 23 was being celebrated with great fanfare at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi. From the jail, Indira gave meticulous instructions to a senior Congressman. He was asked to take a taxi to a specific florist on Janpath, and purchase a large bouquet. Then, he was told to go to Ramlila grounds, and seek to reach the podium. She warned him that he would be stopped by security, but since he was a known face as a former minister, he must find a police officer who recognises him and manage to reach the podium. Once on the podium he was to ensure that the bouquet is presented to Charan Singh on her behalf, not anonymously, but publicly. There must be, she instructed, a public announcement that the flowers had been sent by Indira Gandhi. The Congress leader managed to implement these precise instructions. Charan Singh, in fact, himself announced with glee that Indira Gandhi herself has felicitated him. Three days later, Indira was out from jail. Next year, Charan Singh ditched his own alliance partners to become PM with Congress support, only to have the Congress withdraw support within days. Fresh elections were called and Indira stormed back to power with a huge majority in 1980.

The enduring image of her on an elephant reaching Belchhi is also a tribute to her political instincts. In May 1977, nine Dalits were burnt alive by an upper caste mob in Belchhi, Bihar. No prominent leader of the Janata Dal went to express solidarity with the victims. Indira decided to do so. She landed in Patna by plane; from there she drove in a car; after a point the road became so bad that she moved to a jeep; a little later even the jeep failed, so she sat on a tractor; when the tractor could not make headway, she climbed onto an elephant and reached Belchhi. That photograph was on the front page of every paper the next day.

No great leader is without her faults, or infallible. Indira trusted few, over centralized power, had little compunction in diluting the autonomy of democratic institutions, was excessively tolerant to the willfulness of her younger son, Sanjay, remained unacceptably vulnerable to mediocre sycophants, and made fatal mistakes by tolerating people like Bhindranwale for too long.

But, she had great redeeming features too, including a private, lesser known aspect, where, as a woman and an aesthete with a fine sense of taste and an enduring commitment to the great legacy of Indias arts and crafts, she was the natural inheritor of the cerebral refinements of her father. If anyone is in doubt in this regard, I would urge them to read the book, Two Alone, Two Together, which is a fairly bulky compilation of the letters between her and Jawaharlal Nehru. What will surprise readers is not the erudition of Nehru  for that is known  but the remarkably intellectual, insightful, informed and thoughtful responses of Indira.
Opinion / Columnist

I am giving the possible lines of arguments, possible strategies and the possible settlement to the current Zimbabwe situation.I think the issues are as follows: Using the military option - an outright coup is against the positions of SADC, AU, and article 1, of the UN charter. It is also against our constitution. So an out right coup is out of question, but the man can be forced, coerced, to resign which is constitutional. Using the party, the provinces need to pass a vote of no confidence in the man, which must be ratified by the central committee, the problem with this is constituting a credible quorum with the requisite mandate. The current central committee is questionable, not able to convene as that has too many folds starting with the Convener, the Chair through to the agenda setting.The other option is to use parliament to pass a vote of no confidence,The most effective way was to recall all security personnel and then urge members of the public to storm the residences and effect what ever they do. Yes we marched yesterday out of the need for our liberty and that was an opportune time, a golden one indeed but I kept questioning on what we anticipated the Man to say to us and the world. Was there any possibility the Man would say what we wanted to hear?The man has already said he is going nowhere. I accept ii totally that everything has a start, the point is what is the way forward. So what options did we have and what is the effect of the march yesterday and now. I think the Egypt option is the way forward.The March was a mere solidarity match, but if the people were let to the residence, then it was going to become a pure civilian uprising changing the whole outlook. Generals would still come in and cool the situation giving a road map that would be accepted by all stakeholders.Not all people interpret the constitution well, or want it now, or even want to hear it however, the situation will then teach us and we will follow the right channels in the end. I think it's another type of a Coup, the Generals were successful in cooling the people so that they were not violent yet the best was to allow us to run hay wire and then use that as a forum to say people no longer love you Papa. Resign Papa because people havachadi, vaneta.Recalling the Military is the prerogative of the Head of State and Government Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and ofcourse allowing that to happen will attract treason charges. For the people to do whatever they want to do will remove the sovereign concept by international intervention.I think exhausting all the channels is possible within a twenty one day framework.Interestingly the same person who is in question has to appoint deputies and ministers before leaving office for the country to avoid a declaration of state of emergency. He has said it before and he will say it again," If the people no longer want me they will show it through the ballot". The generals have already committed treason, by giving orders to the army without the commander in chief's approval, so if they don't see this through, they will all be hanged.We are now against his rule and some had always been against. How then can he be allowed to appoint his successor as the Revolutionary party had been propagating all these years that the man has a say to it, the constitution has been violated, there is no more need to reason along constitutional lines as a reasonable argument. Its no longer a normal situation and just requires an abnormal way of doing business. Any return or attempt to return to the original basics that will extend his rule against the will of the people is neither here nor there. What further is reality is that elections under his supervision will always be rigged. If he leaves without appointing deputies and ministers then the current cabinet will be the official one without the favourites needed by the people, ofcource the Lacoste cabal and it will be more cruel than before and always try to remember where they came from.It's swim or sink in an infested Kariba dam for the generals, the longer it takes, the more dangerous it becomes for them, they have violated the command structure. Yesterday they had a perfect opportunity to end the impasse by opening the doors of state house, the blue house, Munhumutapa offices, Chibuku-Jongwe house to the public and the public was supposed to occupy it until he steps down. The public was supposed to toss the man up at that opportunity.The Constitution of Zimbabwe remains our Saviour because a State of Emergency will be a dangerous precedence to our Nation. Avenues and Channels still need to be exhausted my fellow country men and women.Effectively what we have is a coup, because the army has taken the executive function, so the army should have, must have dismantled everything, call for political players from diverse backgrounds, hand over power to a civilian authority for a transitional government, but they are missing all chances. Generals can't risk their skins I tell you. The situation is very tricky and likely to be volatile because the man doesn't budge as was anticipated. He is not called Bob for nothing but will see the process through as the hard ball is played. He has played it even during his herdboy days, he played it with the Bushes and Blairs of this world. From Rex, Fox to Chiwenga where we are.He has refused to resign and other interesting next best legal option is impeachment by parliament in which case the baton goes to VP Mphoko and if he fails to take up the opportunity then the next in line would be the Speaker of Parliament Cde Mudenda but this option is not favourable to the generals because their preferred candidate is the dismissed EDM who unfortunately for them can't be brought back constitutionally in the short-term. Again its a political party dubbed national issue because we all affected.They have already risked, they need to apply pressure to the man, if it stays long, then foreign intervention will lead to the status quo remaining. The generals will be hanged, I repeat.One other stubborn fact is that the constitutional way is long and not effective in our present situation but we will still refer to it unless we just agree that this is a modern defined kind of a Coup.One other best way to go if indeed the generals had taken power for the sake of the general populace's wellbeing was to go for the shoot to kill strategy doing that in order to protect their own interest and took advantage of the fact that President had gone wayward: The President has already refused to resign and his friends like Zuma are urging him to do that for their economies, political lives and personified reasons not good to the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe.The generals have already risked their lives and even us the people. It is ideal for the generals to attach their people in all government institutions as directors until the civilian rule is ensured. Anyway, who is governing right now if its not the generals. We are in it already and let's go full throttles men and women of Zimbabwe.People under house arrest should remain in that condition, actually make it permanent.The best option is for the ZDF to convene an all stakeholders meeting and formulate an interim government until election if he continue refusing to resign as already feared and being a given.Politics control everything including the cost of your beer, what you eat and how you sleep. You don't threaten to take power, you take power, perio! If you take power, leave no parishioners, deal with the consequences later, that's what the books on politics have taught us. Power has not been taken if we still respectfully give the old man all the constitutional titles as our Commander in Chief, Chancellor of all universities, blabla. Remember who built up all this very long salutation for our one man. One centre of power! Power has already been shaken and I think it will not be returned to him and his cronies any more, it can't hold. The centre has failed to hold. Power has to be taken permanently. If they return the offshore of power they had taken, they are dead, the generals are dead, the marchers are dead, we are dead. Its treason and a hang man would definitely be found. Remember the proposal to return death sentence and the last Bulawayo interface statement, "Zvine rufu". If they think of a dream of returning it, then they are canon fodder. The sweetness of it all is that they know their prey quite well how dangerous it is. How fast is has been attacking and the machinery, ammunition, weaponry it has been and is able to unleash.I am off to church, later.
The question on everyones mind is whether the events in Zimbabwe are like the equivalent of an Arab Spring in Africa.

The coup that was not a coup in Zimbabwe has several unique features. First, unlike traditional coups which end up with the Army chief converting himself into a political leader, the Armys role was to stop longtime leader Robert Mugabes wife Grace from taking power. All signs indicate that the objective has been to restore Mr Mugabes vie-president and old comrade Emmerson Mnangagwe to his post and ask him to run an interim administration In the process, the ruling party has sacked Mr Mugabe as leader, replacing him by his sacked vice-president.

The story begins with the sacking of Mr Mnangagwe, allegedly at the behest of Grace who was all set to take over from her ailing 93-year-old husband. The obvious successor was thus cast aside, fuelling popular anger. The Army then moved in last week confining Mr Mugabe to his official home but even allowing him to award degrees at a university function to suggest that he would be given a dignified farewell were he to resign from office.

To underline this message, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans gathered on Harares streets seeking the sacking of Mr Mugabe. The countrys economy is in a free fall, with the downturn ascribed to the hasty takeover of white farms in 2000. The country gained independence in 1980 and Mr Mugabe has been its ruler for 37 years. In popular parlance, his wife is known as Gucci Grace because of her penchant for expensive shopping.

A Catholic priest, Fidelis Mikonori, was mediating between Mr Mugabe and the Army and was the main figure in Sundays crucial negotiations, with the fallen leader still reportedly resisting. In fact, Mr Mugabes nephew Patrick Zhuwao, in exile in South Africa, has said the leader and his wife were ready to die for what is correct rather than step down.

However, the cards are stacked against Mr Mugabe, with even war veterans asking him to go, and judging from the popular mood encouraged by the Army, there is widespread anger over the countrys economic situation. How an independence leader has sunk so low is an object lesson in not knowing when to leave the political stage.

The question on everyones mind is whether the events in Zimbabwe are like the equivalent of an Arab Spring in Africa. The waves of change are indeed sending shockwaves across the continent. The Arab Spring has not been a success over the years, with the dramatic change in Egypt, for instance, leading to the Army chief donning the mantle of political leadership after one-year rule of the Muslim Brotherhood following the first free elections ever held in the countrys history.

The picture has not been encouraging elsewhere in the Arab world, nations reverting to the rule of strongmen. The only exception has been Tunisia, which has been keeping the spirit of Arab Spring alive by instituting a coalition arrangement, thanks largely to the moderation and wisdom of the main Islamic party.

In Africa, two candidates under siege are Yoveri Museveni of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congos Joseph Kabila. Both are facing calls to resign. As we have seen in the Arab world, getting rid of autocratic leaders is a long process. Change does not come easily.

Mr Mugabes time came because of the ambition of his young wife, a former secretary, who scandalised the country by engineering the ouster of his most important aide and natural successor Mrangagwe. Indeed, apart from sharing privation and sacrifice in the independence struggle, he was popularly known as the crocodile for his ruthlessness in achieving goals. Where his and the Armys interests coincided was in averting a feared kleptocratic regime of Grace and her favourites, particularly among the young in the Zanu-PF ruling party.

How long will it take for the incipient African Spring to travel to the other parts of the continent? While the precise time is difficult to predict, the Zimbabwe events can be a lightning rod. Judging by the Arab Spring, the contagion can spread quickly even as political leaders get to build coalitions to frustrate popular wishes. For far too long, peoples across the continent have suffered rapacious and thieving rulers who have enriched themselves at the cost of their countries future.

While African thinkers are cogitating on how to avoid the pitfalls of the Arab Spring, vulnerable leaders will be resorting to circuses to distract peoples minds. The key to the change in Zimbabwe was the Armys readiness to suppress a national calamity by the ambitions of a young wife to seize power, thanks to the besotted vision of an old man. The danger is of course that inevitably the Army has become a political player in achieving an objective that was popular.

If Zimbabwe has set an example, will the Army in other situations and other countries exercise similar restraint? Logically, the armies tendency is to believe that they can do a better job of governing than civilians. And in all probability, the Army will find it difficult to resist giving up power once it has brought about political change.

Examples elsewhere in the world are not encouraging. In Indias vicinity, we have the example of Myanmar where the Army, after long years of rule, enacted a titled constitution which gave it real power even as it held elections to give the regime an ostensible civilian facade. Pakistan long ago succumbed to Army rule, periodically clothed in a civilian dispensation.

What has changed by the dramatic developments in Zimbabwe is that the pace of change in the autocracies will quicken. It is as if the people of Africa have woken up from deep slumber and begun to see their destinies not being permanently tied to a dictatorial regime.

The fact that the process of succession was so blatant in Zimbabwe and the long-serving leader was being increasingly guided by a far younger scheming wife made the widespread revolt possible. Countries elsewhere on the continent will be guided by their own peculiarities that will determine the precise shape their revolts will take.
The Dolphin Swim Club is the realisation of a journey by artist Marijke Sjollema, who had her first chance encounter with a dolphin in 1993.

She and her business consultant husband, Benno Brada, have devoted their spare time, energy and personal resources to their mission of enabling people to discover their own encounter with dolphins.

Swimming with wild dolphins is something most can only dream of, and jumping into pools with captive animals has become increasingly controversial with environmentalists condemning it as cruel.

But a Dutch non-profit believes it has found a way to bring people, especially the disabled, closer to such a joyful experience through the technological, immersive advances offered by virtual reality (VR).

The Dolphin Swim Club is the realisation of a more than two-decade journey by artist Marijke Sjollema, who had her first chance encounter with a dolphin in 1993 while snorkeling off the coast of Mexico.

"I saw this grey shadow under the water and my first thought was this is the end. I thought it was a shark," she told AFP.

She tried to stay calm "but this shadow was following me. And then there was this split second that I realised that it wasn't a shark. It was a dolphin."

"I didn't know anything about dolphins, but I instinctively knew, 'Oh a dolphin, I'm fine. This is a good thing'."

From that moment on, Sjollema's love of dolphins and all cetaceans was born.

"We know that there is something magical about dolphins. We think of joy, and playfulness and happiness and innocence when we meet dolphins. And this is even a healing quality," she told AFP.

She and her business consultant husband, Benno Brada, have devoted their spare time, energy and personal resources to their mission of enabling people to discover their own encounter with dolphins.

Their first project using normal VR headsets playing a film of the dolphins launched in late 2015. But last month they went a step further, unveiling waterproof VR glasses, which allow people to drift around a pool watching bottlenose and spinner dolphins playing around them in virtual reality. This VR dolphin therapy in a pool, still at the trial stage, is thought to be a world first.

"The dream was to find an alternative to dolphin-assisted therapies using dolphins in captivity," Brada told therapists at a residential community for disabled people run by the 's Heeren Loo organisation who were testing out the waterproof goggles in the pool.

The centre has been using the land version of the VR glasses since 2016, and has seen noticeable benefits.

"Some 82 percent of our clients feel actually relaxed by seeing the films," said the organisation's policy advisor Johan Elbers.

"It takes them away from the world they are in, they enter a new world in another mindset, think differently, feel differently, see differently, and relax completely."

He recalled how one young woman, who had long had trouble sleeping, now watches a VR film of the dolphins swimming at night, and falls quietly asleep. Another man is able to completely forget an agonising pain in his arm.

Dion, a 21-year-old resident of the community, said watching the film made him feel "peaceful."

"The dolphin noises and the water calms me down, that calms me from all the noises that there are, then you're zen," he said.

The pool-safe VR goggles, developed thanks to 50,000 euros ($59,000) grant from the Dutch government, consist of a waterproof Samsung smartphone in a waterproof backing mounted on a special 3D-printed rig made of recycled plastics.

"Stress is very important as a driver of all kinds of psychiatric problems," explains psychiatrist Wim Veling, from the University of Groningen.

"So we are trying in therapy to make people more relaxed," said Veling, who has been studying the use of VR to help people with mental health disorders.

"The power of virtual reality is in the immersion" into another world, he says on the Dolphin Swim Club site.

For Sjollema, the VR glasses offer huge advantages. Not only can they bring the dolphins to disabled people, who would not be able to travel to see them, but they also avoid the use of captive dolphins.

"Right from the beginning we wanted to make this an alternative for existing therapies with dolphins in captivity," she said.

The films were made during a 10-day shoot in December 2015 at the Red Sea, by a specialist VR team Viemr, using free divers capable of holding their breath for up to five minutes so as not to scare away the dolphins.

The dry version glasses are already being used in more than 150 universities, hospitals and community centres around the world.

And the hope is that the waterproof ones will prove equally beneficial. Sjollema and Brada are looking for a partner to launch their commercial production. But Dion is ready for something a little more exhilarating.

He would like to watch "a film with sharks" or lions "where the animal is hunting a prey. It would be fun to see a little bit of action."
Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the US nuclear arsenal, also explained the process that would follow such a command.

President Donald Trump's history of unpredictable and volatile behaviour has raised concerns that he could unilaterally order an unnecessary nuclear attack. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: The top US nuclear commander said on Saturday that he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an "illegal" launch of nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump's history of unpredictable and volatile behaviour has raised concerns that he could unilaterally order an unnecessary nuclear attack - an issue recently debated by members of the US Senate.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order.

"I think some people think we're stupid," Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario. "We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"

Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the US nuclear arsenal, explained the process that would follow such a command.

As head of STRATCOM "I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," he said in his remarks, retransmitted in a video posted on the forum's Facebook page.

"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated."

Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: "If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life."

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hyten's remarks.

They came after questions by US senators, including Democrats and Trump's fellow Republicans, about Trump's authority to wage war, use nuclear weapons and enter into or end international agreements, amid concern that tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs could lead to hostilities.

Trump has traded insults and threats with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and threatened in his maiden United Nations address to "totally destroy" the country of 26 million people if it threatened the United States.

Trump issued an apocalyptic threat to unleash "fire and fury" on North Korea and began calling Kim Jong-Un "Rocket Man" after a series of provocative missile tests, while the hermit state's leader branded Trump a "dotard."

The escalating war of words has alarmed some US lawmakers, and senators debated the limits of a president's unilateral power to launch a nuclear attack earlier this week.

In the event of an ongoing or imminent nuclear attack, senators and expert witnesses agreed that the president had full authority to defend the nation, but experts said there was no strict definition of "imminent."

Some senators want legislation to alter the nuclear authority of the US president and a Senate committee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing in more than four decades on the president's authority to launch a nuclear strike.
In an television interview, Ms Khan said that the name of prime suspect has not even been mentioned in the case.

Islamabad: Reham Khan, former wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, has termed her ex-husbands statement regarding Dera Ismail Khan girls naked parade case disappointing.

In an television interview, Ms Khan said that the name of prime suspect has not even been mentioned in the case.

The accused, Sajawal, paraded a local girl naked through the streets of a village in Dera Ismail Khan three weeks ago along with his friends, but he still at large.

PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Dawar Khan Kundi had alleged that PTI leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa revenue minister Ali Amin Gandapur was backing the culprits.

The PTI chief afterwards announced to sack Dawar Khan Kundi from the party. Mr Khan said that the MNA levelled false accusations against Gandapur and violated the party discipline.

Imran Khan maintained: Dawar Khan Kundi had been giving wrong statements against the party for one year. He opted different stances in front of me and the Inspector General police. The MNA also spoke against Khyber Pakhtukhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak.

PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said a show-cause notice had been served to Dawar Khan Kundi and his party membership will also be terminated soon.
Ratko Mladic, 74, is accused of 11 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Prosecutors say Mladic played a pivotal role in a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing to create a Greater Serbia during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 war which claimed 100,000 lives and left 2.2 million others homeless. (Photo: AP)

The Hague: UN war crimes judges will on Wednesday hand down a historic verdict against former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, blamed for steering Europe's worst atrocities since World War II.

The judgement and possible sentencing before the Yugoslav war crimes court in The Hague marks the culmination of a case spanning 22 years against Mladic, once dubbed "The Butcher of Bosnia".

As the head of Bosnia's Serb-dominated army, Mladic, 74, is accused of 11 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in the chaotic break-up of the former Yugoslavia after the fall of communism in 1990.

Mladic is one of the "first cases which in fact justified the creation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia," chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz said recently.

Wednesday's decision will also be the court's penultimate ruling as it prepares to close on December 31 after more than two decades.

Prosecutors say Mladic played a pivotal role in a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing to create a Greater Serbia during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 war which claimed 100,000 lives and left 2.2 million others homeless.

Genocide

Mladic was particularly sought over his role in commanding Bosnian Serb troops who in mid-1995 overran the "safe" enclave of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia.

After brushing aside lightly-armed Dutch UN peacekeepers, troops under Mladic's command proceeded to slaughter almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys over the next days, dumping their bodies in mass graves.

Dusko Mladic, relative of Ratko Mladic, walks by his home, in the village of Bozanovici, Bosnia (Photo: AFP)

The killings are deemed the worst atrocities committed in Europe since World War II and have been labelled genocide by two international courts.

Mladic is also accused of ordering a 44-month-long campaign of sniping and shelling against Bosnia's capital Sarajevo to terrorise its inhabitants, killing 10,000 people, mostly civilians.

Prosecutors further blame him for the hostage-taking of 200 UN peacekeepers and allegedly ordering his troops to "cleanse" Bosnian towns, driving out Croats, Muslims and other non-Serb residents. They have called for a life sentence.

Mladic told judges he was "sorry for every innocent that was killed on all sides, in all ethnic communities in Yugoslavia", but has continued to deny the charges.

'Satanic court'

Arrested at his cousin's Serbian home in May 2011 after almost 16 years on the run, the once stocky and brash military commander cut a very different picture in the dock over the years.

Markedly thinner and greyer, a defiant Mladic told judges at his first appearance in 2011: "I defended my country and my people (and) I now defend Ratko Mladic before you."

During hearings, he frequently clashed with prosecutors, judges, witnesses and even onlookers in the public gallery.

In one infamous moment as his trial opened in 2012, Mladic was seen making a throat-cutting gesture towards a victim's relative.

Mladic has called the charges against him "obnoxious" and referred to the ICTY as a "satanic court".

He also refused to testify in the trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his political alter ego, who is currently appealing a 40-year jail term imposed in 2016 for similar charges.

Mladic's lawyers have insisted he is "not a monster" and urged that he be acquitted on all charges.

Over the years his health has deteriorated, and Mladic has suffered three strokes.

Judges however dismissed a last-minute defence bid to postpone the verdict on medical grounds.

An aerial picture shows the village of Bozanovici, near the town of Kalinovik, eastern Bosnia (Photo: AFP)

'Bodies everywhere'

During a complex trial lasting 523 days, almost 10,000 exhibits were admitted in evidence and there were almost 600 witnesses. They provided hours of harrowing testimony including from protected witness RM-346, who told how he survived Srebrenica.

"There were a lot of dead bodies. Brains were splattered all over," said the man, who escaped despite being seriously wounded.

Mladic, Karadzic and former Yugoslav president and Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic were among the top leaders, who prosecutors said formed the core of a "joint criminal enterprise" to create a Greater Serbia.

But Milosevic died before judgement could be passed, suffering a heart attack in his cell in The Hague in March 2006.

"The Mladic judgement, together with the Karadzic judgement is one of the most important in the history of the tribunal," said Brammertz.

There have long been accusations from Serbia the ICTY was a "political" institution, which had hampered reconciliation.

But Brammertz has insisted "no one can expect a judicial process to achieve reconciliation".

"I am personally absolutely convinced... that without accountability there is no chance of reconciliation at all."
Tan Dhesi was accused of ignoring the plight of a British Sikh man who was arrested during his visit to India.

The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about rail link in his local area. (Photo: Facebook/ @tandhesi))

London: A Sikh MP in the UK has been abused and targeted with threats of violence from furious trolls who think he was not speaking enough on issues related to the community, according to a media report.

Tan Dhesi, who became Labour's MP for Slough in June, was accused of ignoring the plight of a British Sikh man who was arrested during his visit to India.

But Dhesi vowed to continue working for the whole public "regardless of background, colour or creed" rather than focussing on just one community, The Sun reported.

The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about rail link in his local area.

Trolls said he should have asked about Jagtar Singh, a Scottish activist who has arrested in India, the report said.

One troll wrote to the MP saying: "...A Sikh British citizen is being tortured in Punjab and you're worried about rail. You have no response to that. You need a slap upside your head you fake Sikh!"

Dhesi reacted with fury and pointed out that he has repeatedly worked on Johal's case.

"It's hard enough serving as an MP without having to face constant abuse from various quarters (whether that's the far- right/extremists/others who feel that I'm only interested in 'my community's issues', or those from within my 'own' community who feel I don't do enough)," he wrote on Facebook.

"When people resort to abuse, they are actually doing a disservice to their own cause. I will do what I genuinely feel is right, rather than be forced by anybody to follow their priorities or way of thinking.

"I am not merely a Sikh MP/representative speaking solely on Sikh issues," Dhesi added.
The move is likely to deepen concern among rights activists and Turkeys Western allies about its record on civil liberties.

Authorities in Ankara had already banned a German gay film festival on Wednesday, the day before it was due to start, citing public safety and terrorism risks. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Istanbul: The Turkish capital Ankara has banned the public showing of films and exhibitions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, the governors office said on Sunday, citing public sensitivities.

The move is likely to deepen concern among rights activists and Turkeys Western allies about its record on civil liberties under President Tayyip Erdogans Islamist-rooted AK Party.

Starting from Nov. 18, 2017, concerning our communitys public sensitivity, any events such as LGBT cinema, theatre, panels, interviews, exhibitions are banned until further notice in our province to provide peace and security, the governors office said in a statement.

Authorities in Ankara had already banned a German gay film festival on Wednesday, the day before it was due to start, citing public safety and terrorism risks.

Two gay pride parades have been banned in Istanbul for the last two years running.

Unlike in many Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but there is widespread hostility to it.
According to the FIR, the convicts and the victim studied in same academy in a village in Sahiwal.

Convicts Musadiq Ahmed and Ahsan Hassan were accused of killing the Class 5 student after raping him in Sahiwal district. (Photo: Pixabay/Representational)

Lahore: Two Pakistani college students have been sentenced to 75 years in prison by a court for raping and killing an 11-year-old boy in the Punjab province.

Convicts Musadiq Ahmed and Ahsan Hassan were accused of killing the Class 5 student after raping him in Sahiwal district, some 230 km from Lahore, in November 2017.

Initially the police had registered the case on charges of murder, kidnapping and unnatural offences under the Pakistan Penal Code.

But after the protest by the victims family and locals, the police also included terrorism sections in the FIR and the suspects were prosecuted in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore.

The ATC today awarded 75 years imprisonment to each suspect and also imposed a fine of Rs 400,000 on each of them on different counts, a court official said and added the convicts confessed to their crime before the judge.

According to the FIR, the convicts and the victim studied in same academy in a village in Sahiwal. On November 7, 2016, the convicts on return from the academy kidnapped the minor boy and took him to a deserted place where they killed him after raping him.
People should not be afraid of God, as if he were "a master who wants to punish us". For the pope, Jesus has always shown us that God is not a stern and intolerant master, but a father full of love, tenderness, and goodness. Therefore, we can and must have immense trust in Him. The pontiff also urged drivers to be prudent and respect the rules as the first form of protection of themselves and others.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis spoke about Lebanon after the Angelus, saying that he hoped the country could continue to be a message of respect and coexistence for the whole region and the whole world.

In Lebanon, tensions are running high, and its people is one of those that are experiencing painful suffering because of war and conflicts. In view of this, the pontiff called on the international community to make every possible effort to favour peace, in particular in the Middle East.

The Holy Father also called for prayers "for the men of the crew of the missing Argentine military submarine.

In his address to the 20,000 people present in St Peter's Square, Francis urged them to recite the Marian prayer and not to be afraid of God, as if he were "a bad, harsh and harsh master who wants to punish us". In reality, we should trust him because he is "a father full of love, tenderness, and goodness." The pope was inspired by the parable of talents (cf. Mt 25:14-30), which he talked about during the Mass celebrated in the Basilica for the First World Day of the Poor.

Francis noted that the servant who buried his talent told his master, after he came back, why hid did it: Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground (Mt 25:24-25). This servant does not have a relationship with his master based on trust; he is afraid of him, and such fear stops him. Fear always immobilises and often leads to wrong choices. Fear discourages people from taking the initiative, leads people to take refuge in safe and guaranteed solutions, and so we end up doing nothing good. To go on and grow on the path of life, we have to trust."

"This parable makes us understand how important it is to have a true idea of God. We must not think that He is a bad, harsh and severe master who wants to punish us. If we hold this wrong image of God inside us, then our life cannot be fruitful, because we will live in fear and this will not lead us to anything constructive. On the contrary, fear will paralyse us, destroy us.

In reality, We are called to reflect in order to find out what our own idea of God really is. Already in the Old Testament He revealed himself as a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity (Ex 34:6). Jesus has always shown us that God is not a stern and intolerant master, but a father full of love, tenderness, and goodness. Therefore, we can and must have immense trust in Him.

Jesus shows us the Fathers generosity and the attentiveness in so many ways: by his word, by his gestures, by his welcome to all, especially towards sinners, children and the poor  as the First World Day of the Poor also reminds us today, but also by his warnings that reveal his interest that we not waste our lives unnecessarily.

This is a sign that God has great esteem for us: this awareness can help us to be responsible in every one of our actions. Therefore, the parable of talents calls upon us to take on a personal responsibility and fidelity so that we are capable of continually placing ourselves on new roads, without burying the talent, namely the gifts that God has entrusted to us and which he will ask us to account for.

May the Blessed Virgin intercede for us, so that we may be faithful to God's will by fostering the talents he has given us. In so doing, we shall be useful to others and, on the last day, we shall be welcomed by the Lord, who will invite us to take part in his joy."

After the Angelus Pope Francis noted that "Yesterday, in Detroit, United States of America, Solanus Casey (born Bernard Francis Casey), a priest and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, was beatified. A humble and faithful disciple of Christ, he was known for his untiring service to the poor. May his witness help priests, (men and women) religious and laypeople live with joy the bond between the proclamation of the Gospel and love for the poor."

This is what we wanted to focus on with today's World Day of the Poor, which in Rome and in the dioceses of the world is expressed in so many initiatives of prayer and sharing. I hope that the poor will be at the centre of our communities not only in times like this but always because they are at the heart of the Gospel. In them we meet Jesus who speaks to us and questions us through their sufferings and their needs. "

"Today," Francis said, "is also the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, established by the United Nations. I encourage public institutions to engage in prevention, and urge drivers to be prudent and respect the rules as the first form of protection of oneself and others.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. TROY AHKEEM WILSON, Defendant - Appellant. No. 17-4237 Decided: November 17, 2017

Before KEENAN, WYNN, and DIAZ, Circuit Judges. Louis C. Allen, Acting Federal Public Defender, Jennifer C. Leisten, Research & Writing Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellant. John Stuart Bruce, United States Attorney, Jennifer P. May-Parker, First Assistant United States Attorney, Kristine L. Fritz, Assistant United States Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Troy Ahkeem Wilson appeals his 144-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C.  841(a), (b)(1)(C) (2012); and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C.  841(a), (b)(1)(B). Wilson claims on appeal that the district court erred in sentencing him as a career offender under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual  4B1.1(a), 4B1.2 (2016). Wilson contends that the district court improperly counted his New York offense for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance as a career-offender predicate conviction. Because he was adjudicated under New York law as a youthful offender for that offense, Wilson argues, it was not an adult conviction as required by USSG  4B1.2 for an offense to count for career-offender purposes. However, because it is undisputed that Wilson committed the New York offense after reaching 18 years of age, we conclude that the district court properly counted it as an adult conviction, see USSG  4B1.2 cmt. n.1, and did not err in sentencing Wilson as a career offender.

Since  4B1.2 and its commentary leave no doubt that a conviction for an offense committed at the age of 18 is an adult conviction, we need not consult  4A1.2, as Wilson urges us to do. Wilson argues that the specific New York procedures under which he was sentenced vacated his adult conviction and replaced it with a youthful offender adjudication, thus barring the conviction from counting as a prior offense under  4A1.2. But even if one looks to  4A1.2, nothing in that Guideline supports Wilson's arguments. To the contrary, the commentary to  4A1.2 states:

A number of jurisdictions have various procedures pursuant to which previous convictions may be set aside or the defendant may be pardoned for reasons unrelated to innocence or errors of law, e.g., in order to restore civil rights or to remove the stigma associated with a criminal conviction. Sentences resulting from such convictions are to be counted.

USSG  4A1.2 cmt. n.10. New York's youthful offender practice is precisely this type of procedure. See United States v. Matthews, 205 F.3d 544, 548 (2d Cir. 2000) (Sotomayor, J.) (New York's youthful offender program is born of a legislative desire not to stigmatize youths between the ages of 16 and 19 with criminal records triggered by hasty or thoughtless acts, and thus does not count as an expunged conviction under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines (quoting People v. Drayton, 350 N.E.2d 377, 379 (N.Y. 1976))).

Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

PER CURIAM:
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Firefighters work at the site of a fire in Daxing District of Beijing, capital of China, November 19, 2017. Nineteen people were killed and eight others injured according to local authorities. (Photo/Xinhua)

Nineteen people were killed and eight others injured in a house fire in Beijing's southern Daxing District Saturday night, local authorities said.

The fire has been extinguished at around 9 p.m.

Those who were rescued have been taken to hospital for treatment.

The accident, which occurred in Xinjian Village, Daxing District, was reported at 6:15 p.m., according to the municipal fire department.

Fire trucks and firemen were immediately sent to the site.

According to local authorities, the city will set up a team to investigate the accident. The suspects are under police control.
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Florida Firearms Academy is hosting free kids firearm safety classes.

Florida Firearms Academy hosts kids safety classes

The free classes are held once a month

Classes are meant to teach kids gun safety, responsibility

According to a report by the Associated Press and USA Today, a child dies from an accidental shooting every other day in the United States.

Most recently in the Bay Area, four-year-old Ashton Gooding fatally shot himself in July after coming across a loaded gun in his mothers Tampa home.

"If they just come across them and dont know much about them, just from video games and movies, they are going to pick it up, play with it and next think you know they are going to hurt themselves or someone else, Thomas King, Owner of Florida Firearms Academy, said.

About a dozen children and their parents spent two hours at the academy on Sunday, learning gun laws and how to load, hold, aim and shoot firearms.

"Its just this big boom, like once you hit a trigger it goes boom! eight-year-old Kaya Leith said.

"I think its important to teach safety with children, Jeff Schlotterbeck, whose nine-year-old son Caden took the class, said. We have a firearm thats locked up at home and something that we want him to be responsible with and smart about and know what not to do."

Florida Firearms Academy holds the free kids class once a month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1st R) welcome U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) and his wife Melania Trump at the Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 8, 2017. They had an informal afternoon tea in the Baoyun Building, also known as the Hall of Embodied Treasures, in the southwestern corner of the Forbidden City. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

The 2017 China-U.S. summit is over. However, the rest of the world is still holding its collective breath, still very unclear how the relationship will develop between the two countries with the largest economies on Planet Earth.

One thing is clear, though: China is ready to assume a new and more important global role as it embarks on the next phase of its evolution to popular prosperity.

Well ahead of the summit, there were concerns the two leaders might not agree on much, even though Beijing and Washington both promised it would have been fruitful  and they indeed delivered a concordat that's heavy in content.

Yet, here again, it all depends on how they deliver on their declarations of intent.

Both presidents agreed the way forward lies in bilateral economic cooperation and expansion, international trade and cooperation, while continuing close coordination in areas such as financial, currency and exchange rate policies, structural reforms and global economic governance. Even more eye-catching were business deals supposedly worth $250 billion to the United States in reducing its trade deficit.

However, it cannot be ignored that China is still subject to several unilateral and protectionist American measures that are piling-up faster than they are being resolved  the latest being the restriction on imports of Chinese aluminum foil products through crippling new import duties.

Washington had also earlier hit out against Chinese steel exports to the U.S., in addition to repeatedly accusing Beijing of almost every possible economic crime thinkable.

The Xi-Trump discussions have addressed many of the expressed concerns about American companies doing business in China, with Beijing promising to make it easier for international companies to do business in the country, but China still needs to see significant American reciprocity.

One of the main patent reminders from the China-U.S. summit is that economics drives politics in world trade and international financial matters.

Under Xi and Trump, China and the U.S. have entered into a new phase of bilateral and international economic cooperation, which, under normal terms, should last until the end of Trump's initial four-year term.

A strong China-U.S. relationship is essential to global economic stabilization, especially in light of Beijings own plans for establishing a moderately prosperous society by 2020 and an advanced socialist country by 2035.

Never mind the opposite claims or denials by U.S. official sources, the real facts and figures will indicate that America benefits more than it is willing to admit from trading with China. American companies doing business with, and in, China in particular are hoping to see conclusion of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), which they see as beneficial to both countries.

However, with Trump having established a trend of reversing inherited trade agreements  including the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico and the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade agreement (KORUS)  theres still much (understandable) uncertainty about the imminence of BIT, which is not a top priority in Washington today.

From Day One, President Xi insisted that China and the U.S. should be "partners and friends" and not foes, also noting that "while the challenges of bilateral relations are limited, the potential for progress is limitless."

Against that background, Beijing is seeking to turn a new page in China-U.S. ties that can benefit all of humanity, through a common community of deeply intertwined and shared interests, with bigger and heavier responsibilities to safeguard world peace and promote common development.

The highs and lows of the talks between the world's two most powerful leaders notwithstanding, China is keeping its eyes on the future and has indicated that it will not stop or slow-down the opening-up of its economy. Thats reassuring news for all countries and companies interested in doing or increasing business with China.

Yet the rest of the world continues to wait to see concrete results and isnt willing to breathe out just yet.

Earl Bousquet is a contributor to china.org.cn, editor-at-large of The Diplomatic Courier and author of an online regional newspaper column entitled Chronicles of a Chronic Caribbean Chronicler.
Bizarre Finds on Oregon Coast: Pyrosomes, Dolphin, Deformed Velella, Freaky Jellies

Published 11/18/2017 at 5:45 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Seaside, Oregon)  It's insanely early to find them, but velella velella and pyrosomes have been spotted on the Oregon coast. Tiffany Boothe, of Seaside Aquarium, made a host of unusual finds in the last 48 hours, including velella (otherwise known as Purple Sails, Purple Sailors or by-the-wind sailors) that were strangely deformed, a dolphin, weird jellyfish called medusas and even some live oysters. (All photos courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium).

The Purple Sails and pyrosomes were all very small, indicative of how young they are at this point in the year. These were found at Seaside, Gearhart, Del Rey Beach, Fort Stevens and at Arcadia Beach, near Cannon Beach.

In Seaside, Boothe and the crew discovered two that were deformed, with part of a second sail up top instead of just one.

Fawn Custer, a Seal Rock resident who is a local scientist and the volunteer coordinator for CoastWatch, said finding velella this early in the year is rather remarkable, and the deformed ones are just plain weird. Mutations are a regular occurrence in nature, however.



Happens all the time, Custer said. That's why we have children born with random mutations. When the DNA is forming maybe it misses some loops.

Mutations are one possibility, but just as likely is the fact velella are colonial hydrozoids and this is a facet of their early development.

They start out as microscopic jellies, then they go through a metamorphosis to become a body part, Custer said.

In this case, they are a type of hyrdozoa which start out as tiny jellies but then morph into larger clumps that in turn morph into body parts of the purple sail  what scientists call a colony. They become the sail or one of its other parts. The deformity could be a glitch of that part of their early life.

It's very early to see them so maybe they're still forming colonies, she said.

Normally, velella don't show up until spring, but Custer did find some last March, and what was happening with them at such an early development stage back then lends evidence to what's happening now.



Striped dolphin found near Astoria, photo Seaside Aquarium



They showed up last year in March, which was very early, Custer said. And I scooped up a few off the beach and examined them. I found these were still in metamorphosis and that was really interesting.

Of course, the inevitable (and often laughably conspiratorial) questions arise about radiation leaked into the Pacific from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan back in 2011. Custer and Boothe dismiss those, as no credible evidence regarding mutations  including smaller organisms  has ever been found, even in the waters off Japan. Real life is not a Godzilla movie.

Also found by Boothe and the Aquarium crew were the remnants of hatched eggs from Western Nassas (a kind of mollusk), and the really weird Red-Eyed Medusas.

We found a dozen live bay oysters on the beach near the Peter Iredale!, Boothe said. Finally we made it to our stranding call: a six-foot striped dolphin had washed ashore near the South Jetty. The animal was already dead when it came ashore. We recovered the dolphin and will be transferred up to Portland State University where Dr. Debbie Duffield will do a necropsy on it to see if she can determine the cause of death.

Numerous others along the Oregon coast are reporting finding small velella velella and pyrosomes. Oregon Coast Hotels to look for these creatures - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More of these creatures below:



Tiny Velella and pyrosome





Above and below: a red-eyed Medusa jellyfish





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Islam is one of the worlds largest religions. With 1.6 billion followers, Islam is second in size only to Christianity and Islams large base of adherents is continuing to swell. Islam has worked to convert people since its founding, and the number of Muslims in the world is still growing. Given the ever-increasing odds of having a Muslim friend, coworker or family member, here are six things to know about Islam.

Islam is an Abrahamic Religion

Islam, Christianity and Judaism are known as the three Abrahamic religions. All three faiths trace their roots back to the story of Abraham, and both Islam and Judaism see Abraham as the founder of their religions. The holy books of both Judaism and Christianity trace their spiritual lineage back through Isaac, the son of Abrahams wife, Sarah. Islam, however, follows the story of Ishmael, Abrahams son by Sarahs slave, Hagar. Muslims hold that Ishmael, Abrahams firstborn, is the true heir of Abraham. That said, they do not dismiss the importance of Isaac to the greater story.

Abraham is not the only person that all three Abrahamic religions hold in high regard. Moses is seen to be incredibly important as well. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all recognize Moses as a great prophet and teacher. In Islam, Moses is classified as rasul, a great prophet who receives a text, set of laws or distinct revelation. He is the only prophet that God, called Allah in Islam, ever speaks to directly. Every other prophet receives dreams, visions or angelic visits.

Jesus is also seen as rasul in Islam. Moses brought the Torah and Jesus brought the Gospels to their respective peoples. Both texts are honored in Islam, and the Quran, Islams holy book, is seen as completing them. Interestingly, much of Jesus story is preserved in the Quran. For example, Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary, who is in her own right believed to be a prophet, and Jesus preaches the Gospels before being sentenced to death. The main differences between the Quran and the Bible are that Jesus is not the son of God and that He was not actually crucified. Instead, God spirited Jesus away before His death.

Muhammad is the Final Prophet

Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet God will send. Muhammad is rasul like Moses and Jesus before him, but Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets because God will not send another prophet before Judgment Day.

Muhammad is credited with transmitting the Quran to the people who would become the first Muslims and restoring the Kaba. The Kaba is at the center of the Hajj, the sacred pilgrimage all Muslims are called on to take. Muslims believe that the Kaba was built by Abraham but was later polluted by idols. Muhammad tore down the idols and restored the Kaba to its intended, pure state. For Muslims, seeing the Kaba in this life is a promise that they will see Gods face in the next.

Just as non-Christian writings attest to the existence of Jesus of Nazareth, so do non-Muslim writings attest to the life of Muhammad. Muhammad was born around 570 AD to an Arab tribe in modern day Saudi Arabia. As his father was dead, Muhammad was considered to be an orphan despite the fact that his mother was still living. When he was in his twenties, Muhammad married a wealthy woman named Khadija. A number of year after their marriage, Muhammad was told by the archangel Gabriel to convey messages about God to the Arabs. Muhammad and his followers conquered the city of Mecca and purified the Kaba. The Muslims conquered much of the surrounding area before Muhammads death in 632. Muhammad is often said to have been poisoned by a captured Jewish woman.

The Holy Quran

The Quran is the holy book of Islam and is believed to be the exact words of God. Muslims hold that the words of the Quran have never been altered but are preserved exactly as God said them through Muhammad. This perfect duplication of Gods words is in contrast with the Torah and the Gospels which are believed to have been unintentionally altered or misinterpreted over time.

The Quran is written in Arabic which is considered to be the holy language of Islam, just as Sanskrit is Hinduisms holy language. The Arabic in which the Quran is written is said to be unique and utterly absolute, leading to the name Ijaz al-quran or the Immutable Quran. Regardless of a persons belief system, the style of the Quran is unique. No other surviving text has the same style of language, and legend has it that attempts to create a new text in the same style failed.

Information Outside the Quran

The Quran is the Muslim holy book, but it is not considered to be the only authority on Islam. The hadiths are some sayings and behaviors of Muhammad that are not included in the Quran. The hadiths were passed down by people who knew Muhammad well and used to flesh out the allusive nature of the Quran. One of the most important transmitters of hadiths was Aisha, one of Muhammads numerous wives.

Muslims also recognize ijma and ijtihad as sources of authority. Ijma is often translated as consensus and refers to the authority of all Muslims collectively, at least theoretically. In practice, ijma is more often the consensus of Islams religious scholars and highly educated Muslims. The consensus reached by either all Muslims or Islams religious scholars is then used to interpret various pieces of the hadiths or the Quran. Ijma is often credited, or blamed, for allowing non-Muslim practices into areas under Sharia Law.

Ijtihad is often translated as analogical reasoning. Islam has no priests and is based upon an individuals relationship with God. As such, it is sometimes up to an individual Muslim to determine what a passage in the Quran or a hadith means. Both ijma and ijtihad have come under fire within the wider Muslim community. Some see ijma as an excuse to legitimize otherwise non-Islamic practices while others say that ijtihad is the rationalization of individual opinion.

The Five Pillars of Islam

All Muslims are required to observe the five pillars of Islam. The obligation is said to be absolute, but it should also be a joy and a pleasure for a Muslim to hold to the pillars. The five pillars are as follows:

ShahadaThe shahada or profession of faith is the most important pillar of Islam. The shahada is translated as I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. The first half of the shahada declares that Islam is a monotheistic religion. To claim that any entity or person can share Gods unique oneness is a grave sin in Islam. The second half of the shahada sets Islam apart from the other Abrahamic religions. Without the emphasis on Muhammad, the shahada is incomplete.

SalatSalat is ritual prayer and is different from ordinary prayer. Salat is conducted five times a day facing Mecca and comes with prescribed movements that epitomize submission to God. Salat must be done in Arabic, and a Muslim must be ritually pure before taking part. Private prayer is referred to as dua and can be done any time and any place, and no specific movements or purity is required. The famous Islamic Call to Prayer tells Muslims that it is one of the appointed times for salat.

ZakatZakat is obligatory charity or almsgiving. Zakat is meant to remind Muslims that what they have in life is a loan from God and to purify Muslims of greed. Zakat is a way of thanking God for what He has given Muslims and is best done in secret to avoid any sense of self-righteousness or pride. Only adults can give zakat, and they must donate a certain percentage of their wealth. Voluntary almsgiving is known as sadaqa.

SawmSawm, or fasting, refers to the fasting that all Muslims partake in during the month of Ramadan. During this holy time, Muslims obtain from all sensual pleasures and do not eat from dawn to dusk. Muslims try to read the entire Quran during the month of Ramada and believe that it was during the last 10 nights of this holy month that the Quran was revealed in full to Muhammad. The Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Power, takes place during these ten days and is the holiest day of the Muslim calendar.

All Muslims are required to partake in Ramadan, though some people are exempt from the fasting requirement. The sick, the elderly, pregnant or breastfeeding women, children who have not yet reached puberty, travelers and those engaged in heavy labor are allowed to break their fast during the day. If a Muslim must break a fast during Ramadan, they are to fast for the equivalent number of days later in the year or to feed a hungry person.

HajjThe Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are called to undertake. The pilgrimage must take place during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijja and must be conducted in a state of ritual purity. Once a Muslim has begun the Hajj, they may not cut their hair, trim their nails, use perfume, shave or have sex. After the completion of the Hajj, men will shave their heads, and women will cut of a lock of hair. The sacred rites undertaken during the Hajj must last no less than five days and not extend longer than six. The highlight of the Hajj is circling the Kaba. The Hajj is difficult and can be dangerous, but Muslims believe that dying during the Hajj is equivalent to being martyred and cleanses a person of their sins.

The Schism Between Shiites and Suunis

The schism between Shiites and Sunnis began on the day of Muhammads death. According to Sunnis, Muhammad died without appointing a successor. As such, Abu Bakr was chosen by the Muslim community to act as their leader. He was the first caliph, the Muslim kings who ruled during the height of the Islamic Empire.

Shiites disagree with this story. According to Shiites, Abi Talib was chosen by Muhammad to lead the Muslim people after Muhammads death. Shiites believe that Abi Talib was granted the true knowledge of Islam by Muhammad and that Abi Talib passed that information on to his descendants. Abi Talib and his decedents were called the Imams and were responsible for teaching the esoteric inner knowledge of the Quran. Shiites add the line and Abi is the friend of God to their call to prayer in order to identify a mosque as Shiite.

Islam is a religion layered with rich history and traditions, many of which are not understood by non-Muslims. As with every religion, Muslims practice Islam with varying levels of devotion and differing interpretations. Still, regardless of a Muslims degree of faith or sect, all strive to live a holy life. After all, the word muslim means one who submits to God.

Stephanie Hertzenberg is a former writer and editor at Beliefnet. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary where she majored in Religious Studies and minored in Creative Writing. She maintains an avid interest in health, history and science.
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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)

Major political parties in Zimbabwe on Saturday united in their call for embattled President Robert Mugabe to resign immediately and pave way for a new democratic dispensation in the country.

The leaders were speaking at an anti-Mugabe rally at Zimbabwe Grounds in the capital organized by the influential Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.

"We are here today to support the Zimbabwe Defense Forces who started the journey to remove President Robert Mugabe from power. We now want to fulfill the wishes of Zimbabweans for Mugabe to go.

"We are now in the dawn of a new era and there is no going back for Mugabe to go," Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs and Cyber Security Minister, said at the rally attended by tens of thousands of Zimbabweans drawn from across the country.

Chinamasa said the First Lady Grace Mugabe should also be investigated for crimes she committed against Zimbabweans.

Former Vice President Joice Mujuru delivered a solidarity message and said Mugabe must go to end the suffering of Zimbabweans.

Mujuru was fired by Mugabe in 2014 on allegations that she wanted to unseat the veteran leader.

"I am here today as one of the freedom fighters of this country to thank the ZDF for the military action they took. Let's remain united and push Mugabe out," she said.

Douglas Mwonzora, secretary-general of the Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said their party supports the military action and looked forward to the creation of a new government in Zimbabwe that would respect the constitution.

"We must now change the government and the people who rule us. We must change the country's president and we say to Mugabe your long political career has now come to an end," Mwonzora said.

He added: "This country is not a dynasty. This country if for all of us, it's not for one race. It is not for one tribe, it's for Zimbabweans together."

Social media activist Pastor Evan Mawarire who successfully organized a one-day nationwide stay away in 2016 also gave a solidarity message and urged Zimbabweans to remain united and force Mugabe out if he refuses to resign.

"This is an opportunity for us to create a new Zimbabwe," he said.

As the rally proceeded, tens of thousands of celebrating Zimbabweans were also marching in the streets of the capital demanding Mugabe's immediate resignation.
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Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez thanked China for its "understanding and sympathy" to the needs of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte by offering grants for building drug rehabilitation facilities and river bridges.

China has recently offered grants to the Philippines to build two drug rehabilitation facilities in the south of the Philippines and two bridges across the Pasig River in Manila that can help decongest Manila's worsening traffic.

"These projects indicate China's understanding and sympathy for the challenges that confront our people as we move forward towards a truly dynamic and inclusive economy," Dominguez said in a statement released on Sunday.

"On behalf of the Philippine government, we express our sincerest thanks to China for (funding) the projects. These projects, which will be purely funded by grants, will bring immediate benefits to our people," Dominguez said.

"The rehabilitation centers for drug-dependents are significant contributions to help us win the war against abuse of illegal substances," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the two bridges to be built at the heart of Metro Manila will help ease the traffic congestion in the area. "More than that, they symbolize the friendship we are building between our two peoples," he added.

He said that "over the next months and years," the government also expects to commence construction of the first batch of major infrastructure projects funded with China's assistance.

China has also provided grants and development assistance worth tens of millions of U.S. dollars for Marawi's rehabilitation program. The southern Philippine city is in ruins after a five-month war between government security forces and the pro-Islamic State militants that laid siege to the city in May.
This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others body language as well as the projection of ones own nonverbal skills in many different contexts  not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.



__________________________________


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Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela (left) receives an honorary doctorate from Renmin University of China in Beijing, on November 18, 2017. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, who is on his first state visit to China, received an honorary doctorate from Renmin University of China and was commissioned as an honorary advisor for its Latin American Research Center on November 18, 2017, Chinanews.com reported.

Varela said later in his speech that he felt not only flattered but also pride for his people for this honorary doctorate. He has been astonished by China's achievements over the years since he first set foot in the country in 2007 to attend Shanghai Special Olympics. He has been actively committed to building a closer relationship with China since he became president of Panama in 2014. Formal diplomatic relations between China and Panama were established in June 2017.

Varela hoped to engage in the Belt and Road Initiative to benefit his people. He noted that multiple bilateral agreements on maritime, education, tourism, aviation and other sectors have been signed, which will not only benefit the two countries but also contribute to the peace and stability of Latin America and the world beyond.

The Latin American Research Center of Renmin University of China was established in 2015, with the aim to do further research on the Latin American region. As the honorary advisor of the center, Varela encouraged students to start with social problems for comprehensive understanding.
World Health Organization data shows men's life expectancy globally is 69 years.

Women are expected to live five years longer to 74.

Today is International Men's Day and the Chairperson of Tullamore's Men's shed has said there are a huge amount of young men who struggle with their physical and mental health.

"I think we need to focus a little bit more from a younger age on their physical health, their wellness and to be aware of what is going on in their lives," said Tom Finnerty, also a case-worker with Empowerment Plus.

"I think we say 'they're young people and they'll be okay', but I think we need to nail it down a little bit more and work with them a little more closely," he added.
An RTE employee is to appear in a UK court tomorrow to face charges of attempting to engage or incite sexual activity with a girl under 16.

It is understood that the man travelled to Leeds yesterday, where he was confronted by a group of men who had created a fake online profile appearing to be that of a 13-year-old girl.
Irish star Saoirse Ronan is set to host the prestigious American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.

The actress will open the December 2 edition of the show which is traditionally hosted by a celebrity guest.

The news was confirmed in a tweet from the SNL account and it will be Ronan's first time hosting the long running show.

U2 will complete an Irish led line-up of guests where the band will be promoting their new album Songs of Experience.

The Irish rockers have previously appeared on SNL three times, most recently in 2009.
Argentina's Navy has detected seven brief satellite calls that officials believe may have come from a missing submarine with 44 crew members on board.

The communication attempts "indicate that the crew is trying to re-establish contact, so we are working to locate the source of the emissions," the Navy said on its Twitter account, adding that the calls lasted between four and 36 seconds.

Argentine authorities clarified that it has not been confirmed the calls came from the submarine, the ARA San Juan, though that is the working hypothesis.

File photo of ARA San Juan

Earlier today, Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the crew's fate grew.

"We are not discounting any hypothesis," Mr Balbi said. Possibilities could include "a problem with communications" or with its power system, he said.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built diesel-electric sub on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.

President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use "all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine".

Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a Nasa scientific aircraft and a Navy plane. Britain was sending a polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which British officials said should arrive on Sunday.

The US Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, California, to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata Naval Base, said authorities have reinforced both the surface search for the missing submarine and the underwater search.

There is "coordination with units from the United Kingdom and the United States," he said. Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

"We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return," Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making "fervent prayers" for the crew.

AP
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

A Sydney-based mortgage broker has been ordered to pay damages after the NSW Supreme Court found he had breached his post-termination restraints after moving to a rival brokerage.From August 2012 to November 2016, Nassif (Norman) Isaac was an independent contractor for Dargan Financial under director Otto Dargan. In December 2016, Isaac started working at RAMS Financial Services.The court found Isaac had written eight loans through clients gained through his time at Dargan Financial and ordered him to repay the upfront and trail commission associated with these loans.Judge John Sackar found that Isaac had violated his original sub-origination agreement which stipulated that for 24 months after termination, he was forbidden from working with clients, referrers or business partners of Dargan Financial.In my view, the evidence also shows that but for the defendants conduct, all of the lost borrowers  would have obtained their loans through the plaintiff. On these grounds I am satisfied an award of damages is appropriate to account for the loss of opportunity, Sackar said in his final judgment.Even though the post-termination agreement was discussed during the termination meeting, disagreement between the parties eventually stemmed from the definition of the terms clients and confidential information.Because of the commercial interests of the employer, clients that Isaac gained through his time at Dargan were no longer his once he left the firm, Athena Koelmeyer, principal and director of Workplace Law, told Australian Broker.Its a weird argument to say that the client is not actually the client of the employer. Its pretty well-established.What brokers could do is negotiate at the outset of employment that any clients they bring into the firm will remain their clients when they leave, she said.You need to be aware on the way in of things that you want to protect if you are a broker in respect to your client base.Isaac also claimed that the client data was public information, accessible through social media such as Facebook. However, Sackar stated that certain details such as financial status would only be available through Dargan.I do not accept the information loses its necessary quality of confidence by reason of certain clients being identified on [Isaacs] or [Dargans] Facebook page as clients of the [Isaac], he said.So that brokers dont fall afoul of post-termination restraints after leaving a company, Koelmeyer said it was important to be aware of the terms and conditions of the contract when starting employment.Once you sign up and youve agreed to those terms, the employer may decide that theyve got money to burn and have their lawyers drag you up to the Supreme Court equity division to try and get that injunction to stop you working for the broking house next door.There was also the matter of reasonableness in which certain restrictions such as non-poaching and non-solicitation clauses were enforceable while forbidding a broker from working across the entire country for an extended period of time were not, she said.Even if the contract says nothing about these types of restraints, the Corporations Act still means it is unlawful for an individual to use information they obtained while working at a firm to gain personal advantage to the detriment of your old employer.Its a breach of the corporations law to steal a client list or take confidential information and use it later on in an effort to make money for yourself.The case mentioned here has been filed under Dargan Financial Pty Ltd ATF the Dargan Financial Discretionary Trust (trading under Home Loan Experts) v Nassif Isaac [2017] NSWSC 1077 (16 August 2017) for the Supreme Court of NSW.
The Ridgeons 25 Club, which was established nearly 60 years ago as a network and support group for the companys retired employees and to recognise colleagues who have been employed for 25 years or more with the company, has welcomed and presented awards to three new 25 Club members at an annual 25 Club dinner.

Established in 1958, the Club acknowledges the achievements of all Ridgeons employees who have accomplished 25 years service or more. It also acts as a network between members, where they are encouraged to meet and remain in contact with retired employees as well as their families.

Deborah Harper from Ridgeons March in Cambridgeshire, Diane Hewitt from Ridgeons Peterborough, and Simon Trimnell from Ridgeons Saffron Walden, were all praised for their achievements as they collected their awards. All were described as hardworking and supportive individuals, who have helped the Ridgeons business grow over the past quarter of a century. All three received inscribed pens, gifts and a framed special service certificate, which were presented by Gordon Ridgeon and 25 Club President, Rachel Anderson.

Gordon Ridgeon, the 25 Club Vice President, said: We are delighted to have held another successful year of the 25 Club. On behalf of all the Ridgeon family, we are so happy to have celebrated the loyalty and service of our employees and are proud to have welcomed Deborah, Diane and Simon to the Club. It is great to see so many of our employees reaching such impressive milestones and we hope to welcome many more in the coming years.

The annual dinner also honoured the work of Ridgeons Linkscheme volunteers, who volunteer their time outside of work to keep regularly in touch with retired members of staff in order to support their welfare. Over 290 former Ridgeon employees receive regular phone calls or visits.

The 25 Club annual dinner and awards was held at The Nucleus in Great Chesterford in October, and was attended by Ridgeons Chairman, Dalton Phillips, Chief Executive Officer Ian Northen and other members of the executive team.

Picture caption: Left to right: Rachel Anderson (President), Diane Hewitt, Johnnie Sam (Deputy Chair), Simon Trimnell, Ian Northern (Chief Executive Officer), Deborah Harper and Gordon Ridgeon (Vice President).
Aban Offshore has pulled almost all its rigs from Iran due to continuing uncertainties. S Srinivasan, senior vice-president, Aban Offshore, said that total receivable was about $296 million. Major portion of it was from Iran.


Indias car exports, which accounts for almost one-fifth of the industrys sales volume, could see its first decline or flat performance in six years. Exports have witnessed a fall of 4 per cent in the April-October period, pulled down by a double-digit decline in shipments of key exporters Hyundai and Nissan and a flat show by Maruti Suzuki.
Leading private sector hospital chain has chalked out a Rs 500 crore expansion plan, which will see it entering high-value markets in the country over next three years as well as making a foray into Africa.

"After acquiring Health City, Cayman Islands, which is our sole overseas venture so far, we now plan to consolidate our domestic presence by entering the high-value markets like Delhi-NCR and Mumbai. We're also exploring opportunities in Africa," Narayana Hrudayalaya's vice-chairman and managing director Ashutosh Raghuvanshi told PTI here over the weekend.

He said domestic expansion will be through a cluster- based approach and the initial focus will be Delhi-NCR.

For overseas expansion, Raghuvanshi said, they have signed agreements with local partners in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, for which they have also signed an agreement with an international financial institution for funding. This will be a greenfield project.

The domestic expansion will be in Delhi-NCR and Narayana will be commissioning a 200-bed hospital in Gurugram in January, he said, adding the capacity will be ramped up to 350 beds over next one-and-a-half years.

Narayana recently opened its first hospital in Mumbai - the SRCC Children's Hospital, which is the only paediatric hospital in its portfolio. The super-speciality tertiary care for children has already completed 300 surgeries and screened 5,000 children in the outpatient department.

On investments, Raghuvanshi said, "We're looking at an investment of Rs 500 crore over the next three years. Our focus is on continuously investing and upgrading existing and new hospitals in the country with a capex plan of Rs 100-150 crore per year."



He said most of the annual capex will be used to improve technology, equipment and supply chains.

Narayana has invested Rs 55 crore in Mumbai hospital in the first phase and an additional Rs 25 crore will be invested to increase capacity to 380 beds in the second phase, said Raghuvanshi.

The company had picked up 71 per cent stake in Health City Cayman Islands for USD 32 million in 2015. It had a revenue of USD 12 million in the past quarter, he said.

"We want the existing hospitals to mature but will keenly explore brownfield projects which have interesting growth possibilities," he said.

Narayana has six focus areas across all its hospitals, Raghuvanshi said, adding that as a result revenue from the cardiac care side has come down from 90 to 40 per cent now. While gastro care chips in with 14 per cent, 11 per cent come from oncology and 10 per cent from renal sciences, he added.

Raghuvanshi said the company will continue to focus on updating technologies in the healthcare delivery side like diagnostic equipment and advanced imaging.

On the cluster approach, he said, "This approach is inspired by the advantages of sharing technical resources, human resources and supply chains so that a more profitable growth is achieved at the same time maintain quality, efficiency, transparent pricing."



Narayana has a dominant presence in Bengaluru, Mysore and Shimoga in Karnataka and also in Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Guwahati and Jaipur.

It is planning an expansion and upgrade of the Dharamshila Cancer Hospital in east Delhi to a super speciality hospital with 380 beds from the present 250, over the next few years, Raguvanshi said.

The company also has a hospital each in Bellary in Karnataka and Palanpur in Gujarat on franchisee model, he said.
The Jerry Rao-promoted Value Homes has deferred its initial public offering (IPO, of equity) plan to the next financial year. The earlier plan was to do this in the current one.
More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India has said.

The Aadhaar issuing body added, in response to an RTI query, that it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

It did not specify when the breach took place.

It said Aadhaar details have never been made public from or by UIDAI.

"However, it was found that approximately 210 websites of central government, state government departments including educational institutes were displaying the list of beneficiaries along with their name, address, other details and Aadhaar numbers for information of general public," it said.

The UIDAI took note and got the Aadhaar data removed from the said websites, it said in a reply to the RTI application.

UIDAI issues Aadhaar -- a 12-digit unique identification number -- which acts as a proof of identity and address anywhere in the country.

The central government is in the process of making Aadhaar mandatory for people to avail benefits of various social service schemes.

"UIDAI has a well-designed, multi-layer approach robust security system in place and the same is being constantly upgraded to maintain highest level of data security and integrity," the RTI reply said.

The architecture of the Aadhaar ecosystem has been designed to ensure data security and privacy which is an integral part of the system from the initial design to the final stage, it said.

"Various policies and procedures have been defined, these are reviewed and updated continually thereby appropriately controlling and monitoring any movement of people, material and data in and out of UIDAI premises, particularly the data centres," the UIDAI said.

It said security audits are conducted on a regular basis to further strengthen security and privacy of data. Besides this, all possible steps are taken to make the data safer and protected, the authority said.
Six Pakistani militants of the LeT, including the nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday in an encounter in which an IAF Garud commando was also killed, officials said.

Apart from Lakhvi's nephew, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders were also among the militants killed by the security forces, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP), S P Vaid, said.

Security forces launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Six LeT terrorists have been eliminated in Bandipora encounter," Vaid said.

He said all the six militants killed in the encounter were Pakistanis.

One of the terrorists named Owaid is the son of Zakir Rehman Maki and the nephew of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, he said on Twitter.

Two LeT commanders -- Zargam and Mehmood -- were also eliminated in the operation on Saturday, the DGP said, adding that the operation was a "success". Six weapons were also recovered from the encounter site.

Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said an IAF Garud commando was also killed in the operation.

"An IAF Garud commando was killed, while an army soldier was injured," he said.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF.

The anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir have continued in the wake of violence by Pakistan-based militants.

Vaid had recently said around 170 militants were gunned down by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

Two Army soldiers were killed and a CRPF jawan suffered injuries in an encounter in Pulwama district of the state on November 2.

Three militants were gunned down in Pulwama in an encounter in which an Army jawan was also killed on November 6.

Three militants, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar's nephew, were gunned down by security forces in Pulwama district on November 7.

An Army jawan and a militant were killed in an encounter in Kulgam district on November 14.
The Indian Army and Police on Sunday called for peace in the valley and urged the local terrorists to give up militancy.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Commander Lieutenant General JS Sandhu said, "The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call themselves a Mujahid. But are you a Mujahid, or just a proxy for Pakistan? Come back to the mainstream as this will facilitate return of peace to the valley. We are ready to receive them in an honorable manner."

While addressing a joint press conference along with state Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid, Sandhu claimed that the security forces have gunned down about 190 militants this year so far.

"We have killed about 190 terrorists sa far this year. Out of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) while infiltrating," he pointed out.

He further said that the security forces have killed 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley which has resulted in a remarkable change in situation.

Speaking about the Bandipore encounter, Lieutenant General Sandhu hailed the Army, CRPF and Police for successful operation.

"Based on specific information, joint operation was launched by CRPF, Army, Police in which six terrorists were eliminated, all were foreign terrorists. I commend all agencies who worked to ensure success of the operation," he said.

Six Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid, were gunned down by security forces in the encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district on Saturday.

Meanwhile, DGP Vaid also called for peace in Kashmir and lauded the security force for Bandipora encounter.

"Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. It was a commendable joint effort by our agencies and jawans. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence," he said.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said the development scenario of Arunachal Pradesh has changed since 2001.

"The state's development scenario has changed since 2001 with the execution of Trans Arunachal Highway, road connectivity to the remote interior areas, besides construction of advanced landing grounds at Pasighat, Mechukha, Ziro, Tuting and Walong to facilitate connectivity to the people living in remote areas," he said.

Kovind was addressing the valedictory function of the celebration of 40 years of Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKV) in Arunachal Pradesh at Indira Gandhi Park here.

He also noted that introduction of railway services from Itanagar to cities like Guwahati in Assam and construction of the 500 bedded hospital-cum-medical college at Naharlagun shows accelerating development in the state.

Noting that the state has a huge hydropower potential, Kovind said Arunachal Pradesh can become "The powerhouse of the nation", even as he mentioned that the state's immense natural habitations have the potential for development of agricultural and horticultural produce.

Describing Arunachal as the "land of rising sun" which, with its diverse cultures as practised by different tribes and unparalleled scenic beauty, is the perfect symbol of "unity in diversity", the President said that the state has been mentioned in the Kalika puranas.

He said the state is found in the epic Mahabharata due to many historical references connected to the state.

On the state's contribution to the freedom struggle, he said many personalities, including freedom fighter Matmur Jamoh, fought against the British, and Talom Rukbo, Y.D. Thongchi and Padmashree Mamang Dai have been widely recognised.

Commending the services of the VKV with their motto of "service to man is service to god" towards promotion of quality education in the country and the state in particular despite challenges, Kovind emphasised on education to bring about progress in the society.

The Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Alumni Association was celebrating 40 years of VKV establishment in Arunachal Pradesh as an acknowledgement to the VKVs for their significant contribution in the education sector.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B.D. Mishra and Chief Minister Pema Khandu heaped praise on the Vivekananda Kendra's mission of selfless service to society in the fields of education and Swachhta, particularly in difficult areas like Changlang, Tirap and Longding.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bonn climate change summit concluded on Saturday with bitter fights, intrigue and convoluted trade-offs between developing and developed countries dragging the negotiations well beyond the allotted two-weeks into the weekend. At the end, the best many developing countries could say of the negotiations was that, against odds, the window of opportunity had been kept open to implement Paris climate change agreement effectively from 2020 onwards.
Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez thanked China for its "understanding and sympathy" to the needs of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte by offering grants for building drug rehabilitation facilities and river bridges.

Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez [File Photo:VCG]

China has recently offered grants to the Philippines to build two drug rehabilitation facilities in the south of the Philippines and two bridges across the Pasig River in Manila that can help decongest Manila's worsening traffic.

"These projects indicate China's understanding and sympathy for the challenges that confront our people as we move forward towards a truly dynamic and inclusive economy," Dominguez said in a statement released on Sunday.

"On behalf of the Philippine government, we express our sincerest thanks to China for (funding) the projects. These projects, which will be purely funded by grants, will bring immediate benefits to our people," Dominguez said.

"The rehabilitation centers for drug-dependents are significant contributions to help us win the war against abuse of illegal substances," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the two bridges to be built at the heart of Metro Manila will help ease the traffic congestion in the area. "More than that, they symbolize the friendship we are building between our two peoples," he added.

He said that "over the next months and years," the government also expects to commence construction of the first batch of major infrastructure projects funded with China's assistance.

China has also provided grants and development assistance worth tens of millions of U.S. dollars for Marawi's rehabilitation program. The southern Philippine city is in ruins after a five-month war between government security forces and the pro-Islamic State militants that laid siege to the city in May.
Farmers from across the country will gather in thousands in New Delhi on Monday for a kisan sansad, or farmers parliament. As many as 180 big and small farmers organisations of all political and non-political hues have come together to form the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).
It is a "shame" that the country and the government is not celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Sunday.

The former Union finance minister also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed in his economic policies and was thus, trying to "play the friend of the poor".

"Indira Gandhi, like any other prime minister, must be judged and assessed in the context in which she was PM and the challenges she faced as PM and what she did.

"I think she was extremely successful in some areas, she was not successful in others and she made a mistake which she acknowledged later that 'Emergency was a mistake and I will never make it again'," he said.

Chidambaram was speaking during a discussion titled 'Remembering Indira Commemorating Her Centenary' at the Tata Literature Live festival here.

Gandhi was born on this day in 1917 in Allahabad.

Former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh and ex-United States Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith were also part of the discussion.

"It is a shame that the country is not celebrating the centenary of its only female prime minister. The government of India did not celebrate her centenary. I do not know which state government celebrated her centenary," Chidambaram said.

"The Congress party is doing it in its own way but the country is not celebrating Indira Gandhi's centenary much like Russia seems to have forgotten the centenary of the Russian revolution," he said.

The Congress will continue to criticise Modi for not fulfilling the promises he made before coming to power, Chidambaram said, alleging that the prime minister has also "failed" to create job opportunities.

"Modi has failed in his economic policies. He came as a great reformer, trying to play the friend of the poor. He has abandoned his Rs 10 lakh suits and switched over to 'desi' (Indian) dresses. I do not know how the poor will react to him," he said.

"Yes there are arguments that a significant part of India still believes that he (Modi) will deliver. But will he succeed or fail in his ability to create jobs? Yes, we will taunt him on the promises he made before coming to power, especially the one about putting Rs 15 lakh in accounts of Indians," the senior Congress leader said.

Eventually, his failure or success will depend on his ability to create jobs for 1.2 crore people who enter the job market every year, Chidambaram said.

"So far on that front, he (Modi) has failed. He has another 15 months to deliver. Let us see if he can," he added.
Hours after the release date of Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed 'Padmavati' was deferred, Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi said it was just a ploy to befool them.

The makers of the upcoming movie, which has been mired in a slew of controversies, have voluntarily postponed its release date from December 1.

Speaking to media, Kalvi said, "The screening has been deferred by a few days. We will also wait for a few days and see. They are trying to befool us by postponing the release date. This is just a strategy."

"Who gave power to Deepika Padukone to challenge me (by saying) 'film will be released and nothing can stop it'," he added.

The Karni Sena chief also alleged that underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, was secretly funding the film and he also received a threatening call from Karachi for protesting against the film.

The new release date of the epic drama starring actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor is yet to be announced.

The film is yet to receive a clearance from the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind the movie, took to Twitter on Sunday to confirm the development.

The movie, based on the legend of Rani Padmini, a Hindu Rajput queen, has been facing protests from various groups, including Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly distorting historical facts.

The group has even threatened to harm Deepika Padukone for allegedly portraying a demeaning image of the queen in the movie.
Stepping up probe into the Panama Papers, the Income Tax Department has slapped criminal charges under the new anti-black money Act and launched fresh assessment of stashed offshore income against over half-a- dozen Indian entities in the list, official sources said.

They said the department has detected undisclosed assets and stashed funds located in foreign countries in case of seven individuals and entities named in the leaks and the taxman has begun investigations against them under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.

Sources privy to the probe said the tax department has ordered fresh assessment and also re-assessment of the income of these entities and will soon launch criminal prosecution against all of them as the entities had allegedly not disclosed offshore properties to Indian tax and banking authorities in the past.

These are the first set of cases of undisclosed foreign assets which are being probed under the new anti-black money Act, that has criminal sections for prosecution under the law.

Under the new anti-black money law cases of overseas illegal assets, which till recently were probed under the regular and civil Income Tax Act of 1961, attract a steep 120 per cent tax and penalty on undisclosed foreign assets and income besides carrying a jail term of up to 10 years.

Prosecution of these seven entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) would also be initiated in the coming days, as the anti-black money Act of 2015 qualifies to be a predicate offence for money laundering investigations, they said.

The sources refused to divulge the identities of the seven entities citing the overriding global tax information exchange secrecy clauses between various countries.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has recently said that investigations in the Panama Papers leak cases till now have resulted in the I-T Department detecting undisclosed wealth of Rs 792 crore so far and the probe in these cases is on in "full swing".

Over a year after the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) made the documents public, the CBDT said it has found 147 of the total 426 cases "actionable".

The department also conducted searches in 35 cases and surveys in 11, the CBDT had said.

"The Income Tax Department conducted enquiries in all 426 cases, inter alia, through making 395 references to 28 foreign jurisdictions.

"Based on analysis of the information obtained and investigation conducted, the outcome so far indicates 147 actionable cases and 279 non-actionable cases (non-residents/ or no irregularities)," it said in the first week of this month.

The CBDT said the Panama Papers contained brief particulars of about 426 persons, prima facie, Indians or persons of Indian origin.

The government had constituted a multi-agency group (MAG) of investigative agencies in April last year to probe these instances.

The MAG has so far submitted seven reports to the government.

The CBDT had said the taxman's investigation in these cases is "in progress".
Rabies, passed to humans primarily through dog bite, is always fatal by the time its symptoms show up but is entirely preventable.
When not directing films or heading festival juries (and resigning in protest),  writer, director, producer, actor  can be found chatting with friends over coffee in the Mumbai suburbs of Khar or Bandra.
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The Government of India will not be pushing its proposal of a global trade facilitation agreement (TFA) on services at next months meet of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The government has proposed to make it clear which converting their branches in India into subsidiaries would be exempt from capital gains tax. Experts said this would address the tax concerns of planning to operate in India via the subsidiary route. But non-tax matters would still guide their plans.
The Gujarat Congress and the Hardik Patel led-Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday said that they have reached an agreement over the issue of granting reservation to Patels, if the Congress is voted to power in the state Assembly election.

The official announcement about the nitty-gritty of the reservation formula and the PAAS' stand on supporting the Congress during the Gujarat polls will be announced by Hardik Patel at a public gathering in Rajkot on Monday, PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the crucial meeting on the issue.

Hardik Patel was not present at the meeting.

"Earlier, we had asked the Congress to clarify how they would grant Patidars a constitutionally valid reservation. On Sunday (Nov 19), we held a crucial meeting on that issue and finally reached a consensus on various options offered by the party to us. An official announcement of this agreement will be made by Hardik on Monday in Rajkot," said Bambhania, a key aide of Hardik Patel.

"I can say that we are in agreement with the Congress about their formula of granting reservation. We have not talked anything about giving tickets to PAAS. Hardik would announce on Monday whether PAAS would support the Congress during the polls or not," he told reporters after the meeting.

The meeting with PAAS leaders was attended by Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and senior Congress leaders Siddharth Patel and Babubhai Mangukia.

Solanki claimed the meeting yielded a "positive outcome".

"The meeting was successful and yielded a positive outcome. We both agreed to implement this agreement in coming days," he said.

A week ago PAAS leaders and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal held a meeting over the issue, following which, Hardik Patel had said he was satisfied with the three options submitted by the Congress on how the party would grant reservation to Patels if voted to power.

Hardik Patel had earlier set a condition that he would support the Congress in the Assembly polls, due next month, only if the party committed itself to allotting reservation in education and government jobs to his community.

The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.
The 42nd World Congress of the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) organised by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) began here today. The ICMM is an international inter-governmental organisation created in 1921 with its secretariat at Brussels in Belgium and currently has 112 nations as members. The five-day event is being organised for the first time in India, and is the largest medical conference ever organised by the AFMS. The theme of this 42nd World Congress is Military Medicine in Transition: Looking Ahead." .

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Around 350-400 foreign delegates from 80 countries are attending the event. In addition, about 300 Indian delegates comprising Armed Forces Medical, Dental, Nursing and Veterinary Officers are participating in it. Top Indian scientific institutions, MoD, Ministry of Health, the United Nations and the International Committee of Red Cross are also represented at the Congress. .

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There are 26 thematic sessions covering diverse areas including Terrain Specific Military Medical Support", Health Protection and Promotion in the Military Environment", Combat Medical Support", and Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief". Workshops by international faculty on management of mass casualties, barrier nursing for haemorrhagic fevers and medical ethics in military medicine are going to be other highlights of the Congress. Panel discussions on women in combat, medical disability benefits, veterans health and health screening of recruits are also planned. .

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The President of India will address the delegates during the valedictory function on November 24, 2017. It will be graced by the three Service Chiefs and high ranking defence and civil officials. The World Congress is going to provide an excellent opportunity for all participating nations to exchange ideas and experiences, thereby enhancing the collective intellectual assets of Military medicine, which would ultimately facilitate the Member States to face the challenges of a rapidly changing global security environment. .

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On the occasion of World Toilet Day, large number of behaviour change and toilet usage activities were undertaken by the States and districts around the country as part of Swachh Bharat Mission. Processions were taken out, discussions were held, and school children joined in large numbers in several innovative activities to highlight the importance of toilet access and usage. .

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If Santa Claus was the flavour of toilet education in Jharkhand, Punjab launched Swachhta Raths. Noted Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik crafted a swachhata message on sand and a group of Assamese women inspired 371 villagers to build toilets. .

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Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Parameswaran Iyer led centre- state team to complete the construction of twin pit toilets in Turkauliya village in East Champaran district of Bihar. .

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The team had a three-day immersion exercise during which they extensively interacted with villagers directly, including women and students to generate demand for toilets. .

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Village Mukhiyas from neighbouring GPs had a grand chaupal with the Secretary and his team. The Mukhiyas assured that they would help making the district ODF in six months of time. The Secretary, Mr Iyer also launched a national radio campaign for Toilet adoption and usage on the occasion. .

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Once toilets were built, the Government team joined the villagers in a Chetana Yatra to spread the message of swachhata and usage of toilets to a nearby Gandhi memorial. Underlining the importance of World Toilet Day, the Secretary stressed upon the need of having a toilet at home and its usage by all the members of family. .

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The EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Sunday she would discuss ways to end the Rohingya crisis with Aung San Suu Kyi when she meets the Myanmar leader in Yangon.

Mogherini and foreign ministers from Asia and Europe toured refugee camps along Bangladesh's border with Myanmar and heard harrowing testimony from displaced Rohingya there before their meeting Monday with Suu Kyi.

Myanmar's civilian leader has been facing mounting global outrage over an army crackdown that has driven an estimated 620,000 Rohingya Muslims from the mainly Buddhist country's western state of Rakhine and into Bangladesh.

Myanmar's military insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels following deadly attacks on police posts in late August.

But refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have given chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces.

Mogherini said the delegation's two-day visit to Yangon and meeting with Suu Kyi offered a chance to talk.

"That will be also an occasion to exchange views with Aung San Suu Kyi and the government of Myanmar (about) how to solve this crisis," she told reporters in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar border district.

"(Rather) than putting pressure, our approach is always and will be to offer a negotiation space."

She said the Rohingya living in squalid camps in Bangladesh were "carrying with them terrible stories".

"As a mother, seeing so many very young children taking care of even younger children is what strikes me the most," she added.

The EU diplomatic chief toured the refugee camps with the foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Japan, Sweden and Germany before the delegation's visit to Myanmar for an Asia-Europe (ASEM) ministerial meeting there on Monday and Tuesday.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are tussling over the details.

Dhaka has stepped up efforts to pressure Myanmar diplomatically into taking back the Rohingya, hosting not just Mogherini and the foreign ministers but a US Congressional delegation and China's top envoy since Saturday.

Bangladesh, which already accommodated more than 200,000 Rohingya before the current exodus, is keen to enlist help from China, a staunch ally of Myanmar, in arranging for the refugees' return.

Mogherini said it was vital to support repatriation efforts.

"The Bangladeshi government is negotiating with the government of Myanmar. We hope that we manage to help in finding a sustainable solution," she said.
The (STB) is looking to blur the line between business and pleasure travel, as it brings the global rebranding campaign to India.
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday, while attacking his former Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, has challenged her to run against him again in the 2020 US presidential election.

"Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst (and biggest) loser of all time. She just can't stop, which is so good for the Republican Party. Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years!" Trump said in a tweet.

Last month, the US President had said that he hoped his "crooked" political arch rival Hillary Clinton would run for the 2020 presidential elections.

In a morning tweet, the President said:

Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst (and biggest) loser of all time. She just cant stop, which is so good for the Republican Party. Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2017

After losing the Presidential bid last year, Clinton has remained out of public life and hinted at not contesting election again.

However, she has expressed that she would remain active in national politics, telling CBS in September that she believed "our country's future is at stake".
President Donald Trump has started paying his own legal bills related to the Russia probe, rather than charging them to his campaign or the Republican National Committee, and is finalising a plan to use personal funds to help current and former White House staff with their legal costs.
The United Kingdom is trying to "misuse" its UN Security Council membership by pushing for a joint conference mechanism, which was last used 96 years ago, in the election to the last seat in the World Court tomorrow in which India's Dalveer Bhandari is a front-runner, diplomatic sources said.

Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the Court of Justice (ICJ).

One-third of the court's 15-member bench 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.

Britain is aggressively pushing in the UN Security Council for resorting to the joint conference mechanism which was last used some 96 years ago and against which there exists an unequivocal legal opinion, the diplomatic sources said.

The "dirty politics" being played by India's former colonial ruler, as one UN insider put it, has sent a sense of "uneasiness" among other members of the powerful UN Security Council, many of whom are aware of the long-term implications of a move to ignore the voice of the majority of the United Nations General Assembly.

In all previous incidents, the candidate getting majority in the General Assembly has eventually been elected a judge of The Hague-based Court of Justice.

Bhandari, 70, has support of nearly two-thirds of 193 UN members. Greenwood, who has already served one nine-year term in ICJ, is trailing behind more than 50 votes in the General Assembly. However, he received nine against five for Bhandari in the Security Council.

To win a candidate needs to get majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, which has not been the case in the 11 rounds of voting so far.

Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have convened separate meetings at the UN headquarters tomorrow (3 p.m. local time) to hold the 12th round of voting.

At a reception for Bhandari at the UN headquarters here on Friday, representatives of 160-member countries were present reflecting the overwhelming majority India enjoys in the General Assembly.

Sensing that majority is not on its side, almost at the same time, the United Kingdom went to the Security Council for an informal consultation with other 14 members.

Observing that there is a deadlock situation on the ICJ election, Britain is learnt to have proposed that voting in the Security Council be stopped after first round tomorrow and they go for joint conference mechanism. It is understood that this was opposed by some members of the Security Council.

However, the British diplomats on Friday appeared confident to push its agenda through on Monday.

Britain needs nine votes for the voting be stopped.

Their calculation is based on the fact that in multiple rounds of the elections in UNSC, Britain has been getting nine votes for its candidate. But it is yet to be seen if the same countries support such an undemocratic move to stop voting.

The British proposal is against all legal advices, which basically says that this option has never been used in the entire history of seven decades of the ICJ, the sources said.

The only time it was used was prior to the establishment of the UN in 1921, when Deputy Judges for the Permanent Court of Justice were selected, they said.

A point in this regard was made by Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, at the ICJ reception at the UN headquarters.

He had strongly opposed the joint conference mechanism.

"Those who talk of bringing the UN and updating it to the 21st Century world cannot look back to the toolkit of 100 years ago and try to take out a tool which has never been used in the history of the UN and perhaps for valid reasons," he had told the diplomats from more than 160 countries.

"Because it opens a can of worms. We will forget about the electoral process and go after a can of worms? You are diplomats, you are sagacious people. Diplomacy is the solution. Voting is the way that diplomats resolve their differences, rather than through convoluted, cabalistic solutions of a bygone era," Akbaruddin had said.

Legal opinions also point out that there have been several instances of deadlocks between the General Assembly and the Security Council during ICJ elections.

On these occasions, the balloting took place in many more rounds than what has been completed this time.

On each such occasion, the candidate who was consistently leading in the General Assembly, was elected ultimately.

In fact, there exists an unequivocal legal opinion provided in the 1984 UN Juridical Yearbook that argues against the resorting to the Joint Conference mechanism.

Under this, three members each from the General Assembly and Security Council would be formed to come out with a name, which would again have to be voted through both the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Britain, informed sources said, is now suggesting something which has never been tried and no one knows what its implications are.

Its move raises a series of question, as to what happens if the three representatives of the General Assembly stick to the voice of the majority, or if it does not provide any names or every time says that it does not agree with the names being proposed by the Security Council, they said.

"There is unease among several countries on the move to stop voting," an informed source said.

These countries feel that such a move would unnecessarily pitch Security Council against the General Assembly.

"No one is certain how it will play out," sources said.

Once Security Council stops voting, the General Assembly has to comply. This is because under the rules the candidate needs to get majority in General Assembly and Security Council.

"This is their hope to stall the trend which is moving against them," informed UN sources said.

The British fear that as the voting goes into multiple rounds tomorrow, it might snowball into India getting more than two-thirds of the votes, which could be humiliating for them and would become "morally difficult" for the UN Security Council to stop voting.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman has said that he would quit if the Supreme Court disqualified him.

Khan said he has submitted the complete money trail for his Bani Gala residence and would leave if any of his money trails are proved to be fake.

"I have submitted the entire money trail. However, if any of my money trails proves to be fake, I shall leave . If I am disqualified, I shall not use clause 203 to continue as president of the party. I shall leave politics in that case," The Express Tribune quoted Khan as saying on Express News programme 'To The Point'.

"Whether Jahangir Tareen or I, whosoever is disqualified, will not remain in the party," he said.

Earlier this week, a three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, reserved its verdict against Khan and his party Secretary General Jahangir Tareen in the disqualification case.

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Hanif Abbasi had filed a case against Imran and Tareen seeking their disqualification from Parliament over their alleged non-declaration of assets and ownership of offshore companies.
The Afghan Special Forces have rescued over 30 persons, including children, from a Taliban-run prison in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The prisoners were rescued during an operation in the early hours of Sunday morning, reported Khaama Press, quoting the Afghan military officials as saying.

At least four children under the age of 12 were also among those rescued.

While the local officials state that the civilians were apparently abducted on charges of supporting the government, the Taliban claimed that the individuals rescued during the operation were arrested on various criminal charges.

Earlier, the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) rescued at least eleven persons from a Taliban prison in Helmand province in May.

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After a wait of 17 long years, Indian model Manushi Chhillar has won the Miss World crown.

Since yesterday's announcement, many Bollywood celebs and public figures have congratulated her on winning the prestigious event.

Celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty, Soha Ali Khan, Dia Mirza and others spoke on the special day for the young girl of Haryana.

Here are some endearing messages from B-town celebs:

Actress Shilpa Shetty expressed her happiness on the 21-year-old girl from Haryana winning the crown, by saying, "I am so happy. She is such a beautiful girl and India has won the title after a wait of 17 long years. It is a really happy news for all the people of the country."

"It is a wonderful moment for India and I would like to congratulate her on the victory," said Soha Ali Khan.

Meanwhile, many celebrities took to their Twitter handles to congratulate Manushi on becoming Miss World 2017.

The Megastar of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan congratulated Manushi by writing, "T 2715 - A Miss World in our world .. ! Pride and felicitations. Manushi Chillar congratulations !!"

Model-turned-actress Dia Mirza, who won the title of Miss Asia Pacific in the year 2000, took the pride in the winner and tweeted, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar! May your beautiful smile and grace always win over the world and help make a positive change #MissWorld2017 #India."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher also congratulated the 21-year-old Manushi Chhillar and tweeted, "Dear @ManushiChhillar!! Thank you for bringing that crown back to India after 17years. Thank you for your amazing answer about mothers. Congratulations. India awaits to welcome you with colours of love, warmth & pride. Jai Ho."

Sharing the same pride, Arjun Kapoor tweeted, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar well done."

Actress Neha Dhupia, who wore the crown of Femina Miss India in 2002, wrote, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar. we knew you had all the qualities to conquer the world ever since we met u for the first time! You go girl! #missworld2017 #proudmentor."

"Congratulations @ManushiChhillar - #MissWorld2017 Made India proud," wrote Riteish Deshmukh.

'Highway' star Randeep Hooda tweeted, "First they took #Sports & now #Glamour these #Haryanavi #women I tell are something else.. well done #ManushiChhillar #MissWorld2017 !! @ManushiChhillar"

Indian model Manushi Chhillar won the title of Miss World, after 17-long years.

A medical student hailing from Haryana, 21-year-old Manushi Chhillar competed with women from over 108 nations.

She was crowned the new queen by Miss World 2016 winner Puerto Rico's Stephanie Del Valle.

Besides Chhillar, the first runner-up was Stephanie Hill from England, while Andrea Meza, hailing from Mexico, was announced the second runner-up.

Actress Priyanka Chopra was the last Indian to win Miss World in 2000.

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The birth memorial of Rani of Jhansi, Laxmi Bai, was lying neglected, in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on her birth anniversary on Sunday.

The memorial was also lying in the dark as the electricity connection had been cut for a week now.

The electricity department claimed that the connection was illegal and hence it was cut.

Some activists said that they had appealed to the Commissioner, the District Magistrate and the municipal body but got no response.

Meanwhile, caretaker of the memorial said, "Since this memorial comes under Municipal Corporation, we reached out to the concerned authorities but no one responded."

The memorial was commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department before being handed over to the municipal body.

Laxmi Bai, one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, was born on November 19, 1828.

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British rider Daniel Hegarty has been killed in a crash during the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The Topgun Racing Honda rider came off his bike at Fisherman's bend on the sixth lap and was hit by the barriers on outside which made him lose his helmet, reports the Guardian.

In the wake of the horrific crash, the race was immediately red flagged and Hegarty was taken for treatment.

However, the 31-year-old succumbed to injuries before arriving at hospital.

A statement issued by race organisers on Twitter confirmed Hegarty's death while en route there.

"The Macau Grand Prix Committee extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Daniel," the statement read.

The Nottingham rider was here to take part in his second Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.

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Looks like even after 17 years the love has not gone anywhere from the lives of Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas.

The 'Mask of Zorro' star took to Instagram to post a sweet message for her husband and Hollywood star Michael Douglas, as they celebrated 17 years of marital bliss, admitting she never thought their life would be as good as it is right now.

The duo celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary today and the 'Chicago' star took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute to her main man, whom she married at the Plaza Hotel in New York on November 18, 2000.

Alongside a picture of the pair on their wedding day, Catherine wrote, "17 years ago today, I said 'I do' to my best friend and father of our two and a half month old son. Thought it could never get better than that day, but it did. Happy anniversary darling, Michael."

The 48-year-old continued, "With you, in my life, and Dylan and Carys, every day could be a twelve hour fantastic party at the Plaza in New York. Love you. #love #lovestrong."

The adorable post comes after Catherine revealed the key to the couple's long and successful marriage is that they listen to one another.

In a recent interview, Jones noted, "I'm very blessed. I have a husband who listens to me and I'm a wife who listens to him. That's why - although every marriage goes through its ups and downs, its times of adversity - we've come to a place where we couldn't be better. I have a very healthy husband, a very healthy mother and two vivacious, healthy children. I think after that, everything just falls into place.

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized over 40 metric tonnes of red sandalwood worth Rs 16 crore and arrested three people in Chennai on Sunday.

The DRI sleuths seized the red sandalwood from a private godown near the automotive manufacturing hub, Orgadam area.

According to DRI statement, the directorate had been working on specific inputs on smuggling of red sanders to Middle East and South East Asian countries from where ultimately it lands in China, which has the largest international market for this a rare species.

Their officers had been conducted surveillance over the entire south Chennai area, particularly the area near Oragadam, which has a large number of private godowns available in a vast expanse of land.

On Saturday, officers spotted a truck loaded with goods in the Panruti area, moving swiftly towards the main road. The officers intercepted the vehicle and on closer inspection, they found some bags stuffed with worn rags and clothes. Below these bags, the officers uncovered a large quantity of red-coloured wooden logs which appeared to be red sandalwood.

The driver and other persons in the truck took the officers to the godown from where they had left. After reaching the spot they found a huge haul of red sandalwood.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that China was willing to help Bangladesh and Myanmar resolve the Rohingya issue.

"China holds the view that the Rohingya issue can only be resolved after consultations between Bangladesh and Myanmar, and only by this way can the agreement be accepted by the parties concerned and be sustainable," Xinhua news agency quoted Wang, as saying, in a press briefing at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.

He said Bangladesh had managed to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people despite the country facing the burden of turbulence in Myanmar.

Wang also noted that China had provided emergency humanitarian aid to Bangladesh timely and was willing to do so if necessary.

The Chinese foreign minister expressed hope that Myanmar and Bangladesh would consult each other and resolve the Rohingya issue as soon as possible.

Wang said that China believed that the Rohingya issue could be resolved through bilateral negotiations between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

He added that the international community including the United Nations should create a good atmosphere for talks between the two sides.

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Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said that no decision of court could separate him and the people.

According to The Express Tribune, addressing a rally in Abbottabad, Sharif said, "The support of the [large] number of people gathered here is a proof that no decision of the court could separate me and them."

He further said that the people expressed the same support for him in the 2013 general elections.

"If someone thinks I will be defeated, then they are wrong, I'm not the one who is going to be defeated here," Sharif added.

On July 28, The Pakistan Supreme Court had asked the NAB to file references against the Sharif family in connection corruption case against them.

The apex court also directed the trial court to decide the references within six months.

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The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Sunday busted a trafficking racket in East Delhi and rescued three minors.

A 12-year old and a 13-year old girl and a boy were rescued on the details provided by the alleged arrested trafficker.

The 12-year old girl is reportedly pregnant.

The DCW had laid the trap to nab the perpetrator after they received the call from the parents of the minor girls from Jharkhand. The girls had been missing for the past three years.

The commission took the help of another girl, who managed to flee from the trap of the same trafficker, few months back.

As per reports, the alleged trafficker, who ran a placement agency in East Delhi, was contacting the girl, luring her to return.

The DCW chalked out the plan to nab the culprit and called her to come at the Akshardham metro station, from where she was caught with help of the local police.

An FIR has been registered under section 370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 75 Juvenile Justice Act at the Mandawali Police Station against the accused.

The Commission learnt that the minors were hired on a fixed amount of Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500, but they were never paid for their work.

The minors were not even allowed to go out of the houses of their employers and were not allowed to contact their parents.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal has urged the police to add sections of bonded labour in the FIR and asserted that a strict law needed to be brought in force to save children from such incidents in future.

"It is shocking that minor children are not only trafficked but also employed by educated effluent families. They are severely abused and not paid any dues. The Delhi Police also needs to establish inter-state coordination and create intelligence networks to save thousands of minors trafficked every year. Moreover, strict action such employers is also urgently required," Malliwal said.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah was trying to push the country into communalism.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Gopal Krishna Agarwal further said that Farooq should make statements under the parliamentary law as he is a member of the same.

"I am not able to understand what language is Farooq Abdullah speaking and with what thoughts. He should talk under the parliamentary law as he is a member of the same. He is trying to push the country into communalism," Agarwal said.

In a blistering attack at the BJP, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah accused the saffron party of dividing India on the basis of religion.

"BJP leaders in UP give speeches and threaten Muslims that if you don't vote for us (BJP), we'll show you... India belongs to everyone, be they Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian. And it is their right to freely vote for whoever they want to. You can't force anyone," Abdullah said at a gathering in Jammu.

Abdullah further said, "You have made one Pakistan, how many more Pakistans will you make? How many more pieces will you cut India into?"

He further reiterated his Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) remark and said the disputed territory does not belong to India.

"Yes, I say it (PoK) belongs to them (Pakistan). Are they (Pakistan) wearing bangles? They also have atom bombs! Do you want us to be killed by them? You are sitting in palaces, think about the poor people living in border areas, who are bombed daily," he added.

Earlier also, Farooq drew flak for saying that PoK belongs to Pakistan and the fact would not change no matter how many wars are fought over the issue.

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Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Sunday that the government was in the process of appointing highest number of high court judges in a single year, breaking the 30-year-old record of 126.

"In 2016, about 126 High Court judges were appointed which is a 30-year-old history. But this year, we will cross the 126 mark," said the union minister, who was attending an event of the Odisha Law academy here.

The minister's reply came after a mediaperson queried him on the one-day strike declared by the Orissa High Court Bar Association.

The association has announced a one-day strike, to be held on Friday, after a HC judge was transferred despite the court being short of nine judges from the sanctioned strength of 27.

According to reports, the Supreme Court collegium would soon take a call on appointing 40 new judges to nine courts.

Earlier on November 4, the Supreme Court appointed three new judges for the Jharkhand High Court and one judge for the Tripura High Court.

The collegium, comprising of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, and Justices J. Chelameswar and Ranjan Gogoi, had discussed the reports of the intelligence bureau and the state government for the appointments.

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The Dalai Lama on Sunday said India and China "have a great potential together."

"India and China have a great potential. China is also historically a Buddhist country. Most Chinese follow the Nalanda thought of Buddhism," The Dalai Lama told ANI.

He added, "Whether we like it or not, India and China have to live side by side and if they work together there is a huge potential. Imagine more than two billion people working together."

The Tibetan leader is currently on a week-long three-city tour to Delhi, Bhubaneshwar and Kolkata.

After this, he will visit Odisha on a two-day tour and is scheduled to hold talks with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik tomorrow.

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Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance on Sunday, after India ranked third in World Economic Forum's list of most trusted governments.

Nadda took to Twitter to share the list, and later followed it with another tweet saying that the list was testimony to India's development.

"India securing third best place in the list of most trusted governments worldwide is an evidence that the country is treading in the right direction of development under our Hon'ble PM @narendramodi Ji's leadership," Nadda wrote on Twitter.

The report reveals that almost three quarters (74 percent) of Indians say they have confidence in their government.

The factors taken into consideration were- the economy, political upheaval, and headline-grabbing events like major corruption cases.



This is compared to only about one third of Americans. The situation is even worse in Greece, where only about one in 10 citizens trust those in charge, according to the report.

The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Indonesia, while India grabs the third spot.

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Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday said the investigations were currently underway in connection with the armed intrusion at the residence of Consul General of India in Durban.

"We have taken up the matter with the relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing. We expect that the intruders will be arrested soon," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj has spoken to the Consul General Dr Shashank Vikram and inquired about the well being of his family.

"Ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad and their families is a matter of highest priority for us," he added.

On November 16, a gang of robbers, armed with guns and crowbars, broke into the residence in the afternoon and held the family hostage, according to media reports.

Dr Vikram was not home at the time when the robbers held his family at gunpoint and took away the jewellery and cash.

"Vikram's 5-year-old son was reportedly held by one of the robbers while the men ransacked the house and threatened Vikram's family with a gun. Jewellery was taken and the suspects fled. No arrests have been made at this stage," Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane was quoted by Independent Online, as saying.

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Arms and ammunition, including Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers, AK-47s and 10 hand grenades, were recovered post the encounter which took place in Hajin on Saturday.

In the encounter, Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid along with five other Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, were gunned down by security forces here.

Congratulating the security force for their achievement, Jammu and Kashmir DGP S P Vaid said Hajin had been a difficult area to operate, but they are very clear in their aim.

"Hajin has been a difficult area to operate. We have lost few of our soldiers in this area this year. But we are very clear in our motive and will continue with our operation," Vaid told ANI.

Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir authorities ordered to suspend data services, including 2G, 3G and 4G services in Hajin area of Bandipora district in view of the encounter.

One Indian Air Force (IAF) Garud personnel also lost his life and two Indian Army personnel were injured in the encounter, which was started earlier in the day.

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Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit terrorists from Budgam district of central Kashmir.

Police recovered one SLR, pistol and grenades from them.

Acting on a specific input about the movement of terrorists in Budgam, a joint checkpoint was set up by Budgam police, 53 Rashtriya Rifles and 43 Battalion Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Chadoora-Budgam road.

During the checking, a suspicious vehicle was spotted and when security forces signaled to stop the vehicle, one of the terrorist tried to lob grenade.

Fortunately, the security personnel acted swiftly and apprehended him along with two other terrorists.

The terrorists were identified as Mohd Maqbol Malla and Gowher Ahmad both from Bandzoo and Azad Ahmad Lone from Lelhar, Kakapora of Pulwama district.

Further investigation is underway.

Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid was gunned down along with five other Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists by security forces during Bandipora encounter yesterday.

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Turkish capital Ankara has banned all events by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights groups to protect "public security", governor's office said.

According to British online news website, the restrictions came into effect on Saturday and will last for an "indefinite" period. They would also apply to all LGBT film screenings, theatres, panels and exhibitions.

According to media reports, the governor's office has claimed that such events may cause hostility between different groups and endanger "health and morality".

Authorities warned that some groups may take action against people participating in LGBT events due to "certain social sensitivities".

Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey and numerous LGBT associations are legally registered with the state, but there have been widely reported incidents where LGBT people experience discrimination, harassment and even violence in recent years.

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At least 54 students of girls' hostel in Darbhanga Medical College have been fined Rs 25,000 each for allegedly ragging their juniors.

The incident came to light after a first-year student studying in the college reported about the incident to the Medical Council of India (MCI).

"The monetary fine ranges from Rs 25,000 to one lakh. We have imposed minimum fine of Rs 25000 on entire batch with the deadline of 25 November. Those who don't oblige will be suspended for six months," said Nodal Officer, Anti-ragging committee Radharaman Prasad Singh.

The fined Darbhanga students include both first-year and second-year students.

While the seniors have been fined for their alleged involvement in ragging, the juniors have been financially punished for refusing to identify their tormentors.

The victim went to the MCI directly instead of complaining to the college authority.

No complaint has been filed against students to the police authorities.

However, the police authorities are keeping their eyes and are constantly monitoring the situation near the college.

This is not the first time that a ragging incident has been reported from the college.

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Kathmandu [Nepal], November 19 (ANI): Nepali politicians on Sunday paid homage to former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's son Prakash Dahal in capital Kathmandu's Paris Danda, the CPN Maoist Centre headquarters.

The former prime minister from the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Nepali Congress, Maoist Centre and other parties reached the party headquarters to pay homage.

Some leaders also took to Twitter to pay tribute to former prime minister's deceased son.

Prakash Dahal passed away after suffering a massive heart attack.

He was taken to Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital where the doctors declared him dead before his arrival to the hospital.

"The retina was dilated which means it was wide open and there was no reaction of light. The reflexes of the legs were also absent and the body had gone stiff which means he might have took his last breath some two to three hours before he arrived here," a doctor of Norvic Hospital where Dahal was taken after the brief cardiac arrest informed.

"He had a brief talk with father Prachanda last night and was suggested to go hospital but he (Prakash) intended to go next morning (Sunday) if the condition worsens. He had ate Jaulo (mixture of rice and pulses) before going to bed and was suffering from fever for three days," one of the members close to Dahal's family told, seeking anonymity.

Meanwhile, CPN (MC) Chairman Dahal, who was scheduled to address an election meet of the left alliance at Biratchok, Morang, flew back from Birtamod, Jhapa to Kathmandu in a helicopter.

Prakash (36), who was working as private secretary to his father, was also a central member of the party and is survived by two wives and as many children.

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Three suspects in the murder of local Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Ravinder Gosain were sent to five-day police remand, on Saturday.

The three suspects, viz., Jimmy Singh, Ramandeep, and Hardeep Singh Shera, were produced before the Ludhiana court.

The Investigation Agency (NIA), which took the trio into remand, had visited the crime scene earlier in the day.

On October 17, Gosain was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Ludhiana's Kailash Nagar.

The murder took place in the morning while Gosain (60) was returning from a drill at a local RSS shakha.

On October 20, the case was transferred from Special Investigation Team (SIT) to NIA, on the request of the RSS.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the deceased leader's family and a government job for one of his four children.

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On the occasion of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's birth centenary, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday paid her tributes to the "Iron Lady" while talking about her compassion towards helping the poor and oppressed, and her contribution towards the freedom struggle.

"I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the Iron Lady. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits. She fought, yes -- but not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas," she said while addressing the gathering prior to the inauguration of the "A Life of Courage" exhibition curated by the staff of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and EKA Archives.

Sonia added: "She could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairness -- that was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battles - those she took on and those that she faced."

Hailing her as someone who fought for India's dignity and independence against the dominance of superpowers, Sonia opined that in spite of the plethora of challenges posed during her stint as Prime Minister, Indira "faced them all with courage, fortified by her dedication to making India strong, united and prosperous."

"She fought for secularism and against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste lines. In all her efforts she was sustained by the faith reposed in her by her fellow countrymen and women. That love was her inspiration and her reward," she said.

Meanwhile, former President Pranab Mukherjee, who also addressed the gathering, stated that Indira Gandhi "can never be erased from the pages of history."

"My career as a parliamentarian was mentored by Indira Gandhi. Her steely determination, clarity of thought and decisive actions made her a towering personality. She never hesitated to call a spade a spade," he said.

The former president also took to twitter to pay tributes to the former prime minister.

"Remembering Indira Gandhi on her Birth Centenary. Her steely determination, clarity of thought and decisive actions made her a towering personality. Undoubtedly and rightfully India's Iron Lady," he tweeted.

A central figure in Indian politics, Indira Gandhi was the first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of India.

Born on November 19, 1917, Gandhi served as Prime Minister from January 1966 to March 1977, and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian prime minister.

Earlier in the day, Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also paid their tributes to Gandhi on her birth centenary.

The Congress frontrunner also welcomed veteran leaders such as Sheila Dikshit and Dr. Karan Singh at the inauguration of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi.

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At least six policemen were killed in an attack at several check posts in Afghanistan's Farah province on Saturday night, Tolo News reported citing local officials.

Farah police spokesman Aqbal Baheer confirmed the incident saying eight police soldiers were also injured in the incident.

According to reports, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has announced the waiver of all pending power dues of the Scheduled Tribe category, as well as the lifting of electrical cases against them in the state.

In a special meeting held with the public representatives from STs at Pragati Bhavan here on Saturday, the Chief Minster also announced the provision of road connectivity for every ST habitation, and power connection for every Right of First Refusal (ROFR) patta farmer. Schemes like sheep rearing will also be extended to the STs.

Further, residential schools will be opened in the tribal areas, and admissions will be provided for the locals.

The above decisions were taken after an in-depth discussion with the public representatives and the officials, over the issue of power bill dues under domestic category of the STs.

The Chief Minister ordered a waiver of dues worth Rs 70 crore, and directed for Rs 40 crore to be paid to the electricity department for the same. The remaining Rs 30 Crore dues would be ccovered by Transco CMD Prabhakar Rao.

Rao also instructed all cases booked against the STs to be lifted. As discussed in the meeting, each ST residence will be provided power connection for a nominal fee of Rs 125 per connection, and the required service wire, internal wiring in the house, and two bulbs. In addition, no tariff will be charged if the power consumption is below 50 units.

CM Rao also instructed that a three phase power supply be made available for the ST habitations.

Besides directing the concerned officials to make the necessary arrangements for providing free electricity to the farmers, the CM also asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sri Jha to make proper strategies for the laying of power lines in the forest areas, and the finance minister to provide funds in the next Budget for setting up of road network in the tribal areas.

Rao said that there is a lot of benefit reaped due to the residential schools and the demand is increasing day by day and hence some more new residential schools will be started. He said a new policy would be implemented through which tribal children will get admission into the residential schools started in their areas exclusively for them. STs will be given financial assistance for self-employment without having any link with the banks. He wanted the officials to make plans for this and wanted that all the sub sects among the STs should come together and take benefits of various government programmes and schemes. He also asked the ST public representatives to bring unity among the STs.

Under the leadership of senior MLA Sri Redya Naik a committee is formed to coordinate with the officials for the road network connectivity to all the ST habitations.

MP Sri Sitaram Naik will head Committee that will coordinate on education and self-employment matters, while MLA Payam Venkateshwarlu will head a Committee that takes care of the power supply related issues.

Ministers Etela Rajender, Jagadeesh Reddy, Government's Chief Advisor Sri Rajiv Sharma, TS Genco, Transco CMD D Prabhakar Rao, among others attended the meeting.

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Johnny Depp's appearance in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2' has been revealed and many Potterheads have turned sorehead.

The 54-year-old actor bagged a finale cameo in the first 'Fantastic Beasts' movie as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, and the fans voiced their disappointment back when his casting was first announced.

Now, with the second movie, titled 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald', promising a lot more Depp, last year's casting controversy has been thrown back into light.

Fans are slamming the decision to bring the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star back because of the allegations that came out during his divorce from Amber Heard, who accused him of abuse.

One Twitterati wrote, "The cruelest trick a movie has ever played on us: replacing Colin Farrell with what appears to be the bloated, sun-bleached corpse of Johnny Depp," while another tweeted, "I wholeheartedly agree that Johnny Depp is a fantastic beast. However, I wish I did not know where to find him."

Some have directly petitioned author JK Rowling to engineer his dismissal from the film.

"Really intrigued by the plot of #crimesofgrindelwald but will almost certainly not be seeing it in theaters. @jk_rowling and @WarnerBrosEnt should have ousted Depp from the franchise years ago. Despicable that he's heading the continuation of such a beloved story," wrote one.

Rowling had defended Depp's casting last year at the premiere of the first 'Fantastic Beasts' movie, saying she was "delighted" with it. "He's done incredible things with that character," she added.

Earlier in 2016, Heard had filed for a temporary restraining order against him, having alleged he had both physically and verbally abused her - claims which he denied. She later withdrew her request for the order.

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Train services will remain suspended on Sunday in Kashmir Valley due to security reasons, the Railway PRO said.

The announcement came a day after Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid, along with five other Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, was gunned down by security forces during the Bandipora encounter on Saturday.

Huge caches of arms and ammunition have also been recovered from their possession.

Yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir authorities ordered to suspend data services, including 2G, 3G and 4G services in Hajin area of Bandipora district in view of the encounter.

One Indian Air Force (IAF) Garud personnel also lost his life and two Indian Army personnel were injured in the encounter.

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The top United States nuclear commander has said that he will not carry out an "illegal" nuclear attack ordered by President Donald Trump.

"I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do. And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, Mr. President, that's illegal," CBS quoted Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command as saying at a Security Forum.

"And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come [with] up options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated," he explained.

"If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life," he added.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday promised to implement urban renewal strategies to accelerate the pace of development in Agra.

The Chief Minister was addressing a rally ahead of the municipal elections in the city on November 22.

The improved law and order situation was attracting fresh investments, and businessmen who did not want to invest here during the earlier regimes (Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party) are returning, he said.

Adityanath promised all financial support to broadbase urban amenities, but said people need to elect committed and dynamic corporators, mayors and board members.

"Agra is an international city with three world heritage monuments and it needed special attention," he said addressing the Vikas Sankalp Rally at the GIC ground here.

"DPR (detailed project report) for Metro has been ordered. A Rs 350 crore rubber dam downstream of the Taj Mahal will solve water problem and promote tourism. Uninterrupted water flow in Yamuna will be taken care of and Gangajal water pipeline will supply water to Agra in 2018. Tourist spots around Agra will be developed."

Stressing that local bodies should have total autonomy, Adityanath appealed to voters to elect the Bharatiya Janata Party's mayoral candidate Naveen Jain and candidates from 100 municipal wards.

The Chief Minister also attended rallies in poll-bound Aligarh and Mathura.

--IANS

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Bangladesh announced on Sunday that it was seeking China's support in urging Myanmar to allow the more than 600,000 Rohingyas who fled sectarian violence in western Rakhine state to return.

"Bangladesh wants China to create pressure on Myanmar to exp1edite the process" of repatriation of the Rohingyas, a member of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry who did not wish to be named told Efe news agecy.

The announcement comes after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Bangladesh to meet his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mahmood Ali, on Saturday.

Wang, who left the country on Sunday, told Ali that "as a friend, China will help resolve the issue and will not be partial to any side", according to a Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry statement.

The statement said the Chinese leader "stressed the importance of continued consultations and dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the issue. He acknowledged that Bangladesh is facing the brunt of continuing influx of Rohingya refugees".

Ali, meanwhile, said that Bangladesh would continue its commitment to pursue a dialogue with Myanmar and find a solution to the crisis.

Bangladesh "look(s) forward to China's support for the early return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar with dignity and safety", he said.

In its latest report released on Thursday, the UN Inter Sector Coordination Group estimated that 620,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Bangladesh since more than two and a half months ago.

The crisis erupted on August 25, after an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group on police and military checkposts in the western state of Rakhine in Myanmar.

The Army retaliated with a violent campaign that is still ongoing and which the UN has called "ethnic cleansing".

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens and considers them illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, while Bangladesh, where 300,000 Rohingyas were already living before the latest crisis, also considers them to be foreigners.
A criminal wanted in Bihar for murder and attempt to murder was arrested by Haryana Police here on Sunday.

Ram Singh alias Vijay Singh, 25, a resident of Rampur village in Bihar's Motihari district, was arrested in Gurugram's Sector 15 during a routine vehicle checking exercise.

"The accused was wanted in over two dozen incidents of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and other crimes," said a Haryana Police officer.

"He attacked Bihar Police in September this year in Motihari with an AK-47 assault rifle. His accomplice was arrested but he managed to escape."

Singh also eliminated his rival Bablu Kumar in East Champaran earlier this year and opened indiscriminate fire at a school campus in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, the officer added.

"He was also involved in other crimes."

A pistol was seized from his possession. He had been living a Delhi and Gurugram for nearly 45 days.

--IANS

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Cancer therapy a la paintball? Three teams from BRICS countries, including Russia and India, plan to embark on a project that uses the benefits of nanotechnology to simultaneously bundle both diagnostics and therapy into one package for treating cancer just like paintball activity.

Dubbed nananotheranostics' (abridged from therapy-diagnostic), this emerging advanced nano-medicine helps customising treatment for the patient and also shorten time between diagnosis and therapy of a disease, all with one pharmaceutical agent.

Like those James Bond-style GPS tracking devices, nanotheranostics allows monitoring drug delivery, movement of drug and therapeutic responses, enabling treatment strategies to be modified according to changing needs of the patient.

As tackling cancer is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, nanotechnology provides the means for more precise and earlier tumour localisation and more efficient treatment with less secondary effects.

Countries such as the US, UK, France and Germany are leading in nanotheranostics for personalised medicine.

To tackle cancer burden in the BRICS bloc, three teams representing Brazil, India and Russia have framed the "Development, Characterisation and Evaluation of Nanoradiopharmaceuticals for Breast and Prostate Cancer Imaging, Diagnostics and Treatment" project (DCEN-4-BRICS).

"Nanotheranostics may help to save millions of lives, ensure earlier diagnosis, cheaper treatment and better quality of life of the patients," Igor Nabiev, Laboratory of Nano-Bioengineering, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), the project's Russian co-ordinator, told IANS here in an interview.

Nabiev said the idea is to develop biodegradable nano-sized vehicles which would be loaded with anti-cancer drugs and/or radioisotopes used for cancer imaging (through SPECT and PET) and treatment.

Imaging techniques "methods of producing pictures of the body" are important element of early detection for many cancers and are also important for determining the stage (telling how advanced the cancer is) and the precise locations of cancer.

In addition to the cargo of drugs and radioisotope, these nano carriers would also be labelled with fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) to make them visible and tagged with single-domain antibodies for cancer specific recognition.

"These nano carriers will recognise and bind specifically to the tumours," Nabiev said.

Due to the QDs, the tumours can be seen optically and courtesy the radioisotopes, they can be visualised through imaging techniques (SPECT, PET) once these nano scale structures stick to the tumour.

And ultimately, on attaching themselves to the tumours, these drug-loaded nano carriers can release the drug to the tumour site and kick-off treatment.

All in one go.

Nabiev believes scaling of multifunctional carriers production will certainly make them much cheaper than existing drug delivery systems.

The three-year long project is in the final stage of submission.

"It has just been submitted in India, it will be submitted on November 28 to BRICS secretariat and Brazilian funding body, and by November 30 deadline to Russian Foundation for Basic Research," informed Nabiev .

"The total cost for this first stage of the three-year-long project which should demonstrate the proof-of-proposed-principle is nearly 150,000 USD per year."

The project aims to harness the Brazilian co-ordinator's expertise in cancer radioisotopes imaging and treatment (Ralph Santos-Oliveira, Nuclear Engineering Institute, Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission), Nabiev's lab's prowess in QD development for cancer optical imaging and advanced cancer recognition molecules, and Indian coordinator's (Umesh Gupta, School of Chemical Science and Pharmacy, Central University of Rajasthan) specialisation in biodegradable polymeric capsules/carriers.

"Furthermore, we expect that the DCEN-4-BRICS project will create not only a solid Brazil-Russia-India collaboration background, but also a synergy for wider collaboration and nano medicine network involving the other BRICS countries," Nabiev said.

The BRICS bloc has been recognised for its potential to influence global health, with the Director General of the WHO, Margaret Chan, commenting in 2011 that "BRICS represents a block of countries with a great potential to move global public health in the right direction towards reducing the current vast gaps in health outcomes and introducing greater fairness in the way the benefits of medical and scientific progress are distributed".

Finally, this project will include student exchange programmes for drug delivery system development.

"Doing this, we will promote nanomedicine and nanoradiopharmacy and offer new undergraduate and graduate programs, thus providing unique impetus to the careers of young researchers for all collaborating partners," he added.

(Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in. She was in Moscow at the invite of National Research Nuclear University MEPhI)

--IANS

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China proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

China believed that the Rakhine issue can be addressed by a solution acceptable to both Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations between the two neighbouring countries, Wang told a joint press conference here on Sunday with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, Xinhua news agency reported.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should encourage such efforts by creating conditions and good atmosphere for consultations, he added.

The Chinese top diplomat said the Bangladesh government pledged to continue bilateral talks with Myanmar over the issue when he visited the country on Saturday. Myanmar also expressed the same attitude, he added.

Wang said the Rakhine issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, which calls for both an urgent and long-term solution.

Thus China proposes a three-phase solution, he said.

The first phase is to achieve a ceasefire so that local residents can no longer be displaced. Through joint efforts, the ceasefire has been in place, Wang said.

Second, the international community should encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep communication in a bid to find a feasible solution to the issue, he said.

The two countries have reached an initial agreement on repatriation of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

The third phase is to find a long-term solution. Stressing that poverty is the root cause of turbulence and conflict, the Chinese Foreign Minister called on the international community to support poverty alleviation efforts in Rakhine state.

Development can lead to stability, Wang said, adding that China's proposal has been backed by both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Chinese Foreign Minister will participate in the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers' meeting to be held in Nay Pyi Daw on November 20-21.

--IANS

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Arjun Rihan, who has lent his creative touch to "Coco", says the forthcoming animated film is visually "very complex" but it adds to the movie's beauty.

Disney-Pixar's "Coco" narrates the story of an aspiring musician's journey into the land of the dead.

"We really have a high bar at Pixar. We want the films to be as beautiful and detail oriented as possible. 'Coco' really had a lot of challenges which were related to scale and complexity of the world," Rihane told IANS.

In the movie, aspiring musician Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) teams up with charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael Garcia Bernal) on an extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead.

"The Land of the Dead is a very complex world and needs very elaborate building, spanned to different centuries, different world and layers. Getting all of that into the computer schemes so that one can shoot it with the virtual camera was very challenging," Rihan added.

Rihan, who hails from Pune, worked as a layout artist on the film, which will release in India on Friday.

Elaborating on the challenges, he said: "There were very small things and then very large things. They all needed to be there at the same time, so that was really difficult. Then there was the crowd....We had to compose the scenes in such a way that viewers don't get lost...

"It is a very complex film visually, and that is part (of the reason) why it looks very beautiful but also part of the reason it was challenging to do."

"Coco" showcases the importance of family, honouring one's ancestors and following dreams. The movie features an original score from Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, a song by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and co-director Adrian Molina.

Rihane says he had fun while working on the film. "It was fantastic. It is a really unique film and I really enjoyed it."

--IANS

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The Communist Party of India-Marxist's district office here was stoned on Sunday evening, a day after City Mayor V.K. Prasanth suffered injuries in a scuffle between CPI-M and BJP councillors.

Windowpanes of the CPI-M office were broken and other property damaged in the stone-throwing incident. Skirmishes were also reported between CPI-M and Bharatiya Janata Party/Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers near the Thiruvananthapuram airport and in Kannur district.

While two CPI-M youth wing activists were attacked near the airport, a local party leader was attacked at Iritty in Kannur.

The CPI-M has called for a protest in the district on Monday.

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Thiruvananthapuram district CPI-M Secretary Anavoor Nagappan blamed police of failing to act in time.

"The BJP and RSS are trying to create unrest and acting in a violent manner, especially in the state capital. It was a planned attack and the Mayor was lucky to escape. It was an attack on his life. The police is yet to arrest anyone," said Surendran.

Former Mayor and senior CPI-M leader V. Sivankutty said the attack was planned by the BJP to create unrest.

Prasanth is convalescing at the Medical College Hospital here and nursing an injury on the forehead, apart from having a leg in plaster.

"The attack was a planned one and it included not just BJP councillors but also others who came from outside," Prasanth claimed on Sunday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other senior Left leaders visited the Mayor in the hospital.

"The RSS stage managed this attack and had the Mayor not been given timely medical care, things would have been very bad," said Vijayan.

Thiruvananthapuram district BJP President S. Suresh said the statements by Left leaders and police are "nothing but a joke".

"What happened in the council on Saturday was the attack unleashed by the CPI-M councillors and the Mayor himself. There are visuals in our support. The Mayor is faking injuries. If he were injured, how could he walk away from the spot where he fell. The Mayor is trying to create a smoke screen by weaving baseless stories on the attack," Suresh told the media.

Police has registered a case against 20 persons for the ruckus at the council hall on Saturday.

In the 100-member Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, the BJP is the principal opposition party.

--IANS

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Egypt has asked Palestine not to cut off communications with the US in response to the State Department's threat to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation's office in Washington, an Egyptian official said on Sunday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry telephoned PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat on Saturday night to insist on the importance of maintaining contact between Ramallah and Washington, Efe news agency reported.

Ahmed Abu Zeid, a spokesperson for the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs, explained in a statement that Shoukry stressed the need for direct communication during the current stage, in which the international community hopes that negotiations will be resumed between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The US State Department last week had said its decision to close the PLO office was taken because the Palestinians were attempting to bring a case against Israel before the International Criminal Court.

Erekat had threatened on Saturday to sever relations with the US if the latter closes the PLO's diplomatic office in Washington.

Palestine's diplomatic mission has been present in Washington since 1994 and is headed by Husam Zomlot, a close adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

--IANS

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The Delhi government has asked all city schools to form a "School Safety Committee" and also issued a 117-point "check list for school safety" on matters including entry of visitors, school toilets and CCTV cameras.

"The school boundary wall is intact and is secured with a fence or grill on top and under CCTV surveillance all the time," one of the points in the checklist reads.

The circular, issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) on November 7, states that the duly filled out checklist must be made available to parents who want to see it and they should be informed about it at the time of parent-teacher meetings.

Schools have been directed to form a "School Safety Committee" within 15 days of issuing the circular.

The "School Safety Committee" should be made of the Head of School, four students, four parents from School Management Committee and Parent-Teacher Association, one senior teacher, one primary teacher and one non-teaching staff.

The Committee must undertake a "Monthly Safety Walk" of the school premises on a fixed day every month in order to ensure compliance of the safety checklist, the circular said.

Points in the safety checklist ask that all staff entering the school have ID Cards, staff identification is checked at the entrance, and that firewall, filtering and monitoring mechanisms are installed in all computers in the school premises.

The safety checklist on toilets include that all toilets for primary classes have women staff for cleaning or maintenance and no male staff is deployed there and that for students of Classes 3 to 5, toilet visits are allowed only in groups of 2 (buddy system)".

On empty rooms, the checklist asks whether all empty rooms or abandoned or secluded areas of the school including the terraces are under CCTV surveillance and asks to make sure that empty rooms and terrace areas are always securely locked and all locked rooms are opened and checked every 15 days.

On staff, the checklist asks to ensure the schools have processed police verification of all staff and wherever possible, a home visit to new support staff has been done by a senior staff member for verification.

General Secretary of Government School Teachers Association Delhi, Ajay Veer Yadav, told IANS that the implementation was tardy.

"Hardly 10 per cent of the government schools have formed the School Safety Committee," he said.

Yadav said that there should be more security guards in each school and added that CCTV cameras should be properly maintained by the government as the majority were not functioning.

--IANS

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Actress Helly Shah, who will appear in an episode of the cooking-based show "Rasoi Ki Jung Mummyon Ke Sung", says she doesn't cook much now but there was a time when she used to enjoy it.

"My mom always tells me to learn a few things to cook so that I don't have to be dependent on somebody all the time. When she cooks, she asks me to just stand besides her and see what she is doing. She never asks me to cook though," Helly said in a statement.

"I enjoy cooking but not all the time. I like it only when I have enough time and I feel like experimenting something. I don't like chopping vegetables, so they are already chopped and given to me," she added.

She used to try cooking different food items when she was in school.

"But now, I don't really cook. I do have the basic knowledge and I think I can definitely feed myself with good food when I am alone at home," said the "Swaragini - Jodein Rishton Ke Sur" actress.

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Shubhangi wishes luck to Shilpa for 'Bigg Boss'

Actress Shubhangi Atre, who replaced Shilpa Shinde in "Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain", has wished her luck for "Bigg Boss" that is based on celebrities and commoners battling it out to be the winner of the reality show.

"Shilpa is playing very well. She is entertaining. I have nothing personal against her. I wish her all the best," Shubhangi said in a statement.

She also finds actress Hina Khan a "strong contender and very opinionated".

But she supports producer Vikas Gupta, whom she worked with on "Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain".

"I support Vikas as he is a very good friend of mine. He is full of fun and down-to-earth. His stint in the house is real. He is not faking it," said Shubhangi.

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Dolly Sohi surprises daughter at school

Actress Dolly Sohi, who features in the show "Meri Durga", took out time from shooting and visited her daughter at Podar International school.

"My busy schedule doesn't permit me at times to go to my daughter's school. But I always keep a check on her education. She is my priority. So I visited the school on Saturday and surprised her," Dolly said in a statement.

"We enjoyed lunch break together. Her teacher also joined us. It was a small kind of celebration," she added.

--IANS

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Chinese technology giant Huawei and the University of Edinburgh, UK, have signed a research cooperation agreement to investigate the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) robotics systems to operate over next generation 5G wireless networks.

Researchers at Huawei's Wireless X Labs and University of Edinburgh's new Bayes Centre will investigate together how AI systems can inform and adapt wireless 5G networks to provide optimum wireless support to meet the needs of connected robotics and systems.

The areas of initial focus include healthcare robotics and mobile video.

"We are delighted to continue working with the world-leading team at the University of Edinburgh to help understand how improvements within mobile broadband can foster innovation within wireless robotics systems," Peter Zhou from Huawei said in a statement.

"AI is a key feature of 5G networking, and we are excited to deepen our understanding of how the interaction between applications and networks can create new benefits and enhancements."

The project will build on the University of Edinburgh's existing research into AI and autonomous systems to provide new insights into how these systems will use AI to collaborate with mobile broadband networks.

This can enhance the performance of both networks and applications to enable greater levels of interaction between people and systems.

"We are thrilled to have deepened our relationship with Huawei to researching 5G within AI applications," said Charlie Jeffery, Professor at the University.

This new research project extends the existing relationship between Huawei and the University of Edinburgh following the announcement, in June, of a joint lab hosted at the University's School of Informatics.

--IANS

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India on Sunday condoled the death of Prakash Dahal, the son of former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who died of a cardiac arrest in Kathmandu earlier in the day.

"We are sorry to know about the sudden demise of Prakash Dahal son of Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, former Prime Minister of Nepal," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

"Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family."

Prakash Dahal, secretary to his father and also a central member of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist-Centre, was rushed to the Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital at 5.50 a.m.

Doctors pronounced the 36-year-old dead at 5.59 a.m, reports The Kathmandu Post.

Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister has left for Kathmandu from Jhapa where he was attending an election campaign for the upcoming first phase of the provincial and parliamentary polls, according to The Himalayan Times.

--IANS

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The government on Sunday said that it has taken up with the authorities in South Africa the case of the armed robbery at the Indian Consul General's residence in the city of Durban.

"Ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad, and their families is a matter of highest priority for us," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to queries.

He said that "we have taken up the matter with relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing".

In a shocking security lapse, the home of Consul General Shashank Verma was on Thursday robbed by eight armed men who held his five-year-old son at gunpoint.

According to the Independent Online, the envoy's residence, India House, in the Morningside area of the city, was breached on Thursday afternoon despite protection offered by the South African Police Services' VIP Unit, a private guard company and armed response provider.

Armed response officers, who arrived 15 minutes after the alarm was activated, took away surveillance camera footage.

The robbers burst into the home around 4 p.m. after overpowering and attacking a guard who had gone down to the driveway gate after apparently being summoned.

"Vikram's wife, Megha Singh, and the couple's two young children were home at the time and were subjected to a terrifying 10-minute ordeal during which their five-year-old son was held hostage as the robbers demanded money and gold," it said.

"The little boy, who had been studying in the reception room with a tutor, was carried at gunpoint and ordered to deactivate the alarm that had been set off by the family's domestic helper, who was beaten for her courageous act."

The intruders ransacked the building, smashing open a thick, solid door with crowbars, the report said.

One grabbed the five-year-old and hauled him upstairs, where Singh and her 10-year-old son were watching television.

The envoy's wife slammed the retractable security gate on the upstairs landing shut to call for help but the intruders forced open the gate with a crowbar all the while demanding jewellery and access to a non-existent safe.

Singh and her elder son ran to the main bedroom where she pressed the alarm and called her husband who was in a meeting at the town of Umhlanga north of Durban.

According to the report, Vikram rushed home before the security officers could reach the spot.

The robbers then fled taking a cellphone and a few small items, the Independent Online report said.

Durban is home to around 800,000 people of Indian origin.

Kumar said on Sunday that the intruders were expected to be arrested soon.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has also spoken to Vikram and inquired about his family.

--IANS

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Actress Neelima Azeem, who will be attending the Indian premiere of her son Ishaan Khatter's debut film "Beyond The Clouds" on Monday at the 48th International Film Festival of India, is confident that the audience will love it.

"Beyond The Clouds" is the opening film at IFFI this year. The fest will go on till November 28 in Goa.

"'Beyond The Clouds' is an incredible film. (Director) Majid Majidi is an absolute genius. Despite being a foreign filmmaker, he has been able to capture the ethos and the spirit of India so realistically and beautifully," Neelima said in a statement.

"Indian audiences will love this special and miraculous film whose narrative is so unique and audiences most certainly will gain something beautiful as human beings from this cinematic experience.

"Watching Ishaan being part of such a special film is a moment of absolute joy for me. I've seen the film but I think it's tough for me to say anything about Ishaan until everyone has seen the film for themselves."

Featuring Ishaan and Malavika Mohanan in the lead roles, the movie celebrates the triumph and adoration of life against a Mumbai backdrop. The film presents an amalgamation of three languages (Hindi, Tamil and English) instead of it being shot and dubbed separately. Each language will form a major part of the film and will be used in the scenes and setups that befit those languages.

Produced by Zee Studios and Namah Pictures, "Beyond The Clouds" is centred around a brother-sister relationship. Malavika's mother Beena will also be present.

Malavika said: "I am stoked that my mom will be watching the film with me. Unfortunately, my dad (cinematographer KU Mohanan) is shooting, so he won't be able to make it this time.

"But I am glad that he got a chance to see it in London. I am thrilled about my mom's presence and excited to know what she thinks. Her words mean a lot to me."

--IANS

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In her death, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi left a message that "a commitment to the people can never be killed by any power, however strong it may be", former President Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday.

Mukherjee was speaking at the inaugural function of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi on the centenary of her birth anniversary at her memorial here.

Several tough decisions taken by her during her premiership such as nationalisation of banks and not signing the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) have stood the test of time, he said.

"The bank nationalisation decision... was a bold step that resulted in rich dividends for the country.

"The impact of this decision was evident even in the last decade when the Indian banking system stood resilient, even as some of the major European and US banks suffered catastrophic meltdowns after the financial crisis in 2008," Mukherjee said.

Indira Gandhi nationalised 14 scheduled commercial banks on July 13, 1969 through an Ordinance despite resistance from a section of the Congress.

The move, Mukherjee said, was a step towards rebuilding people's confidence in the Congress' commitment to socialism.

The veteran Congressman said Indira Gandhi's contribution to world peace and disarmament was visible in her "steely protests against the flawed NPT".

"Though she was in agreement with the treaty's basic objective, she could not agree to two categories of states -- one privileged class that possessed nuclear weapons and unrestricted access to nuclear materials for whatever purpose they deemed fit, and a vast number of other countries who would be denied access to the peaceful use of nuclear materials to generate electricity.

"She did not agree to this discrimination and refused to sign the NPT, which is the policy of the nation to date.

"The first nuclear explosion at Pokhran in 1974 brought sanctions against India. Trade restrictions and stoppage of economic assistance did not deter her. The second test conducted by Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister in 1998 vindicated her stand," Mukherjee said.

He also recalled how Indira Gandhi, despite knowing fully well that Sikhs would never forgive her for Operation Blue Star in their holiest shrine Golden Temple, turned down her advisers' suggestion to remove Sikh personnel from her security arrangement saying "it would send a wrong message".

"She told her advisors that she was aware of this feeling amongst the community... But for her, it was not a question of religion, but the fact that in the name of religion, misguided elements were causing great harm to national unity and integrity," he said.

Mukherjee also said that insertion of the words "Socialist" and "Secular" in the preamble of the Constitution to define the state through the 42nd Amendment "emanated out of her belief that insertion of these two words in the Preamble would define the characteristics of Indian state adequately".

--IANS

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif headed to Turkey for peace talks on Syria, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

Zarif left the capital Tehran for the Turkish Antalya city as the head of a political delegation to take part in a trilateral meeting of Iran, Russia and Turkey, Xinhua news agency reported.

The foreign ministers of the three countries will convene on Sunday to discuss the results of experts-level talks on the settlement of the Syrian crisis and prepare the ground for an upcoming summit of presidents in the Russian city of Sochi.

The three ministers would discuss the latest developments in Syria and the outcome of several rounds of expert-level sessions, and finalize the agenda of a presidential meeting in Sochi.

In the summit, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan will review peace efforts in Syria, which has been in a state of war since March 2011.

Iran, Russia and Turkey have so far held seven rounds of peace talks in Kazakhstan to help end the conflict in Syria.

The fourth round of those talks in May produced a memorandum of understanding on de-escalation zones in Syria, reducing armed conflict in the country.

--IANS

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President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary.

"Nation remembers former Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary," Kovind tweeted.

Modi tweeted" "Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary."

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also paid tribute to Indira and said: I remember you Dadi (grandmother) with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100."

Former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi went to Shakti Sthal to pay tributes.

"Remembering Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary. Her steely determination, clarity of thought and decisive actions made her a towering personality. Undoubtedly and rightfully India's Iron Lady," Mukherjee tweeted.

Indira Gandhi, daughter of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 19, 1917.

She was the first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of the country.

She served as Prime Minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again chaired the Prime Minister's Office from January 14, 1980 until her assassination on October 31, 1984.

--IANS

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The human propensity to go full tilt at windmills, a la Don Quixote, is not limited by gender -- as anyone seeing Indian news channels focusing on a forthcoming film can attest. Among other grievances, a section of women protesters deemed "Padmavati" an attack on royalty (in republican India, no less), underlining how many of us can do much with history -- except learn from it. Even when there are some worthwhile woman guides.

The field of letters is one where, for the past century-and-a-half, there has been more equality than in the real world. Mystery, horror, thrillers, history, travelogues -- there has been scarcely any sphere or genre where women writers have not left their mark. Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, J.K. Rowling et al are not exceptions but just the tip of a vast iceberg.

And from this gigantic but hidden edifice, let us acquaint ourselves with three magnificent woman writers of the past century. All were well-regarded in their own day though not as much now, given the shortness of human memory and the deluge of works, but despite their varied styles and issues dealt with, offer valuable lessons to deal with history -- in fact and fiction.

Let us begin with fiction first. "Daughter of Time" (1951), the most famous work of Scottish author Josephine Tey, deals with a very controversial issue of English history.

Tey was physical training teacher-turned-novelist Elizabeth MacKintosh (1896-1952), who began writing mysteries in the mid-1920s, taking the name of her great-great-grandmother. Another of those genteel but intricately-plotted mysteries the British do so well, the series, featuring Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, amounted to half a dozen books, with the final one discovered and published posthumously. Of the five published during her lifetime, the first four dealt with the period in which they came out (c.1929-51), but "The Daughter of Time" focused on a historical crime -- the fate of the "Princes in the Tower".

It has Grant, confined to a hospital bed with a broken leg and already bored, when a visitor suggests a diversion to occupy his mind, giving him pictures of some historical figures and asking him to determine if they were guilty of the offences held against them. Among them is the much-maligned King Richard III (r.1483-85), who is accused of murdering his nephews to succeed to the throne after his brother. However, Grant has a gut feeling that says otherwise, and with the help of an American researcher who provides him historical documents, using his detective skills, and testing his theories on attending doctors, nurses and other visitors, he builds a strong case why the unfortunate king -- whose remains were only found recently -- was blamed.

But Tey's objective is not to exculpate a medieval monarch but rather show how history is constructed, and certain versions of events are believed to be the truth, without any evidence and/or any logical plausibility, with our present-day protagonist also coming to understand how great myths or urban legends -- that so many of us believe -- prevail.

A more contemporary focus is taken by fellow Scotswoman Helen Clark MacInnes (1907-1985), who started out as a librarian but became the "Queen of Spy Writers, with 21 novels between 1941 and 1984, initially set in World War II before switching to the Cold War.

MacInnes not only had her first two books getting filmed within a year of their publication even as WWII raged, but the second -- "Assignment in Brittany" (1942) -- also became recommended reading for spies/secret agents. About a British officer inserted into Nazi-occupied France to obtain some vital information by impersonating an influential local, it is marked by her meticulous research, evocative descriptions -- and also different treatment. Though not entirely avoiding stereotypes (brave British/cruel Germans), it takes a more nuanced view of human motivations in wartime and the perils of judging someone on only one pre-conceived notion.

And finally, in non-fiction, there is journalist, author and literary critic Dame Cicely Isabel Fairfield (1892-1983), or Rebecca West as she is better known. A fierce opponent of any form of totalitarianism, including that of "majority" opinion, which, she found, was only too ready to turn on minorities and individuals on the flimsiest of evidence and mass frenzy, West wrote a host of novels, works of literary criticism and reportage -- of which we must single one.

Combining reportage, travelogue and shrewd political analysis, her massive (nearly 1,200 pages) "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon" (1941) is unsurpassed as a portrait of Yugoslavia and the various strands -- Serbs, Croats, Bosnians -- that made up the fractious country. Foreseeing both the extreme ethnic violence there during the coming world war and as well as in the 1990s, it is also universally timeless as a warning of how an exclusivist, rabidly nationalist and unconscionably violent frenzy can be whipped up, sustained and unleashed to wreak havoc on common people.

There are many more lessons and teachers but only if we are ready to accept there is nothing exceptional about our history, which is just another version of the human experience and our path already travelled -- with danger signs posted.

(Vikas Datta is an Associate Editor at IANS. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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Libyan Army units carried out extensive sweeps in the region known as the "oil crescent" in north Libya to monitor movements of IS members, said an official.

"Patrols of army units are securing desert areas of the oil crescent region, in search of IS fighters," Xinhua news agency quoted an army officer as saying on Saturday.

"These patrols will continue for several days. They are carried out with support of the air force, which launched successful air strikes in the past few days and destroyed IS sites near oil fields and ports."

The officer added "these operations are important, as information indicates that IS militants plan to attack army forces protecting the oil fields and ports".

Forces allied with the UN-backed government, backed by the US air force, defeated IS affiliates in the city of Sirte, some 450 east the capital Tripoli, in December 2016. The remaining terrorists fled to southern valley and mountain areas.

--IANS

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Maharashtra's PWD Minister Eknathji Shinde on Sunday inaugurated a 100-bed tertiary care hospital in Thane with some advanced facilities, including cath labs for cardiac procedures.

Situated in Dombivli, the SRV Mamta hospital will be a boon for people who had to travel far for medical procedures.

The hospital has a 18-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), five Neonatal ICU beds, three operation theatres which, according to the hospital, are of international standards.

"Such initiatives are boon, bringing advanced medical treatment for the people in Kalyan-Dombivili," said Shinde.

He said patients who travel to Mumbai in critical condition will now save time by getting treatment at SRV Mamata Hospital.

Among the other dignitaries at the occasion were Lok Sabha member from Kalyan Shrikantji Shinde.

--IANS

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A 27-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fake website resembling a government one and cheating several thousand persons of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of providing them jobs, police said on Sunday.

Sumit Kumar along with two others had hosted a website named 'Women and Child Development Organisation', similar to that of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The police made the arrest after a complaint from M.K. Prabhat, Under Secretary (Women Welfare Section) in the Ministry, at Parliament Street police station.

The accused had allegedly advertised on his website for the recruitment of teachers and others against over 6,700 vacancies and directed the applicants to fill the forms online only and deposit the fee in his organisation's account at the Karol Bagh branch of a private bank.

"The accused never deposited any amount in the account but around 4,000 applicants who submitted applications deposited around Rs 20 lakh in it," a police statement said.

The accused, arrested on November 18, had withdrawn Rs 3 lakh from the bank account, police said.

--IANS

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Actress Margot Robbie says she is proud to be a woman after getting a "supportive" response in the wake of the sexual harassment allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein.

Robbie, 27, has praised the resilience of the women who have come forward to accuse the disgraced producer of sexual misconduct. She says the attitude from other Hollywood stars who want to make a change in the way women are treated has made her "proud to be a woman", dailytelegraph.com.au reports.

"Women are so resilient and I think the response to the whole Weinstein situation kind of proved that. To me, when I think of women, I think the word that sums up women so well but isn't used as often as it should be is 'resilient'," she said.

"It's astounding how quickly everyone pivoted from being heartbroken about the news to, how do we move forward? How can we move forward? What good can come out of this? Everyone was so supportive immediately and then automatically looking to the future, which made me even more proud to be a woman," she added.

This comes after the "Suicide Squad" star praised her co-star Cara Delevingne for opening up about the ordeal she claimed she endured at the hands of Weinstein.

--IANS

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The national elections in Iraq will be held as scheduled on May 15, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said urging the people to participate in the polls to support his anti-corruption plan in the coming years.

A statement issued by Abadi's office on Saturday said the Premier made his comments while visiting an electoral center in Baghdad in order to receive his own new voter card, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There is a campaign to fight corruption, which requires uniting the efforts of all (Iraqis) to eliminate it, just like we eliminated the gangs of terrorist Daesh (Islamic State group)," Abadi said.

"The country is moving on the right path."

The Iraqi government decided in October to hold the parliamentary elections on May 15, 2018, vowing that the federal government would provide a safe environment for the elections.

The federal government will work on returning the displaced people to their homes provided that "the parties running the elections must not have armed wings", Abadi's office said in a statement on October 31.

The Iraqi Electoral Commission on October 22 said it suggested the next parliamentary election to be held on May 12, 2018, for the next four-year legislative term.

The parliamentary elections must be held at least 45 days before the end of the current legislative term and the date of the elections must be set by a resolution of Abadi's cabinet in coordination with the Independent High Electoral Commission, according to the Iraqi Constitution.

The elections date must be ratified later by the current Parliament before the endorsement of the Presidential Council to be fully approved.

Iraq's previous general election was held on April 30, 2014, when Iraqis elected 328 lawmakers for the Parliament, which in turn elected Abadi to form an inclusive government from the Shiite alliance, Kurds and Sunnis.

--IANS

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Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg hoped that Turkey will accept her country's apology after Turkish leaders appeared on an "enemy chart" at a NATO military exercise in the Nordic country, a media report said.

However, should Turkey want to talk more about the event, Norway will be open for that, Solberg said according to public broadcaster NRK, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Prime Minister added that the relationship between Norway and Turkey is not in crisis and is "good".

"We are clear towards Turkey, and they are clear back towards us. Now I hope they accept our apology, so that we can move on."

On Friday, Turkey announced to withdraw 40 Turkish troops from the NATO exercise at the Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, Norway, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's name and the picture of Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were used in an "enemy chart".

Following the incident, both NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen apologized to Turkey, saying the message was written by a Norwegian national who was hired to work on staff during the exercise and the individual was terminated immediately.

Erdogan said on Saturday that the incident is "a reflection of a distorted point of view that we have seen in NATO for a while" and the matter "cannot be covered over with a simple apology".

--IANS

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat's historic visit to Israel in 1977 which led to the establishment of diplomatic ties between both nations after decades of hostilities.

Sadat, who had arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, took "a bold step" by coming to the Israeli Parliament, Netanyahu said on Sunday prior to his weekly Cabinet meeting.

"Today we mark 40 years to the historic visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Jerusalem and Israel," Efe news quoted Netanyahu as saying.

He claimed that Sadat "was welcomed by the entire nation."

The Prime Minister said that Egypt, Israel and other countries were now on the same side in the fight against the terrorism of radical Islam and asserted this would contribute to the expansion of peace.

Many Arab countries viewed Sadat's decision to unilaterally pursue a peace deal with Israel as a betrayal of the pan-Arab struggle and the Palestinian cause.

After years of clashes with Israel in armed conflicts such as the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Six-Day War of 1967 and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Sadat was the first leader of an Arab country to pay an official visit to Israel.

The visit, which was the first rapprochement between the authorities of both countries, was the initial step for the progressive establishment of diplomatic relations, which culminated in March 1979 with the signing of a peace agreement for the return of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, occupied by Israel in 1967.

During his visit, Sadat gave a speech before the Parliament, had several meetings with then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and went to pray inside al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

Sadat was assassinated in 1981 during a military parade in Cairo.

This week, Israeli authorities are set to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the visit.

--IANS

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Inovi Avika Assumi, the "Finance Secretary" of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), has been arrested here, an official said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip, Meghalaya Police and Assam Rifles troopers raided Assumi's hideout at Demseiniong area on Saturday night. He was an accused in an extortion racket.

"We were informed about his presence in Shillong. We kept surveillance on his movement and activities. We finally raided his house and made the arrest," Davies.R. Marak, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills, told IANS.

"He is a prize catch. We will soon start interrogating him about his activities here in Meghalaya."

The police did not recover any arms or ammunition from his possession.

The NSCN-K has given up the ceasefire pact it earlier signed with New Delhi in 2015.

The outfit was declared a terrorist organisation after Khaplang's rebels went on a killing spree, attacking Indian soldiers in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

--IANS

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Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday said both Odisha and Chhattisgarh should resolve the Mahanadi water dispute amicably and try to reach a consensus through discussions.

"It would be better if both the states resolve the issue amicably by holding discussions. If it is not resolved through this process, then the legal process would be followed," Prasad told reporters on the sidelines of the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) building in Cuttack.

He said both the states should follow the necessary legal process for the formation of a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi issue instead of playing blame games.

The state government has been demanding the constitution of a tribunal to resolve the water issue. The delay in the constitution of the tribunal has irked the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

"The Centre is deliberately delaying to constitute a tribunal so that the Chhattisgarh government can construct barrages and dams on the Mahanadi river," said BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday reiterated his demand before the Centre for the immediate issuance of a notification for the constitution of a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh.

The Chief Minister, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sought his personal intervention in the matter for issuing an appropriate directive for constituting the tribunal within the stipulated timeline for early adjudication of the water dispute.

While the timeline of one year for the constitution of the tribunal for adjudicating the Mahanadi water dispute under Section 4(1) of the Inter State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act of 1956 got over on November 18, the Union government has not constituted the tribunal, he said.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new building of the Cuttack bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Orissa High Court Chief Justice Vineet Saran were also present.

--IANS

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Pakistan Police on Sunday seized two and a half kg heroin while it was being smuggled into India, a media report said.

The heroin valued at millions of rupees in the international market was seized at the Wagah railway station, found concealed in a cargo train headed to India from Lahore, the Express News reported.

The authorities are investigating.

--IANS

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Rejecting allegations of torture of British national Jagtar Singh Johal, arrested in the cases of targeted killings of Hindu leaders, the Punjab Police said on Sunday that due process of law was followed at every stage and the accused was allowed access to his counsel, family members and British consular officers.

"Not only did it have sufficient evidence to prove the complicity of Jagtar alias Jaggi in the cases of targeted killings, the police had also ensured that there was no violation of his rights at any stage," a police spokesperson said on Sunday, trashing allegations of a frame-up and torture.

Johal (Jaggi), a British national of Indian origin who was arrested by the Punjab Police recently after a terror module, allegedly involved in targeted killings of Hindu leaders in the past two years, was busted, has got support from political leaders in Britain and Canada who have urged Indian authorities to get him released.

"Besides being allowed to talk to his family members after his arrest, Jaggi was produced before a Judicial Magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest as laid down under the Criminal Procedure Code. The British High Commission was duly informed about the arrest of Jaggi, whose medical examination was also conducted as required under the procedure," the spokesperson said.

The British Deputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh was in touch with Punjab's Director General of Police, said the spokesperson, adding that the envoy did not question the arrest of Jaggi.

"Jaggi has been found by the police to be a staunch supporter of terrorist activities in Punjab," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that there was a huge pile of evidence against Jaggi, who had been produced before the court several times and taken on police remand as per the court's orders, before he was sent on judicial remand to Faridkot Jail on November 17.

"Jaggi's medical examination has also been conducted regularly since his arrest from Dakoha Fatak in Jalandhar on November 4," said the spokesperson, adding that his family members and relatives were allowed to meet him.

"Further, on November 15, Jagpreet Singh Chaddha, a lawyer, met Jaggi between 8 and 9 p.m. The next day, a team from the UK High Commission in New Delhi, comprising Margaret Partridge and Amit Kotecha, consular officers, met Jagtar Singh," the spokesperson said.

Giving details of Jaggi's involvement in conspiracy, coordination, funding and arranging of weapons for members of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) module busted in connection with the targeted killings, the spokesperson said the accused came in contact with Gursharanbir Singh, also a British national based in Coventry, UK, who was involved in the killing of Rulda Singh, President of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, Punjab, in July 2009.

"Jaggi came in contact with Harmeet Singh alias Ph.D, a Pakistan-based KLF terrorist, and Taljeet Singh alias Jimmy of Glasgow, Scotland (arrested on October 30, 2017 for being a KLF module member) for funding and sourcing of weapons.

"Jimmy went to the UK on study visa in 2012 but had overstayed illegally in Glasgow after the expiry of the visa in 2014," the spokesperson said.

"In March 2016, Harmeet Singh asked Jaggi to arrange locally-made pistols for his module members in Punjab. In April 2016, Jaggi further asked Taljeet Singh Jimmy to supply pistols with the help of his acquaintances in Jammu.

"Jaggi paid 3,000 pounds to Jimmy in Glasgow in November 2016 for weapons, which Jimmy arranged to have dumped near a milestone, on way to Zaffarwal (Gurdaspur)," he said.

He said the Canada-based militant leaders Gurpreet Singh (Vancouver) and Gurjeet Cheema (Toronto) had supplied the second pistol to other module members Gurpreet Singh Peet (Faridkot) and Simaranjit Singh alias Nikka (Moga) in May/June 2017.

"There was sufficient evidence to show that Jaggi had conspired with Gursharanbir Singh of UK and Pakistan-based Harmeet for carrying out the targeted killings of Hindu leaders and others in 2016-17.

"Jaggi had remained in touch with Gursharanbir Singh and Harmeet and was privy to the selection of targets, raising module members and provisioning of weapons with the help of gangster Dharminder Singh alias Gugni.

"It is pertinent to mention here that Gugni had supplied the weapons to module members with the help of his known local weapon suppliers based in UP and Bihar," the spokesperson said.

"Jaggi, along with his family members, went to Surrey, Canada, in August 2016, and met militant elements Satinderpal Singh Gill, Maninder Singh Bual and Parupkar Singh in Surrey, British Columbia.

"Gursharanbir Singh from UK also came to Surrey and Jaggi met him to discuss ways of reviving militancy in Punjab," said the spokesperson.

--IANS

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Air Warriors paid floral tributes on Sunday to Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala, a commando of the Garud Special Forces of the Indian Air Force who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday in a gunfight with militants.

Nirala, who hailed from Badiladih village in Rohtas district of Bihar, was killed in an encounter with the militants at Hajin on Saturday.

His mortal remains were flown from Srinagar to Chandigarh on Sunday. These were later sent to Bihar for the last rites with full military honours.

Nirala is survived by his wife, Sushma Nand, and a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Jigyasa Kumari, a defence ministry spokesperson said here.

--IANS

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Ukrainian official Svyatoslav Sheremeta was banned from entering the country, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.

Sheremeta, who is in-charge of Ukraine's Interdepartmental Commemorations Commission, tried to cross the border in Medyka in southeast Poland on Saturday noon with a German visa, Xinhua news agency reported.

Polish News Agency (PAP) reported that the decision to bar Sheremeta was the result of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance having in April issued a ban on the search and exhumation of remains of Polish war victims on Ukrainian territory.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski had announced recently that the government intends to revise its policy towards Ukraine over history. He emphasized that people representing anti-Polish views should be banned from entering the country.

In relation to Sheremeta's barring of entry, Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieklo was summoned by the government in Kiev to give some explanations.

"We urgently summon Poland's ambassador to Ukraine in connection with the refusal to grant entry to Poland to the secretary of the State Inter-departmental Commission, Svyatoslav Sheremeta," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Beca tweeted.

--IANS

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The UN Children's Fund (Unicef) has expressed concerns over the status of children, poor access to school and malnutrition in Afghanistan.

"We have very serious concern about the education of children in Afghanistan because there are 3.5 million children who are out of school while they are supposed to be in school," Adele Khodr, Unicef's country representative, told Xinhua news agency.

She said 75 per cent of those 3.5 million children out of school were girls.

"Even if the girls go to school, they leave the school earlier when they became age of 12 or 15 years," the Unicef representative said.

Khodr also expressed concern over the quality of teaching for children and their learning levels.

The education situation has improved in Afghanistan since the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001.

According to Afghan Presidential Palace, less than 1 million children had access to education during Taliban's reign. The number has soared to more than 9.5 million children with 40 per cent of them girls attending 15,000 schools across the country in 2016.

Another challenging issue for children in Afghanistan is malnutrition, said the Unicef representative.

Khodr said there were 600,000 children who were severely malnourished in Afghanistan, describing the situation as "severe acute malnutrition".

She said the rate of stunting or chronic malnutrition in Afghanistan was 41 per cent; not only does this mean that children are short for their age but more importantly it means that the mental and intellectual capacity of these children once they become adults is stunted too.

She noted that Afghanistan was one of the three countries in the world still fighting polio.

This year, 10 polio cases were registered in the country. Cross-country access was difficult due to security reasons.

According to a report of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released in October, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan had caused 2,480 child casualties including 689 deaths during the first three quarters of this year.

--IANS

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The Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Sunday that it wanted a ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" and claimed underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's money was invested in the film.

"We have heard the movie's release date (December 1) has been postponed. We will be on the streets as soon as a new release date is announced. All we want is a complete ban on the film," Sena's patron-founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi told IANS.

"We will not allow the release of Padmavati at any cost," he added.

The release of Bhansali's historical drama was "voluntarily" deferred, a spokesperson for the film's producer and distributor Viacom18 Motion Pictures said earlier on Sunday.

"His (Bhansali's) team had on January 30 had assured us in writing that he will pre-screen the trailer and the movie and take the Rajput organisations into confidence before releasing it. But he did not did do so," Kalvi said.

The Karni Sena leader claimed that Dawood's money was invested in the movie.

"I got three threat calls from international numbers -- one from Karachi, which indicates Dawood's money is involved... What is the interest of a man sitting in Karachi in bumping me off?"

In January, activists of the Karni Sena had protested, manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of 'Padmavati' in Jaipur, claiming that Bhansali was "distorting" historical facts in the movie.

They had also damaged some cameras and other equipment. Bhansali had to stop shooting.

"We will not allow distorted facts to be shown in the film at any cost and will see to it that the film is not released," Kalvi said.

In March, some miscreants broke the mirrors at the Padmini Mahal in Chittorgarh Fort where Alauddin Khilji is alleged to have seen Rani Padmavati or Padmini. The Karni Sena claims that the mirror story was invented years later.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese smartphone player Xiaomi has become the fifth largest smartphone brand in Russia during Q3 2017, according to the latest research from Counterpoint's Market Monitor service.

"Xiaomi grew by 325 per cent YoY and was the fastest growing smartphone brand in Russia in both online as well as offline sales," the Associate Director at Counterpoint Research (Counterpoint Technology Market Research), Tarun Pathak, said in a statement.

Smartphone shipments in Russia grew by 7 per cent annually and 38 per cent sequentially during Q3 2017.

"The Russian handset market grew during this quarter driven by aggressive marketing campaigns by new Chinese brands and subsequent price cuts from all the leading retail chains as consumer spending during third quarter of the year normally remains high due to the new academic year and a 'back-to-school' uptick," said Minakshi Sharma, Research Associate at Counterpoint Research (Counterpoint Technology Market Research).

The online channel smartphone contribution has increased from 12 per cent to 15 per cent YoY in Russia. During this quarter, Xiaomi and Apple were among the leading smartphone brands in online sales.

"Apple reached record sales during the third quarter, growing 56 per cent YoY due to a drop in the prices of its previous generation iPhone models, prior to the launch of the new iPhones," Pathak said.

Samsung led the overall and smartphone market with market shares of 20 per cent and 29 per cent respectively during Q3 2017.

Global brands captured almost 58 per cent of the smartphone market followed by Chinese brands with 32 per cent market share.

Xiaomi (325 per cent), Bright and Quick (177 per cent) and Huawei (140 per cent) were the fastest growing Chinese brands YoY.

However, local smartphone brands like Tele2 and Prestigio grew by 61 per cent and 54 per cent QoQ respectively.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Zimbabwe's ruling party Zanu-PF on Sunday sacked President Robert Mugabe as its leader and appointed his former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new leader, the BBC reported.

Mugabe's sacking of Mnangagwa as Vice President two weeks ago had prompted an extraordinary chain of events as the military intervened to block the 93-year-old President from installing his wife Grace in his place.

The President was due on Sunday to meet the Army commanders who took power last week, a statement broadcast by the state-run TV channel said.

The face-to-face encounter is only the second since the military takeover five days ago. Parliament is expected to start impeachment proceedings next week.

Sources close to the military quoted by the Guardian said the President had asked a Catholic priest and lifelong friend to act as an intermediary in talks with generals.

Mugabe had previously rejected similar offers of mediation, suggesting that he was close to making a significant concession.

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans attended street protests on Saturday to demonstrate against the Mugabes.

The first lady has been expelled from the party altogether.

The BBC reported that cheering erupted as the decision to sack Mugabe was announced although the move has yet to be formalised.

But it increases further the pressure on Mugabe that has been building over the past few days. There were now moves to impeach him as President.

The head of the influential War Veterans Association, Chris Mutsvangwa, threatened to "bring back the crowds and they will do their business" if Mugabe did not step down. Mugabe has been President of Zimbabwe for 37 long years.

Mugabe's downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched autocratic leaders, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing pressure to step aside.

--IANS

ahm/mr/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The governments Rs 2.11-trillion recapitalisation plan for public sector banks (PSBs), although widely welcomed, carries a risk that history may repeat itself. This is the moral hazard of recapitalisation.
With Moodys having upgraded Indias sovereign bond rating to Baa2 from Baa3 citing continued progress on economic and institutional reforms, it is worth noting that the last big upgrade that India was subject to was in January 2004 when Moodys upgraded India from Ba1 to Baa3 thereby marking Indias re-entry into the investment grade category. .
A day after it released its second list of candidates for the Gujarat assembly poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced rebellion from some of its state leaders.
Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Derek O'Brien believes he has found a way to take the BJP on. The next election, he says, should not be treated as a battle between Narendra Modi and a single candidate, but as 29 contests in the states.

The opposition should fight the BJP from 29 different regional platforms over diverse issues, O'Brien writes in his new book 'Inside Parliament: Views From The Front Row'.

"The election should be fought in the idiom and language and with the issues and themes of individual states," he elaborated to PTI on Sunday.

A united opposition needs to chalk out its poll strategy by pitching all opposition leaders against Modi, he added.

"Make this a election that is a sum of state elections. Make Modi and the BJP fight 29 different regional elections in the idiom and language and with the issues and themes of the individual states," O'Brien said.

O'Brien chalked out the opposition strategy for 2019 in the new publication, which he described as the "real book" out of the 53 that he had written.

"Don't let the BJP make it a contest around polarising issues beef, pseudo-nationalism or some such prime-time, made-for-TV-and-Twitter agenda," O' Brien said.

In an essay titled "The BJP is beatable in 2019", O'Brien suggested that the opposition consider where the BJP juggernaut was stopped in 2014 -- "in Bengal by Mamata Banerjee, in Odisha by Naveen Patnaik, in Tamil Nadu by Jayalalithaa and also where the Congress has beaten the BJP in recent times in Punjab, led by Amarinder Singh".

To win the 2019 general polls, the opposition should counter allegations of corruptions by raising the issue of competence, he said.

"I am convinced that they (the BJP) are beatable," he writes.

The government is trying to pen "a false narrative around a ten-letter word -- corruption -- which the opposition must counter with another ten-letter word -- competence -- to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as BJP cannot win on any competence quotient", he said.

The leader of the TMC in the Rajya Sabha has set up a "common constructive agenda" for opposition unity.

"The BJP is trying to use this ten-letter word, corruption, since demonetisation. The opposition needs to use another ten letter word, competence, to counter the BJP. You have to ask questions about their competence about jobs, competence about the economy, competence about handling the situation after demonetisation, competence about how GST has been rolled out," O'Brien suggests in his book.

Opposition parties should not get distracted by "polarisation narratives" such as food habits and religion.

"All these will benefit the BJP... This is an agreement all opposition parties need to have. Either inside Parliament or outside," he told PTI.

O'Brien also had some specific advice for the Congress. It urged the party not to give too much heed to the Left.

"Too much of listening to the Left will put the Congress in trouble," he said.

To cite a case, he said the TMC had got the sense the Congress was ready to march with it after ten days of demonetisation.

"The Left bullied them in delaying that march. Because they thought the TMC will take the lead so they were looking at it in a very narrow way. (Sitaram) Yechury in Parliament and the Left were trying to slow them down. So I am glad that they stopped listening to the Left," he said.

He recalled the time when demonetisation was announced last year.

"We marched with Mamata Banerjee. But we were wondering what's going on. Only two parties marched with us: Shiv Sena and Omar Abdulla's NC. Hardly one month later, everyone was marching down to Rashtrapati Bhavan," he said.

Hinting at political equations between Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, O'Brien stated that Gandhi was the cementing factor of opposition unity, while Banerjee was the acceptable leader who could bridge gaps between conflicting parties within the opposition.

The book, with 50 essays, has been published by HarperCollins and will be launched on November 23 in Delhi.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday taunted Prime Minister Narender Modi by saying that earlier people used to fear the lion but now they fear the cow thanks to cow vigilantism across the country.

"'Pahle log sher se darte the, ab gai se darte hain. Yeh sab Modi sarkar ki den hai," Lalu Prasad said at a meeting of his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) here.

He said that due to growing fear of being seen with cows and cattle, the Sonepur cattle fair in Bihar's Saran district, considered Asia largest cattle fair, had turned into a fair without cattle.

He said people were angry with the Modi government in view of its "total failure" in the last three-and-half-a-years to meet any of promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

People were also upset by demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, he added.

"Modi may go for Lok Sabha polls in 2018, ahead of its scheduled time in 2019," Lalu Prasad said, and asked his party activists to be ready to face early parliamentary polls.

He said whenever the Lok Sabha election will be held, opposition parties would defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Lalu Prasad said that his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was in touch with Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

"Young leaders like Hardik Patel and Tejashwi will uproot the communal forces from the country."

Lalu Prasad told the media to "expose" the BJP and Modi instead of merely targeting the opposition.

"In America and other developed countries, the media has been exposing and targeting the powerful ruling parties and their leaders.

"In India the media is fighting against the opposition. This should change."
When Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living Foundation maker, initiated an effort to resolve the Ayodhya tangle, he joined a line of past negotiators that included tantrik Chandraswami and Jayendra Saraswathi, pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
A top Army officer today said security forces have killed 190 militants, most of them foreign, so far this year in Kashmir and that there are around 200 more active in the valley currently.

General Officer Commanding (GoC), Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu was speaking at a joint press conference here.

"This year we have had a number of successful operations in Kashmir region. We have killed about 190 terrorists as of date in 2017," the Army commander told reporters here.

"Out of these 190, 80 terrorists are local and the remaining 110 were foreign terrorists," he said.

DGP S P Vaid, IGP Munir Khan, General Officer Commanding (GoC) Victor Force, Maj Gen B S Raju and IG CRPF (Operations) Zulfiquar Hasan were also present at the conference.

Lt Gen Sandhu said out of the 110 foreign terrorists, 66 were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) while infiltrating.

"So, this year, we have killed about 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir. This has resulted in a remarkable change in the situation," he said.

Sandhu said people were aware of the extent to which the agitation in earlier part of this year was brought under control.

He said about 200 militants were currently active in Kashmir.

"It is very difficult to give an exact figure and the variation of figure continues because it changes from day to day. But, we know that it is around 200. The assessment of local terrorists is around 110-120. Similarly, the foreigners are about 100," he said.

Referring to yesterday's operation at Hajin in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, in which six Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were killed, Lt Gen Sandhu said Hajin was an area of focus for the security forces.

"Hajin was an area of focus for us. In the early part of the year, we had an operation where we eliminated a number of terrorists in Hajin. Subsequently, the terrorists revived. They resorted to some atrocities," he said.

As a strategy, several operations were launched in Hajin mid-September onwards and they were launching search operations practically on a daily basis, Lt Gen Sandhu said.

"We inducted special forces into the area and in addition along with the intelligence network and police and the CRPF, the law and order in Hajin was brought under control," he said.

The security forces were keeping a watch on the Chandergeer area where the encounter took place, he said.

"We were keeping a watch over the last two-three days and yesterday, based upon a specific input, the joint operation was launched in which the terrorists were eliminated. These six were all foreign terrorists led by Mehmood Bhai and comprised bulk of the Hajin group," the army commander said.

"I want to highlight that the Hajin group has largely been decimated. One of the persons who was killed is Osama Jangi or Obaid. He is reportedly the nephew of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and possibly the son of Abdur Rehman Maki--the Lashkar number two," he said.

He complimented all the agencies involved in the operations in the valley for the successes.

"We look forward to continue the operations and hope to restore peace in the valley as soon as possible," he said.

Addressing the media, IG CRPF said the militants killed yesterday belonged to the same group that had attacked CRPF commandant Chetan Cheetah in Bandipora on February 14. Cheetah was injured in the attack and had slipped into coma.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gold antiques dating back to the second century have been stolen from an ancient archaeological site in Pakistan apparently due to negligence of officials.

Sirkap, also known as the second city of Taxila, 300 kms from Lahore, is a UNESCO-protected heritage site since 1980.

"A large number of the stolen antiquities - a necklace with multi-coloured gems, bangles and other jewellery worth millions of rupees have been stolen from Sirkap last week. The antiquities could be centuries old," Punjab Archaeology Department Director General Chaudhry Mohammad Ijaz said.

He said the department had awarded a contract for the restoration of an ancient archaeological site in Sirkap to a local contractor.

"On November 12, during preservation work, some labourers had found gold antiquities that included earrings, bangles, nickels and other small pieces while removing wild grass from the remains of a residential complex located at the eastern side of the site at the back of the apsidal temple and stole them," Ijaz said.

He said the labourers sought deals for the stolen ornaments with local antique dealers.

"After reports of the deals surfaced the department got a case registered against the labourers with police," he said, adding some labourers have been arrested but no ornaments were recovered so far.

"We have formed a high-level committee to probe the matter and fix the responsibility of the theft," he said.

The last excavation of the site was carried out under the supervision of John Marshall in 1912-1930 during which gold ornaments were recovered which are now on display at the Taxila Museum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
According to state law, fines, penalties, and license money shall be appropriated exclusively to the use and support of the common schools ... . An exception is fines for overloaded vehicles. Seventy-five percent of those funds go to state highways; 25 percent go to the county general fund where the fine or penalty is paid. Fifty percent of money forfeited or seized in enforcing drug laws goes to counties for drug enforcement. Vehicles seized in drug law cases may be used by law enforcement agencies or sold with the proceeds going to schools.

County Court

Traffic Sentences

Kay Nelson, 43, Osceola, speeding 66 in 50 mph zone; $125 fine and $49 court costs.

Blake Fortin, 31, Brentford, South Dakota, speeding 75 in 65 mph zone; $25 fine and $49 court costs.

Bert Wilde, 48, Thedford, speeding 80 in 60 mph zone; $125 fine and $49 court costs.

Raymond Michael, 55, Maplewood, Minnesota, disobey stop lights; $75 fine and $49 court costs.

Nathanael Ganow, 56, Duncan, speeding 60 in 50 mph zone and failure to use seat belt; $50 fine and $49 court costs.

Angel Ayala, 23, 556 5th Ave., failure to display proper number of plates and plates not clear/visible; $50 fine and $49 court costs.

Pomee Johnson, 28, Nashville, speeding 82 in 65 mph zone; $75 fine and $49 court costs.

Jonathan Thomas, 26, Howells, unsecure load; $100 fine and $49 court costs.

Isaiah Ewald, 19, Kilgore, speeding 42 in 30 mph zone and failure to use seat belt; $100 fine and $49 court costs.

Jason Clark, Littleton, Colorado, speeding 73 in 60 mph zone; 475 fine and $49 court costs.

Dismell Palmer-Serpa, 25, 2723 14th St. Apt. A-2, speeding 75 in 65 mph zone; $25 fine and $49 court costs.

Christopher VanDyke,51, 1603 22nd St., no operator's license; $75 fine and $49 court costs.

Aaron Manley, 25, Schuyler, speeding 50 in 35 mph zone and failure to use seat belt; $100 fine and $49 court costs.

Emmanuel Morales Garcia, 20, Fremont, speeding 77 in 55 mph zone; $200 fine and $49 court costs.

Criminal Sentences

Bradley Darling, 40, Genoa, theft/shoplifting $0-500; $150 fine and court costs.

Roy E. Felix Jr., 52, 2130 Fourth St., no proof of insurance; $50 fine and court costs.

Richard Schuett, 32, 2772 N. Parklane, possession/use of drug paraphernalia; $100 fine and court costs.

Loretta Turner, 33, 2954 Linden Dr., issue bad check $0-500; $75 fine and court costs.

David Morfin, 22, 2422 19th St., driving under suspension before reinstated; $75 fine and court costs.

Kyle Beasley, 33, 1261 34th Ave., theft-receiving stolen property $0-500; $75 fine and court costs.

Christopher Helmick, 43, 4009 E. 28th st. 3719; attempt Class IV felony; jail 60 days with credit for six days served, court costs.

Ruben Navarrete, 43, 3913 Admey St., driving under suspension before reinstated; $50 fine and court costs.

Karina Parra, 37, 4009 E. 28th St., no proof of insurance; $50 fine and court costs.

Jacob Schamp, 30, 2303 Seventh St., leave accident - failure to furnish information, first offense; $150 fine and court costs.

Angelina Tesmer, 34, Omaha, assault by mutual consent; $100 fine and court costs.

Melissa Deruchie, 47, 313 Pershing Rd., theft/shoplifting $0-500; $150 fine, restitution of $14.99 and court costs.

Sean Health, 50, 1353 31st Ave., no proof insurance and no valid registration; $75 fine and court costs.

Alex Jacobo, 37, Norfolk, DUI .15+, jail two days, probation nine months, revoke license one year, $500 fine and court costs.

Kyle McCoy, 20, 3008 19th St., attempt Class IV felony; $250 fine and court costs.

Cody Palmer, 31, 2067 10th Ave., third-degree assault; probation 12 months, restitution of $6,673 and $720, court costs.

Celia Perez, 30, 3920 E. 21st Ave. Lot 8, animal neglect; $25 fine, restitution of $945.50, court costs.

Dallas Raitt, 19, 3607 16th St., unauthorized use financial transaction device/under $500; jail 30 days with credit for two days served, court costs.

Manuel Salazar, 19, 3119 14th St. #2, third-degree domestic assault; probation 18 months, court costs.

Brandon Shelton, 32, 1465 45th Ave., third-degree assault, jail 180 days with credit for two days served; commit child abuse negligently/no injury, jail 90 days, served concurrently, court costs.

Jose Villanueva, 26, 2075 10th Ave., attempt Class IV felony; jail 45 days with credit for one day served, court costs.

Martin Ortiz, 53, 4410 17th St., DUI .08 breath first; probation six months, revoke license for 60 days, $500 fine and court costs.

District Court

Criminal Sentences

Jose Martinez, 59, Nebraska State Penitentiary, driving while revoked from DUI, jail two to four years, revoke license for 15 years; DUI first offense, jail 60 days/revoke license six months (concurrent), $500 fine and court costs.
Three militants belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad have been arrested in central Kashmir's Budgam district, police said here today.

In a major success, three militants were arrested in Budgam and an SLR rifle, a pistol and few grenades were seized from their possession, a police official said.

The investigation is going on, the official said, adding that they belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit.

He did not share further details.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Around 300 tribals were admitted at Abhona government hospital and a community hall in Kalvan taluka in the last two days after they complained of loose motions and uneasiness on drinking contaminated water in Devalikarad village.

However, most of the villagers were discharged after treatment barring 12 who remain hospitalised for further treatment, Nashik Civil Surgeon Dr Suresh Jagdale said today.

A medical unit comprising two doctors are currently camping at the village.

According to local tribals, gram sevaks in Devalikarad village had released drinking water without purifying it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bells have been ringing in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- not alarm bells, as party detractors would think, but cheery wedding bells.

Its poll performances in 2017 may have been a dampener, and AAP may have got flak from various quarters for not taking adequate measures to tackle Delhi's polluted air, but on the personal front, celebration is in the air, with weddings and newborns.

Two AAP legislators--Sanjeev Jha (Burari) and Vishesh Ravi (Karol Bagh) -- tied the knot this year. Two others -- Sarita Singh and Akilesh Pati Tripathi-- became parents.

Jha got married in June and Ravi in February. Singh gave birth to a baby earlier this month.

There were some marriages and births last year, too.

Singh, the 31-year-old MLA from Rohtas Nagar, got hitched in 2016, as did Kirari MLA Rituraj. Dissident lawmaker and Karawal Nagar MLA Kapil Mishra, Tilak Nagar's Jarnail Singh and Tripathi became fathers in 2016.

"In other parties you see MLAs' sons and daughters getting married. But in AAP, it is our MLAs who are getting married. This reflects how young our MLAs are and how youthful the Aam Aadmi Party is," said activist-turned politician and AAP's Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, who, too, became a father after becoming a legislator.

The average age of an AAP MLA is 41, and the cabinet is one of the youngest in the country.

Rituraj, at 29, is the youngest MLA in Delhi, while the eldest AAP member in the Legislative Assembly is Speaker Ram Niwas Goyal, who is 69.

MLAs such as Rituraj, Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla and Prakash Jarwal, lawmaker from Deoli, had just crossed the minimum age bar when they first contested the Assembly polls. Rituraj and Birla, a former minister, were 26 while Jarwal was 25 when they made their electoral debut.

Activists with roots in the anti-graft movement led by Anna Hazare, many of the MLAs are founder-members of AAP. Most are also below the age of 50 -- Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is 45 and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, 49.

The MLAs said because they were busy forming a new party -- AAP turned five this month -- they put their personal lives on the back-burner, devoting time and energy to their party and political careers.

The party faced polls three years in a row -- for the Delhi Assembly in 2013 and 2015 and Lok Sabha in 2014.

Leaders said the of the weddings had cheered up the party, which fared poorly in the Punjab and Goa Assembly polls and sank without a trace in the local MCD elections held earlier this year.

"Marriage was not on my mind as all the time was consumed in solving people's problems. But my parents refused to budge. They had stopped talking to me for the last six months because I was not getting married," said Tripathi, who arrived in Delhi at the age of 21 to try out his luck in the civil services. He finally got married in 2015.

AAP leaders recalled how Singh was pregnant when she, along with other AAP MLAs, sat on a protest in front of the LG House, demanding that Lt Governor Anil Baijal clear the government file on mohalla clinics, or local health centres.

"Politics can sometimes take a toll on you and in such times you need a strong family support," Mishra said.

Of course, AAP is not the only the party with members young enough to get married.

Shiv Sena MP and first time-lawmaker Shrikant Shinde (30) was married earlier this year. Jaivardhan Singh, son of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, a first-time MLA of the Bhopal Legislative Assembly, tied the knot after winning his debut polls in 2013.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 29-year-old Argentine man was killed after a stray bull allegedly hit him in the walled city area, police said today.

The incident occurred yesterday when John Pablo was visiting the city with a fellow tourist when the bull hit him, they said.

He was taken to a government hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

Pablo had arrived in India on October 27, the police said, adding the Embassy of Argentina was informed about the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Army today paid floral tributes to the IAF Garud commando, Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala, who was killed in a gunfight with militants in Kashmir.

Nirala, a resident of Badladih area in Bihar's Rohtas district, was killed during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora yesterday. He was a member of the Indian Air Force's Garud Commando Force.

"The Army paid tributes to Nirala, who made the supreme sacrifice during counter-terrorist operation at Hajin in Bandipora," an army spokesman said here.

He said the IAF Garud was operating with the Army for operational experience and training.

"In a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment here, Chinar Corps Commander, Lt Gen J S Sandhu, and all ranks, along with Air Commodore V S Choudhary, AOC 1 Wing AF, paid homage to Nirala on behalf of a proud nation," the spokesman said.

He said the officials from other security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the slain commando.

Nirala (31) had joined the IAF in 2005.

His mortal remains were flown for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours, the spokesman said.

He said in this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyr and the IAF.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and southern superstar Mohanlal have been approached to feature in two different versions of suspense thriller film, "Gumnaam".

Producer Jayantilal Gada confirmed, while Bachchan is being sought to star in the Hindi part, Mohanlal is in talks to feature in the south version.

"We have approached them but they are yet to sign on the dotted lines. We have narrated the story to them and they both have given positive feedback. For the south version, we have Mr Mohanlal and for Hindi part, we have Mr Bachchan," Gada told PTI.

The producer added the forthcoming film is not a remake of the 1965 superhit suspense movie "Gumnaam", featuring Manoj Kumar and Nanda in the lead.

"We are on the project, which is a suspense thriller. It is not a remake of 'Gumnaam'. It is a remake of a Tamil film, whose title we can't reveal at the moment. We have just used the title 'Gumnaam'," Gada said.

Director E Niwas, whose last release was "Total Siyapaa", is helming the film.

The film will be shot on an island in Mauritius and will go in floors soon.

The makers are aiming for a theatrical release next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's new ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale arrived here today to take up his position.

Bambawale, a seasoned diplomat who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge tomorrow.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bambawale succeeded Vijay Gokhale who took over as Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

A deft hand on Sino-India relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA which also included relations with Japan, China, South Korea, Mongolia and North Korea.

A Mandarin speaker, he has also served as the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier.

His arrival here comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Dokalam standoff, and work on a "forward-looking" approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, the two countries held their border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting here two days ago during which they reviewed the situation in all sectors of their border and exchanged views on confidence building measures and military contacts.

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on November 17.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is taking charge ahead of plans by both countries to begin a high-level dialogue next month, which will be the first after the Dokalam standoff as well as commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping.

Xi began his second term in office following the endorsement by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here last month.

Officials say Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi in the second week of next month to take part in the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue mechanism during which he was also expected to hold talks his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and meet the top Indian leadership.

It will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also to be held in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives who are also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today faced protest at Pandasozhanallur village here by some locals who accused her of blocking the implementation of various government welfare programmes, a charge she denied.

The incident occurred when Bedi, who has come under strong criticism from the ruling Congress over her style of functioning, was interacting with members of self-help groups in the village as part of her regular weekend field visits.

The group, including some women, started raising slogans against her and alleged that Bedi had stopped the distribution of free rice and blocked the implementation of a number of other welfare schemes.

A Raj Nivas release said that a group of villagers "deliberately assembled to create a furore and kept raising allegations against the Lt Governor".

The protesters were dispersed by the police,and Bedi went ahead with her interaction and asked villagers about their grievances.

It said that Bedi told the villagers that she had accorded sanction for distribution of free rice and at no stage was the scheme blocked.

She told them that as the Lt Governor, she was in Puducherry to serve the people, and was conducting weekend visits to villages.

Bedi also said that she was meeting people to know about their grievances and directing officials to solve them, the release said.

The Lt Governor also told them that her office was open to people to make representations about their grievances from Monday to Wednesday every week.

Bedi, who was accompanied by officials of various departments, took note of grievances, the release said.

She suggested that a committee of villagers be formed to address the problems through government agencies.

Earlier, on her arrival at the local Muthalathamman temple, Bedi was accorded a reception by the elders in the village and also members of self help groups.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, speaking at a seminar organised as part of birth centenary celebrations of late prime minister Indira Gandhi here today, criticised Bedi's style of functioning.

"We are facing several hiccups and blockades and are not being able to implement welfare schemes because of interventions by the Lt Governor," he said.

Yesterday, the chief minister said that he was waiting for more than four months for a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his letter seeking an appointment with him to discuss thesituation arising out of the "arbitrary style of functioning" of Bedi.

The Congress government and Bedi have been at loggerheads over several issues, ranging from medical admissions to civic problems, for over an year with the latter accusing her of interfering in the administration of the Union Territory's administration.

The former IPS officer, who assumed office as the Lt Governor in May last year, has been underatking visits to outlying areas of Puducherry and interacting with people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lankan Navy personnel today foiled an alleged bid to smuggle ganja onboard a boat from Tamil Nadu and seized the contraband worth Rs 30 lakh dumped in sea near Neduntheevu in the island nation.

The ganja was allegedly brought onboard the vessel to be handed over to occupants of a boat from Sri Lanka, police here quoting information received by them said.

As the Lankan Navy personnel, on suspicion, rushed to the two boats anchored close to each other, the occupants of the boat from Tamil Nadu dropped the ganja bundles into the sea.

Both the boats then sped away the from the scene, they said.

Later, the Lankan officials seized the ganja bundles numbering 25 and handed them over to the Kangesanthurai naval camp.

They informed the Indian Coast Guard about the smuggling bid, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COLUMBUS  Experience, enthusiasm and an emphasis on customer service landed Laura Whitehead a job as the citys next library director.

The Columbus Public Library Board voted this month to offer the position to the 48-year-old northeast Nebraska native and current branch manager at a library in Waco, Texas. Shell start Dec. 4 and earn $71,352 annually.

Pat Anderson, president of the local library board, said Whiteheads background with several different libraries and focus on customer service set her apart from the other candidates. She was one of three finalists interviewed by the library board for the position.

Shes very professional and has a strong urge to provide the best customer service possible, Anderson said.

Whitehead, who replaces Drew Brookhart following his departure at the end of September, is also familiar with the area.

She grew up in Bloomfield and graduated from Norfolk High School before earning a bachelors degree in biology and English literature from Mount Union College in Ohio and masters degree in library and information science from the University of Missouri.

The mother of four grown children still has family in Nebraska, including her parents in Norfolk. That was a pretty strong factor in her decision to seek the job at Columbus Public Library, according to Whitehead, who will move here along with her husband Jerry.

Whitehead said shes also impressed by the citys growth and looks forward to making the library a continued part of that progress.

Columbus Public Library is poised for really exciting things, she said, and Whitehead wants to be the person to push that process forward.

The new director said the local library should be a place the community is proud of, and she understands the importance of having a facility that serves all residents.

Local voters rejected a measure in April that would have issued up to $8.5 million in bonds to pay for a new downtown library/cultural arts center, but Whitehead isnt viewing that as an entirely negative result.

Sometimes those are good things, she said. They can slow you down and make you stop and think and prioritize. You also learn from those.

Library officials plan to gather more public input, continue raising money and potentially make some design changes to increase public support for the project before a second bond vote is scheduled.

The rejected plan had an estimated price tag of $16 million, but the goal is to cover at least half the construction costs with private donations, grants and library foundation money. The bonds would be repaid with revenue from the local half-cent sales tax voters extended in May 2016.

Whitehead was hired as director of the public library in Artesia, New Mexico, while that city was building a new facility.

I showed up at the exact same time as the I-beams showed up, said Whitehead, who played a part in selecting technology and furnishings for the building, started a Friends of the Library group there and expanded the programs offered.

Whitehead said that library became an attraction for the community that drew people in from outside town.

In Columbus, she said, the current building doesnt provide the flexibility libraries need to grow and evolve as patrons needs change, particularly when it comes to new technology.

Libraries and the things they do for communities are changing, she said, and theyre changing rapidly.

Following her nearly four-year stint in New Mexico, Whitehead was director of the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library System in Arkansas for five months before resigning in June 2017 after her husband, who she married in January, accepted a job in Waco, Texas, according to The Commercial newspaper in Pine Bluff.

Shes also held library positions at St. Lukes College in Sioux City, Iowa, Lawton-Bronson Community School District in Iowa and South Sioux City Public Library.

Brookhart, who was hired to lead Columbus Public Library in December 2014, left to become director of the Gunnison County Library District in his home state of Colorado.

Reference librarian Karen Connell is serving as interim director until Whitehead's arrival.
The BJP is friendlier to former prime minister Indira Gandhi than her father Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as she was steeped in the Upanishads and Vedas, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said today.

He said Gandhi would widely quote from the ancient scriptures in public speeches.

Nehru would also do so but he was careful about his "public display of religiosity", Ramesh said.

The former Union minister was speaking on 'Remembering Indira Commemorating Her Centenary" at the Tata Litfest 2017 here.

"You asked me the question - why is the BJP more Indira Gandhi-friendly than Nehru-friendly? There are two reasons behind it.

"One is she did what she did in 1971, she dismantled Pakistan (leading to creation of Bangladesh) and secondly... she was publicly willing to demonstrate the fact that she was steeped into the Upanishads, the Rig Vedas. In every speech of hers, she quoted from the Atharva Veda, or from the Aranyaka Upanishad," he said.

Ramesh said the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru would also quote religious texts in speeches, but would be careful about his public display of religiosity.

"She (Indira) was in Stockholm in 1972 (for a UN conference on environment) when she finished her most famous speech with a long quotation from the Atharva Veda. She was always quoting some Sanskrit shlokas," he said.

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and other diplomats were also part of the discussion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Paving the way for India to get instant access to details on Indians with Swiss accounts, a key parliamentary panel in Switzerland has approved an automatic information exchange pact between the two countries.

The Commission for Economic Affairs and Taxes of the Council of States -- a key panel of the Swiss Parliament's Upper House -- approved the proposed pact with India as also with 40 other countries, but suggested strengthening the provisions for individual legal claims.

It has asked the Swiss government to submit to Parliament an amendment "to strengthen concrete individual legal protection and to ensure that no exchange of information can take place for individual cases where a violation of essential legal claims is likely", as per the minutes of its last meeting on November 2.

The proposal will now be submitted for approval from the upper chamber of Swiss Parliament, the Council of States, in the winter session beginning November 27.

The pact will help provide a continuous access to details about alleged black money hoarders in once-all-secret Swiss banks. The information that could be exchanged under this framework would include account number, name, address, date of birth, tax identification number, interest, dividend, receipts from insurance policies, credit balance in accounts and proceeds from sale of financial assets.

The exchange will work like this -- If an Indian has a bank account in Switzerland, the bank concerned will disclose the financial account data to authorities there; the Swiss authority will automatically forward the information to its peer in India who can then examine the person's details.

To help check cross-border tax evasion, nearly 100 countries, including India and Switzerland, have so far committed to adopt this global standard for the automatic exchange of information (AEOI). However, domestic bank client confidentiality in Switzerland is not affected by the AEOI.

The keenly-awaited pact, which proposes the automatic information exchange on financial accounts between India and Switzerland with effect from the next year and first exchange of information in 2019, was approved by the Lower House of Parliament, the National Council, in September.

A major right-wing political party had raised objection to the pact with India and some other countries citing corruption and other risks, but those objections were rejected by a majority in the National Council, where the proposal was discussed by the Committee on Economy and Royalties of the National Council (CER-N), among others.

While approving the pact, the economic affairs committee of the Upper House has now asked the government to put some additional safeguards in the automatic information exchange framework with India and other countries.

With regard to the control mechanism decree, it has sought addition of an additional paragraph obliging the Federal Council -- the top decision-making body of the Swiss government equivalent to a Cabinet -- to examine regularly and from the point of view of risks whether the partner states (such as India) still fulfil the decisive conditions and then to consult the competent parliamentary committees.

"... It is thus a question of keeping the countries that can pose problems under the radar of the Federal Council and Parliament," the Council observed.

It also expressed concern that some people may be persecuted in some foreign countries following the introduction of the automatic information exchange pact and has accordingly suggested stronger legal protection measures.

Once the pact gets approval from the Upper House of Parliament, the automatic exchange of information will come into effect between India and Switzerland.

The decision is not subject to any referendum -- which means there should be no further procedural delay in its implementation after parliamentary approval.

The issue of black money has been a matter of big debate in India, and Switzerland has been long perceived as one of the safest havens for the illicit wealth allegedly stashed abroad by Indians.

Earlier, while agreeing to the pact with India and other countries in June, Switzerland had sought strict adherence to confidentiality and data security.

The Swiss government will prepare a situation report before the first exchange of data for which confidentiality and data protection requirements are to be strictly followed.
The body of a class 12 student was found in the fields of Sabloo Garhi village of Loni, police said today.

On receiving an information, the police reached the spot and took the body in its custody, they said.

Senior superintendent of police H N Singh said that the student was identified as Pankaj (20) native of Jawli village.

His family alleged that he was shot dead by the police and thrown in the jungle, they said.

He was taken into custody by local Special Operations Group team on November 12 for an interrogation regarding a stolen car, the police said.

"Allegations levelled by some villagers and his relatives are baseless. He was released and sent back to his family members," the SSP said.

The body has been for postmortem, the police said, adding the police was probing the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BSP today promised to strengthen Wi-Fi facilities in the City of Nawabs and bridge the "digital divide" if voted to power in the urban local body polls.

Bahujan Samaj Party is contesting the civic polls on its party symbol after 17 years.

BSP's mayoral candidate Bulbul Godiyal said, "We have observed that there is a digital divide existing in the state capital Lucknow. A few posh localities enjoy good Wi-Fi speed, while people residing in other parts of the city are forced to cope with a slow Wi-Fi".

"This digital divide will be definitely bridged. And, the youngsters will find the same reasonably good speed of Wi-Fi throughout Lucknow," he told PTI.

The party also promised to give a new lease of life to pink autos.

"We have decided to give a new lease of life to pink auto-rickshaws, which were started during the previous SP regime, but subsequently were reduced to a mere showpiece, and did not play a major role as a means of transport. This scenario will be changed."



Godiyal, a former additional advocate general, charged that the BJP has "copied" her concept of pink toilets for women.

In the 28 point Sankalp Patra released at state BJP headquarters on November 12, the BJP promised free Wi-Fi in prominent public places and construction of "pink toilets" for women.

The BSP's mayoral candidate for Lucknow also said, "We have plans to launch municipal helpline on the lines of 1090 (Police helpline), which will attend to people's woes, civic problems on a phone call. It will then redress the grievance and confirm redressal from the complainant and get feedback."



24 districts of UP will go to polls on November 22, while 25 districts will go to polls on November 26, and 26 districts on November 29.

Counting of votes polled for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats will be done on December 1.

More than 3.36 crore voters will be eligible to cast their ballots at 36,269 polling booths and 11,400 polling stations.

These polls, being held eight months after the BJP came to power with a landslide victory, will mark the first electoral test for the Yogi Adityanath government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cairn, the oil and gas vertical of Vedanta Ltd, today announced the appointment of Nitin Banerjee as General Counsel.

"Banerjee will be a member of Cairn Business Executive Committee (EXCO) and will help drive the company's vision to contribute to 50 per cent of India's crude oil & gas production," Vedanta said in a statement.

"He will also be an integral member of the Group Legal Council and play a key role in driving the overall legal vision and charter for the legal function across the group," it added.

Banerjee joins Cairn from Vodafone India, where he was working as the Senior Vice President, Legal Transactions and heading the legal operations for Vodafone's Enterprise Business, Technology, IT and Networks, Strategy and Wholesale Mobility businesses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China's foreign minister met with Myanmar's top leaders today during a visit to the country, a day after discussing the Rohingya refugee crisis with Bangladesh's prime minister.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched what it called "clearance operations" in response to insurgent attacks.

The refugees say soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them and burned their villages to force them to flee.

The campaign has been described by the United Nations as "ethnic cleansing" and drawn widespread outrage from the international community.

China, a long-standing friend of Myanmar during the Southeast Asian country's isolation from the West, has been helping shield Myanmar from the criticism.

Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Dhaka, where he met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, that the Rohingya crisis should be solved bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and should not involve outside parties.

As well as meeting President Htin Kyaw in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, Wang met with Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the powerful commander-in-chief of the military, Min Aung Hlaing.

Tomorrow, Myanmar hosts a meeting of Asian and European ministers at which the Rohingya issue is expected to be prominent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Active campaigns by senior BJP and Congress leaders, present and former Union ministers, have set the poll pot boiling in the otherwise staid local body elections in Uttar Pradesh.

For the first time, all the major political parties are contesting on their respective election symbol.

With political circles viewing the elections as a referendum on the BJP government's policies and achievements, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is leaving no stone unturned to drive home the message that the saffron party continues its vice-like grip over voters.

If Adityanath is criss-crossing the length and breath of India's most populous state to cover all the 16 mayoral seats, his deputy Keshav Maurya is flying from one district to another in a helicopter to address as many rallies as possible.

"The newly-appointed state BJP chief Mahendranath Pandey is busy galvanising party workers and asking them to spread the message of development, the present dispensation is striving to achieve from the day it assumed power," BJP media-in-charge Harish Chandra Srivastava said.

The chief minister kicked off the campaign for the civic polls on Tuesday from the temple town of Ayodhya where he sought to convince the electorate that a win for the BJP would ensure holistic development.

The BJP's victory would boost Adityanath's confidence and ensure that there is no friction in implementing his development agenda, party sources said.

The polls are being considered significant for the saffron party which stormed to power with a landslide victory in the assembly elections.

Unlike previous years when local body polls were staid, a lot of heat has been generated this time with major political parties contesting on election symbol.

The BJP has deployed its central leaders to woo the masses.

Not to be left behind, the Congress, too, is pushing its central leaders to campaign, ostensibly to retrieve some of the lost ground with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls approaching.

The BJP has asked its Union ministers and MPs to move to their respective constituencies, while the Congress has given specific responsibilities to senior leaders such as former Union minister Jitin Prasad, Sanjay Singh and Salman Khurshid to hit the campaign trail along with state party president Raj Babbar and parliamentarian Pramod Tewari, Congress spokesman Dwijendra Tripathi told PTI.

Congress national general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the AICC in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, has been asked to fine tune the campaign and tour various districts.

Former central minister Pradip Jain has been made Congress's mayoral candidate from Jhansi.

While Union home minister and local MP Rajnath Singh dashed to his constituency to address a local body level workers' meet yesterday, Union ministers VK Singh and Santosh Gangwar are already campaigning in Ghaziabad and Bareilly, their respective constituencies.

Both the BJP and the Congress have released their poll manifesto and have also set up election rooms in their party headquarters, virtually treating the battle of ballots no less than a assembly or a Lok Sabha poll.

Unlike these two national parties, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP are relying on their state-level leaders to garner support for their respective candidates with their central leaders preferring to stay in the background.

The SP has already said that its chief Akhilesh Yadav will not be taking active part in campaigns, leaving their senior leaders to manage the electioneering.

BSP chief Mayawati convened a meeting of senior party members and issued necessary directives for the elections.

As per the election schedule, 24 districts will go to polls on November 22, while 25 districts on November 26, and 26 districts on November 29.

More than 3.32 crore voters would exercise their franchise at 36,269 polling booths and 11,389 polling stations. Counting of votes for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats will take place on December 1.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four bodies were found in the streets of a Nairobi slum today with the discovery sparking clashes in a city on edge after clashes between opposition supporters and police turned deadly.

The bodies of three men and a woman were found in the city's Mathare slum, one of several flashpoint areas where violence erupted during last month's disputed presidential election re-run, which was largely boycotted by the opposition.

It was not immediately clear how they had died, but the discovery fanned tensions, coming just days after three people were shot dead by police in a nearby suburb as thousands of opposition supporters turned out in support of their leader, Raila Odinga.

"We have launched an investigation into the murders of the four people killed in Mathare Area 1. We are yet to establish how they were killed," a senior police official told AFP at the scene.

He said angry residents, who claimed the violence was ethnically driven, had set fire to two buses and another vehicle, with police sealing off the area.

Locals blamed the deaths on the Mungiki, a feared gang known for running protection rackets and violently defending tribal business interests.

Its members come from the Kikuyu tribe of President Uhuru Kenyatta, and many of them live in the Mathare slum alongside ethnic Luo or Luhya, who largely back Odinga.

The bodies were discovered a day before Kenya's Supreme Court was to rule on whether Kenyatta can be sworn in for a second term or if there must be another re-run.

Although Kenyatta won the October 26 vote with 98 per cent of the votes cast, the ballot was boycotted by Odinga and marred by low turnout and violent protests.

The vote was the chaotic climax of two months of political drama after the Supreme Court overturned Kenyatta's victory in an initial August 8 poll over widespread irregularities and mismanagement by the IEBC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US credit rating agency Moody's upgrade of India's ranking is in sharp contrast with the mood of the people, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said today.

Without naming the government, Sibal said it should worry about the "loss of livelihood of millions" during its tenure rather than basking in the glory of the upgrade.

Taking to Twitter, Sibal said the agency talks about "sunshine tomorrow", while people are worried about the "dark clouds" of today.

"Contrast the mood at Moody's with the mood of the people. While you bask under their upgrade worry about livelihood millions have lost," he tweeted.

US-based Moody's yesterday 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Maharashtra government has appointed noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special government pleader in the case of alleged custodial death of a robbery accused in Sangli district.

"I and the Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) have personally spoken to Ujjwal Nikam and conveyed the sentiments of the bereaved family. He has in-principle agreed to our request and so we have appointed him as the special government pleader in the case," Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Rural) Deepak Kesarkar told PTI.

Aniket Kothale, who was arrested by Sangli City Police on November 6 along with another man in a robbery case, died in police custody.

Seven police personnel were suspended in connection with the case.

The police had allegedly tried to burn his body twice to destroy evidence. Six people, including five personnel of Sangli city police station, were arrested in this regard.

"The Law and Judiciary department will now send him a formal appointment letter and the case will begin in due course," Kesarkar said.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Director General of Police seeking a detailed report within four weeks in connection with the custodial death.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COLUMBUS  Margot the wonder car has been treating me quite well. The two of us have been gallivanting around Columbus and other regions.

Gone are the days of worrying about where Im going to break down, or if Im going to break down. The radio works, unlike the last car, which means I have been spreading the love of my old-school metal music to those within earshot of my travels. No more having to crawl through the passenger side to open the drivers door, either.

Oh, life has been nice.

That is until the other night when I ran over a skunk while heading back to the office from Central Community College.

Side note: When I was little and the sun went down, my parents would tell me the earthly lamp was going to see our friends across the pond. Its a beautiful way to think about it, really.

At any rate, I was heading back to town from the college and I saw a skunk that had met an early demise on the side of the road. Wonderful. So I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable olfactory alarm of its presence. Thats really all you can do when you come across natures stink bombs. A car was coming from the other direction, so I had three choices:

1. I could weave into the other lane and test fate to miss the skunk. This would have been fine if the other motorist wasnt as close to me as they happened to be.

2. I could slow down and wait for them to pass me, then resort to Option 1.

3. Stay my course and just hope for the best. The skunk's body was close enough to the edge of the road that I had enough room to not give it a second blow.

The third option was selected, which would have been fine except I misjudged the distance.

My vehicle rolled directly over the poor pal and a few things happened at the same time.

The motorist going the other direction passed me in a leisurely fashion and went about their night. I also realized the skunk was quite a bit fresher than I previously imagined. It was as if a big balloon of horror exploded on my car. The same green cloud that followed Pepe le Pew around during his jaunts was all around me.

So I continued back to the office, mentally thanking God that no pedestrians were about.

Once I got off work, I drove around Columbus for about an hour with all the windows down and doing what I call laugh crying."

Laugh crying is what people do when they are overwhelmed by a situation they have no control over. Sure, I could have waited for the other car to go by. Im not blaming them. I made my choice. But all I could do was laugh cry out of frustration.

Margot spent the night with the windows cracked as I thought that would help the below-freezing weather aerate the interior. I understand this could only go so far, but I didnt have the time to buy a few barrels of tomato juice to soak my vehicle.

Days passed and the skunk smell subsided, but its memory will live on forever. Rest in peace, champ. And Im sorry for making your death a little worse.
Disgruntled BJP workers today held a protest at the party's state unit headquarters in Gandhinagar over the BJP's choice of candidates for the next month's Gujarat polls.

The BJP has so far announced 106 candidates out of a total of 182 seats by releasing two lists.

While some workers were angry over renomination of sitting MLAs, others demanded that the newly announced candidates be replaced if the party wanted to avoid "defeat" in the polls, scheduled to be held in two phases next month.

BJP MP from Patan threatened to resign if his son is not given ticket to contest.

Hundreds of party workers from Nandod (ST), Nikol, Naroda, Kheralu and Anklav seats reached the BJP headquarters "Kamalam" to "warn" the BJP of consequences if their demands were not accommodated.

Workers from Narmada district opposed renomination of sitting Nandod (ST) MLA Shabdsharan Tadvi, saying his "popularity has gone down over years".

"The party's decision to renominate Tadvi could cost dearly in the polls as his popularity has hit rock bottom in the last five years," claimed Narmada district BJP secretary Karansinh Parmar.

He accused Tadvi of not bringing development to the constituency in the last five years.

"As a sitting MLA, Tadvi neither visited villages nor did he bring any developmental work (to the constituency). Despite he lacking any ground connect, the party has decided to repeat him," Parmar told reporters outside "Kamalam".

"We all have come here to warn the party leaders that if he is going to contest, the BJP will be eliminated from Narmada district this time," he said.

Parmar said the BJP workers wanted to replace Tadvi with a "capable" candidate to avoid defeat.

BJP workers and leaders from Kheralu seat in Mehasana, Nikol and Naroda seats in Ahmedabad and from Anklav in Anand district also gathered at the party headquarters.

Some of them even raised slogans against the candidates selected by the BJP and demanded their replacement.

BJP has renominated Bharatsinh Dabhi and Jagdish Panchal, sitting MLAs for Kheralu and Nikol seats respectively, for the polls. Panchal also heads the Ahmedabad city BJP unit.

The BJP has selected Balram Thavani for the Naroda seat, overlooking the claims of sitting BJP MLA and Gujarat minister Nirmala Wadhvani.

The party has fielded Hansakuvarba Raj, a woman, from Anklav seat, currently represented by Congress MLA Amit Chavda.

Angered over Jagdish Panchal's renomination for Nikol, a Patel-dominated area, several party workers rushed to "Kamalam" with banners demanding his removal.

"Panchal is known for his dictatorial style of working. Though we had made several representations to the party leaders about Panchal, he is given ticket once again. If he is going to contest, the BJP will definitely bite the dust from Nikol," a BJP worker said.

Youth BJP workers are unhappy with the selection of Balram Thavani, a Sindhi, from Naroda seat currently held by Nirmala Wadhwani, who also belongs to the Sindhi community.

"Though Naroda is a Hindu-dominated seat, the BJP has been giving tickets only to Sindhis since long. Though we have urged the party to give ticket to a Hindu this time, our demand is not met. Youth BJP workers may refrain from election if Thavani is not changed," a party leader from Naroda said.

Opposing Hansakuvarba Raj's candidature from Anklav seat, a BJP leader said she is not known to any party workers in the constituency.

"Hansakuvarba Raj is a school teacher and she is not known to any of the party worker of Anklav, which is held by a strong Congress MLA at present. The BJP should have refrained from allotting ticket to such a weak candidate. If she is not replaced, the party workers will not campaign in Anklav," he said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani exuded confidence that BJP workers will start working for the party after venting their anger.

"Though they are protesting against ticket allocation at present, they will get back to work once they are done with venting their anger," Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar.

BJP's election campaign committee chief Kaushik Patel, also exuded confidence that the issues will be sorted soon.

"Some party workers have come here to make a representation. We have listened to them. BJP's campaign is going in full swing. With the support of party workers and people, we will win over 150 seats," Patel told reporters at the party headquarters.

In Bhuj in Kutch district, several supporters of Gandhidham (SC) MLA Ramesh Maheshwari held protests against selection of his relative Maltiben Maheshwari, as a result of which the party office was closed.

As many as 22 BJP councillors of the Gandhidham municipality rushed to Bhuj and tendered their resignation from the party's primary membership in support of Ramesh Maheshwari.

BJP's Patan MP Liladhar Vaghela said he would resign if his son is not given ticket for Deesa seat in Banaskantha, currently held by Congress MLA Gova Rabari.

"I had made an appeal to my party that my son Dilip should be given ticket for Deesa seat. I am confident that my appeal will be accepted. But, if they do not give ticket to my son, I will give my resignation," Vaghela told reporters in Patan today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Domestic stainless steel production will reach the 3.6-million tonne mark at the end of 2017, industry body ISSDA has said.

If the output crosses that level, it will be about 9 per cent more than last year's.

"The production of stainless steel in the country at the end of the calendar year 2016 was 3.3 million tonne," President of Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) K K Pahuja told PTI, citing data collected by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).

"At present, we (the industry) are growing at a rate of 8-9 per cent year-on-year," he added.

The growth is in response to the rising demand for stainless steel, mainly from sectors such as auto, roads and highways, housing and the like, the industry veteran said, adding that the demand will keep rising every year.

Besides, protectionist measures imposing a definitive Countervailing Duty (CVD) on certain stainless steel products from China have helped the industry, he said.

The government had removed the import duty on nickel, a key material required to produce stainless steel. Now, the steel ministry wants the import duty on ferro-nickel and stainless steel scrap to be removed.

This will further bring down the production cost of stainless steel in the country, he added.

For 2018, the domestic stainless industry is expected to produce close to 4 million tonnes.

India is the second-largest producer of stainless steel after it overtook Japan in 2016. China remains the leader.
Dozens of prisoners were freed by Afghan special forces during a raid on a Taliban jail in southern Afghanistan, officials said today.

Up to 30 civilians and police were rescued from the prison in Helmand province, where the militants have a large presence, during the operation late last night.

Among those released were four teenagers, Helmand police spokesman Abdul Salam Afghan told AFP.

Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, commander of the Afghan National Army's 215 Corps, said 20 civilians who had been chained up and "a number of police" were sprung from the jail in Nawzad district.

The inmates had been accused by the Taliban of "committing various crimes", Ahmadzai added.

In a statement the Taliban said the prisoners were all criminals.

The Taliban operates its own courts and prisons in areas under its control. While punishments can be harsh the system is often seen as being more efficient and less corrupt than the official one.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It's the duty of a car manufacturer to remove the defects in a vehicle and make it roadworthy, the apex consumer commission has said while asking Maruti Suzuki India Limited to refund the price of one of its models to a customer for failing to rectify the complaint.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) asked the automobile major to refund Rs 3,30,710 to Andhra Pradesh resident Dr K S Kishore while dismissing the revision plea of the car company challenging a state commission order.

"It was the duty of the opposite party (Maruti) to take steps to remove the defects and provide the vehicle to the complainants in a roadworthy condition. From the facts and circumstances on record, it is made out that the OP-2 (Maruti) failed in the task to provide the vehicle in a roadworthy condition to the complainants," a bench, headed by presiding member B C Gupta, said.

It said there was no reason to differ with the state commission's order that the dealer did carry out repairs in the vehicle as per the job cards, but was not able to remove the defects and the entire liability to pay the amount fell on the company only.

According to the complaint, Kishore purchased an Alto LX 800 car on January 10, 2003 for Rs 3,30,710 from the dealer Mithra Agencies.

It was alleged that the car had intermittent jerky running in second, third and fourth gear positions and giving out a harsh noise from gear box assembly system.

However, the defects in the vehicle could not be removed despite several visits to the workshop of the dealer.

The district forum allowed the complaint and asked the company and the dealer to refund the amount along with Rs 25,000 compensation and Rs 2,000 as litigation cost.

The dealer denied any deficiency on its part saying there was no defect in the car or its engine and that the noise as alleged by the complainant could be due to defective driving.

The state commission allowed the appeal of the dealer and asked the car manufacturer to refund the amount. It also gave partial respite to Maruti by setting aside the compensation amount of Rs 25,000 but upheld Rs 2,000 litigation cost.

The NCDRC rejected the man's revision petition for enhancement of compensation and upheld the state commission's order.
Dynasty is a "lazy" word coined to describe succession in politics, but public representatives have to ultimately go back and get elected, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said today.

He said the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not launch a dynasty, and that the people who overwhelmingly voted for then premier Indira Gandhi in 1971, threw her out of power in 1977.

Ramesh was speaking at a discussion on 'Remembering Indira Commemorating Her Centenary' at the Tata Litfest 2017 here.

"Did Nehru launch a dynasty? No. Did Mrs Gandhi select her successor? Well, it appears that she did select her successor, but my views on dynasty in politics are somewhat different. I think ultimately, people (public representatives) have to go back and get elected," he said.

"People are accountable. And the same electorate which gave Mrs Gandhi a huge mandate in 1971, threw her out in 1977. And the same electorate brought her back in 1980.

"Dynasty is a lazy word coined to describe succession in politics. There is accountability, you go back to the people," the former Union minister said.

A debate on 'dynastic politics' came to the fore after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, in an interaction with students of the University of California in Berkeley recently, said India was run by dynasties. He cited examples of some regional political parties and even Bollywood to back his claim.

The BJP had slammed the Congress scion for his remarks and said merit, not dynasty, drove India's robust democracy.

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Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested early today by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in Palk Strait off Katchatheevu.

The fishermen from this island town and Mandapam were arrested by the Lankan Naval personnel while they were fishing near Katchatheevu and taken to Kaarainagar in the island nation, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Mandapam, Gopinath said.

Two boats were also seized, the official said adding fishing nets of 50 boats that had ventured from here were snapped by the island nation's authorities.

Ten fishermen from Thideer Kuppam village in Nagapattinam district were on November 17 arrested by the Lankan Navy when they were allegedly fishing near Neduntheevu in the island nation waters.

So far 117 fishermen have been arrested in the last three months.

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A letter written and signed by German scientist Albert Einstein - asking a wealthy businessman to donate his money to aid Jewish intellectuals who were fleeing from Hitler's regime in Germany - is up for auction in the US and may fetch up to USD 10,000.

As German dictator Adolf Hitler's anti-Jewish regulations and segregatory laws forced thousands out of their jobs and thus, out of their country, the international community saw an influx of well-educated immigrants, trained in a variety of distinguished jobs in civil service, university and legal positions, and scientific research fields.

Countless organisations were founded to help integrate these highly valuable new citizens upon their arrival, an integral part of the Allied effort.

Einstein, the most notable Jewish scientist to rebuild his life in America, worked on behalf of dozens of such organisations, including the American Council for Emigres in the Professions.

In a stamped personal letterhead dated April 3, 1951, Einstein wrote to Joseph Halle Schaffner - a wealthy director of the clothing manufacturer Hart, Schaffner & Marx, who was looking for of a worthy cause to which he could donate, according to the RR Auctions.

"It is well known that the refugee intellectuals of the Hitler persecution have nearly all found opportunity for work in this country," Einstein wrote.

"However, many of them were already middle-aged when they arrived and there are emergency cases produced by illness and old age which constitute a permanent worry for those of us who are in a more favourable position," he wrote.

"It may be known to you that there exists a Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars, headed by Mrs Else Staudinger, which has successfully tried to mitigate this situation," he added.

Founded by dean of the New School for Social Research, Hans Staudinger, and his wife Elsa, the Council was established specifically to support scientists and intellectuals, moving beyond simple job placement to handle ongoing needs, including medical attention.

"I believe there could be no more satisfactory use for the money than to give it in the form of a private foundation to this organisation with the proviso that the funds should be used for such emergency cases of old age and illness," Einstein wrote.

"If you should decide according to this suggestion you would produce something good and worthwhile and earn the gratitude of all concerned," he added.

By the end of the 1950s, the Council had helped more than 3,000 refugees secure jobs and live healthy, productive lives, the online auction house said.

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National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today accused the BJP and the RSS of playing communal politics and claimed that they want to "fragment India".

He also accused the RSS ofcolluding with the British during India's freedom struggle.

"By promoting and playing communal politics, the RSS and its off-shoots, including the BJP, are hell bent to fragment India into bits and pieces," Abdullah said in his address to the office bearers and prominent leaders of NC Students Union at the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan here.

Abdullah accused that BJP of indulging in "divisive politics" and decried attempts of "sowing seeds of hatred and mistrust" among various communities for petty political gains.

"Onus lies on the youth of the country to sensitise the people against the polarising and communal politics of the BJP, RSS and its affiliated organisations," he said, adding that communal divide is against the idea of India and its ethos.

The NC President said that Jammu and Kashmir had preferred to be a part of a secular India and not theocratic Pakistan, as the people believed that religion alone was not a binding force.

"This was proved beyond any doubt in the wake of the creation of Bangladesh," he said.

The former J&K chief minister advised the youth to get acquainted with the history of the country and the state, saying it will help them in analysing political developments in the right perspective.

"The history has unfortunately been distorted and the version the young minds are being fed is far from facts," he alleged.

Abdullah said the people of the state are not asking anything beyond the promises made and the National Conference is prepared to have positive discussions over autonomy.

"I had made it amply clear to (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley, when he was designated as representative of the NDA Government during Atal Behari Vajpayee's tenure to study the J&K Autonomy Report that either get convinced over the document or convince us as to what was wrong in the autonomy document that jeopardises the national interest," Abdullah said.

He said the youth have to be catalyst of change and the National Conference will provide an appropriate platform to them and harness their energies in productive pursuits in the field of governance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fathers in India are increasingly getting involved in everyday parenting, a recent survey has found.

The survey, conducted by Mumbai-based Podar Institute of Education, also found that though fathers are getting more involved in parenting but a majority of them cannot do it alone and need the help of their wives.

"The findings dispel many of the conventional notions about parenting which put mothers in the spotlight. A common complain of mothers is that fathers are not involved in everyday parenting and that they have to bear the burden alone," said the research, in which 4,800 fathers were surveyed.

According to the survey, 70 per cent fathers are now making a conscious effort to reduce their travel for work in order to spend more time with their children and at least 65 per cent fathers spend two or more hours every day with their children.

They are now aware of which school the child attends or which class and even attend their open house and events, the survey said.

However, there is still some scope of improvement by fathers in giving time, learning to discipline their children and helping children with school work, it said.

The survey also found that only 33 per cent spend time doing household chores or reading to their children.

Eighty-eight per cent of fathers need their wife around when they take children out and only 12 per cent are confident to go out alone with their children, the survey said.

Many fathers are not so involved in helping around the house or in household chores and most are not happy with the amount of time they are able to spend with their kids, it said.

Dr Swati Popat Vats, President, Early Childhood Association, feels that these results are a good sign that children today are benefiting by equal involvement of both parents and this will be good for the overall emotional development and emotional intelligence in children.

Erik Erikson, a pioneer in the world of child psychology, said that a father's love and a mother's love are qualitatively different.

"Fathers love more dangerously because their love is more expectant and instrumental than a mother's love. A father brings unique contributions to the job of parenting a child that no one else can replicate," he said.

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A major fire broke out in the Tibba Police Post falling under the Jodhewal police station here today, police said.

Eight motor bikes and a large quantity of yarn, all case property which was kept in the police post, were burnt, said police post in-charge Assistant Sub Inspector Kapil Sharma.

It took more than two hours to control the flames with the help of fire fighting units of the Ludhiana fire brigade.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, police said.

Goods were lying in open in the premises of the police post, an officer of the fire department said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Grizzly bear activity along the Rocky Mountain Front continues in October as Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear specialists have captured one bear just south of Choteau eating fruit near homes and are looking for another bear that has been coming into town also looking for food.
Air warriors of the Indian Air Force (IAF) today paid floral tributes to Corporal Jyoti Prakash, who was martyred in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district.

"The martyr hails from Badiladih village in Bihar's Rohtas district. He attained martyrdom during an encounter with militants at Hajin in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday," a defence release said.

The 31-year-old corporal, a memberof the Garud Special Forces of the IAF, is survived by his wife Sushma Nand and three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

The mortal remains of the martyr were flown to his native place with full military honours, the release said.

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As the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film "Padmavati" continued to simmer, a fringe group today targeted actress Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone "burning her alive".

Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone, who plays legendary Rajput queen Padmavati in the movie, and Bhansali at Damodar Swarup park here and shouted slogans against them.

They also took out a march to the collectorate office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding a ban on the release of the movie.

ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. We demand that office-bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."



Asked about Bhuvneshwar Singh's threatening remarks, Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sahjawan said a report had been sought in this regard.

"We have sought a report from the policemen on duty. Thereafter, action will be taken," he said.

"Padmavati" has been facing protests over the alleged "distortion of historical facts" in the film.

Earlier this year, Bhansali was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

Padukone and Bhansali have also received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai police.

Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.

(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.)
Elaborate security arrangements are being made ahead of the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 scheduled to begin here from November 28.

The event is to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, who will lead the US delegation to the Summit.

According to senior police officials of Hyderabad and Cyberabad Commissionerates, security is being stepped up in the city and they have already undertaken security checks around the venue of the summit besides conducting door-to-door searches around the Falaknuma Palace, where a dinner is being organised for the delegates.

"Special Protection Group (SPG) and US Secret Services officials have already visited the city and reviewed security arrangements and they are again coming to monitor and finalise the arrangements," the officials told PTI.

Apart from commandos of Greyhounds -- an elite anti-Naxal force and OCTOPUS - elite anti-terrorist force, over 1,500 police personnel will be deployed and another 300 personnel will also be deployed near the Summit's venue located under Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, a senior police official said.

Around 1,500 delegates from across the World are expected to participate in the Summit.

Another senior police official attached to Hyderabad Police Commissionerate said over 2,000 police personnel will be deployed around Falaknuma Palace and already door-to-door searches (in around 3,500 houses in surrounding areas of the Palace) has been conducted.

"We have sanitised the areas and we have instructed the citizens of the localities not to give shelter to strangers in their houses...the people are supporting the security measures," the official said.

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Actor-playwright Girish Karnad was today conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of theatre.

Karnad, who has been writing plays, often using history and mythology to tackle contemporary issues, has had his works translated into various Indian languages and helmed by directors like Ebrahim Alkazi, B V Karanth and Alyque Padamsee among others.

At the eighth edition of Tata Literature Live! here, the 79-year-old playwright, famously known for writing 'Tughalak', spoke on the topic 'Playing on Twenty Tongues' after receiving the honour.

"As a Kannada playwright, I have an identity. I know my audience, my language. As an Indian playwright, immediately my identity becomes fluid. It changes from one part to another. Is this a handicap? No.

"That's what makes me richer and I hope if this kind of fluidity is constant, it can make the interpretation and reception of my plays richer. This award is a recognition of the great fortune that I've had, that I was there when Indian literature was taking shape," Karnad said.

The veteran actor-writer spoke of, how with Konkani as a mother tongue, studying in Marathi medium in the initial years, he moved to Sirsi, Karnataka and eventually became fond of English literature in college.

Karnad said he was surprised how one day he just started writing and ended up finishing his first play, entirely in Kannada.

At the LitFest awards event, several other top honours were also given. Tata Trusts' Big Little Book Awards', for Author in Bengali Children's Literature, went to Nabaneeta Dev Sen.

This year, in its second edition, 'BLBA' recognised champions of Bengali children's literature.

"In today's world, books are fighting for children's attention. Technology and other recreational activities like music are taking precedence over a more conventional form, that is reading," Nabaneeta said.

"It's important to reignite children's imaginations with books and encourage more publishers to invest their time and energies towards children's literature. Overall, I am thrilled to receive this award," she added.

'Big Little Book Award' for illustration went to Proiti Roy, who said, the honour "means a lot, not just to me but all the children's book illustrators in India, to realise the work and get this kind of appreciation."



At the function, 'Business Book of the Year' award went to the book 'Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service', by YV Reddy.

'First book of the year', non-fiction went to 'Indica: A Deep Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent' by Pranay Lal, while the fiction award went to Prayaag Akbar's 'Leila'.

Book of the year, non-fiction, went to 'Age of Anger: A History of the Present' by Pankaj Mishra, whereas the fiction top honour was bagged by Easterine Kire's 'Son of the Thundercloud'.

The 'Publisher of the Year' award went to Penguin Random House. The four-day LitFest concluded with a performance by sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan.

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Three global public health experts have asked governments to make major commitments to fund the research in combating tuberculosis, noting that efforts to curb the "world's deadliest infectious disease" remain underfunded.

Mel Spigelman, President and CEO, TB Alliance, Catharina Boehme, CEO of FIND, an international non-profit organisation and Jacqueline Shea, CEO, AERAS, also a nonprofit biotechnology organisation developing new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines, have made a strong pitch for promoting research in fighting the disease.

Their remarks come following the World Health Organisation's ministerial meeting, which was recently held in Moscow, where health ministers, diplomats and other representatives met to discuss tuberculosis.

According to the WHO, in 2016, 10.4 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.7 million died from the disease (including 0.4 million among people with HIV).

Over 95 per cent of TB deaths occur in low-and middle- income countries and seven countries account for 64 per cent of the total, with India leading the count, followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, and South Africa.

"While the meeting in Moscow will inform future discourse on TB, it must also serve as a springboard toward decisive action against the disease," the three experts said in a statement.

"TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease and efforts to curb it remain underfunded. We are calling on governments to make major commitments to fund the R&D that will end TB once and for all," their statement said.

They said there were 10.4 million new cases of active TB in 2016 -- of which only 6 million were diagnosed and notified -- while drug-resistant infections are on the rise.

There remains a dire need for better, faster-acting drugs, a new vaccine, and technologies that quickly diagnose TB and determine the degree of drug-resistance, the experts said.

"Science is not holding us back, funding and political will to implement is," they said.

The WHO estimates that R&D budgets need more than USD 1 billion annually to turn around the odds of patients potentially losing years of their lives to a toxic treatment course, missing the opportunity for treatment due to poor diagnostics, or contracting TB in the first place because of an ineffective vaccine.

The WHO also reports that despite accounting for about 2 per cent of deaths globally, TB receives only 0.25 per cent of the estimated USD 265 billion spent worldwide on medical research each year.

"Simply put, TB science is woefully underfunded. Governments must work together to dramatically reshape the investment landscape," the statement of the experts said.

They maintained that there is no vaccine that can effectively play a major role in eliminating this disease.

"Today, the Bacillus CalmetteGurin vaccine is the only TB vaccine available. It is nearly a century old, only moderately effective in preventing severe TB in infants and young children, and it does not adequately protect teens and adults, who are most at risk for developing and spreading TB," the experts said.

Noting that progress has been made but greater commitment is needed, they said there are 12 different TB vaccine candidates in clinical trials today, a significant increase from 2000, when there were zero.

Data from multiple mid- and late-stage efficacy trials will become available over the next 3 years, providing data that will help optimise and accelerate TB vaccine development.

But it will take a significant increase in resources to achieve critical breakthroughs and to reach success quickly, they said.

"At first glance, the TB diagnostics pipeline looks healthy. However, emerging game-changers are at risk due to underfunding at the clinical trial stage.

"In addition, very few diagnostic candidates would address the most critical need -- a point of care test for primary care facilities. Diversification of the point of care pipeline, and identification of new biomarkers are urgently needed," they added.

Union minister J P Nadda, who had also taken part in the conference in Moscow, had said there that over 30 million tuberculosis patients residing in remote areas in India have been screened as part of special campaigns. He had asserted India's commitment to eliminate the disease by 2025.

The health minister had said the country has already eradicated polio, and will use similar intensified efforts to end tuberculosis (TB).

India is a major manufacturer of anti-TB drugs for the world, having almost an 80 per cent global market share, he had said.

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Glowing tributes were paid to the country's first woman prime minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary today with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi leading the remembrances.

Describing Indira as "one of the greatest" prime ministers, Sonia Gandhi said there was only one religion for the late Congress leader -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

Former president Pranab Mukherjee, ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and his cousin -- BJP MP Varun Gandhi also remembered Indira Gandhi, often described as the 'Iron Lady of India'.

Tributes were also paid in Parliament's Central Hall, where Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, BJP veteran L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and MoS Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel were in attendance.

"Nation remembers former Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary #PresidentKovind," Kovind tweeted.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Modi said, "Tributes to former PM Mrs Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary."



The Congress president said Indira Gandhi fought for secularism and against all those forces seeking to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.

"For her, as the prime minister, there was one religion, a sacred creed passionately held -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," Sonia said at a photo exhibition organised in the memory of the late leader at 1, Safdarjung Road.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated at the Safdarjung Road bungalow, her official residence, by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi took pride in India's rich diversity and its democratic and secular values.

The former prime minister also fought for India's dignity and independence as a sovereign nation, against the dominance of superpowers, she said.

"And not only for India, but for all countries that resisted colonial and post-colonial forms of hegemony," Sonia added.

Terming Indira as a leader of "courage and conviction", Mukherjee listed several of her decisions and stands she took on various issues, including Operation Blue Star and nationalisation of banks as a prime minister.

He also sought to underscore that the late leader was very concerned about promises made to the people and their actual delivery.

"She provided this by emphasising that the Congress must stick to its ideology," he said during his address.

To drive his point that her memory cannot be erased, Mukherjee invoked late British politician Michael Foot who in 1978 had said, "The Indira Gandhi story has not come to an end after the defeat in general elections of 1977 as many people believe she is doomed forever.

"I can tell them, many more glorious chapters are going to be added in her new innings," the former president quoted Foot as having said.

Mukherjee said, "In her death, she left a message to the people of this country and to the whole world: a commitment to the people can never be killed by any power, however strong it may be."



Mukherjee, Singh and Rahul paid floral tributes to her early in the morning at her memorial, 'Shakti Sthal', as well.

Rahul described his grandmother as his mentor and guide. "I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100," he tweeted.

Varun also hailed the Congress stalwart, calling her "a mother to this nation". "'Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently'. To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you Dadi...I know you always watch over us," Varun said in a tweet.

He also tweeted a picture in which the former prime minister is seen holding him, then a child, in her lap.

Congress' communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter that she worked tirelessly "to shape a new future" for the country.

Indira Gandhi was born on this day in 1917 in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.

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are now shifting their focus to European nations from traditional Gulf countries, a preferred route for illegal ferrying of the yellow metal, to avoid suspicion of Indian customs authorities, officials said.

Recent cases of gold seizure show that smugglers are opting for the European route and newer modus operandi, they said.

There is a strict vigil on the passengers coming from Gulf countries to check any attempt of gold smuggling. However, flights coming from European countries do not see such strict checks.

"There are cases of gold smuggling involving passengers coming from European sector. It means that the smugglers are now opting for this route to bring gold. It is a new trend witnessed by us," a senior customs official said.

A senior citizen couple -- man (67) and woman (65) were arrested by the customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country 995 grams of gold valued at Rs 25.54 lakh on November 10. They had come from Frankfurt.

In another case, a male passenger, who had come from London, was arrested on November 2, for allegedly smuggling over one kilogram gold, 400 grams of which were concealed in rectum. The gold valuing about Rs 30 lakh was seized and the person was arrested.

Last month too, a male passenger was arrested for illegally carrying over two kilogram gold (valuing Rs 66 lakh). He had come from Paris.

Another case of gold smuggling was registered last month in which the accused had come from Italy and was arrested for allegedly smuggling over 1.5 kg of gold, worth Rs 45.23 lakh.

Not only Delhi, some other international airports of the country are also witnessing such trends, the official said.

The demand of gold has been traditionally high in the country as people prefer to invest in it for better returns.

At least 110 kg of gold, valued at Rs 37 crore, has been seized from smugglers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here from January till October this year, according to the customs officials.

In 2016, 110 cases were registered by the customs in which a whopping 188 kg gold, valued at Rs 48 crore, was seized, they said.

The customs officials maintain high vigil at the Delhi airport as it is one of the entry points in the country which registers maximum number of cases of gold smuggling.
The government has accepted a high-level committee's recommendation of increasing by over three per cent the quota of private tour operators sending Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

The high-level committee formed by the government to frame draft 'Haj Policy 2018-2022' had made the recommendation last month.

The committee had recommended that the quota of private tour operators be increased from the present 26.47 per cent to 30 per cent.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has confirmed that the panel's suggestion has been accepted.

India has an annual Haj quota of 1.70 lakh.

Out of this, according to the allocation for 2017, 1.25 lakh pilgrims could travel to Saudi Arabia through the Haj Committee of India (HCoI).

The private tour operators (PTOs) could transport 45,000 devotees.

The revision of the quota allocation now will mean that 51,000 devotees can travel through the PTOs.

Remaining 1.19 lakh devotees can undertake the journey through the HCoI.

"We have accepted the recommendation. It is a logical recommendation which has been accepted after studying each aspect of the issue including that of interests of the pilgrims," Naqvi said.

He also said that the categories of PTOs have been increased to three from two.

The private players are categorised based on the number of years they have facilitated pilgrims (more the number of years of operation, higher the category they are put in).

Those, who have successfully completed at least seven years of operations, are put in category 1.

According to a source in the ministry, the allocation revision "should not make much of a difference" for devotees given the Haj subsidy is being gradually reduced in view of a 2012 Supreme Court order.

As per the apex court's order, the subsidy is to be abolished gradually till 2022.

"Earlier people would seek to go through the HCoI because they would get subsidy. Now the subsidy is being gradually lowered since 2012," a source said.

"So, it should not make much of a difference to the devotees whether they undertake the journey either through the HCoI or PTOs in future," the source added.

The source also said that the ministry plans to ensure stricter regulations to see pilgrims are not troubled by PTOs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki today said he would not contest the next month's polls even as he dismissed reports that he was not happy with the party high command over the selection of candidates.

His announcement assumes significance against the backdrop of the delay on the part of the Congress in releasing its first list of candidates for the assembly polls.

The deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, ends on November 21.

The ruling BJP has already declared names of 106 out of 182 seats by releasing two lists so far.

"I have declared it earlier and I am declaring it today as well that I will not fight Gujarat assembly elections," Solanki said.

On reports that he was not happy with the party top brass over distribution of tickets, Solanki said it is not true.

"Some people started the campaign against me that I am not happy with the party high command and had left the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting half way in Delhi (last week) to return to the state," he told reporters.

Stating that he is "not unhappy with the party high command", Solanki said he returned to Gujarat as he had some important work at hand regarding electioneering.

"The party has done so much for me. I have won two Lok Sabha polls and has handled three ministry with independent charge. I was elected as an MLA thrice," he said.

When asked if he has ruled himself out of the chief minister's race if Congress is voted to power, Solanki said it is the discretion of the party high command to decide the chief minister.

Asked why he went to his home in Borsad straightway from Delhi if he was not unhappy with the party, Solnaki said he went there because he had not visited his home for the last three and half months.

The CEC meeting, chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi, was held in Delhi on November 17.

Solanki said he would help Congress win maximum seats in the polls as he is a loyal soldier of the party.

He said the first list of the Congress candidates is likely to be out tonight.

Even though only two days are left to file nominations for the first phase of the polls, the Congress is yet to announce its nominees as the party is trying to strike the delicate caste balance while doing the quota tight rope and grappling internal factionalism.

When asked if the Congress will give tickets to members of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), he replied in affirmative.

"Though PAAS members have not asked for tickets, the Congress will give them tickets in the interest of the party," he said.

Regarding the Congress' seat-sharing agreement with the NCP and the Sharad Yadav faction of JD (U), Solanki said that talks are on and the outcome is awaited.
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 yesterday 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.

Hariri's announcement follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after his surprise decision to step down on November 4.

His failure to return to Lebanon since then 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, without saying if Hariri had confirmed his resignation to Macron.

The French president 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".

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.

Hariri's mysterious decision to step down -- which 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, a dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh's backing, 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.

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.

In another development, Riyadh yesterday 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".

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 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.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union health ministry is planning to issue an advisory to all states on the health risks of electronic smoking, even as it is in a quandary over which legal provisions it should be banned under.

The advisory is likely to mention that products such as e-cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), nicotine and flavoured hookah are extremely harmful to health and that they have not been approved in any form by the ministry of health and family welfare.

Also, as recommended by an expert group, the import, manufacture, distribution, sale, including online promotion, advertising etc. in any manner of nontherapautic nicotine as an extract or in chemical form and e-cigarettes, remains illegal and a violation of existing laws.

"The public will be advised, in their own interest, not to use any such products, sold or marketed in any form and under any name or brand," a senior ministry official said.

According to the senior health ministry official, the health ministry is in quandary over whether to ban e- cigarettes under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, or the Poisons Act 1919.

Some states, including Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Kerala, Mizoram, Karnataka, and Jammu and Kashmir have already banned e-cigarettes as an unapproved drug.

While all of them have banned it under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, some have added the Poisons Act, 1919.

"Nicotine has been declared as a lethal and hazardous substance under the Environment (Protection) Act and Insecticide Act," the official said.

In 2013, the Ministry of Health had formed an expert group to assess and report on various forms of "Nicotine Delivery Devices".

The expert group in its final report in July this year stated that scientific evidence clearly indicates that any form of use of nicotine or the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) is hazardous.

It also said that, besides, causing many forms of health disorders, nicotine is also classified as a poison and is fatal for human beings even in small dosage.

Three sub-committees formed to examine the legal, advocacy and health aspects of e-cigarettes had strongly recommended a ban on them, stating that they have cancer- causing properties.

An e-cigarette or an ENDS is a smoking battery-powered device that uses liquid nicotine, propylene glycol, water, glycerin and flavour to produce a sense of smoking a real cigarette for the user.

"Though companies claim that e-cigarettes help give up smoking, but in reality they help initiate cigarette smoking as they deliver nicotine in an attractive way and attract youth," the official said.

According to a WHO report, e-cigarettes emit nicotine, the addictive component in tobacco products.

Experts say e-cigarettes contain liquid nicotine, which is not a registered drug in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Ram Nath Kovind today hailed Arunachal Pradesh, saying that if the northeast is the crown of the country, the state is the "jewel in the crown".

The President, who is on a four-day tour of the northeast, arrived here on his maiden visit to the state and attended the valedictory function organised at the Indira Gandhi Park to mark 40 years of the Vivekananda Kendra.

"Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKVs) have become a source of inspiration to the people for its motto and philosophy of 'Service to humanity is service to nation'," the President said while addressing the function.

He said the 36 VKVs in the state, while maintaining tribal culture and traditions, had been imparting quality education to the tribal students.

Appreciating the band performance by the VKV students, the president said it was comparable to the ones exhibited by the defence forces.

"Being the head of armed forces, I get the opportunity to witness the band display by the Army, Air Force and the Navy on many occasions. The band display by the students here is brilliant and at par with the armed forces," he said.

The President also referred to historical places in the state such as Vismaknagar, where, according to mythology, Lord Krishna had married Rukmini, and said Arunachal found a mention in the epics.

"Arunachal has a special mention in the epics and history of the country. If northeast is the crown of this country, Arunachal Pradesh is the jewel in the crown," Kovind said.

"The state with lush green vegetation, and snow-clad mountains has been attracting many tourists," the president said, amidst applause.

Stating that Arunachal Pradhesh exhibited 'unity in diversity', the president appreciated the state's village heads and Kebang institution, the local justice delivery system.

Terming the state a "power house" of the country, Kovind said the state had a number of developmental projects on its radar, including a 1500-km Trans Arunachal Highway and 500-beded Tomo Riba Institute of Medical Sciences (TRIMS) at Naharlagun.

Later, Kovind also inaugurated the new Assembly building and addressed the legislators at a special session.

His itinerary for the next three days includes a visit to Namami Barak festival in Assam on its closing day, inauguration of the North East Development Summit and a tour of the INA war memorial in Manipur.

Speaking at the Vivekananda Kendra function, Governor B D Mishra said he would seek help from VKV volunteers to give a major boost to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in the state capital.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu highlighted various skill development programmes initiated by the government and said the dearth of gainful employment was the biggest challenge for the youth in this state.

He appreciated VKVs for their social services and asserted that his government was striving to ensure quality education in all the schools.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six members of the 13-member jury of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) have written a letter to I and B minister, Smriti Irani, raising concern over the exclusion of two films -- "S Durga" and "Nude" -- from the Indian Panorama section of the event in Goa.

The IFFI, which opens tomorrow, had last week dropped Malayalam film "S Durga", directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and Marathi movie "Nude", helmed by Ravi Jadhav from the segment of the 48th edition of the festival.

Through the letter obtained by PTI, the members expressed their distress over the removal of the two films "without any intimation, discussion or recourse to the jury which has the final say according to the Indian Panorama Regulations".

It read the move resulted in the resignation of three jury members, including chairman Sujoy Ghosh.

The letter has been signed by six members, namely, Satarupa Sanyal, Sachin Chatte, Suresh Heblikar, Hari Vishwanath, Ruchi Narain and Gopi Desai.

"All our written correspondence to DFF and NDFC in the matter went unheeded and there was no response or acknowledgment of the same," it said.

The members asserted that finding a solution to the issue at hand was necessary as the debate has more "far-reaching implications for the sanctity of the system put into place after years of work by the ministry".

Defending the two films, the letter read the movies in question are relevant in terms of a larger conversation on gender and women empowerment.

It also read film festivals such as the IFFI provided a platform to artistes "to showcase their work and for new important cinematic voices to be found and heard".

"The jury followed a method laid out by the Indian Panorama Regulations, and only wants the same to be applied when dismissing a unanimous decision that was arrived at with much deliberation," it added.

The jury member requested Irani to start a conversation so that the films which continue to be a part of the Panorama are not forgotten amid the controversy, along with "S Durga" and "Nude" be given a "fair chance to be viewed in the light that jury has wished them to be".

Last week, the ministry overruled the recommendation of the IFFI jury and pulled out the two films.

According to sources, the ministry objected because the film that was supposed to be screened at IFFI was "Sexy Durga" and not "S Durga", the version cleared by the censor board.

The sources said that "Nude" could not make the cut as the submission was "technically incomplete".

Sasidharan has filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court challenging the decision of the ministry.

"S Durga", which was earlier titled "Sexy Durga", is a road movie that follows the horrifying experience of two hitchhikers, a man and a woman, at the hands of two men. It won the Hivos Tiger Award in the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017.

"Nude" depicts the struggle of a woman secretly working as a nude model in Mumbai.

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Traders' body CAIT on Sunday urged Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to include 20-carat gold having a purity of 83.33 per cent in international hallmark standards for gold jewellery.

In a letter to the Consumer Affairs Minister sent on Sunday, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) argued that the move will enable the jewellers to make light jewellery at reasonable prices for consumers.

The Centre has agreed to 14, 18 and 22 carat quality of gold as hallmark standards, which are international standards and the government is about to enforce these in the country, CAIT said.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal called upon Paswan to include one new standard of 20-carat having a purity of 83.3 percent in hallmark standards.

"On one side it will be easily reachable commodity for the common man on the other side it will enhance the creditability and trust between traders and consumers," he said.
India and China have to "live side by side" whether they like it or not, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said and asserted that the two countries can together work towards making a more compassionate world.

The 82-year-old Buddhist monk also said Tibetans are not seeking independence or separation from China but meaningful autonomy, and added that he "admired the European Union spirit".

The Tibetan spiritual leader appreciated the idea of the "Union of India". Citing his recent visit to Manipur where he learnt that some politicians wanted independence for the state, he said they needed to "think broadly, more holistically".

He said India and China are more than two billions of people together and though they have differences, Nalanda thoughts are not alien to them.

Nalanda university, the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, attracted scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, among other countries. These scholars have left records about the ambience, architecture and learning of this unique university.

India and China can "do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity", the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said.

"And then India and China, at a practical level also, neither one has the ability to destroy others. Whether you like it or not, you have to live side by side," he told reporters when asked about the strain in bilateral ties over the Dokalam issue.

Earlier during an interaction with children at an event here organised by the Smile Foundation, the Dalai Lama said many Chinese people appreciate Tibetan scholars' knowledge of Nalanda.

He said the Nalanda school of thought, a shared heritage of India, China and Tibet, can help resolve the Tibetan crisis.

"Many Chinese Buddhists are very very eager to learn from Tibetan masters. And, we are not seeking separation from China... I really admire the European, the EU spirit... of national sovereignty," he said.

Amid all the linguistic and cultural diversity in India, it is a country that is the "most stable, more peaceful" of the Asian nations, he said.

"Here you have east India, north India and west India and south India ... different India, different scripts, different languages, but spirit of one India, which is wonderful," the Dalai Lama said.

"At a meeting, someone told me that some Maipur politicians want independence (for the state). I think they need to think broadly, more holistically. Union is important. Of course, I have no right to criticise," he said.

Making a veiled reference to the Catalan movement, he said, "In Spain, I think it was too short-sighted."



"It was time to think of one Europe. And, here (in India), you already have one nation... time to think long- sighted, about the wonderful Union of India," he said.

Hailing India's ancient knowledge system, especially the one based on the Nalanda school of learning, the Tibetan spiritual leader appealed to India to lead the world in shaping an education system which will inspire students to think "outward as much as inward" and be wary of "materialistic outlook".

At the event, he also announced that his philanthropy body will grant endowment to the Smile Foundation over the next five years.

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The income tax department will not sell the attached shares of to recover a Rs 10,247-crore retrospective tax demand as it fears that replenishing them in case of an international arbitration going against it will be difficult, a senior official said.

holds 4.95 per cent stake in Vedanta Ltd that the income tax department had attached in January 2014 after slapping the British firm with a Rs 10,247-crore tax demand over a decade-old internal reorganisation of Indian business.

An international arbitration tribunal is hearing Cairn's challenge to the government using a new law that gave it powers to impose tax retrospectively, to slap the tax demand.

"I don't think the shares will be sold in any immediate future. There are genuine apprehensions (on) how tax department can replenish the shares if they were to sell them now and the arbitration award goes against levy of the tax," a senior government official said.

Final hearing in the arbitration is scheduled to be held in August next year.

Cairn's direct subsidiary, Cairn UK Holdings Ltd, had in January 2014 received a draft assessment order from the Indian I-T department relating to the intra-group restructuring undertaken in 2006 prior to the IPO of Cairn India Ltd. The final assessment order was issued in 2016.

An interest of Rs 18,800 crore was originally charged from 2007, but this was quashed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in late 2016. Following that, the tax department issued a revised demand, including interest running from February 2016 i.e. 30 days after the date of the assessment order.

That interest currently amounts to about Rs 1,500 crore, he said.

Cairn had sold a majority stake in Cairn India to the Vedanta group in 2011, but continued to hold a minority 9.8 per cent interest. Cairn India has since merged with Vedanta Ltd. After the merger, Cairn UK Holdings Ltd now holds 4.95 per cent stake in Vedanta.

The official said the tax department has seized Rs 670 crore dividend income due to Cairn from Vedanta Ltd. Also, a tax refund of Rs 1,590 crore has also been confiscated by the tax department.

"In case the arbitration award goes against India, the dividend and tax refund can easily be returned, but it will be unprecedented for the tax department to go to market and acquire shares of a company so that they can be returned to Cairn," he said, explaining why the shares are not being sold yet.

Cairn commenced international arbitration proceedings against India under the UK-India Bilateral Investment Treaty in 2015.

It contends that the government's actions have breached the treaty by expropriating Cairn's property without adequate and just compensation, denying fair and equitable treatment in respect of its investments and restricting the firm's right to freely transfer funds in connection with its investment.

Cairn has asked the arbitration panel to order India to withdraw its "unlawful" tax demand and compensate Cairn for the harm suffered by the seizure of the Cairn India shares, being not less than USD 1.1 billion (plus costs), or if the tax demand remains in place, compensate Cairn for the quantum of the tax assessment and the harm suffered by the seizure of the shares.
The family of India's consul- general in the South African city of Durban was targeted by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence.

The family of consul-general Shashank Vikram, members of their domestic staff and a visiting teacher were held up at their residence on Innes Road, yesterday. Among them were two children, aged five and 10.

"They are OK but they were obviously traumatised," said consul S K Pandey. Nobody suffered physical harm," he said, adding they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic worker's cellphone which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident, the Independent Online reported.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban.

Following the incident,



India has reminded South Africa of its duty to protect diplomatic staff and property, under the Vienna Convention.

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The family of India's Consul General in Durban was attacked by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence there, prompting India to raise the issue with South African authorities.

The family of Consul General Shashank Vikram, including his five-year-old son, domestic staff and a visiting teacher were reportedly held up during the armed intrusion at their residence on Innes Road, on Sunday.

"We have taken up the matter with the relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing. We expect that the intruders will be arrested soon," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He said that ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats and officials posted abroad, along with their families, is a matter of highest priority for the Indian government.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has spoken to the Consul General and inquired about the well being of his family, Kumar said.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban, the Independent Online reported.

"They (Vikram's family) are OK but they were obviously traumatised," consul S K Pandey was quoted as saying.

Nobody suffered physical harm, he said, adding that they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic worker's cellphone, which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident.
On the birth centenary of Indira Gandhi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today described her as a prime minister for whom there was only one religion -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi was "one of the greatest" as she fought for secularism and against all those forces seeking to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.

"For her, as the prime minister, there was one religion, a sacred creed passionately held -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," Sonia Gandhi said at a function at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of the former prime minister.

The former prime minister fought not for her personal ascendancy but for her principles and against vested interests, the Congress president said.

"She fought for secularism, against all those forces seeking to divide the Indian people on lines of religion and caste. She gloried in the rich diversity of India, its profound democratic and secular values," Sonia Gandhi said.

The Congress chief, who along with former president Pranab Mukherjee and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, was present at the event, said Indira Gandhi fought for the poor and the weak wherever they were being oppressed and denied their rights and toiled for their material well-being.

"I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the 'Iron Lady'. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits," Sonia Gandhi said.

"She fought, yes -- but not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas. She could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairness. That was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battles - those she took on and those that she faced," the Congress president said.

At the event, Manmohan Singh unveiled a special catalogue on Indira Gandhi, bringing out her fond memories.

On the occasion, an exhibition on the former prime minister titled 'A Life of Courage' was organised by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Sonia Gandhi said in the 16 years that were given to Indira Gandhi to lead the country, she had to confront many challenges, from the endemic problems of combating poverty and inequality to the critical ones of war and terrorism.

She faced them all with courage, fortified by her dedication to making India strong, united and prosperous. In all her efforts she was sustained by the faith reposed in her by her fellow countrymen and women, the Congress president said.

Indira Gandhi, the first woman prime minister of the country, was born on this day in 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad.

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Page Content

This is your opportunity to find out more on how your business can benefit from Horizon 2020 funding, with a focus on the SME Instrument and Innovfin.





The SME Instrument provides grants from 50,000 to 2.5 million to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that have ground-breaking new ideas that have been demonstrated to work. It seeks companies with plans to access international markets, whether their product is based on research, technology or service innovation.

Welsh organisations have already secured 83 million through the Horizon 2020 programme and organisations in the North West of England have won over 230 million.

The event is free to attend and delegates can expect valuable insight into the topics, tips on achieving success and information the support available to develop your applications.

This event is organised in the framework of the European Week of Regions and Cities.

The UK government has committed to underwrite the funding for all successful bids made by UK participants for Horizon 2020 projects that are submitted before EU exit.
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) today announced launch of nation's first electric vehicle charging station at a petrol pump in Nagpur.

IOC, in collaboration with Ola, launched the country's first electric charging station at one of its petrol-diesel stations in Nagpur, a company statement said.

Nagpur, being the first city to introduce Electric Public Transportation Model in India, has added one more feather to its cap by adding the first electric charging station at IOC's petrol pump in Nagpur.

The statement said: "As India's leading oil refiner and marketer, IOC considers promoting ecological sustainability as part of its core business. Thus, this partnership with Ola is the right step forward as we re-imagine how India will commute in coming years.

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Top diplomats from Iran, Russia and Turkey met today in Antalya to discuss the civil war in Syria ahead of a three-way summit in the Russian city of Sochi on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran and in the southern Turkish city for the closed-door meeting, an official said.

In a statement afterwards, Lavrov called the meeting "very productive" and said the envoys had agreed on "all the main issues", without further details.

The meeting comes as violence is diminishing in Syria's six-year war although a political solution still seems out of reach.

Moscow, Tehran and Ankara are sponsoring the so-called Astana peace talks, named for the Kazakh capital where they are regularly held, which calls for the creation of "de- escalation" zones in key areas of Syria.

Although Turkey has supported rebels looking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad's government, it has muted its critiques of the Syrian regime, which is backed by Russia and Iran.

"Thanks to the Astana talks, we have allowed the ceasefire to take hold on the ground with the hope of 'de- escalation' zones," Cavusoglu told Turkey's Anadolu agency.

He said it was now time to focus on combatting Islamic State fighters while "putting more emphasis on the political process" for ending the Syrian war.

But Cavusoglu said Turkey still remained opposed to any talks involving the Kurdish YPG militia of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which formed the backbone of the campaign to push IS fighters out of Raqa, Syria, last month.

The YPG, now part of the US-armed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), emerged from the same leftist movement as the PKK Kurdish separatists fighting in Turkey, which considers it a terrorist group.

Cavusoglu also said the envoys had discussed a deployment of Russian and Iranian forces to secure the "de-escalation zone" near Syria's Idlib Province "as soon as possible".

The province is largely held by a jihadist group formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, even though Syrian forces recaptured the neighbouring city of Aleppo late last year.

Zarif, speaking on Iranian television, said he was hoping for "a good summit on Monday and to turn the black and bitter page on terrorism in Syria."



Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's Hassan Rouhani for the Sochi summit, where talks on reducing violence and ensuring humanitarian aid are on the agenda.

According to the Anadolu 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 on November 13, agreeing on the need to boost elements for a lasting settlement.

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The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) is keen to assess accident-prone roads in India after studying 12,000 kms of state and national highways in 12 states, its CEO Rob McInerney said.

iRAP is the umbrella programme for Road Assessment Programmes (RAPs) worldwide that are working to save lives by improving road safety. The programme launched in India is titled Indian Road Assessment Programme (IndiaRAP).

"We are working for safer roads globally. More than half of the (road accident) deaths in India are happening on 5 per cent of roads," McInerney told PTI, adding that his organisation is looking at assessing these roads.

He said to reduce crashes, 100 per cent of travel should be on 3-star roads.

"That should be our immediate goal. There is a lot happening in India. The government is already investing a lot on infrastructure," he added.

He said a 1-star road is the least safe while a 5-star road is the safest.

Star rating of roads is done on basis of vehicular and passenger safety as well as speed.

McInerney said till date 12,000 km iRAP assessments have been undertaken on World Bank, NHAI and state government supported projects in 12 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

"Another 5,000 kms are currently under assessment on the Golden Quadrilateral, linking the major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai," he said.

India is among the countries that witness the most road accidents globally. Every year, 1.5 lakh people are killed in 5 lakh accidents in the country while 3 lakh are crippled.

For the first time, the United Nations has included road safety in its Sustainable Development Goals, which targets to halve global road deaths and injuries by 2020.

McInerney said improving India's roads to 3-star or better rating would be a cost effective contribution towards meeting the UN targets.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has been stressing that India stands committed to reducing road accidents by 50 per cent by 2020.

He has also sought global cooperation for road safety and innovative technologies at the IRF World Road Meeting (WRM 2017), concluded last week.

Steps are underway to rectify black spots which will cost Rs 12,000 crore, he had said.

During the four-day global road meeting, experts also stressed on the need for promoting 'minimum 3 star' road infrastructure for all road users in developing countries.

They said if the countries are serious about achieving the UN target, they must make the case for systemically upgrading 1 and 2 star roads into 3 and 4 star ones in low and middle income group countries including India.

"We can begin with the 10 per cent of high volume, high risk roads where half the deaths and serious injuries occur," the experts had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The NCLAT has said financial creditors cannot recover any amount from a defaulter's bank account without the nod of the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) during the corporate insolvency resolution process.

Declining relief to the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) against Amtek Auto's IRP Dinnkar T Venkatsubramaniam, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) said that once moratorium is declared, financial institutions have to act "on the instructions of IRP" with respect to the corporate debtor's account.

"... Once moratorium has been declared it is not open to any person including 'Financial Creditors' and the appellant bank (IOB) to recover any amount from the account of the 'Corporate Debtor', nor it can appropriate any amount towards its own dues," said the NCLAT bench headed by Chairperson Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.

The appellate tribunal said Section 17 (1)(d) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code says that financial institutions maintaining the accounts of the corporate debtor have to act on the instructions of the IRP in relation to such accounts and furnish all information relating to it.

"We find no merit in this appeal, therefore, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order dated October 13, 2017," it said.

The NCLAT was hearing the plea of IOB, which is one of the financial creditors of debt-ridden auto component maker Amtek Auto. It holds 4.08 per cent of the total value of the financial debt.

However, it granted IOB 'liberty' to raise its claim before the IRP and "request him to allow it to be a member of the Creditors Committee which should be considered in accordance with law."



Earlier, the adjudicating authority had also rejected IOB's contentions, following which it approached NCLAT.

Amtek Auto defaulted on repaying Rs 824-crore loans granted by a consortium of lenders, led by Corporation Bank.

In July this year, the Chandigarh bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had accepted the insolvency proceedings against Amtek Auto initiated by the consortium of banks led by Corporation Bank.

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In a faux pas, several media houses today reportedly carried the picture of a local lad as one of the six Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists killed in a fierce gun battle in Bandipora district of north Kashmir yesterday.

"I was shocked on seeing my picture among the dead terrorists in electronic and print media. Somebody downloaded my picture from the Facebook account and circulated it as one of the dead terrorists," a shocked Abdul Majid told PTI.

He has demanded a probe into the conspiracy.

Majid, who is married with two children, sells barbecues at Khati Ka Talab here and is also associated with a religious group preaching Islam.

"I am not a terrorist. How can they carry my picture? It is the negligence of media and the state administration," he said, adding that he has filed a police complaint.

Majid, having a long beard and wearing Afghani cap, displayed several newspapers which carried his picture on the front page with an alias 'Abu Zargam'.

He said he was at home when he received a call informing him that his picture was among the six terrorists killed by security forces.

"The came as a big shock for my family. They are all very upset," he said.

"I do not know whose conspiracy is this. But whoever has done it has tarnished my image. It is the negligence of media and the administration--how did they publish the picture of an innocent without any proof," he asked.

"I want my name to be cleared as soon as possible," Majid added.

Six Pakistani militants of the LeT, including the nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in Bandipora yesterday in an encounter in which an IAF Garud commando was also killed.

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The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that its records show a bungalow on Jantar Mantar Road in the heart of the national capital was allotted to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Smarak Trust and was not allocated to either activist Swami Agnivesh or his NGO.

The response of the Ministry of Urban Development to a query under the Right to Information Act said the records suggested that as on April 30, 1977, bungalow number 7 at the Jantar Mantar Road was in the name of the trust.

"As per records the property is not allocated to Bandhua Mukti Morcha at any point of time. As per the records, the property was not allocated to Swami Agnivesh in the past," the ministry said.

The RTI response said that there was no complaint with regard to the property during the 2010-2015 period.

"No such complaint indicating illegal possession and misuse is found in the records of property no. 7, Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi," it said.

The RTI reply was referred to before a bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru which was hearing a plea filed by activist Ajay Gautam against an October 2016 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC).

The CIC had denied him the information sought on the ground he was not a lessee of the property.

Agnivesh, however, said that his NGO Bandhua Mukti Morcha is operating from the bungalow.

The court considered the response of the Centre and disposed of the plea of Gautam.

Gautam, in an RTI application, had sought information whether the bungalow was ever alloted to Bandhua Mukti Morcha or its national president Agnivesh.

The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Land and Development of Delhi had failed to provide the information, according to him.

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Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has financially assisted the Delhi Metro project, today unveiled a research report on the making of the rapid transit system, which it said was a "shining example" of the Indo-Japanese economic cooperation.

The report is titled 'Breaking Ground A Narrative on the Making of Delhi Metro'.

"JICA assisted Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project, commonly known as the Delhi Metro Project, with gigantic concessional financial support," the JICA said in a statement shared by the DMRC today.

The report provides insights and empirical data on process of making Delhi Metro a "shining example" of Indo- Japanese economic cooperation in the world, which not only brought mindset change, but evolved the construction culture in India and set new standards of punctuality, it said.

Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office presented the report to DMRC chief Mangu Singh here.

"Delhi Metro has proved to be a benchmark project because of its timely completion that was achieved within the targeted cost. The project also aligns with the Prime Ministers Swacch Bharat Mission and has led to social elevation of the society by bringing change in lifestyle of Delhi people and promoting women empowerment," the statement added.

It is also expected to "unveil secrets" which were not publicly available but contributed in making the project unique, and showcased it as an example to be emulated by other projects in India.

"JICA has now extended its association with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) beyond Phase III of the project, as there is a need for huge capacity expansion in public transportation.

"Overall, JICA has extended concessional ODA loans of JPY 1 trillion (approximately Rs 6,000 crore) for development of metro systems in Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad," it said.

Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office said, readers will experience, how due to Delhi Metro's operations, there was a "huge modal shift" from private vehicle transportation to mass public transportation, leading to less traffic and enhancement of environmental conditions of Delhi.

It also encompasses Delhi Metro Project's journey from beginning to the future. It gives a "first-hand account" of the undertaking of the construction of its first ride, the statement said.

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Continuing with her public outreach programme, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today visited Samba and convened a grievance redressal camp.

During the camp, the chief minister listened to scores of deputations and hundreds of people who apprised her of their developmental needs and sought their redressal, an official spokesman said.

The demands put forth by the deputations during the day- long public outreach programme pertained to construction of flyover in Samba and Vijaypur towns, establishment of a women's college in the district, an employment drive for the border people, the spokesman said.

He said the other issues raised included payment and rent enhancement of the land under the occupation of the Army and other para-military forces.

Deputations of various political parties demanded pacing up of work on the AIIMS at Vijaypur, augmentation of drinking water facilities in the town and Kandi belt, construction of over bridge at various crossings on the railway line etc.

The chief minister directed release of over Rs 250 lakh for undertaking various developmental works in the district, the spokesman said.

This is the second public outreach programme of the chief minister in the Jammu province.

Earlier, she conducted a similar public outreach programme at Ramban.

So far, Mufti has conducted such programmes at Pulwama, Kupwara, Budgam, and Baramulla in Kashmir Valley.

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Actors Josh Hartnett and Margarita Levieva are set to star in Barry Films' crime thriller "Inherit the Viper".

The film explores the prescription drug epidemic in West Virginia, reported Variety.

Anthony Jerjen is directing the project from Andrew Crabtree's original script.

Hartnett and Levieva will portray siblings as they try to escape the spiral of violence that has held them captive since their father's passing.

Their characters deal with a region left behind by the economy, in which selling drugs has become their way of survival and a business that's very hard to quit.

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The following people were sentenced on Nov. 7 in Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas. All sentences include costs and run concurrently with other sentences unless otherwise specified. Probation is unsupervised unless indicated otherwise. Driving under the influence (DUI) offenses generate different mandatory-minimum sentences based on an offenders prior convictions in the past 10 years.

Sentenced to State Correctional Institute

Harrisburg

Alexis Cruz Otero: Twenty-four months to 5 years for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-Heroin. (Ebert)

Shippensburg

Jeremiah Lee Metcalf: Eighteen to 84 months for fleeing or attempting to elude police officer; 1 to 2 years for recklessly endangering another person; 9 months to 2 years for unauthorized use of automobile and other vehicles; 60 days in Cumberland County Prison and $500 fine for driving while under suspension-DUI-related. (Guido)

Other

Brenda Lee Aumiller: Thirty-six to 72 months, $1,000 fine and restitution for homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence; 120 hours of community service for DUI, highest rate. (Placey)

Steve Miguel: Three to 6 years, 10 years probation and restitution of $229 for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey); Three to 6 years and 10 years probation for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey); Thirty-six to 72 months and restitutions of $1,350 and $250 and 360 months probation for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey); Three to 6 years, 10 years probation and restitution of $340 for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey); Three to 6 years and 10 years probation for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey); Three to 6 years and 10 years probation for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey)

Sentenced to Cumberland County Prison

Camp Hill

Shawn Ernest Horning: Fifteen days to 5 years and $1,000 fine for DUI, highest rate. (Guido)

Darren Edward Ross: Eighty-four days to 24 months and $100 fine for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-Marijuana. (Ebert)

Carlisle

Michael Angelo Kaydo Jr.: Fourteen days to 23 months and restitutions of $37.80, $380 and $159.97 for theft by unlawful taking or disposition. (Guido)

Chambersburg

John Matthew Hollabaugh: Forty-eight hours to 6 months and $500 fine for DUI, high rate. (Masland)

Dillsburg

Jason Lynn Leininger: Ten days to 23 months for retail theft. (Guido)

Gardners

Tara Lynn Johnson: Six to 23 months for hindering apprehension or prosecution. (Ebert)

Harrisburg

Stephanie Alyse Melhorn: One to 3 months, 36 months probation and 24 hours of community service for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-Heroin. (Placey)

Steven Mario Welsh Jr.: Two days to 6 months and $500 fine for DUI-underage. (Ebert)

Marysville

Michael Franklin Nissley: Five days to 6 months and $300 fine for DUI, second offense. (Peck)

Newville

Darren William Joyce: Five days and $500 fine for recklessly endangering another person. (Masland)

Shippensburg

Douglas Harrison Asbury: Two days to 18 months for endangering the welfare of children, parent or guardian; 12 months probation for simple assault; 12 months probation for false reports to law enforcement authorities. (Placey)

Other

Andre Joseph Bjorntzen Jr.: Twenty-four months probation and $1,000 fine for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-Marijuana; 9 to 23 months and $1,000 fine for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-Heroin. (Guido)

Donald Chad Costello: Five days to 6 months and $300 fine for DUI, second offense; 12 months supervised probation and 48 hours of community service for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. (Placey)

Jeffrey Lynn Lau: Ninety days to 5 years and $1,500 fine for DUI, high rate. (Peck)

Nyland Roy Lively II: Six days to 6 months and $300 fine for recklessly endangering another person. (Ebert)

Steve Miguel: Three to 6 years, 10 years probation and restitution of $500 for criminal conspiracy to burglary-adapted overnight accommodation-person present. (Placey)

Kaytlin Ashley Paul: Five days to 6 months, $300 fine and restitution of $1,000 for DUI. (Placey)

Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Arauz: Thirty days to 6 months and $750 fine for DUI, high rate, second offense. (Peck); Fifteen days to 23 months and $500 fine for DUI. (Peck)

Sentenced to Probation

Boiling Springs

Jordan Anthony Hoffman: Thirty-six months probation and $1,000 fine for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-LSD. (Guido); Twelve months probation and $1,000 fine for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. (Guido)

Enola

Walter Kosierowski Jr.: One year probation and $100 fine for recklessly endangering another person. (Peck)

Other

Joshua K. Mauser: One year probation and restitution of $696 for retail theft. (Guido); Twenty-four months probation and restitution of $899.97 for retail theft. (Guido); Twelve months probation and restitution of $299 for retail theft. (Guido); Twelve months probation and restitution of $2,039.90 for retail theft. (Guido)

Re-Sentencing List

Cumberland County Prison

Carlisle

Osvaldo Acuna: Forty-eight hours to 6 months and $500 fine for DUI, high rate. (Peck)

Duncannon

Timothy Joseph Defrank: Three days to 6 months and $1,000 fine for DUI. (Guido)

New Cumberland

Jennifer Ordaz: Three to 18 months and $100 fine for unlawful delivery, manufacture, possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I controlled substance-Heroin; 24 months probation for criminal use of communication facility. (Ebert)

Newville

Emily Elizabeth Klumpp: Thirty days to 6 months and $300 fine for DUI, second offense. (Ebert)

Probation

Carlisle

Tracy Lynn Bollman: Ninety days probation and restitution of $850.79 for bad checks. (Guido)

Enola

Jennifer Lynn Cron Mahoney: Six months probation and $300 fine for DUI. (Masland)

Chad Daniel Smith: Eighteen months probation and 12 hours of community service for simple assault. (Hess)

Harrisburg

Gary L. Popp: Twelve months probation and $25 fine for receiving stolen property. (Ebert)

Shippensburg

Kalif Joshua Cary: Ninety days probation and $200 fine for disorderly conduct. (Peck)

Fine

Middletown

Zachary Rowland Smith: Sentenced to $150 fine for unlawful possession of small amount of marijuana. (Hess)
India's only private manufacturer of rails, JSPL, is confident of making early deliveries to the Indian Railways if it succeeds in securing the Rs 3,500-crore rail tender, a top company official said.

Since the company has a capacity to produce 1 million tonne (mt) of rails, it is capable of fulfilling the Railways' demand of 7 lakh tone alone, the official reasoned.

The Ministry of Railways has recently floated a global tender to procure 7 lakh tonnes of rails worth Rs 3,500 crore.

This is the first time that the railways has come up with such a tender.

"It is a golden chance for JSPL (Jindal Steel and Power Limited) as the company has been looking to make inroads into the domestic rail segment for about a decade," Naushad Ansari, CEO Steel Business, JSPL, told PTI over phone.

State-owned Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is the only company supplying rails to the Indian Railways.

Ansari said: "We are fully prepared and well equipped. We can make early deliveries compared to any other player. If we bag the tender today, we can start making deliveries in just three weeks. It would take much longer for a foreign firm to start making deliveries. JSPL has a capacity to supply over 50,000 mt rail per month."



The company supplies rails to other countries likeIran, Bangladesh, Mozambique and Brazil.

It has yet to enter the domestic rail space as the Indian Railways has been procuring rails from SAIL under an agreement it had signed with the PSU, Ansari said.

"If we are able to bag the order, this will be the first big opportunity for us," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A M Naik, the non-executive chairman of the country's largest construction and engineering firm L&T, has recalled in his biography how he thwarted hostile takeover bids from the Ambanis and Birlas in early 2000s when the company had almost slipped from his hands.

Speaking at the launch of his biography titled 'The Nationalist', authored by columnist Minhaz Merchant, here last evening, Anil M Naik also reminisced about the historic three-phased demerger of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which led to its emergence as a top player in engineering, manufacturing and projects segments.

Significantly, both Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries and Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group, were present on the occasion when Naik nostalgically recollected how he battled against the two powerful Indian conglomerates.

In 1987, the late Dhirubhai Ambani had managed to wrest significant holding in the cash-rich L&T and then launched a hostile takeover bid in 1989.

However, political and other developments ensured Reliance remained a passive shareholder.

Naik, who joined L&T as a junior engineer in the mid- 1960s and went on to become its Chairman, recalled in the book the events leading up to Reliance's stake sale.

According to the book, it was in November 2001, when Naik, then CEO and Managing Director, who was in Chicago, got a call from Mohan Karnani, then president of L&T cement business saying 'apna maalik badal gaya hai' (our owner has changed) and that the Birlas had bought complete stake of Reliance Industries in L&T in an all-cash deal.

"Within few minutes got another call from Anil Ambani, the then managing director of RIL, saying 'Anilbhai (Naik) you never wanted us. So we are going. We have sold the entire shareholding of Reliance in L&T to Kumar Mangalam Birla'," the book quotes Naik as saying.

Naik recalled that he got another call, this time from Birla, who said "you didn't come to us Naikji. So we have come to you."



"In the end we kept L&T independent. We ringfenced it from future takeover attempts by setting up the L&T employees welfare foundation that eventually bought Birlas stake. And the Birlas got our demerged cement business that added to their cement production capacity.

"It relieved us of a non-core asset-heavy business, making us an AAA rated company by drastically cutting out debt equity ratio. It was a win-win for all," Naik said in the book.

"What seemingly started as a conflict situation with Grasim ended in a win-win solution for both the . Grasim became the largest and top quality cement producer and L&T emerged as one of the best engineering, manufacturing and projects company in this part of the world.

"A great moment of satisfaction came when, at the end, Mr Birla extended his hand to me and said, 'history should never, never forget you. You know what you have achieved: employee ownership of the company'," Naik remembered.

Since the time Naik took over as the chief executive officer in 1999, the group revenues between 1999 and 2017 have grown from Rs 5,000 crore to nearly Rs 1,25,000 crore on a like-to-like basis.

During the same period, market capitalisation rose from around Rs 2,000 crore to over Rs 1,70,000 crore.

Describing L&T as a temple, the 75-year-old corporate honcho and Padma Bhushan awardee says in the book, "I am devoted, committed and married to L&T. Do you know that in my first 21 years in the company, I didn't take a single day off? My parents were considerate, too. My father passed away on a Sunday, a holiday, and two years later, my mother died on August 15. Even they didn't want their son to take leave!"



"For 53 years I've worked for 15 to 16 hours a day, sometimes even on Sundays and holidays," he said.

He also admitted that he should have spent more time with his wife and two children, who now live in the US.
Rich tributes were paid to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary today with former President Pranab Mukherjee leading the remembrances.

Senior Congress leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party chief Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi, also paid homage to the late leader.

Mukherjee and Singh, besides Rahul Gandhi, paid floral tributes to her at her memorial, 'Shakti Sthal'.

"No one can erase Indiraji's memory," Mukherjee said at an event later at 1 Safdarjung Road, where Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984. A photo exhibition has been organised there to mark her 100th birth anniversary.

Sonia Gandhi said Indira Gandhi took pride in India's rich diversity and its democratic and secular values.

"She fought for secularism, against all those forces seeking to divide the Indian people on lines of religion and caste. For her as Prime Minister there was but one religion, a sacred creed passionately held-- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," the Congress president said in her speech.

Indira Gandhi also fought for India's dignity and independence as a sovereign nation, against the dominance of superpowers, she said.

"And not only for India, but for all countries that resisted colonial and post-colonial forms of hegemony," Sonia Gandhi added.

Rahul Gandhi recalled his grandmother, whom he described as his mentor and guide.

"I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100," he tweeted.

Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter that she worked tirelessly "to shape a new future" for the country.

"...India first & India always. That was Indiraji! #Indira100," he said on the micro-blogging site.

Often described as the 'Iron Lady of India', Gandhi was born on this day in 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad.

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Libya will investigate alleged slave trading in the country, the internationally recognised government announced today, following the release of video footage appearing to show migrants being auctioned off.

Chaos-ridden Libya has long been a major transit hub for migrants trying to reach Europe, and many of them have fallen prey to serious abuse in the North African country at the hands of traffickers and others.

US television network CNN aired the footage last week of an apparent live auction in Libya where black men are presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would investigate the allegations, in a statement posted Sunday on the Facebook page of the GNA's press office.

Metig said he would instruct the formation of a "commission to investigate these reports in order to apprehend and bring those responsible to justice", the statement added.

The foreign ministry in a statement added: "If these allegations are confirmed, all implicated persons will be punished."



The CNN report apparently showing migrants being auctioned off in Libya was shared widely on social media, provoking outrage in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.

The grainy footage shot on a mobile telephone shows a man CNN said was Nigerian and in his 20s being offered up for sale as part of a group of "big strong boys for farm work".

In the CNN report, a person identified as an auctioneer can be heard saying "800... 900... 1,000... 1,100..." before two men are sold for 1,200 Libyan dinars ($875).

Around 1,000 people took to the streets of Paris on yesterday to protest against slavery in Libya, according to French police. The gathering led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a "despicable trade... from another era".

Senegal's government expressed "outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil" that constituted a "blight on the conscience of humanity".

African migrants from nations including Guinea and Senegal but also Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Gambia make the dangerous crossing through the Sahara to Libya with hopes of making it over the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.

But testimony collected by AFP has revealed a litany of rights abuses at the hands of gangsters, human traffickers and the Libyan security forces, while many end up stuck in the unstable North African nation for years.

More than 8,800 stranded migrants have been returned home this year, according to the International Organization for Migration, which is also compiling evidence of slavery.

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A litigant cannot be put at peril because he or she has raised a public cause, the Delhi High Court has said taking note of a recent assault on two persons, one an elderly woman, who filed PILs against unauthorised constructions and encroachments in the national capital.

The incidents came to light after both the individuals moved the high court seeking protection as they apprehended threat to their life owing to separate PILs filed by them.

"The life of a litigant cannot be imperilled merely because he or she has brought a public cause to the notice of the court", a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said while directing the Delhi Police, through separate orders, to provide protection to both of them.

The first order was passed on November 2 in the case of H D Nijhawan, general secretary of NGO Paardarshita Public Welfare Foundation, who claimed before the bench that he was brutally assaulted by some persons outside his residence on November 1 evening.

Nijhawan, with his head wrapped in bandages, told the court that the assailants smashed the front and rear windows of his car and hit him on the head with wooden stems and one of them also took out a gun to shoot him.

The NGO has filed several PILs in the high court against unauthorised construction in various parts of the city, including Sainik Farms here and has alleged that such illegal buildings come up with the active connivance of officials of the municipal corporations and Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

The woman litigant, who was assaulted and provided protection by the bench on November 14 is Marina Torchia Batra who has filed a PIL alleging encroachment of the forest land near village Neb Sarai, Indira Enclave in south Delhi.

She was "rudely assaulted" on November 12 near her residence by three persons who came on motorcycles, an incident which the bench termed as "distressing".

She had suffered injuries on her face and was limping when she told the court about her plight.

In her PIL, she has objected to the construction of a road through the forest area to provide access to Indira Enclave which is allegedly an unauthorised colony.

In her plea, she has also raised the issues of dust generation in the area due to the movement of two-wheelers and other vehicles through the forest road, apart from dumping of garbage and debris there which, she claims, choked the soil and contaminated the ground water.

She has also claimed that the forest area has become a den of criminal activities like snatching and bootlegging.

In both cases of assault, the high court has directed the police to "conduct a prompt investigation" and "bring the culprits to book".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today remembered India's first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary.

"Remembering former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary," Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle this morning.

Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and was the second longest-serving Prime Minister after her father Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

She held the Prime Minister's office from January 1966 to March 1977 and from January 14,1980 till her death in 1984.

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Hailing her as a rare combination of "beauty and intelligence", the medical fraternity today praised Manushi Chhillar for winning the Miss World title, while hoping that she will go on to become a doctor.

The aspiring cardiac surgeon from Haryana, who is currently enrolled in a MBBS programme at a college in Sopnepat, yesterday swept the world off its feet while ending India's 17-year-old drought at the top pageant.

Dr Y K Gupta, professor and head of the department of pharmacology at the AIIMS, was thrilled to see her ace the contest, in which 20-year-old Chhillar edged out contestants from England, France, Kenya and Mexico in the grand finale of the mega event, which saw participation from 118 countries.

"I watched her, the poise with which she faced the jury. And, she is a medical student. She is one of the rarest combination of beauty, intelligence and hard work. And, I was reading about her that she is also good in studies.

"But, at this moment, the world is her oyster. And, it is easy to take the predictable path of glamour and acting in films, which most of these beauty queens do. But, as a doctor I feel, she should complete here studies. And, when she becomes 'Dr Chhillar' that would her second crowning glory," he told PTI.

Chhillar's father is a scientist while her mother is an associate professor and department head of neurochemistry at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, in Delhi. She wishes to open a chain of non-profitable hospitals based in rural areas, her profile reads.

A former student of the old St. Thomas' School here, she counts former beauty queen Reita Faria as an inspiration, incidentally the first Indian to wear the Miss World crown in 1966, who went on to pursue a career in medicine.

Neurologist P K Sachdeva at the Venkateshwar Hospital in Dwarka, also said that Chhillar should complete her medical education, as "this was also her dream".

"Getting into a good medical college, and then pursuing a five-year course is a very rigorous and stressful task. She has already secured an admission and is mid-way through her course. She should not drop out.

"In fact, after completing her education, she can balance out both careers, wear both the crowns," he said.

Sachdeva said her triumph in India and China, also sends out a message to students pursuing medicine that one can and should indulge in extra curricular activities, beyond reading those medical tomes.

UK-based Shashank Pooniya, 33, who did an MD in forensic medicine and three years of senior residency at the AIIMS before moving abroad, said, "Chhillar's feat somewhere especially relates to us doctors and students of the famed campus."



"She was the winner of the 'Campus Princess' audition held along with our culture festival -- AIIMS Pulse 2016 -- and then went on to win Miss India title after that. It is indeed a great feeling and her success shows us a path that even from our busy careers, we can find out time for our interests," he told PTI.

Dr Puneeta Mahajan, consultant (obstetrician and gynaecologist) and medical superintendent at the Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Delhi, says, "We are extremely happy and proud of her achievements."



"She has come out of this tough contest with flying colours. We are very hopeful that she would perform with the same elan in her medical career and make us all proud again," she said.

Dr Gupta of AIIMS says, by becoming a doctor and serving humanity, she can be a "star in real life".

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Militants today hurled a grenade at a team of security forces which was withdrawing from Parimpora area in the outskirts of the city here, sources said.

The militants hurled the grenade towards the team, which was withdrawing after their law and order duties, at a foot overbridge which exploded with a loud bang, the sources said.

They said there was no loss of life or injury to anyone.

However, the police did not confirm the incident.

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The military art and photography exhibition came to an end here today with war veterans and ex-servicemen expressing hope that it would pave way for a new wave of interest among youth in the defence services.

The two-day exhibition, organised as part of the build-up activities to India's first Military Literature Festival (MLF), scheduled to take place on December 7-9, 2017, will play an important role in motivating youth to join the defence services, Lt General T S Shergill (retd), senior advisor to the chief minister, Punjab, said.

"We have inherited a glorious legacy of military valour and dedication to duty," he said, adding "this rich heritage is our treasure and a constant source of inspiration for the youth."



Expressing concern at the recent trend of low participation of Punjabi youth in the defence forces, Shergill said this event was a part of the programmes being organised under the MLF to encourage and motivate youth to join the forces.

Shergill recalled the contribution of Major General Rajinder Singh 'Sparrow', whose picture is among the photographs on display, not just to the Indian Army but to his own decision to become a part of it.

The exhibition, which started yesterday, vividly captures and brings alive the evolution of the Indian Army through the major operations in which it has participated since World War I.

A total of 200 exhibits, including pictures, artefacts, medals, army ammunition of the Sikh era, personal belongings of officers and captured flags of the Pakistani Army during the 1971 operations were on display, an official release said.

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Robert Mugabe has been removed as president of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and replaced by his former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, a party delegate said today outside a meeting in Harare.

"A resolution has been adopted to recall the president and elevate Mnangagwa as the party president," the delegate told AFP, declining to be named.

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe clung to the vestiges of office on Sunday, using a TV address to maintain he was still in power despite a military takeover and a mounting clamour for his autocratic 37-year rule to end.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," Mugabe said, pitching the country into deep uncertainty.

Many Zimbabweans had expected Mugabe, 93, to announce his resignation after the army seized power, opened the floodgates of citizen protest and his once-loyal party told him to quit.

But Mugabe, sitting alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention, delivered a speech that conveyed he was unruffled by the turmoil.

Speaking slowly and occasionally stumbling as he read from the pages, Mugabe talked of the need for solidarity to resolve national problems -- business-as-usual rhetoric that he has deployed over decades.

He made no reference to the chorus for him to resign and shrugged off last week's dramatic military intervention.

"The operation I have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order nor did it challenge my authority as head of state, not even as commander in chief," he said.

Instead, he urged harmony and comradeship.

"Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I... do acknowledge their concerns," said Mugabe.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions, real or perceived, in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit."



His address provoked immediate anger and raised concerns that Zimbabwe could be at risk of a violent reaction to the political turmoil.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets," Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, told AFP.

It was not immediately clear from his remarks when and where the protests would take place.

On Saturday, in scenes of public elation not seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, huge crowds had marched and sang their way through Harare, believing Mugabe was about to step down.

Highlighting the contradictions in Zimbabwean politics, the ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier on Sunday and told him to resign as head of state, naming ousted vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Analysts say the military stepped in last week after Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.

The majority of Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe -- the world's oldest head of state -- during a reign defined by violent suppression, economic collapse, and isolation.

Sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit and to secure a deal guaranteeing future protection for him and his family.

"What you saw yesterday, it shows that the people have spoken," Mordecai Makore, 71, a retired teacher told AFP about Saturday's marches.

"All we want is peace, a good life with a working economy that creates jobs for our people. We will continue praying for that. I want my children and grandchildren to live a normal good life."



The factional succession race that triggered Zimbabwe's sudden crisis was between party hardliner Mnangagwa -- known as the Crocodile -- and a group called "Generation 40", or "G40", because its members are generally younger, which campaigned for Grace's cause.

The president, who is feted in parts of Africa as the continent's last surviving independence leader, is in fragile health.

But he previously said he would stand in elections next year that would see him remain in power until he was nearly 100 years old.

He became prime minister on Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980 and then president in 1987.

Zimbabwe's economic output has halved since 2000 when many white-owned farms were seized, leaving the key agricultural sector in ruins.

(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.)
Union minister Jitendra Singh today said National Conference president Farooq Abdullah was making himself "irrelevant" and treading on a self-defeating course with his remarks on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

On November 11, Abdullah had told reporters that PoK belonged to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight.

"It is a case of tragic isolation of a man whom nobody is advising that he is treading a self-defeating course," Singh said.

"I feel sad for him, for the simple reason that there is nobody to advise him. The more he talks like this, the more and more he is making himself irrelevant...more he is likely to ruin his political party," the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told reporters here.

He said his statements had enraged the people of Jammu and lawyers and social activists were up in arms against him.

"What he is saying is already rejected by the people of Kashmir. And ironically what he is been saying has not even amused the powers that be in Islamabad (Pakistan) for whom he seems to be batting. It is a sad moment (for him)," Singh said.

Asked whether he should apologise for his remarks, the Union minister said, "I am not even sure whether he is actually in realisation in what he is saying. That is why I said it is a case of tragic isolation of a man whom nobody is there to advice.

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The Odisha government today issued a notice warning of disciplinary action against 108 doctors, who have remained absent from their places of duty for a long period, if they fail to reply within a month.

The state government had issued notices several times to the said doctors, who remained absent in an unauthorised manner, directing them to join duty at their respective places of posting but they never responded, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena.

These absentee doctors are yet to report for duty though their postings were made 3 to 5 years ago, he said adding, these doctors have remained incommunicado, flouting the official orders.

Therefore, this is the final notice issued by the government and if they fail to submit replies within the stipulated time period of one month, action would be taken against them as per law, the minister said.

A senior official said these doctors have either deserted their place of duty wilfully for a long period or failed to report for duty.

Attempts have been made to ascertain their addresses to communicate with them but their whereabouts could not be known as they have not intimated their present address either to their immediate authorities or to the Director of Health Services or Director, Medical Education and Training, he said.

The final notice, which was also published in newspapers, has an e-mail ID and asked the absentee doctors to submit their representations along with supporting documents within a month, failing which disciplinary proceedings would be taken against them.

The government move came following allegations that many doctors posted in remote areas and peripheral health centres remained absent from the place of their posting as they are engaged in private practice and not inclined to serve in far-flung regions, said an official.

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The West Bengal government's decision to distribute cows among families in rural areas ahead of the panchayat polls has come under fire from the Left and the Congress as well as the BJP.

The CPI(M) and the Congress have accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of communalising politics and helping the BJP. And the BJP has slammed the decision as an attempt to appease the people through the "politics of dole".

The TMC, which announced its decision on November 14, was trying to help the BJP in the panchayat polls, the Congress and the CPI(M) alleged.

According to Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan, the decision clearly signifies that the TMC is helping the BJP in its divisive politics.

"Why distribute cows ahead of panchayat polls? This is a clear indication that the TMC is trying to help the BJP gain ground in Bengal through its divisive politics. The TMC and the BJP have a tacit understanding on how to polarise the state," Mannan told PTI.

CPI(M) politburo member Mohammad Salim agreed and said it was a ploy to make way for "cow politics", which he claimed the BJP has been practising across the nation.

He added that the state government wanted to help the BJP ahead of next year's panchayat polls.

The BJP also criticised the move.

"Instead of the politics of development, the state government believes in the politics of dole. They have already given cycles and shoes, so now it's cows," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh told PTI.

Had the government been serious about cow protection, he said, it would have taken steps to stop cow smuggling.

"But it has not done that," he added.

Animal Resources Development Minister Swapan Debnath defended the decision, saying distributing cows in rural areas would help make families self-reliant and increase milk production.

He said under the TMC regime, milk production in the state had gone up by 16 per cent.

The process of distribution of cows would start soon and be completed in the next couple of months.

The panchayat poll is important as it will show which way the wind is blowing in West Bengal ahead of the 2019 Parliamentary election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 100 Hindu pilgrims from India arrived here today to take part in a festival at a temple in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

The pilgrims were greeted at the Wagah Border by the Evacuee Trust Property Board's chairman Siddiqul Farooq and other officials, board's spokesman Amir Hashmi told PTI.

"Some 104 Hindus arrived here by train to participate in annual festivities in connection with Shadani mela (festival) at Shadhani Temple in Hayat Pitafi, Mirpur Mathelo, Sindh," Hashmi said.

During their 10-day stay, the the pilgrims will also visit Sadhu Mandar in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kanpur in Sindh.

The main event of the festival will be held on November 25 in which the local Hindus will also participate, Hashmi said, adding that the visiting Hindus will return to India on November 28.

Speaking on the occasion, Farooq said the people of Pakistan and India wanted peace between the two countries.

"The two south Asian countries should address outstanding issues between them through dialogue," he said.

"We have brought a message of peace, love and harmony from India. We want both the governments to resolve the issues through peaceful dialogue," said Yogester Lal, the head of the delegation.

Over 2,300 Sikh pilgrims left for India from Pakistan by special trains on November 11 after attending the 549th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in the Punjab province.

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An Israeli judge has ordered the Palestinian Authority and perpetrators of a deadly 2001 attack to pay $18 million in damages to relatives of those killed, the court said today.

The Jerusalem District Court named imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti as one of the seven liable to compensate relatives for their role in the shooting that killed three family members.

The ruling, handed down on Thursday by justice Moshe Drori, awarded the relatives 62 millions shekels ($18 million, 15 million euros), which is to be divided between the PA, which would pay 40 per cent, and the seven Palestinian perpetrators, who would pay 60 per cent.

The attack, which took place on a West Bank highway on August 25, 2001, claimed the lives of Yaniv and Sharon Ben Shalom, a couple, and Sharon's brother Doron Sviri.

The families had sued the PA and as well as the perpetrators, among them Barghouti.

Barghouti is serving prison terms for his position as the leader of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah group that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks.

Justice Drori found the PA liable as it had encouraged the attacks and effectively was an accessory by supplying the guns to the security forces that were ultimately used and by funding the perpetrators.

It was not immediately clear if the family would take the money from the PA and imprisoned Palestinians, and how.

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Punjab's Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa urged India and Pakistan to ease visa norms to facilitate the travel of people on either side of the border.

Bajwa said the language, literature and culture in the two countries were similar and with co-operation of the two peoples, tension on the borders will reduce.

He was speaking after interacting with Pakistani pilgrims who have come to India to participate in Rouza Sharif's Urs in Aam Khas Bagh in Sirhind (Fatehgarh Sahib).

Bajwa, who was born in Kotli Bajwa village in Sialkot district of Pakistan, said the people on either side of the border should be able to visit the other easily, without any trouble, and urged the governments in India and Pakistan to ease the visa norms.

Welcoming the Pakistani pilgrims, Congress MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra said the people of the two countries have always longed to meet each other and whenever the citizens of Pakistan come to India, people here receive them warmly.

He said the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the visiting Pakistani pilgrims. They were providing them potable water and formed several medical teams to attend to the pilgrims, he added.

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Chileans went to the polls today in the first round of the country's presidential election, with former leader Sebastian Pinera hoping to capitalize on his front-runner status to succeed Socialist leader Michelle Bachelet.

But pundits believe Pinera, a conservative 67-year-old billionaire who was president from 2010 to 2014, may not gain enough support to avoid a runoff next month -- likely against Alejandro Guillier, an independent supported by Bachelet's Socialists.

Chile's constitution bans consecutive terms for presidents, but re-election after skipping a term is permissible.

Bachelet herself led the conservative South American country -- Latin America's fifth-biggest economy -- from 2006 to 2010 and then was re-elected to replace Pinera in 2014.

Pre-vote surveys show the Harvard-educated Pinera with a comfortable lead going into today's contest -- but not enough to win the presidency outright.

"It's not very likely" he will get the 50 per cent or more of ballots needed to avoid a run-off, said political analyst Mauricio Morales of Talca University.

In that case, a second-round showdown would be held between the top two candidates on December 17, and the winner would take over the presidency in March 2018.

Bachelet, who was also Chile's first woman president, hugged and took photographs with female supporters before casting her vote in Santiago.

"It is important that people come out and vote (for a candidate) because they feel they represent what they want for Chile," she said, predicting a second round.

Pinera, 67, also cast his vote in the capital.

"Chileans are going to make a decision that will affect our lives for many decades," he said.

Guillier, a 64-year-old former state TV anchor turned senator who presents himself as an independent, has 25 per cent of voter support against 44 per cent for Pinera, according to opinion polls.

With the outcome weighted heavily in Pinera's favor, voter apathy could be an issue -- even though there are six other candidates in the race beyond the top two.

Compulsory voting was dropped in 2012; since then, a growing number of Chile's 14 million eligible voters have decided to stay away from voting booths.

"People don't want to vote because, really, nobody believes there will be any significant change anywhere. Also, they see who will be president as a foregone conclusion," said Catalina Gascone, a 19-year-old student.

Analysts predict that abstention could be as high as 40 per cent, and that Pinera has more motivated voters who will turn out.

On the other hand, it is the first poll in the country's history that includes expatriate citizens, with some 40,000 Chileans out of an estimated 850,000 living abroad expected to cast their ballots.

Pinera's first presidential victory in 2009 elections signified a break from the center-left politics that had reigned in Chile since democracy was restored with the end of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990.

But a Pinera comeback is not seen as a rejection of the overall economic and social model erected in the Bachelet years, during which Chile posted annual growth of 1.8 per cent and passed tax and labor reforms, an introduction of free education, and the right to abortion.

"Chileans don't want to tear down the model, just fix its structure," Morales said.

Pinera has promised modifications to Bachelet's reforms, as well as vowing to have Chile join the club of developed nations within eight years.

His effectiveness, though, could be hobbled by a shortfall in legislative support.

"He is not going to have a majority in Congress," analyst Marta Lagos, founder of Latinobarometro and MORI Chile, predicted.

Today's balloting also includes legislative elections for many congressional seats.

Electoral forecasts suggest the right will increase its representation, but will probably not have the majority in either chamber.

Polls opened at 8:00 AM and are scheduled to close at around 6:00 PM. First results are expected about 90 minutes later.

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Paul Pogba marked his comeback with a goal and an assist as Manchester United fought back to beat Newcastle United 4-1 and stay on Manchester City's tail.

Sidelined since mid-September by a hamstring injury, France midfielder Pogba made a decisive return as Jose Mourinho's side restored the eight-point gap that separates them from Premier League leaders City.

Pep Guardiola's City had earlier prevailed 2-0 at Leicester City and there were also wins for champions Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the north London derby.

"We can only play Manchester City twice in a season," United manager Mourinho told BT Sport.

"In those games, we will try to take points. Outside of those fixtures, we are not in control."



United remain second, a point above Chelsea, who climbed above Tottenham into third place courtesy of a 4-0 success at West Bromwich Albion.

In addition to Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic received a rapturous reception from United's fans when he came on as a substitute following his recovery from a serious knee injury.

"The return of the injured players was nice, especially in Zlatan's case, after such a dramatic injury," said Mourinho. "To see him back was a great emotion."



A slip by Victor Lindelof enabled Dwight Gayle to put Newcastle ahead in the 14th minute with the first league goal United had conceded at Old Trafford since April.

But Pogba's feathery cross teed up Anthony Martial to head in a 37th-minute equaliser and after Chris Smalling had headed the hosts in front, Pogba tapped in Marcus Rashford's cushioned header early in the second half.

Romelu Lukaku added a fourth, swapping passes with Juan Mata and thrashing home to end a seven-game goal drought.

At Leicester, Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne struck fine goals as ruthless Manchester City registered a 16th successive victory in all competitions.

Jesus finished off a slick move shortly before half-time and De Bruyne made it 2-0 early in the second half with a blistering left-foot shot into the top-left corner.

"It is complicated to defend against Leicester, but we did really well. We did not concede one chance in 90 minutes," Guardiola told the BBC.

"We continue with our good rhythm in terms of points and the way we play."



- Salah top scorer -



====================



City captain Vincent Kompany made his first league start since August following his latest calf injury.

But in a major blow for the visitors, Guardiola said fellow centre-back John Stones was facing "four to six weeks" out after being forced off in the first half with a hamstring problem.

Chelsea piled the pressure on West Brom manager Tony Pulis with a breezy 4-0 win at The Hawthorns, where Antonio Conte's side secured the title last season.

Eden Hazard scored twice and had a hand in Alvaro Morata's 17th-minute opener, with Marcos Alonso also on target.

Quick-fire first-half goals by Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez earned Arsenal a richly deserved victory over arch rivals Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.

"They had the urgency, the desire and the focus," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of his players.

"In a derby like that, that plays a part. We didn't lose the defensive focus for 90 minutes."



Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino felt, with justification, that the free-kick that led to Mustafi's goal should not have been awarded and that Mustafi had been offside from Mesut Ozil's cross.

"I'm disappointed because the small details were against us, which makes it difficult to win," Pochettino told Sky Sports.

Liverpool remain fifth, above sixth-place Arsenal on goal difference, after a routine 3-0 home win over Southampton at Anfield.

Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah scored two first-half goals -- the first a magnificent curler -- to become the Premier League's leading scorer on nine goals, with Philippe Coutinho adding a third.

High-flying Burnley also sit on 22 points after Jack Cork and Ashley Barnes scored in a 2-0 home win over second-bottom Swansea City.

Bottom club Crystal Palace were twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 home draw with Everton, for whom David Unsworth remains in charge on a caretaker basis.

James McArthur's opener after 51 seconds was cancelled out by a Leighton Baines penalty and although Wilfried Zaha restored Palace's lead, Oumar Niasse levelled again on the cusp of half-time.

Callum Wilson netted a hat-trick and Harry Arter also found the net as Bournemouth belied the dismissal of defender Simon Francis to beat Huddersfield Town 4-0 and move clear of the relegation zone.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Embattled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe gave a rambling televised speech to his country Sunday but did not resign -- despite an ultimatum from his own party that said it would move to impeach him if he did not step down by midday Monday.

Members of ZANU-PF, which Mugabe co-founded to usher his country into independence, voted the 93-year-old President out on Sunday and anointed Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former vice president fired by Mugabe earlier this month, as new party leader.

In his address late Sunday night, Mugabe said he had met with the nation's security force command before speaking to the nation, but vowed to stay in power.

Rumors were swirling before he spoke that Mugabe would resign the presidency.

While acknowledging the struggles and criticisms that led the nation's security forces to seize power, and the pressure for him to resign, Mugabe said he will preside over the ZANU-PF congress in December.

"Today's meeting with the command element has underscored the need for us to collectively start processes that return our nation to normalcy. So that all our people can go about their business unhindered, in an environment of perfect peace and security. "

He also enumerated all the concerns raised by the nation's security force and his own party, including the struggling Zimbabwean economy, and added they should be attended to with great urgency.

During his address, Mugabe was flanked by various uniformed members of the armed forces. While speaking, he shuffled his papers and at times seemed to lose his place, prompting him to apologize at the end.

"It was a long speech," Mugabe said, before receiving tepid applause by those sitting next to him. Minutes later he stood up and shook hands with members of the armed forces.

Removing Mugabe as party leader does not dethrone him as Zimbabwe's President, but it is a clear indication that if Parliament holds a vote on his future, they will have the numbers to impeach him.

Key developments

Grace Mugabe gone: Mugabe's wife, who was maneuvering to run for president, was also expelled from the party, according to Reuters.

Talks in deadlock: Mugabe has refused to accept a deal with the military that will allow him to resign without being forced out.

Mugabe's support crumbles: Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets Saturday to demand an end to Mugabe's rule as several key allies turn against him.

Mugabe cornered

Social media video of the party meeting during which Mugabe was removed as leader showed ZANU-PF members singing and dancing in jubilation.

The decision came shortly after official Obert Mpofu opened the meeting at the party headquarters in Harare by declaring the party's intention to vote out Mugabe. His statement received a standing ovation and roars of support.

Mpofu is one of the many former Mugabe allies who have turned on the President. The former mining minister, who once described himself as Mugabe's most obedient son, said the decision was made Sunday with a "heavy heart."

Mugabe's 37-year rule has been on the brink of collapse since the army seized power in Harare on Wednesday. The military is losing patience with the leader, who is refusing to accept a deal that would allow him to resign without the disgrace of being forced from office.

But with his main power base now gone, there may be a breakthrough in negotiations. Mugabe is effectively now forced to make a choice between stepping down or waiting for Parliament to officially oust him.

Sources told CNN that any deal would involve Mugabe stepping down to make way for an interim President, while Mnangagwa would likely be installed as the next ZANU-PF leader at a congress in December, paving the way for the presidency in next year's election.

Mnangagwa has been central to the political chaos. Party members saw his dismissal on November 6 as the final assault after months of infighting over who would eventually replace Mugabe.

Mnangagwa has not been seen since his dismissal, but CNN has learned that he had been instrumental for some time in plans to seize control from the President.

Mnangagwa served as Mugabe's right-hand man throughout his entire leadership, and there are now concerns that his rise could mark a continuation of Mugabe's oppressive policies.

Like Mugabe, Mnangagwa has been accused of playing a central role in a string of massacres by the country's Fifth Brigade in the early 1980s, which are widely believed to have left up to 20,000 people dead.

Protesters demand change

There is strong appetite in the country to see Mugabe go. On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand an end to the President's rule.

The country's powerful army veterans organization, once loyal to Mugabe, has also turned on the President. The group organized a rally in Harare on Saturday, in which tens of thousands of people called for an end to Mugabe's rule.

Some waved Zimbabwean flags and placards with slogans like "Mugabe Must Rest Now" and "No to Mugabe Dynasty," a rare sight in Zimbabwe, where such gatherings had been banned for decades.

"The whole nation is celebrating today. We are finally getting rid of the old man," said Tanashe, a Harare resident who declined to provide a second name.

Others ran alongside army tanks and hugged soldiers to show their gratitude for their actions.

Foreign powers have also largely supported the military's actions so far, with few international voices condemning its apparent coup.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on the army to show restraint but described the situation in Zimbabwe as an "opportunity" for the country.

Mugabe had said that he planned to contest next year's election, despite his age, and once infamously claimed that "only God" could remove him from office.

Zimbabwe's Indigenization Minister Patrick Zhuwao, who is also Mugabe's nephew, said the President "is willing to die for his principles."

"He is willing to die to protect the constitution."

CNN's Nicole Chavez and Faith Karimi contributed to this report.
The Delhi Police has arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly running a job racket by creating a fake website of the women and child development ministry and duping over 4,000 people on the pretext of providing them employment.

The Parliament Street police station received a complaint from the ministry's under secretary that a fake website using its logo had been created, an official statement said today.

The website had advertised openings for various posts, including those of teachers, and applicants had been asked to pay the entrance examination fee through the web portal, it said.

The ministry had not announced any such openings, the complaint said.

During the investigation, the police team procured and analysed the details of the website, and collected relevant documents, the statement said.

The accounts given on the fake website were investigated and the kingpin of the racket, Sumit Kumar, was arrested, it said.

The accused, a law graduate, had set up an organisation called 'Women and Child Development Organisation' in March. It resembled the name of the ministry and he had got it registered, the police said.

The website had the logos of the ministry and Government of India, and an account to collect the fee was opened in a private bank, they said.

"Around 4,000 applicants had submitted applications and around Rs 20 lakh was deposited in the account. The accused has withdrawn Rs 3 lakh," the police said.

To raise fund and earn money, he uploaded an advertisement for recruitment for the posts of teachers and other posts, they said.

The website had advertisements for 6,715 vacancies and directed applicants to fill the form online and pay the fee in the account of the organisation, the police said.

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Puducherry Chief Minister V narayanasamy today alleged that Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit and Lt Governor Kiran Bedi were 'interfering' in the routine administration of the governments.

He was referring to the recent meeting held by Purohit with government officials in Coimbatore and Bedi's 'interference' in the administration of the territorial government.

"Never before had any state governor or Lt Governor of a Union Territory interfered in the routine administration of the State governments as seen after the NDA came to power at the Centre," he said.

He was addressing a seminar organised as part of the birth centenary celebrations of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi here.

Narayanasamy further said, "Tamil Nadu ministers should boldly stand against the autocratic manner of functioning of the Centre as seen in the state governor holding meetings with the officials."



Referring to Bedi's style of functioning here, Narayanasamy said, "We are facing several hiccups and blockades and are not able to implement welfare schemes because of intervention by the Lt Governor."



The Puducherry chief minister is engaged in a bitter spat with Bedi over her style of functioning for the more than a year.

On November 15, a political row had erupted in Tamil Nadu over Purohit's meeting with officials in Coimbatore as the DMK and other opposition parties claimed that it amounted to interference in the state's rights.

Earlier, Narayanasamy paid rich tributes to Indira Gandhi, saying she had "honoured the states' rights" and approved their welfare schemes without discrimination.

Ministers and legislators were among those who spoke on the occasion.

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Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today urged judges of High Courts and District Courts to work in a mission mode to clear all cases pending for 10 years and above.

Prasad also called upon the lawyers to offer pre-litigation services and start pro bono advocacy to give honest, credible and free legal advice to the poor.

Prasad said this after a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Cuttack Bench of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) building.

The Bench, functioning since 1970, will have its own building constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 11.64 crore on a prime land measuring 1.60 acre and valued at Rs 6.52 crore allotted by the Odisha government free of cost.

Prasad also instructed the officers of his ministry to ensure that the bhumi pujan of the building, which was done by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on the day, is also inaugurated by Justice Misra during his tenure as CJI.

Justice Misras tenure as CJI is scheduled to come to an end on October 3 next year.

Dwelling extensively on global economic scenario vis--vis demonetisation and implementation of GST in India, Prasad said the country is now becoming the biggest investment destination for its demographic dividends, better adjudicating capacity, good teachers, good institutions and good lawyers.

Globally, there is abundance of capital and the capital will flow where there is good human resources, the Union Minister said.

Prasad, who is also the IT minister, said he is also in a mission mode to push electronics in a big way.

I am replicating digital technology to access justice for the poor and at their doorstep, he said, referring to the 2.7 lakh common services centers his ministry is running to provide various services in rural areas.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, State law minister Pratap Jena, Odisha High Court chief Justice Vineet Saran, several sitting and former judges of the High Court were also present when CJI Dipak Misra performed the bhumi pujan ceremony of the ITAT building.

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The Rashtriya Janata Dal has decided not to put up any candidate in the Gujarat Assembly elections next month and extend its support to the Congress, party chief Lalu Prasad said here today.

Prasad appealed to minorities, backwards, Dalits, farmers and labourers, and Yadavs of Gujarat to vote against the BJP to ensure its defeat.

"The RJD will support the Congress party. We will not put up our own candidates in the Gujarat elections," Prasad told reporters here after the party's national executive meeting.

Prasad said Patidar leader Hardik Patel has invited him to visit Gujarat and he would oblige him if he gets time.

The RJD chief said the JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is putting up candidates in the Gujarat Assembly elections.

"I don't know what Sharad Yadav would do. It has no meaning at the moment," Prasad told reporters here.

The Election Commission on Friday recognised the group led by Kumar as the Janata Dal (United), rejecting the claim of the Sharad Yadav faction over the party's name and election symbol.

Earlier, addressing the members of the national executive, Prasad said Kumar is putting up candidates to split 'Patel votes' in the Gujarat elections.

Prasad said the RJD would hold a 'Parivartan Rally' three months before the Lok Sabha "to uproot the BJP".

The BJP-led government's Union ministers have only one point agenda to criticise him, he said.

He said not a single MP of the NDA, who had won from Bihar, would return to the Lok Sabha next time.

Prasad was elected unopposed to the post of the RJD national president on November 14, 2017.

The party will hold an open session and national council meeting on November 21 where Prasad's election as president will be ratified.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed grief over the death of Indian Air Force (IAF) commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala, who was killed in a gunfight with militants in Kahsmir, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 11 lakh for his family.

Nirala, a resident of Badladih area in Bihar's Rohtas district, was killed during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora yesterday. He was a member of the IAF's Garud Commando Force.

In his condolence message, Kumar said that the entire country would remember the supreme sacrifice of the brave son of Bihar.

The chief minister announced an ex gratia of Rs 11 lakh to the next of the kin of the commando, an official release said, adding that Nirala's body would be cremated with full police honours.

Kumar prayed to the almighty to give courage and strength to the bereaved family to bear the loss, the release said.

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The CISF has written to schools across the country, including noted ones like KVs, DPS, Doon and Scindia, offering professional security consultancy services to ensure safe environment for children, a move that comes in the wake of the killing of a student in Gurugram.

The paramilitary, mandated as the nodal security agency to guard critical installations in the country including airports, has written dozens of letters to school authorities stating it can help create a "safe and secure" environment for school-going children which will come with a service fee.

The consultancy fee would be around Rs 4 lakh for an average school.

The trigger for this all-India exercise by the Central Industrial Security Force is the recent incident of killing of aClass 2 student of the Ryan International School in Gurugram who was found dead in the school bathroom with his throat slit by a sharp-edged weapon on the morning of September 8.

"It is felt that in the wake of the recent unfortunate incident in one of the reputed schools in the national capital region (NCR) in which a young student lost his life, there is now a need for revisiting the security infrastructure of our schools.

"You will agree that a healthy and secure environment is a right of every child and schools have a major role to play in the providing the same," the CISF letter addressed to one of the school principals read.

Among those who have been sent the offer letter include the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, the Delhi Public School Society, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Springdales, Salwan Education Trust, Modern School, Sanskriti, Mother's International, Shri Ram and Appejay Education Society in Delhi.

The force has even approached the Ryan Group of Schools in Mumbai, the Doon School in Dehradun, Scindia School in Gwalior and Rishi Valley in Chitoor in Andhra Pradesh even as many more such letters are being dispatched.

CISF Director General O P Singh said the force took the initiative as part of its responsibility towards society.

"We are the best suited government agency for doing such expert security consultancies and in preparing safe environments. We need to ensure safety to the school-going children. About 200 institutions of national repute are our satisfied clients under this umbrella," he told PTI.

The force that works under the command of the Union home ministry has conducted similar securityconsultancy for the Dhirubhai Ambani International school in Mumbai and has similarly audited a number of Indian Institutes of Management (IIsM) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IIsT).

The force has assured the schools that its professional but chargeable security solutions will be custom-made for them like it does for each of its clients.

"We firmly believe that out consultancy will assist in finalising the blue print for effective security and fire protection of your esteemed educational institutions," the CISF has told the schools.

It said that its security audit report will "cover aspects related to integrated security solutions, student and faculty protection and any specific requirement put forth by them."



A senior officer of the force said after the first set of offer letters were dispatched few days back, three reputed schools from Delhi have already approached them with a positive word.

The official said the CISF security consultancy, used by Infosys, Reliance, the Sebi (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and AIIMS among others, will cost one-fourth as what is charged by some private players in this domain.

"So, for an average school that we are talking about, an amount of about Rs 4-4.5 lakh would be incurred as the CISF consultancy fee. The private players charge as much as Rs 20 lakh for the same job," he said.

He said once the client agrees for the consultancy, a team of CISF experts from its special unit visit the premises that is to be auditedand handover the final report from a time period ranging between 3-4 months.

The report tells the client where to install CCTV cameras, where to deploy security staff, how to check access control, how to train their security staff and install emergency response gadgets.

"The effort is to make the security system professional and competent.The security consultancy is also added with the fire audit where anti-blaze and counter-fire measures are suggested," he said.

The security consultancy wing in the 1969 raised force was created in 1999 and it has an elite team of 130 expert officials.

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Haryana Minister Anil Vij today stirred a controversy saying that the popular Hindi song 'Sabarmati ke Sant' portrayed an inaccurate picture of India's freedom struggle and claimed that its lyrics were an "insult" to many martyrs whose contribution it ignored.

Referring to the lyrics, "De di humein azadi bina khadag bina dhaal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal (O saint of Sabarmati, you have given us freedom without using scimitars or shields)," Vij said the song did not mention those who waged an armed struggle against foreign rule.

Vij made his comments at a function held at the Subhash Park in Ambala Cantt yesterday. The park is named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The reference to the song came up when the role of various freedom fighters in the country's independence movement was being mentioned.

The minister said the lyrics of the song did not make any mention of the large number of freedom fighters who launched an armed struggle to free the country.

"It does not portray a true picture," the Haryana health minister said.

Vij said that Bose and his Azad Hind Fauj, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Rajguru, Sukhdev and others were among those who fought to throw out the Britishers.

There were many others who sacrificed their lives for the country, he said.

Vij alleged that the film song misguided people and was an "insult" to the large number of martyrs who laid down their lives fighting British rulers.

"Rajguru, Sukhdev, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Netaji Bose and his Azad Hind Fauj fought against the British empire. At that time it used to be said that sun never sets on the British empire, but they fought against them without caring about their lives.

"Besides, a large number of other freedom fighters made sacrifices for the sake of the country's freedom. But when we say 'De di hamein azadi bina khadag bina dhal' then it is an insult to those martyrs," Vij said.

Slamming Vij for his remarks, the opposition Congress alleged that the minister was a "loose cannon" who often made "irresponsible" statements.

"He is a loose cannon. He is in the habit of making irresponsible statements. This is not the first time that he has tried to insult Mahatma Gandhi ji as earlier this year too he had done the same thing. Rather than making such comments, he should focus on his ministry and try to make improvements there," Congress MP from Rohtak, Deepinder Singh Hooda, said.

The song from 1954 film 'Jagriti' is dedicated to Gandhi, who espoused non-violence.

The senior BJP leader, a five-time MLA from Ambala Cantt, is no stranger to controversies.

In January this year, Vij had courted controversy with remarks that Gandhi's image did not help Khadi and had caused devaluation of the currency.

Vij had said that it was good that Gandhi's image was replaced with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the calendar and diary of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as Modi was a "better brand". He went on to add that Gandhi's image would be removed gradually from the currency notes too.

However, the minister later withdrew these remarks after massive outrage and even the BJP condemning them.

"The statement given by me in connection with Mahatma Gandhi was given in my personal capacity. To avoid hurting anyone's sentiments, I am withdrawing it," the minister had tweeted after the controversy erupted.

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President Ram Nath Kovind today called on the MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh to serve their constituencies and people dedicatedly irrespective of party affiliations.

After dedicating the newly-constructed Assembly building to the people, Kovind said the building was not made of just bricks and cement, but it was a monument where lawmakers plan for the state with a vision for the future.

"You will need to be spacious like the building for your people, who elected you with great hope and aspirations. You must shoulder your responsibilities to keep your voters' aspirations alive and serve them with sincerity," Kovind said in his address during a special session of the Assembly.

Elections are fought on party lines in a parliamentary democracy, but elected representatives are not the MLA of a party but of the entire constituency, the president said.

"It is our utmost duty to look after the problems faced by the people irrespective of caste, community, religion and party line," he added.

Kovind said all decisions in the Assembly should be taken through healthy debates by both ruling and opposition members.

"Sometime we may differ in our opinions but it should not result in disruption of the house," he said and urged the MLAs to maintain the spirit of democracy.

The president also appealed the members to preserve the rich age-old traditions of the state.

"Arunachal Pradesh has been a source of inspiration for the people of the country," he said, referring to Havildar Hangpan Dada of the Rashtiya Rifles who laid down his life after single-handedly killing three terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

He was posthumously conferred the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award for valour and courage.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (retd) B D Mishra in his address called on the members to work with accountability and transparency.

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Customer experience management solutions provider Servion plans to ramp up its headcount in India with the addition of over 200 people in India on the back of strong growth in its business in the country.

Servion, which has a significant chunk of its 1,500- strong workforce in India, has three centres in the country -- Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune.

It has also recently hired David Raj as its Chief HR Officer, who will be responsible for Global HR across Servion. A part of the Executive Officer Group, Raj will be based out of Chennai.

"We have seen significant growth in our India business in the last two years and we have been ramping up our headcount to meet the demand. In the next 3-4 months, we expect to recruit another 200 people," Servion CEO Sameet Gupte told PTI.

He added that hiring will be done for the company's centres in Bengaluru and Chennai.

While Gupte did not disclose the company's revenue, he said the Asian region accounts for 25 per cent of its global revenue.

The US contributes about 55 per cent of the Everstone Group-backed company.

Earlier this year, the private equity firm had increased its investment in Servion to USD 74 million.

Gupte said the company is also making investments in training its workforce on new technologies like artificial intelligence, interactive analytics and the like.

He added that the company is witnessing strong demand across sectors like banking, financial services and insurance, telecom and healthcare.

According to a Gartner report, an increase of 300 per cent is expected in the market adoption of mobile apps and chat within the business process by 2020.

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Union minister Shripad Naik today called for the inclusion of yoga in hospitals to cure ailments in a holistic way.

The minister of state for AYUSH also said that yoga is a gift of India's rich cultural heritage and it is important to make it a way of life.

"I feel every hospital should include yoga for holistic healing," Naik said in a statement issued here.

The youth today are stressed, riddled by lifestyle pressures and are often misguided to take up addictions like alcohol and drugs, he said while highlighting the importance of yoga not just as a physical exercise but as a means for holistic healing.

The minister was addressing a gathering here while celebrating the 120th birth anniversary of Yogendraji, the founder of the Yoga Institute in suburban Mumbai.

"Yoga is a gift of rich cultural heritage given by the ancient India to the world. Adopting yogic values that Yogendraji taught and making yoga a way of living is important," Naik said.

BJP MP Poonam Mahajan and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Peru, Vikram Vishwanath, were also present on the occasion.

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The Society of Biological Chemists (SBC) has requested the government to simplify the process of releasing funds to scientists so that they can contribute more to society.

"That would be a great contribution from the government," President of SBC Umesh Varshney told PTI at its four-day 86th conference at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), that concludes today.

Over 130 biological scientists from across the country attended the four-day conference. JNU hosted the event for the third time after 1998 and 2006.

Formed in 1930, SBC is one of the oldest societies after the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), that was formed in 1914. It is headquartered at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

The society has over 4,000 members with eminent personalities such as Padma Bhushan award winners Govindarajan Padmanaban and Asis Datta as its life-time members.

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More than 250 students from 62 ICSE-affiliated schools of Kolkata and its neighbouring districts learned about social media and its impact on our everyday life at a day-long workshop here.

The seminar, conducted by counsellors and cyber experts, deliberated on the positives and negatives of social media networks like Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and online video games, including Blue Whale challenge, Secretary of the Association of ICSE Schools in West Bengal Nabarun De told PTI.

"Every school was represented by three students - from 9th, 10th and 11th standards - and a teacher at yesterday's workshop and the response was very encouraging," he said.

De said the concerned students will now interact with their classmates and juniors at their respective institutions and help spreading the message, De said.

Such interactions became necessary as smart phones are now an inevitable part of our lives and schoolchildren are not exception, Navneet Sharma, one of the attending teachers, said.

The workshop also sensitised students about the deleterious effects of smart phone addiction on their education and extracurricular activities, De said.

"We have always encouraged students to involve themselves in sporting activities and asked all member schools to encourage their peers to participate in on-field games, necessary for all-round development of young ones," he said.

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Activists allegedly belonging to the BJP tonight pelted stones at the CPI(M) district committee office here, even as clashes were reported in the district and in Kannur between workers of the two parties, police said.

The incident happened a day after Mayor V K Prasant was attacked allegedly by BJP workers at the city corporation council here. Four women councillors and a staff member were injured in the melee during a discussion on installing high mast lights in the city yesterday.

Seven persons have been taken into custody in connection with today's incident.

The window panes of the CPI(M) party office were damaged in the stone pelting incident, the police said.

A glass case in which the bust of late P Krishna Pillai, one of the founding leaders of the Communist movement in Kerala was kept, was also damaged, they said.

In Karikkam, two CPI(M) workers were injured in a clash and they have been hospitalised. CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan alleged that BJP workers unleashed violence on the workers of his party during a procession tonight.

Minor clashes were reported between the workers of the two parties in Valapattinam and Iritty in Kannur district in which workers from both the parties were injured, according to police.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran alleged that BJP and RSS workers were behind the attacks on CPI(M) activists.

Earlier today, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the attack on Prashant was "well-planned" and led by BJP and RSS activists.

"The attack was deliberate and without any provocation," he said in a post on Facebook after visiting the mayor at the medical college hospital here.

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The Syrian army and loyalist militiamen on Sunday retook full control of Albu Kamal from the Islamic State group, a military source said, ousting the jihadists from their last urban stronghold in .

The military source in Deir Ezzor told AFP that "Syrian troops and allied forces took full control of Albu Kamal, and are removing mines and explosives left by IS" in the town on the i border.

Albu Kamal has changed hands several times, with government forces announcing its capture earlier this month but losing it to a blistering IS counter-attack a week ago.
A Muslim girl student has alleged that her hijab was pulled off by a school teacher in the US state of Virginia, according to a media report.

The teacher pulled off the girl's hijab while she was talking with her friends at the Lake Braddock High School, Virginia, the Washington Post reported.

"So my hijab was ripped off my head today," the girl tweeted. "Then he says 'Oh your hair is so pretty' and tries to play it off like its a joke," she said.

After the incident, she ran into a restroom and called her parents. They contacted the school and a mosque.

The teacher, who was not identified, told other teachers he thought the student was wearing a hoodie over the hijab. He reached to pull off the hoodie and the hijab came off, he was quoted as saying by the paper.

The incident prompted an outrage from a Muslim advocacy group and others. The school also condemned the incident.

The school's principal, David Thomas, said the teacher's actions were inappropriate and that the teacher had apologised to the student and her family.

The Fairfax County Public Schools spokesman, John Torre, described the teacher's action as "inappropriate and unacceptable".

The teacher was placed on leave while the district investigates a complaint into the matter.

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Security forces have arrested the finance secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) from a rented house here, police said today.

Acting on a tip-off, a special team of the state police and the Assam Riffles commandos raided the hideout at Saw Furlong area last night and apprehended three persons, including a woman, East Khasi Hills district SP Davis Marak told PTI.

They were identified as Inovi Asumi, who holds charge as finance secretary of the NSCN-K, his wife and brother-in-law, he said.

Following identification, Asumi was arrested while the other two were released as they were not involved with him, he said.

The NSCN-K, an armed militant organisation based in Nagaland, had earlier signed a ceasefire pact which it violated in 2015.

Although its presence in the neighbouring states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is widely acknowledged, the arrest of its top functionary from here is being investigated, the SP said.

The group has been designated a terrorist organisation in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II today marked her 70th wedding anniversary with the release of a new portrait of herself with husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The royal couple's platinum anniversary falls tomorrow, when they have planned a private dinner with family and friends at Windsor Castle while the bells of Westminster Abbey in London, where they married on November 20, 1947, will toll to mark the occasion.

In the commemorative portrait, the 91-year-old Queen is wearing a cream day dress designed by Angela Kelly, her personal assistant and dressmaker since 2002.

She also wears a "Scarab" brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, designed by Andrew Grima and given to the Queen as a gift in 1966.

Prince Philip, 96, is seen standing by her side in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in the photograph taken earlier this month and distributed by the Camera Press agency.

The photograph by celebrity photographer Matt Holyoak shows the smiling couple flanked by artist Thomas Gainsborough's paintings of King George III and Queen Charlotte from 1781.

The release of the new portrait is accompanied by the issue of a new set of six postage stamps by Royal Mail to mark the milestone for the longest-serving monarch and the longest-living consort in British history.

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A Sikh MP in the UK has been abused and targeted with threats of violence from furious trolls who think he was not speaking enough on issues related to the community, according to a media report.

Tan Dhesi, who became Labour's MP for Slough in June, was accused of ignoring the plight of a British Sikh man who was arrested during his visit to India.

But Dhesi vowed to continue working for the whole public "regardless of background, colour or creed" rather than focussing on just one community, The Sun reported.

The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about a rail link in his local area.

Trolls said he should have asked about Jagtar Singh, a Scottish activist who has arrested in India, the report said.

One troll wrote to the MP saying: "...A Sikh British citizen is being tortured in Punjab and you're worried about rail. You have no response to that. You need a slap upside your head you fake Sikh!"



Dhesi reacted with fury and pointed out that he has repeatedly worked on Johal's case.

"It's hard enough serving as an MP without having to face constant abuse from various quarters (whether that's the far- right/extremists/others who feel that I'm only interested in 'my community's issues', or those from within my 'own' community who feel I don't do enough)," he wrote on Facebook.

"When people resort to abuse, they are actually doing a disservice to their own cause. I will do what I genuinely feel is right, rather than be forced by anybody to follow their priorities or way of thinking.

"I am not merely a Sikh MP/representative speaking solely on Sikh issues," Dhesi added.

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Britain's schools watchdog today announced that its inspectors will question primary schoolchildren on the decision to wear garments of faith like the hijab.

The move follows concerns that girls as young as four are being forced to wear the Muslim headscarf to school.

Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman fears that schools may be in breach of equality laws if young girls were required to wear religious garments while boys were not, The Sunday Times reported.

"In seeking to address these concerns, inspectors will talk to girls who wear such garments to ascertain why they do so in the school," Spielman said.

Spielman has also called on parents and the public to complain to head-teachers if they think schools are not treating girls and boys equally. If the school does not take the complaint seriously, the complainants should go directly to Ofsted, she says.

A Sunday Times survey revealed that nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of 800 state primary schools in 11 regions of England list the hijab as part of their uniform policy, mostly as an optional item.

One of the country's top state primary schools, St. Stephen's School in east London, revealed it had banned the hijab for girls under eight last year, despite protests by parents and intends to ban it for girls under 11 from September 2018.

"There is no requirement for girls to wear the hijab until puberty. It is not appropriate in a primary school," said Neena Lall, head-teacher of the school where most pupils are from Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds.

The Ofsted chief announced plans to evaluate the hijab policy in schools after meeting British Muslim women and secular campaigners who are calling for a ban on the wearing of hijabs in primary schools. Some fear the rise of the classroom hijab is a sign of Islamic conservatism asserting itself in the UK.

"Covering of young girls is often the first sign of young people being treated unequally. This often leads to girls being pulled out of swimming lessons, dance classes or other creative lessons," said Amina Lone, a former Labour party parliamentary candidate who was among those at the recent Oftsed meeting.

The UK's Department for Education said that it was up to schools to set their own uniform policies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said that his government was committed to establishing the rule of law and claimed that there were "no communal clashes" in the state in the past eight months.

Under previous state governments, there were "riots every week" and they also failed to nab the rioters, the chief minister said addressing a public meeting ahead of the local body polls.

"In the past eight months, there have been no communal clashes in the state. When the BJP came to power, there was anarchy and 'gunda raj' in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

"Today, there are no Kairana-like incidents happening in the state. The exodus of people, especially traders, from Kairana started after threats from criminals and mafia. No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands. No one today can dare to threaten a trader or abduct anyone," he said.

The chief minister was referring to the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana that made headlines last year when local BJP MP Hukum Singh released a list of more than 300 families who, he claimed, fled following extortion threats and violent attacks.

"The toughness we had adopted, has shown good results. Investors from India and abroad are willing to invest in the state. Investments will create jobs, and it will increase possibilities of development. Traders who had left the state are now returning," Adityanath said.

He alleged that the "previous government" used to "eulogise" elements engaged in communal violence.

"No one today has the audacity to give shelter to any rioter. People know that the right place for rioters and criminals... (is in jail). After the BJP government came to power, criminals have been sent behind bars and those who tried to confront the law have been killed in encounters," the chief minister said.

He also claimed that his government had given a boost to Aligarh's traditional lock industry.

"One of the first decisions of the government was to promote the locks made in Aligarh. In this regard, it was decided that locks will be put on illegal abattoirs in the state... This will definitely help in rejuvenating the lock industry," the chief minister said in a lighter vein.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The top officer at US Strategic Command said today an order from President Donald Trump or any of his successors to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if that order is determined to be illegal.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of Strategic Command, told a panel at the Halifax International Security Forum today that he and Trump have had conversations about such a scenario and that he would tell Trump he couldn't carry out an illegal strike.

"If it's illegal, guess what's going to happen. I'm going to say, 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?'" Hyten said.

"And we'll come up with options with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works."



In the event that Trump decided to launch a nuclear attack, Hyten would provide him with strike options that are legal.

The command would control nuclear forces in a war.

The comments come as the threat of nuclear attack from North Korea remains a serious concern and Trump's critics question his temperament.

Trump's taunting tweets aimed at Pyongyang have sparked concerns primarily among congressional Democrats that he may be inciting a war with North Korea.

During testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee earlier this month, retired General Robert Kehler who served as the head of Strategic Command from January 2011 to November 2013, also said the US armed forces are obligated to follow legal orders, not illegal ones.

Hyten said he's talked it over with Trump.

"I think some people think we're stupid. We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility how do you not think about it?,' he said.

He said he would not obey an illegal order.

"You could go to jail for the rest of your life," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US Marine who tested positive for excess alcohol was arrested in Japan's southern island of Okinawa today after an elderly local man was killed in a road accident, police said.

The 20-year-old was held for alleged negligent driving resulting in death, said Kazuhiko Miyagi, a road traffic officer with Okinawa police.

A 61-year-old Japanese man was killed when his vehicle collided with the serviceman's truck at an intersection.

A breath test on the Marine showed an alcohol level three times the legal limit, Miyagi said.

The US Marine Corps confirmed the accident in a statement, expressing "sincere condolences" to the family of the dead man and promising full cooperation with the investigation.

The US has several military bases in Japan and stations about 47,000 troops in the country as part of a joint security treaty.

But crimes by US personnel have been a frequent irritant in relations.

In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Force's sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman in April last year.

The case intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on Okinawa.

The island accounts for nearly 75 per cent of land allotted for US bases in Japan even though it has a fraction of the country's total area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Himachal Pradesh BJP today expressed confidence that the party would win atleast 50 plus seats in the state Assembly and form a stable government.

The core committee of the party met at Hamirpur today to review the post poll situation after getting feedback from the field including reports of anti-party activities and observed that the target of winning 50 plus seats in the 68 member house would be achieved.

"We discussed the post-poll situation after getting the feedback from the field and also the reports of undercutting in some places but reached the conclusion that party would form a stable government and win more than 50 seats in the 68 member house," state party chief Satpal Singh Satti said.

The meeting, which was attended by the top leaders of the state and presidents of all seventeen organisational districts, also assessed the possible damage that could have been caused due to undercutting and observed that it would not alter the overall poll results, Satti added.

He said action would be taken against the workers whose anti-party activities are visible but in other cases complaints would be probed by a disciplinary committee and its recommendations would be complied with.

The meeting also decided to send 30 leaders for campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly polls. These leaders would be assigned poll duties and would leave for Gujarat in next two-three days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Swedish comedian announced today the launch of a women-only music festival, after the country's largest event was cancelled following a string of sexual assault and rape complaints.

Organiser Emma Knyckare said the two-day music festival called Statement will be held next summer in the western city of Gothenburg and will allow women to party and drink "without having to look over your shoulder".

"Together we are making a statement against sexual assaults by creating a safe space for women, non-binary and trans people that want to attend festivals and feel secure at the same time," the radio host tweeted.

"We don't think this is too much to ask for!"



It comes after organisers of Bravalla announced they were cancelling the 2018 event after police received four rape and 23 sexual assault reports at the festival in July.

In 2016 local media also reported that five women were allegedly raped at the four-day camping festival, the largest in Sweden, attended by thousands of people each year.

Statement organisers explained the launch of the festival on its website.

Under the heading "Will it not make things worse?", organisers explain their long-term goal is to shut down the event.

"Our wish is that a festival like Statement, as a free zone from sexual assaults, would not be necessary," it says on its website.

"But sadly society keeps proving that this is needed, and that is why we are creating this festival."



Organisers have already been forced to apologise for previously describing the festival as "dude free" - a term which was criticised for not including transgender men.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Reserve Bank is planning to launch a full-fledged multi-media and multi-lingual campaign to create general awareness among citizens about the regulations and initiatives of the central bank.

RBI's department of communication has sought applications from advertising agencies for designing the creatives for pan-India public awareness campaign.

"The campaign will be in 14 languages - Hindi, Assamese, Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English with focus on regional languages," said the expression of interest document floated by the RBI in this regard.

The media mix will include traditional ones such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television channels and cinema halls and new ones that include digital including web portals.

"The list is illustrative and not exhaustive," the document said.
"In one of the conference's key finance sessions, the former leader of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, stressed that green finance will be the key to urban change, with a current industry target of $US1 trillion, and more in green bonds by 2020."
"Skin cancer is still something we need to be concerned about. Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70."
"I guess one of the fun things was you being able to see the earth from such a wide orbit, and there's something universally appealing about being able to see it all there."
"The doctor saw him and said that, unfortunately, there's nothing they can do for him. He cannot eat anymore, and he only has days left to live," she said.
"Tonight the people of Northcote have sent the strongest and most powerful of messages," Ms Ratnam said.



Counting showed huge swings toward the Greens' Lidia Thorpe, who won 56 per cent of the primary vote by 8.30pm putting her on course for a decisive victory over Labor's Clare Burns.
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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.

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The Death of Christianity in the U.S.

By Miguel De La Torre | November 13, 2017

Christianity has died in the hands of Evangelicals. Evangelicalism ceased being a religious faith tradition following Jesus teachings concerning justice for the betterment of humanity when it made a Faustian bargain for the sake of political influence. The beauty of the gospel message  of love, of peace and of fraternity  has been murdered by the ambitions of Trumpish flimflammers who have sold their souls for expediency. No greater proof is needed of the death of Christianity than the rush to defend a child molester in order to maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate.Evangelicals have constructed an exclusive interpretation which fuses and confuses white supremacy with salvation. Only those from the dominant culture, along with their supposed inferiors who with colonized minds embrace assimilation, can be saved. But their salvation damns Jesus. To save Jesus from those claiming to be his heirs, we must wrench him from the hands of those who use him as a facade from which to hide their phobias  their fear of blacks, their fear of the undocumented, their fear of Muslims, their fear of everything queer.Evangelicalism has ceased to be a faith perspective rooted on Jesus the Christ and has become a political movement whose beliefs repudiate all Jesus advocated. A message of hate permeates their pronouncements, evident in sulphurous proclamations like the Nashville Statement, which elevates centuries of sexual dysfunctionalities since the days of Augustine by imposing them upon Holy Writ. They condemn as sin those who express love outside the evangelical anti-body straight jacket.Evangelicalisms unholy marriage to the Prosperity Gospel justifies multi-millionaire bilkers wearing holy vestments made of sheeps clothing who discovered being profiteers rather than prophets delivers an earthly security never promised by the One in whose name they slaughter those who are hungry, thirsty and naked, and the alien among them. Christianity at a profit is an abomination before all that is Holy. From their gilded pedestals erected in white centers of wealth and power, they gaslight all to believe they are the ones being persecuted because of their faith.Evangelicalisms embrace of a new age of ignorance, blames homosexuality for Harveys rage rather than considering the scientific consequences climate change has on the number of increasing storms of greater and greater ferocity. To ignore the damage caused to Gods creation so the few can profit in raping Mother Earth causes celebrations in the fiery pits of Gehenna.Evangelicalism forsakes holding a sexual predator, an adulterer, a liar and a racist accountable, instead serving as a shield against those who question POTUS immorality because of some warped reincarnation of Cyrus. Laying holy hands upon the incarnation of the very vices Jesus condemned to advance a political agenda  instead of rebuking and chastising in loving prayer  has prostituted the gospel in exchange for the victory of a Supreme Court pick.Evangelicalism either remained silent or actually supported Charlottesville goose steppers because they protect their white privilege with the doublespeak of preserving heritage, leading them to equate opponents of fascist movements with the purveyors of hatred. Jesus has yet recovered from the vomiting induced by the Christian defenders of torch-wielding white nationalists calling for blood-and-soil.The Evangelicals Jesus is satanic, and those who hustle this demon are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve (2 Cor. 11:13-15, NIV).You might wonder if my condemnation is too harsh. It is not, for the Spirit of the Lord has convicted me to shout from the mountaintop how Gods precious children are being devoured by the hatred and bigotry of those who have positioned themselves as the voice of God in America.As a young man, I walked down the sawdust aisle at a Southern Baptist church and gave my heart to Jesus. Besides offering my broken heart, I also gave my mind to understanding God, and my arm to procuring Gods call for justice. I have always considered myself to be an evangelical, but I can no longer allow my name to be tarnished by that political party masquerading as Christian. Like many women and men of good will who still struggle to believe, but not in the evangelical political agenda, I too no longer want or wish to be associated with an ideology responsible for tearing humanity apart. But if you, dear reader, still cling to a hate-mongering ideology, may I humbly suggest you get saved.
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 ...
A woman from Lancaster County in Pennsylvania has been arraigned on charges of arson and risking a catastrophe after setting her Ford Taurus on fire after it broke down.



In an affidavit, state police trooper Adam Zinn said he was dispatched to a parking lot near the Donegal interchange over a report of a vehicle fire. Upon arriving at the scene, Zinn said he was met at the scene by 36-year-old Amanda B Silliman who admitted to setting the car on fire because she was angry it broke down.

Silliman related that once her car broke down in the parking lot she became angry at it. Silliman stated that she took a pink T-shirt and sprayed it with body spray then stuffed the T-shirt in the gas tank filler neck and ignited the shirt on fire, Zinn mentioned in his affidavit.

Trib Live reports that Sillimans 2002 Taurus was destroyed by the blaze. Additionally, Zinn alleges that firefighters from the Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Fire Department were endangered by the blaze.

In addition to the aforementioned charges, Silliman has been charged with criminal mischief, possession of incendiary materials, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Photo Gallery
Here are updates to stories we've been following:

Goat Yoga

The story: Lainey Morse of Albany, created a media whirlwind when she founded Goat Yoga classes in July 2016 at Hanson Country Inn (later called No Regrets Farm) in Corvallis. Goat Yoga combines a one-hour yoga session with the animal-therapy of social mini-goats that interact with the class. In the first eight months, stories about the class appeared in hundreds of media outlets around the world, including the Washington Post, Time magazine, The New York Times, CNN and ESPN. Due to high demand for the year-round session, Morse added a second location at Emerson Vineyards outside Monmouth. There is also an official line of Goat Yoga apparel.

The latest: A small story about Goat Yoga and Lainey Morse is featured in the newly released Ripley's Believe or Not book titled, "Shatter Your Senses!"

Patrick Fancher

Logging statue

The story: Sweet Home loggers/tree farmers Mike Melcher and Robin Miller wanted to do something extra special for the annual Boys & Girls Club auction last month. Miller had cut a deformed tree  which he called a school marm  on his tree farm near Crawfordsville and decided it could be made into a statue. Jessee Strack of Whidbey Island crafted two loggers and Miller fashioned two spring boards and provided a two-man saw. The work was done at Melchers shop.

The latest: The statue brought in more than $45,000 and helped propel the auction income to a record level. The Oregon Department of Transportation has approved a plan to place the statue on a concrete base sheltered by a roof on the lawn of the East Linn Musuem. The museum is at the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 228 on the west side of Sweet Home. The statue will be a welcoming sign for the community. Funds from the Ford Foundation will help pay for site preparation and amenities. Melcher said families will be able to purchase engraved paving stones and the funds will be used as a perpetual fund for the Boys and Girls Club.

Alex Paul

Construction excise tax

The story: Members of the Lebanon School Board decided in August to convene a committee to explore the possibility of collecting a construction excise tax to raise money for capital projects. Construction excise taxes allow school districts to enter into intergovernmental agreements with taxing entities to collect a tax on certain new developments or on additional square footage added to certain developments. Money raised through the taxes can be used only for capital projects such as purchasing land, constructing a building or buying furnishings and other tangible property.

The latest: The committee's work is continuing, and board members heard an update on it Thursday. The next step is to gather information from Linn County and from surrounding cities to determine what systems development charges already exist and compare them to Lebanon's. The idea is to see how adding an excise tax to Lebanon fees would change the total and whether that might make the city less desirable as a building location. The committee will meet again in January.

Jennifer Moody
Photo: CTV Roy Moore

A leading figure among religious liberals says the candidacy of Roy Moore for U.S. Senate is a struggle for the "soul of the nation."

The remarks on Saturday by the Rev. William J. Barber come a day after a letter signed by dozens of progressive pastors in Alabama said Moore  dogged by recent allegations of inappropriate conduct toward teenage girls decades ago  is unfit to serve.

Barber, former head of the North Carolina NAACP, spoke at an anti-Moore rally at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, that drew more than 100 people. The event was in direct contrast to a news conference Thursday during which religious conservatives expressed their commitment to Moore, who describes himself as a conservative Christian who hues to family values.

Signs carried by Moore opponents at Saturday's rally decried his opposition to gay and transgender rights. Moore was also criticized for opposing federally backed health care, assistance for the needy and more.

Barber and other speakers claimed Moore's campaign is fueled by a perversion of Christianity linked with white supremacy, and Moore is trying to take those forces to the Senate.

"What is happening now in Alabama matters for the soul of the nation," said Barber, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, and the force behind the "Moral Monday" protest movement that calls for greater rights for gays and minorities.

On Friday, more than 50 Alabama pastors have signed a public letter stating Republican Roy Moore isn't fit to serve in the U.S. Senate. The letter continued to collect signatures Saturday.

The letter says Moore demonstrated "extremist values" incompatible with traditional Christianity even before recent allegations of sexual misconduct involving young women.

The pastors cite Moore's opposition to the expansion of Medicaid, which provides health care for the poor. It also accuses him of denigrating people from other countries and faiths and cites his opposition to homosexuality.

The letter was written by a group of pastors in Birmingham. It includes the signatures of ministers from mainstream and liberal denominations including Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, the United Church of Christ, and some moderate Baptists.
Colton Davies

Authorities are searching for a suspect following an armed robbery that took place at the Husky convenience store on Skaha Lake Road in Penticton, at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Surveillance footage shows a female entering the convenience store, who rummages through her bag before pulling out a knife.

The suspect leaned over the counter and stole Scratch and Win tickets, before stabbing the counter, computer screen and receipt-maker.

She then knocked over the computer and walked around the counter, appearing to try and fill her bag before exiting the store.

Multiple attempts were made by the suspect to stab the employee when the employee tried to intervene in the robbery.

The suspect's face was concealed with a balaclava during the incident. She was wearing a pink sweater and patterned pants.

It's unknown if the employee sustained any injuries during the incident.

Police responded to the scene quickly, according to a witness, but were unable to locate a suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to call Penticton RCMP.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Actress Ann Wedgeworth, who gained fame on film and Broadway before taking on the role of a flirty divorcee on "Three's Company," has died at age 83.

Wedgeworth died Thursday in the New York area after a long illness, her daughter Dianna Martin said.

Wedgeworth landed her first Broadway role in the 1958 comedy "Make a Million" and continued to take on stage roles for decades. She won the 1978 Tony award for best featured actress in a play for her performance in Neil Simon's "Chapter Two."

She acted in several soap operas and also found success in Hollywood with roles alongside Gene Hackman in the 1973 film "Scarecrow" and Robert De Niro in "Bang the Drum Slowly" the same year.

But she's perhaps best known for her brief tenure on the TV sitcom "Three's Company," where she played Lana Shields, an older woman with her eyes set on her young neighbour Jack, played by John Ritter.

She appeared on only nine episodes of the show before her character was written out, which she said took her by surprise. In a 1980 interview with People, Wedgeworth said she "had no warning or explanation. Suddenly everyone was very cold to me."

Wedgeworth continued to tally TV and film credits for decades, including a starring role on the CBS series "Evening Shade" with Burt Reynolds from 1990 to 1994.

She was born in Abilene, Texas, in 1934. Her father was the superintendent of a local school and her mother died when Ann was 2 years old. After getting a drama degree from Southern Methodist University, she moved to New York City in the 1950s to pursue a theatre career.

She married actor Rip Torn and the couple had a daughter, Danae Torn, before ending their five-year marriage in 1961. Wedgeworth later married acting teacher Ernest Martin and had her second daughter, Dianna Martin.

Wedgeworth is survived by her husband, her two daughters and stepsons Michael Martin and Greg Martin.
Colton Davies

Under normal circumstances, Myrna Tischer walks with her dog Winston every day up a trail near their Penticton home, just off of Ridgedale Drive.

But Tischer hasnt taken Winston up that way in almost two weeks  not since he was attacked by a cougar and almost killed.

She was walking early in the morning on Nov. 7 with a friend and with Winston off-leash, when they turned around and Winston was gone.

She said they walked back and found Winston's blood and hair on the trail, with a bloody path to a spot just off the trail, where intestines were.

"We were convinced that he had been taken by something," Tischer said. "It was devastating. It was my worst nightmare."

She hurried home and was shocked to find her dog at the front door.

Winston had found his way home when she thought he was dead.

"I came back down the pathway, heard his bark and there he was on the doorstep."

A neighbour went up the trail a while later and found a deer carcass near the bloodbath.

That led Tischer to believe that a cougar was protecting its kill, and didnt chase her dog after the initial attack.

"(Winston) normally has a big mane of hair around his neck, and I think maybe the cougar couldn't quite a hold, and he was just agile enough to get away."

The attack was reported to WildSafeBC, which led to a cougar warning in the area being announced the following day.

Tischer said Winston is on his way to a full recovery, but she wants her dog's story to serve as a message to others.

"Be aware, and be smart. Be smart about what we're doing when we're in the wild."
Cheers, whoops and applause drowned out the thud as Michelle Balmeo hefted a stack of bound news magazines Oct. 24 onto a classroom table at West Albany High School.

Students in Balmeo's journalism class crowded around to get a look at their first publication of the year  and the first student publication to bear the name of The Whirlwind in the past decade.

"I want to cry. This is so beautiful!" crowed junior Jordyn Lockwood, 16. "I think the cover turned out super well."

Formerly a student newspaper that dates to at least 1916, The Whirlwind went out of print 10 years ago when a national recession prompted budget reductions and elective cuts throughout Greater Albany Public Schools.

Balmeo's students brought the publication back this year as a 32-page news magazine. They hope to publish at least seven more issues through the school year.

"There are things that kids need to talk about and need to share with a larger audience, and issues theyre kind of hungry to dive into and discuss," said Balmeo, who created a new journalism class to produce the publication. "That was the push for kids to come to my classroom. And now theyre hooked. ... They're excited to see it grow and get better and to see their work in the hands of students."

With 11 years of experience teaching journalism and a passionate belief in finding ways to give students a voice, Balmeo, now in her second year at West, was dedicated to reintroducing some form of student media.

She's not the only one. Schools in Lebanon and Corvallis have also resurrected student publications in recent years.

Advisers at the mid-valley schools that maintain student publications, new or continuing, say they're noticing a trend: Even as the professional media industry is assailed by shrinking budgets, dwindling readership and cries of "fake news," increasing numbers of students are looking to join its ranks.

National organizations that support student journalists say they don't have hard data to support that conclusion  and, in fact, they differ on whether it's the case everywhere.

But representatives say anecdotally, they are seeing at least continued interest from students, some of whom are finding creative ways to get their message across.

It's not clear why. Some of the interest might be driven by attention to the media industry as a whole, which has been both a focus and a result of the Trump presidency, said Kelly Glasscock, executive director of the Journalism Education Society. "Simply, news is in the news."

In Sweet Home, where Jim Costa oversees The Huskian  a student newspaper that has been in continuous print production for 78 years  the paper is almost a reaction piece.

"I think there is a growing dissatisfaction with the crassness and unreliability of social media and young people are looking for a more traditional, and responsible, form of expression and dissemination of news," Costa said.

Trend or not?

Statistics aren't readily available on the number of high school publications in the nation, nor how many might be in the process of being reborn.

Mike Hiestand, senior legal adviser at the Student Press Law Center in Virginia, said he doesn't think the mid-valley's experience with resurrected publications is a trend across the country.

"I wish that this were a trend that we were seeing. Honestly, I think this is kind of an anomaly," he said. "Schools tend to be zeroing out budgets, and student media are among the first to go."

Hiestand said he is seeing students take more advantage of social media and alternative media outlets to produce a message. "But typically that's being done more on an individual basis, or a small group of students getting together, as opposed to sponsored by the school."

Laura Widmer, executive director of the National Scholastic Press Association, said she agrees. But she believes student interest in the message is on the rise, regardless of the delivery method.

"Were starting to see that more and more," she said. "What has been great is that we have so many opportunities  even if they cant afford a print publication anymore, theyre learning how to go online, and theyre learning how to take care of the news that way."

That's partly the case at Corvallis High School, which lost its student paper, the High-O-Scope, to budget cuts in 2007-08.

First published in 1919, the paper was once known as the longest-running continuous high school publication in Oregon, according to research by Kari Gottfried, its current editor-in-chief.

Two students, Clark Schimeall and Brian Cebra, who both graduated last year, brought the High-O-Scope back as a student project in 2015. Gottfried, now 17, joined the staff that same year and took over editing duties as a sophomore halfway through the past school year.

Officially, the High-O-Scope is a Corvallis High School club, and it has a faculty member as an adviser. In practical terms, however, it's all students, all the time.

Gottfried has a staff of about seven reporters and editors. They work at home or on computers in a school classroom, pitching stories to Gottfried via a shared Google drive toward the end of each month and having them in and ready to publish by the beginning of the next.

"It's entirely student-run," she said.

The newspaper is available online at www.chshighoscope.com and is printed at the high school's library  usually 150 to 250 copies, for which the school does not charge the club  on sheets of white paper, 11 by 17 inches. Students fold the pages and stack the publications in newspaper bins donated by the Daily Barometer, Oregon State University's online and print student publication.

The High-O-Scope does sell ads, which bring in a couple hundred dollars, Gottfried said. That's used for any incidental supplies: T-shirts, this year.

In contrast, the reborn student publication at Lebanon High School, like West Albany's, is an official part of the campus.

Adviser Steve Twomey created an Introduction to Journalism class this year, which produces the LHS Express.

The publication is printed on a series of 8 1/2 by 11-inch sheets of paper, usually about 100 copies at a time. The third issue is due out this month.

Lebanon High had a traditional student newspaper until at least 2010, but by 2013 it was gone. Twomey brought it back this fall after a conversation last spring about ways to strengthen the "culture" at Lebanon High.

"Students dont have very many good ways or easy ways to have their voice heard," he said. "I want them to feel that empowerment; that they can actually have a voice."

Money concerns

A key to success for Lebanon and Corvallis high schools may be that thus far, their publications cost nothing to produce but ink and a couple of reams of paper. It gets tougher when schools like West decide they want an actual news magazine, or even just a few pages of newsprint.

Money is an ongoing concern, and West doesn't provide a budget. Balmeo had 1,600 copies published of The Whirlwind's first issue, which had full or spot color on a handful of its 32 pages, at a cost of $948.

Balmeo had an online "wish list" and a crowdfunding campaign to get the program going. Together, those bought the class two Nikon DSLR cameras, a couple of handheld recorders and a tablet to help with illustrations.

Her 29 students have been asked to raise $300 each, through ads, subscriptions or sponsorships, to get The Whirlwind through its next seven issues and to cover a few contest entry fees.

The situation is similar at South Albany High School, which has published a student newspaper, The Sentry, since 1971. Adviser Trisha Farver said South makes her class possible but the paper itself is responsible for the $300 to $400 it costs to produce eight issues a year: four print and four online. Ad sales and fundraisers pay the bills.

"Nine years ago, I became the adviser and the economy wasn't doing very well," Farver said. "We published most of our papers online and only had one print issue because it was very tough to get business ads at that time."

It would be cheaper, of course, to be online only, Farver acknowledged. But she's dedicated to a print product.

"My editors always have a look of joy and anticipation on their faces when they come back from picking up their newspapers from Oregon Web Press," she said. "There is a powerful moment when they see their name in a byline: This leaves them longing to write their next article."

A colleague recently told Balmeo something she found profound: "There is zero novelty to our kids in online publishing. It aint no thing," she said. "They publish online all the time. Their lives are online."

Print, in contrast, is new to them, she said. It exists physically and conveys permanence. It can't just be deleted. And on distribution days, every kid on campus gets a paper at the same time and can sit down and sift through each page.

"There is still a really good audience here, kind of a captive audience, for a print publication," she said.

Kari Gottfried said she reads news stories on her phone and almost never picks up a print edition, nor does she know anyone her age who does. Yet school papers need to be physical copies to reach a wider audience, she said  and that's why she prints the High-O-Scope, in addition to maintaining a website.

"I think for high school, honestly, it's the most successful," she said. "If it's lying right there, they're going to pick it up and read it."

'Words are powerful'

The challenges to producing a student publication don't stop with money. Skilled advisers are in short supply, and schools are still directing much of their resources to getting students to pass state assessment tests and fulfill stricter graduation requirements.

Plus, many administrators are leery of giving students a school-sanctioned free speech platform. The 2007 Oregon Student Free Expression Law provides student journalists attending Oregon public high schools with protection against administrative censorship  and a claim to monetary damages if someone tries.

Wendy Wallace, director of advancement at the Poynter Institute, ran a high school program at Poynter for 10 years. "To my knowledge, there is no surge in interest and in fact the opposite, as legislatures tighten graduation requirements around STEM and other core skills. Journalism programs have been falling by the wayside," she said. "Plus, principals are nervous about free speech issues."

But Kelly Glasscock at the Journalism Education Association said his member numbers are continuing to grow, which indicates to him that interest is growing, too.

I think students are still quite engaged in creating that print product," he said. "Despite what you might hear about readership, when you're in a school, you're a community. It's easier to reach and engage with, and your distribution model is right there in front of you, which makes it more conducive to those publications."

Some students in Balmeo's class say they signed up for The Whirlwind because they're interested in pursuing journalism as a career. Co-editor-in-chief Will Randall, 17, said he wants to be a war correspondent.

"Journalism is one of my biggest passions," he said. "I think it's important that the news is out there."

Curtis Allen, a managing editor, said he plans to study communications in college and sees the journalism class as a good way to get started.

"We live in a world where it's so much more of a global community than it's ever been," he said. "It's more important to know how to communicate effectively; to understand other people's ideas."

A student publication is great career training, Balmeo agreed, but the skills her students develop go far beyond how to put together a print product.

Journalism students learn how to ask questions of strangers; how to sift information; how tell a story effectively; how to conduct themselves professionally, she said.

Perhaps equally important, they become more media literate: critical readers who can differentiate between fact and opinion and determine what is and isn't a credible source.

They also learn to exercise their own free speech rights in a credible way, Balmeo added.

My kids are 15, 16, 17 years old. Theyre almost adults," she said. "If they dont get to practice now, when do they practice? When do they get to exercise that voice? Theyre expected to come out as adults and participate, be engaged critically with the rest of society. If theyre not practicing that here, where do they learn how to do that?"

Leading a student publication is much more than job training, Balmeo said.

"You're teaching them what you say matters. Words are powerful," she said. "They have the power to effect change."
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)

Outcome Health is offering voluntary buyouts to employees amid ongoing scrutiny regarding allegations that the high-profile Chicago startup misled advertisers and investors.

The buyouts were offered to employees Friday, company spokesman John Eddy said in an email Sunday.

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Outcome Health places screens in doctors offices that run educational content about health topics and advertisements from drug companies. Earlier this month, big-name investors 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 about $5.5 billion.

Since the lawsuit was filed, hospitals have backed away from the fast-growing company, and investors have filed court documents indicating they received subpoenas from the Justice Department. Investors also anticipate inquiries from the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to court documents.

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In a statement Sunday, Outcome Health said it is proud of the team that has helped continue to grow the company's network, with several hundred medical offices and thousands of new devices added in just the last few weeks.

Outcome Health understands that these are challenging times and that the ongoing scrutiny in the media may not be the right fit for everyone so the company is offering voluntary buyouts, according to the statement. Outcome Healths founders believe strongly in the long-term success of the business and that's why they are seeking to reinvest their own money into the company.

Eddy would not specify how many employees who were offered buyouts.

In late September, Outcome Health laid off employees at its Chicago headquarters, just days after announcing a hiring push to add 2,000 jobs over the next five years.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the buyouts, also reported that Harvard Health Publishing and the American Medical Association suspended their relationships with the company. Representatives from both organizations did not respond to requests for comment Sunday.

More than 90 percent of companys content partners remain active, Eddy said in an email. Outcome Health continues to sign up prominent new healthcare systems and advertising clients.

The company also named Carlin Adrianopoli from Chicago-based FTI consulting as its interim CFO.

amarotti@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @AllyMarotti
A South suburban man was ordered held Saturday on involuntary manslaughter charges after his handgun fired and fatally struck his 42-year-old girlfriend earlier this week.

Prosecutors said Mohammad Elwawy had disassembled then reassembled his handgun at a kitchen table at a home in the 3600 block of South Harlem Avenue around 11:30 a.m. Thursday with his girlfriend, Christine Mauricio.



Elwawy told authorities that Mauricio, 42, picked up the gun and began playing with it when it discharged, striking her in the neck, according to Assistant State's Attorney Margaret Hillmann.

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Investigators however were suspicious of his claims, as the bullet that struck Mauricio was traveling in an upward trajectory, which they didn't believe matched Elwawy's description of the shooting, Hillman told the court. Elwawy later later charged with involuntary manslaughter.



Mauricio, of the 5700 block of West 103rd Street in Oak Lawn, was taken to MacNeal Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Autopsy results for the woman was pending.



His private attorney said the man lacked a criminal background and was "an emotional wreck" since the shooting.



Elwawy, 24, of the 8800 block of South 51st Avenue in Oak Lawn, was dressed in blue hospital scrubs when he appeared before Judge David Navarro during a bail hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

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The judge ordered Elwawy held on $50,0000 bond, but also demanded he turn over his passport upon posting bail.



He will return to court Tuesday.







wlee@chicagotribune.com



Twitter: @MidNoirCowboy
13 years after the release of "The Incredibles," Disney-Pixar has released a teaser trailer for the audience-demanded follow-up, "Incredibles 2."

While not revealing much in terms of plot, the sequel appears to take place almost immediately after the events of the first film. Set to Michael Giacchino's iconic theme, the trailer shows Jack-Jack, the Incredibles/Parrs' infant son who was revealed to possess a multitude of powers at the end of "The Incredibles" after his family long suspected him powerless, using his laser-vision to chop off a slice of his dad's hair.

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"You have powers!" Bob shouts with joy as Jack-Jack cackles at his father's funny appearance.

Craig T. Nelson voiced Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr in the original film, with Holly Hunter as his wife Helen Parr/Elastigirl and Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Incredible's best friend Lucius Best/Frozone. Sarah Vowell voiced the Incredibles' daughter Violet, who can create force fields and turn invisible, with Spencer Fox as Dash, who possesses superspeed. Brad Bird also voiced as fan favorite Edna Mode, costume designer of the Supers.

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Disney-Pixar announced the sequel in March of 2014, originally planning it for a 2019 release, but later switched the date with that of "Toy Story 4," which will now debut in 2019.

"Incredibles 2" hits theaters June 15, 2018.







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
In 2002, an actor, a dancer and a martial artist started a fusion hip-hop contemporary dance company. It sounds like the setup for a bad joke, but ones got to wonder if Illinois State University grads Charlie Cutler, Mark Hackman and Marissa Moritz knew when they conceived a different sort of dance company that it would turn out quite like this.

Chicago Dance Crash built its brand as the company that can do it all  misfits, perhaps, a little rough around the edges, but who could do aerial cartwheels and flipflops as well as they could fouette turn and arabesque. Named after a crash of rhinos (thats the term for a rhino herd), the work of Chicago Dance Crash has always depended on who was in the room, capitalizing off of the strengths of the dancers in the ensemble at the time. As the group shifted toward a more balanced mix of contemporary dancers who can do hip-hop and hip-hop dancers who can do contemporary, Crashs aesthetic has jelled as the company that merges street, concert and commercial dance forms with a unique sense of swagger and sass.

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So it makes sense that Crashs 15th anniversary performance CrashYear15 would be hosted by a stilettoed Mattrick Swayze, the groups frequent emcee once described by this publication as a tart and tarty performance artist. Nestled between Swayzes bits of hilarious banter were highlights from recent shows like Good & Evil and And Now for the Dancing Pants!, plus works representing three of Crashs four artistic directors: Christopher McCray, Kyle Vincent Terry and current director Jessica Deahr. As many of their events do, the evening ended with a rousing improvised jam by current company members, adding notable alumni and special guests to the mix to celebrate this crystal anniversary like no one else could.

Creating a retrospective that crams 15 years into one evening is never easy. Still, this felt like some of the best bits were left out. I would have expected Crash to pull out all the stops, bringing back their most memorable, hard-hitting crowd pleasers, and was surprised to not see revivals from ADHDivas or the exhilarating finales from the evening-length Tron: End of Line or Bricklayers of Oz. Instead, a thoughtful curation sought not just to dazzle us, but to demonstrate the history and range of the organization through a gaggle of more understated works.

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Dances like Deahrs conflicted angel/devil contemporary group piece called The Two Inside dont inspire the whooping and hollering of Crashs late-night dance jam KTF (Keeper of the Floor), nor do Nicholas Leichter's mens quartet "Undertow" (2000), translated for this companys women in 2015 as part of its mixed rep program at the Dance Center of Columbia College, or McCrays Everythings Not Water, both set to music by Bjork. But when you bookend these serious works with popping and locking to music by El-P in an excerpt from Terrys Destructible Day Trip, and bantering boys in overalls for Davis Robertsons 2002 Zug Zwang, and then send board members onstage to shove marshmallows in their cheeks for a game of Chubby Bunny, theres literally something for everyone.

OK, sure. The performance should have been shorter, certain moments more polished and transitions between pieces tightened. But Crash generally toes the line between pristinely produced concert dance and spontaneous dance party, and in these instances it doesnt always make sense to play judge and jury. Chicago Dance Crash makes it difficult to take them too seriously, because they dont, and its honestly a big part of what makes them so successful. Really good dancing doesnt hurt, either.

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

Enjoy someone else's drama A great theater city deserves a great theater critic. Enter Chris Jones. Subscribe now and get 4 weeks of full access for only 99.

[ 'Golden Celebration of Dance' celebrates Auditorium Theatre's 50th  and echoes a big night in 1967 ]

[ Milwaukee Ballet's 'La Boheme' makes the passionate Paris story the star ]

[ Giordano Dance pushes to the future in season opener ]
Actress Aurora Perrineau has filed a police report accusing "Girls" writer Murray Miller of sexual assault, which Miller denied in a statement through his attorney on Friday.



Deputy Charles Moore of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department confirmed to Variety that Perrineau filed a report. The Los Angeles Police Department is handling the investigation.



In a statement, attorney Matthew B. Walerstein denied the allegation. "Mr. Miller categorically and vehemently denies Ms. Perrineau's outrageous claims," reads the statement. "After being contacted several weeks ago by lawyers who--on Ms. Perrineau's behalf--sought substantial monetary damages from him, Mr. Miller's legal team gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims. Only after her demands for money were rebuffed did Ms. Perrineau go to the police. Mr. Miller looks forward to sharing all evidence and information with any and all authorities seeking the truth in this matter."

Co-showrunners Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner provided a statement to Variety in defense of Miller. "During the windfall of deeply necessary accusations over the last few months in Hollywood, we have been thrilled to see so many women's voices heard and dark experiences in this industry justified," they said in the statement.

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"It's a hugely important time of change and, like every feminist in Hollywood and beyond, we celebrate. But during every time of change there are also incidences of the culture, in its enthusiasm and zeal, taking down the wrong targets. We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller. While our first instinct is to listen to every woman's story, our insider knowledge of Murray's situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3% of assault cases that are misreported every year. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all we'll be saying about this issue."



Perrineau had a small role in Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt's 2016 sci-fi thriller "Passengers," and played Shana in 2015's live-action "Jem and the Holograms." She is also the daughter of "Lost" actor Harold Perrineau. Her representatives declined further comment.



Miller, whose credits also include episodes of comedies "King of the Hill" and "American Dad," is listed as a writer of seven episodes of HBO's drama "Girls" between 2013 and 2017.



The Wrap first reported Perrineau's allegation.
About a month ago, I was chatting with a business leader  not a resident of the mid-valley, but someone who has been watching this region for years  and the topic came up again.

You know the topic: It's about how the mid-valley (which, for our purposes today, we'll define as Benton, Linn and Lane counties) could be a regional economic powerhouse. The three counties combined have nearly 600,000 residents, according to the latest estimates from Portland State University's Population Research Center. These three counties have four of the state's 11 most populous cites. They include two of the state's leading universities.

The business leader noted that the region has made some strides toward working together economically and pointed, for example, to the business incubation and accelerator programs that have sprung up at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.

And yet, the business leader said (and here, if I recall correctly, he shook his head ruefully), the mid-valley still shies away from this notion that it could function best as a regional economy.

This region, he said, could be the next big thing on the West Coast. "So why isn't it happening? I don't know."

"There's something in the DNA (in this region) that needs to be unlocked," he said.

Arguably no one in the mid-valley has done more to try to unlock that DNA than Greg Hamann, the president of Linn-Benton Community College. Hamann recently was named the winner of the first "Chair's Award" from the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments for service to the Linn, Benton and Lincoln county region. He was nominated for the award by Albany Mayor Sharon Konopa, the current board chair of the Council of Governments.

Konopa nominated Hamann in part for his work to bring educators and employers together through programs like Pipeline, a collaborative effort with partners like the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and private businesses to help build connections between students and future jobs in local manufacturing industries. That's the kind of work, Konopa said, that helps to "strengthen our regional economy."

It's a nice award, and well-deserved. But I also know that Hamann has run into considerable resistance, on both sides of the Willamette River, to the idea that we all can benefit from thinking about our economy in a regional way.

In a conversation last week, Hamann acknowledged that resistance, but pointed to the progress we've already made and vowed to keep pushing the point: "So much of getting somewhere is a matter of persistence."

Much of the resistance he's encountered, he said, has been expected: "I would say that we are simply a microcosm of Oregon, only more so." The state, he said, is focused on independence, sometimes to a fault: It's the attitude, he said, that "We don't do it that way in Oregon. Our region is sort of hyper-fixated on that kind of thing."

In some areas, that stubbornness can be a good thing. In others, though  including efforts to redefine an economy to unlock its full potential  it can blind us to opportunity: "It really limits our capacity to do this in an intentional and effective manner," Hamann said. "Everybody has a little kingdom, and this is seen as a threat."

That notion of the mid-valley as a microcosm also is useful in illuminating another point: The state's urban areas are enjoying an economic boom, but that's not always the case with its rural areas. That urban-rural split also is at work in the mid-valley, especially when you look at areas that are more isolated from its bigger cities  the eastern part of Linn County, for example, or the southern portions of Benton. Thinking about the mid-valley's economy as a regional entity helps ensure that those areas aren't forgotten.

As my visitor from a month ago suggested, business leaders have a big role to play in rethinking our economy. That's why a project spearheaded by the Council of Governments sounds intriguing: The general idea is to go out and talk to a number of businesspeople to get a better sense of their visions for the mid-valley's economy. The results from the work should be available early next year. Hamann suspects that those results could be eyeopening for those people who still doubt that a regional approach to the economy would be valuable.

"Maybe business is more parochial than we think it is," he said, "but I don't think so."

Hamann also hopes that the survey provides more of a common vocabulary to talk about a regional economy. And who knows? Once you start changing that vocabulary, maybe you start changing our economic DNA, one strand at a time. (mm)
NEW YORK  When "Transparent" debuted four years ago on Amazon with a transgender lead character, it was a special moment for TV. It won Emmys and seemed a perfect fit for a burgeoning civil rights movement. Now the show's future may be in flux following allegations against star Jeffrey Tambor.



Fellow "Transparent" actress Trace Lysette alleges Tambor pressed his body against hers in a sexually aggressive manner and made inappropriate and unwanted sexual statements on the set of the show. Tambor denies the allegations saying in a statement that he has "never been a predator  ever." Lysette is the second woman to accuse Tambor of harassment.



Lysette, who is herself transgender, said on Twitter that when she emerged from wardrobe in a costume of a lingerie top and shorts for a scene with Tambor, he said, "My God, Trace. I want to attack you sexually."



Lysette said she and another actress laughed off the remark, but then Tambor approached her between scenes a few minutes later.



"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 said. "I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas."



Tambor has been hailed for his portrayal of Maura Pfefferman, the transgendered matriarch of the quirky Pfefferman family. He has won a best actor Emmy for his portrayal, and has also starred in such shows as "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Arrested Development."



Lysette urged Amazon to "remove the problem and let the show go on." The gay rights group GLAAD echoed her request, calling for the show to be refocused, presumably away from Tambor.



"For too long transgender women have been forced to hide stories of harassment and abuse in the work place, and Trace has taken a powerful stand in calling for an industry where all women can work in safe environments," GLADD said.



"GLAAD stands with Trace in her hope that the inappropriate situations she and others endured on set will be remedied, and that future seasons will focus on more of the many brilliant characters that audiences love and care about."



Several voices in the transgender community have also urged Amazon to continue the series without Tambor. "We cannot let trans content be taken down" by Tambor, wrote Our Lady J, a writer and producer of "Transparent." Actor and activist Omar Sharif Jr. also took to Twitter to say "it's critical" that "Transparent" continue "(without Tambor) as trans stories are needed more than ever!"



Amazon Studios said it is adding the information to an investigation of Tambor it opened last week when his assistant made similar allegations, which Tambor also denied, calling her "disgruntled."



Tambor said in a statement that he can be difficult to work with, but denied any sexual misbehavior.



"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," he said. "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. "



Tambor is the latest high profile Hollywood figure to be accused of misconduct in a wave that began when dozens of sexual harassment allegations were reported last month against film mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is being investigated for rape by police departments in London, New York and Los Angeles. An unnamed aspiring actress has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Weinstein and his former company in an attempt to hold them financially responsible for the producer's alleged actions.



On Friday, producer, radio and television host Ryan Seacrest said someone who worked as his wardrobe stylist at E! News nearly a decade ago suggested he had engaged in inappropriate behavior.



"If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry. I dispute these reckless allegations and I plan to cooperate with any corporate inquiries that may result," Seacrest said in a statement, describing himself as "an advocate for women."



E! spokeswoman Joanne Park said the channel is investigating.



Also Friday, Los Angeles talent agent Cameron Mitchell said allegations that he sexually assaulted actress Demi Mann are false and egregious.



Mann filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that she had been sexually harassed and that Mitchell had forced her to perform oral sex on him twice. She also said she went to a bar with him and then only remembered waking up in her bed with him lying nude next to her.



CAA said it launched an immediate investigation and suspended Mitchell last month.



Also Friday, Vice Media said it has appointed a seven-woman advisory board to examine workplace issues at the media company following a report in The Daily Beast that Vice tolerated inappropriate behavior and harassment toward women.

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'Transparent' actress Trace Lysette says Jeffrey Tambor sexually harassed her

Misconduct claim made against Ryan Seacrest under investigation by E!

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Sarah Silverman on Louis C.K.: 'Can you love someone who did bad things?'







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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
A shell casing at the scene of a shooting in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Three people were wounded Saturday in separate shootings on the city's South and West sides, Chicago police said.

Most recently, a 24-year-old man was shot in the back and grazed in the head while riding in a car in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side just after 10:45 p.m., police said. He was in the 7500 bock of South State Street when someone in a passing gray Chrysler sedan fired shots. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized.

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An earlier attack happened about 5:35 p.m. in the Robert Taylor Homes neighborhood in the 4600 block of South Federal Street, police said.

A 28-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.

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About 4:30 p.m., a 21-year-old man was shot on the West Side in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

The shooting happened in 3900 block of West Hirsch Street. The man suffered a wound to the buttocks and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he is in serious condition, police said.

No one was in custody, and police were investigating.
Chicago police investigate a report of a person shot at 2500 block of North Long and North Lotus Avenues on Nov. 19, 2017. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Police were called out to the West Side for two shootings about 15 minutes apart Sunday morning and, a few hours later, a 14-year-old boy was shot and critically wounded on the Northwest Side, officials said.

About 11:40 a.m., police were sent to the 2500 block of North Lotus Avenue where a 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest, said a Chicago police spokesman, citing preliminary information.

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Chicago Fire department officials said the male was being rushed in critical condition to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

Earlier, officials said the Cragin neighborhood shooting happened in the 2500 block of North Long Avenue.

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Check back for details.

About 9:45 a.m. officers were called to the 600 block of North Laramie Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood, police said.

A 22-year-old man was sitting in a car when he heard gunshots and suddenly felt pain, officials said. He was shot twice in the left shoulder, according to police.

The 22-year-old arrived at West Suburban Hospital with the injuries, but he was soon transferred to Stroger Hospital where he was listed in stable condition, police said.

No one had been arrested and the shooting remains under investigation.

Just about 15 minutes later, authorities were called to the 2400 block of West Taylor Street in Lawndale for a report that a 26-year-old had been shot in the hand, officials said.

A person of interest was being questioned, officials said.
A 68-year-old man died days after he was struck in a hit-and-run crash in the Northwest Side's Logan Square neighborhood, authorities said.

Efrain Rivera was crossing the street when he was hit in the 3500 block of West Armitage Avenue by a silver minivan, which subsequently fled the scene just before 9:05 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

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Rivera, who lived in the 3600 block of West Dickens Avenue in Logan Square, was pronounced dead Friday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Police initially reported that the crash took place Friday, but they later corrected when Rivera was injured.

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His death was ruled an accident caused by closed head injuries from being struck by a vehicle, according to the medical examiner's office.

The major accidents unit is investigating the crash.
This video from a dashboard camera of a Chicago police squad car shows Officer Marco Proano shoot at a moving car, wounding two teens inside it, on December 22, 2013 near 95th and LaSalle streets in the Princeton Park neighborhood. (Courtesy of the Chicago Reporter) (Chicago Tribune)

A veteran Chicago police officer faces sentencing Monday for his excessive force conviction for firing 16 times into a moving vehicle filled with teens.

Marco Proano, 42, was the first Chicago cop in memory to be convicted in federal court of criminal charges stemming from an on-duty shooting.

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His attorney is seeking probation, arguing the officer should not be punished for alleged systemic problems in the department and calling him a scapegoat "sacrificed to the furor" over police misconduct.

Prosecutors, however, are seeking up to eight years in prison, saying Proano could have killed the six teens when he fired indiscriminately into a reportedly stolen Toyota.

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The 11-year department veteran was convicted by a jury in August of two felony counts of using excessive force in violation of the victims' civil rights. The December 2013 shooting was captured on video by a police dashboard camera.

In asking U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman for probation, Proano's attorney, Daniel Herbert, said in a recent court filing that Proano had a decorated career before it was derailed amid protests against police violence and a civil rights probe by the U.S. Department of Justice  all sparked by the court-ordered release in November 2015 of video of the police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014.

The timing of Proano's September 2016 indictment "could not have been worse for him," Herbert wrote, adding that he should not have to "shoulder the blame" for a Police Department that the Justice Department, in its scathing report earlier this year, said has a decadeslong history of mistreating citizens.

"It would be naive to ignore the facts here and fail to recognize that Mr. Proano served as somewhat of a scapegoat in this case," Herbert said. "The situation was at a boiling point, and Mr. Proano was sacrificed to the furor."

But prosecutors said Proano's actions that night, as well as his attempts to later justify the shooting, were egregious violations of his training that further undermined public trust in the police.

This video from a dashboard camera of a Chicago police squad car shows Officer Marco Proano shoot at a moving car, wounding two teens inside it, on December 22, 2013 near 95th and LaSalle streets in the Princeton Park neighborhood. (Courtesy of the Chicago Reporter) (Chicago Tribune)

"(Proano) gave the community reason to doubt law enforcement's intentions and reason to believe that it cannot have faith that law enforcement will serve all citizens equally," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia Alexakis and Erika Csicsila wrote in their sentencing memo. His actions "impugned the integrity" of other officers, according to the filing.

Proano was the first officer to go to trial in a shooting case since the release of the McDonald video sparked protests and promises of systemic change from Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The department is seeking to fire Proano, who was placed on unpaid suspension after he was charged more than a year ago.

During Proano's trial, prosecutors said the dashcam video of the shooting  which unfolded in about nine seconds  showed Proano violated all the training he received at the Police Academy, including to never fire into a crowd, only fire if you can clearly see your target and stop shooting once the threat has been eliminated.

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The video, played several times for jurors, showed Proano walking quickly toward the stolen Toyota within seconds of arriving at the scene while he held his gun pointed sideways in his left hand. Proano can be seen backing away briefly as the car went in reverse, away from the officer. He then raised his gun with both hands and opened fire as he walked toward the car, continuing to fire even after the car had rolled into a light pole and stopped.

Proano did not testify in his own defense. Herbert, however, argued that the officer did exactly as he was trained to stop the threat and also protect the life of one of the teens, whom he said was hanging from a passenger window as the car reversed.

In their recent court filing, prosecutors said Proano has shown no remorse for his actions. In fact, the officer told court officials in a pre-sentence interview that he sees himself as the victim, saying he felt "a sense of 'betrayal' " because he'd served the community for many years and "is now 'left out in the cold,' " prosecutors wrote.

Records show the 2013 incident was Proano's third on-duty shooting in three years. In 2010, he was one of five officers who opened fire on a car after a chase and crash in the 700 block of West 91st Street. The driver  32-year-old Garfield King, a convicted felon  was killed, according to a database of police-involved shootings compiled by the Chicago Tribune. Proano, meanwhile, fired five rounds into the vehicle, wounding a 19-year old woman riding in the passenger seat of King's car.

Less than a year later, in July 2011, Proano fatally shot 19-year-old Niko Husband at close range during a struggle as police tried to break up an unruly dance party on the South Side. Proano said Husband had tried to pull a gun.

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Proano was cleared in both shootings by the now-defunct Independent Police Review Authority, records show. He was also given a superintendent's award of valor for Husband's shooting, which Herbert said in his filing is granted for acts of "outstanding bravery or heroism."

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A Cook County jury later ruled the shooting of Husband was unjustified and awarded his mother $3.5 million in damages. But the judge overseeing the case set aside the jury's verdict, a ruling that's being appealed.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b

RELATED: Lawyer for Chicago cop convicted of excessive force calls him scapegoat 

Jury convicts Chicago cop of excessive force for firing 16 shots at car, wounding 2 teens 

Teen shot by cop: 'He told me, I'm lucky that he didn't kill me' 






David Johnson, 21, was charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of an off-duty Chicago police officer on Nov. 17, 2017. (Chicago Police Department )

A South Deering man was charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the domestic stabbing of an off-duty Chicago police officer Friday on the city's South Side, authorities said.

David Johnson, 21, turned himself in to police about eight hours after the attack, which took place in the 1600 block of East 76th Street in the South Shore neighborhood, police said.

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The off-duty officer, 47, was driving about 8 a.m. Friday when she was stabbed in the head, causing her to hit a school bus.

She was taken in serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where her condition was later stabilized, police said.

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A child on the bus was taken to Jackson Park Hospital complaining of a headache.

About 3:35 p.m. Friday, Johnson, of the 9700 block of South Commercial Avenue, turned himself in to police in the 7600 block of South Chappel Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood, police said.

He is expected to appear in bond court on Sunday.
A Chicago police officer was among two people who were injured after a traffic stop Saturday afternoon in the South Shore neighborhood.

Shortly before 4:15 p.m., an officer attempted to curb a stolen vehicle in the 6800 block of South Jeffery Boulevard. Instead of stopping, the driver pulled away and crashed into two vehicles and a marked squad car, police said.

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He was caught about 10 minutes later in the 7100 block of South Chappel Avenue. The suspect and one officer were taken to Jackson Park Hospital with minor injuries, police said.

The suspect is being held in custody.
Police are looking for a man who pulled a gun on two children and threatened to shoot them if they didn't get in his car, officials said Sunday.

According to a news release, the attempted kidnapping happened about 4:30 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of South Loomis and West Garfield Boulevards in Englewood.

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A boy and a girl, both 13, were waiting near a school bus stop in the 600 block of West Garfield Boulevard, not far from Sherman Park. A man they did not know pulled up and soon displayed a black semi-automatic handgun, authorities said.

The man "ordered the children to 'get in the car before I shoot both of you,'" the news release states.

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The kids instead ran to a nearby Chicago Transit Authority bus and got on, police said. When they exited the bus with a group of other schoolchildren, they saw the same man in the same vehicle, traveling north on Loomis Boulevard, officials said.

Police are looking for a bald man between the ages of 35 and 40 of an unknown height, unknown build who is black with a medium brown complexion, officers said. No additional physical description was released nor was a clothing description. The man was driving a maroon, four-door sedan with tinted windows, a sunroof, and silver, cross-shaped rims, with no damage or stickers on the vehicle, police said.

Police remind the public to be aware of their surroundings, alert neighbors to the situation, be on the lookout for suspicious people, try not to walk alone and to identify safe areas along your walking route when possible.
Health care in Oregon faces a devastating blow if Measure 101 is defeated when we vote in January. It is very important that all of us vote yes to continue health care for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians.

The Legislature established a program to fund health care with the support of a vast majority of the health care industry. Opposition deceived people into signing petitions to place M101 on the ballot in January. We cannot allow the funding for health care to be repealed.

If M101 is voted down, hospitals in rural parts of Oregon are likely to close. Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians will lose health care without the funding and will not be able to pay for hospital care or any other medical services. Please vote yes on Measure 101.

Ricardo Small

Albany (Nov. 16)
SPRINGFIELD  Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,

Can be writ the nation's glory, Illinois, Illinois.

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 Official state song

This state's story, which lately has been depressing, soon will acquire a riveting new chapter. In 2018, Illinois will have the nation's most important, expensive and strange election.

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Its importance derives from this fact: Self-government has failed in the nation's 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 California's $280 million gubernatorial race in 2010, when that state's 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 Hotels fortune) is that Rauner's real opponent is a Democrat who has been in the state assembly since Richard Nixon's first term (1971) and has been speaker all but two years since Ronald Reagan's first term (1983). House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-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 nation's 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 state's 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 nation's highest combined state and local taxes. Those leaving are earning $19,600 more than those moving in. The workforce 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 only House Democrat who voted present this year for Michael Madigan to remain speaker, Scott Drury, a third-term lawmaker from Highwood in Lake County, says hes since been bullied. Another Democratic legislator  Rep. Ken Dunkin from Chicago's South Side, broke ranks in 2015 to give Rauner a victory on legislation requiring arbitration of an impasse with a 30,000-member union. Then-President Barack Obama was enlisted 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, Madigan's automatons passed a law (Rauner's 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 Madigan's 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.

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I love a fight, says Rauner, whose rhetoric cannot get much more pugnacious. He calls Madigan the worst elected official in the country and Madigan's 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 nation's glory.

The Washington Post Writers Group

George Will is a Washington Post columnist.
Binnys Beverage Depot is considering a new store at the former site of Whole Foods, pictured Nov. 16, 2017, on Chicago Avenue in Evanston. (Genevieve Bookwalter/Pioneer Press)

Binny's Beverage Depot, a Chicago-based liquor and alcoholic beverage chain, is eyeing a new shop in the old Whole Foods building in Evanston, city officials said.

Ald. Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward, held a community meeting on Wednesday to talk about the proposal.

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Binny's has not yet submitted any applications with the city. But store representatives reached out to her about two weeks ago expressing interest into moving into the space at 1111 Chicago Avenue in her ward, Wynne said.

Wynne said she is "neutral" on the proposal from Binny's to take over the old Whole Foods space.

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However, she needs to see what liquor license Binny's applies for, as well as plans for lighting, security and other design elements before she forms her opinion, she told the Evanston Review.

When Whole Foods left in March, "I thought, 'that's going to be a difficult spot to fill,'" the alderman said.

She organized the community meeting to gauge the reaction of the neighborhood.

"It's at, basically, the very first moments of this process," Wynne said.

However, the alderman said, permissions needed from the city would likely be minimal. It does not appear that Binny's would ask for public money or zoning changes, both of which would require permission from the City Council, Wynne explained.

Binny's would only need a new liquor license from the city to sell its vast selection of beer, wine and other spirits in the approximately 25,000 square-foot space left vacant when Whole Foods moved out, Wynne said.

That license application would go before Evanston's liquor commission before heading to the City Council for final approval, Wynne said.

The property currently is zoned for commerce, Wynne said, a designation that would fit Binny's needs.

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Still, community members on Wednesday expressed concern about security, and some asked why the property couldn't be rezoned for residential or recreational use instead, Wynne said.

Binny's now operates 38 stores  35 of those in the greater Chicago area and three in central Illinois, according to the retailer's website.

The closest Binny's store to the proposed Evanston location is 3.5 miles away in Skokie, according to the website.

Representatives from Binny's did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the possible move to Evanston.

Diana Hamman, who lives in the north suburb and is owner of The Wine Goddess, said she isn't crazy about a Binny's store opening a few blocks away from her artisan wine shop.

"It's not that we don't want competition. We want competition with which we can compete," Hamman said.

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She said she can't match Binny's pricing in her specialized storefront boutique, which is located in the 700 block of Main Street.

Wynne said a Binny's new store would abut residential neighborhoods and should be compatible with the surrounding area.

In Evanston, "we have the ability to have residential right up next to commercial," Wynne said. "We want to have those two things coexist where in most places they don't."

gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GenevieveBook
A woman was able to fight off a knife-wielding attacker Friday night in Lake Forest by striking him in the head with her cellphone, Lake Forest police said.

The woman said a man with a large kitchen knife approached her shortly before 5:20 p.m. in the 1000 block of North Western Avenue, according a police department news release. After she struck him several times with her phone, the suspect fled, the release said.

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Police set up a perimeter and attempted to locate the man using a K9 unit from Gurnee but were not successful, the release said. The woman was treated and released from Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital for a minor cut on her hand.

The suspect is described as a 17- to 19-year-old man with a thin build and standing about 5 feet 9 inches, police said. He was wearing a dark hoodie, puffy winter jacket and dark cargo pants.

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Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Adam Milczarek at 847-810-3810.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
The Lake County Sheriff's Office is conducting extra traffic safety patrols before, during and after the Thanksgiving holiday, with the extra enforcement scheduled to run through Nov. 27.

"Thanksgiving Eve is fast becoming the one of the biggest drinking days of the year. We urge those who intent to drink on Thanksgiving Eve or any other day, to arrange for a designated driver or other means to get home safely," Sheriff Mark Curran said. "We want everyone to make it to the table on Thanksgiving Day."

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The patrols will concentrate on behaviors that can have fatal consequences, including impaired and/or distracted driving, speeding and seatbelt violations, officials said.

The extra patrols are being funded by a U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Administration grant distributed through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

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Giving local youth a voice

The Lake County State's Attorney's Office has created its first-ever Youth Advisory Board to help focus on solutions to issues affecting young people.

The youths will participate in various projects and activities to bring awareness to their schools and community on issues such as teen dating violence, bullying, gangs, drugs/alcohol abuse prevention and other trends affecting their peers, according to State's Attorney Michael Nerheim.

Nerheim said the board will serve as a forum to provide prevention, education and peer-to-peer efforts to deal with issues that especially impact youths in Lake County.

He said it will provide an opportunity for youths to, "be involved, and viewed as partners, in developing programs and providing insight on existing efforts to address our young citizens of Lake County."

"By engaging with them, we hope to increase the likelihood that existing efforts and future incentives will be accepted and adopted by their peers," Nerheim said.

The project kicked off Nov. 4 at the Lake County Courthouse when about 45 youths attended a meeting accompanied by parents and guardians. Schools across Lake County were sent information regarding the program and were encouraged to seek involvement from their students.

Nerheim welcomed middle school- and high school-aged youths, and described the functions of each division within the State's Attorney's Office. He encouraged the youths to view their involvement as an opportunity to make a difference in their community.

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"Adults tend to spend too much time talking at youth, and very little hearing from them," Nerheim said. "We want to hear their ideas, and allow them the opportunity to have input on how we can be more effective."

"They know what is happening much better than most adults, and we want to empower them to be leaders among their peers," Nerheim said

For more information regarding the Lake County Youth Advisory Board, contact Carrie Wings at (847) 377-7824 or Melissa Burke at (847) 377-3000.

New circuit judge appointment

Associate Judge Joseph V. Salvi has been appointed as a full circuit judge in Lake County Circuit Court to fill a vacancy to be created by the upcoming retirement of longtime Circuit Judge Margaret Mullen.

Mullen will retire effective Dec. 31, according to Chief Judge Jorge Ortiz, who said Salvi, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to replace Mullen, will serve a term from Jan. 2 - Dec. 3, 2018.

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Salvi said he plans to run for election to keep the post after the appointment expires.

"Congratulations to Judge Salvi. Joe handled virtually every conceivable type of case as a lawyer and his breadth of experience, knowledge of the law, industriousness and superb intellect served the people of Lake County well," Ortiz said.

Salvi was appointed as an associate judge in January 2013, and has served in the Traffic/Misdemeanor Division and the Family Division.

"It is a great honor to be appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, and a privilege to serve the public as circuit judge. I will continue to work hard. I have great respect for the law and the justice system, and being part of it as a judge is a responsibility I take very seriously," Salvi said.

Salvi graduated from Carmel High School in Mundelein and received his undergraduate degree from Knox College in Galesburg. He earned his Juris Doctor in 1991 from ITT Chicago Kent College of Law, and began his legal career first as an associate, and then as a partner with the firm of Salvi, Salvi & Wifler, P.C. in Lake Zurich.

Cops for Tots

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The Sheriff's Office is assisting with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program this year.

Toys are being collected by the Sheriff's Office at three locations: The main Lake County Sheriff's Office, 25 S Martin Luther King Jr Ave., Waukegan; the Lake County Courthouse court security area at 18 N County St., Waukegan; and the Sheriff's Office substation at 1301 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville.

"There is no greater joy than the joy of giving, especially to children," Curran said in announcing the drop-off locations. "Let's fill the boxes, Lake County."

Toys for Tots accepts new, unwrapped toys suitable for children through the age of 16.

Ideas for pre-teens/teens include sporting equipment, bags, balls, backpacks, cosmetics, purses, watch/wallet gift sets, bath gift sets, board games, radio control cars and trucks, hand-held electronics, skateboards/helmets, curling irons, hair straighteners and hair dryers.

The Toys for Tots campaign prefers not to accept realistic looking weapons or gifts of food.

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jrnewton@tribpub.com

Twitter @jimnewton5
Organizers said more than 2,000 people participated in the early-morning Turkey Trot. The annual 5k/10k run-walk event was held Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017 at Proesel Park in Lincolnwood. ( Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press )

Thousands participated Sunday in the village of Lincolnwood's annual pre-Thanksgiving race and fundraiser, with a host of volunteers and supporters also braving the chilly temperatures at the event, organizers said.

Sunday marked the 41st 5K, 10K and Drumstick Dash (for kiddies) that is part of the Turkey Trot run/walk. The event was was again a sell-out with a maxed registration of 2,100 people, according to organizers.

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"Every year, we love putting on this great community event," said Linda Vering, community outreach and marketing coordinator with the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Department.

Vering said some participants traveled from Mexico and Israel this year.

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Fifteen states were represented in this year's race, she said.

Participants and community members were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items that is scheduled to be donated to the Niles Township Food Pantry.

Those who brought food items or made monetary donations were entered in a post-race raffle, organizers said.

Participants saw their breath in 31-degree air temperature, and a Chicago man was one of the first to cross the finish line.

"It was cold," said Emil Bojanov, the first finisher of the 5k event.

Vering said the Turkey Trot comes annually just before major family celebrations.

"It's the kick off of the holiday season," she said.

Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer.
Students from McCarty Elementary School gather around National Geographic explorer Dr. Nizar Ibrahim to check out the fossils he brought during a presentation Friday. (Jane Donahue / Naperville Sun )

Make no bones about it, kids get excited about dinosaurs.

Area students and residents were treated to a unique lesson in science Friday morning when paleontologist Dr. Nizar Ibrahim paid a visit to Patterson Elementary School in Naperville and McCarty Elementary School in Aurora and presented a community program to the public that night.

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Ibrahim, the National Geographic explorer who uncovered the mystery of the spinosaurus, shared his personal story of how the biggest of all carnivorous dinosaurs was found.

"Dr. Ibrahim's story about how he discovered a dinosaur really encourages students to think critically about our planet and how it has changed over time," said Tara Bell, District 204 instructional specialist for science. "We want our students to recognize that science is always seeking evidence for explanations on how things are or have been in our natural world."

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"He was so ambitious," fifth-grader Natalie Ievans said. "The Sahara desert is deadly pretty much and humans can't live out there. It was really interesting to see that and know that he had gone out there many times to search for spinosaurus."

Ibrahim recounted the story of how the spinosaurus  larger than a tyrannosaurus  lived during the Cretaceous period about 100 million years ago. It was discovered in the early 1900s by a German paleontologist, but the remains were lost during World War II when the museum was bombed.

Ibrahim was on a mission to rediscover the spinosaurus and conducted expeditions around the globe until he unearthed the remains in the Sahara.

"I admire how much effort he put into that and that he never give up," Natalie said. "You should keep working on your goals, no matter how disappointed you are or how ready you are to give up."

Bell said it's important to provide students with opportunities to engage with scientists such as Ibrahim because it enhances college and career readiness and cultivates a sense of possibility and wonder.

Ibrahim's visit was part of Exploring Science, a new science resource District 204 is implementing for elementary school students. Cengage Learning, the publisher of Exploring Science, partnered with National Geographic to sponsor Ibrahim's visit. He concluded his visit with a free community presentation Friday night at Waubonsie Valley High School.

Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Three weeks to the day after Keegan Whaling's canoe capsized on Long Lake north of Valparaiso, a private search and recovery firm recovered his body.

Whaling, 20, of Valparaiso, disappeared the morning of Oct. 29 while canoeing with another man in the lake. The other man, 21, made it to shore, but Whaling did not. The incident was reported shortly before 7 a.m. that day, and officials have said foul play was not suspected.

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"Prayers have been answered!," Dena Whaling, Keegan's mother, posted on her Facebook page in the hours after his body was recovered. "Crossmon Consulting and DNR found our sweet boy today. Now we can have some much-needed closure! God is good and thank you all for the continued prayers!"

Dense plants under the surface of the lake hampered a massive search by local law enforcement over the past few weeks.

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Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris confirmed Whaling's identity and said his body was recovered in 8 to 9 feet of water, about 60 yards off shore at the north end of the lake. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday morning, and a toxicology screen will be conducted to determine if drugs or alcohol were involved in Whaling's death.

The search and recovery firm Crossmon Consulting, from Duluth, Minn. arrived in Valparaiso Friday night to search the lake Saturday.

Whaling's body was discovered around 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the northern part of the lake, said Tom Crossmon, the company's founder, in close proximity to where the canoe capsized. Conservation officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources were called to the scene before Whaling was recovered because of their ongoing investigation into the incident, he said.

"It's very emotional and for Dave (Phillips, his partner) and I to come to shore and come into this home, where they're waiting for us to tell them, that's an awesome feeling," Crossmon said. "That's all they want. You could offer them $1 million and all they want is their son back. To give them that is pretty amazing."

Crossmon and Phillips were on the lake from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, when they stopped because heavy winds made it too difficult to keep their boat straight in the water. They went out that morning despite lightning, which Crossmon said he doesn't advise.

"Our time frame was so small, we didn't want to waste any time. But, we're pretty driven to get this done," he said. "These poor families are in agony."

Despite the conditions, Crossmon said his firm was able to search about 75 percent of the lake Saturday using side scan sonar.

That allowed him to eliminate the larger, more open areas of the lake as possible locations for Whaling's body. The heavily weeded areas are more difficult, "which is just meticulous work," he said, adding they were on the water by 9 a.m. Sunday.

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Conservation officers with the DNR initially took on the search with the assistance of other local agencies, but officials said the dense plant material in the lake entangled both divers and their gear. DNR officials expected to issue a release about the conclusion of the search sometime late Sunday.

The search, which also included boat-mounted sonar and a certified cadaver dog, focused on the north end of the lake, but officials said the underwater plants, at 3 to 15 feet in length, blocked the sonar equipment and made the area unsafe for divers.

At one point, 15 additional divers from area fire departments joined divers with the DNR in the search.

Earlier this week, a green blanket that was in the canoe was found draped over a guard rail at the Long Lake Public Access Site. The individual who found the blanket met with officers to show them where he located the blanket, and officers said the area was consistent with information gathered from the investigation. Officials confirmed that the blanket was in the canoe when it capsized.

The DNR and the many local departments assisting in the search for Whaling did everything they could, Crossmon said, adding a relative of the Whaling family reached out to the firm for assistance.

"When we're called in, it's because it's too difficult for local agencies," he said.

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Their hotel rooms and meals, including those delivered to the search and recovery scene, were donated, Crossman said, so his firm's only charge was for mileage, about $1,100, which also was covered by donations.

Crossmon Consulting has been involved in searches for three other victims this year but the response in Valparaiso, Crossmon said, has been unbelievable, including being thanked by strangers.

"This is pretty rare," he said.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
From these efforts weve determined that at least a portion of roadside litter is being generated during pickup of residential/commercial refuse and recyclables. Republic Services has in kind been very responsive to our concerns and has been investigating methods to prevent the release of refuse from its vehicles during their weekly collections, while residents monitor the impact of their efforts. And preliminary results are encouraging, as Republics efforts have demonstrated a 60 to 75 percent reduction of litter for Albanys Highway 20! However, the analysis is very preliminary and impact may be influenced by factors such as weather, tourism, etc. Thus, a realistic benefit may be in the range of 25 to 50 percent.
Carl Wolf, Terry Steagall, Scott Houldieson and Toya Smith stand in the rain Saturday during an informational gun protest near the Cabela's sporting goods store in Hammond. (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune )

Scott Houldieson had something of a captive audience last week as he passed out fliers for Saturday's Common Sense Gun Law protest in Hammond during UAW 551's union hall Turkey Drive.

One man expressed his displeasure with the effort, said Houldieson, who spoke while he and 10 others participated in the protest near the Cabela's sporting goods store. Houldieson said the man told him he has an AR-15 semi-automatic with a controversial bump stock as well as a fully automatic rifle, although he had to jump over a few more hurdles to get the latter.

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"I asked him what the problem was. (He was) able to get it, so why not put a bump stock under the same regulations (and make it a little tougher to get as well)?" Houldieson said. "He did agree with me on that, but I'm still not sure I changed his mind. And I guess he just takes it out to the range to shoot for fun."

"We should teach him sudoku," protester Eakta Kamal, of Munster, said.

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The protesters  many of them members of the Progressive Democrats of America's Calumet Region chapter  decided to hold the protest shortly after the October mass shooting in Las Vegas, which was followed only a month later by the Sutherland Springs, Texas, church, Kamal said. Considering that 93 people die from gun violence every day, the numbers add up to a mass shooting every day, she said.

"We don't want to take away guns. We want to eliminate the loopholes for purchasing guns person-to-person or at gun shows without background checks," Houldieson said. "We want to see taxes on ammunition. Just common-sense things."

Eakta Kamal and Toya Smith were among the picketers who participated Saturday in an informational gun protest in Hammond. (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune )

The group would also like to see funds started for victims who survive gun massacres.

"It should be obvious to a lot of people that victims are having to bear the cost of their medical care, funeral costs, lost wages," Houldieson said. "We think it would be helpful for gun owners to have liability insurance so that insurance companies can make sure payouts don't happen. And taxes on ammunition can be put in a fund for victims to help defray their costs."

The event reached 4,000 people on social media, Kamal said, and there are plenty of people on both sides of the aisle who agree with common-sense regulation, including gun owners. She wishes government representatives would share the same sentiment.

"When I've called down to our representatives, they're very vague and say they're 'firm supporters of the Second Amendment,'" she said. "And I've told them that thoughts and prayers are great, but they mean nothing without action."

Kamal said the group would likely reschedule a second gun protest in the spring. By then, maybe the political climate will be more conducive to their ideas, she said.

"New Jersey and Virginia have elected governors who favor common-sense gun laws, so it can happen," Kamal said.

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Carl Wolf and Scott Houldieson hold anti-gun signs during a protest held Saturday near the Cabela's sporting goods store in Hammond. (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune )

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week
When Jimmy Meeks reached Sutherland Springs, Texas, the First Baptist Church was screened off as a crime scene as experts investigated the Sunday morning massacre that claimed 26 lives.

As a retired police officer, and a Baptist preacher, Meeks didnt need to enter the ravaged sanctuary. As a church-security consultant, he paid special attention to the churchs parking lot and the surrounding area.

When the gunman arrived, he parked across the street. He had to cover lots of ground to reach the church.

Its just a simple little building, said Meeks, who is part of a Sheepdog Seminars team, training church leaders how to protect biblical sheep from wolves.

There are churches like this one all over the country  there always have been and there always will be. ... So many churches dont have someone outside in the parking lot, standing watch. They dont see the danger coming.

Church-security issues are back in the news, as America faces renewed debates about safety, faith and the Second Amendment.

But some church leaders, like Meeks, have been studiously paying attention to church-security issues ever since the night of Sept. 15, 1999, when an angry outsider entered Wedgwood Baptist in Fort Worth, Texas, and killed seven during a youth-group prayer rally.

Since 1999, at least 800 people have died in church attacks across America, said Meeks, who has 35 years of police experience, including 11 years when he led a Fort Worth church while serving as an officer in nearby Hurst. Two of his areas of expertise are hostage negotiations and crime-prevention techniques.

So far, 108 people have been killed in churches during 2017. The previous record was 77 in one year.

Meeks stressed that the Sheepdog team (churchsafetyseminar.com) didnt go to Sutherland Springs on business. Along with concerned clergy from Texas and elsewhere in America, We went there to put our arms around people and let them weep on our shoulders. ... Well help with other things down the line.

One of the problems, whenever another tragedy causes headlines, is that some people think the solution to every church-security problem is one word  guns. One critic, noted Meeks, recently accused his organization of trying to organize an NRA convention in a local Bible Belt church.

Guns are not the answer, he said. I tell people that I have the greatest safety tip in the history of safety tips  WAKE UP.

The bottom line: Waking up does not mean urging throngs of church folks to start packing concealed weapons when they take their places in pews and pulpits.

There are many people carrying guns who have no right to be doing that. They are dangerous  dangerous to other people and dangerous to their own families, Meeks said. When a threat arises, people dont rise to the level of whatever ability they think they have. They sink to the level of their training. ... You dont need someone who was in the military long ago bringing a weapon to church when they havent taken a shot on a range in 20 years or gone to a safety course  ever.

Religious groups may or may not choose to guide people into gun safety classes. That isnt the emphasis at most church-security gatherings.

The key, Meeks said, is that pastors must talk openly about safety issues, including the need to have a few trained church volunteers or off-duty police at strategic points around the church, such as parking lots and major entrances. Its also important for church members to trust their leaders during times of strife in their families. If there is any chance of family violence, church leaders need to hear about it  with systems in place to keep the information confidential.

Words come first. You have to have people trained to deal with angry words and upset people long before they bring their conflicts to church. If it gets to guns, its too late, he said. But pastors just dont want to talk about all this, because theyre scared of running people off.

You see, church folks still think that people out there are like them, that theyre basically good and they dont want to hurt anyone. Thats just not true. We know for a fact now that it isnt true.
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A direct air route will open on January 30 of next year between the south China coastal city of Haikou and Sydney to meet the increasing demand for tourism and businesses, according to Hainan Airlines.

It will be the company's 7th direct route to Australia and the first international route departing from the island province operated by Hainan Airlines.

Hainan Airlines has been operating 6 routes to Australian cities including Brisbane, Cairns and Melbourne departing from China's Shenzhen, Xi'an, Changsha and other cities.

The flight will operate twice weekly via the company's fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft.

Diversified products and services will be provided to better serve customers, including round-trip tickets and pick-up services, according to the company.

Starting flight operations in 1993, Hainan Airlines has launched over 1,400 routes to both domestic and foreign destinations.

Hainan Airlines came in third in the 2016 Airline Safety Ranking worldwide, according to an airline safety evaluation from German firm JACDEC, the most authoritative airline safety rating firm in the world.
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Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and China's Tsinghua University finished 1-2 in the 11th annual highly competitive Student Cluster Competition (SCC) at the Super Computer Conference (SC17) this week in Denver in the U.S. state of Colorado.

SCC was introduced in 2007 to expose undergraduate and high school students to high performance computing.

Over the past few months, six-person student teams designed and built small clusters with hardware and software vendor partners, learned designated scientific applications, and applied optimization techniques for their chosen architectures.

In the final days, students competed in a non-stop, 48-hour "mystery" challenge at the SC17 conference - to complete a real-world scientific work challenge.

A total of 16 teams competed in the 2017 competition, hailing from China, Germany, Poland, Singapore, the United States and China's Taiwan province.

The event is considered the penultimate student supercomputer competition in the world.

Tsinghua narrowly missed winning its third straight international computer competition of 2017 - edged out by a Singapore team comprised of all Mainland Chinese students.

"I was a little surprised we won," admitted modest Nanyang Technical University team co-leader Siyuan Liu from Hebei Province, whose team was considered a long shot by industry experts.

"We are very excited to finish ahead of such strong teams," the other co-leader Yiyang Shao told Xinhua, who also said they knew the team to beat was Tsinghua.

The favored Tsinghua team was having a phenomenal 2017 - taking top honors on April 17 at ASC17 in Wuxi, China, and on June 17 at ISC17 in Frankfurt, Germany, and were nudged out in a photo finish by a mere three points at SC17 in America's Mile High City.

"I thought they were going to win," SCC Chairman Stephen Harrell told Xinhua, of the favored Tsinghua team.

Harrell, a computer technical expect from Purdue University was given the difficult task of compiling results from a panel of judges who ranked the diverse international field.

"No one's a loser in this competition," Harrell emphasized, as he met with, and complimented all of the teams after the top honor was announced.

"All of these students will be very successful in life and in the HPC field," he said.

Harrell, who emphasized the integrity displayed by the Chinese students from both teams, said that interviews and a poster competition also factored into the decision-making.

This year's all decisive "mystery" question dealt with the migration of carbon dioxide around the world, and students were asked to simulate the flow of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere using calculations and creating an algorithm.

"It was exhausting," Tsinghua team leader Beichen Li told Xinhua of the final two-day, no-sleep element of competition that began Nov. 13.

"The memories and the experience of being in this competition far outweighs the paper given out here," Harrell noted.

Tsinghua University professor Jidong Zhai was gracious in finishing behind Singapore's team, and had nothing but praise for his young superstars.

"Although we finished second, the team members did a very good job," advisor Zhai told Xinhua. "They were very impressive, and I was very happy to work with such a group of smart guys."

"We will come back next year," team leader Beichen Li said with a smile.
Guangdong governor Ma Xingrui (left) and Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pose for photos after signing a deal of Co-operation Arrangement Between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Establishment of the Port at the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link for Implementing Co-location Arrangement in Hong Kong, November 18, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The express rail link connecting Hong Kong and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong province saw a major progression on Saturday, signaling the start of the finishing work on the customs arrangements of the much-anticipated high-speed rail route.

The Hong Kong SAR government signed a co-location cooperation deal with Guangdong municipal government on Saturday, marking the start of the "three-step" process of implementing a joint checkpoint plan at Hong Kong's high-speed rail terminus.

The deal, called the Co-operation Arrangement Between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Establishment of the Port at the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link for Implementing Co-location Arrangement, laid a legal foundation to place designated areas within the West Kowloon terminus to allow both authorities to go through customs checks at one-go.

After the signing, the SAR government and mainland will jointly seek a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) in approving and endorsing the arrangement, before Hong Kong starts working on local legislation of the co-location plan.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said while meeting the press on Saturday afternoon that she was informed that the NPCSC would deliberate the deal in December and the government would table the deal to the Legislative Council (LegCo) in February 2018 as soon as possible.

The plan is expected to be implemented along with the operation of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) in the third quarter of 2018.

According to the deal, areas on the B2 and B3 levels, the platform areas on the B4 level and the connecting passageways, the Mainland Clearance Area and back office, the waiting hall for departing passengers, station platforms and the connecting passageways and escalators are designated as Mainland Port Area, subject to mainland laws.

Meanwhile, the compartments of trains in operation on the XRL within the area of the Hong Kong SAR (including trains which are in motion, stationary and during embarkation or disembarkation) are also regarded as part of the Mainland Port Area.

The co-location arrangement would fully unleash the transport, social and economic benefits of the Hong Kong Section of XRL, Lam said after signing the deal with Guangdong Provincial Governor Ma Xingrui on Saturday morning.

Lam also noted that the government would carefully consider views from the Legislative Council and other social sectors on implementing the plan, and take appropriate follow-up action.

Besides signing the deal, both sides also agreed to set up a port liaison and coordination mechanism to ensure "the safe, smooth and efficient operation of the Mainland Port Area and its effective regulation", and an emergency handling mechanism to assist the mainland in handling sudden or emergency incidents which may occur in the Mainland Port Area in the course of operation.
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Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2017 shows a view of the closing session of the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany. As the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) winded up here Saturday, China's special representative on climate change affairs, Xie Zhenhua, said the major dialogue on climate change, "though still not 100 percent satisfactory", had succeeded in reflecting the concerns of all sides in a balanced manner and he hoped developed countries would shoulder their obligation. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

As the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) winded up Saturday, China's special representative on climate change affairs, Xie Zhenhua, said the major dialogue on climate change, "though still not 100 percent satisfactory", had succeeded in reflecting the concerns of all sides in a balanced manner.

Frank Bainimarama, President of the COP 23 and Prime Minister of Fiji, said: "I'm very pleased that COP 23 has been such a success, especially given the challenge to the multilateral consensus for decisive climate action."

"We have done the job we were given to do, which is to advance the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement and prepare for more ambitious action in the Talanoa Dialogue of 2018," Bainimarama said. The "Talanoa Dialogue" is the Fijian concept of constructive discussion, debate and story-telling.

Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change secretariat which hosted the conference with support from the Government of Germany, said the conference has delivered "a launch-pad that can take us to that next stage of higher ambition".

PARIS AGREEMENT

Xie Zhenhua said during his speech a balanced negotiation document had been worked out covering all related issues in implementing the Paris Agreement.

The COP 23 also clarified plans to organize facilitative dialogue in 2018 and endorsed a slew of arrangements to speed up the implementation of the pre-2020 climate action and commitments to reduce CO2 emissions.

Xie said the flexibility and constructive actions adopted by the participating countries had laid a foundation for completing negotiations on the implementation of the Paris Agreement as scheduled.

Pointing out the tough tasks lying ahead, he said China will support the work of the Poland's presidency to ensure negotiations on detailed plans for implementing the Paris Agreement could be completed according to schedule.

"We hope that all sides adhere to the principles of equity, 'common but differentiated responsibilities' and respective capabilities, and take actual conditions of each country into account while pushing forward negotiations on the implementation of Paris Agreement," Xie said.

He also hoped that all sides would speed up ratification of the Doha Amendment that establishes the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and that developed countries would continue to execute their obligation to provide funds, technologies and capacity-building to developing countries.

Xie pledged that China will continue pursuing green and low-carbon development as well as international climate cooperation in his speech.

PRE-2020 ARRANGEMENT

Xie told a group of reporters following the closing conferences that lasted from Friday to Saturday morning, that balanced results that are not satisfactory but acceptable have been achieved at the COP 23, which demonstrated the spirit of cooperation and win-win.

Big divergence existed on the pre-2020 arrangement at the start, Xie said, adding with China's mediation, developing countries had demonstrated "unprecedented solidarity", and developed countries displayed flexibility, leading to the result of designating pre-2020 an agenda item in follow-up negotiations.

Agreement is most difficult to be reached on the issue of funding, an issue that also concerns developing countries the most. "Nevertheless, some arrangements have been made accordingly with concerted efforts," Xie said.

To achieve this result, China had stepped up coordination with the rest of BASIC nations (Brazil, South Africa, India, China), Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) group, and "G77 plus China", and kept close consultations with the European Union countries, the Umbrella countries, and others.

"We have found solutions finally, and agreed to add unresolved issues to next year's agenda," said Xie.

"This year's COP meeting lasted for three weeks if we take consultations within different groups into consideration, and today's meeting had lasted for over 20 hours, but finally we can call it a success," Xie told reporters.

During the COP 23, Syrian representatives announced that their country will join the Paris Climate Accord, and six countries, namely, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden, have ratified the Doha Amendment, which raised the number of countries that had ratified the amendment to 90, according to the UNFCCC secretariat press release.

Countries welcomed progress but also urged greater efforts to deliver the agreed 100 billion U.S. dollars per year by 2020 for support to developing countries to take climate action, according to the press release.
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Russian long-range military bombers launched an airstrike on Islamic States (IS) terrorist group in eastern Syria on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The strike was carried out by six Tu-22M3 strategic bombers on IS facilities near the city of Abu kamal in the Deir ez-Zor province, with the air cover provided by Su-30SM fighters deployed at the Khmeimim airbase in western Syria, a ministry statement said.

All targets including a number of terrorists, equipment and weapons were destroyed as a result of the strike, the statement said.

The aircraft returned to their bases after completing the combat mission, it added.

The Russian military has recently intensified its efforts to combat IS terrorists. Dozens of strikes have been launched by Russian bombers and submarines near Abu kamal, one of the last IS strongholds in Syria, since the beginning of November.
Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and China's Tsinghua University finished 1-2 in the 11th annual highly competitive Student Cluster Competition (SCC) at the Super Computer Conference (SC17) this week in Denver in the U.S. state of Colorado.

SCC was introduced in 2007 to expose undergraduate and high school students to high performance computing.

Over the past few months, six-person student teams designed and built small clusters with hardware and software vendor partners, learned designated scientific applications, and applied optimization techniques for their chosen architectures.

In the final days, students competed in a non-stop, 48-hour "mystery" challenge at the SC17 conference - to complete a real-world scientific work challenge.

A total of 16 teams competed in the 2017 competition, hailing from China, Germany, Poland, Singapore, the United States and China's Taiwan province.

The event is considered the penultimate student supercomputer competition in the world.

Tsinghua narrowly missed winning its third straight international computer competition of 2017 - edged out by a Singapore team comprised of all Mainland Chinese students.

"I was a little surprised we won," admitted modest Nanyang Technical University team co-leader Siyuan Liu from Hebei Province, whose team was considered a long shot by industry experts.

"We are very excited to finish ahead of such strong teams," the other co-leader Yiyang Shao told Xinhua, who also said they knew the team to beat was Tsinghua.

The favored Tsinghua team was having a phenomenal 2017 - taking top honors on April 17 at ASC17 in Wuxi, China, and on June 17 at ISC17 in Frankfurt, Germany, and were nudged out in a photo finish by a mere three points at SC17 in America's Mile High City.

"I thought they were going to win," SCC Chairman Stephen Harrell told Xinhua, of the favored Tsinghua team.

Harrell, a computer technical expect from Purdue University was given the difficult task of compiling results from a panel of judges who ranked the diverse international field.

"No one's a loser in this competition," Harrell emphasized, as he met with, and complimented all of the teams after the top honor was announced.

"All of these students will be very successful in life and in the HPC field," he said.

Harrell, who emphasized the integrity displayed by the Chinese students from both teams, said that interviews and a poster competition also factored into the decision-making.

This year's all decisive "mystery" question dealt with the migration of carbon dioxide around the world, and students were asked to simulate the flow of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere using calculations and creating an algorithm.

"It was exhausting," Tsinghua team leader Beichen Li told Xinhua of the final two-day, no-sleep element of competition that began Nov. 13.

"The memories and the experience of being in this competition far outweighs the paper given out here," Harrell noted.

Tsinghua University professor Jidong Zhai was gracious in finishing behind Singapore's team, and had nothing but praise for his young superstars.

"Although we finished second, the team members did a very good job," advisor Zhai told Xinhua. "They were very impressive, and I was very happy to work with such a group of smart guys."

"We will come back next year," team leader Beichen Li said with a smile.
As the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) winded up here Saturday, China's special representative on climate change affairs, Xie Zhenhua, said the major dialogue on climate change, "though still not 100 percent satisfactory", had succeeded in reflecting the concerns of all sides in a balanced manner and he hoped developed countries would shoulder their obligation.

Xie said a balanced negotiation document had been worked out covering all related issues in implementing the Paris Agreement.

The COP 23 also clarified plans to organize facilitative dialogues in 2018 and endorsed a slew of arrangements to speed up the implementation of the pre-2020 climate action and commitments to reduce CO2 emissions.

Xie said the flexibility and constructive actions adopted by the participating countries had laid a foundation for completing negotiations on the implementation of the Paris Agreement as scheduled.

Pointing out the tough tasks lying ahead, he said China will support the work of the Fijian presidency to ensure negotiations on detailed plans for implementing the Paris Agreement could be completed according to schedule.

"We hope that all sides adhere to the principles of equity, 'common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities', and take actual conditions of each country into account while pushing forward negotiations on the implementation of Paris Agreement," Xie said.

He also hoped that all sides would speed up ratification of the Doha Amendment that establishes the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and that developed countries would continue to execute their obligation to provide funds, technologies and capacity-building to developing countries.
No casualties have been reported following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Nyingchi in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region at 6:34 a.m. Saturday.

However, the quake caused power failure and building damages in a number of villages in the epicenter in Nyingchi City.

The epicenter was detected at 29.75 degrees north latitude and 95.02 degrees east longitude, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The quake struck at a depth of about 10 km. Four minor aftershocks measuring between 5 magnitude and 3.1 magnitude were felt in the city's rural areas.

Basang Cering, Party chief in Zhaxigang Village of Lunang Township, told Xinhua that he could not stand still in his house when the quake struck. Six houses in his village were damaged by the jolt.

Sources with the regional power grid said the power grids of both Tibet and Nyingchi are operating normally, though it had launched an emergency response mechanism.

The China Seismological Bureau has launched a third-degree emergency response mechanism, holding a teleconference to monitor an investigation into the situation and sending experts to the quake-hit region.

The bureau observed that the highest seismic intensity of the quake affected an area of 500 square meters, which is sparsely populated.

The tremors triggered falling rocks, blocking a highway linking Nyingchi's city proper with Tangmai, one of the quake-hit townships. Armed police transport troops are clearing the road.

The Fire Department of the Ministry of Public Security said fire fighters from Nyingchi city are ready in Tangmai Township. Another team of rescuers will take helicopter to Gyalha village in the epicenter, after road to the village was blocked by rocks.

The Ministry of Transport has also dispatched staff to investigate the safety condition of bridges in the quake-hit area.

The Tibet subsidiaries of Chinese telecom providers China Mobile and China Tower said that their networks are operating normally. But the Tibet branch of China Telecom reported the disruption of an optical cable for broadband service in Pome and Zayul counties.
BEIJING - China plans to install or upgrade 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020 in an effort to remove a major nuisance for travelers and develop domestic tourism.

The three-year project should be able to provide good, clean toilets that are reasonably distributed and effectively managed, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Sunday.

It came on the heels of a three-year "toilet revolution" launched in 2015, which saw over 20 billion yuan (about $3 billion) invested in installing or renovating 68,000 toilets at tourist sites, exceeding the target of 57,000 toilets.

Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA, said the "toilet revolution" is an imperative for upgrading tourism.

"Compared with the rapid growth of the tourism industry and people's increasing demand for better lives, the development [of toilets] is unbalanced and inadequate. Another three-year program is urgently needed," Li said.

For the coming three years, authorities aim to add 47,000 toilets and renovate 17,000, according to the plan.

Toilets at China's tourist sites have a bad reputation, with visitors often angered by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation workers.
PARIS - A fortnight after surprisingly announcing his resignation in Saudi Arabia, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Saturday that he would return to Lebanon for Independence Day celebrations on Nov 22 and "make known his position on all subjects".

He made the remarks after a meeting and a lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.

Hariri arrived in Paris with his wife Lara on Saturday morning from the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

"I will go to Beirut in the coming days. I will participate in the celebration of our independence, and I will make known my position on all subjects after having met (Lebanese) President Michel Aoun," Hariri was quoted as saying by the French TV channel BFMTV.

"Hariri called Aoun to confirm that he would return to the country by Nov 22, shortly after the PM arrived in Paris from Riyadh," said a statement issued by Lebanon's presidential media office.

According to a statement released later by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Hariri called the speaker and said he would attend Wednesday's celebrations, along with Aoun and Berri.

The Lebanese prime minister announced his resignation this month in a televised speech aired from Riyadh and his visit there had stretched to more than 10 days despite repeated calls from Beirut for his return, leading to speculations about his freedom of travel, including President Aoun's accusation that Saudi Arabia was "detaining" Hariri.

'Rumors' dismissed

Hariri said on Friday on his Twitter account that his stay in Riyadh was for consultations on Lebanon's future and its relations with Arab countries. He dismissed as "rumors" the reports that he had been held against his will in Saudi Arabia.

"As you know I have resigned and we will talk about this matter in Lebanon," Hariri said after thanking Macron, who he added "expressed pure friendship toward me that I will never forget".

Hariri had blamed Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group and Iran for his resignation, saying he got information about an assassination plot against him. His father, the late prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, was killed in a truck bombing in Beirut in 2005 and the case is still under investigation.

Iran and Saudi Arabia, two major rivals in the Middle East region, have been trading barbs following Hariri's sudden resignation and Saudi Arabia's interception of a ballistic missile fired at a Riyadh airport by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, both on Nov 4.

France is seeking to mediate in a political impasse as a result of Hariri's resignation.

Macron invited Hariri and his family to France after speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Lebanese prime minister, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned that the Saudi Arabia-Lebanon crisis could lead to "devastating consequences" for the Middle East.

"What we want is for peace to be preserved in Lebanon. It is essential that no new conflict erupts in the region," he said.

Xinhua

(China Daily 11/20/2017 page11)
Central Committee meeting decides to give key post to former vice-president

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party on Sunday removed President Robert Mugabe from his position as party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon on Monday or impeachment proceedings will start.

The ruling party, at a special meeting of its central committee, also nullified the expulsion of former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa and restored him as member of the central committee.

The party's congress next month will ratify the appointment of Mnangagwa as president and first secretary of ZANU-PF.

Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko was dismissed from the post of vice-president and second secretary of the party.

Mphoko, First Lady Grace Mugabe, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Ignatius Chombo, Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Patrick Zhuwao were expelled from the party.

Mugabe was due to meet Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantine Chiwenga on Sunday, state broadcaster ZBC reported. This will be the second meeting between Mugabe and Chiwenga since the military took over government last week.

Zimbabwean officials have not revealed details of the talks, but the military appears to favor a voluntary resignation by Mugabe.

The negotiations come ahead of a key ZANU-PF congress next month, as well as scheduled elections next year.

The talks do not appear to include the South African government delegation that took part in the first round. South Africa's president on Saturday said talks are in "early days". Southern African leaders will hold a four-country summit in Angola on Tuesday to discuss the Zimbabwe situation.

Mnangagwa's sacking two weeks ago as vice-president led the nation's military to step in.

Mnangagwa is expected to lead a new government after his formal election as ruling party chief next month.

Without the military's intervention last week, first lady Grace Mugabe likely would have replaced him as vice-president and been in a position to succeed her husband.

The party meeting agreed that "Mugabe resign forthwith from his position as president of Zimbabwe" by midday on Monday or face impeachment proceedings.

Innocent Gonese, parliamentary chief whip of the main opposition MDC-T party said it had been in discussions with the ruling ZANU-PF party to act jointly on a possible impeachment of the president.

On Saturday, most of Harare's population of 1.6 million poured into the streets in an anti-Mugabe demonstration.

They clambered onto tanks moving slowly through the crowds, took selfies with soldiers and surged in the thousands toward the State House building where Mugabe held official functions.

Xinhua - AP - AFP

(China Daily 11/20/2017 page12)
DHAKA - Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday, with both sides emphasizing their willingness to further deepen pragmatic cooperation.

Hasina congratulated the successful holding of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and thanked the Chinese side for offering long-term support and aid to Bangladesh's development and construction.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Bangladesh, establishing the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Hasina said, adding that the Bangladeshi side is willing to further deepen pragmatic cooperation with the Chinese side in all fields.

For his part, Wang said China is willing to work with Bangladesh to firmly support each other on issues of core interests and major concern, and deepen China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership.

He expressed the hope that the two sides could speed up the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and actively push forward the building of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar-Economic Corridor.

The Chinese foreign minister also suggested the two sides to explore new cooperation areas such as maritime cooperation. China will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Bangladesh, he added.

Hasina and Wang also discussed the Rohingya issue. Wang said the issue should be resolved by Bangladesh and Myanmar through dialogue and consultation, and expected the two sides to sign an agreement as scheduled on the repatriation of the Rohingya people who have crossed into Bangladesh.

China is willing to continue to offer support for a proper settlement of the issue, he added.

Xinhua

(China Daily 11/20/2017 page12)
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.
Delegates to the 19th CPC National Congressvote to amend the Party Constitution in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct 24 before the congress adjourned. XU JINGXING / CHINA DAILY

Editor's Note: The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China approved some amendments to the Party Constitution, including the Party disciplinary inspection system. Du Zhizhou, deputy director of the Clean Governance Research Center at Beihang University, explains to China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang the importance of those amendments for society. Excerpts follow:

Q: The Party Constitution says the Party's leading committees, especially the departments and offices under the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, shall carry out inspections in response to the needs of their daily work, while city and county Party committees shall establish a discipline inspection system. What is the difference?

A: Higher-level Party committees are inspected by temporary teams whose members come from different organizations while lower-level ones are inspected by permanent teams from professional departments. That's because higher-level Party committees have more power, so the teams inspecting them should be composed of members from different backgrounds in order to avoid any possible link. In lower-level Party committees, permanent inspection teams are more effective in curbing corruption.

Q: So how do the two complement each other?

A: At times, when an inspection team sent by the higher authorities investigates one organization, suspected corrupt officials might sense the oncoming danger and take measures to cover their tracks.

To prevent such a possibility, a permanent inspection system enables discipline inspectors to swing into action much before inspection teams from higher-level disciplinary committees actually start their work. For example, in July 2015, the inspection team sent to Chizhou city in Anhui province received some clues that Zhang Quanfa, a local official, could be involved in corruption. In order to avoid alerting him in advance, the local inspectors first began investigations and shared materials with the higher-level inspection team. Thus the higher-level inspection team could gather enough evidence against Zhang to give him the punishment he deserved.

Q: In the past, the Party Constitution required all levels of discipline inspection commissions, discipline inspection teams and discipline inspectors to obtain accreditation from the Party or State organ at the corresponding level. That has now changed to only discipline inspection teams. Why?

A: In 1992, the amendment to the Party Constitution made it clear that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection could send inspection teams or inspectors to central Party or State organs, if and when necessary.

At the 18th Party Congress in 2012, the Party Constitution was further amended, extending the power to accredit discipline inspection teams or inspectors to all levels of Party discipline inspection committees. That practice proved quite effective in the anti-corruption campaign launched after the 18th Party Congress.

But discipline inspection is a rather complex job. In order to find clues to possible corruption, an inspector has to go through a huge pile of documents, interview the staff of the organization facing inspection, and often conduct investigations beyond the suspected organization. And almost always teams comprising professionals have done the job better than single discipline inspectors. That's why the 19th Party Congress replaced discipline inspectors with inspection teams.

Q: Analysts say inspection team members could supervise each other to better prevent corruption. What is your view?

A: That's reasonable. The CCDI has taken measures to prevent corruption among the discipline inspection officers, because they, too, have power in their hands, and teamwork has proved quite effective in realizing that. Earlier this year, Cao Lixin, former senior discipline inspector sent by the CCDI to Shanxi province, was found guilty of taking bribes from and colluding with the corrupt officials he was supposed to supervise. In January, the CCDI co-produced a documentary with China Central Television, which highlighted the necessity of preventing corruption within discipline inspection offices.

Q: The amendment says that if a discipline committee finds clues suggesting that a leading figure of a Party committee is involved in corruption, it can report to a higher-level discipline committee without informing the Party committee about it. Will that help better fight corruption?

A: Yes. Leading figures of local Party committees should be put under supervision because they wield power. Yet in the past the discipline committees had to report to the Party committee at the same level after finding any clues against an official suspected of corruption. And when a leading figure, even the secretary of a local Party committee, was involved in corruption, he/she could prevent the information from reaching higher discipline committees.

Thanks to the amendment, local discipline inspection committees can better and more independently supervise leading Party officials at the same level.
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A man holds a dog as he looks at ships at the naval base where the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine sailed from, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 18, 2017. Photo/Agencies

BUENOS AIRES  Argentina's Navy said Saturday it was ramping up the search for a submarine that hadn't been heard from in three days, and at least six other nations said they would join in the effort.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said that the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the 44 crew members grew.

"We are not discounting any hypothesis," Balbi said. Possibilities could include "a problem with communications" or with its power system, he said.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built diesel-electric sub, the ARA San Juan, on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.

President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use "all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine."Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a NASA scientific aircraft and a Navy plane. Britain was sending a polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which British officials said should arrive Sunday.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata Naval Base, said authorities have reinforced both the surface search for the missing submarine and the underwater search.

There is "coordination with units from the United Kingdom and the United States," he said. Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

"We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return," Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making "fervent prayers" for the crew.

Agencies
With a flick of the wrist, your mess disappears. This isnt a clever infomercial on late night television, but what often happens to feces in the United States when you flush your toilet.

I vividly remember visiting Nejapa, El Salvador, a community unconnected to a wastewater treatment plant, in 2008. Kids ran barefoot and jumped in the waterliquid household waste emptied into the street and mixed with garbagesplashing their friends. Exposure to waterborne pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and worms can increase the likelihood of becoming ill.

Yet as a wastewater engineer, what Ive learned is: God is in the business of redeeming things. Yes, even what we think is unclean. Rather than viewing wastewater as a waste to be discarded, a new paradigm for sanitation is recovering beneficial NEW resources from wastewater: nutrients, energy, and water.

As Christians, we know that our sin can have profoundly damaging effectssometimes ones we dont see or think about. So it goes with wastewater. In a working sewer system in the US, the effluent from our toilets, showers, sinks, and laundry, called wastewater, commonly leaves our homes through pipes and travels to a wastewater treatment plant. After a few treatment steps, the clean water is discharged to a river or ocean and the contaminants are often hauled to a landfill. In rural areas, septic tanks are often used to treat wastewater.

Unfortunately, 80 percent of wastewater in the world is not treated nor reused and 2.4 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation. In some countries, the untreated wastewater released upstream may be someones source of drinking water downstream.

Furthermore, wastewater contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which can cause algae bloomswhen algae decompose, they consume the oxygen in the water that fish need to survive, creating dead zones. In the US, the untreated wastewater from storm runoff in Midwestern farm country created a dead zone where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

From the US to the Global South, wastewater treatment solutions are badly needed. It might be easy to assume that when it comes to global wastewater treatment, the best thing to do would be to duplicate the wastewater treatment processes used in the US, but the sanitation solutions developed for a city in the US may not always be applicable for other contextsa rural community, an urban slum, or a dry climate.

In fact, the solutions of the future may actually be more redemptive than traditional US infrastructure. Recovering resources from wastewater is such a big shift that it even warrants a new name: Many US wastewater treatment plants are now being renamed as water resource recovery facilities.

In the NEW paradigm, nutrients can be recovered. What was once considered only a contaminant that causes algae blooms can become beneficial. Nutrients can be recovered from wastewater and used as slow-release fertilizers for agriculture.

Wastewater can also provide the energy to treat itself and even add energy to the grid. Nine times the amount of energy needed to treat wastewater is already embedded in wastewater. Yet we use external sources of energy, such as power plants, to treat wastewater. These wastewater facilities can be net-energy-positive. One established technology is anaerobic digestion, which creates methane. My own dissertation research at the University of South Florida examines the potential of microbial fuel cells, a technology that uses bacteria to convert organic carbon in the wastewater into electricity.

Usable water can also be recovered from wastewater. Today, in Southern California, we see golf courses being watered in the desert during a time of great water scarcity. Saddled with a history of corruption and greed in water usage, as told in the book Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner, Los Angeles grew in the early 1900s by obtaining water from distant regions. The Los Angeles Aqueduct runs 223 miles from near Owens Lake, leaving the once 108-square-mile lake mostly dry and now the largest source of dust pollution in the US.

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Yet theres potential for redemption: Because irrigation water doesnt need to be treated to drinking water quality, communities are increasingly using treated wastewater (called reclaimed water) to irrigate golf courses rather than pipe water hundreds of miles or extract water from diminishing groundwater supplies.

Ive realized that todays water and sanitation challenges arent just a technical matter of duplicating infrastructure like we have in the US but the result of humanitys proclivity to arrogance, ignorance, and greed. Thankfully, God is in the business of redemption. He is the one who can reconcile all things to himself (Col 1:20) and redeem his groaning creation (Rom 8:1925).

And God invites us to participate in his redemption of creation. The late Peter Bosscher, a faithful Christian, University of WisconsinMadison civil engineering professor, and my mentor, frequently talked about furthering the kingdomthat, as Christians, we each have work to do in our spheres of influence to spread Gods kingdom.

Its easy to disconnect ourselves from a problem that is worse in other parts of the world where kids play in wastewater in the streets. Its easy not to think twice about water: It arrives at the faucet and leaves down the toilet. Or we think that if we pay for it, it doesnt matter where it comes from, where it goes, or how much is used.

But as we become aware of the far-reaching implications of our dismissive use of resources, we come face to face with the fact that theres a cost. And its often at the expense of our local or global neighbors or the environment. As our education on water issues grows, we find bigger issues beyond the control of one personpopulation growth and climate change further complicate providing everyone access to sanitation.

But God starts with our own hearts: Out of love for our neighbors and care for Gods creation, we could use less water at home by turning off taps, showering for less time, eating less meat, or throwing out less food. We can advocate for national and international approaches to providing better access to sanitation for the poor.

Even if we have little time or energy to advocate for another issue like sanitation, we can allow each cup of water we drink and each flush of the toilet be a reminder that God is a provider, and he calls us to stewarding and redeeming his creation, even the messy parts we consider waste. For God can make all things NEW.

Kevin Orner is a PhD Candidate in environmental engineering at the University of South Florida. Hell be in Costa Rica in 2018 to work with pig and cow farmers to remove the contaminants from wastewater and recover beneficial resources like methane for stoves and nitrogen and phosphorus for fertilizer.
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Multiple news outlets are reporting that Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis died Sunday morning in Florida, according to Tillis' publicist.

Tillis was 85 and reportedly died from respiratory failure.

Tillis had suffered from intestinal issues since 2016, from which he never fully recovered, his publicist Don Murry Grubbs told reporters.

Tillis' career spans six decades and according to his website, he wrote more than 1000 songs, 600 of which were recorded by artists such as Kenny Rogers, George Strait and Ricky Skaggs. He also released more than 60 albums.

In 2007 he was inducted into The Grand Ole Opry and also became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In addition to multiple number 1 hits like "I Ain't Never," "Southern Rains" and "Good Woman Blues," Tillis also had appearances in many films in the 1970s and '80s.

He is probably best known for his roles in "Every Which Way But Loose," "Smokey and the Bandit II" and the "Cannonball Run" films.

Tillis developed a stutter as a child after suffering from malaria. He would go on to use his stutter to comedic effect in films and commercials.

He was a longtime spokesman for the Stuttering Foundation of America.

He is survived by his six children and six grandchildren and partner Kathy DeMonaco.
Authorities are searching for an 18-year-old Cy-Fair ISD high school student, according to local television reports.

Brandon Johnson was last seen Friday near Langham Creek High School.
Each semester at Lone Star College - Montgomery, students in Professor John Wakefield's astronomy course prepare to teach the community what they have learned about the galaxy. The class hosts a bi-annual star party, which is open to the public, to showcase their newly acquired knowledge.

The fall party was held on Wednesday night, Nov. 15, and attendees were treated to a presentation from Dr. Aaron Clevenson on eclipses before he allowed the students to take the reins.

Clevenson, who has been teaching at Lone Star College for 13 years, lectured a room filled to capacity about what an eclipse is and the differences among them. An eclipse occurs "when one object or part of an object moves into the shadow of another object," he said, nothing that there are two categories-solar and lunar. Within each of those categories there are various types such as total, partial and penumbral.

While lunar eclipses happen as often as twice a year, solar eclipses are more rare. This year, Clevenson traveled to Wyoming for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse in order to be in the path of totality-or the portion of the earth that is completely covered in the moon's shadow during a solar eclipse. The shadow traveled at 1,700 miles per hour across the nation, leaving a particular area in darkness for only 2.5 minutes.

Clevenson was told by several peers to just sit back and enjoy his first eclipse in the path of totality. First timers should simply watch and observe what happens during the eclipse because it may be the only one they ever see. However, as an astronomer he found heeding that advice to be difficult.

"Well, I'm an astronomer. So I sit down and I say 'I have a list of 20 things I want to do during this two and a half minute eclipse, and I have to do them because this may be the only one I ever see.' So I did all 20, well 19 because I missed one of them," he recalled.

A few things out of the ordinary happen during a solar eclipse. Birds and animals think it's night so some will start to roost while evening predators will awaken and emerge from their homes. Shadows become enhanced and stars and planets become visible with the naked eye. The temperature drops almost instantaneously. Clevenson said it dropped 15 degrees so fast the thermometer could not keep up. And the oranges and reds of sunset, which are normally in the west, fill the horizon 360 degrees.

"Once you've seen one [solar eclipse] it's like a Lays potato chip. You can't have just one," Clevenson said, earning chuckles throughout the room as he explained that some astronomers travel the world to study solar eclipses.

The next one to pass across the United States will be April 8, 2024 and people are already reserving viewing locations. This year, The Woodlands only saw a partial eclipse, around 67 percent. The next one will spread across the state and the best places for the path of totality will be in the Dallas and San Antonio areas.

Following the presentation, attendees filtered outside the room and migrated to the rooftop of the parking garage. The students had four stations set up, each one covering a different topic. Wakefield gave those in attendance a sheet with starter questions to engage the students in conversations at each booth. Questions ranged from "which planet has the most moons?" to "which early culture was the first to refer to constellations?" Wakefield said he has approximately 24 students each semester, all of whom participate in answering the questions and benefit from the event.

"You really learn something when you teach it, and so the students work in teams and pick a topic that they liked during the semester and they develop the questions. What they really want to do is to teach somebody, because then they'll understand more," Wakefield said.

He added that the feedback from his students is always positive. They enjoy explaining what they've learned and sometimes learn even more through educating others. While the students normally have telescopes set up to perform demonstrations, Thursday night was too cloudy to view the stars. The next star party will be April 18, 2018.

"We'd like more of the community to come," Wakefield said, saying the event is always open to the public. "That would be really nice."

- Patricia Dillon is a features reporter for The Woodlands Villager. Contact her at her office 713-362-4433 or on Twitter: @Dillon_Villager.
Authorities are on the hunt for a fleeing suspect following a vehicle chase in northwest Houston.

An officer tried pulling over a vehicle near Perry and Cypress Mills around 2:50 p.m. Sunday, according to Houston police.
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Afghan troops sent to the United States for training have disappeared from Joint Base San Antonio in higher numbers than from any other military installation in the country, a federal watchdog agency has found.

Sixty of the 152 Afghan personnel who went absent without leave in the U.S. between 2005 and March of this year fled from Lackland AFB or Fort Sam Houston, according to a recent report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

Afghan trainees deserted at an overall rate of about one a month and accounted for almost half of the 320 foreign military personnel who slipped away from two-dozen bases across the country. Some 6 percent of all Afghans enrolled in training programs later absconded, compared with a collective .07 percent of those from Iraq, Turkey, Yemen and other countries.

Nearly all of the 2,500 Afghan personnel who traveled to the U.S. for training first stopped in San Antonio for English language courses at Lackland. The SIGAR report showed that the percentage of Afghan trainees who escaped more than doubled last year amid rising troop casualties and territorial gains by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The figures suggest the precarious state of the countrys military and a deepening gloom within its ranks about a war that began when U.S. forces invaded 16 years ago last month to oust the Taliban government.

I dont think its a stalemate anymore, said Jonathan Schroden, director of the special operations program at the Center for Naval Analyses in Arlington, Virginia, and an expert on Afghanistan who has traveled throughout the country.

That may have been true a year or two ago, but now the momentum is pretty clearly with the Taliban. And the increase in Afghans who went AWOL last year tracks pretty closely with the rapid decline were seeing in the security situation there.

The Taliban have carried out a series of large-scale attacks against Afghan troops this year, including an ambush on a military base in northern Afghanistan in April that killed more than 140 soldiers. Another 43 troops died when militants overran a base last month in southern Afghanistan, and a wave of attacks on police outposts and security checkpoints in recent weeks claimed at least 70 officers.

The U.S. has spent $70 billion to train and equip the Afghan military, and under President Donald Trump, the Pentagon has boosted troop levels in Afghanistan from 8,400 to 14,000 this year.

But in the view of Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a nonprofit research group based in Kabul, the AWOL cases illuminate the prevailing pessimism within a nation strangled by war since the Soviet Union breached its borders in 1979.

The Afghan soldiers and officers live in a country that has been facing violent conflict for almost four decades, he said. So its no surprise some use the chance to escape when theyre invited abroad.

A bit ridiculous

The SIGAR investigation revealed that 70 of the 152 Afghan men and women who fled training programs left the U.S.; the whereabouts of 13 others remain unknown. Among the rest, 39 gained legal status, 27 were arrested or removed from the country and three returned to their training programs.

The 56 trainees who walked away from Lackland were more than the combined total of the five military installations with the next highest number of AWOL cases. In addition to Lackland and Fort Sam, where four Afghans went AWOL, two other bases in Texas lost track of trainees. Five escaped from Fort Bliss and one from Sheppard AFB.

The special inspector general found that none of the missing Afghan personnel had committed acts of terrorism or similarly serious acts.

The State Departments response to the report deemed the rate of AWOL cases unacceptably high. Yet agency officials dismissed SIGARs recommendations to strengthen the vetting of Afghan trainees by requiring them to provide more details about their background and families and to complete an in-person interview before receiving a travel visa.

The Afghan defense and interior ministries choose candidates for training programs based on standards established by U.S. officials in Kabul. Matt Dove, SIGARs director of special projects, called the State Departments unwillingness to reinforce the screening process a bit ridiculous.

Its fair to say theyre doing everything thats required but not everything they can to evaluate trainees, he said.

SIGARs report concluded that the pattern of Afghans vanishing from U.S. bases will persist in light of the growing instability in Afghanistan and the lack of consequences for AWOL trainees beyond a possible return home.

Given the history of problems with the training program, Dove said, Both the Department of Defense and the State Department bear a fair degree of responsibility to plug the gaps.

Officials with the Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio refused to answer questions from the Express-News about the investigation. In a brief emailed statement, a spokesman replied that the command intended to coordinate closely with the Department of Defense, Department of State and other relevant agencies on ways to minimize the number of absconders at our training locations.

The SIGAR report sidesteps the question of how Afghan troops escaped. Dove told the Express-News that most appeared to flee to Canada through New York or Washington.

Investigators interviewed dozens of Afghans who were training at Lackland and a handful who received asylum after going AWOL. Both groups described threats by the Taliban as the primary reason that Afghan trainees seek refuge in the U.S. or elsewhere.

One Afghan soldier revealed that militants attacked his family in Afghanistan after hearing he had departed for training in the U.S. Others feared their lives would be in danger after arriving home.

Several Afghan trainees raised concerns about losing their military positions while abroad. They shared stories of senior defense officials and unit commanders forcing soldiers who had returned from training to pay bribes to regain their old jobs.

In an interview with the Express-News, Gen. Mohammad Radmanish, a spokesman for the Afghan defense ministry in Kabul, denied the bribery allegations and insisted that Afghan troops who went AWOL in the U.S. soon regretted the decision.

They think that they can make a lot of money and foreign countries are like heaven, but that is not the reality, he said. Those who came back have apologized and want to continue their jobs, so we keep them as a lesson to others.

Illusion of progress

Almost two-thirds of the Afghan personnel who went missing in the U.S. carried the rank of lieutenant or higher. Their desire to start a new life outside Afghanistan reflects a broader brain drain that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has sought to reverse by launching a national jobs program.

Youre not losing the bottom of the barrel, Dove said. Youre losing your lieutenants, your captains, your pilots, your special operations forces. Youre losing the folks who are supposed to be tomorrows leaders.

Most training of Afghan troops by American forces occurs in Afghanistan. The need to bring select personnel to the U.S. arises from a shortage of equipment and a surplus of violence there.

The military in Afghanistan offers one of the few reliable career paths in a country with poverty and unemployment rates above 35 percent. But the high risk of death and the prospect of a war without end diminish the appeal.

The number of Afghan troops killed in combat climbed from 4,600 in 2014 to 6,700 last year, and in the first four months of this year alone, more than 2,500 died. By comparison, 2,406 U.S. troops have been killed in the country since 2001.

The doubling of AWOL cases last year mirrored spikes in 2015 and 2009, years when government agencies and human rights groups documented a similar surge of bloodshed in Afghanistan. The special inspector general found that the disappearance of Afghan trainees while in the U.S. damages the readiness and morale of their home units.

Capt. Mohammad Shakir, whose company has battled Taliban and Islamic State militants in a restive expanse of eastern Afghanistan, criticized soldiers who desert.

It hurts the reputation of the Afghan army when they try to escape, Shakir told the Express-News from a military outpost in Kunar province, near the Pakistan border. They should not use the opportunity of going to the U.S. for personal matters.

SIGAR reported last month that the Taliban controls or influences 54 of the countrys 407 districts, an increase of 21 districts since last year. Some 3.7 million Afghans live in areas where the Islamic groups power exceeds or equals that of government forces, and through September, the United Nations had recorded 2,640 civilian deaths in 2017.

Anthony Cordesman, an Afghanistan expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., regards the unabated violence and absence of economic growth as evidence that the U.S. reconstruction effort has unspooled.

Weve tried to create an illusion of progress in Afghanistan, but most of that is just plain nonsense, he said, adding that chronic corruption among Afghan political and military leaders has further stunted reforms. This is a country thats substantially less developed than Bangladesh.

Under the circumstances, for Afghan trainees setting foot in America, the AWOL gamble may offer their best and perhaps only chance at a different future. They weigh the uncertainty of the unknown against the familiar, exhausting chaos of home.

Schroden, of the Center for Naval Analyses, expects that the temptation to flee will endure as long as the war.

The ones who disappear are making their own calculations about the security situation and whether to go back, he said. You can kind of see why some decide they have nothing to lose.
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The FBI is investigating what U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is calling an attack on two border patrol agents that left one dead and the other wounded Sunday as they were on patrol in West Texas.

In a news release issued late Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials identified the deceased agent as Rogelio Martinez, 36, of El Paso. The agency did not release details of what occurred.

Jeanette Harper, with the FBI's El Paso office, said Sunday evening that authorities were still gathering facts and that contrary to reports from other news outlets, there was no shooting.

"They were not fired upon," Harper said. "There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline."

She said a full account would not be released until Monday.

"Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty," Cruz said in a statement. "We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked."

President Trump tweeted a renewed call to "build the wall" Sunday evening in response to the death.

"Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"



So far, border patrol officials have said that Martinez was on patrol with his partner in the Van Horn Station area, which is near Interstate 10, about 120 miles east of El Paso when they responded to an activity that was not explained in the release.

Martinez's partner reported they had been injured and needed assistance, according to the agency, which did not provide a time the incident occurred or what caused the agent's injuries.

Responding agents provided medical care and both agents were taken to a local hospital, officials said.

RELATED: Suspicious activity report leads to seizure of almost 300 pounds of marijuana

Big Bend Sector agents were later told that Martinez died from his injuries, according to the release. His partner remains hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said.

Culberson County Sheriff's Office deputies aided agents in securing the scene and members from the agency's special operations group joined air and marine operations in searching for "potential suspects or witnesses," according to the release.

A Culberson sheriff's office spokesman said deputies were still investigating and could not comment.

Cruz said the death of Martinez in the line of duty is a "stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them."

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that she was notified of the incident and that her office is "fully supporting the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of this tragic event."

"On behalf of the quarter of a million frontline officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition," she said in the statement.

Van Horn is about 430 miles west of San Antonio.
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.




The annual week aims to honour cultural heritage of Vietnams ethnic groups and help enhance the great national unity bloc. It marks the founding anniversary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18th, 1930) and the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23rd).

This years event draws the participation of nearly 200 people from 13 ethnic groups, namely Tay, Dao, Mong, Muong, Thai, Kho Mu, Ta Oi, Co Tu, E De, Khmer, Cham, Kinh and Raglai, along with local tourism associations and travel companies.

A highlight of the week, which lasts until November 23rd, is the re-enactment of the culture of Cai Rang floating market, which is part of national intangible cultural heritage. Cai Rang, one of the three biggest floating markets in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, specializes in trading fruit and specialties of the Mekong Delta region.

The re-enactment of Cai Rang markets culture will include performances of the art of Don ca tai tu music and song, named in UNESCOs Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Various activities will be held as part of the week such as ethnic groups exchanges, a workshop on developing the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, and the inauguration of phase I of Phap An Pagoda in the village.

At the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man said the great national unity bloc is always the most important and strongest resource for the whole Party, people and army to weather every difficulty and challenge to succeed in reform and national development.

Great unity is also one of the most precious cultural values of the Vietnamese people, he noted, calling on people from all social strata to join hands to bring into play the strength of the great national unity bloc./.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell could have responded to the racial turmoil of the 1960s with images of protest and anger.

They took a different route instead. In 1968, they helped found the AfriCOBRA collective in Chicago, short for African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists.

Despite the "bad" in its name, the group focused on affirmative portrayals of black identity delivered in bright "Cool-ade" colors intended to create a positive, upbeat, energetic mood.

"We didn't make work reflecting any of the actual things that happened, which we considered negative," Wadsworth Jarrell, 87, said Wednesday in an interview at the Cleveland Museum of Art's atrium cafe.

"The arrests of people and the dogs and the billy clubs -- we didn't paint stuff like that," he said. "This to us was negative."

Preparing for a show

The Jarrells, who have lived in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood for more than a decade, were at the museum to prepare for an extraordinary new show on works that explore their views of life, love, art and family that opens Sunday, Nov. 19.

"Heritage: Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell" includes more than a dozen paintings, sculptures and examples of apparel. Set against walls in bright shades of chartreuse, orange and yellow, it surveys highlights of their intertwined careers, spanning more than 50 years with sojourns in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston and New York.

On view are luminous early works by Wadsworth including his mesmerizing 1966 "Portrait of Jae," which sets off her black eyes against a shock of hair painted with multicolored stripes.

More recent paintings by the artist feature looser and more open brushwork than his early works, but continue to explore favorite themes of music and performance.

Also on view are fashions by Jae, an 81-year-old native of Cleveland, including her "Bird of Paradise Jacket and Crown, Ode to Tie-dyed Suede," in which a colorful blossom bursts high on the left side of a beige jacket.

The Jarrells will be on hand from 2 to 4 p.m. for the opening in the museum's ground-level Focus Gallery, in which they'll greet the public and invited friends and artists from out of town.

Pivotal purchase

The exhibition grew out of conversations over the past year between the Jarrells and Reto Thuring, curator of contemporary art and chair of modern, contemporary and decorative art, and performing arts.

Last year, Thuring advocated the museum's purchase of Wadsworth's jazzy,1973 painting "Untitled (African Rhythm, Our Heritage)," for which it paid $97,500 at Swann Auction Galleries in New York, setting a record for the artist.

The painting depicts black clarinet and saxophone players standing back to back with hot, bright, scintillating colors and geometric patterns that fill the canvas from edge to edge - epitomizing the AfriCOBRA principles that Wadsworth helped originate, along with Jae and three other co-founders.

Jae also received attention recently at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland in 2015 when it devoted a gallery to her fashions in the exhibition "How to Remain Human."

MOCA said Jae's work "uses the body as a vessel for protest, resistance, and identity," a description that elides the joy, color and affirmation in her work.

A new direction

The Jarrell show at the Cleveland Museum of Art is unusual for the institution. It may be the first in its history to focus on African-American artists living in Cleveland.

It's rare for the museum to show the work of any living Cleveland artist in depth, much less African-American artists. But the Jarrells, properly considered, are stars with established national reputations who settled in Cleveland late in life.

"You so deserve this," said Thuring, who listened to the interview with the artists. "You would have deserved this 30 years ago."

Back then, as Wadsworth pointed out, he and Jae turned down requests by major museums in America and Europe to show their work. To make a political and cultural statement, they showed only at institutions devoted to art by blacks or administered by blacks.

The art world has warmed considerably to art by African-Americans in recent years. The Cleveland museum, for example, has recently hosted exhibitions on Hank Willis Thomas, Carrie Mae Weems, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Kara Walker.

The trend has made the Jarrells feel sincerely welcomed by museums they would have turned down in the past.

"We've been recognized with honor and grace," Jae said.

Wadsworth said he and his wife agreed to show at the Cleveland museum "because they have young aggressive curators like Reto, not old heads who round up the usual suspects."

Decades ago, the museum was perceived at least by some black Cleveland artists as a hostile bastion.

Museum's impact

Yet Jae said she never felt disrespected at the museum as a child.

"I came on the [school] bus, and the bus picked me up and the bus came, and somehow the bad man [at the museum] didn't greet us or say nay," she said.

When asked about how it felt to have a show at the museum where she first learned about art, Jae responded: "This is utopia. I grew up in this museum and in the arts program in the public schools in Cleveland, and I always admired how we were exposed to the art, and the bus would roll up to the school, and we were going to the museum."

Wadsworth, born in Albany, Georgia, and reared in Athens, Georgia, said the art museum at the University of Georgia was closed to blacks when he was a child.

He first learned about art as a teenager when he visited the Art Institute of Chicago.

"It blew my mind," he said. "And even when I started to attend school there in 1954, it blew it all over again."

Having contended with segregation and racism throughout their lives, the Jarrells said they feel that American society hasn't made progress in race relations since the 1960s.

Cycle of history

"It's gotten worse," Wadsworth said. "You always had the police able to abuse African-Americans and get away with it. I don't know one policemen in all the years I've been living who has been sentenced for killing a black person."

Since the election of Donald Trump and the racial backlash that she perceived after the Obama presidency, Jae said: "A whole 'nother wind has approached where folks want things changed, reverting back to where they're comfortable."

As the Jarrells pointed out during a peek at their show as it was being installed, their response to racism in America has been to herald the importance of strong families as a refuge from hostility and negativity.

That's how they described the thrust of Wadsworth's early paintings of idealized black families that include images of Wadsworth and the first of their three children, Wadsworth Jarrell Jr.

"I believe in a whole, whole family," Jae said. "It's important and it's worth protecting and encouraging. It's a positive nest to fall back on, even when you're far away. Relationships in your family mean a lot, and they carry you through very troubled times."

Seeing her garments displayed in the museum made her think of her mother, who was an expert sewer and who would whisper to her about the importance of fine stitching.

"By the time she passed, I knew so much about sound garments, fine fabrics, and could speak the language of fabric," Jae said. "I had a whole language that I was taught by her."

Preview

What's up:

"Heritage: Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell."

Venue:

Cleveland Museum of Art

Where:

11510 East Blvd., Cleveland

When:

Sunday Nov. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018

Admission:

Free. Call 216-421-7350 or go to clevelandart.org.
CLEVELAND, Ohio-- In the discussion about men in power engaging in sexual misconduct, Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton are the elephant and donkey in the room, with their pants down and groping hands out. Or in the case of today's cartoon, the hen harassing turkeys in the room who have been pardoned by voters.

A string of women have accused both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump of either sexually harassing or assaulting them, and in Bill Clinton's case, actual rape. Despite the credible accusations by the women, both Clinton and Trump were elected President of the United States.

Sen. Gillibrand right to say Bill Clinton should have resigned.

Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, recently told The New York Times that Bill Clinton should have resigned as president.

Thursday in a podcast interview, the NYT asked the Senator if Clinton should have stepped down over the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"Yes, I think that is the appropriate response," said Gillibrand. She went on the explain that, "things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances, there should be a very different reaction. 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."

Gillibrand took over Hillary Clinton's New York Senate seat when Clinton became Secretary of State. Former aides to both Bill and Hillary Clinton blasted Gillibrand as a hypocrite for having taken Clinton's endorsements, campaign donations and Senate seat. They excuse Bill Clinton's behavior by saying the oral sex he received from Monica Lewinsky was consensual.

Gillibrand was right to say Clinton should have resigned. His and Hillary aides defending his behavior with Lewinsky as "consensual" ignore the multiple accusations of Clinton having engaged in non-consensual sexual misconduct with a string of women before Lewinsky. They ignore the fact that Clinton literally defiled the office of the presidency by engaging in oral sex with an intern in the Oval Office, then committed perjury when testifying about it under oath.

The real hypocrisy on Gillibrand's part would be if she didn't say Bill Clinton should resign, when she has been one of the leading voices in the Senate working to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.

How could Gillibrand, or any Democrat, have any credibility in championing women's rights, if they enable or are apologists for the indefensible conduct of Bill Clinton?

As I noted in a previous post, during the Clinton presidency I sat in on The Plain Dealer's Editorial Board meetings. At the time I made the case that Bill Clinton should resign because he had defiled the office of the presidency. He had demonstrated judgement and recklessness unfit for the office. It was the latest in a long history of either alleged or admitted sexual misconduct. Cartoons I produced at that time on Bill Clinton reflected that view.

Bill Clinton's conduct ended up being pardoned by the voters for what I believe are two main reasons. Voter's felt the country was doing well, especially economically. Also his charm and charisma won over voters.

Voters also pardoned Trump, in part because of Bill Clinton.

Trump has denied the credible accusations of sexual misconduct made by many women. Trump threatened to bring legal action against his accusers, just as Roy Moore has. Trump never followed through with his threat and it's unlikely Moore will either.

The accusations made by the women and the "Access Hollywood" tape didn't stop Trump from being elected due to several factors, one being Bill Clinton himself.

Voter's knew what they were getting with Trump. He was already a known quantity who was on his third trophy wife. Voters wanted a non-traditional, change-of-pace president so bad there was much they were willing to look past with Trump.

Like Bill Clinton, Trump has a magnetic charisma. Trump was running against Hillary and Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton's sexual scandals canceled out the "Access Hollywood" tape and the allegations against Trump as negative that would hurt Trump.

If Bill Clinton could be re-elected after his sex scandals, if voters were alright putting him back in The White House around interns and calling him "First Gentlemen" with a straight face, then voters would have no problem calling Trump president.

Since Gillibrand's comment, some have questioned whether Bill Clinton could have survived in the current climate with his sex scandals. Trump's election just a year ago is proof that he could have.
GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - The man shot and killed Friday in Garfield Heights has been identified by the county medical examiner.

Robert Nunley, 31, died at Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office said. He was found shot about 12:30 p.m. Friday on Turney Road, Garfield Heights police Lt. David Bailey told cleveland.com.

Bailey did not say where on his body Nunley was shot.

Garfield Heights police have not released details about the homicide, citing the ongoing investigation. A police dispatcher told cleveland.com Sunday that no one was available to speak regarding any possible updates to the case.

More information may be available Monday, the dispatcher said.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), said at the press conference to announce the outcomes of trade cooperation between Vietnam and Hong Kong that the two sides have many advantages that supplement each other in the field of commerce.

Vietnams exports include garments-textiles, electronic products, farm produce, food and handicrafts. Meanwhile, Hong Kong has been known as one of the busiest trade centres in Asia and the world as well, he said.

Vietnams exports include garments-textiles, electronic products, farm produce, food and handicrafts. (Source: VNA)



Benjamin Chau added that Hong Kong (China) has been selected by many of the worlds big traders and distributors to establish headquarters or representative offices, aiming to seek customers through large-scale exhibitions and fairs.

Therefore, Hong Kong (China) would be an ideal venue for Vietnamese enterprises to promote its products, establish trade ties and set up goods supply chains, he said.

Tina Phan, Director of Indochina at HKTDC, said the Trade Promotion Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and HKTDC signed a memorandum of understanding on trade promotion that serves as a foundation for the two sides to step up the exchange of market information, organise trade programmes and improve commercial negotiation capacity for their businesses.

The ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement, which was signed on November 12th, 2017 and is expected to take effect in early 2019, will give an impulse to enhance trade, investment and service activities between ASEAN member countries and Hong Kong (China) in general and between Vietnam and Hong Kong (China) in particular, she said.

Vietnam is Hong Kongs (China) third largest trade partner and biggest export market in ASEAN. In the first nine months of this year, two-way trade exceeded USD13 billion, up 12 percent year-on-year. Of the number, Vietnams export value to Hong Kong (China) was USD5.7 billion and Hong Kongs (China) export revenues to Vietnam reached USD7.4 billion./.
Robbery, W. 117th Street: Police spoke with a man about 11 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Cleveland Clinic Lakewood emergency room who said he was assaulted at W. 117th Street and Madison Avenue. A police call log said the complaint was changed from assault to robbery, but details were not immediately available.

Felonious assault, Hopkins Avenue: Police received a call about 1:42 a.m. Nov. 10 in which a woman said a man cut himself with a knife on the leg. The male stated the female was "messed up" but he did not want to get her in trouble, according to police. Officers arrested the woman on a felonious assault charge.

Petty theft, Clifton Boulevard: Police were called to CVS pharmacy about 5 a.m. Nov. 15 regarding a man accused of leaving the store without paying for cleaning supplies. Officers located the suspect and arrested him for possession of drug paraphernalia and petty theft.

Petty theft, Detroit Avenue: Police were called to Cap and Corks about 10:30 a.m. Nov. 13 regarding a man who tried to buy vodka and cigarettes with a credit card, but the card was declined. The suspect then left the store with the items without paying for them. Police found the suspect nearby and arrested him for petty theft and disorderly conduct while intoxicated.

Forgery, W. 117th Street: Police were called to the Check Smart store about 4 p.m. Nov. 13 regarding a woman attempting to cash a stolen check. Police arrested the woman for uttering and drug abuse.

Drug abuse, Matthews Avenue: Police were called about 1 a.m. Nov. 11 to Matthews and Detroit avenues regarding a car involved in a motor vehicle accident. Police report the car struck a pole for a traffic signal. The driver was cited for drug abuse and possession of marijuana, according to police.

Petty theft, Elbur Avenue: Police responded about 11 a.m. Nov. 10 to an apartment building on a report of a bicycle stolen from a storage locker.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
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
Did Narendra Modi's top bureaucrats from the Gujarat cadre, currently in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), work out a well-planned strategy to lobby with three top international institutes, all headquartered in Washington, World Bank, Moody's and Pew, for ensuring a sharp image make over of Modi ahead of the Gujarat elections, after all three last year seemed least cared to show India under Modi in good light? It would seem so, if a top insider of Gujarat government is to be believed. According to this insider, he knows how at least one of the closest Modi aides, who is a Gujarat cadre retired IAS bureaucrat and has been one of the most trusted Modi men ever since the 2002 Gujarat riots, was the key person who worked out a complete plan to ensure that the three institutes change their "approach"."Those who have been in the Gujarat government under Modi have had enough experience about how lobbying works in the US", this insider, who did not wish to be identified, said, adding, "When Modi was Gujarat chief minister, top world consultants would be hired with the financial help of Indian American supporters of Modi in the US."Consultants hired not just included Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young and KPMG, all of whom helped Modi in getting publicity for his Vibrant Gujarat biennial global business summits, ensuing appointments with well-known business and political leaders across the world; they included one of the best known American lobbying firms, APCO Worldwide, whose white officials were even stationed in Gujarat and directly interact with Modi and his aides.Hired by Modi in 2007, APCO established a contact point in Ahmedabad. Considered the largest known foreign agent of Israel, the reason behind Modis particularly rising popularity and larger than life image in 2013, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, lay in "dedicated efforts" of this global Public Relations giant, founded in 1984 as a subsidiary of one of Washingtons premier law firms Arnold & Porter.APCO has been offering professional and rare expertise to governments, politicians and corporations, and it's expertise comes from a 70-odd member Advisory Council, which includes a former president, many lawmakers, administrators, bureaucrats and captains of industry from various parts of the world. It undertakes a range of activities meant to influence public opinion and government policy in favour of its "clients".Media reports say how the top firm in 2010 offered to start an image-improvement campaign for the US finance industry. It and handled grassroots campaign against smoking regulations for tobacco giant Philip Morris, worked to counter the harassment accusations against Hewlett-Packard Companys CEO, as also Fords troubles with Firestone tyres. It also "helped" shield Kazakhstans President-for-life Nursultan Nazarbayev from attacks by his former son-in-law, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair gain support for his decision to enter the Iraq war.Said to be directly involved with the American military-industrial complex and its war machine, in May 2003, APCO helped launched a task force to help American companies win contracts for the rebuilding of Iraq, led by a former US Ambassador to Morocco, Marc Ginsberg; and early this decade it was instrumental in preparing a report meant to provide a legal basis for attacking Iran."If Modi could do such lobbying as Gujarat chief minister (2001-14), it is not difficult to surmise what he might be doing, at a much larger scale, when he India's Prime Minister, especially when he found that the World Bank showed, in 2016, India slipping to the 130th position in Ease of Doing Business, Moody's reaffirming its Baa3 issuer rating last year for India, saying the governments efforts had not achieved conditions that would support an upgrade, and Pew began showing Modi's popularity slowly sliding from 87% to 81% in 2016.While the Gujarat insider didn't have exact details of who all were hired to lobby for Modi over the last one year for his makeover, he claimed, they got enough indication starting with mid-2017 that "something was brewing". Things began clearer in August with the appointment of S Aparna, an IAS officer of 1988 batch, who worked in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), as Executive Director, World Bank, to represent the "constituency of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for three years.""Aparna was Modi's choice in the World Bank. She wouldn't have got the job without Modi's direct approval", the insider said, adding, "Ever since she was sent to Washington on deputation, the buzz was strong in the Gujarat Sachivalaya that this was done to get a feedback about things happening among lobbying circles around Modi and India in Washington.""An official close to Modi in Gujarat even commented, the first thing you would notice is: India's ranking in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business would now drastically improve'. This exactly what happens. India's World Bank ranking improved by a whopping 30 points, to 100", the insider said.As if this was not enough, a retired ex-IAS bureaucrat from Odisha, a batchmate of Modi's top aides from Gujarat in PMO, was given a team of five persons and sent to Washington to ensure that nothing went wrong. Their mandate was, come what may, Modi should get clean chit from international agencies, especially when economists at home had begun to say that the Indian economy was in a shambles.As expected, following World Bank, Moody's upped India's rating to Baa2 from Baa3, and changed its rating outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', the best in 13 years, going so far as to suggest that demonetization and Goods and Services Tax helped things stabilise. This was followed by 9% jump in Modi's popularity in a Pew International survey, to 90%.The Pew survey, which has come under criticism for speaking to just 2,464 respondents in India between February 21 and March 10, admits that though it's "primary sampling units are urban settlements and rural districts stratified by region and urbanity", and it's sample was "disproportionately urban.".As for Moody's, its methodology was questioned by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, it upgraded India's sovereign rating after 13 years as 'belated recognition' of reforms undertaken, amidst facts coming to light that that Moodys was fined in the US, in Europe and in Hong Kong for rating fraud during the last year and a half.In January 2017 Moodys agreed to pay a fine of $864 million to escape criminal action for its inflated rating of banks and securities in US. In June, 2017 Europes markets watchdog imposed a penalty of 1.24 million Euros on Moodys for not adhering to the correct rating protocol. And in April 2016, a Hong Kong tribunal upheld a penalty of 1.4 million HK Dollars on Moodys Financial Service for similar reasons.
1 The Standard Job Interview Is Completely Unreliable

Job interviews are the most uniquely humiliating human experience outside of certain webcam productions. You dress up in silly clothes, wait for the receptionist to look up from their game of solitaire long enough to call your name, and then a prospective employer asks you a series of the most inane questions possible within spoken language. But are those questions really pointless?

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Yes, they are.

Sorry for the fakeout. They're totally useless.

The standard interview, wherein an employer asks a series of open-ended questions to gauge whether you're the "best person for the job," is in fact a bad way of gaining any useful information about a candidate. Researchers at Michigan State University have over 85 years' worth of employer data, and they found that the traditional interview model is about as useful as picking employees with a dice roll.

So what truly works? Weirdly enough, those absurd personality tests which ask you to rate the importance of teamwork and other such nonsense are five to ten times more effective at identifying the best candidates. Even if all they're doing is weeding out the people who aren't smart enough to lie on them. Probationary employment periods and past performance were also found to be good indicators of employment matches. So there's another reason to check a candidate's references. Even Google and other big tech companies that were known for asking particularly ridiculous questions are phasing them out now. We know, we know, you literally just came up with the perfect answer for "If you were an algorithm, what kind would you be?" Sorry. You'll have to save that for your next date.

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Rob Rose is a filthy SJW virtue-signaling leftist from Maryland. Yell at him on Twitter @RobRoseKnows. Eventually he'll post something on his blog.

If you loved this article and want more content like this, support our site with a visit to our Contribution Page. Or sign up for our Subscription Service for exclusive content, an ad-free experience, and more.

For more check out The 5 Most Common Errors of First Time Job Applicants and 6 Bizarre Forms of Discrimination That Can Lose You a Job.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out The 4 Most Brilliant Displays of Sucking at Your Job, and watch other videos you won't see on the site!

Also follow us on Facebook, but not while the boss is looking.

For more truth, check out Cracked's You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News: Shocking but Utterly True Facts!
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In the end, the Nazis did what they do best: stubbornly walk towards their own downfall, raising nearly $12,000 for Exit while making absolute fools of themselves.

And this is far from the only time that people tired of Nazis marching through their town have come up with a similar plan. In August 2017, the Jewish Bar Association of San Francisco began a GoFundMe campaign called "Adopt a Nazi," where backers could donate money based on the number of people who attended the white supremacist "Freedom Rally" in the city. They wound up raising more than $134,000 for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

But it doesn't take an entire rally full of thick-necked polo-shirted bigots to make a difference -- it sometimes only takes one Nazi to make the world a better place. In January, Kal Penn (of Harold And Kumar and White House fame) received a tweet from some racist nerd telling him to go back to his own country -- where he already was. To cleanse this troll's soul, Penn responded by setting up a fundraising page in support of Syrian refugees under his name, and in under 24 hours, Penn's donation drive earned over $250,000 for the nonprofit International Rescue Committee.

Kal Penn The drive is still open, in case you feel like making a racist troll feel stupid ten months later.

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It's getting closer to a million dollars every day, all thanks to some coward who told a celebrated American actor and writer he didn't belong because he didn't have a proper-sounding American name, like Jebediah or Aloysius.

In fact, we should thank trolls everywhere for raising awareness of their existence. Nothing better reminds people that the world needs all the help it can get.
Building a business is one thing, but pulling it back from the brink after it falls apart is a whole other undertaking. Equifax knows this problem all too well even as it tries to rebound from its well-publicized customer data breach.

And while the company itself is putting a brave face on the issue, public perception is making some hesitant to put their full faith in the company.

Related: 8 Ways To Pivot Your Business To Kickstart Growth

I have some insight into Equifax's woes because, before the economic collapse of the late 2000s, my own swimming pool business was booming; wed started 2008 with our fullest pipeline to date, and I thought we were looking at record growth for the foreseeable future.

But you know what happened: After the Dow crashed, customers started canceling orders, and consultants told us it was time to consider bankruptcy. The stress kept building, culminating one terrible night when I called our banks automated line to hear we were overdrawn. In truth, we had been overdrawn for weeks, but I'd kept hoping things would turn around on their own.

That event stands out in my mind because, on the brink of depression and hopelessness, I was forced to start seeing things from a new perspective. Times were changing, and ours wasnt the only company struggling to adjust, let alone survive. With customers making the internet and Google their trusted advisors, I figured it was time to channel my energies into a new approach that would revitalize my company and give it a stronger foundation for the future.

So "a new approach" was exactly what I undertook.

Starting anew

Until the crash, we tried every traditional advertising method available, from radio ads to commercials to the Yellow Pages. But every year, those ads became less and less effective.

Realizing this trend wouldnt change, I recognized that our company needed to rethink our marketing philosophy, to survive. After that phone call to the bank, I consumed every internet marketing resource I could get my hands on. And I soon began encountering the same terms: inbound marketing, social media marketing, content marketing -- each of which boiled down to the same tenet: People wanted answers -- honest answers -- to their questions online.

That epiphany changed everything, leading us to reconfigure our online approach around that premise. We didnt become the most trafficked swimming pool website in the world based just on installing pools; we became thought leaders on all things aquatic.

My lack of a traditional marketing background didnt make this an easy shift, so I put myself in our customers shoes. I saw things from their perspective and considered what content they wanted to read.

Reworking roles within the company to account for these new priorities felt like making a 180-degree turn at 100 miles per hour, but customer response showed us our instincts were on point.

Not only did we bring our company back from the brink of bankruptcy, but we became leaders in a burgeoning industry.

Related: 5 Strategies for Creating Epic Content Marketing on a Tight Budget

Coming back to the surface

Change is inevitable. While the crash of the late 2000s will hopefully remain a distant memory, business owners will always need to know how to respond to adversity. For me, content helped us rebound from that setback and encounter newer, more sustainable success. The following three strategies keyed our transformation and can help others in similar situations.

1. Focus on the five factors customers care most about. After we switched to our new business model, I dived into our web analytics to see which types of questions people cared about most. I found five topics that garnered more traffic, leads and sales than any others: cost, problems, comparisons, reviews and best ratings.

When consumers and buyers research products and services online, those five things jump out and resonate with them the most. In fact, Demand Metric found that 90 percent of customers it surveyed preferred content that specifically addresses a pain point they have. No business can hide online, and customers who dont find the answers they want in any of those five categories will likely turn elsewhere; so make it easy for your customers to evaluate your company based on these variables.

Peek into customer trends and analytics to discover the issues that matter most to consumers when they're purchasing a product. Identify those variables; then focus your content on answering those questions and easing those pain points -- with information.

2. Produce content that reflects your internal culture. When customers call, email or simply walk in, they expect their interaction with the company to match the content theyve seen. If that experience doesnt live up to the advertising, theyll feel tricked and take their business elsewhere.

Agencies can take existing content from good to great, but the soul of a piece must come from within the company. In my experience, our long-term customers stay because our marketing image matches the reality of our inner workings.

Research appearing in Impact's 2017 The State of Content Marketing report found that more than 75 percent of B2C companies it surveyed will pour more into their content marketing campaigns this year, so get everyone involved in your content creation. Every department -- marketing, sales and development -- should have a say in creating your companys story.

Make content a companywide effort that infuses your story with authenticity and your sales team with more confidence when its members communicate with prospects.

3. Make content a top-to-bottom priority. Marketing is not an afterthought. In todays online-first world, its the difference between sustained success and bankruptcy. When our pool company was failing, I went all in on revitalizing it; I stopped watching TV, slept less and started writing incessantly.

I dont recommend sacrificing everything to create more content, but I do insist that companies take their responsibilities as marketers more seriously. National Geographic Society Chairman Emeritus John Fahey saw a need to change with the times and help his brand in sync with the changing landscape. In this context, Fahey engineered the hiring of the companys first CMO and oversaw the magazines reinvention.

That's how the magazine changed from a print-only entity to a digital platform using content to tell stories through social media, video and television.

In the same way, your company's leadership must understand the importance of content creation and prioritize it over most other initiatives. Finding the time isnt hard; companies produce a lot of content via emails and other customer communications; but they rarely turn that content into blog posts and videos. So, stop hiding your good content, and start transforming every answer into content accessible to everyone.

Related: No Time for Marketing? You Only Need 15 Minutes a Day.

I hope I never relive the nightmare of the recession, but if I do, I know that the experience of rebuilding my company will help me succeed. If you see your company going down a similar path, follow these strategies to rethink your approach, to get back to a more fruitful future.

Related:

3 Ways Content Brought My Company Back From Bankruptcy

Is it Time to Cut Back? A Minimalist Approach to Social Media Marketing.

8 Creator Tips From a Mom With Over 500 Million Video Views



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


In the bastion of Bambi blasters, Im wondering where theyll put the inevitable African elephant, now that the Tweeter-in-Chief may allow the international sporting class to drag back the carcasses of endangered, super-smart, social trophy animals into the United States, ivory tusks and all, after a three-year ban.

Were on the cusp of the holidays and Im swanning around Bass Pro Shops in Bridgeport, about to conduct my Thanksgiving Gun Count, which is kind of like the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, but its a solo effort, limited to the deadly species tethered up on the second-floor gun wall.

First, the aesthetician in me wonders where the stuffed elephant will go. I look around and everywhere there is taxidermy of varying degrees. Up along the second floor atrium is a semi-mountainous stage, with simulated trees, shrubs and varmints. The mountain lion chasing the deer along one of the upper walls is about as realistic-looking as you could imagine, if you for an instant forgot you are in a department store dedicated to outdoor excursions, many ending badly for the furry fauna.

The bright-red, simulated Long Island Sound buoy farther down the wall is practically a surrealistic installation, with about 20 stripped bass stationed in mid-air, under what would be the waterline. I expect that an elephant would have to supplant the moose, the black bear or the trophy stag for pride of place in the forest tableau that Bass Pro Shops design teams envisioned when it opened exactly two years ago.

But Im not here to shine up my feng shui. Its time for the Gun Count. Lets see: about a dozen racks of rifles, 25 weapons per rack equals 300 long guns alone, shoulder-to-shoulder along the back wall of the second floor. With the glass display cases of handguns and the aisles of archery equipment, the denizens of the citys Lower East Side, if allowed access in an emergency, could repulse a landing of say, round worm-riddled North Korean invaders. Over on the way to check out the black bear from the second-floor, I pass a clothes rack that is topped with the saddest example of a taxidermy bobcat ever.

Bobcats? Beavers? Really? What sport? The dusty porcupine in the tree? Time to go.

Its not hunters I have a problem with, especially my friends who eat what they shoot and abide by any gun-safety laws. They also know that those AR-15s  yes, the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook School slaughter is coming up  despite the industrys marketing, were never meant for hunting deer. They were meant for military assaults in the Middle East. Adam Lanza, the sick, twisted, 20-year-old shut-in, used his to kill 20 first-graders and six adults on a Friday morning in Newtown.

Which brings us to the Connecticut Supreme Court, which has a heavy lift after the families of Sandy Hook victims asked it to allow them to sue Remington, the maker of the Bushmaster XM-15. But listening to the questioning of the panel, led by veteran Associate Justice Richard Palmer, Im hopeful.

Our request to the court is narrow, said Josh Koskoff, the Bridgeport lawyer representing the families. Its based on specific conduct and its really the defendants who are asking the court to ignore the conduct and confer a blanket immunity no matter what they did, no matter what the emails showed, no matter what the discussions were, no matter what the focus groups were, no matter what they learned about the people using the product they entrusted. Thats a big, broad, sweeping request. But we believe weve done enough to deserve to discover what happened here.

Palmer: At what point would you acknowledge that it would be necessary for you to establish that the marketing that you allege Remington was engaged in actually had an effect on Adam Lanza, his tragic conduct?

Koskoff: Thats obviously a proximate-cause question and I would acknowledge that the more I can establish, through credible testimony and possibly experts, the connection, the better my chances with a jury deciding a uniquely fact-bound question like that. I cant concede anything at this stage because I dont know ...

James Vogts, the Remington lawyer, then stood. What happened in the school that morning was horrific. It was a tragedy that will not be forgotten but no matter how tragic, no matter how much we wish those children and their teachers were not lost, their families have not suffered, the law needs to be applied dispassionately. Under the law. under the federal law, under Connecticut law and under the law in every other jurisdiction, the manufacturer and the sellers of the firearm used by the criminal that day are not legally responsible for his crimes and the harm that he caused. If the courts shape the law to meet the needs of a particular case or a particular moment no matter how, I guess, compelling that moment might be, the law loses its force. It loses its authority, its power to guide behavior. I think its important that the law be applied predictably and consistently.

Palmer: But you would acknowledge that the law needs to adapt as time goes on?

Vogts: I would agree ... generally speaking, the law needs to adapt.

Its too bad that elephants cant quickly adapt and grow opposable thumbs, so they might guide some gun fire back at the trophy hunters.

Ken Dixon can be reached in the Capitol at 860-549-4670 or at kdixon@ctpost.com. See twitter.com/KenDixonCT. His Facebook address is kendixonct.hearst.
If you're working full-time, an online MBA is often your most convenient option for pursuing an advanced degree, especially now that the quality of an online degree is equivalent to one on a physical campus. For many business professionals, an online MBA can open up a world of professional opportunities, including getting a promotion, breaking into a new industry, or taking on greater management responsibilities.

Related: Top 25 Online MBA Programs for 2016, According to the Princeton Review

Yet concerns remain that distance learning hold students back from connecting with fellow students and taking an active role in the academic community.

In the past, online degrees carried a certain stigma that the learning experience was somehow incomplete without robust, on-campus interaction. As many employers will now attest, this stigma is wrong. According to U.S. News & World Report, "most" employers are receptive to degrees from reputable institutions with proper accreditation and reputation.

But while employers may be as happy with an online degree as an on-campus one, some would-be students are still hesitant to enroll. Theyre concerned that their physical distance will make it more difficult to connect with classmates and the greater school community.

I spoke with Jim Mahar, an associate professor of finance at St. Bonaventure University. Mahar is passionate about helping his online MBA students become more involved in their school community. One of the benefits of getting an MBA is to network and meet new people, Mahar said. Even with an online MBA, there are definitely many ways to get involved as part of the community.

He explained that online MBA programs typically offer dedicated program channels for virtual communication, including instant messaging platforms and web discussions. Students can also Skype their teams to discuss a big project or even participate in a giant group WhatsApp chat.

And thats not counting all the emails sent back and forth. What about connecting with MBA peers outside their coursework? If you yourself are an online MBA student, Mahar suggested four ways to maximize your online MBA networking and make the most of their degree program:

1. Form online study groups.

Your peers in an online MBA program are excellent academic and professional resources. One of the best ways to get to know them -- and strategically balance your coursework -- is an online study group. Like traditional MBA cohorts, online study groups are small, informal groups that connect to discuss coursework, share assignments and collaborate on group projects.

Related: Why a Blog Gets You Further than an MBA

In addition to refining valuable teamwork and leadership skills, you'll form deeper connections with your peers beyond simply sharing the same degree program. Theres nothing like pulling an all-nighter together before a big project to bond as a team!

2. Join online speaker broadcasts.

Even if you cant make it to campus for an in-person speaker presentation, Mahar noted that many degree programs, like the one at St. Bonaventure, will broadcast speakers live via an exclusive weblink. As happens with TED Talks, online students can participate as listeners and learners in these lectures.

While the speaker session may require additional time outside of standard coursework and class hours, you'll hear from plenty of speakers at the forefront of their fields. Online viewing is an opportunity to ask them questions and later discuss their responses with your fellow peers.

3. Join student groups for a worthy cause.

Mahar is the coordinator for BonaResponds, a volunteer organization first formed as a response to Hurricane Katrina. Maher said that many online MBA students volunteer time in this organization and have coordinated volunteer disaster relief efforts everywhere from Haiti to Houston.

4. Participate in student travel opportunities.

As businesses continue to place a high value on hiring professionals with international experience and a global business mindset, online MBA programs are responding by offering exclusive travel programs.

Traveling abroad can help online MBA students network during an intensive one- or two-week trip. While itineraries vary depending on the program, students typically meet with local business leaders, tour local companies and attend presentations at local universities or partner MBA programs. In certain programs, students may be challenged to solve a series of business problems for an international client and then present the solutions in person during the trip, according to the article in U.S. News & World Report.



Most international MBA travel programs are not mandatory and may even take place during an off period on the academic calendar, like spring break. But, mandatory or not, such travel opportunities are a great way to connect with peers and form lasting bonds. Two weeks in Thailand certainly beats a quick meet and greet at a networking event.

Bottom line:

Acquiring the business expertise you need to level up your career can require a significant investment in time and money. Online MBAs can help diminish this resource investment. Even though you may not physically be present in a classroom with your fellow students, you'll be wise to take advantage of the opportunities available to build a robust network.

Related: How Much Is An MBA Degree Really Worth?

From campus volunteer programs, to speakers' visits, to special international travel, then, you should commit to making the most of your experience and getting involved. Those interactions will add value to your online MBA.

Related:

Making the Most of an Online MBA Degree

'An MBA Degree Will Become Important As We Move Ahead'

Top 25 Online MBA Programs for 2016, According to the Princeton Review



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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STRATFORD  A man was killed in a fire that destroyed his home Saturday evening.

Fire Marshal Brian Lampart said the man, James Boss, who owned the home, was alone when the residence at 25 Melville St. caught on fire around 5 p.m. Saturday. Lampart said 23 personnel from the Stratford Fire Department extinguished the flames within 30 minutes.

Once the fire was out, crews found Boss, whom Lampart said was in his early 60s, in his second-floor bedroom. Investigators are examining whether he died from burns or smoke inhalation.

Lampart said Boss lived in the house with his wife and son, who stayed with relatives Saturday night. Two dogs who lived in the house escaped and were unharmed, Lampart said, but a bird was killed during the blaze as were some pet fish.

According to official records, the single-family home with a detached garage was purchasedy by James and Susan Boss in January 2006 for $240,000. The most recent appraised value is $129,640. The home sits on a quarter-acre lot and it was built in 1930.

The second floor of the single-family home was severely damaged by the flames. The first floor has heat, water and smoke damage. Lampart said no one will be allowed to live in the house for an extended period of time. He said Bosss wife and son were working on finding alternative housing in the meantime.

The Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit are determining the cause of the fire, but Lampart said foul play is not suspected.

Staff writer Amanda Cuda contributed to this report.
Red Bull have reportedly made another attempt to have next year's three-engine limit scrapped, but the proposal did not garner the necessary support.

Formula 1 will implement a rule in 2018 which will see the teams' current allocation of four engines for the entire season reduced to three, a move which many believe will only worsen the sport's ridiculous grid penalty conundrum.

A staunch opponent of the new rule, Red Bull's Christian Horner lobbied once again for its change at F1's latest Strategy Group meeting.

To no avail however, as Ferrari refused to support a status-quo with regard to keeping the pool of power units at its current level.

The Italian manufacture will not support the change as it has already heavily invested in the research and development of its 2018 engine, with an emphasis on reliability.

"I tried to get it changed at an earlier meeting in the year, but there was no support for it," Horner said back at the Italian Grand Prix.

"I would hope that there would now be a different outcome, with teams staring down the barrel of further penalties between now and the end of the year."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he warned off Sebastian Vettel in no uncertain terms after the pair clashed in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Vettel believed that Hamilton had 'brake tested' him while they were leading the Baku race behind a safety car. He then pulled alongside the Mercedes and bumped wheels to remonstrate before the restart.

I wouldn't do that to someone. Ive never done that to someone," Hamilton said in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.tv's The Flying Lap this week.

"I dont even know what he was thinking to have done, you know, been in a position like that."

Vettel's hot-tempered spur-of-the moment reaction had been a surprise not only to Hamilton, but to everyone watching at the time.

I guess people react differently under certain pressures," said the Briton.

Initially, Hamilton's response over the team radio to Vettel's actions was surprisingly low-key in the circumstances.

"Honestly in the race I was not phased at all. I was kind of like, 'What the hell is he doing?'

"I wasnt going to let myself say something or react in a way thats going to cause some negative swirl which is going to steer me off course from my ultimate goal.

"Ultimately I think theres different ways in which you can handle things."

"I knew what I was there to do and I wasn't going to let anything distract me from doing that," he added. "With the experience you learn to just compartmentalise all those different things."

Vettel was subsequently penalised for his actions. But Hamilton also hit a setback when he was forced to make an extra pit stop after his headrest came loose. It meant that both men finished off the podium.

It was just as well the pair weren't in front of the cameras in the green room after the race. Hamilton had some sharp words for his rival.

When I spoke to him later, I was like: thats a sign of disrespect'," he said.

"'Dont ever disrespect me like that again otherwise then we will have problems that sort of thing," he had warned.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Look at the photos of explorer Benedict Allen, rescued from the jungle in Papua New Guinea. Square jaw. A bit of stubble. Head-to-toe khaki. A stern expression. What arrogance.

The stupid man went in search of a lost tribe (no irony there) without any GPS equipment or a phone. Never mind the fact his wife was out of her mind with worry: he apparently deliberately went walkabout in an old school manner as he wanted some alone time and space.

Typical bloody man. Why not just go to the pub like a normal person? Or get a shed.

He probably didnt take a phone as he didnt want to be given a shopping list while kicking his heels at the airport.

A friend told a newspaper: For people like Ben its about finding out more about yourself.

Oh, for pitys sake! Hes 57, not some gap-year student who cant decide what religion to follow this week. If he doesnt yet know himself, he never will. Explorers are supposed to be interested in the world, not their own navel.

Allen himself told his wife via satellite phone: Im so sorry I put you through this. Thats exactly what men say when they sleep with other women and you find out. Funny how it never seems to stop them straying from the path again.

No apology on Earth can make up for the fact that he wandered off, doubtless sucking like a baby on one of those drinking bottles so beloved by cyclists, with nary a backward glance for his family: he has three young children.

I thought people were supposed to be less selfish once they procreate, but apparently that just applies to mothers.

Because God forbid any woman takes part in anything remotely dangerous or time-consuming when she should be spending her weekends bulk-buying in Sainsburys. Just imagine the headlines if it was Mrs Benedict Allen whod set forth for some off-the-grid jungle soul-searching.

Actually, you dont have to imagine. I remember the outrage when British mountaineer Alison Hargreaves, who had two children aged four and six, died on K2 in 1995. She had ascended without oxygen or a Sherpa, but died on the way down.

She was called an unfit mother. She had left her children. Not even being six months pregnant had pricked her conscience when she had scaled the Eiger, sneered the mob.

Her widower later said: Everybody has the right to live their own lives. I wish he was right. But when you are a mother, it seems you are no longer a person in your own right.

Whats true for women scaling mountains is true also of those who have the (equally treacherous) corporate summits in their sights. We have striven to be involved  in the boardroom, on the front line, to have equal pay and power and say-so  but there is always payback, punishment. We have had to work harder than men to be listened to and taken seriously, but as soon as we put work first, we are made to feel bad.

I remember years ago calling my then house-husband when I was leaving the office after yet another 14-hour day to say I was on my way home, and had he thought about dinner and fed the cats. Big mistake. He had been attracted to me in the first place for my success, my salary, my ambition, but he couldnt resist sniping: You will have to get home earlier than this if were going to adopt a baby.

You see, we cannot win. If we dont climb mountains, men find us boring, a drain on their resources, not sexy at all. But if we do, particularly if we ascend the more dangerous professions, we are either bad mothers or emasculating our menfolk by abandoning our place at the hearth and the cradle.

If child-free women are reluctantly deemed fearless, as the late war reporter Marie Colvin was, its always tinged with the aside that we are also reckless, frustrated drunks with no friends, nothing better to do and little to lose. That we are we are doing it because we have no family, no real home. We must be desperate, with a hole where our soul should be.

Whereas good old Benedict Allen, like the Bear Grylls of this world, are clapped on their broad backs and indulged like the overgrown boys they are.

PS: At least Britains ultimate explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, has a self-awareness rare for his breed. When I met him, his left hand was ravaged by frostbite. I asked the adventurer  who fathered a daughter later in life with his second wife  if becoming a dad made him less gung-ho. If my late wife and I had had children we might not have done anything at all, he said, adding: She had cows, but thats not quite the same thing.
New rules for faith schools say males should be able to wear items usually worn by females such as tiaras (stock image)

Most of these politically correct fads are just designed to wind us up and provoke us. For example, I now regret having wasted so much time trying to argue rationally about same-sex marriage. All the sexual revolutionaries wanted was an excuse to call me a bigot. They could then ignore everything I said, or tell lies about me, or both.

It was a tiny issue. In 2014, for example, in England and Wales, there were 247,372 heterosexual weddings, and 4,850 same-sex marriages. Already there are several hundred same-sex divorces each year.

Once the novelty has worn off, I suspect the numbers of same-sex unions will decrease, just as heterosexual ones are doing. The point  that the old ways are dead and gone  will have been made, and the campaigners will move on to something else.

I once thought the same about the transgender issue. But the idea that people are whatever sex they think they are is a terrifying weapon in the hands of modern Thought Police. Whatever you say, you cannot possibly be right about this.

Express any opinion (apart from total submission), and within minutes you will be besieged by condemnation. It will be cleverly based on the idea that you are somehow being cruel to some troubled person, even though you aren't doing this at all.

But that is just a pretext. In reality, a whole moral and social system is being destroyed, and traditional ideas of male and female are the next target, now that husbands and marriage have been done away with. For once you begin down the road of sexual revolution, there's no end. There will always be someone more militant than you.

Since the French Revolutionaries set up the guillotine, the same thing has been true. Revolutions are all based on the false idea that humans and their nature can be changed.

And once changed, they will fit neatly into the Utopia that is planned for them. Utopia, as we find every so often in Russia, China and Cambodia, can only be approached across a sea of blood, and you never actually arrive.

The opposite view (now very unfashionable) is that we are all made in the image of God and cannot be changed into something else. This sounds odd to most modern ears. But in fact it is the foundation for the absolute respect for human life and liberty which underpins civilisation. Once it's gone, you can make excuses for anything in the name of some invented 'right'. Mass abortion is the obvious example.

And that is why The Mail on Sunday's exclusive story, that a teacher has been disciplined for failing to respect the transgender gospel, is so important. His slip was small, and momentary. One of his pupils, who would once have been called a girl, has decided to be male. He called this person a girl. So he must suffer.

An image that tells you all you need to know about duty The sight of the Queen and Prince Philip watching the Remembrance ceremony last Sunday was almost unbearably poignant for me and (I suspect) many of my generation. The Duke of Edinburgh was plainly straining every nerve and sinew to do honour to the fellow warriors he actually knew and fought alongside so long ago, despite the burden of his great age. Nothing on Earth was going to stop him doing that. There are so few left from that time. The Queen, with an almost equal effort of will, was yielding one of her most important duties to her successor, a very hard duty indeed. They are now both so far ahead of us in years that they already seem to be in another time altogether, almost beyond our reach. It is disquieting and upsetting to see these things, inevitable as they are. I feel a great sense of foreboding. Advertisement

In the vanished world of absolute truth, the student's sex would not be a matter of opinion. People might (and I would favour this) treat the person's view of their sex with sympathy and try to go along with it. Who would want to hurt somebody on a matter of such delicacy?

But in the new revolutionary world, truth is what the revolution says it is. This works in many ways.

A Left-wing newspaper recently claimed I had said something I had not said, and do not think. Shown irrefutable evidence that I had not used the words alleged, it continued to claim that I had used them, because that is what it thought I had said.

This leads down a very dark staircase. Reality must increasingly be forced to fit the beliefs of the new elite. Teachers must be punished for speaking the truth, so schools are no longer places where truth is respected or dissent allowed  which means they are dead to all intents and purposes.

And perhaps most grievous of all, teenagers are placed on a medical conveyor belt which leads to powerful body-changing drugs and possibly to surgical alteration.

It is not just crabbed reactionaries such as me who fret about this. In an eloquent article in The Times, the far-from-conservative commentator Janice Turner recently warned: 'But in a decade, when our adult children turn to ask, 'Why did you let me do this? Why didn't you stop me?' we may wonder if this was progress or child abuse.'

The answer to the question 'Why didn't you stop me?' will be even sadder.

We are failing to stop this because we are afraid of the intolerant revolutionary mob, which would lock up dissenters if it could, but for the moment contents itself with Twitter storms and witch-hunts.

I can't laugh this off. It is not just a wind-up. It is a threat to free thought and, after many months of staying silent about it, I feel I have to say so.

That faint rumble you can hear is the mob assembling for another heresy hunt.

At last there is an antidote to the foolish film The Death Of Stalin, which trivialises this monster and his crimes. It is Angus Macqueen's brilliant, harrowing documentary Gulag, which you can watch on the BBC iPlayer only until December 6.

See it above all for the astonishing film of the man-made hell called Norilsk, and the interview with a woman who explains exactly how Stalin robbed her of the ability to trust her fellow humans. But be warned: there are no jokes.

At last there is an antidote to the foolish film The Death Of Stalin. Pictured: Michael Palin as Molotov in the film

Last Monday the Prime Minister rattled her plastic sabre at the Russians, in a silly speech at the Mansion House. She doesn't even know what she's talking about. She said: 'Russia's 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 wrong. Nato Turkey (now an increasingly nasty despotism) seized Northern Cyprus in 1974 and still sits there, unpunished.

She claimed Russia had 'repeatedly violated the national airspace of several European countries'. I asked No 10 for details. Two days later, whimpering that the information was somehow secret, a spokesman could only admit 'Russia has not violated UK airspace'. So whose airspace had it 'repeatedly' violated? No answer. If it's true, the Russians must know, so why the secrecy? The Russian threat is a fake.
Michael Gove and Boris Johnson didnt arrive at last weeks Cabinet meeting wearing military fatigues or sporting dark green berets. But as the latest astonishing details of their Brexit coup reveal, they might as well have done.

The situation in our country has moved to another level, Zimbabwean military spokesman Major General S B Moyo told the world on Wednesday. And as we now know, the situation inside Theresa Mays embattled Downing Street bunker has moved to another level too.

It was a plan hatched in secret: For your and Gavins eyes only. It involved the swift and ruthless imprisonment of their opponents: We need to identify the responsibility of individual Cabinet Ministers and submit them to a process that produces action.

Theresa May is a 'prisoner of the Brexit crocodiles' such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, says Dan Hodges

All existing political and Civil Service structures would be swept away, replaced by a sinister Implementation Task Force, whose leader should have direct authority to mobilise Whitehall on Brexit issues.

And it culminated in their order to the Prime Minister to publicly endorse their prepared statement: You wish for an end state best described as a FTA and association agreement.

Priti Patel was sacked from the Cabinet for engaging in freelance discussions with Israeli officials over a small slice of her aid budget.

'Michael Gove and Boris Johnson didnt arrive at last weeks Cabinet meeting wearing military fatigues or sporting dark green berets. But as the latest astonishing details of their Brexit coup reveal, they might as well have done,' says Dan Hodges

As the memo graphically reveals, Gove and Johnson are engaged in a freelance attempt to sideline the Prime Minister, seize control of Government, stab their Cabinet colleagues in the back and unilaterally dictate the direction of the most significant British foreign and economic policy decision since the war.

Or, as a close ally framed it to me last week: That letter was them setting out the price of their loyalty.

What a price. The Brexit negotiations are so sensitive, the Prime Minister has precluded discussion of the desired end state within Cabinet.

Priti Patel was sacked from the Cabinet for engaging in freelance discussions with Israeli officials over a small slice of her aid budget

Yet Gove and Johnson are bullying May towards signing up to a Singapore-on-Sea model of Brexit.

David Davis has been labouring to break down the intransigence of EU negotiators. And while hes been doing so, Gove and Johnson have been secretly plotting to snatch command of the negotiations for themselves.

Transport, taxation, immigration policy. In each area  areas beyond their respective briefs  they have presented additional demands to Downing Street. And they have again done so behind the backs of the Chancellor, Home Secretary and Transport Secretary.

We currently live in the golden age of the conspiracy theory. But you dont need to believe JFK was assassinated by an alien hitman hired by Lord Lucan to notice the following pattern.

The letter was delivered shortly after the Tory Conference. It attacked Philip Hammond, and called on May to endorse preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

It called for a Brexit Tsar. It demanded a specific end-date for the Brexit transition.

Johnson is bullying May towards signing up to a Singapore-on-Sea model of Brexit, writes Dan Hodges

And, lo and behold, up popped Theresa May to confirm she was preparing for a no-deal Brexit.

The Chancellor issued a public mea culpa. Michael Gove was suddenly appointed to an expanded Brexit war cabinet. And out of nowhere  and to the bemusement of all  it was announced that March 29, 2019, would be enshrined as the day Britain left the EU.

Or maybe not quite all. You have to hand it to Johnson and Gove  theyve got more front than Selfridges. Johnson is an international anti-Red Adair, starting conflagrations wherever he goes.

A letter attacking chancellor Philip Hammond called on May to endorse preparations for a no-deal Brexit

Gove has been back in the Cabinet for only five months, with responsibility for protecting bees and the purity of the nations fertiliser.

Yet they have manoeuvered themselves into a position where they are running a de-facto joint premiership. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister remains under political house arrest in Downing Street.

We are keen to do everything we can to help, the Brexit crocodiles state soothingly. But helping her is the last thing on their minds. Their primary goal, as ever, is helping themselves.

Sacking the crocodiles 'would require courage and strength' - 'and while Theresa May still possesses reserves of the former, she appears drained of the latter,' says Dan Hodges

Its difficult to see what May can do to escape their clutches. I understand an offer from the EU was made to settle the Brexit negotiations as long ago as the beginning of April, with 60 billion the price tag. At that time, May judged it politically unsustainable to settle on those terms.

And were she to try to do so now, its likely Johnson would resign in a blaze of self- righteous Eurosceptic glory, triggering an immediate leadership crisis.

She could appeal to the rest of the Cabinet to come to her rescue, but few Cabinet Ministers will embark on such a politically hazardous mission, especially given Mays shelf-life is already measured in months, rather than years.

There is one other course of action available to her. She could sack them  or at least sack one of them  shattering at a stroke their conspiratorial alliance.

But that would require courage and strength. And while Theresa May still possesses reserves of the former, she appears drained of the latter.

So she will remain their prisoner, an impotent occupant of her gilded Downing Street cage. But do not be alarmed. There is no coup. Theresa May is safe.

Go about your business.

Philip Hammond is facing an almost impossible task this week as he attempts to deliver The Immaculate Budget. With Tory MPs desperate for him to re-energise their political fortunes, and his enemies waiting to pounce on the slightest error, its hard to see how he can successfully meet everyones expectations. The problem with the Budget is there are so many moving parts, a Minister tells me. It only takes one little thing like the Pasty Tax and everything unravels. It has to be perfect. But given there are so many people hoping he falls flat on his face, I just dont see how he gets through this. Could Phil have completed his last spreadsheet?

Chancellor Philip Hammond faces 'an almost impossible task' as he attempts to prepare 'The Immaculate Budget' this week

As reshuffle speculation continues, some backbenchers have sprung to the defence of the so-called Inbetweeners  the cadre of unflashy, workmanlike Ministers who keep the wheels of Government turning. Youve got people like Chris Grayling, Greg Clark and Karen Bradley who just get on with the job, dont plot and dont chase headlines, one MP tells me, and yet people are agitating for them to be dumped in favour of young blood. Bringing new talent through is fine, but you also have to reward people who do the unglamorous stuff. They may get a reprieve, as time is running out for a major shake-up this side of Christmas.
Chief Constables are not hired to change the law. They are hired to enforce it. Mike Barton, the Durham Police chief, needs to be sharply reminded of this.

Mr Barton has made something of a name for himself by saying he will no longer pursue drug users, even though they are breaking the law.

Now he plans to stop arresting so-called low-level drug dealers. There is a sort of logic in this if you see drug offenders through the eyes of a social worker. But Mr Barton is not Chief Social Worker of Durham. He is Chief Constable.

We have laws against certain drugs because of the grave harm they do to those who use them and to their families. That harm radiates outwards into society, often in the form of thefts and burglaries.

We have laws against certain drugs because of the grave harm they do to those who use them and to their families

The rest of us must pay for the damage, and for the police, prisons and hospitals whose workloads are incessantly increased by drug abuse. We must pay for it, too, in the misery such people tend to inflict on their neighbours.

We also have laws against drugs because most of us feel that the young, especially, need to be deterred from choosing to follow this dangerous and self-destructive way of life.

Some people want to change these laws. In many cases it is because they think they should be free to do what they like, whatever the cost to others. A few businessmen and politicians hope to make profits or even raise taxes from the open sale of drugs which are now banned.

We also have laws against drugs because most of us feel that the young, especially, need to be deterred from choosing to follow this dangerous and self-destructive way of life

It is not for the police to join in this debate, or take sides in it.

We hire police chiefs, at very high salaries, to see that the law is enforced efficiently and intelligently in their areas. It may well be that the penalties now imposed on heroin dealers are too small, as Mr Barton complains. But that is an argument for increasing penalties, not for ceasing to arrest them.

If police chiefs want to soften the drug laws, they should resign, and stand for Parliament on that platform.

Then let us see how they fare among voters who endure the devastation wrought by drugs around them. Otherwise, they should stick to their day jobs. There is no shortage of crime for them to tackle.

Exploiting the elderly

The Mail on Sunday has halted an exceptionally nasty new form of exploitation. Our investigators caught one of Britains biggest funeral firms tricking vulnerable pensioners into revealing personal details and frightening them into buying costly funeral packages.

It is hard to think of a more cruel and cynical way of trying to make money. Yet it was going on unhampered, until we found out about it. Once again the unending need for a powerful independent Press is demonstrated. Without it, who would uncover such things?

Leading by example

Tomorrow the Queen and Prince Philip will have been married for 70 years. Their constancy, rare in these times, stands like a great rock in the midst of turbulent waters. They have been each others strength and stay, but also ours. As well as giving them our sincere and loyal congratulations, we offer our thanks for this steadfast example.
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She makes an enviable living capturing perfectly-arranged, beautifully-set-up photographs from some of the world's most idyllic destinations.

Tara Whiteman, who hails from Sydney, has turned her spontaneous travels into a lucrative career by blogging under Tara Milk Tea - and sharing her postcard-like snaps to more than 840,000 Instagram followers.

From going on a giant swing overlooking a juggle in Bali to frolicking in a field of sunflowers in France, the 23-year-old student has been leading a fulfilling life out of her suitcase many dream about.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the globetrotter - who has explored more than 30 countries - has given a glimpse into her travels - and how her hobby blossomed into an enviable life.

Tara Whiteman, from Sydney, has turned her hobby into a lucrative career (pictured at a sunflower field in Valensole, France)

She has been fulfilling life out of her suitcase (pictured with her boyfriend relaxing at ONSEN Hot Pools in New Zealand)

The 23-year-old globetrotter has explored more than 30 countries (pictured on a swing at Zen Hideaway Ubud in Bali)

'I love the experience. I feel like travelling teaches you so much, and makes me so appreciative of life,' she said.

'I've always loved the creative side, and being able to turn photography from a hobby into my job has always been a dream. I also enjoy the ability to share these experiences online so others might be inspired to visit as well.

'The world is incredible and I'm always excited to see new places. It's endless and I'm still not over it. I don't think I'll ever stop travelling, even if it becomes once a year, or once every few years.

'I do have a rough plan for my future, but I'm always open to change.'

Her sumptuous Instagram feed reveals jaunts throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand - and every photograph has been perfectly set up for the frame.

But how does she take snaps of herself in busy locations with no one else in the frame?

'I love exploring cities in the early morning, when there are less tourists about,' she said.

'This is usually before 8am. I find places can be much more charming with less people around or, you'll tend to find locals out and about, which can tell you so much more about a place.

'However, sometimes I like to take photos in busy places because it captures the essence of a city.'

She makes an enviable living capturing perfectly-arranged, beautifully-set-up photographs at the world's most idyllic places

The university student insisted she doesn't have any 'secrets' behind taking the perfect snaps (pictured in Santorini)

Tara insisted she doesn't have any 'secrets' behind taking the perfect snaps - and she ensures all her images match on Instagram by posting photos that are bursting with bright colours.

'I love vibrant imagery, so I don't have a particular style or theme. When I've been in New Zealand you'll see my images become more green and blue, and I like how that flows at a particular time,' she said.

'I travel with my partner and we've both always enjoyed photography. I take photos of him, and he takes them of me. Strangers offer to take photos of us together, which is really nice.

'If I'm going to be in the photo, I might frame it first, and he'll then take it. But he has a really good eye so I just let him work his magic with the camera.'

She revealed how she finds balance between creating content at exotic locations and just enjoying the moment.

'We often leave our accommodation for a day without a camera or our phones,' she said.

'Getting lost is so much fun. We try to do this in every city so we can get a different perspective, and hanging out without technology is always a bonus.'

She ensures all her images match on Instagram by posting photos with vibrant colours (pictured at Japanese Garden in Sydney's Auburn)

The student, who hails from Sydney, documents her travels in postcard-like snaps to more than 840,000 Instagram followers

She revealed she finds balance between creating content at exotic locations and just enjoying the moment by leaving all digital devices at the hotel so she can explore the city by getting lost

The 23-year-old globetrotter has turned her spontaneous travels into a lucrative career by blogging under Tara Milk Tea

The young woman said she fell in love with travelling when she got her first taste of Asia growing up.

'I fell in love with travel as a teenager when exploring my mother's heritage in Asia. When I was younger, we'd travel every few years to visit my family overseas,' she said.

'I started travelling with my friends after high school from the savings I'd earned from several jobs I'd worked since my mid-teens.

'I've always enjoyed photography, ever since I was a teenager. I got my first camera when I was twelve years old, and you'd always find me taking photos of everything and everyone around me.

'Travel is really fulfilling. I love seeing different cultures and ways of life. Sometimes I do miss my family, but we talk almost every day so it's never too bad.'

Tara has explored some of the world's most exotic locations (pictured at a lavish hotel room in Barcelona)

Along with travelling, the young woman has dined at some of the most extravagant restaurants around the world

The young university student documents her travels in postcard-like snaps to more than 840,000 Instagram followers

Supporting her lifestyle through her travel-focused blog, Tara said she made it possible to sustain her adventures after her sumptuous Instagram account attracted much attention.

'I started making money through the several jobs I worked, along with photographic work on the side for companies a few years ago.

'I started working in retail from the age of 15, while I was in high school. Since graduating high school, I've worked in admin, marketing and PR roles related to my degree.

'I worked full time while studying to operate several companies marketing, PR and social media. Since then, I work with companies on photographic projects, from tourism to fashion to food clients.'

The 23-year-old has since travelled to more than 30 countries (pictured at a lavender field in Valensole, France)

Her sumptuous Instagram feed reveals jaunts throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand - and every photograph has been perfectly set up for the frame

The young student has been juggling her honours in design at university while planning her next amazing trip abroad over the festive season.

'I am currently completing my degree. That has always been really important to me. I'm now in my final semester of study,' she said.

'I'm at home for the moment, which is always nice as I love to spend time with my family and friends.

'We are also working on some photographic projects that require me to be home, so that's occupying most of my time at the moment.

'We will be travelling again throughout Summer to Hawaii, and Japan, and also visiting my family in Singapore over Christmas.'

To follow her journey, please visit Tara Milk Tea.
When Bradford Atom first told his future wife Angela he wanted to make their relationship more serious, he had to add an important preface.

'I said, "What we have is really special. I think we should make this something a little more permanent. But I think we should still see other people,'" he recalled.

And, as Bradford held his breath, waiting for Angela's response, she let out a relieved exhale.

'Oh, thank god,' she replied. 'I thought you wanted to be monogamous.'

Less than a year later they tied the knot on top of a canyon outside of Las Vegas, and now Bradford and Angela are happily living in Sydney as swingers.

Bradford and Angela Atom are scientists living in Sydney who just happen to be swingers

Both Bradford, 39, and Angela, 38, had been in long monogamous marriages before they met, and wanted to pursue open relationships when they began dating again

Bradford, 39, and Angela, 38, had both been in long monogamous marriages before they met, and individually reached the conclusion that it just wasn't right for them.

'Once we were single again and looking into other relationships, it just didn't feel right,' Angela told Daily Mail Australia.

'We wanted to be together, we just wanted to see other people as well.'

'We knew we were good for each other and with each other, but we knew we wanted something more than just each other,' Bradford added.

The North Carolina scientists, who met at work five years ago, found a perfect match in the other, tying the knot less than a year after they decided to become serious.

They then moved to Sydney after Bradford got a job offer, and decided they would be open about their lifestyle with their new friends from the start.

'When we moved here we didn't know anybody and had to build a community around ourselves. So we made a conscious decision that we're not going to hide who we are or what we do,' Angela said.

'We wanted to surround ourselves with positive people who were like-minded, we didn't hide anything and that made everything a lot easier.'

The North Carolina scientists, who met at work five years ago, found a perfect match in the other, tying the knot less than a year after they decided to become serious

Shortly afterwards the couple moved to Sydney after Bradford got a job offer, and decided they would be open about their lifestyle with new friends from the start

And the couple found that their lifestyle was accepted far more in Australia compared to their conservative community in the southeast US.

'In Australia, if they're interested, they ask questions. If they're not and it doesn't affect them, they don't persecute. They don't judge,' Bradford said.

Bradford and Angela, who are both bisexual, more often see couples together, but they will sometimes see other partners individually as well.

But they are adamant that their lifestyle is not just about sex, but rather forming intimate connections.

Both Bradford and Angela call themselves 'socio-sexuals', meaning they enjoy deeper relationships with people.

'It means we're turned on by people who can engage us in clever conversations, a sense of humour, who enjoy similar things that we like to do,' Bradford said.

'It's definitely a "friends with benefits" thing, we categorise all our friends as "pants on" and "pants off". A "pants off" friendship is a socio-sexual thing.'

'We're not looking to hook up and have sex with random people,' Angela added. 'We're looking for deeper relationships.'

Both Bradford and Angela call themselves 'socio-sexuals', meaning they enjoy deeper relationships with people and search for more than just one-night stands

Bradford and Angela said swinging has brought their own relationship even closer, as they feel comfortable telling each other anything and everything

Bradford and Angela said swinging has brought their own relationship even closer, as they feel comfortable telling each other anything and everything.

'We don't have to hide anything, we can be completely open in our discussions and behaviour,' Angela said. 'There's nothing I can't talk to him about.'

'We don't have to hide anything, we can be completely open in our discussions and behaviour. There's nothing I can't talk to him about.'

And it is this openness that the couple credits with protecting them from fights or fits of jealousy.

'We've always had very open communication,' Bradford said. 'Rules have been broken, and we have discussions over those rules and about amending the rules.'

One of the big rules is that neither person can bring somebody home while the other is out of town if they're not already in an established relationship with them.

'No one-time hook-ups, that's one that always sticks with me. You don't meet someone at a bar and immediately bring them home,' Bradford said.

The couple don't necessarily have to meet someone before their partner sleeps with them either, although that tends to happen away.

'Typically if one of us is seeing someone separately, the other will know a lot about them. We talk a lot about them,' Angela explained.

Although neither Bradford or Angela ever plan to be monogamous again, they do value each other above their other partners

Although neither Bradford or Angela ever plan to be monogamous again, they do value each other above their other partners.

'No matter who I'm with, I'm coming back to Angela,' Bradford said.

'I so appreciate the relationship that we have. No one has topped her, no one has been a better fit for me both physically and emotionally.'

And Bradford said he never worries that Angela may find someone she loves more than him, or vice versa.

'We're both scientists, and we know the only constant in the world is change. Am I afraid of it? No,' he said.

'I hope it won't happen, but I'm not the greatest person out there - I'm sure there's better looking, smarter, richer people - but I can say I have never had a relationship that I value more than ours.'

Although the couple know monogamy isn't for everyone, they do have some tips for those who are considering the swinger lifestyle.

Bradford suggests that if you've been thinking about an open relationship for a long time, but haven't told your partner, it is essential to give them time to think it over.

'Give them time to acclimate with the idea and mull it over,' he said. 'They may become immediately defensive, and you don't want to start a fight before you realise what you're talking about.'

The couple are also spreading their advice via a podcast and adult sexual education classes that they do in addition to their full-time jobs

He also recommends watching porn and reading erotica together to help 'bind the relationship' and gently suggest trying new things with your partner.

Angela advises figuring out together with your partner which is the best way to dip your toes into the swinging world, whether its clubs, meetups, or just going online and having a sexy chat session with strangers.

'Make sure you're approaching it in a good way for both of you,' she said.

'It's hard for people to figure out what a good relationship looks like, how to spice it up, and how to get the most out of it.'

The couple are also spreading their advice via a podcast and adult sexual education classes that they do in addition to their full-time jobs.

Bradford was inspired to launch the weekly By the Bi podcast to help others after years of struggling with his own bisexuality

And the couple wanted to launch their series Sex Ed in the City, held at the club Our Secret Spot with MisJif, to help fill the void of sexual education for adults.

'There's a lot of things you're not taught in school, and porn doesn't really show you the reality of sex and relationships,' Angela said.

'It's hard for people to figure out what a good relationship looks like, how to spice it up, and how to get the most out of it.'

Classes range from the art of flirtation and Swinging 101 to erotic massage, clitoral and g-spot stimulation, and fantasy and BDSM play.

They also lead demonstrations of the techniques, in which both of them are often naked, but the couple have never demonstrated vaginal intercourse.

There is one class, though, where you can learn 15 different ways to give a handjob.

'There's at least one you definitely haven't tried,' Bradford said, 'I promise.'
She rarely puts a foot wrong in the fashion stakes, and Princess Charlene looked as stylish as ever as she kicked of the annual National Day of Monaco celebrations.

The 39-year-old looked stylish in a blue velvet coat dress as she joined husband Prince Albert outside the Prince's Palace of Monaco.

The mother-of-two completed her glamorous ensemble with a dramatic wide-brimmed hat and black pumps, accessorising with a pair of leather gloves.

Charlene and Albert, 59, later posed with their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, both two, on the palace balcony.

Princess Charlene of Monaco looked glamorous in a velvet blue coat dress as she joined husband Prince Albert on the National Day of Monaco

The royal couple posed with their twins Prince Jacques (left) and Princess Gabriella (right), both two, on the palace balcony

Jacques was dressed in a smart grey suit for the occasion, while Gabriella wore a sweet floral dress.

The royals were also joined by Princess Stephanie of Monaco and Princess Caroline of Hanover as the celebrations got under way, as well as Caroline's children Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre Casiragh.

The National Day of Monaco, also known as the Sovereign Prince's Day, is celebrated every year on November 19.

The annual holiday takes place on the same day as Prince Albert of Monaco ascended to the throne.

The 39-year-old teamed her statement coat with a pair of simple black pumps

Charlene and Albert waved at crowds as they appeared on the palace balcony today

Mother-of-two Charlene was seen talking to Jacques and Gabriella as they looked out onto the crowd below

Little Jacques was seen yawning while out on the balcony, perhaps feeling tired due to the early start to proceedings

He was dressed in a smart grey suit for the occasion, while Gabriella wore a floral dress

The day is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before and a mass in the St. Nicholas Cathedral the next morning.

Earlier this week, Charlene joined husband Albert, 59, to attend a charitable gift giving event in aid of the Monaco Red Cross.

The couple spent time chatting to visitors, shaking their hands and hearing stories about their lives.

The royal couple blew a kiss at crowds as they marked the National Day of Monaco

The family looked relaxed as they looked out from their palace balcony earlier today

Albert, 59, donned his military uniform for annual holiday, which is also known as the Sovereign Prince's Day

Charlene, 39, looked striking in her blue coat, adding a dramatic to the stylish ensemble with a wide-brimmed hat

The mother-of-two accessorised with a pair of diamond earrings, while showing off a flawless make-up look

Charlene was joined by sister-in-laws Princess Stephanie of Monaco (left) and Princess Caroline of Hanover (right) as the celebrations got under way

The mother-of-two linked arms with husband Albert as they left the Catherdral of Monaco

The royal couple attended the mass service, along with Princess Caroline and Stephanie

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.

Charlene also delighted fans by sharing a picture of her twins' first visit to the hairdressers on Instagram, ahead of their third birthday in December.

She posted a snap of Jacques and Gabriella, two, admiring each other's new haircut on her Instagram account.

The former Olympic swimmer looked in high spirits at the start of a day full of engagements

Charlene smiled as a ceremony in honour of husband took place in the palace courtyard

The National Day of Monaco, also known as the Sovereign Prince's Day, is celebrated every year on November 19

The annual holiday takes place on the same day as Prince Albert ascended to the throne

It is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before and a mass in the St. Nicholas Cathedral the next morning

Princess Caroline's children Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre Casiraghi (pictured top) were also seen attending the celebrations in the Monaco Palace Courtyard this morning

Charlene has had a busy week, attending a charitable gift giving event with Albert on Friday in aid of the Monaco Red Cross.

Charlene also delighted fans by sharing a picture of her twins' first visit to the hairdressers on Instagram
Emma Brown had never planned on having a big family. In fact, she didn't want kids at all.

When the now 31-year-old, from Enfield, North London, first started dating at 17, she decided to have the 99 per cent effective contraceptive injection to ensure she didn't fall pregnant at a young age.

It was the start of her body's ongoing battle with different methods of contraception, which her body won, and she now has four children - Sofie, 12, Sarah, 11, Stevie, 5, and one-year-old baby Reginald - to prove it.

Emma Brown, 31, says she's spent her whole life trying not to get pregnant but that every method of birth control - from contraceptive jabs to the coil - have failed her

And here's the living proof! Sofie, 12, Sarah, 11, Stevie, 5, and one-year-old baby Reginald were all unplanned

Emma says that her experience with contraception has now left her too scared to have sex because she's scared of having a fifth child - despite being sterilised .

She reveals that she was careful as a teenager because she had grand plans.

'I enjoyed my social life way too much, and dreamed of a having a great career and travelling the world,' says Emma.

After meeting meeting 18-year-old HGV driver Leigh in a nightclub in 2004 when she was just 17, she decided to not leave things to chance and got the contraceptive jab.

However, after returning from a girls' holiday to the Greek island of Kos, less than a year into her relationship with Leigh, she began feeling ill.

'She explains: 'At first, I put it down to drinking too much and not getting enough sleep.

'But when I started being sick and getting stomach cramps, I thought there was something seriously wrong. I'd also put on weight, but I didn't put two and two together.'

Since giving birth to Reggie in 2016, Emma has been sterilised, something that she says she still doesn't completely trust

Carefree: As a teen, Emma had high hopes of travelling and a good career but she fell pregnant at 18 despite having a 99 per cent effective contraceptive jab. Right: Emma says the prospect of having a fifth child has left her not wanting to have sex at all. She says: 'It's not worth the stress'

Her doctor did a pregnancy test and she was told she was six months pregnant. Denial kicked in and Emma went straight back to her job as a nurse in a care home.

The pregnancy didn't show until Emma was just a month from her due date and even then, the denial continued. 'If anyone tried to broach the subject at work, I'd just walk off.'

Her boyfriend Leigh, on the other hand, was delighted. On March 5th 2005, baby Sofie was born at 11.49pm.

My doctor stressed to me that no contraception is 100% effective and that, although it's extremely rare, some women do seem to be able to get pregnant regardless of the type of contraception they use Emma Brown

Emma says: 'It was love at first sight. Sofie was perfect! I'd never felt happiness like it.'

Despite being besotted with her new baby, at 19, spoke to her doctor who recommended she went on the pill.

She was very careful to never miss one: the last thing she wanted was another baby.

But when Sofie was just over a year old, in April 2006, Emma started feeling sick one day: she knew instantly she was pregnant.

The sickness passed within a day but her first scan, she discovered, once again, that she was almost six months pregnant!

She hadn't had any periods since before Sofie's birth due to the hormones in the contraceptive injection and afterwards taking the pill had meant her periods hadn't returned. As with her first pregnancy, the pregnancy didn't show  she was as slim as ever.

Her doctor was shocked because Emma had no bump and no feelings of being pregnant apart from that one bout of sickness. She underwent a series of tests to try and find out why the contraception she'd been using had totally stopped her periods, but they just concluded that this is one of the side-effects of the injection and The Pill.

Emma wasn't happy about the pregnancy: the timing was bad, as her relationship with Leigh was falling apart.

'The night I went into labour  July 30th 2006 my dad dropped Leigh and I at the hospital. I told the midwife I was about to give birth but she didn't believe me as I didn't appear to be in too much pain and I'd only just arrived at the hospital, and left the room. Minutes later, 6lbs 10oz Sarah entered the world!' The labour had, once again, been less than an hour in length.

Having two kids was a struggle for Emma, now 20. But she soon got a job as a nurse and managed to make ends meet.

Here comes another one! Doctors have told Emma that she's just super fertile and sometimes birth control just doesn't work

But within a year of Sarah's birth, Emma and Leigh split up.

'It was clear that Leigh wasn't ready to settle down. He was just too young. He's always been a great dad though and sees the girls regularly.'

At the end of 2010, after a few years as a single mum, Emma, who has recently been made redundant from her job as a staffing manager at Tottenham Hotspur FC, met 24-year-old soldier Adam.

He was living in Pirbright barracks in Guildford and was recently back from Afghanistan.

There was an instant attraction between the couple, but because Emma had no desire to have any more children, she made herself doubly safe by taking The Pill and using condoms.

The relationship between Emma and Adam quickly became serious. Despite not living together, they discussed marriage, but before anything could be arranged and just four months into their relationship, Emma found herself pregnant again.

'We were shocked I was pregnant,' says Emma, 'but once we'd got past that, we were both happy.'

Stevie  another baby girl  was born on January 22nd 2012 and, while both proud parents were over the moon at her arrival, Emma decided that enough was enough.

'After Stevie was born, I went straight to my GP and begged to be sterilised but my doctor thought that at 25 I was too young and persuaded me to have a coil fitted.

Three girls - and a little boy would soon be on his way! Sarah, 11, Stevie, 5, and Sofie, 12, were all unplanned but are very loved, says Emma

She suggested the copper coil as opposed to the one that released hormones as we were starting to wonder whether the hormones I'd been taking were somehow making me MORE fertile. I trusted the doctor when she said this type of contraceptive could be the one for me.'

The IUD (coil) served her well until March last year, when she discovered it had failed her and she was pregnant again!

'This time, I wasn't very surprised as my periods (which had started up again after I had Stevie  had come back and were stopped when I fell pregnant, but I was starting to realise that no contraception could stop me from getting pregnant. Adam was amazed but put the pregnancy down to him having super-sperm rather than me being super-fertile - and baby Reginald arrived a month premature on October 19th 2016.

'It was great having a little boy after having three girls: little Reginald made my gang complete.'

Sadly, Emma and Adam grew apart after Reginald's birth. 'Adam's still young and wanted to carry on doing the stuff that young blokes do, but I felt more mature, being a mum of four with loads of responsibilities. He's a good dad though  he sees the kids all the time and we're still friends.'

After Reginald was born, Emma's doctor  who actually said 'oh s**t!' after reading through my medical history - finally agreed for her to be sterilised and she had the op in April this year.

'The doctor was as shocked as I was. She said she'd never seen this happen before. It's not ideal, being sterilised so young, but I don't have much choice.'

'My doctor stressed to me that no contraception is 100 per cent effective and that, although it's extremely rare, some women do seem to be able to get pregnant regardless of the type of contraception they use.'

'There's actually a zero chance of me getting pregnant at the moment,' says a now-single Emma. 'I'm actually too scared to have sex now, so I'm just not bothering. It's just not worth the stress.'

Watch this space! Emma says she still doesn't trust her final attempt at contraception and wouldn't be surprised if she was in the 0.05 per cent of people who get pregnant after being steralised

But if she meets someone new and gets over her anxiety, will this last resort method work for Emma?

'My doctor says that even with sterilisation, there's a 1 in 200 chance of getting pregnant. Knowing my luck, I'll be that 0.05%! All I can say is 'watch this space'!'

Fertility expert Dr. Geetha Venkat of The Harley Street Fertility Clinic says: 'For someone to be as fertile as Emma is rare but for four different types of contraception to fail for one person is something I've not seen or heard of before.

'There are no actual medical statistics for this happening, but I would say the chances are at least one in a million.

'The fact Emma started having babies so young could have had something to do with it - as women are more fertile when they're younger - but it isn't a medical condition, just a rarity.'
She visited Brunei with husband Prince Edward last month to mark the Sultan's Golden Jubilee.

And now the Countess of Wessex has made a solo trip to Bangladesh to visit the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in Dhaka.

Sophie, 52, donned a pair of white gloves and helped perform a sight test as she went round the ward visiting young patients.

The royal looked typically sophisticated in a floral dress and burgundy jacket as she met with young patients.

Sophie Wessex donned a pair of white gloves as she helped doctors perform a sight test at the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in Dhaka

The royal, 52 , was seen speaking to a young patient during her tour around the hospital

Sophie also met with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to the country on Sunday.

During her visit to the eye hospital, she was seen chatting to patients, testing one youngster's vision by holding up two fingers.

The mother-of-two later doted on a young baby that was being treated at the hospital.

Sophie, who previously visited Bangladesh in 2009, was visiting the eye hospital with the sight-saving charity ORBIS.

Sophie later doted on a little baby, before giving a thumbs up to a patient on the ward

The mother-of-two put on a pair of gloves as she accompanied doctors around the hospital

Sophie was seen examining a young patient with during her visit to the eye hospital

A close-up shot shows the Countess carefully removing a dressing from the youngster's eye

The Countess was visiting the eye hospital in Dhaka with the sight-saving charity ORBIS

Sophie looked in good spirits as she met a baby and her mother during the visit, before meeting another cute toddler

The Countess also tested out the equipment while being shown around the eye hospital

She also met with members of staff, including a nurse at the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute

Sophie unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit to the hospital in the Bangladeshi capital

She has previously spoken about how her daughter Louise's sight problems has inspired her to campaign for the visually impaired.

Louise, now 14, was born prematurely in 2003, causing a condition called strabismus, which left her with a 'profound' squint.

The teenager has since had the problem corrected and now has perfect eyesight.

Sophie has been a patron of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness since 2003 and is a global ambassador for Vision 2020, an initiative aiming to eliminate avoidable blindness over the next five years.

Sophie looked typically sophisticated in a floral dress and burgundy jacket for her visit to Bangladesh

She met with the country's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (right) at her official residence

Sophie was seen having an animated conversation with Prime Minister Hasina
IVF may almost double the risk of women giving birth prematurely, according to a study of more than 60,000 pregnancies.

Ten per cent of women who conceived thanks to fertility treatment gave birth before 37 weeks, which is considered premature, scientists found. That is almost twice the rate for women who conceived naturally.

Tens of thousands of babies are born prematurely in Britain every year but survival rates are better than ever thanks to improving neonatal care.

However, those born before 37 weeks are still more likely than full-term babies to suffer from a range of long-term problems, including cerebral palsy, and developmental conditions such as ADHD. They are also less likely to excel at school.

Tens of thousands of babies are born prematurely in Britain every year but survival rates are better than ever thanks to improving neonatal care

The doctors behind the study think IVF may trigger changes in the placenta, which make premature birth more likely.

Experts believe that freezing the embryo first and then implanting it later, rather than doing everything in the same menstrual cycle, may offer protection against the risk.

More than 50,000 women in Britain undergo IVF or a related technique called ICSI every year, according to official figures, resulting in about 12,000 births. Italian researchers looked at 15 studies covering 61,677 births, and concluded that the rate of premature birth was considerably higher in mothers who had undergone IVF/ ICSI than in those who had not.

Even after age matching to take into account the fact that women having IVF tend to be older, there was still a big difference.

On a like-for-like basis, women who had had IVF were 63 per cent more likely to give birth before 37 weeks than those who had conceived naturally. Some studies indicate that sub-fertile women who have trouble conceiving tend to be biologically predisposed to premature birth.

But in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, the researchers said that studies indicated the risk of pre-term birth in IVF/ICSI patients is due to the treatment itself.

... but frozen embryos have best chance of pregnancy Women who have IVF with frozen embryos have a better chance of becoming pregnant, the study also found. Scientists say the removal of eggs during fertility treatment could damage the wombs lining. But if implantation could be delayed after egg collection  as enabled by freezing embryos  then the womb could be given time to heal, leading to a better chance of pregnancy. However, scientists warn that the potential benefits of freezing embryos are highly dependent on the skills of different IVF clinics. Dr Gedis Grudzinskas, a Harley Street fertility expert, said: If implantation could be delayed by a month or two after egg collection, then problems could be overcome. But should we recommend routinely freezing embryos? Only if the IVF clinic has excellent freezing facilities. The critical part of IVF is the quality of its cryobiology. Advertisement

Harley Street expert Dr Gedis Grudzinskas said: The phenomenon is real. Theres a mechanism by which the implantation process is compromised slightly by IVF.

Women who have IVF with frozen embryos have a better chance of becoming pregnant, the study also found.

Scientists say the removal of eggs during fertility treatment could damage the wombs lining.

But if implantation could be delayed after egg collection  as enabled by freezing embryos  then the womb could be given time to heal, leading to a better chance of pregnancy.

However, scientists warn that the potential benefits of freezing embryos are highly dependent on the skills of different IVF clinics.

Dr Gedis Grudzinskas, a Harley Street fertility expert, said: If implantation could be delayed by a month or two after egg collection, then problems could be overcome.

But should we recommend routinely freezing embryos? Only if the IVF clinic has excellent freezing facilities.

The critical part of IVF is the quality of its cryobiology.
There is a startling fact about the Government's strategy for British industry  there isn't one. At a stretch, you could string together a few stray bits of policy here and there if you wanted to be kind.

But it is piecemeal. The approach that has dominated thinking since the 1980s is the mantra that we should let the markets decide where investment money goes.

It's an approach that undoubtedly works on so many levels. Who better to identify the best use of capital than those steeped in the realities of real world trends, not cobweb-filled Whitehall backrooms?

Competition at its finest. Or so the theory goes.

Industrial strategy: Research-heavy sectors like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, financial technology and internet-based services should get support

The real truth is that the State intervenes often  incentives to foreign car manufacturers, bigger incentives to foreign State-supported firms to build nuclear power stations and even propping up our wayward banking system.

We are constantly nudging events in the direction of our choosing.

The theory here is that this is all done at arm's length to avoid damaging competition, putting us among an ever shrinking few on the global stage attempting to stick with that purist approach.

But we need a concerted, national effort to find the 'next big things' in business  much as we did when scaling up our sporting ambitions paid off so well at the Olympic Games.

Because the businesses that will be the winners of tomorrow are small. Some of them may remain so for a long time and probably would be flattered to be called a business at all.

What they need to become bigger is a large organisation to take a small financial risk  or at the very least a bold policy risk.

Perhaps, at first, just to keep them bumping along the bottom and to allow them to pay a few bills.

The world is changing fast  faster than firms can cope with

An organisation, perhaps even the Government by some mechanism, with a stomach for long-term bets. Potentially thousands of them at any one time.

The world is changing fast  faster than many companies, let alone governments, can cope with.

Despite that, we are undoubtedly in a position to capitalise in a way that should suit everyone.

It is no wonder then that the Government feels under pressure to stake their claim to an industrial strategy, which Business Minister Greg Clark will unveil later this month. Expectations of how punchy that might be are mixed.

But the industries Britain has the potential to excel at  and take ownership of  are fairly obvious. Research-heavy sectors like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, financial technology and internet-based services.

Business Minister Greg Clark: Under pressure to stake claim to an industrial strategy

Individuals or small, growing organisations linked to research fuelled by our world-leading education establishments and which need incubating and growing.

We need to make more effort to brazenly foster the industries of the future. Could that even include State capital to allow these firms to incubate?

A squeamish approach to the idea of an industrial strategy lets us fall behind countries who are unashamed about promoting their major industries.

China and America  but also our near neighbours France and Germany who would almost certainly like to seize the same opportunities.

Plans are already afoot to set up a 1billion-a-year 'patient capital' investment fund to place some of those long-term bets  and bypass typical short-term investor interests.

The Government should be actively and even financially involved in this, or set up their own.

It's a view that former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine, who we interview this week, holds in his 74-page report Industrial Strategy.

His case begins with the importance of education and ends with the notion that we should not let these gems be lost through lack of foresight or lured overseas.

Far from sounding politically dangerous  it sounds dangerously like a good idea. And in modern politics those are increasingly hard to find.
High cholesterol normally afflicts people in their 50s and above, often because they eat the wrong food and take too little exercise.

In some cases, however, children are born with exceptionally high cholesterol, so much so that they are at risk from heart attacks and strokes before they even start school.

The condition, known as HoFH, is rare, affecting about one in a million people, but those who are affected are not expected to survive into adulthood if they are left untreated.

Even with treatment their life expectancy is about 45.

Helping hand: Amryt Pharma is developing a treatment for a rare condition that it hopes will be licensed for children

The standard treatment for HoFH involves being strapped to a machine for hours every fortnight, much like dialysis.

But there is an alternative  a simple capsule, called Lojuxta sold by Aim-listed Amryt Pharma.

Lojuxta is licensed for adults and may be licensed for children.

Amryt is a drugs firm with a difference. It focuses on treatments for rare and 'orphan' diseases, that is, conditions that affect fewer than one in 2,000 people. The shares are 17.75p and deserve to be far higher.

Amryt is chaired by Harry Stratford, who set up Shire in 1986, a drugs firm now valued at 33billion.

Stratford also set up ProStrakan, a pharmaceutical firm sold to the Japanese for nearly 300million back in 2011.

Amryt was founded four years later, in August 2015. Though a fairly new firm, it has crossed some important milestones.

Focus: Amryt boss Harry Stratford

Many young biotech firms struggle as they focus on a single drug and take years to bring it to market. From the start Amryt spread its net wider.

It does not spend time and money discovering new drugs. Instead, it acquires products that are either in trials or approved by regulators.

The group then develops these products into fully-fledged medicines and sells them to those in need.

Today, there is a growing need for effective drugs to treat orphan diseases. The number of people affected may be small but there are about 7,000 such conditions and large pharmaceutical firms have historically paid scant attention to them.

Thousands of conditions go untreated, sufferers are desperate for help and global orphan drug sales are expected to reach more than 150billion over the next five years.

It is easier to gain regulatory approval for orphan drugs too, so treatments move from development to commercial sales much faster than conventional medicines.

Amryt's team is impressive. Not only is it chaired by a veteran of the industry, but chief executive Joe Wiley has spent 20 years in the healthcare and private equity sectors, having trained as a neurologist.

The finance director, commercial officer, chief medical officer, head of medical affairs and head of licensing have worked for an average of 20 years each in healthcare, both here and in the US, the largest drugs market by far.

They are bringing this experience to bear, using their networks to find suitable acquisitions and take drugs from clever ideas to commercial sale.

In the case of Lojuxta, Amryt acquired the licence to sell it in Europe and the Middle East from a US firm, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals.

Amryt's chief medical officer knew Lojuxta well as he held the same position at Aegerion years ago.

The deal was signed in December 2016, Lojuxta is on track to deliver sales this year of 11.5million (10.3million  most sales are in euros) and the market is valued at up to 100million a year.

Only last week, Amryt signed a deal to sell Lojuxta in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's largest drugs market.

The group is talking to the NHS about supplying Lojuxta here too.

Amryt is also in late-stage trials with a treatment for Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare, distressing and painful genetic condition, where the skin is so fragile that those affected suffer constantly from blisters and burns, caused by acts as mundane as pulling on socks or shaking hands.

There are about 35,000 sufferers in Europe and 30,000 in the US. Amryt is developing a gel to treat it.

Trial results are expected next year but early signs are encouraging and, if the treatment is approved, the market is valued at over 1billion.

Amryt is also working on treatments for Acromegaly and Cushing's disease, which affect growth and stress hormones.

Treatments are at an early stage but the combined market opportunity is estimated at 800million.

In the meantime, Stratford, Wiley and the team are pursuing other deals, so new additions to the portfolio should be forthcoming soon.

In September, the company raised 13million via a share placement at 20p. That fundraising means the group now has plenty of money to increase Lojuxta sales, bring drugs to the market and look for new opportunities.

Midas verdict: Amryt listed in April 2016. So far, the group has done everything it said it would and more. Yet the shares have underperformed. At 17p, they are a buy.
The Dutch government has been accused of waging 'war' on the UK and using Brexit to lure Marmite-maker Unilever away from London.

Unilever, which also owns Dove, Persil and Magnum ice creams, is understood to be close to a decision that could see it quit the City.

It currently reports to both the London and Amsterdam stock exchanges but is considering whether to drop one to simplify company operations.

Melt away: Unilever owns brands Magnum and Marmite

In the latest effort by the Netherlands to win over firms with dual London listings, such as Unilever and Shell, new Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has proposed a cut in the country's 15 per cent tax on dividend payments made to shareholders.

Unilever put its dual legal structure under review in April shortly after it fought off a 115billion takeover approach from US rival Kraft Heinz.

Experts have suggested Brexit could be key in the FTSE 100 company's decision and that efforts by the Dutch government could seal a move across the North Sea.

Unilever's Dutch chief Paul Polman, whose 7,500 UK employees are not expected to be directly affected by the change, was a pro-Remain campaigner.

Bart Snels, an MP for political party GroenLinks, told The Mail on Sunday: 'The Dutch government is using the uncertainty caused by Brexit to start a tax war with the UK and entice multinational corporations like Unilever to stay in the Netherlands, by abolishing our dividend tax.'

Former Business Secretary Vince Cable said: 'If Unilever chooses Amsterdam over London, then that would send a very bad signal about London's attractiveness to good companies.'

Meanwhile, EU leaders are to vote tomorrow on where the European Banking Authority and European Medicines Agency  bodies currently based in London  should be relocated ahead of Brexit.
A James Bond-style home with a hidden bed that pops out with just the press of a button may sound like a gimmick, but it could prove to be a shrewd investment.

Estate agents believe adopting such 'wow-factor' ideas will not only make your home easier to sell, but help create new options for 'dead space' that can add as much as 5 per cent to a property's value.

With the average house price now 317,000, this means putting an extra 15,000 on its value.

Comfortable: Stephen White paid 6,000 for a hideaway bed

Stephen White invested 6,000 to have a bespoke foldaway bed installed in his one-bedroom apartment in Bermondsey, South-East London, two years ago.

He believes the installation has more than recouped the cost in added worth to his home.

The 35-year-old says: 'It was not just about buying a bed but making the most of my space. Visitors do not believe there is room for a bed secretly tucked away behind a bespoke fitted bookshelf that is part of the unit  until I press my remote control.'

Banker Stephen was initially put off buying a traditional fold-up bed that fits vertically into a wall  feeling it might have 'looked a bit seedy'.

But The Concealed Bed Company that installed his uses technology with a motor that rolls the mattress and bed frame within a 2ft deep space up a wall.

Kim Stewart, the firm's managing director, says: 'People are often baffled at how we can fit a full bed into such a small space.

'They say the bed looks like some James Bond gadget because it transforms the room within 30 seconds. One customer even had the secret agent theme tune to play out when using it.'

Although the bed is one of the biggest space-saving options, high-tech gadgets such as a TV can also be hidden or transformed with new innovations.

Press the button: The hidden bed in the Bond film You Only Live Twice

Specialists such as Hide My TV in Barnet, Hertfordshire, can hide flat-screen TVs at the press of a button behind mantelpieces, inside blanket boxes at the bottom of beds and hidden alcoves.

They can also be transformed into framed mirrors or flipped over to reveal a favourite oil painting. Prices for such gadgetry start from 1,200 but bespoke transformations might cost 10,000.

Eva Davies, owner of Hide My TV, says: 'You can transform a room creating a totally different atmosphere by making the TV vanish as if by magic  or suddenly turning it into a mirror or painting.

'The idea is to enhance the appeal of a room. Choosing to have the TV on show or not makes it multi-functional.'

Claire Basing Lawson, of national estate agent Savills, believes a great place to start your futuristic makeover is to go hunting under the stairs, often an area used for storing items such as a vacuum cleaner.

She says: 'The secret is to make the most of all your space  making it multi-functional to add value.

'That cupboard under the stairs can be turned into anything from a small office to a wine cellar to give the home a luxury feel  and a hidden wow-factor.'

Bespoke cocktail cabinets cost from 2,000

She points out that sought-after property in Central London can be worth up to 800 a square foot  so it is vital to maximise every spare corner.

Top quality temperature-controlled wine storage cabinets may cost 1,000 but if you really want to live the 007 dream, a cocktail cabinet for storing those shaken-not-stirred martinis is essential. Bespoke units cost from 2,000.

Even cavity spaces inside walls can be utilised  with security measures such as hidden safes installed.

The classic movie idea of having a wall safe tucked behind a painting can cost from 500 but another option might be to replace an electric plug socket with a fake front  that contains a hidden vault for valuables such as jewellery, money and important documents.

Such double plug wall safes can cost 40 and are easy to fit yourself.

... but beware of the 'storage scammers'

Other ways to make space DECLUTTER There is no substitute for going through cupboards and wardrobes looking at never used items one-by-one and then getting rid of them. Chances are that if you have not used something in a year, it is time to let it go. The average home hoards 1,200 of this clutter. TURN TRASH INTO TREASURE Auction websites such as eBay offer an ideal place to offload your junk for money. You can list 20 items for free each month on eBay  with the trader taking a 10 per cent cut of what you sell, including the cost of postage. Be honest with descriptions and provide lots of photos. Also consider donating unwanted items to charity or pitching up at a local car boot sale to try your luck. CONSIDER STORAGE If you cannot bear to throw out or sell your junk, self-storage might be the solution. Websites such as Storenextdoor and Storemates find neighbours with spare space inside their home or garage. Expect to pay 30 a week for a 150 sq ft garage space. The price should include insurance against loss or any damage to valuables. Also consider using specialists with 24-hour surveyed security units, such as Big Yellow, Safestore and Lok'nStore.

Scammers have cheated people out of at least 100million in recent years through so-called 'storage pod' investment schemes.

These cold-calling fraudsters lure savers in by promising returns of up to 12 per cent a year through rental yields if you buy into their storage facilities.

But after investing, some salesmen have simply pocketed the cash and then disappeared.

In the past six years, more than 1,000 people have fallen victim to such scams, with some losing more than 50,000.

Such investment schemes are unregulated and not policed by the Financial Conduct Authority.

It means that if things go wrong investors have little protection and cannot seek redress from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

In May, the Insolvency Service filed a petition to the High Court to wind up businesses of the Lancashire-based Store First.

The ex-Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson had helped promote this self-storage firm and was an investor  though he has since severed all ties with it.

Those fearing they have been a victim of storage fraud  or are concerned about being duped by fraudsters should contact the Serious Fraud Office on 020 7239 7272 or sfo.gov.uk.
The voice is a bit more growly with age, but the collar-grazing silver mane still makes a swoosh.

And at 84, on the eve of the Budget, Michael Heseltine  political firebrand turned elder statesman  is as energetic as ever at pushing the idea closest to his heart: Britain's desperate need for an effective industrial strategy.

And he's not holding back on his views on Brexit  he says it might never happen  or on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who he fears will be the next Prime Minister if his own party don't get their act together.

Resolute: Lord Heseltine believes we need a strategy for industry

He urges Philip Hammond, beset by demands to cut loose the public purse strings, to 'keep his nerve' in the Budget and not succumb to those siren calls.

'If suddenly it appears that there is a magic money tree, then Mr Corbyn will say: 'I told you so',' he says.

To Heseltine, a proper strategy to foster Britain's industrial growth is the answer. Hammond should, he adds, set up a sovereign wealth fund to invest in long-term projects  as the Norwegians did with their North Sea oil wealth.

We 'squandered' our oil money on tax cuts instead, but it's not too late, according to Heseltine.

Hammond could find the money right now, he says, by 'finding something to privatise'. 'I haven't looked at what, but I privatised more than anybody.'

Hezza has always been outspoken and unafraid of taking on his own party. For much of his long career his belief that governments should back British industry has put him at odds with many fellow Tories.

He was until March an adviser to the Government on industrial strategy until he was sacked for defying it on Brexit.

'Critics think it is all about subsidising yesterday's industries and it's not. It is about sitting down and looking calmly at the future.

'You must preserve, to the best extent you can, the disciplines of the market. It is about backing excellence, and about identifying where you are weak then trying to do something about it.'

Undeterred, he has this month produced his own 74-page blueprint. 'I had to decide: Would I give up the work I had been doing for the Government on industrial strategy, which of course is the culmination of 40 years of Ministerial experience, or would I plough my own furrow?'

It's doubtful he sat scratching his head for long  but what does he think of Theresa May? 'Well' there is a long pause and some throat clearing.

'That's a big question. She has an impossible job. I don't think she will lead the Tories into the next Election.

I don't think Theresa May will lead the Tories into the next Election

'The party is deeply divided as to the sort of person or views they want in a potential leader.

'That gives Theresa May a strong base for survival until the party can make up its mind.

'She didn't sack me, she sent the chief whip to do it, who is a very nice man and was very embarrassed.

'All I was doing was voting to put into legislation promises she herself had already made. An observer might feel I am almost saint-like compared with some other things.'

That sounds like an oblique reference to the various sex scandals that have hit Westminster. What does he make of that?

'There is absolute repugnance at anyone who has indulged in what we all think of as rape. And that must be right.

'But the sort of banter that has been a feature of the sexual relationship since Adam and Eve  it is extremely difficult to categorise.

'I have noted how many ladies that I know personally have really found the whole idea of witch-hunting people for touching a knee years agothey find it extraordinary that it has become obsessive, and that people's memories should have been so stimulated.'

Heseltine is a divisive figure  many in the Tory Party have never forgiven him for challenging Mrs Thatcher for the leadership in 1990  but on the subject of industrial strategy few could doubt his sincerity or his credentials.

'Serious possibility': Lord Heseltine believes Jezza could be the next occupant of No 10

He is one of the few politicians to have also been an entrepreneur. Initially a property developer, he went on to become one of the founders of publishing house Haymarket, where his shareholding made him a multi-millionaire.

He clashed spectacularly with Mrs Thatcher in the so-called Westland affair in 1986 when he resigned in a row over the future of the UK's last remaining helicopter manufacturer.

His comeback under John Major brought a string of Cabinet jobs and the post of Deputy Prime Minister.

Even now, the combustible Hezza of old is not far from the surface, describing Brexit as 'the worst decision Britain has taken in peacetime in my lifetime'.

'For the best part of a decade now people's living standards have been frozen, so they protest, they want a change.

The change on offer was Brexit, as a panacea that would solve all our problems which of course was rubbish.

If I had been Prime Minister, we would have had an industrial strategy

'I think it is possible we might undo it. Not likely but possible. My own view is Brexit will become increasingly unpopular and the Labour Party will respond to that.

'I don't think the Government will last the Parliament and I think Brexit will be a key issue in the consequent Election.'

Jeremy Corbyn is, he believes, a 'serious possibility' as the next occupant of No 10. 'I am totally amazed to hear myself saying so but yes, I do believe it.'

Lord Heseltine is a 'One Nation Tory' who famously in the early 1980s landed on the riot-stricken and deeply depressed city of Liverpool like a blond tornado.

His energy and the measures to regenerate the city won him grudging respect even from some sworn political opponents.

Since then he has been the go-to politician for industrial revival. He produced a report on developing the economy of Teesside in 2016 following the closure of the SSI steel works in Redcar.

Five years ago, his report 'No Stone Unturned' set out a bold plan to devolve power from Whitehall and restore the pride of the big cities that had gloried in the industrial revolution.

The Redcar steel works which closed in 2015

Industrial strategies have failed in the past, he says, because the Left has confused them with state ownership, and his own party has never quite realised that the competitive advantages conferred by Empire and the Industrial Revolution have gone for good.

'Two incredible ingredients in our success were military power and owning the market in the 18th and 19th Century. It was our market.

'When I was a child two-thirds of the world was pink,' he says, referring to the colour used on maps of the British Empire.

Now we are up against economies like China, he says, which are pouring untold state money into their industries and infrastructure.

His remedies? Education ranks high. 'Around a fifth of kids are in schools that are not up to standard.

'You can't blame the kids if they come out without the education required for a modern competitive economy.'

He wants a Ministerial committee to look at everything government departments could be doing to boost industries from tourism to defence and a new Competitiveness Unit in the Cabinet Office.

Would our economy be stronger if he had been PM, and does he regret not being?

'Oh no, it's no use trying to go down that route, but we certainly would have had a much more determined devolution agenda and we would have had an industrial strategy.

'Oh yes, I would like to have been Prime Minister.'
Rupert Hambro, former chairman at family firm Hambros Bank, has joined the board of a company that helps students find accommodation via their mobile phones.

Bubble Student has built up its service in the North of England  in cities including Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds  and is now making plans for national coverage.

The City veteran has invested his own money in the app, which was launched in Newcastle in October last year.

Financier: Former banker Rupert Hambro with Bubble Student's team

Hambro, who has been appointed chairman, told The Mail on Sunday: 'I'm of an age that I've fallen into traps before [when setting up businesses], and I hope I can help avoid doing the same thing.'

The 74-year-old has linked up with Felix Henderson, 23, and Solomon Wright, 22, who set up the company last year when they finished university.

The service lists 16,000 properties in 20 cities. It has now set up its base in the London office of Hambro Perks, a start-up investment firm founded by Hambro along with entrepreneur Dominic Perks in 2011.

'Certainly we would like to go countrywide here,' said Hambro, who studied at the Aix-Marseille University in France. He added that he is hopeful the company can sell its technology internationally.
Backing: Innocent Drinks boss Richard Reed

The Federation of Small Businesses, which represents more than 215,000 firms, has thrown its weight behind The Mail on Sunday's Justice for Small Firms campaign.

Innocent Drinks boss Richard Reed and Labour's Shadow Business Minister Bill Esterson also backed the campaign last night.

The Mail on Sunday is demanding a new body to mediate disputes between firms and their banks.

Currently most of these have to be resolved directly because the firms are unable to afford High Court fees.

Mike Cherry, FSB national chairman, said: 'The Mail on Sunday is doing critical work with its campaigning on this.

'Small firms have far more in common with consumers than big corporations but receive nothing like the same protections or access to justice when they are mistreated.'

Reed  who set up Innocent with friends Adam Balon and Jon Wright  said he agreed that small firms need a new way to bring bank complaints.

Esterson told The Mail on Sunday: 'Businesses deserve our support and protection.

'I wholeheartedly support the creation of a body that can effectively deal with the complex financial disputes that they can face.'
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Three people have been arrested after a crowd of antifa and left-wing counterprotesters surrounded a conservative free speech rally in Boston.

A few dozen free speech advocates rallied peacefully during the 'Rally For The Republic' Saturday on Boston Common, where they were outnumbered by a much larger crowd of counterprotesters.

The rally was held by conservative groups Boston Free Speech and Resist Marxism, which has denounced racism repeatedly and publicly.

Rally speakers warned that free speech was under threat and accused Antifa and Black Lives Matter groups of being terrorist organizations.

A few dozen free speech advocates (background) rallied peacefully during the 'Rally For The Republic' Saturday on Boston Common, where they were outnumbered by a much larger crowd of counterprotesters (foreground)

Conservative demonstrator Jovi Val of New York City speaks to reporters during the free speech rally in Boston

A right wing speaker addresses small group of rally participants during the 'Rally For The Republic' on Saturday

A right-wing speaker identified only as Tammy was one of the speakers where a small group of right wing demonstrators held a rally and a much larger group of counter demonstrators gather for an unpermitted rally on Boston Common

Michael Bodnor of Wilmington, Massachussetts dressed as a Minuteman as he joined a group of right wing demonstrators

At least 100 counterprotesters showed up to the Common. Boston police say two counterprotesters were arrested.

A third person was arrested, but it it not known if the individual was a counterprotester or attending the rally.

Police said two were charged with disorderly conduct and the third was charged with assault and battery on a police officer.

Although the event went forward after organizers failed to get a permit, cops were well prepared and maintained barricades separating the two crowds, preventing major violent clashes.

Photos from the event show demonstrators and counterprotesters briefly scuffling over a Gadsden flag, a libertarian symbol, before police intervened.

Cops were well prepared and maintained barricades separating the two crowds, preventing major violent clashes

A group of masked antifa counterprotesters stand behind police lines looking on at the free speech rally in Boston

Vermin Supreme speaks to police through his megaphone next to counterprotesters at the free speech rally

Right-wing demonstrators scuffle with left-wight counterprotestors over a Gadsden flag, a libertarian symbol

A man is seen encircled by police after scuffling with conterprotesters over his Gadsden flag

Two men are seen being taken into police custody during the free speech rally. Police said that the event went as well as could be expected and that there were no major incidents.

'From a public safety perspective, todays event on Boston Common couldnt have gone much better and I certainly have my officers to thank for that,' Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said in a statement.

'Their constant poise and professionalism never goes unnoticed and I thank them again for a job well done,' the commissioner said.

Following the speeches on Boston Common, the rally participants marched to the Massachusetts State House.

The event follows a similar rally in Boston in August, which drew massive crowds of counterprotesters who said they feared white nationalists might show up.

At that event, some clashed with police and more than 30 were arrested.

Following the speeches on Boston Commons, the rally participants marched to the Massachusetts State House

Right-wing demonstrators are seen marching through the streets of Boston to the Massachusetts State House

Demonstrators react to a flag that was dropped on the ground during a right-wing rally on the Statehouse steps
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, USS Benfold, sustained minor damage when a Japanese tug drifted into it during a towing exercise off central Japan on Saturday.

'No one was injured on either vessel and Benfold sustained minimal damage, including scrapes on its side, pending a full damage assessment,' a statement from the U.S. Seventh Fleet said.

'Benfold remains at sea under her own power. The Japanese commercial tug is being towed by another vessel to a port in Yokosuka. The incident will be investigated,' it said.

The USS Benfold (pictured) sustained minor damage in the collision on Saturday with a Japanese tugboat

The incident, which occurred in Japan's Sagami Bay, marks the fifth time the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific has been involved in a crash.

The U.S. Navy announced a series of reforms this month aimed at restoring basic naval skills and alertness at sea after a review of deadly ship collisions in the Asia-Pacific region showed sailors were under-trained and over-worked.

Seventeen sailors have been killed this year in two collisions with commercial vessels involving guided-missile destroyers, the Fitzgerald in June off Japan and then the John S. McCain in August as it approached a port in Singapore.

'It was one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world,' said retired Marine colonel and a former deputy assistant secretary of state Steve Ganyard.

'One-third of all maritime shipping goes through here,' Ganyard said. 'So there were probably extenuating circumstances but no doubt, as we saw in the Fitzgerald, there was probably human error involved, as well.'

The incident, which occurred in Japan's Sagami Bay, marks the fifth time the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific has been involved in a crash (pictured USS Fitzgerald)

Seventeen sailors have been killed this year in two collisions with commercial vessels in Japan (pictured USS John McCain)

On Jan. 31, the USS Antietam ran aground off the coast of Japan, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.

The Navy Times reported that the guided-missile destroyer grounded spilled an estimated 1,100 gallons of oil into Tokyo Bay. No one was injured in the incident.

The USS Lake Champlain crashed into South Korean fishing boat on May 9 during a routine training exercise.

The ship, also a guided-missile cruiser, crashed into the 9.8-ton fishing boat while in the Sea of Japan.

No one was reported injured in the incident.

On Jan. 31, the USS Antietam (pictured) ran aground off the coast of Japan, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.
Sudanese youth as young as 10 have committed 400 per cent more violent burglaries in just three years.

Federal Liberal MP Jason Wood, a former police detective who is heading a parliament inquiry into migration, has released terrifying crime data on Apex-linked gangs, who are known to particularly active in south-east Melbourne suburbs like Frankston and Pakenham.

It shows the number of Sudanese-born criminals, aged 10 to 18, committing aggravated burglary in Victoria surging from 20 in 2014-15 to 98 in 2016-17.

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Sudanese youth as young as 10 are committing more violent burglaries. Liberal MP Jason Wood has released crime statistics only months after this brawl in a Melbourne barber shop

The Melbourne-based politician accused Labor of overlooking the data to avoid being labelled 'racist'.

'With South Sudanese hugely over represented in violent crimes in Victoria, the protection of all those living in Melbourne and Australia must come first,' Mr Wood told the Sunday Herald Sun.

The Liberal backbencher is calling for the deportation of visa holders who commit home invasions.

The data he released also showed a 55 per cent increase in serious assaults by Sudanese youth, between 2014 and 2017, from 29 to 45.

Serious assaults committed by Sudanese youth rose by 55 per cent between 2014 and 2017 (including this alleged assault on a Melbourne bus in April)

Car stealing by these African youths had also doubled in the same time period, from 63 to 150.

Sudanese-born youths, aged between 10 and 18, are the most represented ethnic group when it comes to aggravated burglaries, car thefts and sexual offences, the newspaper report said.

Sudanese comprise just 0.11 per cent of Victoria's population, but 4.8 per cent of aggravated burglary offenders.

Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency last year released data showing aggravated home invasions by Sudanese-born youth, aged 10 to 18, had risen 10-fold between 2012 and 2016, to 40 incidents.

Apex-linked gangs are notorious around the Frankston, Sandringham and Cranbourne/Pakenham rail lines, the Victorian police revealed in 2016.

But there have also been incidents in Melbourne's inner-west and western suburbs.

Liberal backbencher Jason Wood wants violent visa holders deported for aggravated home invasions

In June, a man was struck in the head with a tomahawk when a gang of men burst into a Melbourne barber shop and started brawling.

Up to 15 men, many who are believed to be of African descent, entered the shop in inner-city Footscray and began fighting.

In April, a gang of five Sudanese teenagers allegedly bashed their autistic classmate, in a horrific attack on a bus at Tarneit, in Melbourne's west.

The 17-year-old student was travelling alone to the city centre, when five boys approached him and told him to hand over his mobile phone and new Nike shoes.
An ex-cop, who tried to convince police his wife had died falling from a ladder at their Queensland property, has been found guilty of her murder.

Louis Mahony, 44, was sentenced to life imprisonment over the crime Monday after a jury took less than four hours to return their verdict, The Courier Mail reports.

He initially claimed that his defacto wife of 18 years, Lainie Coldwell, had struck her head while removing party lights from a tree at the Charleville home on August 23, 2009.

Ex-cop Louis Mahoney, who tried to convince police his wife Lainie Coldwell (both pictured) had died falling from a ladder at their Queensland property, has been found guilty of her murder

However, during the extensive trial prosecutors argued that Mahony had staged the scene, with experts testifying that her single injury was not consistent with claims of a fall.

Instead, a rusted iron photographed among rocks at the base of the tree was believed to be the murder weapon, according to News Corp.

The item was not collected and later went missing, but had blood visible on its flat side which had been face down on the rocks.

Mahoney had reportedly stood to gain $2.25 million from life insurance policies taken out on Ms Coldwell in the months before her death.

Suspicions had been raised over the documents, which included one for $1.5 million and another for $750,000, with the company refusing to pay them out.

Other evidence from a laptop belonging to Mahony showed he had googled terms such as poisoning, car crashes and head injuries, as well as planned romantic getaways with a lover.

Mahony had claimed that Ms Coldwell (both pictured) had struck her head while removing party lights from a tree at the Charleville home on August 23, 2009, but a rusted and bloody iron was instead believed to have delivered the fatal blow

Mahony, 44, (pictured) was sentenced to life imprisonment over the crime Monday after a jury took less than four hours to return their verdict

Detective Renee Hoile, who arrested Mahony, said: 'Hes searching Gold Coast limousines and Draculas Restaurant, and the Marriott Hotel. Thats leading up to the funeral and on the day of her funeral.'

Mahony remained free for six years following Ms Coldwell's death until he was arrested in December 2016.

The pair had a daughter, Dakota, with the young girl just three years old at the time of her mother's murder.

He showed no emotion when the verdict was announced this week, while cries of 'yes' could be heard throughout the packed gallery.

The former Northern Territory police officer had at one time been awarded a police commissioner's commendation and had moved to Queensland after leaving the service in 2007.
One of the most influential spymasters in British history has been turned down for a blue plaque  sparking claims he was deemed too white and too male for the honour.

Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair, the second head of MI6, founded the wartime Bletchley Park codebreaking HQ with his own money and set up the unit that became the Special Operations Executive, responsible for a devastating campaign of sabotage in German-occupied Europe.

But English Heritage ruled that he was not historically significant enough to be recognised with a blue plaque at his official London residence in Queen Annes Gate, which was linked by a secret tunnel to MI6 headquarters.

'War-winning' Sir Hugh, left, founded the wartime Bletchley Park codebreaking group, of which Alan Turing, right, was a member

Iraq War hero Colonel Tim Collins suggested the plaque through his military training company New Century, which now owns the building.

He accused the quango of being too politically correct, as the snub coincides with moves to boost the number of black and Asian figures recognised with blue plaques.

Calling Sir Hughs efforts war-winning stuff, he said: I can only assume he has been turned down for an honour because he was too white, too male and too Establishment.

The Bletchley Park codebreakers were brought to life in The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley

What these people are doing is undermining our heritage. Its despicable and its revisionism.

Sir Hugh joined the Navy in 1886 aged just 13 and had a distinguished career in naval intelligence, eventually becoming head of MI6, or C, in 1923. In the late 1930s, he played a vital role in alerting the Government to the threat posed by Adolf Hitler when much of the Establishment was committed to appeasement.

In 1938, Sir Hugh used his own money to buy Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire and set it up as a codebreaking centre after the Government refused to fund the idea.

Experts there went on to crack the Nazis Enigma code, which would prove vital in winning the war. Sir Hugh died of cancer in 1939, so did not see its fruits.

Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes was established as a codebreaking HQ in 1938 and is now a museum

Anna Eavis, English Heritages blue plaques secretary, last month confirmed: After careful discussion, the panel came to the view that Sir Hughs overall historical significance was not quite of the order [required].

Last night, she added: All blue plaques are awarded purely on merit. No one has ever been turned down for a plaque because of their race or ethnicity, nor will they be.
Relations between Theresa May and Philip Hammond have sunk to a new low just days before the Budget amid claims that the Prime Minister is being 'poisoned' against the Chancellor by her exiled 'Rasputin'.

Mr Hammond's Budget on Wednesday will be one of the most critical in recent memory, with the fate of the Government potentially riding on its success.

But the Chancellor's allies complain that his task has been rendered a 'nightmare' by Mrs May's 'hostile' attitude to him, which they say is a legacy of the feud between Mr Hammond and her former Chief of Staff, Nick Timothy.

Next week's Budget has become a 'nightmare' for Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured right) after his relationship with Prime Minister Theresa May (pictured left) hit an 'all-time low'

They also claim that Environment Secretary Michael Gove is behind negative briefings about Mr Hammond  because he wants to land the Chancellor's job.

The Budget is expected to focus on measures to improve living standards for the young voters who have swung behind Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with Mr Hammond pledging to 'build a country fit for the future'  including a 1 billion boost for new technologies, with plans to put driverless cars on UK roads within four years.

The Cabinet has been bitterly split over housing, with critics claiming Mr Hammond has not released sufficient funds.

Treasury sources counter that they have been stymied by Mrs May's reluctance to build on the Green Belt.

Mr Hammond's relationship with Mrs May has never recovered from his toxic rows with Mr Timothy over economic policy, which had been expected to lead to the Chancellor's sacking. Instead, Mr Timothy was forced out for his role in the backfiring Election campaign.

Mr Timothy  dubbed Rasputin because of the beard he sported in No 10  has since made repeated public attacks on Mr Hammond.

Last week, he accused the Chancellor of having no 'burning desire or imagination' to improve the lives of ordinary families.

The Hammond ally said: 'Philip feels that every time the PM stares at him, she is raging inside that Philip is still sitting there while Nick has gone.'

The attacks have so infuriated the Treasury that one official recently went in to No 10 to confront Mrs May's aides over whether Mr Timothy was acting under orders.

A friend of Mr Timothy said last night: 'Nick hasn't even seen the PM since the Election. Hammond sees her several times a week.

Sources close to the Chancellor claim Mrs May is being 'poisoned' against him by 'Rasputin' Environment Secretary Michael Gove (pictured)

'If he's worried about the relationship, he should think about his own conduct and performance.'

Allies of the Chancellor also claim he is being undermined by Brexiteers who want to install Mr Gove in the Treasury.

Speculation that Mr Gove might move to the Treasury has increased after Brexiteers privately championed his cause as an intellectual who could 'challenge the Europhile orthodoxy' in the department.

Downing Street has been worried for months that a misfiring Budget could threaten the stability of the Government  either through a Commons rebellion by Tories, or because disenchanted MPs will be spurred into adding their names to the list of rebel MPs who want Mrs May to step down.

It is understood the rebels are still about a dozen names short of the 48 needed to trigger a leadership contest. But one leading rebel source said they expect that to change if the PM makes a mess of any post-Budget reshuffle.

The source said: 'The danger is she is making enemies faster than making friends.' Any reshuffle is now expected to take place in the New Year.

A spokesman for Mr Gove declined to comment.
A Georgia couple has pleaded guilty to beating a restaurant owner and her teenage daughter after they complained of being sold cold fried chicken.

Nathaniel Smith, 45, and Latasha Smith, 28, entered guilty pleas on Friday to charges of aggravated assault and cruelty to children, according to The Florida Times-Union.

Surveillance captured Latasha beating Jeanette Norris, the owner of the Qwik Chick, in Baxley, on June 22 because the couple claimed their food was cold and they didn't have enough fries.

When Norris's 15-year-old daughter got out of a vehicle to help her mother, Nathaniel is seen punching her in the face, sending her flying backwards.

Norris suffered a broken nose and her daughter was treated for a concussion.

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Nathaniel Smith, 45 (left), and Latasha Smith, 28 (right), have pleaded guilty to beating a restaurant owner and her teenage daughter after they were sold cold fried chicken in Baxley, Georgia, on June 22

Surveillance captured Latasha beating Jeanette Norris (left), the owner of the Qwik Chickm because the couple claimed their food was cold and they didn't have enough fries while Nathaniel punched the 15-year-old daughter (right)

Norris told police she had refunded the couple's money after Latasha complained about their food order.

But Latasha remained agitated and started beating on the store's windows.

The owner said she went outside to tell them that she had called police and Latasha began hitting and slapping her.

Surveillance video then shows Nathaniel punching Norris's 15-year-old daughter after she came over to help.

Norris told police she had refunded the couple's money after Latasha complained about their food order

Surveillance video then shows Nathaniel punching Norris's 15-year-old daughter after she came over to help

Norris and her daughter were both left with black eyes. The mother suffered a broken nose and the girl had a concussion

The girl was sent flying backwards before the couple fled.

Norris and her daughter were both left with black eyes. The mother suffered a broken nose and the girl had a concussion.

Chief James Godfrey of the Baxley Police Department said he hadn't seen anything like this in his 41 years on the force.

'That's just pure brutality,' he told WTOC.

Police released the surveillance video and were inundated with tips, which led to the department identifying the suspects.

The couple turned themselves in on the morning of July 5. Superior Court Judge Robert Guy accepted the Smiths' guilty pleas and will sentence them at a later date.

Chief James Godfrey of the Baxley Police Department said he hadn't seen anything like this in his 41 years on the force (Pictured, Nathaniel and Latasha Smith)
Pupils at Eton College have been banned from using smartphones, laptops and tablets in their rooms after bedtime because of fears their addiction to social media is leaving them sleep-deprived.

The 38,700-a-year boarding school has told all 13-year-olds to hand over their electronic devices to their housemasters before they go to bed at 9.30pm.

The measure was introduced by head master Simon Henderson, who said lost sleep could harm pupils ability to concentrate in lessons and, damage academic performance.

The 38,700-a-year boarding school has told all 13-year-olds to hand over their electronic devices to their housemasters before they go to bed at 9.30pm

The measure was introduced by head master Simon Henderson, who said lost sleep could harm pupils ability to concentrate in lessons and, damage academic performance

He said he was also concerned that the pressures of social media were contributing to mental illness among teenagers.

His comments came as Old Etonian Prince William warned of the dangers of sites that can hide the identity of cyber-bullies, saying anonymity online was really, really dangerous. The Prince said web giants should take decisive action to eradicate such online abuse, which had already made many childrens lives a misery.

Mr Hendersons ban follows research for the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference that found that half of pupils were worried about not getting enough sleep because of an addiction to technology.

An earlier study found that ten per cent of 11- to 18-year-olds admitted that they checked their mobile phones at least ten times a night, resulting in pupils struggling to concentrate in lessons the following day.

Mr Henderson said masters, who are known as beaks at the school, were already reporting that boys were waking up more refreshed after unbroken nights of sleep.

The Oxford-educated head said: We were expecting the boys to complain, but they actually feel relieved that we have taken away their devices so they dont feel the pressure to check social media during the night.
A New South Wales father accused of sexually assaulting five women around a university campus has been denied bail.

Jean Barbarin, 46, allegedly indecently assaulted four women and tried to rape a fifth over the course of 11 months.

The incidents are said to have taken place around the University of New South Wales and nearby suburbs of Randwick and Kingsford, Nine News reports.

New South Wales father Jean Barbarin, 46, (pictured), who is accused of sexually assaulting five women around a university campus, has been denied bail

Barbarin appeared in Parramatta Court Sunday morning, pleading not guilty to the charges, including one count of inflicting actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse.

The catering manager is alleged to have attacked a 38-year-old woman on Willis Lane on April 5 of last year.

Eight months later he then allegedly ambushed a 25-year-old university student, pushing her up against a wall on Barker Street.

Three other woman, including two 18-year-old's and a woman, 21, were also allegedly attacked in February of this year.

Barbarin (pictured) appeared in Parramatta Court Sunday morning, pleading not guilty to the four charges of indecent assault and one count of inflicting actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse

He is alleged to have attacked a 38-year-old woman in April 2016, A 25-year-old student eight months later, as well as two 18-year-old's and a 21-year-old woman in February this year (stock image)

Police raided the 46-year-old's apartment, finding a camouflage hat, sunglasses and blue hooded jumper, which he was allegedly caught on camera in during the crimes.

While DNA evidence obtained from the three victims is expected to play a crucial role in the case.

Barbarin's lawyer argued during the court appearance that the father has been undergoing treatment with a psychiatrist and at the time of the alleged offences was reliant on drugs and alcohol.

The Magistrate denied his release, declaring him a 'danger to the community' and a possible flight risk.
A sketch of the young cartoon hero by his creator Georges Remi (pictured) fetched an astonishing 450,000 at a Paris auction

His legendary adventures include the perilous search for Red Rackhams Treasure and The Castafiore Emerald.

And now Tintin has unearthed another fortune, after a sketch of the young cartoon hero by his creator Georges Remi fetched an astonishing 450,000 at a Paris auction yesterday.

The India ink drawing measuring about 8in x 8in features the boy detective  whose best friend Captain Haddock has the catchphrase Blistering Barnacles!  and his dog Snowy as they are escorted through a palace in King Ottokars Sceptre.

The illustration was created in 1939 by Belgian cartoonist Remi  who used the pen name Herge  for the newspaper Le Petit Vingtieme, which serialised Tintins adventures before they were collected in book form.

Among the other items sold in Paris was a strip that went for more than 340,000 from Tintins adventure of The Shooting Star, which was written under Nazi occupation in 1941. Altogether the auction of Tintin items fetched about 2 million.

But one item that was surprisingly left unsold after failing to meet an estimate of 7,000 to 15,000 was a copy of the comic book Destination Moon, signed by Herge and American astronauts from the Apollo programme.

The signatures include that of Buzz Aldrin, who jokingly wrote first moonwalker after Tintin although Aldrin was in fact the second man on the Moon in 1969 after fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong.

The Adventures Of Tintin have been translated into 90 languages and sold more than 300 million copies.An ink drawing of Tintin by Herge sold in 2014 to an American fan for 2.36 million, the world record for a comic book illustration at auction.
John Ibrahim's nephew was warned he wouldn't live to see his wedding day ahead of a 'targeted' shooting the night before he was set to marry Salim Mehajer's sister.

Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer tied the knot on Saturday at the same home where Ibrahim's bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' was shot in the back just hours earlier.

The long-term enforcer for the Ibrahim family, whose real name is Semi Ngata, moved to shield the bride-to-be when the gunman opened fire on Friday night, according to reports.

Though it is unclear what led to the shooting, a source has claimed they overheard a man tell Sayour he would be lucky to see his wedding day during a fiery exchange last week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

However, police say they are looking into a number of lines of enquiry.

Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer married on Saturday at the same home where John Ibrahim's bodyguard was shot hours earlier

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

The imposing figure (pictured centre, with Sam Ibrahim, left, and lawyer Stephen Alexander, right, outside court in 2009) was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery

Ngata was shot in what has been described as a 'brazen and targeted' attack as the final preparations for the wedding were being made at the home of John Ibrahim's mother.

Ms Mehajer was with another woman in the backyard to help set up the wedding at the time of the shooting, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The imposing figure was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery, but has reportedly refused to help police with their investigations. A NSW Police spokesperson could not confirm those reports.

Ngata's wife has been keeping a bedside vigil and told reporters 'he was doing OK'.

The suspected getaway car was found burnt out in a nearby suburb.

As guests arrived for the wedding on Saturday evening, marked and unmarked police vehicles patrolled the area for fear of further violence during the nuptials.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly has been released by the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki, as Aisha and Sam sign their marriage certificate

On Instagram Ms Sakalaki wrote: 'I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today! I love you so much Aishy #feelingemotional'

The names of the couple were etched on a pavement outside John Ibrahim's mother's home ahead of the ceremony

Police are reportedly investigating whether a 'falling-out' between the two extended high-profile families played any part in the shooting.

A spokesman for disgraced former deputy mayor of Auburn, Salim Mehajer, has denied any suggestion of a dispute between his family and the Ibrahims, the Telegraph reported.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any members of the Mehajer or Ibrahim families had any involvement in the shooting.

On Saturday night a small selection of guests attended the wedding as originally planned.

Guests were seen around the house all afternoon as they helped organise the impending wedding

A heavy police presence was at the wedding on Saturday of Aiisha (pictured with her brother Salim) amid fears of revenge and retaliation

Despite the shooting on Friday evening friends and family gathered to lay out chairs ahead of the ceremony on Saturday

Outside police with flashlights are seen checking parked cars for any clues into the brazen shooting that happened their hours earlier

The wedding took place between the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Aisha (pictured) and John Ibrahim's nephew Sam

Luxury cars lined the streets surrounding the houses during what appeared to be a low-key event.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly was released by Salim Mehajer's sister Kat Sakalaki, as the newlyweds were seen signing their marriage certificate.

Aisha, dressed in an off-the-shoulder lace midi length gown, sat on a golden throne next to her beau in ripped trousers and a sky blue jacket.

The table in front of them was lined with expensive jewels, including two wedding rings and a gold bracelet. A flower wall visible behind them set the scene for a Kim Kardashian-inspired ceremony.

While the inside of Ibrahim's mother's house where the wedding was set was awash with congratulations, outside police with flashlights were checking parked cars for any clues about the shooting.

Authorities could hardly be seen in the dead of night as they scanned the selection of wedding cars lining Price Street in Merrylands.

Guests are seen shaking hands with each other outside the Ibrahim residence in Merrylands

The authorities could hardly be seen in the dead of night as they scan the selection of wedding cars lining Price Street in Merrylands

The wedding came just hours after bodyguard Semi Ngata was gunned down outside John Ibrahim's mother's home

Earlier, Chief Inspector Bradfield Peters said the shooting was a 'brazen' attack and certainly not 'random'.

'A number of police will be deployed tonight to ensure that the community is safe,' he said.

He added: 'We've only just found out that there may have been a wedding planned for today.

'But whether there's any link to what occurred last night, I can't speculate.'

Tongan Sam (left with Fadi Ibrahim and Salim Mehajer) was taken to Westmead Hospital, where he is in a serious condition

The overcast skies made for a perfect indoor wedding as guests arrived dressed in coats

Guests walk into the premises as the sun goes down and police scour cars for any evidence

Meanwhile, guests could be seen arriving all afternoon, some laden with gifts, to celebrate the young couple's nuptials.

On Instagram Ms Sakalaki wrote: 'I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today! I love you so much Aishy #feelingemotional.'

The names of the couple were etched on a pavement outside the Ibrahim's family home ahead of the ceremony on Saturday.

It is believed Sam is the son of Maha Ibrahim, who is John's sister.

Tongan Sam has worked as a bodyguard for nightclub boss John for more than a decade after the pair met in Kings Cross in the 1990s.

His loyalty to Ibrahim was shown in 2014 when he was pictured wearing a T-shirt with John's face emblazoned across it.

This guest of the wedding was seen carrying a David Jones bag into the house on Saturday

People could be seen arriving at the home with boxes full of decorations, with a wedding due to take place later in the day

As police continued to investigate the shooting people began to arrive at the home with flowers and wedding decorations

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.

However, police have not confirmed any connection between the raids and Friday's shooting.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that the two incidents are in any way related.

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.

John's home was also raided as part of the investigation in August - but he was not arrested or charged with any offences.

Price Street in Merrylands was the scene of the shooting, with a wedding between a members of the Ibrahim and Mehajer families taking place on Saturday

Two thumbs up! This jolly guest was all smiles as he arrived for the impending nuptials

The presiding priest walks into the house in preparation for the wedding on Saturday evening

Armed police searched the streets outside John Ibrahim's mother's home (pictured) in Merrylands on Saturday morning

Media and neighbours gathered outside the Merrylands home (pictured) owned by John Ibrahim's mother on Saturday morning

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 as a teenager.

Police were seen combing the streets around the home of where the shooting took place on Friday evening

Police searched streets around the spot where John Ibrahim's bodyguard Tongan Sam was shot

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 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

Pictured is a loaded 9mm semi-automatic Beretta handgun seized from the home of John Ibrahim's mother during raids in August 2017
A dilapidated, rusted, rotting, unfinished house sitting on less than 320 square metres of land has sold for $1.2 million - further proof Sydney's housing market is totally out of control.

The derelict property in the harbour city's inner-west sold at auction on Saturday for the astonishing price, the first time the home has changed hands since it was purchased for just 300 in 1915.

The bidding lasted more than 40 minutes, before Jenny and Phil Tonthat nabbed the pre-war house for north of a million.

'We've done a renovation job before, but it wasn't as bad as this, we're not sure yet if we'll renovate or rebuild,' Ms Tonthat told Domain.

'It's absolutely not liveable as it is'.

A dilapidated, rusted, rotting, unfinished house sitting on less than 320 square metres of land has sold for $1.2 million

The derelict property in the harbour city's inner-west sold at auction on Saturday, the first time the home has changed hands since it was purchased for just 300 in 1915

The basic kitchen has a water-stained roof, rotting cupboards and mismatched handles

The three bedroom Marrickville house is located just off Marrickville road and a short walk to the suburb's station.

It was marketed as an opportunity for renovators to purchase a blank canvas in a prime location in Sydney's popular inner-west.

It sold for $100,000 over the reserve, after an astonishing 100 bids were made for the decrepit home.

Cracked paint covers the walls and floors of the bedrooms, while the basic kitchen has a water-stained roof, rotting cupboards and mismatched handles

One of the back windows has been taped shut with cardboard

The kitchen sink comedically has three different knobs

The fireplace in the house's living room has been closed in

The north-facing backyard has almost no grass remaining, a warped clothesline and shed with smashed-in windows.

Cracked paint covers the walls and floors of the bedrooms, while the basic kitchen has a water-stained roof, rotting cupboards and mismatched handles.

The tap comedically has three different knobs, while one of the back windows has been taped shut with cardboard. The fireplace has also been closed-in.

The average price of a home in Marrickville is just under $1.5 million, but usually those prices are reserved for residences capable of sustaining life.
A police chief has declared that his force will stop prosecuting all drug addicts, along with low-level dealers of heroin and cocaine.

Durham Chief Constable Mike Barton revealed the controversial plan, due to start next month, in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday.

It is the first time a British police force has decided not to prosecute dealers, who usually face a minimum of 18 months in prison.

A police chief has declared that his force will stop prosecuting all drug addicts, along with low-level dealers of heroin and cocaine

The shock move follows a two-year trial of a scheme that allows addicts to avoid court and a criminal record.

Instead, they must agree to join a four-month Checkpoint programme that tackles underlying problems such as their lifestyles.

Now Mr Barton is extending the scheme to cover anyone cultivating cannabis and even some suppliers of cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.

From next month, anyone caught in possession of any drugs will go on Checkpoint, he said. If they agree, they will not face prosecution or go to court. This will even include addicts selling drugs to other street users or their friends.

If they are selling heroin to feed their habit, we do not want to send them to prison, said Mr Barton.

They are technically dealers but if they are sad people rather than bad, we want to stop their addiction. Then we can focus on the really bad people.

Mr Barton believes that addicts selling small quantities of hard drugs to fund their own use should be treated and helped to sort out chaotic lives rather than go to prison, allowing him to focus resources on criminal gangs.

He argues that sending addicts  even those dealing hard drugs repeatedly to court does not stop them reoffending.

Durham Chief Constable Mike Barton revealed the controversial plan, due to start next month, in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday

Whats the point in an addict going to court and getting a 50 fine? If they pay it at all, they will only steal or sell five bags of heroin to fund it. How does that help us? argued Mr Barton.

In March, this newspaper revealed that Mr Barton was planning to use police money to give free heroin to addicts to inject themselves twice a day in a supervised shooting gallery.

But extending the softly-softly policy to those supplying hard drugs is politically explosive and sparked a backlash from MPs and campaign groups.

Elizabeth Burton-Phillips, a former teacher who founded the charity DrugFam following the death of her son, said: This is absolutely wrong. If you are an active drug dealer, you are dealing in death.

It is the first time a British police force has decided not to prosecute dealers, who usually face a minimum of 18 months in prison

She accused Mr Barton of encouraging the normalisation of drug use. What kind of message does this send young people when they are in that reckless, experimental phase? There must be some kind of punishment, she said.

A report earlier this year by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction revealed that Britain has the highest proportion of heroin addicts on the Continent, accounting for almost one in three of all its drug deaths. Britain is also facing a wave of lethal new synthetic drugs such as Spice, which is rife in jails, and Fentanyl, which can be a hundred times stronger than heroin and has been blamed for scores of deaths.

Mr Barton argues that his tactics free up police to target gangs running the drug trade and devastating communities. But it goes against the hardline stance of Theresa May.

The Prime Minister recently argued against drug reform after meeting Mrs Burton-Phillips, whose son started smoking cannabis and ended up killing himself as a heroin addict. This has a huge impact on families, said Mrs May.

The shock move follows a two-year trial of a scheme that allows addicts to avoid court and a criminal record. Instead, they must agree to join a four-month Checkpoint programme that tackles underlying problems such as their lifestyles

Mr Barton says the Checkpoint scheme is tougher and more effective than a caution or court fine. It makes offenders sign a contract not to reoffend, undergo mental health treatment and sort out chaotic lifestyles, backed up by the threat of court.

We want fewer addicts and fewer drugs consumed while reducing the supply of money going to criminal gangs. All the evidence says this is the best way to do it, said Mr Barton.

Official sentencing guidelines suggest a starting point of 18 months in prison for selling drugs, with sentences rising for harder drugs and street dealers of heroin, who should get at least four-and- a-half years imprisonment.

But Mr Barton, who joined the police in 1980 and runs a force judged outstanding by inspectors, believes the traditional war on drugs has failed. They are now cheaper, stronger, more dangerous and more available than they have ever been, he said.

Checkpoint was launched in 2015 for adult minor offenders, including cannabis users, with fewer than three convictions. Avon and Somerset Police also offer people caught with small quantities of drugs an educative alternative to court.

Durham police have spent 286,000 hiring navigators, including former addicts, to help offenders access benefits, health care, housing, jobs and treatment. They believe this will pay for itself by relieving pressure on public services.

Now Mr Barton is extending the scheme to cover anyone cultivating cannabis and even some suppliers of cocaine, ecstasy and heroin

Mr Barton is backed by Ron Hogg, a former deputy chief constable who now serves as Durhams Police, Crime and Victims Commissioner. We have been putting people through the criminal justice system but not sorting their problems, he said.

But some Tory MPs accused Mr Barton of usurping Westminster. I do not doubt the Chief Constables good intentions but it is not the job of police to decide drug policy over Parliament, said Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee.

Criminalisation prevents people from using drugs because they are illegal. Those who argue decriminalisation will reduce use seem to pay no attention to the devastation already caused by alcohol.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government had no intention of decriminalising drugs, adding: It is vital the police and criminal justice system have a range of measures available to prevent drug use.

However, they also have the tools to deal robustly with serious and repeat offenders who cause the most harm in our communities.
Dunham has been vocal about her own experience with sexual assault, retelling her story during in 2015 of how she was raped

Miller, 40, is best known for his work on the HBO dramedy 'Girls,' while also contributing as a writer for animated series 'King of the Hill' and 'American Dad'

Rose McGowan blasted Lena Dunham (right) and her co-show runner Jenni Kiner (left) for 'slut-shaming' after they came to the defense of a 'Girls' writer who is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 2012

Rose McGowan blasted Lena Dunham for slut-shaming after the Girls actress came to the defense of one of her show's writers who is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 2012.

'Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner. Good old-fashioned elitist slut shaming. Way to go,' McGowan tweeted on Saturday evening.

Dunham and her co-show runner Jenni Konner released a joint statement on Friday expressing support for Murray Miller, who is being accused by actress Aurora Perrineau of sexual assault five years ago.

'While our first instinct is to listen to every woman's story, our insider knowledge of Murray's situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3% of assault cases that are misreported every year,' Dunham and Konner wrote on Friday.

'It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all we'll be saying about this issue.'

'Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner. Good old-fashioned elitist slut shaming. Way to go,' McGowan tweeted on Saturday evening

The Girls actress issued an apology on Twitter following the backlash

On Saturday afternoon, Dunham issued an apology, writing in part on Twitter: 'I naively believed it was important to share my perspective on my friends situation as it has transpired behind the scenes over the last few months. I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry.

'Every woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, fully and completely, and our relationship to the accused should not be part of the calculation anyone makes when examining her case. Every person and every feminist should be required to hear her.'

Many Twitter users supported McGownan's criticism of Dunham and Konner.

McGowan sent out a slew of other tweets on Saturday showcasing her disdain of Dunham and support of Perrineau

'As long as they refuse to acknowledge sexual assault that doesn't fit their agenda, they are useless to the women's movement. #RosesArmy,' tweeted one.

'I agree..both sides are to blame for protecting their own..never acceptable,' wrote another.

McGowan sent out a slew of other tweets on Saturday showcasing her disdain of Dunham and support of Perrineau.

'I really dislike that this victim, who does not have a platform or voice, is being maligned by those who do,' she wrote.

Later she tweeted: 'Aurora Perrineau I stand with you.'

Dunham has been vocal about her own experience with sexual assault, retelling her story during a gala in 2015 of how she was raped.

Many Twitter users supported McGownan's criticism of Dunham and Konner

Miller, 40, is best known for his work on Dunham's dramedy vehicle Girls.

'I filed a police report today,' Perrineau told The Wrap earlier Friday. 'I cannot talk about the investigation that is happening currently.'

Miller vehemently denies the allegations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Perrineau, 23, said that the two had met at the Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles during a night out with friends.

Miller (left) vehemently denies the allegations and said that he has proof that the accusations are false. Pictured right: Aurora Perrineau

(Left to right:) Allison Williams, Lena Dunham, Zosia Mamet and Jemima Kirke - cast of HBO's Girls at NYU Skirball Center on February 1, 2017 in New York City

Perrinea told The Wrap that she had 'consumed some alcoholic beverages' that evening, but added that she repeatedly told Miller that she was underage.

The 'Passengers' and 'Equals' star said that Murray had asked for a ride home at the end of the evening, admitting that 'he was drunk'.

Once she and her friends arrived at his house, she 'felt like I had to go along with everyone else,' according to her statement.

'At some point, I woke up in Murray's bed naked. He was on top of me having sexual intercourse with me. At no time did I consent to any sexual contact with Murray,' Perrineau's statement added.

Miller allegedly met Perrineau at The Standard Hotel (pictured) in Downtown LA when she and friends were having a night out

Miller (pictured), 40, is best known for his work on the HBO dramedy Girls, and has produced a number of television projects

Miller has also contributed as a writer for animated series American Dad and King of the Hill

Soon after news of the allegations broke, creator and writer of Girls, Lena Dunham, sent out a cryptic tweet

Murray, who has also worked on animated series King of the Hill and American Dad, was 35 at the time of the alleged assault.

Lost star Harold Perrineau is Aurora's father.

'Lost' star Harold Perrineau (pictured right) is Aurora's father

Sgt. Salvador Rios with the LA Sheriff's Department confirmed that they received a complaint from Perrineau.

Although the report was filed at West Hollywood station, the LAPD will take the lead on the investigation, Rios added.

Before releasing her formal statement, Dunham sent out a cryptic tweet seemingly alluding to loyalty just hours after news broke of the allegations.

'I believe in a lot of things but the first tenet of my politics is to hold up the people who have held me up, who have filled my world with love,' Dunham wrote in the post.

At Variety's Power Of Women event two years ago, Dunham gave a speech that detailed her own brush with sexual assault while she was an undergraduate at Oberlin College.

'When I was raped, I felt powerless,' she told the star-studded audience.

Lena - who chronicled her sexual assault in her essay collection Not That Kind Of Girl - shared her rape upon accepting the honor for her work with GEMS, an organization created to serve and empower girls and young women of sexual assault.

Harold Perrineau is best known for his roles in the Matrix movies and staring in the hit ABC show 'Lost'

'Someone who sent me the message that my body was not my own and my choices were meaningless. It took years to recognize my worth was not tied to my assault, the voices telling me I deserved this were phantoms, they were liars,' she said during her speech.

In the wake of a Hollywood sex abuse scandal centering on disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Dunham last month also posted a tweet recounting a previous experience with a sexual assailant.

'Can't sleep remembering that I cried because my rapist passed me in the library and i didn't say hi.'

Through his attorney, Miller called the allegations categorically false, adding that he has proof of his innocence and will cooperate fully with any police investigation.

'Mr. Miller categorically and vehemently denies Ms. Perrineau's outrageous claims,' attorney Don Walerstein said in a statement.

'After being contacted several weeks ago by lawyers whoon Ms. Perrineau's behalfsought substantial monetary damages from him, Mr. Miller's legal team gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims.

'Only after her demands for money were rebuffed did Ms. Perrineau go to the police. Mr. Miller looks forward to sharing all evidence and information with any and all authorities seeking the truth in this matter.'

Miller also has acted in small roles in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and 'The Five-Year Engagement.'

Dunham recently shared a tweet about being raped in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein accusations
(file pic)

Muslim girls wearing the hijab in primary school will be asked why by inspectors.

The reason they give will then be written in schools reports amid fears girls are being forced by their parents.

The chief inspector of schools, Amanda Spielman, announced the move today.

She wants to make sure schools are not breaching equality laws by requiring only girls to wear religious garments.

'In seeking to address these concerns, inspectors will talk to girls who wear such garments to ascertain why they do so in the school,' said Spielman.

It comes after a Muslim campaigner called for hijabs to be banned in primary schools after it was revealed a fifth of 800 primary schools now list the headscarf in their uniform policy.

This is despite the fact a hijab is usually only worn by young women after puberty and in front of men for modesty reasons - not by primary school children.

Campaigners have said it should be 'fiercely resisted' and claimed it could 'sexualise' young children.

A survey by The Sunday Times found 18 per cent of 800 primary schools, including Church of England primaries, include the hijab in their uniform policy.

Across England's 17,000 primary schools the figure is likely to run into thousands.

In Birmingham 46 per cent of 72 primary schools whose websites were checked had the hijab in their written online uniform policy.

In Tower Hamlets 34 per cent of 68 primaries had an online headscarf policy and in Luton the figure was 36 per cent.

Campaigners have warned against the rising trend of young children wearing the hijab.

Aisha Ali-Khan, a Muslim feminist campaigner and a teacher for 13 years, told MailOnline: 'The hijab should be banned from primary schools but local authorities are afraid of causing offence to the Muslim community and afraid of being branded as racist.

'A headscarf or hijab, is usually worn by girls who have reached puberty, to prevent unwanted sexual advances from men.

'How can a four or five year old child make an informed choice? It's not allowed in Islam so why is it being allowed in schools? You should only do something if you want to and understand the concept behind it.

'But the local authorities are too scared to go back and our government has allowed this to be part of the school policy and that's wrong. They are allowing decisions to be made by schools and local authorities which is worrying and they are trying to wash their hands of all responsibility.'

Gina Khan, a children's rights campaigner in Birmingham, added: 'Schools are allowing it because they are afraid of being called Islamophobic and they have been told that this is a religious garment - but they need to support Muslim girls to have free choices, not to be set apart from other children.'

Aisha Ali-Khan, a Muslim feminist campaigner and a teacher for 13 years, told MailOnline: 'The hijab should be banned from primary schools but local authorities are afraid of causing offence to the Muslim community and afraid of being branded as racist'

Amina Lone, a Muslim former Labour parliamentary candidate, said: 'In an Islamic context, the hijab is commonly understood as being for females after they reach the age of puberty. There are very few Muslims who would say a child should be covered.'

Shaista Gohir, of the Muslim Women's Network, has previously said making young children wear the headscarf was as bad as children having spray tans and pole dancing lessons.

Ms Gohir said the hijab was designed to discourage sexual advances from men and enforcing it on young children could 'sexualise' them.

'We challenge parents who spray tan or give pole dancing classes to seven-year-olds, so we should be challenging Muslim parents who make young children wear the hijab,' she said.
Facebook has admitted what has long been suspected  that it was also targeted by Russian trolls in the run-up to last years Brexit referendum.

But the tech giant was last night accused of being contemptuous of Parliament for failing to even respond to MPs demands to supply more information on Russian attempts to meddle with the poll.

As the firm made the tacit admission in a carefully-worded statement, senior MPs called on it to come clean.

Facebook has admitted what has long been suspected  that it was also targeted by Russian trolls in the run-up to last years Brexit referendum

Mounting evidence has already shown that the EU referendum was a target on Twitter for the Russian propaganda effort, with nearly all its tweets backing the Leave camp.

But the origin of mischief-making Facebook posts is less publicly obvious than tweets  which is why many MPs are particularly keen to hear from the company.

Tory MP Damian Collins, chair of the Commons Digital, Culture and Media Committee, wrote to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg last month demanding details of any examples of Russian interference with the General Election or referendum.

But he has not even received so much as an acknowledgement from Zuckerberg or Facebook.

Weve had no response from them at all, not even a holding answer, saying theyre looking into it, said

Mr Collins. Ultimately, were asking for information the companys got. Theyve done it for the US Senate and they can do it for us and I would expect a timetable for when we will receive this information.

But the tech giant was last night accused of being contemptuous of Parliament for failing to even respond to MPs demands to supply more information on Russian attempts to meddle with the poll

He made a similar request to Twitter, which has also not replied.

But MPs from both sides of the Commons are more concerned about Facebook.

Shadow Culture Secretary Liam Byrne said: Its simply incredible that Facebook would not want to come clean and put to bed any worries we have that our democracy is being hacked by a foreign power.

Facebook and Twitter do now need to present the information that I and the select committee have asked for immediately so that Parliament can begin debating what new safeguards are needed.

Facebook has shifted its position on Russian cyber attacks, initially claiming that neither the US Presidential election nor the EU referendum were targets.

Facebook has shifted its position on Russian cyber attacks, initially claiming that neither the US Presidential election nor the EU referendum were targets

Then last week, it issued a statement appearing to accept there had been Russian social media propaganda on Brexit but said it had not spotted significant co-ordination.

It told website Buzzfeed: We have not observed that the known, co-ordinated clusters in Russia engaged in significant co-ordination of ad buys or political misinformation targeting the Brexit vote.

The Mail on Sunday this month highlighted evidence that Russian trolls in St Petersburg did flood Twitter with pro-Brexit tweets, but the evidence from Facebook has been slower to emerge.

Last week, Theresa May condemned Russias meddling in recent elections, saying it is seeking to weaponise  information.

Facebook refused to respond to repeated requests from The Mail on Sunday for more information.
Lord Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, was a rich landowner who fell out of favour after being implicated in a rebellion against the Tudor monarch

Meghan Markle's distant relative was beheaded on the command of Prince Harry's royal predecessor Henry VIII, it has been revealed.

Lord Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, was a rich landowner who fell out of favour after being implicated in a rebellion against the Tudor monarch.

The aristocrat was the great-great-great-grandfather of Captain Christopher Hussey, who became the founding father of Nantucket in Massachusetts.

Ten generations down the family line was Meghan's father Thomas Markle, reported The Sunday Telegraph.

Thomas married Doria Ragland to produce Rachel Meghan, born in 1981.

The connection was first revealed by Michael Reed, an Australian teacher and amateur historian.

He said: 'It's incredible that Meghan's great-great-great maternal grandfather was a slave and the other great-great-great paternal grandmother was a New Hampshire landowner, who had royal blood.'

Lord Hussey was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, in 1465 as the son of Sir William Hussey, chief justice of the King's Bench.

He won a knighthood in 1497 fighting against Cornish rebels at the Battle of Blackheath, and rose to become Henry VIII's bodyguard.

Meghan, 36, is currently filming U.S. legal drama suits. Research has established her family has been in the United States since before the Declaration of Independence

Hussey served as Chamberlain to King Henry's daughter, Mary, and worked as a diplomatic envoy.

But he fell from favour for his involvement in the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace, which led to him being locked up in the Tower of London and then beheaded.

Meghan, 36, is currently filming for U.S. legal drama Suits.

Research has established her family has been in the United States since before the Declaration of Independence.

One appears certain to have witnessed the final moment of the Civil War and another was a pioneering black teacher in the Jim Crow South.

At least two of her ancestors, a father and son who were her great-great-great-great grandfather and her great-great-great-grandfather, fought in the Union cause in the Civil War.
It is one of the most extraordinary messages ever written to a Prime Minister, blending menace and manipulation with sycophantic praise.

The authors were Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. The subject? Brexit gangland-style. The letter, which has been leaked in full to The Mail on Sunday, was written for Theresa Mays eyes only, handed to her via her trusted Chief of Staff, Gavin Barwell.

Johnson and Gove have made no secret in recent months of their contempt for the Prime Minister. Yet their letter is so brimming with praise that it makes one cringe with embarrassment. Do they think so little of her that she will be taken in by their flattery?

Their letter opens: First can we congratulate you on the steps you have taken to ensure that we leave the EU in a smooth and orderly fashion? They say, as Home Secretary you achieved progress no other could. Slurp, slurp. Not even Thatchers Ministers larded her so.

On one level it reads like harmless student politics  as if both men were still Oxford undergraduates playing games to try to manipulate the Oxford Union to their own ends. But can it be seen as harmless fun in the current state of British politics, in which every day seems more bizarre and dangerous for the country than the previous?

Johnson and Gove have made no secret in recent months of their contempt for the Prime Minister. Yet their letter is so brimming with praise that it makes one cringe with embarrassment

The most delicate and divisive time in our national politics for years is a very inappropriate occasion for two such senior Ministers to be playing student politics.

The conventions that have made our governments so successful over two centuries include the ancient doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, which says that ultimate power in Britain lies in Parliament, in Cabinet Government and in the doctrine of an impartial Civil Service, laid down by the Northcote Trevelyan report of 1854.

This extraordinary letter, unprecedented at such a volatile moment, should cause us all concern. The sinister missive is written by two of Britains most senior Cabinet Ministers, for goodness sake, and it is riddled with disregard for convention and the people.

Their contempt for Mrs May is seen in their opening statement  your approach is governed by sensible pragmatism. It is for the Prime Minister to govern in her own way. Their commentary and tone in the whole letter drips with a barely concealed patronising sexism.

It undermines Chancellor Philip Hammond, a more senior figure in Government than either letter-writer. Gove has been positioning himself as his successor, a job he might have received one day had he shown more of the qualities needed.

Hammond is in the assassins minds when they write, we are profoundly worried that in some parts of Government the current preparations are not proceeding with anything like sufficient energy. They cant stomach Hammonds refusal to make proper plans in next weeks Budget for a hard Brexit.

The letter also goes against the Cabinet and the conventions of Cabinet government and, specifically for David Davis, Secretary for Exiting the European Union, it has gone brazenly behind his back.

Cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which holds all Ministers together in a position of trust to agreed policy lines. The doctrine is ignored at peril.

They display contempt for the Civil Service which has served this country loyally for many years, and whose impartiality and quality is the envy of the rest of the democratic world.

The Whitehall machine left to its own devices is not configured, they write, to achieve the kind of hard Brexit they wish to see. Both men have a history of poor relations with officials.

Their commentary and tone in the whole letter drips with a barely concealed patronising sexism

In David Camerons Government, Gove left his excellent work as Education Secretary incomplete, while one of his aides was said to bully officials.

Johnson is more poorly regarded by the Foreign Office than any holder of the office since Labours George Brown in the 1960s, though Browns drinking and erratic behaviour was forgiven by many diplomats who admired him as a man.

The solution that Gove and Johnson propose to ram through their vision is the creation of a special task force at No 10 to oversee the implementation of Brexit, whose job would be to bypass Cabinet and take the key decisions. This smacks of No 10 in the late 1930s, when Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain brought in an aide, Horace Wilson, to implement his own niche policy towards Europe. This is not the way consensus is built, now as then.

Government is not easy at the best of times, but one thing we know is that successful Ministers in decades past have worked well with their officials and within the norms of Cabinet government. It is the unsuccessful Minister who blames their officials when things go wrong. Gove and Johnson share a background in journalism.

Neither of them is a proven manager. Both are prone to blame others. The final proof is the whole approach of their letter, which is unbelievably naive. Both men appear to be intelligent, but neither is wise. The wise learn from their mistakes.

The subject? Brexit gangland-style. The letter, which has been leaked in full to The Mail on Sunday, was written for Theresa Mays eyes only, handed to her via her trusted Chief of Staff, Gavin Barwell

Johnson is more poorly regarded by the Foreign Office than any holder of the office since Labours George Brown in the 1960s

If ever there was a time in British politics for calm and responsible governing, this is it. MPs are deeply divided over Brexit. Trashing all sides is folly. The best people on all sides of politics are trying to strike a reasonable and inclusive tone and to build trust, which was so badly shattered first by the expenses scandal and more recently by the sex shenanigans saga.

The Prime Minister might well decide the time has come to move Johnson, which will send a powerful signal that shes not prepared to tolerate people who go behind the backs of others. The party is full of able and loyal lieutenants ripe for promotion.

Johnson and Goves actions last year, in coming out for Brexit to the surprise of David Cameron, tipped the delicately balanced scales in favour of Britain leaving the EU. They are now hell-bent on achieving a hard Brexit. Johnson stabbed Cameron in the back, then Gove stabbed Johnson in the back later that year. Now both are trying to stab May in the back.

If Britain leaves the EU in a precipitate manner and it proves to be a big success, statues to those men may yet be erected in Parliament Square, and all will be forgiven.

If not, these two back-stabbers may be lucky not to find themselves as rivals for Guy Fawkes on top of bonfires as the men who trashed our country and its traditions  without even having the decency or honesty to inform their fellow Ministers what they were up to.

Sir Anthony Seldon is vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham and author of The Cabinet Office, a centenary history.




Theresa May allegedly wants William Hague to be her right-hand man

Theresa May wants William Hague to be her right-hand man if deputy Prime Minister Damian Green is forced to resign over a porn scandal, it was reported last night.

But the former Conservative Party leader is reluctant to come back to the cabinet, senior government sources claimed.

Hague, who now sits in the House of Lords after standing down as an MP in 2015, has already done the job as First Secretary of State under David Cameron.

Green is being investigated by cabinet ethics tsar Sue Gray for allegedly misleading the government by denying that extreme porn was found on his computer in 2008, reports The Sunday Times.

Green issued a comprehensive denial that there was any porn on his seized computers before changing his story and claiming police never told him about the discovery, sources said.

It comes after claims the porn that was found would have been illegal if it had been discovered just weeks later.

It was being accessed for up to eight hours a day, a police source said.

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.
Satellite signals have been detected that are likely from a missing Argentine submarine, raising hopes that the 44 crew members are still alive.

Seven failed 'satellite calls' believed to be from the missing ARA San Juan submarine were detected Saturday morning and afternoon in a likely sign the crew was trying to reestablish contact.

Defense minister, Oscar Aguad tweeted Saturday evening: 'We received seven signals from satellite calls that originated from the San Juan submarine.

'We are working hard to locate it and we are transmitting hope to the families of the 44 crew members: that theyll soon be able to have them in their homes.'

Before vanishing on Wednesday, the vessel was on a routine trip from a base in Ushia, on the southern tip of South America, to its home base of Mar del Plata.

An international search mission is underway as storms ravage the South Atlantic.

The mystery signals lasted between four and 36 seconds and were transmitted between 10.52am and 3.42pm, the Argentine defense ministry said in a statement.

Argentina is working on tracing the location of the signals with an unnamed US company specializing in satellite communications, the ministry said.

The Argentine military submarine ARA San Juan and crew are seen leaving the port of Buenos Aires in a file photo. New satellite signals on Saturday raised hopes the crew is still alive

Before vanishing on Wednesday, the vessel was on a routine trip from a base in Ushia, on the southern tip of South America, to its home base of Mar del Plata

Eliana Krawczyk, 35, is the weapons officer on the ARA San Juan which last made contact with its base on Wednesday. She is Argentina's first female submariner

The satellite communications were believed to have failed because of foul weather, a source in the defense ministry who was not authorized to speak publicly told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear what type of calls the vessel may have tried to make, but submarines that are stricken underwater can float a location beacon known as an EPIRB to the surface that can then emit emergency signals via satellite.

Whipping winds and more than 20-foot waves in the South Atlantic have hindered the international search for the submarine.

The last confirmed location of the German-built ARA San Juan was 268 miles off Argentina's southern Atlantic coast early on Wednesday.

The US Navy said it was deploying a deep-sea rescue mission to Argentina from California to support the effort, with a remotely operated vehicle and two vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines.

As nations from Chile to South Africa offered help, Argentine sea vessels and planes have scoured the southern sea.

Krawczyk, 35, is one of the crew onboard the vessel which went missing on Wednesday

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 there was no contact until the failed signals

But a storm pitching powerful winds and waves more than 20 feet high has disrupted visibility and movement in the area, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said.

The submarine's color and design, which aim to camouflage the vessel in the ocean's surface, also posed a challenge.

'The idea is to continue through the night and the early morning, depending on weather conditions,' Balbi told reporters on Saturday. The weather was expected to be somewhat improved on Sunday, he said.

A search of 80 per cent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the vessel, but the crew should have ample supplies of food and oxygen, Balbi added.

The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens killed when an ISIS terrorist plowed a truck through a bicycle path in New York City.

The color and design of the ARA San Juan (seen in file photo), which aim to camouflage the vessel, also posed a challenge for searchers as high waves lash the South Atlantic

In the resort and fishing city of Mar del Plata, where the submarine had been destined to arrive before vanishing, a Catholic Mass was held in honor of the crew members.

Many relatives of the crew members awaited news at the city's naval base. 'We're hopeful this will end soon to remain only as a bad memory,' Maria Morales, mother of crew member Luis Esteban Garcia, told journalists.

Messages of support poured in from around the world. Pope Francis, an Argentine, was praying 'fervently' for the crew to return home soon, his office said.

Among the submarine's 44 crew members is Argentina's first female submarine officer.

Eliana Krawczyk, 35, is the weapons officer on the ARA San Juan which last made contact with its base on Wednesday.

The US Navy has sent a new P-8A Poseidon marine surveillance craft to assist with the search

NASA has also sent its Antarctic P-3 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to the scene

The San Juan is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

The 213-foot long submarine was built in 1983 by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke. However, it underwent a seven-year refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its life by a further 30 years.

NASA has sent a surveillance aircraft to the scene, diverting it from a mission studying Antarctic ice.

The US Navy also diverted one of its P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft to Bahia Blanca, Argentina to help with the search for the missing submarine.

The navy believes the submarine, which left Ushuaia en route to the coastal city of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province, had communication difficulties that may have been caused by an electrical outage, Balbi said.

Navy protocol would call for the submarine to come to the surface once communication was lost.

He said: 'We expect that it is on the surface.'
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein allegedly had a secret 'hit list' of nearly 100 actors, publicists and producers as part of a strategy to silence his sexual assault accusers.

Weinstein had created a 91-person list to discover what they knew about sexual harassment and assault claims involving the filmmaker and if they intended to go public, reported The Guardian.

The document was allegedly compiled in early 2017 and distributed to a team complied by the producer around nine months before The New York Times broke the first story about the allegations against Weinstein.

Individuals would reportedly be targeted by investigators who would glean information on who had information about allegations, and then feedback was relayed back to Weinstein and his lawyers.

The list - a section of which was published by The Guardian - contains the names of several actresses and employees who have since come forward to accuse Weinstein of preying on them, including Rose McGowan and Laura Madden.

Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein (pictured, January 2017) allegedly had a secret 'hit list' of nearly 100 actors, publicists and producers as part of a strategy to silence his sexual assault accusers

Weinstein had allegedly created a 91-person list to discover what they knew about sexual harassment and assault claims against him and if they intended to go public. On the alleged list included actresses such as Rose McGowan (left) and Katherine Kendall (right)

The list allegedly includes 48 women and 43 men - a mix of actors, actresses, publicists, producers and financiers. Among those listed are actress Annabella Sciorra (left) and former employee Zelda Parkins (right)

A typed note on the document seems to suggest that Madden, a former employee, had been targeted by investigators by February 2016. According to the note, her view of Weinstein was 'very bitter'.

Also listed on the document are actresses Sophia Dix, Annabella Sciorra, Katherine Kendall, all of whom have come forward with disturbing claims about Weinstein.

Another name is Zelda Perkins, a London-based production assistant for Miramax - Weinstein's film company - who left in 1998 after enduring years of sexual harassment by the producer, she said.

Perkins revealed in October she broke a confidentiality agreement to describe alleged sexual harassment by the Hollywood producer.

The list includes 48 women and 43 men - a mix of actors, actresses, publicists, producers and financiers. At least 10 live in London, but the majority are based in New York, according to The Guardian.

So far, almost 60 women have come forward with allegations of rape, harassment and inappropriate behavior against Weinstein, prompting police investigations by the NYPD, LAPD, Scotland Yard and the Beverly Hills police (Pictured, accuser Sophia Dix on an episode of 'Heat of the Sun', 1998)

More than 50 of the names were typed in red to identify who should be prioritized by investigators. Some of those names include McGowan, Dix and Sciorra (above)

The list also allegedly includes producer Brett Ratner (pictured, September 2015) who has been accused by several women himself of sexual assault, though no explanation for his making the roster is given

More than 50 of the names were typed in red to identify who should be prioritized by investigators. Some of those names include McGowan, Dix and Sciorra.

The list also allegedly includes producer Brett Ratner who has been accused by several women himself of sexual assault, though no explanation for his making the roster is given.

So far, almost 60 women have come forward with allegations of rape, harassment and inappropriate behavior against Weinstein, prompting police investigations by the NYPD, LAPD, Scotland Yard and the Beverly Hills police.

The New Yorker had previously reported that Weinstein and his team had provided a list of names to former Mossad agents and other Israeli intelligence agencies to gather intelligence about his accusers.
A Sydney mechanic who built a sub-machine gun out of Bunnings parts has been given a reduced jail sentence because of a legal loophole.

Samuel Kamo, 30, will serve a minimum of three and a half years behind bars, because the weapon was not in working order - simply because it had not been finished yet, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The .45 calibre gun was found during a raid on November 27, 2014, along with another home-made machine gun and a factory-made SKS rifle.

Sydney mechanic Samuel Kamo, 30, (pictured) who built a sub-machine gun out of Bunnings parts, has been given a reduced jail sentence because of a loophole

During their investigation of an Ultra-Tune store in Parramatta where Kamo was a manager, officers reportedly also found a homemade silencer, hollow point bullets and other weapons.

Kamo claimed following his arrest that he was forced to make the weapons for $5,000 by members of a Western Sydney gang who gave him a 'list of what to buy from Bunnings'.

Documents from court showed the weapons 'may have discharged cartridges', having tested positive for lead.

One of his lawyers, Abbas Soukie, said outside court that his client expressed 'unreserved remorse for his involvement in the crim' and was 'happy' with the verdict.

Kamo will serve a minimum of three and a half years behind bars, because the weapon was not in working order - simply because it had not been finished yet

Kamo pleaded guilty to charges of manufacturing and possessing unauthorised firearms, which can carry maximum penalties of 20 and 14 years respectively.

New South Wales Police Minister, Troy Grant, said there would be a review into the definition and whether it needed to be altered.

'Following the last meeting of Police and Justice Ministers, NSW is in the process of developing model legislation concerning firearms manufacturing offences,' a spokesperson for Mr Grant said.
A retired British lawyer who drowned when he was swept into the ocean during one of the world's toughest yacht races has been buried at sea.

Simon Speirs, a crew member on the Clipper Round the World Race yacht 'Great Britain' had signed up as a crew member for the 45,000 year-long adventure.

He was helping to change a sail at the bows of the 70-foot boat when he was washed over the side amid a Force Eight gale in the Indian Ocean.

A spokesman for Clipper Ventures Plc today said: 'Following medical advice and considerations, Simon was given a sea burial during a service on board held by his crew.

Simon Speirs was helping to change a sail at the bows of the 70-foot boat when he was knocked over the side amid a Force Eight gale in the Indian Ocean when he was washed overboard

'As requested by Simons family, who were fully aware and came together to follow the order of service at the same time back home, it was Christian, and the rest of the Clipper Race fleet also joined them in solidarity as the service was carried out.'

Mr Speirs death came in spite of wearing a safety harness  which was clipped onto the deck.

His crewmates could only watch in horror as he was swept away from the boat in giant seas.

Mr Speirs, 60, a retired property solicitor from Bristol went overboard while on the foredeck of the ocean racer on the sixth day of the leg between South Africa and Australia.

Conditions before the tragedy were described as 'rough', with winds gusting up to 50mph.

According to a report from organising company Clipper Ventures, he was clipped on with a lifeline but 'somehow became separated from the yacht.'

He was found and successfully recovered on board 36 minutes later but was unable to be resuscitated.

A statement from Clipper Ventures said Mr Speirs had been wearing a life jacket and was clipped on to the vessel with a safety tether when he was washed overboard

The yacht was around 1,500 miles off the coast of western Australia when Mr Speirs was washed overboard

A statement by Clipper Ventures reads: 'Simon, 60, from Bristol, UK, was on the foredeck assisting with a headsail change from Yankee 3 when he was washed overboard.

WHAT IS THE CLIPPER ROUND THE WORLD RACE? The Clipper Round the World Race was founded in 1995 by British sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, with the inaugural event taking place in 1996. It pits teams of amateur sailors against one another in a race spanning more than 40,000 miles, separated into eight legs. There are 12 different teams on 70ft yachts, each skippered by one professional sailor. Some sailors only participate in one leg, while others go for the full experience, paying up to 45,200 to take part in all eight legs. Among the exotic locations teams visit include Brazil, China, Vietnam and Australia. The 2015/2016 race launched in London in August 2015 and will finish in the UK capital in 2016. Advertisement

'Although he was clipped on with his safety tether, he became separated from the yacht in the Southern Ocean at approximately 0814UTC (1414 local time) in a rough sea state in 20 knots of wind, gusting up to 40.

'The team's man overboard recovery training kicked into immediate effect and despite the rough conditions, Simon was recovered back on board by the skipper and crew within 36 minutes, at which point CPR was immediately administered by three medically trained crew, which included a GP.

'However Simon sadly never regained consciousness and was pronounced deceased at 09.25UTC. The cause of death is unconfirmed at this time but thought to be by drowning.

'All other crew are reported safe and are being supported remotely by the race office.'

The statement continued: 'At the time of the incident, Simon was clipped on, wearing his lifejacket, which included an AIS (rescue) beacon, as well as approved waterproof ocean oilskins.

'A full investigation will now be carried out, as is standard practice, into the full details of the incident, including the reasons his safety tether did not keep him on board, in co-operation with the appropriate authorities.

'A member of the crew since race start in the UK on August 20, Simon was a highly experienced sailor with over 40 years dinghy experience and held a Coastal Skipper licence.

'He also successfully completed the Clipper Race Coxswain Certificate in February this year in anticipation of his challenge.

CLIPPER YACHTING DEATH IS THE THIRD IN THREE YEARS Businesswoman Sarah Young, left, was killed just in a Clipper Round the World Race just months after paramedic Andrew Ashman was fatally struck by a sail Mr Speirs' death comes after to other Britons were killed during Clipper Round The World Races. Sarah Young, 40, from London, was swept overboard as winds reached 50mph in April 2016. Her body later recovered from the Pacific, almost halfway between departure in China and arrival at Seattle, US. The ship is not due to arrive in Seattle until at least April 15 and it would take more than a week to turn around and land in Japan, so health and safety advised that she be buried at sea. Less than a year earlier, experienced yachtsman and paramedic Andrew Ashman, 49, died after he was struck by a sail off the coast of Portugal, in September 2015. The organisers of the Clipper Round the World Race were told they had to 'do more' to keep sailors safe, following the deaths. A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report recommended a review of policies and procedures. But the chief inspector of marine accidents Captain Steven Clinch stressed that Clipper Ventures Plc had 'already done much to address the safety issues'. Capt Clinch added at the time: 'There is a practical limit to how the safety of crews can be monitored and therefore, much reliance is placed on the expertise and judgement of each boat's skipper to ensure a strong safety culture is followed by everyone on board.' Advertisement

'Designed in collaboration with the Maritime Coastguard Agency, and the Royal Yachting Association specifically for the Clipper Race, this involved an intensive two-week course, in addition to the four weeks of compulsory training that all Clipper Race crew must complete which concentrates on safety at sea.'

The yacht is currently making best speed to Fremantle, Australia.

The event - which is the brainchild of yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnson - has already had several emergencies since starting in July.

On the first leg, the skipper of entry Greenings suffered a serious hand injury and had to be evacuated for treatment.

Earlier on this leg, the same yacht - the boats cost an estimated 250,000 (POUNDS) - ran aground on the coast of South Africa and was wrecked on a reef.

On the last race in 2016, Sarah Young, 40, died after falling overboard from the yacht Qingdao during the race leg from China to Seattle after she was washed overboard while not clipped on and although recovered she could not be resuscitated.

A Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigation was launched following the fatality and found the cause was of Ms Young not being clipped on, but it made several recommendations and Clipper Ventures later increased MOB drills.
The family of a missing woman have serious concerns for her welfare after she disappeared from Sydney's west on Saturday afternoon.

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate Monica Lak, aged 43, who was last seen at 12.45pm yesterday at an address on the Great Western Highway, Pendle Hill.

She is described as Caucasian appearance, 170cm tall, medium build, with short dyed red hair, brown eyes, a tattoo of a coloured bird on her left arm, and the names Natasha, James and Andrew tattooed on her right arm.

Missing woman Monica Lak, 43, was last seen at 12.45pm Saturday at an address in Pendle Hill

It is believed she is travelling in a white 2007 Holden Captiva with NSW registration LAK 008

Inquiries reveal she may have been headed to the Blue Mountains, and further inquiries indicate she may be in the Oberon area.

It is believed she is travelling in a white 2007 Holden Captiva with NSW registration LAK 008. There are also pink decal stickers on the rear of the vehicle.

Anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately. Information provided will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Members of the public can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.


Ryan Lovett (pictured) fell ill and was bed ridden at home for 10 days in 2013 at which time his mother gave him dandelion tea and oil of oregano to treat his infection

A mother from Canada was sentenced to three years in prison on Saturday after her seven-year-old son died due to a severe strep infection.

Tamara Lovett, 48, from Calgary was convicted in January of criminal negligence causing death, according to CTV News, and faced

'Ryan suffered terribly from this inaction,' Justice Kristine Eidsvik said during her ruling. 'He died an excruciating, unnecessary death.'

Though she did not blame Lovett for the initial sickness, the court found that 'her failure to bring him to a medical doctor caused his death.'

Ryan Lovett fell ill and was bed ridden at home for 10 days in 2013, according to CTV News, at which time his mother gave him dandelion tea and oil of oregano to treat his infection.

Tamara Lovett (pictured), 48, from Calgary was convicted in January of criminal negligence causing death

Ryan's symptoms included swollen lymph nodes, oozing ears and jaundiced eyes at the time of his death

During that time, Ryan's condition worsen, appearing with symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, oozing ears and jaundiced eyes.

An autopsy would later show that Ryan's body was riddled with group A streptococcus bacteria, which caused most of his major organs to fail.

Lovett admitted during the proceeding that what she did was wrong, and the court acknowledged her grief and suffering.

'Her remorse, I believe, is genuine,' said Eidsvik.

The justice, however, remained skeptical that Lovett's beliefs about the medical system had shifted.

Following the sentencing, prosecutor Jonathan Hak said that the ruling sent a clear message to the public.

Following the sentencing, prosecutor Jonathan Hak (pictured) said that the ruling sent a clear message that parents must take their children to a doctor to seek treatment for an ill child

'If your child is not getting better, you are legally and morally bound to take that child to an actual doctor for actual medical care.'

In a last ditch effort, Lovett's lawyer, Alain Hepner, asked the court to throw out the case, arguing that the time of her arrest to her conviction exceeded her right to a speedy trial.

In a last ditch effort, Lovett's lawyer, Alain Hepner (pictured), asked the court to throw out the case, arguing that the time of her arrest to her conviction exceeded her right to a speedy trial

In all, Lovett's case spanned over 38 months, with an additional six-month extension granted to the defense to prepare for the trial.

In July 2016, Canada's supreme court set out a 30-month time frame for superior courts to process cases in what has become known as the Jordan decision, CTV News reported.

But Eidsvik said the trial was being governed under the auspices of the previous penal code, and ruled that Lovett's case was conducted in a reasonable amount of time.

'The parties were clearly operating under the old regime,' she said Friday. 'In my view, it would not be just to set aside a conviction here and enter a stay.'

Lovett said during court proceedings that she believed Ryan merely had a cold or the flu, and thought his symptoms could be managed with home remedies.

Lovett has been out on bail until Saturday.
Pauline Hanson has suspended campaigning to be by her daughter's side for the birth of her second child.

The One Nation leader is becoming a proud grandmother for the fifth time at age 63, less than a week out from the Queensland election.

She delivered the news about her daughter Lee going into labour on Sunday as Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launched their party campaigns for the November 25 poll.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's daughter Lee (right) is expecting her second child soon

The Queensland senator is suspending her campaign appearance on the 'Battler Bus' as her daughter goes into labour, and One Nation challenges Labor in Ipswich

'The Queensland election couldn't have come at a worse time for me this time around,' she said in a statement.

Senator Hanson joked that if it was a girl, she would have a campaigner who looked like her.

'Imagine if it's a little girl with fiery red hair, I'll have a little mini me to keep the two major parties on their toes at the next federal election,' she said.

The Queensland senator was in India on a parliamentary study trip when the election was called three weeks ago.

Pauline Hanson's daughter Lee, who now lives in Hobart, is becoming a second-time mum

The One Nation leader is putting her Queensland election campaign plans on hold for love

'An opportunistic Annastacia Palaszczuk took advantage of me being out of the country when the election was called and unfortunately in this situation, babies wait for no one,' Senator Hanson said.

Australia's busiest grandmother has cancelled her scheduled Monday appearance on the One Nation 'Battler Bus' through her former home town of Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, where she ran a fish and chips shop.

It comes as a Newspoll showed former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts in with an even chance of taking the seat of Ipswich off Labor.

Lee Hanson (pictured in 2003 after visiting her mum in Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre for a later quashed electoral fraud conviction) is a loyal daughter

Pauline Hanson remembered how her daughter handed out for her on a polling booth in 1998

The poll, published in The Weekend Australian, also showed One Nation polling strongly in the Labor-held Townsville seat of Thuringowa, where candidate Mark Thornton owns the Cupids Cabin adult show.

Senator Hanson recalled how her daughter Lee handed out how-to-vote cards for her in 1998, when she ran unsuccessfully for the federal, Ipswich-based seat of Blair.

'My only daughter sat on a polling booth on her 15th birthday and has been by my side during times when I've needed her, I wouldn't miss this special moment for anything,' she said.

Lee Hanson was by her mother's side in 2002 as she faced electoral fraud charges in Brisbane Magistrates Court

'I've always said we need to return to family values, and this is a moment in every mothers life where you want to be apart of your own daughter's monumental day.'

Senator Hanson, who had won the neighbouring seat of Oxley in 1996 as a disendorsed Liberal candidate, missed out on taking Blair in 1998 despite having the highest primary vote of 36 per cent, as the major parties put One Nation last.

In this year's Queensland election, Labor is putting One Nation last while the Liberal National Party, led by Tim Nicholls, is putting the Greens last.

It is the first compulsory preferential voting election in the state since 1989.
A Melbourne birthday party turned brutal in the early hours of Sunday morning and two young men were left with gunshot wounds.

The pair, aged 19 and 21, had been celebrating with friends at the Hampton Park Tavern on Hallam Road on Saturday night before a heated argument erupted in the car park, said police spokeswoman Creina O'Grady.

Both men were shot when the dispute escalated on early Sunday morning and were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries just after 1am, she said.

Two men were shot at 1am on Sunday and were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries

A heated argument erupted in the car park at the Hampton Park Tavern that ended in gunfire

No one has been charged over the shooting on Hallam Rd at this time, but police believe the two injured men knew the shooter and each other.

The area remains cordoned off as a white Holden Commodore in the pub car park was examined by police officers as part of the investigation.

Witnesses are urged to come forward by contacting Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submitting an online report.

The shooting has briefly reignited the Australian gun law debate online, with one woman sarcastically writing on the Herald Sun's Facebook page, 'I see the gun laws are working well'.

But people were quick to defend Australia's stringent anti-gun legislation, writing, 'TWO people, shot to injure not to kill, and all the gun law crazies come out! TWO in Australia vs FORTY in America...Hmmm, pretty sure it's working fine.'

Dozens of other commenters agreed, saying, 'Gun laws are going great, gun violence is at an all time low in Australia. Unfortunately yes this shooting is terrible news but not anywhere near as bad as the mass shootings that are happening in the USA'.

Another pointed out that gun control is doing an excellent job 'limiting shootings' and it 'could have been 20 [victims] if it was in the States'.
Nearly 30 teenagers were left stranded in a lift for more than an hour overnight while partying on the Gold Coast for the infamous Schoolies week.

The group were stuck in the lift of their hotel on Saturday night, with emergency services holding fears for the revellers as oxygen was beginning to run out in the confined space, reported Nine News.

Despite their terrifying experience, the teenagers were unfazed, taking delight in posting photos and videos to social media.

Nearly 30 Schoolies party-goers were trapped in a Gold Coast lift for more than an hour on Saturday night

Several videos were shared across Facebook and Snapchat, with teenagers heard cheering as the realisation they were stuck swept over them.

There were believed to be as many as 28 kids living the nightmare of a claustrophobe.

Some of the teens reportedly became anxious as they were struggling to breathe, and what began as cheerful acceptance of the situation slowly turned to panic.

'I'm calling the police,' one boy was heard yelling above a mix of squeals and screams.

'At some point people were struggling to breathe, but eventually we got some air in somehow,' school-leaver Sam Jury told Nine News.

Excitement and good humour slowly began to turn to panic as the group became sweaty and began to worry about air supply

After spending more than an hour inside the lift, the kids were finally freed. Four were treated for dehydration.

A standard lift typically holds a maximum of about 18 adults.

More than 20,000 teenagers are expected to descend on the Gold Coast over the next week to cap off their final year of schooling.

Already, pictures of packed out parties and teenagers looking worse for wear by the ocean have begun to emerge, with Saturday night's stuck lift certain to be one in a bevy of small disasters.
Saturday Night Live has decided not to give Al Franken a 'pass' on sexual misconduct allegations, ripping into the former cast member in a new episode.

The show's Weekend Update segment delved into radio host Leann Tweeden's allegations against the Democrat Senator Franken, which stem from a 2006 USO tour the two were both on.

Tweeden's bombshell claim this week that Franken had forcibly kissed her was accompanied by a shocking photo of Franken posing with his hands over a sleeping Tweeden's breasts.

'I know this photo looks bad, but remember it also IS bad,' said Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost.

'And sure, this was taken before Franken ran for public office, but it was also taken after he was a sophomore in high school. It's pretty hard to be like "Oh he didn't know better, he was only 55",' Jost continued.

'I know this photo looks bad, but remember it also IS bad,' said Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost (right), ripping into former SNL cast member Al Franken

The incident she is speaking about took place during a 2006 USO Tour. In a photo (above) during the tour Franken can be seen posing in an apparently joking manner and placing his hands on her chest while she was asleep aboard a transport plane

Co-host Michael Che quickly pivoted to attack President Donald Trump, saying he 'called out Al Franken but not Roy Moore,' the Republican senate candidate from Alabama who has denied claims that he fondled a 14 year old in the 1970s.

Che called those allegations 'way worse' than Franken's case.

Franken was one of the original writers on SNL, and worked as a writer and occasional performer on the show from 1975 to 1980 and 1985 to 1995.

SNL decided to take on the allegations against him after coming under heavy criticism in October when the show did not initially mention a storm of sexual misconduct allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein.

When producer Lorne Michaels was asked as he was leaving SNL's after-party at 4am why the show avoided the Weinstein controversy, the producer smiled and responded: 'It's a New York thing.'

The show finally tackled the controversy the following week.

Senator Al Franken has issued a third apology to Leann Tweeden, who accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her, saying he is ashamed of himself

Earlier this week, Franken issued a third apology to Los Angeles radio host and former Playboy model Tweeden.

Unlike the other apologies, this one was written directly to Tweeden, who then read it aloud Friday on 'The View.'

'I want to apologize to you personally,' he says in the letter.

'I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture. That doesn't matter. There is no excuse. I understand why you feel violated by that photo.'

In the letter Franken also says that while he remembers the encounter at the rehearsal differently, he is 'ashamed' that his actions ruined her experience.

Franken had already issued two apologies to Tweeden, which she said she found to be 'heartfelt' during an interview with CNN.
A police chase turned into the stuff of action movies on Sunday after a driver being pursued by police crashed into another vehicle at high speed.

The crash, on the Pacific Highway near Grafton, caused both cars to burst into flames, and shocking pictures of the blaze showed the two cars completely burnt out.

Video circulated on social media showed the two cars burning as black smoke poured out of them, before a loud bang was heard coming from the blaze.

Scroll down for video

A fiery crash brought a police pursuit to an end on the Pacific Highway at Ulmarra on Sunday morning, and landed two men, aged 70 and 22, in hospital

A spokeswoman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia a police pursuit was initiated when the driver of a Nissan X Trail allegedly failed to stop for police about 10am on Sunday.

During the pursuit, the driver crossed into northbound lanes and hit a 4WD. Both vehicles caught alight and were consumed by an intense blaze.

'The drivers were extricated and taken to Coffs Harbour hospital with non life threatening injuries,' the NSW Police spokeswoman said.

'Police are looking to circumstances surrounding the crash.'

Police were chasing after a Nissan X Trail when the car veered on to the wrong side of the road and hit another 4WD, causing the cars to burst into flames (pictured)

Officers expect the driver of the X Trail will be facing charges as he was under pursuit at the time of the crash.

A spokesman from Ambulance NSW told Daily Mail Australia paramedics at the scene treated two male patients.

'One is believed to be 22 years old. He was conscious and breathing, but had some abrasions, likely from a seatbelt, and a laceration to his leg,' he said.

'The other man was 70, with neck and chest pain. He was also conscious and breathing.'
The mystery owner of a Sydney apartment which was sold to pay off strata levies has been revealed as a monk who 'renounced all earthly possessions and moved to Malaysia'.

Law Siek Hong was halfway through renovating the fifth-floor 32-square-metre space in Darlinghurst when he vanished over ten years ago.

The tiny apartment was sold on behalf of the sheriff, to repay more than $200,000 worth of unpaid rates and levies.

The owner was midway through renovating the studio apartment (pictured) when he vanished

Mr Hong purchased the unit in 1989 for $75,000 and it sold on Saturday for $550,000 after senior strata lawyer Faijaaz Shafiq tracked down the missing homeowner.

A unit in the Darlinghurst area usually fetches over $900,000.

'He apparently no longer has any interest in material possessions so did not respond to any of our inquiries,' Mr Shafiq told Domain.

'As a result of the sale, the owners corporation will be paid, the legal bills will be paid, the Crown Solicitor and whatever remains will be kept by the Supreme Court so he could turn up to claim the balance.

'But importantly there's now an established precedent and a way to speed up this process for other apartment buildings having similar problems. And when the person can be found, the government really needs to change the rules around serving papers overseas as it's now so difficult when the person you're serving is overseas.'

Buyers at the auction have been quoted $375,000 for the studio that has this view (pictured)

James Natoli from Ray White Surry Hills previously told news.com.au: 'He just disappeared.

'I think he had a Malaysian background and took off back home. I spoke to one person in the building who knew of him, he was living in the building when they moved in 10 years ago, but they didn't know him personally. He's a mystery man,' Mr Natoli said.

Mr Natoli said the price guide for the studio was so low because the place was 'completely unlivable' in its semi-renovated state.

'It's pretty much like the person's started renovating 10 years ago and [left],' he said.

'There have been water leaks from the laundry directly above, a lot of leaks in the roof, cracks in the walls in the bathroom. It's only 32 square metres as well.'

Ray White said the price for the studio (pictured) is so low because it is 'completely unlivable'

The property listing warns buyers it is in a 'completely unrenovated condition and in need of some TLC'.

'From its top floor vantage point in the iconic Ballina art deco building, this light-filled studio apartment captures an elevated district outlook that sweeps around to the city skyline,' the listing read.

'All the elements of entry level or investment success are here with bright interiors, an excellent lifestyle location and fantastic scope for a creative update or renovation to add tremendous value.

'It offers an exceptionally well positioned home ideal for renovators seeking an undercapitalised property that's within walking distance to the local cafe and wine bar scene, a choice of transport options and the CBD.'
The daughter of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced she is engaged - after just two weeks of dating her new love interest.

Frances Abbott shared photo booth picture strips of herself and Olympic rower Sam Loch, 34, to her Instagram account on Sunday evening, adding the engagement notice in the caption.

'Hey Feyonce,' she wrote.

'Two weeks was all it took to know that forever with you was a mighty fine idea.'

Ms Abbott added hashtags reading: 'why wait', 'he liked it so he put a ring on it' and 'let's do this'.

No image has emerged of the ring.

Frances Abbott has announced her shock engagement to Olympian rower Sam Loch (pictured)

Frances Abbott (right) and her new fiance Sam Loch (left) are both fitness fanatics, with Ms Abbott regularly competing in bodybuilding competitions and Mr Loch previously competing in the Olympics

The announcement was met with a mix of shock and excitement by the competitive bodybuilder's followers.

A journalist for Harper's Bazaar who recently interviewed Ms Abbott was more shocked than most.

'Whoa! Things change quickly,' wrote Rachelle Unreich.

'When I interviewed you not very long ago for Harper's, you said you were sooooo single! Congrats! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness.'

Ms Abbott told her social media followers she had only been dating Mr Loch for two weeks

The 26-year-old has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding.

Last year, she competed and recently told Daily Mail Australia the competitions were an 'exciting experiment' for herself.

She recently made headlines for her publicly stating she supported marriage equality, while her politician father stood firmly against it, despite his sister being in a high-profile same sex relationship.

Ms Abbott told Daily Mail Australia earlier this month the debate could rage on between the highly passionate members of her family, but would all be set aside at the dinner table.

The 26-year-old has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding last year

Sam Loch holds multiple world records for rowing, and has competed in the Beijing and London Olympics

Both Ms Abbott and Mr Loch are understood to work as personal trainers in Melbourne

'Politics is one of those things,' she said. 'It's hard to avoid when it comes to my family, but we love each other.

'We will politely agree to disagree and I guess that's the same with most families. You're like: "I'll give you the stink eye across the table, but that's about it".'

When asked about Tony and his sister, Christine Forster, disagreeing, Frances said: 'Of course it's set aside when we sit down. It's all: "Hey", "Hey".'

Ms Abbott recently worked for the marriage equality campaign, which she said was 'interesting':

'For me, it seems so obvious,' she explained.

'I don't really understand why it's a debate. It was great working with the equality campaign. It's time for change.'

Sam Loch, her new fiance, holds multiple world records for rowing, and has competed in the Beijing and London Olympics.

Both Ms Abbott and Mr Loch are understood to work as personal trainers in Melbourne.

No announcement has been posted to Mr Loch's Instagram, though he is an avid user of the platform, often sharing videos demonstrating his super-human strength.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Abbott for comment.


Salim Mehajer was looking for a 'sophisticated personal assistant' to be a 'helping hand' around the office, and promises the tasks he will set are all 'above board', or so it seemed.

The position was posted to the former deputy mayor of Auburn's official Instagram account alongside a picture of a man wearing a suit with the words 'work while they sleep, learn while they party, save while they spend, live like they dream' on it.

A very detailed caption accompanied the inspirational image and outlined how the successful candidate will be chosen - but it was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.

Salim Mehajer (pictured) is looking for a 'sophisticated personal assistant' to be a 'helping hand' around the office

But less than twelve hours later the post was deleted and put down to a 'hacked moment.'

Before it disappeared, many commenters where quick to point out the spelling errors, rather than the intricacies of the job, in the thread below it.

'All applications are to email us (see bio) through their resume. (No tests to be carried out withoiut [sic] my approval,' the post began.

'Role is a sophisticated personal assistant' (a quite broad and detailed position). Successful applicants will have to sit down an [sic] online Skype interview.'

But many commenters where quick to point out the spelling errors, rather than the intricacies of the job, in the thread below it

Uh-oh! Mr Mehajer made more than one typo throughout the advertisement

He reiterated that the chosen applicant will be notified by Tuesday, November 21.

But if you're looking to snap up the PA deal, you'll need to have no 'criminal history, must be able to drive, no tattoos on boys and verify yourself using an Instagram account.'

'Best wishes to all. I have decided to have no spam, fake or time wasting potential staff... (Termination will take pace [sic] immediately),' the proposal continued.

He also reassured the applicants that they will be 'guided' and will 'leave with more than they expected'.

He also reassured the applicants that they will be 'guided' and will 'leave with more than they expected'

In case there was any doubt about the work they'd be doing, Mr Mehajer maintains the 'tasks will be above board and very simple'

In case there was any doubt about the work they'd be doing, Mr Mehajer maintains the 'tasks will be above board and very simple.'

Judging by the response from some of his 194,000 followers, it doesn't appear as though people are taking the job seriously.

'Given this post is replete with spelling and grammatical errors, I think I'll pass,' one commenter wrote.

His fans were unimpressed with the job title he was spruiking

'This page is a gift that keeps on giving,' another added.

At approximately 7pm Mr Mehajer deleted the post from his account and replaced it with a black and white picture of the ocean.

The caption read: 'Account back in my possession after a "hacked moment" - have a great weekend.'
This is the dramatic moment a group of paedophile hunters wrestled a suspected pervert to the ground, after police refused to send officers to arrest him.

A police call handler was heard telling the group to let the man walk free, despite their claims he had tried to groom underage girls as young as 12.

Shadow Hunters UK confronted the 37-year-old in Atherstone, Warwickshire, on Saturday afternoon and accused him of trying to groom children aged between 12 and 14 for sex.

Shadow Hunters UK confronted a 37-year-old man suspected of trying to groom underage girls for sex and tackled him to the ground, claiming police did not want to send officers

Chat logs allegedly showed he had sent sexually explicit messages and pornographic videos to three undercover adult decoys posing as young girls online.

But when they rang 999, the group claim Warwickshire Police refused to send officers to the scene because they were 'too busy' and did not have the 'resources'.

When they called again to report the situation had turned volatile, they say police threatened to arrest them if they did not let him go.

The stand-off came to an end after the suspect agreed to drive himself to a manned police station - around seven miles away - to 'clear his name', while two hunters travelled with him in his car.

He was later arrested on suspicion of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Dramatic footage of the incident was filmed live on Facebook and has been seen more than 195,000 times.

Chat logs allegedly showed the man had sent sexually explicit messages and pornographic videos to three undercover adult decoys posing as young girls online

It shows the group surround the suspect and accuse him of grooming what he believed to be three underage girls aged 12, 13 and 14.

Standing with his hands behind his back, he says: 'This is all news to me.'

A female decoy, who claims she was targeted by him, says: 'Well, it's not. You clearly sat and done it. You've been talking to me non-stop all week.'

He says: 'None of you are even listening to me. Why do I wanna do stuff like this for?'

The male hunter replies: 'Because you're a sexual predator.' The suspect heads for his car, but the hunters block the door and put him under citizen's arrest.

When the man resisted a citizen's arrest, the group called 999, but was allegedly told by a police call handler to let the man walk free - or face being arrested themselves

When he resists, three men tackle him to the ground while the woman calls 999. She tells a female operator that the suspect is 'lashing out' and has 'hit' one of the group.

Unmoved, the call handler asks: 'Why didn't you leave?'

The woman answers: 'Because he's a sexual predator. That is why.'

She continues to plead for help as the men can be heard struggling in the background, but is repeatedly told: 'You need to leave.'

The operator says: 'We told you about three times that you needed to leave the property.'

The woman blasts: 'So he's free then to carry on grooming underage girls? No, you need to send the police. This is a joke.'

A colleague then tells her the police have said they are on their way, but it is the hunters who are 'likely to be arrested'.

The suspect eventually agreed to let two of the group accompany him as he drove to the police station, where he was arrested on suspicion of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

The suspect eventually agreed to let two of the men accompany him as he drove to Nuneaton Police Station, where he was later arrested.

Shadow Hunters UK said Warwickshire Police offered no apology for refusing to assist them.

A spokesman for the group said: 'This is the worst police response we as a team have ever had.'

The force's Facebook page was flooded with furious comments from members of the public.

Yvette Jaise Redmond commented: 'You should hang your heads in shame for not protecting our kids! It's bad enough someone else has to do the dirty work for you but then you not only refuse to arrest him, you threaten to arrest the people that got him.'

Maria Yeoman said: 'Absolutely disgusting, no resources to take paedophiles off the streets. These hunters are doing your jobs for you, they don't get paid for it like you do. Yet you can't be bothered to go and arrest him once he's been caught.'

Stuart Buchanan added: 'Wow, the officers on duty today should be ashamed of themselves. Refusing to even attend a sting on an alleged paedophile. How do you sleep at night?'

Responding to the criticism, Warwickshire Police warned members of the public not to take the law into their own hands.

The force said it is looking into its initial response to the incident and confirmed the suspect had been released on bail pending further investigation.

Warwickshire Police Superintendent Ben Smith said: 'This matter was initially reported to us by members of the public who are part of a group concerned with possible sex offences against children.

'We know that such groups are well-intentioned. However, in general, their actions could potentially put vulnerable children and police investigations at risk and jeopardise any future court proceedings that may take place.

'Protecting children is always our priority, but its also a complex issue and should be left to the police and other child protection agencies.'
Qantas is set to fly a plane powered by mustard from Australia to the US in the world's first biofuel flight.

Early next year the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will fly to Los Angeles on a mix of standard jet fuel and 30 percent biofuel made from a type of mustard seed, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Qantas hopes to develop a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia, reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent and cut costs on fuel- one of the airline's biggest expenses.

Early next year the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will fly to Los Angeles on a mix of standard jet fuel and 30 percent biofuel made from a type of mustard seed (pictured)

Qantas is set to fly a plane powered by mustard from Australia to the US in the world's first biofuel flight (stock image)

Canadian agricultural technology company Agrisoma Biosciences has partnered with Qantas to establish an aviation biofuel seed crop in Australia by 2020 with Brassica Carinata seeds- also known as Ethiopian mustard.

In a trial run by the University of Queensland the seed was successfully grown in Gatton, Queensland.

The crop will be expanded next year and increase to commercial scale by 2020.

Qantas International chief executive Alison Webster said the project's goal was to grow 40,000 hectares of the mustard seed in contracts with Australian farmers.

In a trial run by the University of Queensland the seed was successfully grown in Gatton, Queensland (crop pictured)

Qantas also plans to fly planes powered by biofuel out of the US from 2020 (stock image)

A crop that size would produce about 200 million litres of bio-jetfuel every year.

'This will support the development of a renewable jetfuel supply and bio-refinery in Australia to power our fleet and further reduce carbon emissions across our operations,' Ms Webster said.

Qantas also plans to fly planes powered by biofuel out of the US from 2020.
Davina Ayrton (pictured, outside court last year) was jailed for eight years in 2016 for raping a 15-year-old girl, while she was known as David

Half of transgender prisoners could be sex offenders with predator inmates 'falsely' defining their gender in a bid to get access to vulnerable women, a charity has warned.

Under new government proposals adults will soon be able to choose their sex legally, without the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

Experts are concerned this will lead to a spike in the number of trans inmates transferring to female prisons, which could put others in a danger.

The British Psychological Society has also warned that some men convicted of sex crimes have 'falsely claimed' to be trans in an effort to 'seek better access to females and young children through presenting in a female way', reports the Sunday Times.

Between a third and a half (41 per cent) of all England and Wales trans prisoners are sex offenders, according to charity Fair Play for Women.

Recent high profile cases include Davina Ayrton who was jailed for eight years in 2016 for raping a 15-year-old girl, while she was known as David.

But while experts are concerned about the safety of other inmates, there is growing public pressure for trans inmates to be allowed to serve their time in female prisons.

Campaigners for the trans community say that placing such inmates in male jails is putting their lives at risk and may even lead to suicide.

Five trans inmates in male jails have killed themselves in the past two years.

Tara Hudson, who was born Raymond Aaron David, was jailed for 12 weeks after admitting headbutting a bar manager in December 2014.

Tara Hudson, who was born Raymond Aaron David, was jailed for 12 weeks after admitting headbutting a bar manager in December 2014

Miss Hudson started hormone replacement therapy when she was 17, but because she was born as a man, she was sent to male prison HMP Bristol.

After a public campaign, started by her mother, she was finally transferred to a female jail.

But the ordeal in HMP Bristol, drove her to contemplating suicide.

Speaking after her release in 2015, she said: 'When I walked into the prison, it was like a cat with five legs had entered the building. They were like animals in a zoo - shouting and banging on the doors.

'It was intense, aggressive and extremely uncomfortable.

'After that, they would call me 'chick with a d***', 'trannie', 'shim' (she/him) or 'hybrid' and shout that the Lady Boys of Bangkok were in town. I even heard one say, 'It should be shot'.

'It was very depressing, and I even felt suicidal at points.'

Miss Hudson said the ordeal at male prison HMP Bristol left her contemplating suicide

Eight men's jails specifically house sex offenders with 46 trans prisoners in these alone.

However, a large number of men convicted of sex crimes are housed outside of these special facilities - so the number could be higher.

Based on a report of 118 prisons in England and Wales, charity Fair Play for women estimated male to female trans inmates is about 100.

But just 13 of these inmates have been transferred to women's prisons.

Nicola Williams, from Fair Play to Women, said that the reforms to help transgender people choose their legal sex could have serious repercussions for prisoners.

She told the Sunday Times: 'Trans-identifying males will become eligible for transfer to women's prisons, representing a serious risk to the safety and privacy and dignity of women in prisons.

'There is a conflict here between transgender right and the right of other people such as women.

'What is shocking is that we are rushing into this [self-declaration] without evidence of its impact.'
Soap star Paula Williamson married notorious prisoner Charles Bronson in front of just four people and the career criminal wore a trilby and Union Jack shoes for the bizarre ceremony.

The pair tied the knot behind the walls of high-security HMP Wakefield where Bronson handed prison officers the wrong music - so they walked down the aisle to the Death March.

During their first dance, Bronson ripped his new bride's dress by stepping on it before he serenaded her with a version of Frank Sinatra's My Way.

Soap star Paula Williamson married notorious prisoner Charles Bronson in front of just four people (Pictured, Ms Williamson at the reception with her new husband's lookalike)

Notorious prisoner Bronson (left) wore a trilby and Union Jack shoes during bizarre wedding ceremony to Ms Williamson (right)

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

Guests of honour: Dozens of people packed into the York House Hotel to celebrate the wedding of their friend and long-term prisoner Charles Bronson including gangster turned author Dave Courtney (second from left)

And guests were treated to a buffet consisted of mince pies and Viennetta ice cream, according to the Sunday People.

Bronson, who know goes by the name Charles Salvador and who may never be released from prison, was not allowed to his own wedding reception so his wife, 37, had to dance with a hired lookalike.

She partied at a hotel just a stone's throw from the prison, where she went to bed at 10.30pm before flying off to Malta for her honeymoon accompanied by a photographer.

Paula, who once starred in Coronation Street, is Bronson's third wife and said she 'felt like Michael Jackson' after she had to sneak into the prison under a blanket as photographers camped outside trying to get a snap of her 1,000 dress.

Bronson, now 64, has spent most of his life in prison and may never be freed but his new bride insists their marriage will last.

On their big day on Tuesday, locals watched on as the unusual wedding procession made its way to Wakefield jail.

An array of eclectic guests were invited to the unusual wedding of Charles Bronson and his soap actress bride Paula Williamson (pictured together)

Smile! Katie Price's ex-husband Alex Reid (far left) and a Charles Bronson impersonator (right) were among the guests pictured with boxer-turned-artist Andrew Parkin

The bridal party was driven in a Mercedes by professional Bronson lookalike Tim Crowley.

And the ceremony itself, held in the prison's parole room, was witnessed by Bronson's cousin, Stuart Godfrey, and long-term supporters Rod and Linda Harrison and Tim Price.

The groom donned a white jacket, black shirt with a red tie and carnation for the day, with Union Jack shoes and socks adorned with a picture of his moustache.

Paula's wedding ring bears the date of the big day as well as Bronson's old jail number, 1314.

The reception was held at York House Hotel and was attended by gangster Dave Courtney and Katie Price's ex Alex Reid.

Cheers broke out among guests as Paula called for the release of Bronson, who was jailed for armed robbery in 1974 but has seen time added on to his sentence for multiple violent outbursts inside.
Guests of Aisha Mehajer and Sam Sayour arrived in tracksuits and trainers to celebrate the nuptials as police investigated the burnt out getaway car relating to the shooting of John Ibrahim's bodyguard.

Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer tied the knot on Saturday at the same home where Ibrahim's bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' was shot in the back just hours earlier.

But while Aisha's brother Salim Mehajer enjoyed a lavish wedding involving Ferrari's and a marching band, his sister settled for pastries, a few candles and dressed down attendees, Nine News reports.

Many of her prominent family members, including Mr Mehajer and his parents, where not in attendance.

Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer married on Saturday at the same home where John Ibrahim's bodyguard was shot hours earlier

Two thumbs up! This jolly guest was all smiles as he arrived for the impending nuptials

Guests were seen around the house all afternoon as they helped organise the impending wedding

Aisha Mehajer settled for a cake and fruit platter at her own wedding to Sam Sayour

Guests are seen shaking hands with each other outside the Ibrahim residence in Merrylands

The authorities could hardly be seen in the dead of night as they scan the selection of wedding cars lining Price Street in Merrylands

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly was released by Salim Mehajer's sister Kat Sakalaki, as the newlyweds were seen signing their marriage certificate.

Aisha, dressed in an off-the-shoulder lace midi length gown, sat on a throne-like chair next to her beau in ripped trousers and a sky blue jacket.

The table in front of them was set up quite simply with two wedding rings and a gold bracelet.

While the inside of Ibrahim's mother's house where the wedding was set was awash with celebration, outside police with flashlights were checking parked cars for any clues about the shooting.

John Ibrahim's nephew was allegedly warned he wouldn't live to see his wedding day one day before the brutal crime took place.

The long-term enforcer for the Ibrahim family, whose real name is Semi Ngata, moved to shield the bride-to-be when the gunman opened fire on Friday night, according to reports.

Though it is unclear what led to the shooting, a source has claimed they overheard a man tell Sayour he would be lucky to see his wedding day during a fiery exchange last week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

However, police say they are looking into a number of lines of enquiry.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly has been released by the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki, as Aisha and Sam sign their marriage certificate

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

The imposing figure (pictured centre, with Sam Ibrahim, left, and lawyer Stephen Alexander, right, outside court in 2009) was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery

Ngata was shot in what has been described as a 'brazen and targeted' attack as the final preparations for the wedding were being made at the home of John Ibrahim's mother.

Ms Mehajer was with another woman in the backyard to help set up the wedding at the time of the shooting, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The imposing figure was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery, but has reportedly refused to help police with their investigations. A NSW Police spokesperson could not confirm those reports.

Ngata's wife has been keeping a bedside vigil and told reporters 'he was doing OK'.

As guests arrived for the wedding on Saturday evening, marked and unmarked police vehicles patrolled the area for fear of further violence during the nuptials.

On Instagram Ms Sakalaki wrote: 'I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today! I love you so much Aishy #feelingemotional'

The names of the couple were etched on a pavement outside John Ibrahim's mother's home ahead of the ceremony

A heavy police presence was at the wedding on Saturday of Aiisha (pictured with her brother Salim) amid fears of revenge and retaliation

Police are reportedly investigating whether a 'falling-out' between the two extended high-profile families played any part in the shooting.

A spokesman for disgraced former deputy mayor of Auburn, Salim Mehajer, has denied any suggestion of a dispute between his family and the Ibrahims, the Telegraph reported.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any members of the Mehajer or Ibrahim families had any involvement in the shooting.

On Saturday night a small selection of guests attended the wedding as originally planned.

Despite the shooting on Friday evening friends and family gathered to lay out chairs ahead of the ceremony on Saturday

Outside police with flashlights are seen checking parked cars for any clues into the brazen shooting that happened their hours earlier

The wedding took place between the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Aisha (pictured) and John Ibrahim's nephew Sam

Luxury cars lined the streets surrounding the houses during what appeared to be a low-key event.

Authorities could hardly be seen in the dead of night as they scanned the selection of wedding cars lining Price Street in Merrylands.

Earlier, Chief Inspector Bradfield Peters said the shooting was certainly not 'random.'

'A number of police will be deployed tonight to ensure that the community is safe,' he said.

He added: 'We've only just found out that there may have been a wedding planned for today.

'But whether there's any link to what occurred last night, I can't speculate.'

Meanwhile, guests could be seen arriving all afternoon, some laden with gifts, to celebrate the young couple's nuptials.

The wedding came just hours after bodyguard Semi Ngata was gunned down outside John Ibrahim's mother's home

Tongan Sam (left with Fadi Ibrahim and Salim Mehajer) was taken to Westmead Hospital, where he is in a serious condition

The overcast skies made for a perfect indoor wedding as guests arrived dressed in coats

Guests walk into the premises as the sun goes down and police scour cars for any evidence

On Instagram Ms Sakalaki wrote: 'I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today! I love you so much Aishy #feelingemotional.'

The names of the couple were etched on a pavement outside the Ibrahim's family home ahead of the ceremony on Saturday.

It is believed Sam is the son of Maha Ibrahim, who is John's sister.

Tongan Sam has worked as a bodyguard for nightclub boss John for more than a decade after the pair met in Kings Cross in the 1990s.

This guest of the wedding was seen carrying a David Jones bag into the house on Saturday

People could be seen arriving at the home with boxes full of decorations, with a wedding due to take place later in the day

As police continued to investigate the shooting people began to arrive at the home with flowers and wedding decorations

Price Street in Merrylands was the scene of the shooting, with a wedding between a members of the Ibrahim and Mehajer families taking place on Saturday

His loyalty to Ibrahim 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.

However, police have not confirmed any connection between the raids and Friday's shooting.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that the two incidents are in any way related.

The presiding priest walks into the house in preparation for the wedding on Saturday evening

Armed police searched the streets outside John Ibrahim's mother's home (pictured) in Merrylands on Saturday morning

Media and neighbours gathered outside the Merrylands home (pictured) owned by John Ibrahim's mother on Saturday morning

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.

John's home was also raided as part of the investigation in August - but he was not arrested or charged with any offences.

Police were seen combing the streets around the home of where the shooting took place on Friday evening

Police searched streets around the spot where John Ibrahim's bodyguard Tongan Sam was shot

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)

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 as a teenager.

Police (pictured) searched bins on the street near John Ibrahim's mother's home in Merrylands

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

Pictured is a loaded 9mm semi-automatic Beretta handgun seized from the home of John Ibrahim's mother during raids in August 2017
Tony McCluskie murdered his sister before dismembering the body

The father of murdered EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie has finally given up his efforts to forgive his son for the star's murder.

Anthony McCluskie had vowed to 'stand by' his son, Tony, following his conviction for murdering Gemma at their home in 2012.

McCluskie battered his sister to death after a furious row over his addiction to skunk cannabis, before using knives and a meat cleaver to cut off her limbs and head, and dumping them separately in a canal.

Their father initially made good on his promise and regularly sent letters to Tony at HMP Highdown, Surrey, but has now turned his back after showing no repentance for the murder of his own sister.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: 'Every letter was the same. Hes not showing any remorse, not an ounce of remorse. He doesnt mention her name.

"Im trying to support and look after him but hes not showing any remorse.

'And that was it. In the end I went, "Ive had enough, Tony".

The actress was killed after returning from the opening of the new Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel

"On that last visit I said, "Ive had enough of you". I said, "Im gone, Im out of your life now".

Anthony McCluskie has finally given up his efforts to forgive his son, Tony, for the star's murder

Gemma, 29, had been left in charge of the family home in Shoreditch, east London, when her mother Pauline was hospitalised with an MRSA infection after surgery to remove a brain tumour.

The actress was killed after returning from the opening of the new Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.

CCTV footage showed her body being bundling a heavy suitcase into the back of a taxi. When the driver asked him what was in it, McCluskie replied: My sister.

The judge at his trial told McCluskie he was responsible for an utterly cold-blooded and determined killing.

The actress, who worked part-time as a barmaid, enjoyed success as Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap in 2000, at the age of 17.

In contrast, her brother drifted between manual jobs, most recently as a window cleaner on high-rise buildings.

McCluskie spent most of the time in his room, smoking up to 15 cannabis joints and drinking up to ten pints of lager, fortified with shots of tequila, every day.

The actress, who worked part-time as a barmaid, enjoyed success as Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap (pictured) in 2000, at the age of 17

For four days he acted as the concerned brother, even posing for photographs with an appeal poster. And in a chilling ruse, McCluskie texted his sister, pretending he did not know she was dead. He signed off one message with love ya xxx.

Mr McCluskie added: 'Dont get me wrong, I still do think about him. But I havent had no contact with him now for over two years. And I wont contact him again.
Proving that love knows no boundaries, a Mexican woman and an American man met at a gate that has been briefly opened in the fence separating their countries to exchange their vows.

The US Border Patrol opened the gate at Playas de Tijuana, known as the Door of Hope in San Diego, for one hour on Saturday, allowing quick meetings for friends and relatives from both sides.

In the crowd on the Mexican side was Evelia Reyes, who arrived wearing a white wedding dress, a long flowing train and a white veil, waiting to meet her groom, Brian Houston.

Bride Evelia Reyes and groom Brian Houston pose for pictures after marrying at an open gate on the US-Mexico border at Playas de Tijuana, Mexico

The US Border Patrol opened the gate at Playas de Tijuana, known as the Door of Hope in San Diego, for one hour on Saturday, allowing quick meetings for friends and relatives from both sides

In the crowd on the Mexican side was Evelia Reyes, who arrived wearing a white wedding dress, a long flowing train and a white veil, waiting to meet her groom, Brian Houston

She was accompanied by three children from her previous marriage, including a young daughter also dressed in white.

'For a relationship this wall does not exist, for love there are no borders,' Reyes gushed.

At the gate a Mexican judge promptly married her to Houston, who approached from the US side dressed in a smart grey suit.

The wife of the mayor of Tijuana and the local Mexican Human Rights commissioner served as witnesses.

Reyes, a native of the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, said she met Houston in Tijuana three years ago.

She was accompanied by three children from her previous marriage, including a young daughter also dressed in white

At the gate a Mexican judge promptly married her to Houston, who approached from the US side dressed in a smart grey sui

Lacking immigration documents she could not travel to the United States - a problem likely to be solved with the marriage.

And Houston, a US resident, told the San Diego Tribune he could not visit Tijuana for reasons he wouldn't elaborate.

The heavy steel gate is at Border Field State Park in San Diego, and has opened six times since 2013. It's in a small strip of land where families from both sides can see one another, but not touch, any time they want.

The crowd gathered at the gate under the watchful eye of US Border Patrol agents to witness the joyful moment.

The event was organized by Border angels, an immigrant rights advocacy group. The group's director, Enrique Morones, said there was just enough time at the event for 12 families to reunite.

'These families can be together only for five minutes, it's the saddest thing to see,' he said.

Most of the 2,000-mile US-Mexico border has some type of barrier, but President Donald Trump has promised to build a wall along the entire frontier, straining relations between the United States and Mexico.

The heavy steel gate is at Border Field State Park in San Diego, and has opened six times since 2013. It's in a small strip of land where families from both sides can see one another, but not touch, any time they want

The crowd gathered at the gate under the watchful eye of US Border Patrol agents to witness the joyful moment
The partner of a NSW sheep farmer, whose body was found three months ago, will remain in custody charged with his murder after a brief court appearance.

Natasha Crossman, 42, was arrested in Walcha, on the state's northern tablelands, on Saturday morning.

Homicide detectives had been investigating the suspicious death of her partner Mathew Dunbar, also 42, after he was found dead on his property 'Pandora' on the town's outskirts early on August 2, police said.

Natasha Crossman, 42, (right) was arrested in Walcha, will remain in custody charged the murder of her husband Mathew Dunbar (left) after a brief court appearance

Natasha Crossman, 42, was arrested in Walcha, on the state's northern tablelands, on Saturday morning

Mr Dunbar was found dead at the homestead on August 2 and was allegedly found connected to a helium gas tank

After about 12 hours of questioning, Ms Crossman was charged with murder and refused bail.

She appeared in Tamworth Local Court on Sunday where she was refused bail, her lawyer Garry Johnston said.

Mr Johnston says the matter will be handed over to Legal Aid representatives for her next scheduled appearance in the same court on Monday.

Ms Crossman was taken into custody three months after detectives became suspicious that Mr Dunbar had been murdered by his partner.

Mr Dunbar, 42, was allegedly found connected to a helium gas tank, as Ms Crossman claimed her partner had committed suicide.

Natasha Beth Crossman, 42, was arrested about 9.30am on Saturday at the pair's Walcha property
Philip Hammond hinted at a breakthrough in Brexit talks today as he vowed that the Budget this week will be a 'turning point' for the government.

The Chancellor said ministers were on the brink of 'serious movement forward' after months of deadlock with the EU.

The comments confirm expectations that Theresa May is preparing to make a major offer to Brussels on the divorce bill.

The issue has emerged as the key sticking point - with EU leaders demanding around triple the 20billion the PM has proposed so far.

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show this morning, Philip Hammond proposals on the Brexit divorce bill will be tabled in time for a make-or-break European Council summit

Theresa May, pictured going to church in her Maidenhead constituency with husband Philip today, is pushing for progress in the deadlocked Brexit negotiations

Mr Hammond, seen as the champion of 'soft' Brexit within the Cabinet, refused to say what the scale of the new figures would be.

But appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show this morning, he said they would be tabled in time for a make-or-break European Council summit in December.

If EU leaders refuse to agree to start trade talks at that gathering the next opportunity would be March - raising the chances of a 'no deal' exit from the bloc.

Asked if the UK was 'running out of time' to secure progress, Mr Hammond said: 'The council is in three weeks so yes.

'We will make our proposals to the EU in time for the council, I am sure about that.'

Mr Hammond promised Britain would honour its debts but also 'negotiate hard' on the various aspects of the financial settlement.

'It's not about demands, it's about what is properly due from the UK to the European Union under international law in accordance with the European treaties,' he said.

'And we have always been clear it won't be easy to work out that number, but whatever is due we will pay, we are a nation that honours our debts.

'And of course we will negotiate hard whether there is any question, any doubt about whether an item is payable or not.'

He also said he wanted an 'in principle' agreement about a transition deal to be reached within months.

Amid suggestions that Brussels believes such a deal might not be in place until October, he warned that a transition was a 'wasting asset' and businesses would have started relocating by then.

Mr Hammond also said he wanted an 'in principle' agreement about a Brexit transition deal to be reached within months

'It will still be useful but it will be much less useful for everybody than it is now because by that stage people will have started to make alternative supply arrangements, British companies that are importing components from the European Union may have had to break those arrangements and start sourcing elsewhere,' he said.

'Government agencies will have had to start putting in place contingency arrangements for Brexit in March 2019.'

He added: 'It is a wasting asset and that's why it's in everybody's interest that we get the implementation agreement as soon as possible.'

TORIES STILL LEAD ON WHO VOTERS TRUST TO RUN ECONOMY The Tories were given a boost ahead of the Budget today with a poll showing they are still more trusted on the economy than Labour. Research by ICM found Theresa May and Philip Hammond led Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell 36 per cent to 28 per cent on the key metric. But their advantage has slumped significantly since the same time last year. The survey for the Observer also found they are trailing among younger voters, with support largely based on the older generation. On overall voting intention Labour is still ahead by two points - within the margin of error. The slender advantage will fuel questions about Mr Corbyn's appeal to the electorate as the government battles on a myriad of fronts. Advertisement

Mr Hammond also dismissed his 'Eyeore' reputation on Brexit - saying he was psitive about make the most of the opportunities of leaving the EU.

Mr Hammond said leaving the EU would give Britain independence over the regulation of new technology.

He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: 'The way that the EU works is when new technologies come along, often it takes the European Union a little bit of time to get round to grabbing in Brussels the power to regulate them, so you often start off with national regulations, then it gets swept up into Brussels later on.

'Once we're outside the EU of course we'll be able to make national regulation for the long-term, trying to stimulate new technology sectors in this country, and I'm very clear that our post-Brexit future has to be about embracing change, embracing new technology, so that we can create the high-pay, high-value jobs in this country that we need in the future.'

The Chancellor will make a bold pitch to Millennials in the Budget by announcing plans to get 300,000 homes built a year.

The Chancellor said fixing the housing market was a 'crucial part' of ensuring the younger generation are not the first since the Black Death to be less prosperous than their parents.

He promised the Government would do 'whatever it takes' to get homes built including cracking down on 'land-banking' and underwriting loans to small house builders if necessary.

Mr Hammond will back the action with around 5billion for housing schemes.

But he will not heed a call from Communities Secretary Sajid Javid to borrow 50 billion to fund a massive home building programme.

The Chancellor has also signalled that he will find money on another key issue of the public sector pay cap - with nurses in line for a rise.
North Queensland Federal MP Bob Katter has bizarrely talked about marriage equality in the same sentence as the growing crocodile violence in his electorate.

Footage of the interview was played on Insight which shows a relaxed Mr Katter brightly speaking about the same-sex marriage debate in a tender tone before things take a turn.

'I mean, y'know, people are entitled to their sexual proclivities. Let there be a thousand blossoms bloom, as far as I'm concerned,' he said during a press conference last week.

Cool, calm and collected to angry in a second: Bob Katter gave a strange answer to questions about marriage equality

Moments later the conservative politician's entire face changed into an expression of anger.

'But I ain't spendin' any time on it, because in the mean time, every three months, a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland,' he managed to spit out.

Insiders host Barrie Cassidy broke down in hysterics over the sudden mood change, saying 'So we should put the whole country on hold until we sort out that particular problem?'

The maverick Queensland crossbencher previously said he is so worried about parents losing the right to object to their children being taught the Safe Schools program he wants the law changed.

Footage of the interview was played on Insight which shows a relaxed Mr Katter brightly speaking about the same-sex marriage debate in a tender tone before things take a turn

The maverick Queensland crossbencher previously said he is so worried about parents losing the right to object to their children being taught the Safe Schools program he wants the law changed

The Katter's Australian Party leader and renegade Nationals MP George Christensen, a fellow Queenslander, are working on a parliamentary bill that would give parents the right to pull their kids out of the controversial gender theory lessons.

Mr Katter, who holds the vast far-north Queensland seat of Kennedy, said the legalisation of same-sex marriage would force children into learning about gay sex and relationships.

'I don't want anyone to underestimate the damage that is being done here to the people of Australia,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'It opens the way for them to teach same-sex marriage in school.'
With a top selling app and huge social media influence, Belle Gibson and her app, The Whole Pantry, were the jewels in Apple's health and wellness crown.

The woman, who deceived millions around the world with her fraudulent story of terminal cancer healed by healthy eating, regularly met with senior staff at Apple, who began emails with 'Hello darling one', called her 'lovely', and often spent time with her.

Emails from staff at the technology giant were signed off with kisses, and three senior staff are mentioned in the 'thank you' section of Ms Gibson's book.

But a book on the downfall of the wellness icon, The Woman Who Fooled the World, claimed Apple had not challenged Ms Gibson on the veracity of her diagnosis, and indeed continued to ignore warning signs even after the story of her lies broke.

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Belle Gibson enjoyed a very close relationship with Apple executives, who never verified the Adelaide woman had cancer, a new book claims

Ms Gibson was asked to design a version of her The Whole Pantry app (pictured) to be pre-programmed in the soon-to-be released Apple Watch

Ms Gibson's app, The Whole Pantry, won several awards from Apple the year it was released.

The app was promoted by Apple itself, with an email from the company sent to selected Australian media.

'A single mum who was diagnosed with brain cancer, Belle turned to whole food cooking and eating,' it read.

'She wanted to share what she had learnt but didn't want to use a website or blog. Belle decided she wanted to build an app for iPhone and iPad.'

Afterwards, the cancer fraud was invited to headquarters, and was the only Australian invited to develop an app for the upcoming release of the Apple Watch.

The logo of her The Whole Pantry app - which was two white silhouette leaves on a mint-green background - was placed prominently on the faux screen seen in a lot of promotional material for Apple's newest product.

Hers would be one of the only apps to come pre-programmed into the Apple Watch.

In the group of senior apple executives who were won over by Ms Gibson's heartbreaking tale of single motherhood and terminal cancer, one stood out to many as the woman's 'handler'.

'A single mum who was diagnosed with brain cancer, Belle (pictured with son Oli) turned to whole food cooking and eating,' Apple marketing for The Whole Pantry app read

The Whole Pantry app was seen on much of the promotional material leading to the release of the Apple Watch (icon for the app pictured next to the play button)

TC Chan, a middle-aged man from Sydney, had an 'extremely close' and 'odd' relationship with Ms Gibson, a former friend of hers claimed to the book authors.

'They would sit there holding hands,' he said.

'But you've got to remember, people were just so emotionally involved with her story at the time.'

Mr Chan had his own thank you in Ms Gibson's book - which notes his help and encouragement before going on to something deeper.

'Because you're the only one who understands the fragmented, colliding universe with me,' she wrote about the employee.

When news began to break about Ms Gibson's lies, Apple appeared unfazed.

Three days into a media storm, and the same day The Australian lead with an article revealing Ms Gibson wasn't convinced she had cancer, an Apple executive got in touch with the woman.

Ms Gibson traded very friendly emails with senior Apple executives, and is believed to have had her own handler in Sydney

Jesse James, the public relations manager for the company, was getting in touch to finalise the promotional material for The Whole Pantry app ahead of the Apple Watch release.

Ms James concluded the email in a casual fashion. 'Hope you're feeling a bit better today lady,' she wrote.

After the truth of Ms Gibson's situation had become undeniable, Apple cut her off completely. Her app was wiped from the App Store, and did not make it to the release of the Apple Watch.

The Woman Who Fooled the World is out now

Earlier this year, Gibson was found guilty of misleading consumers. She was handed a $410,000 fine by the Federal Court of Melbourne.

Judge Debbie Mortimer said Gibson may have actually been under a 'delusion' that she did have cancer.

It seems to be that, at least in some respects, it might be open to find that Ms Gibson suffered from a series of delusions about her health conditions, she said.

I am not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Ms Gibson did not really believe she had cancer.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Apple for further comment.

The Woman Who Fooled the World is on sale now.
A brazen fugitive wanted for robbery and kidnap is taunting police by posting 'holiday snaps' of his visits to London tourist spots while on the run.

Lee Mapstone, 36, has goaded officers with photos of Buckingham Palace, The Ritz Hotel and other London tourist spots during 'day trips' on Facebook.

The criminal even took a photo outside London's Paddington Green Police Station and said: 'Was going to hand myself in but had change of heart.'

Fugitive Lee Mapstone has posted a series of mocking pictures while on the run from police. He took a picture of a doughnut shop alongside a foul-mouthed message to officers

Mapstone, 36, has goaded officers with photos of Buckingham Palace, The Ritz Hotel and other London tourist spots during 'day trips' on Facebook

Mapstone (right) is wanted for robbery and kidnap. On Saturday he posted a picture from his flying weekend visit to his Swindon home town (left)

He took a picture of officers in London and added a foul-mouthed caption teasing officers for not being able to catch him

He mocked police officers by saying they were 'sh*t at hide and seek.'

His campaign continued last night as he returned to the capital after posting pictures of a flying weekend visit to his Swindon home town.

He snapped a road sign for a police station and wrote: 'Well was in Swindon yesterday with Brenden Mooney and just to let them know I done a flying visit and took these on the way back to London f*ck the police.'

Wiltshire Police admit intelligence shows he 'may now be in London' as he remains on the run for kidnap and robbery offences since September 25.

He was also wanted on recall to prison for breaching his licence for grievous bodily harm and burglary two years ago.

But he has now been posting photos of London landmarks and Met Police officers for the last four weeks.

On November 10 he posted a photo of the front of Paddington Green Police Station and said: 'Was going to hand my self in but had change of heart see u later boys'.

Five days later Mapstone shared a snap of six uniformed officers standing next to marked motorbikes saying 'all they do is eat doughnuts and drink coffee'.

Brazen Mapstone posted a picture outside the Ritz in Mayfair, titled with, 'I love this place'

While on the run Mapstone has made the most of his freedom, even posting pictures from Oxford Street captioned with: 'Quite nice lol'

Mapstone took a picture of an armed officer in central London and mocked the policeman

The criminal even took a photo outside London's Paddington Green Police Station and said: 'Was going to hand myself in but had change of heart'

Later that day he shared a picture of an armed police officer he called 'a barbie girl'.

Friends encouraged him on as he they called him 'soppy' for posting holiday snaps of Christmas lights near Oxford Street the following evening.

He has shared links to news stories about him mocking police telling his followers: 'They are sh*t at hide and seek I will keep running lol.

'It's all fun and games for me lol.'

Under a picture of China Town, he said: 'Avin a great time in London this is China town wicked place love it.

'Being on the run seeing all this safe bro.'

Mapstone last night (sun) told police to 'watch this space' as he revealed plans to visit the Eiffel Tower and enjoy Christmas while on the run.

Sharing a selfie of himself in the 'can't see me pose' by WWE wrestler John Cena, he said: 'They are just a bunch of idiots.

'I could do their job ten times better than them.

'Of course I could catch someone like myself - all the information I've put on and they can't get me.

'They've only got to go to certain places in London and I'll be on my tees running from them.'

On another picture of a police officer, the fugitive captioned it: 'Thick c*** lol'

Arrogant: Mapstone has documented his journeys on Facebook and has frequently mocked police

The wanted man added: 'I say hello to them and everything and they walk past me.

'I've been telling the police I'm in London.'

On his future plans and asked if he would visit Eiffel Tower, he said: 'If I had the money I would do that.

'Me and my mates are deciding what to do next.

'I didn't know it would be growing to get this big and it's just blown up. I like it, it's big now and that's why we are doing more and more.

'It proves the police are not doing their jobs. It proves that that they are just idiots, how many chances have they had to get me.'

Mapstone claimed officers had even asked him to 'politely' hand himself in over the phone last month.

'One copper phoned me and asked me would I be prepared to hand myself in and I said not at the moment.

'And he said to me, "when are you available" and I said, "I could be after Christmas".

'He's an idiot, I don't know if he thought I was ever going to, I obviously wasn't.

'I will go finally hand myself in if they don't get me before but it's going to be on my terms.'

Wiltshire Police appealed for witnesses to help trace Mapstone, of Swindon, Wiltshire, two weeks ago.
Patients infected with the plague in Madagascar are escaping from hospital because they are afraid of needles and not used to hospitals, prompting fears the disease could spread.

Security guards at The Central Anti-Plague Hospital Ambohimindra in the island's capital Antananarivo have been stopping patients from running away after at least one escaped in October before being forced back into an ambulance.

According to deputy representative of Unicef Jean Benoit Manhes, some patients are scared of needles.

Scientists are growing increasingly concerned this year's outbreak has reached 'crisis' point

International agencies have so far sent more than one million doses of antibiotics to Madagascar. Nearly 20,000 respiratory masks have also been donated

'People here are not used to the hospital,' he told the Irish Times. 'The problem of plague is not just a medical response. You can have hospitals but if people don't come it isn't enough.'

For each person who is infected with the deadly disease, up to 20 people they have been in contact with must also be treated.

The news comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed the death toll has risen to 171.

The data also shows the 'medieval disease' has infected 2,119 in the country off the coast of Africa - a four per cent jump in a handful of days.

In Madagascar, a sacred ritual sees families exhume the remains of dead relatives, rewrap them in fresh cloth and dance with the corpses

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

The 'crisis' has prompted ten African countries to be placed on high alert, with the WHO ordering nine to step up preparations.

Experts fear the plague, which strikes Madagascar every year, will inevitably become resistant to antibiotics and mutate and become untreatable.

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.

Two thirds of cases have been caused by the airborne 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 strikes the country each year and infects around 600 people.

Malawi was added to the growing list of nations placed urged to brace for a potential outbreak over the weekend, becoming the tenth.

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

South Africa, Seychelles, La Reunion, Tanzania, Mauritius, Comoros, Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia have already been told to prepare.

Concerned health officials have 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.

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.
The Royal Navy has deployed an ice patrol ship to help search for a missing Argentinian submarine with 44 crew members on board.

Britain sent the HSM Protector, a polar exploration vessel, to the southern Argentine Sea to assist in searches for the military sub ARA San Juan, which lost contact with officials three days ago.

Argentina's navy detected seven brief satellite calls that officials believe may have come from the missing submarine, believing the ship is 'trying to re-establish contact'.

The Royal Navy has deployed ice patrol ship HSM Protector to help search for a missing Argentinian submarine with 44 crew members on board

Argentine naval officials hope the submarine may have suffered a communication problem and is currently on the surface although there have been no radar or visual sightings

The country's first female submarine officer, 35-year-old Eliana Krawczyk, is among the 44 crew missing in the South Atlantic for after the vessel lost contact more than 250 miles from the coast.

Argentine authorities clarified that it has not been confirmed the calls came from the submarine, the ARA San Juan, though that is the working hypothesis.

The communication attempts 'indicate that the crew is trying to re-establish contact, so we are working to locate the source of the emissions', the navy said on its Twitter account, adding that the calls lasted between four and 36 seconds.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata Naval Base, said authorities have reinforced both the surface search for the missing submarine and the underwater search.

Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a Nasa scientific aircraft and a navy plane.

There is 'coordination with units from the United Kingdom and the United States', he said.

Eliana Krawczyk, 35, is the weapons officer on the ARA San Juan which last made contact with its base on Wednesday, she is Argentina's first female submariner

Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

A spokesman for the British Navy said: 'Following a request from the Argentine government, HMS Protector has been deployed to join the search and rescue effort for the ARA San Juan.'

The US Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, California, to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine.

The search for the submarine was disrupted earlier this weekend by a storm, which brought powerful winds and 20ft waves to the Argentine sea.

The Argentine navy expects poor weather to continue through Sunday Afternoon.

NASA has also sent its Antarctic P-3 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to the scene

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said on Saturday that the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the crew's fate grew.

'We are not discounting any hypothesis,' Mr Balbi said. Possibilities could include 'a problem with communications' or with its power system, he said.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built diesel-electric sub on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.

A multi-national rescue operation has been launched to find Ms Krawczyk and her crewmates, including an aircraft from NASA.

President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use 'all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine'.

Krawczyk, 35, is one of the crew onboard the vessel which went missing on Wednesday

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

'We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return,' Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

'We're very worried, we have little news, we're waiting for communication,' said Eduardo Krawczyk, weapons officer Ms Krawczyk,the only woman on board the German-built submarine.

He told the Sunday Times that he last spoke to his daughter 15 days ago.

'She told me that they had arrived in Tierra del Fuego and that the governor had come aboard and congratulated her on being the only female crew member,' he added.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making 'fervent prayers' for the crew.

The missing submarine was sailing from Ushuaia to Mar Del Plata when it vanished

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 240 miles south of Buenos Aires.

The San Juan is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

The 213-foot long submarine was built in 1983 by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke. However, it underwent a seven-year refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its life by a further 30 years.

The navy believes the submarine, which left Ushuaia en route to the coastal city of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province, had communication difficulties that may have been caused by an electrical outage, Balbi said.

Navy protocol would call for the submarine to come to the surface once communication was lost.

He said: 'We expect that it is on the surface.'

The German-built submarine, which uses diesel-electric propulsion, was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navy's fleet, according to the navy.
Parents of a teenager stabbed in the neck as he was on his way to Schoolies celebrations want answers after it was revealed his attacker was 'known to police.'

Alphaeus Garos, 17, was travelling to the Gold Coast when he was attacked outside a Dan Murphy's bottle shop in Sunnybank at about 10am on Saturday. A knife went through the teenager's throat and punctured his lung.

His mother Athena said she was shocked to learn the attack happened before her son even got to Schoolies.

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Alphaeus Garos, 17, was travelling to the Gold Coast when he was attacked (he is pictured in hospital with friends)

The mother of teenager Alphaeus Garos who was stabbed in the neck at a bottle shop on his to Schoolies wants answers after its was revealed his attacker was 'known to police' (pair are pictured)

The teen's mother Athena said she was shocked to learn the attack happened before he son even got to schoolies

'ln all honesty I thought I lost my son, it is the worst thing a parent can go through and driving to the hospital, it seemed like an eternity,' she said.

Police charged a 33-year-old man for the 'unprovoked attack' who allegedly assaulted the teenager after a brief conversation.

The alleged attacker was known to authorities, and had previously told officers he wanted to die in a police shooting, 9 News understands.The revelations have left Alphaeus's parents searching for answers.

'What is he doing out? I've got a lot of questions, I have a lot of questions I will be asking the police minister,' the teenager's father Michael said.

Alphaeus was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital for life saving surgery. He is still in a serious condition and unable to talk.

The alleged attacker will face court on Monday on charges of intending to maim, disfigure or disable and entering armed to cause fear.

Police charged a 33-year-old man (blue jumpsuit) for the 'unprovoked attack' who allegedly assaulted the teenager after a brief conversation
MPs have defended receiving thousands of pounds to appear on a TV channel backed by the Russian state.

At least 10 politicians are said to have declared being handed money by RT, formerly Russia Today, over recent years.

The channel was forced to register as a 'foreign agent' in the US last week after being branded a Kremlin propaganda vehicle.

Tory MP David Davies and Labour's Rosie Duffield both defended their decision to appeared on the Russian state-backed RT channel

Analysis of the Commons register of interests for the last two years show carried out by the Observer shows that MPs from across parties have been paid for appearances.

David Davies, the Tory MP for Monmouth, is said to have been paid 750 an hour plus travel costs for four appearances between last December and September.

He told the newspaper he had no regrets about appearing on the channel's Sam Delaney's News Thing programme.

'The News Thing has given me a fair chance to explain my opinions on Brexit immigration and transgender issues, for which I am grateful,' Mr Davies said.

'Sadly, I have not received the same courtesy from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Instead, on several occasions, its highly paid presenters have criticised me by name without giving me a right of response.'

Mike Freer, an assistant government whip, was paid 1,000 an hour for two appearances in January and April last year, when he was a backbencher.

He told the Jewish Chronicle: 'I appeared on Sam Delaney's News Thing, an independent production that is satirical in nature. I went on to poke fun at [Vladimir] Putin, which I did.'

Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has caused a storm by agreeing to present a chat show on RT

Tory MP Nigel Evans was reportedly paid 750 an hour on two occasions, while newly-elected Labour MP Rosie Duffield is said to have received 500 for three hours for her appearance on the channel.

Ms Duffield defended her appearance on Twitter last month, stating: 'Worked on Sam Delaney's show in July, paid by production company, not RT.'

Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has faced criticism for hosting a talkshow on the channel. It is not clear how much he will be paid.

Others who have appeared on RT include Nigel Farage.

RT has been forced to register as a 'foreign agent' in the US, and material will have to be flagged to viewers as 'on behalf of' the Russian government.
Tory infighting over Brexit escalated today as a Remain-backing senior MP branded colleagues 'unhinged'.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve also complained those seeking a 'softer' departure from the EU were being 'bullied'.

The barbs came as the government brace for the next round in its battle to push the EU Withdrawal Bill through parliament.

The first votes on the critical legislation were won last week - but Theresa May is facing the prospect of defeat at the hands of rebels over plans to write the Brexit date into law.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve (pictured in the Commons last week) has been leading a bid to change key parts of the EU Withdrawal Bill

Mr Grieve, a QC who is among around 20 MPs thought to be ready to go against the Conservative whip in key divisions on the Bill, has also demanded that the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights be completely transposed on to domestic statute books.

But the Remainer Tories have been hit with a furious backlash by Brexiteers, who accused them of 'collaborating' with Labour in a bid to frustrate the process of cutting ties with Brussels.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics today, Mr Grieve said: 'I do sometimes think that some of my colleagues have become unhinged actually - not the PM.

'The PM's problem is that she's surrounded by people who get louder and more strident by the moment as some of the inevitable problems, which were going to come with Brexit, start to make themselves apparent.'

Mr Grieve was asked whether publicly disagreeing with colleagues had been uncomfortable. He said: 'Of course I feel in one way uncomfortable, parties are held together by ties of affection and loyalty more than anything else.

'It's very important to be polite and it's very important to listen if you're going to have a disagreement.

Theresa May (pictured left today) and David Davis are trying to navigate the EU Withdrawal Bill through parliament without fundamental changes being made

There is infighting on the Tory benches over key elements of the legislation, including writing the date of Brexit into law

There have been tense scenes during the debate on the Bill, including when Frank Field was shouted down by Labour colleagues after saying they needed 'educating' on Brexit

'But equally there does come a point in these processes where the risk that you start to run is that you're just being bullied into silence and I think the last week has shown to me that that risk is very apparent.

'Some of my colleagues get death threats. All these are at least in part generated by the sort of media coverage that is being given and cranking up the tension, the excitement, the hysteria, presumably because it sells copy.

'This isn't a good way of making rational decisions.'
Police have established Strike Force Heinrich to investigate the alleged murder

A 37-year-old man has since been charged with murder over the incident

Victim found on the lawn of a home in Forbes before being rushed to hospital

A 31-year-old man has died after suffering significant head injuries on Sunday

A 37-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 31-year-old man in New South Wales Central West on Sunday.

The victim was found with significant head injuries on the front lawn of a Forbes property, on Weelong Place, around 1.20am.

He was taken to Forbes Hospital but was pronounced dead later in the morning, police reported.

A 37-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 31-year-old man in Forbes, New South Wales (stock image)

A crime scene and strike force has now been established under Strike Force Heinrich to investigate the incident.

Police arrested the 37-year-old man on Sunday afternoon and was taken to Forbes Police station, where he was charged with murder.

Police allege he was involved in a violent confrontation with the victim prior to his death.

The 37-year-old was refused bail to appear at Parkes Local Court on Monday.
High school students held a funeral for a homeless veteran because he had no living friends or relatives left.

Students at Catholic Memorial High School honored John T. Fitzmaurice on Wednesday in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, after he recently passed away on the streets of Boston.

Fitzmaurice was buried Wednesday with full military honors, according to CBS Boston.

A funeral service for a homeless veteran was held on Wednesday in West Roxbury, Massachusetts (pictured above)

The school tweeted this photo with the caption: 'John T. Fitzmaurice was a hero, a veteran, and he is part of our family now. Farewell, John. You are a CM Knight forever'

The students revealed they were grateful they could properly honor veteran John which was a Mass of Christian Burial with military honors

The President of Catholic Memorial, Dr. Peter Folan, praised his students for their empathy and benevolence.

'Paying homage to a veteran, to provide the burial rights he deserves, and to honor his legacy, and to help our boys realize that we have to stand with those who are marginalized, those that are poor or those of our community that are cast out.'

He said he hopes when his students graduate they will continue to show gratitude and respect and help those in need.

The students didn't know the veteran personally, they only knew him as John.

Fitzmaurice was buried Wednesday with full military honors, he's pictured here being carried by some of the high school students

Students at Catholic Memorial High School honored the elderly man as he had no living family members left, they can be seen here carrying him

The school partnered with Lazarus Ministry and Lawlar and Crosby Funeral Home to plan the funeral for the veteran to make sure John had a proper funeral and burial

One of the students, Will Padden, revealed he was humbled to honor John, especially so close to Veterans Day.

'We have a lot of veterans in our 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,' he said.

'Parts of our character is to make sure that you're there for someone when they need a shoulder to cry on, that you're there for someone when they need a friend to open up to.'

'So John in this case needed a family and we were there to be John's family,' the student said.

The school partnered with Lazarus Ministry and Lawlar and Crosby Funeral Home to plan the funeral for the veteran.

The school made sure John was honored by the students and also the military

The President of Catholic Memorial, Dr. Peter Folan pictured here, praised his students for their empathy and benevolence

One of the students, Will Padden pictured here, revealed he was humbled to honor John, especially so close to Veterans Day

Catholic Memorial revealed this is just one way their students can prove their character, by being selfless and helping those in need.

Despite not knowing John, the students said they were grateful to be able to honor his legacy and celebrate his life.

After the service some of the the senior students took Fitzmaurices flag-draped casket to the waiting Army hearse.

The school tweeted a photo of some of the students carrying the casket as the captioned the photo: 'John T. Fitzmaurice was a hero, a veteran, and he is part of our family now. Farewell, John. You are a CM Knight forever.'

Catholic Memorial High School holds funeral for homeless veteran WEST ROXBURY, Mass. (WHDH) - Students at Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury held a funeral Wednesday for a homeless veteran. The school partnered with Lazarus Ministry and Lawlar and Crosby Funeral Home to plan the funeral for the veteran, who had no living family. The students only knew his name was John.

Despite none of the students knowing John, they said they were grateful to be able to honor his legacy and celebrate his life

The students said they were humbled to honor John with the funeral service in West Roxbury

The high school partnered with Lazarus Ministry and Lawlar and Crosby Funeral Home to plan the funeral for John
The Victoria Cross of a Royal Navy hero who lured three U-boats to their death by letting his vessel be torpedoed in an audacious 'sinking ship' tactic is on sale for 300,000 at auction.

Vice-Admiral Gordon Campbell was awarded 11 medals during an illustrious career, including a Victoria Cross and a Distinguished Service Order with two bars.

At just 29 years old, Campbell was given command of HMS Farnborough, a specially-converted cargo ship dispatched to hunt down U-boats during the First World War.

To lure U-boats to the surface Campbell would allow his vessel to take fire, but when the German submarines rose to finish their prey with a deck gun, the commander would launch a devastating attack.

Vice-Admiral Gordon Campbell (pictured) was a Royal Navy hero who lured three U-boats to their death by letting his vessel be torpedoed in an audacious 'sinking ship' tactic

Campbell (pictured) won 11 medals during an illustrious career, including a Victoria Cross and a Distinguished Service Order with two bars

He used the tactic four times, sinking three U-boats and earning Britains highest military honour, the Victoria Cross.

Alongside the VC, Campbell's medals, which also include a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and with two bars, the Legion d'Honneur Chevalier's badge and Croix de Guerre, will go under the hammer at Morton and Eden in Mayfair, London on November 23.

Campbell, from Croydon, south London, was awarded his DSO after he led his crew to sinking U-68, in March 1916.

During a battle in February the following year, he allowed the Farnborough to be torpedoed by the U-83 and then pretended to abandon ship, only to attack the enemy sub when it surfaced.

His courage under fire and quick-thinking saw him awarded the Victoria Cross.

Campbell repeated the 'sinking ship' tactic months later in HMS Pargust, another disguised cargo vessel, sending UC-29 to the deep and seeing two of his crew earning the VC by ballot.

Campbell's tactical prowess and courage under fire, while sinking the U-83 during February 1917 saw him awarded Britain's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross (far left)

German submarine U-68 surfaces before being sunk during a battle with Campbell's HMS Farnbrough off the south west coast of Ireland in March 1916

However, he was finally sunk when trying to use the tactic for the fourth time while patrolling the Bay of Biscay in HMS Dunraven.

Campbell lost the battle with UC-71 but described it as a 'fair and honest fight'.

His crew nominated him for a second VC but he wanted the men to be recognised for their service and the medal was awarded to his deputy and a petty officer gunlayer.

David Kirk of medal auctioneers Morton and Eden, described Campbell as 'one of, if not the single greatest Naval VCs of the 20th Century and is without doubt of the highest national importance.'

Alongside the VC (pictured) , Campbell's medals, which also include the Legion d'Honneur Chevalier's badge and Croix de Guerre, will go under the hammer at Morton and Eden in Mayfair, London on November 23

At just 29 years old, Campbell was given command of HMS Farnborough, a specially-converted collier dispatched to hunt down U-boats during the First World War (pictured, the ship sinking after it was torpedoed by U-83, in February 1917)

He told the Royal Navy website:'The fact that Campbell was nominated by his fellow officers for a second Victoria Cross, but out of modesty declined, places him amongst the very greatest names in British military history.'

Following his heroics in the Great War, Campbell was in charge of the battle-cruiser HMS Tiger, served as Naval aide de camp to George V, and served for four years as the MP for Burnley, representing the since dissolved National Liberal Party.

After his death in 1953, his medals were passed down to his son David and then on to the Fellowship of St John Trust Association.

Proceeds of the auction will go towards the Trust's projects in Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies and Burnley.
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More than 20,000 high-school leavers are expected to descend on Surfer's Paradise over the next few weeks to shake off the last of their exam stresses and prepare for adulthood.

And attendees at week one of Schoolies on the Gold Coast appeared to be making the most of their time out of the classroom, with crowds seen jammed in front of a stage on the beach.

Beach balls and a large unicorn inflatable were pictured flying into the air above the heaving crowd as they danced the night away.

Big smiles: School leavers were seen with bright smiles on their faces on Sunday night as they partied the night away

Rough night? One school leaver was seen being carted away in a wheelchair, though the source of their injury is not clear

Watch your head! A heaving crowd was seen in front of a makeshift stage, as they danced and threw inflatable balls in the air

Flying to the water? One oversized pool toy was also thrown above a crowd gathered away from the ocean

The makeshift moshpit area was crammed with high-school leavers dancing off the stress of their final exams

Getting in early: One school-leaver could barely contain her excitement for the night ahead and was seen dancing towards the party

Bust a move! Many were seen dancing in the streets as the week-long party raged on towards day three

Fitting in: Orange was the colour of the night, as one woman danced with what appeared to be Hare Krishnas

Some of the teenage crowd were not interested in the mosh pit available though, and chose to spend time with friends on the beach instead.

Smaller groups were seen gathering on the sand as waves crashed in on the iconic beach.

One woman appeared to be affected by strong winds, as her ponytail fell forward while she waded through the shallows on Sunday night.

Another took a break from her big night out and found comfort on the shoulder of a friend.

Taking a dip! One woman was seen avoiding the crowds and cooling off in the shallows of the ocean instead

Huddling for warmth: One woman appeared to take comfort on the shoulder of a friend on Sunday

Her idea was adopted by many others, with several smaller groups seen gathering in the more spacious sand area

A sea of people: The unicorn flotation device was a big hit with those who chose to stay in the mosh pit

While many were seen smiling and dancing with friends, the night appeared to have taken a grim turn for a small group of school-leavers.

Two people were pictured being led away from the action in handcuffs. It is not immediately clear why they had been arrested or if charges were laid.

On Saturday night, a spokesperson for Queensland Police said there were six male schoolies arrested on six offences.

The majority of these offences were for drug possession.

Agencies such as the police, the dog squad, mounted police, Red Frogs Australia and State Emergency Services will all be on hand to help out and keep patrons safe across the events.

Last year there were 62 revellers arrested in the first week of Schoolies on the Gold Coast, with 37 in 2015 and 131 in 2014, ABC reports.

Play time is over: Two people were seen being led away by police in handcuffs on Sunday night

Agencies such as the police, the dog squad, mounted police, Red Frogs Australia and State Emergency Services will all be on hand to help out and keep patrons safe across the events

Buddying up: Police on duty were making more friends than arrests on Sunday as one officer was seen smiling with a group of happy school-leavers
A former television producer has been accused of bullying Joe Orton's lover into battering him to death with a hammer - 50 years on from the playwright's gruesome murder.

Orton, who wrote a number of West End shows, was pummelled nine times round the head by his partner, Kenneth Halliwell, who then killed himself.

Nobody else's name has been tied to the brutal incident in August 1967 - on the day before Halliwell was due to be sectioned.

Joe Orton (pictured) who wrote a number of West End shows, was pummeled nine times round the head with a hammer by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell

However, another identity has now been thrown into the mix in a BBC2 documentary, with several industry insiders from the time citing an executive who was also in love with Mr Orton.

They accuse Peter Willes, who was head of drama at ITV's London production company Associated-Rediffusion and died in 1991, of 'mentally attacking' the unstable Halliwell to the point where he lost all control.

Olivier-winning actor Kenneth Cranham told Joe Orton Laid Bare: 'I think Willes almost single-handedly brought about the murder of Joe.'

Peter Willes (left), head of drama at ITV's London production company Associated-Rediffusion, of 'mentally attacking' the unstable Halliwell (right) to the point where he lost all control

'He was mentally attacking Halliwell on almost a regular basis. I mean a real undermining of Halliwell.'

Michael Codron, who produced one of Orton's most famous works, Loot, added: 'I would nominate Willes as murderer No 1 because he made no hiding of his contempt for Kenneth Halliwell and his exclusion.'

The theory has emerged from a series of tapes from Harley Street doctor Douglas Ismay, who was treating Halliwell on Willes' recommendation - some say in a deliberate bid to split up the couple.

Orton (pictured) and Halliwell had lived together for nearly 15 years, but their initially promising careers in the theatre had gone in different directions

Orton and Halliwell had lived together for nearly 15 years, but their initially promising careers in the theatre had gone in different directions.

In one of the tapes, Dr Ismay points out the scale of the murderer's mental downfall..

He says: 'Willes told me things about Halliwell which I interpreted that he needed to go into hospital.

'Halliwell certainly wasn't functioning and was in deep depression.'
Labour Brexiteer Gisela Stuart took ex-No10 spin chief Alastair Campbell to task today for siding with the EU in negotiations.

Ms Stuart lambasted the arch-Remainer for 'encouraging' European countries to punish the UK - saying he wanted a bad deal to be 'proved right'.

But Mr Campbell shot back by complaining that the government did not even have an 'agreed strategy' within Cabinet on the talks.

The bitter clashes came live on air during the BBC's Sunday Politics programme today.

Gisela Stuart lambasted arch-Remainer Alastair Campbell for 'encouraging' European countries to punish the UK as they clashed on the BBC's Sunday Politics today

Mr Campbell was challenged over why he seemed to be encouraging the EU to punish Britain in Brexit talks

Mr Campbell, Downing Street communications chief under Tony Blair, faced anger last week after he egged Ireland on over a threat to block the EU from agreeing to trade discussions before Christmas.

After Irish PM Leo Varadkar suggested he could veto progress due to a dispute over the post-Brexit border, Mr Campbell tweeted: 'Play hardball Leo!'

Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage was among those who condemned the remark, saying he was 'encouraging a foreign power to damage our interests'.

Ms Stuart, one of the leading figures in the Vote Leave campaign, accused Mr Campbell of trying to 'undo' last year's referendum because he 'didn't like' the result.

'Rather than trying to encourage other countries to undermine this country how about you and I working together to get the best deal?'

When Mr Campbell said they 'totally disagree', Ms Stuart jibed: 'You don't want the best deal.'

Mr Campbell replied: 'I could give them (the government) some advice about how to get a good deal. The first thing is you have an agreed strategy.

'Eighteen months on, they don't have that.'

Mr Campbell faced a backlash last week after he urged the Irish PM to 'play hardball' in the Brexit talks

Ms Stuart accused Mr Campbell of 'not wanting' Britain to get a good Brexit deal

Mr Campbell insisted he was on the side of the UK but was just pointing out the deficiencies in the UK's approach to Brexit

He added: 'I am not undermining the deal, I am continuing to pose questions about what they are trying to do and how they are trying to to do it... I am on the side of the UK.'

Ms Stuart took aim again after Mr Campbell accused her of being 'in bed with' Mr Farage, saying he was setting up 'straw men' and pointing out the MEP had not been involved with Vote Leave.

'Stop talking about Nigel Farage,' she said. 'Vote Leave was not Nigel Farage.'

She added: 'You want a bad deal to prove you're right.'
Selami Cokaj was kicked out of Britain in 2009 after he broken out of an Albanian jail

An Albanian murderer who broke out of prison has escaped deportation in the UK and is raking in 40,000 a year at a car wash.

Selami Cokaj arrived in the UK in 1999 but was kicked ten years later after it was revealed he had broken out of an Albanian prison while serving 20 years for murder.

At the time he was using the alias Valton Gashi and posed as a Kosovan refugee.

He was on Interpol's Most Wanted list after disappearing from jail three years into the jail term for a knife murder and armed robbery, which he began in 1994.

Several months after arriving in the UK in 1999, he had set up a car washing business and met his future wife.

His past caught up with him in 2006 and he was deported in 2009, following a three-year extradition process.

But in 2015 he managed to sneak past border control guards and lived undetected in the UK until last year.

The 43-year-old fugitive is still earning more than 40,000 a year from his car valeting business in Oadby, Leicester, using the profits to fund a lavish lifestyle in a nearby detached home.

He and his family are believed to rent their property for 1,500 a month and have a Volvo XC90 d5 worth 52,000, and a VW Beetle parked in the drive.

The 43-year-old fugitive is earning more than 40,000 a year from his car valeting business in Oadby, Leicester, using the profits to fund a lavish lifestyle in a nearby detached home

Several months after arriving in the UK in 1999, he had set up a car washing business and met his future wife

Tory MP Philip Davies said: 'It beggars belief that a convicted murderer who should have been kicked out is still here.

'I have no idea what on earth the Home Office is doing if it's not protecting the public from killers.

'It's quite extraordinary that not only is he still at large but he is continuing about his day-to-day life and making money.

'It's completely unacceptable and he should be deported straight away.'

In 2009, the head of Interpol in Tirana Pellumb Serefi, who worked to secure his extradition, said: 'Selami Cokaj is one of the most wanted people in Albania because he committed homicide and armed robbery.'

Despite his most-wanted status, under Albanian law too much time had passed since his original sentence and he was freed in 2012.

Cokaj snuck past border guards using his real name to return to the UK sometime before August 2015, when according to Companies House he incorporated his first business Sela and Sons Consulting.

This is despite rules that bar any foreign nationals who serve more than four years in jail coming to the UK.

He began the second, Senture Ltd, a busy car valeting service in Leicester, in November last year. Both businesses are also registered under the name Selami Cokaj.

He and his family are believed to rent their Leicester property for 1,500 a month and have a Volvo XC90 d5 worth 52,000, and a VW Beetle parked in the drive

Selami Cokaj is pictured here outside his home in Oadby, Leicester

Despite his most-wanted status, under Albanian law too much time had passed since his original sentence and he was freed in 2012

But neighbours in the quiet street just two miles from the car wash cannot believe he is still living freely.

One said: 'We only knew his background following the stories in February.

'It was scary at the time to think a murderer was living openly on our street.

'But it is incredible to think all these months on that the government have done nothing about him.

'At the very least, you'd think the Border Police would be around here putting some restrictions on his movements.'

Cokaj snuck past border guards using his real name to return to the UK sometime before August 2015

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are aware of Selami Cokaj and are currently seeking his deportation.

'We are unable to comment on any specific difficulties, and have no further updates at this time.'

When he was confronted about his past at the home yesterday, Cokaj refused to comment on whether the Home Office had contacted him.

He said: 'I have nothing to say. Go away.'
The tyrants wife Grace is being held in secret detention facilities by the rebels she had threatened to crush, it was revealed last night.

Grace Mugabes whereabouts had been shrouded in mystery since the coup  from reports that she had fled to neighbouring Namibia, to claims she had been living with her husband.

But Grace was taken away not long after her husbands generals wrested power from him. Since then, she has been held alone at detention facilities at military bases dotted around the country  torture centres created by her husband to enable his feared state security to disappear people.

Grace Mugabe, 53, the wife of deposed Zimbabwean dictator Robert (pictured together last week), is being held in secret detention facilities by the rebels she had threatened to crush

It is not clear what will happen to Mrs Mugabe, dubbed Gucci Grace because of her love of spending sprees (pictured in Paris in 2003), now her husband has agreed to resign

Grace, 52, who Mugabe married in 1996 after spotting her in a government typing pool while his first wife Sally had terminal cancer, is being moved every two days.

This is to ensure that rumours do not spread about where she is being held, preventing any Mugabe loyalists from trying to free her  as well as ensuring that there is no rallying point for any supporters.

She was a bad influence on Mugabe while he was in power, and was a bad influence on him when we tried to negotiate a deal with him to stand down, one military official told the Daily Mail last night. She was taken away both to prevent them colluding and conspiring, and to isolate her husband further.

The official added: Its best she is taken out of the picture and forgotten about for now  we will decide what to do with her later. She is a very rich lady and at some point we will want to find out all about how she made that money.

Dubbed Gucci Grace because of her lavish spending sprees while her countrymen starved, she has been removed from her post as head of the Zanu-PF Womens League forever and expelled from the party itself.

It is unclear whether Grace will also be prosecuted, and it is understood that Mugabe demanded guarantees over her safety in his negotiations with the military.

It was Grace's hunger for power and her desire to replace her husband as Zimbabwe's ruler that ultimately led to him being deposed

It was Grace who demanded the removal of Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured together last year) on charges of disloyalty after she was booed at a rally

Reuters also reported that Mugabe is trying to guarantee the safety of his two sons with Grace, Chatunga and Robert Jr., who are currently living in South Africa.

On Sunday Chatunga posted a defiant status on Facebook hours before his father resigned. He wrote: You can't fire a Revolutionary leader!

'Zanu Pf is nothing without President Mugabe. Gushungo will always remain the champion of champions! Proud of you Gushungo Proud of Dad. Gushungo always and forever to death!'

Little is known about the whereabouts of Chatunga and Robert, who are notorious for posting videos of their lavish party-hard lifestyle on social media, but have been notably quiet since the takeover began.

Grace's downfall began on November 3 at a rally in Bulawayo when she was booed, telling the crowd: 'Go ahead, I don't care, I am powerful.'

Two days later Mr Mnangagwa was sacked, accused of orchestrating the unrest, and four of his supporters were arrested.

He fled to South Africa and remained there for 10 days before returning at the head of a column of tanks in Harare, where he took power for himself.

The location and fate of Chatunga and Robert Jr, Grace's sons with Mugabe, is also not clear. The pair were living in South Africa before their father was deposed, and Chatunga posted this statement on Facebook on Sunday

Grace married Robert Mugabe in 1996 in a 600,000 ceremony, and her lifestyle only grew more extravagant from there, spending a reported 2million on luxuries in 2014

Before being ousted, Grace was known as the First Lady Of Shopping, had splashed 3million on her daughter's wedding, bought luxury homes around the world and recently paid 300,000 for a Rolls-Royce.

During one shopping spree in Paris in 2002, she managed to spend 120,000.

Grace, a former chicken seller, began an affair with Robert Mugabe while working as one of his typists and while his first wife, Sally, was terminally ill.

Mugabe's marriage to Grace in 1996, dubbed the 'Wedding of the Century' in Zimbabwe, was an extravagant Catholic affair.

Each decade of the old dictator's life was marked with ever more expensive partying  his 90th year being marked by a celebration costing 600,000.

By 2014 her spending on luxury goods was running at 2million a year.

That year's shopping list included 12 diamond rings, 62 pairs of Ferragamo shoes, 33 pairs made by Gucci and an 80,000 Rolex watch.

After one trip to London, where she stayed in a suite at Claridge's, Mrs Mugabe was asked how she could justify spending so much on designer shoes.

'I have very narrow feet, so I can only wear Ferragamo,' came the reply.
Paul Manafort allegedly paid a renovation company millions of dollars more than what the estimated cost of the work should have come to on two of his New York homes, according to a new report.

The former Donald Trump campaign chair was recently indicted in the US on money laundering charges and other counts after he was accused of stashing millions in foreign tax havens to fund his 'lavish lifestyle'.

Now the money he spent renovating his homes in Brooklyn and the Hamptons has been scrutinized after Bloomberg, citing public records, reported that the cash flow just doesn't add up.

Money that Paul Manafort spent renovating two homes in New York has been scrutinized after Bloomberg , citing public records, reported that the cash flow just doesn't add up

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's indictment showed that a Hamptons-based company was paid $5.4 million in wire transfers from Cyprus in 71 different payments.

But Bloomberg reports that building permits and estimates from Manafort's contractor came in at $1.2 million.

The indictment lists a company only referred to in the court filings as 'Vendor A, Home Improvement Company in the Hamptons, New York'.

According to building permits, a company called SP & C Home Improvement - which is based in Southampton - is listed as the contractor on the two properties owned by Manafort.

Permits for SP & C's renovations in the Hamptons estimated the work would cost $687,000, while the Brooklyn work was estimated to come in at $527,900.

While it isn't clear whether SP & C actually carried out the work, Bloomberg points out the figures are more than $4 million less than what Vendor A, as detailed in the indictment, was paid.

Building permits for Manafort's home in the Hamptons (above) estimated the work would cost $687,000. The indictment against Manafort showed that a Hamptons-based company was paid $5.4 million in wire transfers

Permits for SP & C's renovations on Manafort's Brooklyn home (above) was estimated to come in at $527,900. The figures are more than $4 million less than what the vendor detailed in the indictment was paid

SP & C refused to comment and Manafort's spokesman only said his client had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Mueller's indictment, which was unsealed in October, says Manafort relied on $18 million in 'laundered' funds to live his lavish lifestyle.

The indictment charges Manafort stashed millions in foreign tax havens including Cyprus, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, and the Seychelles.

Then, Manafort relied on those hidden offshore to purchase properties, and borrowed on the the properties 'to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States, without paying taxes on that income.'

He 'spent millions of dollars on luxury goods and services for himself and his extended family through payments wired from offshore nominee accounts to United States vendors,' according to the indictment, which only lays out some of the loot.

Manafort faces losing it all as his assets are seized and a maximum potential sentence of 80 years in prison if he is found guilty.
In exchange for pleading guilty to child sex trafficking, Ralph Shortey hopes to avoid a longer sentence and three child pornography charges against him will be dropped

A former Oklahoma state senator and senior member of Trump's campaign team has agreed to plead guilty of child sex trafficking after offering to pay a teenage boy for 'sex stuff' last year.

In exchange for pleading guilty, Ralph Shortey hopes to avoid a longer sentence and three child pornography charges against him will be dropped.

His jury trial was set to start December 5 in Oklahoma City federal court, but he has instead agreed to submit his guilty plea on November 30, according to News OK.

The 35-year-old Republican will be required to serve at least 10 years in prison, which is the minimum sentence for child sex trafficking. The maximum sentence would be life in prison.

When making the decision on Monday, he wrote in plea paperwork that it is in the 'best interest' for him and for his family.

He is still married to his high school sweetheart, Jennifer Shortey, and has four daughters with her.

Shortey was first elected to his seat in the Oklahoma senate in 2010 and was known for offbeat legislative proposals. He also considered himself to have 'family values' and is reported to have targeted gay and transgender people with his legislative proposals, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier this year he passed a law which allows business owners to discriminate against LGBT people, citing freedom of religion. He also staunchly opposes abortion, and in 2012 tried to introduce a bill which would make it illegal to use aborted fetuses in food. It was widely ridiculed.

He resigned on March 22 after it came to light that he had propositioned a young man and offered to pay him for sex.

Shortey was also a senior member of the Trump campaign team. He is pictured with Donald Trump Jr

The 35-year-old Republican will be required to serve at least 10 years in prison, which is the minimum sentence for child sex trafficking. The maximum sentence would be life in prison. He is pictured with his wife, Jennifer Shortey, who he is still married to

Shortey was first arrested March 9 when police found him in a motel with a 17-year-old boy. He had a box of opened condoms in his bag and had propositioned the boy for paid sex. He is pictured on February 29, just 10 days before the incident

He was first investigated by Moore city police and later by the FBI after he was found with the teen around 1am on March 9 at a Super 8 Motel.

The boy's girlfriend followed them there after watching Shortey pick him up. She then called his father, and his father notified police, according to News OK.

Police said the then-senator and the boy had a conversation about sex on the messaging app Kik before meeting. The conversation became sexually graphic after the teenager told Shortey that he needed money 'for spring break.'

'I don't really have any legitimate things I need help with right now. Would you be interested in "sexual" stuff?' police said Shortey asked the teen. The victim then replied 'Yes.'

Police said that when they arrived at the house they found an open box of condoms in Shortey's backpack and a bottle of lotion in the victim's. Both beds were unmade.

The teen then told police that he and Shortey 'intended to have sexual contact and that they had agreed Shortey would pay him for the contact,' an FBI agent wrote in a court affidavit, according to News OK.

The teen then told police that he and Shortey 'intended to have sexual contact and that they had agreed Shortey would pay him for the contact,' an FBI agent wrote in a court affidavit, according to News OK

The two met a year before this encounter through an ad on Craigslist.

When the FBI began their investigation into Shortey they uncovered a secret life of his.

The agency reported that he used fake names to post ads on Craigslist looking for sex with young men and on an email account he used to send and receive pornography.

'Shortey used those pseudonyms almost exclusively for illicit and illegal sexual interests or encounters, several of which included communications and exchanges of pornography with underage males, and/or the sharing of child pornography,' an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit, according to News OK.

Shortey was indicted in September and accused of child sex trafficking.

He was also accused in one of the child pornography counts of persuading that same teenager to send him explicit photographs in 2016.

In the other child pornography counts he was accused of sending sexual videos to two people in 2013.

The defense attorney, Ed Blau, decided to negotiate a plea agreement after looking at all of the evidence.

It calls for federal prosecutors to ask the judge during sentencing to dismiss the child pornography charges, and says he won't be prosecuted again for any related charges from October 2013 through March 9, 2017.

Shortey initially also faced a child prostitution charge in Cleveland County District court,but it was dismissed when his case was brought to federal court.
Robert Sampson, 63, was found with a head injury and a stab wound in Worcester, in the West Midlands on Thursday. He was allegedly murdered by his own son Daryl Sampson, 28

An elderly man was allegedly stabbed to death in the middle of a busy street by his own son.

Robert Sampson, 63, was found with a head injury and a stab wound in Worcester, in the West Midlands on Thursday.

Police and ambulance crews dashed to the scene at 11pm on Thursday to reports of a man being knifed in the upmarket residential area of Norton.

He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead at 12.31am on Friday - his family have confirmed his identity.

Daryl Sampson, 28, believed to be Mr Sampson's son, was arrested after police attended a report of an assault taking place and has been charged with murder.

He remains in custody having appeared at Worcester Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning and will reappear in court on Monday.

Police are awaiting formal identification of the victim and will confirm identity once this has taken place.

Superintendent Stacey Williamson, of West Mercia Police, said: 'This attack happened in the middle of the street and was witnessed by a number of people.

'Police were quickly on the scene and arrested a man close by who is now in police custody.

'At this stage we believe the suspect and the victim were known to each other.

'Our investigations will go on throughout the day and we'd appeal for anyone with information to contact us.

'We will have extra officers in the area throughout the day to provide reassurance to the community.'

Eyewitness Daniel Wheeler, 37, told of how he saw a seriously injured man gasping for air in the street.

He said: 'I was walking my dogs when I heard loud shouting. I saw a bloke flat out in the road. He had a massive gash across his head.

'His chest was going up and down and he was gasping for air but he was motionless.

'My first thing was to phone an ambulance.

'Cars had started to stop. There was other people assisting as well.'

He added that police arrived within five minutes of his phone call and paramedics were on the scene at around 11.10pm.

Police and ambulance crews dashed to the scene at 11pm on Thursday to reports of a man being knifed in the upmarket residential area of Norton. He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead at 12.31am on Friday (Crookbarrow road, Norton, where Mr Sampson was found)

Mr Wheeler, a factory worker who moved to the area in 2013, said: 'I'm from Birmingham. I expect it in Birmingham but not in Worcester.'

Local residents expressed their sadness at the news on social media.

Emmy Lou said on Facebook: 'Such sad news. [He] was a lovely next door neighbour.'

Hayley McDonald added: 'I am so shocked to see that it's you Bob, I had the short pleasure of working with you for a few days. May you RIP.'
Saranjeet Bassi, 29, was on his way home to Scotland after visiting his new-born baby in India when he sexually assaulted a mother-of-two travelling with her two young children. He is pictured outside Isleworth Crown Court

A drunken plane passenger groped a woman's breast after leaning through the gap in the seats, leaving her 'feeling sick and violated'.

Saranjeet Bassi, 29, was on his way home to Scotland after visiting his new-born baby in India when he sexually assaulted a mother-of-two travelling with her two young children.

Describing what happened on the Qatar Airways flight to Heathrow, the victim said: 'I feel what he did was sexual, the grabbing of my boob.

'I have a mix of emotions, I was angry and wanted him off the flight.

'I was with my kids and it makes me feel sick and violated. He took advantage and I don't want him to do this to anyone else.'

The father-of-two was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman on December 12 last year.

This week he avoided jail and was sentenced to a two-year community order, 200 hours community service and ordered to pay 1,000 in court costs.

He must also attend at least 100 days of a probation-service ordered rehabilitation activity requirement, which includes an alcohol treatment programme.

The court heard he turned to alcohol after his mother Gurmit, 52, was found guilty of murdering his father's new pregnant girlfriend in 1998.

He was placed in psychiatric wards as a child and was 'bullied and taunted' growing up, the court heard.

Isleworth Crown Court also heard he was convicted of exposing himself in 2014 after he was caught masturbating in front of two women.

Matthew Pardoe, defending, said: 'Alcohol seems to have played a part and this was a consequence of having consumed too much and the abuse of alcohol that has played a part in his life up until now.

'He is not a daily drinker, but a binge drinker and now says he has stopped completely.

'He is very scared about the prospect of going to prison.

'It was a journey both to see his new-born child, who is under one-year-old and to secure that child a British passport.

The victim told the jury: 'I felt him putting his hand through the gap in the seats and he grabbed my right breast.

The 29-year-old father-of-two was arrested at Heathrow (pictured) when the plane touched down

'On a scale of one to ten it was a five. It was not painful, but it was definitely felt.'

She said Bassi began playing with her eighteen month-old son between the seats just twenty minutes after taking off.

'He said: "What a cute child, can I offer him a sweet?" I said: "No" because I could smell alcohol on his breath and did not want anything to do with him.

'It was quite strong. I could smell it on his breath even when not talking to him.'

The woman, who was also travelling with her seven year-old, told the jury she confronted Bassi after being groped.

'I stood up immediately and said: "Excuse me, that's not called for" and gave him a look of disgust and he just stared at me.'

She complained to cabin crew, but Bassi refused to move, later telling police to do so would be an admission of wrongdoing.

Because she was in a baby seat with a cot the mother had to remain where she was.

She added: 'I was helpless, upset, I couldn't do anything about it and had no chance, but to sit there.'

'Two hours later she felt further contact from Bassi, she said. 'I felt a foot rubbing my foot under the seat.'

Isleworth Crown Court (pictured) heard he was bullied as a child and turned to drink after his mother was convicting of murdering his father's new pregnant girlfriend in 1998

Again she complained to the flight crew and the defendant again refused to budge.

She added: 'When he was asked to move he became quite rude and aggressive and said he had not done anything wrong and had been asleep all the time.

'I was humiliated, embarrassed and very upset.'

He was arrested at Heathrow when the plane touched down.

Recorder Stephen Bellamy-James QC told Bassi: 'It would be more impressive if he was going to Alcoholics Anonymous and going through the twelve steps.

'This is a pretty bizarre case in any event.

'The alcohol problem he's got not only disinhibits him, but makes him unaware of what he's doing.

'If he is not careful he is going to end up in custody for a long time.

'It is a strange and bizarre incident that I accept has caused upset and trauma to the victim on the plane.'

The judge told Bassi: 'You drank quite a lot of alcohol, probably doubles, on the plane from India to Doha and then more while waiting for your connecting flight.

'You had a troubled upbringing and were placed in psychiatric wards and foster care by your mother and you were taunted and bullied in childhood.

'You took to drinking as a teenager to cope with the problems of your childhood.

'You do need help with your alcohol addiction and mental health. You have a last opportunity to try and reform your behaviour and conduct.'

Bassi was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.
A commuter in Long Island posted a photo on Twitter Saturday of a driver sitting in a car dangling halfway off Long Island Rail Road platform in New York.

The photo, which was shared by Ben Vimont, shows a gray sedan hanging off the edge while commuters are just gathered around the platform around 5 p.m.

He captioned the photo: ' Car jumped the platform at Mineola just before 5 tonight. #lirr.'

A 'confused' driver ended up driving onto a train station platform in Long Island and dangling over the tracks

Authorities at the scene described the driver as 'confused' after emergency responders removed the individual from the car.

Long Island Rail Road and Nassau County police confirmed no one was injured on the platform and the driver wasn't arrested, according to Newsday.

The train services are now back on schedule after several journeys were delayed because of the incident.

'Ive had confused drivers before, and it happens. They go into buildings or drive into the canals. But I havent really seen one drive onto the platform before,' a police officer from the scene said.

A spokesman from Long Island Rail Road said the platform is at street level but he unsure as to how the driver went so off course.

In a statement the railroad said: 'All tracks are operational and trains are on the move. There is no damage to the platform and the circumstances regarding this incident are under investigation.'
Robert Mugabe's son posted a defiant message on social media on Sunday before his dictator father refused to release his grip on power.

Chatunga Bellamine Mugabe, Robert's eldest son by second wife Grace, wrote on Facebook: 'You can't fire a Revolutionary leader! Zanu PF is nothing without President Mugabe.'

Using the name of Mugabe's clan, he added: 'Gushungo will always remain the champion of champions!

Chatunga Mugabe, dictator Robert's first son with wife Grace, posted this defiant message online on Sunday before his father refused to step down

Chatunga (right, with a friend) had been living in South Africa with brother Robert Jr before the military seized power, and has not been seen in public since

'Proud of you Gushungo. Proud of Dad. Gushungo always and forever to death.'

Robert Mugabe, 93, had been widely expected to resign on Sunday night as he gave a speech from the capital Harare, but sensationally failed to do so.

Surrounded by a cabal of generals who have been keeping him under house arrest, the 93-year-old instead vowed to clean up tensions within the party himself.

He announced a party conference would take place within the coming weeks and vowed to preside over it, despite being removed as party leader earlier in the day.

Robert Mugabe was widely expected to resign during a speech in Harare on Sunday night but instead vowed to fix tensions within the Zanu PF party himself

Watched by a cabal of generals who have been keeping him under house arrest, Mugabe vowed to hold a part conference in the coming weeks and preside over it

Military officials say plans to impeach Mugabe will now go ahead on Monday.

It is not known where Chatunga Mugabe currently is, or whether he had advanced knowledge of his father's plans.

Chatunga and his brother Robert Jr had been living in South Africa before the military seized power earlier this week. They have not been seen in public since.

Their mother Grace, whose grab for power prompted the turmoil that is currently gripping Zimbabwe, has also been hidden from the public eye.

It is believed she is under house arrest in Harare, but this has not been verified.

Chatunga is well-known on social media for videos of his party-hard lifestyle. Last week he filmed himself pouring 200 champagne over a 45,000 watch

Her future, like that of her husband, is also in doubt amid reports that several high-ranking political allies have been kicked out of the party and may face prosecution.

It is unclear if she will face court alongside them, and it is understood that Mugabe has been demanding guarantees over the safety of his wife and sons during his negotiations with the military.

Chatunga and Robert Jr are known for their party-hard lifestyle funded by their father's money which they regularly flaunt on social media.

Last week Chatunga uploaded a video to Instagram showing himself pouring two bottles of 200 champagne over a 45,000 watch while out clubbing, while his fellow countrymen struggle to make ends meet.
Salim Mehajer has been arrested overnight and charged with breaching an AVO preventing him from seeing his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth.

The 31-year-old is believed to have been arrested following a car crash with Ms Learmonth's friend in Kingsgrove at 1am, according to 7News.

No one was injured but Mehajer spent the night inside a jail cell at Campsie Police Station with a 'blanket' to keep him warm, sources revealed.

He has been charged with two counts of breaching an apprehended violence order and one count of dangerous driving, a police spokeswoman said.

A witness has claimed he was awoken by the crash and heard an angry man threatening to hurt someone.

'We got woken up to what was a collision on the roundabout. There was a guy being very aggressive in the car, cursing, swearing, wanting to  saying he was going to hurt somebody,' witness Carlos ramos told 9News.

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Salim Mehajer has been arrested in Sydney overnight and charged with breaching an AVO preventing him from seeing his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth (pictured together in 2015)

Mehajer tied the knot with Ms Learmonth (pictured on wedding day together) in August 2015, in a so-called 'wedding of the century'. It's is believed their marriage imploded less than a year later

Mehajer's bail has been refused. He is expected to appear at the Burwood Local Court later today.

Last week, Mehajer claimed in court that he and Ms Learmonth are still together - and their separation was nothing but a ruse.

Appearing in Sydney's Central Local Court on Thursday to appeal his bail conditions, Mehajer was under cross-examination, and therefore under oath, when he made the claim, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'She wants to get out of the media and she acts like she is not with me but she is with me. We are not [separated] - we are still together, we are talking,' he said.

The news comes just one day after the disgraced former Auburn mayor's younger sister Aisha married John Ibrahim's nephew Sam on Saturday at the same home where Ibrahim's bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' was shot in the back hours earlier.

Many of her prominent family members, including Mehajer and his parents, were not in attendance.

Mehajer and Aysha's marriage is believed to have imploded less than a year after their August 2015 'wedding of the century' that shut down a Sydney street.

Ms Learmonth reportedly packed her bags and left their mansion in Lidcombe, western Sydney, to stay with family in the NSW Illawarra region.

Mehajer faced Sutherland Court in August for an AVO filed by police on behalf of Aysha, which was extended this month.

The order was the second he had faced, after first facing court for an AVO hearing in July 2016, when police prevented him from contacting or approaching his estranged wife following a confrontation at her sister's Wollongong home.

As a result of the court orders, Mehajer is not allowed to contact Ms Learmonth.

The property developer said in court though that he is 'not too familiar with the AVOs'.

The news comes just one day after the disgraced former Auburn mayor's younger sister Aisha married John Ibrahim's nephew Sam (pictured together) on Saturday

Mehajer (pictured) told a Sydney court the pair are still married and still in contact. An AVO prohibits him from contacting Ms Learmonth

The pair are pictured attending a court hearing in 2015 after Mehajer was given penalty notices for allegedly driving an unregistered Ferrari without a licence

Mehajer told the court he was 'not too familiar with the AVOs' before claiming the pair were still together

'All I know is that we do talk and we are still married,' he said.

Last year, Mehajer threatened to rape Aysha's parents in a vicious and expletive-ridden video message.

The shocking video obtained by Channel Nine's A Current Affair shows the embattled property developer screaming into the camera.

'Aysha you've got five minutes to give me a call,' Mehajer says.

'I'm going to rape your mum. Your mum and your f****** dad'.

The videos were reportedly sent after the former beauty therapist moved out of the couple's marital home earlier this year and refused to talk to him.

Mehajer was under cross-examination as he tried to appeal his bail conditions when he made the eyebrow-raising claim

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly has been released by the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki, as Aisha and Sam sign their marriage certificate. Mehajer and his parents were not in attendance

'I hope you die you f****** sl**,' he screams, his voice cracking from the exertion.

Mehajer also switches briefly to Arabic in the short clip.

'I swear on the Koran, I swear to God, I'm not leaving today,' he says.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old shared a photograph of what appears to be another woman to his Instagram account.

The woman's face was blocked by a monkey sticker, and a marking on her wrist was blurred out.

Underneath the image, he posted a line of red love hearts.

When Ms Learmonth was asked by Daily Mail Australia in March to clarify if she and Mehajer were still together, Ms Learmonth replied: 'No confusion, thanks.'

She was seen at the time celebrating her birthday with family in Sydney. Mehajer was not present.

On Sunday, Mehajer shared a picture of a woman with her face covered and a mark on her wrist blurred out (pictured)
Dr. Ricardo Cruciani, a Philadelphia neurologist, 63, is being accused by at least 17 women of unwanted touching, kissing and overall sexual misconduct

A Philadelphia neurologist, 63, is being accused of sexual misconduct by 17 women.

Dr. Ricardo Cruciani, who has already been charged with groping patients at a Philadelphia clinic, is being accused of preying on vulnerable female patients and taking advantage of their mental state.

The women from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey who have stepped forward to accuse the doctor claim this dates back to at least a dozen years.

The women said they felt they had no choice but to continue to see the specialized neurologist who is qualified in rare, complicated syndromes that produce debilitating pain.

They admitted they knew Cruciani, the former chairman of the neurology department at Philadelphias Drexel University, was taking advantage of their desperation.

Former patient Hillary Tullin, a former network news producer for ABC and CBS, said: 'These hospitals created this perfect storm of opportunity for him to victimize so many patients. The system failed.'

A Philadelphia police affidavit said Cruciani, assaulted seven patients in 2016. The women, ages 31 to 55, described unwanted touching and kissing.

One patient in particular said Cruciani tried to force her to touch his genitals and then masturbated in front of her.

Drexel fired him in March after an internal investigation and now Cruciani is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on misdemeanor charges that include indecent assault.

Pictured here is Drexel University where Cruciani was fired from in March after an internal investigation

'Given that these are ongoing matters, we cannot comment because it could prejudice the proceedings. We will do our talking in court,' his lawyer, Linda Dale Hoffa said.

A 55-year-old former patient says Cruciani sexually abused her for years when he worked at Capital Health Medical Center from 2014 to 2016.

Hopewell police and the Mercer County prosecutors office did in fact confirm Cruciani is under investigation there but refused to give any more details.

Cruciani, who has been charged with groping patients at a Philadelphia clinic, is pictured here in a profile photo on MD.com

However, Dennis Dooley, vice president at Capital Health, said Capital received no complaints of sexual misconduct by Cruciani while he worked there.

Tullin, 45, began seeing Cruciani in 2002 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan as she was suffering from chronic pain that made it feel like her body was on fire.

She said three years later at an appointment in 2005 Cruciani grabbed her face and jammed his tongue down her throat, who recalled uttering an expletive and fleeing.

She avoided going back for a couple weeks. Eventually, though, she returned, feeling she had no choice because Cruciani was one of the very few doctors who could treat her.

'You have nowhere else to go, and you know that and he knows that,' said Tullin.

She says Cruciani apologized, however she recalled at least a dozen later instances of escalating abuse while she was his patient at Beth Israel, Capital and Drexel.

Tullin said that Cruciani touched her breasts and genitals, and that she performed oral sex on him at his request and he performed it on her.

'There was nothing consensual about it,' Tullin said. 'When youre being held in a locked office with someone for three hours, and you know that that person holds your health in his hands, you make a decision.'

Cruciani was the former chairman of the neurology department at Philadelphias Drexel University, pictured above

'And my decision was that I wanted to be able to walk again, I wanted to be able to use my arms and legs.'

A 55-year-old patient of his also revealed she was subjected to sexual advnaces during long appointments.

She said he put his fingers in her vagina and asked her for oral sex, which she said she felt obliged to provide.

'I felt so trapped,' said the woman, who lives in Dutchess County, New York.

'This was a man who really knew about a rare condition that I had. I couldnt find anyone else with his level of knowledge or understanding, and he had my health and my medications over my head. I did what I did to survive.'

Authorities in New York were aware of an allegation against Cruciani at least as far back as 2013, when a 37-year-old woman told police he tried to kiss and grope her and get her to touch his genitals.

New York City police closed the case without charging Cruciani. The report did not say why.
A spokesperson for Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that 'no' the embattled senator would not resign over allegations that he fondled and kissed a woman without her permission 11 years ago.

'He is spending time with his family in Washington, D.C., and will be through the Thanksgiving holiday,' the aide told the newspaper. 'And he's doing a lot of reflecting.'

On Thursday, Franken became the latest high-profile man whose career is now in jeopardy over bad behavior with a woman.

Radio host Leeann Tweeden said in 2006, when performing alongside Franken at a traveling USO tour, the then-comedian grabbed her breasts without her permission when Tweeden was sleeping and kissed her against her will.

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A spokesperson for Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, said he would not resign and is spending Thanksgiving with his family in Washington, D.C., where he'll be doing 'a lot of reflecting'

Sen. Al Franken (left) groped the breasts of radio personality Leeann Tweeden (right), who wrote a first person account of her experience with Franken earlier this week

Sen. Al Franken (left) is seen in 2006 on a USO tour in which he kissed and groped Leeann Tweeden (right) against her will, she alleged

'I felt disgusted and violated,' she wrote on the website of her talk radio program.

Franken's initial statement noted that he did not remember the USO skit happening that way.

A second statement was more apologetic, as Franken that he would cooperate in a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his behavior.

Tweeden, for her part, accepted Franken's apology and said she didn't wish for him to step down.

The Franken news came as the future of another Senate seat is in question, rocked by allegations against Republican nominee Roy Moore.

Numerous women have come forward and said Moore preyed on them as teenagers, with some victims saying he attempted to rape them or accused him or sexual assault.

Now, the Alabama Senate seat that was a shoe-in for a Republican candidate, could be in jeopardy with Democrat Doug Jones gaining ground.

At the same time on the Hill, Rep. Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, has made sexual harassment on Capitol Hill one of her foremost agenda items.

On Face the Nation on Sunday, she warned that sexual harassment in Congress is the worse than it's ever been.

'It's worse in part because we have a system in place that allows for the harasser to go unchecked, doesn't pay for the settlement himself and is never identified,' she told CBS News' John Dickerson.

'The Office of Compliance, to which victims must apply or complain, is a place that has really been an enabler of sexual harassment for these many years because of the way it's constructed,' Speier said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today she would prefer new elections to leading a minority government after talks about forming a three-way coalition collapsed overnight.

She said her plans do not include being chancellor in a minority government and she also claimed she would not be 'dependent' on the far-right AfD party.

Merkel's attempt to build a coalition of her conservatives and two smaller parties collapsed on Sunday.

Her partners in the outgoing government, the center-left Social Democrats, insisted on Monday that they won't renew the alliance after Merkel hemorrhaged support to the far-right following her policy of welcoming a million migrants to the country in 2015.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pictured today after her three-way coalition talks collapsed

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (centre) of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leaves after a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (not in the picture) at the seat of the German President, today

Germany could be facing a snap election as Angela Merkel's Conservative union failed to form a coalition with another two parties, clashing on migration and climate change

The collapse of talks has thrown Merkel's future into doubt and a poll in one German newspaper found 61.4 percent saying the failure of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor

Merkel told ARD television in an interview which will be aired this evening: 'I don't have a minority government in my plans....I don't want to say never today, but I am very skeptical and I think that new elections would then be the better way.

'My point of view is that new elections would be the better path.'

After, in a meeting with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, she said her plans did not include her being chancellor in a minority government.

President Steinmeier said Germany faced its worst governing crisis since the Nazis were in power and urged all parties 'to serve our country' and try to form a government.

'Inside our country, but also outside, in particular in our European neighbourhood, there would be concern and a lack of understanding if politicians in the biggest and economically strongest country (in Europe) did not live up to their responsibilities,' he said.

Her future remains in jeopardy after the collapse of talks to form a new government.

A poll by the Die Welt newspaper found 61.4 percent saying the failure of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor.

Only 31.5 percent thought otherwise.

The woman who has led the economic powerhouse of Europe for 12 years has little time on her side to form an administration after the negotiations on Sunday ended in failure.

Germany could be facing a snap election in the new year after the pro-business liberal Free Democratic Party walked out on the meeting with Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and The Green Party.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, leaves Bellevue Palace after a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

FDP leader Christian Lindner said there was no 'basis of trust' to forge a government, adding: 'It is better not to govern than to govern badly. The parties do not share a common vision on modernizing Germany.'

News magazine Der Spiegel called the breakdown in negotiations a 'catastrophe' for Merkel and said Germany was having its 'Brexit moment, its Trump moment'.

Top-selling newspaper Bild said a failure to forge a coalition put 'her chancellorship in danger'.

Eight weeks ago Merkel's CDU conservatives emerged as the winner of the general election - but only just.

Her former partners in power, the centre left SPD, said it would not form a new administration with her. That left her seeking to build a coalition with the Green Party and the FDP.

But on Sunday night this so called 'Jamaica coalition' - named after the party colours which feature on the flag of the Caribbean nation - seemed doomed after the FDP walked out on the negotiations after weeks of wrangling.

Merkel may attempt to woo the centre left SPD party back but it is unlikely to acquiesce, seeing its role now in opposition to her.

The party's general secretary, Hubertus Heil, said Monday that the party's position 'is known' and said party leaders will now consider how to proceed.

He didn't elaborate ahead of a planned appearance by party leader Martin Schulz Monday afternoon.

One main sticking point in the negotiations was immigration. Merkel's decision to allow unlimited access to Germany by refugees fleeing war and terror helped slash her party's majority and propel the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) into parliament.

Voicing regret for the FDP's decision, Merkel vowed to steer Germany through the crisis

The CDU, and it's sister party in Bavaria the CSU, agreed on a cap of around 200,000 a year.

But The Greens reject such a limit and are pushing for a resumption of family reunions for those who have been granted temporary refuge in Germany - meaning tens of thousands more asylum seekers would arrive annually.

They also reject a demand from the other parties to declare the North African nations of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia 'safe countries of origin', and effectively stop all asylum applications from them.

The Greens also want more coal power plants shut down and more money invested in renewable energy along with a commitment to entirely phase out internal combustion cars altogether.

There are divisions too about the EU, financing it and reforming it. The FDP opposes any measures that would lead to the pooling of debt or the transfer of German cash to other troubled economies, like Greece or Italy.

The FDP also wants to end the 'temporary' Solidarity Tax brought in after the collapse of the Iron Curtain to build up decrepit East Germany which is still being gathered. The Greens want to keep it.

With such sticking points observers believe Merkel has little choice but to go to the polls again.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has failed to reach an agreement with the Free Democrat Party and the German Greens. Her Christian Democrat Union alliance with the Christian Social Union is trying to reach out to the other two parties to make a four-party coalition. She is pictured with Volker Kauder, leader of CDU/CSU faction

Mrs Merkel is pictured arriving at talks with the Free Democrat and Green Party in Berlin yesterday

SPD vice-president Ralf Stegner made it clear via Twitter: 'The situation for the SPD will not change as a result of the collapse of the coalition talks.' And she has vowed not to do any deals with the AfD.

A possible coalition between the CDU, with Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union, and the FDP would lack 29 seats for a majority in parliament, and a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the Greens would lack 42 seats.

Merkel will met President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday to brief him on the negotiations and discuss what comes next.

A poll published the following day showed a new election would secure roughly the same result as September's and benefit the Greens most.

The Forsa survey predicted Merkels conservatives would get 31 percent, the SPD 21 per cent, the Greens and the AfD both 12 per cent, the FDP 10 per cent and the Left party 9 per cent if the Germans voted on Sunday.

In the September election result, 32.9 per cent went to the conservatives, 20.5 per cent to the SPD, 12.6 per cent to AfD, 10.7 per cent to FDP, 9.2 per cent to the Left party and 8.9 per cent to the Greens.

Meanwhile, Germany's main business group is calling on the country's mainstream political parties to show responsibility and make compromises after the failure of coalition talks.

The head of the Federation of German Industries, or BDI, said Monday that 'economic stability needs political stability.'

Chairman of the Free Democrat Party Christian Lindner (pictured) is concerned what Green Party plans to end coal use would do the country's economy. He also wants a cap on the number of refugees allowed into Germany

Dieter Kempf said that German industry faces 'enormous challenges' despite the country's good current economic situation.

European leaders have reacted to the news of the collapsed talks.

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns about the collapse of negotiations to form a coalition government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany.

Speaking in Paris on Monday, Macron said 'it's not in our interest for it to get tense.'

Macron said he had spoken to Merkel Sunday night and believed that the declarations of pro-business FDP President Christian Lindner 'were quite hard.'

The Netherlands' foreign minister says new elections in Germany, the European Union's most populous member, would be 'the worst scenario.'

Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra said in Brussels Monday that 'Germany is a very important country in Europe and thus it will become difficult to take important decisions in Brussels.'

Zijlstra noted that it took the Netherlands seven months to form a new government after an election earlier this year. Coalition talks in Germany collapsed on Sunday night, nearly two months after elections.

Zijlstra said: 'So I'd say, think about it again, and maybe it is better to talk again than to have elections again.'
A pastor has said that he still supports Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore because 'more women are sexual predators than men.'

Pastor Franklin Raddish told reporters from AL.com that 'Women are chasing young boys up and down the road, but we don't hear about that because it's not PC.'

The comments arose when he was asked about his endorsement of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.

He bashed the sexual assault allegations made against Moore by multiple women, saying that they're just a part of the 'war on men.'

Raddish works in South Carolina at Independent Baptist Ministries, which is a nationwide chain of churches.

Pastor Franklin Raddish, pictured left in 2015, told reporters from AL.com that he still supports Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore because 'more women are sexual predators than men'

Raddish (pictured in 2015) who is a pastor at a nationwide church chain in South Carolina, said: 'Women are chasing young boys up and down the road, but we don't hear about that because it's not PC'

Multiple women have come forward to accuse Moore of sexual assault in recent weeks.

One of the women, Leigh Corfman, said he initiated a sexual encounter with her when she was just 14 in 1979, and Beverly Young Nelson, who said he sexually assaulted her in 1977 when she was 16.

He has repeatedly denied these allegations and even called them politically motivated. People have also lashed out at these women for waiting 40 years to tell their stories.

The 70-year-old has also ignored calls from prominent Republicans to drop out of the race, and has found himself in an all-out war with senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.

Raddish also told AL.com that Moore is the victim of a double standard with the mainstream media and political elites in Washington, DC. He claims they have not reacted to the other sexual assault scandals in the same way.

'No one told Trump to stand down, what about the allegations against Clinton and his extramarital affair?' he posed.

'The Democrats made a laughing stock out of those women. And now Al Franken is keeping his job.

He also said that he doesn't believe Moore's accusers because their mothers didn't come forward after it happened.

'Also, why did the mothers of these women not come forward,' Raddish told a reporter.

'The mother knew, the family knew, and not one of them did anything. Any mother with red blood that found out her daughter had been violated would have kicked down doors.'

'Why didn't they tell the state police, the FBI, the local sheriff? Because it's not true.'

Raddish also said that he doesn't believe Moore's accusers because their mothers didn't come forward after it happened

He also claims that Moore, pictured in 2006, is the victim of a double standard with the mainstream media and political elites in Washington, DC. He claims they have not reacted to the other sexual assault scandals in the same way

AL.com spoke to Raddish as part of an effort to interview each pastor that has endorsed Moore before allegations against him came out.

Of the 29 pastors who backed him, 19 say that these allegations don't change a thing.

But dozens of other Alabama pastors signed a letter on Friday to accuse him of preaching 'extremist values' and calling him unfit for the office. The letter also compared him to politicians who 'cynically used Christianity for their own goals.'

The pastors took particular issue with the sexual misconduct allegations against him. They wrote that his actions 'reopen the wounds of anyone who has been abused by leaders who should have been committed to compassion, to justice, and to healing God's world.'
This was the eerie scene on the streets of Zimbabwe's on Sunday night as the city received the news that dictator Robert Mugabe was clinging to power.

Harare turned into a virtual ghost town as crowds that had been celebrating Mugabe's imminent demise flocked to their television sets to watch him speak.

But even after Mugabe failed to step down crowds stayed indoors, fearful of what might be about to happen next.

The streets of Harare, which had been filled with bustling protesters just hours before, completely emptied during Mugabe's speech on Sunday

Crowds that had been celebrating the President's seemingly-imminent demise all packed inside to listen to what was due to be a resignation speech

But even after Mugabe decided to cling to power the crowds failed to return, perhaps fearful of repercussions for their earlier actions

Opponents of Mugabe vowed to hold more demonstrations in Harare on Wednesday, but an eerie silence prevailed on Sunday night

One man, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline: 'My dreams have all died. Now we are returning to a life of fear.'

Residents were concerned that the police, which had been withdrawn by the army, would return to the streets and start to enforce Mr Mugabe's repressive controls once again.

Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have openly demonstrated against Mr Mugabe, and now they stayed at home fearing that brutal repercussions.

Despite Mugabe's bold refusal to loose his grip on power, military officials vowed to press ahead with impeaching him on Monday.

Meanwhile Chris Mutsvangwa, who has been leading a campaign to oust Mugabe, vowed that people would take to the streets of Harare for protests on Wednesday.

A viewer reacts with shock after learning that Mugabe would not be resigning on Sunday night despite being held under house arrest by the military

Zimbabweans had been expecting to watch their president of 37 years resign on Sunday, but instead watched as he vowed to fix the country himself

Men in a bar in Harare watch as Mugabe delivers a bizarre, rambling speech in which he failed to loosen his grip on power

Mugabe promised to preside over a party conference in the next few weeks, despite being removed as leader earlier in the day following a vote of no confidence

Meanwhile the Zanu PF Twitter feed, which has been disseminating messages on behalf of Mugabe's opponents since the military took power, appeared to suggest that he had gone off-script with his remarks.

In the moments after Mugbae's bizarre and rambling speech, in which he struggled with his notes several times, the feed vowed: 'Don't worry, be patient. We have decided to be kind.'

But that stance changed suddenly with another message which said: 'Actually all the old man needed to do was stick to the script. Now we must remove him.'

It later added: 'We gave Robert Gabriel Mugabe every chance to have a dignified exit. But he is mad.'
It's autumn, which means smoke from rice farms in the Delta hanging over the city, posing a health risk. But experts see a bigger problem of waste management

A NASA satellite took an image of Egypt's Nile Delta in mid-October, where red spots, indicating fires and plumes of smoke, were scattered along the map.

But the fires weren't from vandalism or unrest  they're part of a yearly event where farmers burn their leftover rice straw, causing severe pollution and two to three months of potential complications for respiratory and heart disease patients.

This year saw nearly 1,000 fires for leftover straw in the Delta, NASA said.

Autumn weather in Egypt is potentially the best, with fresh air after months of stifling heat. However, in recent days Egyptians have been forced to seek shelter indoors, hiding from a black smoke cloud that leaves their lungs, eyes and noses burning.

Forecasting possible health problems, the Environmental Affairs Authority issued warnings for patients with heart and respiratory diseases, advising them to stay indoors.

The black cloud's health implications could go beyond obvious allergy and respiratory diseases, including autoimmune diseases and causing the body to abnormally react against itself.

A fellow of the American Academy for Immunology, Abdel-Hady Mesbah, said the waste burning could cause autoimmune diseases, which are often chronic and life-threatening, as well as cancer.

Slow burn

The black cloud first appeared over the Delta and the capital Cairo in 1997, but did not become apparent until two years later. Experts and environmentalists have always blamed the cloud on straw burning during the rice harvest. But despite knowing the reason for the problem, the issue of agricultural waste management still hasn't been solved after almost two decades.

As the coughing season comes again to Cairo, Ahmed Hoza, a student originally from the Delta city of Damietta, remembers how the black cloud caused him to suffer from allergies when he was living in Cairo in 2009.

"I had to take the agricultural road between Mansoura and Damietta (two Delta cities) daily for three months," Hoza said. "Now I never take that road  I try to stay inside during these months."

He said he had to undergo treatment for more than a year due to complications from allergies.

The black cloud appears some days in September, October and November of each year. Its negative effects reach their peak at night and in the early morning, when the polluted air falls closer to the earth.

Environmentalists say the smoke travels on the wind from the Delta to Cairo, where it remains between the city's two outlying hills.

"In simple terms, the polluted air gets stuck," said Kawthar Hefny, head of crisis management at the Environmental Affairs Authority.

She said the black cloud only appears in autumn months because of the added factor of burning rice straw, which joins with the already polluted air.

Official figures indicate nearly 1.5 million tonnes of rice straw are burned every year; other estimates put it at 4 million tonnes, contributing up to 42 percent of total air pollution.

The problem is that farmers clear their land of agricultural waste after the rice harvest, and due to the lack of an efficient waste management system have no choice but to burn it.

Straw for cash?

However, the straw is potentially a great economic benefit that could be used as fodder or fuel for some industries.

A tonne of rice straw could be sold for nearly LE80 ($11), and up to LE300 ($42) if is processed first.

But a plan to provide compressors to make the straw into blocs for sale hasn't gone into effect, despite years of acknowledging both the health risks and economic benefits.

The state says it is making progress and has already started projects with young farmers to make an industrial network for the rice straw. Hefny said the "farmers' awareness" has increased while the black cloud has decreased as the ministry of environment deals with 400,000 tonnes of straw this year.

But the pronouncements are undercut by reports that the faculty of agriculture at Cairo University  a state school  had burned its farm waste on site.

The incident was reported last week and confirmed by the faculty's acting dean, raising questions about the seriousness of the measures to regulate environmental abuses, even at state institutions.

"This only represents one person's mistake," said the dean, Taha El-Beddawi. "We apologise for the incident and promise that whoever is responsible will be harshly punished."

Experts say the problem of agricultural waste removal in Egypt isn't just limited to leftover rice straw.

"Egypt produces 25 million tonnes of agricultural waste every year, which consecutive governments have failed to deal with," said Gamal Seyam, professor of agricultural economy at Cairo University.

"The rice straw is in the spot light because a lot of waste is burned in a limited number of days, making it more obvious," Seyam said, suggesting that the government should delegate the problem to the private sector for investment, "which will be in the benefit of all."

Mesbah, from the American Academy for Immunology, also cites the need to relocate funds.

"The cost of health problems because of the pollution could be spent on an efficient scheme to protect the environment," Mesbah said.



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The Prince of Wales praised the 'resilience' of Dominicans as he visited to witness the damage inflicted on their island by Hurricane Maria.

Standing among the ruins of Pichelin village, which was battered by torrential flooding and high winds in September, Charles told residents facing the aftermath in Dominica to 'hold on'.

With a mangled car behind him, the heir to the throne spoke to locals in front of the village general store, whose front was swept away by the deluge that brought whole trees, huge boulders and other debris down from hill tops.

The Prince of Wales surveyed the damage wrought by the hurricane, which caused floods that carried trees and boulders from the hill tops

Khalin Thomas, the 26-year-old granddaughter of the store's owner, described the force of the hurricane, which has left 95 per cent of the country without electricity.

'The car next to my grandmother's store was across the street and the water just picked it up and tossed across the street,' she said.

Charles praised the resilience of Dominicans after arriving on the island, which was devastated by the hurricane two months ago

Following the formal welcome, Charles went to visit villagers struggling with the hurricane's legacy

'We managed to survive the hurricane somehow, the village is between two rivers - but luckily we're still here.'

Charles walked through the village shaking the hands of locals, stopping to chat and even watched a dance performance by local school children.

The prince told villagers they are 'resilient people' and encouraged them to 'hold on' after September's hurricane

Marilyn Leatham, from a neighbouring village on Caribbean island, said the royal visit emboldened her.

The 53-year-old said: 'The Prince told me "you're resilient people - hold on". It means the world to us to have him here and it means the world is thinking of us.

One villager said the royal visit meant the world to the islanders and pledged residents would recover

'And the Prince makes us feel proud as people - we will bounce back.'

He was accompanied by International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Dominican prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit on the three-day visit.

Prince Charles spoke with villagers and watched a performance by the island's children during his visit to Dominica

Mr Skerrit described the devastation last week while speaking at Cop 23, the UN's climate change talks.

'When dawn broke, the scenes of utter devastation across this once lush green island were heartbreaking,' he said.

Penny Mordaunt, sat on Prince Charles's right, joined the visit to the Caribbean island

The Prince's talks with villagers were part of a three-day visit to the Caribbean to witness the devastation caused by the hurricane

He told delegates at the global summit in Bonn, Germany: 'In some areas where houses once stood there lay mounds of dirt and debris, others had their roofs blown off, landslides scarred the landscape, trees were uprooted or laid bare and flood waters raged.

'All utilities were non-functional.

'Two months later 95% of the country remains without electricity, our water systems are compromised, and many citizens remain displaced and in shelters.'
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More teenagers have been arrested amid Schoolies chaos as security fears grow after teenagers were found to be illegally selling their wristbands to over-age partygoers.

As day two of the event drew to a close on Sunday night, photos surfaced of a young man as he was arrested and thrown in the back of a police paddy wagon.

The confronting photos come as it's revealed young school leavers were selling their Schoolies wristbands to older partygoers in exchange for money on social media.

As day two of the end-of-school event drew to a close on Sunday night, photos surfaced of a young man being arrested and thrown in the back of a police paddy wagon

Young men and women took to Facebook pages to sell their wristbands, asking for '$50 or the highest bid' for the sought-after band

Young men and women took to Facebook pages to sell their wristbands, asking for '$50 or the highest bid' for the sought-after band.

The wristbands allow access to the Schoolies Hub on the beach at Surfers Paradise, where underage school-leavers congregated to celebrate.

While the wristband black market threatened the tight security of the event, one 17-year-old girl from Brisbane said there was a huge market for the band.

The girl, who wished to remain anonymous, said several members of her group sold their bands to non-Schoolies.

'I think the people doing it are really just out for a bit of cash, but you have to wonder why a non-Schoolie would even want to get into the hub in the first place,' she told The Courier Mail.

One young man has his pockets checked by a Queensland Police officer - as he's hand cuffed and arrested on the Gold Coast

Huddling for warmth: One woman appeared to take comfort on the shoulder of a friend on Sunday

An event spokesman said the Schoolies Hub was well secured, and guards were trained to detect wristbands that had been tampered with.

They also said the Hub was an alcohol-free zone, despite empty alcohol containers littering the ground in the early hours of Sunday morning.

While Queensland police said it was generally pleased with crowd behaviour, there were 13 schoolies arrested on 16 offences on Sunday night.

Seven of the arrests were for drug possession, while another 11 schoolies were issued with liquor infringement notices.

There were also 10 non-schoolies arrested on 12 charges, mostly relating to public nuisance and drug possession.

Queensland Police said officers were also using drug detection dogs as a part of its policing response.

Big smiles: School leavers were seen with bright smiles on their faces on Sunday night as they partied the night away

More than 20,000 high-school leavers are expected to descend on Surfer's Paradise over the next few weeks to shake off the last of their exam stresses and prepare for adulthood.

Attendees at week one of Schoolies on the Gold Coast appeared to be making the most of their time out of the classroom, with crowds seen jammed in front of a stage on the beach.

Beach balls and a large unicorn inflatable were pictured flying into the air above the heaving crowd as they danced the night away.

Rough night? One school leaver was seen being carted away in a wheelchair, though the source of their injury is not clear

Watch your head! A heaving crowd was seen in front of a makeshift stage, as they danced and threw inflatable balls in the air

Flying to the water? One oversized pool toy was also thrown above a crowd gathered away from the ocean

The makeshift moshpit area was crammed with high-school leavers dancing off the stress of their final exams

Getting in early: One school-leaver could barely contain her excitement for the night ahead and was seen dancing towards the party

Bust a move! Many were seen dancing in the streets as the week-long party raged on towards day three

Fitting in: Orange was the colour of the night, as one woman danced with what appeared to be Hare Krishnas

Some of the teenage crowd were not interested in the mosh pit available though, and chose to spend time with friends on the beach instead.

Smaller groups were seen gathering on the sand as waves crashed in on the iconic beach.

One woman appeared to be affected by strong winds, as her ponytail fell forward as she waded through the shallows on Sunday night.

Another took a break from her big night out and found comfort on the shoulder of a friend.

Taking a dip! One woman was seen avoiding the crowds and cooling off in the shallows of the ocean instead

Her idea was adopted by many others, with several smaller groups seen gathering in the more spacious sand area

A sea of people: The unicorn flotation device was a big hit with those who chose to stay in the mosh pit

While many were seen smiling and dancing with friends, the night appeared to have taken a grim turn for a small group of school-leavers.

Two people were pictured being led away from the action in handcuffs. It is not immediately clear why they had been arrested or if charges were laid.

A spokesperson for Queensland Police said there were six male schoolies arrested on six offences on Saturday night.

The majority of these offences were for drug possession.

Agencies such as the police, the dog squad, mounted police, Red Frogs Australia and State Emergency Services will all be on hand to help out and keep patrons safe across the events.

Last year there were 62 revellers arrested in the first week of Schoolies on the Gold Coast, with 37 in 2015 and 131 in 2014, ABC reports.

Play time is over: Two people were seen being led away by police in handcuffs on Sunday night

Agencies such as the police, the dog squad, mounted police, Red Frogs Australia and State Emergency Services will all be on hand to help out and keep patrons safe across the events

Buddying up: Police on duty were making more friends than arrests on Sunday as one officer was seen smiling with a group of happy school-leavers
Barbara Wozniak, 65, is accused of shooting her husband Alfred at their home in Shalimar, Florida on November 10 before hiding his body behind a fake brick wall in a closet

A Florida woman has been charged with shooting dead her elderly husband and hiding his duct-taped body behind a fake brick wall she had built in her closet.

Barbara Wozniak, 65, allegedly told her adult children that she shot 72-year old Alfred Wozniak in self-defense after he tried to choke her in their Shalimar home on November 10.

Wozniak said she then placed her husband's body in a closet in the home.

Police searched the home several days later after Wozniak's children learned of what happened and notified authorities.

Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office Deputies found the fake brick wall inside a closet under a stairway.

After removing the bricks and drywall, deputies found a large plastic tarp that they say was in the shape of an adult body.

Police said the tarp had been thoroughly duct taped.

An autopsy found Alfred had been shot in the left temple and the bullet had traveled through his skull.

Police found 72-year old Alfred Wozniak's body wrapped in duct-tape with his feet and hands bound behind a fake brick wall in a closet in their home

His arms were also found to have been duct-taped at the wrists and placed across his midsection. His feet had also been taped together at the ankles.

Police found that Wozniak had used her debit card to buy nearly $130 in supplies from a Fort Walton Beach business on the day her husband was shot.

Among the items she purchased was a large tarp, plastic sheet, 20 pounds of repair mortar, Clorox and tape.

Police said surveillance video shows a white female matching Wozniaks description at the check-out counter.

Wozniak has been charged with second degree murder and tampering with evidence.
She has been tipped as a future Vogue cover star  but US model Slick Woods could have blown her chances after falling out with Naomi Campbell, a contributing editor at the fashion bible and confidante of new UK editor Edward Enninful.

The divas clashed at a Pirelli party in New York last week. Slick was acting up, leaving Naomi, above, seething and sniping at her: Hurry up, we all have places to be!

Edward styled them both for the Pirelli calendar, and my insider tells me: He thinks Slick behaves erratically on set and hes reluctant to work with her again.

The divas clashed at a Pirelli party in New York last week. Slick(pictured) was acting up, leaving Naomi, above, seething and sniping at her: Hurry up, we all have places to be!

An insider said: 'Naomi has no time for her either, they both like to be the biggest personality in the room, which means fireworks'

'Naomi has no time for her either, they both like to be the biggest personality in the room, which means fireworks.

A spokesman for Edward Enninful would not comment last night.

Gwyneth Paltrow is charging a whopping 1,500 for tickets to a wellness summit she is hosting in New York in January  400 more than one she hosted in June.

Gwyneth Paltrow is charging a whopping 1,500 for tickets to a wellness summit she is hosting in New York in January  400 more than one she hosted in June

Fans of her health blog Goop can choose from tickets in two categories, both with a free work-out class but the more costly Ginger ticket offers a chance to catch a glimpse of Queen Gwynnie herself eating lunch.

Sounds more like a cult than a conference!

Prince William signed up to Chelseas exclusive Harbour Club last month to help stave off the dreaded dad bod and now I can reveal he has found an unlikely work-out buddy in grime artist Stormzy.

The pair have been spotted lifting weights together at the 3,000-a-year members gym once frequented by Princess Diana, proving William, 35, is a lot more down with the kids than youd think.
PR guru Matthew Freud pulled out all the stops for his daughter Charlottes 17th birthday last week  even persuading Bono to sing for her.

The only downside for Charlotte  whose mother is Elisabeth Murdoch  was she had to share the moment with new Vogue editor Edward Enninful and his fashion pals!

Says a guest: Matthew was keen to congratulate Edward on his new issue of Vogue, so he hosted a party for him.

PR guru Matthew Freud pulled out all the stops for his daughter Charlottes 17th birthday last week  even persuading Bono to sing for her

But hed never dream of missing out on Charlotte turning 17, so he invited her and asked everyone to sing happy birthday at midnight.

U2s Bono sang loudest and the moment was captured for social media.

Other guests at the bash included Victoria Beckham, Noel Gallagher and Lewis Hamilton.

You won't BELIEVE what they tell me!

'Becoming vegetarian is the big surprise of my life. I used to be a profoundly big eater of flesh. It is very important not to be preachy.'

Brainbox Stephen Fry explains why he wont be using his vast vocabulary to convert the meat eaters among us.

'Do you really want me to comment on Theresa May at a Ferrari exhibition? They are two very different models.'

Rock star cum artist Ronnie Wood tells me about sketching his fellow band members. I imagine Micks grooving spaghetti legs are a bigger challenge, Ronnie!

Never short of an acerbic comment, ex-Minister Peter Mandelson was quick to wield the stiletto when I met him last week at the Design Museums new exhibition.

'Who is the easiest Rolling Stone to paint? Keith Richards because hes passed out all the time!'

Rock star cum artist Ronnie Wood tells me about sketching his fellow band members. I imagine Micks grooving spaghetti legs are a bigger challenge, Ronnie!

'When Andrew Lloyd Webber was 16 and trying to make a name in theatre, I thought, "Well, hes going to have to change his name if hes going to make it".'

Lyricist Sir Tim Rice reveals he wasnt always convinced by his multi-millionaire musical collaborators moniker.

'The Prince of Wales asked me why I was wearing a kilt when collecting my OBE. I said it was for my Scottish father.

'He asked if I had brought him with me, and I shook my head and pointed at the ceiling. He said he was sorry to hear he had died. I said, "No, he is not dead, sir, hes nicking lead from the Palace roof".'

Comedian Jim Davidson just never stops joking.

'I was once bankrupt for three weeks, but no one knows that.'

Actually, records reveal chef Jamie Oliver (now worth 150 million) never went bankrupt. But his money troubles some 20 years ago must have felt that bad.
She's the stunning actress seen sizzling on the cover of the current issue of GQ Australia.

And Amber Heard proved she's equally as seductive inside the publication.

For her shoot with the famed men's magazine, the Texas-born beauty, 31, stripped down to skimpy black lingerie, showing off her flawless physique.

Beneath the cover! Amber Heard has flaunted her flawless physique in a very steamy photo shoot for the current issue of GQ Australia

One image features Amber sitting on a bathroom sink, wearing nothing but a black bra and matching underwear.

The actress' incredibly toned torso is on full display, as she leans forward and stares directly into the camera.

With her mouth agape, the beauty can be seen moving her tongue across the back of her teeth in an enticing pose.

Cover girl! Amber dazzles on the current cover of the famed men's magazine- and her shoot inside is just as seductive

The saucy snap also gives a glimpse of the tattoos inked on Amber's rib cage.

One of the emblems, tattooed in red, is a line from the Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. Written in Spanish it reads 'I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul'.

However, the star certainly isn't keeping her flawless physique a secret if the sexy GQ shoot is anything to go by.

Woman of the Year! Once prosecuted for illegally bringing her dogs Down Under, the star is now somewhat of an honourary citizen, taking home the title of GQ Australia's Woman of The Year last week (pictured)

And the images were enjoyed by Amber's ex, billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk, who was seen flipping through the magazine when he met up with actress in Los Angeles last week.

The couple dated for a year before splitting in August, and their get together came just days after she returned to the US from Australia.

The blonde has spent much of the year Down Under filming for the upcoming action blockbuster, Aqauaman.

Once prosecuted for illegally bringing her dogs into the country, the star is now somewhat of an honourary citizen, taking home the title of GQ Australia's Woman of The Year.
She was in the centre of a disturbing theme in the soap which saw her involved in a divisive grooming plot.

And Bethany Platt will take on another questionable story line as the beautician is set to become a 'secret lap dancer', The Sun reports.

Played by Lucy Fallon, the 16-year-old character was a victim of a sex ring, and was groomed by Corrie villian Nathan Curtis in her last controversial storyline.

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Controversial: Bethany Platt will take on another questionable story line in Coronation Street as the beautician is set to become a 'secret lap dancer' after her harrowing grooming plot

In a bid to emotionally acknowledge her chilling past, an insider told the paper: 'Becoming a lap dancer is about having control over men for Bethany.'

They continued: 'She feels she has power over the punters shes dancing for because they are paying to watch her but cant touch her.

'She pities them for wanting her and the fact she refuses to take all her clothes off helps her feel like shes the one calling the shots.'

The grooming plot came to an end as Bethany's ex and accomplice were put into prison after she provided evidence for rape.

MailOnline have contacted Coronation Street producers for comment.

Emotional: Played by Lucy Fallon, the 16-year-old character was a victim of a sex ring, and was groomed by Corrie villian Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper)

Speaking to Fabulous magazine, actress Lucy, 22, revealed she was brought to tears when she filmed the horrific rape scene with police officer Neil.

'There have been scenes where I have genuinely cried because they've been so hard to do,' she said.

'Obviously the rape scene with Neil was the hardest and the one with all of the men in the flat because imagining that actually happening to someone is just horrible.'

Justice: The grooming plot came to an end as Bethany's ex and accomplice were put into prison after she provided evidence for rape

In recent months, viewers have watched on in horror as Bethany experiences the shocking abuse at the hands of her older boyfriend.

Ofcom have been flooded with complaints by fans of the show who have insisted they are showing too much.

But the actress explained that while there has been a huge uproar from viewers, the story has also been met with a positive response.
He once said he has been 'obsessed' with her since they were in high school.

And Ansel Elgort looked happy in love with Violetta Komyshan during a trip to Tamarama Beach in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs on Friday.

The 23-year-old and his longtime girlfriend, who were also spotted at nearby Bondi Beach, have been in Australia for the GQ Australia Men of the Year Awards.

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High school sweethearts: Ansel Elgort looked happy in love with Violetta Komyshan during a trip to Tamarama Beach in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs on Friday

The Baby Driver star was dressed casually in bright board shorts, a black t-shirt and slip-on sneakers and blue hat.

He held hands with Violetta, a professional ballerina who flaunted her lithe figure in a black crop top and loose frilled shorts.

She wore her brunette locks back in a low messy bun and accessorized her look with a pair of glittery drop earrings.

Low-key: The Baby Driver star was dressed casually in bright board shorts, a black t-shirt and slip-on sneakers and blue hat

The lovebirds were seen soaking up the sun earlier in the week at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach.

They were in town for the annual GQ Australia Men of the Year awards, which took place on Wednesday.

Ansel was awarded the coveted 'International Sensation' honour on the night.

Honoree: Ansel was given the coveted 'International Sensation' award on the night

'It's a wonderful life. Had a lovely few days in Australia with Violetta. Now heading to LA for the AMAs,' the actor noted on Instagram.

'Thank you GQ Australia for honoring me on your cover. Thank you Prada for making us look elegant,' he added, referring to the twosome's ensembles on the night.

The Manhattan-born star will next be seen in Billionaire Boys Club, due out in 2018.
She gave birth to her third child, daughter Florence, just six weeks ago.

And AFL WAG Clementine McVeigh, revealed her slender post-baby figure, as she's announced as the face of Simone Perele's Australian e-boutique.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the 34-year-old said of her confidence: 'You have to learn to love your body.'

'I've learnt to love my body': AFL WAG Clementine McVeigh, 34, revealed her slender post-baby figure in racy lingerie, just SIX WEEKS after giving birth, as she becomes the face of Simone Perele's latest campaign

'As women we all pick at it (our bodies)...but at the end of the day to make three babies, it's pretty special,' Clementine told the publication.

The Kiwi-born model, who is already a mother to daughter Lolita-Luella, five, with husband Jarrad McVeigh, tragically lost the couple's second daughter Luella, due to heart complications, a month after her birth in 2011.

'That changed my life, my husband's life and the way I look at life, and I genuinely don't take anything negatively at all anymore,' Clementine said of the heartbreaking loss.

Confident: 'As women we all pick at it (our bodies)...but at the end of the day to make three babies, it's pretty special,' the brunette told the publication

One hot mama: Several stunning shots sees the Kiwi-born model revealing her slender post-baby figure in racy lingerie

She added: 'I just focus on positive things and positive people. I believe in life you have a choice to either fall or just get back up and keep going.'

Clementine shared a heartfelt tribute to Luella on her Instagram in July this year, on what would have been her firstborn's sixth birthday.

The brunette wrote in part: 'When she came into our world she changed our life for ever. She made me the person I am today...She taught me the true meaning of Love, compassion, gratitude and kindness.

Bundle of joy: Six weeks ago, the fashionista gave birth to her and husband Jarrad McVeigh's third child, daughter Florence

Loss: The high-profile couple, who are proud parents to daughter Lolita-Luella, five, tragically lost their second daughter Luella, due to heart complications a month after her birth, in 2011

'Not a day goes by when I don't feel her in my heart she is the constant reminder of how precious life is.

'The comfort I have is knowing I'm not the only one in this world going through heart ache. So...the meaning behind my messages is not for sympathy, it's to forever be kind as everyone has some sort of struggle from with in,' she went on to add.

Clementine married her Sydney Swans star beau Jarrad, 32, in 2010, and is known for living the designer life.

High-profile: Clementine married her Sydney Swans star beau Jarrad McVeigh, 32, in 2010
He might not be keeping up with the Kardashians anymore, but Tyga still lives a luxe life.

The rapper, who turns 28-years-old Sunday, performed in front of about 1,000 people Saturday in Dubai, taking the stage at the city's hot club BASE.

He wore a dark blue collared shirt with sky blue sleeves, grey pants and white sneakers, accessorizing with plenty of jewelry, including a diamond-studded cross, rings and a watch.

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Happy birthday: Tyga celebrated his upcoming 28th birthday in front of about 1,000 people Saturday in Dubai, taking the stage at the club BASE

The entertainer, who has a four-year-son named King with Blac Chyna, had his hair styled in cornrows.

Tyga, whose real name is Micheal Ray Stevenson, ran down a set of his greatest hits, before retiring to a VIP area that an estimated 40 beauties were at, with 20 bottles of Ace and Spades champagne on hand to make sure no one got thirsty.

In a nod to the Rack City rapper's penchant for high-end automobiles, he was presented with a birthday cake made up to look like a Bugatti.

Tyga spoke earlier this month Metro.co.uk on a number of topics, most interestingly, denying a remark that was attributed to him claiming that he was the father of the baby his ex Kylie Jenner is pregnant with - and not her current boyfriend, 25-year-old rapper Travis Scott. (Tyga and Kylie have not been together since April, when they ended a relationship that was confirmed in 2015 when she turned 18.)

Luxury living: The rapper received a cake in the shape of a Bugatti to celebrate the milestone

Number one: The trend-setting artist was decked out in diamonds in the affluent city

Center-of-attention: All eyes were on the Rack City rapper at the event

Tyga, who's currently dating a Kim Kardashian-lookalike named Kamilla Osman, denied the report that he left a Snapchat comment reading, 'Hell nah thats my kid,' claiming paternity of the baby.

But when asked about it, he pulled a page out of U.S. President Donald Trump's playbook, telling the publication, 'Its all a fake story ... I didnt comment on anything, I didnt comment on anything, it was a fake story.'

In action: Tyga took to the stage in front of 1,000 fans to power through a set of his hits

Swanky: The stage was flanked by expensive bottles of Champagne

In the mix: The entertainer was flanked by DJs and equipment amid his performance

Multi-talented: In addition to his music, Tyga has carved out a large name via his social media presence

The rapper plugged his new fashion line Tears Of Joy, as he said his his collaboration with BooHoo Man, lauding the fashion retailer for giving him 'a lot of creative control and freedom to do what [he] wanted to do' with the line.

'I wanted to do something more European, and just - the U.K. has a lot of fashion trends that I feel like a lot of people overlook, a lot of people dont tap into them,' he said. 'Everyone has their own style but a lot of people follow trends. I think its about making trends, if you can figure out how to make a trend thats my biggest advice, dont copy and follow.'

Ladies' man: An estimated 40 women were in the rapper's VIP area during the celebration
Egypt's environment minister Khaled Fahmy has said that the toxic practice of burning rice straw at the end of the harvest season has reduced this year by 13-15 percent, Ahram Al-Arabic news website reported.

The government has collected 79 percent of all rice straw from farmers after the harvest in 2017, Fahmy said.

Complaints against farmers who burn their rice straw has decreased from 12,040 last year to 10,070 this year, Fahmy added.

The minister's announcements came during the end-of-year conference at the Ministry of Environment to discuss the ministry's efforts to counter pollution.

Burning rice straw after harvest season in the autumn results in the emission of toxic fumes that accumulate in black clouds in the sky.

The cloud remains in the atmosphere for two to three months, potentially causing health complications for respiratory and heart disease patients, and could also trigger allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Fahmy said that his ministry has been able to raise awareness about the issue through workshops for farmers in several governorates, and has used satellite technology to locate the sources of fires.

The minister said that 2017 has seen the most success in four years in combating black clouds.

The government is planning on supplying farmers with equipment to help them recycle rice straw, converting it into fertiliser and animal fodder to combat the rising costs of these goods, the minister added.

On Friday, the ministry organised a two-day festival in Obour City east of Cairo to mark the end of the rice harvest season. The festival featured displays of animal dummies made of rice straw, as well as other artistic performances.

Rice is one of the largest crops grown by farmers in Egypt and is a key staple food for the vast majority of the country's population.

The country's annual production of rice is around 5.1 million tonnes, much higher than the annual consumption estimated at about 3.95 million tonnes, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report.

The land area used for rice production in 2017 was 704,500 feddans.

The black cloud first appeared over the Nile Delta and Cairo in 1997, but did not become visible to the naked eye until two years later.

Experts and environmentalists have blamed the cloud on straw burning during the rice harvest.

Egyptians are sometimes forced to seek shelter indoors in the fall to hide from the negative health impact of black clouds.

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He's been living life in the fast lane since his release from prison in March 2016.

And 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks has added a hot romance to his life as he gushed about his budding romance to Chloe Green to the Mirror on Saturday.

The 33-year-old model who gained notoriety for his startling mugshot said his relationship with the 26-year-old Topshop heiress is 'true love.'

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Back in black: 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks has added a hot romance to his life as he gushed about his budding romance to Chloe Green to the Mirror on Saturday; seen in October

'Ive never been happier in my life than right now,' Meeks said. 'Weve found love, were in love and we are very happy.

'I love Chloe for her and if she didnt have a dollar I wouldnt give a s*** because were so happy.'

The convicted criminal has been dating Green since June when they were caught on camera locking lips while on board a yacht in the Mediterranean.

New love: The convicted criminal has been dating Green since June when they were caught on camera locking lips while on board a yacht in the Mediterranean

'My friends love her, my family love her and I love her family,' Meeks gushed. 'Weve had a lot of good times together with her mom and her dad. I had met her mom before but the first time I met Philip was at the Prince Albert Foundation dinner.

'I talked to him on the phone before but meeting him was great. He is an amazing man  hes been very loving and caring.

'He loves his family and would do anything for them  he is a very respectable man and I have a lot of love for him. Hes a really good guy.'

Jeremy's new relationship with her family has sparked an interest in the model reconciling with his father, who was recently released from prison after serving 33 years of a life sentence for murder.

'I love Chloe for her and if she didnt have a dollar I wouldnt give a sh*t because were so happy'; seen outside of LAX in October

'My childhood made me want to strive to achieve something with my life which is why I am doing what I am doing now to set an example to my own children,' Meeks said.

His new relationship has come with some strife though as his wife Melissa Meeks filed for divorce after eight years of marriage before Jeremy left her this summer.

The two share a seven-year-old son, Jeremy Jr, who has been introduced to Chloe by his father.

Topshop: The heiress began dating the 'Hot Felon' earlier this year; seen in October

While he rose to fame for his stroking mug shot, he admitted the moniker which ensued has been somewhat beneficial.

'The Hot Felon label is a blessing and a curse because it was the thing that gave me the opportunity to change my life for the better,' Meeks said.

'But the look on my face in that picture is me in my mind thinking: I wont be able to put my son to bed tonight or take him to school tomorrow morning. It was sadness and regret.'
She is one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses.

And Julia Roberts has revealed the 'simple' ways she has maintained her youthful appearance throughout her decades-long career.

The 50-year-old also spoke with Stellar magazine on Sunday about avoiding the effects of narcissism of social media.

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Opening up: Julia Roberts has revealed the 'simple' ways she has maintained her youthful appearance throughout her decades-long career in an interview with Stellar on Sunday

In regards to her beauty routine, the mother-of-three acknowledged she sticks to the basics.

She offered 'water is everything' when it comes to her skincare regimen.

'And sleep, which is impossible for most mums, of course. And to find that sense of joy. When I'm grumpy, my eyes are super puffy,' she added.

Simple: In regards to her beauty routine, the mother of three acknowledged she sticks to the basics

Hydrated: She offered 'water is everything' when it comes to her skincare regimen

'And sleep, which is impossible for most mums, of course. And to find that sense of joy. When I'm grumpy, my eyes are super puffy,' she added

The veteran star, who doesn't indulge in social media, said she has an aversion to the 'narcissistic practice of the selfie.'

'We have become a culture that's so self-examining and so self-promoting that it just becomes too overwhelming,' she described.

'Maybe less self-examination is the key to being gorgeous,' she continued.

Humble: The veteran star, who doesn't indulge in social media, said she has an aversion to the 'narcissistic practice of the selfie'

'We have become a culture that's so self-examining and so self-promoting that it just becomes too overwhelming,' she described

Known for the diversity of her high-profile roles, her latest is as the supportive mother of August Pullman in Wonder, due out in cinemas on Thursday.

The film is based on the 2012 book of the same name by R.J. Palacio and centered on 'Auggie' as the main character, who suffers from facial malformations.

The actress said the book was 'the greatest thing I have ever read' and immediately expressed interest in playing the role of doting mother Isabel Pullman.
He failed to capture the heart of Georgia Love on The Bachelorette.

But it appears Courtney Dober has found his own potential match with busty Maxim model Casey Boonstra, 24.

Attending Somersby's Land Rover Polo event, the 31-year-old couldn't seem to keep his eyes of his friend.

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The look of love! It appears Courtney Dober has found his own potential match with busty Maxim model Casey Boonstra, 24

Sporting his usual quirky style, the reality star was seen in a navy floral shirt and a red tie.

He paired his top with a blue suit jacket and chino pants.

Keeping his hair well groomed, he swept his fringe to one side.

Loved up: Attending Somersby's Land Rover Polo event, the 31-year-old couldn't seem to keep his eyes of his friend

Love is in the air: Sitting down together on a small love seat with cider in their hands, the pair were seen in close proximity of each other

Sitting down together on a small love seat with cider in their hands, the pair were seen in close proximity of each other.

Adding more clothing to her look then what's shown on her Instagram feed, the bikini model stunned in a rust colour midi-length dress.

With a low v-neck, she flaunted her ample cleavage and completed her look with nude heels.

Stylish: Sporting his usual quirky style, the reality star was seen in a navy floral shirt and a red tie

'So much fun yesterday at the #polointhecity Thanks @somersbyaustralia for having us,' she captioned an Instagram photo, insinuating her attendance with Courtney was a package deal.

But the pair weren't all about just cosying up with each other, with the former love seeker hilariously competing in an all-male field sprint.

Taking off his jacket to ensure greater aerodynamics, competitive Courtney led the pack whilst Casey filmed and cheered him on.

And it's not the first time the pair have been spotted together.

Taking to social media last month the friends were also seen enjoying a camping trip at Victoria's Grampians National Park.

Courtney's rise to fame: He failed to capture the heart of Georgia Love on The Bachelorette




Saturdays star Mollie King has been in the dreaded Strictly dance-off more times then she cares to remember.

But the chart-topper was flying high last night when she took to the world-famous ballroom in Blackpool Tower on a trapeze.

King made a spectacular entrance for her showstopping Charleston that was perfect for her chosen number.

Saturdays star Mollie King has been in the dreaded Strictly dance-off more times then she cares to remember. But the chart-topper was flying high last night

She and partner A. J. Pritchard danced to Wings by Little Mix. Strictlys producers pulled out all the stops last night to celebrate the shows return to Blackpool.

Debbie McGee, who is partnered with the so-called Italian stallion Giovanni Pernice, donned her own version of Geri Halliwells famous Union Jack skirt for a Spice Girls-themed samba.

McGee, at 59 the oldest surviving contestant, has emerged as favourite to win. Viewers have become hooked on her relationship with Pernice, who is just 27.

Speaking before last nights show, contestant Joe McFadden played down speculation about the pair.

He said: I am certainly not aware of any sexual chemistry. I think theyre good friends, get on well. Im not aware of any sparks flying between them.

The actor revealed he had received tips from Ed Balls, who danced with his partner Katya Jones last year. He said:

I think the point he was trying to make was to be fearless. His advice was just enjoy it  youre dancing for yourself and your partner.

Perfect moment: Mollie arrived on the stage in a trapeze
She's never been afraid to flaunt her sensational figure.

And ZaraLena Jackson succeeded in baring plenty of her incredible physique as she attended the launch of Boutique Babez fashion range at Be Impossible in Manchester on Saturday.

Ensuring all eyes would be on her at the party, the 25-year-old reality star donned a plunging black jumpsuit with sexy cut-away detailing.

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Flesh flashing: ZaraLena Jackson succeeded in baring plenty of her incredible physique as she attended the launch of Boutique Babez fashion range at Be Impossible in Manchester on Saturday

Showing off her ample cleavage, the Ex On The Beach babe sizzled in the low-cut number which featured a dramatic split to the navel.

Cinching in at her slender waist, the trousers then flared out to full length where they skimmed over a pair of of barely-there silver heels.

Wearing her honey hued locks in loose waves, the stunning star swept her glossy tresses over one shoulder, framing her pretty features.

Turning heads: Ensuring all eyes would be on her at the party, the 25-year-old reality star donned a plunging black jumpsuit with sexy cut-away detailing

Busty: Showing off her ample cleavage, the Ex On The Beach babe sizzled in the low-cut number which featured a dramatic split to the navel as she held onto a male pal

Blonde bombshell: Wearing her honey hued locks in loose waves, the stunning star swept her glossy tresses over one shoulder, framing her pretty features

ZaraLena appears to be enjoying her time on the UK social scene, after making an early departure from Ex On The Beach earlier this year.

The fashion designer made an explosive impact on the last series of the show, after enjoying a night with Aaron Chalmers as soon as he entered the villa.

Her decision to leave the show was the result of a love triangle with Aaron and his ex-girlfriend Becca Edwards, atop a mutiny with Geordie beauty Zahida Allen.

Following a series of furious rows, she explained: 'Aaron clearly still has feelings there for Becca and I feel like piggy in the middle, so I need to get out of this situation. I think it's time I left. I've made a decision that I will go tonight'.

Double trouble: The buxom blonde was in good company at the fashion party on Saturday as she was joined by Hollyoaks' Jorgie Porter and Keiron Richardson

Chic: Sensibly sheltering from the cold, Jorgie donned a grey cocoon coat that she draped over her incredible figure, keeping her no doubt glamorous, outfit under wraps

The buxom blonde was in good company at the fashion party on Saturday as she was joined by Hollyoaks' Jorgie Porter and Keiron Richardson.

Sensibly sheltering from the cold, Jorgie donned a grey cocoon coat that she draped over her incredible figure, keeping her no doubt glamorous, outfit under wraps.

She did offer a peek at her tanned and toned pins as she teetered into the party in her barely-there heels.
She always manages to cut a stylish figure.

And Lydia Bright, 27, shows just where she gets her chic streak from as she joined glamorous mother Debbie Douglas, 53, at Barnardo's Gala Dinner in The Dorchester Hotel in London on Saturday.

Oozing glamour as they posed for pictures, the mother-daughter duo were a style force to be reckoned with at the charity event.

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Two of a kind: Lydia Bright, 27, shows just where she gets her chic streak from as she joined glamorous mother Debbie Douglas, 53, at Barnardo's Gala Dinner in The Dorchester Hotel in London on Saturday

Showing off her enviably tanned and toned pins, Lydia dazzled in a sequined black mini dress that clung to her sensational figure.

Looking every inch the Hollywood siren, the TOWIE star wore her glossy golden locks in loose waves, whilst she accessorised with ornate gold earrings.

Debbie also turned heads with her ensemble as she dazzled in a gold floor length gown with mesh detailing that showed off her youthful figure.

Leggy lady! Showing off her enviably tanned and toned pins, Lydia dazzled in a sequined black mini dress that clung to her sensational figure

It's no surprise the pair were invited to attend the children's charity event as the pair have history in helping vulnerable kids.

Whilst Lydia may live a glamorous life attending parties, designing her own fashion range and posing for magazines, behind the scenes she Bright is playing a much more meaningful role.

The reality star's mother, Debbie, has fostered more than 250 children in the past 25 years, with the help of her family and famous daughter.

Blonde bombshell! Looking every inch the Hollywood siren, the TOWIE star wore her glossy golden locks in loose waves, whilst she accessorised with ornate gold earrings

Debbie, who continues to foster and currently looks after two girls and one boy, has paid tribute to Lydia who plays a crucial role in their care despite her busy schedule.

'Lydia helps in every way, every day,' she told FEMAIL. 'She helps with the homework on a daily basis, she helps with bedtime stories, kisses and cuddles, boyfriend troubles, collections from school, youth clubs, roller skating and lots more.

She is the best big sister any foster child could wish for.'
It was the biggest gossip item from this year's Melbourne Cup.

And Alex Perry has broken his silence about claims Paris Jackson refused to wear a custom-made dress he designed to the star-studded race day.

The 54-year-old spoke with Fairfax Media on Sunday and said his frock would not have suited the bohemian style the only daughter of Michael Jackson is known for.

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Speaking out: Alex Perry has broken his silence about claims Paris Jackson refused to wear a custom-made dress he designed to the star-studded race day

'If I had dressed her, I think it would have been terrible and not right for who she is and what she stands for,' the TV presenter stated.

He described Paris, 19, as being 'younger and boho' and acknowledged the red Morrison dress she wore on the day was 'perfect for her.'

'You can't put her in an Alex Perry lady dress and strap her in and put a pair of high heels on her; it's not right for what that girl is,' he continued.

'If I had dressed her, I think it would have been terrible and not right for who she is and what she stands for,' the TV presenter stated

Paris did wear designs from Alex Perry in an earlier magazine cover shoot with Stellar, where the confusion surrounding her Cup day appearance stemmed from.

The duo met for the first time at Flemington Racecourse, with the veteran designer heaping praise on the blonde stunner in an Instagram post.

'Loved meeting this beautiful girl today! Such a joy dressing her for Stellar and Myer, but more beautiful and genuine in person than I could imagine!' he wrote.

'You can't put her in an Alex Perry lady dress and strap her in and put a pair of high heels on her; it's not right for what that girl is,' he continued

Alex told Fairfax Media she attempted to apologise to him for the dress mix-up, but he told her there was nothing to say sorry for.

The Australia's Next Top Model judge said Paris was 'so sweet' as they hugged during a 'really good talk' about the incident.

'She went to apologise and I went, 'Don't, there's no point. I would not have expected to dress you anyway',' he recalled.
These two have certainly remained Goodfellas.

Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese were reunited Saturday in their native New York City, as the cinematic icons filmed the upcoming crime drama The Irishman on the Lower East Side, also taking time to celebrate the Oscar-winning filmmaker's 75th birthday.

The talented tandem, who've collaborated on nine classics - including Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy - were busy at work on the set of the mob-inspired period piece, which is based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses, which is about the fate of Union leader Jimmy Hoffa.

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Together again: Martin Scorsese, 75, and Robert De Niro, 74, were snapped Saturday in New York City filming the upcoming crime drama The Irishman

De Niro in the film plays purported hit-man Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran. In one sequence, the 74-year-old De Niro wore a 70s ensemble of a black leather jacket over a collared shirt and cider brown pants in a scene in which he tossed a man through a glass door, then pointed a pistol at the felled man's back.

Scorsese, who turned 75 yesterday, wore a dark get-up of a black hat and coat, a dark blue button-up shirt and black pants as he called the shots on the Netflix movie.

Also snapped on the set was Oscar-winner Joe Pesci, 74, who plays mobster Russell Bufalino in the film. Clad in a dark grey coat with a black beanie and scarf, Pesci posed with Scorcese and De Niro for the birthday celebration.

Scorcese was seen blowing out candles on an enormous cake with a portrait of his face, flanked by dozens of cupcakes.

Tasty: The filmmaker was presented with an enormous cake flanked with cupcakes after turning 75 on Friday

Following his lead: Scorsese and De Niro have collaborated on nine movies together

Period piece: De Niro wore a 1970s-inspired ensemble during filming

De Niro in 2015 chat with Cigar Aficionado about the magical chemistry he and the director have shared over decades.

'He's very easy, he goes with your ideas, he's very, very flexible, and takes whatever he can from every actor,' De Niro said. 'Yet he's very clear as a director, and guides it, the piece, in the direction he feels he should. He gives you a lot of support.

'I think that we were just lucky to work together all those times. Sometimes he would have a project and I'd have a project and we would just get together and do it. It was always a joy.'

Showing him the door: De Niro tossed a fellow actor through a glass door then pointed a weapon at his back during the filming sequence

King of the genre: De Niro's storied career credits include mob classics such as The Godfather: Part 2 and Casino

Gold standard: De Niro plays purported hit-man Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran in the movie

Earlier this week, a Variety report indicated that it's not clear yet if The Irishman will be released in theaters, as Netflix head of film publicity Julie Fontaine told the publication 'its premature to say anything at this point' in terms of the medium in which the movie will be distributed.

Insiders previously told the trade paper that Netflix film division chief Scott Stuber promised Scorcese it will be released theatrically for at least two weeks, which would in turn, make it eligible for an Academy Award.

The film has an impressive ensemble cast, also featuring Anna Paquin, Ray Romano and Harvey Keitel.

Together again: Pesci, Scorsese and De Niro smiled in celebrating the filmmaker's birthday

Jolly time: Joe Pesci posed with Scorsese and De Niro in front of the lavish dessert

And many more: The Oscar-winner blew out his candles flanked by the two acting icons
Georgie Gardner was spotted leaving what appeared to be her lawyer's house on Sunday, in the clearest sign yet that she is set to join the Today Show.

The 46-year-old carried documents in her hand as she left the Sydney address and made her way to her car.

It comes less than a day after Confidential reported that the Nine Network was 'close to announcing her as Lisa Wilkinson's replacement on the breakfast show.'

See you tomorrow on Today? Georgie Gardner was seen carrying documents as she left what appeared to be her lawyer's home in Sydney on Sunday, after reports she is set to join the Today Show

What's in your hand? Georgie clutched documents as she made her way to her car following the meeting with her lawyer

Georgie's documents appeared to be several pages in length, and she clutched it tightly as she opened the door to her Mercedes SUV.

The blonde was dressed down for her mystery meeting, wearing a denim maxi dress which featured patterning down the front and a tasseled tie at the waist.

The journalist concealed her eyes with a pair of stylish sunglasses, and wore a small snakeskin bag across her shoulders.

Signed, sealed, delivered? Georgie was dressed down for her mystery meeting, wearing a denim maxi dress which featured patterning down the front and a tasseled tie at the waist.

Successful catch up? Georgie was seen with a wide smile on her face as stood with a man- thought to be her lawyer- at the edge of the driveway

Prior to driving away, Georgie was seen with a wide smile on her face as stood with a man- thought to be her lawyer- at the edge of the driveway.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.

According to Confidential's report published on Saturday, Nine's CEO 'Hugh Marks has been working hard behind the scenes to get Georgie on board.'

Casual by stylish: The journalist concealed her eyes with a pair of stylish sunglasses, and wore a small snakeskin bag across her shoulders

Has he been successful? According to Confidential's report published on Saturday, Nine's CEO 'Hugh Marks has been working hard behind the scenes to get Georgie on board'

The publication claims a source revealed that Hugh believes the star will make a 'perfect counterpoint' with co-host Karl Stefanovic.

'She appeals to the right demographic, both men and women like her and she has the news credentials, which is essential,' the source reportedly said.

Additionally, 'Nine is understood to have upped Georgies salary substantially'.

Georgie's weekend meeting with her lawyer comes just two weeks after she reportedly ruled out a returned to breakfast television.

What were they talking about? Georgie's weekend meeting with her lawyer comes just two weeks after she reportedly ruled out a returned to breakfast television

Earlier this month, a source told The Daily Telegraph that the 'early hours ruled her out'.

Indeed, Georgie is familiar with the alarm clock- having been Today's newsreader for seven years before resigning in mid-2014.

The poised personality left the program to spend more time with her children- Bronte, now 12, and Angus, 10.

Georgie has frequently been mentioned as a front-runner for the co-host position after Lisa Wilkinson's shock resignation last month. Fellow Channel Nine stars Deborah Knight and Allison Langdon have also been floated as possible contenders.

Change of heart, Georgie? A source told The Daily Telegraph earlier this month that the 'early hours ruled her out' as someone interested in the role
It's been reported by Confidential that Georgie Gardner is set to replace her on the Today show.

And amid the claims, Lisa Wilkinson was all smiles, while on a shopping trip in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Thursday.

The 57-year-old journalist, who recently defected to Channel Ten, cut a chic figure in a floral blouse, cropped white jeans and a tailored black blazer.

Got her nod of approval? Lisa Wilkinson, 57, was all smiles on a shopping trip in Los Angeles on Thursday, as Georgie Gardner is tipped to replace her on the Today show

Lisa opted for a statement floral blouse tucked into a pair of cropped white jeans.

The veteran media personality ensured she was comfortable on her feet, sporting white sneakers, a tailored black blazer draped over her shoulders, and a leather belt.

Lisa carried her belongings in a structured tan satchel and shielded her eyes behind a pair of designer sunglasses.

The wife of author Peter FitzSimons styled her brunette locks semi-straight, and her makeup palette consisted of a matte complexion and a nude glossy lip.

Ensemble: The veteran journalist cut a chic figure in a statement floral blouse, tucked into a pair of white cropped jeans, and accessorised with white sneakers, a black tailored blazer and a tan structured satchel

Lending her profile for good: Lisa enjoyed a spot of shopping in Beverly Hills, just a day after hosting a gala dinner for The Fred Hollows Foundation. Pictured with Joel Edgerton

Lisa enjoyed a spot of shopping in trendy Beverly Hills, just a day after hosting a gala dinner for The Fred Hollows Foundation.

The event was certainly star-studded with the mother-of-three mingling with Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton, Ricky Martin and Paris Hilton.

Lisa's sighting comes amid reports that Georgie Gardner, 46, is tipped to replace her on Channel Nine's the Today show.

The Daily Telegraph's Confidential reported on Sunday that the network is 'close to announcing her as Lisa Wilkinson's replacement on the breakfast show.'

Any truth? Lisa's sighting comes amid reports that Georgie Gardner, 46, is tipped to replace her on Channel Nine's the Today show

Tipped: The Daily Telegraph's Confidential reported on Sunday that the network is 'close to announcing her as Lisa Wilkinson's replacement on the breakfast show'

Contract? Adding weight to the claims, Georgie, who previously worked as a news anchor on the program, was pictured with a document in hand outside of her lawyer's house on Sunday

An insider was claimed to have told the publication of Georgie: 'She appeals to the right demographic, both men and women like her and she has the news credentials, which is essential.'

Adding weight to the claims, Georgie, who previously worked as a news anchor on the program, was pictured with a document in hand outside of her lawyer's house on Sunday.

Georgie's document appeared to be several pages in length, which she clutched tightly as she opened the door to her Mercedes SUV.

Shock departure: Lisa sensationally quit the Today show mid last month, making the announcement via Twitter

Lisa's recent trip to LA comes after it was reported she will reap the rewards of her daring move from Channel Nine to Ten by becoming 'Network Ten's Oprah', when she starts at the network in January 2018.

The former magazine editor is set to host her own Sunday night current affairs program during prime time, according to an insider, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

She will front the program that will go in to battle with Channel Nine's 60 Minutes, and Seven's Sunday Night, while also hosting The Project two nights a week.
Church leaders expressed their appreciation for Egypt's role in defending stability and moderation in the Middle East

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Sunday a delegation of leading figures from Evangelical churches around the world as part of the Egyptian Evangelical Church's celebration of the start of the Evangelical Reformation 500 years ago.

According to the Egyptian presidency, Sisi congratulated the Evangelical church representatives on the anniversary during the meeting in Cairo, expressing the country's appreciation for Evangelical Egyptians.

Sisi also discussed with delegates the means to fight radicalism and terrorism.

From their part, delegation members expressed their appreciation for the role of Egypt in "supporting stability and moderation in the Middle East," the Egyptian presidency added.

The Egyptian Evangelical Church held its celebration Saturday in Cairo in an event at Al-Doubara Evangelical Church in Downtown Cairo.

According to estimations, there are around 250,000 Evangelical Christians in Egypt.



Overwhelmingly Coptic, Christians make up around 10-15 percent of Egypt's population of 104 million.

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They welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in June.

And George Clooney has confirmed he and wife Amal are hands-on parents, even though it can be a 'total train wreck' when he changes the babies' diapers.

The 56-year-old spoke with Sunday Life this week about his responsibilities as a parent and getting his 'hands dirty' after it was reported the couple don't have a full-time nanny.

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Doting: George Clooney has confirmed he and wife Amal are hands-on parents, even though it can be a 'total train wreck' when he changes the babies' diapers

The Hollywood star joked changing their diapers was a 'total train wreck' now the twins have started to eat solid food, but refused to pass on the task to a nanny.

'It's my job. What's the point of being a parent if you don't get your hands dirty? That's what it's all about,' he said.

He expressed his amazement at how Ella and Alexander have already formed their personalities in five short months.

'It's my job. What's the point of being a parent if you don't get your hands dirty? That's what it's all about,' he said

'He's this little thug, this out-there personality, and she's very sweet-natured and dainty,'' he described.

In May this year, E! Online reported George and Amal had decided to forego hiring a full-time nanny.

The report claimed the high-profile pair would instead have a night nurse to help set an initial sleeping schedule for the babies.

'He's this little thug, this out-there personality, and she's very sweet-natured and dainty,'' he described of their twins

Hard at work: The 56-year-old spoke with Sunday Life about his responsibilities as a parent and getting his 'hands dirty' after it was reported the couple don't have a full-time nanny

Us magazine previously reported Amal, 39, would return to work as a human rights lawyer after her maternity leave period, with her mother Baria Alamuddin helping with the kids.

'They won't hire a nanny,' an alleged source claimed, back in February.

'I cannot imagine two people who would be better parents,' George's mother Nina Warren also told the publication.
They recently returned home from a romantic European vacation.

And the look of love was still in Arnold Schwarzenegger's eyes as he enjoyed an amorous outing with his girlfriend Heather Milligan, 43, in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.

The charming duo wined and dined at Cafe Roma before jumping into his black and yellow convertible Bentley.

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Smile! The look of love was still in Arnold Schwarzenegger's eyes as he enjoyed an amorous outing with his girlfriend Heather Milligan, 43, in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon

The former professional bodybuilder showed off his bulging biceps in a tight black crew-neck T-shirt.

He donned a pair of suave olive green corduroy pants with dark green and black slip-on shoes.

The Terminator star kept a pair of dark brown sunglasses over his eyes as he left the trendy restaurant.

Vroom! The charming duo wined and dined at Cafe Roma before jumping into his black and yellow convertible Bentley

Heather donned a sleek beige-colored leather jacket on top of a white T-shirt with shiny golden horizontal stripes.

She covered her tanned and toned legs with a pair of dark denim jeans cuffed above her ankles.

The physical therapist carried a taupe alligator leather purse in one hand as she sported a pair of khaki trainers.

The romantic duo left the restaurant in Schwarzenegger's black and yellow Bentley which featured electric yellow side mirrors, undercarriage and custom yellow seats.

He must work out: The former professional bodybuilder showed off his bulging biceps in a tight black crew-neck T-shirt

Chic! Heather donned a sleek beige-colored leather jacket on top of a white T-shirt with shiny golden horizontal stripes

Despite their 27 year age difference the couple certainly seems to be happy as they have been seen together since July 2015.

However, it was recently claimed that Arnold has been dragging his feet in finalizing his divorce with Maria Shriver, who is ready to move forward.

Maria and Arnold have four children together: Katherine, 27, Christina, 26, Patrick, 24, and Christopher, 20.

Since Maria filed, she has seemed to be on good terms with Arnold.

Nice ride: The romantic duo left the restaurant in Schwarzenegger's black and yellow Bentley which featured electric yellow side mirrors, undercarriage and custom yellow seats
They're some of Australia's most well-known models who are accustomed to being constantly photographed.

But on Sunday, it was revealed that the likes of Jessica Gomes, and Nicole Trunfio will come together to star in a 2018 calendar to raise funds for The Heart Foundation.

Speaking to Confidential, Jessica and Nicole revealed they are more than happy to be part of the project.

'It's nice to use my profile to create positive change': Top Australian models Jessica Gomes (pictured) and Nicole Trunfio will come together to raise funds for The Heart Foundation

'It is nice to use my profile to create positive change and to raise awareness and to help good causes,' Jessica told the publication.

'Plus it is always nice to be a part of the Australian collective group of gorgeous women.'

This project is a self-funded passion endeavour from fellow Australian model Amy Finlayson dedicated to the memory of late British designer Richard Niccol.

Jessica, 33, became an international star for Australia in the late 2000s, after appearing on the covers of overseas editions of Vogue and Glamour magazines.

Much the same is Nicole Trunfio, with the 31-year-old rising to fame after starring in campaigns for some of the world's most luxurious brands including Chanel, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana.

At the top of her game! Jessica became an international star for Australia in the late 2000s, after appearing on the covers of overseas editions Vogue and Glamour magazines

International model! Nicole (pictured) rose to fame after starring in campaigns for some of the world's most luxurious brands including Chanel, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana

Nicole said that she has always been passionate about assisting those less fortunate than her, and feels as though it is her responsibility to lend a charitable hand to those in need.

'I am always invested in things that that will help something bigger than me so something that helps the Heart Foundation, the biggest killer in the world, it was important to do this for the cause.'

'It was important to do this': Nicole admitted she has always been passionate about assisting those less fortunate than her

Joining Jessica and Nicole for the project will include fellow Australian models Samantha Harris, Tallulah Morton, Charlotte Lohmann and Stephanie Joy Field.

Appropriately titled '2018 Calendar Girls', all proceeds will go towards research and funding for The Heart Foundation.

The calendar can be purchased through thefincollection.com
She uses her star power to bring attention to noble causes.

And Lily Collins proved on point as she looked sophisticated chic in a floral gown at the Go Campaign Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The To The Bone actress, 28, oozed carefree cool as she commanded attention for the benefit to raise money for orphans and vulnerable children around the world.

Flower power: Lily Collins, 28, looked sophisticated chic in a floral gown at the Go Campaign Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday

Daring to impress, the English born beauty rocked the cold shoulder couture that let her perfect skin tone shine.

Her outstanding gorgeous gams were on center stage as the flower print dress cut just above the knees.

She stopped to pose with Robert Pattinson who cut a dapper figure.

Earlier in the day, she sported a shirt that read 'GRL PWR' - shorthand for 'girl power' - as she ran errands around Los Angeles.

Darling: The To The Bone actress oozed carefree cool as she commanded attention for the benefit to raise money for orphans and vulnerable children around the world

Good lookin': Daring to impress, the English born beauty rocked the cold shoulder couture that let her perfect skin tone shine

And Lily's all about girl power.

While the star doesn't overtly identify as a feminist she told DailyMail: '...If [feminism] means standing up for what you believe and being taken as seriously as men, then that is what I am fighting for' back in January.

The hard-working actress just embarked on filming the J.R.R Tolkien biopic with Nicholas Hoult.

Gams: Her outstanding gorgeous gams were on center stage as the flower print dress cut just above the knees

Petite pretty: Earlier in the day, she sported a shirt that read 'GRL PWR' - shorthand for 'girl power' - as she ran errands around Los Angeles

The Surrey born beauty was a natural choice for the role of Tolkien's wife after starring in vintage flicks including Rules Don't Apply.

It will chart the story of Tolkien's earlier years as a love lorn soldier who returned from the Great War - which he later used as inspiration for The Lord Of The Rings.

The film, Tolkien, is currently filming.

Daring duo: She stopped to pose with Robert Pattinson who cut a dapper figure

Women power: While the star doesn't overtly identify as a feminist she told DailyMail : '...If [feminism] means standing up for what you believe and being taken as seriously as men, then that is what I am fighting for' back in January

Wonderful: Gal Gadot looked beautiful in her maroon dress, adding a beige coat

Beaming: The actress, 32, stayed warm in the long sleeved look, opting for loose hair

Sharp: Camille Rowe chose a brown striped suit, adding a black blouse and shoes

Suited up: Sofia Boutella (l) chose a floral version while Kaitlin Olson (r) opted for all black

Date night: Kathy and Richard Hilton also attended the event

Blissful: Rob McElhenney and wife Kaitlin Olson couldn't help but smile
She's the author of best-selling novel The Handmaid's Tale, which has been adapted as a critically acclaimed TV series.

And on Sunday Margaret Atwood hit out at US President Donald Trump, saying he 'acts' as if he cares about the American white lower class.

The 78-year-old - whose career-defining work focuses on a fictional totalitarian regime - told The Weekend Australian she believes Trump rose to power by appealing to the same group of people Hillary Clinton infamously labelled as 'a basket of deplorables'.

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'He doesn't care about them or anybody else': The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood (pictured) says Donald Trump pretended to care about the American white lower-class to win presidency

'He acts as if he sees them,' the author told the publication on Sunday.

'He doesn't care about them or anybody else. He was quite willing to sign a healthcare law that would have excluded those very people.'

Margaret told the publication that the unique workings of socioeconomic classes in the US played a hand in Trump becoming the 'ruler of the Western world'.

'The way class works in America is that a middle-class, reasonably affluent black person will look down upon a white trash person,' she said.

And while Margaret admitted that has been true for some time, she said so-called 'white trash' grew tired of being viewed as the bottom of the pile.

'He acts as if he sees them': The 78-year-old (pictured) - whose career-defining work focuses on a fictional totalitarian regime - said she believes Trump rose to power by appealing to the same group of people Hillary Clinton infamously labelled as 'a basket of deplorables'

Hitting out: 'He (Trump) was quite willing to sign a healthcare law that would have excluded those very people,' Margaret said

'The way class works': Margaret told the publication that unique workings of socioeconomic classes in the US played a hand in Trump becoming the 'ruler of the Western world'

The Handmaid's Tale's themes of gender inequality and sexual slavery has seen a number of anti-Trump supporters adopt the story as a symbol of their movement.

Trump critics - outraged by his previous sexist remarks and attempts to cut abortion clinic funding - have drawn similarities between Margaret's novel and reality, The Weekend Australian reported.

Protesters have dressed like handmaids in state capitals, while others have marched with banners saying: 'Make Atwood fiction again'.

The Handmaid's Tale is set in a dystopian American future ruled by right-wing Christians, who force women to dress like handmaids and enter constant reproduction.
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They are gearing up for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

And one day before the taping of the annual lingerie runway presentation, the models stepped out for the Mercedes-Benz Backstage Secrets By Russell James book launch and Shanghai Exhibit Opening Party.

Angels Karlie Kloss, Alessandra Ambrosio and Romee Strijd were lead onto the carpet on Saturday in Shanghai,China by Candice Swanepoel who flirted up a storm with the cameras.

Countdown: (From left) Karlie Kloss, Alessandra Ambrosio and Romee Strijd looked ready for The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show ahead as they posed at the Book Launch and Exhibition opening party

She was joined on the red carpet by fellow Angel Alessandra Ambrosio.

Alessandra, 36, also opted to show off her ample cleavage.

The Brazilian-born beauty wowed in her black jacket with matching skintight bottoms, adding a large belt.

Karlie hit the carpet in a pink dress with a white mesh overlay; the 25-year-old pulled her platinum blonde locks back into a bun.

Candice Swanepoel donned a $485 silver Fleur du Mal 'Cowl Neck Bias' slip, which she wore with black heels.

Stunning in silver: Candice Swanepoel was a vision in a $485 silver Fleur du Mal 'Cowl Neck Bias' slip, which she wore with black heels

Flirty: She was in a flirty mood, flicking her hair and blowing kisses to the cameras

Kisses: The lovely Karlie looked pleased to be back in Victoria's Secret mode

Leggy look: Romee looked like she was taking it all in her stride when she arrived in a leggy number

The South African beauty, 29, also chose to pull her locks back, adding bold lipstick and cat eye makeup.

Candice was not part of last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show because she welcomed her son one month before; she gave birth to Anaca in October 2016.

Sara Sampaio flashed her cleavage in a plunging bodysuit, the cleavage revealing look features cut outs over each hip; she styled the one-piece with a black maxi skirt.

Sara, 26, posed up a storm while sporting a pearl accented top with a plunging neckline at the Harbor City Gala Hall in Shanghai, China.

The Portuguese model paired the racy look with wavy tresses and just a touch of makeup.

Stepping out: Alessandra looked sensational as she stepped out on the pink carpet

Suit you: Her two-piece highlighted her slender midriff with a thick waist belt

Sealed with a kiss: The beauty blew kisses to the waiting crowd

Signing off: She signed the wall behind her after posing for photos

Elegant: She flashed her statement earrings as she pushed her hair behind her ear

Walk this way: She showcased her slender in pins in her tapered pants

Making an impact: Alessandra pulled a number of hilarious faces as she arrived on the carpet

Stunner: The cleavage revealing look features cut outs over each hip; she styled the one-piece with a black maxi skirt

Back for the show: Karlie hit the carpet in a pink dress with a white mesh overlay; the 25-year-old pulled her platinum blonde locks back into a bun

Glittering: Candice Swanepoel slipped on a silver drape dress, revealing her toned physique

Show-stopping: Lily and Martha posed on the carpet together in their striking looks

Lily Aldridge cut a stylish look in her ruched black dress, opting to pair it with red lipstick and center parted tresses.

Meanwhile, Martha Hunt slipped on a shiny lavender crop top with a statement making purple skirt.

The blonde runway beauty hit the carpet in playful shimmery heels.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion show will be taped on November 20 and air on November 28 on CBS.

Peace and love: Lily Aldridge cut a stylish look in her ruched black dress, opting to pair it with red lipstick and center parted tresses

Vibes: Meanwhile, Martha Hunt slipped on a shiny lavender crop top with a statement making purple skirt

Fashion friends: The pair relaxed before walking the carpet together

Cheer: Karlie, Lily and Martha pictured enjoyed a cocktail to celebrate launch

Listening in: The three models each showed off her impeccable style

Having a good time: They cheered alongside photographer Russell James (r)

Flower power: Romee Strijd was a vision in her red, black and green floral dress

Classic: Jasmine Tookes kept it simple in her navy dress with gold heels and a handful of diamond rings

Silky: Ming Xi showed off her toned leg in a gold colored gown, which had an off-the-shoulder accent on one side

Focused: The blonde donned underwear from Victoria's Secret for the image while posing at her hotel in Shanghai

Twins: Bella Hadid and Maria Borges both wore similar jeans with the same jacket for a playful photo by a red wall

Trio: Karlie, Lily and Martha posed outdoors for an Instagram snap of the group
For any actor, there's always a constant struggle to land that career-defining role.

And while actress Melissa George shot to fame in Australia thanks to playing Angel on Home And Away, she always had her sights set on something bigger.

Speaking to The Australian on Sunday, the 41-year-old she ventured to Hollywood as part of a journey of self-discovery and claimed that her success is due to a combination of hard work and sometimes painful patience.

'I had to go away to discover who I was': Melissa George speaks on making it in Hollywood and reveals her role in 'The Butterfly Tree' is her best yet

'I had to go away to discover who I was, and I had to work really hard to get good roles in America,' she told the publication.

Relocating to Los Angeles from Australia in 1997, Melissa scored her first Hollywood acting job as a minor character in neo-noir science fiction film Dark City.

This year, the actress found her niche with a starring role in The Butterfly Tree.

Melissa plays Evelyn in the film, a florist and former burlesque dancer who becomes the conflicted love interest of a father (Ewan Leslie) and his teenage son (Ed Oxenbould).

'I had to work really hard to get good roles in America': Melissa scored her first Hollywood acting gig in neo-noir science fiction film Dark City in 1997, after relocating to LA

Early days: Melissa George shot to fame playing Angel on Home And Away in the 1990s (pictured with co-star Dieter Brummer)

She claimed it is easily her favourite role, and described her appearance in the film as one of the finest moments of her stellar acting career.

'I loved all aspects of making it, it was very emotional for me,' she said.

Melissa's filmography is vast, having gained a small role in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, as well as starring in the American adaptation of Australian series The Slap and British thriller A Lonely Place To Die.

International star! Melissa starred in British thriller A Lonely Place To Die in 2011

Melissa claimed that despite the dramatic shifts in her life during filming - including the birth of two children - she was determined to make the movie her best yet.

'I stayed with them through the financing period, through scheduling changes, I've had two children,' she said.

The Butterfly Tree opens in Australian cinemas on November 21.
She wowed when she made her Victoria Secret's runway debut in 2015.

But Kendall Jenner, 22, didn't look disappointed to be missing out on the lingerie parade this year as she enjoyed a low-key day out in New York City on Saturday.

As her model friends were preparing for the Shanghai show this weekend, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star covered up her tiny figure in a sleeveless padded jacket.

About town: Kendall Jenner was smiling as she went about business in New York on Saturday afternoon

Worlds away from her scanty-clad lingerie show appearances, Kendall slipped her slim shape into form-fitting leggings and a long sleeved top for her outing.

The reality star shielded her eyes with stylish sunglasses, despite the chilly temperatures in the Big Apple.

Scraping her raven locks into a neat low ponytail, the catwalk queen proudly showed off her youthful features and beautiful smile.

Casual figure: Worlds away from her scanty-clad lingerie show appearances, Kendall slipped her slim shape into form-fitting leggings and a long sleeved top for her outing

Adding a glamorous vibe, the model accessorised in her fashionista style with modest drop earrings, which brought out the gold delicate handbag chain.

Kendall was making the most of her time in New York City before she touched down in London in the evening.

Elsewhere models Elsa Hosk and Alessandra Ambrosio are gearing up for the lingerie parade in China, which will air on November 28 on CBS.

She's gorgeous: Scraping her raven locks into a neat low ponytail, the catwalk queen proudly showed off her youthful features and beautiful smile

It is Kendall's first year since 2015 that she hasn't walked in a Victoria Secret's catwalk as one of the Angels.

She first got involved after her mum Kris Jenner contacted renowned Victoria's Secret photographer Russell James.

The photographer took pictures of Kendall for his book Angels which was released a year before her debut with the lingerie brand.

Revealed: It is Kendall's first year since 2015 that she hasn't walked in a Victoria Secret's catwalk as one of the angels (pictured in her debut Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, New York)

According to Harper's Bazaar, Kris recalled telling her daughter before the shoot: 'I said to Kendall, look, go upstairs and put on your cutest party dress. Brush your hair, put on your party shoes and when he gets here come downstairs.'

Just two years later she didn't audition for the 2017 show because of her 'multi-million dollar deal' with rival Italian lingerie company La Perla, according to TMZ.

Gigi Hadid also was 'so bummed' she won't be making an appearance for the Shanghai extravaganza.

Impressive: The reality star made quite an impression in an array of scanty-clad lingerie for her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut (November 2015)

'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!'

Kendall's appearance came after it was reported she has decided to take her rumoured relationship with Blake Griffin to the next level.

A source told US Weekly: 'They're legit. They're a full-on couple. Kendall has been going to a lot of his games and they have been enjoying time at home when Blake is in town. They're good.'

Racy ensemble: It is no surprise the raven-haired beauty wowed once again when she returned to the show in 2016 (pictured in Paris, November)

Family flight! Alessandra Ambrosio, 36, was sporting her 'Angel' sweatshirt as she made the journey to China for the show with her daughter Anja
She is known for her strikingly similar appearance to her older sister, Victoria Beckham.

And Louise Adams looked like she had a great time at the Global Gift Gala at London's Corinthia Hotel on Saturday night as she struggled to keep her eyes open on the way home.

The 40-year-old stumbled her way to an awaiting taxi where she was seen putting on a very worse for wear display in the back seat.

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Good night? Louise Adams looked like she had a great time at the Global Gift Gala at London's Corinthia Hotel on Saturday night as she struggled to keep her eyes open on the way home

Bleary-eyed: The younger sister of Victoria Beckham, 40, was seen putting on a very worse for wear display in the back seat

Cutting a very stylish figure in a navy silk dress, Louise was seen making her way to the car where she decided to get comfortable.

Louise completed her look with a matching clutch and sparkling towering heels.

She appeared to be incredibly bleary-eyed as she struggled to keep her eyes open in the back seat.

Unable to stay awake, Louise found a suitable position as she rested her head on the side of the car before dozing off.

Heading home! Cutting a very stylish figure in a navy satin trench coat, Louise was seen making her way to the car where she decided to get comfortable

Beck to bed: She appeared to be incredibly bleary-eyed as she struggled to keep her eyes open in the back seat

In 2016, Louise followed in the footsteps of her sister Victoria and opened a small boutique called Hidden Closet down an alleyway in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire where clothes start at just a few pounds and range up to around 60.

And while her sister catapulted to fame in the iconic girlband Spice Girls, Louise once addressed the comparisons to her sister, insisting that she got into showbusiness first.

'I appeared in commercials and had an acting agent until I was a teenager,' she said.

'I was in the children's TV programme Dramarama and played a member of a gang. But I got sick of auditions and modelling in magazines and decided to quit. Victoria carried on and went to theatre school.

'If people think I'm just cashing in on my sister's success, I don't care because I know it was me that did it first.'

Nap time: Unable stay awake, Louise found a comfortable position as she rested her head on the side of the car before dozing off

Glamorous: Louise completed her look with a matching clutch and sparkling towering heels

Fashionista: In 2016, Louise opened a small boutique called Hidden Closet down an alleyway in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire where clothes start at just a few pounds and range up to around 60

'I had an acting agent': Louise once addressed the comparisons to her sister, insisting that she got into showbusiness first

Strutting her stuff: Meanwhile, her sister Victoria was also present at the eighth annual Global Gift Gala where she supported her best friend Eva Longoria

Oh hi! Eva and Victoria pulled out matching necklaces featuring each other's faces

Meanwhile, her sister Victoria was also present at the eighth annual Global Gift Gala where she supported her best friend Eva Longoria.

The actress and her fashion designer friend, 43, matched in subtly sexy black outfits, which they accessorised with matching necklaces featuring each other's faces.

Eva is one of many stars to show their support as an acting ambassador of the Global Gift Foundation - a charity that works to raise funds for foundations, charities and organisations that share its vision and aims.

Through events such as the various galas and fundraisers the charity funds several projects, including The Eva Longoria Foundation.

The charity, founded in 2012, aims to help Latinas build better futures through education and entrepreneurship, and confront the issue of poverty in their culture.
They're two of Australia's most well-known and much-loved TV journalists.

And on Sunday, Sylvia Jeffreys posted a loved-up snap with her husband Peter Stefanovic as the couple celebrated his birthday in style in Bondi.

Pictured together at popular Eastern Surburbs eatery North Bondi Fish, the 31-year-old Today show presenter took to Instagram to share an image of the pair in a loving embrace.

'11/10 day with the birthday boy': Sylvia Jeffreys shared a loved up snap with husband Peter Stefanovic as the couple celebrated his 36th birthday on Sunday

She captioned the heartwarming photo: '11/10 day with the birthday boy.'

The pair smiled as they stared towards the camera, with Peter throwing his arms around Sylvia and tightly holding her close to his chest.

Sylvia looked stunning for the occasion, sporting a long-sleeved floral dress with her blonde locks styled to fall effortlessly over her shoulders.

Laughing as the photo was taken, Peter wore a black akubra and an unbuttoned pink collared shirt.

'Uncle Pete in charge': Sylvia shared an adorable snap of her husband holding a young baby in his arms

All aboard the love boat! Sylvia Jeffreys, 31, packed on the PDA with husband Peter Stefanovic, as the couple enjoyed a day on Sydney Harbour

As the day went on, Sylvia then shared an adorable snap of her husband holding a young baby in his arms and captioned 'Uncle Pete in charge.'

Getting hitched in April this year, Peter and Sylvia have not shied away from the public eye despite their large media profile.

And last Sunday, Sylvia could not hide her affection for her beau as she enjoyed a day on Sydney Harbour with him last Saturday.

The blonde beauty who sported a sporting a chic white frock for the jaunt, gazed adoringly at her journalist husband.

Cause to celebrate: The high-profile couple were celebrating colleague Tim Gilbert's birthday

The pair, along with Peter's older brother Karl, were on board to celebrate colleague Tim Gilbert's birthday.

A previous snap shared to Instagram saw Sylvia and Peter warmly embracing their colleague, and was captioned: 'A brilliant arvo celebrating the birthday of the great man, Timmy G! What a sparkler!'

Sylvia wed fellow Channel Nine star Peter Stefanovic, in a lavish ceremony at the exclusive Ooralba Estate in the Kangaroo Valley, in April this year.
The detainees are accused of forming a terrorist cell with intent to attack state institutions, or knowing about the plot without informing authorities

Egypt's State Security Prosecution ordered Sunday nine defendants detained for 15 days, and six others for four days pending investigations on charges of being members of the terrorist group involved in the Wahat shootout.

Eleven police officers, four conscripts and one sergeant were killed in the 20 October shootout while raiding a terrorist training camp in Bahariya Oasis, about 135 kilometres (83 miles) southwest of Cairo. The Ministry of Interior said that 15 terrorists were killed during the shootout.

The nine defendants are accused of joining an "unlawful group that aims at disrupting the constitution, law and state institutions, attacking the personal freedoms of citizens, harming national unity and the social fabric, adopting ideas that consider the state leader an atheist and legitimise changing the regime by force."

The defendants are also accused of attacking police and army members and institutions, aiming at disrupting public order, and using terrorism as one of their means, the prosecution said

The prosecution accused the six other defendants of knowing about the terrorist group, its members, and its aims of taking aggressive actions against the state, without reporting this information to the police.

On Thursday, security forces arrested Mohamed Abdullah Mosmary, a Libyan national who was involved in the Wahat shootout in October.

The ministry said that Mosmary, a resident of Libya's Derna and born in 1992, is the member of a cell formed in Derna by leading terrorist figure Emad El-Din Mahmoud Abdel-Hamid, who was killed in an airstrike by Egyptian forces on terrorist hideouts in the Western Desert.

The members of the cell received training in Libya before sneaking into Egypt to join a training camp in El-Wahat, as well as recruiting 29 new members from Giza and Qalioubiya.

Investigations also revealed that members of the cell were involved in the May attack on buses carrying Coptic Christians in Upper Egypt's Minya governorate, which killed 28 people.

Following the shootout, Egyptian military and police forces launched a number of joint operations targeting terrorist hideouts in the Western Desert area, killing a number of terrorists involved in the shootout.

A little known group affiliated with Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Wahat incident in a statement online, stating that its leader, Abdel-Hamid, was killed by Egyptian air forces.

The terrorist group Daesh had earlier claimed responsibility for the Minya attack in May.

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She's the New Zealand-born fashion model that rose to fame last year.

And on Sunday, Georgia Fowler shared a behind-the-scenes look for the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, as preparations for the event get underway.

In a series of posts to Instagram, the 25-year-old showed off last-minute preparations for the event just hours before rehearsal including footage that showed her relaxing in a chair and being pampered.

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'It's rehearsal time!': On Sunday Georgia Fowler shared footage on Instagram of her last-minute preparations before the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show kicks off in Shanghai

'It's rehearsal time,' she exclaimed in the post. 'So amazing.'

Georgia held her smartphone directly above her head as she showed off her best angles and gave a thumbs up to the camera.

She then turned the camera to Austrian-born fellow model Nadine Leopold who was sitting in the chair directly opposite, asking her if she was excited to finally represent the international lingerie brand on stage for the first time.

'So amazing': Georgia could hardly contain her excitement as rehearsals got underway

Nadine performed a tiny jig to show her excitement, and appeared both amused and amazed at the commotion going on around her.

Finally, Georgia blew a kiss to the camera to sign off goodbye, before she walked out on stage to thousands of adoring fans and fashion industry representatives.

'Excitement is real': Georgia filmed Austrian-born model Nadine Leopold, whose appearance would be her first at the show

Georgia sported casual attire for the event, and flaunted her ample cleavage in a low-cut black crop top.

Silky tights helped round out the bottom part of her ensemble and were stylishly ripped as well as hugging her toned physique.

Earlier in the day, she revealed that her mum and aunty had made the trip over from New Zealand to support her.

In an adorable snap, Georgia was pictured with her arms around them and captioned the image: 'Mums and aunties take Shanghai.'

Georgia accentuated her long legs in a pair of FRAME jeans, adding a white Victoria's Secret tee to complete the look.
The stars of The Real Housewives of Melbourne are set to take a trip up the east coast to Sydney this week.

But there won't be an opportunity to catch up with their colleagues from the franchise's Sydney chapter, because they will all be out of town.

RHOS stars Krissy Marsh, Nicole ONeil, Victoria Rees, Matty Samaei and Melissa Tkautz have all opted to fly to Brisbane on Tuesday, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Not happy to see us? The stars of RHOS (pictured) to fly out of Sydney the same day their Melbourne counterparts arrive in town

Meanwhile, the entire RHOM cast will take their place in Sydney to begin their press tour for season four.

The timing of the RHOS cast's absence will leave fans wondering if it's just a coincidence, or if it's part of a clever plan to avoid the Melbourne group.

Krissy confirmed that the sets of stars had plans to meet up, but they will no longer be able to make it.

'We were all meant to have dinner together...' Krissy said.

'But we are away for a good cause.'

Skipping town? RHOS stars (pictured) Krissy Marsh, Nicole ONeil, Victoria Rees, Matty Samaei and Melissa Tkautz have all opted to fly to Brisbane on Tuesday, according to The Daily Telegraph

Where are you all going? Meanwhile, the entire RHOM cast (pictured) will take their place in Sydney to begin their press tour for season four

The mother-of-three said she's taking her co-stars back to her home state of Queensland to be special guests at a charity lunch, which is being held at her former boyfriends restaurant.

'It started with Victoria auctioning herself off for a lunch for charity when we attended an event in Brisbane earlier this year, we all decided to get behind her,' she told the publication.

'I am a Brisbane girl born and bred so it means a lot to me to give back to a Brisbane charity.'

Proceeds from the charity lunch will go to a local special needs school.

Real Housewives Of Melbourne Season 4 premieres December 6 on Arena
Recently, the much-loved show has been given the green light for a big screen adaptation.

But before they start filming, Michelle Dockery and Joanne Froggatt stylishly joined their ITV co-stars Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol and Allen Leech for Downton Abbey: The Exhibition Gala reception in New York on Friday.

Showcasing her red carpet fashion, Michelle, 35, oozed glamour as she stepped out in a knee-length shift dress which featured eye-catching crystal detailing around the neckline.

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Not too (Downton) shabby! Michelle Dockery and Joanne Froggatt stylishly joined their ITV co-stars Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol and Allen Leech for Downton Abbey: The Exhibition Gala reception in New York on Friday

The dramatic detailing cascaded down the front of her sleek garment and over her stomach which drew the eye towards her svelte midriff.

SAG winner Michelle - who played Lady Mary Crawley on the period drama - teamed her demure display with a pair of pointed stilettos which elongated her slender pins while she posed with her co-stars.

The British beauty complemented her look by working her brunette locks into a sweeping up 'do and slick of pink hued lipstick.

Adding a pop of colour to the carpet, Golden Globe winner Joanne, 37, slipped on an orange sleeveless lace dress for the festivities.

Glam gals: Showcasing her red carpet fashion, Michelle, 35, oozed glamour as she stepped out in a knee-length shift dress which featured eye-catching crystal detailing around the neckline

Striking: The dramatic detailing cascaded down the front of her sleek garment and over her stomach which drew the eye towards her svelte midriff

Her high neck piece featured a nude slip underneath which accentuated the lace's vibrant colour while a thin black waist-belt wrapped around her slender frame.

The Liar actress - who undertook the role of lady's maid Anna Bates on the popular drama - teamed her head-turning look with a pair of platform peep-toe heels while her blonde tresses were styled into a sleek top knot.

32-year-old Sophie McShera - who played kitchen maid Daisy Robinson in the series - stunned in a gold metallic one-shouldered dress while Lesley Nicol - who played Beryl Patmore - looked sophisticated in a black number.

Cutting a dapper figure for the occasion was Irish actor Allen Leech - who played Tom Branson in the drama - in a grey light check suit, blue shirt and midnight blue tie.

Demure: Adding a pop of colour to the carpet, Golden Globe winner Joanne, 37, slipped on an orange sleeveless lace dress for the festivities

Glittering: 32-year-old Sophie McShera - who played kitchen maid Daisy Robinson in the series - stunned in a gold metallic one-shouldered dress

Style savvy: While Lesley Nicol - who played Beryl Patmore - looked sophisticated in a black number

Months after the rumours first started swirling, Julian Fellowes' big screen adaptation of his popular ITV series has finally been given the all-important green light.

The TV mogul, 67, has reportedly teamed up with Carnival Films, with production slated to begin in September.

During an exhibition for the show in Singapore this summer, Michael Edelstein, president at NBC Universal International Studios, said: 'There's a movie in the works. It's been in the works for some time.

'We are working on getting the script right, and then we've got to figure out how to get the (cast) together.'

Dapper: Cutting a dapper figure for the occasion was Irish actor Allen Leech in a grey light check suit, blue shirt and midnight blue tie alongside Jessica Blair Herman

Back together: Months after the rumours first started swirling, Julian Fellowes' big screen adaptation of his popular ITV series has finally been given the all-important green light

The news comes after Michelle revealed she considers herself a widow  two years after her fiance died of cancer.

'Ive never been more committed to anything in my life than to him, she revealed in an interview yesterday.

I dont have the vocabulary to describe what it felt like and what it still feels like. I refer to myself as a widow, yes. We were engaged, and married at heart, and so I do consider myself a widow.

Michelle and John Dineen, an Irish public relations director, were engaged for a year before he died aged 34.

Delight: The TV mogul, 67, has reportedly teamed up with Carnival Films, with production slated to begin in September

Working: During an exhibition for the show in Singapore this summer, Michael Edelstein, president at NBC Universal International Studios, said: 'There's a movie in the works. It's been in the works for some time

To add to her grief as he battled the disease, Dockerys character in Downton, Lady Mary Crawley, also lost her husband.

'One of the difficult things at the time was the parallels with Mary, said the actress.

It was just baffling, and still is to me, that my characters storyline was so similar.

During her interview with the Guardian, Dockery also recalled meeting disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein several years ago, saying: I remember feeling uncomfortable.
She was delighted to reveal news that she's expecting her first child, just last weekend.

But life couldn't have looked more blissful one week on, when Casey Batchelor arrived in Cyprus for a babymoon.

The pregnant 33-year-old looked glowing as she hit the beach in a form-fitting maxi dress, which hugged her new, growing baby bump.

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Bump hugging: Pregnant Casey Batchelor displayed her growing figure on Saturday, as she enjoyed a babymoon in Cyprus

She went in search of sun this week, after dropping the bombshell that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Dane Goodson, after finally finding her 'happy ending'.

Looking content, the brunette was alone when she strolled along the waterfront with her maternity figure on show.

She chose an angle-grazing dress in a glittering bronze colour, which accentuated her ample bust.

Glowing: The pregnant brunette revealed her shock baby news last weekend, after finding her happy ending with Dane

Taking early pregnancy in her stride, the brunette was also beautifully made up with her hair half up, half down in glossy waves and her make-up preened to perfection.

Casey pushed her hair back with her sunglasses, as she soaked up some winter sun in the first trimester of her pregnancy.

She was spotted leaving the UK via Stansted Airport on Tuesday in what was the first sighting since her shock news.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star, 33, who has kept her romance with her beau tightly under wraps for 18 months, finally believes she has 'found her prince'.

'She is overjoyed to become a mum': It is no surprise the lovebirds were pictured looking madly in love as they headed home holding hands after a date night in London in recent weeks (pictured together in October 2017, London)

It seems she was struggling with morning sickness ahead of the flight, as she took to Twitter to pen: 'Being sick before you get on the plane is not the one'.

An insider divulged to The Sun that Casey was 'overjoyed' at the prospect of becoming a mum  revealing she had previously considered freezing her eggs as she thought her 'happy ending would never come'.

Of the pregnancy news, a source told the publication: 'Its been a long time coming for Casey whos had such bad luck with guys she was considering freezing her eggs because she thought her happy ending would never happen.

Must be love: The busty brunette has found true love with Dane who she met before she found fame on television

'But it really was love at first sight for her and Dane and a year and a half on they are overjoyed about becoming parents. She really believes shes finally found her prince and loves hes someone completely separate from the industry.'

It is no surprise the lovebirds were pictured looking madly in love as they headed home holding hands after a date night in London in recent weeks.

In the past, the previously unlucky-in-love beauty has been romantically linked to Jermaine Defoe, Lee Ryan and Peter Andre. But now it seems the busty brunette has found true love with Dane who she met before she found fame on television.

In recent months, the reality star revealed her plans to marry her lover in a candid interview with The Daily Star On Sunday.

Her happy ending: The former Celebrity Big Brother star, who has kept her romance with her beau tightly under wraps for 18 months, finally believes she has 'found her prince'

At the time, the stunner kept her beau's identity a secret but she did share that he lived in Kent where he has established a stationary and printing company.

Revealing she was 'off the market', Casey told the publication: 'I feel like I might be devastating the dreams of quite a few men!

'Weve been together for a while now. I kept quiet about it because he doesnt want to be in the spotlight and likes us to keep things private.

'We have spoken about marriage. We are very much in love, so were going to see what happens. I think hes going to be the man Im going to be with for the rest of my life.'
She is going to be back on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway after missing last year to become a mum.

But Candice Swanepoel, 29, put herself truly back in the spotlight as she posed in a series of racy lingerie sets to tease a glimpse of the Shanghai catwalk collection.

Lounging on a bed in an intimate setting, the model flaunted her envy-inducing physique, leaving nothing to the imagination in her scarlet semi-sheer teddy.

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She's back! New mum Candice Swanepoel flaunted her envy-inducing physique as she left nothing to the imagination in her scarlet semi-sheer teddy as she teased a glimpse of the upcoming Shanghai catwalk for the Victoria's Secret collection

Parading her sensational figure, the South African born beauty tossed her head back and let her sunny golden curls cascade down to her incredibly tiny waist.

The mum-of-one ensured all eyes were well and truly on her ample assets as the slinky garment was decorated with intricate floral embroidery.

In another saucy snap, the Victoria's Secret Angel slipped into a form-fitting corset which featured a semi-sheer lace bodice that clung to her petite frame.

Candice exuded sex appeal as she finished off her racy look with very skimpy briefs that barely covered her modesty.

Sex appeal: The Victoria's Secret angel slipped into a form-fitting corset which featured a semi-sheer lace bodice that clung to her petite frame

The golden-haired beauty opted for dramatic eyeliner but a nude lipstick to bring attention to her eyes as she laid on the bed among plush cushions.

In the final two pictures, the lingerie model oozed confidence when she styled a matching light grey bra and semi-sheer briefs.

Candice will be reunited with her bevy of Victoria's Secret beauties, including models Elsa Hosk and Alessandra Ambrosio, on the runway.

The models are preparing for the upcoming lingerie parade in China, which will air on November 28 on CBS.

Posing up a storm: The lingerie model oozed confidence when she styled a matching light grey bra and semi-sheer briefs

Candice showed she still had what it takes to be a sizzling Victoria's Secret Angel after stepping out of the limelight last year.

The model gave birth to her first child Anaca in October 2016 with her long-term boyfriend Hermann Nicoli.

She was 17 when she first met her Brazilian model beau in Paris and they went onto get engaged in August 2015.

Wow: Candice will be reunited with her bevy of Victoria's Secret Angel beauties, including models Elsa Hosk and Alessandra Ambrosio, on the runway

The proud mum revealed she has been devoting a lot of time to her son and she couldn't help but gush about how her son was 'incredible'.

In recent months, she wrote on Instagram: 'Anaca is incredible - I look at him and I can't believe he's mine. As a young girl, I didn't ask to hold other people's babies but I definitely felt nature's call to be a mummy and I'm just loving it.

'The first few months devoting my time to him has been really important.'
They have been virtually inseparable, ever since striking up a relationship over the summer.

But Sofia Richie, 19, looked delighted to be back with Scott Disick, 34, on Friday night, after arriving back in Los Angeles from London.

Seen at hotspot Nobu in Malibu, she seemed to have gone straight out to dinner with her beau, after flying out on Friday morning.

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Reunited: Scott Disick reunited with Sofia Richie on Friday night at Nobu in Malibu, after she flew in from London

Sofia evidently wasted no time in reuniting with her beau, who maintained his aloof air in a 'Playboy' sweatshirt for their dinner.

The 19-year-old model looked effortlessly gorgeous in a white roll neck jumper and jeans.

The couple were spotted at the valet area of the eatery before chivalrous Scott whisked her off into the night.

Only that morning, Sofia was spotted arriving to Los Angeles airport, after her long flight back to the States.

What they know best: After some rare time apart, the duo did what they knew best and hit a favourite eatery

In the swing of things: Scott was dressed in a 'Playboy' sweatshirt

While in London, her boyfriend Scott was filming scenes for Keeping Up With Kardashians in the LA area with Kris Jenner's boyfriend, Corey Gamble.

Scott has three children with his ex partner Kourtney Kardashian.

The father of three is reportedly 'in love with' Sofia, who is the daughter of Lionel Richie, according to US Weekly.

Chill: The two rocked their best casual looks

According to the magazine's insider, the duo 'are still going strong,' and Sofia seems to share the same sentiment for Scott, with the source claiming she is 'so into him' and 'has been for a while.'

Last week, Sofia spoke to E! News about her dad Lionel's thoughts on her relationship: 'He's good. He's been very nice. He's been very cool. He's very supportive, whatever that means.'

Her comments comes one month after Lionel told US Weekly that he's in 'shock' about the relationship.

Loved up: They shared a laugh together while leaving the eatery

He said to the magazine: 'I'm the dad, come on. I'm scared to death, are you kidding me?'

Scott and Sofia made their relationship public in September while enjoying a holiday in Miami, Florida.

Earlier this month, they were seen relaxing in Los Cabos, Mexico; just weeks earlier they had a romantic trip together to Venice and Milan, Italy.

They also spent time in Puerto Vallarta for a couples getaway in early October.

Scott and Sofia made their relationship public in September while enjoying a holiday in Miami, Florida.
She enjoyed a cosy breakfast reunion with her billionaire ex boyfriend Elon Musk, 46, earlier this week.

But Amber Heard was happy going solo when she went for a spin in a burgundy Mustang in Los Angeles on Saturday as it was confirmed the exes were 'definitely not getting back together'.

The 31-year-old actress looked chic in her flowing floral frock as she best showcased her amazing figure in the fitted garment.

Stylish: Amber Heard looked chic in a frock in Los Angeles on Saturday as it is confirmed she is 'definitely NOT getting back together' with billionaire Elon Musk

Johnny Depp's ex-wife swept her trademark golden locks under her fedora sunhat, only letting a few wisps fall from the grasp to frame her face.

Adding to her height, the Justice League star walked with poise toting an natural/yellow Linjer Tulip Bag as she sashayed through the streets in her platform suede boots by Vince Camuto.

The Friday Night Lights star also travelled in style as she got behind the wheel of a burgundy Mustang for her afternoon drive around Los Angeles.

Amber reunited with her billionaire ex at their old haunt Sweet Butter Kitchen in Sherman Oaks.

Equally fabulous: The Friday Night Lights star also travelled in style as she got behind the wheel of a burgundy Mustang for her afternoon drive around Los Angeles

The blonde bombshell proudly showed off her new cover edition of Australia's GQ magazine of which she was bestowed the much-coveted title of Woman Of The Year.

Elon examined the glossy pages with great interest as the Aquaman star cosied up to her former flame over breakfast in Los Angeles.

Despite their cosy encounter, sources revealed the exes are 'definitely not back together' after the pictures emerged.

'They sat next to each other, but were not affectionate,' an insider told People. 'They seemed to have a somber conversation. 'Theyre definitely not back together but have seen each other a couple times as friends.'

Sensational: Johnny Depp's ex wife swept her trademark golden locks under her fedora sunhat in the heat of the day, only letting a few wisps fall from the grasp to frame her face

Their meeting came after the actress touched down in the States following her time in Australia where she has been filming her latest movie Aquaman.

Amber initially went public with their romance in April 2017 when she shared a couples picture of the pair at dinner with the caption 'cheeky'.

The blonde bombshell marked her territory with a scarlet lipstick print on Elon's cheek as they enjoyed a cosy candle lit dinner.

In happier times: Amber initially went public with their romance in April 2017 when she shared a couple's picture of the pair at dinner with the caption 'cheeky'

Amber and Elon were blissfully happy for a year before they broke up in August 2017.

Just days before, the hunk discussed his break up with Amber for the first time in an emotional interview for the cover edition of The Rolling Stones.

The businessman told how he was left 'hurting badly' and torn apart by their split as he revealed she had broken up with him.

'I just broke up with my girlfriend. I was really in love and it hurt bad. Well, she broke up with me more than I broke up with her, I think,' he admitted.

Heartache: Elon (pictured in Beverly Hills, February 2017) recently discussed his split from Amber for the first time, detailing that he was 'hurting badly' following the break up

'If I'm not in love, if I'm not with a long-term companion, I cannot be happy. I will never be happy without having someone. Going to sleep alone kills me.'

Amber's romance with Elon followed her very public split with fellow actor Johnny Depp, 53, whom she married in 2015.

She filed for divorce from Johnny in May last year amid allegations the Oscar-nominated actor abused her, claims which he denied.

Drama: Amber's romance with Elon followed her very public split with fellow actor Johnny Depp, 53, whom she married in 2015 (pictured in Sydney, November 2017)

Their separation was finalised in January, with Johnny agreeing to hand over $9.3 million to his wife of 14 months.

Meanwhile, Elon was granted a second divorce from actress Talulah Riley in November 2016. They were married for two years before they divorced for the first time in 2012.

The couple decided to give their love one more try when they remarried in 2013 but they were only together a year before Elon filed for a second divorce.



They raise six children together:Damian, Xavier, Kai, Griffin, Saxon and Nevada.
Models have flocked to Shanghai to walk the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show when it is held in the city on Monday.

And over the weekend, they kept their social media following apprised of the run-up to the hotly-anticipated extravaganza.

Romee Strijd, a 22-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel, posted an Instagram photo Sunday of herself in a lacy black bra and tight matching jeans.

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Posing up a storm: Romee Strijd, a 22-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel, posted an Instagram photo of herself on Sunday in Shanghai, the day before the brand's fashion show there

The Zoetermeer-born blonde wore a black choker with a couple of glinting beaded necklaces, aiming her best smoldering stare at the camera.

'Getting in the mood for tomorrows lingerie event of the century, so excited for my outfits and the runway, cant wait for you all to see soon! Lets do this,' she captioned, adding '@victoriassecret' and an exploding emoji before '#vsfashionshow2017'.

Josephine Skriver, a 24-year-old Copenhagen native who like Romee is a Victoria's Secret Angel, uploaded a Sunday photo of herself strutting outdoors in town.

'rehearsal time': Josephine Skriver, a 24-year-old Copenhagen native who like Romee is a Victoria's Secret Angel, uploaded a Sunday photo of herself strutting outdoors in Shanghai

'love her': After that, Josephine popped yet another photo onto her Instagram page, this one of her with her fellow Victoria's Secret Angel Lily Aldridge, 32

She wrote in her caption that it was 'rehearsal time!! practice makes perfect'.

Her hair swept back into a tightly-wound updo, she had draped a black coat over a raven-colored cleavage-baring top and a floral miniskirt.

Tassels fringed her hemline, which was cut off around mid-thigh to showcase her knockout legs, and she wore black boots that stretched up past her knees.

Beanie loyalty: Lily herself, who posted the same photo with Josephine, also uploaded what appeared to be a selfie in which she pouted under evocative purple lighting

After that, Josephine popped yet another photo onto her Instagram page, this one of her with her fellow Victoria's Secret Angel Lily Aldridge, 32.

The pair were wrapped in matching flowery robes, and Josephine wrapped her arms affectionately about her colleague, the pair of them beaming for the camera.

Josephine effervesced in her caption: 'love her. love her. love her,' popping in an emoji of two hearts and then: '@lilyaldridge #vsfashionshow'.

Glam in Gucci: Elsa Hosk, whose blonde hair has been cropped at about shoulder length, has posed for a wide-eyed selfie she threw onto her Instagram page this Sunday

Hello, gorgeous: She wore a pink Gucci T-shirt - which she had tucked into royal purple trousers that were themselves tucked into thigh-high pink boots, as seen on her Instagram

Lily herself, who posted the same photo with Josephine, also uploaded what appeared to be a selfie in which she pouted under evocative purple lighting.

She had bundled up in a black turtlenecked sweater, loyally accenting the ensemble with a black and white Victoria Sport beanie.

Elsa Hosk, whose blonde hair has been cropped at about shoulder length, has posed for a wide-eyed selfie she threw onto her Instagram page this Sunday.

Beautiful on The Bund: Sara Sampaio, a 26-year-old VIctoria's Secret Angel from Portugal, posted a photo of herself flinging up a peace sign in front of a view of the Shanghai skyline

Lounging: Sara since posted a photo of herself lying down beside Georgia Fowler (right), who is not an Angel but who will be walking Monday's fashion show

The 29-year-old Swede wore a pink Gucci T-shirt - which she had tucked into royal purple trousers that were themselves tucked into thigh-high pink boots.

That whole outfit was on display in another photo Elsa posted, which saw her posing up a storm outdoors near an elegant stone planter.

Sara Sampaio, a 26-year-old VIctoria's Secret Angel from Porto, Portugal, posted a photo of herself flinging up a peace sign in front of a view of the Shanghai skyline.

Company: Candice Swanepoel tagged Victoria's Secret senior creative Ed Razek, as well as photographer Russell James, in the snapshot she posted

She wore a GIA hoodie and stood on - as her location was tagged - The Bund, a waterfront on the west bank of the Huangpu River.

She since posted a photo of herself lying down beside Georgia Fowler, who is not an Angel but who will be walking Monday's fashion show.

Sara was dressed in a chic white blouse, whilst Georgia showed off her enviably trim midriff in a black crop top she wore with glistening rings and earrings.

Candice Swanepoel tagged Victoria's Secret senior creative Ed Razek, as well as photographer Russell James, in the snapshot she posted.

'Rehearsal': Bella Hadid posted a two-photo album of herself in which she modeled loose-fitting black boots and indoors, illuminated by strips of purple light overhead

The Mooi River-born model, named a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010, wore a pink wrap and had part of her hair lopsidedly bundled up.

'Baby C by @russelljames #backstagesecrets @victoriassecret @ed_razek,' wrote Candice in the caption to the Sunday upload.

On Monday, Candice will make her triumphal return to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which has never happened in Shanghai before.

The trilingual model took last year's extravaganza off, having delivered her firstborn child - a son called Anaca - the month prior.

There's that pout: Her Instagram Story has featured footage of her in that same outfit, mugging for the camera as she looked down at it amid all that evocative lighting

Bella Hadid posted a two-photo album of herself in which she modeled loose-fitting black boots and indoors, illuminated by strips of purple light overhead.

'Rehearsal,' the 21-year-old began a lengthy caption, going on: 'Feeling so grateful...The energy of the girls, the team, backstage / front stage, the incredible fans were so beautifully intense and motivating. I can't wait for tomorrow'.

'All of my girls completely rocked it today & it makes me smile thinking about how hard every single person- models, stylists, look designers, the lights, the music, backstage, front stage etc worked to prepare-so many months in advance-such a huge, almost unbelievable production...and now it's finally happening!' she gushed.

There it is again: In a more brightly-lit selfie upload, she wore a black sleeveless top and offered a classic supermodel pout, her head surrounded by cartoon hearts

'TOPOFTHEMORNINGTOYA': Not long after, a picture of her in the 'rehearsal' look cropped up on her Instagram Story, framed by glowing pink squiggly lines

Bella closed out: 'Thank you to everyone involved for putting in blood sweat and tears .. this show is going to be,' popping in an emoji with hearts for eyes.

Her Instagram Story has featured footage of her in that same outfit, mugging for the camera as she looked down at it amid all that evocative lighting.

In a more brightly-lit selfie upload, she wore a black sleeveless top and offered a classic supermodel pout, her head surrounded by cartoon hearts.

Not long after, a picture of her in the 'rehearsal' look cropped up on her Instagram Story, framed by glowing pink squiggly lines and captioned: 'TOPOFTHEMORNINGTOYA.'

'Backstage': Taylor Hill, a 21-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel from Illinois, posted a couple of selfie videos to her Instagram Story showing the behind-the-scenes process

'You don't wanna - yeah, let's cover the wing in the back,' Alessandra conceded.

Initially, Bella's elder sister and fellow internationally famous model was Gigi Hadid was also slated to walk the show - but she tweeted last week that she 'won't be able to make it to China this year.'

Gigi declined to publicize the reason for her absence, but the rumor mill has been churning out chatter that she was unable to get a visa to enter China.

If so, goes this line of gossip, it is possible she wound up in this this predicament because in February, she was accused of racism after she pulled at the skin beside her eyes to imitate a Buddha cookie on social media.

Featured: One video Taylor posted co-starred 36-year-old Erechim-born Victoria's Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio, who wore a simple top with a serrated neckline

Taylor Hill, a 21-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel from Illinois, posted a couple of selfie videos to her Instagram Story showing the behind-the-scenes process.

Her hair was gathered up into a bun as she informed the viewers: 'I am backstage, rehearsing. I would show you around, but I can't, because there's wings back here and I feel like I would get in trouble, so...yeah...,' she trailed off with a smile.

The next video Taylor posted co-starred 36-year-old Erechim-born Victoria's Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio, who wore a simple top with a serrated neckline.

Animated accessories: Taylor's filter had given them both gold-colored cartoon wreaths round their heads, which Alessandra noted 'kinda goes with that wing in the back'

Taylor's filter had given them both gold-colored animated wreaths round their heads, which Alessandra noted 'kinda goes with that wing in the back.'

Gesturing at a pair of false wings that did, indeed, nicely complement the wreaths, Alessandra encouraged viewers: 'Look at that wing in the back.'

Young gun Taylor, on the other hand, was a bit more circumspect, quickly chiming in: 'Don't look at the wing in the back!'

Meanwhile, Angel Martha Hunt posted a selfie offering her gratitude to facialist Georgia Louise for the latter's work on the former.
She is preparing to show off her incredible figure in scanty-clad lingerie on the Victoria Secret's runway.

And Alessandra Ambrosio could hardly contain her delight as she put on a perky appearance in Shanghai, China on Sunday ahead of the annual Fashion Show.

The catwalk queen, 36, put on her very own fashion parade when she flaunted her tremendous legs in a thigh-skimming knitted dress.

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Leggy lady: Alessandra Ambrosio showed off her tremendous legs in thigh-skimming dress as she puts on perky appearance on Sunday ahead of Victoria Secret's Fashion Show in Shanghai

Showcasing her best assets, Alessandra looked elegant in the baby pink jumper-style frock which featured a frayed edge to draw further attention to her lengthy limbs.

The underwear model put all the effort into sourcing her accessories for the outing as she sported a chic necklace and trendy circular sunglasses in the same colour.

Layering up in a cream jacket, the runway beauty toted a designer handbag as the perfect way to complete her polished look.

Showcasing her best assets: Alessandra looked elegant in the baby pink jumper-style frock which featured a frayed edge to draw further attention to her lengthy limbs

Alessandra commanded attention when she got her caffeine fix, adding to her statuesque height in steep towering stiletto boots.

Despite Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid not attending the runway this year, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will go on and air on CBS on November 28.

The fashionista recently revealed the models get together after the show is finished to have a pizza party as part of a tradition.

Hello there! The Victoria's Secret angel could hardly contain her delight as she waved excitedly at the cameras

'Usually after the show, all of us girls get together and eat pizza. Our pizza parties have become a tradition,' Alessandra said.

The Victoria's Secret Angel made the getaway to China for the fashion show a family affair as she brought along her nine-year-old daughter Anja.

On Instagram, the lingerie model shared a picture of herself and her only daughter at the airport with her 8,700,000 social media followers.

Perfect match: The underwear model put all the effort into sourcing her accessories for the outing as she sported a chic necklace and trendy circular sunglasses in the same colour

Standing tall: Alessandra commanded attention when she got her caffeine fix, adding to her statuesque height in steep towering stiletto boots

Alessandra raises her children Anja and Noah Phoenix, aged five, with her businessman fiance Jamie Mazur.

Recently, the beauty revealed the secrets to honing her phenomenal figure by taking 'fun' dance classes.

'I have been working with Tracy [Anderson] for last couple years, and what I love about her classes that it does not feel like exercise,' she told Bravo.

'It's almost like taking a fun dance class that targets all of your muscle groups, and you get amazing results...she also has online classes, so when I travel, I am able to work out in my hotel room.'
She finalised her high-profile divorce from Karl Stefanovic in October last year.

And Cassandra Thorburn, 42, is planning to make a big splash as she embarks on a new career in media, according to New Idea.

The magazine reported Cassandra is 'weeks away' from an announcement 'that could make her even more successful than her Logie-winning ex'.

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Comeback: Cassandra Thorburn, 42, is reportedly planning to make a big splash as she embarks on a new career in media

'Nothing would give her more satisfaction than beating Karl at his own game after everything he's done to her,' an alleged 'insider' told the publication.

'She's done feeling humiliated and betrayed. She's telling friends she's not going to let Karl break her and will do everything she can to build her career,' they added.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Cassandra Thorburn for further comment.

'She's done feeling humiliated and betrayed. She's telling friends she's not going to let Karl break her and will do everything she can to build her career,' they added

The former ABC journalist met her future husband at a party in Rockhampton in 1995 and they later married.

Together they have three children: Jackson, 18, Ava, 12, and River, 10.

Married for 21 years, the couple announced they were separating in September last year and finalised their divorce the following month.

Happier times: The former ABC journalist met her future husband at a party in Rockhampton in 1995 and they later married

Karl, 43, reportedly met his new girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough, 33, at the end of the same year at a party and the pair have been dating since.

Following her split with Karl, Cassandra told Woman's Day her ex-husband was 'dead' to her.

'The children still have a father but I dont have a husband. He really is dead to me and no, we wont ever be friends again,' she told the magazine.
A Cairo prosecution has summoned actor Ahmed El-Fishawy for questioning over accusations of contempt of religion in his recent movie Sheikh Jackson, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.

The complaint against El-Fishawy was filed by a lawyer who accused the 37-year-old actor and the filmmakers of "defaming Islam."

The film was made by well-known director Amr Salama and was released in select theatres in Egypt last September.

Its events take place on the day of US pop star Michael Jacksons death in 2009, and centres on a sheikh who was dubbed "Jackson" by his friends during his schooldays.

The story explores the emotions stirred in the protagonist by the pop star's death, which raises a series of existential questions.

The movie, which stars El-Fishawy, Ahmed Malek, Maged El-Kedwany and Amina Khalil, was nominated to represent Egypt in the foreign films section at the Oscars 2018.

The complaint alleges that El-Fishawy depicts clerics as having extremist thoughts, and that followers of contemporary doctrines are superior to rigid clerics.

This work defames Egypt  the country of Al-Azhar  as a whole, the complaint said, citing a scene from the movie where El-Fishawy was leading dawn prayers when Michael Jackson appears dancing inside the mosque.

If the film is selected by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in January, it will be the first Egyptian movie to make it to the final selection in the Oscars' foreign films category.

Salama chose not to comment on the allegations when approached by Ahram Online.

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They celebrated five years of wedded bliss in June.

But Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey were the epitome of an adorable young couple in love at the private opening celebration of RH West Palm on Saturday evening in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 35-year-old mother of three looked stunning in a Johanna Ortiz long golden top and skirt for the party celebrating the new gallery.

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Gorgeous! The 35-year-old mother of three looked stunning in a Johanna Ortiz top and skirt for the party celebrating the new gallery

Camila covered up her tanned and toned form in a flowing golden dress which nearly sweeped the floor.

Her conservative ensemble featured long sleeves bunched around her wrists and a high neckline.

A delicate black velour belt was cinched around her stomach, revealing her incredibly slim waistline.

The look of love: Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey were the epitome of an adorable young couple in love at the RH West Palm party on Saturday evening in Palm Beach, Florida

She added a bit of height to her statuesque frame with a pair of strappy black heels.

Matthew, 48, missed the fancy memo as he enjoyed the evening in a dark blue buttoned-down shirt.

The True Detective actor donned a pair of light blue denim jeans as he stood by his wife's side.

Beautiful: Camila covered up her tanned and toned form in a flowing golden dress which nearly sweeped the floor

The family is currently living in Florida while Matthew films The Beach Bum alongside Isla Fisher in Miami.

Supermodel Karolina Kurkova made an entrance in a gorgeous white dress which featured a thigh-high slit.

Her golden tan was on full display in the strapless frock which featured a slender white belt around her waistline.

Vision in white: Supermodel Karolina Kurkova made an entrance in a gorgeous white dress which featured a thigh-high slit

Work it: Her golden tan was on full display in the strapless frock which featured a slender white belt around her waistline

Karolina kept a monochromatic theme as she covered her shoulders with a matching white blazer.

She tied back her long blonde hair into a chic bun and carried a dark metallic clutch by her side.

The Victoria's Secret Angel added a pair of silver and clear plastic heels to her chic evening ensemble.

Strike a pose! She tied back her long blonde hair into a chic bun and carried a dark metallic clutch by her side
The impoverished west African nation of The Gambia celebrated a rare handover of power at the beginning of 2017

When strongman Yahya Jammeh left The Gambia for exile after 22 years, new foreign minister Ousainou Darboe pledged the tiny nation would become the "human rights capital of Africa".

His remarks came days after Jammeh's forced departure in January, and followed the release of droves of political prisoners from the country's notorious jails -- the face of years of flagrant rights abuses under the mercurial leader.

But as the first anniversary approaches of the December 1 election that would eventually spell regime change for Banjul, AFP has learnt that a dozen soldiers are currently being held in Gambian detention far beyond the remit of the constitution, in some cases for months.

Three of those detained, Lance Corporal Abdoulie Bojang, Lance Corporal Abba Badjie and another soldier, Lamin Nyassi, were all picked up by the military police in July, according to their wives.

"He is accused of facilitating the escape of a soldier who was wanted in connection with a Whatsapp group chat," Bojang's wife Sunkaru Jarjue told AFP, an account repeated by Nyassi's wife, Banna Jarju.

An official within the military who wished to remain anonymous confirmed to AFP a dozen soldiers were being held.

Although the men appeared before a judge on Friday, they have yet to be formally charged and are only expected to enter a plea of November 27.

The men's prolonged detention is inextricably linked with suspicions of sedition and covert support for Jammeh from a faction of the army and intelligence services, but rights groups say the military figures are not exempt from the constitutional right to be charged within 72 hours.

- Mutiny concerns -

A coalition of parties fielded standard-bearer Adama Barrow as their candidate in December 2016 elections, who ultimately defeated Jammeh and took over the presidency in late January.

But then, as now, there are concerns about lingering Jammeh supporters in the ranks of the army, evoked back in July by Colonel Magatte Ndiaye, the head of a Senegalese army contingent still deployed to The Gambia by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Gambian President Adama Barrow has played down suggestions of rebels within the army

He told AFP that rebel elements were intent on destabilising the country and working with exiled Jammeh-era top brass, though President Barrow has said such reports are "hugely exaggerated".

The wife of one soldier arrested at the Farafenni army camp in September, nominally for failing to show up for work, believes his family connections ensnared him while maintaining his innocence.

"They asked whether he is still communicating with his uncle (Yahya Jammeh)," Tida Bajinka Jammeh told AFP in mid-November, adding her husband had only just been released.

Gambia Armed Forces Spokesman Captain Lamin Sanyang confirmed the detention of members of the Gambian Armed Forces pending investigation for "mutinous and seditious acts" revealed by audio recordings shared by Whatsapp.

"Some soldiers are arrested in connection with a Whatsapp page they have created to discuss amongst themselves," Sanyang told AFP.

"Investigations are ongoing and once we get the facts, we will share it with members of the public at the appropriate time. They are still under detention pending investigation into the matter," he added.

- 'Unconstitutional'-

Minister of Information and Communication Demba Ali Jawo meanwhile agreed the men had been detained longer than 72 hours but referred to a "drawback clause" that allowed detention to be renewed every 14 days.

That response has not satisfied human rights defenders.

Mr Gaye Sowe, Executive Director of Gambia-based Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, said the cases are "wrong, illegal and unconstitutional."

Yahya Jammeh was forced out as The Gambia's president after 22 years in power

"There is no way a provision of the Gambia Armed Forces Act or any other law can override any provision of the Constitution," which provides a maximum three-day limit for police to charge suspects after arrest.

"This should have been done within 72 hours after they were arrested," Sowe said.

The memories of state-sponsored rights abuses and military purges remain fresh in Gambia, where the NIA carried out torture and forced disappearances on Jammeh's orders, according to rights groups Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

A struggling court case against the so-called "NIA nine", a group of intelligence officials including Gambia's dreaded former spy chief Yankuba Badjie and eight of his subordinates at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), may offer a potential clue to the military arrests.

Lawyers for Badjie, the most feared agent in the dock, have not appeared for the last two hearings, but the case will go ahead without them, the presiding judge said on Thursday.

The former NIA agents are accused of killing opposition activist Solo Sandeng in April 2016, sparking rare protests, but it has run into legal difficulties over what Justice Minister Aboubacarr Tambadou has called "rushed" police work.

Future prosecutions of Jammeh-linked crimes, he said, must be watertight.
Factfile on NAFTA. US President Donald Trump has denounced NAFTA as a "disaster" and the worst agreement ever signed by the United States, blaming it for a $64 billion trade gap with Mexico and loss of countless jobs

The business world is mobilizing to convince the Trump administration to save the North American Free Trade Agreement, which corporate leaders say has greatly benefited the world's largest economy for 23 years.

With televised ads proclaiming "NAFTA works for America" and study after study enumerating the dangers of withdrawing from the treaty, the US Chamber of Commerce and like-minded trade proponents have taken their message to Capitol Hill.

The effort has taken on added significance now that negotiators from Canada, the United States and Mexico working to overhaul the treaty are conducting their fifth round of talks in Mexico City.

"We -- along with several other business, agriculture, and industry groups -- made the case on the Hill in recent weeks. On October 24, the group talked about NAFTA with all 100 Senate offices," a spokeswoman for the US Chamber of Commerce told AFP.

Their message: exiting NAFTA would be a grave mistake that could, among many other painful outcomes, devastate American agriculture, including wheat producers, according to the chamber.

According to Monica De Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, an outright US withdrawal remains "a very, very clear possibility."

The last round of talks in October saw radical propositions from the US side, including a "sunset" clause -- which would require the three sides to renew the treaty in five years, failing which it would expire -- and a call to scrap the trade dispute arbitration mechanisms in Chapter 19 of the agreement.

Both proposals are anathema to investors, and were immediately rejected by Mexico and Canada.

They were also a wakeup call to lawmakers and businesses who until then had not taken President Donald Trump's threats seriously, said Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations.

"To be fair, this president is hard to predict," he told AFP. "We've never had a president like him before, so it is hard to make a good judgment on what constitutes a laugh and what constitutes a serious threat."

- 'They have money and influence' -

Trump has denounced NAFTA as a "disaster" and the worst agreement ever signed by the United States, blaming it for a $64 billion trade gap with Mexico and loss of countless jobs.

According to de Bolle, different trade bodies and organizations are working to convince the Trump administration "to move away from this very hard rhetoric that we saw in the fourth round."

As a result, she said, the top officials from the three countries are staying away from the latest round of talks to avoid more verbal escalation.

"It preserves the possibility to have a sixth round in 2018," said de Bolle.

Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations said the business world was now committed to the task, "and they have money and influence."

With US mid-term elections a year away, Trump needs to show results.

And one fear, according to de Bolle, is that he could make good on a campaign pledge to scrap NAFTA altogether if high-stakes Republican efforts to overhaul the tax code fail in the Senate.

According to an opinion poll published this month, 56 percent of Americans believe NAFTA has benefited the United States. Only among Republican voters do a majority believe the contrary.

Beth Ann Bovino, chief US economist at S&P Global Ratings, said many people were unaware of how trade had grown since NAFTA took effect in 1994.

"It has tripled since NAFTA was initiated," she told AFP.

She said the agreement had strengthened competitiveness among manufacturers by forcing businesses to innovate, "which has increased employment and investment opportunity in the end."

Exiting the treaty would drive up prices, slowing consumer spending -- a mainstay of the US economy -- and depressing corporate revenues as a result, Bovino added.

Citing an ImpactECON study, she said job losses for unskilled workers could rise as high as 250,000 positions in the three to five years following a withdrawal.

Adding skilled labor would see job losses rise by another million positions.
Observers said US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen hurt her chances of winning a second term by forcefully defending Dodd-Frank regulations put in place in 2010 to combat the excesses that led to the financial crisis

President Donald Trump's promised rollback of banking regulation is well underway, with vacancies at the top of key agencies and new legislation in the works.

Since the start of his presidency, Trump has decried the financial rules and regulations put in place to combat the excesses that led to the financial crisis through the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation of 2010.

"We expect to be cutting a lot out of Dodd-Frank because, frankly, I have so many people, friends of mine, that have nice businesses that can't borrow money," he said in February.

And Trump will have an unprecedented opportunity in coming months to reshape the agencies in charge of regulation, as he fills key positions.

At the Federal Reserve, which has a central role in regulating banks, he will have the opportunity to fill at least three of the seven seats on the central bank's board.

He recently named a successor for Fed chair Janet Yellen, tapping former investment banker and current Fed Governor Jerome Powell.

In the latest critical development, Richard Cordray, the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who had long been in the banking industry's crosshairs, announced last week he would step down by the end of the month, several months early.

The Senate also last week confirmed Joseph Otting, a banking executive and associate of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, with decades at major commercial lenders, as the new head of the Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a principal banking regulator.

Likewise, the Securities and Exchange Commission, a markets regulator that polices Wall Street's biggest banks, is now led by a Trump appointee.

Senior SEC officials have signaled this year they may shift away from the aggressive prosecutorial approach of the previous administration and early signs are that enforcement activity, particularly for financial institutions, has fallen.

- 'Different tone' -

Even as these personnel changes remain in the future, the industry already is experiencing a "different tone" and an "industry-friendly approach" from government, according to Wayne Abernathy, a senior executive at the American Bankers Association.

In an interview, Abernathy said he expected the Fed under Powell to move more quickly down the path already forged by Yellen.

"He will be accelerating the process of reforms which she had already begun," he said.

While the Fed may have shown willingness to modify some financial oversight, especially those that were very onerous for smaller banks, observers said Yellen hurt her chances of winning a second term by forcefully defending Dodd-Frank regulations in an address over the summer.

"Any adjustments to the regulatory framework should be modest and preserve the increase in resilience at large dealers and banks associated with the reforms put in place in recent years," she said at the time.

Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, early in the administration promised regional banks he would work to set a new tone in regulation.

Since then, Treasury has produced three reports calling for a whittling down of rules imposed on mid-size banks, a scaling back of stress tests and a restructuring of the CFPB.

Republicans have long deemed the bureau too far outside political control, saying it waters down of the so-called Volcker Rule, which limits certain speculative trading with a bank's own funds.

"They'll get away with everything they can," said economist Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, about the regulatory rollback.

"It's just going in the wrong direction, again allowing abuses that might not threaten the stability of the financial system but just will be a waste and possibly hurt people," he told AFP.

- Barney Frank isn't worried -

Another flashpoint has been the Dodd-Frank capital requirements imposed on major financial institutions, those deemed "too big to fail" because their bankruptcies would endanger the financial system and wider economy. These requirements are "very expansive and very complex," Abernathy said.

In some areas, such as easing rules for smaller banks, there is greater consensus, and even buy-in from Democrats.

Senators from both parties early last week announced an agreement on proposed reforms to ease the burdens of compliance that regional banks face.

In another move greeted favorably by industry, regulators expect to require banks to submit so-called living wills -- or plans for how they would be dismantled in the event of failure -- every two years instead of annually.

Even with the changes, however, retired congressman Barney Frank, whose name is on the Dodd-Frank reform legislation, said he was not concerned that deregulation could cause turmoil.

"There are negotiations going on now for small adjustments for smaller banks, medium banks but I'm for it," he told AFP.

"There will be no legislative changes in the framework except for minor ones that Democrats agree to," said Frank, adding that the Republicans "don't have the votes."
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho travels to Cuba at a time both Pyongyang and Havana have tense relations with the United States

North Korea's foreign minister is to visit Cuba on Monday in a trip that comes at a time when both Pyongyang and Havana have strained relations with Washington.

Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho will meet with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and participate in other unspecified activities, according to a brief statement late Saturday from Cuba's foreign ministry.

The visit comes as Washington and Pyongyang are locked in a dangerous standoff over North Korea's development of nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the continental United States.

Washington's ties with Havana were only fully restored in 2015 after a half-century Cold War breakdown, but have been strained since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Communist Cuba is one of North Korea's few remaining allies.

Cuba's historic leader Fidel Castro visited North Korea in 1986 to meet founder-leader Kim Il-Sung, and Pyongyang held three days of official mourning when Castro died in November 2016.

North Korea sent a delegation led by Choe Ryong-Hae, a senior aide to its leader Kim Jong-Un, to Havana for Castro's funeral.

In May, President Raul Castro expressed his solidarity with the Pyongyang regime to visiting North Korean dignitary Ju Yong-gil.

Cuba in the past has flouted international sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.

In 2013 Panama seized a North Korean ship carrying an undeclared Cuban arms shipment of Soviet-era weapons and fighter jets hidden under sacks of sugar.

North Korea insisted the weapons were being shipped for repair, prior to their return.
A file picture of the Arab League headquarters in Cairo taken on July 27, 2017

Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo on Sunday at Saudi Arabia's request for an extraordinary meeting to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the region.

The Arab League meeting comes as tensions have been rising between long-standing rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, including over League member Lebanon.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

A diplomatic source said Riyadh was seeking to adopt a condemnation of "Iran and Arab militias linked to this country".

A committee is to prepare a draft resolution on Iran to be discussed later by all ministers.

The meeting is also expected to address a Yemen rebel missile that was intercepted near Riyadh on November 4, and a pipeline fire in Bahrain on November 10.

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Iran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemen rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Bahrain has also blamed Iran for the pipeline fire.

In its request for the meeting, Saudi Arabia referred to those two incidents and "to the violations committed by Iran in the Arab region, which undermines security and peace, not only in the Arab region, but around the globe," according to a memo seen by AFP.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates supported the Saudi request for an extraordinary meeting, which was also approved by Djibouti, the current chair of the pan-Arab bloc, it said.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have also soared since Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation on November 4, citing Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

Lebanon's foreign minister will not attend Sunday's Arab League meeting, a ministry source has told AFP, but the country's permanent representative would be present.

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by Hariri.

In Syria, Hezbollah has fought to defend the government of President Bashar al-Assad, also an ally of Iran.

The Arab League has 22 members, but Syria's membership was suspended at the end of 2011 following months of brutal repression of anti-government demonstrations and an opposition movement supported by Gulf monarchies.
Stray cattle are a common sight in India, where an Argentine tourist was gored to death

An Argentine man holidaying in India has been gored to death by a bull in the popular tourist city of Jaipur, police said Sunday.

The 29-year-old was walking along a street near Jaipur's main market on Saturday afternoon when he was attacked and seriously injured by the animal.

"He was struck by the bull's horn in the neck and stomach. He was rushed to the hospital but did not survive," Chaina Ram, a local police officer, told AFP.

The Argentine embassy had been informed of his death, The Press Trust of India reporred.

Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, is the capital of the western state of Rajasthan and one of India's most popular tourist attractions, drawing visitors to its ornate palaces and forts.

Stray cattle are a common sight in India. The beasts are considered sacred by many Hindus and are allowed to roam freely on highways and throughout cities.

A 2012 livestock census found there were more than five million stray cattle across India.
Libya will launch an investigation into slave trading in the country after a video emerged appearing to show migrants being sold at auction for as little as $400.

The war-torn nation has long been a major hub for desperate migrants hoping to reach Europe and many have fallen into the hands of traffickers.

In chilling footage of a live auction aired by CNN last week, black men appeared to be presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands.

They were being sold off for as little as $400.

A video emerged appearing to show migrants being sold for as little as $400. The clip sparked protests in Paris, with a march against 'slavery in Libya' last week (pictured)

Now, Libya's internationally recognised government has announced it would probe the allegations.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would launch an investigation.

Metig said he would instruct the formation of a 'commission to investigate these reports in order to apprehend and bring those responsible to justice', the statement added.

The foreign ministry in a statement added: 'If these allegations are confirmed, all implicated persons will be punished.'

The CNN report apparently showing migrants being auctioned off in Libya was shared widely on social media, provoking outrage in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.

The grainy footage shot on a mobile telephone shows a man CNN said was Nigerian and in his 20s being offered up for sale as part of a group of 'big strong boys for farm work'.

Libya has long been a major hub for desperate migrants hoping to reach Europe and many have fallen into the hands of traffickers (file photo)

In the CNN report, a person identified as an auctioneer can be heard saying '800... 900... 1,000... 1,100...' before two men are sold for 1,200 Libyan dinars ($875).

Around 1,000 people took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest against slavery in Libya, according to French police. The gathering led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a 'despicable trade... from another era'.

Senegal's government expressed 'outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil' that constituted a 'blight on the conscience of humanity'.

Niger's president Mahamadou Issoufou said the issue had made him 'deeply angry' and urged Libyan authorities and international organisations to do 'everything possible to stop this practice'.

African migrants from nations including Guinea and Senegal but also Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Gambia make the dangerous crossing through the Sahara to Libya with hopes of making it over the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.

But testimony collected by AFP has revealed a litany of rights abuses at the hands of gangsters, human traffickers and the Libyan security forces, while many end up stuck in the unstable North African nation for years.

More than 8,800 stranded migrants have been returned home this year, according to the International Organization for Migration, which is also compiling evidence of slavery.
The discovery of four bodies in the Mathare slum drew a large crowd, including Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, seen wearing a white hat

Clashes erupted in a Nairobi slum Sunday after four bodies were found in the streets, hiking tensions on the eve of a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of last month's divisive election re-run.

The bodies of three men and a woman were found in the city's Mathare slum, one of several flashpoint areas where violence erupted during the disputed October 26 vote which was largely boycotted by the opposition.

The discovery came just two days after three people were shot dead in a nearby suburb during clashes with police which erupted as thousands of opposition supporters turned out for their leader, Raila Odinga.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

However, the opposition claimed the group had been shot dead.

"Investigations are going on into the killings of the four people in Mathare Area 1," Koome said.

"The people were found dead and we want to establish how they were killed," he said.

When the bodies were found, angry residents clashed with police, setting fire to two buses and another vehicle.

In a bid to head off any further unrest, police immediately brought in reinforcements and several water cannon, AFP correspondents at the scene said.

The outrage spread to Kibera, another slum in Nairobi, where people also protested in anger at events in Mathare.

"What is happening is completely wrong," said Odinga, head of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, during a visit to the slum Sunday.

"This is state sponsored violence to intimidate NASA supporters.

"The church and the international community should intervene before the situation gets worse. They are killing innocent people."

- Ethnically motivated? -

On Friday, opposition supporters had clashed with police during a rally to welcome home their leader Raila Odinga

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police official told AFP that angry residents believed the murders were ethnically motivated, blaming the violence on the Mungiki, a feared criminal gang known for running protection rackets and violently defending tribal business interests.

Drawing its members from Kenya's largest tribe -- the Kikuyu, to which President Uhuru Kenyatta belongs -- the Mungiki were responsible for much of the deadly ethnic violence which swept the country in the months after the 2007 election.

Today, the term is widely used in reference to groups of armed Kikuyu men.

But the police chief was quick to rule out any ethnic factors in Mathare, where many Kikuyu live alongside ethnic Luo or Luhya, who largely back Odinga.

"It is not about ethnic clashes," Koome said, insisting that it was a criminal matter, but without giving details.

Since Friday, Kenya has been on edge following a mass opposition demonstration to welcome Odinga back from a trip overseas turned violent, with three demonstrators shot dead in Muthurwa, a suburb not far from Mathare.

Angry protesters hurled stones at police who hit back with tear gas and water cannon in running street battles which lasted all day.

The violence soured a gathering to mark Odinga's return from a 10-day trip to the United States where he was trying to rally support for the holding of new elections.

- Key ruling looms -

Kenya's Supreme Court will rule on the validity of the October election on Monday, but opposition supporters are demanding a new vote

Tensions are also high ahead of a key Supreme Court ruling on Monday over whether Kenyatta can be sworn in for a second term or if there must be another presidential re-run.

Although Kenyatta won the October 26 vote with 98 percent of the votes cast, the ballot was boycotted by Odinga and his supporters who clashed violently with police in his strongholds in the west and in several Nairobi slums.

It was also marred by low turnout.

The vote was the chaotic climax of two months of political drama sparked by an earlier Supreme Court ruling on September 1 which overturned Kenyatta's victory in an initial August election over widespread irregularities and mismanagement by the IEBC electoral commission.

If the judges validate Kenyatta's win, he will be invested on November 28. Otherwise a third election will have to be organised within 60 days.
Egypt's parliament is to discuss a law aimed at safeguarding "historical and religious symbols" from media defamation.

A number of Egyptian MPs agreed Sunday that a law aimed at prosecuting "political commentators and intellectuals who are heavily involved in defaming the country's historical and religious symbols" should be discussed and passed as soon as possible.

Ahmed El-Tahaway, an independent MP from the Nile Delta governorate of Sharqiya, said: "The law on incriminating defamation of historical and religious symbols" should be discussed and passed to prosecute "those who are fond of insulting these symbols via the media."

El-Tahaway cried foul that one of these symbols  the late religious cleric Mohamed Metwalli El-Sharawi  has recently faced insults on a private television channel.



"This is too much, because how can a high-prolife symbol like the late Sheikh Sharawi face all of these insults without getting a reaction from us?" said El-Tahaway, adding: "We can't stay silent anymore nor accept that one of our greatest religious symbols faces such insults on television screens."

El-Tahaway said Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek should move quickly to take all necessary legal measures against "those who defamed Sheikh El-Shaarawi"  commonly known as the Imam of Religious Clerics  "on television in such a horrible way."

El-Tahaway's statement came two days after critical statements by political commentator Farida El-Shobashi on Sheikh El-Sharawi caused controversy.

In an interview with a private television channel Friday, El-Shobashi, a journalist with leftist leanings, accused Sheikh Sharawi and other Salafist clerics of playing a leading role in fomenting sectarian strife in Egypt and the Arab world since 1970s.



"No idols"

El-Shobashi said she was also shocked when the late Sharawi said he prayed in thanks to God when Egypt was defeated in 1967's Six-Day War. "We should not turn these religious clerics into idols. All should be open to criticism," El-Shobashi said.

A number of lawyers said they will file lawsuits against El-Shoubashi, accusing her of leading a hostile campaign against the religion of Islam. El-Sharawi's family also said it has lodged a lawsuit against El-Shobashi with the prosecutor-general.

Omar Hamroush, secretary-general of parliament's religious affairs committee, told reporters Sunday that "defamation campaigns against Egypt's historical and religious figures have increased in recent months."



"We have some political commentators and intellectuals who are fond of disparaging these figures as a way to gain popularity and as a right of freedom of expression," said Hamroush



"Some weeks ago, we had a writer  Youssef Zeidan  who attacked Ahmed Orabi, an Egyptian nationalist leader who fought the British invasion in the 19th century, and now we have a commentator who attacked an enlightened religious cleric like Imam El-Sharawi."

Hamroush said he has drafted a law that aims to incriminate the defamation of "Egypt's historical and religious symbols."



"A person found guilty of insulting any of the country's religious symbols could face five or seven years in prison and a hefty fine of LE100,000," said Hamroush, adding: "The draft law was referred by parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal to the religious affairs committee and the legislative and constitutional affairs committee for discussion."

Hamroush said his draft law, which collected approval signatures from 60 MPs, aims to "safeguard public figures who played leading roles in Egypt's history against defamation."

"We should not let some exploit freedom of expression to tarnish the image of these historical figures in the eyes of the people or defame them, because this could leave a very negative impact on young people, leading them to feel disappointment and frustration and lose trust in their country and its leaders," said Hamroush.



"Egypt's historical figures or symbols are the ones who form an integral part of the state's official records."

"Those symbols are the ones who are recorded in school books and in the country's official documents as leading historical figures. The law's executive bylaws will also define in detail what is meant by the term 'historical symbols."

While articles 1 and 2 of Hamroush's draft law prohibit defamation of the country's historical figures and symbols, Article 3 imposes a prison term ranging from three to five years in addition to a fine ranging from LE100,000 to LE500,000. Article 4 states that those who deal with the country's historical figures in scholarly studies and research will be exempt from any penalties.

Independent MP Samir Ghattas, however, told reporters that he is against Hamroush's draft law.



"This draft law reminds me of the Inquisition courts that were dominant in Europe in the Medieval era and I don't think that this draft law will gain approval in the House," said Ghattas.

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Mogherini shakes hand with Rohingya refugees at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh

The EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Sunday she would discuss ways to end the Rohingya crisis with Aung San Suu Kyi when she meets the Myanmar leader in Yangon.

Mogherini and foreign ministers from Asia and Europe toured refugee camps along Bangladesh's border with Myanmar and heard harrowing testimony from displaced Rohingya there before their meeting Monday with Suu Kyi.

Myanmar's civilian leader has been facing mounting global outrage over an army crackdown that has driven an estimated 620,000 Rohingya Muslims from the mainly Buddhist country's western state of Rakhine and into Bangladesh.

Myanmar's military insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels following deadly attacks on police posts in late August.

But refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have given chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces.

Mogherini said the delegation's two-day visit to Yangon and meeting with Suu Kyi offered a chance to talk.

"That will be also an occasion to exchange views with Aung San Suu Kyi and the government of Myanmar (about) how to solve this crisis," she told reporters in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar border district.

"(Rather) than putting pressure, our approach is always and will be to offer a negotiation space."

She said the Rohingya living in squalid camps in Bangladesh were "carrying with them terrible stories".

"As a mother, seeing so many very young children taking care of even younger children is what strikes me the most," she added.

The EU diplomatic chief toured the refugee camps with the foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Japan, Sweden and Germany before the delegation's visit to Myanmar for an Asia-Europe (ASEM) ministerial meeting there on Monday and Tuesday.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are tussling over the details.

Dhaka has stepped up efforts to pressure Myanmar diplomatically into taking back the Rohingya, hosting not just Mogherini and the foreign ministers but a US Congressional delegation and China's top envoy since Saturday.

Bangladesh, which already accommodated more than 200,000 Rohingya before the current exodus, is keen to enlist help from China, a staunch ally of Myanmar, in arranging for the refugees' return.

Mogherini said it was vital to support repatriation efforts.

"The Bangladeshi government is negotiating with the government of Myanmar. We hope that we manage to help in finding a sustainable solution," she said.
The possession and consumption of alcohol by Afghans is prohibited in the majority-Muslim country

European investigators are looking into allegations that alcohol imported by the EU's diplomatic mission in Kabul was illegally sold on the city's black market, an EU spokesman confirmed on Sunday.

Bottles of wine and spirits meant for European officials were allegedly smuggled out of the compound and bootlegged in the Afghan capital, the Guardian reported, citing social media messages now being examined by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

"The EEAS (European External Action Service), the European Commission and the EU Delegation in Kabul... became aware of these allegations end of August," an EU spokesman told AFP.

He said they "immediately informed the European Anti-Fraud Office on the alleged fraudulent activities referred to by the press".

The possession and consumption of alcohol by Afghans is prohibited in the majority-Muslim country but bootleggers can be found throughout the city.

Diplomatic missions and international organisations in Afghanistan are allowed to import alcohol for their foreign staff only.

OLAF is assessing the claims before deciding whether to launch an investigation, the spokesman said.

"The European External Action Service and the European Commission take any allegations of wrongdoing extremely seriously."

Documents seen by the Guardian showed the EU delegation paid more than $500,000 to its main alcohol supplier over a 20-month period.
The fate of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas's vast armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, remains unclear

Leading Palestinian political factions are to gather on Tuesday in Cairo to push ahead with reconciliation efforts, despite fundamental disputes ahead of a key December 1 deadline.

The talks come as Palestinians face rising tensions with the United States over the threatened closure of their office in Washington, but this is seen as unlikely to affect the outcome.

Tensions between the two largest Palestinian groups -- Fatah and Hamas -- have reemerged since they signed a reconciliation deal last month, but delegates hope the meeting of 13 factions could push the bid ahead.

The fate of Hamas's vast armed wing, however, remains unclear.

Fatah, led by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, has been at loggerheads with Hamas since the Islamist movement seized control of Gaza in 2007.

But on October 12, the two parties signed an Egyptian-brokered deal which is meant to see Hamas hand back civilian power to Abbas's internationally recognised Palestinian Authority (PA) government, which is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, by December 1.

In a crucial first step, Hamas stuck to a November 1 deadline to hand over the border crossings between Gaza and its neighbours Egypt and Israel.

However, since that date, progress has appeared to stall, with Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah suggesting the PA needed full security control of Gaza before further steps could be taken.

Hamas rejected that, accusing Hamdallah of seeking to change the terms of the agreement.

The Fatah-dominated Palestinian government has also refused to remove crippling measures targeting Gaza -- including reducing electricity.

- Humanitarian concerns -

Palestinian children do their homework during a power cut in an impoverished area of Gaza City on September 11, 2017

Palestinians and international powers hope an implemented reconciliation deal could help ease the suffering of Gaza's two million residents, who suffer from high rates of poverty and unemployment.

Multiple previous reconciliation attempts have failed.

The Cairo talks come amid a rise in US-Palestinian tensions over a threatened closure of the office in Washington of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which the international community recognises as representing all Palestinians.

The threatened closure was apparently over a Palestinian suggestion of taking the issue of Israeli settlements on occupied land to the International Criminal Court.

But an analyst said these tensions were not likely to influence discussions in Cairo.

"I don't think the tensions between the PA and Washington will affect the reconciliation process," Palestinian political analyst George Giacaman said.

"The problems that the PA is facing regarding Gaza are of a different nature: how will they cope with the financial and humanitarian situation in Gaza, how will they control the groups that Hamas struggled to control until now?"

Tuesday's meeting brings together 13 factions, and analysts expect them all to back reconciliation.

Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior PLO official, said the talks could last until Thursday, with all factions expected to be in attendance.

"I think this meeting will be a huge step towards the removal of all the obstacles to reconciliation, which is supported by everyone," he told AFP.

The topics to be discussed are well known -- societal reconciliation, security, forming a potential unity government, elections, and whether Hamas could eventually join the PLO.

But the extent to which each of them will be discussed matters.

- Giving up weapons? -

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip watch rival political factions Hamas and Fatah reach a reconciliation deal in Cairo on October 12, 2017

The most controversial issue remains security -- meaning the future of Hamas's vast military wing.

Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, said it was impossible for them to consider giving up their weapons.

He argued that in the West Bank where Abbas's government is meant to have partial self rule, the Israeli army in reality operates with impunity -- including in areas nominally under full Palestinian control.

"I think no Palestinian here can accept this model as a model for the security we are looking for," he told AFP in Gaza.

Likewise, he said the party would not be willing to consider recognising Israel at this time.

For the Israelis and the Americans, however, such a situation would be unacceptable.

Both have said they would reject any government including Hamas unless the Islamists gave up their weapons.

The agreement signed in Cairo last month is ambiguous about the future of Hamas's arms.

For this reason, Naim thinks the Egyptians will skirt around security in this meeting and focus on "how to achieve practical steps in the reconciliation process, mainly in the civil sector, government, ministers".

Among the other topics that could be discussed is the formation of a new unity government and even elections.

There have been no Palestinian parliamentary elections since 2006, when Hamas surprised Fatah.

The international community refused to accept the Hamas victory -- leading to vicious disputes and the movement's eventual seizure of Gaza.

Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States.
A file picture shows African migrants gathering before their release from the Holot detention centre in Israel's Negev desert, on August 25, 2015

Israel's cabinet voted on Sunday to close a migrant detention centre, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an agreement to deport 40,000 Africans who entered the country illegally.

Ministers unanimously approved plans to shutter the Holot centre in southern Israel and gave migrants a three-month deadline to leave the country or face deportation, said the interior and public security ministries.

"The infiltrators will have the option to be imprisoned or leave the country," the public security ministry said in a statement.

Israeli official figures from June 30 show a total of 38,043 African migrants in the country.

They include 27,494 Eritreans and 7,869 Sudanese, and their presence in south Tel Aviv has raised discontent among Israelis there and elsewhere.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's vote, Netanyahu noted that after building a fence on the Egyptian border and deporting some 20,000 African migrants through various deals, Israel has reached the third stage of its efforts -- "accelerated removal".

"This removal is taking place thanks to an international agreement I reached that enables us to remove the 40,000 infiltrators remaining, remove them without their consent," he told ministers.

"This will enable us to close down Holot and allocate some of the large funds going there to inspectors and removing more people," said Netanyahu.

Holot, an open facility in the desert that can host 1,200 migrants who are allowed to leave to work during the day, would be closed three months from December 16, according to the decision.

A public security ministry spokesman said an extension to that deadline would be set if necessary.

Ahead of the vote, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Holot had become "a hotel for infiltrators at the tax-payers' expense that does not encourage their exit" and costs 240 million shekels ($68 million, 58 million euros) a year.

In a Twitter statement, Erdan however stressed the closure of Holot was conditioned on "us seeing that the policy of removing infiltrators to a third country was indeed taking place."

Neither Erdan nor Netanyahu gave details about the deal and the third country.

Israel tacitly recognises the Sudanese and Eritreans cannot be returned to their dangerous homelands, so it has signed deals with Rwanda and Uganda, which agree to accept departing migrants on condition they consent to the arrangement, according to activists.
Firemen gather around a house where a fire broke out, killing 19 people

Chinese authorities on Sunday launched an investigation into a fire in a low-income Beijing housing block that killed 19 people, as workers evacuated hundreds from nearby apartments and demolished other buildings.

Authorities are still probing the cause of the Saturday night blaze that also injured eight people, according to a statement from the Beijing city government.

The fire broke out in Xinjian village in the capital's southern Daxing district, far from the city centre. Migrants from the country's interior often find affordable housing there and work in the area's ubiquitous clothing factories.

The factories are housed together with cheap rental apartments in crude concrete buildings. Residents said many of the densely clustered properties were built illegally and had been slated for demolition for months.

Witnesses told AFP the boarding house that caught fire was in a building attached to a clothing factory.

"We are investigating the specific causes of this fire and those responsible will be subject to legal liability," said Sun, a spokesman for the Daxing district government who declined to give his full name.

The city government said an unspecified number of suspects had already been taken into custody.

The fire comes at a tense time for the capital. City officials have launched a beautification campaign in Beijing's dense heart, closing unsightly stalls and businesses and driving many migrant workers further from the city centre.

Some have ended up in burgeoning settlements on the outskirts of the city like Xinjian village, which literally means "newly built village".

Beijing mayor Cai Qi has called for a major investigation in the city to check every village and courtyard for risks, according to the city's statement.

Beijing will close down industrial complexes and clean up all illegal businesses, Cai was quoted as saying.

Officials with clipboards toured Xinjian village's stores, market stalls and apartments, telling many they would have to close down and move out.

- Demolition wakes residents -

Near the site of the fire, a half-dozen excavators with jackhammers demolished buildings on Sunday, as hundreds of residents streamed from condemned buildings with possessions in tow.

"A rock crashed through my door. I was jolted out of bed," said Chang, a food deliveryman,who declined to give his full name.

He said he was still asleep Sunday morning after a long night shift when the demolition of the building connected to his apartment block began.

"It felt like an earthquake," he said. Debris caked the hallway outside his door.

Chang's room on the third floor of the crowded apartment block was one of roughly 300 in the condemned building.

Residents said they were told Sunday morning to get out and clear all their things by nightfall.

Inside the darkened apartment building, dozens of families were left wondering where to go next.

"It's not safe so they're kicking us out," said Deng Min, a factory worker, as she packed her bags beside her six-year-old son.

"I don't know where we'll go," Deng said. "There are no apartments for rent around here any more, my husband is out looking."

The building had been slated for demolition for months, residents said, but authorities decided to knock it down immediately after the fire.

The new safety precautions were met by silence from China's state controlled media, which tightly controlled news reports of the fire.

Discussion of the blaze on the Twitter-like Weibo site was censored as well.
Syrian forces launched their offensive to recaptuure the border town of Albu Kamal on November 9

The Syrian army and loyalist militiamen Sunday retook full control of Albu Kamal from the Islamic State group, a military source said, ousting the jihadists from their last urban stronghold in Syria.

Albu Kamal has changed hands several times, with government forces announcing the capture of the town near the Iraqi border earlier this month but losing it to a blistering IS counter-attack a week ago.

"Syrian troops and allied forces took full control of Albu Kamal, and are removing mines and explosives left by IS," the military source in Deir Ezzor told AFP on Sunday.

"IS put up fierce resistance and tried to use explosives and suicide bombers, but besieging the city allowed the army to clinch the offensive and take full control of the city," the source added.

State news agency SANA also reported the advance in Albu Kamal, saying the "Syrian army and its allies eliminated the last Daesh (IS) terrorist pocket in the town."

A string of territorial defeats across northern and eastern Syria had left Albu Kamal as the last significant Syrian town held by IS.

Syria's army announced on November 9 it had ousted IS from the town, but the jihadists launched a lightning offensive and retook it.

A week later, the army and allied Iraqi, Lebanese, and Iranian fighters broke back into Albu Kamal and steadily advanced through the town.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed on Sunday that Syrian troops and their allies had captured Albu Kamal.

"IS fighters withdrew from the city towards the Euphrates River," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"There is no more fighting in the town, but there are clashes around Albu Kamal," he said.

The monitor said more than 80 fighters were killed in the three days of ferocious push to retake the town, including 31 pro-regime forces and at least 50 IS jihadists.

IS seized large areas of both Syria and neighbouring Iraq in a lightning 2014 campaign, but this year has lost much of the territory it once held.

The loss of Albu Kamal caps the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla organisation with no urban base.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is facing increasing pressure to give up power

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe defied expectations by not resigning on Sunday, but support for the 93-year-old veteran leader is still crumbling.

The ruling party ZANU-PF has sacked him and mass demonstrations on Saturday called for him to step down after the army seized power earlier in the week.

Here are some of the possible routes by which Mugabe could leave power:

- Resignation -

Article 96 of Zimbabwe's constitution says that the president can resign if they submit a letter to the parliament speaker who must publicly announce it within 24 hours.

Resignation would be the fastest, simplest and least risky way for Mugabe to leave power -- but on Sunday he again showed that he intends to resist all calls to step down.

During his first meeting on Thursday with the army general who led the military takeover, he bluntly refused to step aside.

Another sticking point for this formula is political. The constitution says that in the event of a presidential resignation, he will be replaced by the vice president.

But the military's preferred candidate to succeed Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was removed as vice president last week.

There is however a second vice president -- Phelekeza Mphoko -- who was loyal to First Lady Grace Mugabe and would be elevated to president -- something the army would want to avoid.

The army would first have to persuade Mugabe to reappoint Mnangagwa.

- Impeachment -

The National Assembly and the Senate can start proceedings to remove the president if both pass simple majority votes against the head of state in cases of "serious misconduct", "failure to obey, uphold or defend (the) constitution", "violation" of the constitution or "incapacity".

Once the votes are passed, the two chambers must then appoint a joint committee to investigate removing the president.

If the commission recommends impeachment, the president can be removed from office once both houses back it with two-thirds majorities, according to section 97 of Zimbabwe's constitution.

The vast majority of elected ZANU-PF representatives, like the opposition, are now in favour of removing Mugabe -- but the process could be slow.

And like the resignation route, it would currently result in Mphoko becoming head of state.

- Forcing him out -

The military seized power late on Tuesday night but have been at pains to give the impression of obeying the law and have sought to play down suggestions that their intervention amounted to a coup.

"We wish to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover... We are only targeting criminals around him (Mugabe)," said Major General Sibusiso Moyo as he read a statement justifying the army's actions on state TV in the early hours of Wednesday.

The African Union and the Southern African Development Community regional bloc have warned the army not to try to remove Mugabe by illegal means.

The generals appear to have heeded their warnings and have instead pushed for dialogue with Mugabe, appearing alongside him at Sunday's TV address.
A pall of smoke rises from the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta town of Arbin after an air strike on November 18, 2017

The United Nations on Sunday called on Syria's warring sides to stop targeting civilians in the capital Damascus and nearby neighbourhoods, where escalating bombardment has killed dozens in recent days.

Rebel groups and regime forces are locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat attacks around Damascus and in the opposition-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

On Sunday, UN coordinator for humanitarian and development affairs in Syria Ali al-Zaatari called on "all warring sides to avoid targeting civilians".

"For days, there have been daily reports about civilians being killed and others being severely wounded, in addition to warehouses, hospitals and schools being put out of service during the exchange of shellfire, particularly in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta," Zaatari said.

His comments in Arabic came in a statement emailed to AFP.

Government forces have escalated their bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus, since hardline rebel group Ahrar al-Sham attacked a military base in the area last week.

Since Tuesday, heavy artillery fire and air strikes on Eastern Ghouta have killed at least 66 civilians including 13 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

At least 281 people have been wounded, the Britain-based monitor said on Sunday.

Rebel groups meanwhile have fired rockets into Damascus neighbourhoods, killing at least 16 people since Thursday, the Observatory said.

The toll included two people killed by rocket fire on Sunday.

"The United Nations hopes for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of secure humanitarian corridors to evacuate wounded, sick, and elderly people, as well as children, as soon as possible from areas seeing hostile operations," Zaatari said.

He called for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who need it across the country.

Eastern Ghouta is supposed to be part of a "de-escalation zone" under a deal between Russia, Iran and Turkey aimed at reducing the level of violence.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces have besieged Eastern Ghouta since 2013, making humanitarian conditions in the area, where some 400,000 people live, extremely dire.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekly cabinet meeting on November 19, 2017. He has denied any wrongdoing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned for a sixth time on Sunday over two suspected cases of corruption, police said.

Netanyahu is suspected of having received luxury gifts from wealthy supporters, including Israeli businessman and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.

Milchan, a long-time friend of Netanyahu, reportedly sent him boxes of expensive cigars and other items worth tens of thousands of dollars. The producer was himself questioned in September.

Channel Two television said that detectives arrived at the premier's official Jerusalem residence shortly after 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) Sunday.

At 9:00 pm a police statement confirmed that he had been questioned "for a number of hours" by officers of the national fraud and serious crimes squad.

It was their second visit in 10 days, after Netanyahu was questioned for about four hours on November 9.

He was first quizzed on January 2.

In addition to suspicions that the gifts constituted bribery, the police also suspect that he sought a secret pact for favourable coverage with the publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

The alleged deal, not believed to have been finalised, would have seen Netanyahu receive favourable coverage in return for helping curb Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom.

Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and says he has been the target of a campaign by political opponents.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu confidants Yitzhak Molcho and David Shimron, partners in a law firm and both relatives of the premier, were questioned by police as part of a probe into suspected corruption around the purchase of German submarines.

Netanyahu himself has not been named as a suspect in the submarine case.
Map locating Sidi Boulaalam and Essaouira in Morocco, where many people died in a crush as food aid was being distributed.

At least 15 people were killed and five injured Sunday in a crush as food aid was distributed near the coastal tourist town of Essaouira in western Morocco, officials said.

The accident happened in the town of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Essaouira, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Local media said a "benefactor" had organised the food distribution at a stall in the rural town, which was rapidly "submerged in the crowd" of 800 people, mostly women.

An investigation has begun to "determine the circumstances of the incident" and establish who was responsible, the Moroccan authorities said.

The interior ministry said King Mohammed VI had issued orders to "provide the necessary help and support to the families of the victims and the injured".

He also decided to "personally cover the costs of victims' funerals and burials, and the care of the injured," it said.
Egypt denied late on Sunday that Saad al-Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanese prime minister from Saudi Arabia on 4 November, will visit Cairo in the next couple of days to meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.



Hariri's office said earlier in the day that the Lebanese premier would meet with Sisi on Tuesday, according to Reuters.



Sisi is set to fly to Cyprus on Monday to participate in a tripartite summit between the two states and Greece.



"Reports that Hariri would meet the president tomorrow are impractical and unrealistic because the president will be in Cyprus tomorrow for two days," Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said in a phone interview with satellite channel ONTV.



"I officially deny that there is a visit or a meeting with the president tomorrow."



However, the spokesman said arrangements are being made for a visit by Hariri to Egypt but that no specific date has been decided yet.



"We will soon release a statement ... and clarify all things," he added.

Hariri has been in Paris since Saturday, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, and has said he will return to Lebanon by Wednesday.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has said he will not accept Hariri's resignation until it is delivered in person and all sides in Beirut have called for his speedy return.

The resignation sparked a political crisis in Lebanon and put it on the front line of a regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Hariri criticised Iran and its ally Hezbollah, a heavily armed grouping that is part of the Lebanese government, in his resignation statement, and said he feared assassination. Apart from a brief trip to Abu Dhabi, he remained in Saudi Arabia until he flew to France.

His stay in the kingdom led to accusations from Lebanese officials and politicians that Saudi Arabia had coerced him to resign, which he and Riyadh denied.

On Friday, Hariri tweeted that his presence there was for "consultations on the future of the situation in Lebanon and its relations with the surrounding Arab region".

On Sunday, Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo, requested by Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not attend.

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Map locating Sidi Boulaalam in Morocco, where at least 15 died in a crush as food aid was being distributed on November 19, 2017

At least 15 women were killed and five injured Sunday in a crush as food aid was distributed near the coastal tourist town of Essaouira in western Morocco, authorities and witnesses said.

The accident happened in the village of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Essaouira.

A witness told AFP that hundreds of women had gathered at a village marketplace for a distribution of flour organised annually by a prominent benefactor from the region who lives in the commercial capital, Casablanca.

"This year there were lots of people, several hundred people," the witness, a doctor who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.

"People shoved, they broke down the barriers," he said.

"The local authorities on the spot were overwhelmed. Even when there were people on the ground, people kept fighting for food."

The doctor said all those killed were women, adding that 10 more had been injured, and that two were in a critical condition.

The injured were evacuated to a hospital in Marrakesh, he said.

Images posted on "essaouira en ligne tv", a Facebook page run by activists, show a large crowd gathered in the village's market square and bodies lying on the ground.

"Hunger kills dozens of poor people in the province of Essaouira," a caption reads. "The tragedy... brings shame on representatives and officials."

Manar Khouda, a teacher who runs the Facebook page, said the annual distribution has triggered several stampedes in the past.

She said only four police officers were on hand to guard this year's delivery.

The Akhbar al-Yaoum newspaper quoted organiser Abdelkadir El Hadidi, an imam, as saying the operation was "in accordance with the law and under the supervision of the authorities".

Authorities said an investigation had been opened to "determine the circumstances of the incident" and establish who was responsible.

The interior ministry said King Mohammed VI had issued orders to "provide the necessary help and support to the families of the victims and the injured".

He had also decided to "personally cover the costs of victims' funerals and burials, and the care of the injured," it said.

Morocco suffers glaring social and regional inequalities.

An official report in early October slammed severe poverty that persisted in rural and remote areas of the country.

News website Medias 24 said Sidi Boulaalam was "one of the poorest" villages in Morocco.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir: Riyadh "will not hesitate to defend its national security to keep its people safe"

Saudi Arabia warned Sunday that it would not stand idly by in the face of Iranian "aggression", as Bahrain said the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement was "in total control" of Lebanon.

The foreign ministers of both Gulf states spoke at an extraordinary general meeting of the Arab League at its Cairo headquarters, called by Riyadh.

The meeting comes as tensions soar between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, including over League member Lebanon.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir warned Iran that Riyadh "will not hesitate to defend its national security to keep its people safe", in opening remarks at the meeting.

Riyadh called the ministerial meeting to discuss "violations" by Iran after a missile was intercepted near Riyadh in a November 4 attack claimed by Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen.

In a resolution, the League issued a "strong condemnation" of this incident, saying it was "blatant aggression against the kingdom and a threat to Arab national security".

The League ministers affirmed Riyadh's right to defend its territory and said they would support all legitimate procedures it night take "against these Iranian violations".

They also tasked "the Arab group in New York to address the security council president to clarify Iranian violations" of a UN Security Council resolution on Tehran's ballistic missiles programme.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon was "in total control" of the country.

"Iran's biggest arm in the region at the moment is the terrorist Hezbollah arm," he said.

The Arab League meeting in Cairo on November 19, 2017 was called by Saudi Arabia

He added that Hezbollah "does not just carry out operations inside the borders of (Lebanon), it also crosses its borders to all of our nations", making it "a threat to Arab national security".

- Hezbollah a 'terrorist party' -

"The Lebanese Republic, in spite of our relations with it as a brotherly Arab nation... is under the total control of this terrorist party," Sheikh Khalid said.

In the resolution, the Arab ministers said they would hold "the terrorist Lebanese Hezbollah... responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said Lebanon was among the countries that voted in favour of the resolution, except for the points in which Hezbollah was mentioned.

Lebanon's foreign minister did not attend Sunday's session, but Beirut's permanent representative was present.

The ministers also condemned a pipeline fire in Bahrain on November 10, calling it "a terrorist act by a group supported by Iran and the Iranian revolutionary guard".

Abul Gheit also directed strong words at the Islamic republic.

"There are proven incidents of spying networks and sabotage whose destructive actions were uncovered" including in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan, said the Arab League chief.

"And there are proven incidents of support and financing of armed militias in more than one place in the Arab world," he added.

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Tehran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemen rebels with ballistic missiles. Tehran has denied any involvement.

Bahrain and the UAE supported the Saudi request for the extraordinary meeting, which was also approved by Djibouti, the current chair of the pan-Arab bloc, according to a memorandum seen by AFP.

Saudi-Iranian tensions have escalated over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation, also on November 4, in a statement from Riyadh in which he cited Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

Hariri said Saturday he would return to Lebanon from France for Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations, but on Sunday he said he would first visit Egypt.

"I will head to Egypt on Tuesday to meet my friend, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi," he wrote in a tweet.

A source close to Hariri said the Cairo meeting aimed to "continue the series of Arab and international consultations".

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to give a speech Monday at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) on the crisis in Lebanon and tensions between Riyadh and Tehran.

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by Hariri.

In Syria, Hezbollah has fought to defend the government of President Bashar al-Assad, also an ally of Tehran.
Protesters marched Sunday in Washington in solidarity with hurricane-hit Puerto Rico, criticizing the lackluster US response to the storm and calling for reform.

Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico in September, ravaging the US territory's infrastructure. Some 50 per cent of its population of 3.4 million people still lacks electricity more than two months later.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of hit hip-hop musical 'Hamilton,' alongside actress Rita Moreno rallied the crowd. Jose Andres, an award-winning chef who led efforts to feed hungry Puerto Ricans after the storm, also attended the march.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda (C) and his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr. (R), attend a Unity for Puerto Rico march on Capitol Hill Sunday in Washington, DC

Actress Rita Moreno and Lin-Manuel Miranda (R) speak at a Unity for Puerto Rico rally at the Lincoln Memorial during Sunday's protest

Thousands attended the Unity for Puerto Rico rally, seen here at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday in Washington, DC

Miranda rallied the crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial: 'So Puerto Rico, you are not forgotten. The compassion of the American people is real and it is still here.'

'If the government would meet us where we already are, that would be a really incredible thing. We could keep raising money, but it's not going to do any good if the government doesn't help us,' he added.

Demonstrators gathered at the US Capitol with Puerto Rican flags and signs that read 'Fight for Puerto Rico,' then marched toward the Lincoln Memorial at the other end of the National Mall.

'We have men and women in Puerto Rico who are suffering. We need to help our fellow Americans' said Janette Messina, a 45-year-old protester from New York.

Messina added 'We need to abolish the Jones Act, we need to remove the debt, we need to make Puerto Rico great again.'

The Jones Act is a 1920 law restricts shipments between US ports to US-owned and operated cargo ships.

Rita Moreno (C) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (R) speak at a Unity for Puerto Rico rally at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday

Lin-Manuel Miranda and his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., attend a Unity for Puerto Rico march on Capitol Hill Sunday

Members of the Hispanic Federation participate in the Unity March to highlight the ongoing humanitarian and natural disaster crisis in Puerto Rico, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington

People carry signs during a protest for Puerto Rico on November 19, 2017 in Washington,DC.Puerto Ricans protested in Washington on Sunday in solidarity with their hurricane-hit island, criticizing the US response to the storm and calling for changes to be made

The restrictions were eventually waived for Puerto Rico, but were blamed for slowing the disaster relief response.

Messina carried a sign that read 'Make Puerto Rico Great Again' - a play on Donald Trump's campaign slogan, and one of many that appeared to take aim at the president.

'Tweet Puerto Rico With Respect,' read another sign, an apparent reference to Trump's at-times vitriolic Twitter responses to criticism of his handling of the disaster.

Members of the Hispanic Federation participate in the Unity March to highlight the ongoing humanitarian and natural disaster crisis in Puerto Rico, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington

People carry signs during a protest for Puerto Rico in Washington,DC.Puerto Ricans protested in Washington on Sunday in solidarity with their hurricane-hit island

Jasmin, a 39-year-old from New York who would only give her first name, said her family members on the island lacked basic necessities months after the storm hit.

'I have family in Puerto Rico - they still don't have clean water, they don't have electricity, I can barely get a call in to them, and that is a major, major problem, and it's not being addressed,' she said.

'Months from the storm, and it's still the same. And there's this narrative that things are getting better, but it's not,' added Jasmin.

'This is another instance where Puerto Rico always gets the short end of the stick.'

Rafael Negron, 52, came from New York with his wife and daughters for the protest.

'We came out... to protest what's going on, the lack of support for Puerto Rico from the United States government,' Negron said.

Another motivation was taking their daughters to their first demonstration, a chance for them to learn about 'what it is to be an American and... how to protest things you don't like.'
Israeli energy minister Yuval Steinitz, pictured in 2015, confirmed Prime Minister Netanyahu's hints that Israel has unofficial contacts with Arab states such as Saudi Arabia

An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel had covert ties with "many" Arab and Muslim states but was obliged not to name them at the other sides' request.

A rare interview given by the head of Israel's armed forces to a Saudi-owned news site was published on Thursday, further fuelling talk of close links.

It followed previous broad hints by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accusations by Hezbollah that Saudi Arabia was pushing Israel to attack the Lebanese Shiite group.

"We have ties, some of them secret, with many Arab and Muslim states," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli army radio on Sunday.

"Usually the one who wants those ties to be discreet is the other side," he said in response to a question about ties with Riyadh.

"We respect the wishes of the other side when contacts are developing, whether it is with Saudi Arabia or other Arab or Muslim countries."

Although Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, they share a common enemy in Iran, with both seeking to limit the Islamic republic's expanding influence in the Middle East.

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.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with countries of the moderate camp in the Arab world, in the face of radical Islam," he told Israel's parliament last week.

"I think that this growing closeness and consultation is first and foremost good for security and ultimately for peace," he added.

Tensions between the Saudis and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Riyadh-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri saying he is stepping down over what he called Iran's grip on his country.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is dominant in Lebanon, is also a great enemy of Israel with which it fought a war in 2006.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on November 10 that he had "information that Saudi Arabia has asked Israel to strike Lebanon".

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani last week echoed the allegation.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) - A 101-year-old man who told his wife to flee deadly wildfires in Northern California without him last month is the latest victim to be identified by authorities.

The Press Democrat newspaper of Santa Rosa reported that coroner's officials on Thursday identified the man as longtime Santa Rosa resident Tak-Fu Hung. He was one of at least 43 people killed by the fires that raged across a huge swath of wine country.

Hung's granddaughter told the newspaper that her grandfather, who had fought the Communists in China's 1949 revolution, got as far as the front door of his burning home when he told his 76-year-old wife, Helen, he could not make it through the flames.

FILE- In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, an aerial view shows the devastation of the Coffey Park neighborhood after a wildfire swept through Santa Rosa, Calif. A 101-year-old man who told his wife to flee deadly wildfires in Northern California without him last month is the latest victim to be identified by coroners officials. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

"He told her, 'Just go,'" Rosanne O'Hara said by phone from San Francisco. "He would not make it. He couldn't make it."

Helen Hung sought shelter behind a wall in the family's front yard and later by lying on a neighbor's driveway for hours as the flames passed over her, O'Hara said. She suffered multiple burns but is recovering.

"The flames went over her repeatedly, but she was far away from brush, so that the fire wasn't constantly on her," O'Hara said.

Hung was the second centenarian identified as a victim of the fast-moving fires. Charles Rippey, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, also perished in his home. He was believed to be trying to help his 98-year-old wife, Sara, when the couple were overcome by smoke and flames. His wife also died.

The couple, who had met in elementary school, had been married 75 years.

Sonoma County has identified 21 of the 23 people who died in the fires there, said Misti Harris, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. They are using DNA information to identify the remaining bodies.

She said all missing person reports, which peaked at over 2,000, have been resolved in the county. The city of Santa Rosa did not have an immediate answer to the number of missing person reports still pending.

O'Hara described her grandfather as a friendly, outgoing man who enjoyed conversation and was remarkably healthy for his age, only recently having begun to use a cane. Often the center of attention, she said, he was "really good at commanding a room."

Born in China's Anhui province in 1915, Hung was a general in the Chinese army before he fled to Hong Kong and later Taiwan after Mao Zedong's Communist Party came to power following the country's 1949 revolution.

He worked as a civil engineer in Taiwan, where he and his first wife raised six children before her death. After he retired, he moved to San Francisco and later Santa Rosa.

His children and grandchildren followed him to the United States, O'Hara said, and his tri-level Santa Rosa home became the gathering place for holidays and other celebrations.

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano identified Hung and two other victims of the fire in a video posted Thursday on the agency's Facebook page. The others were Michael Charles Grabow, 40, of Santa Rosa, and Marjorie Lenore Schwartz, 68, of Santa Rosa.

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Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com
BALTIMORE (AP) - A foreign national stole an American man's identity, then lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years and committed Social Security and voter fraud, federal officials said.

Now they're trying to determine his true identity.

The man was convicted Friday in federal court in Baltimore on charges of passport fraud, Social Security fraud, aggravated identity theft and voter fraud.

This combo of photos from June 24, 1997, left, July 7, 2004, center, and July 31, 2013, provided by the U.S. Department of State shows a man whom officials refer to as John Doe. The Diplomatic Security Service is trying to identify Doe, a foreign national who has been living for at least 20 years as an American citizen whose identity he stole. Officials in the U.S. Attorney's Office say the man was convicted Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, in federal court in Baltimore on charges of passport fraud, Social Security fraud, aggravated identity theft, and voter fraud. (U.S. Department of State via AP)

John Doe, as the U.S. Attorney's Office calls him, remains in custody. He faces decades in prison at sentencing in February.

Doe assumed the identity of Cheyenne Moody Davis, an American born in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the late 1990s, according to court documents. Doe is believed to be from Antigua, Barbuda, or Jamaica.

Starting in 1997, Doe used Davis' personal information to get a Maryland state identification card and numerous Maryland driver's licenses, according to court documents. Doe also got a U.S. passport and a Social Security card, and registered to vote.

Doe voted in the 2016 presidential election, prosecutors said.

In 2006, the State Department learned that Davis was imprisoned in Antigua at the time Doe applied for the passport under Davis' name, according to court documents.

Davis was the first person to testify against Doe at trial this week, prosecutors said.

The Diplomatic Security Service wants to know who Doe really is. The agency has posted on its website information about Doe.

He is believed to be in his early to mid-40s, is 5'8" tall, has light brown eyes and may use the pseudonyms Chris or Richie.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The Latest on the assault of a reporter by Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte on the eve of his election (all times local):

5 p.m.

Documents released Friday show a Montana congressman misled investigators about his assault on a reporter and claimed that the "liberal media" was "trying to make a story" out of it.

FILE - This Aug. 25, 2017, booking photo originally provided by the Gallatin County Detention Center shows U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont. A Montana judge has ordered the release on Monday, Oct. 10, 2017, of the mug shot taken of the state's lone Congressman after he was convicted of assaulting a Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs on the eve of the special election that put him in office. More than 100 pages of documents, photos and audio from the investigation into Gianforte were released under a court order on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (Gallatin County Detention Center via AP, File)

The documents from Gallatin County law enforcement include notes from an interview of Rep. Greg Gianforte just after the attack, which occurred the day before the Republican's victory in a special election.

Gianforte told an officer that Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs had grabbed Gianforte's wrists and pulled the politician down on top of him.

Multiple witnesses contradicted that account and said Gianforte became enraged at Jacobs for what he perceived as biased coverage. They said Gianforte body slammed the reporter, threw him to the ground and punched him.

Gianforte later pleaded guilty to assault.

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3 p.m.

Law enforcement officials in Montana have released a trove of materials from their investigation into a Republican House candidate who assaulted a reporter on the eve of his election to the U.S. House.

More than 100 pages of documents, photos and audio from the investigation into Rep. Greg Gianforte were released under a court order Friday following requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.

Gianforte threw Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs to the ground on May 24 - the day before his victory in a special election over Democrat Rob Quist.

In the attack's immediate aftermath, the Republican's campaign portrayed Jacobs as the instigator. That version of events was contradicted audio from Jacobs and by a Fox News reporter who witnessed the attack.

Gianforte later pleaded guilty to assault.

This May, 24, 2017 photo released by Gallatin County Sheriff's Office shows Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs in Bozeman, Mont. Law enforcement officials in Montana have released more than 100 pages of documents, photos and audio from their investigation into Republican House candidate Greg Gianforte who assaulted Jacobs on the eve of his election to the U.S. House. In the attack's immediate aftermath, the Republican's campaign portrayed Jacobs as the instigator. That version of events was contradicted audio from Jacobs and by a Fox News reporter who witnessed the attack. Gianforte later pleaded guilty to assault. (Gallatin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
LONDON (AP) - When Britain's 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth married 26-year-old Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in 1947, the wedding sparked joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II.

Seven decades on, the couple who would become Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - now 91 and 96, respectively - are still going strong, their marriage a bedrock in British public life amid a world of change.

On Monday, they mark their 70th wedding anniversary, though officials say the milestone will be celebrated privately and no public events are planned. The royal family is reportedly marking the date with a gathering at Windsor Castle.

In this handout photo issued by Camera Press and taken in Nov. 2017, Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pose for a photograph in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, England. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are marking 70 years since they wed in London's Westminster Abbey. At the time, Princess Elizabeth was just 21 and Philip, a naval officer, was 26. Their wedding was a spark of joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II. (Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via AP)

The queen is the first monarch in British history to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

At their 50th wedding anniversary, Elizabeth praised her husband as "quite simply... my strength and stay all these years."

Elizabeth first met Philip, a naval officer and the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, as they attended the wedding of Philip's cousin in 1934.

The pair wed at Westminster Abbey in London on Nov. 20, 1947. It would be nearly another six years before Elizabeth would be crowned as monarch, also at Westminster Abbey.

In the decades that followed, Philip, who also holds the title Duke of Edinburgh, spent almost the entire duration of their marriage supporting his wife in her role as head of state. Both have cut back on their public engagements in recent years, and Philip retired from official duties earlier this year.

The royal couple has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

FILE - In this Nov. 20, 1947 file photo, Britain's Princess Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey, London, following their wedding service. On Monday Nov. 20, 2017 they mark their 70th wedding anniversary, though officials say the milestone will be celebrated privately and no public events are planned.(AP Photo, File)

FILE - this is a July 10, 1947 file photo, Britain's Princess Elizabeth heir to the British throne, and her fiance, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten pose for a photograph on announcement of their engagement, in London. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 20, 1947 file photo, Britain's Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh pose for a photograph, in London, following their wedding service. On Monday Nov. 20, 2017, they mark their 70th wedding anniversary, though officials say the milestone will be celebrated privately and no public events are planned.(AP Photo, File)

FILE - This is a June. 2, 1953 file photo of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as they wave to supporters from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, following her coronation at Westminster Abbey. London. (AP Photo/Leslie Priest, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 19, 1965 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is surrounded by member of her family on the grounds of Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England. From left, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, 5. In the pram is Prince Edward. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 20, 1972 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are surround by their family in Buckingham Palace, in London, on the occasion of the royal couples silver wedding. From left in the picture are shown: Prince Charles, Prince Edward, the youngest child (aged 8), the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew (aged 12) and Princess Anne, (22). (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this June 29, 2011 file photo, Queen Elizabeth II, right, and the Duke of Edinburgh walk back into the Palace after attending the annual summer garden party held at Buckingham Palace in London. On Monday Nov. 20, 2017, they mark their 70th wedding anniversary, though officials say the milestone will be celebrated privately and no public events are planned. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, June 17, 2017 file photo, members of Britain's Royal family from left, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, background Timothy Laurence, Princess Beatrice, Prince Philip, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William watch a fly past as they appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, after attending the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 23, 2017 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip observe a minute's silence, at the start of a garden party at Buckingham Palace in London. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande show that left over 20 people dead and dozens injured. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool Photo via AP, File)
BRUSSELS (AP) - Brexit is still well over a year away but two European cities on Monday will already be celebrating Britain's departure from the European Union.

Two major EU agencies now in London - the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority - must move to a new EU city because Britain is leaving the bloc. The two prizes are being hotly fought over by most of the EU's other 27 nations.

Despite all the rigid rules and conditions the bloc imposed to try to make it a fair, objective decision, the process has turned into a deeply political beauty contest - part Olympic host city bidding, part Eurovision Song Contest.

FILE - In this July 28, 2017 file photo, is One Canada Square house, center, that hosts the offices of the European Banking Authority EBA, headquarters in London. Brexit is still well over year away but two cities on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 will already be celebrating Britain's departure from the European Union. Two major EU agencies currently in London will be given a new home to move to and the two prizes are hotly fought over by most of the other 27 nations. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

It will culminate in a secret vote Monday at EU headquarters in Brussels that some say could be tainted by vote trading.

The move involves tens of millions in annual funding, about 1,000 top jobs with many more indirectly linked, prestige around the world and plenty of bragging rights for whichever leader can bring home the agencies.

"I will throw my full weight behind this," French President Emmanuel Macron said when he visited Lille, which is seeking to host the EMA once Britain leaves in the EU in March 2019. "Now is the final rush."

At an EU summit Friday in Goteborg, Sweden, leaders were lobbying each other to get support for their bids.

The EMA is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU. It has around 890 staff and hosts more than 500 scientific meetings every year, attracting about 36,000 experts.

The EBA, which has around 180 staff, monitors the regulation and supervision of Europe's banking sector.

With bids coming in from everywhere - from the newest member states to the EU's founding nations - who gets what agency will also give an indication of EU's future outlook.

The EU was created as club of six founding nations some 60 years ago, so it's logical that a great many key EU institutions are still in nations like Germany, France and Belgium. But as the bloc kept expanded east and south into the 21st century, these new member states see a prime opportunity now to claim one of these cherished EU headquarters, which cover everything from food safety to judicial cooperation to fisheries policy.

Romania and Bulgaria were the last to join the EU in 2007 and have no headquarters. Both now want the EMA - as does the tiny island nation of Malta.

"We deserve this. Because as we all know, Romania is an EU member with rights and obligations equal with all the rest of the member states," said Rodica Nassar of Romania's health care ministry.

But personnel at the EMA and EBA are highly skilled professionals, and many could be reluctant to move their careers and families from London to less prestigious locations.

"You have to imagine, for example, for the banking authority, which relies on basically 200 very high-level experts in banking regulatory matters to move to another place," said Karel Lannoo of the CEPS think tank. "First of all, to motivate these people to move elsewhere. And then if you don't manage to motivate these people, to find competent experts in another city."

As the vote nears, Milan and Bratislava are the favorites to win the EMA, with Frankfurt, and perhaps Dublin, leading the way for the EBA.
BOSTON (AP) - They may not be mad about reefer, but a growing number of Massachusetts communities are leaving their borders open to commercial marijuana businesses, bucking a wave of bans and moratoriums that followed voter approval of legal recreational pot.

Recent votes in several cities and towns against prohibitions on pot shops have cheered advocates for the nascent cannabis industry who say it could signal that communities around the state are slowly concluding that potential benefits, including a boost in tax revenues and the driving out of illegal dealers, outweigh the drawbacks of welcoming such businesses to town.

"We got a lot of support from people who don't use cannabis, but might want to someday," said Scott Winters, a resident of Amesbury who spearheaded opposition to an anti-pot referendum that was defeated by a nearly 2-1 margin Nov. 7. "From users to non-users to just folks who want revenue for the city, we had a lot of support."

Town meetings in Dracut, Marshfield and the Cape Cod town of Brewster have also turned aside bans in recent weeks. The votes in Marshfield and Brewster were notable for having occurred in towns where a majority of residents voted against the legalization question on last November's state ballot.

Democratic Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who strongly opposed legalization, has nonetheless promised the city will accommodate marijuana stores.

Yet there's still far from broad acceptance around Massachusetts, which along with Maine were the first eastern U.S. states to legalize recreational weed. Since January, towns have imposed at least 121 bans or other constraints on marijuana-related businesses, which also include growing and processing facilities and testing labs, according to records of the attorney general's municipal law unit.

The so-called "not in my backyard" dynamic is not unique to Massachusetts, having played out in states that previously legalized recreational marijuana.

In Colorado, the first state to do so in 2012, more than 60 percent of towns and cities have opted out of hosting pot shops, according to Kevin Bommer, deputy director of the Colorado Municipal League. The additional revenue from marijuana taxes hasn't necessarily proven a windfall for those with cannabis businesses, he added.

"I don't think it is the pot of gold that some folks might think it is, because a lot has to go into administration and enforcement," he said.

A map of 228 cities drawn by the Municipal Research Services Center in Washington state shows bans or moratoriums in place in 80 communities, though 109 others permit marijuana-related businesses within various zoning restrictions and the rest have taken no action.

Massachusetts lawmakers sweetened the deal for cities and towns earlier this year by raising the maximum local-option marijuana sales tax from 2 percent to 3 percent and allowing municipalities to extract an additional 3 percent of sales through user agreements with retailers. The state's first pot shops are expected to open in mid-2018.

Regulate Cape Cod, a group that supports retail sales in the popular tourist destination, estimated that a single pot shop in Brewster would instantly become the town's second biggest taxpayer, behind only the sprawling Ocean Edge resort.

Winchester, about nine miles north of Boston, decided any potential revenue was outweighed by other fears such as having marijuana-laced candy or other food products circulate through the community, said Michael Bettencourt, chairman of the town's select board.

"We were mostly concerned with the edibles, those getting into the hands of (children), and not being able to really have a plan of how to manage that," he said. Winchester voted at town meeting Nov. 9 to ban pot shops, at least temporarily.

Two other Cape Cod towns, Sandwich and Mashpee, also adopted prohibitions recently.

Campaigns against proposed bans in places like Amesbury, a small city along the New Hampshire border, have typically been organized by local grassroots activists such as Winters, and less so by large, national pro-marijuana groups.

Winters said he has used pot off and on for about 30 years, partly to cope with anxiety and stress, and hopes to someday buy it legally in his hometown - provided the quality is right.

"If we're already used to getting some really killer, cool stuff, we're not going to waste our time, and our money, on a crap product," he said.

Proponents of bans and moratoriums are quick to point out that they don't strip away the rights of adult residents to possess or use recreational marijuana under the new law.

But cannabis industry advocates argue widespread prohibitions will leave large swaths of the state without retail outlets, prompting many residents to continue buying from illicit suppliers nearby.

"Why would you drive two hours, or even one hour, if you can get it in five minutes?" asked Kamani Jefferson, a Cambridge resident who founded the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez's political fate in next year's crucial midterms after the mistrial in his federal bribery case may hinge on whether prosecutors retry him and whether attacks from Republicans based on the indictment convince voters to keep him from a third term.

Fresh off a victory lap at the courthouse, where Menendez thanked those who stood by him and promised to remember those who opposed him during his darkest hours, the two-term incumbent wasted no time jumping back into his Senate schedule. He appeared alongside Democratic Rep. Albio Sires on Friday to urge New Jersey residents to sign up for the Affordable Care Act, with open enrollment ending next month.

"Today is Resurrection Day," Menendez said after the mistrial. "For those who were digging my political grave so they could jump into my seat, I know who you are and I won't forget it."

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2017, file photo, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez answers a question from a reporter before entering the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse for his federal corruption trial, in Newark, N.J. Menendez's political fate in next year's crucial midterms after the mistrial in his federal bribery case may hinge on whether prosecutors retry him and whether attacks from Republicans based on the indictment convince voters to keep him from a third term. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Menendez hasn't said whether he will seek a third term, but his top political adviser, Mike Soliman, says that signs point to him running in 2018 and an announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

It's not the only announcement being closely watched for. Prosecutors face a decision about whether to retry the charges, including bribery and honest services fraud. The indictment against Menendez alleges that he helped Florida eye doctor and friend Salomon Melgen with a nearly $9 million Medicare billing dispute in exchange for lavish vacations and campaign donations.

Republicans have put a political target on Menendez because of the trial and are likely to leverage the indictments as best they can next year, when a third of the 52-48 Republican-led chamber faces re-election and with President Donald Trump eager to notch legislative victories that have so far been elusive.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, immediately called for an ethics panel investigation stemming from the indictments after the mistrial. The bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee said it would resume an inquiry that began in 2012 and was paused a year later because of the criminal investigation.

But in blue New Jersey, where Democrat Phil Murphy just won by nearly 14 points over Republican Gov. Chris Christie's top deputy, and Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by double digits, Menendez is getting senior-senator-style deference. All the state's top officials - from Murphy to the legislative leaders - are behind his potential 2018 run.

George Norcross, considered the state's most influential unelected Democrat, threw his and his brother Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross' support to Menendez.

"We look forward to working for his re-election," George Norcross said. "He's been a great champion for New Jersey and we look forward to his continued work in the United States Senate."

In other words: best wishes to any Democrat who tries to challenge Menendez in the primary.

Menendez has raised more than $6 million between a legal defense fund and for his 2018 re-election campaign since he was indicted in April 2015. He raised $2.5 million for his re-election from January through September of this year and had $3.9 million in his campaign account.

Still, his approval ratings during the trial took a dip. Half of New Jersey voters said in a poll released in September that Menendez did not deserve re-election and only 31 percent approved of the job he was doing. The Quinnipiac University poll surveyed 1,121 people and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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Contact Catalini at https://www.twitter.com/mikecatalini
CAIRO (AP) - In a resolution long on criticism but short on concrete steps, Arab foreign ministers who met in Cairo Sunday delivered a tirade of criticism against Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, saying Tehran was destabilizing the region.

They said they planned to "brief" the U.N. Security Council on Iran's destabilizing policies in the region, particularly its support for Shiite rebels in Yemen, with a view to submit at a later stage an anti-Iran Arab resolution.

In what is perhaps the only concrete measure, the ministers said Arab telecommunications satellites would ban Iranian-financed television stations for what they said was their fomenting of sectarian and ethnic tensions and because they posed a threat to Arab security. It gave no details.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, left, speaks as Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, right, listens during a meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Saudi Arabia is asking fellow Arab nations to take a "serious and honest" stand against Iran, saying that showing leniency toward Tehran will only encourage it to press on with its "aggression" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of Arab countries. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

"We are not declaring war on Iran at this stage," Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said. "We have not taken a decision to ask the Security Council to meet, but we are just briefing the council and maybe the next stage would be for us to meet and call for a Security Council meeting and submit a draft Arab resolution (against Iran)."

Lebanon, where Hezbollah is a key member of a coalition government, and Iraq, a majority Shiite nation bound by close political and religious ties to Iran, stated their reservations about the harsher parts of the resolution, including one that branded Hezbollah a "terrorist" organization. The draft also blamed the Shiite group of supporting "terrorist groups" across the region and supplying them with weapons, including ballistic missiles.

The Lebanese envoy to the Arab League, Antoine Azzam, made carefully weighed comments at the meeting that reflected his country's delicate religious and ethnic balance.

While not mentioning Iran by name, he said Lebanon condemned all attacks against Arab nations, but blamed exploitable inter-Arab divisions that allowed international and regional powers to promote their interests.

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni powerhouse, has significantly sharpened its anti-Iran rhetoric since its forces on Nov. 4 intercepted near its capital, Riyadh, a ballistic missile fired by Shiite rebels in Yemen who are allied with the Iranians. The Saudis said the missile was Iranian-made and declared the attack an act of war by the Iranians.

Iran denies arming the Yemeni rebels, known as the Houthis, who say they locally produced the missile

Saudi Arabia, through its foreign minister, asked fellow Arab nations to take a "serious and honest" stand against Iranian "aggression" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

Addressing the Arab foreign ministers' meeting, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said: "Showing leniency toward Iran will not leave any Arab capital safe from those ballistic missiles."

"We are obliged today to take a serious and honest stand... to counter these belligerent policies," he added.

He said his country was targeted by a total of 80 ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Shiite rebels since the kingdom in 2015 formed and led a coalition to fight them alongside forces loyal to the internationally recognized government there.

Saudi Arabia, added Al-Jubeir, will not stand idly by in the face of Iran's "blatant aggression."

The ministers, according to the final statement, said they supported any action to be taken by Saudi Arabia to protect its national security, within the boundaries of international legitimacy.

Speaking before Al-Jubeir at the 20-minute session broadcast live, Aboul-Gheit, the Arab league chief, was just as critical of Iran as the Saudi minister. Alluding to the Nov. 4 attack, he said it delivered a message to Arab nations that their capitals were within the range of Iranian missiles.

"We say it in clear terms that Iranian threats have exceeded all boundaries and are pushing the region toward the abyss ... (Iran's) missile program poses a danger to the region," said Aboul-Gheit.

Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, urged strong action by the Arab League against Iran. In the absence of such support, he said, his country would have no choice but to rely on the protection of its Western allies, citing the U.S. 5th Fleet headquartered in Bahrain and naval ships patrolling the Persian gulf.

Arab Foreign Ministers meet at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Saudi Arabia is asking fellow Arab nations to take a "serious and honest" stand against Iran, saying that showing leniency toward Tehran will only encourage it to press on with its "aggression" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of Arab countries. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, seen on screens, speaks during a meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Saudi Arabia is asking fellow Arab nations to take a "serious and honest" stand against Iran, saying that showing leniency toward Tehran will only encourage it to press on with its "aggression" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of Arab countries. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Seated at the table from right to left are Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, during a meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. The foreign ministers of four Arab nations are meeting in Cairo to discuss a draft Saudi declaration on countering Iranian influence in Arab affairs. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, center right, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, left, meet with foreign ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are meeting in Cairo to discuss a draft Saudi declaration on countering Iranian influence in Arab affairs. The four Arab nations have been boycotting the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar since June in part over its warm ties with Iran. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, left, and his Bahraini counterpart, Sheik Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, right, meet with foreign ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are meeting in Cairo to discuss a draft Saudi declaration on countering Iranian influence in Arab affairs. The four Arab nations have been boycotting the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar since June in part over its warm ties with Iran. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, right, arrives for a meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are meeting in Cairo to discuss a draft Saudi declaration on countering Iranian influence in Arab affairs. The four Arab nations have been boycotting the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar since June in part over its warm ties with Iran. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called Sunday for "international intervention" in the country's election crisis, saying at least 31 supporters have been killed by police and militia since his return from an overseas trip on Friday.

Odinga said Kenya "was being pushed to the precipice" after residents of a Nairobi slum protested the killing of at least 13 people in an overnight attack by unknown gunmen. "This is state-sponsored thuggery," Odinga said. An area lawmaker was shot in the leg during protests that followed the killings, Odinga said.

Police said four people were killed in the attack, but mortuary attendants told The Associated Press that 13 bodies, all with bullet wounds, had been brought in.

A supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga throws back a canister of tear gas towards riot police during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called Sunday for "international intervention" in the country's election crisis, saying at least 31 supporters have been killed by police and militia since his return from an overseas trip on Friday. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Odinga said 18 people were shot dead Friday when police tried to stop his supporters from lining the roads to welcome him after speaking engagements in the U.S. and Britain. Mortuary records corroborate Odinga's death toll. Police said five people were killed by mobs.

Tensions have risen since the Supreme Court nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in August, citing irregularities, after Odinga challenged the results. The court ordered a fresh vote last month which Odinga boycotted, citing a lack of electoral reforms.

Kenyatta won the repeat election in October, but his victory is again being challenged at the Supreme Court by civil society activists and a politician. The court will announce its decision Monday.

There have been concerns about intimidation of the justices, who failed to muster a quorum to decide on a last-minute petition that sought to postpone last month's election. One justice's bodyguard was shot and seriously wounded hours before the expected judgment.

Odinga has rejected Kenyatta's victory.

The nullification of Kenya's August election was the first time a court in Africa had overturned a presidential vote. With this weekend's death toll nearly 100 people have died in political unrest since then, the majority opposition demonstrators shot by police during protests.

Riot police take cover during clashes with opposition supporters as one throws a stone at them, left, in the Mathare area where four people were killed, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Riot police breaks a door of a kiosk which opposition supporters set on fire, during clashes with police in the Mathare area, after four people were killed, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Police try to extinguish a fire lit by opposition supporters after four people were killed in the Mathare area in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov.1 9, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A woman is caught in tear gas during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Kenya Red Cross officials rescue two children who were caught during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

People run for safety who were caught in tear gas during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Kenya Red Cross officials rescue two children who were caught during running battles with police and opposition supporters in the Kibera area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called Sunday for "international intervention" in the country's election crisis, saying at least 31 supporters have been killed by police and militia since his return from an overseas trip on Friday. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga throws back a canister of tear gas towards riot police during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called Sunday for "international intervention" in the country's election crisis, saying at least 31 supporters have been killed by police and militia since his return from an overseas trip on Friday. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga face riot police during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Riot police patrol during clashes with opposition supporters in the Mathare area where four people were killed in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Riot police patrol during clashes with opposition supporters in the Mathare area where four people were killed, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Riot police take cover during clashes with opposition supporters as one throws a stone at them, left, in the Mathare area where four people were killed, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Police try to extinguish a fire lit by opposition supporters after four people were killed in the Mathare area in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov.1 9, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A motor bike is set a blaze by opposition supporters after four people were killed in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Opposition supporters holding stones and one with a machete as they clash with riot police in the Mathare area where four people were killed, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov.19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, gestures to his supporters after four people were killed in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Opposition supporters are sprayed with tear gas during clashes with riot police in the Mathare area, where four people were killed overnight, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, centre, stands over the body of one of the four people killed overnight in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, centre, joins his supporters in the Mathare area where four people were killed overnight, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Riot police run in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Opposition supporters clash with police after four people were killed in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, centre, arrives in the Mathare area where four people were killed, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A supporter of the opposition party gestures, as prayers are said for people killed during clashes, in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Police load the bodies of the people killed onto a vehicle in the Mathare area, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov.19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
WASHINGTON (AP) - It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday - the day America gets into a nuclear shooting war.

No detail seems to have been overlooked. There's even a designated "safe escape" door at the nuclear-warfighting headquarters near Omaha, Nebraska, through which the four-star commander would rush to a getaway plane moments before the first bomb hit.

Procedures are in place for ensuring U.S. nuclear weapons are ready for a presidential launch order in response to - or in anticipation of - a nuclear attack by North Korea or anyone else. There are backup procedures and backups for the backups.

In this Nov. 14, 2017, photo, Gen. Robert Kehler, USAF (Ret.) former Commander United States Strategic Command, testifies before Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on North Korea on Capitol Hill in Washington. It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday _ the day nuclear bombs zero in on America. But some worry about the potential for deadlocked decision-making in an actual nuclear crisis. Kehler was asked about this at a congressional hearing. His response: "You'd be in a very interesting constitutional situation." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

And yet fundamental aspects of this nightmare sequence remain a mystery.

For example, what would happen if an American president ordered a nuclear strike, for whatever reason, and the four-star general at Strategic Command balked or refused, believing it to be illegal?

Robert Kehler, a retired general who once led that command, was asked this at a congressional hearing last week. His response: "You'd be in a very interesting constitutional situation."

By interesting, he seemed to mean puzzling.

Brian McKeon, a senior policy adviser in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, said a president's first recourse would be to tell the defense secretary to order the reluctant commander to execute the launch order.

"And then, if the commander still resisted," McKeon said as rubbed his chin, "you either get a new secretary of defense or get a new commander." The implication is that one way or another, the commander in chief would not be thwarted.

The current head of Strategic Command, Gen. John Hyten, said Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada that he would refuse a launch order from a president if he believed that order to be illegal. Hyten also predicted that the president would then ask him for options that Hyten judged to be legal.

Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and co-founder of the Global Zero group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons, said the Kehler scenario misses a more important point: The Strategic Command chief might, in effect, be bypassed by the president.

A president can transmit his nuclear attack order directly to a Pentagon war room, Blair said. From there it would go to the men and women who would turn the launch keys.

The renewed attention on these questions reflects unease - justified or not - about President Donald Trump's temperament and whether he would act impulsively in a crisis.

This past week's Senate hearing was the first in Congress on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons since 1976, when a Democratic congressman from New York, Richard L. Ottinger, pushed for the U.S. to declare it would never initiate a nuclear war. Ottinger said he wanted to "eliminate the prospect that human ignorance and potential human failure in the use of nuclear materials, especially nuclear weapons, will lead to the destruction of civilization."

Forty-one years later, the U.S. hasn't ruled out first-strike nuclear options and is unlikely to do so during Trump's tenure. This troubles experts who worry about a president with the sole - some say unchecked - authority to initiate nuclear war.

"We are concerned that the president of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with U.S. national security interests," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said at the outset of last week's hearing.

The committee chairman, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was not targeting Trump. But he, too, has publicly questioned whether Trump's aggressive rhetoric toward North Korea and other countries could lead the U.S. into a world war. In the end, Corker's hearing produced little impetus for legislation to alter the presidential authorities.

James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, saw politics at play.

"But I think it's a genuinely important subject, and I think it's one we should be debating irrespective of who the president is," he said.

Acton said a president rightly has unchecked authority to use nuclear weapons in response to an actual or imminent nuclear attack. In his view, the president should otherwise be required to consult in advance with the secretaries of state and defense, and the attorney general, and get approval from two of the three before acting.

Matthew Waxman, a professor at Columbia Law School, says changes of this sort would put a valuable check on the president and protect his nuclear authority from potential military insubordination.

Waxman and Richard Betts, director of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, have a proposal: To order a nuclear first strike, the president would first have to get "certification" from the secretary of defense that the order is valid and authentic, and from the attorney general that it is legal.

These added safeguards wouldn't risk delaying a response to an enemy attack in progress, Betts said. They would apply "only in situations where the United States is considering starting the nuclear war."
MADRID (AP) - Former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa called on his successor Lenin Moreno to explain to his country why he met with the indicted former campaign chairman for U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year.

"If they keep it secret it's because they are hiding something," Correa said in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press in Madrid, adding that "political agreements should be out in the daylight."

Paul Manafort, who was recently indicted in the U.S. on money laundering charges and other counts, went to Ecuador May 9, according to a U.S. court filing. Special Counsel Robert Mueller said Manafort used a phone registered under a false name and traveled on one of three U.S. passports he possesses before going to Mexico and China weeks later.

In this Saturday, Nov. 18. 2017 photo, former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa gestures, during an interview with The Associated Press in Madrid, Spain. Correa called on his successor Lenin Moreno to explain to his country why he met with the former campaign chairman for U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year. (AP Photo/David Montero)

A spokesman for Moreno told The New York Times in September that Manafort, who was under investigation for his ties to Ukraine's pro-Russian ruling party at the time, met with Moreno but he did not explain why. The president's office declined to comment when contacted by the AP.

Correa said he was not aware of the May trip and only found out about it in the press some days ago. He said he had no information about the meeting beyond rumors.

"It's very worrying that there should be a meeting with types like Manafort and that it should be kept hidden from the Ecuadorean people," he said.

Correa, who believes that his hand-picked successor has backed policies that will undermine his legacy, says he plans to return to Ecuador Nov. 24 for the first time since leaving office to defend the social programs and economic gains that endeared him to many poor Ecuadoreans.

"This is not a fight among buddies, this is a profoundly ideological conflict," he said. "President Moreno, from the day he won, started applying the government program of the right."

A group of Correa loyalists tried three weeks ago to expel Moreno from the presidency of the Alianza Pais, the country's leftist ruling party. But the attempt was later deemed illegal by an electoral tribunal and leaders behind the attempted purge were suspended for six months by the party's ethics committee.

The same suspended officials have unilaterally called for an Alianza Pais party national convention Dec. 3, but do not have the backing of Moreno, opening a major fight for power.

"Nothing prevents me from going back to Ecuador," Correa said, adding that he was not afraid of what he described as a campaign of threats and incitement of hatred toward him in the media.

Correa currently lives in Belgium, where his wife is from, and has repeatedly said that he would come out of political retirement if there is an agreement to form a national constitutional assembly to rewrite Ecuador's political charter, which could give his allies in the ruling party more power.

As part of the deepening feud, Moreno withdrew all powers from Vice President Jorge Glas, who is being investigated for accepting bribes during Correa's decade-long rule.

"This betrayal has shown how weak the country still is and how easy they can take us back to the past," Correa said.

Correa, who was in power for a decade, also reiterated his support for Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and pointed to recent gubernatorial elections as proof of the country's democracy. Candidates from Venezuela's ruling socialist party won a majority of governors' offices up for grabs in October, although the opposition has claimed that regional elections were shrouded in fraud.

While acknowledging Venezuela's economic problems, Correa accused the media of lying by portraying Maduro as an unpopular dictator.

"This is what progressive governments have to face daily in Latin America and the world," he said.

Correa also defended Ecuador's granting of asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the country's embassy in Britain since 2012.

"We gave him asylum as was our sovereign right," Correa said. "Why would I regret having done what was correct and in defense of the human rights of a hunted person?"

He added that Assange had been told he could not use the embassy to interfere in the politics of other countries, such as the U.S. presidential campaign or Spain's conflict with the region of Catalonia. He cited his decision to briefly cut off Assange's internet during the U.S. elections as proof of his commitment to reining him in.

--

AP Writer Joshua Goodman from Caracas, Venezuela contributed to this report.
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded a nearly $50 million contract to a defense contractor to research ways to protect weapons systems from cyberattacks.

The Dayton Daily News reports that Colorado-based Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. will conduct the research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in southwest Ohio. The contract is set to expire in 2023.

Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, former Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander, has previously told the newspaper that addressing vulnerabilities in weapons systems is "paramount."

___

Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Thousands of revelers danced on Copacabana beach Sunday to celebrate Rio de Janeiro's annual gay pride parade despite deep funding cuts by the city.

Mayor Marcelo Crivella offered no city funding this year, but organizers said they were able to finance festivities with the support of private businesses and organizations.

In 2016, the city funded 50 percent of the parade, which costs around $200,000 to put on.

People attend the Gay Pride Parade at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)

Sunday's celebration featured dozens of Brazilian artists performing on trucks traveling down Copacabana beach.

Despite its reputation as a liberal country, Brazil has some of Latin America's highest rates of violence against gay and transgender people.

Brazilian singer Valesca Popozuda attends the Gay Pride Parade at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)

People dance under the LGBT flag during the Gay Pride Parade at Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)

People protest against Rio's Mayor Marcelo Crivella during the Gay Pride Parade at Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)

People dance during the Gay Pride Parade at Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)
The president pushed his plan for a wall between the United States and Mexico on Monday after one Border Patrol agent was killed and another injured while working Sunday in southern Texas.

Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a cabinet meeting, he called America's southern border 'very dangerous' and 'rough territory,' saying 'that's where the drugs are coming in.'

'We are going to have the wall. It's part of what we are doing. We need it,' the president declared.

Authorities said Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were responding to activity near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area when they were both attacked.

President Donald Trump renewed his pledge Monday to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, after a Border Patrol agent was killed in Texas on Sunday

Authorities said Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were attacked while on patrol, and the National Border Patrol Council says: 'We strongly believe rocks were what was used.' Trump is pictured talking to the media with his cabinet surrounding him

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Rogelio Martinez (left and right) lost his life in a suspected rock-throwing ambush on the Texas-Mexico border

'As you heard, we lost a Border Patrol officer just yesterday,' Trump said, 'and another one was brutally beaten and badly, badly hurt. It looks like he'll make it, but very, very badly hurt.'

He tweeted on Sunday that the U.S. 'will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!'

Trump also repeated his claim that his presidency has led to a substantial drop in the number of illegal immigrants pouring into the U.S. from the south.

'You see the numbers, they're back to 78 per cent down from what they were,' he said. 'And those numbers will get better and better, but we have to stop the massive drug flow from pouring in.'

Trumps has pledged for more than two years to wall off Mexico from the United States, and prototypes are already being built and analyzed

The president tweeted his anger and resolve on Sunday and said the government 'will seek out and bring to justice those responsible'

While Martinez lay dying on Sunday, his partner reported that they were both injured and in need of assistance.

Responding agents provided immediate medical care, and transported them both to a hospital.

Officials said they are now searching the Big Bend area of Texas for potential suspects and witnesses.

Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them, but a National Border Patrol Council official told KTSM in El Paso that the assailants were 'undocumented immigrants' who used likely used rocks to beat the agents.

'We strongly believe rocks were what was used,' NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto told the station.

The FBI has taken over the investigation into the fatal incident near the US-Mexico border. An agency official from the El Paso office confirmed that Martinez and his partner 'were not fired upon.'

Martinez had been a border agent since August 2013 and was from El Paso.

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 per cent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. Pictured is a patrol vehicle outside the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas

'Our thoughts and prayers are with Agent Martinez and his family, and with the agent who was injured,' officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 per cent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.

The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the US from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents.

It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.


The European Union is reportedly threatening to hold back Britains final 5 billion rebate payment from Brussels as part of negotiations over the so-called Brexit divorce bill.

European Council president Donald Tusk has set a deadline of the start of December for Britain to make further movement on the financial settlement in order to unlock trade talks.

But according to the Telegraph, Brussels negotiators have not provided clarity on the final rebate payment for 2018, which is due to come a year in arrears after Britains scheduled exit from the EU on March 29 2019.

The newspaper quotes British officials who think the rebate, first secured by Margaret Thatcher in 1984, should be netted off the final divorce bill.

Both the Government and the EU did not comment on the report on Friday night.

Reports, dismissed as speculation by Downing Street, have 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.

After talks with the Prime Minister 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 the divorce bill and Northern Irish border, 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.

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 #EUCO. pic.twitter.com/GxNF8qBQP6  Charles Michel (@eucopresident) November 17, 2017

He said he had told Mrs May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest.

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.

In meetings at the summit with Mr Tusk, Irish prime minister Leo 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.

Standing up for Europe's social economy in Sweden with @ReginaDo and @HMcEntee. pic.twitter.com/kX0akjJm5L  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 17, 2017

Mr Varadkar made clear that Dublin is ready to delay the start of trade talks beyond the start of next year unless the UK offers further concessions on the Northern Irish border.

After meeting Mrs May in the margins of the summit, he told reporters: 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.

If we have to wait until the new year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it.

Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested that he wanted to see compromise from Brussels, warning EU leaders that they will get nothing for nothing.

Theresa May speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron as they walk on a pier at an EU summit in Gothenborg

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.

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.
Relatives of those killed in the Kings Cross fire have taken part in an emotional service to mark 30 years since the devastating blaze.

Survivors and emergency services personnel who responded to the blaze joined the memorial service at the north London Tube station on Saturday.

Thirty-one people died and around 60 were injured when an escalator fire, thought to have been caused by a dropped match, ripped through part of the station on November 18 1987.

The tragedy and a subsequent public inquiry led to stricter fire safety regulations.

Incredibly moving service marking the 30th anniversary of #KingsCross fire. Well never forget the 31 people who lost their lives including Station Officer Colin Townsley #KX30 pic.twitter.com/SsNyL79c8B  London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) November 18, 2017

Leading the short service, London Fire Brigade chaplain the Rev Ian Black said of those affected: We will remember them in silence in our hearts.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan laid wreaths alongside Transport for London commissioner Mike Brown, under a plaque in the ticket hall near where the fire took hold.

Relatives, some of whom were tearful as they reflected by the floral tributes, said their memories of the day remain fresh.

Relatives and friends gather at a memorial service for the 30th anniversary of the King's Cross fire, at King's Cross station in London (Ben Stevens/PA)

Deirdre Holloway, whose brother Christopher Roome was killed, said: It seems amazing that it was 30 years ago. It seems quite fresh. My brother would be 80 now.

Mr Roome, a stockbroker, had been travelling back from work in the city to his flat in Pimlico, central London, when he was evacuated from a train at the station.

Ms Holloway, from Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, said her brother managed to escape but suffered 75% burns and died a little more than a week after the blaze.

Recalling speaking to him in hospital she said: He said how glad he was to get out, he said I dont know how I survived, it was hell down there.

BTP officers and our emergency services colleagues gathered to pay our respects today to those who died in the King's Cross fire of 1987 pic.twitter.com/xyVCmXm7tq  British Transport Police (@BTP) November 18, 2017

Anila Mushtaq, who was just a teenager when she lost her brother Shoaib Khan in the fire, said she felt among family as she attended the memorial.

She said: I feel like I am among my family and we share the same tragedy, the same sorrow so we just have each other and we help each other and basically we give support.

Her brother was a 22-year-old student coming home from his part-time job when he was caught up in the blaze.

#OnThisDay we remember those who tragically lost their lives in the Kings Cross fire 30 years ago. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible incident  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 18, 2017

Roger Bell, from Kent, had been a firefighter in Clerkenwell at the time and was called to help. The 73-year-old believes he was the last person to speak to London Fire Brigade station officer Colin Townsley.

Mr Townsley was in charge of the first fire engine to arrive at the scene shortly after 7.30pm and was in the station when the fireball erupted, engulfing the ticket office with smoke.

Mr Bell said he had carried a feeling of guilt for years, after he advised the senior officer to stay at the top of the stairs while he went down to clear the way for fire equipment to get through.

He said he told Mr Townsley: Guv, you should be at the top, adding, And he just turned on his heel immediately, so he was probably thinking the same thing as I said it.

The fire engine Station Officer Colin Townsley & his crew rode to #KingsCross fire will form part of our memorial service to those who lost their lives 30 years ago #KX30 @paddingtonfire pic.twitter.com/WCL1OH51Fg  London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) November 18, 2017

And he went back up the stairs and I went down stopping people going on the stairs and of course Colin Townsley was never seen again.

He added: That was horrid because I felt as though I had sent him to his death at the time.

Mr Bell, who said he now knows there was nothing he could have done, said he swallowed hard as he returned to the scene shortly before the memorial service, standing at the top of steps.

Mr Townsley was posthumously awarded a certificate of commendation for his bravery.

The fire-damaged escalators at King's Cross Underground station

London Underground managing director Mark Wild paid tribute to the very brave station staff, train drivers and emergency services.

He said: The really key thing out of Kings Cross is it instilled a safety culture in London Underground of continuously improving.

Even though that risk has been eliminated, were always alert to future ones.

Today we paid tribute to the 31 people who lost their lives in the tragic fire at Kings Cross station on 18 November 1987. #KX30 pic.twitter.com/ywvqJjR3CL  Transport for London (@TfL) November 18, 2017

Smoking was immediately banned on all parts of the Tube after the disaster, wooden escalators were replaced and Underground staff were trained in what to do in the event of a fire.

Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said the Kings Cross fire stands alongside the disaster at Grenfell Tower as a reminder that safety and regulation must remain our watchwords regardless of what the bottom line says on a set of accounts.

Echoing Mr Cashs words Sadiq Khan said: Todays anniversary is all the more poignant in the aftermath of the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower  the lessons learned from the Kings Cross tragedy have shaped the London Fire Brigade and the London Underground we know today.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged the United Nations on Sunday to prevent Iran from pushing the region to the edge of an abyss, saying that the missile recently fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia represents an act of hostility against all Arab countries.

"Iran has adopted a sectarian policy and empowered itself with the nuclear deal [signed in 2015 between Tehran and several world powers]," said Aboul Gheit during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo convened after a request made last week by Saudi Arabia.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed Cairo's rejection of any kind of foreign intervention or attempts to destabilise the security of Arab countries.

The Egyptian FM also called for strong and clear actions to defuse tensions in the region.

"Egypt rejects any form of foreign presence on Arab soil, whether in the form of military bases, local parties with foreign loyalties, or support for terrorist organisations," Shoukry added.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that his country will not stand idle or hesitate in defending its people and national security.

"Any leniency in dealing with [Tehrans] policies would only encourage Iran towards more aggressions, so we must stand together," Jubeir said.

"Iran's aggressive policies have pushed the international community to classify it as the number one sponsor of terrorism in the world," the Saudi foreign minister added.

Al-Jubier also called on all Arab countries to adopt firm stances to preserve Arab national security, safety and prosperity.

The Arab League meeting comes amid rising tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran over accusations that Tehran interferes in the internal affairs of some Arab countries.

On 4 November, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri resigned while in Riyadh over what he described as Iranian interference in his country and direct threats to his life.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has accused Iran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemeni rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Saudi Arabia has also accused Hezbollah involvement in the attack on Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
Etsy is set to expand its London office despite company-wide staff cuts, as the artisan platform looks to centralise much of its international operations in the UK.

The online craft and artisan marketplace unveiled the first phase of its efficiency drive at the end of April and further cuts in June that will together result in the loss of 245 staff or 23% of its headcount versus the end of 2016, as well as the closure and consolidation of certain international offices.

But chief operating officer Linda Kozlowski says Etsys future in London is secure and plays into a larger corporate strategy to streamline its overall operations.

Actually London and the UK in particular is one of our most critical offices for our expansion work, so we actually plan on making sure that were managing a lot of the centralised activities across all of international here, she told the Press Association.

Linda Kozlowski is chief operating officer of Etsy (Etsy/PA)

Etsys UK team currently employs around 25 staff but that total is expected to rise.

We will be growing this office as far as people in the future but what we want to do is, we want to do any sort of people growth very intentionally to make sure were putting people in the right place and not growing too fast  either from a cultural or saturation perspective.

Apart from its position as one of Etsys key international hubs, Ms Kozlowski highlighted that the UK is already one of the platforms top markets globally and had around 150,000 UK sellers on its platform as of the end of 2016.

The company does not break out UK figures, but reported revenues of just under $305 million (231 million) for the nine months to September 30, up from $255 million (193 million) during the same period in 2016, with international operations accounting for around $84 million (64 million), up from just shy of $61 million (46 million).

Etsy also managed to swing to a profit, reporting net income of $37 million (28 million) compared with a loss of $8.5 million (6.4 million) a year earlier.

It said international growth was particularly driven by business between buyers and sellers in the same country, a trend that Ms Kozlowski said Etsy was trying to capitalise on, and cater to, in the UK.

Etsy had around 150,000 UK sellers on its platform as of the end of 2016 (Etsy/PA)

The latest focus specifically in the UK is making sure people have access to the local products first and giving them the opportunity to buy there, she explained.

Specifically were looking at how in the UK can we make sure that UK buyers who have a very, very strong propensity to want to buy from UK sellers can do that in a very seamless experience that feels very local and feels very relevant and connected to them.

The chief operating officer said that appetite for items made in Britain is not a post-Brexit phenomenon.

It was actually sort of in the process before Brexit  so its more about the tastes of where people wanted to buy even outside of the Brexit situation.

Etsy is prioritising this local movement in the UK because of strong demand and its strong seller base, but it could be rolled out to other locations.

But economic conditions in the wake of the Brexit vote  including the weaker sterling exchange rate  may be opening doors for British sellers, whose goods may now be cheaper for international buyers.

Keep in mind that with the currency exchange  because we are a global platform  it allows UK sellers to sell to other parts of the world as well, as the currency fluctuates  so thats also something that we can take advantage of and let sellers choose how they want to market in order to make the maximum impact on their sales.
A replica First World War tank used in Steven Spielbergs film War Horse took up a prominent position by the Cenotaph, as the Royal Tank Regiment marked the centenary of the Battle of Cambrai.

During the First World War, 476 British Mark IV tanks broke spectacularly through enemy lines in Cambrai, north-eastern France, during a major offensive which began on November 20 1917.

Although this was not the first time tanks had been used in battle, the attack, which ended on December 6, marked the first time they were deployed in significant numbers.

On Sunday, the day before the anniversary, the Royal Tank Regiment marched down Whitehall wearing their traditional black berets and black overalls, passing the Cenotaph and a replica of the formidable weapon.

Lance Corporal Connah Towers stood guard in front of the Mark IV tank for the parade as his regiment marked 100 years since the offensive.

The 23-year-old said: "It is not often you see a World War One tank in the middle of London  it was quite good, especially when I saw the rest of the regiment march past."

(Yui Mok/PA)

He said the anniversary of Cambrai "means a lot every year" to those who serve in the Royal Tank Regiment  the oldest unit of its kind in the world.

"It is always the best day in the calendar, it makes you feel proud and part of something, and proud of the heritage and the regiment," he added.

David Willey, curator at the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, which owns and brought the Mark IV replica to London for the parade, said it was originally made for and featured in Steven Spielbergs epic 2011 film War Horse.

Veterans of the Royal Tank Regiment Association. (Yui Mok/PA)

He said the important part of the anniversary of Cambrai for them is the emphasis on it being a "British invention to save British soldiers lives", and to show the museums support for the current regiment.

"Cambrai is a battle where it (the tank) proved its worth 100 years ago," he added.

"Over 400 tanks attacked together, we cut a five-mile hole in the German front line  and church bells were rung in Britain for the first time during the war in celebration."

Mr Willey said members of the Royal Tank Regiment have been down at the museum for the past week learning about the tanks and their use in the First World War.

Following the parade and a short service at the Cenotaph, a wreath was laid by the Royal Tank Regiment at their memorial.
Joey Carbery will solve his goal-kicking issues to blossom into a frontline fly-half for Ireland, according to team-mate Jack Conan.

Promising Leinster pivot Carberys two missed conversions almost cost Ireland on Saturday as Joe Schmidts men edged out a nervy 23-20 win over Fiji in Dublin.

Ian Keatley came off the bench to slot two late penalties to seal the win, as Ireland squeezed home after making 13 changes from the 38-3 win over South Africa.

Jack Conan backs Joey Carbery to blossom into frontline fly-half

Carbery suffered a suspected broken arm to cut short a threatening attacking display, and could now be sidelined for two months, but still drew high praise from Leinster team-mate Conan.

"Hes a fantastic talent and a great bloke and I know hell bounce back better than ever and be even more determined," said Conan, of 22-year-old Carbery.

"Its just testament to his quality; that first line break from out of nowhere to set up that first try, that was fantastic.

"And hes really one for the future, massively."

Conan claimed a sharp score to add to tries from Darren Sweetnam and Dave Kearney as Ireland raced into a 17-3 lead in Dublin only to be hauled back by the gritty Fijians.

Ireland managed to ride out Carberys two missed conversions, but those struggles from the tee highlighted the main area for improvement for the fast-improving Leinster star.

Carbery ran Irelands attack with verve and serious sidestepping threat however, raising hopes he can thrive as a long-term challenger to Johnny Sextons number 10 shirt.

And Conan insisted his provincial and Test team-mate can easily iron out those goal-kicking foibles.

ICYMI: Chris Farrell on winning his first cap for Ireland #IREvFIJ #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/d9eTrvpZfB  Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 19, 2017

"Hes got a calm head on his shoulders and hes only 22, so Id back Joey in every aspect to succeed," said Conan.

"We see him every day in training at Leinster and here with Ireland, hes already an absolutely fantastic player and hes only going to get better and better, whether hes at 10 and 15.

"I think the futures so bright for him and I wish him all the best for his recovery."

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt was happy to have had the chance to blood some youngsters and fringe players against Fiji, ahead of hosting Argentina on Saturday.

What a way to sign off a test match. Thank you @fijirugby Watch more on our tunnel cam https://t.co/iHWUDPNRVZ #IREvFIJ #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/3EdxW2lOMZ  Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 19, 2017

Irelands frontline stars will return to face the Pumas, but Conan was delighted to have had a chance to state his case for future selection in a hugely-challenging Test match.

"We had 600 or so caps against South Africa and around 200 this week," said Conan.

"The management making changes like that, I think its fantastic for the culture, and the team.

"We werent at our best today at all but the experience the boys learned today will be invaluable going forward."
The Prince of Wales has praised the resilience of the people of Dominica as he saw for himself the damage wreaked to the Caribbean island by Hurricane Maria.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Charles stood among the ruins of Pichelin village, which was battered by torrential flooding and high winds in September, and sympathised with the residents who have remained.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

With a mangled car behind him, the heir to the throne chatted to locals stood in front of the village general store whose front was swept away by the deluge that brought whole trees, huge boulders and other debris down from hill tops.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Marilyn Leatham, 53, from a neighbouring village, said: The Prince told me youre resilient people - hold on. It means the world to us to have him here and it means the world is thinking of us.

And the Prince makes us feel proud as people - we will bounce back.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Charles, with International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, walked through the village shaking the hands of locals and stopping to chat briefly and even watched a dance performance by local school children.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Khalin Thomas, 26, whose grandmothers general store was washed away, said: We managed to survive the hurricane somehow, the village is between two rivers - but luckily were still here.

The car next to my grandmothers store was across the street and the water just picked it up and tossed across the street.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Dominicas prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit joined the prince for the visit.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Speaking last week at Cop 23, the UNs climate change talks, he said about the natural disaster: When dawn broke, the scenes of utter devastation across this once lush green island were heartbreaking.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

He told delegates at the global summit in Bonn, Germany: In some areas where houses once stood there lay mounds of dirt and debris, others had their roofs blown off, landslides scarred the landscape, trees were uprooted or laid bare and flood waters raged.

All utilities were non-functional.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

Mr Skerrit added: Two months later 95% of the country remains without electricity, our water systems are compromised, and many citizens remain displaced and in shelters.
You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time



- Abraham Lincoln



At the rate the interested parties have been propagating the image of a Moonshine mafia these days, any outsiders might wonder whether Sri Lanka has become a land of mafias on the lines of Sicilian or American Mafia and may think twice about before visiting the country.

On the other hand, given the power attributed to this moonshine mafia by the concerned parties, which included chance of overturning government policies, the locals here would have wondered whether the Moonshine mafia would run for office at the 2020 polls and given a run for their money for UNP, SLFP and JO candidates.

Anyone with common sense would have wondered as to whom alcohol industry and its supporters are trying to fool. Surely ours is a nation that knows A,B,C better. The creation of an omnipotent mafia to pre-empt the medical professionals from debunking government logic on beer tax reduction is nothing but a gross insult on the intelligence of the entire Sri Lankan nation.



By now the fact that the government has made a glaring blunder in its calculations for reducing the beer tax is proven beyond doubt by cabinet ministers, medical professionals, University of Colombo and the well-meaning media. Two Cabinet ministers have already explained that the logic behind the western alcohol tax works in the reverse direction in countries like Sri Lanka. Besides the majority of Cabinet ministers have opposed the beer tax reduction proposal in Cabinet itself.

While the government insisted that its rationale is based on a study by University of Colombo, the university denied having conducted such research study. It pointed out that though the academic who conducted the research is attached to the university, the said report was part of his private research and not of the university. Moreover it has been found that the academic is yet to complete his research which is his maiden research on alcohol. One wonders what the government ministers who insisted its a University of Colombo study have got to say now. If that is not enough, the researcher is now on record that his statistics have been misinterpreted, and according to his findings only 4.9 lakhs are into moonshine.



The fact that the beer industry and its handlers in government were in tandem in their efforts to get the beer tax reduced by hook or by crook was evident by the wide publicity given to the incomplete report by those patronized by the industry. Immediately after the budget speech the interested parties rushed to create a phobia of an all-powerful Moonshine mafia by splattering Colombo walls with posters in a bid to forestall an exposure of the poor budget logic by those armed with scientific data.

The absurdity behind the tax logic however is not limited alcohol. While the Yale University, USA has hailed Sri Lankas air quality in its annual World Environmental Performance Index claiming its the country with the best air quality in entire South Asia, the government has rushed to slap a carbon tax on the already overburdened tax payer. The vast improvement in air quality in Sri Lanka has been attributed to the 2008 legislation of vehicle emission testing. Carbon tax is a feature of highly industrialized countries and those with high levels of vehicular emissions.



Aping the West without studying the ground realities has always been a weakness attributed to the Yahapalana government by political analysts. This flaw has already made the government unpopular, especially among the middle class that is livid over its failure to relate to their needs and interests. Right now more and more parents are lining up against the beer tax reduction which is going to tantalize the teens with its new affordability. What the government should realize is at some point or the other, it is going to confront this enraged electorate. Still it is not too late to correct its glaring mistake.
At least 41 suspects had been arrested during raids carried out in Jaffna following the recent sword attack incidents in the peninsula region, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

He said that special search operations had been conducted in the Kopay, Manipay, Jaffna and the Chunnakam Police areas during the last two days.

He said three Police teams had been deployed in the area to arrest suspects over the sword attacks.

Investigations are carried out by the Northern Senior DIG on the instructions of the IGP Pujith Jayasundera, he said.

Last week the Police arrested six men in connection with the sword attacks in Jaffna. The recent arrests have been made following the information given by the arrested suspects.

Meanwhile, all leave has also been cancelled for Police personnel in the Jaffna Police Division.

The Police said several people had been injured in several attacks recently in Jaffna, where gangs wielding sharp weapons and swords attacked civilians. (Darshana Sanjeewa)
People believe Nita quit at the peak, in fact, she is now artistically at her peakIt is our cinema thats found wanting.

Nita posing for a pic at the National Awards held on March 20th, 2017 after receiving the Kalashoori at Nelum Pokuna given to her by the President.

In Sri Lankan cinema, acting careers usually follow a linear path. When a name has been made after the initial breakthrough, an actor or actress can expect a lengthy career, which will last a lifetime, though that is changing now with fewer films being made though the competition is still not comparable to the West, where careers are shaky due to fierce competition.

Nita Fernando is one exception to that general rule. She enjoyed extraordinary success in the first eight years of her career, making over 40 films and running neck to neck with Malani Fonseka. Then she married and migrated to Canada, and returned after a break of 21 years. Her comeback film Pauru Walalu brought her critical acclaim and revived her career. In this interview, Nita talks about her artistic resurrection and the motivation behind it.

In 1965, an attractive schoolgirl from Holy Family Convent, Wennappuwa was introduced to film producer Robin Tampoe, the head of RK Studios, by a relative.

Despite strong parental objections, particularly from her mother, Nita was signed on to act in Robin Tampoes Landaka Mahima with Joe Abeywickrema, though her first screen appearance was in a song sequence in the film Sathutai Kandulai.

Her first film would have been Gamini Fonsekas Parasathu Mal, but she missed the opportunity.



Nitas ambition was to be a dance teacher. She comes from a family of teachers. Her grandfather was the first teacher appointed to the Government School at Katuneriya.

Though she excelled as a dancer (As one can see in the film Matara Aachchi) her childhood ambition was cut short by entry to the world of films. Her rise as a film star was so hectic that she could not even complete her Advanced Level examinations.

Prior to her entry to films, she had only a limited exposure in stage plays and no training in the art of acting. While schooling, she took part in Pantalion Kurukulasuriyas Narabilla. Her best-known stage effort was in Gunasena Galappaththis Sandakinduri.

Though she became a film star almost overnight, Nita was essentially a product of the 60s culture, obedient to her parents and peers, but she became a film star at a time of social upheaval and rebellion.

Not that she became a rebel; like many actresses of the era, she was accompanied by her mother to film locations. But she was different nevertheless from the established stars of the time because the Sinhala film, though slow to change, allowed more leeway from the 1960s to newcomers than it did to Rukmani Devi, Florida Jayalath, Jeevarani Kurukulasuriya and Sandhya Kumari, who worked within a cinematic straitjacket of formulaic roles  the dutiful wife, the wicked-mother-in-law etc.

Landaka Mahima was made in 1968. What followed was a dizzy time, when she acted in 40 films within five short years.

But this celluloid reverie came to an end when she married in 1973.

When she left for Canada in 1975, Nita had the option of doing 13 more films but decided to turn them down. Her husband had given her two years to complete what she had already signed up for.

"Thats a trait she shared with Malani Fonseka. She could be sexy without really knowing how to, a trait which attracted men in the audience without posing a threat to the women."



It must have been a hard decision for a young actress at her peak. In the intervening years, she appeared in just one film, content to work as a receptionist in Montreal.

My husband told me, she says with a smile,

I want to take you out of this celluloid world and bring you back to Sri Lanka one day with dignity.

He kept his promise by producing Pauru Walalu, directed by Prasanna Withanage, the story of a middle-aged woman rediscovering love. Her co-star was Tony Ranasinghe. This poignant, understated performance won her the best actress award at the 1998 Singapore International Film Festival plus the Vishawa Kirthi award, the Presidential Award and the OCIC award for best actress.

She has subsequently appeared in Saroja (2000), Nisalagira (2007) and Bambara Walalla (2010). If the film industry had been healthy, this spectacular comeback would have guaranteed her a steady run of mature roles.

But the film industry is hardly healthy, and the kind of roles an actress of the calibre of Nita Fernando now needs come only rarely.

Panshu directed by young filmmaker Visakesh Chandrasekharan offers her one such role, that of a working-class mother looking for her disappeared son.

Actors mature and grow while acting. Nita Fernando has shown that, if they can keep their inner focus and drive, they can do it even if they take a long break from their profession.



Talking to her, one can sense a professionalism and dedication to her craft which can hardly be called typical in Sri Lankan acting, whether on stage or in a film. In the recent stage play Handa Eliyata Wedi Thiyanna, she acted the role of a much younger woman convincingly.

Nita Fernando goes to a gym and believes in physical fitness.

Her role in Panshu demanded swimming skills. She has a natural aversion to water, but she went to a swimming pool until she learned swimming.

While most of her contemporaries have retired or live in semi-retirement, this kind of grit and determination keeps her professional life alive. I learned to do the backstroke, and am now glad that I can actually swim, she laughed. While her main interest is film, she wont miss any opportunities in the theatre. But there again, with Sri Lankan theatre leaning heavily towards entertaining comedies, the kind of demanding roles she would like are rare.

Looking back, Nita mentions three films that stand above the rest  Vijaya Dharmashris Duhulu Malak, Pauru Walalu and the yet-to-be-released Panshu.

Duhulu Malak is one of only two Sinhala films with a lip kissing scene, and is a testimony to Nita Fernandos daring, as one can think of many would have turned down that role because of that kiss.

While one might conclude that her decision to leave for Canada robbed her of opportunities to appear in the serious (i. e. artistic) cinema stream, an assessment of her commercial film roles (the bread and butter of all top actors and actresses) reveal a number of roles with sensitivity and some depth.

Nita in the new stage play Handa Eliyata Wedi Thiyanna



Within the commercial straight jacket with its song-dance sequences and two-dimensional and predictable characterisation, she strove to get some artistic leeway. The thinking actress that she is can be glimpsed occasionally in these films, which isnt her fault since weak and formulaic script writing didnt leave her with much scope to explore her artistic sensibility.

Hadawath Nettho, where she plays a domestic servant forced into prostitution, is one which rises above the commercial formula, allowing her some scope. Shanthi, another tragedy where she is jailed for murder, too, gave her some acting leeway.

Other early films such as Matara Achchi, where she plays a sophisticated, westernized young woman, gave her an opportunity to display terrific dancing skills and little else.

But this, along with Rajagedara Paraviyo (Also directed by Sathischandra Edirisinghe), and those directed by the talented Titus Thotawatte (Lasanda, Mangala and Sagarika) offered her roles with great charm where she could best use her girl-next-door ambiance to the full. Thats a trait she shared with Malani Fonseka. She could be sexy without really knowing how to, a trait which attracted men in the audience without posing a threat to the women.

Her early success and rapid rise can be attributed to both talent and looks  a tropical lushness which stopped just short of being sultry. With a change of make-up, dress and hairstyle, she could portray the sophisticated urbanite or the unspoilt village girl (Always an endearing part of our film mythology) equally convincingly.

In Hadawath Neththo, she is a village girl turned-domestic forced into prostitution. When Robin Fernando, a hard-boiled worker from the Colombo Port, falls in love with her even though he meets her as a streetwalker in crude makes up, this is entirely in character because her demeanour naturally suggested a victim rather than a predator.

She carried an air of vulnerability in whatever mode. People believe that Nita Fernando quit at the peak of her film career. In fact, she is now artistically at her peak, able to get under the skin of demanding roles. Its our cinema thats found wanting.
One of top five bestselling bookings on international affairs this year was Harvard scholar Graham Alisons book titled, Destined For War: Can America and China escape the Thucydides Trap?. The book argues possibilities and tendencies of global power rivalry leading to wars when a rising power tends to displace a ruling power. He argues that, China and the United States are currently on a collision course for war. Which he calls the Thucydides Trap referring to the 5th Century BC war between the city States of Athens and Sparta, virtually leading to the destruction of both.

Books, theories and numerous arguments of War between United States and China may be best sellers and garner interest among a wide readership, the more pressing global security crises would be the clash of Titans in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia over the last few months has dangerously upped the ante against Iran in many fronts. After decades of prosperity, secured by special relationship with the United States; Saudi Arabia feels politically outsmarted and increasingly boxed in by Iranian moves across the region.

Sri Lankas international security conversations and focus since the last decade has been on the ongoing regional Sino-Indian rivalry and the role of the United States as an extra regional player. This holds true to date and is not a flawed world view. If one starts counting the number of port calls by foreign naval vessels over the last two years the numbers are staggering. Indian security aspirations in the Indian Ocean and how China processes its Indian Ocean engagement has influenced our own strategic posture but it should not end with that singular focus.

"After decades of prosperity, secured by special relationship with the United States; Saudi Arabia feels politically outsmarted and increasingly boxed in by Iranian moves across the region"



What Sri Lankan analysts of global affairs and security need to focus on are other flashpoints which may not be in the immediate neighbourhood yet will have significant implications on a diverse range of security interests of this country. A recent marginal depletion of petroleum stocks in the country followed by panic buying led to a two week long gasoline shortage and an ugly political storm that rocked the country. The true crux of the matter was, that it exposed a major lack of a strategic thinking and institutional resilience in energy security. Thus focusing more on current developments in Middle East needs is a necessary endeavour.

International affairs analysts have warned about the possibility of potential political instability in Saudi politics. With a single family ruling the country, the house of Saud had grown in numbers, and so are the ambitions of many influential Saudi royals. Thus the primary approach to understanding the external ramifications of recent Saudi foreign policy manoeuvrers is to understand some aspects of domestic political shake ups.

Mohammed bin Salman was nominated crown Prince less than six months ago on 21 June, his political career is less than a decade old, and at 32, is also the worlds youngest defence Minister. Prince Salman projected himself as a moderate Saudi nationalist, with open views on governance, womens role in Saudi society and a future vision for Saudi Arabia based on diversified industries.

Prince Salman is the first third generation Saudi Royal to be set on the path to be the next king of Saudi Arabia and is already demonstrating how his reign would differ from that of the previous Kings. His unprecedented crackdown on fellow family Royals which included arrests of 11 princes, two more died one resisting arrests and another fleeing arrest when his helicopter crashed, and 200 businessmen, was a Machiavellian move that many in the Kingdom never saw coming. The diverse ways the crackdown unfolded at breathtaking speed demonstrates the tenacity of the new Crown prince, and his realization of the importance of speed and secrecy and seems to have mastered it in a short time for a massive consolidation of power.

His handling of regional and global players do break from that of many prominent Saudi Royals. Trump made his first visit as the President of United States to Saudi Arabia and signalled the importance of maintaining strong and deep Saudi-American relations. Prince Salman has shown deep interest in reaching out to States like Russia and Israel. Given the recent Syrian conflict and Russias support to the Assad regime should have made any traditional Saudi Crown prince weary but he was bold enough to visit Moscow last month to meet with Vladimir Putin and even cement some key weapons imports from Russia.

"His unprecedented crackdown on fellow family Royals including arrests of 11 princes, two more died one resisting arrests and another fleeing arrest when his helicopter crashed"

Speed has a dual connotation, it can give you tactical advantage but it also can be destabilized in a very delicate arrangements especially in a region like in the Middle East. Prince Salman may well be the new face of leadership in the Arab world but the more elusive question is at what cost? Iran has in the last few years managed to forge a multi prong and strategically calculated approach to spread its power in the region. Syrian governments victory over ISIL in many instances had come from the battle-hardened Shia fighters belonging to Hezbollah or ancillary groups, who have been replenished and trained by Iranian forces. Iran has managed to gain ground in its relations with Syria and Iraq.

Iran has managed its global diplomacy well, it has managed to thrive amidst series of sanctions and with its recent arrangements with the Western powers over nuclear de-escalation, leading Iran to gain some European friends. India, China, Turkey all have maintained close ties with Iran. The Iranian military modernization has accelerated and by recently acquiring state of the art S-300 air defence systems from Russia, Iran has managed to negate major threats coming from Israel which in the past has liberally penetrated ageing Iranian air defence systems.

The Saudis by engineering the ouster of the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, may have won a tactical battle but strategically by trying to destabilize smaller states in the region like Lebanon and Qatar and wage wars with others such as Yemen may not help the cause of the new Saudi Crown Prince.

KSA over last few months upped the ante against Iran in many fronts Saudi feels politically outsmarted and increasingly boxed in by Iranian moves across the region Sheikh Salman was nominated crown Prince less than six months ago At 32, he is also the worlds youngest Defence Minister KSAs campaign in Yemen remains one of the most under-reported conflict stories of the 21st Century



The Saudi military campaign in Yemen remains one of the most under-reported conflict stories of the 21st Century. Two years on, the campaign has done little to deter the Houthi rebels who the Saudi military is fighting to be defeated or to be pushed back. It had disrupted and brought misery to ordinary Yemeni. Global media has highlighted and underscored the misery of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, but when Western, Arabic, Persian weapons and bombs devastate communities there is a clear breaking of speed and enthusiasm to expose the darks side of regional and global power struggles. Yemen is facing the worst Cholera outbreak of the 21st Century, many remain oblivious to such facts and the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.

Returning to the original position of this article, has Sri Lanka taken into account the gravity of the situation? Existing fragility of Middle East region is tested to its limit with the emerging power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. While it is drawn on sectarian lines, it puts into question the civilizational conflict mentality brought about by Samuel Huntington in his Clash of Civilization thesis.

The Civilizational clash helped drive American conservative and hawkish foreign policy of interventionism, seeing the perpetual clash between the Christian and Islamic world. What we witness unfolding in the Middle East is a total anomaly to the above thesis. There will be global ramifications if a meltdown affects the Middle East, what is at cost for Sri Lanka is how we cope with such a scenario, with no real energy security strategy, massive dependence on migrant worker remittances minus a national consultation of future global risks while perpetually sidetracked by a debate about local government elections we may get stranded and ever more at the mercy of India and China.



The writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for

International Studies (BCIS)
Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe has been appointed Director General of the Department of National Archives.

Dr. Rupesinghe began her studies in history (Honours) at the University of Colombo and passed with a Second Class (Upper). She obtained an Encountering a Common Past in Asia (ENCOMPASS) scholarship from 2007 to 2010 for a postgraduate qualifying year BA and Research MA at the Institute for History at Leiden University, which she passed with distinction.

Thereafter she was an Assistant in Opleiding (AIO/PhD candidate) at the same institute, a position funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Leiden University Fund. She obtained her PhD in January 2016.

Her PhD was on Legal Pluralism in eighteenth-century Galle under Dutch rule. She has published on land rights in the Portuguese Journal of Social Science and has other pending articles in indexed peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Rupesinghe has studied hitherto unused sources in the Dutch language to write a nuanced history of judicial practice in the eighteenth-century.

She was previously attached to the Faculty of Engineering Technology at the Open University of Sri Lanka before taking up the position at the archives.
The latest budget is out, and the electronic media is going full-throttle interviewing the man and woman on the street to get his and her opinion. He or she is indeed a valid voice in the situation, they are the ones who are directly affected by the mangala mohotha of Minister Samaraweera. He sure is on a high and the budget has triggered a tendril of hope among the masses, maybe it could be termed as a beginning of a new page, which is so badly needed in todays Sri Lanka. Of course, the proof of the pudding is yet to come, but at least for the moment we do have a new pudding to eat.

There has been a fair share of distrusts and negativity about the proposed budget. especially from those who rode bicycles to the parliament. There are others, non-political, who see all this as another mirage of unreality. They too could be right, after all, we did have a pocket full of promises that were made at the onset of the Yahapalanaya that simply fizzled out leaving a sky-wide void of disappointment which closely matched the misgivings of the previous regime.



That being the case, amidst these pluses and minuses in the budget equation, let us hope Minister Mangala is getting off the blocks turning a new page to usher a new dawn.

It was a week ago, I wrote that all our woes come from Diyawanna-Oya. People are still scrambling to get fuel into their empty tanks and queuing up around petrol stations. We must be grateful that the lines are now shorter, and things seem to be moving on. This is certainly an incident that has left a big dent in the minds of the people and drained what little confidence they had in the system that governs us. The fact remains crystal clear that someone made a mistake. There should be no cheering squads for not accepting the fuel that sailed into the harbour that was not up to specifications. The rejection of that shipment was the lo and behold duty of the ministry in question. The Mia Culpa comes from the fact that there were no adequate reserves to handle a simple shipment that went sour. Someone did blunder in this instance and that is a foregone conclusion. As I write this article, Minister Sarath Amunugama leads a special team investigating the fuel crisis. Once the facts are found out on what went wrong, then only can the leaks be plugged to avoid a repetition. Lets hope this is a new page we are turning without sweeping the dirt under the all-covering Diyawanna-Oya carpet.



Relative to pages being turned, lets look at a mega happening that took place recently. Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Theras second death anniversary was sacredly commemorated recently. He was the perfect patriot and the greatest strength this country has had as a deterrent to corruption and bad governance. During the ceremony there were two excellent speeches that addressed the current calamities of the country. One was by Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya which was followed by an address by President Maithripala Sirisena. Prof. Wijesooriya spoke mainly on the valiant efforts made by the late prelate to stem the tide of the rulers of that time and bring in a change which was named the Yahapalanaya. He then went on to make a critical analysis of the current regime, the pros and cons of promises made and promises broken. The renowned civil activist wasnt mincing any words and laid it all bare in front of the gathering which included President Sirisena himself. It was freedom of speech and an erudite activist having the courage to voice the truth in matters that matter most.

There has been a fair share of distrusts and negativity about the proposed budget Recent fuel crisis has left a big dent in the minds of people Ven. Sobitha was a perfect patriot and the greatest strength this country had As much as there are culprits, there are honest men who occupy the benches of Parliament The law is for everybody,

it should apply to all



President Sirisena on his turn spoke glowingly of the service rendered by the late Sobitha Thera and praised him for his invaluable commitment and wisdom to bring about a regime change in 2015. It was a sincere appreciation that had gratitude laced in every syllable he uttered. Then he moved on to the current political situation and came out strong to state his position as the leader of the coalition Government and its ramifications. Have we done what we were supposed to do? That was the theme. Have we curbed corruption? Have we brought to justice those who broke the law of the land? Such were the questions he aimed at himself and at those who ruled along with him. Hard challenges for the powers that be, more than two years wasted playing Hora Police where it was difficult to establish who was a hora and who would be the police.



That is politics for you. The president vehemently made it clear that he would do his utmost to make things right irrespective of who was guilty. The law is for everybody, it should apply to all and sundry with the same equality and intensity.

Maybe the President is turning a new page looking for changes for the better. He must be well-aware that time sure is in short-supply before the elections arrive in 2020. Maybe hes had enough of the nonsense that has been the hallmark of some who hold power in Diyawanna-Oya. As much as there are culprits there are honest men too who occupy the benches of the Parliament. That fact could be the catalyst to bring about a much-needed change in the culture of governance, which has hitherto given birth to fledgling vultures of all sizes and shades, who have brought about the annihilation of our beloved homeland.

Will we really see a change in the two years that remain before we go to the polls again? Will those who abused power and robbed the country of its meagre resources of prosperity be brought to justice? Or will history repeat itself, where if one is politically connected, he is generally exempted from every sin.
Both Foreign Minister Shoukry and US Secretary of State Tillerson agreed on a full commitment to the 2015 Declaration of Principles over the Ethiopian dam

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry informed Sunday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of a deadlock in the process of carrying out studies on the effects of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) on downstream countries.



In an official statement, Egypts foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry had received a phone call from Tillerson, where the Egyptian foreign minister spoke about the strained technical path related to preparing studies on the effect of the dam on downstream countries, as well as ways to avoid them.

Shoukry expressed "extreme concern" to his US counterpart, citing Egypts full dependence on Nile water as its sole source of water.

According to the statement, the two spoke further about the matter, agreeing on the importance of full commitment from all sides to the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Other developments in the region were also brought up in the phone call, including the Lebanese crisis and its impact, Iranian interference shaking the stability of several Arab countries and the security and humanitarian repercussions of the Yemeni crisis.

Sundays phone call comes one day after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke of the GERD impasse for the first time since negotiations between the involved countries stalled last week.

El-Sisi said that while he understands the developmental goals behind GERD, Egypts share of the Nile water is a "a matter of life or death for the nation".

Last week, negotiations between the three countries broke down over how to conduct technical studies of the dam's potential impact on downstream countries.

The dam, situated near Ethiopia's border with Sudan, is slated for completion this year and expected to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

Ethiopia hopes to be able to export electricity generated by the dam, which will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa.

Egypt, however, has expressed concerns that the dam might reduce its share of Nile water.

Ethiopia maintains that the dam will not have any negative impact on Egypt or Sudan.



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Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo on Sunday at Saudi Arabia's request for an extraordinary meeting to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the region.

The Arab League meeting comes as tensions have been rising between long-standing rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, including over League member Lebanon.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shia power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

A diplomatic source said Riyadh was seeking to adopt a condemnation of "Iran and Arab militias linked to this country".

A committee is to prepare a draft resolution on Iran to be discussed later by all ministers.

The meeting is also expected to address a Yemen rebel missile that was intercepted near Riyadh on November 4, and a pipeline fire in Bahrain on November 10.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Iran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemen rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Bahrain has also blamed Iran for the pipeline fire.

In its request for the meeting, Saudi Arabia referred to those two incidents and "to the violations committed by Iran in the Arab region, which undermines security and peace, not only in the Arab region, but around the globe," according to a memo seen by AFP.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates supported the Saudi request for an extraordinary meeting, which was also approved by Djibouti, the current chair of the pan-Arab bloc, it said.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have also soared since Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation on November 4, citing Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

Lebanon's foreign minister will not attend Sunday's Arab League meeting, a ministry source has told AFP, but the country's permanent representative would be present.

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by Hariri.

In Syria, Hezbollah has fought to defend the government of President Bashar al-Assad, also an ally of Iran.

The Arab League has 22 members, but Syria's membership was suspended at the end of 2011 following months of brutal repression of anti-government demonstrations and an opposition movement supported by Gulf monarchies.

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Israel's cabinet voted on Sunday to close a migrant detention centre, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an agreement to deport 40,000 Africans who entered the country illegally.

Ministers unanimously approved plans to shutter the Holot centre in southern Israel and gave migrants a three-month deadline to leave the country or face deportation, said the interior and public security ministries.

"The infiltrators will have the option to be imprisoned or leave the country," the public security ministry said in a statement.

Israeli official figures from June 30 show a total of 38,043 African migrants in the country.

They include 27,494 Eritreans and 7,869 Sudanese, and their presence in south Tel Aviv has raised discontent among Israelis there and elsewhere.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's vote, Netanyahu noted that after building a fence on the Egyptian border and deporting some 20,000 African migrants through various deals, Israel has reached the third stage of its efforts -- "accelerated removal".

"This removal is taking place thanks to an international agreement I reached that enables us to remove the 40,000 infiltrators remaining, remove them without their consent," he told ministers.

"This will enable us to close down Holot and allocate some of the large funds going there to inspectors and removing more people," said Netanyahu.

Holot, an open facility in the desert that can host 1,200 migrants who are allowed to leave to work during the day, would be closed three months from December 16, according to the decision.

A public security ministry spokesman said an extension to that deadline would be set if necessary.

Ahead of the vote, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Holot had become "a hotel for infiltrators at the tax-payers' expense that does not encourage their exit" and costs 240 million shekels ($68 million, 58 million euros) a year.

In a Twitter statement, Erdan however stressed the closure of Holot was conditioned on "us seeing that the policy of removing infiltrators to a third country was indeed taking place."

Neither Erdan nor Netanyahu gave details about the deal and the third country.

Israel tacitly recognises the Sudanese and Eritreans cannot be returned to their dangerous homelands, so it has signed deals with Rwanda and Uganda, which agree to accept departing migrants on condition they consent to the arrangement, according to activists.

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Hopes of finding survivors from a missing Argentine submarine with 44 crew members aboard have been revived after the navy said it had detected what could be distress calls.

There has been no contact with the ARA San Juan since early Wednesday, prompting Buenos Aires to launch an air and sea search with help from countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, Uruguay and the United States.

The search has, however, been complicated by stormy conditions, Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said on Saturday.

However, the defense ministry said it had detected seven satellite-transmitted signals that may be an attempt by the submarine to resume contact.

The signals were received at 10:52 am (1352 GMT) and 3:42 pm (1842 GMT) on various naval bases with the help from US satellite communication experts, but they did not lock in, thus preventing a full connection.

"Right now, we are working to pinpoint the exact location of what is emitting the signals," presuming that it could be the missing sub, the ministry said.

Early Sunday, the US Southern Command said it was sending a second Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft to join the search. The Florida-based plane and a crew of 21 are to reach Argentina later in the day.

A NASA P-3 research aircraft is already participating in the search, Southern Command said.

The California-based Undersea Rescue Command earlier said it was deploying two underwater crafts designed to rescue trapped submarine sailors at different depths, as well as a remotely-operated underwater robot known as an ROV.

"We will do what is necessary to find the submarine as soon as possible," Argentine President Mauricio Macri wrote on Twitter.

All land communications bases along the coast were ordered to scan for any followup, as family members of the missing waited nervously in the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

Claudio Rodriguez, whose brother Hernan is aboard the submarine, was hopeful, saying the satellite signals suggested the vessel was still afloat and would be found.

"They've got to be afloat. Thank God," he said.

"That gives us hope, because we knew that if they were down below, they would be screwed," he told TN news from the western city of Mendoza.

The navy has not ruled out any hypothesis, a spokesman said. The most likely scenario given is that a power short may have unexpectedly cut off the vessel's communications.

The San Juan is a TR-1700 class diesel-electric submarine which had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia near the southernmost tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Buenos Aires.

Among those on board is Argentina's first female submarine officer, 35-year-old weapons officer Eliana Krawczyk.

It is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

Sixty-five meters (213 feet) long and seven meters (23 feet) wide, it was built by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke and launched in 1983.

It underwent a re-fit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its usefulness by some 30 years.

At the Vatican, Argentine-born Pope Francis said he offered "his fervent prayer" for the safety of the submarine sailors.

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President Robert Mugabe was dismissed as the leader of Zimababwe's ruling ZANU-PF party on Sunday in a move to force him to end to his 37 years in power peacefully following a de facto military coup.

He was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month, sources at a special ZANU-PF meeting to decide Mugabe's fate told Reuters.

"He has been expelled," one of the delegates said. "Mnangagwa is our new leader."

Mugabe's wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding Mugabe, was also expelled from the party.

Speaking before the meeting, war veterans' leader Chris Mutsvangwa said the 93-year-old Mugabe was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.

"He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit," he said.

Mutsvangwa followed up with threat to call for street protests if Mugabe refused to go, telling reporters: "We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business."

Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as "The Crocodile," is now in line to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall in just four days is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to quit.

SUPPORT EVAPORATING

Men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and troops who stepped in this week to oust the man who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980.

Under house arrest in his lavish 'Blue Roof' compound, Mugabe has refused to stand down even as he has watched his support from party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.

His nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Mugabe and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.

But on Harare's streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a "second liberation" for the former British colony and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

"These are tears of joy," said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. "I've been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last."

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would entail a diplomatic backlash.

Despite the euphoria, some Mugabe opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat with another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

"The real danger of the current situation is that having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills," former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a long-time Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era inZimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

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Robert Mugabe agreed on Sunday to resign as Zimbabwe's president hours after the ruling ZANU-PF party fired him as its leader following 37 years in charge, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto coup.

The source said the Zimbabwe military was working on a resignation statement by Mugabe, without giving details.

Zimbabwe's state broadcaster ZBC said Mugabe would address the nation shortly. Earlier on Sunday, the official Herald newspaper showed pictures of him meeting top generals at his State House offices.

Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month in a move that triggered the mid-week intervention by the army.

In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement drew cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PF's Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.

Mugabe was given until noon (1000 GMT) on Monday to resign or face impeachment, an ignominious end to the career of the "Grand Old Man" of African politics who was once feted across the continent as an anti-colonial liberation hero.

Even in the West, he was renowned in his early years as the "Thinking Man's Guerrilla", an ironic nickname for a man who would later proudly declare he held a "degree in violence".

As the economy crumbled and political opposition to his rule grew in the late 1990s, Mugabe seized thousands of white-owned farms, detained opponents and unleashed security forces to crush dissent.

When the vote was announced, war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa, who has spearheaded an 18-month campaign to remove a man he openly described as a "dictator", embraced colleagues and shouted: "The President is gone. Long live the new President."

Mugabe's 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from ZANU-PF, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her "G40" political faction.

Speaking before the meeting, Mutsvangwa said Mugabe, who has so far resisted calls to quit, was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could. "He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit," he said.

If Mugabe refused to go, "we will bring back the crowds and they will do their business," Mutsvangwa told reporters.

Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as "The Crocodile," is expected to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.

The next presidential election is due in 2018.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step down.

"Ready to die"



On Saturday, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and troops who stepped in to target what the army called "criminals" in Mugabe's inner circle.

Meanwhile, the man himself remained under house arrest in his lavish "Blue Roof" compound, watching the support from his party, security services and people evaporate.

Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Mugabe and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao, who was also sanctioned by ZANU-PF, did not answer his phone on Sunday. However, Mugabe's son Chatunga railed against those who had pushed out his father.

"You can't fire a Revolutionary leader!" he wrote on this Facebook page. "ZANU-PF is nothing without President Mugabe."

"Second liberation"



On Harare's streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a "second liberation" and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

More than 3 million Zimbabweans - around 20 percent of the population - have emigrated to neighbouring South Africa in search of a better life.

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would risk a diplomatic backlash.

Despite the euphoria, some Mugabe opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

"The real danger of the current situation is that having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills," former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a longtime Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

Besides changing its leadership, ZANU-PF said it wanted to change the constitution to reduce the power of the president, a possible sign of its desire to move towards a more pluralistic and inclusive political system.

However, Mnangagwa's history as state security chief during the so-called Gukurahundi crackdown, when an estimated 20,000 people were killed by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland in the early 1980s, suggested that quick, sweeping change was unlikely.

"The deep state that engineered this change of leadership will remain, thwarting any real democratic reform," said Miles Tendi, a Zimbabwean academic at Oxford University.

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HEAVENS HOLLOW FARM

Owners: Jacob and Jennifer Gilley

Location: Orange

Number of employees: Two

Started in: 1951

Tell me a little about Heavens Hollow.

Jacob: Its a fourth-generation family farm on the border of Orange and Madison. We raise Angus cattle and also pigs for our direct-marketed meat business. Currently, we have a store on our farm that we sell retail, direct to consumers. We also have an online store set up to where we can ship meat via UPS.

Weve also worked with other local markets such as Liberty Mills Farm in Somerset for a lot of their fall harvest visitors. Then weve also marketed to wholesalers and restaurants.

When did the farm actually get started?

Jacob: The farm started with Jennifers grandfather in 1951. Weve been raising beef since then, but the direct marketed portion just started with Jennifer and me this year.

Jennifer: The pork is a new addition in our meat business, but cattle have been on the farm since 51.

How did you all come into the business?

Jacob: Jennifer and I actually met in 4-H in middle school, and then went our separate ways. She went to [the University of Virginia] and I went to Virginia Tech. She majored in nursing; I was in agriculture. After graduation, we started dating and eventually got married, had a family and moved back to her familys farm. Up to this point, theyd focused on production and selling live cattle. We just felt like, for the size of our operation, to maintain profitability and sustainability for future generations, we needed to add more value to the cattle. We felt like creating a direct, marketed-to-consumer meat business was the answer. In addition, with the cattle we raised, we focused a lot of our efforts on quality of the cattle and how we raise them. When we were selling at market, a lot of times we werent getting the feedback of how the cattle actually tasted. With the meat business, were able to speak with consumers and get that feedback, and its a lot more gratifying.

What are some of the changes youve made to improve quality?

Jacob: Were currently in the process of lining the streams with fences to keep the cattle out, to help with water quality, and doing more rotational grazing. Those are some of the practices weve put in place. Then theres the animal welfare aspect of it through beef quality assurance certification. Handling the cattle in a quiet manner and making sure theyre in a low-stress environment.

Do you engage with the customers more, and have you gotten good feedback?

Jacob: Yessir. These days, grass-fed is a big marketing term. One thing weve tried to hang our hat on is to not get too hung up on scare tactics, or that type of branding terms. All of the cattle we utilize for the meat business have access to pasture and grass and hay, and we also supplement with grain for the last 100 or so days. We just feel like providing local grains to the cattle helps increase the marbling, the tenderness and the juiciness of the steak. So were trying to inform the general consumer that grain isnt necessarily an evil thing, its a tool in the toolbox that just helps the cattle taste a lot better. Were trying to make sure people understand that the cattle arent confined, and that they have free-roam ability. Theyre living a good lifestyle, they just get to have dessert, as well. Well use antibiotics to treat them if they get sick, because we feel like thats the right thing to do, but were not feeding antibiotics to the cattle for weight gain or anything like that. No added growth hormones.

What was it like transitioning into the online operation?

Jennifer: Were always learning from it. Its definitely been very time-consuming in terms of getting it all set up and the logistics of it. I think its a new market that we need to embrace and just figure out all the ins and outs of, but its definitely taking a lot more time than wed initially thought. Its going to be ever-changing.

Jacob: The other reason we focused on online marketing was because I work a farm job. Farmers markets are really popular, but if I work 9 to 5 Monday through Friday  to dedicate a certain amount of time on Saturdays to go to a farmers market is really challenging. Were trying to use different marketing avenues to reach folks, even social media  Facebook, Instagram  to try and tell our story, and then drive people either to the farm to see how the livestock are raised, or to the online store.

What might somebody find when searching around on your site?

Jacob: We market our meat and pork through sampler packages. A lot of times what youll find is, at a grocery store or farmers market, consumers are used to more popular cuts like rib eyes and fillets, but maybe not so familiar with other high-quality cuts, like a flat iron or chuck eye. So weve developed and spent a lot of time putting together sampler packs that are at a nice price point, that offer value to the customer. We provide recipes along with those sampler packages, and we try to keep them in a $30 to $100 price point. It more or less parallels the trends of some of the online food service providers like HelloFresh.

Whats it like, serving as the fourth generation of the farm?

Jennifer: I grew up on the farm, so its where my heart is. I cant say I envisioned having a meat business or even being blessed with the ability to live on the farm where I grew up and raise my kids here. So thats been a really big blessing. The other part of it is, wed like to find a way for me to be able to stay at home. Ive transitioned into that role after the birth of our second child. So the meat business is hopefully a more creative way to generate more income, just so that we can make it happen for me to be able to stay at home with our kids.

And whats it like having a Hokie and a Hoo in business together, under the same roof?

Jennifer: Its nothing too serious, but we joke about it a lot. It makes for a good time a few times a year, you know. Its good fun.
Six food delivery apps operated in Charlottesville until Sept. 14, six weeks after a strategic partnership between Grubhub and Groupon led to Grubhub acquiring 27 market areas from Groupons OrderUp. The move leaves Grubhub Inc. with only two true competitors in the area  one major and one local  and positions them as the dominant mobile food-ordering company in the region.

The acquisition also led to the layoff of more than 70 employees nationwide, including one who had helped Charlottesville become one of the most profitable OrderUp markets in the country.

Jaime Jacobs Ponton had worked as a market manager for OrderUp since 2013, and watched as the 60,000-person market was able to pull in 36,000 subscribers. Charlottesville typically ranked as the third or fourth most successful OrderUp market, beat out only by State College, Pennsylvania, where OrderUp was founded, and Baltimore, where OrderUp is headquartered. All three markets have since been absorbed by Grubhub.

It wasnt a question of success, Ponton said.

The acquisition was disappointing, Ponton said, because shed spent her tenure with OrderUp building relationships with local businesses to improve their marketing while reducing delivery times on Charlottesvilles busy streets.

Its a competitive atmosphere here; its hard for businesses to stay alive, Ponton said. It was nice to see restaurants making money. That was my main concern.

With the acquisition, Grubhub only obtained OrderUps restaurants and drivers, cutting out Ponton and the 70-plus managers working in the other 26 markets. Grubhub declined to directly comment on the layoffs, deferring to Groupon, who in turn declined to comment.

Charlottesville is now home to only Grubhub, EatStreet, Eat24, Seamless and local outfit Foodio. But anyone opening Seamless or Grubhub on their phones will note some marked similarities  namely, an identical interface and the same number of restaurants.

Thats because the Chicago-based Grubhub merged with New York-based Seamless in 2013, marking yet another chapter in a long line of acquisitions that Grubhub has made for the better part of a decade. Operating as Grubhub Inc., the combined company has continued to grow over the past four years, adding delivery services in 2014 and absorbing rival food-ordering companies along the way.

On Aug. 3, four days after absorbing 27 of OrderUps markets, Grubhub announced it would purchase then-rival Eat24 from Yelp Inc. for $287.5 million. According to online outlet The Verge, the new partnership would allow Yelp users to order through Grubhub, taking Yelp out of the operational end of the food delivery business.

Just as Grubhub and Seamless offer food-ordering and delivery services for the same number of restaurants in Charlottesville, Eat24 will soon follow suit. Given that the acquisition closed about a month ago, a spokeswoman for Grubhub said it will take some time to migrate the Eat24 restaurant network to Grubhub. The migration is expected to occur in 2018.

With OrderUp out of the picture, and Eat24 and Seamless operating as its portfolio companies, Grubhub now faces only one major competitor in Charlottesville. The Madison, Wisconsin-based EatStreet provides delivery services for 13 area eateries and online ordering for 19. A spokeswoman for EatStreet said the company did not wish to comment for this story.

For comparison, Grubhub and Seamless offer online ordering and delivery services for more than 70 spots in and around Charlottesville. That number was given a boost following the OrderUp market acquisition, which removed OrderUp from the area entirely.

Over the last couple months, weve moved restaurants that were on OrderUp over to Grubhub, and customers can enjoy the same features and services from OrderUp by now logging onto Grubhub, said Katie Norris, the spokeswoman for Grubhub.

The ubiquity of smartphones in the hands of consumers has given restaurants the ability to outsource online ordering and delivery in exchange for a negotiable commission with Grubhub. That commission is a percentage of each order received through the Grubhub platform, which only charges for the orders sent to the restaurant. There is no charge to simply have a presence on the platform.

Therefore, Grubhub doesnt make any money unless our restaurant partners do, Norris said.

Norris said that in spite of Grubhubs available delivery services for restaurants that dont have in-house drivers, most restaurants handle their own deliveries for orders received through the platform. She estimated that one year after joining the platform, restaurants grow monthly takeout revenue by an average of 30 percent, one in five restaurants will double their takeout revenue within one year and smaller restaurants typically see a 50 percent increase in revenue after signing up.

The platform also cuts order processing time by more than 50 percent, Norris said, helping restaurateurs spend more time making food and less time managing orders.

The reaction to Grubhubs dominance in the area has been mixed. Managers for restaurants like Baja Bean Co. and Popeyes Louisiana Chicken reported having positive experiences using the online ordering system and working with Grubhub drivers, but for Jonathan DCosta, of Maharaja Fine Indian Cuisine, high commission fees and a lack of Grubhub drivers in the area have been a detriment to his business.

DCosta switched from using in-house drivers to Grubhub drivers in October, citing difficulties in retaining a sufficient number of drivers for evening deliveries. Since then, DCosta said, Grubhub has been struggling to keep up with deliveries while charging his business a lot of money for the service.

Sometimes they dont have enough drivers, and they stop taking orders, DCosta said. Our customers are calling, trying to get the delivery.  Ive talked to [Grubhub] and theyre trying to figure it out, but its been two weeks and all the same.

Manager Sal Morabito of Fabios NY Pizza on East High Street reported having difficulties since the transition from OrderUp to Grubhub, saying that the latter has given the business issues it never had with OrderUp. He cited glitches with the system and, like DCosta, a shortage of drivers that often left food sitting up there forever.

Grubhub is a great idea and business, but I feel like they need to get their system together, Morabito said.

Speaking to those criticisms, Norris said that in any transition, it would take some time for people to migrate and get comfortable using a new platform.

But in any situation when we miss the mark and the ordering experience doesnt go as planned for diners or restaurants, we work hard to make things right and appreciate hearing feedback, Norris said.

Beyond EatStreet, the only other competitor stepping up to Grubhub is Foodio, a Charlottesville-based startup founded by University of Virginia undergraduates. In recent years, the company primarily focused on building online ordering systems directly into the websites of local restaurants, as well as custom ordering apps, which emphasized the individual brand, look and feel of that restaurant, said founder Rory Stolzenberg.

However, the company still uses its own marketplace platform for 20 restaurants around Charlottesville, maintains its own ordering app and is relaunching its combined marketplace portal with a delivery service, Stolzenberg said. The delivery service addition will occur first in Foodios Morgantown, West Virginia, portal, and is expected to launch for Charlottesville in the middle of next year.

Given its local appeal, a manager for Belmont Pizza and Pub said his business would soon transition to exclusively using Foodio as its ordering portal, citing difficulty with managing orders coming in from multiple platforms at once.

Until now, Foodio had used its platform for restaurants that already had in-house drivers, but decided to switch directions based on OrderUps success.

In small college towns like this, it seems like it worked out pretty well with what OrderUp did as a concept, where they built their delivery operation into a large enough thing that it started crowding out restaurants having their own delivery drivers, Stolzenberg said. Restaurants that mightve otherwise chosen to hire a driver decided to just go with OrderUp  it makes it pretty compelling to have a delivery operation in a market like this.

After being laid off in October, Ponton is also working to challenge Grubhubs authority in the area. Shes now employed by startup JoyRun, a peer-to-peer delivery services that allows people who are already making runs to stores or restaurants to pick up products for other users of the app, either for free or a small fee.

The only way to displace a giant is to take advantage of people doing what theyre already doing, Ponton said. Youre always going to have somebody bigger, but one thing you cant displace is community.
Over the three months since the failed Unite the Right rally, well over $1 million has been raised for victims of violence surrounding the white nationalist protest in downtown Charlottesville, according to an organization that has handled much of the money.

Most of the local fundraising efforts have been combined into the the Heal Charlottesville Fund and the Concert for Charlottesville Fund, both of which are managed by the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. Brennan Gould, director of programs for CACF, said that the funds so far have distributed about a third of the money.

More than $325,000 has gone out to support individual victims as well as to support organizations that are providing trauma counseling support, Gould said.

Those organizations include ReadyKids, Sister Keeper Doula Collective, The Womens Initiative, Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition and Common Ground Healing Arts. These organizations reached out for support after seeing an increase in requests for services after Aug. 12, Gould said.

The group thats involved [in the decision making] is the different individuals that have been linked to these different funds, but the goal later is to ensure that all this is very inclusive as well, Gould said.

Despite the big fundraising numbers, many are still concerned that the community has been slow to respond to the needs of victims.

Personally, I havent seen a whole lot of questioning or interest in did we respond to those victims, did we take care of the people who got hurt, said Maggie Cullinan, director of the Charlottesville Victim/Witness Assistance Program, Theres all this questioning about how did this happen and whos responsible for it happening. Ok, it happened, what are we doing for these people?

Quite honestly, the entire community is traumatized; the entire community are victims, she said. How do you address that? Theres no blue print for this.

Cullinan said that her office works with victims of crime and tries to connect them with services and assists in walking them through the criminal justice process. She has worked with about 48 victims and witnesses from the weekend of Aug. 12 so far, she said.

Part of that is connecting them with something called the Virginia Victims Fund, she said. If youre a victim of a crime and youre cooperating with police they will pay up to $25,000 in medical or lost wages, or counseling.

The fund is supported by a state statute. Many of the victims of Aug. 12 will still need more funds, and some will not qualify for money from the state, Cullinan said.

We had victims that had immediate needs like, Im going to lose my apartment, I cant pay rent, I cant buy electricity, my car payment, she said.

Using $176,000 raised through Unity Cvilles GoFundMe page, a fund was set up at CACF to be used for victims immediate needs. Victims can call the helpline, which is run through the Haven, weekdays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to go through an intake process and receive help.

Its covered everything from providing childcare to people who are undergoing treatment, helping with copays for insurance, therapy costs, food, rent, said John Kluge, who helped organize the GoFundMe along with Hunter Smith.

He said around 26 people have been supported directly through the effort and about $46,000 has been dispersed thus far.

Not everyone feels comfortable asking for help and not everyone feels like they deserve help, even if they do, he said. There are resources here and we want people to know that theyre there to support our community.

Local activist Dolly Joseph has been meeting with CACF staff and others about where the funds are going, after she reached out to then-CACF President Ann Scott, who stepped down in October. She said in these meetings she has been acting as a liaison and an advocate for community members.

The part that I really hope for is that theres going to be greater transparency and that theres going to be greater community representation determining how these funds, all of these different funds, are going to be used, she said.

It is up to the individual organizations to decide how transparent to be, Joseph said.

They have some really hard and change-making decisions in front of them to change business as usual, and to make sure that they are incorporating the people that they actually purport to be wanting to make a change for, that they are actually represented in the decision making at the highest level, Joseph said. That is something that they could choose to do, and its hard, but its the change that we need to be making as institutions in this town.

Cullinan criticized the citys dealings with the National Compassion Fund, which collects money for victims of mass casualty crimes and distributes it directly to victims and their families.

The fund is overseen by the National Center for Victims of Crime, and has been used to raise money for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and of the mass shooting in Las Vegas

The city dropped the ball, Cullinan said. Its very frustrating because Im an advocate for these victims and thats a great amount of resource that could have happened that didnt.

The Charlottesville National Compassion Fund contains about $200,000, which was raised primarily by a GoFundMe campaign set up by the Democratic Socialists of America.

Jeff Dion, deputy executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, said they typically set up a local committee to help raise money and ultimately decide how it should be distributed. That process has to happen quickly, he said.

The window of opportunity has passed for them to really and go out and be aggressive and collect significant money, and so we find ourselves in the position where money has been collected, wed like to help distribute that, Dion said.

Dion said the DSA reached out to him in October about putting the money that was raised in the fund, and that they will have seats on the committee.

Kluge is one of the co-chairs of the local steering committee. He said the group currently is being formed and is scheduled to have its first meeting in early December.

I hope that this thing will move pretty quickly, but we also want to make sure that that committee has representation from the communities that are most affected, so were in the process of assembling that team and hopefully that will move quick, Kluge said.

City Manager Maurice Jones said he directed Dion to the CACF to ensure the collaboration between the two groups and then connected Dion with Kluge on Sept. 14.

We were trying to coordinate this in the aftermath of one of the most traumatic crises in Charlottesville history, Jones said in an in email. Our work during that time period included the creation of an independent review of the events of this summer; responses to numerous questions from the community; multiple community engagement activities; the creation of a community group to help us on our road to recovery; the threats of return visits from the white supremacist groups; joining a lawsuit to help keep some of these groups from coming back to Charlottesville; nearly 24/7 responses to media inquiries from around the country; several court cases; responding to dozens of FOIA requests; preparation for a joint meeting between the city council and board of supervisors; preparing agendas for several other city council meetings; and starting our budget process for fiscal year 2018-2019.

Gould said CACF wants to get the word out even more about the CACF funds. She said anyone can email supportcville@cacfonline.org to make the group aware of other support services or opportunities.

We know that people will seek support and help in different places and different places are safe for different people, so we want to make sure that we are including all of those kinds of venues and resources, she said.

Anyone who was affected by Aug.11 or 12 is encouraged to call the helpline at (434) 234-4490.
CULPEPER  Fourth-generation farmer Jennifer Gilley touted the areas agricultural variety in helping to promote the Purely Piedmont food label recently unveiled by the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission.

The Piedmont is really diverse, said Gilley, who helps run the family operation at Heavens Hollow Farm, located in Orange County near the Madison County line. I dont think there are a lot of regions in the state that have the diversity that we have in terms of meat products or vegetables or products that are made here.

Farming is not just for the older generations, added the 29-year-old.

Were young, we have kids, were farming, were raising food to feed our community, said Gilley, a wife and mom of two children ages 1 and 3.

Purely Piedmont capitalizes on the ever-growing popularity of the local food movement, similar to the broader Virginias Finest campaign of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, she said.

That brand encompasses the whole state, versus this label will show consumers that the food comes directly from their communities so when they purchase it, theyre going to support a farmer in their community, Gilley said.

Farmers and producers of homemade goods in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties can use the Purely Piedmont logo on their products after registering for the free program at purelypiedmont.org.

The brand allows consumers to easily recognize products that are local, said Michelle Edwards with the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission.

People want to know where their food comes from, she said.

The Purely Piedmont label can be used on fruit and vegetables grown in the region, meat products for which the animal lived 75 percent of its life here and value-added products with 75 percent of ingredients generated in the region (not including water, flour, sugar, oil and salt). The program does not currently include nursery plants, trees or freshly prepared foods.

Heavens Hollow Farm raises Angus beef cattle and hogs, and directly markets its own products at heavenshollowfarm.com  including tasty-looking steak samplers, cuts of beef, sausage, pork and more. Fauquiers Finest in Bealeton processes the meat raised on the Piedmont farm using rotational grazing, forage and local grains.

Gilley left a career in nursing to raise her family with husband Jacob, an Air Force veteran who also works a full-time job off the farm. She said they tag team the farm work, and decided to sell their own products with a goal of making the operation sustainable  one day.

Its where my heart is, she said of being a young farmer. I was raised here so I have a special connection to farming. Its really great when you can come up with a way to earn a living or at least supplement your living off the farm because thats extremely challenging.

According to the regional commission, 70 percent of the areas farmers reported a loss during the last agricultural census in 2012. Thats why buying Purely Piedmont can directly support neighbors and keep food local.

In fact, if each resident purchased $5 of food from the regions farmers each week, it would generate $793 million of new income for Piedmont farmers, according to the commission. Completely living off agriculture takes time, however.

Its an evolving process in terms of earning a living off the farm, Gilley said. Were not quite to the point where my husband can stop his full-time job. We are definitely going to keep his full-time job for a good long while.
An indefinite court injunction is currently prohibiting the city of Charlottesville from removing statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson from a pair of downtown parks, but legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session could allow the city to take them down in 2018.

A major change in the makeup of the House of Delegates following this months elections, which saw Democrats pick up at least 15 seats, could increase the chance for such a bill to pass.

On Monday, the Charlottesville City Council will review its local legislative agenda. A draft of the legislative packet has several specific requests, including a call for legislation that would allow municipalities to decide whether they want to remove war memorials erected before July 1, 1997.

If the city succeeds, it could join the chorus of communities throughout the country that have removed their Confederate monuments in the wake of the deadly violence in Charlottesville in August.

But there still could be some hurdles and other legislative priorities.

Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginias Center for Politics, said state Democrats are likely to prioritize Medicaid expansion in the upcoming session now that hope is back on the table for them after winning several House seats.

Three House races remain contested, with recounts planned. If the results in one of those races changes in favor for one of the Democratic candidates, the House of Delegates will be evenly split between both parties.

As for legislation enabling localities to remove Confederate monuments, it is likely to still be a struggle, even with all the additional Democratic troops, Sabato said. And this very split General Assembly is not going to pass any kind of sweeping anti-statue legislation.

The best bet: loads of headlines, lots of heat, [but] nothing significant when adjournment comes.

House Minority Leader David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said the Democrats will be focusing on improving economic opportunities by focusing on healthcare, wage growth, increasing the minimum wage, preventing job discrimination, education spending and investing in industries such as cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.

Local control over monuments is an important issue, but, for the present, it is not central to the House Democrat program, Toscano said. I will be introducing this legislation and hope to get support from both side of the aisle; there are differences of opinion about how to handle monuments, but I hope most will agree that we all would be better off if each individual locality decides what is best for them, based on their unique local conditions.

***

The draft legislative packet also includes requests borne from the blowback from the violent white nationalist Aug. 12 rally and the torch-lit marches that have taken place downtown and at the University of Virginia this year.

Those events were billed as protests against the citys plan to remove its Confederate statues, but were viewed by many as a more of a show of force by resurgent white supremacist ideologues.

The city will consider asking for legislation prohibiting the burning of torches in public places with intent to intimidate, as well as the authority to prohibit the possession of firearms and other weapons at government meetings and at public places controlled by local authorities. The city also will consider asking its state lawmakers to include Charlottesville in the list of urban jurisdictions where its unlawful to carry certain kinds of semi-automatic weapons and shotguns.

Virginia cities and counties are beholden to what is known as the Dillon Rule, a governing legality that stipulates that localities can only pass legislation and take actions that are authorized by the state government.

According to a recent report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, who were retained by Gov. Terry McAuliffe for a state-level review of the Aug. 12 event, the city did not place any kind of restrictions on the demonstrators, many of whom came prepared for violence, some with makeshift weapons and shields, others with military-style firearms and gear.

The report said a best practice in preparing for a potentially violent rally is prohibiting firearms and weapons of any sort within 10 blocks of such an event.

State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, said several people already are working to draft legislation on behalf of the city.

David and I have met with city officials and will work on many of their legislative requests, Deeds wrote in an email. We have met separately to discuss legislative responses to the events of August 11-12. There has been work on drafting some bills.

***

After the City Council voted in February to remove the Lee statue, a coalition of local Confederate descendents filed a lawsuit against the city alleging removal of the statue would violate state code.

Attorney Buddy Weber, a plaintiff in the case and spokesman for the litigants, said the city has every right to request legislation from their state representatives. However, he said he personally objects to the idea as a veteran of the Vietnam War.

I believe the law as currently written represents sound public policy. It was intended to insulate war memorials or monuments to war veterans from the shifting tides of public opinion, Weber said. As a country, we honor our veterans regardless of whether we believe in the cause for which they fought and died.

I am a Vietnam veteran with the name of a personal friend engraved on our own Vietnam War memorial. I will personally oppose any legislation that grants authority to City Council to remove or any way interfere with war memorials or monuments to war veterans.

In late August, about two weeks after the rally, Mayor Mike Signer called on McAuliffe to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly to amend a law that currently prohibits localities from tampering with protected war memorials.

Signer declined an interview for this story, referring questions to City Manager Maurice Jones and city spokeswoman Miriam Dickler.

The governor declined to convene a special session, citing the ongoing litigation over the citys decision to remove the Lee statue. The City Council decided, following the Aug. 12 rally, to also remove the Jackson statue.

***

In August, Toscanos communications director said the delegate was planning to draft a bill that would give the city permission to remove its two Confederate statues, which were erected in the Jim Crow era.

City Councilor Kristin Szakos first proposed the idea of removing the Lee statue about five years ago. With her final term in office ending this year, she said she hopes legislation will clarify whether the city has authority to remove the statues.

We really believe that we already have the right to, but theres a disagreement over that, she said. This could clarify that and give cities control over the message they send to the public.

Szakos said shes uncertain whether the states Democratic lawmakers will coalesce around the citys request, but feels there is a compelling reason to support the proposal.

I would hope state legislators will see from what happened in Charlottesville that this monument really does telegraph support for white supremacy and that white supremacists identify strongly with it, she said.

I think a lot of folks of goodwill have not seen that connection in the past, but I think its a lot clearer now.
North Korea's foreign minister is to visit Cuba on Monday in a trip that comes at a time when both Pyongyang and Havana have strained relations with Washington.

Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho will meet with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and participate in other unspecified activities, according to a brief statement late Saturday from Cuba's foreign ministry.

The visit comes as Washington and Pyongyang are locked in a dangerous standoff over North Korea's development of nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the continental United States.

Washington's ties with Havana were only fully restored in 2015 after a half-century Cold War breakdown, but have been strained since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Communist Cuba is one of North Korea's few remaining allies.

Cuba's historic leader Fidel Castro visited North Korea in 1986 to meet founder-leader Kim Il-Sung, and Pyongyang held three days of official mourning when Castro died in November 2016.

North Korea sent a delegation led by Choe Ryong-Hae, a senior aide to its leader Kim Jong-Un, to Havana for Castro's funeral.

In May, President Raul Castro expressed his solidarity with the Pyongyang regime to visiting North Korean dignitary Ju Yong-gil.

Cuba in the past has flouted international sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.

In 2013 Panama seized a North Korean ship carrying an undeclared Cuban arms shipment of Soviet-era weapons and fighter jets hidden under sacks of sugar.

North Korea insisted the weapons were being shipped for repair, prior to their return.

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The decision to remove the Robert E. Lee statue from Lee Park (now Emancipation Park) highlights a continuing dilemma for our community  one that spans centuries. Once again, battle lines have been drawn  and with them comes another opportunity for us to look into the mirror and acknowledge certain truths about Charlottesville.

Many people who migrate to our fair city come with, or amass over time, knowledge about Charlottesvilles history. Although they may learn about Massive Resistance and Vinegar Hill, the understanding afforded those who experienced that history  and its aftermath  eludes them. In this community theres a tendency to cherry-pick, which means that only the most delectable and appealing parts of our history get consumed.

In many ways, Confederate statuary is low-hanging fruit, easy pickings for those proclaiming a desire to move us forward in the process of reconciliation and healing.

Historys ledger is full of atrocities, but as one community elder told me, An eraser hasnt been made that can erase history. Indeed, historys impact cant be removed, rebranded or renamed. Although theres an element of permanence, much variability exists about when, and how, and by whom history gets interpreted. Hence our quandary.

My friends, welcome to the mothership. For those who dont know, Charlottesville is the epicenter of white supremacist ideology in America ( For we hold these truths to be self-evident ). Richard Spencer knows this, and answering the clarion call drew him back to Charlottesville, along with his compatriots, to stage a torch-lit demonstration in Lee Park on May 13.

Seemingly, Spencer has become a champion for those who want to rescue Jeffersonian ideals of democracy and freedom from the clutches of what they perceive as outliers  diversity and inclusion.

Others, including Jason Kessler and the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, have heard the call as well and stand ready to defend the preservation of white/European heritage. The Lee decision is seen as an affront to that heritage and their demonstrations represent modern-day declarations of independence and white unity.

I cant decide what I find most galling about the Charlottesville City Councils decision to remove the Robert E. Lee statue: that the power to amend history was placed in the hands of five people (none of whom are from this community) or that I agree with Spencer, Kessler and the Klan that the statue should remain right where it is, in Emancipation Park. The councils shortsighted attempt to rebrand history has opened Pandoras box and begs the question: What will they attempt to rebrand next ?

Charlottesville is marketed as a world-class city, where the notion that all men are created equal is celebrated. For as long as I can remember, Thomas Jefferson has been deified in this community. Yet to many of us, his accomplishments are eclipsed by his practice of slavery and his belief that blacks were inherently inferior to whites. Despite drafting a poignant edict of freedom for a fledgling nation and later, as president, signing legislation to prohibit the importation of slaves, he sanctioned the enslavement of his own children. He publicly, passionately and courageously advocated for Americas freedom and acknowledged the need to abolish slavery, but in the quiet comfort of home, Mr. Jeffersons children were relegated to serving him as their master.

It is impossible to reconcile these two realities, and rightly so.

Will the City Council discourage the use of Jeffersons celebrity as a marketing tool for the city?

Many would argue that over time, white supremacy has become so dignified and demure in our community that its only when the tenor is raised to Klan oralt-right level that it prickles our consciousness. On a day-to-day basis, its so pervasive and insidious that were anesthetized to it. The numbing allowed Albemarle Countys school system to adopt Monticello  Jeffersons beloved plantation  as the name of one of its high schools. The reflection of white supremacy is so embedded in this community that even our educational system turned a blind eye to the hypocrisy of naming a taxpayer-funded school after a plantation.

Will the City Council encourage Albemarle County to change the schools name?

Some can see the subtlety of white supremacy reflected in local events like the Tom Tom Founders Festival. As the festivals website once noted, Tom Tom is a friendly nod toward Thomas Jefferson. A description of the festival said, The action-packed Founders Festival is held during the week of April 13 (hometown hero Thomas Jeffersons birthday). These descriptions have since been removed from the festivals website and have been replaced by a more holistic description of Jefferson with parallels to points made here.

As a child visiting Monticello for the first time, on a third-grade field trip, I knew that Mr. Jeffersons notions of freedom didnt apply to me. Apparently though, centuries later with hindsight on our side, his actions werent enough to disqualify him from being lauded as a hometown hero in this community.

Ironically, an event designed to catalyze Charlottesville to generate new ventures, products, and visions of its future was crafted to coincide with a slave masters birth. Even as we look forward, the past continues to shadow our way.

Will the City Council encourage the festivals organizers to consider another date?

If the past holds true, the answer to each of these questions is no. All too often in this community we avoid the mirror, opting instead to see Charlottesville as some would like it to be. Its flaws and blemishes get reflected downward, away from view.

However painful, Confederate monuments in the public square reaffirm our history. Just as a fever signals infection within the body, pain generated by Lees statue exposes the toxins of white supremacy in Charlottesville. The statue helps to underscore the depth of our illness and it should remain in public view, as a daily reminder of our sickness. If the citizens of Oswiecim, Poland can bear the pain of Auschwitz, surely we can bear the pain of Robert E. Lees statue.

The Souths history draws some to Lee, while others are repelled. In a free society, I believe we must be allowed the choice. Part of our shared legacy promises that the South will rise againand the other that We Shall Overcome. The South will rise again and we shall overcome, promises juxtaposed in history. Reconciling ourselves with our shared history is a burden that each generation must bear. Whether exalted or encumbered, that history shouldnt be removed, or changed, or rebranded.

Shawn Harris is a native of Charlottesville. She has a background in education and works at the University of Virginia.
Humiliation and forced labour are among the ordeals endured by visitors to a London exhibition recreating the interrogations, trials and jail experiences faced by Russian art collective Pussy Riot following their Moscow cathedral protest.



The immersive theatre work takes the visitor on the journey travelled by Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova as she navigates police questionings, a court trial behind bars and soul-sapping prison labour -- all the time being barked at by authoritarian officials played by an all-female cast.



Each visitor is handcuffed, assigned a prison number -- to which they must always answer -- and is subjected to trial by social media, with potentially embarrassing photographs and tweets from their timelines being blown up on a big screen for all to see.



The harrowing hour-long piece is part of an exhibition at the esteemed Saatchi Gallery celebrating the feminist collective, who became the nemesis of President Vladimir Putin after performing the punk protest at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.



Visitors to the exhibition begin the theatre experience by donning colourful balaclavas -- the same style worn by the band at that performance -- and are preached at by actors impersonating priests.



Pussy Riot's 2012 stunt made 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.



The London gallery is hosting artwork from the group and other Russian activists in an exhibition entitled "Art Riot", marking the 100th anniversary of Russia's revolution.

Political art is as vital as ever in the country, said fellow Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina at the show's press launch.



"Political art is a way to change something," Alyokhina, who was also 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."



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 the face of author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

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 the Moscow cathedral 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 (they) 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.

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Ten films from around the world have been chosen to receive the World Cinema Fund

At the 27th jury session of the World Cinema Fund (WCF), jurors recommended contributing to the funding of 10 film projects, including You Will Die at Twenty, a feature film directed by Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan) and co-produced by Transit Films (Egypt) and Die Gesellschafft DGS (Germany).

The fund comes as part of the Berlinale's WCF Africa, which grants funding for projects from Sub-Saharan Africa, an initiative that was launched in 2016 thanks to additional funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the Berlinale's official press release states.

The funding amounts to 49,000 euros.

According to the Berlinale press release, "Since its establishment in October 2004, the WCF has awarded production and distribution funding to a total of 183 projects chosen from 3,241 submissions from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, the Caucasus, as well as from the countries Mongolia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka."



"All WCF-funded films produced to date have screened in cinemas and/or the programmes of renowned international film festivals, and are evidence of the initiatives worldwide success.

"The jury members are film scholar and curator Viola Shafik (Germany / Egypt), documentary producer Marta Andreu (Spain), distributor and producer Jan De Clercq (Belgium), and WCF project manager Vincenzo Bugno. For WCF Africa, they are joined by the additional jurors Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo (Nigeria), a journalist, film critic, author and actor; and Dorothee Wenner (Germany), the Berlinale delegate to Sub-Saharan Africa."

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The government will introduce direct benefit transfer (DBT) of fertiliser subsidies in five more states, including Punjab in December. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: The government will introduce direct benefit transfer (DBT) of fertiliser subsidies in five more states, including Punjab, next month, a senior Fertiliser Ministry official said.

Last month, the DBT facility for fertiliser subsidies was rolled out in 14 states and Union Territories (UTs).

The government bears about Rs 70,000 crore annually as fertiliser subsidy to provide cheaper farm nutrient to farmers. "Fertiliser DBT is working smoothly in 14 states. We have shortlisted five big states -- Punjab, Haryana, Chhatisgarh, Madya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh -- that will go live in December," Fertiliser Joint Secretary Dharam Pal told PTI.

The states and UTs where the DBT facility has been rolled out are: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarkhand, Goa, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Mizoram, Daman and Diu, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Andamana and Nicobar, Delhi and Puducherry.

For the remaining 12 states such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, the DBT scheme will be rolled out in January 2018.

The difficult phase is over and the software is working better now, the official said, adding that glitches in implementation are being resolved on a daily basis. Niti Aayog-appointed MicroSave, an NGO, is evaluating the implementation.

"It is bringing to our notice the problem areas and we are rectifying them," he added.

Stating that the government is implementing the phase-I of the fertiliser DBT at present, Pal said: "Under this, we are transferring subsidy to companies after checking retail sales data captured through the Point of Sale (PoS) machines."

The transfer of fertiliser subsidy directly into farmers' bank account will be taken up in the second phase once Niti Aayog suggests an appropriate model, he said.

Therefore, the DBT being implemented for fertiliser subsidy payments is slightly different from that in case of cooking gas, he added.

For cooking gas subsidy, customers buy gas cylinders at the market price and the government deposits the subsidy into the customers bank account later.

In case of fertilisers, farmers may not be able to make upfront payments because some of the soil nutrients are very costly. Therefore, farmers will continue to buy fertiliser from the retailer at subsidised rate and the transaction details will be recorded on the PoS machines.

The official shared that the impact of fertiliser DBT will be known after it is rolled out in the entire country. "It is too early to say. Till we get one year figure for the entire country, we would not know whether it has improved distribution or reduced consumption," he said.
Buoyed by Moodys upgrade of the countrys sovereign bond ratings to Baa2 and change of the outlook on the rating to stable from positive, markets recouped most of the losses during the later part of the week. While the Sensex closed marginally higher by 29 points at 33,343, the Nifty closed dipped by 39 points to close at 10,284. Rating agency Moodys has upgraded Indias local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive.

The agency, which upgraded the ratings after 13 years, cited the implementation of reforms as its reason. Interestingly, the last upgrade also came under the NDA-regime. The immediate impact of the upgrade is that the cost of international borrowing will become cheaper for the government and Indian firms whose ratings are constrained by the sovereign rating.

The move has improved the sentiment in the equity markets. The government will have to remain on the path of fiscal consolidation for maintaining investor confidence. Crude oil prices at elevated levels continued to be a cause of concern.

Near-term trend will be dictated by crude oil prices, macro economic data, FII investment pattern and Q2 results. For the week ahead, chartists predict trading range of 32,850-33,750 and 10,125-10,450 for the benchmark indices. Support for the indices evident at 33,125 & 32,850 and 10,215 & 10,145. Focus of market players for the next few weeks will be on the Gujarat Assembly Elections, RBI monetary policy and United States Federal Reserve meet.

Stock Scan

Sunshield Chemicals belonging to Solvay Group manufactures a wide range of specially formulated and customised products for various Industrial applications. The companys principal products include Sun Theic, Alkoxylates, Antioxidant and miscellaneous. Its specialty chemicals are used across a wide range of Industries. The company has good export presence in America, Europe, and Far-East and has been recognised as a reputable and dependable supplier to many Indian and global consumers of specialty products developed in-house. The value of supply for a period of 12 months would be Rs 28 crore approximately. Buy on declines for target price of Rs 500.

Pricol Limited offers oil pumps and auto components for motor vehicles, motor cycles and three wheelers. Completion of integration of PMP acquisition; an exclusive licensing agreement with Kerdea Technologies for oxygen sensor for expanding sensor portfolio for the upcoming BS-VI emission regulations; JV with Zorg Industries for the manufacture and supply of parking assistance systems; and opening of new factory in Brazil will consolidate the company position as one of the leading auto ancillaries in the country. Buy for target price of Rs 175 in medium term.

Last trading day of the week ended witnessed heightened trading in logistics companies Patel Integrated Logistics, Snowman Logistics and GATI. Use declines to accumulate the stocks for steady medium term gains. Patel Integrated Logistics is an India-based logistics solutions provider while Snowman is engaged in providing temperature-controlled logistics.

Futures & Options

Derivative segment continued to witness brisk trading activity. Cornered by positive news of rating upgrade by Moodys, short covering from bears was seen over the weekend. Highest open interest is seen at 10,500 strike in index call options and 10,200 strike in index put options. Charts are indicating that the Bank Nifty is poised to cross the 26,000 mark. Close above 26,000 would see a further rally in Bank Nifty on account of short covering. However, skeptics warn that the present rally would be a short lived one and advise partial booking of profits in the present exuberance.

Cement stocks are attracting renewed buying from funds. Stay invested in Ambuja Cements, India Cements and Ultratech. Select bank stocks witnessed strong buying from savvy funds. After the rating upgrade, industry observers expect bank stocks to lead the rally from here on. Use declines to buy Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank and State Bank of India. Auto stocks led by Maruti are attracting buyers on every dip. Buy Tata Motors and M&M. Metals continued to be in corrective mode. Watchers expect further correction in the near term. Contrarians may start nibbling at Tata Steel and Vedanta. Other stocks looking good are Shriram Transport Finance, Ajanta Pharma, Ceat, Voltas and Repco Home.

Investment Mantra: Following conventional wisdom is a sure way to miss the big winners. On the investment highway, dont drive looking through the rearview mirror. The recipe for finding and investing in tomorrows megawinners is to evaluate the megatrends in each growth industry to determine investment themes.
Mumbai: As the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film "Padmavati" continued to simmer, a fringe group today targeted actress Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone "burning her alive".

Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone, who plays legendary Rajput queen Padmavati in the movie, and Bhansali at Damodar Swarup park here and shouted slogans against them.

They also took out a march to the collectorate office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding a ban on the release of the movie.

ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. We demand that office-bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."

Asked about Bhuvneshwar Singh's threatening remarks, Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sahjawan said a report had been sought in this regard.

"We have sought a report from the policemen on duty. Thereafter, action will be taken," he said.

"Padmavati" has been facing protests over the alleged "distortion of historical facts" in the film.

Earlier this year, Bhansali was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

Padukone and Bhansali have also received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai police. Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.
Bizarre incidents involving people inserting objects inside their body have been reported in the past few years. Recently a man from China was moved to a hospital after pushing a padlock into his penis and not long ago a vlogger almost died after shoving an eel up her vagina.

A 40-year-old man in China was rushed to the hospital after her complained of acute pain in his abdomen. It was discovered through shocking CT scan images that the man had an eel in his body which he had himself pushed into his rectum.

The long fish had to be removed surgically and the man still remains in intensive care. While the man isnt confirming how the eel ended up in his body, doctors confirmed that it got there through the anus.
Patients these days expect to get imaging test results more promptly than they did in the past  and radiologists are moving toward making that happen, researchers say.

In most medical practices, radiology teams interpret medical images but arent the ones who tell patients about the results. Some radiology groups across the nation are looking for ways to shorten the turnaround time for patients to hear their results, the researchers write online November 10 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Historically, medicine has been somewhat patriarchal. When patients interact with health care systems, medicine says we dont tell test results until theyve been curated by a doctor, said Dr. Matthew Davenport of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

A paradigm shift is happening where online patient portals are becoming more common, and results are being released there, he told Reuters Health by phone. Patients want to see their results in a timely fashion, and we may see that embargo period begin to disappear.

Davenports team surveyed 202 patients at two practices in Ann Arbor, describing six scenarios: a chest X-ray for chest pain, a chest X-ray for pneumonia, an MRI for back pain, a CT or MRI for a brain tumor, and a CT or MRI for cancer treatment. For each scenario, they asked patients how long theyd wait before calling their provider, whether theyd feel anxious while waiting for results, and their preferences for using an online patient portal to get the results.

In general, patients wanted test results in one to three days and would call their providers in one to five days if they hadnt heard anything. Half of the patients said they expected results within three days after a routine screening, two days after a chest X-ray for chest pain, and one day after tests for pneumonia, a brain tumor or cancer treatment.

Half the patients would wait no more than five days to contact their doctor after a screening exam, two days after tests for chest pain or back pain and one day for tests for pneumonia or a brain tumor.

In an ideal environment, of course, patients would want to know results instantaneously, Davenport said. But even if radiologists complete them in 24 hours, theres a delay in reporting them to the patients.

Half of the patients said they had experienced emotional changes, including minimal, mild, moderate, severe or extreme anxiety, while waiting for radiology results.

Generally, patients wanted to hear results from their doctors over the phone rather than in person. But both of those options were preferable to receiving results online. Of the 58 percent who had actually used an online patient portal, however, 94 percent said they had received tests results online and the vast majority liked it.

Personally, Ive had family members who have been tested and then they never hear a result, Davenport said. They wonder about the results and if theyve been forgotten, and one thing Ive learned is that the anxiety around waiting is real and disruptive to peoples lives.

The researchers were surprised that patients would prefer to contact their doctor or radiologist when they have questions about test results. In my time as a radiologist, Ive been contacted a handful of times by patients, he said. The current paradigm is that we dont often interact with patients, so its interesting to see that patients might like to talk with us more.

The American College of Radiology has started a national initiative called Imaging 3.0 that encourages radiologists to take a larger role in high-quality patient care and direct interactions with patients. At NYU Langone Health in New York City, for example, radiologists have shifted the way results are communicated to patients by embedding more images in their test result reports and including the radiologists annotations and notes.

With imaging test results, a picture really can be worth more than 1,000 words, said Dr. Andrew Rosencrantz of NYU Langone Health, who wasnt involved with this study.

For patients, radiology is changing for the better, Rosencrantz told Reuters Health by phone. Were more patient-focused and want to get test results to patients quickly and in a way thats understandable.
London: Bern, a city in Switzerland, has been the most popular location to Instagram when the winter season gets in.

According to a research by laser eye surgery clinic Focus Clinic, known for its medieval landmark clock tower and stunning neo-Renaissance buildings, Bern is officially Instagram users' favourite winter city to upload in their social media accounts.

Focus Clinic, a popular laser eye surgery clinic in the United Kingdom, who gathered the 20 most popular winter travel destinations across the world based on Google search and ranked each by the number of times a city's hashtag was used on Instagram to determine its popularity on the photo-sharing app.

The 'Bern' hashtag has been used more than 1,082,440 times, according to the research, with Aspen, Colorado, taking second place with 935,000 tags, reports The Independent.

Not only is it the capital of Switzerland, it's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bern's historic landscape dates back to 1191 and is characterised by the Clock Tower (Zytglogge), the Prison Tower (Kafigturm), the sculptural fountains from the Renaissance, the Cathedral (Munster), and the impeccable sandstone facades.

Rounding out the top 5 winter destinations according to Instagram are - Aspen, Colorado; the Northern Lights in Troms, Norway; Chamonix, France; Yosemite National Park in California

Here is the full list of the 10 most Instagrammed winter cities in the world:

1. Bern, Switzerland - 1,082,440 photos.

2. Aspen, Colorado, USA - 935,040 photos.

3. Northern Lights, Troms, Norway - 768,516 photos.

4. Chamonix, France - 611,675 photos.

5. Yosemite National Park, California, USA - 596,214 photos.

6. Zermatt, Switzerland - 400,215 photos.

7. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA - 314,870 photos.

8. Bled, Slovenia - 306,285 photos.

9. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic - 179,914 photos.

10. Grindelwald, Switzerland - 149,836 photos.
Sanitation expert and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak and other dignitaries inaugurated the "biggest toilet pot of the world" (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: World's biggest toilet pot model was unveiled at Marora, popularly known as the "Trump village", in Haryana on the World Toilet Day today in a bid to create awareness towards sanitation and use of toilets.

The nondescript village, with a population of 1,800, in Mewat region was in June rechristened as "Trump village" by NGO Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in a gesture to US president Donald Trump ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington.

The Nuh district administration, however, later said the move to rename the village was "illegal", forcing the organisation members to remove boards mentioning the new name.

A mega pot of toilet made up of iron, fibre, wood and plaster of Paris - measuring 20x10 feet - was unveiled in the hamlet to mark the World Toilet Day, which is observed on November 19 to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.

Sanitation expert and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak and other dignitaries inaugurated the "biggest toilet pot of the world" model and dedicated another 95 new household toilets to the residents of the village.

"It's a symbolic gesture to inaugurate a large toilet pot at Trump village to mark the World Toilet Day to create awareness among people towards the use of toilets and safe sanitation," Pathak said.

He said the large pot replica would be moved to Delhi's Sulabh Toilet Museum.

Pathak had in June announced in Washington his decision to adopt Marora. He had said the move was aimed to encourage businessmen adopt villages in India to promote sanitation.

Since then, Sulabh International has carried out the construction of toilets for every household and set up of a vocational training centre for girls in the village.

"Organising a programme in a remote village of Haryana on the World Toilet Day was a promotional concept in connection with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make villages in India free from open defecation on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary year in 2019," Pathak said.

"Trump's slogan is 'Make America Great Again' and our Prime Minister's credo is 'Make in India', so I thought why not make a humble beginning honouring the friendship of the two," he said.

Apart from inaugurating individual toilets, two books on the use of toilets and sanitation were also released.

Pathak said he hoped the move would win enough attention and goodwill to raise awareness for a major social problem.

Puneet Ahulwalia, a member of the ruling Republican Party of the US, speaking on the occasion, said the initiative would go long way to motivate masses towards cleanliness and safe sanitation.
BENGALURU: Three notorious robbers, including a former home guard and a teacher, who allegedly dressed up as policemen and extorted people on the outskirts of the city, were arrested by the Thalaghattapura police. The accused were involved in 14 extortion cases.

The three arrested are Raghu, 34, a resident of Kanakapura in Ramanagar, Doddaiah, 48, of Thammanayakanahalli in Anekal, and Harish, 31, of Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. Raghu was earlier a home guard and worked as a driver at the RTO office in Ramanagar district. Doddaiah was working at Muthoot Gold Finance and had quit his job, while Harish was working as a science teacher at a private high school in Krishnagiri.

Both Raghu and Doddaiah had criminal backgrounds. Raghu was involved in more than 15 robbery and extortion cases, while Doddaiah had two cases, including a Pocso case. The two met at a central prison, where they were lodged after the police arrested them in other cases. At the prison, they discussed how to make quick and easy money. The mastermind, Raghu, assumed that if they robbed people in the guise of policemen, the victims would not approach the police to file a complaint, and the duo hatched a conspiracy to execute the crime.

Once they were released from the prison on bail, they set out on their plan. They also roped in Harish. First, they purchased a Bolero jeep and got a number plate from Tumakuru, which had letter 'G' to make their victims believe that it's a government vehicle. They also got a portable 'Police' board to use it only while committing crimes. Raghu got a police sub-inspector's uniform stitched in Channapatna, while Doddaiah got a safari stitched for him to look like a member of the anti-rowdy squad," the police said.

They chose isolated places on the outskirts of the city and struck couples, lovers and others, claiming that they were policemen. In some cases, the accused had threatened lovers that their parents would be informed and extorted them. In some cases where the victims did not pay heed, the accused robbed valuables. They committed 14 such offences and cases were registered in 11 police stations, all on the outskirts of the city," the police said.

The police recovered 500 gm of gold jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh and cash of Rs 3.99 lakh form the arrested. They also seized the jeep used to commit the offence, an Innova SUV, police uniforms, a toy pistol and a double-barrel gun.
Azzedine Alaia, whose timeless gowns won an army of devotees around the world, has died at the age of 77

Alaia, who rose to fame in the 1980s, refused to march to the beat of international fashion weeks, releasing his collections in his own time with scant concern for publicity.

"We have lost a designer of great talent. It is very sad news," fellow creator Pierre Cardin told AFP.

There was an outpouring of tributes from fashion-lovers online, with designer Ines de la Fressange tweeting: "Small in stature but huge in the world. Adieu Azzedine Alaia."

Alaia was born to a farming family in Tunisia in 1940 and studied sculpture at the capital's fine arts school before working at a modest neighbourhood dressmaker's shop.

He moved to Paris in the late 1950s, working briefly for Dior and Guy Laroche before eventually going solo, winning a reputation for sexy designs celebrating the female form.

"I like women," he told AFP in a 2013 interview. "I never think about doing new things, about being creative, but about making clothing that will make women beautiful."

He joked at the time: "It's better that I come clean about it while I'm alive -- I won't give a damn about it when I'm dead."



Alaia himself was discreet and invariably clad in a black high-necked Chinese suit.

His catwalk shows at his shop in Paris's chic Marais district were low-key as well, earning a loyal clientele of fashionistas who wanted luxury without showing off.

Former US first lady Michelle Obama was among his haute couture fans but Alaia also produced ready-to-wear collections, while ignoring pressure to systematically refresh his ideas every season.

He signed a development deal with Prada in 2000, but quit seven years later to work with Swiss luxury group Richemont.

Perhaps due to his training as a sculptor, Alaia worked on his designs from their conception in 3D, rarely visualising them first using pen and paper.

Global success did not change his working habits and he continued throughout his career to work deep into the night, often to the soundtrack of old movies.

"With him, everything was at its height -- couture, art, the demand he put on people," said Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of luxury group Kering.

His final show, in July, was opened by British supermodel Naomi Campbell -- one of his protegees, who affectionately knew him as "Papa".

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It might be recalled that the 66 victims hailing from various villages in and around Perambalur and Villupuram districts took part in the free eye camp and had then lost their vision. (Representational Image)

Tiruchy: The II Additional District Sessions court Judge here, Thiru. N. Logeswaram has upheld an order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, (CJM) who had sentenced three persons of a private eye hospital in Tiruchy, including its director, administrative officer and a senior ophthalmologist, to undergo one-year imprisonment for negligence, after 66 villagers lost their vision during a free cataract eye surgery camp conducted by the hospital in Perambalur during 2008.

It might be recalled that the 66 victims hailing from various villages in and around Perambalur and Villupuram districts took part in the free eye camp and had then lost their vision. The CBI, which probed the case following directions of the Madras High court, submitted that the Joseph Eye hospital neither followed the established sterilizing procedures while conducting the surgeries, nor maintained the operation theatre properly in their branch at Perambalur. The Judge also upheld the lower court's order that the hospital pay compensation to the tune of Rs 9.85 crore to the victims.
Hyderabad: As an international airport, it is supposed to have top security, but that did not stop five men from sexually harassing an air stewardess on Saturday night. Sources at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport said that when an air hostess working with IndiGo was returning home after completing her duties, five drunken youth from Banjara Hills and Ameerpet teased and harassed her. She rushed to the nearest traffic police booth at the arrivals terminal and sought their help. Two traffic police on duty at the pre-paid taxi section rushed after the air hostess to nab the eve-teasers and handed them over to RGIA police outpost, the source said.

The air hostess demanded that the men apologise to her by touching her feet. This they did and requested her not to lodge a police case as it was a mistake done under the influence of alcohol. The men were taken to the Shamshabad police station for further investigation. Police said that they had not received a complaint from the victim.
Speaking about the Bandipore encounter, Lieutenant General Sandhu hailed the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police for successful operation. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Srinagar: The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday called for peace in the valley and urged the local terrorists to give up militancy.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Commander Lieutenant General JS Sandhu said, "The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call themselves a Mujahid. But are you a Mujahid, or just a proxy for Pakistan? Come back to the mainstream as this will facilitate return of peace to the valley. We are ready to receive them in an honorable manner."

While addressing a joint press conference along with state Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid, Sandhu claimed that the security forces have gunned down about 190 militants this year so far.

"We have killed about 190 terrorists sa far this year. Out of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) while infiltrating," he pointed out.

He further said that the security forces have killed 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley which has resulted in a remarkable change in situation.

Speaking about the Bandipore encounter, Lieutenant General Sandhu hailed the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police for successful operation.

"Based on specific information, joint operation was launched by CRPF, Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police in which six terrorists were eliminated, all were foreign terrorists. I commend all agencies who worked to ensure success of the operation," he said.

Six Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid, were gunned down by security forces in the encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district on Saturday.

Meanwhile, DGP Vaid also called for peace in Kashmir and lauded the security force for Bandipora encounter.

"Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. It was a commendable joint effort by our agencies and jawans. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence," he said.
Hardik Patel had earlier set a condition that he would support the Congress in the Assembly polls, due next month, only if the party committed to reservation in education and government jobs for his community. (Photo: PTI/File)

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress and Hardik Patel led-Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday said that they have reached an agreement over the issue of granting reservation to Patels, if the Congress is voted to power in the state Assembly election.

"Earlier, we had asked the Congress to clarify how they would grant Patidars a constitutionally valid reservation. Today, we held a crucial meeting on that issue and finally reached a consensus on various options offered by the party to us. Official announcement of this agreement will be made by Hardik tomorrow in Rajkot," said Bambhania, a key aide of Hardik Patel.

"I can say that we are in agreement with the Congress about their formula of granting reservation. We have not talked about giving tickets to PAAS. Hardik would announce tomorrow whether PAAS would support the Congress during the polls or not," he told reporters after the crucial meeting on the issue.

Hardik Patel did not attend the meeting.

The meeting with PAAS leaders was attended by Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and senior Congress leaders Siddharth Patel and Babubhai Mangukia.

Solanki claimed the meeting yielded a "positive outcome".

"The meeting was successful and yielded a positive outcome. We both agreed to implement this agreement in coming days," he said.

A week ago PAAS leaders and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal held a meeting over the issue, following which, Hardik Patel had said he was satisfied with the three options submitted by the Congress on how the party would grant reservation to Patels if voted to power.

Hardik Patel had earlier set a condition that he would support the Congress in the Assembly polls, due next month, only if the party committed to reservation in education and government jobs for his community.

The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.
Once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the Congress' Central Election Authority will notify the same. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Decks are set to be cleared for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the next chief, with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday to approve the schedule for the party president's election.

Party sources have said that Rahul will be elected as the national president of the grand old party before the Gujarat Assembly elections, which starts on December 9.

The decision will be taken at the meeting of the CWC at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence at 10:30 am on Monday.

The CWC will approve the schedule for the Congress president's election, they said.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

Once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the party's Central Election Authority will notify the same.

Party leaders say though it was not necessary to convene a formal meeting of the CWC to approve the schedule of the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi has decided to get the approval of the party's highest decision-making body.

The party's organisational election has to be completed before December 31. The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.
The makers of the upcoming movie, which has been mired in a slew of controversies, have voluntarily postponed its release date from December 1. (Photo: ANI/File)

Jaipur: Hours after the release date of Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed 'Padmavati' was deferred, Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi said it was just a ploy to befool them.

The Karni Sena chief also alleged that underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, was secretly funding the film and he also received a threatening call from Karachi for protesting against the film.

The makers of the upcoming movie, which has been mired in a slew of controversies, have voluntarily postponed its release date from December 1.

Speaking to media, Kalvi said, "The screening has been deferred by a few days. We will also wait for a few days and see. They are trying to befool us by postponing the release date. This is just a strategy."

"Who gave power to Deepika Padukone to challenge me (by saying) 'film will be released and nothing can stop it'," he added.

The new release date of the epic drama starring actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor is yet to be announced.

The film is yet to receive a clearance from the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind the movie, took to Twitter on Sunday to confirm the development.

The movie, based on the legend of Rani Padmini, a Hindu Rajput queen, has been facing protests from various groups, including Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly distorting historical facts.

The group has even threatened to harm Deepika Padukone for allegedly portraying a demeaning image of the queen in the movie.
On the occasion, an exhibition on the former prime minister titled 'A Life of Courage' was organised by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: On the birth centenary of Indira Gandhi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday described her as a prime minister for whom there was only one religion -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi was "one of the greatest" as she fought for secularism and against all those forces seeking to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.

"For her, as the prime minister, there was one religion, a sacred creed passionately held -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," Sonia Gandhi said at a function at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of the former prime minister.

The former prime minister fought not for her personal ascendancy but for her principles and against vested interests, the Congress president said.

"She fought for secularism, against all those forces seeking to divide the Indian people on lines of religion and caste. She gloried in the rich diversity of India, its

profound democratic and secular values," Sonia Gandhi said.

The Congress chief, who along with former president Pranab Mukherjee and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, was present at the event, said Indira Gandhi fought for the poor and the weak wherever they were being oppressed and denied their rights and toiled for their material well-being.

"I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the 'Iron Lady'. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits," Sonia Gandhi said.

"She fought, yes -- but not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas. She could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairness. That was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battles -- those she took on and those that she faced," the Congress president said.

At the event, Manmohan Singh unveiled a special catalogue on Indira Gandhi, bringing out her fond memories.

On the occasion, an exhibition on the former prime minister titled 'A Life of Courage' was organised by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Sonia Gandhi said in the 16 years that were given to Indira Gandhi to lead the country, she had to confront many challenges, from the endemic problems of combating poverty and inequality to the critical ones of war and terrorism.

She faced them all with courage, fortified by her dedication to making India strong, united and prosperous. In all her efforts she was sustained by the faith reposed in her by her fellow countrymen and women, the Congress president

said.

Indira Gandhi, the first woman prime minister of the country, was born on this day in 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad.
According to the tradition of the temple, the entry of women in the 10-50 age group is restricted in the hillock shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, considered the 'Naishtika Brahmachari' or the perennial celibate. (Photo: File)

Sabarimala: A 31-year-old woman on Sunday made a vain attempt to enter the famous Lord Ayyappa Temple here, where female devotees in the 10-50 age group are not permitted.

The woman, a resident of West Godavari district in Telangana, was picked up from 'sannidhanam', the temple complex, police sources said.

She was questioned and her statement recorded, they said.

According to the tradition of the temple, the entry of women in the 10-50 age group is restricted in the hillock shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, considered the 'Naishtika Brahmachari' or the perennial celibate.

The woman, Parvathy, was not carrying the traditional "irumudi", a small bundle containing coconut, ghee, turmeric and sandal paste which is offered to the deity. And, she took a different path to reach the 'sannidhanam', the police said.

Normally, devotees climb the 'pathinettam padi', the sacred 18 steps leading to the temple complex.

The woman, who was accompanied by her husband, two children and 11 other people from her village, told police that she was unaware of the restrictions with regard to women of the banned age group at the shrine.

On suspicion, police checked her identity card which showed she was only 31 years old.

The entry of women is strictly monitored by police at Pampa before they begin to trek Sabarimala to reach the shrine.

Temple sources were clueless on how the woman managed to reach near the shrine defying the police monitoring and stringent checks.

Marking the beginning of the pilgrimage season, the Sabarimala temple opened on November 15 for the three-month annual 'Mandalam-Makaravilakku' festival.

Thousands of people across the country are visiting the hillock shrine every day to catch a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa and offer prayers.

The ban on the issue of entry of women in the age group has been challenged in the Supreme Court, which had on October 13 referred it to a constitution bench.

'Bhumata Brigade' leader and woman activist Trupti Desai had said she would enter Sabarimala defying restrictions on the entry of women of the banned age group.
The former finance minister said the erstwhile Congress-led UPA-II dispensation had acquired a reputation for 'many many corrupt deeds' at the fag end of its tenure. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: Congress leader P Chidambaram has warned that as the Narendra Modi government inched closer to the end of its term, it might also be assailed by the same degree of corruption allegations which drowned the UPA-II.

The former finance minister said the erstwhile Congress-led UPA-II dispensation had acquired a reputation for "many many corrupt deeds" at the fag end of its tenure.

He, however, said the same "odium" could be attached to the BJP government as well when it completed its term (in 2019) though he was not wishing it to "happen".

"Since the UPA-II was the last government that completed its tenure, that odium attached to the government. Wait for any government to complete its term of five years, the same odium will attach to that government as well," he said during a discussion at the Tata Literature Live festival in Mumbai.

"I am not wishing it happens, but it will happen," said Chidambaram, who was a key figure in the UPA regime.

"The point is, yes I know that the UPA-II had acquired, by the time its term came to an end, a reputation for many corrupt deeds. But unless someone is actually convicted and punished, I am not willing to accept that he or she is guilty," the former home minister said.

He said today what is being made out is that "everyone is presumed guilty until he is proven innocent, which I think is wrong, as it will destroy the rule of law in this country."

Touching upon the issue of corruption, the Rajya Sabha member said the main reasons for major graft "are greed as against the need for funding elections".

"In the case of a political person, or a political party, it is the need to fund elections, which drives what you describe as corruption. Unless you find the ways to fund elections, you will not be able to bring down that scale of corruption," he said.

Chidambaram claimed demonetisation was a "dismal" failure as far as curbing fake currency was concerned. "If you want to know where demonetisation has failed, if you are not able to curb corruption, if you are not able to curb black money...just go to or stay in (poll-bound) Gujarat for over the next 20 days, and you will know the kind of money that is being spent there," he alleged.

He said the Modi government could recover fake currency only to the tune of Rs. 41 crore, which accounted for only 0.0027 per cent of the total currency that came back into the system following notes ban.

"Demonetisation to the extent of eliminating fake currency is a dismal failure," Chidambaram claimed. Disputing the government's claims that notes ban had helped curb terrorism, he said, "As of November 10, the number of infiltrations, the number of militants neutralised, the number of civilians killed and the number of jawans martyred, all are larger than the numbers for the corresponding period in 2016."
Jaipur: In a fair organised by Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation in Jaipur, venomous literature against Muslims is being distributed. Muslim youths are accused of wooing Hindu girls in a bid to convert them to Islam.

The education department recommended that the fair should be attended by students of government and private schools. In a chapter titled Jihad and Love Jihad: Hindu girls beware, it is said that Muslim men are out on a Love Jihad mission and there is a detailed list of ways and methods being adopted by Muslim boys to lure and trap Hindu girls.

Compiled by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, the pamphlets and books mention how Muslim boys gain entry into Hindu households, proclaim themselves as Hindus, run around doing their chores and indulge in intimate talks.

The bigotry literature also used the image of actress Kareena Kapoor Khan to drive home the message and gave examples of actors Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan alleging that they married Hindu girls, ensnared them and then deserted them.

It further says that Muslim men, generally, sell girls or kill them in some cases and claim money as a Muslim man for converting a Hindu woman to Islam.

Another chapter gives instructions on how to save your daughter/sister from Love Jihad. Check your daughters mobile phone, who does she call, whose numbers are saved in the mobile, what and who do they text, checking all this will give you a lot of information, it suggests.

President Subhash Bapna feigned ignorance saying that he was in Udaipur while co secretary of the HSSF and retired police officer Rajendra Singh Shekhawat denied that any material related to Love Jihad is being circulated in the fair.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria renewed their countries' support to Libya's stability and unity during a press conference after meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shourky and his two North African counterparts, Tunisian FM Khemaies Jhinaou and Algerian FM Abdel Kader Messahel, stressed the importance of achieving a breakthrough in the political reconciliation process in Libya in the nearest time possible in order to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in the country.

The ministers also warned of the deteriorating security situation in Libya and its impact on the lives of the Libyans.

They also announced that they were waiting for the report of the UN's special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salama, which he will represent to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

The ministers revealed that the report would include suggested amendments to the UN-backed Skhirat agreement that was signed by Libyan political rivals in December 2015.

Praising the efforts of UN's special envoy to Libya Salama, the ministers stressed on their countries' rejection of foreign military intervention in Libya.

This is the third meeting of the foreign ministers as part of the tripartite initiative of Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria to meet periodically to discuss the situation in neighbouring Libya and coordinate efforts to end the crisis.

The ministers also stated that their countries are exchanging information concerning counter-terrorism efforts.

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In the coming days, the CISF will write similar letters to other leading schools across the country. (Representational image)

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force, which is tasked with protecting airports, ports, the Metro and certain vital installations, as well as providing security to various public sector industrial units, has now offered to provide security consultation to leading schools across the country, including some Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Incidentally, the CISF has also approached the Ryan Group of Schools along with others like Rishi Valley in Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh. CISF director-general O.P. Singh claimed the move was part of its wider responsibility to society. In the coming days, the CISF will write similar letters to other leading schools across the country.

In its letter, the CISF said that in view of the recent killing of a student at a school in the NCR region, there was a need to review security arrangements at these institutions. CISF officers claimed the force was best suited to handle security needs and provide advice to such schools as it was a professional outfit involved in similar operations. The CISF has undertaken a similar exercise for Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, and done security audits for leading institutions like the Indian Institutes of Management and the IITs.

The CISF has assured the schools that its security inputs would be devised specially for the concerned institution keeping in view their specific requirements. The move will help provide a security platform and fire protection to these schools, a senior official said.
The Centre says unless the clearance is obtained for the 30-km stretch, it will not recommend that the PMO confirm inauguration by the PM.

Hyderabad: As the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) is yet to issue safety clearance for the launch of Metro Rail operations on November 28, the state government is working on alternative plans to ensure that the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes as scheduled, but commercial operations will be delayed by a week.

The Union urban development ministry made it clear that unless the CMRS safety clearance is obtained for the entire 30-km stretch, it will not recommend that the PMO confirm the inauguration by the Prime Minister.

Five intelligence officials from New Delhi, camping in the city for the past four days, are inspecting tracks, pillars, and stations and reporting to the PMO. Their final report will be crucial in determining the PMs itinerary this week.

The alternative plan, according to officials in the municipal department, is for the Prime Minister to inaugurate the Metro Rail at Miyapur station on November 28, and take a ride on the train from Miyapur to SR Nagar (12 km) for which CMRS safety clearance has been obtained. The 30-km stre-tch will be opened later.
Hyderabad: Prosecution against employers of child labour has become a challenge. The Telangana child labour department rescued 1,706 kids in 2016 and 1,085 employers were booked under the Child Labour Act. The rest went scot-free by flashing age proofs issued by doctors without conducting tests.

E. Gangadhar, joint commissioner of the Telangana child labour department, said, Whenever we book a case against employers, they walk free by paying a small fine. There is not even a single case so far where an employer was imprisoned in the state for employing children. The jail term should last at least three months and the courts should impose heavy fines. These can bring down child labour.

Tracking offence under child law

In some cases, parents, employers and the medical staff team up to produce fake certificates. The joint commissioner added, Du-ring the court hearings, many parents and employers produce the age proof issued by medical professionals. The courts should not accept the age proof issued by medical professionals based on the appearance of the child. We are also insisting on filing an FIR against employers as soon as a child is rescued.

Though the Child Labor Act has increased the penalty for employing children from Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000, this has proved insufficient to act as a deterrent, said senior officials from the child labour department.

According to them, more stringent punishments are needed. Co-ordination between various agencies involved in the anti-child labour operations is also a challenge. Community participation is also important, the commissioner added.

P Damodar Reddy, a senior High Court lawyer, said, If there is no proper evidence from the labour department, prosecution becomes difficult. There is a shortage of staff in the labour department due to which they are unable to produce proper evidence against employers.

Child labour still prominent in cities

A recent census by CRY (Child Rights and You) showed that the overall decrease in child labour is 2.2 per cent in the last 10 years. Surprisingly, child labour has grown by more than 50 per cent in the urban areas.

In TS, there are about 3.73 lakh child labourers among whom 49.2 per cent are girls in the age group of 5 to 14 years.

Child labourers are employed in the rural areas as cultivators or in household industries. In the urban areas, they work as domestic servants and in construction sites. Urban residents employ the largest chunk of child labourers as domestic helps.

Many of domestic labourers do not even know how much they are paid as their salaries are directly paid to their parents and the agents who brought them.

Varsha Bhargavi, coordinator of the state resource centre for the elimination of child labour department, said, Child labour is more in the urban areas because lot of posh apartments employ young girls as domestic servants. These apartments have lot of security which prevents scrutiny.
Bhubaneswar: Manoj Moharana, a youth hailing from Bhabarada village in Odishas Ganjam district, is now on cloud nine as he has broken the Guinness World Records title that stood unbeaten for eight years.

Manoj has set a new record by stuffing 459 drinking straws into his mouth and holding them for ten seconds.

Simon Elmore of United Kingdom had held the previous record by stuffing 400 straws during the Mark n Simon Show in Germany.

Earlier, Manoj had stuffed 21 lit candles in his mouth during a show before the sub-collector on May 23, 2017. He had also tried to create record for stuffing most number of grapes into the mouth by stuffing 90 of them in one go.
Hyderabad: The state government will host a dinner that will reflect the rich cultural heritage of Telangana, on November 29 for the delegates of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

A schedule of programmes for the delegates was recently finalised after a meeting of officials and representatives of ITC Hotels, the tourism, culture and revenue departments.

Hyderabad collector Dr Yogita Rana said the revenue department was taking all the measures to make the event a grand success.

K. Chandrakala, revenue divisional officer, said that over 300 artistes would participate in a cultural event at the Rani Mahal in Golkonda. The event will reflect the rich culture of Telangana state. ITC and the Tourism department are coming up with a detailed schedule, she said.

A source from tourism department said that the events being planned would be attended by over 1,400 delegates. We are organising a dinner at the entrance of Golkonda Fort and cultural events at the Rani Mahal and other areas within the fort. The events will include Bonalu, Bathukamma and various jataras that are organised in Telangana, as well as classical dances. The government has got the chance to host the GES in a newly formed state and it would like to introduce the foreign delegates to its rich culture. Besides cultural programmes, there will be stalls with displays related to crafts, handlooms and information technology, the source said.

Mr Kiran Reddy from ITC said that the cultural event would be 18 to 20 minutes long. After the arrival of delegates, there will be events followed by dinner, he said.

Mr G. Kishan Rao, a special officer of Shilparamam and vice-chairman of the Yadadri Temple Development Authority, said that Shilparamam would organise stalls at the fort.

The stalls will reflect our exclusive arts, crafts, and handlooms including Nirmal toys, Bidri and Kalamkari crafts. The handloom stalls will consist of prominent designs such as Pochampally, Gadwal and Kottakota, he added.

Officials expect that Ms Ivanka Trump will visit the stalls at the Fort.
The report expla-ins that radicalisation can be the by-product of typical prison behaviour.

Hyderabad: Terror organisations across the world are recruiting persons with extensive criminal background, a report by Global Terror Index said.

A counter intelligence official from Telangana said that they have already alerted the authorities about the threat in the Indian jails. Already certain counter-terrorism measures are implemented in the prisons in the state. A group of persons involved in certain terror-related cases were shifted to other jails in the state, the official said.

He added that while those in the terror-related cases are alw-ays under surveillance, others who are radicalised are missed out owing to their previous history.

Mr V. K. Singh, director-general of police, said that those involved in terror-related cases are lodged in separate barracks. We do not allow them to interact with other prisoners. In the high security barracks, CCTVs are installed to monitor their activities. About 12 persons are lodged in Hyderabad jails for various terror cases, he added.

Investigations into the 2015 Brussels and the 2016 Paris attacks revealed that the attackers were invol-ved in drug trafficking and organised crime, including forging documents, according to the report.

In Europe, it was found that 57 per cent of individuals had been in jail prior to becoming radicalised, while 31 per cent of incarcerated individuals began the radicalisation process while in jails, a report released annually by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace stated.

The ties between criminals and terror groups have been categorised into three types: coexistence when groups share geographical space, cooperation  when groups are able to serve mutual interests via temporary partnerships and convergence  when groups absorb each others methodologies.

The report explained that radicalisation can be the by-product of typical prison behaviour. In a case study of French prisons, radicalisers knock on the doors of vulnerable pe-ople with whom they can develop a emotional relationship to cha-nge their worldview.
Hyderabad: A woman was killed and four others were injured when their car rammed into a railing at Abdullapurmet on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) on Sunday. T. Vijay Kumar, a resident of Adilabad and manager of the Karimnagar branch of the Telangana Grameena Bank, was on his way to Mantralayam along with his family. As they were passing Taramatipet on the Outer Ring Road, the driver lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a railing.

It flipped over upon impact and landed upside down. All the persons in the vehicle were rushed to a nearby private hospital, where Vijay Kumars wife T. Vanaja, 50, succumbed 4 vehicles were damaged in another accident on the ORR at Shamshabad. All passengers escaped with injuries.

99 drunk drivers sent to jail

The Hyderabad traffic police has filed 545 chargesheets and secured conviction of 99 drunk drivers. Two of these drivers lost the licence, and 13 had their papers suspended for six months. Penalties worth Rs 11,79,200 were imposed on the drunk drivers. The 99 drivers were convicted to spend a day to 10 days at the Chanchalguda Jail. According to the traffic police, the drunk drivers may likely to face difficulties in getting government jobs, passports and visa clearance. The violators will be sent for counselling at Traffic Training Institute Goshamahal and Begumpet.

Drunk causes ORR smash

In an alleged accident due to a drunk motorist, two persons sustained injuries in Narsingi on Sunday morning. The incident occurred when the scooterist rammed his vehicle into a car coming in the opposite direction. Due to the effect, the car swerved and went down the road, while the scooter flung in the air and fell a few meters away.

A car that swerved off the road to avoid a drunk scooterist

According to sources, the incident occurred in Kokapet village limits, the scooterist riding at high speed allegedly under the effect of alcohol, overtook another vehicle moving in front of him and later crashed into the car coming in the opposite direction.
Kochi: A 31-year-old woman managed to dodge security checkup at Pamba and trekked the over four km forest path to Sannidhanam on Sunday morning, but cops upon getting suspicious prevented her from entering Sabarimala hill shrine, where female devotees in the 10-50 age group are not allowed. The Andhra Pradesh native was stopped by police on duty at the Valiyanadapandal just before the 18 holy steps. Upon checking her identity card, she was found to be only 31 years of age and was sent back.

The woman was identified as Vanarasi Parvathy, a resident of Subhash Nagar, Ellant, Khammam. She arrived at Sannidhanam along with her husband and children at 11 AM, police said. Entry of women is strictly monitored by police at Pampa river before they begin the trek to the hill shrine. Temple sources were clueless on how she managed to reach there defying police monitoring and stringent checks.

Hindu right-wing outfits had charged that a woman health department official, below 50 years of age, had entered the temple premise along with health minister K. K. Shailaja the other day. However, Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar clarified that she was 51.
South Korean giant Samsung seems to be prepping to showcase its flagships in 2018, and looks like we already have an idea how the upcoming device will shape up. Latest leak spotted by Forbes hints a mini variant of the Galaxy S9, while the other two will be similar to its predecessors.

If the reports are to be believed, all three models will boast a dual-edge curved Infinity display. Unlike, previous mini variants, Samsung will give the same design to all of the models to make a strong foothold in the mid-range division.

The leaks also suggest that the flagship will have dual camera setup with BABR coating 'broad-band anti-reflection.' The fingerprint sensor is also expected to be relocated on the rear panel.

The device model SM-G960F was spotted in a Geekbench listing scored 2680 points in the single core test which far exceeds that of the Google Pixel 2 which gained1685 points. The device still doesnt beat the iPhone X which scored a whopping 4218 points.

The listing also reveals that the smartphone will have the Exynos 9 series 9810 which was recently announced. It will be backed by 4GB of RAM and will have support for Gigabit speeds on LTE.

Samsung is also said to launch the device with Snapdragon 845 processors. Qualcomm is reported to sell the entire first batch of the Snapdragon 845 to Samsung for the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The flagship will come with Android Oreo out-of-the-box.

The smartphone is expected to see the light of day at MWC 2018 held in Barcelona, Spain. The company is reportedly planning a launch event for February 25.

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'If people say you are dictator... you know they are saying this merely to tarnish and demean your status, then you don't pay much attention,' he said in a 2013 documentary. (Photo: File)

Harare: Zimbabwe's veteran leader Robert Mugabe once quipped that he'd rule his country until he turned 100.

But the 93-year-old's decades-long grip on power appears to be slipping with the streets filled with protesters calling for his removal and top party leaders abandoning him in droves.

First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony Rhodesia of white minority rule, Robert Gabriel Mugabe was soon cast in the role of a despot who crushed political dissent and ruined the national economy.

After years behind bars as a political prisoner, Mugabe then led a bloody liberation war, which coupled with sanctions, forced the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table, with the country finally winning independence as Zimbabwe in 1980.

Read: Zimbabwes Prez Robert Mugabe must step down: ruling party

In elections that year, Mugabe swept to power as prime minister, initially winning international plaudits for his policy of racial reconciliation and for extending improved education and health services to the black majority.

But his lustre faded quickly.

Stamping out dissent

After his release from prison in 1974, Mugabe had taken over as head of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) which joined forces in the liberation struggle with Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).

Nkomo was one of the early casualties of Mugabe's crackdown on dissent.

In 1982, he was dismissed from government, where he held the home affairs portfolio, after the discovery of an arms cache in his Matabeleland stronghold.

Mugabe, whose party drew most of its support from the ethnic Shona majority, then unleashed his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade on Nkomo's Ndebele people in a campaign that left an estimated 20,000 people dead.

It was the seizure of white-owned farms nearly two decades later that would complete Mugabe's transformation from darling of the West into international pariah - though his status as a liberation hero still resonates in many parts of Africa.

Aimed largely at placating angry war veterans who threatened to destabilise his rule, the land reform policy wrecked the crucial agricultural sector, caused foreign investors to flee and helped plunge the country into economic misery.

Read: DisGrace Mugabes ambitions steering Zimbabwe Presidents ouster

At the same time, critics say, Mugabe clung to power through increased repression of human rights and by rigging elections.

'A reptilian quality'

"He was a great leader whose leadership degenerated to a level where he really brought Zimbabwe to its knees," said University of South Africa professor Shadrack Gutto.

Britain's former foreign secretary Peter Carrington knew Mugabe well, having mediated the Lancaster House talks that paved the way for Zimbabwe's independence.

"Mugabe wasn't human at all," Carrington told biographer Heidi Holland.

"There was a sort of reptilian quality about him."

"You could admire his skills and intellect... but he was an awfully slippery sort of person."

In the final decades of his rule, Mugabe - one of the world's most recognisable leaders with his thin stripe of moustache and thick-rimmed spectacles - has embraced his new role as the antagonist of the West.

Read: Buying time? Zimbabwe Prez Mugabe meets generals, refuses to stand down

He used blistering rhetoric to blame his country's downward spiral on Western sanctions, though they were targeted personally at Mugabe and his henchmen rather than at Zimbabwe's economy.

Pre-dawn workouts?

"If people say you are dictator... you know they are saying this merely to tarnish and demean your status, then you don't pay much attention," he said in a 2013 documentary.

After decades in which the subject of succession was virtually taboo, a vicious struggle to take over after his death became apparent among the party elite as he reached his 90s and became visibly frail.

He had been rumoured for years to have prostate cancer, but according to the official account, his frequent trips to Singapore were related to his treatment for cataracts.

Mugabe's second wife Grace - his former secretary who is 41 years his junior and has been seen as a potential successor - boasted that even in his 80s he would rise before dawn to work out.

"It's true I was dead. I resurrected as I always do once I get back to my country. I am real again," he joked in 2016 after returning from a foreign trip, mocking rumours that he had died.

But in his later years, he has stumbled and fallen more than once and delivered the wrong speech at the opening of parliament in 2016.

The Catholic Marxist

Born on February 21, 1924 into a Catholic family at Kutama Mission northwest of Harare, Mugabe was described as a loner, and a studious child known to carry a book even while tending cattle in the bush.

Read: One coup to another: Zimbabwes uncertain future after Prez Mugabe

After his carpenter father walked out on the family when he was 10, the young Mugabe concentrated on his studies, qualifying as a school teacher at the age of 17.

An intellectual who initially embraced Marxism, he enrolled at Fort Hare University in South Africa, meeting many of southern Africa's future black nationalist leaders.

After teaching in Ghana, where he was influenced by founder president Kwame Nkrumah, Mugabe returned to Rhodesia where he was detained for his nationalist activities in 1964 and spent the next 10 years in prison camps or jail.

During his incarceration, he gained three degrees through correspondence, but the years in prison left their mark.

His four-year-old son by his first wife, Ghanaian-born Sally Francesca Hayfron, died while he was behind bars. Rhodesian leader Ian Smith denied him leave to attend the funeral.

Years later, Mugabe had two sons and a daughter by second wife Grace.

The ambition of the First Lady, who had been viewed as a front-runner to replace her husband, is widely seen by analysts as the catalyst for the military takeover as the army refused to accept her as Mugabe's successor.

"His real obsession was not with personal wealth but with power," said biographer Martin Meredith.

"Year after year Mugabe sustained his rule through violence and repression -- crushing political opponents, violating the courts, trampling on property rights, suppressing the independent press and rigging elections."
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was on Sunday facing the imminent end of his 37-year rule as the once-loyal ZANU-PF party sacked him as its leader and army generals piled pressure on him to resign. Mugabes grip on power was broken last week when the military took over, angered at his wife Graces emergence as the leading candidate to succeed the 93-year-old President.

Tens of thousands of overjoyed demonstrators flooded the streets of Zimbabwe in peaceful celebrations marking the apparent end of his long and authoritarian rule. Outside a ZANU-PF meeting in Harare, a delegate said that Mugabe had been ousted as party chief and replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was previously Grace Mugabes chief rival to succeed the ageing president. A resolution has been adopted to recall the president and elevate Mnangagwa as the party president, said a delegate.
Bill ONeill said in a Facebook post that his admission was on behalf of all heterosexual males and an effort to move on from the national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago.(Representational Image)

An Ohio judge and gubernatorial candidate sparked a firestorm on Saturday when, seemingly fed up with the escalating national debate over sexual harassment and impropriety in the workplace, he bragged that he had slept with 50 women. Bill ONeill said in a Facebook post that his admission was on behalf of all heterosexual males and an effort to move on from the national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago.

In the last fifty years, I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females, the Democratic candidate and justice on the Midwestern states highest court said. 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, he said.

He later told the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper he did not keep a specific count of his conquests. The reaction was swift and damning. I condemn in no uncertain terms Justice ONeills Facebook post, Ohio Supreme Courts chief justice Maureen OConnor said in a statement.

This gross disrespect for women shakes the publics confidence in the integrity of the judiciary, OConnor added. His Republican rival in the gubernatorial race, Mary Taylor, criticised the comments as ill-timed and dismissive at best. ONeills own political party also condemned the remarks.
Comedian-actor Sarah Silverman broke her silence on longtime friend Louis C.Ks sexual misconduct in a moving monologue before the latest episode of her Hulu talk show, I Love You, America. This recent calling out of sexual assault has been a long time coming. Its good. Its like cutting out tumours: Its messy, and its complicated, and it is going to hurt, but its necessary and well all be healthier for it. And it sucks. And some of our heroes will be taken down and we will discover bad things about people we like, or in some cases, people we love, she said. And it s**** and some of our heroes will be taken down, and we will discover bad things about people we like, or in some cases, people we love. Lets just say it: Im talking about Louis, she added.
Mr Song has already visited Vietnam and Laos to inform them of the results of the congress, a typical courtesy China extends other communist countries after such important meetings. (Photo: AP)

Seoul: China's special envoy on North Korea met high-ranking North Korean official Choe Ryong Hae after he arrived in the capital, Pyongyang, the North's official KCNA news agency said Saturday.

Special representative Song Tao, the head of the ruling Communist Party's external affairs department, informed Mr Choe about China's 19th National Congress "in detail," and stressed China's stance to steadily develop the traditionally friendly relations between the two parties and countries, KCNA said.

China has yet to offer any details of Mr Song's visit, which began Friday, and it is unclear how long he will be in North Korea.

The influential state-run Chinese tabloid the Global Times said in an editorial that it was unwise to expect too much from his trip, saying his key mission was to inform North Korea about the recently concluded Communist Party Congress in Beijing.

"Song is not a magician," the newspaper said.

Read: Days after Trumps visit, China to send special envoy to North Korea

"The key to easing the situation on the peninsula lies in the hands of Washington and Pyongyang. If both sides insist on their own logic and refuse to move in the same direction, even if Song opens a door for talks, the door could be closed any time."

China has repeatedly pushed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and missiles to carry them, but in recent months it has had only limited high-level exchanges with North Korea.

The last time China's special envoy for North Korea visited the country was in February 2017.

Mr Song's trip comes just a week after Donald Trump visited Beijing as part of an Asia tour, where he pressed for greater action to rein in North Korea, especially from China, with which North Korea does 90 percent of its trade.

Mr Song has already visited Vietnam and Laos to inform them of the results of the congress, a typical courtesy China extends other communist countries after such important meetings.

It is not clear whether Mr Song will meet North Korea's youthful leader Kim Jong Un.

Mr Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages of congratulations and thanks over the Chinese party congress, but neither leader has visited the other's country since assuming power.

Mr Song's department is in charge of the party's relations with foreign political parties, and has traditionally served as a conduit for Chinese diplomacy with North Korea.

China's new special envoy for North Korea, Kong Xuanyou, who took up his position in August, is not believed to have visited the country since assuming the job.
Authorities in Ankara had already banned a German gay film festival on Wednesday, the day before it was due to start, citing public safety and terrorism risks. (Photo: File/Representational)

Istanbul: The Turkish capital Ankara has banned the public showing of films and exhibitions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, the governors office said on Sunday, citing public sensitivities.

The move is likely to deepen concern among rights activists and Turkeys Western allies about its record on civil liberties under President Tayyip Erdogans Islamist-rooted AK Party.

Starting from Nov. 18, 2017, concerning our communitys public sensitivity, any events such as LGBT cinema, theatre, panels, interviews, exhibitions are banned until further notice in our province to provide peace and security, the governors office said in a statement.

Authorities in Ankara had already banned a German gay film festival on Wednesday, the day before it was due to start, citing public safety and terrorism risks.

Two gay pride parades have been banned in Istanbul for the last two years running.

Unlike in many Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but there is widespread hostility to it.
Paul Klebnikov, the US-born editor of Forbes magazines Russian edition, was gunned down outside his Moscow office in July 2004. (Photo: AP)

Moscow: Ukraines intelligence agency says it has detained a man wanted for the high-profile murder of an American journalist in Russia 13 years ago.

Paul Klebnikov, the US-born editor of Forbes magazines Russian edition, was gunned down outside his Moscow office in July 2004.

Many people believed the killing was connected to the 41-year-old Klebnikovs work investigating corruption in Russia.

Ukraines State Security Service said in a statement Saturday that it has detained a Russian man who was wanted for several slayings, including Klebnikovs. The Ukrainian agency did not identify the suspect.

Three people were charged with the journalists murder in 2006 and later acquitted. A higher court ordered a retrial for the main suspect, but he absconded before the proceedings could be held.
Prosecutors say Mladic played a pivotal role in a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing to create a Greater Serbia during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 war which claimed 100,000 lives and left 2.2 million others homeless. (Photo: AP)

The Hague: UN war crimes judges will on Wednesday hand down a historic verdict against former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, blamed for steering Europe's worst atrocities since World War II.

The judgement and possible sentencing before the Yugoslav war crimes court in The Hague marks the culmination of a case spanning 22 years against Mladic, once dubbed "The Butcher of Bosnia".

As the head of Bosnia's Serb-dominated army, Mladic, 74, is accused of 11 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in the chaotic break-up of the former Yugoslavia after the fall of communism in 1990.

Mladic is one of the "first cases which in fact justified the creation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia," chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz said recently.

Wednesday's decision will also be the court's penultimate ruling as it prepares to close on December 31 after more than two decades.

Prosecutors say Mladic played a pivotal role in a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing to create a Greater Serbia during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 war which claimed 100,000 lives and left 2.2 million others homeless.

An aerial picture shows the village of Bozanovici, near the town of Kalinovik, eastern Bosnia (Photo: AFP)



Genocide

Mladic was particularly sought over his role in commanding Bosnian Serb troops who in mid-1995 overran the "safe" enclave of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia.

After brushing aside lightly-armed Dutch UN peacekeepers, troops under Mladic's command proceeded to slaughter almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys over the next days, dumping their bodies in mass graves.

The killings are deemed the worst atrocities committed in Europe since World War II and have been labelled genocide by two international courts.

Mladic is also accused of ordering a 44-month-long campaign of sniping and shelling against Bosnia's capital Sarajevo to terrorise its inhabitants, killing 10,000 people, mostly civilians.

Prosecutors further blame him for the hostage-taking of 200 UN peacekeepers and allegedly ordering his troops to "cleanse" Bosnian towns, driving out Croats, Muslims and other non-Serb residents. They have called for a life sentence.

Mladic told judges he was "sorry for every innocent that was killed on all sides, in all ethnic communities in Yugoslavia", but has continued to deny the charges.

'Satanic court'

Arrested at his cousin's Serbian home in May 2011 after almost 16 years on the run, the once stocky and brash military commander cut a very different picture in the dock over the years.

Markedly thinner and greyer, a defiant Mladic told judges at his first appearance in 2011: "I defended my country and my people (and) I now defend Ratko Mladic before you."

During hearings, he frequently clashed with prosecutors, judges, witnesses and even onlookers in the public gallery.

In one infamous moment as his trial opened in 2012, Mladic was seen making a throat-cutting gesture towards a victim's relative.

Mladic has called the charges against him "obnoxious" and referred to the ICTY as a "satanic court".

He also refused to testify in the trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his political alter ego, who is currently appealing a 40-year jail term imposed in 2016 for similar charges.

Dusko Mladic, relative of Ratko Mladic, walks by his home, in the village of Bozanovici, Bosnia (Photo: AFP)

Mladic's lawyers have insisted he is "not a monster" and urged that he be acquitted on all charges.

Over the years his health has deteriorated, and Mladic has suffered three strokes.

Judges however dismissed a last-minute defence bid to postpone the verdict on medical grounds.

'Bodies everywhere'

During a complex trial lasting 523 days, almost 10,000 exhibits were admitted in evidence and there were almost 600 witnesses. They provided hours of harrowing testimony including from protected witness RM-346, who told how he survived Srebrenica.

"There were a lot of dead bodies. Brains were splattered all over," said the man, who escaped despite being seriously wounded.

Mladic, Karadzic and former Yugoslav president and Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic were among the top leaders, who prosecutors said formed the core of a "joint criminal enterprise" to create a Greater Serbia.

But Milosevic died before judgement could be passed, suffering a heart attack in his cell in The Hague in March 2006.

"The Mladic judgement, together with the Karadzic judgement is one of the most important in the history of the tribunal," said Brammertz.

There have long been accusations from Serbia the ICTY was a "political" institution, which had hampered reconciliation.

But Brammertz has insisted "no one can expect a judicial process to achieve reconciliation".

"I am personally absolutely convinced... that without accountability there is no chance of reconciliation at all."
The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about rail link in his local area. (Photo: Facebook/ @tandhesi))

London: A Sikh MP in the UK has been abused and targeted with threats of violence from furious trolls who think he was not speaking enough on issues related to the community, according to a media report.

Tan Dhesi, who became Labour's MP for Slough in June, was accused of ignoring the plight of a British Sikh man who was arrested during his visit to India.

But Dhesi vowed to continue working for the whole public "regardless of background, colour or creed" rather than focussing on just one community, The Sun reported.

The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about rail link in his local area.

Trolls said he should have asked about Jagtar Singh, a Scottish activist who has arrested in India, the report said.

One troll wrote to the MP saying: "...A Sikh British citizen is being tortured in Punjab and you're worried about rail. You have no response to that. You need a slap upside your head you fake Sikh!"

Dhesi reacted with fury and pointed out that he has repeatedly worked on Johal's case.

"It's hard enough serving as an MP without having to face constant abuse from various quarters (whether that's the far- right/extremists/others who feel that I'm only interested in 'my community's issues', or those from within my 'own' community who feel I don't do enough)," he wrote on Facebook.

"When people resort to abuse, they are actually doing a disservice to their own cause. I will do what I genuinely feel is right, rather than be forced by anybody to follow their priorities or way of thinking.

"I am not merely a Sikh MP/representative speaking solely on Sikh issues," Dhesi added.
Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman fears that schools may be in breach of equality laws if young girls were required to wear religious garments while boys were not, The Sunday Times reported. (Photo: Representational Image)

Britains schools watchdog on Sunday announced that its inspectors will question primary schoolchildren on the decision to wear garments of faith like the hijab. The move follows concerns that girls as young as four are being forced to wear the Muslim headscarf to school. Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman fears that schools may be in breach of equality laws if young girls were required to wear religious garments while boys were not, The Sunday Times reported.

In seeking to address these concerns, inspectors will talk to girls who wear such garments to ascertain why they do so in the school, Spielman said. Spielman has also called on parents and the public to complain to head-teachers if they think schools are not treating girls and boys equally. If the school does not take the complaint seriously, the complainants should go directly to Ofsted, she says.
Convicts Musadiq Ahmed and Ahsan Hassan were accused of killing the Class 5 student after raping him in Sahiwal district. (Photo: File/Representational)

Lahore: Two Pakistani college students have been sentenced to 75 years in prison by a court for raping and killing an 11-year-old boy in the Punjab province.

Convicts Musadiq Ahmed and Ahsan Hassan were accused of killing the Class 5 student after raping him in Sahiwal district, some 230 km from Lahore, in November 2017.

Initially the police had registered the case on charges of murder, kidnapping and unnatural offences under the Pakistan Penal Code.

But after the protest by the victims family and locals, the police also included terrorism sections in the FIR and the suspects were prosecuted in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore.

The ATC today awarded 75 years imprisonment to each suspect and also imposed a fine of Rs 400,000 on each of them on different counts, a court official said and added the convicts confessed to their crime before the judge.

According to the FIR, the convicts and the victim studied in same academy in a village in Sahiwal. On November 7, 2016, the convicts on return from the academy kidnapped the minor boy and took him to a deserted place where they killed him after raping him.
Sirkap, also known as the second city of Taxila, is a Unesco-protected heritage site since 1980.

Lahore: Gold antiques dating back to the second Century have been stolen from an ancient archaeological site in Pakistan apparently due to negligence of officials. Sirkap, also known as the second city of Taxila, 300 kms from Lahore, is a Unesco-protected heritage site since 1980.

A large number of the stolen antiquities  a necklace with multi-coloured gems, bangles and other jewellery worth millions of rupees have been stolen from Sirkap last week. The antiquities could be centuries old, Punjab archaeology department director general Chaudhry Mohammad Ijaz said. He said the department had awarded a contract for the restoration of an ancient archaeological site in Sirkap to a local contractor.

On November 12, during preservation work, some labourers had found gold antiquities that included earrings, bangles, nickels and other small pieces while removing wild grass from the remains of a residential complex located at the eastern side of the site at the back of the apsidal temple and stole them, Ijaz said.

He said the labourers sought deals for the stolen ornaments with local antique dealers. After reports of the deals surfaced the department got a case registered against the labourers with police, he said, adding some labourers have been arrested but no ornaments were recovered so far. We have formed a high-level committee to probe the matter and fix the responsibility of the theft, he said.
UN war crimes judges will on Wednesday hand down a historic verdict against former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, blamed for steering Europe's worst atrocities since World War II.



The judgement and possible sentencing before the Yugoslav war crimes court in The Hague marks the culmination of a case spanning 22 years against Mladic, once dubbed "The Butcher of Bosnia".

As the head of Bosnia's Serb-dominated army, Mladic, 74, is accused of 11 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in the chaotic break-up of the former Yugoslavia after the fall of communism in 1990.

Mladic is one of the "first cases which in fact justified the creation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia," chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz said recently.

Wednesday's decision will also be the court's penultimate ruling as it prepares to close on December 31 after more than two decades.

Prosecutors say Mladic played a pivotal role in a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing to create a Greater Serbia during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 war which claimed 100,000 lives and left 2.2 million others homeless.

Mladic was particularly sought over his role in commanding Bosnian Serb troops who in mid-1995 overran the "safe" enclave of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia.

After brushing aside lightly-armed Dutch UN peacekeepers, troops under Mladic's command proceeded to slaughter almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys over the next days, dumping their bodies in mass graves.

The killings are deemed the worst atrocities committed in Europe since World War II and have been labelled genocide by two international courts.

Mladic is also accused of ordering a 44-month-long campaign of sniping and shelling against Bosnia's capital Sarajevo to terrorise its inhabitants, killing 10,000 people, mostly civilians.

Prosecutors further blame him for the hostage-taking of 200 UN peacekeepers and allegedly ordering his troops to "cleanse" Bosnian towns, driving out Croats, Muslims and other non-Serb residents. They have called for a life sentence.

Mladic told judges he was "sorry for every innocent that was killed on all sides, in all ethnic communities in Yugoslavia", but has continued to deny the charges.

Arrested at his cousin's Serbian home in May 2011 after almost 16 years on the run, the once stocky and brash military commander cut a very different picture in the dock over the years.

Markedly thinner and greyer, a defiant Mladic told judges at his first appearance in 2011: "I defended my country and my people (and) I now defend Ratko Mladic before you."

During hearings, he frequently clashed with prosecutors, judges, witnesses and even onlookers in the public gallery.

In one infamous moment as his trial opened in 2012, Mladic was seen making a throat-cutting gesture towards a victim's relative.

Mladic has called the charges against him "obnoxious" and referred to the ICTY as a "satanic court".

He also refused to testify in the trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his political alter ego, who is currently appealing a 40-year jail term imposed last year for similar charges.

Mladic's lawyers have insisted he is "not a monster" and urged that he be acquitted on all charges.

Over the years his health has deteriorated, and Mladic has suffered three strokes.

Judges however dismissed a last-minute defence bid to postpone the verdict on medical grounds.

During a complex trial lasting 523 days, almost 10,000 exhibits were admitted in evidence and there were almost 600 witnesses. They provided hours of harrowing testimony including from protected witness RM-346, who told how he survived Srebrenica.

"There were a lot of dead bodies. Brains were splattered all over," said the man, who escaped despite being seriously wounded.

Mladic, Karadzic and former Yugoslav president and Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic were among the top leaders, who prosecutors said formed the core of a "joint criminal enterprise" to create a Greater Serbia.

But Milosevic died before judgement could be passed, suffering a heart attack in his cell in The Hague in March 2006.

"The Mladic judgement, together with the Karadzic judgement is one of the most important in the history of the tribunal," said Brammertz.

There have long been accusations from Serbia the ICTY was a "political" institution, which had hampered reconciliation.

But Brammertz has insisted "no one can expect a judicial process to achieve reconciliation".

"I am personally absolutely convinced... that without accountability there is no chance of reconciliation at all."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 30-km stretch of the first phase of the 72 km-long Hyderabad Metro on November 28.



The unveiling of a pylon at the Miyapur station, abutting the Mumbai-Hyderabad highway to mark the inauguration, will coincide with the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) attended by US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump.

Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) sources said that after the inauguration ceremony Modi will be travelling on the metro train for 13 km along with the state Governor E S L Narasimhan and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Considered as one of the biggest project under public-private participation (PPP), the rail project commenced in April 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs 14,000 crore. Later, it was revised to Rs 18,500 crore.

While the Telangana government has sanctioned Rs 3,000 crore, Rs 2,240 crore has been spent so far.

The Centre will be funding Rs 1,458 crore for the project, of which it has released Rs 958 crore. The project is being executed by Larsen and Toubro.

The government is planning to take up phase two of the HMR by extending it to international airport at Shamshabad for better connectivity.

The Hyderabad Metro has several firsts on its credit such as women metro drivers and former service men providing security to all the 24 stations on the 30-km long inaugural stretch.

Bicycles will also be provided on rent for enthusiasts who wish to ride from the metro station to their workplace and back. All the stations are differently abled friendly, including the visually challenged. All platforms have strips in Braille to guide the visually challenged.
Palestinians will freeze their ties with the US if it follows through on a threat to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation's office in Washington, a senior PLO official warned on Saturday.



The surprise American move and Palestinian backlash came as US President Donald Trump seeks bargaining chips in his bid to broker an elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Trump has a 90-day window to avert the closure if he deems progress has been made.

But PLO secretary general Saeb Erekat said his organisation had officially informed Washington that "we would put on hold all our communications with this American administration" if the office were closed.

The PLO, which the international community sees as representing all Palestinians, must have its permission to operate its premises in the American capital renewed every six months.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said it was the first time since the 1980s that the state department had refused to renew it.

Malki said Palestinian officials had received a letter from Washington two days ago "saying that the secretary of state had not found enough reasons to keep the office open".

"This has not happened in the past, and we have demanded clarifications from the state department and the White House," he said.

"They told us that there would be a meeting of senior legal experts on Monday. Then they would give a clear answer," he said, adding that Palestinian leaders would then meet to discuss their response.

A US state department official cited "certain statements made by Palestinian leaders" about the International Criminal Court as the reason behind the non-renewal.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in his latest speech at the UN General Assembly, suggested taking the issue of Israeli settlements to the ICC.

In 2015, Congress issued a resolution barring Palestinians from seeking to wield influence over the ICC regarding investigations into Israeli nationals.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was "deeply surprised" by the state department's move, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said on Saturday.

He said the decision "represents an unprecedented step in the history of the Palestinian-American relationship, and has dangerous consequences for the peace process and the American-Arab relations."

The state department official said Trump had 90 days to decide whether to waiver the decision if he deems "the Palestinians have entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel".

The peace process has been deadlocked since April 2014 following the collapse of indirect negotiations led by then US secretary of state John Kerry.

The state department official said Washington was hopeful any "closure will be short-lived," emphasising that "we are not cutting off relations with the PLO, nor do we intend to stop working with the Palestinian Authority."
A 29-year-old Argentine man was killed after a stray bull reportedly hit him in the walled city area, police said on Sunday.



The incident occurred on Saturday when John Pablo was visiting the city with a fellow tourist when the bull hit him, they said.

He was taken to a government hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

Pablo had arrived in India on October 27, the police said, adding the Embassy of Argentina was informed about the incident.
In yet another humanitarian gesture, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday asked the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to grant a visa to a Pakistani woman for a liver transplant in India.



Her intervention came after Sadia, the ailing woman's daughter, requested Sushma to grant a visa to her mother.

"We will certainly help. I have asked Indian High Commission in Pakistan to issue visa for the liver transplant of your mother. @IndiainPakistan," Sushma said in a tweet.

To a request for medical visa by another Pakistani national Nasir Mahmood Ahmed, Sushma said the Indian mission in Pakistan will examine his papers and send her a report.

Ahmed, in a tweet to Sushma, said he wants to undergo liver and kidney transplant in India.

To a plea by Pakistani national Hira Azhar for a medical visa for her father, Sushma asked her to contact the Indian Mission in Riyadh in this connection.

"Pls contact @IndianEmbRiyadh. We will give medical visa for the liver transplant of your father in India," Swaraj said on the micro-blogging site.

Earlier, Hira, currently based in Saudi Arabia, had said, "@SushmaSwaraj My dad's only hope is an urgent liver transplant. We are Pakistanis in KSA and waiting for the visa to India. Please help."

Sushma has been adopting a humanitarian approach in granting visas to Pakistani nationals on medical ground notwithstanding a strain in relationship between the two countries over a host of sticky issues, including cross-border terrorism.
MP Pralhad Joshi has stated that discussion is on with a major airlines company which has shown interest to introduce air service from Hubballi to Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

"Meanwhile, the much-awaited Hubballi-Mumbai flight service by the Air India will be launched most probably on December 1, as a slot for Hubballi-Mumbai air service has been allotted for three days a week, at Mumbai airport," he said.

He told media persons here on Sunday that attempts would be made to get upgraded Hubballi Airport inaugurated and lay the foundation stone for IIT-Dharwad building construction, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after Gujarat Assembly elections.

Hubballi-Haveri Road (NH 4) six-laning work, inauguration of KIMS super-speciality hospital, and upgradation of Tadas-Kalghatagi-Dharwad-Hebsur-Annigeri Road into a national highway would also be clubbed with that function, which is likely to be organised next month, after December 18. If the prime minister cannot come, a Union minister would be invited, he said.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, around 23,000 LPG kits have been distributed so far in the district, he said.

When asked about Union minister Anantkumar Hegde's controversial statement about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he stated that all should maintain decency, irrespective of their political affiliation.

Compensation

On behalf of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Mr Joshi handed over Rs 12.82 compensation cheque to daughters of Prabhu Betadur and Ratna Betadur who were killed in LPG cylinder blast at Kamadolli in Kudgol taluk last year.

ICOL General Manager (Indane) Abhijit Dey noted that Rs five lakh compensation would be given in case of a death in such cases, under insurance scheme. Medical bill, and damages to the house are also included in the case of blast at Kamadolli, he said.

MLC Somanna Bevinamarad, former MLA S I Chikkanagoudar, BJP leaders M R Patil, Nagesh Kalburgi, and others were present.
The Turkish capital of Ankara has banned the public showing of films and exhibitions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, the governor's office said on Sunday, citing public safety concerns.



"Starting from November 18, 2017, concerning our community's public sensitivity, any events such as (LGBT) cinema, theatre, panels, interviews, exhibitions are banned until further notice in our province to provide peace and security," the governor's office said in a statement.

Authorities in Ankara had already banned a German gay film festival on Wednesday, the day before it was due to start, citing public safety and terrorism risks.

Two gay pride parades have been banned in Istanbul for the last two years running. Unlike in many Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but there is widespread hostility to it.
Under the banner of Rajasthan Rajput Samaj, Rajput community members took out a protest rally here on Sunday, charging that history is twisted in 'Padmavati' Hindi film.

The protest rally was taken out from Dajibanpet to Mini Vidhan Soudha, via Chennamma Circle, and effigies of film director Sanjay Bansali and heroine Deepika Padukone were also burnt. Raising slogans, protesters stated that the film should not be released. A memorandum was submitted to Union and State governments through the tahsildar.

"The film has scenes which damage the true image of Rani Padmavati. It would hurt Rajput community, and would insult the Indian culture. The film should not be released, while Sanjay Bansali and Deepika Padukone should also apologise," they said.

Kalosingh Chauhan, Subashsingh Jamadar, and others led the protest, while Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members also extended support to the protest.
Claiming that the top leadership of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Kashmir has been wiped out with the killing of six militants in northern Bandipora district on Saturday, the army on Sunday said that 190 ultras, including 110 foreigners, have been killed so far this year.



"We have killed about 190 terrorists as on date, in 2017. Out of these, 80 were locals and 110 were foreign terrorists. Of the 110 foreigners, 66 terrorists were killed near the LoC during infiltration bid," said Lt Gen J S Sandhu, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 15 Corps, while addressing a press conference here.

"With the elimination of six of its commanders yesterday (Saturday), the top leadership of the LeT in the Valley has been wiped out. Hajin was an area of concern for us as militants had killed some people in the area," he said.

Six LeT militants, including 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid, were killed by security forces in an encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district on Saturday.

"We look forward to continuing the operations and restoring peace in the Valley very soon," Sandhu said.

Hitting out at locals who join militant ranks, Sandhu said, "It's easy to call yourself mujahideen. But are you a mujahideen or Pakistan's proxies?"

"They (local militants) should have the wisdom to realise that you are not the proxy of Pakistan. We leave it to local terrorists. If they come back, we will accept them with honour," he said. "Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence."

IS claims dismissed

Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Shehs Pal Vaid, who was also present at the press meet, refuted claims of the Islamic State that the attack at Zakura, Srinagar, on Friday - in which a police officer and a militant were killed - was the first one by the global terror outfit in the Valley. "No, it is yet to be verified. I don't think IS has any presence here (Kashmir)," Vaid said.
As the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film "Padmavati" continued to simmer, a fringe group today targeted actress Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone "burning her alive".



Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone, who plays legendary Rajput queen Padmavati in the movie, and Bhansali at Damodar Swarup park here and shouted slogans against them.

They also took out a march to the collectorate office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding a ban on the release of the movie.

ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. We demand that office-bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."

Asked about Bhuvneshwar Singh's threatening remarks, Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sahjawan said a report had been sought in this regard.

"We have sought a report from the policemen on duty. Thereafter, action will be taken," he said.

"Padmavati" has been facing protests over the alleged "distortion of historical facts" in the film.

Earlier this year, Bhansali was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

Padukone and Bhansali have also received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai police.

Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.
The state BJP on Sunday launched 'Nava Karnataka Janapara Shakti' campaign to get feedback from people on what should go into the party manifesto for the Assembly polls.



The first such campaign was held at BMS Engineering College auditorium in the city in the presence of Union Human Resources Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was recently appointed the election incharge for Karnataka.

The manifesto committee headed by former minister Suresh Kumar is keen on knowing the aspirations of the people from various walks of life. There will be extensive consultation in each and every district before finalising the manifesto.

District-level committees have been constituted to crowd-source people's views. A total of 40 meetings will be held across the state in the coming weeks.

Speaking on the occasion, Javadekar blamed the state government's laxity for the civic woes in Bengaluru. "Do we need a government which cannot even fill potholes?" he said.

Javadekar said when he was Minister for Environment and Forests, the Centre had released Rs 800 crore for conservation and maintenance of lakes in Bengaluru, but the government had failed to utilise the money. "People are viewing development seriously and will teach the government a fitting lesson in the coming elections," he said.

He said the Modi government believed in four Ps, Public, Private, People, Participation, while preparing any public document.

Earlier in the day, Javadekar held an interaction with members of the manifesto committee at the party headquarters in Bengaluru.
In an unprecedented strict measure, the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) administration has imposed a collective fine of Rs 13.5 lakh on 54 medical students for their involvement in a ragging incident.



Each of the 54 students have been asked to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 by November 25, or else they would not be allowed to attend their classes. The initiative has been taken by the college after Medical Council of India (MCI), following a complaint by a first year student, asked the DMCH administration to take prompt action.

According to sources, a first year student had complained to the MCI that she was ragged by her seniors (who stayed in Old Girls Hostel) on November 11.

On November 16, the MCI took cognizance of the incident and asked the college administration to conduct an independent probe and punish the culprit.

The second year students were summoned by the college principal Dr RK Sinha but the students denied their involvement. However, the victim claimed that the seniors repeatedly abused and beat her up, besides inflicting mental torture.

The anti-ragging committee, headed by the principal, however, found the charges true. "We acted after receiving an e-mail from the MCI," said Sinha, who conducted the probe. Other in the probe panel included BK Mishra, BK Singh, Sheela Kumari and KP Singh.

"If the guilty students fail to confess their crime and submit the fine within the stipulated time-frame, they will be liable to face further action. Their guardians have also been informed," said the principal.
Hours after Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali deferred the release of his period epic, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena announced deferment of their Bharat Bandh, slated for December 1.



Karni Sena patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi said, "Bhansali is a trickster and a regular offender. We want him to screen the movie for us instead of journalists."

Kalvi claimed that terrorist Dawood Ibrahim was sponsoring the film. "That is why threat calls are being made from Karachi that Kalvi should be blown up by a bomb," he said.

The film has faced several protests over the past month with several organisations alleging that the film distorts history and demeans the Rajput queen. While the Karni Sena has been at the forefront of protests, former royals of Rajasthan and leaders of other communities have also joined the chorus.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had written to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, urging her to ensure that the film was not released without necessary cuts.



The Karni Sena alleges that there are two elements in the film that are not backed by any historical record. One is a scene in which Queen Padmavati is shown romancing Allauddin Khilji, the powerful 13th century ruler of the Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The second objection is to Padmavati performing the 'Ghoomar' dance in the darbar (royal court) which, they say, is an affront to Rajput culture as no queen or princess ever danced in the royal court.
Producers of Karni Sena have decided to extend the December 1 date for the release of the film Padmavati that has stirred a controversy.



In a statement on Sunday, the Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind the film, said it has "voluntarily" deferred the release of film.

It reposed its faith in the law of the land and hoped that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will we will "soon" give the requisite clearances to the release of the film.

The revised date for the release of the film will be announced "in due course" of time, a spokesperson of the Viacom18 Motion Pictures said releasing a statement on behalf of the producers of the film.

This, however, failed to calm down those protesting against the film.

Chief media coordinator of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, Suraj Pal Amu offered a reward of Rs 10 crore to one who would behead films lead actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, taking the ongoing row over the film to a new low.

"We are responsible, law-abiding corporate citizens and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including Central Board of Film Certification. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearnces to the release of the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course," the Viacom18 Motion Pictures said.

The Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created "a beautiful cinematic masterpiece" in Padmavati that captures Rajput valour, dignity and tradition "in all its glory," it maintained."The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country's story-telling prowess across the globe. We always have and are committed to continue following following the established procedure and convention. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as 'Toilet: Ek prem Katha,' 'Queen'. Bhag Milkha Bhaag' and many more," it added.

The BJP's chief media coordinator in Haryana, however, remained unmoved.

"Want to congratulate the Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading of Deepika and Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their family's needs," a multi-media news agency quoted Amu as saying on Sunday.

The BJP leader also reportedly threatened actor Ranveer Singh, who plays Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khilji in the movie, with causing physical harm to him for saying that he supported Bhansali. "If you do not take your words back, we will break your legs," Amu said.



The film generated huge amount of protests in several states including the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-ruled State of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh after political activists charged the film's director with distorting the history.
Six members of the 13-member jury of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) have written a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, raising concern over the exclusion of two films - S Durga and Nude - from the Indian Panorama section of the event in Goa.



The IFFI, which opens on Monday, had last week dropped Malayalam film S Durga, directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, and Marathi movie Nude, helmed by Ravi Jadhav, from the segment of the 48th edition of the festival.

The jury members expressed distress over the removal of the films "without any intimation, discussion or recourse to the jury which has the final say according to the Indian Panorama Regulations".

They said the move resulted in the resignation of three jury members, including chairman Sujoy Ghosh.

The letter has been signed by six members - Satarupa Sanyal, Sachin Chatte, Suresh Heblikar, Hari Vishwanath, Ruchi Narain and Gopi Desai.

"All our written correspondence to DFF and NDFC in the matter went unheeded and there was no response or acknowledgment of the same," it said.

The members asserted that finding a solution to the issue at hand was necessary as the debate has more "far-reaching implications for the sanctity of the system put into place after years of work by the ministry".

The letter defended the movies, saying they are relevant in terms of a larger conversation on gender and women empowerment.

Last week, the ministry overruled the recommendation of the IFFI jury and pulled out the two films. According to sources, the ministry objected as the film that was supposed to be screened at IFFI was Sexy Durga and not S Durga, the version cleared by the censor board.

Sources said that Nude could not make the cut as the submission was "technically incomplete".
The Congress and the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday reached an agreement over the issue of reservation for the Patidar community.



"We have reached maximum agreement on the issue of reservation from the Congress side, and a formal announcement and details would be shared by Hardik Patel from Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's constituency of Rajkot on Monday," Dinesh Bhambaniya, PAAS convener and a close aide of Hardik, told mediapersons after a meeting with Congress leaders.

The hour-long meeting was attended by Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and senior party leader Siddharth Patel, while PAAS was represented by 11 members.

Solanki, for his part, said the party has reached an agreement over the issue of reservation for the Patidars in government jobs and educational institutions.

However, neither the Congress nor PAAS was willing to divulge details.

"We have taken forward the discussions from where they had left of the last time. The outcome is positive and the talks were held in an amiable environment," he said.

The Patels, who have traditionally been BJP supporters, led by 24-year-old Hardik, have been agitating since 2015, seeking quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.

The agitation, which witnessed the death of 14 youngsters and several others being jailed, has changed the face of polity in the state. The agitation is also believed to have acted as a catalyst for other communities, including the OBCs and Dalits, to unite and launch a protest. It has also seen the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress trying woo these community leaders into their fold.

While the Congress has been able to woo Alpesh Thakore, who is leading the OBC stir, into its fold, it has been able to convince Dalit youth leader Jignesh Mevani to come out in open support of the party.

Now, their aim is to rope in Hardik, who is believed to have clout over the politically, socially and economically dominant Patel community in the state.

While the Patels comprise 12-14% of the electorate and have influence over 60 of the 182 Assembly seats, OBCs and Dalits account for almost three-fourths of the voters. With the Gujarat Assembly elections due for December 9 and 14, their support could prove crucial for the Congress, which has been out of power in the state for over 22 years.

On the issue of a few Patidar leaders contesting the Assembly polls on the Congress' platform, the party and PAAS denied having any discussion on that front.

While Solanki said the party, "in the interest of the state and the people", may field PAAS leaders, Bhambaniya said, "We have not sought tickets, neither now nor in the past. Reservations have been our first and only demand."
By Carol Rasmussen

1 November 2017(NASA)  New maps of Greenlands coastal seafloor and bedrock beneath its massive ice sheet show that two to four times as many coastal glaciers are at risk of accelerated melting as previously thought.Researchers at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), NASA and 30 other institutions havepublished the most comprehensive, accurate and high-resolution relief maps ever made of Greenlands bedrock and coastal seafloor. Among the many data sources incorporated into the new maps are data from NASAs Ocean Melting Greenland (OMG) campaign.Lead author Mathieu Morlighem of UCI had demonstrated in an earlier paper that data from OMGs survey of the shape and depth, or bathymetry, of the seafloor in Greenlands fjords improved scientists understanding not only of the coastline, but of the inland bedrock beneath glaciers that flow into the ocean. Thats because the bathymetry where a glacier meets the ocean limits the possibilities for the shape of bedrock farther upstream.Above image shows a stretch of Greenlands coastline as created by BedMachine before and after the inclusion of new OMG data. Credit: UCIThe nearer to the shoreline, the more valuable the bathymetry data are for understanding on-shore topography, Morlighem said. What made OMG unique compared to other campaigns is that they got right into the fjords, as close as possible to the glacier fronts. Thats a big help for bedrock mapping. Additionally, the OMG campaign surveyed large sections of the Greenland coast for the first time ever. In fjords for which there are no data, its difficult to estimate how deep the glaciers extend below sea level.The OMG data are only one of many datasets Morlighem and his team used in the ice sheet mapper, which is named BedMachine. Another comprehensive source is NASAs Operation IceBridge airborne surveys. IceBridge measures the ice sheet thickness directly along a planes flight path. This creates a set of long, narrow strips of data rather than a complete map of the ice sheet. Besides NASA, nearly 40 other international collaborators also contributed various types of survey data on different parts of Greenland.No survey, not even OMG, covers every glacier on Greenlands long, convoluted coastline. To infer the bed topography in sparsely studied areas, BedMachine averages between existing data points using physical principles such as the conservation of mass.

The new maps reveal that two to four times more oceanfront glaciers extend deeper than 600 feet (200 meters) below sea level than earlier maps showed. Thats bad news, because the top 600 feet of water around Greenland comes from the Arctic and is relatively cold. The water below it comes from farther south and is 6 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit (3 to 4 degrees Celsius) warmer than the water above. Deeper-seated glaciers are exposed to this warmer water, which melts them more rapidly.Morlighems team used the maps to refine their estimate of Greenlands total volume of ice and its potential to add to global sea level rise, if the ice were to melt completely  which is not expected to occur within the next few hundred years. The new estimate is higher by 2.76 inches (7 centimeters) for a total of 24.34 feet (7.42 meters).OMG Principal Investigator Josh Willis of JPL, who was not involved in producing the maps, said, These results suggest that Greenlands ice is more threatened by changing climate than we had anticipated.On Oct. 23, the five-year OMG campaign completed its second annual set of airborne surveys to measure, for the first time, the amount that warm water around the island is contributing to the loss of the Greenland ice sheet. Besides the one-time bathymetry survey, OMG is collecting annual measurements of the changing height of the ice sheet and the ocean temperature and salinity in more than 200 fjord locations. Morlighem looks forward to improving BedMachines maps with data from the airborne surveys.The maps and related research are in a paper titled BedMachine v3: Complete bed topography and ocean bathymetry mapping of Greenland from multi-beam echo sounding combined with mass conservation in Geophysical Research Letters. Contact Alan Buis

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

818-354-0474

Alan.Buis@jpl.nasa.gov

Brian Bell

University of California, Irvine

949-824-8249

bpbell@uci.edu

New Greenland Maps Show More Glaciers at Risk

ABSTRACT: Greenlands bed topography is a primary control on ice flow, grounding line migration, calving dynamics, and subglacial drainage. Moreover, fjord bathymetry regulates the penetration of warm Atlantic water (AW) that rapidly melts and undercuts Greenlands marine-terminating glaciers. Here we present a new compilation of Greenland bed topography that assimilates seafloor bathymetry and ice thickness data through a mass conservation approach. A new 150 m horizontal resolution bed topography/bathymetric map of Greenland is constructed with seamless transitions at the ice/ocean interface, yielding major improvements over previous data sets, particularly in the marine-terminating sectors of northwest and southeast Greenland. Our map reveals that the total sea level potential of the Greenland ice sheet is 7.42  0.05 m, which is 7 cm greater than previous estimates. Furthermore, it explains recent calving front response of numerous outlet glaciers and reveals new pathways by which AW can access glaciers with marine-based basins, thereby highlighting sectors of Greenland that are most vulnerable to future oceanic forcing.

BedMachine v3: Complete Bed Topography and Ocean Bathymetry Mapping of Greenland From Multibeam Echo Sounding Combined With Mass Conservation
Bonn, Germany, 13 November 2017 (IUCN)  The number of natural World Heritage sites threatened by climate change has grown from 35 to 62 in just three years, with climate change being the fastest growing threat they face, according to a report released today by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, at the UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany.The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2  an update of the 2014 IUCN World Heritage Outlook report  assesses, for the first time, changes in the conservation prospects of all 241 natural World Heritage sites. It examines the threats, protection and management of the sites, and the state of their World Heritage values  the unique features which have earned them their prestigious World Heritage status.According to the assessments, climate change impacts, such as coral bleaching and glacier loss, affect a quarter of all sites  compared to one in seven sites in 2014  and place coral reefs and glaciers among the most threatened ecosystems. Other ecosystems, such as wetlands, low-lying deltas, permafrost and fire sensitive ecosystems are also affected. The report warns that the number of natural World Heritage sites affected by climate change is likely to grow further, as climate change remains the biggest potential threat to natural world heritage.Protection of World Heritage sites is an international responsibility of the same governments that have signed up to the Paris Agreement, says Inger Andersen, IUCN Director General. This IUCN report sends a clear message to the delegates gathered here in Bonn: climate change acts fast and is not sparing the finest treasures of our planet. The scale and the pace at which it is damaging our natural heritage underline the need for urgent and ambitious national commitments and actions to implement the Paris Agreement.World Heritage-listed coral reefs, such as the Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean  the worlds second-largest coral atoll, the Belize Barrier Reef in the Atlantic  the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, and the Great Barrier Reef  the biggest reef on Earth, have been affected by devastating mass coral bleaching events over the last three years, due to rising sea temperatures. The Great Barrier Reef, for instance, has suffered widespread bleaching, with up to 85% of surveyed reefs impacted in 2016.Retreating glaciers, also resulting from rising temperatures, threaten sites such as Kilimanjaro National Park  which boasts Africas highest peak  and the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch  home to the largest Alpine glacier.Natural World Heritage sites play a crucial role supporting local economies and livelihoods, says Tim Badman, Director of IUCNs World Heritage Programme. Their destruction can thus have devastating consequences that go beyond their exceptional beauty and natural value. In Perus Huascaran National Park, for example, melting glaciers affect water supplies and contaminate water and soil due to the release of heavy metals previously trapped under ice. This adds to the urgency of our challenge to protect these places.
By Dino Grandoni

17 November 2017

(The Washington Post)  Despite the drumbeat of opposition to President Trumps political nominees, Senate Democrats havent been able to do much to stop Congress from confirming them.Fourteen Trump picks to executive branch jobs have withdrawn their names after being selected, according to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. Each of those nominees removed themselves from consideration before a Senate committee had the chance to vote.Thus far, no Trump nominee, however, has actually been defeated by the full Senate  it only takes 50 votes, remember, to reject a nomination because Senate Democrats when they last held the majority changed the rules to require just a simple majority to approve executive branch and federal judicial nominations (minus the Supreme Court).Yet, that is.This week, North Carolinas two Republican senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, said they would oppose Michael Doursons nomination as the top chemical safety official at the Environmental Protection Agency.The senators raised concerns about Doursons track record as a consultant for chemical companies when he was a professor at the University of Cincinnati, where he often produced research finding little or no human health risks for their products. Specifically, Burr pointed to contaminated water documented at a North Carolina military base and an unregulated compound known as Gen X, used to produce Teflon and other products, that was discovered in the Cape Fear River.I will not be supporting the nomination of Michael Dourson. With his record and our states history of contamination at Camp Lejeune as well as the current Gen X water issues in Wilmington, I am not confident he is the best choice for our country, Burr said in a statement. [more]
Medical devices manufacturer Abbott is planning a 130m investment in a new facility in Donegal town that would create 200 jobs, it has been reported.

The US healthcare group is finalising plans for expansion of its site in Donegal town, The Sunday Times is reporting.

Abbotts Donegal facility is a center of excellence for blood glucose monitoring and makes products for treating diabetes. The Lurganboy plant opened in 2006 and employs around 200 people.

It is reported the expansion would facilitate the manufacturing of a new product and ultimately lead to the doubling of the Donegal workforce with an investment of between 130m and 140m.

Abbott, which is valued at $97bn (82bn) on the New York stock exchange, has identified diabetes treatment as a growth area, due to ageing populations and rising obesity levels. In its most recent results, for the third quarter of this year, the company said sales of its diabetes care products rose by almost 22%.

The company has developed a sensor-based glucose monitoring system for diabetics, sold under the FreeStyle brand. The product was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a replacement for existing treatments.
Work has commenced on a 15m facilities investment plan aimed at transforming the Airport over the next three years. The investment strategy will see over 15m invested in new passenger facilities, terminal upgrades and infrastructural works across the airport facility and runway.

By the end of the first quarter of 2018 almost 4m worth of major infrastructural projects, to improve the operational efficiency and to upgrade and enhance the airports facilities and services, will have been completed.

Projects to be completed between 2017 and 2019 include:

 Resurfacing of Car Park Zone 5 resulting in 250 permanent surfaced car park spaces less than five minutes walk from the terminal

 Major upgrade of existing car park equipment to the latest state of the art equipment including the introduction of a number plate recognition system

 Construction and re-modelling of new toilet facilities at the airport

 Covered aircraft passenger boarding stairs for passengers boarding and disembarking aircraft

 Re-modelling of immigration and arrivals area creating increased circulation space for arriving passengers

 Upgrading to new flight information display screens across the airport terminal

 Upgrade and replenishment of ground handling equipment and safety and response vehicles

 Enhancements to the airport retail and catering facilities

 Construction of a new Tourist Welcome Centre adjacent to the arrivals area

 Introduction of new digital display screens throughout the airport facility

 Remodeling of departures area creating additional seating capacity and upgrading of furniture

 Upgrading of the existing runway instrument landing system (ILS) enabling enhanced navigation for pilots

 A full resurfacing of the airports 2,400m runway including taxiways and an upgrade of lighting system to LED

This year the airport has commenced a series of critical projects on the airports runway to maintain the highest standard of airport safety and operations. The work includes replacement of existing runway lighting and fittings, major airfield drainage programme, upgrading of the runways instrument landing system and other minor site works.It is planned that in 2019 work will commence on a 10m+ overlay of the airports 2.5km Runway. The current runway is 30 years old and work will involve a resurfacing of the entire runway ensuring this critical infrastructural asset is maintained to serve the region for the next 30 years.

Investment

This latest investment at the airport will also include a major enhancement of the airport experience from a visual perspective with the introduction of a new and modern way finding signage system throughout the airport as well as the implementation of a new brand identity, helping to create a a combination of a lighter and brighter passenger environment and contemporary look and feel throughout the airport terminal.

This transformation programme will provide a major boost for the local economy with the airport utilising the services of a number of local contractors and suppliers to carry out some of these projects.

This latest development plan follows the completion of a number of safety and security related projects, totaling over 2.5 million last year, as the airport continued to invest, with the support of the Department of Transport, in upgrading its facilities whilst ensuring compliance with Irish Aviation Authority requirements from a safety, security and operational perspective.

Commenting on the development plans, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, Ireland West Airport commented, This latest facilities investment programme will adapt, modernise and transform the airport with contemporary elements and future-proof services. It will make the airport more efficient, provide greater flexibility and resilience to the passengers and ensure an even more comfortable and easier journey through the airport. This is especially important at a time when we are experiencing passenger growth and working with our airline partners to introduce more choice in services for our customers.

"We believe these planned improvements will continue to grow our reputation as the faster, easier, friendlier airport of choice for those travelling to and from the West, Midlands and North West of Ireland. Investment in new facilities and in particular continued investment in safety and securityensures the operational environment of the airport will be future-proofed to meet the evolving airline and security needs and to ensure we have the infrastructure needed to handle more passengers and provide them with a positive experience whether arriving or departing as we enter the next phase in the airports development. I wish to express our gratitude for the continued support of our local authority partners and the Departments of Tourism, Transport and Sport and Rural & Community Development towards these developments. In addition, a thank you to our customers whose contributions, through the Airport Development Fee, provide a critical funding support for the airports development plans."
Few things in Congress are bipartisan these days, but one certain to earn immediate attention is the cluster of allegations against one of our candidates for the U.S. Senate. The sanctimonious Sen. John McCain said Roy Moore should immediately step aside and allow the people to elect a candidate they can be proud of.

His exhortation was based on a report by The Washington Post that in 1979 Moore had a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old female. Two more women told a reporter he pursued them when one was 16 and the other 18.

Judge Roy Moore: Charged by a newspaper; tried and convicted by a senator with brain cancer. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who directed millions of dollars to prevent Moore from becoming the Republican nominee, was at least hypothetical in his initial condemnation. He said Moore doesnt belong in the Senate if the allegations are true. Very charitable.

Hopefully, this is nothing more than another example of the desperation of the establishment RINOs, Democrats and mainstream media to maintain power and control.

William H. Bell

Dothan
Congratulations to the National Peanut Festival for a very successful event. Regrettably there were some criminal incidents that occurred at the fairgrounds. One of these incidents involved two of my grandchildren, aged 15 and 14. Two adult males threatened them if they did not

hand over their spending money. Frightened, they complied.

I understand that others had similar encounters. This brings me to the reason for this letter. I strongly believe the NPF committee should plan on installing security cameras for future festivals. These scum that prey on children could be identified and possibly, if they know they are on camera, might be deterred from their sleazy crimes.

Surveillance cameras have proven their worth time after time. Please don't say we can't afford them. Given the insanity occurring around the nation lately, how can we not afford them?

I hope the NPF will give this serious consideration.

Donald Bigbee

Dothan
My folks came from Henry County Alabama. When my older brother died he lived in Montgomery. While I am a native and resident of North Carolina, I consider Alabama my ancestral home. I have always been proud of my Alabama roots. I confess Roy Moore is making me less inclined to brag about my Alabama connections.

I am a retired trial judge. Moore and I both put our left hands on the Bible and raised our right and swore to God to support the constitutions of the United States and of our states. Moore and I both ended those oaths with the words: So help me God!

Occasionally I hear a judge say something like: I do not care what the law is, I have to do what is right. By this they usually mean they will not enforce the laws of the nation or their state if it conflicts with their interpretation of Gods law. I often reply to such with the following question: So, you do not mind committing the sin of violating your solemn oath to God?

An ethical judge can deal with these occasional conflicts in two ways. First, he can recuse himself from hearing that case. If the conflicts occur so often as to impair his ability to carry out the duties of his office, he should resign.

A judges violation of his oath to God to support the national and state constitutions and carry out the laws of the nation and state makes him unfit to wear the robe or carry the title judge. He is also not fit to hold any other public office that requires he take an oath to God to support the constitution and laws of the nation.

The office of United States senator requires such an oath. Moore has already demonstrated that he does not consider himself bound by his solemn oaths to God. The citizens of Alabama, not even considering the recent sexual misconduct allegations, should not send such a man to the United States Senate.

Gary E. Trawick

North Carolina Superior Court Judge (retired)

Burgaw, North Carolina
Louth TD and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, announced at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis last night that he would be stepping down as President. Here is the Ard Fheis Presidential address in full.

A chairde...

Ta failte romhaibh uilig chuig Ard Fheis Shinn Fein.

A special cead mile failte to Friends of Sinn Fein USA and representatives of the North American Labour movement.

Best wishes to the President of the Friends of Sinn Fein USA Jim Cullen, who is seriously ill. Failte also to Friends of Sinn Fein in Canada.

Welcome also to our comrades from Cuba, Greece, Britain, from the Basque country, from GUE-NGL and to all our foreign dignitaries and diplomats.

Slan abhaile to the Cuban Ambassador Hermes and his bean cheile Ana.

Solidarity greetings to the people of Palestine and the Gaza strip. Solidarity also to the people of Catalonia.

Ta mo chuid cainte anocht ar son mo chara agus mo chomradai, agus ar gceannaire, Martin McGuinness agus do Bernie agus a clann ata linn anseo.

We miss Martin. We miss all those comrades who died in the last year. And in the decades of conflict before that.

Spreagann siad muid go dti an la seo lena aisling.

I was first elected Uachtaran Shinn Fein in 1983.

The war in the North was raging but the hunger strikes two years before and the deaths of Bobby Sands and his nine comrades, had dramatically altered the political landscape.

Bobbys election in Fermanagh South Tyrone, Kieran Dohertys in Cavan-Monaghan, Paddy Agnew in Louth, and anti-H-Block/Armagh candidates elsewhere brought us into a new phase of struggle.

Republicans had been at the heart of a culture of resistance - correctly standing strong against the brutality of the British state.

Our leadership set about transforming that into a culture of change.

In my first Ard Fheis speech as Uachtaran I said that we needed an all-island struggle.

I warned against Sinn Fein activists standing on the side-lines; separate from and isolated from the people.

That imperative holds true today.

I told the 1983 Ard Fheis, that: Sinn Feins policies are not just pleasant aims for some future hoped for united Ireland but are tough practical policies which can give leadership now and provide results.

I reiterated our goals  the unity of the people and the end of partition. This had to, and has to, include our unionist neighbours, who, I told the Ard Fheis, have every right to a full and equal involvement in the shaping of the future of this island.

I contended then, as I do today, that the economy should serve the people  not the other way round.

That struggle for equality and fairness continues. And Sinn Fein is now in the leadership of that battle.

Twenty years ago Caoimhghin O Caolain was our sole Teachta Dala. Fear maith Caoimhghin agus do bhean iontach Briege.

Now we have 23 TDs; 7 Seanadoiri; four MEPs representing all parts of this island; 27 MLAs, 7 MPs, and over 250 Councillors.

Today, over half a million people vote for Sinn Fein.

The perpetual unionist majority built into the gerrymandered northern state is gone.

Ba mhaith liom sibh uilig a threaslu as cuidiu chun seo a bhaint amach.

If I was asked to measure the successes of Sinn Fein I would say judge us on the changes we bring about. That is what Sinn Fein is  the republican party for positive change and equality for the people.

Who here remembers, Margaret Thatcher?

For many of my generation she will be forever linked with the hunger strikes.

But she was more than that. Her right wing conservative government increased poverty and destroyed lives.

Thatcherism was for tax breaks for big business and the elites. Thatcher was against workers rights  against

public services.

Recognise the similarities?

Thatcher is gone but her legacy lives on in our Taoiseach.

His republic is limited to 26 counties and extends only to those who get up early to go to the gym, on the way to a highly paid job, with big expenses and a gold plated pension.

Good luck to them.

But Sinn Fein makes no apologies for also standing with those who get up early to commute into cities where they cannot afford to live.

We stand with those who get up early to drop their children to school or the child minder, if they can get childcare.

We stand with those who care for sick friends, neighbours or family.

For those living in rural Ireland without proper services and opportunities.

We stand with those unable to work.

Sinn Fein stands with citizens who work long hours for low pay. Or struggle to pay health costs.

Taoiseach Varadkars republic of opportunity is a me fein republic. A contradiction.

How can Micheal Martin say he is for an Ireland for all when he is propping up a government for the few?

Their conservative me feinism is a million miles away from the vision of the 1916 Proclamation.

A genuine republic would not allow over three thousand children to be homeless.

It would not allow patients, many of them elderly, some of them vulnerable children, to be left lying on hospital trolleys.

Or the six hundred thousand people on growing hospital waiting lists.

A genuine republic would support citizens with intellectual or physical disabilities, and their families.

A genuine Republic would not tolerate disadvantage and inequality.

Or corruption and scandals.

Sinn Fein has a different set of core values.

We believe in rights. We believe in freedom. We believe in equality and solidarity.

Sinn Fein believes that society must be shaped so that all citizens can achieve their full potential.

That includes citizens in rural Ireland.

Our party makes no apologies for supporting public services, including a genuine public health service across this island.

We believe in everyones right to a home.

We also want to extend the vote in Presidential elections to the north and the diaspora.

Sinn Fein fully supports the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

Women and their doctors need legal protections. Women deserve and are entitled to be trusted and respected.

Brexit is the single greatest threat to the Irish people in generations.

That is why Sinn Fein opposed it in the referendum and why we have consistently called for Special Status for the North within the EU.

I commend our spokespersons on the issue and especially our team of MEPs who unlike the Irish government have shown real leadership.

The government has only recently wakened up to the reality that Brexit on British government terms is not acceptable.

It will be disastrous for Irish business and farming in every part of this island. It will destroy the rights of Irish citizens in the north.

It is not compatible with the Good Friday Agreement.

Leo Varadkar needs to stand up for the interests of all the people of the island.

He has a veto. He must use it.

He needs to be more like Michael Collins and less like Hugh Grant.

The Executive collapsed 10 months ago when Martin McGuinness resigned following allegations from within the DUP of corruption by the DUP.

Since March, Sinn Fein, led by Michelle O'Neill, has been working hard to restore the political institutions.

We want to deliver for everyone in the North on the basis of respect, tolerance and equality.

The denial of these modest rights would not be tolerated in Dublin and London.

And it wont be tolerated in the North.

The DUPs opposition to these basic rights means there is no Executive.

The British government has been complicit in this.

Through her pact with the DUP, Theresa May has prioritised her own political survival.

We met the Taoiseach this week and we will meet the British Prime Minister next week.

We told the Taoiseach that it is now time for the governments to act.

If the Executive is to be re-established, the role of the Irish Government will be decisive.

It can be neither neutral or neutered on this matter. These issues arent going away.

The only way forward is through honouring agreements, not breaking them.

No British government has any right to any involvement in Irish affairs.

But until the British government leaves our country, the least they can do is to deliver on their obligations. And the least an Irish government can do is to insist on this.

Those of us who want a United Ireland must articulate that view clearly, and in the context of the Good Friday Agreement.

And we have to persuade our unionist neighbours to support a new and agreed Ireland in which Orange and Green can live together in prosperity and harmony.We have much in common.

An agreed Ireland has to guarantee unionists their rights. The future is for the people to decide - peacefully and democratically.

Several months ago I wrote to the leaders of the political parties and the Independents in the Oireachtas proposing the establishment of an all-party Committee on Irish unity.

The Fianna Fail leader has rejected this. So too has the Taoiseach. Why?

Isnt it telling that the leader of Fianna Fail, the Republican Party and the leader of Fine Gael, the United Ireland Party are preventing the Oireachtas from discussing the future of this island?

So, what will Sinn Fein do?

Sinn Fein will bring forward a White Paper on Irish Unity.

Sinn Fein will make the aim of a new agreed Ireland a primary focus of any government we are part of.

Sinn Fein will campaign for a referendum on unity to be held in the next five years.

Dont let Leo or Micheal try to convince you this is not right or achievable.

It is. And it will be achieved. With or without them.

Sinn Fein will be in government in the North if and when there is agreement. We need to prepare also for being in government on republican terms in Dublin.

Go cinnte, braitheann seo ar an meid Teachtai Dala a bheidh tofa againn.

The Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaderships, the Dublin establishment, including the Independent Media Group, dont want Sinn Fein in government because they and their cronies have run this state for nearly 100 years in their own interests.

They know we will bring an end to corruption, cronyism and gombeenism.

They know a government with Sinn Fein leading it will be an accountable government.

If somebody is in trouble, it will help them.

If somebody has fallen down, it will pick them up.

Ma ta duine ann gan tintain, beidh foscadh ann doibh.

Thats the sort of government that is needed. A government of equality, decency and fairness.

I am very proud to have served Sinn Fein as Uachtaran since 1983.

Of course before our time there were leaders who kept the flame alive. Ta muid buioch daoibhse.

We are also very conscious that twenty of our members were murdered during the conflict. We are indebted to them and their families.

Last year Martin McGuinness and I said that there was a plan for change in the party leadership as part of the process of regeneration and renewal.

Ten years after entering government with Ian Paisley, Martins intention was to step down as Deputy First Minister on May 8th.

Then life punched us in the face.

Martins illness and the 'cash for ash' scandal brought that date forward.

Martin was a leading member of our leadership team.

I have been enormously privileged to be part of an amazing and evolving collective leadership.

It has included in times past, in hard oppressive times, and in different phases, at national level, men and women like Maire Drumm, John Joe McGirl, Joe Cahill, Rita OHare, Lucilita Breathnach, Mitchel McLaughlin, Danny Morrison, Pat Doherty, Martin McGuinness, Tom Hartley, Caoimhghin O Caolain, Jim Gibney, Ted, Desi and Dawn, Sheena Campbell, Sean MacManus, Martin Ferris and many, many more.

Some of them remain active today, along with many others  too many for me to acknowledge tonight.

But may I say I am delighted to see many of you here, especially Councillor Joe Reilly.

Many comrades have given their entire lives to our struggle.

They saw beyond the hardship of the moment and embraced hope.

That resilience, like the peace process is opposed by those who uphold the status quo.

But despite them, we have prevailed.

One of our great achievements has been, with John Hume and others to build a peace process.

We have also recast Sinn Fein into an effective all-Ireland republican party, with clear policy and political objectives, and the means to achieve them through democratic and peaceful forms of struggle where none existed before.

Republicanism has never been stronger. This is our time. We will grow even stronger in the future.

But leadership means knowing when it is time for change.

That time is now.

I will not be standing for the Dail in the next election.

Neither will my friend and comrade Martin Ferris.

I want to thank Martin, Marie and their clann for years of service to the Republic.

This is also my last Ard Fheis as Uachtaran Shinn Fein.

I will ask the incoming Ard Chomhairle to agree a date in 2018 for a special Ard Fheis to elect our next Uachtaran.

I have always seen myself as a team player and a team builder.

I have complete confidence in the leaders we elected this weekend and in the next generation of leaders.

I want to thank everyone who has welcomed me into their homes and communities and who have made me part of countless campaigns, countless elections and countless negotiations.

I want to especially thank the people of west Belfast, and the people of Louth, including Richard McAuley, for your unswerving support and solidarity, and your friendship.

I firmly believe that one person can make a difference.

The first step in making a difference is believing that you can be that person.

One woman  one man  doing their best.

Thats what it takes.

You dont have to do as much as Martin McGuinness did, but we all have to do our best  and we have to do it together.

That is the key to our successes so far.

Doing our best, moving forward, united, strong and together.

Na habair e  dean e.

You are the makers of the future.

You are the nation builders.

You are important.

Never forget that.

Finally, my thanks to Colette.

I have been very lucky.

We are now married forty-seven years.

There have been ups and downs  the Prison Ship Maidstone, Belfast Prison, Long Kesh,

the H-Blocks and years of life on the run.

But love has prevailed over everything life has thrown at us.

We have been blessed with Gearoid, the best son anyone could wish for, and Roisin the best daughter-in-law.

With them came Drithle, Luisne, Anna and Ruadan na gar paisti is fearr sa Domhain.

Is mo ghra sibh uilig.

Mile buiochas a chairde.

An Phoblacht Abu.

Leanfaidh muid ar aghaigh.

Le cheile.
A special memorial mass is taking place in the Augustinian Church, Drogheda, Co. Louth today at 1:15pm for World day of Remembrance for road traffic victims.

According to RSA.ie, the Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was first held in 1993 in the United Kingdom and organised since then by non-governmental organizations in a number of countries.

It was created as a means to give recognition to victims of road traffic crashes and the plight of their loved ones who must cope with the emotional and practical consequences of these events.

On 26 October 2005, the United Nations adopted a resolution which calls for governments to mark the third Sunday in November each year as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Observation of this day provides an opportunity to draw the publics attention to road traffic crashes, their consequences and costs, and the measures which can be taken to prevent them.

The day also provides an opportunity to remind governments and society of their responsibility to make roads safer.

This year the RSA will be joining forces with members of An Garda Siochana, Local County Councils, Emergency Services and victim support groups to mark the day and remember those who have died on our roads at services which will be held across the country.

The RSA have a Facebook event page here where loved ones who died or who were injured on our roads can be remembered.
Open eir have announced that nominations are open for people in Louth to enter the 2018 open eir Silver Surfer Awards.

This is the second year the company will sponsor these awards, which are run in conjunction with Age Action.

The awards recognise the online achievements of older people using technology as well as the volunteers who teach these skills to thousands of older people across Ireland.

Recent CSO figures show that almost half of Irish people aged over 60 have never used the internet, a disturbing statistic in an increasingly online society. Open eir and Age Action are working to change this and to open up the online world for older people in Ireland.

The overall aim of the open eir Silver Surfer Awards is to raise awareness among older people of the benefits of getting online and to encourage those who are not online to give it a try by celebrating those older people already showing the way.

These awards also highlight the positive impact being online makes to everyday life  whether thats learning new skills, running a business, staying in touch with family and friends or getting to grips with social media.

The six categories for the 2018 open eir Silver Surfer Awards are:

The Getting Started IT Award  An older person who is new to technology and has overcome challenges to become an IT user.

 An older person who is new to technology and has overcome challenges to become an IT user. Hobbies on the Net Award  An older person who uses the internet to pursue their passion or hobby, or who uses IT for communication and social networking.

 An older person who uses the internet to pursue their passion or hobby, or who uses IT for communication and social networking. Golden IT Award  An individual over the age of 80 who uses technology to enhance their life.

 An individual over the age of 80 who uses technology to enhance their life. Community Champion IT Award  An older person who uses the internet to benefit their community locally or nationally

 An older person who uses the internet to benefit their community locally or nationally The IT Enthusiast Award  The Give it a Go older person who embraces the internet or technology with a sense of fun and adventure.

 The Give it a Go older person who embraces the internet or technology with a sense of fun and adventure. IT Tutor(s) of the Year Award  An individual or group of any age who provide voluntary support to older learners.

Nominations for the awards are now open.

The closing date for entries is Wednesday, 21st February 2018.

Nominations can be made through the Age Action website (www.ageaction.ie). The awards ceremony takes place in eirs Head Office, 1HSQ, on Tuesday, 17th April 2018.

Speaking about the awards Michelle Toner, Head of CSR, eir said

We are delighted to partner with Age Action once again for these Awards. Having witnessed, first-hand, the amazing and inspiring things that last years entrants were doing online in their everyday lives, we are even more excited for the 2018 Awards.

"Our mission is to get communities in Louth and across Ireland connected and to maximise the benefits of high speed broadband.

"The Awards recognise and celebrate the amazing activities Silver Surfers are doing online, demonstrating the positive difference it can make.

"Its great to see so many older people getting online. I would encourage everyone who is eligible to apply for the awards to do so, that way their efforts can be recognised and celebrated.

Commenting further, John Church, CEO, Age Action spoke about the benefits going online can have for older people;

The open eir Silver Surfer Awards are all about driving home the benefit of being online to older people with the aim of getting more people in Louth to give it a go!

"The awards are also a platform to celebrate older people embracing the digital world and reminds us that learning is a lifelong process. Age should never be a barrier.

"It is hard to believe but almost one in five adults have never used the internet  that is more than 550,000 people in Ireland and older people are the least likely to be online!

"Were delighted to have open eir on board for the awards again this year. Open eir is working hard to bring broadband to communities across Ireland and supporting the Age Action team in ensuring our Silver Surfers get the most of the exciting opportunities available online.

Age Action promotes the awards through its website, social media sites, and its Ageing Matters magazine. The awards are also promoted in secondary schools, libraries, nursing homes and in parish newsletters across the country.

For more information go to www.ageaction.ie
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Republican Sen. Susan Collins said sexual misconduct allegations against President Donald Trump that surfaced during the 2016 campaign "remain very disturbing."

"President Trump was not my choice for the Republican nominee for president, and I did not support him in part because of the way that all of these reports about how he was treating women," the Maine senator told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on This Week Sunday. "He is president now and Im working with him on some issues. But those allegations remain very disturbing."

At least 16 women have come forward alleging misconduct by Trump, ranging from sexual assault to harassment to inappropriate behavior.

Collins made her remarks after Stephanopoulos asked if she expected that the country will now see real change on sexual harassment with the current wave of allegations against prominent men from Hollywood to Washington, D.C.

The senator responded that one problem is that some of the women making the allegations are getting attacked. "Their credibility is undermined," she said.

Stephanopoulos brought up President Trump, saying, "More than a dozen women came forward during the campaign; [Trump] says that every single one of them are lying." "He did say that," Collins said.

At least eight women have accused Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior, which Moore has repeatedly denied. Collins said she believes Moores accusers and hopes Alabama will not elect him to the Senate.

"I did not find him to be credible," Collins said of Moore. "As more and more allegations come forward, that adds to the weight of evidence against him. ... I hope that the good voters of Alabama decide not to send him to the United States Senate."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
I have, for many years, had the habit of taking any small coins (copper) and throwing them into a jar. When the jar is full I have taken them into the bank where they get put into a counting machine after which the teller gives me paper money. It used to be int the US that you could put them into paper rolls and take them to the bank. In the UK they could be measured by weight.

What's the situation in France? I've started a coin jar here and now wonder how I'll get rid of them when the thing is full.
Hi,Hoping that someone may be able to offer me some advice...I am planning on moving to the Bidart / Biarritz area at the beginning of next year and wondered if anyone could give me some information on Preschools in that area? My son is 4 and currently attends a school in the UK (Reception class).My son speaks no French currently and this is a huge concern for me with regards to his learning in French schools. I have looked at Bilingual schools in the area however they are unable to accept him until he turns 6.Has anyone done this move with children of a similar age?Thanks
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A week into the monthlong filing period for next years March primaries, candidates across Texas have begun filing paperwork to make their runs official heading into the 2018 election cycle.

Three of Bexar Countys top elected Democrats, County Judge Nelson Wolff, District Attorney Nicholas Nico LaHood and Commissioner Paul Elizondo, filed for re-election Wednesday at the countys Democratic Party headquarters.

The two local Republican incumbent clerks, County Clerk Gerard Gerry Rickhoff and District Clerk Donna Kay McKinney, have also filed for re-election, along with a slate of incumbent Republican county court-at-law judges.

Wolff and Elizondo, who have combined for nearly five decades on Commissioners Court, said Wednesday they are seeking their final terms in office. Wolff, who turned 77 in October, is vying for his fifth four-year term as county judge, while Elizondo, 82, is running for an unprecedented 10th term on the court.

You get my age, you look easy, Elizondo said. But on the other hand, theres a lot of scalps all over the place.

Many of those seeking office in Bexar County have yet to officially file, but some elected officials and their challengers have already signaled they intend to run, holding campaign kickoffs and appointing campaign treasurers, an initial step that allows candidates to raise and spend funds. The filing period began Nov. 11 and runs until Dec. 11.

Commissioner Tommy Calvert, a first-term Democrat representing Precinct 4, has not yet announced whether hell seek re-election.

The candidate filing period marks the start of a yearlong election cycle leading up to the Nov. 6 midterm election. In addition to county races, voters in March will cast ballots on a U.S. Senate seat, the governorship and other state offices, nearly half the state Senate seats and every spot in the U.S. House and Texas House. The Bexar County ballot will also include five seats on the Fourth Court of Appeals, which covers 32 counties.

Democrats are already trying to cast 2018 as a referendum on President Donald Trump, whose approval rating has hovered around 40 percent for months. Local Republicans have downplayed the Trump effect, pointing to their partys historical success during gubernatorial cycle elections.

Its going to be about the top of the ticket, Bexar County GOP Chair Robert Stovall said. Weve got Sen. (Ted) Cruz and the governor (Greg Abbott), whos done a fantastic job. Theres going to be a lot of work done in Bexar County to get high Republican turnout.

The countys Democratic Party chair, Manuel Medina, pointed to the Democrats success during the Nov. 7 elections, in which the party won governor races in Virginia and New Jersey, picked up seats in the Virginia legislature and captured contested mayoral races in a few major cities.

Medina attributed those wins in part to the national mood.

Donald Trump is one of our best organizing tools, he said. And weve seen it in these elections (on Nov. 7), when we won offices we were supposed to win, but also captured state houses we werent supposed to win.

As filing opened Nov. 11, the Bexar County Democratic Party held a straw poll at Estelas Restaurant on West Martin Street, drawing 442 votes for Democratic candidates expected to run in the 2018 primaries. The poll was intended to attract first-time voters and introduce new candidates, Medina said, and wasnt limited to eligible voters.

Democrats win with higher turnout, Medina said. The goal here is for people to know our candidates and our process, with the end game of winning in 2018.

Among the high-profile primaries is a race between LaHood and his challenger, former prosecutor and longtime attorney Joe Gonzales, who has yet to officially file. The two are former business partners who feuded in court earlier this year when LaHood allegedly threatened to destroy and shut down the legal practice of Gonzales and another attorney.

Stovall said he expects the GOP to run candidates for judge, district attorney and the Precinct 2 spot on Commissioners Court, though no Republicans had filed their candidacy as of Friday.

Meanwhile, three Democrats have announced their bids to unseat Elizondo. Queta Rodriguez, Bexar Countys Veterans Service officer, kicked off her campaign for the seat on Sept. 23, followed less than two weeks later by Mario Bravo, who is seeking his first elected office. Ismael Garcia, Elizondos primary opponent in 2014, has also announced his candidacy.

Medina framed the crowded race as a positive, hoping it might incite progressive voters to go to the polls in March.

What Ive seen so far is a lot of enthusiasm for candidates running for the precinct, Medina said. The more people vote, the more Democrats win.

Democrat Lucy Adame-Clark, the criminal warrants processor for the Bexar County Sheriffs Office, has filed to run for county clerk. Rickhoff, a Republican seeking his seventh term as county clerk, filed Tuesday.

Meanwhile, McKinney announced Saturday she had filed for re-election. At least two Democrats will compete for the chance to challenge her if she wins her primary: Larry Romo, who directed the Selective Service System under the Obama administration, and Mary Angie Garcia, who lost to McKinney in 2014.

The race for Probate Court No. 1 has shaped up so far to be a battle between Kelly Cross, the Republican incumbent, and Oscar Kazen, whom Cross fired in 2016 from his position anchoring the mental-health docket as an associate probate court judge.

Stovall called Cross a strong candidate and said she campaigned hard last election cycle.

The wrong reason to run against someone is because youre mad at them, Stovall said, implying Kazen might be motivated by a feud with Cross.

Kazen said thats not the case.

I just think the probate court needs direction, and it needs a seasoned direction, Kazen said Wednesday at the Democratic Party headquarters. And thats what were not getting with Kelly.

Stovall said the GOP will probably end up with several people running for the Probate Court No. 2 bench, with Judge Tom Rickhoff retiring at the end of the term. None of the candidates had officially filed as of Friday. San Antonio attorney Veronica Vasquez is running for the bench as a Democrat, Medina confirmed.

Voters in March will also decide all 15 county court-at-law seats. Republicans control 14 of the seats, with John D. Longoria sitting on the Court 5 bench as the lone Democrat. Medina said Monday hes still looking for candidates for Courts 10 and 13.

Filing started just four days after an Election Day that yielded Bexar Countys lowest turnout  3.7 percent  in at least 23 years, as far back as the countys online data goes. In 2014, the most recent midterm election year, 31.69 percent of registered Bexar County voters cast ballots.

jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer
Ending (Temporary Protected Status) and deporting legal workers would cost the United States ~$164 billion in GDP over a decade.

 Joaquin Castro on Nov. 1, 2017 in a tweet

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, claimed the U.S. economy would be negatively impacted if the Trump administration eliminated an immigration protection mostly benefiting Central Americans.

The U.S. government routinely reviews whether to extend or terminate a countrys Temporary Protected Status designation, applied to countries with ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and other extraordinary, temporary conditions preventing the safe return of their nationals.

Opponents of this status argue that while the protection is intended to be temporary, some designations are continuously renewed, allowing some recipients to stay in the country for many years. But Castro said ending it would come at a real cost of lost workers.

Ending #TPS and deporting legal workers would cost the United States ~$164 billion in GDP over a decade, Castro tweeted on Nov. 1, ahead of the deadline for the U.S. government to decide on the current TPS status for Honduras and Nicaragua.

The United States on Nov. 6 decided to end Nicaraguas designation, effective in 2019. Honduras designation, set to expire Jan. 5, 2018, was extended until July 5, 2018, because the Department of Homeland Security said it needed more time to obtain and assess additional information.

We wanted to know if Castros claim on gross domestic product losses was accurate.

The congressmans tweet is based on a report from a left-leaning organization whose calculation included immigrants potential lost earnings and industry chain reactions. Another groups estimates, without industry output calculations, found a lower GDP loss of $45.2 billion.

Will ending TPS lead to an estimated $164 billion GDP loss over a decade?

Castros office told us the congressmans claim stemmed from an October report from the Center for American Progress, a liberal public policy research and advocacy organization.

The group supports the designation, which is currently in effect for 10 countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Immigrants living in the United States illegally as well as individuals on a valid nonimmigrant visa may apply for Temporary Protected Status if they meet certain criteria. Receiving the protection allows them to get work permits and avoid deportation, but does not lead to lawful permanent resident status.

The center focused on GDP losses tied to recipients from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti, the countries with the most beneficiaries. TPS holders from those three countries are employed at high rates, and are key contributors to the industries of construction, restaurant and other food services, landscaping services, child care, and grocery stores, the report said.

The groups analysis is based on estimates from the Center for Migration Studies of New York of about 302,000 TPS beneficiaries from those three countries (estimated using recent census data).

If an estimated 244,200 beneficiaries from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti are removed from the workforce, the United States would lose $164 billion in GDP over the next decade, the Center for American Progress report said.

The calculation derives from a broader, separate study on GDP loss resulting from the removal of unauthorized workers in the United States. The researchers multiplied the number of employed TPS recipients with the losses associated with each unauthorized worker.

By both assuming that the skill distribution of the workforce with TPS reflects that of the broader unauthorized workforce and expressing data in 2013 dollars, this analysis reflects a conservative estimate, the report said.

The only other estimate of the potential consequence of ending this program that we could find was even more conservative.

An April report from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center estimated a much lower GDP loss over a decade  $45.2 billion  without the wages of an estimated 190,000 TPS individuals from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti.

Nicole Svajlenka, co-author of the Center for American Progress analysis, said her teams numbers are much higher because they considered all that goes into a GDP, which is beyond earnings.

We take into account workers educational attainment, nativity, and work experience as well as the industry composition to determine what would change if that worker was removed, Svajlenka said. Basically, were simulating some chain reactions  without these workers, some industries would shrink, other workers would shift, etc.

Several researchers we reached out to said they had not done their own, independent analysis on this issue, but did not challenge the Center for American Progress findings.

Our ruling

Castro accurately cited a GDP loss reported by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. But at least one other report pegged a GDP loss three times as small, $45.2 billion. The report Castro used calculated lost earnings and impact on industries, the other report only looked at lost wages.

We rate Castros claim Half True.
Robert Stovall is running for Congress and he has a not-so-secret weapon.

Stovall, 54, the chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party, will move from the sidelines onto the playing field by running for the U.S. District 21 seat being vacated by Lamar Smith. His prospects will be boosted by Brad Parscale, the local web-design entrepreneur who served as the digital director for Donald Trumps victorious 2016 presidential campaign.

Parscale, 41, recently moved his political operations to Florida, but he maintains a home in San Antonio and says he remains engaged in local politics. His connection to Stovall goes back a decade, beginning when Stovall, the owner of a wholesale flower business, was among the first clients for Parscales then-fledgling firm.

When Stovall launched his first campaign for political office  a 2012 run for Bexar County tax assessor-collector that ended in a close loss to Albert Uresti  he turned to Parscale to design his campaign website.

Stovalls son Zachary has worked for Parscales firm, and Stovall recently named Parscales dad, Dwight, to be the vice chairman of the Bexar County GOP.

In other words, its not just politics that connects Stovall and Parscale.

This will probably be the only (2018) race in the country that I will personally support, Parscale said. Roberts a friend and Ive known him a long time. He was very supportive with me during the (Trump) campaign when I had things going a million miles an hour. I believe that hell be a good candidate and a strong advocate for Trumps agenda.

Stovall said friends suggested in recent years that hed be a good fit for Smiths district, when the veteran congressman eventually retired.

The more I heard it, the more I thought it may not be a bad idea, Stovall said.

Stovall was born in Mexico, the child of an Anglo father and a Mexican mother. Hes a devout Catholic and a zealous believer in the power of entrepreneurship. He took over the local GOP leadership in 2013 and has navigated his way through some thorny intra-party skirmishes.

On the one hand, Stovall is a staunch social and economic conservative, and an immigration hawk who supports Trumps border wall concept. In voicing his support for a sanctuary cities ban enacted in Texas this year, he argued that police officers, while working their beats, should be able to ask people about their immigration status.

On the other hand, he backed up Texas House Speaker Joe Straus  a frequent target of hard-core conservatives who consider him overly moderate  when a local group of Republican insurrectionists passed an anti-Straus resolution four months ago.

I believe in minimal government, Stovall said. If we can minimize the reach of government on a day-to-day basis, this country would be much better off. Thats why Im excited about the (new GOP) tax reform bill. If you put more money in peoples pockets, youre going to see them hire more people.

His chances in the District 21 race have been bolstered by the unwillingness of several high-profile Republicans  Straus, state Sen. Donna Campbell, state Rep. Lyle Larson and County Commissioner Kevin Wolff  to jump into the fray. At this point, Stovalls most formidable primary opponent looks like state Rep. Jason Isaac from Dripping Springs.

Parscale, who used micro-targeted social-media advertising pitches to help swing the election for Trump, suggested Friday that he could be helpful to Stovall in a number of ways. But his exact role hasnt yet been defined.

Ill probably take one of two approaches, Parscale said. Either provide data digital marketing help or Ive also thought about using my current PAC (political action committee) or a new one, and then provide support to him.

I have considerable data on that congressional district and have a pretty good road map of what it looks like. It will be a big help to him to have the kind of data that I have, in understanding what the turnout model looks like there. I just have a pretty big arsenal, comparable to other people running down there.

Parscale said Stovalls biggest challenge will be building his name ID in a district that covers parts of San Antonio, Austin and the Hill Country. He expressed confidence, however, that his knowledge of the media preferences of District 21 voters could help Stovall make a big dent on a low budget.

Parscale added, I have a lot of practice doing that.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
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AUSTIN  The leaked movie screenplay based on Wendy Davis abortion filibuster has stirred strong reactions on the right and the left, prompting accusations of literary license run wild and drawing condemnation from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who appears to be portrayed as a buffoonish bad guy.

The screenplay makes no claim to being a faithful record of the 2013 event that riveted people around the nation and vaulted Davis into a Democratic race for governor, ending with a lopsided loss to Republican Greg Abbott.

Its billed as based on a true story, according to the Austin American-Statesman, which obtained a copy of the script.

But the portrayal of the important political moment is a sensitive topic. Some Democrats found it outrageous that a dramatic turn in the debate  when former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte expressed the anger of women everywhere who have been squelched  was given to Davis in the screenplay.

At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room? asked Van de Putte during the filibuster, prompting a raucous demonstration of support from the Senate gallery from those opposing the tighter abortion restrictions. The drama was heightened because Van de Putte had come to the chamber from her fathers funeral.

Van de Putte, a San Antonio Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor on the 2014 ticket with Davis, told me, My phone was blowing up the next day after the screenplay was out.

Among those who quickly contacted her was Davis. The former gubernatorial candidate said as soon as she saw the draft of the script, she told the executive producer that she couldnt accept that portrayal.

I always talk about how extraordinary Leticias presence in that moment was. Understanding what she was dealing with in terms of the loss of her father, her last-minute decision to leave her grieving family and make her way to the Capitol, and then that comment of hers that literally was the spark that lit the flame in the gallery that night, Davis told me. She made that night what it was.

Davis emphasized that the leaked script was far from final, and hadnt yet had her input.

Van de Putte said she wants the script to be accurate, and she particularly doesnt want the Latina senator in the film to look weak or meek. But shes also philosophical, saying, Hey, its Hollywood.

Despite such glitches, Democrats overall appear receptive to the film project, entitled Let Her Speak. A project with strong female characters might find a good reception in Hollywood given the flood of abuse and harassment allegations in the industry and beyond.

I dont know if Hollywood  whatever the abstract entity is you call Hollywood  sees this as redemptive, Davis said. But she said the projects executive producer and writer see this as an opportunity to tell the story of the power that we as women possess, and certainly an opportunity to inspire more of that.

The Republican lieutenant governor sees the project quite differently, irked in part by language in the script. Patricks character in the screenplay at one point tells Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, that Davis appears as tired as a boomtown whore and adds that this is a folksy expression. The line would be out of character for him.

This screenplay is one more anti-Christian project coming out of Hollywood. The portions of the script that I have read contain crude language that was never spoken on the Senate floor simply to attack those of us who were fighting to protect innocent babies, Patrick said in a statement to the Express-News.

Its not just the inaccuracy that bothers Patrick, who was a state senator in 2013 and used then-Lt. Gov. David Dewhursts ham-handed handling of the abortion issue in his campaign to unseat the incumbent.

The screenplay glorifies a woman who was willing to use abortion to grab the limelight and launch a run for statewide office. Since most Americans do not support abortion except in rare cases, I doubt theres a huge audience for a movie that champions abortion and ends with the heroine being trounced by 20 points in a statewide election, Patrick said.

Patrick, who opposed the overwhelming demonstration by abortion-rights supporters as appalling, also said he wouldnt support allowing the Senate chamber to be disrespected again for the sake of creating a movie designed to insult the majority of Texans who are pro life.

The film is far from being made, but a request to use the Senate chamber for it would run into a state restriction against film or video production in historically significant spaces of the Capitol. Those spaces include the Senate chamber, said Chris Currens, executive director of the State Preservation Board.

The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt, used the Senate chamber for a short scene in 2011, but that wasnt arranged through the boards office, Currens said.

As for casting, its too early to know beyond Sandra Bullock as Wendy Davis  but that hasnt stopped people from guessing.

When I asked Van de Putte about who should play her, she said her sweet husband suggested Selma Hayek, while she lofted the name of Kathy Bates.

As for Patrick, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported that Patrick said, when asked about it during an appearance there, I dont know. I would think George Clooney. My wife said I look more like a fat Dan Aykroyd.

pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac
This was echoed by the AACo representative who inspected the bulls on behalf of the company and described them as a great team of bulls and had no hesitation in recommending them to the companys management.
Harry Judd told his now-wife Izzy he was going to marry her within the first few weeks of them knowing each other.

Harry Judd

The McFly drummer has confessed he was desperate to prove to Izzy that he wasn't going to "mess her around" and wanted to make the declaration of love to show her how much he cared for her.

He said: "I knew I had to prove to Izzy that I wouldn't mess her around. I was in a boyband, living a crazy lifestyle where every song went to No 1. I'd been single for a year before we met and, yes, I'd had fun, but it was an empty existence. Despite McFly's clean-cut image, it was different behind the scenes.

"I'd dabbled in marijuana at school, but as we became famous it turned into an addiction. All these amazing things were happening, yet all I could think about was going home to get stoned. We were in America when I realised I needed help. As soon as we landed in the UK, a car took me to the Priory ...

"I met Izzy a few months after that and I was in a much better frame of mind. I loved that she was this kind, normal person with no interest in feeding off my fame. I told her early on that I'd marry her one day. It was a stupid thing to say when we were so young, but I just knew. Everything felt so easy."

Izzy admits she wasn't looking for romance when she first set eyes on the 'One For The Radio' hitmaker but says their chemistry was "instant".

She added to The Sunday Times magazine: "I'd recently come out of a long-term relationship when I met Harry. I wasn't looking to date anyone - and I definitely wasn't a McFly superfan - but our chemistry was instant. I kept thinking, 'Come on Izzy, he's in a boyband, he's probably got six girlfriends,' but as I got to know him, I realised we had the same morals. It felt like there was a magnet between us and I couldn't picture myself without him."
This week, highly-anticipated Netflix original series Marvels The Punisher hit the streaming service, with Jon Bernthal reprising his role as the titular character, otherwise known as Frank Castle. Allowed to push the boundaries of the Marvel Universe like never before, the live-action shows that have debuted on Netflix have without a doubt been some of the most compelling superhero shows out there. The Punisher however, is a different beast. Hes definitely not a hero, but the audience do feel a need to rally behind him. Hes a complex character, and that makes him one of the most interesting out there. An anti-hero, if you will.

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in The Punisher / Credit: Netflix

Unfortunately, critics seem heavily divided when it comes to his solo outing. Whilst there are some good reviews for the show, there are also some terrible ones.

The Good

Mark Hughes, Forbes: The Punisher dives deep into the damaged psyche and personal struggles of its characters (especially protagonist Frank Castle) while offering multiple nuanced important narratives about serious social problems.

Phil Owen, TheWrap: Like all good noir stories, The Punisher can be very dense at times, but in a surprising twist for a Marvel show it does all come together in a way that makes sense.

Amy Glynn, Paste Magazine: The Punisher does in fact stand on its own. And heck, comparing it to some of the other Marvel properties, its good (sorry, Iron Fist). At a small-picture scale, theres solid acting (not mind-bending, but solid), and good production value.

Mike Hale, New York Times: Its handsomely shot and smoothly assembled, and its naturalistic, psychological, more moody than pulpy approach may work for non-comics fans who dont mind some gore with their procedural thrillers.

The Bad

Kelly Kanayama, Nerdist: At a time when mass shootings, gun control debates, and domestic terrorism are all over the news, a show insightful and brave enough to critique our culture of violence might have had a real impact. The Punisher is not that show.

Allison Shoemaker, RogerEbert.com: If the characters feel underdeveloped, theyre nothing to the filmmaking. There are some interesting shots here and there, and The Punishers directors on the whole make the most of Bernthals physical immediacy, but its hard to shake the feelings that the series is constantly trying to match up to that first Daredevil hallway fight and falling far short.

Kelly Lawler, USA Today: Theres a certain queasiness to watching this series in context, and a smarter show than The Punisher might have offered something that could add to the conversation. Unfortunately, the series is mostly a dull, superficial shoot-em-up.

-

Of course, we encourage everybody to make up their own minds! To see The Punisher, head on over to Netflix where the entirety of season 1 is available now.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Gap Inc., a leading global retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children, has elected Chris ONeill to board of directors, effective February 4, 2018. Gap Inc. products are available in more than 90 countries, through about 3,200 company-operated stores, about 450 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites.ONeill is currently chief executive officer of Evernote Corporation. Since joining the company in 2015, he has overseen the increase of Evernotes base to over 220 million users globally and established strong financial and operational foundations to sustain Evernotes future growth. Tasked with leading Evernote through its next stage, ONeill is focussed on delivering product innovation and continuing Evernotes global expansion.

Gap Inc., a leading global retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children, has elected Chris O'Neill to board of directors, effective February 4, 2018. Gap Inc. products are available in more than 90 countries, through about 3,200 company-operated stores, about 450 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites.#

Prior to joining Evernote, ONeill spent 10 years in numerous leadership roles with Google, including Google [x], the companys experimental research and development organisation. He is also credited for his work as managing director of Google Canada where he doubled the Canadian business in just under three years.Bob Fisher, chairman of the board, Gap Inc. said, Chris is a proven leader in the technology industry and brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and creativity to our board of directors. His expertise will be a great asset to the company as we enter our next phase of growth.ONeill said, Gap Inc. has had a profound impact on the retail industry. Im honoured to join Gap Inc.s board of directors and help the company as it evolves and focuses on its balanced growth strategy.ONeill holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration from Dartmouth College. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Cotton & Care, launched earlier this year, has entered the growing online direct-to-consumer bedding market with an uncommon approach: USA manufacturing and a charitable giving back model. Using premium cotton grown in California, spun to yarn in the South, then woven, cut, and sewn in the Carolinas, Cotton & Care's product line is made entirely in the USA.The brand was formed earlier this year in Las Vegas by business partners with a background in consumer banking. Co-founder Evan Feldman explains: "It was important to build a brand that we could be proud of. To us this meant going with the ethical choice each step of the way. Understanding the differences in labour conditions and environmental standards between the United States and abroad, we knew that manufacturing here was the way to go. We found that this also gave us the ability to have increased oversight into the quality and authenticity of our product. With recent testing showing that much of the Egyptian cotton bedding on the market is truly mislabeled, poor quality substitutes, this was another key advantage."

Cotton & Care, launched earlier this year, has entered the growing online direct-to-consumer bedding market with an uncommon approach: USA manufacturing and a charitable giving back model. Using premium cotton grown in California, spun to yarn in the South, then woven, cut, and sewn in the Carolinas, Cotton & Care's product line is made entirely in the USA.#

While American-made apparel has gained attention in the last few years, American-made bedding is practically non-existent. Worse, it's missing from the shelves of the big box stores entirely; if you want Made in USA bed sheets, the only option is online retailers like Cotton & Care. However, as Feldman points out, "even the high-end internet bedding labels that have been gaining popularity are manufacturing in India, Europe, or South America, and still charging steep prices for their products."Cotton & Care's initial product line consists of a sheet set or pair of pillowcases made of ultra-premium Supima cotton, the US-grown equivalent of extra-long staple Egyptian cotton. The colour selection is currently limited to classic white, though expanded options are slated for next year. Prices for the complete sheet set start at $119 and Cotton & Care pledges to donate 50 per cent of their profits to a worthy cause. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
AXA Strategic Ventures (ASV), a global company backed by AXA, specialized in venture capital investment with 450M$ of assets under management, has launched a new fund of funds.

Dominic Maier, former Vice President at Adams Street Partners, has been appointed as Principal to lead this new fund. Based in London, he will report to Francois Robinet, Managing Partner of AXA Strategic Ventures.

ASV Fund of Funds, called ASV Diversified, will deploy 175M$ in a global portfolio of top-tier venture capital funds. ASV will partner with seed, early and growth stage managers with access to next-generation entrepreneurs at the forefront of technology.

The fund will commit between 5M$ and 15M$ in managers with experienced teams and proven track records.

Prior to joining AXA Strategic Ventures, Maier was a Vice President at Adams Street Partners in the Global Primary Investment team based in London. He gained extensive experience evaluating funds ranging from technology and life sciences venture capital, growth capital and buyout funds, as well as monitoring investments as a member of Advisory Boards. Before that, Maier worked at EY in their Financial Services Business Modelling team where he worked on transactions in the banking and asset management sub-sectors.

Maier is a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. He holds a First Class degree in Accounting, Auditing & Finance from Lancaster University Management School and is fluent in Swedish and Croatian.

FinSMEs

19/11/2017
Axios, a NYC- and Washington DC-based media startup, raised $20m in its second funding round.

Backers included E.ventures, Greycroft Partners, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, WndrCo, NBCUniversal, Emerson Collective and Greg Penner.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand its data analysis capacity, develop new products, enter new coverage areas and grow the audience.

Co-founded by Jim VandeHei, Roy Schwartz and Mike Allen, Axios is a new media company delivering news and analysis covering media trends, tech, business and politics.

The company currently has a staff of 89 people and plans to almost double this number within 2018.

FinSMEs

19/11/2017
Kabbage Inc., an Atlanta, GA-based global financial services, technology and data platform serving small businesses, received a $200m asset-backed revolving credit facility from Credit Suisse, a global financial institution.

The new facility  which brings total debt-funding capacity to $750m  aims to enable the company to scale faster to serve more small businesses as it expands into higher lines-of-credit with longer terms tailored to the needs of its customers.

In March 2017, Kabbage issued the largest securitization to-date in the online small-business lending space, which was followed by a $25 million upsize in August 2017. The new revolving credit facility will be issued by Kabbage Asset Funding 2017-A LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kabbage Inc.

Kabbage provides a financial services data and technology platform to offer automated funding to small businesses quickly. It leverages data generated through business activity such as accounting data, online sales, shipping and dozens of other sources to understand performance and deliver fast, flexible funding in real time. The company is funded and backed by SoftBank Group Corp., BlueRun Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Thomvest Ventures, SoftBank Capital, Reverence Capital Partners, the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund, ING, Santander InnoVentures, Scotiabank and TCW/Craton.

All Kabbage U.S.-based loans are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC.

FinSMEs

19/11/2017
Editor's note: In a prolific career spanning nearly four decades, Satyajit Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. His films have received worldwide critical acclaim and won him several awards, honours and recognition  both in India and elsewhere. In this column starting 25 June 2017, we discuss and dissect the films of Satyajit Ray (whose 96th birth anniversary was this May), in a bid to understand what really makes him one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.

In his 37-year-long film career, Satyajit Ray adapted the works of Rabindranath Tagore a total of four times. In order of chronology, these films were  Postmaster, Monihara (The Lost Jewels), Samapti (The Conclusion), Charulata (The Lonely Wife) and Ghare Baire (The Home and the World). While the first three of these films received high critical acclaim, Ghare Baire received a lot of flak from critics and the common man alike. Some have even gone on to say that it was one of the three weakest films of Rays career, let down by poor writing, terrible casting choices, a frightful lack of economy and disjoint set pieces that just didnt hold together.

Ghare Baire is an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagores 1916 novel of the same name. The film revolves around its three central characters. Theres Bimala, the wife of an early 20th century aristocrat in Bengal. Theres her loving husband Nikhilesh Chowdhury  an educated, soft-spoken and revered nobleman of refined tastes. And finally, theres Nikhileshs friend Sandip Mukherjee  a charismatic revolutionary waging war against British rule in India through the Swadeshi movement.

Bimala and Nikhilesh live a happy and prosperous life together. Having received his education in the Occident, Nikhilesh does not believe in keeping his wife confined to the interiors of the household. He appoints a British music teacher for her, converses with her on a vast range of subjects and generally encourages her to come out of the house and step into the world outside. Bimala is happy receiving the tutelage of Mrs Higgins, singing highland ballads, playing the piano and leaving the supervision of household chores in the hands of her not-so-fortunate and widowed sister-in-law. But things change when Nikhileshs friend Sandip comes to live with them for a few days. Sandip leads the revolt against the British empire, and his fiery speeches, magnetic charm and unshakable conviction towards the cause stirs up several emotions in Bimalas heart  those that she had never experienced before, ever since she had been married into the Chowdhury household as an underage girl.

Sandip takes advantage of this and embarks upon a dangerous game of seduction, drawing Bimala closer to himself bit by bit, knowing fully well that the coveted path to Nikhileshs coffers runs through the heart of his beloved wife. Bimala finds a sense of purpose in Sandips movement, and without understanding the true nature of it or its far-reaching implications, she submits to it with full devotion. What the unsuspecting woman does not realise is that Sandip is not who he says he is, and that in the garb of a revolutionary, he is just a scheming profiteer, rolling in the same pleasures that he encourages others to give up. Nikhilesh himself is opposed to the British rule in India, but he does not believe in the radical approach of the Swadeshi movement, because he knows that such a movement will cause irreparable financial harm to the livelihood of the poor. He prefers the other, seemingly more civilised approach of debate and discourse to get the British to leave. Despite this, and despite realising that his wife is slowly being enamoured by his friends charms, Nikhilesh allows Sandip to stay in his house. And by the time Bimala is apprised of Sandips true colours, it is too late, in more ways than one.

The greatest strength of Ghare Baire is its story. The biggest weakness of the film is the execution of that same story. While Tagore weaves a beautiful tale of love, companionship, deceit and freedom (in the most wholesome sense of the term) against the backdrop of the nationalist movement after Lord Curzons partition of Bengal, Ray stretches the story too thin with unconvincing portrayals of its trio of characters. The film is held together by nothing other than over two hours of dialogue, the camera seems too lazy to do anything other than staying on the face of the characters delivering their lines, theres hardly any emoting, and wherever there is any, it tries to overcompensate, leading to disastrous results. More than anything else, Ghare Baire is perhaps the first film in which Ray seemed to have lost his grip on his audience. It is not like he hadnt made subpar films in the past, by his own standards. But never before had he completely misread the pulse of those who would view his film. Whatever precious little that works in the film is only because of the story and the story alone.

It is painful to see frequent Ray collaborator and veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee struggling to grasp the character of Sandip throughout the entire film  resulting in nothing short of a debacle. He simply isnt convincing enough, and not for want of trying. Chatterjee has played flawed characters in Rays films before, but this time, his charms simply dont work. Swatilekha Sengupta is clearly a misfit in the role of Bimala  a casting error of epic proportions. To put it mildly, her acting is wooden, her face devoid of any emotion whatsoever and both in physical features (which is understandable) and in her performance (which is not), she is a far cry from Tagores Bimala. Perhaps the only saving grace of the film, when it comes to the performances, is Victor Banerjee in the role of the reticent and mild-mannered aristocrat Nikhilesh Chowdhury. In most of his scenes, Banerjee manages to get under the skin of his character, and plays it with the right mix of cautious optimism and silent despair. You cant help but feel for him in that one scene where Bimala realises her mistake, breaks down and apologises to him, and he simply embraces his wife by saying, Its not your fault  for the last 10 years, I am the only man whose face youve seen.

Ghare Baire remains that rare Satyajit Ray film which is not just weak, but is also a tragic loss of opportunity. What could have been a wonderful adaptation turns out to be an underwhelming coming together of the greatest mind in Indian literature and the brightest gem of Indian cinema.

Bhaskar Chattopadhyay is an author and translator. His translations include 14: Stories That Inspired Satyajit Ray, and his original works include the mystery novels Patang, Penumbra and Here Falls The Shadow.
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein allegedly drew up a "secret hit list" of nearly 100 actors, publicists, producers and financers in an attempt to silence his sexual harassment victims.

The list, which was obtained by The Guardian's sister paper Observer, was compiled earlier this year and supposedly includes names of targets Weinstein hoped he could prevent from going public. The report adds that Weinstein handed the list to private investigators to extract information from anyone who might have been aware of his long history of sexual misconduct. Thought not all the names were shared by the website, there were some familiar ones.

Among them were Rose McGowan, Sophie Dix, and Laura Madden, all of whom have accused the producer of sexual harassment. Many of the names were highlighted in red to indicate targets Weinstein believed posed great risk to him.

It was reported last week that Weinstein had hired journalists and highly trained ex-spies and military personnel in order to stop accusers from going public with sexual misconduct claims against him.

In the month since The New Yorker and The New York Times published allegations of producer Weinstein's serial predatory behaviour, some 100 women have since accused him of misconduct ranging from harassment to rape. This, in turn, unleashed an avalanche of similar charges against other prominent men in Hollywood.
"The studio has voluntarily deferred the release date of Padmavati from 1 December, 2017. Along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, amongst the most gifted film makers of his generation, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in Padmavati that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our countrys story-telling prowess across the globe. We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification. We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Queen, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and many more."
A little over a decade ago, one of my first assignments as a rookie film journalist was to call Hrishikesh Mukherjee for a quick phone interview. I dialed his landline. Sorry beta, Im just back from the hospital. Can we talk next week? he asked. Sure, thank you, I replied, put down the phone and burst into tears. Whoever before or after that lovely gent would ever addresses a young stranger with such nonchalant kindness!

I was always familiar with, though never wild about Hrishidas pool of multiple genre hits, from tear-jerkers like Milli, Anand, dramas like Abhimaan and comedies like Bawarchi and Khoobsurat. Whatever the genre, the un-laboured gentleness of the man himself  so apparent in a brief, inconsequential telephone conversation  shone through all his films. To date, filmmakers resort to quoting him to give a context to their slice-of-real-life, middle-class oriented Indian films. Case in point, hit du jour Tumhari Sulus producer Atul Kasbekar, whos said that his Vidya Balan film is a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film for us set in modern day; an urban, well-written comedic kind of space.

Notwithstanding the irrepressible Balan, no film  including Hrishidas own, IMHO - can withstand the sheer Tsunami of slice-of-life, madcap delight thats Golmaal. My cable television go-to, I can chortle and giggle with the 1979 Amol Palekar-Utpal Dutt starrer on loop any day. Both terrific actors received Filmfare awards for their roles in the film, Palekar easily edging out Amitabh Bachchan (Mr Natwarlal) and Rishi Kapoor (Sargam) that year. Everything in the film worked organically  from the goofy twin brother fraud executed by a smashing ensemble cast to RD Burmans breezy music and Gulzars everyday quirky lyrics (apart from the sublime 'Aanewala Pal', my favourite lyrics are from the song 'Ek Din Sapna Mein Dekha Sapna' which go  Lata gaa rahi thi, main table pe the, wo mukhde pe thi, main antare pe tha)

But above all, Golmaal works through decades because it was made in a more innocent  and cleaner, literally  time. Id hardly call it naive though. Lightness of being is more like it. Problems of a growing megalopolis notwithstanding, being middle class Indian in the seventies was all kinds of cool. Bombay (as it was known then) was the sort of place you wanted to live in, romance in BEST buses and hang out at Samovar Cafe flirting with baby boomers in bellbottoms and bush shirts... Hrishidas cinema was accessible, never mundane or contrived. Contemporary actors like (and by like, I mean only them) Ayushman Khurana and Bhumi Pednekar  in the exceptionally charming Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Shubh Mangal Savdhan  are perfectly relatable, lovable middle-class Palekars of our times, but theyre unfortunately saddled with a much more complex and louder socio-cultural milieu.

Community Politics

If Hrishidas pioneering middle road cinema flourished in the home environment, Basu Chatterjees Chhoti Si Baat (1975) was a realistically romantic slice of office life in the urban India of the Seventies. As Arun (Amol Palekar) and Prabha (Vidya Sinha) romance all over Bandra and South Bombay, their employer, Jackson Tolaram Private Limited is the sort of cosmopolitan office space where Parsis, Maharashtrians, Malyalis and Gujratis quibble good-heartedly. Three years later, Basuda trained his easy breezy romantic oeuvre on different communities that defined Bombay. In Khatta Meetha (1978), a Parsi widower Homi Mistry (Ashok Kumar) and widow Nargis Sethna (Pearl Padamsee) decide to get married with their respective, temperamental broods tagging along unwillingly. He followed it up with Baaton Baaton Mein (1979) in which the lovely Nancy (Tina Munim) romanced Tony Braganza (Palekar) in the 9.30 am local and her home in Bandra where the family tapped their feet to the adorable 'Uthe sab ke kadam, dekho rumpumpum'

Unlike Hrishidas genteel characters, Basuda tended towards crafting slightly naughty and smarmy fellows, like Palekars bombastic love guru Colonel Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh (Ashok Kumar) in Chhoti Si Baat. That naughty, risque streak culminated in Shaukeen (1982) where a troika of sixty-something gents travel to Goa to lech at and woo a young girl, an adult comedy that was nowhere as innocent and all encompassing as Golmaal.

Tortoises, hares and detergent salesgirls

Rounding up the troika of middle-of-the-road cinema of the early Eighties are Sai Paranjapes films, where she mercifully found a replacement for Amol Palekar. As the studious Siddharth in Chashme Buddoor (1981) and the flamboyant and selfish hare Bashu to Nasseruddin Shahs Rajaram the tortoise in the magnificent Katha (1983) the late Farooq Sheikh brought his own brand of youthful charm to the middle-class hero. He also made one of the most underrated romantic couples on the Indian screen (a personal favourite) with Deepti Naval. Whether sticking a single hibiscus flower in her hair or demonstrating Chamko detergent powder to a smitten bachelor, Naval took on the mantle of the middle-class girl next door with subtlety, grace and oodles of charm.

Their romance was as much with life as it was with each other. Real, breezy and so uniquely representative of an urbane India that it promptly strikes you with longing, even if you arent terribly sentimental.
The Rajasthan government has asked schools in Jaipur to ensure teachers and students attend a "spiritual fair" where issues ranging from "love jihad" and "Christian conspiracies" to "vegetarianism" and declaring cow as "national mother", are at the centre of attention, according to media reports.

According to directions of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vasudev Devnani, government and private schools in Jaipur have been asked to help organisers of the fair by getting students to attend it, Jaipurs additional district education officer Deepak Shukla told The Indian Express.

The Indian Express report quoted Shukla as saying that the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair (HSSF) itself got in touch with government and private schools. The officer is further reported to have said that they are helping the organisers of the fair pursuant to a directive from the minister.

The fair has been organised over a period of five days. The stated objective of the fair, according to its website is to "convey the message of way of living through the Saanatan Dharam which accepted peaceful co-existence." However, several themes touched upon indicated that the fair sought to propogate a message which was hardly 'peaceful co-existence.'

For instance, the Bajrang Dal was distributing pamphlets on 'love jihad,' while the Vishwa Hindu Parishad reiterated its demand for constructing a Ram temple at Ayodhya, according to The Wire. A Bajrang Dal pamphlet advises parents to call Muslims as 'dirty, exploitative, terrorists' in conversations with their daughters.

Pamphlets being distributed at the venue accuse Muslims of trying to woo Hindu girls with an agenda of converting them to Islam, India Today reported. These freesheets list out ways of how Muslim men indulge in love jihad, and also ways to counter the "trend".

According to the pamphlet, one can know if a girl is falling prey to 'love jihad' by checking her notebooks and phones. "Check your daughter's mobile phone, who does she call, whose numbers are saved in the mobile, who do they text; checking all this will give you a lot of information," the pamphlet said.

A pamphlet, which the VHP and Bajrang Dal members are distributing for free, also features a morphed photograph of Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor, with half her face covered by a niqab, and a bindi on her forehead, The Times of India reported.

A section in the instructions on "how to save your daughter or sister from love lihad" says that actors like Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan marry Hindu girls, ensnare them and then desert them, adding that Muslim men, generally, sell girls and kill them in some cases, the report added.

A Bharatiya Hindu Sena stall asks fair attendees to commit to make India "an entirely Hindu nation" and to "construct a magnificent temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya", while the stall of Baba Jaigurudev Dharm Vikas Sansthan, helps people take a pledge for vegetarianism, the Indian Express report said.

Caste outfits such as the Rajasthan Brahmin Mahasabha, Shri Dhobi (Rajak) Ekta Manch, Akhil Bharatiya Khatik Samaj and the Kshatriya Yuvak Sangh are also present at the fair.
Nagpur: Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has offered to mediate in the Ayodhya dispute, on Saturday said he is meeting people and discussing the issue with them to find a solution.

The spiritual leader was in Nagpur to attend 'Swar Sammohini', a programme by RSS' musical troupe. During the event, the spiritual leader shared the dais with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

After the event, when he was asked whether he held talks with Bhagwat over the Ayodhya issue, he told reporters, "I came to attend the programme."

On finding an amicable solution to the Ram temple dispute, Ravi Shankar said, "See all this does not happen immediately. We are meeting people and holding talks with them. We will see what happens."

Ravi Shankar is in the city as part of the three-day 'Anta Ranga' programme organised by the Art of Living.

The spiritual leader's offer for mediating in the dispute has received a tepid and sceptical response from stakeholders on both sides, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) voicing reservations about his role.

A day before visiting Ayodhya earlier this week, Ravi Shankar met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, but said he had no proposal yet to discuss with the stakeholders.

In 2010, the Allahabad High Court had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77-acre area at Ayodhya among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla.

The Supreme Court will hear the case on 5 December, the eve the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.
Patna: Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital authorities in Bihar have imposed Rs 50,000 fine each on 54 second-year students for ragging their juniors, an official said on Saturday.

DMCH Principal RK Sinha imposed the fine. The students have been directed to pay the penalty amount by 25 November, the official added.

Failing to pay the fine would invite stern action, the college authorities said. The guardians of the 54 students have been informed.

The college authorities took the action after its Anti-Ragging Committee submitted a report. The Committee was formed on a directive of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

On 11 November, a first-year student of the DMCH living in the college hostel complained to the MCI about the ragging incident. She accused the senior students of repeated ragging.

"The victim complained that she was abused, beaten and mentally tortured. She alleged in her written complaint that the seniors put pressure on her for one work or another," an official said.

The MCI on 16 November directed the DMCH to take action.

Last week in a similar incident, the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College administration in Bhagalpur had imposed Rs 25,000 fine each on 33 second-year students for ragging their juniors.

Principal Arjun Singh imposed the fine of Rs 8.25 lakh on the 33 students of the 2016 batch for ragging the 2017-batch students earlier in November.
New Delhi: Hours after slight improvement in the air quality of Delhi-NCR, the national capital again started inhaling toxins as the quality of air deteriorated from "poor" in the morning to "very poor" in the evening on Saturday.

The major pollutant, PM2.5, or particles with diameter less than 2.5 micro metre, was recorded above 300 units.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Saturday recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi-NCR at 301 and Delhi recorded 308 at 7 pm.

PM2.5 across Delhi and NCR was above 300 units throughout the day at least 12 times beyond the safe limit.

On Saturday evening, Ghaziabad was most polluted in NCR with the city recording 370 units, Gurgaon recorded 325 units. While Noida recorded 363 units, Faridabad recorded 315 units.

Mahesh Palawat, director of Skymet, a private weather forecast agency, said due to rain, dust particles had settled in the morning.

"However, by evening, there was a fall in temperature and the wind speed was low, hence the particles got condensed and there was a drop in the air quality."

He added Delhi may again witness drizzling on Saturday tonight and the pollution level could go down.

According to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), an app instituted by the Ministry of Earth Science, Delhi's air quality on Saturday evening was "very poor" and is expected to remain "very poor" for next three days.

Of 10 monitoring stations of SAFAR spread across Delhi-NCR, 7 recorded very poor air quality with Mathura road in south Delhi and IGI T-3 recording the worst PM2.5 concentration at least 320 units.

Earlier in the morning, notably, most of the 17 monitoring stations of the CPCB in Delhi found air quality on Saturday in the "poor" bracket.

In neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, the AQI also showed "poor" category.

Experts said the rain in the national capital on Friday night and early Saturday morning was responsible for the improvement in air quality.

Palawat said air quality had improved due to overnight rain, wind from the northwest and cyclonic formation in Rajasthan.

"The western disturbance has moved away from hills and hill states that have witnessed rainfall and snowfall. So winds from northwest with speed of upto 15 kilometre per hour are bringing pollution levels down. The situation will be better day-by-day," Palawat said in the morning.

He said rains always had a washout effect on particulate matter.

SAFAR records 24-hour rolling averages of PM10 and PM2.5 and uses this data to estimate the AQI. PM10 and PM2.5 are ultra-fine particles that are the dominant pollutants in Delhi. The acceptable levels of PM10 and PM 2.5 are 100g/m3 and 60g/m3 respectively.

The larger particulate matter, measured by PM10, docked at 199 g/m3 in the morning while PM2.5, which measures very poor and more dangerous particulate matter, hovered around 130 g/m3.

An official of the India Meteorological Department said the city recorded one mm rainfall in the 24 hours till 8.30 am. on Saturday.

The Safdarjung observatory recorded 1 millimetre rainfall, Palam 0.4 millimetre, Lodi Road 0.2 millimetre, Ayanagar 0.3 millimetre and Ridge 0.4 millimetre.
The killing of six militants, including Owaid, the nephew of Lashkar-e-Taibas (LeT) top commander, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, may have been claimed by the security forces as a major success, but the LeT remains a fierce outfit and commands a group of over 60 militants in Kashmir. The LeT comprises both locals and foreigners and remains the deadliest militant outfit in Kashmir. In the LeT, there are 70 percent foreign militants and 30 percent locals.

Inspector General of police Kashmir range, Muneer Ahmad Khan, told Firstpost that among the militant outfits the Hizbul Mujahideen has the largest cadre, which is followed by the LeT. He said that of nearly 200 militants, who are active in Kashmir, 120 are associated with Hizbul Mujahideen and others belong to different outfits including the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

A steady stream of infiltration from across the border, as well as local recruitment, has ensured that the LeT is the second largest militant group in Kashmir. In the Hizbul Mujahideen, 95 percent of the militants are local recruits, and 5 percent are foreigners.

According to security officials, the Hizbul Mujahideen cadre also comprises of militants who have been active for even less than a year and are not well trained. The LeT, on the other hand, is considered to be one of the deadliest militant outfits in Kashmir. Unlike the JeM, which is known for the fidayeen attacks, the LeT militants are known to survive for a long time by managing to give the security forces a slip from different encounter sites.

Both the LeTs Abu Dujanawho had later joined the Zakir Musa-led Ansar Ghazwatul Hindand Abu Ismail were responsible for a number of militant attacks. Ismail and Dujana had inflicted heavy losses on the forces, attacked the security camps of the forces as well as the convoys travelling on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Ismail was responsible for the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel outside the Delhi Public School which had left an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and a constable dead and three soldiers injured.

The ease with which militants contact young people to recruit them is seen as a major challenge by the forces. Moreover, infiltration from across the border also ensures that the number of active militants is not brought down to zero. A Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) report has noted that the ongoing militancy in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is intrinsically linked with infiltration from across the border, both from the International border as well as the Line of Control in J&K. As per the MHA figures, the reported infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 was 277, 222, 121, and 364. The corresponding figures for net infiltration were 97, 65, 33 and 112. This year, till 1 August, 285 infiltration attempts were reported. There were 228 ceasefire violations in areas guarded by the Army, and 221 violations in areas controlled by the BSF. At least 75 militants have managed to sneak into state from across the border in nine months up to September this year, the security estimates reveal.

A senior security official said that the LeT has commanders heading different areas in Kashmir, who are also well trained. In the encounter on Saturday, along with Owaid, Mehmood Bhai, the district commander of LeT for Bandipora, was also killed. The LeT doesnt have a dearth of people who can replace them as commanders, he said.

Police officials said that the six militants who were killed outside a house in Hajin area of north Kashmir in Bandipora were planning a meeting when security forces cordoned the area. The meeting would have been about beefing up the militancy in Kashmir and planning some more attacks, before the security forces acted on a specific tip-off and killed them. The militants went outside the house and engaged in a gunfight which lasted for around half an hour in the afternoon, said a police official. He added that in Hajin area, the militants have often been spotted and there are at least four other foreign militants who remain active in the area.  We managed to trap the militants after launching a swift operation and there are some militants active in Hajin and we will soon achieve a breakthrough, said Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Kashmir Range, Vidhi Kumar Birdi.
Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis apologised to the barber community after he made an analogy about the prefession to target the Congress-NCP government over incomplete projects.

Fadnavis, while speaking at a programme near Pune on 9 November, had said that during the previous Congress-NCP government, various irrigation schemes were left incomplete as money was not being provided for them.

To highlight his point, he had said, "In the garb of schemes, the houses and vaults of contractors were being filled (with money). Just like a barber shaves half beard of one man and half portion of hair of another to prevent customers from leaving when there is a long queue. Similarly, these people (previous government) gave a little cream to everybody, that left the works incomplete."

"Our government is doing the work of completing these pending schemes now. In another two years, we shall complete all of them and farmers will benefit," he had said.

Following Fadnavis' comments, the barber community held protests at some places, including Osmanabad district, and put up posters showing him with half beard and with only half portion of the head sporting hair.

Facing backlash, Fadnavis on Saturday wrote a letter to the association of barbers and apologised for his comments.

"I only wanted to stress on how the previous government left projects incomplete and in doing so, I unintentionally gave an example. I did not mean to hurt the sentiments of anybody in doing so," Fadnavis said.

"Yet, adverse reactions were brought to my notice. I wish to clarify that there was no intention of hurting anybody's sentiments. I express my apology to the barber community as their sentiments have been hurt," he said.
Amaq news agency, a news outlet linked to the Islamic State, claimed that the terrorist group was behind the attack in Zakura area of Srinagar on 17 November, according to several media reports.

Amaq news agency of IS claimed they carried out its first attack in Kashmir. As per the news agency, the attack in Zakura area of Srinagar on Nov 17 was carried by IS, in which one police officer was killed & another was injured. The agency is considered as a news platform for IS pic.twitter.com/cByUSDvqcx  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 19, 2017

A sub-inspector was killed and a special police officer (SPO) was injured in the attack by militants in Zakura area on the outskirts of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

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 and injuring a SPO, a police official said on Friday.

The police team managed to intercept the car and apprehended one militant. According to an India Today report, one militant Mugees Ahmad Mir was killed in retaliation.

The report added that Mugees was believed to be part of Zakir Musa group which claims to be a wing of Al-Qaeda in the Valley.

According to The Indian Express report, Jammu and Kashmir Police is verifying the claims made by the news agency.

These are claims which need to be verified. We are investigating the matter. This is also the third outfit in the valley which has claimed responsibility. It is too early to comment, IGP Muneer Khan was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

A DNA report cited SITE Intel Group, a jihadist/far right and far left news provider, tweeting that Islamic State claimed the responsibility for Zakura attack.

The report added that besides Islamic State, Tehreek-ul-Mujhadeen and Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind also claimed responsibility for the attack.

The New Indian Express on Saturday quoted an intelligence report on Spread of ISIS ideology in Kashmir saying a twitter handle @JackMoosa posted message with posters on 23 October regarding Islamic State officially announcing formation of its first group in Kashmir.

"The twitter handle @JackMoosa claimed that the message shown in these posters was originally by pro-ISIS Telegram channel Waliyah Kashmir. The message content reveals that a local terrorist from Kashmir would assure his allegiance to ISIS very soon. This twitter handle also released a promo picture of upcoming video  Bayah from Kashmir to spread Islamic States ideology in Kashmir, The New Indian Express quoted the intelligence report.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India's stature globally.

According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee.

"The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said.

The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM between 2004 and 2014. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said.

Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by PV Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence.

The trust said Singh has been responsible for making India's voice heard more effectively at international forums.

"The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, prolonged period of communal

harmony, peace on the country's borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India's standing in the global community of nations," the statement said.

The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The award has been announced on the eve of Gandhi's birth anniversary, which falls tomorrow.

The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao had said Thushar was behind an alleged BJP bid to poach TRS MLAs.
Hyderabad: Nine persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly converting children from poor families in Telangana to Islam under the pretext of providing them free education, food and shelter here, the police said.

Police rescued 17 children in age group of 4-15 years, including seven girls, from the premises of an unrecognised school in Moula Ali area on the complaint of the Child Welfare Committee.

Out of the ten accused in the case, police arrested prime accused Mohammed Siddiqi alias Satyanarayana and eight others.

"Siddiqi and eight others allegedly lured parents from interior areas of Bhadrachalam, Mahabubnagar, Khammam and Warangal districts of Telangana and made them believe that their children will get free education along with accommodation and food facilities," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Malkajgiri Division) G Sandeep said.

He said the accused converted the children to Islam and started imparting them Urdu and Arabic studies.

"They converted the children to Islam, but didn't change their names. Their motive was to convert as many children as possible," the officer said.

During the investigation, police found that Siddiqui and nine persons were indulged in religious conversion of the minors, mostly belonging to SC/ST communities.

"As many as 17 children including seven girls, all in the age group of 4 to 15 years, were converted," Sandeep said, adding that police have seized Islamic literature from the spot.

The ACP said Siddiqui converted to Islam in 2003-2004 and started Peace Orphan Society in Warangal. He was running a school-cum-hostel in Hyderabad since the last year.

A case was registered against the accused persons under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, 363 (kidnapping), 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC and relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Police are probing whether the accused received funding from abroad, the ACP added.
Microblogging website Twitter on Saturday suspended the official account of Pakistan Defence, a forum dedicated to the country's armed forces, after a tweet involving a morphed image of a Delhi University activist was posted, according to media reports.

A search for the verified Twitter account of Pakistan Defence, which operated under the handle @defencepk, returned the following message:

On Saturday, Pakistan Defence posted an image of a Delhi University student Kawalpreet Kaur standing in front of Delhi's Jama Masjid with a placard reading: "I am an Indian but I hate India, because India is a colonial entity that has occupied nations such as Nagas, Kahmiris, Manipuris, Hyderabad, Junagarh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa," according to a report in The Times of India.

Soon, Twitter users pointed out that the image was doctored. In the original image, the placard held by Kaur bears the following message: "I am a citizen of India and I stand with secular values of our Constitution. I will write against communal mob lynching of Muslims in our country #CitizensAgainstMobLynching."

Other than running malicious campaigns against several Pakistani journalists/activists, defencepk was also morphing photos to further its propaganda: pic.twitter.com/qK7ZLQM29G  Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) November 18, 2017

Please take down this picture immediately, @defencepk. You are using a morphed image of a young girl and putting her life in danger. Dear @TwitterSupport, @Raheelk, @misskaul, please take note. Here's the original picture: pic.twitter.com/jec2GzXnmF  Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) November 18, 2017

India Today reported that the image was later deleted by the Twitter account.

Pakistan Defence's website, which isn't officially associated with the country's government, says its now-suspended Twitter handle was followed by almost 3,08,500 people. The forum calls itself a "one stop resource for Pakistan defence, strategic affairs, security issues, world defence and military affairs," the report added.

Kaur later thanked users who flagged the morphed image:

The account of @defencepk has been suspended by twitter for posting my unverified & morphed pictures. Grateful to all who reported it in large numbers. The message of the picture shouldn't be lost in these dark times. No nation wants lynchings & killings. Only bigots wants hate.  Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) November 18, 2017



Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan Defence also falsely tweeted that India had "refused to avail the generous offer made by #Pakistan to facilitate a meeting" between Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a military court for alleged involvement in espionage, and his wife, according to Hindustan Times.

However, India accepted the offer, and asked for Jadhavs mother to be included in the meeting.

The report added that the forum's Facebook page was also suspended after the factually inaccurate posts on Saturday.
Srinagar: Restrictions in parts of Srinagar continued for the second day on Sunday in view of a strike called by separatists against the recent anti-militancy operations conducted by security forces in the Valley.

Restrictions in eight police station areas continued for the second day on Sunday, a police official said.

He said the curbs were in force in Khanyar, MR Gunj, Nowahtta, Rainawari, Safakadal, Maisuma, Kralkhud and Parimpora police station areas of the city.

The restrictions were imposed as a preventive measure to maintain law and order in view of the strike called by the separatists.

The restrictions were first imposed on Saturday in the wake of killing of a militant in a shootout with police in the outskirts of the city on Friday.

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) on Friday evening.

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.

Mir, a resident of Parimpora in the city, was brought home dead last evening after he was injured in the shoot-out. The slain militant was an associate of Zakir Musa, who left the Hizbul Mujahideen to float an Islamic State affiliate in Kashmir.

Mir's killing was followed by the killing of six LeT militants in Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district in an encounter on Saturday.

Later in the night, the separatists called for a shutdown on Sunday against these killings.

In a joint statement, the separatists, comprising chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference - Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq - and JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik, called for complete shutdown for today against the cordon and search operations being carried out by armed forces in the Valley.

The separatist troika said, "section of youth feels forced to find expression to their political aspirations and will by resorting to armed means because of stubbornness on the part of Government of India with regard to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut in Srinagar due to the strike, the police official said.

However, he said, the weekly flea market, along the TRC Chowk-Batamaloo axis through Lal Chowk city centre, was open. The official said public transport was sparse, but private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying in many areas of the city.

Similar reports were received from other district headquarters of the Valley, he said.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor appears to have landed in hot water for his tweets on demonetisation that associated the name of Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar to rupee coins. After Tharoor found himself at the receiving end of a social media backlash, the National Commission for Women said it will summon him over the remark.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP quipped on the micro-blogging site about how the BJP made a "mistake to demonetise our currency" and how "even our Chhillar has become Miss World."

What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

The politician immediately faced backlash over these comments. Tharoor, sensing how his tweets weren't taken in as light-hearted a manner as he expected, apologised for the joke. He posted on both Facebook and Twitter that he meant no offence to Chhillar with his jab at the central government.

Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

As the tweet above mentions, Tharoor had complimented the Miss World winner for her "terrific answer" during the Question and Answer round of the pageant. In the competition, Chhillar had responded to the question 'Which profession in the world deserves the highest salary and why?' by saying, "My mother has been my biggest inspiration, so I have to say, a mother's job. It is not always about cash, but love and respect as well. A mother deserves that the most."

What a terrific answer by this bright young woman -- a real credit to Indian values! #missworldmanushi https://t.co/0gCQxlqD5L  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

News18 reported that the NCW will summon Shashi Tharoor regarding his "derogatory and degrading tweet" on Chhillar. When asked about Tharoor's second tweet apologising for the incident, NCW chief Rekha Sharma said that she accepted the apology but would summon the leader nonetheless.

NCW condemn the tweet of @INCIndia leader @ShashiTharoor. He degraded the achievement of daughter of #haryana and #India who got glory to the country. Will he call his own daughter chillar? He must apologize immediately. https://t.co/WD6q49vUo8  NCW (@NCWIndia) November 19, 2017

The NCW Twitter handle also issued its condemnation of the comment. "Will he call his own daughter chillar? He must apologize immediately," the organisation said.

Manushi Chhillar won the Miss World title in China on Saturday. India has won the title after 16 years.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has hit out at the AAP government, saying lack of preparedness in tackling pollution in the national capital shows "failure of governance", and pitched for a Centre-led panel to deal with the issue of pollution.

Dikshit also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation for making "pronouncements" but not following them up, and said the government used its run-ins with the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as an "excuse" for not delivering.

The veteran Congress leader said the Delhi government "failed" to anticipate the pollution crisis despite it being a repeat of that last year when stubble burning was again supposed to have been a major cause for toxic air.

"It is nothing that has happened which wasn't expected and not to be prepared for it is a failure of governance," Dikshit told PTI in New Delhi in an interview.

She called for a committee to deal with the issue.

"I personally feel now that the government of India should make a committee of people representing Punjab, Haryana, UP and of course Delhi and see that before the stubbling takes place, a method is found on how to deal with it (stubble burning)," the three-time chief minister of Delhi said.

A "substantially knowledgeable" panel has to be formed, she said, adding that it must comprise experts, who can find a solution to the problem of increasing pollution.

On the issue of stubble or crop residue burning, Dikshit said the Delhi government should have worked with the Punjab, Haryana and the Uttar Pradesh governments to find an alternative to it.

She also suggested that governments look into pooling in resources to deploy machines which can roll up the stubble so that it can be used for something else rather than being burnt, which significantly leads to smoke and pollution.

The National Green Tribunal had earlier this month issued a slew of directions to deal with the worsening air quality in Delhi and neighbouring states, banning construction, industrial activities and entry of trucks, while lambasting the Delhi government and civic bodies for the situation.

Dikshit, who was the chief minister of Delhi from 1998-2013, also said there was a need to have a vision for Delhi which was "all collapsing" as a capital city.

Slamming the AAP dispensation for not following up on their promises, she alleged that even the work which her government had started, such as north Delhi's Signature Bridge project, was not being completed.

On the LG-AAP government frequent confrontations, she said Delhi did not have full statehood and so it lacked the kind of freedom that UP, Madhya Pradesh or Haryana enjoyed.

The government has to work within the framework of the Constitution applicable to Delhi and it is to be done with the central government's cooperation, the 79-year-old leader said.

"But to keep on saying (that the Centre is not allowing them to work) now looks as though it is an excuse not to do anything," she said, adding that under her administration Delhi changed despite the system and the Constitution being the same.

"You are finding excuses for not working, blaming everybody else except yourself. Why are you not working," Dikshit said about the AAP government.

Stressing that cooperation was an important factor in governance, she said the AAP government should resolve its differences with the LG and the Centre for the good of Delhi's residents.

"Everybody is interested in making this look like a real capital city and it had started looking like a capital city. It is one of the top capitals of the world but now it's all collapsing," Dikshit lamented.
Agartala: The Tripura government has made it mandatory to display the tribal name and language on signboards, name plates and other notice boards in all government buildings, an official said on Sunday.

"We have recently issued notification making it compulsory that tribal name and languages must be displayed on the signboards, name plates and other notice boards in all state government, semi-government, autonomous bodies and educational institutions in and outside the state," the state's Kokborok and Minority Language Department Director Subal Debbarma told IANS.

He said that a high powered committee has been formed to supervise the work of writing tribal name and "Kokboroka language".

Following the Tripura government's persistent demand, the Union civil aviation ministry has been making flight information announcements at Agartala airport in tribal "Kokborok" language in addition to Hindi, English and Bengali.

Tribals constitute a third of Tripura's 3.7 million people. Of the state's 1,166,813 tribals, over 60 percent communicate in Kokborok language, which is also an official language of the state since January 1979.

Veteran tribal leader and Communist Party of India-Marxist Lok Sabha member, Jitendra Chaudhary, said that the state government has been demanding inclusion of Kokborok language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

The Borok or tribal Tripuris live not only in Tripura but also in other northeastern states, Uttarakhand and neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan comprising about 1.5 million in number, he said.

Chaudhary, who is also the deputy chief whip of the Left party in parliament and a former Tripura Minister, said the state government had set up a separate directorate for development of the Kokborok and other minority languages.

Kokborok is being taught now in schools and colleges in Tripura as one of the language subjects up to degree level and Tripura (Central) University has also introduced a short-term course in Kokborok.
Kolkata: Eighty-seven students were rushed to hospital for a check-up after a dead lizard was found in one of the student's mid-day meal plate at a state-run primary school in West Bengal's Bankura district, an official said on Saturday.

The incident took place in Mandarmani Primary School in Bankura district's Onda on Friday afternoon.

According to district administration, none of the students fell ill and most of them were discharged from the hospital after primary check-up.

"There was panic among the students after a dead lizard was found in one of their classmates' food... The district administration and school authorities took them to the local hospital immediately for check-up, but none was found seriously ill," Monirul Islam, Block Medical Officer of Onda, told IANS.

"Most of the students were released immediately after check-up. Two or three of them were kept in the hospital overnight under observation. However, all of them were released on Saturday)," Islam, also the Superintendent of Onda Super-specialty Hospital, said.

The local police also said they were notified about the incident and confirmed that none of the students fell seriously ill.
Sirsa, Haryana: With the self-proclaimed godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan sentenced to jail for 20 years for raping two devotees, his vast Dera Sacha Sauda empire has begun to crumble.

The 69-year-old religious organisation, which was reported to have an annual income of more than Rs 60 crore and enjoyed an exemption from paying tax, strategically set up its headquarters in Sirsa district of Haryana, bordering Punjab and Rajasthan.

Ever since the sect was set up in 1948 under the leadership of Shah Mastana, it turned out to be an empathetic abode for those facing discrimination at the hands of upper caste Sikhs, who held authority at the gurudwaras.

The net worth of the Dera as well as its following shot up dramatically once Ram Rahim took over the reins from Shah Satnam in 1990.

Dera identifies as a spiritual organisation and propagates that devotees need not shun their religion to enroll in their order.

This convenience, coupled with an opportunity to experience equality among the sects followers, drew many of the regions Sikhs to the fold.

The friction between the Dera and Sikh bodies in the region reached its zenith in 2007, when Ram Rahim appeared in the garb of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh during an event in Bathinda. This led to violent clashes between Dera followers and Sikhs and death threats to Ram Rahim, who went on to receive Z-plus security cover.

Driven by discrimination

Virender Bhatia, a Dera critic who had been warning people not to fall into the clutches of Ram Rahim, said the reason behind Sikhs joining the Dera was the discrimination they faced at the hands of the upper caste jat Sikhs.

The gurudwaras in Punjab are dominated by upper caste Sikhs, while the Majhabi Sikhs, Rai Sikhs, Odh and Ramdasiya communities always felt humiliated. This led them towards the Dera, which promised respect and equality, he explains.

Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa, head of Shree Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha, a state-level organisation with its head office in Kurukshetra, said the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, started a homecoming campaign to bring the disillusioned families back into the fold. The Satkar Sabha was formed in 2004 to include and educate the Sikhs who had been turning towards sects such as Dera.

Khalsa says hundreds of premis, as the followers of Ram Rahim are called, in the Malwa belt of Punjab have returned to mainstream Sikhism by accepting Siropa at the Gurudwara under the Ji Aya Nu (Welcome home) programme. The families associated with the Dera are returning in droves as the truth is out now. We are accepting them with all the humility and respect since they want to correct their mistake at the gurudwara, he says.

The Namcharcha ghar, where the premis used to congregate for prayers on Sundays, has remained closed since Ram Rahims arrest.

Rajinder Singh, a resident of Desujodha village in Sirsa, says his eight-member family regularly attended the Sunday congregation of the sect for nine years while his children studied in institutes run by the Dera.

We had been hearing about allegations against Pitaji from our neighbours and in the media, but we were brainwashed into believing that Ram Rahim was a pious saint. This was a conspiracy, he said.

Methods to madness

Singh said Dera representatives called him to Panchkula on 25 Augustthe day Ram Rahim was convicted of rape, after which his followers went berserskon the pretext of attending a gathering for a film, but was taken aback when violence erupted and he had to run for cover.

While Singh denied being paid to be present at Panchkula, the Haryana Police earlier said that Honeypreet Insaan, the adopted daughter of Ram Rahim, distributed Rs 1.25 crore through two Dera members to Ram Rahim's followers to spread violence in Panchkula.

A month after the Panchkula violence, I returned to Sikhism and vowed to abide by its values, he said.

Mamta Rani, a former Dera follower of four years from Dabwali in Sirsa, said despite protests from her husband and son, she joined the Dera because she was moved by what other women said about Ram Rahim.

I believed what I was told. I revered Ram Rahim like god but his misdeeds have shamed die-hard followers like me, she said, adding she returned to Sikhism and is a regular at the local gurudwara.

Gyan Chand, a resident of Rania in Sirsa district, who identifies as a Hindu from the OBC category, said he was inspired to join the sect 12 years ago by neighbours and relatives attending the Dera.

The sense of community and respect that he experienced at the Dera led him to returning to the Dera with his family, Chand said, adding that his family was devastated to know of Ram Rahims conviction for raping two disciples.

We used to talk about morality when people criticised Dera. That was our way to silence them. But we havent been able to face society after law of the land found him guilty. All his sermons have lost relevance, said Chand, who works as a security guard in the neighbouring village of Maujukhera.

We can never ever call him Pitaji [anymore]. It never occurred to us that we would see such a day, said Chand, adding that he has thrown in the Ghagghar river his MSG locket and a photo frame of Ram Rahim.

Employment, the driving force

Rahul Setia, 30, who used to work as a salesman in the sects MSG hotel, said the Dera runs a chain of hotels, restaurants, factories, educational and medical institutes where thousands from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been employed.

The construction work at sects sprawling 700-acre campus and farm work on about 500 acres employ skilled and unskilled labourers around the year. He said those employed in the sects projects work around an unwritten agreement that binds them and their families to be followers of the Dera and publicise it.

Sunil Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, said he was employed in construction work along with 20 others from his state. We used to earn Rs 15,000 per month for 18 hours of masonry work every day. It was compulsory for us to wear the MSG locket, said Sunil, adding that he threw the locket away and left his job after Ram Rahim was jailed.

Baljeet Singh Daduwal, a member of the Satkar Sabha, said no one has been stopping Dera devotees from holding their meetings at the Naamcharcha ghar, but they are gradually starting to visit the Gurudwaras. Employment and financial gain were the main attraction for many to follow the Dera. Since that system has crashed, people want to correct their ways and return to Sikhism, he added.

Sat Singh and Vijay Jasuja are Haryana-based reporters. Both are members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014, it marked the beginning of the worlds largest ever sanitation drive. Three years down the line, a survey conducted by the Quality Council of India (QCI) found that access to toilets for rural households has increased manifold to over 62 percent, and that over 90 percent of those who have access to a toilet use it on a regular basis.

Given the nations subcontinent-like size with a population of 1.2 billion and counting, this is indeed a job well done. However, the provision of accessible and affordable sanitation services remains a key challenge area.

Therefore, this achievement should not be treated as an end in itself. It underlines the necessity of making more such facilities and maintaining them, which is a herculean task. We need a well construed approach to bring the entire population under the Clean India Mission.

There are a few factors that still weigh against the countrys long march towards making it a cleaner and more hygienic place to live in. These are awareness, accessibility, and affordability, or the three As.

Creating awareness about public sanitation requires a well-orchestrated nation-wide campaign with government agencies in association with NGOs, media, citizens and other players working in tandem at the grass roots.

These awareness campaigns should be aimed at making a behavioural shift in the attitudes of the people at the ground level. The target audience, to begin with, should be children and students, who can understand the concept more easily than elders.

Access is another issue that comes in the way of ensuring healthier sanitation facilities. In this regard, an appropriate model should rope in civic bodies to identify suitable locations to set up such facilities.

They should break away from the ritual of building conventional sanitation facilities that suffer from the non-availability of critical elements such as water, electricity and maintenance.

There is an urgent need to adopt new innovations and technologies in sanitation and align them with changing urban dynamics. With around 100 Smart cities planned across India, the implementation of smart, intelligent sanitation solutions is the need of the hour. A well-developed sanitation infrastructure also ensures judicious use of water and power.

The third 'A' is affordability. Taking a peek into the past might be instructive. It will give us some ideas about how to make all the three A's work. Setting up and maintaining public utilities such as safe, secure and hygienic public sanitation facilities is apportioned to the corporate sector as well.

Corporates have been generous in giving funding towards the creation of quality sanitation infrastructure for the public, women and school children under corporate social responsibility. This is an encouraging trend and there are several success stories worth emulating across India.

It is my view that while creating awareness can be left to government agencies and non-governmental organisation (NGOs) at the grass roots, the private sector has a larger role to play in ensuring a wider awareness to the needy.

As World Toilet Day is observed on 19 November, this occasion is yet another reminder for every stakeholder involved, to relook at the priorities in terms of constructing and maintaining public sanitation facilities.

Eram Scientific Solutions, the pioneers of Indias automated toilet revolution, finds it more than fitting to spread the message of Responsible Pubic Sanitation centred on the three A's of awareness, access and affordability.

Therefore, one need not look elsewhere to find sustainable and enduring solutions to the question of providing responsible public sanitation to all.

Putting this trinity to work will change the sanitation landscape of the country. Betting on these winning horses will also help the country gallop several yards in the Human Development Index (HDI), provided the leadership concerned shows the political will to pave the way to achieve this ultimate goal.

The author is Managing Director, Eram Scientific Solutions. Eram Scientific is an Research and Development-focused social enterprise of the West Asia-based Eram Group, operating primarily in the water and sanitation sector. The group has built 2,500 automated toilets across India. They won the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge award by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as also a Rs three-crore grant.
Gurgaon: World's biggest toilet pot model was unveiled at Marora, popularly known as the "Trump village", in Haryana on the World Toilet Day on Sunday in a bid to create awareness towards sanitation and use of toilets.

The nondescript village, with a population of 1,800, in Mewat region was in June rechristened as "Trump village" by NGO Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in a gesture to US president Donald Trump ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington.

The Nuh district administration, however, later said the move to rename the village was "illegal", forcing the organisation members to remove boards mentioning the new name.

A mega pot of toilet made up of iron, fibre, wood and plaster of Paris  measuring 20x10 feet  was unveiled in the hamlet to mark the World Toilet Day, which is observed on 19 November to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.

Sanitation expert and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak and other dignitaries inaugurated the "biggest toilet pot of the world" model and dedicated another 95 new household toilets to the residents of the village.

"It's a symbolic gesture to inaugurate a large toilet pot at Trump village to mark the World Toilet Day to create awareness among people towards the use of toilets and safe sanitation," Pathak said.

He said the large pot replica would be moved to Delhi's Sulabh Toilet Museum.

Pathak had in June announced in Washington his decision to adopt Marora. He had said the move was aimed to encourage businessmen to adopt villages in India to promote sanitation.

Since then, Sulabh International has carried out the construction of toilets for every household and set up of a vocational training centre for girls in the village.

"Organising a programme in a remote village of Haryana on the World Toilet Day was a promotional concept in connection with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make villages in India free from open defecation on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary year in 2019," Pathak said.

"Trump's slogan is 'Make America Great Again' and our Prime Minister's credo is 'Make in India', so I thought why not make a humble beginning honouring the friendship of the two," he said.

Apart from inaugurating individual toilets, two books on the use of toilets and sanitation were also released.

Pathak said he hoped the move would win enough attention and goodwill to raise awareness for a major social problem.

Puneet Ahluwalia, a member of the ruling Republican Party of the US, speaking on the occasion, said the initiative would go long way to motivate masses towards cleanliness and safe sanitation.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday claimed that the law and order situation was improving in the state and said that criminals will be either jailed or killed in encounters, The Times of India reported.

Adityanath's statement came at a rally in Ghaziabad, where he was campaigning ahead of the three-phase local body elections in the state.

"Before March 2017, industries, traders and the youth were fleeing Uttar Pradesh owing to crime and disorder. However, with stability in law and order, the state has attracted investment," Adityanath was quoted by the publication as saying.

Adityanath said that maintaining law and order across the state has been his priority ever since he took power in March 2017.

Hindustan Times reported that Adityanath made special mention of Reena Bhati, a BJP candidate whose husband Gajendra was gunned down on 2 September and said that the criminal element must be stopped from entering politics.

"We will ensure that they are dealt with in a hard manner, Hindustan Times quoted Adityanath as saying.

Adityanath added that the government will make the life hell for those who do not believe in the rule of law.

According to a report in NDTV, Uttar Pradesh has seen a spike in encounter killings since Adityanath took over as chief minister.

The report noted that thre were more than 430 encounters in the first six months of BJP government. This roughly translated to one encounter every 12 hours.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited ailing Congress veteran ND Tiwari at a city hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

The former UP chief minister had on Saturday become unresponsive when he was being given physiotherapy and was shifted to the hospital's ICU.

He is undergoing treatment at the private hospital for the last several days.

Adityanath assured all possible help to the ailing politician, Tiwari's family said.
Editor's note: Under the norms of the caste system, Dalits were denied the pen. Before the advent of Dalit literature in India, much of Dalit history was oral in nature. Their lives were not available to them in written form, and even when available, it was a depiction by those who had no experiential connection with Dalits.

It was Dr BR Ambedkar who stressed on literary assertion as a means to struggle against the caste system. Thus began the ceaseless movement of literary assertion by Dalits, who went on to write powerful stories about their lives. It marked a resurrection of their experiential world, which had been appropriated by the pens of Savarnas.

Poems, stories, novels, biographies, autobiographies produced by Dalits established a new body of literature in which, for the first time, the downtrodden took centrestage. People who had been denied what humanity considers the basics, started to transform the lives of others like them, through the written word.

As this movement of literary assertion by Dalits grew stronger, the unseen side of India  the side that is brutal and inhumane  became visible to the world. Maharashtra was at the forefront of this revolution that has, over the last six decades, helped transform the worldview about Dalit lives. Almost all of the writers who shaped the early theoretical discourse of Dalit literature were from Maharashtra and in this series, we revisit the lives and works of 10 distinguished Dalit writers from the state  and their impact on the literary world.

In this column, we look at the literary legacy of Sharankumar Limbale.

***

On tracing the history of literary criticism in India, you'll find that the written literature of India  in the vernacular as well as English languages  has been shaped by the experiential canvas of domination. What this means is  Brahmins wrote and critically looked at other Savarnas' works.

Literature, being the unspoken turf of the Savanas, over which their domination was unchallenged, had never been able to produce works that could grasp the culture, music or art that belonged to the community of people who they had made 'untouchables'. When Dalit literature appeared first, it was despised, rejected as a 'literature' itself. However, Dalit (read: Ambedkarite) writers have understood the need to theorise the literature they have been writing. What impelled them to theorise their literature? Didnt their literature already have a theory? And how did each contributor build this theory with his/her own interpretations, largely shaped by the experiential world they shared with the consciousness of their community?

Baburao Baguls work, Dalit Sahityache Krantivigyan (roughly translates as 'Revolutionary Science of Dalit Literature') was one of the first and brilliant attempts to provide theory to Dalit literature. Being his predecessor in this domain of theory making, Sharankumar Limbale broadened the scope of such attempts. Born in 1956 in Maharashtra, Limbales life was not easy. If one happens to read his autobiographical book, Akkarmashi (meaning 'Outcast') one feels discomforted, and of course, one might even not like it for its stark depiction of Limbale's life. It also separates itself from the experiential perceptive world of readers whose reading tastes were nurtured by the literature of Savarnas.

Limbales Akkarmashi is undoubtedly a seminal book in its own right. However, Limbales biggest contribution to Dalit literature is his book, Towards an Aesthetic of Dalit Literature. NS Phadke, a Brahmin writer and critic of Dalit literature, said: The kinds of contexts and events that are needed to add colour to a novel are not found in Dalits lives. Of course, the ignorance of writers like Phadke towards Dalit literature stems from their historical blindness towards Dalit lives  which they could never connect with, at an empirical or theoretical level.

Sartre once said: "The literary object is a peculiar top which exists only in movement. To make it come into view a concrete act called reading is necessary, and it lasts only as long as this act can last." Since the nature of the caste system prohibits Brahmins from reading the Dalits lives in entirety, Brahminical critiques of Dalit literature are not only invalid but also oppressive. They come out of ignorance, as well as a strong urge to negate the existence of Dalits.

When explaining the underlying faults of Phadke's writing, Limbale explained, "Phadke finds it difficult to build this structure from the hut of the untouchables, but Arun Sadhu, Jaywant Dalvi, and Madhu Mangesh Karnik, [all are Savarna writers, emphasis is this columnist's] have written novels on Dalit life. Dalit writers have published numerous novels. Because of his formalistic perspective, Phadke cannot see events and contexts in the lives of Dalits as worthy of gripping fiction."

Limbales critique and his theoretical formulation about the ignorance of Brahminical agency sounds mature since it was formulated at a time when Dalit literature had achieved a significant status, especially outside India and was being given serious thought by scholars overseas. Nevertheless, it is a triumph of Dalit writers like Limbale, who wrote fervently  across genres  to reclaim their personhood, to assert their humanity. The works of Dalit writers were the bricks that built the wall of theory around Dalit literature. In this view, Limbales contribution to Dalit literature is immense.

Limbal has written more than 40 books. Akkarmashi and Towards an Aesthetic of Dalit Literature provides the context of Dalit literature, taking reference from Black, Marxist and Russian literature and illustrating the trajectories of experiences needed in order for something to be take shape as a piece of art. And to understand why Brahminical writers in India did not give a due attention to Dalit literature, we must reflect on what Limble says: "A considerable proportion of Savarna critiques of Dalit literature suffer from shallowness. Also, there is a distinct tendency to expose the instances of one-sided, monotonous and sub-standard writing and publishing found in Dalit literature. There is also an attempt in Savarna critique to sever the Dalit writers links with tradition and culture. And, finally, there is a total absence of sociological literary yardsticks. All these limitations point to the need for a Dalit literary criticism".

Yogesh Maitreya is a poet and translator. He is the founder of Panther's Paw Publication, an anti-caste publishing house. He is pursuing a Phd at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
There were loud cheers all over Kolkata when West Bengal won the GI tag for rosogolla despite stiff campaigning from Odisha, earlier this week. But the celebrations were perhaps sweetest at the Baghbazar establishment known as 'Rossogolla Bhaban', home to Nabin Chandra Das and Sons  the shop where the rosogolla is believed to have first been created.

"Jai Jagannath! That's what I said when we heard the announcement (of the GI tag)," says Dhiman Das, great-great-grandson of Nabin Chandra Das and executive director of KC Das Pvt Ltd. The invocation of Lord Jagannath's name was heartfelt, but might possibly have been a little cheeky too  considering Odisha's competing claim over having invented the rosogolla rested on it being offered to the deity at Puri Jagannath temple.

A spongy white ball of cottage cheese dipped in sugar syrup  who would have thought such a bitter battle would be waged over the rosogolla? And yet, both Bengal and Odisha  states that are proud indeed of their culinary and cultural heritage  have been locked in battle to be named as the place of origin for the ubiquitous Indian sweet.

The GI tag has now established Bengal, and Nabin Chandra Das and Sons, as the creators of the rosogolla.

***

The year was 1845. Nabin Chandra Das was born (fittingly enough) into a North Kolkata sugar merchant's family, in the Kashi Mitra Ghat area. His father passed away when Nabin was just three months old; his widowed mother was pushed out of the family home with the infant. As he grew older, Nabin realised academics wasn't his cup of tea, but he did want to be the breadwinner for his mother, so took up a helper's job at a local sweet shop. The shop was called Indrer Mishtir Dokaan (Indra's Sweet Shop) and Nabin proved to have a real aptitude for the confectioner's trade. Within a few months, he had branched out on his own  setting up a small makeshift stall right opposite Indra's.

To begin with, Nabin only knew how to make dry sweets, specifically sondesh. His sondesh was quite popular among the locals, and even Rani Swarnamoyi was a fan. We're told it was her wish to eat more of the sondesh that led to the creation of a mildly sweeter form now known as 'Aabar Khaabo' (meaning, 'will eat again').

Nabin encountered a common request for water from those who had sampled his dry sondesh. That got him wondering  what if a sweet could satiate both hunger, and thirst? He began experimenting with milk, chena and rosh (sugar syrup), but didn't come up with anything spectacular. Then, in 1868, at his Baghbazar shop (the Rossogolla Bhaban mentioned earlier), he finally hit upon a trick:

"He was experimenting by boiling cottage cheese balls in sugar syrup," recounts Dhiman Das. "But, each time, the balls would fall apart. He finally resolved the problem with an enzyme present in the curdled milk.The cottage cheese balls held together and the rosogolla was finally invented in 1868!"

***

The Rossogolla Bhaban is where Dhiman and his family, and his ancestors before him, have been staying for years now. It's considered a landmark in Baghbazar.

While the battle over the GI tag for rosogolla heated up in 2015, Dhiman already had some inklings of the Odisha camp's plan since the early 2000s. When the neighbouring state moved to file for the GI tag (this was in July 2015), Dhiman approached the writer and historian Haripada Bhowmick (who had previously interviewed Das for a book) for help.

"I knew he (Bhowmick) had come across evidence in an old book, which mentioned Nabin Chandra Das as the inventor of the rosogolla," recounts Dhiman. "When I contacted him, he volunteered to write a book on the sweet's history. The office of chief minister Mamata Banerjee also got in touch and helped us tremendously. Bhowmick finished his book in August 2015, and we filed for the GI tag in September."

Haripada Bhowmick says the experience of writing the book was thrilling. "I began by researching the origins of chena or cottage cheese. I found important references on curdled milk in Chaitanya Charitamrita, one of the primary biographies of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chena  the thickened form of milk  was never considered to be offered to the deity. Sri Chaitanya popularised chena in Bengal, but in the rest of the country it remained unknown," said Bhowmick.

The particular recipe that Nabin Chandra Das and Sons use to curdle the milk and the sugar syrup was shared with the GI inspectors. Dhiman Das says this recipe is unique to Bengal, and Bengali confectioners.

***

The fight over the rosogolla is given a commercial hue by Dhiman Das. "In Cuttack district's Salepur town, there's a factory for the comercial confectioners Bikalananda Kar. Kar is among the leading sweet brands of Odisha, and they too package rosogollas  the Odia-style sweet, which is brown in colour and has a thicker syrup. For us, KC Das (the sister brand of Nabin Chandra Das and Sons) brought the technology of tinned rosogollas back in the 1930s. If you go to railway stations, airports  the most-sold tins of rosogollas are manufactured by us. I guess that was why Kar found the need for the GI tag gimmick," says Dhiman, adding, "Kar is a major stakeholder in the Odisha state's commercial business."

Dhiman, however, doesn't bear any grievances and points out that their sweets are very popular in Odisha too, after Bengal. "And Bengalis are very fond of Jagannath ji and Puri temple," he says. "We only want to have a sweet relationship with our neighbouring state."

***

Nabin Chandra Das and Sons and KC Das, as a serious business dating back more than 100 years, owes much to the efforts of Nabin's son Krishna Chandra Das. After Krishna Chandra's death in 1934, his son Sarada Charan Das established a contemporary sweet shop  very popular among the British in 1935  which is now known as KC Das and Sons, at Chowringhee.

"Today KC Das has 15 outlets in Bengaluru, five in Kolkata, and we'll soon roll out in Mumbai, Jaipur, Delhi and Agra. The production unit has grown by several folds in the last few years," says Dhiman.

With the GI tag in their pocket, the family's sweet legacy is bound to continue.
Editor's note: As part of Transgender Awareness Week, 101 India has been running a series of videos on transgender individual's coming out stories. We profiled Thanuja Singam, who was featured in 101 India's story on the Koovagam festival.

Thanuja Singam came out as transgender when she was 15; she had attempted suicide, unable to live any longer as a man. There are few traces of that early trauma evident in the confident, assertive Thanuja of today; she's one of the most well-adjusted individuals you might come across.

Born on 30 August, 1991 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, Thanuja has had quite an eventful journey. She recounts her early days in India with pleasure:

"My days at school in India were nice," she told this correspondent in a recent conversation. "I was happy those days as there was no discrimination towards me... I was born into a Sri Lankan family and we left the country soon after I was born due to the civil war. I lived in Madurai, India, for eight years. My father then came to Germany through an organisation which helped Sri Lankan refugees to migrate here, and we followed him later on."

Germany is where Thanuja went through her rather difficult transition. School, especially, was tough, where classmates teased her mercilessly.

"The co-students teased the hell out of me, but I managed to overcome that tragedy and that made me a strong person today. I was called gay prince from India, homo, gay, etc. I really felt bad because they called me gay but I was not a homosexual. I'm a transgender."

She forgave her tormentors, however, "You can't stop them from being rude because teenagers all over the world are rude. They are taught to discriminate against the one who is weak, instead of helping them to overcome their difficulties," she rues. "I personally think discrimination starts when we hit puberty. Until then, life remains beautiful; once you hit puberty the world wants to see a gentleman, a perfect man from their community."

Thanuja, as mentioned earlier, came out when she was 15. The precursor to this courageous move was a suicide attempt. "I couldn't take the suffering  acting like a man for the society. After I was rescued, I told my parents about my decision. They were shocked, but that was the truth. At that time, I would have rather died than led a fake life, cheating myself. Later, I told my class teacher, and she made it easy for me at the high school," reminisces Thanuja.

Although her family got to know the truth, accepting the fact that their son wanted to physically transform himself into a woman was not that easy. "My family was totally against it, but I waited to get their permission. I explained gender identity disorder to my family and later, my mom gave me the green signal. However, I wouldn't say they had accepted me totally then, they ignored what I was doing. But now, they see me as their daughter. It took me some time but that's okay. Everything in the world takes time," Thanuja says, then quips: "After all, India didn't get its independence overnight, did it?"

Singam has been at the receiving end of many challenges, but she managed to find her way through them. She explains, "There were many hurdles initially  at home, to make my parents understand what was going through and get their acceptance; at school, to explain my high-school classmates who I was and what why I was going to change my gender; the society needed to be explained as well; going through the surgery which was very risky and cost a lot; taking hormonal pills which cause deep-vein thrombosis, mood swings etc."

As for how she withstood these testing times, she says, "Every day you will face new problems and difficulties; we can't run away. I needed to face it too. Once you stand against the wind you will learn to survive and that's what I did! You fall down once but you are not going to die. There was a greater will-power within me and I eventually found the way."

Today, Thanuja is a force to reckon with. She speaks four languages  Tamil, English, German and Spanish. She works as a translator at the Zurich University (ISEK, Ethnology department) in Germany. She translates German to Tamil and vice versa. How did she sketch the roadmap for a successful, independent life?

"I wanted to be a doctor; I was the first rank holder in the state when I finished schooling but I couldn't concentrate on studies due to my transition. It was hard for me to balance both at the same time. I went to business management college as a girl and I was totally depressed. I was finding myself, I was searching for a position in society. But today I'm working on my autobiography. I never wanted to be an author but I'm becoming one. I have had many classes at various universities; have been part of many conferences as well. I became a sexuality educator. I became a social media star and a model."

This year, in September, 101 India, an online portal that works towards unearthing unusual stories from the country, did a special two-part series on Koovagam, a small village in Tamil Nadu that is famous for hosting Asia's largest festival for transgenders. Transgenders from across the country, come to this village during the month of May where they get married, for a day, to a deity named Lord Aravan (mythologically believed to be Arjuna's son). In the recent past, the beauty pageant organised here, Miss Koovagam, has also garnered a lot of attention and holds a special place for members of the transgender community.

One of the videos in the series  101 All the Way In - Koovagam  featured Thanuja as well. "Our production crew chanced upon her at Koovagam. She was spirited, brave, glamorous and outspoken so we asked her to be a part of the show. We would be working with her on other projects as well once she returns from Germany," says Cyrus Oshidar of 101india.com.

Thanuja is well placed to comment on the differences and similarities of being a transgender person living in India and Germany. "In India, there is a huge community of transgender, that is a plus. Here in Germany, we don't have a community, we live on our own, which again has advantages and disadvantages. One thing which I love about Germany is, here I'm not forced to identify myself as a transgender because legally I'm a woman and there is no doubt about it. I personally don't like to be called as a third gender; I wanted to be a woman and not a special gender. India is changing a lot, and somehow I'm proud to work for the changes in India. Here in Europe, there is not much to do, everything has been done by the government. They even pay for our SRS (Sex Reassignment Surgery)," Thanuja comments.

On being asked what is her road ahead for people like her, Thanuja says, "Transgenders need to come out of prostitution and begging. Society should come forward in fighting for our rights. How long should we (the minorities) shout? If society joins us and fights with us, we will have a better future."
Mumbai: Congress leader P Chidambaram has warned that as the Narendra Modi government inched closer to the end of its term, it might also be assailed by the same degree of corruption allegations which drowned the UPA-II.

The former finance minister said the erstwhile Congress-led UPA-II dispensation had acquired a reputation for "many many corrupt deeds" at the fag end of its tenure.

He, however, said the same "odium" could be attached to the BJP government as well when it completed its term (in 2019) though he was not wishing it to "happen".

"Since the UPA-II was the last government that completed its tenure, that odium attached to the government. Wait for any government to complete its term of five years, the same odium will attach to that government as well," he said during a discussion at the Tata Literature Live festival in Mumbai.

"I am not wishing it happens, but it will happen," said Chidambaram, who was a key figure in the UPA regime.

"The point is, yes I know that the UPA-II had acquired, by the time its term came to an end, a reputation for many many corrupt deeds. But unless some one is actually convicted and punished, I am not willing to accept that he or she is guilty," the former home minister said.

He said on Sunday what is being made out is that "everyone is presumed guilty until he is proven innocent, which I think is wrong, as it will destroy the rule of law in this country."

Touching upon the issue of corruption, the Congress Rajya Sabh member said the main reasons for major graft "are greed as against the need for funding elections".

"In the case of a political person, or a political party, it is the need to fund elections, which drives what you describe as corruption. Unless you find the ways to fund elections, you will not be able to bring down that scale of corruption," he said.

Chidambaram claimed demonetisation was a "dismal" failure as far as curbing fake currency was concerned.

"If you want to know where demonetisation has failed, if you are not able to curb corruption, if you are not able to curb black money...just go to or stay in (poll-bound) Gujarat for over the next 20 days, and you will know the kind of money that is being spent there," he alleged.

He said the Modi government could recover fake currency only to the tune of Rs 41 crore, which accounted for only 0.0027 per cent of the total currency that came back into the system following notes ban.

"Demonetisation to the extent of eliminating fake currency is a dismal failure," Chidambaram claimed.

Disputing the government's claims that notes ban had helped curb terrorism, he said, "As of November 10, the number of infiltrations, the number of militants neutralised, the number of civilians killed and the number of jawans martyred, all are larger than the numbers for the corresponding period in 2016."
Ahmedabad: Disgruntled BJP workers on Sunday held a protest at the party's state unit headquarters in Gandhinagar over the BJP's choice of candidates for the next month's Gujarat polls.

The BJP has so far announced 106 candidates out of a total of 182 seats by releasing two lists.

While some workers were angry over renomination of sitting MLAs, others demanded that the newly announced candidates be replaced if the party wanted to avoid "defeat" in the polls, scheduled to be held in two phases next month.

BJP MP from Patan threatened to resign if his son is not given a ticket to contest.

Hundreds of party workers from Nandod (ST), Nikol, Naroda, Kheralu and Anklav seats reached the BJP headquarters "Kamalam" to "warn" the BJP of consequences if their demands were not accommodated.

Workers from Narmada district opposed renomination of sitting Nandod (ST) MLA Shabdsharan Tadvi, saying his "popularity has gone down over years".

"The party's decision to renominate Tadvi could cost dearly in the polls as his popularity has hit rock bottom in the last five years," claimed Narmada district BJP secretary Karansinh Parmar.

He accused Tadvi of not bringing development to the constituency in the last five years.

"As a sitting MLA, Tadvi neither visited villages nor did he bring any developmental work (to the constituency). Despite he lacking any ground connect, the party has decided to repeat him," Parmar told reporters outside "Kamalam".

"We all have come here to warn the party leaders that if he is going to contest, the BJP will be eliminated from Narmada district this time," he said.

Parmar said the BJP workers wanted to replace Tadvi with a "capable" candidate to avoid defeat.

BJP workers and leaders from Kheralu seat in Mehasana, Nikol and Naroda seats in Ahmedabad and from Anklav in Anand district also gathered at the party headquarters.

Some of them even raised slogans against the candidates selected by the BJP and demanded their replacement.

BJP has renominated Bharatsinh Dabhi and Jagdish Panchal, sitting MLAs for Kheralu and Nikol seats respectively, for the polls. Panchal also heads the Ahmedabad city BJP unit.

The BJP has selected Balram Thavani for the Naroda seat, overlooking the claims of sitting BJP MLA and Gujarat minister Nirmala Wadhvani.

The party has fielded Hansakuvarba Raj, a woman, from Anklav seat, currently represented by Congress MLA Amit Chavda.

Angered over Jagdish Panchal's renomination for Nikol, a Patel-dominated area, several party workers rushed to "Kamalam" with banners demanding his removal.

"Panchal is known for his dictatorial style of working. Though we had made several representations to the party leaders about Panchal, he is given ticket once again. If he is going to contest, the BJP will definitely bite the dust from Nikol," a BJP worker said.

Youth BJP workers are unhappy with the selection of Balram Thavani, a Sindhi, from Naroda seat currently held by Nirmala Wadhwani, who also belongs to the Sindhi community.

"Though Naroda is a Hindu-dominated seat, the BJP has been giving tickets only to Sindhis since long. Though we have urged the party to give ticket to a Hindu this time, our demand is not met. Youth BJP workers may refrain from election if Thavani is not changed," a party leader from Naroda said.

Opposing Hansakuvarba Raj's candidature from Anklav seat, a BJP leader said she is not known to any party workers in the constituency.

"Hansakuvarba Raj is a school teacher and she is not known to any of the party worker of Anklav, which is held by a strong Congress MLA at present. The BJP should have refrained from allotting ticket to such a weak candidate. If she is not replaced, the party workers will not campaign in Anklav," he said.

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani exuded confidence that BJP workers will start working for the party after venting their anger.

"Though they are protesting against ticket allocation at present, they will get back to work once they are done with venting their anger," Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar.

BJP's election campaign committee chief Kaushik Patel, also exuded confidence that the issues will be sorted soon.

"Some party workers have come here to make a representation. We have listened to them. BJP's campaign is going in full swing. With the support of party workers and people, we will win over 150 seats," Patel told reporters at the party headquarters.

In Bhuj in Kutch district, several supporters of Gandhidham (SC) MLA Ramesh Maheshwari held protests against the selection of his relative Maltiben Maheshwari, as a result of which the party office was closed.

As many as 22 BJP councillors of the Gandhidham municipality rushed to Bhuj and tendered their resignation from the party's primary membership in support of Ramesh Maheshwari.

BJP's Patan MP Liladhar Vaghela said he would resign if his son is not given a ticket for Deesa seat in Banaskantha, currently held by Congress MLA Gova Rabari.

"I had made an appeal to my party that my son Dilip should be given a ticket for Deesa seat. I am confident that my appeal will be accepted. But, if they do not give a ticket to my son, I will give my resignation," Vaghela told reporters in Patan on Sunday.
Sometimes, a bad ending can overshadow the most magnificent saga.

Indira Gandhis strategic blunders in June 1984 tend to obscure the rest of her record on Kashmir and Punjab.

There is no denying that the last phase was disastrous. Sending the army into the Golden Temple cost her life, and complicated the political challenge in Punjab.

Less than four weeks later, she made the mistake of replacing Farooq Abdullah as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir with his brother-in-law, GM Shah. The move caused a public backlash, and the continuing mistakes of her successor (son) pushed the situation in Kashmir over the brink during the five years following her death.

On her birth centenary, however, it is worth recalling that Indiras overall record of responding to the challenge in Kashmir was far more effective than that of any other prime minister.

She remained purposefully engaged with different dimensions of the daunting issues there, and achieved amazing success.

Wake of war

She started out with a huge challenge, having inherited power in the wake of the 1965 war. Her predecessor, Lal Bahadur Shastri, died of heart failure after signing the peace agreement in Tashkent, in which he ceded back to Pakistan the minor but strategically significant bits of territory the Indian Army had won, mainly the Haji Pir pass, which connects Uri with Poonch.

A couple of years after taking power, Indira set up Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) as a separate external intelligence agency. It focused on the deteriorating situation in East Pakistan. Then, immediately after winning general elections in March 1971, she ordered the army to prepare for war there.

After winning the war resoundingly at the end of that year, she got the new prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, to turn the Jammu and Kashmir Ceasefire Line into the official border.

However, she accepted his argument that he would be deposed if he agreed outright. So a 'Line of Control' was agreed as a first step. That was a mistake, for the border was never formalised. Political turbulence within India, for which Indira blamed a 'foreign hand', contributed to the failure.

Landmark accord

Indira's really big success was domestic: Her agreement with Sheikh Abdullah. The process had begun by 1968 (when men associated with the Plebiscite Front contested by-elections), and formal talks were already under way before the 1971 war.

By 1974, Abdullah had agreed to return to power as chief minister, accepting the much reduced powers of that office. (The states chief executive was called 'prime minister' until February 1964.)

So much had Indira worn down Kashmirs politicians that Abdullah was even ready to take power as a Congress chief minister. He paid the 25 paise membership and donned a Gandhi cap at the Jammu Congress office in early 1975. But at the last minute, the Congress decided to give him 'outside support' so that it retained the whip hand.

Indira must have calculated that, once the tallest leader of Kashmir was back in office under the Indian Constitution, Pakistan would have to take the next step with regard to the 'Line of Control'. Immediately after the 'Indira-Sheikh accord', she posted DP Dhar to Moscow, no doubt to pave the way for international agreement. Dhar had been a minister and key advisor on the state since at least 1948.

However, the West remained strongly supportive of Pakistan.

Indira persevered even after Bhutto was deposed. A couple of years after she returned to power in 1980, she nominated then foreign secretary MK Rasgotra to negotiate a resolution with Pakistan. Rasgotra and his counterpart, Niaz Naik, worked out a detailed agreement between 1982 and 1984, but General Zia nixed it at the last moment.

Turbulent politics

The political relationship between Abdullah and Indira remained turbulent right from 1975, but she deftly kept it on an even keel. Adbullah even campaigned for her in 1980, although he did not ally the National Conference with the Congress.

(Ironically, Indiras nominee to replace him as chief minister when she tried to withdraw Congress support in 1976 and 1977 was Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who left the Congress with VP Singh in 1987, and formed the Peoples Democratic Party in 1999. When she was in her teens, his daughter, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, met and was inspired by Indira.)

The relationship between the Congress and the National Conference became rocky after Abdullah died in 1982. Indira was treated to gross obscenity during the 1983 election campaign, and she was most upset when Farooq Abdullah joined such leaders as NT Rama Rao and Jyoti Basu in a national campaign against her.

Such events pushed Indira to unseat Farooq Abdullah in 1984, but, to her credit, she hesitated when some of her advisors first suggested it. She told one of her aides 'you dont take risks with Kashmir'.

Her father followed that dictum. So have several other prime ministers.
Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday taunted Prime Minister Narender Modi by saying that earlier people used to fear the lion but now they fear the cow thanks to cow vigilantism across the country.

"Pahle log sher se darte the, ab gai se darte hain. Yeh sab Modi sarkar ki den hai," Lalu Prasad Yadav said at a meeting of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Patna.

He said that due to growing fear of being seen with cows and cattle, the Sonepur cattle fair in Bihar's Saran district, considered Asia largest cattle fair, had turned into a fair without cattle.

He said people were angry with the Modi government in view of its "total failure" in the last three-and-half-a-years to meet any of promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

People were also upset by demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, he added.

"Modi may go for Lok Sabha polls in 2018, ahead of its scheduled time in 2019," Lalu Prasad Yadav said, and asked his party activists to be ready to face early parliamentary polls.

He said whenever the Lok Sabha election will be held, opposition parties would defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Lalu Prasad Yadav said that his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was in touch with Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

"Young leaders like Hardik Patel and Tejashwi will uproot the communal forces from the country."

Lalu Prasad Yadav told the media to "expose" the BJP and Modi instead of merely targeting the opposition.

"In America and other developed countries, the media has been exposing and targeting the powerful ruling parties and their leaders.

"In India the media is fighting against the opposition. This should change."
As the row over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati gathers steam, Haryana BJP's chief media coordinator SP Amu on Sunday said he will quit the party if needed and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exercise his powers to strike down film.

#WATCH:Haryana BJP Chief Media Coordinator SP Amu says will quit BJP if needed,asks PM to exercise his powers to strike down film #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/h2x76mdAKb  ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Amu also mentioned the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections 2017 and said the people in the state will decide whom to vote based on the Centres action against the film. Amu also came out in strident support of those who threatened the filmmakers and the actors. He said he would like to congratulate a Meerut youth who announced a Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, Bhansali, adding that he will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their familys needs.

In his address to protesters, Amu said that he will not allow the film to be released at all. Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has said that the film might be released with 'necessary' edits. Amu added that people from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, other regions of the country have gathered to protect and uphold their traditional values. If someone insults our ancestors and our history, we will not tolerate that, the BJP media coordinator said.

Amu also took a jibe at the Centres inaction over the controversy and asserted that the Rajput community had a major contribution towards sustaining the BJP's rule. To win elections, they used the Rajputs, and now, Rajputs are the ones being insulted, he announced.

There have been several other voices from the BJP calling for a ban on the Bhansali film and threatening violent measures.

On 10 January, Haryana minister Anil Vij claimed that he will not let a film that 'distorts historical facts' release in the state.

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy has also alleged that Padmavati has sourced its funds from Dubai from parties who want to 'defame Hindu women.'

BJP member Arjun Gupta has also echoed a similar allegation. The Indian Express reports that in a letter written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Gupta has demanded Bhansali be tried for treason.

Earlier, BJP MLA from Hyderabad T Raja Singh had taken to Facebook to protest the film's release, saying that theatres screening Padmavati will be set ablaze.

As the controversy over 'Padmavati' shows no signs of abating, the makers of the film on Sunday said they are "voluntarily deferring" the film's release.
Kolkata: Three days after he was caught on camera threatening to thrash and break limbs of opposition leaders, controversial Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal on Saturday was back in the news with his order to party workers to gouge out the eyes of opposition activists and replace those with artificial eyes.

Mondal, known for his inciting speeches, also asked his party workers to ensure the state's ruling Trinamool Congress won all seats in Birbhum district uncontested in the coming Panchayat polls.

"No one should panic. You know how to organise yourself during an election. In the Panchayat elections, Trinamool will win uncontested. There is no need to be afraid. If anybody shows you red eyes, gouge out his eyes, there won't be any problem. Instead, fit artificial eyes," Mondal, the party's Birbhum district president, said at a public meeting.

On 15 November, Mondal had gone ballistic after some villagers protesting against a proposed government project near Shantiniketan in Bolpur, razed down a wall and beat up construction workers.

As Congress heavyweight and Leader of Opposition in state assembly Abdul Mannan and CPM leader Bikash Bhattacharya tried to reach the spot, the police forced them to return to Kolkata.

Soon after, Mondal dared them to return, and threatened to break their limbs if they dared to come back to the area.

Standing beside police officers, he gave them a few hours to arrest the villagers and put them behind bars.

"Otherwise, we will bulldoze in. Not even one house will stand intact. We will destroy everything. I won't hear your stories. After 9 p.m, I won't leave these houses intact, and set fire to them... If they create trouble I don't care whether it is Abdul Mannan or Bikash Bhattacharya. I will thrash them and break their limbs."

In the past, Mondal has time and again made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Five years ago, during the previous Panchayat polls, Mondal had asked party workers to bomb the police and set afire houses of opposition candidates.

Ahead of last year's state assembly elections, Mondal threatened that "not a single polling agent from the opposition will be visible" on the polling day in his fief Birbhum.

Mondal was reprimanded by the Election Commission, which also rest
Lucknow: The BSP on Sunday promised to strengthen Wi-Fi facilities in the City of Nawabs and bridge the "digital divide" if voted to power in the urban local body polls. Bahujan Samaj Party is contesting the civic polls on its party symbol after 17 years.

BSP's mayoral candidate Bulbul Godiyal said, "We have observed that there is a digital divide existing in the state capital Lucknow. A few posh localities enjoy good Wi-Fi speed, while people residing in other parts of the city are forced to cope with a slow Wi-Fi".

"This digital divide will be definitely bridged. And, the youngsters will find the same reasonably good speed of Wi-Fi throughout Lucknow," she told PTI.

The party also promised to give a new lease of life to pink autos.

"We have decided to give a new lease of life to pink auto-rickshaws, which were started during the previous SP regime, but subsequently were reduced to a mere showpiece, and did not play a major role as a means of transport. This scenario will change," she said.

Godiyal, a former additional advocate general, charged that the BJP has "copied" her concept of pink toilets for women.

In the 28 point Sankalp Patra released at state BJP headquarters on 12 November, the BJP promised free Wi-Fi in prominent public places and construction of "pink toilets" for women.

The BSP's mayoral candidate for Lucknow also said, "We have plans to launch municipal helpline on the lines of 1090 (police helpline), which will attend to people's woes, civic problems on a phone call. It will then redress the grievance and confirm redressal from the complainant and get feedback."

24 districts of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on November 22, while 25 districts will go to polls on 26 November, and 26 districts on 29 November.

Counting of votes polled for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats will be done on 1 December.

More than 3.36 crore voters will be eligible to cast their ballots at 36,269 polling booths and 11,400 polling stations.

These polls, being held eight months after the BJP came to power with a landslide victory, will mark the first electoral test for the Yogi Adityanath government.
Kolkata: The West Bengal government's decision to distribute cows among families in rural areas

ahead of the panchayat polls has come under fire from the Left and the Congress as well as the BJP.

The CPM and the Congress have accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of communalising politics and helping the BJP. And the BJP has slammed the decision as an attempt to appease the people through the "politics of dole".

The TMC, which announced its decision on 14 November, was trying to help the BJP in the panchayat polls, the Congress and the CPM alleged.

According to leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan, the decision clearly signifies that the TMC is helping the BJP in its divisive politics.

"Why distribute cows ahead of panchayat polls? This is a clear indication that the TMC is trying to help the BJP gain ground in Bengal through its divisive politics. The TMC and the BJP have a tacit understanding on how to polarise the state," Mannan told PTI.

CPM politburo member Mohammad Salim agreed and said it was a ploy to make way for "cow politics", which he claimed the BJP has been practising across the nation. He added that the state government wanted to help the BJP ahead of next year's panchayat polls.

The BJP also criticised the move. "Instead of the politics of development, the state government believes in the politics of dole. They have already given cycles and shoes, so now it's cows," state BJP president

Dilip Ghosh told PTI.

Had the government been serious about cow protection, he said, it would have taken steps to stop cow smuggling. "But it has not done that," he added.

Animal Resources Development Minister Swapan Debnath defended the decision, saying distributing cows in rural areas would help make families self-reliant and increase milk production.

He said under the TMC regime, milk production in the state had gone up by 16 percent. The process of distribution of cows would start soon and be completed in the next couple of months.

The panchayat poll is important as it will show which way the wind is blowing in West Bengal ahead of the 2019 Parliamentary election.
tech2 News Staff

In a wide ranging interview with The Economic Times, American enterpreneur and scholar Vivek Wadhwa has praised what India has achieved with the Aadhaar program. He pointed out that in Silicon Valley, there was a lot of interest around new technologies for digital currencies, including cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Wadhwa referred to bitcoin as a fraud, considering the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency.

Wadhwa said that the predisposition for jugaad allowed the people of India to start digitising their currency with a bank account, Aadhaar and the technologies to support it including the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) as well as the India Stack. "Aadhaar is the most successful IT project in world history. Indians are very negative about everything Indian, so it is easy to attack Aadhaar. Indians need to understand that what they have is monumental. Now a billion people have identity," Wadhwa explained.

Wadhwa added that the introduction of Aadhaar has brought to notice the need for strong privacy and data security laws in the country. He also noted that the applications built over Aadhaar have to be adequately secured, and that the people should have a choice when it comes to how their data is used. Wadhwa also pointed out that smartphone manufacturers and major tech companies such as Apple, Facebook and Google have collected a lot of user data, and are using it in devious ways. He said that he trusts governments more than the companies that are selling products to consumers.

Wahdwa said, "This is why I am less worried about Aadhaar than I am about Facebook. Facebook is a bigger threat to privacy than is Aadhaar. Both need to have very tight security. Mark Zuckerberg tried to pull a fast one in India with his Free Basics. Thank god, the government stopped it." Wadhwa also pointed out that it would be a massive problem in India if Facebook facilitated outside interventions in the elections, in the same way that it allowed Russians to sell political ads on Facebook in the United States.

Wadhwa predicts the iPhone 18 or 20 will have as much power as the human brain, and that India will get technologies similar to that of Star Trek over the next twenty years, and that electric self driving cars will significantly help towards cleaning up the environment. The interview can be found on The Economic Times website.
IANS

Chinese technology giant Huawei and the University of Edinburgh, UK, have signed a research cooperation agreement to investigate the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) robotics systems to operate over next generation 5G wireless networks. Researchers at Huawei's Wireless X Labs and University of Edinburgh's new Bayes Centre will investigate together how AI systems can inform and adapt wireless 5G networks to provide optimum wireless support to meet the needs of connected robotics and systems.

The areas of initial focus include healthcare robotics and mobile video. "We are delighted to continue working with the world-leading team at the University of Edinburgh to help understand how improvements within mobile broadband can foster innovation within wireless robotics systems," Peter Zhou from Huawei said in a statement. "AI is a key feature of 5G networking, and we are excited to deepen our understanding of how the interaction between applications and networks can create new benefits and enhancements."

The project will build on the University of Edinburgh's existing research into AI and autonomous systems to provide new insights into how these systems will use AI to collaborate with mobile broadband networks. This can enhance the performance of both networks and applications to enable greater levels of interaction between people and systems. "We are thrilled to have deepened our relationship with Huawei to researching 5G within AI applications," said Charlie Jeffery, Professor at the University.

This new research project extends the existing relationship between Huawei and the University of Edinburgh following the announcement, in June, of a joint lab hosted at the University's School of Informatics.
IANS

Software vendor Infosys would configure the editing facility in the GST Network by 20 November to enable traders to file their three-page summary return (3B), said the GST Group of Ministers (GoM) Chairman Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday. "Over 2 lakh tax payers were unable to file their summary returns (3B) in August and September due to the non-provision of the editing facility in the GST Network. By November 20, the editing facility will be operationalised by the GST Network," Modi told reporters after the GoM met for the fourth time.

The GST Network (GSTN) is the backbone of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) on which the new indirect tax regime is operated in real-time, as all its functions are automated, he said. The city-based IT major bagged the Rs 1,300-crore contract in 2015 to design, develop, maintain and operate the GSTN for three years across the country. "All forms related to tax payers will have editing facility for previewing, downloading, printing and displaying specific error messages  to make the portal more user-friendly," said Modi.

The GoM is also incorporating suggestions of states into the system to make the Network more user-friendly and interactive. "As filing of returns is the 'atma' (soul) of the GST, everything is getting stabilised. We are trying to operationalise everything based on the timeline we had given to Infosys," claimed Modi, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister of the JD-U-BJP coalition government in Bihar.

The GST Network is also hiring people to analyse the data of the states. "We have also asked Infosys to deploy more ingenious and qualified professionals," asserted Modi. Infosys has hired 100 more engineers in the last one month, taking the total number of its employees working for the GSTN to 621, he shared. "In the first meeting (September), as we told Infosys to deploy a resident engineer in every state, the company has deputed 30 of them in each of the 30 states across the country to address any issue related to the Network," he said.

Instead of tax payers writing e-mails and making calls for glitches, an engineer has been posted in every state capital. In September, Rs 93,141 crore were received as indirect taxes, which increased to Rs 95,131 crore in October, shared the Deputy Chief Minister. The average revenue shortfall of all the states for August was 28.4 per cent, which declined to 17.6 per cent in October, he said. "The average revenue shortfall has declined from July to October, indicating that the system is stabilising. People are becoming in tune with the GST as the complaints are also coming down."

At least nine states have the least revenue shortfall with Delhi achieving a break-even point with its revenue turning to positive from negative, said Modi. The GoM has also planned to meet Infosys co-founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani to brief about the working of the GST Network, he added. Besides Modi, other GoM members are Chattisgarh Minister for Commercial Taxes Amar Agarwal, Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda, Kerala Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Issac and Telengana Finance Minister Etela Rajendar.

GSTN Chairman Ajay Bhushan Pandey and GSTN Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prakash Kumar assist the GoM in addressing the technical glitches, which have marred filing of returns by the traders since the new indirect tax regime was launched on 1 July. Odisha Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera, Modi, Pandey and Gowda were present at the fourth GoM meet held here on Saturday.

The decision to form the GoM was taken at the GST Council in Hyderabad on September 9 after several member states complained to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who heads the Council, that the glitches were causing problems for taxpayers in filing returns and making payments.
IANS

Karnataka has signed 10 agreements with stakeholders at the three-day Bengaluru Technology Summit to leverage emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Analytics and Big Data, said a minister on Saturday. "We have signed agreements at the summit with 10 stakeholders, including Virgin Hyperloop One, CoE for Data Science and AI, Intel Corporation, Business France India, 3M, NUMA and Growth Enabler Global," said state IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge.

The tech-savvy government also unveiled an ambitious project to provide free broadband connectivity to 500 local bodies (gram panchayats) in the first phase and extend it to 2,150 more local bodies in the rural areas in phases. "We are also setting up Centres of Excellence (CoE) in IoT, robotics, cybersecurity, data analytics and aerospace. We plan to incubate about 20,000 start-ups by 2020 across the state and mobilise Rs 2,000-crore corpus to fund them," said state Industries Minister R.V. Deshpande on the occasion.

"Our goal is to make Karnataka the creative capital of India with expertise in emerging technologies and harnessing the talent pool in Bengaluru and other cities across the state," asserted Kharge. Hosted by the state IT and BT department at Bengaluru Palace grounds in the city centre, the mega event had participation from 11,000 visitors, 3,173 delegates, 267 speakers and 250 exhibitors, which showcased leading edge technologies.

The summit also focussed on the biotech sector and its technologies changing the world, with personalized medicine, rare diseases and orphan drugs, bio therapeutics, agro biotech and new technology.
tech2 News Staff

In November, US based edutech company Coursera launched its first ever series of courses on Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. The courses have been designed with Goldsmiths college under the university of London, and no prior experience is necessary. The five courses get increasingly complex, and cover an introduction, creating 3D assets for VR, 3D interaction design, creating social VR apps and interactive characters, and finally ends with making a VR game using the Unity game engine.

We had an opportunity to interact with Dr Marco Gillies and Dr Sylvia Pan, professors at Goldsmith College, University of London, who are working with Coursera to offer the VR courses. Together, the two professors have more than 25 years of experience in cutting edge VR laboratories around the world. VR technologies goes beyond just game design, and one of the first questions we had was why the time was right for a VR course, and what are the possibilities of the field.

Dr Pan said, "We are passionate about VR and what it can do for us. We have these the questions about its capabilities from everybody- professors, doctors, mechanics, IT, and many others. That made us think that we should have a general course about VR on Coursera. Not really specific about any particular industry but the one that can provide overall picture as well as its applications. That is why we decided to do this."

Dr Gillies responded, "University of London has had a good relationship with Coursera, which I hope will continue for a long time. We learnt that there could be a large base of learners in India who are willing to advance their skills in virtual reality and this is the best time to do it."

The concept of VR has been around from a long time, and only now have consumer VR technologies making their way to the market. The adoption is still not widespread, and there are a whole bunch of factors stopping more widespread adoption of VR, including the cost of the technology and the dearth of content. One of the questions we had was why the adoption of VR is slow, and when will the technology finally "click".

Dr Gillies responded, "I do not think it is slow. I think it is going at a pace you would expect any new technology to grow. I think, just as you said, it is changing everything. Actually I believe that it is going to bring a big fundamental change but that does not happen in a couple of months. VR is a lean medium. It is not like Blue Ray DVD. You have to target it correctly by creating relevant content and then implement it. You have to understand how it works and suits a particular medium. You have to develop a language and grammar of VR. It is certainly true that the grammar did not emerge or grow rapidly ever since VR was conceptualized 30 years ago. I do not think it is going to take that much time any longer. But it is little hard. A lot of things have to happen. We need new content that will define this medium."

Dr Pan added, "Exactly. For me, it has been so. We have been in India since the last few years. The growth and implementation has been tremendous. I already feel like I am far behind the trend. You have so many channels now. You can go to YouTube, use VR, and many have started using it. It is the new medium. We need a new language. It is going to take few years for things to really explode. Everybody has access to mobile phones. We have the 360-degree VR. But we need to pay a lot of cost for devices. It is somewhere between $1000 - $1500. I am not creating my stuff yet because I know that things are going to change. I am waiting for the right moment to buy the hardware. So, a lot of things are happening. We are definitely on a very good curve to go up but we are not doing everything in VR yet because everything else will take time. "

The cost was one of the major hurdles identified, but Dr Gillies pointed out that low cost VR was on its way, it was just a matter time considering the processing power needed and the specialised hardware. "And as she said, it is expensive. I think that low cost VR is the key. You really need the high end hardware to have superior experience. That will cost. It is going to come down like any other technology. It is very graphic intensive. That is why it needs more time to become affordable. You need very specialized hardware."

Another question we had was how different creating content for VR was from creating content for video platforms. Dr Pan explained that the rules of cinematography have to be rewritten for VR, as the traditional rules of framing and camera movement on film do not apply to VR content, "We can understand this with computer games which are closer to VR experience because it is interactive. Whatever you do with your control happens on the screen. For conventional videos, the camera angle assumes the line of view to be in a specific direction. In VR, the director can get the camera to speak their language. They do not have to make the user look at where they need to. The user can look at where they feel like. It also opens up opportunities for many other new types of creativity. But all of this will take time. "

Dr Gillies pointed out that it was an emerging field, and that there was a lack of standards in the early days, "We are looking at new kind of interfaces where the user does not have to be behind the screen. With VR, you are in there. You are not looking at the things from outside but become a part of it. That is a very powerful experience. But again, it is not something that people are habitual to deal with. I find it quite weird. You use this headgear and you are in the house. In a conventional film, you will not be in the house but would look at it from the outside. But we wanted to get on with this course early. We believed that this was the best timing to start it. If we had waited for everything else to settle before we start, we would not have that opportunity to teach it yet. Our lives would have been so much easier with standards around it."

Unity is a great platform to make VR content, and we saw some interesting XR applications made using Unity at the first ever Unite India conference in Hyderabad. These included an app that pops up engineering drawings, a dogfighting game with airplanes, and a simulation for the Indian army that allows forces to get a realistic picture about a new area before operations. The Unity VR Game course walks users through all aspects of game creation, including storyboarding, prototyping, testing and implementation. The VR courses are available on the Coursera website, as well as the Android and iOS apps.
Reuters

When Mt. Gox, the worlds largest bitcoin trading exchange, collapsed in early 2014, more than 24,000 customers around the world lost access to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency and cash.

More than three years later, with the price of bitcoin skyrocketing to more than $7,000, not a single customer has recouped a single cent, crypto or otherwise. Its not clear when they will. The failed exchange has become stuck in a morass of litigation  a Russian doll of bankruptcies in Japan and New Zealand, four in all, plus lawsuits in the United States and competing claims from creditors.

And although the Mt. Gox bankruptcy trustee recovered digital currency now worth more than $1.6 billion, under Japanese law the exchanges customers likely will recover only a fraction of that. Kim Nilsson, a Swedish software developer who had more than a dozen bitcoins at Mt. Gox, isnt optimistic of a payout soon. Its a legal twilight zone, he says. I wouldnt be surprised if it took several years more.

The court-appointed trustee in Mt. Goxs bankruptcy, Nobuaki Kobayashi, did not respond to questions from Reuters about the payout process. There are few better examples of the dangers of investing in cryptocurrencies than Mt. Gox. As Reuters reported in September, cryptocurrency exchanges  where digital coins are bought, sold and stored  are largely unregulated and have become magnets for fraud and deception. At least 10 of them have closed, often after thefts, leaving customers without their funds.

In all, more than 980,000 bitcoins have been stolen from exchanges since 2011  two-thirds of those from Mt. Gox. Today, all of the stolen coins would be worth more than $6 billion, Reuters has calculated.

Mt. Gox is one of the few collapsed exchanges that ended up in bankruptcy court; some just vanished. But the problem for Mt. Goxs thousands of creditors is that under Japanese bankruptcy law, their claims were valued at the market price of bitcoin in April 2014 just before the Tokyo District Court ordered the exchange be liquidated. At that time, one bitcoin was worth $483. On the basis of the April 2014 value, the claims ultimately approved were fixed at 45.6 billion Japanese yen, currently about $400 million.

Based on the current price of bitcoin, Mt. Goxs bankruptcy trustee is sitting on enough cash to repay creditors whose claims have been approved more than three times that amount, according to Reuters calculation.

But that likely wont happen, according to two Japanese bankruptcy attorneys. In Japan, by law any funds left over in a bankrupt companys estate after creditors have been paid go to shareholders. Mt. Gox is 88 percent owned by a Japanese company called Tibanne. And Mark Karpeles, a 32-year-old French software engineer and Mt. Goxs former chief executive, owns 100 percent of Tibanne.

Karpeles is currently on trial in Tokyo, accused of embezzling money from Mt. Gox and manipulating its data, as well as breach of trust. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, some of which carry sentences of up to 10 years. He served nearly a year in jail following his arrest in August 2015. Many creditors are livid at the prospect of a payout for Karpeles, whom they blame for Mt. Goxs failure. If the government just took all of it, that would be less offensive than if they just gave it to Mark, said Aaron Gutman, a software developer who had about 464 bitcoins at Mt. Gox, which are now worth about $3 million.

Added Henry Dienn, a 61-year-old entrepreneur in Japan who had 175 bitcoins at Mt. Gox: Some of the people say, Id rather see the money burned. In a three-hour interview, Karpeles told Reuters he doesnt want the money. The main reason: He expects he would be inundated with lawsuits. He says he already is facing about a half dozen. I dont want to be the beneficiary of this, he said. I dont really need money. I work, I get by.

Karpeles also told Reuters he has been exploring a way to resurrect Mt. Gox under new management and ownership - at an estimated cost of $245 million. Among the factors complicating the liquidation process is a U.S. tech company called CoinLab. It agreed to partner with Mt. Gox in 2012, and is pursuing claims in a Japanese court totaling about $170 million against both Mt. Gox and Tibanne.

Through a spokesperson, Peter Vessenes, CoinLabs former CEO who had signed the agreement with Mt. Gox, declined to answer any questions, including whether CoinLab is still in business. CoinLab has been struck off the corporate registry in Washington state. In Delaware, state records and interviews show its registration status is void and it owes more than $400,000 in unpaid taxes.

Karpeles, who is required to attend various bankruptcy hearings and is forbidden from leaving Japan, said Mt. Goxs claimants will be lucky to be paid anything before 2020 - the year Tokyo is set to host the summer Olympics. On paper, Karpeles, who himself is in personal bankruptcy, stands to gain most of the surplus. But he would not get it all. Some of the excess would be allocated to Tibanne, and another part would likely go to the owner of a 12 percent stake in Mt. Gox. Who that is remains in question.

Feline Firm

The Mt. Gox exchange was first launched by Jed McCaleb, an American software engineer, in 2010. The domain previously had been used to trade cards in an online game.

McCaleb told Reuters in an interview that he decided he wanted to work on other projects, and transferred the exchange to Karpeles in February 2011 for free. The only conditions were that Karpeles had to share the exchanges revenues with McCaleb for six months, not hold him legally responsible for any problems and give him a 12 percent stake. Mt. Gox became part of Tibanne, which Karpeles had formed in 2009 as a web hosting and development business. He named the company after his cat.

Karpeles said when he took over Mt. Gox, it had about 3,000 customers. As bitcoin grew in popularity among tech aficionados and investors, the exchange prospered. By 2013, it had nearly 1.1 million active accounts from 239 countries and handled upwards of 90 percent of global bitcoin trading. It generated about $40 million in fees in its last year, Karpeles said. About 30 percent of its customers were from America, he said. Karpeles feared he was going to run into regulatory trouble there because Mt. Gox wasnt licensed to transmit money. In November 2012, Karpeles signed an exclusive agreement with CoinLab, a Seattle-based bitcoin project incubator, to service the exchanges U.S. and Canadian customers.

The partnership quickly soured. In a federal lawsuit filed in Washington state in May 2013, CoinLab argued that Mt. Gox and Tibanne had breached the contract by continuing to serve North American customers directly and failing to transfer their accounts to CoinLab. It demanded damages of at least $75 million.

In counterclaims filed later that year, Mt. Gox and Tibanne argued that Mt. Gox had not provided access to customer accounts because they alleged CoinLab was not properly registered or licensed to do business. They also alleged that CoinLab had not returned $5.3 million in Mt. Gox customer deposits. CoinLab said in a court filing it had complied with all relevant laws and had registered to provide bitcoin exchange services with the U.S. Treasury Departments FinCEN bureau. The case is on hold as a result of a petition filed by the trustee in Mt. Goxs bankruptcy, Kobayashi.

Roger Ver, who is known as Bitcoin Jesus for his longtime evangelism for the digital currency, personifies the complexity of the Mt. Gox bankruptcy. He was an early investor in CoinLab and was also a Mt. Gox customer with 577 bitcoins in his account when it shut down. Ver told Reuters he urged CoinLabs former CEO, Vessenes, to withdraw the lawsuit against Mt. Gox and Tibanne because he considered the suit frivolous. He did not elaborate.

Ver was also a customer of Bitcoinica, a New Zealand bitcoin exchange where he said he stored nearly 25,000 bitcoins. It collapsed in 2012 following thefts of tens of thousands of bitcoins that year. Bitcoinica had kept customer deposits at Mt. Gox, so the New Zealand exchange became yet another creditor in the Japanese bankruptcy. The Bitcoinica bankruptcy estates claims in the Mt. Gox case are valued at 3.29 billion Japanese yen, or about $29 million.

Mt. Gox was repeatedly robbed of bitcoins between 2011 and 2014 by unknown thieves who stole at least 650,000 bitcoins. They are now worth about $4 billion. In Feb. 7, 2014, Mt. Gox said it had detected unusual activity on its bitcoin wallets and halted withdrawals. The price of bitcoins on Mt. Gox plunged. Later that month, Mt. Gox halted all trading and filed for bankruptcy protection at Tokyo District Court. At first, the exchange said that nearly all of the bitcoins in its possession  about 850,000  were missing. But it later located 202,185 bitcoins in storage and on its system.

Mt. Gox founder McCaleb said that in April 2014, before the court-ordered liquidation, he signed an agreement to sell his 12 percent stake to Sunlot Holdings, a Cyprus-registered company, for one bitcoin. Sunlot at the time was trying to purchase most of Mt. Gox and resurrect it, but the plan fell through. McCaleb said he never received the bitcoin. Its unclear to me whether the sale was actually completed, McCaleb said. Its in this weird gray zone.

A spokesman for John Betts, who was part of the Sunlot investment group, declined to comment on the status of the sale. This past summer, U.S. authorities announced they had found at least one person involved with the Mt. Gox hacks.

In July, a U.S. grand jury indicted Alexander Vinnik, a 37-year-old Russian, accusing him of operating an unlicensed money-service business, money laundering and other crimes. In its indictment, the government alleged Vinnik had received funds from the Mt. Gox hacks and laundered them through online exchanges including BTC-e, an exchange he operated, and Tradehill, a now-defunct San Francisco-based exchange. He remains in jail in Greece and is seeking to have his case heard in Russia, not the United States.

Alexandros Lykourezos, an Athens attorney who represents Vinnik, said his client rejects all of the indictments allegations. He says he has nothing to do with the Mt. Gox incident, the attorney said.

Multiple Bankruptcies

Mt. Gox initially filed for a form of bankruptcy that allowed the exchange to be sold, and briefly considered offers from potential buyers, including Sunlot. But a deal never happened. On 24 April, 2014, the Tokyo District Court ordered Mt. Gox to be liquidated. Kobayashi, a veteran Japanese bankruptcy lawyer, was appointed trustee.

Kobayashi filed a petition with a U.S. bankruptcy court that led to CoinLabs 2013 lawsuit against Mt. Gox being put on hold. He began conducting meetings to brief creditors several times a year, and posting reports online about the progress of the bankruptcy in both Japanese and English.

As he sought to protect Mt. Goxs estate, Kobayashi created bankruptcies within bankruptcies. He asked the Tokyo District Court to put Tibanne, Mt. Goxs parent company, into bankruptcy on the grounds that he had been unable to get Tibanne to repay debts to Mt. Gox, according to a trustee report to creditors. The trustee also put Karpeles into personal bankruptcy.

Different trustees were appointed to handle those cases. Kobayashi filed claims against both Tibanne and Karpeles. Kobayashi set up an online system for filing claims; 24,750 former Mt. Gox customers ultimately sought compensation. He valued bitcoin claims at $483 per digital coin, the market price on the day before the liquidation order, and converted that value into Japanese yen.

Those of us who were burned by this are now permanently locked into that depressed price, said Gutman, the software developer and Mt. Gox creditor. According to Kobayashis most recent status report on the Mt. Gox bankruptcy, dated Sept. 27, as trustee he has received 163.7 million yen, or about $1.4 million, in fees since his appointment.

Kobayashi also recently reached a settlement with the U.S. government. He recouped for the estate $2.6 million - half the funds U.S. authorities seized from Mt. Gox in 2013 for operating in the United States without a license. The United States got to keep the other $2.6 million. No creditors have benefited.

Among the claims the trustee needs to evaluate is the one from CoinLab, the U.S. bitcoin tech firm that sued Mt. Gox and Tibanne in 2013 in the United States. With its lawsuit put on hold, it filed a claim for about 8.7 billion yen, or about $75 million, in the Mt. Gox bankruptcy, a court filing in Japan shows. It also filed a claim in Tibannes bankruptcy case for about 10.8 billion Japanese yen, or $95 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Tibanne case records are not public so Reuters was unable to determine the basis for this claim.

In interviews, Karpeles and several creditors, including Ver, blamed Vessenes, CoinLabs former chief executive, for holding up compensation to Mt. Goxs former customers. Records in the Mt. Gox case show the trustee rejected CoinLabs claims but the company petitioned for a reassessment, which Karpeles and some creditors say has caused delays. According to Japanese bankruptcy lawyers, claimants are unlikely to be paid until disputes over large claims are settled.

A spokesperson for Vessenes, ex-CEO of CoinLab, said he was unable to comment on ongoing litigation.

Cracks appear amongst creditors

With the price of bitcoin soaring in 2017  its up more than seven-fold this year  some Mt. Gox customers are hoping the bankruptcy trustee will revalue their claims. But disputes have emerged over the best way to convince him to do that. Some want to form a creditors committee to increase leverage. That involves getting a majority of the creditors  more than 12,000  to support the plan, according to Japanese bankruptcy law.

Japanese bankruptcy lawyers told Reuters that creditor committees are rare in insolvency cases. The court also would need to recognize the committee, they said. One creditor supporting a committee is Kolin Burges, a British software developer and cryptocurrency investor who had 311 bitcoins at Mt. Gox, about two-thirds of his savings. He said he recognized the difficulty of getting so many creditors to sign up and of convincing the court that the group fairly represents all creditors.

Its going to be a tough task, he said. Daniel Kelman, an American lawyer in Taiwan who had 44.5 bitcoin - today worth about $310,000 - stored with Mt. Gox, predicts further disputes. People are going to fight over the value of claims, he said. For sure. Theres also the issue of paying shareholders in Mt. Gox and Tibanne, rather than creditors.

Like Karpeles, McCaleb, Mt. Goxs founder, told Reuters that he didnt want to make money from the bankruptcy. McCaleb said he would give as much as possible from any money he received to creditors  minus any legal costs or taxes. The people that are more hurt by the whole Mt. Gox fiasco are more deserving, he said. It seems kind of silly that Mark or I would get it.

Meanwhile, Mt. Goxs bitcoin assets keep climbing in value. In August, bitcoins underlying software code split, creating a clone called bitcoin cash. In addition to the 202,185 bitcoins that it already had, the Mt. Gox estate now owns an equal number of bitcoin cash digital coins. Those are now worth about $200 million, while the bitcoins are worth about $1.4 billion. In his latest status report on Mt. Gox, Kobayashi said he wished to proceed with distributing the assets as soon as possible, but that the timing and method have not yet been determined.
Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel was making a last push Sunday to forge a government, in a twin battle to save her political future and avert fresh elections that could destabilise Germany and Europe.

Elections in September left the veteran leader weakened and without a majority as some of her party's voters turned to the far-right AfD, angered by her liberal refugee policy.

The disputed decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 is also proving to be a stumbling block as she seeks an alliance with an unlikely group of parties spanning the left and right of the political spectrum.

Merkel's conservative CDU party and its Bavarian allies the CSU are hoping to find common ground with the pro-business FDP and the Greens.

They have given themselves until Sunday to clinch a deal.

If they do not, Germany would have to hold new elections in 2018, as the centre-left Social Democratic Party has ruled out returning to a coalition with Merkel after suffering a humiliating loss at September's elections.

"Today is the last day of these exploratory talks. We must decide," CSU chief Horst Seehofer said on Sunday.

Greens leader Cem Ozdemir also said that "so far we've been in extra time, but today it's the penalty shoot-out."

"Europe is anything but out of the crisis," Ozdemir added.

Party chiefs had initially set 6:00 pm (16:00 GMT) Sunday as a deadline, but negotiators later began signalling that talks could run into the night.

Merkel, who has years of gruelling EU negotiations under her belt, now needs to see through what is likely the most important weekend of her political life.

"Today is not only about (the coalition), but also a day of destiny for Angela Merkel. If she fails to forge a coalition, then her chancellorship is in danger," the top-selling Bild newspaper said.

Frank Decker, a political scientist at the University of Bonn, had no doubt about what is at stake.

"It is absolutely in her interest for this government to come into being, because failure would spell her end," he told the Phoenix news channel.

A poll by Welt online found that 61.4 percent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 percent thought otherwise.

'Coalition of mistrust?'

Merkel, in power for 12 years, had initially set a Thursday deadline to decide if the motley crew of parties had found enough common ground to begin formal coalition negotiations.

But the talks went into overtime without a breakthrough, with the hot-button issue of immigration emerging a key sticking point.

The CSU, which lost significant ground in Bavaria to the AfD and faces a state election next year, wants to limit the number of future arrivals to 2,00,000 a year.

German media reports said the Greens were ready give way on the CSU's demand, but in return, were insisting that war refugees  who are granted only temporary protection  should be allowed to bring their family members to Germany.

"We will not accept that people who are already getting a lower status of protection by law are also excluded from family reunions. That is inhumane," Greens negotiator Juergen Trittin told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

The Greens will be wary of making concessions ahead of a party congress in a week's time, and rank-and-file members can still torpedo any deal that they deem unsatisfactory.

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Welt am Sonntag newspaper that there is "no need to start holding panic debates about new elections."

He added that "all sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters."

Meanwhile there is little public appetite for new elections if the talks were to fail, with a poll by Bild am Sonntag showing that 50 percent are opposed while 47 percent are in favour.

If the potential tie-up, dubbed a "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag, comes together, it would be the first of its kind at the national level.

But questions abound about how stable it would be.

SPD parliamentary chief Andrea Nahles told the Funke media group she believed such an alliance would be "a coalition of mistrust, in which there is constant conflict, where each one plays his own cards, and where there isn't teamwork."
Beijing: A fire at a building advertising low-cost rental apartments in a southern Beijing suburb killed 19 people and injured eight others, official media reported Sunday.

Firefighters put out the fire at Xinjian Village in the district of Daxing by 9 pm Saturday, three hours after it was reported, Xinhua News Agency said.

It said the injured have been taken to a hospital for treatment.

Photos released by Xinhua showed firefighters outside a two-story concrete building with a red signboard advertising units with attached bathrooms, hot water, kitchens, heating and other basic amenities.

Such units are commonly rented cheaply to migrant workers who take on low-paying, labour-intensive jobs in the city.

Migrants who travel to big cities looking for work often have few housing options to choose from because a household registration system excludes them from government-subsidized homes. Some reforms are underway but critics say the pace of change is slow.

Reached by phone, the local fire department and district government refused to comment.

Authorities were closely controlling information related to the fire. Internet censors blocked searches about the fire on popular microblog sites. Independent reports by some Chinese news outlets were taken down and replaced by Xinhua's report, which included few details.
London: A Sikh MP in the UK has been abused and targeted with threats of violence from furious trolls who think he was not speaking enough on issues related to the community, according to a media report.

Tan Dhesi, who became Labour's MP for Slough in June, was accused of ignoring the plight of a British Sikh man who was arrested during his visit to India.

But Dhesi vowed to continue working for the whole public "regardless of background, colour or creed" rather than focussing on just one community, The Sun reported.

The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about a rail link in his local area.

Trolls said he should have asked about Jagtar Singh, a Scottish activist who was arrested in India, the report said.

One troll wrote to the MP saying: "...A Sikh British citizen is being tortured in Punjab and you're worried about rail. You have no response to that. You need a slap upside your head you fake Sikh!"

Dhesi reacted with fury and pointed out that he has repeatedly worked on Johal's case.

"It's hard enough serving as an MP without having to face constant abuse from various quarters (whether that's the far-right/extremists/others who feel that I'm only interested in 'my community's issues', or those from within my 'own' community who feel I don't do enough)," he wrote on Facebook.

"When people resort to abuse, they are actually doing a disservice to their own cause. I will do what I genuinely feel is right, rather than be forced by anybody to follow their priorities or way of thinking.

"I am not merely a Sikh MP/representative speaking solely on Sikh issues," Dhesi added.
The company that produces 'Ted Talks' is grappling with accusations of sexual harassment at its conferences, according to reports. The allegations come after reports of sexual misconduct by celebrities like Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein,

The interviews and e-mail correspondence seen by The Washington Post reveal that TED owner Chris Anderson and other senior officials are grappling with accusations that their own conferences had not been safe for women and the atmosphere of predatory male behaviour was getting worse.

At least five people told TED officials that they were harassed or groped during the organisation's flagship conference in Vancouver in April this year, the newspaper reported.

TED is also facing the problem internally. Jordan Reeves, a former junior staffer, said in an interview to the newspaper that while he was working at the organisation, he was harassed by Tom Rielly, the organisation's director of partnerships, in 2014. Rielly told him "incredibly" explicit jokes at work and told him that his "ass looked nice" in jeans.

Later, while talking to Huffington Post, Reeves said that the stories of Weinstein and Spacey have triggered a solidarity, a hope for change and a collective catharsis. He told Huffington Post that he decided to speak to The Post about sexual harassment at TED because when one person is brave enough to share, it inspires all.

The report further quoted Reeves as saying, "I first experienced sexual harassment early in my employment at TED. In a way, it was a part of the culture." According to him, the lines of inappropriate behaviour were blurry and resulted in uncomfortable situations for some of them.

TED acknowledged in a statement to The Post that several incidents had occurred at the Vancouver conference and it had taken action.

"We did hear from a small number of women attendees at TED 2017 about harassment. As a result, two men were immediately disinvited and won't be returning," TED said in the statement. The organisation further said that it has no tolerance for harassment of any kind and creating a safe environment is critical to the success of its conferences.

These allegations join a series of such accusations against celebrities. Dozens of women this year accused Weinstein of offences ranging from sexual harassment to rape dating back to the 1980s and actor Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey made unwanted sexual advances towards him when he was 14 years old.
Jerusalem: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be questioned by police on Sunday for the second time this month over two alleged cases of corruption, media reports said.

Netanyahu is suspected of having received luxury gifts from wealthy supporters, including Israeli businessman and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.

Milchan, a longtime friend of Netanyahu who reportedly sent him boxes of expensive cigars and other items worth tens of thousands of dollars, was himself questioned in September.

Sunday's questioning would be the sixth time Netanyahu has faced police investigators in recent months.

Investigators have also questioned the premier on suspicions he sought a secret deal for favourable coverage with the publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

The alleged deal, not believed to have been finalised, would have seen Netanyahu receive positive coverage in return for helping curb Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom.

Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and says he has been the target of a campaign by political opponents.

Police would not confirm the reports of the latest questioning, which was widely reported in the Israeli media on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu confidants Yitzhak Molcho and David Shimron, partners in a law firm and both relatives of the premier, were questioned by police as part of a probe into suspected corruption around the purchase of German submarines.

Netanyahu himself has not been named as a suspect in the submarine case, but reports said he might give testimony into the affair on Sunday.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police officers on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the sixth time in a corruption probe, Israeli media reported. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunPolice investigators arrived by car in late afternoon to Netanyahus official residence in Jerusalem where past interrogations have taken place, and disappeared behind security gates. Police and Netanyahus office declined to comment to Reuters on their visit, but Israeli media, without citing sources, widely reported he was being questioned again and said the interview session would last several hours. No charges have been brought against Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009 and has denied wrongdoing. He is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to alleged conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage. Police said earlier this month that a top Netanyahu confidant had been questioned as part of a different investigation into a $2 billion submarine deal with Germany.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Jerusalem: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be questioned by police on Sunday for the second time in November over two alleged cases of corruption, media reports said.

Netanyahu is suspected of having received luxury gifts from wealthy supporters, including Israeli businessman and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.

Milchan, a longtime friend of Netanyahu who reportedly sent him boxes of expensive cigars and other items worth tens of thousands of dollars, was himself questioned in September.

Sunday's questioning would be the sixth time Netanyahu has faced police investigators in recent months.

Investigators have also questioned the premier on suspicions he sought a secret deal for favourable coverage with the publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

The alleged deal, not believed to have been finalised, would have seen Netanyahu receive positive coverage in return for helping curb Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom.

Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and says he has been the target of a campaign by political opponents.

Police would not confirm the reports of the latest questioning, which was widely reported in the Israeli media on Sunday.

Earlier in November, Netanyahu confidants Yitzhak Molcho and David Shimron, partners in a law firm and both relatives of the premier, were questioned by police as part of a probe into suspected corruption around the purchase of German submarines.

Netanyahu himself has not been named as a suspect in the submarine case, but reports said he might give testimony into the affair on Sunday.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saad al-Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanese prime minister from Saudi Arabia on Nov. 4, will visit Egypt on Monday, a leader in Hariris Future Movement said. Workers are seen fixing a huge banner depicting Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri, who resigned a fortnight ago during a visit to Saudi Arabia, in the southern city of Sidon, Lebanon, November 18, 2017. REUTERS/Ali HashishoHariri has since Saturday been in Paris, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron, and has said he will return to Lebanon by Wednesday for its Independence Day celebrations. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has said he will not accept Hariris resignation until it is delivered in person and all sides in Beirut have called for his speedy return. The resignation sparked a political crisis in Lebanon and put it on the front line of a regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Hariri criticised Iran and its ally Hezbollah, a heavily armed grouping that is part of the Lebanese government, in his resignation statement, and said he feared assassination. Apart from a brief trip to Abu Dhabi, he remained in Saudi Arabia until he flew to France. His stay in the kingdom led to accusations from Lebanese officials and politicians that Saudi Arabia had coerced him to resign, which he and Riyadh denied. On Friday, Hariri tweeted that his presence there was for consultations on the future of the situation in Lebanon and its relations with the surrounding Arab region. On Sunday, Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo, requested by Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not attend.

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Islamabad: Pakistani authorities on Sunday deferred by 24 hours the operation against protesters led by hardline clerics blocking two busy highways in the capital, as the earlier deadline for them to disperse peacefully or face a crackdown came to an end.

About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) for about two weeks have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connect Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government has decided to give talks one last chance and convince the protesters to disperse peacefully instead of resorting to force.

"The government is trying to deal with the situation. We will wait for the outcome of the talks with leaders of protesters," he said.

Iqbal said Senator Raja Zafarul Haq will head the negotiating team and expressed hope that he would succeed.

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 (Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of the Prophethood) 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 on Thursday 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 on Saturday ordered the city administration to clear the roads and issued a 24-hour deadline for protesters to disperse.

Hundreds of security personnel in riot gear were deployed to take action against the protesters.

The protesters, however, refused to call off the demonstration and demanded that Law Minister Hamid be removed for allegedly orchestrating the changes in the electoral oath.
On 5 October, The New York Times published a report on the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinsteins sexual misbehaviour. The paper quoted actresses who claimed that they had been harassed or assaulted by Weinstein, one of the most powerful individuals in the film industry, who has produced Oscar-winning movies such as The Kings Speech.

After the report, more women came out with their stories of abuse from Weinstein (by the end of October, the list of accusers had over 80 women), and a couple of days later, he was sacked from his own company by the board of directors. Over the month, more women, many of them famous, began to tell their stories openly, and now the focus turned to other powerful men.

These included the director James Toback (accused by over 238 women) actors Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey, Steven Seagal and Ben Affleck, the stand up comedian Louis CK, the political analyst Mark Halperin and the former US president George HW Bush. Similar accusations have threatened the Senate campaign of a one-time favourite Republican candidate and ex judge Roy Moore, and the sitting Democratic Senator Al Franken.

Many of these men have apologised for their behaviour, including president Bush, and it is now clear that the womens courage had uncovered an epidemic. It seems something has changed in America, even though this is not the first time that a wealthy and influential man has been exposed in similar fashion.

Only in 2014, one of Americas most famous comedians, Bill Cosby, was accused of drugging and assaulting dozens of women. Most of the cases here were outside the statute of limitations (depending on the state, the crime cannot be prosecuted if it is reported between three and 30 years after it took place). However one case against Cosby is in court and it is likely to be decided some time next year. While Cosbys case was widely publicised, it did not produce the sort of general response that the Weinstein case did, and now every day is producing a report or two of a famous man who has been exposed.

A campaign on Twitter began to take, what was essentially an American moment, an international turn. So what has been the reaction in India?

It began with a list of academics who were accused of harassment. The accusers were anonymous but were apparently known to the individual who made the list public, a student in America named Raya Sarkar. One of the individuals on the list, the director of the Madras Music Academy has resigned after his name was published. Although, it was unclear if he had quit because of the allegation. While the list has been attacked for being anonymous, it does not come as a surprise given the history of sexual violence in India.

The governments data says that 99 percent of Indian victims of sexual violence do not report the crime to the police. Even in the United States, only about a third or so of victims report because this is a crime that is a personal attack and the victim does not feel comfortable recounting the details.

In India, we have several other factors that are at work. One is a social and cultural landscape where women are often blamed for sexual violence committed on them. Ours is a society that unfairly loads ideas of honour on the person of the female. And then ours is also a society where the powerful man is almost never punished for anything wrong that he does.

In Bollywood, the power is disproportionately in the hands of a few men, whether they are actors or producers or directors. The woman who makes an allegation against them can forget working in the industry again, in addition to being humiliated, and the men can get away with almost anything.

In politics, things are worse. Justice is impossible against the powerful political figure who is a predator. Political parties show absolutely no qualms in violating the privacy of individuals. Innocent women are victimised merely for falling in love as the cases of the secretly recorded and intrusive sex tape scandals' show.

Given all of this baggage, it would be wonderful if this becomes the moment when things change. If Indian women feel encouraged by the climate, they can choose to go public and bring about the same sort of focus on the sexual crimes as the victims in the United States have managed to do. It is cruel to put the burden of this on them, of course, and the only real solution for ending harassment or minimising it is to ensure that the law acts swiftly and punishes offenders. But when the problem is also cultural, the right moment can produce great change.

Other places have already failed their women. In response to the Weinstein story, Chinas state media has said that harassment of women was less common in China because Chinese men are taught to be protective of their women. Behaving inappropriately toward women, including harassing them sexually, contradicts every Chinese traditional value and custom. This is of course rubbish.

It would be a shame if this opportunity passes because it is the sort of moment where a large section of the population can be enlightened. They can be made more sensitive and more sympathetic to the victim, and more willing to set aside the social and cultural norms that in many ways have branded the victim the guilty party.
London: Buckingham Palace issued a new photographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip on Saturday to mark their upcoming 70th wedding anniversary.

The couple married at Londons Westminster Abbey on 20 November, 1947, just two years after the end of World War Two, in a lavish ceremony attended by statesmen and royalty from around the world.

The portrait, taken earlier this month, showed the queen wearing the same dress which she chose for a service of thanksgiving to mark their diamond wedding anniversary held at the Abbey where they were married.

She is also wearing a Scarab brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond which Philip gave her in 1966.

Elizabeth has been married for far longer than any other royal, and the newly-released picture showed the couple framed by Thomas Gainsboroughs 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years - the second longest royal marriage.
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Failed satellite calls that probably came from an Argentine navy submarine missing in the South Atlantic raised hopes that its 44 crew members are alive, but stormy conditions on Sunday complicated the search. Ships are seen at an Argentine Naval Base, where the missing-at-sea ARA San Juan submarine sailed from, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 18, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos BrindicciBoats searching for the German-built ARA San Juan on the ocean surface struggled against waves of up to 6 meters (20 feet), navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said. The submarine was 432 km (268 miles) off Argentinas southern Atlantic coast when it sent its last communication early on Wednesday. Luckily we have been able to continue with the air search, Balbi told reporters on Sunday. Unfortunately, we have not yet had contact with the San Juan submarine, and we will keep working. More than a dozen boats and aircraft from Argentina, the United States, Britain, Chile and Brazil had joined the effort. The submarine probably tried to make seven satellite calls on Saturday between late morning and early afternoon, the Argentine defense ministry said. Yesterdays news was something of a respite for us, to know that there is life, Claudio Rodriguez, the brother of a crew member, said on television channel A24 on Sunday morning. Stormy weather probably interfered with the calls, and the government was working with an unidentified U.S. company specialized in satellite communication to trace the location. We are checking and confirming that information, and we are trying to squeeze out any information that may result in something concrete to detect the location, Balbi said. A search of 80 percent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the vessel on the ocean surface, he said, but the crew should have ample supplies of food and oxygen. The navy said an electrical outage on the diesel-electric-propelled vessel might have downed its communications. Protocol calls for submarines to surface if communication is lost. The U.S. Navy said early on Sunday morning that it would send an aircraft with 21 personnel from Jacksonville, Florida, to assist with the search. It had previously said it would deploy a deep-sea mission with a remotely operated vehicle and two vessels capable of rescuing people from submarines. Crew members relatives gathered at a naval base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata, where the submarine had been expected to arrive around noon on Sunday from Ushuaia. However, it would not be unusual for storms to cause delays, Balbi said. Argentine-born Pope Francis mentioned the missing vessel in his Sunday noon prayer. I also pray for the men of the crew of the Argentine military submarine which is missing, the pontiff said. The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens killed when a truck driver plowed through a bicycle path in New York City. The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navys fleet. Built in Germany by Nordseewerke, it underwent midlife maintenance in 2008 in Argentina.

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CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers criticised Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah at an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday, warning they would not stand by in the face of Iranian interference in Arab affairs. Arab foreign ministers meet at the request of Saudi Arabia, in Cairo, Egypt, November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshRegional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shiite Islamist Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariris surprise resignation, and an escalation in Yemens conflict. Hariri, a Saudi ally, resigned on Nov. 4 from Riyadh, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of spreading strife. But Lebanese President Michel Aoun and other politicians accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri hostage and said he had been coerced into resigning. Saudi Arabia and Hariri both deny that. Hezbollah, both a military force involved in Syrias war and a political movement, is part of a Lebanese government made up of rival factions, and an ally of Aoun. Saudi Arabia also accuses Hezbollah of a role in the launch of a missile towards Riyadh from Yemen this month. Iran denies accusations that it supplies Houthi forces there. The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security, Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told the assembly. Any leniency in dealing with their policies would only encourage them more, so we must stand together, Jubeir said, referring to Iran and its regional policies. The emergency Arab foreign ministers meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention, Egypts state news agency MENA said. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told ministers that Arab nations would raise the matter with international organisations, including the U.N. Security Council. But the assembly gave no details on what measures they would take. Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss, Gheit said. Yemens civil war pits the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, against the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Unfortunately countries like the Saudi regime are pursuing divisions and creating differences, and because of this they dont see any results other than divisions, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state media on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting in Antalya, Turkey, with his Russian and Turkish counterparts about the Syria conflict. After French intervention, Hariri flew to France and met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday. He will arrive in Cairo for a visit on Monday, a leader in his Future Movement told Reuters on Sunday. Speaking in Paris, Hariri said he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut in the coming days. He said he would take part in Lebanese independence day celebrations, which are scheduled for Wednesday.

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Beijing: India's new ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale arrived in Beijing on Sunday to take up his position.

Bambawale, a seasoned diplomat who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge on Monday.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bambawale succeeded Vijay Gokhale who took over as Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

A deft hand on Sino-India relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA which also included relations with Japan, China, South Korea, Mongolia and North Korea.

A Mandarin speaker, he has also served as the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier.

His arrival in Beijing comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Doka La standoff and work on a "forward-looking" approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, the two countries held their border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting in Beijing two days ago during which they reviewed the situation in all sectors of their border and exchanged views on confidence building measures and military contacts.

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on 17 November.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is taking charge ahead of plans by both countries to begin a high-level dialogue next month, which will be the first after the Doka La standoff as well as the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping.

Xi began his second term in office following the endorsement by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here last month.

Officials say Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi in the second week of next month to take part in the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue mechanism during which he was also expected to hold talks his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and meet the top Indian leadership.

It will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also to be held in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives who are also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.
Dhaka: Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina met visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi , with both sides emphasizing their willingness to further deepen pragmatic cooperation, a media report said.

During the meeting on Saturday, Hasina congratulated the successful holding of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. She thanked the Chinese side for offering long-term support and aid to Bangladesh's development and construction, Xinhua news agency reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping last year paid a historic visit to Bangladesh while establishing the strategic cooperative partnership between both countries, Hasina said, adding that Dhaka is willing to further deepen pragmatic cooperation with Beijing in all fields.

Wang said China is willing to work with Bangladesh to firmly support each other on issues of core interests and major concern, and deepen the strategic cooperative partnership.

He expressed hope that the two sides could speed up the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and actively push forward the building of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar-Economic Corridor.

Wang also suggested the two sides to explore new cooperation areas such as maritime cooperation. China will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Bangladesh, he added.

Hasina and Wang also discussed the Rohingya issue. Wang said the issue should be resolved by Bangladesh and Myanmar through dialogue and consultation, and expected the two sides to sign an agreement as scheduled on the repatriation of the Rohingya people who have crossed into Bangladesh.

China is willing to continue to offer support for a proper settlement of the issue, he added.
Washington: It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the US military has prepared for doomsday  the day America gets into a nuclear shooting war.

No detail seems to have been overlooked. There's even a designated "safe escape" door at the nuclear-warfighting headquarters near Omaha, Nebraska, through which the four-star commander would rush to a getaway plane moments before the first bomb hit.

Procedures are in place for ensuring US nuclear weapons are ready for a presidential launch order in response to  or in anticipation of  a nuclear attack by North Korea or anyone else. There are backup procedures and backups for the backups.

And yet fundamental aspects of this nightmare sequence remain a mystery.

For example, what would happen if an American president ordered a nuclear strike, for whatever reason, and the four-star general at strategic command balked or refused, believing it to be illegal?

Robert Kehler, a retired general who once led that command, was asked this at a congressional hearing last week. His response: "You'd be in a very interesting constitutional situation."

By interesting, he seemed to mean puzzling.

Brian McKeon, a senior policy adviser in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, said a president's first recourse would be to tell the defence secretary to order the reluctant commander to execute the launch order.

"And then, if the commander still resisted," McKeon said as rubbed his chin, "you either get a new secretary of defence or get a new commander." The implication is that one way or another, the commander in chief would not be thwarted.

The current head of Strategic Command, General John Hyten, said Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada that he would refuse a launch order from a president if he believed that order to be illegal. Hyten also predicted that the president would then ask him for options that Hyten judged to be legal.

Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and co-founder of the Global Zero group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons, said the Kehler scenario misses a more important point: The Strategic Command chief might, in effect, be bypassed by the president.

A president can transmit his nuclear attack order directly to a Pentagon war room, Blair said. From there it would go to the men and women who would turn the launch keys.

The renewed attention on these questions reflects unease  justified or not  about President Donald Trump's temperament and whether he would act impulsively in a crisis.

This past week's Senate hearing was the first in Congress on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons since 1976, when a Democratic congressman from New York, Richard L Ottinger, pushed for the US to declare it would never initiate a nuclear war. Ottinger said he wanted to "eliminate the prospect that human ignorance and potential human failure in the use of nuclear materials, especially nuclear weapons, will lead to the destruction of civilization."

Forty-one years later, the US hasn't ruled out first-strike nuclear options and is unlikely to do so during Trump's tenure. This troubles experts who worry about a president with the sole  some say unchecked  authority to initiate nuclear war.

"We are concerned that the president of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with US national security interests," said Senator Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, said at the outset of last week's hearing.

The committee chairman, Senator Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, said he was not targeting Trump. But he, too, has publicly questioned whether Trump's aggressive rhetoric toward North Korea and other countries could lead the US into a world war. In the end, Corker's hearing produced little impetus for legislation to alter the presidential authorities.

James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, saw politics at play.

"But I think it's a genuinely important subject, and I think it's one we should be debating irrespective of who the president is," he said.

Acton said a president rightly has unchecked authority to use nuclear weapons in response to an actual or imminent nuclear attack. In his view, the president should otherwise be required to consult in advance with the secretaries of state and defence, and the attorney general, and get approval from two of the three before acting.

Matthew Waxman, a professor at Columbia Law School, says changes of this sort would put a valuable check on the president and protect his nuclear authority from potential military insubordination.

Waxman and Richard Betts, director of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, have a proposal: To order a nuclear first strike, the president would first have to get "certification" from the secretary of defense that the order is valid and authentic, and from the attorney general that it is legal.

These added safeguards wouldn't risk delaying a response to an enemy attack in progress, Betts said. They would apply "only in situations where the United States is considering starting the nuclear war."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. nuclear commander said on Saturday that he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an illegal launch of nuclear weapons. Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order. I think some people think were stupid, Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario. Were not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it? Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear arsenal, explained the process that would follow such a command. As head of STRATCOM I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do, he said in his remarks, retransmitted in a video posted on the forums Facebook page. U.S. Air Force General John Hyten, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, arrives to testify before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/FilesAnd if its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im going to say, Mr. President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works. Its not that complicated. Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life. U.S. Air Force General John Hyten, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testifies in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/FilesThe Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hytens remarks. They came after questions by U.S. senators, including Democrats and Trumps fellow Republicans, about Trumps authority to wage war, use nuclear weapons and enter into or end international agreements, amid concern that tensions over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs could lead to hostilities. Trump has traded insults and threats with North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un and threatened in his maiden United Nations address to totally destroy the country of 26 million people if it threatened the United States. Some senators want legislation to alter the nuclear authority of the U.S. president and a Senate committee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing in more than four decades on the presidents authority to launch a nuclear strike.

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Washington: The top US nuclear commander said on Saturday that he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an "illegal" launch of nuclear weapons.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order.

"I think some people think were stupid," Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario. "Were not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"

Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the US nuclear arsenal, explained the process that would follow such a command.

As head of STRATCOM "I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," he said in his remarks, re-transmitted in a video posted on the forums Facebook page.

"And if its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im going to say, Mr. President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works. Its not that complicated."

Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added, "If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life."

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hytens remarks.

They came after questions by US senators, including Democrats and Trumps fellow Republicans, about Trumps authority to wage war, use nuclear weapons and enter into or end international agreements, amid concern that tensions over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs could lead to hostilities.

Trump has traded insults and threats with North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un and threatened in his maiden United Nations address to "totally destroy" the country of 26 million people if it threatened the United States.

Some senators want legislation to alter the nuclear authority of the US president and a Senate committee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing in more than four decades on the presidents authority to launch a nuclear strike.
Harare: Embattled president Robert Mugabe will meet on Sunday with the army chiefs who took over Zimbabwe in a bid to end the crisis that has gripped the nation, state TV said.

"President Robert Mugabe will meet the commander-elect of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (on Sunday)," said the ZBC broadcaster, citing father Fidelis Mukonori, the catholic priest who is chairing the talks between Mugabe and the military.

The announcement of the crunch talks comes after tens of thousands of overjoyed protesters flooded Zimbabwe's streets on Saturday, celebrating the crumbling of Mugabe's ruthless regime which had controlled the country for nearly 40 years.

The mass turnout came after an unprecedented week in which the military seized power and put Mugabe under house arrest in response to his sacking of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Harare: Zimbabwe's veteran leader Robert Mugabe once quipped that he'd rule his country until he turned 100.

But the 93-year-old's decades-long grip on power appears to be slipping with the streets filled with protesters calling for his removal and top party leaders abandoning him in droves.

First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony Rhodesia of white minority rule, Robert Gabriel Mugabe was soon cast in the role of a despot who crushed political dissent and ruined the national economy.

After years behind bars as a political prisoner, Mugabe then led a bloody liberation war, which coupled with sanctions, forced the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table, with the country finally winning independence as Zimbabwe in 1980.

In elections that year, Mugabe swept to power as prime minister, initially winning international plaudits for his policy of racial reconciliation and for extending improved education and health services to the black majority.

But his lustre faded quickly.

Stamping out dissent

After his release from prison in 1974, Mugabe had taken over as head of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) which joined forces in the liberation struggle with Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).

Nkomo was one of the early casualties of Mugabe's crackdown on dissent.

In 1982, he was dismissed from government, where he held the home affairs portfolio, after the discovery of an arms cache in his Matabeleland stronghold.

Mugabe, whose party drew most of its support from the ethnic Shona majority, then unleashed his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade on Nkomo's Ndebele people in a campaign that left an estimated 20,000 people dead.

It was the seizure of white-owned farms nearly two decades later that would complete Mugabe's transformation from darling of the West into international pariah - though his status as a liberation hero still resonates in many parts of Africa.

Aimed largely at placating angry war veterans who threatened to destabilise his rule, the land reform policy wrecked the crucial agricultural sector, caused foreign investors to flee and helped plunge the country into economic misery.

At the same time, critics say, Mugabe clung to power through increased repression of human rights and by rigging elections.

'A reptilian quality'

"He was a great leader whose leadership degenerated to a level where he really brought Zimbabwe to its knees," said University of South Africa professor Shadrack Gutto.

Britain's former foreign secretary Peter Carrington knew Mugabe well, having mediated the Lancaster House talks that paved the way for Zimbabwe's independence.

"Mugabe wasn't human at all," Carrington told biographer Heidi Holland.

"There was a sort of reptilian quality about him. You could admire his skills and intellect... but he was an awfully slippery sort of person."

In the final decades of his rule, Mugabe  one of the world's most recognisable leaders with his thin stripe of moustache and thick-rimmed spectacles  has embraced his new role as the antagonist of the West.

He used blistering rhetoric to blame his country's downward spiral on Western sanctions, though they were targeted personally at Mugabe and his henchmen rather than at Zimbabwe's economy.

Pre-dawn workouts?

"If people say you are dictator... you know they are saying this merely to tarnish and demean your status, then you don't pay much attention," he said in a 2013 documentary.

After decades in which the subject of succession was virtually taboo, a vicious struggle to take over after his death became apparent among the party elite as he reached his 90s and became visibly frail.

He had been rumoured for years to have prostate cancer, but according to the official account, his frequent trips to Singapore were related to his treatment for cataracts.

Mugabe's second wife Grace  his former secretary who is 41 years his junior and has been seen as a potential successor  boasted that even in his 80s he would rise before dawn to work out.

"It's true I was dead. I resurrected as I always do once I get back to my country. I am real again," he joked in 2016 after returning from a foreign trip, mocking rumours that he had died.

But in his later years, he has stumbled and fallen more than once and delivered the wrong speech at the opening of parliament last year.

The Catholic Marxist

Born on 21 February, 1924 into a Catholic family at Kutama Mission northwest of Harare, Mugabe was described as a loner, and a studious child known to carry a book even while tending cattle in the bush.

After his carpenter father walked out on the family when he was 10, the young Mugabe concentrated on his studies, qualifying as a schoolteacher at the age of 17.

An intellectual who initially embraced Marxism, he enrolled at Fort Hare University in South Africa, meeting many of southern Africa's future black nationalist leaders.

After teaching in Ghana, where he was influenced by founder president Kwame Nkrumah, Mugabe returned to Rhodesia where he was detained for his nationalist activities in 1964 and spent the next 10 years in prison camps or jail.

During his incarceration, he gained three degrees through correspondence, but the years in prison left their mark.

His four-year-old son by his first wife, Ghanaian-born Sally Francesca Hayfron, died while he was behind bars. Rhodesian leader Ian Smith denied him leave to attend the funeral.

Years later, Mugabe had two sons and a daughter by second wife Grace.

The ambition of the First Lady, who had been viewed as a front-runner to replace her husband, is widely seen by analysts as the catalyst for the military takeover as the army refused to accept her as Mugabe's successor.

"His real obsession was not with personal wealth but with power," said biographer Martin Meredith.

"Year after year Mugabe sustained his rule through violence and repression - crushing political opponents, violating the courts, trampling on property rights, suppressing the independent press and rigging elections."
Lupin warns of more pricing pressure as fourth-quarter profit halves | Reuters By Zeba Siddiqui | MUMBAI MUMBAI Indian drugmaker Lupin Ltd expects to launch over 30 products in the United States this year, but warned revenue growth would remain muted due to growing pricing pressure and competition in the world's largest healthcare market."We've talked about medium single digits of price erosion in the past and I think we are now (seeing) high single digits," Managing Director Nilesh Gupta told Reuters after Lupin reported a quarterly profit that halved from a year earlier.The country's third-largest drugmaker has been working on building a pipeline of high-value complex generic drugs in the United States to offset growing competition in plain generics. But a consolidation among drug distributors has hit generic companies' ability to negotiate on prices, and price hikes have also become harder to justify amid regulatory scrutiny."Competition is increasing and (distributors) are getting more powerful than ever before," Gupta said. The company expects to launch more than 30 drugs this year, most of which would be small to medium-sized opportunities, with bigger, more lucrative launches planned for 2019, he added
Micromax launched the Bharat-1, the companys first 4G VoLTE feature phone to take on Reliance Jios JioPhone. Even though it was launched in partnership with State-owned telecom operator BSNL, the phone can be used on any network unlike the JioPhone. Is the phone worth the price? Let us find out in the review.

Box Contents

Micromax Bharat 1 (V407) phone in Black color

2000mAh battery

2-pin charger (5V-700mA)

Headset with microphone

User Guide

Display, Hardware and Design

The Bharat 1 looks similar to most feature phones with a small 2.4-inch (320 x 240 pixels) QVGA display with huge bezels around it. The display is good and the sunlight legibility is decent, but you can expect much in a small TFT LCD screen in feature phones. You can adjust the display brightness and sleep time. You can also adjust the font size (Small, Normal, Large and Huge).

The earpiece grill is present above the screen that also houses the loudspeaker, along with a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) camera. On the bezel there is the model number of the phone  V407. There is also a Micromax branding on the bezel, below the display. The keyboard is also backlit that glows in Blue color, but you cant adjust the backlight time.

The phone has a plastic body, but the build quality is decent. The T9 keyboard has a nice tactile feedback when pressed. It has left soft key and Dial key on the left side of the D-Pad, and right soft key along with End / Power Key on the right. Since all the keys are separate, it is easy to press them. The OK key is in the middle of the D-Pad. You can press and hold the top button on the D-Pad to launch the torch-light. You can also see a small microphone hole on the bottom part, just below the keypad.

On the top there is a torch-light. On the bottom there is 3.5mm audio jack and a micro USB port for charging and data transfer.

The phone has a 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera without flash. The plastic back has a smooth finish, but the phone is not slippery. The phone measures 13456.413.8 mm and weighs just 58 grams. The build quality is good for the price.

Removing the back cover reveals a 2000mAh battery. You need to remove the battery to insert SIM and microSD. Both are micro SIM slots that support 4G, but only one SIM supports 4G at a time and other goes to 2G. The microSD slot accepts cards up to 32GB.

Camera

Since this is a feature phone, you cant expect anything from a 1.3-megapixel rear and 0.3-megapixel (VGA) fixed-focus cameras. Most shots end up blurry. The phone even supports video recording up to 480p (VGA), but the video quality is poor since the sensor is small. Check out a couple of camera samples.

Software, UI and Apps

Coming to the software, the phone runs on customized version of Android, even though the phone is called a feature phone, but the company doesnt reveal what Android version it is running or what kind of customized OS it is using. It doesnt support USB debugging or OEM unlocking.

You can press the left soft key when you are in the homescreen to go to quick settings that lets you toggle sound, torch, Airplane mode, Brightness, Data, WiFi and Bluetooth. You can also change the lockscreen wallpaper, go to notifications, go to settings and manage apps.

The phone doesnt have a homescreen to customize. All the apps are present on a screen with large grid style and the time and date on the top grid. There are large icons for Contacts, Camera, Phone and Messages in the homescreen. Pressing the left button on the D-Pad shows a quick contacts dialing screen that lets you add shortcuts for contacts you dial frequently. The phone doesnt have a recent apps key so you cant clear the memory.

Out of 512MB RAM, about 196MB of RAM is free when the default apps are running in the background. Out of 4GB of internal storage, 2.09GB of storage is usable.

Coming to apps, it has the usual set of utility apps such as Calendar, Clock and Calculator in tools. In the Applications menu there is a File explorer, NotePad and Sound Recorder. It also has Facebook Lite, YouTube, Opera Mini browser and mostly importantly WhatsApp that you rarely find in feature phones.

It doesnt have an option in security settings to enable option to install apps from unknown sources, you cant install third-party APKs that you have downloaded. It also comes with Micromax TV powered by ZengaTV to watch Live TV, Videos, Music and Movies, but the collection is limited.

Music Player and FM Radio

The music player can play different audio formats. It also has FM Radio that requires you to insert your headset to play FM. You can also record FM in .3gpp format. The loudspeaker output is loud and clear, and the bundled headset is just average. Since the loudspeaker is present on the front, audio doesnt get muffled when you place the phone on a flat surface.

Calling and Messaging

Dialer shows names in contact as you type the number. There is also automatic call recording option. Call quality is good, and we did not face any call drops. It also has option to import or export contacts as .vcf. The T9 keypad is easy to type messages. It supports text input in 22 Indian languages that includes Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi, Odia, Kannada, Urdu, Kashmiri, Nepali, Konkani, Maithili, Dogri, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Manipuri, Bodo and Santali.

Performance

Coming to the performance, the phone is powered by a Dual-core Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform (MSM8905) with ARM Cortex A53 cores running at 1.1GHz per core along with 512MB RAM is more than enough for this phone. It also has Adreno 304 GPU. Performance is smooth without any lags.

Connectivity

It supports 4G LTE with VoLTE on the primary SIM. You can set any SIM as a primary card that will support 4G and the second SIM goes to 2G. You can also set a SIM for data and a SIM to make calls with as default or ask every time when you call. It has support for 1800/2100/2600 MHz 4G bands, 2100/1900/850/900 MHz 3G bands and 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 2G bands.

It has WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with support for WiFi Hotspot that most 4G VoLTE feature phones lack. It also has Bluetooth 4.1 LE and GPS support and has Bluetooth and USB tethering so that you can easily share your 4G connection to a PC.

The phone also comes with an offer from BSNL that offers unlimited calling and unlimited 2G/3G data (Up to 5GB, after that speed will be reduced to 80 kbps) at Rs. 97 per month for 1 year, but you need to get a new SIM separately and it doesnt come with the phone.

Battery life

Coming to the battery life, the 2000mAh battery offers brilliant battery life since the small 2.4-inch screen doesnt consume a lot of power. Even with 4G enabled on Jio SIM and a secondary SIM card, it lasts for more than a day. Without much internet use, it will last easily for over 2 days. If you are use only one 2G SIM to make calls, it will easily last over 3 days. It takes over 2 and half hours to charge the phone using the .

Conclusion

At a price tag of Rs. 2200, the Micromax Bharat 1 is a good 4G VoLTE feature phone for entry-level users and elders those who want to use 4G, but are looking for a phone with a keypad. It also supports 2G and 3G networks so you can use two SIM cards. Of course it doesnt have a lot of apps and huge collection of Live TV channels, Music and Movies that is present in JioPhone, but you this doesnt come with a contract and lets you use any of your existing SIM cards, including Jio SIMs. It also comes with WhatsApp that is not present in most VoLTE feature phones.

If you are dont want a large-screen Android phone and need a handy, light-weight VoLTE phone with a T9 keyboard, this is definitely a good choice. It is priced at an MRP of Rs. 2599, but you can get it for as low as Rs. 2200. It is available from Snapdeal online as well as retail stores offline.
As the first glimmer of dawn appeared across the Rhine River, delegates stumbled out of an all-night negotiating session at this year's global climate talks, expressing satisfaction Saturday at the progress made toward creating a comprehensive rule book for fighting global warming.

The two-week meeting in Bonn, Germany, was billed as a "blue-collar" event designed to hammer out the technical details of the 2015 Paris climate accord. But fears had loomed large beforehand that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who rejects the Paris agreement, would seek to block any advances seen as counter to American interests.

In the end, most agreed that U.S. diplomats had engaged constructively, while delegations from several American states, cities and businesses were praised for committing themselves to the goals of the Paris agreement.

The role of spoiler almost fell to Saudi Arabia, which held up a final agreement for several hours over objections to a phrase it feared might allow for future levies on fossil fuels like oil.

"There has been positive momentum all around us," said Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who presided over the meeting and swung the gavel to close it about 7 a.m.

"We leave Bonn having notched up some notable achievements," Bainimarama said, citing agreements on agriculture, ocean protection, indigenous people's rights and the launch of a new system to help people in poor countries get insurance against the effects of climate change.

Many countries are already feeling the heat that is enveloping the globe, with dramatic floods, hurricanes and droughts across the world in recent months adding a sense of urgency to the talks.

Environmental groups expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the negotiations, while noting there's much still to do and little time left to ensure the Paris accord's goal of keeping global warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is met.

Experts say worldwide average temperatures have already risen 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times, largely due to carbon emissions from the United States and Europe over the past century.

"The conference gets a grade of 'meets expectations,'" said Andrew Deutz of The Nature Conservancy, an Arlington-based environmental group. "We are still headed in the right direction, but since the U.S. took its foot off the accelerator, the risk of global climate action slowing down has increased."

U.S. diplomat Judith Garber, speaking at the talks Thursday, reiterated Trump's position that the United States will leave the Paris accord but added that "we remain open to the possibility of rejoining at a later date under terms more favorable to the American people."

Garber, the acting assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, said Washington remains "committed to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through, among other things, increased innovation on sustainable energy and energy efficiency, and working toward low greenhouse gas emissions energy systems."

The conciliatory tone coming from U.S. diplomats was at odds with the more combative position taken by White House adviser George David Banks, who raised eyebrows by hosting a pro-coal event during the talks.

"Having already abandoned its leadership role on climate, the Trump administration appears to be living in an alternate universe with its focus on fossil fuels," said Paula Caballero, who heads the climate program of the Washington-based World Resources Institute.

Caballero noted that the leaders of U.S. states, cities and businesses  who came to Bonn separately from the White House and State Department delegations  earned widespread approval for pledging to honor the Paris accord.

Germany, which hosted the meeting, received mixed reviews. While many praised the country's negotiators for brokering deals between opposing groups at the talks, there was also disappointment that German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to join other rich countries in announcing a firm deadline for phasing out the use of coal-fired power plants.

Merkel is currently locked in coalition talks with the environmentalist Green party and the pro-business Free Democrats, who disagree about the use of coal.

The Bonn meeting was a stepping stone toward next year's talks in Katowice, Poland , where key decisions will have to be made, including on finalizing the Paris rulebook and raising countries' national ambitions for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

___

Follow Frank Jordans on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wirereporter
With Obamacare in serious trouble , those who aren't fortunate enough to have employer-sponsored health insurance are forced to pay through the nose for anything resembling decent coverage. Luckily, there's another option that may both improve the quality of care you get and lower your healthcare expenses: direct primary care.

What is direct primary care?

Also known as concierge medicine, direct primary care is a billing system that allows patients to pay doctors directly instead of paying an insurance company that then pays the doctor. Patients will typically pay a monthly fee, ranging from about $25 to $150, to a primary care doctor, and in exchange they get unlimited access to that doctor. A direct primary care patient can see their primary care physician as often as they like, and these doctors often make themselves available on nights and weekends (some even make house calls).

Pros and cons of direct primary care

Doctors using a direct primary care model usually need far fewer patients in order to turn a profit. That means they can afford to spend much more time consulting with individual patients and treating their health issues. This model also encourages a much higher level of access to doctors, making it easier for patients to reach out any time they have a concern.

However, because direct primary care only includes treatment from your primary care physician, most patients will also need catastrophic health insurance policies to cover hospital visits and specialist treatments. Luckily, the cost of catastrophic health insurance is usually far lower than the cost of a comprehensive health insurance policy.

While the number of direct primary care physicians is growing, it's still fairly low. Less than 2% of the nation's 900,000 licensed physicians have adopted a direct primary care model, so it may be difficult to find a doctor in your area who will accept such an approach -- especially in rural counties.

Is direct primary care right for you?

If the bulk of your healthcare needs can be met by your primary care doctor, this model may be a good fit for you -- assuming you can find a doctor who accepts direct primary care. The Direct Primary Care Coalition has a nationwide search tool on its website (scroll down the page to see their map); other networks may provide more localized search tools (for example, Freedom Healthworks lists direct primary care physicians in Indiana). Try googling "direct primary care" plus your state name to see what and who is available in your area. You could also try to talk your existing primary care doctor into adopting direct primary care if he or she doesn't already accept it.

On the other hand, a patient with a frequent need for specialist treatments probably wouldn't benefit from direct primary care. Such a patient would need to buy fairly comprehensive health insurance just to cover the specialist bills, which would make direct primary care superfluous. If that sounds like you, stick with the traditional health insurance model and consider your options for minimizing healthcare expenses instead.

The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Britain will submit its proposals on how to settle its financial obligations to the European Union before an EU Council meeting next month, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was told on Friday that there was more work to be done to unlock Brexit talks, as the European Union repeated an early December deadline for her to move on the divorce bill.

"We will make our proposals to the European Union in time for the council," Hammond told the BBC.

Last week, 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 signaled again that she would increase an initial offer that is estimated at some 20 billion euros ($24 billion), about a third of what Brussels wants.

($1 = 0.8480 euros) (Reporting by William James; Editing by Mark Potter)
For many retired Americans, Social Security is probably the most important social program. It's not hard to imagine why, either. It provides a guaranteed monthly stipend for more than three out of five retired workers. But Medicare is coming up fast in the rearview mirror.

According to the Urban Institute, a median income 65-year-old is expected to receive more in lifetime benefits from Medicare than Social Security by 2055. That's less than four decades away, and it's a function of medical care expenses rising at a quicker pace than Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustment. In other words, not only are seniors trying to maximize their lifetime benefit from Social Security, but they need to also ensure that their Medicare plan is offering them the best possible value.

The costly Medicare gaffe that could cost seniors thousands in 2018

Unfortunately, there's a really good chance that a majority of elderly Medicare beneficiaries may not be enrolled in the best plan for them in 2018, according to a new survey commissioned by WellCare Health Plans (NYSE: WCG), a provider of government-sponsored managed care services.

WellCare's report, entitled "The Cost of Complacency," surveyed more than 1,000 seniors aged 65 and up across the U.S. in order to gauge their level of engagement with Medicare. It found that 62% of elderly enrollees (roughly five out of six Medicare enrollees are 65 or older) don't review their plan annually to ensure that they're getting the best deal. Instead, they're just choosing to reenroll in the same plan from one year to the next.

Why's that a big deal, you ask? Sure, it's extremely convenient to just reenroll, but private insurance companies that contract with the federal government to provide Medicare plans often change what's covered, as well as the premiums for those plans, on a yearly basis. What was once the best value for you in one year could turn out to be not such a great deal the next, especially if your most commonly prescribed drugs are no longer covered. And if you aren't enrolled in the plan that's best for your health needs, it could easily cost you thousands of dollars extra in the upcoming year.

What's really mind-boggling about this analysis is that the seniors surveyed overwhelmingly chose healthcare expenses as their most burdensome cost. They also noted a willingness to search for deals when it comes to groceries, homeowners insurance, and even gas for their car. But when it came to shopping around for Medicare, most seniors shunned the idea. In fact, almost a quarter of the respondents suggested that price-comparing Medicare plans ranked among the two most unpleasant things they do, right up there with going to the dentist, doing their taxes, renewing their driver's license, and, yes, getting a colonoscopy.

Consider your options

Despite its unpopularity, shopping around for the Medicare plan that's the best value for you is the smart thing to do. It could save you a lot of money, which for a retired worker isn't something to overlook considering the steady decline in Social Security's purchasing power since 2000.

You'll also note my use of the term "best value" as opposed to "lowest-priced" plan. Since coverage options and premiums change from year to year, there's simply no guarantee that the cheapest Medicare plan is going to offer you the best value from one year to the next. What you want to look for is the plan that meets your health and financial needs. This means a plan that caters to any chronic and costly conditions you may have, as well as a prescription drug plan that covers your mostly commonly prescribed medicines. Even if a plan that meets your needs best is nowhere near the cheapest, it could still wind up saving you money by reducing your out-of-pocket expenses compared to a cheaper plan that didn't meet your health needs.

By a similar token, don't feel constrained to solely comparing traditional Medicare plans. The percentage of eligible beneficiaries who've enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans (also known as Part C) has more than doubled since 2005. Medicare Advantage plans have a couple of alluring features, including an annual out-of-pocket limit on traditional Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (outpatient services) costs, and the ability to roll dental, vision, and hearing coverage into one simple plan. By comparison, Medicare doesn't offer traditional hearing, dental, or vision coverage, and there is no out-of-pocket maximum on Part A and B costs, unless you were to purchase a separate Medigap plan that can help lower your out-of-pocket costs.

Are Medicare Advantage plans perfect? Not exactly. You'll have to jump through more hoops if you need specialized care (i.e., you'll need a referral), and your network of doctors could be considerably narrower than under traditional Medicare. But for about one in three Medicare enrollees, Medicare Advantage has been a more attractive choice. You, too, should give Medicare Advantage plans a look when making price and coverage comparisons.

It all comes down to this: Saving money when enrolling in Medicare is possible, but you have to be proactive about it.

The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Eric Trump, the son of President Trump, said on Sunday the allegations of Russian collusion are false, and that he has not met with special counsel Robert Mueller.

Ive said this a million times: The Russia thing is a total sham. It is total nonsense. There is zero collusion with Russia, Trump told Maria Bartiromo during an interview on Sunday Morning Futures.

Trump, who serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization, also criticized Hillary Clinton for her alleged role in overseeing the sale of 20% of Americas uranium to Russia, in what has been called the Uranium One deal. Some, including Trump, allege that major donors to the Clinton Foundation have benefitted from the approval of the transaction.

Are people really naive enough to believe that somebody gave Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state at the time, $145 million for her foundation for nothing? Do people really believe that? And to me its such a travesty that thats not being investigated because there is something there, Trump said. The fact that they will look into nonsense, something that didnt happen, that they will go on tangents for weeks and weeks and weeks about nonsense emails and other things, but they wont look into hardcore factsits really a travesty. Its unfair to this nation.

He added: Were selling our uranium, the best uranium in the world, to a country that is a massive nuclear power, that is probably our greatest enemy in that regard  in terms of the nuclear scalewho does that? Who comes up with this judgment that allows that to happen?

Trump also discussed plans for tax cuts, saying America is literally dying for tax reform.

Weve become uncompetitive, weve lost industry because of it. Wages, under so many years of Obama, have been totally stagnant because of it. We have to get tax reform done, he said.

The Trump Organization EVP slammed Democratic politicians for saying the legislation would only benefit the wealthy.

In many cases the wealthy are actually going to pay much more, Trump explained. The middle class is going to pay much less  thats all small businessthats how you grow this economy. You want the masses to pay less  You want them to be able to invest that money in a meaningful way, which will be much more efficient than our government investing that money.
Playboy is showcasing plus-size model Molly Constable in a risque photoshoot.

The images of the 22-year-old, size 14 model, who was featured on the website for the iconic mens lifestyle magazine Wednesday, were taken in her native upstate New York home by Heather Hazzan where she performed a low-key striptease at a country estate.

And unlike past Playboy pinup, Constable aimed for a natural, nearly make-up free look. Harpers Bazaar previously reported Constable is known for frequently posting unedited photos on social media.

EXCLUSIVE: ASHLEY GRAHAM WANTS TO BE A BOND GIRL

Playboy wouldnt reveal whether the publication will feature more plus-size models in future issues.

Molly has been an editorial darling from the beginning of her career, having shot with [designer] Tom Ford for one of her first shoots, a rep for Constable modeling agency Jag Models told Fox News Wednesday. Molly is indeed a force to be reckoned with and the industry is taking notice. We are thrilled by all of her successes.

Anna Shillinglaw of Milk Management, which represents Robyn Lawley, Tess Holliday and Hayley Hasselhoff, among others, told Harpers Bazaar in February Constable is expected to help change the look of the current fashion industry.

Molly is truly unique as she has such an editorial look and has such iconic curves, explained Shillinglaw. Molly is getting the whole industry to wake up and see that there is a place for curvier models in high-fashion magazines and campaigns, so she is most definitely one to watch.

Constable, who was discovered in 2012 through Instagram, was named by Vogue as a rising model to watch out for this year.

Cooper Hefner, who has assumed creative control of his late father Hugh Hefners magazine, which launched 64 years ago, told The Hollywood Reporter in August the iconic brand will be geared toward a new audience.

Creating something that resonates with my generation and the generation that comes after mine is how Ill measure my accomplishments, said the 26-year-old.

The Playboy patriarch died in September at age 91.
Amid the growing controversy surrounding Minnesota Senator Al Franken, PBS is taking steps to remove him from an upcoming broadcast.

On Monday, the network will air its David Letterman: The Mark Twain Prize special, but will do so having cut Frankens appearances, despite the fact that he was a featured player in the show prior to the bombshell allegations from a Los Angeles Radio host who claims the Senator forcibly kissed her during a 2006 USO tour.

PBS will air an updated David Letterman: The Mark Twain Prize on Monday. Senator Al Franken participated in the event, but will not appear substantially in the PBS program airing nationally Monday evening, PBS said in a statement. PBS and WETA, the producing station, felt that the inclusion of Senator Franken in the broadcast at this time would distract from the shows purpose as a celebration of American humor. Every year, this program is edited for both length and content to keep it entertaining and focused on its intended purpose as a celebration of American humor.

As TV Line, which previously reported the news, notes, Franken will still appear at the end of the show, when all the celebrities involved gather on stage with Letterman. However, it seems any other plans, bits or scenes with Franken have been removed.

As previously reported, model Leeann Tweeden came forward last week, prompting Franken to immediately apologize for his actions. However, a representative for Franken announced today that hes not planning to step down. Franken filmed his portion of the Mark Twain Prize special on Oct. 23, prior to the allegations against him going public.

Franken is just the latest in a slew of men in the public eye that have had allegations of sexual harassment and assault lobbed at them following the unprecedented conversation sparked by the bombshell allegations against Harvey Weinstein last month.
The body of Atlanta rapper Edward Reeves, known as Bambino Gold, was found Friday in Macon County, Ala., nearly two weeks after the 29-year-old was last heard from.

A second body, found about 4 miles away, was identified as that of Reeves cousin, Kendrick Stokes, 30.

Both men were last heard from Nov. 5, and were formally declared missing two days later, Atlantas Fox 5 reported.

Stokes was also known as Skooly Kee Da Tooly.

Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson told the station that the two men were last seen driving a white 2016 Honda CRV with a Georgia license plate, in Montgomery, Ala.

Brunson said the bodies were found not far from the road.

"It looks like somebody placed them there," the sheriff told AL.com. "I don't think they were killed there."

The Atlanta rap scene has seen several other tragedies in recent years.

For example, rapper Yung Mazi, 31, who once bragged about being bulletproof after surviving numerous shootings, was gunned down in August in DeKalb County, Ga.

In September 2016, rapper Carlos Walker, 40, aka Shawnty Lo, was killed in a fiery crash on a city freeway.

In June 2012, rapper Lil Phat was gunned down in a hospital parking lot.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Virginia woman enjoying a chilly day out fishing on her vacation in Colorado unexpectedly reeled in a record-breaking arctic char, officials said on Friday.

Dr. Lindsay Regali, of Charlottesvile, was fishing at Dillon Reservoir with her husband, Luke, on Nov. 6, when she reeled in a 23.5-inch arctic char, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release. Regali told officials she was initially joking with her husband about the number of fish he was able to catch, compared to her catches.

"I was laughing and joking around because I realized I had finally caught one that I knew was bigger than his. I realized it was big but had no idea how big until we got it in the boat, Regali said.

EXTREMELY RARE FISH CAUGHT BY SPORT FISHERMEN IN OCEAN CITY

The fish broke a new state record, coming in 4.15 pounds and 23.5 inches in length. The previous record was held by Marshall Brenner in 1994, who reeled in a 20.5-inch arctic char weighing 3.75 pounds, according to the agency.

The physician calls herself a casual angler and said fishing at the Colorado reservoir was almost surreal.

HEADLESS 400-POUND TUNA FOUND IN MASSACHUSETTS WOODS

"I immediately texted my parents from the boat and sent them a picture. I knew my dad especially would think it was pretty cool," she said. "I still can't believe it. I just went out there to have fun. I certainly didn't go out to set a state record. It's a good story to tell."

She added, Mostly, it was just a lot of fun and it was something Ill definitely want to go back and do again.

The arctic char is a cousin to salmon and lake trout. People can keep one fish if it is more than 20 inches long, but must toss anything smaller back into the water.
Every year, Americans spend about $750 billion dollars for gasoline and electricityabout 4 percent of the economywith roughly equal amounts spent to fuel vehicles vs. keeping the lights on and running our factories.

Where you live significantly affects how much you pay for these basic energy commodities.

Excepting Alaska and Hawaii due to their unique supply challenges, the highest gasoline prices in the nation this week were found in California$3.23 per gallon. California also has the nations highest gas tax at $0.53 per gallon. The least expensive gasoline in the nation is found in Alabama at $2.27 per gallon. Alabamas gas tax ranks 38th in the nation at $0.21 per gallon.

However, gasoline prices are more than the sum of supply and demand and fuel taxes. Regulations and corporate taxes also play a big role in determining refinery operating costs as well as expenses throughout the entire supply chain. This manifests itself in the final price to consumers.

Retail electricity prices also vary significantly from state-to-state. For instance, Louisiana had the lowest overall electric rates from 2015 to 2016, powered by inexpensive and abundant natural gas, at 7.53 cents per kilowatt-hour. At 7.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, Washington State was close behind with its large production of low cost hydropower. At the other end of the scale was Connecticut, with an overall retail electric price of 17.52 cents per kilowatt-hour, more than double the price in Louisiana.

Looking at both gasoline and electric prices for the 48-contiguous states and weighting each the same shows that Louisiana and Oklahoma have the nations lowest prices for these two essential energy staples. Louisianas combined gasoline and electricity prices were 37 percent below the national average while Oklahoma enjoyed a discount of 33 percent below the national average.

Paying the most for electricity and gasoline were Connecticut and California, at 76 percent and 75 percent above the national average, respectively.

With retail electric sales of $381 billion in 2016 and some 143 billion gallons of gasoline sold the same year, the additional costs or savings adds up to tens of billions of dollars, depending on the state and its tax and regulatory policies.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) analyzes the votes of state legislatures across the nation and compiles a useful state ranking, showing the adherence to conservative principles in each statehouse annually.

The decisive test for policy is how it benefits people. Conservatives believe that lower taxes, less regulation and more liberty leads to human flourishing. Liberals believe that bureaucrats and lawmakers should make many basic decisions, instead of responsible individuals.

Since electric and gasoline prices are easily measured, it is possible to compare these energy costs to state policy. The connection between political principles and energy costs is readily apparent.

Excluding Alaska and Hawaii, the ACU rated 30 state legislatures as casting conservative leaning votes in the legislative sessions from 2014 to 2017. Of these 30 states, with elected state representatives committed to liberty, lower taxes and less regulation, 26 enjoyed combined gasoline and electricity prices below the national average.

Of the remaining 18 liberal-leaning states, 10 of them had above average costs at the gas pump and on the electric bill.

The correlation between these two measures, public policy and energy costs, was high with a coefficient of determination or R squared of 0.51, meaning that the philosophy of elected state representatives has a strong predictive link to energy prices in a state.

The next time somebody tries to tell you that Theres not a dimes worth of difference between the parties, ask them how much they paid to fill their gas tank and keep the lights on.
Throughout American history, protests have played a key role in many advocacy movements for just causes  from the abolitionist fight against slavery, to the womens suffrage movement, to the civil rights movement and beyond. Some protesters have been disruptive and some have been arrested.

In his recent Fox News op-ed, headlined Memo to DACA protesters: Stop shouting and start humbly persuading, Steve Cortes objects to a protest staged at a U.S. Senate office building on behalf of young people protected by the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, though he states that he is very pro-DACA.

The DACA program began in 2012 under President Obama and protects about 800,000 young immigrants from deportation. They were brought to the U.S. undocumented by their parents when they were children.

Any argument against the free assembly ignores the fact that about 900 DACA recipients  the very people some have claimed had no right to petition the U.S. government last week  are at this moment serving to protect their freedom.

According to news reports, 15 people were arrested in the Senate office building protest after hundreds of protesters hung banners and demonstrated in support of the Dream Act.

The bipartisan Dream Act legislation before Congress would protect DACA recipients from deportation and is needed because President Trump is ending DACA. The Dream Act would also enable the DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, to get legal status if they met certain conditions.

Because the passage or failure of the Dream Act will determine the future of so many young people, it makes perfect sense for those affected and their allies to engage in all manner of nonviolent advocacy, including peaceful protests, to seek passage of the bill. When the voices of the marginalized dont have enough power to be heard, they must turn up the volume.

The right to peaceful assembly has been a proud tool of patriots going back to the Boston Tea Party. When I took an oath as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve I swore to protect the Constitution.

The Constitution that exists for all people in our land, and etched into it is the right to assemble peacefully.

Any argument against the free assembly ignores the fact that about 900 DACA recipients  the very people some have claimed had no right to petition the U.S. government last week  are at this moment serving to protect their freedom.

Undocumented Americans, like immigrants in centuries past, make immeasurable contributions to our country. They pay an estimated $870 million a year in federal taxes, and contributed $1.3 billion to our countrys Social Security trust fund in 2010 alone, though they are not eligible for benefits.

These people are valued members of their communities. Their ranks include firefighters, police officers, paramedics and soldiers who could all soon be forced to leave their homes if no government action is taken.

In other words, those protesting, like all taxpayers, pay the very salaries of those members of Congress they were petitioning for relief. If nothing else, these brave patriots were petitioning for us to be both a nation of laws and a nation of grace.

In addition, its not correct to call undocumented immigrants the pejorative term illegal, as Cortes did in his op-ed, because its not a crime to be in this country without documentation  its a civil offense. Acts can be illegal, but people cant. For example, getting a speeding ticket means a person has driven faster than the legal speed limit  it does not mean the driver is illegal.

America is the only nation in the world with a statue in our most prominent harbor inviting the world to give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Those words engraved on the Statue of Liberty should mean something, and not simply be an empty slogan.

If we ignore our heritage and define America as merely an opportunity reserved for some people, we forget that our people, places and the values this nation was founded upon are what make America great.

Thats why its so important for Congress to pass the Dream Act and other legislation that helps our immigrant brothers and sisters and at the same time strengthens our country.
To Scottish preacher Oswald Chambers, the word tweet described the sounds bird make. Having died a century ago, he knew nothing of Facebook, Instagram, or our other modern forms of communication. His world differed dramatically from ours.

So what could Chambers possibly say to us today about social media where religious, political, and lifestyle opinions are regularly posted to highlight our differences and often lead to anger and angst?

I suggest that Chambers approach to belief and the way we express our belief is a helpful example to the divided, noisy, uptight world in which we live.

Oswald Chambers personal style is just one aspect of a legacy that is as powerful as it is unlikely. A book of his daily meditations, My Utmost for His Highest, has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide since 1927. It remains one of the most popular Christian devotionals even today.

Some four dozen books bear Chambers name, nearly all of them published posthumously from verbatim notes of his teaching that were captured by his stenographer wife. Chambers insights are treasured a hundred years after his death by Christians of many ages and backgrounds.

All of us, though, whatever our beliefs, might learn something from the mans example.

Chambers was unapologetically Christian, often describing Jesus as the lodestar of life and saying that in everything on which I form an opinion I make room for Him and find out His attitude.

The Bible, Chambers believed, instructs us in righteousness ... its meaning is to keep us living right. But, while he held his spiritual beliefs strongly, he did not try to force them on people who might disagree.

Katherine Ashe, an older Irish woman who became a close friend and coworker, was proudly agnostic when she met Chambers in a boardinghouse where they both stayed.

Unimpressed by another traveling preacher who had lodged there earlier, Ashe said she and a housemate ignored Chambers until his innate charm of manner and unmistakable reality in speech and manner first shamed us, and then altogether won us to welcome him into our circle. And then followed delightful excursions of talk upon every subject under the sun.

In time, Ashe accompanied Chambers to one of his missions, where she said she became a Christian herself, a wholly supernatural conversion in a meeting to which a purely conventional courtesy had led me.

A niece described her uncle Oswald as quite without any suggestion of moral superiority. Irene Chambers said that even though he abstained completely from alcohol and didnt smoke or play cards, I have known him to be in the company of folk who were smoking and playing cards, and while refusing to take part, yet create no sense of discomfort.

Even the rough-and-ready British Commonwealth soldiers of World War I, whom Chambers served as a volunteer chaplain with the YMCA, found his beliefs and behaviors magnetic.

Chambers simply befriended and served the men, offering talks on biblical topics for any who chose to attend. Many did, drawn by the attitude and style of a man whose confident faith showed through his everyday activity.

An Australian soldier, Theodore Atkinson, recalled a previous chaplain who had plastered the meeting place near Cairo, Egypt, with messages such as, Please remember you are in a Y.M.C.A. hut and dont use bad language.

Under the new chaplain, the signs quickly came down since, as Atkinson said, It was never necessary to ask the men not to swear when Mr. Chambers was about.

The once-dreary atmosphere of the hut changed noticeably after Oswalds arrival, Atkinson said. His table now was always busy, men thronged about him for a talk, and I have many a time seen a mans face light up with astonishment and pleasure at being treated to so much kindness and help.

And that may be Oswald Chambers greatest lesson for us today: it is possible to hold strong personal beliefs and yet to treat others with kindness and respect. We can be both committed to our philosophy and courteous with those who disagree.

On a ship in the Mediterranean, sailing toward the military camps of Egypt, Chambers wrote in his diary that what he found most congenial to my own soul was praying for the people around him. After that, he believed in the willingness to testify to the hope that is in you, and to stir up people to think, and to take the apparently haphazard opportunities of talking personally to people about what you have discovered of God.

Though the specifics will differ for people of other faiths (or those of purely secular philosophies), the principle remains the same: at base level, we must show kindness to everyone.

That by itself is right, but in showing kindness, we might also gain a hearing for our beliefs. And then those around us have a choice to accept our beliefs, to reject them, or simply to give them additional thought.

This example of Oswald Chambers seems far better than shouting and bumper stickers and mean tweets. One-on-one, face-to-face, constructive interactions take more time and energy  and, perhaps, courage  but have greater effectiveness in getting a point across.

The irritable, testy man, Chambers wrote from Egypt, is really often a decent fellow, hurt on the inside by some perplexity of belief, and what he needs is not so much debating as a new point of view.

If our own beliefs truly inform our lives, other people should see that. This will speak more powerfully than our words divorced from our example.

Oswald Chambers essentially gave his life for the soldiers he served. He shared in their hardships, working with little rest in the harsh desert camps. When he suffered a health issue just as the troops were advancing into Palestine, he resisted taking a hospital bed in deference to the wounded men who would be returning.

Chambers died from complications of appendicitis on November 15, 1917, and was buried with full military honors. He was only 43 years old.

Some time later, a friend and coworker from the YMCA facility wrote a reminiscence that emphasized the consistency between Chambers belief and behavior.

He spared no pains to make the place attractive so that it might minister comfort to the men, Jimmy Hanson said. Then every night would see him at the work which he loved and excelled in  expounding the Scriptures in a masterly way to the men who gathered to hear him.

Hanson added: As one man put it to me  If a man says he believes the New Testament, then the only outcome of his belief is that he lives as Oswald Chambers does.

What do we say that we believe? And how do those stated beliefs affect the way we live our lives and interact with the people around us?

Be perfectly clear and emphatic with regard to your preaching of Gods truth, Chambers taught, but amazingly kind in your treatment of people. Thats a lesson for all of us, whatever were preaching.
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo repeatedly ignored a womans complaints about a barrage of unwanted sexual advances by one of his appointees, according to a federal lawsuit filed Saturday in New York City.

Lisa Marie Cater, 51, alleges that William Sam Hoyt, the former regional president of the public-benefit corporation Empire State Development Corp., stalked, groped and kissed her without consent for approximately one year, the New York Post reported.

Cater claims she was given the runaround when she called Cuomos office twice to complain about Hoyts conduct, the Post reported. She then emailed a complaint to the governors office and sent a message to Cuomos Facebook page, but was ignored each time, according to her lawsuit.

The alleged abuse, which Cater claims left her on the verge of a nervous breakdown," began shortly after Hoyt helped Cater obtain a $30,000-a-year job at the state Division of Motor Vehicles in February 2016.

At the time, Cater was about to be evicted and had recently been a victim of domestic abuse, the Post reported.

He hung this job over my head, Cater told the Post. I felt like a possession of his.

Cuomo, who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit along with Hoyt, denied the allegations through his attorney.

Click here for more from the New York Post.
Democratic Sen. Al Franken reportedly wont resign amid a sexual misconduct scandal, but his future in Congress remains unsettled amid more calls Sunday for congressional investigations into his and potential Senator Roy Moores conduct with women.

A spokesman for Franken, who represents Minnesota, told his hometown paper The Star Tribune on Saturday that the senator would not resign.

No, the spokesman said. He is spending time with his family in Washington, D.C., and will be through the Thanksgiving holiday. And hes doing a lot of reflecting.

Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden last week accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour.

She said Franken, over her protests, kissed her while rehearsing a sketch. And later on the tour, Franken was photographed with his hands over Tweedens breasts, grinning at the camera, as she slept wearing a flak vest onboard a military aircraft.

Franken immediately apologized, saying he felt "disgusted with myself" for the photo, though he disputed Tweeden's recollection of the skit rehearsal. And he has since apologized directly to Tweeden.

South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott told Fox News Sunday that the Senate, as chamber Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested last week, should open an ethics investigation.

We certainly should start the process, Scott said. This is absolutely the right starting point. All sexual harassment is inexcusable. And everyone should be punished at the same level.

Scott sounded even more emphatic about Moore, the GOP nominee for an open Senate seat in Alabama accused by at least eight women of sexual misconduct roughly 40 years ago.

The allegations are stronger than the denial, said Scott, repeating his position. Roy Moore should find something else to do, which is my way of suggesting that he should not be in a race.

Election Day is Dec. 12 in the race for the Alabama Senate seat vacated when GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions earlier this year became U.S. attorney general.

Moore has refused to quit the race, amid calls from McConnell and other top GOP senators.

Reports about congressional members sexual misconduct with staffers, reportedly settled with millions in taxpayer dollars with no public disclosure, began to surface shortly after the Moore allegations were made public earlier this month.

Among the most outspoken was Virginia GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, who said a young female staffer on Capitol Hill was allegedly greeted at an office door by a male lawmaker who was wearing only a towel, then invited her into the room and exposed himself.

This has been going on for a very long time, and I'm glad that people are speaking out about it, Utah GOP Rep. Mia Love told Fox News Sunday."

However, she declined to say what Moore or Franken should do next or compare the allegations against them.

I'm calling them all on the carpet, she said. All of these situations are completely different.  I'm not qualified, nor is it appropriate for us to process, prosecute, judge and sentence in the seven minutes that we have here.

Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell on Sunday appeared to take a similar position, calling for a thorough look at the entire situation, without finger pointing.

Dingell suggested on NBCs Meet the Press that calls for the GOP-controlled Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Franken should be played out.

The committee has never expelled a member for actions taken before he or she was a senator.

All of us have to bring about real change in this country, Dingell said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rep. Frederica Wilson has reignited a weeks-old feud with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, saying he should apologize to the nation for false claims she says he made about her speech at a federal building ceremony.

General Kelly owes the nation an apology, the Florida lawmaker tweeted Saturday. When he lied about me, he lied to the American public.

Kelly alleged that Wilson, during a 2015 dedication, secured $20 million for the new FBI field office in her Miami-area congressional district.

Kelly has said he would absolutely not apologize.

The back-and-forth started last month when President Trump called the widow of Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson, who was recently killed in an ambush in Niger.

Wilson, a Johnson family friend who apparently listened to the call, said Trump told the widow that her husband knew what he was signing up for.

Wilson within hours went to the press to criticize Trump for what she called insensitive remarks. Trump denied it, while Wilson stood by her account.

Days later, Kelly, a retired Marine general whose son, a Marine lieutenant, was killed in Afghanistan, defended Trumps efforts, in a rare appearance in the White House briefing room. During his remarks, Kelly also suggested Wilson has a history of grandstanding or exaggerating, calling her an empty barrel.

Kelly said during the Oct. 19 briefing that he was stunned and brokenhearted after the Johnson condolence call President Trump turned into a public and political spectacle pitting the administration against Wilson, a Democratic lawmaker.

In a rare and emotional moment, Kelly condemned Wilson for listening to that phone call and then criticizing the president's tone in the press.

I was stunned when I came to work yesterday morning, and broken-hearted, at what I saw a member of Congress doing -- a member of Congress who listened in on a phone call from the president" to the widow, Kelly told reporters. It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation, absolutely stuns me.  I thought at least that was sacred, he said, blasting what he called Wilson's "selfish behavior."
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was expected Sunday to discuss the end of his 37-year-long rule in a meeting with army commander Constantino Chiwenga, who led a sudden military takeover of the African countrys government last week.

Senior figures in Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party, meanwhile, were gathering early Sunday ahead of an emergency meeting of the party's Central Committee to discuss calls to expel the 93-year-old Mugabe.

"If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in," said Innocent Gonese, a member of the opposition MDC-T party.

"If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in."  Innocent Gonese, a member of Zimbabwe's opposition MDC-T party

Mugabe, who remains under house arrest with his wife Grace, has resisted calls to step aside.

On Friday, all 10 of the provincial branches of the Zanu-PF party demanded Mugabes resignation. And on Saturday, massive anti-Mugabe crowds gathered in Zimbabwes capital, Harare, to call for his removal.

The old man should be allowed to rest, former Zimbabwe finance minister and activist Tendai Biti told South African broadcaster eNCA.

The meeting also is expected to reinstate the vice president whose firing nearly two weeks ago led the military to step in.

Mugabes decision to fire his deputy set in motion his abrupt fall from power. The move 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.

Mugabe's talk with Chiwenga will be the second round of negotiations on an exit with a veneer of dignity as the military tries to avoid accusations of a coup.

This time, the talks do not appear to include a South African government delegation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The shooter who killed five people in a rural northern California community Tuesday apparently targeted his neighbor and the neighbor's 7-year-old son due to a long-simmering feud, another neighbor told a local newspaper Friday.

Johnny Phommathep, who lived about 200 feet away from gunman Kevin Neal, told the Record Searchlight of Redding that Neal threatened out loud that he was going to kill Danny Elliott and then go to the elementary school and kill Elliott's 7-year-old son, Gage.

"He'd scream to him, 'I'ma kill you, boy. I'ma learn you. Once I kill you, I'ma go kill your son at school,'" Phommathep told the paper.

Neal killed Elliott and Elliott's mother, Diana Steele, and wounded at least a dozen adults and children in his rampage across Rancho Tehama Reserve before authorities shot him dead.

The Tehama County Sheriff's Office said Neal rammed a car into the gates of Rancho Tehama Elementary School and shot at its portable classrooms. He tried repeatedly to get into a kindergarten classroom but quick-thinking staff had locked the school down, and he eventually stormed off.

Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston has said he wasn't sure why Neal headed to the school, but Phommathep said the gunman probably went there looking for Gage. The school has about 100 students, in kindergarten through fifth grades.

Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen also said through a spokeswoman Friday that he believes Neal targeted the school because of the child.

Gage's maternal grandmother, Sissy Feitelberg, has started a GoFundMe to raise money for the boy, who lost his mother in an accident when he was 22 months old.

CALIFORNIA SHOOTING RAMPAGE LEAVES 7-YEAR-OLD BOY AN ORPHAN

Authorities found the bullet-riddled body of Neal's wife, Barbara Glisan, under the floorboards of their home. They believe her slaying was the start of the rampage.

Phommathep's wife and three of her children are among those wounded.

Tiffany Phommathep, 31, was on her way to drop off their children at school when Neal pulled up next to her and sprayed bullets into her pickup. She told reporters from her hospital bed that she was hit four times in the back and shoulder and once in the stomach.

She said she asked four people for help but none did. One woman told her she "couldn't help me because she only had a two-seater and she was late for work," Phommathep said. "That hurt my heart a lot to hear her say that."

Johnston, the assistant sheriff, came across her and helped her, her husband said.

At the time of the assault, Neal was out of custody on bail after being arrested in January and charged with stabbing Elliott's girlfriend. She obtained a restraining order against Neal in February, stating that the household required protection.

David Steele, who is Diana Steele's stepson, said his father Bob is devastated.

"If you have a restraining order on someone like that, he shouldn't even be allowed to live in the area," he said.

The gunman also killed Michelle McFayden, 55 and Joseph McHugh III, 56, both of Rancho Tehama Reserve.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Newly released FBI documents pertaining to the D.B. Cooper hijacking case include a letter that may only deepen the mystery surrounding the notorious unsolved crime which marks its 46th anniversary this week.

I knew from the start that I wouldnt be caught, says the undated, typewritten letter from a person claiming to be the man who said he had a bomb and commandeered a Northwest Airlines flight from Portland to Seattle on Nov. 24, 1971. After releasing passengers and crew members, the man then ordered the pilots to fly to Mexico, only to parachute out the back door somewhere over Washington's rugged wooded terrain with $200,000.

I didnt rob Northwest Orient because I thought it would be romantic, heroic or any of the other euphemisms that seem to attach themselves to situations of high risk, he said.

Im no modern-day Robin Hood. Unfortunately (I) do have only 14 months to live.

The carbon-copy letter was turned over to the FBI three weeks after the hijacking by The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and the Seattle Times, which were each mailed a copy and published stories about its contents. The letter was in an envelope with a greater Seattle area postmark.

Last month, the FBI released a copy of the letter that was sent to The Post in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by acclaimed D.B. Cooper sleuth Tom Colbert, a Los Angeles TV and film producer. He believes the letter is real.

We have no doubt its from Cooper and the reason is that he cites he left no fingerprints on the plane, he said. The reason thats critical is because its absolutely true.

There were no prints found in the back of plane, Colbert said. They found 11 partial prints thats all, sides, fingers, tips and palm. But no prints of value were found.

The FBI wrapped up its D.B. Cooper investigation last year without identifying the hijacker or ruling out the possibility that he could have been killed in the treacherous jump. The FBI says it considered 800 people as suspects. The FBI also never established the authenticity of the letter to the four newspapers, or, for that matter, four other letters that also purported to be from the hijacker. Those letter were sent a few days after the hijacking.

The FBI got its biggest lead in the case in 1980 when a young boy walking along the Columbia River in Washington found a bundle of rotting $20 bills whose serial numbers matched the ransom money serial numbers.

My life has been one of hate, turmoil, hunger and more hate; this seemed to be the fastest and most profitable way to gain a few fast grains of peace of mind, the letter said. I dont blame people for hating me for what Ive done nor do I blame anybody for wanting me to be caught and punished, though this can never happen.

The person wrote that he wouldnt get caught because he wasnt a boasting man, left no fingerprints, wore a toupee and wore putty make-up.

They could add or subtract from the composite a hundred times and not come up with an accurate description, the letter said, adding, and we both know it.

The person also wrote that he was not holed up in some obsure (sic) backwoods town and was not a psycho-pathic killer.

As a matter of fact Ive never even received a speeding ticket, the person wrote.

FBI agents in the field apprised FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover of their investigation into the letter, according to other documents the FBI turned over to Colbert along with the letter.

Efforts were made by (Washington Field Office) to preserve the letter and envelope for latent fingerprints, read one of the documents, an FBI memo. However, both were handled by an unknown number of individuals at The Washington Post prior to being obtained by WFO.

As a matter of fact Ive never even received a speeding ticket.  Letter related to D.B. Cooper hijacking case

The memo also said that agents couldnt figure out the significance of the typed number 717171684 opposite the name Wash Post in the bottom left corner of the letter.

In another memo, agents in Seattle requested that the FBI lab determine if the paper on which the letter was written could conceivably be from government stock, noting that it resembles the carbon copy of the airtel material used by the Field Offices.

Since January, the FBI has released more than 3,000 documents to Colbert, who formed a volunteer team of 40 former law enforcement officials to investigate the hijacking. The FBI said in court papers that it has more than 71,000 documents that may be responsive to Colberts lawsuit.

Colbert and his team believe D.B. Cooper is an individual named Robert Rackstraw who flew helicopters in the Vietnam War and is now 73 and living in the San Diego area.

In March, Rackstraw sent the judge presiding over Colberts FOIA lawsuit a rambling 9-page letter that the judge took to be a motion to intervene in the case. In his letter Rackstraw said that he was not D. B. Cooper and accused Colbert of ruining his life.

The judge responded to the letter by issuing a ruling that rejected Rackstraw's motion.

In July, Rackstraw sent another letter to the court in which he again said he was not the hijacker.
A Florida church has a stark warning to all who enter who may wish to do harm--"we are heavily armed."

The River at Tampa Bay Church regularly broadcasts its services live on social media, and in the wake of the Texas church massacre where 26 people were killed, a leader of the congregation made a splash on social media when he posted a photo of the sign.

"Welcome to The River at Tampa Bay Church -- right of admission reserved -- this is private property," it reads. "Please know this is not a gun free zone -- we are heavily armed -- any attempt will be dealt with deadly force -- yes we are a church and will protect our people." The message is signed "The Pastors."

Associate Pastor Allen Hawes told FOX 13 Tampa the sign has been up for over a year at the non-denominational church, but garnered attention after Senior Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne posted it on his Instagram account.

Hawes has his own concealed-carry weapons permit, and said those armed during services that draw over 1,000 could include parishioners with concealed-carry permits, private plainclothes guards, or uniformed deputies hired for security.

THOUSANDS MOURN 8 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN TEXAS CHURCH

"If you think you are going to come here and do that, this is a deterrent for you because it is everywhere, it's not like we hide these signs, Hawes said. They're big signs, and it's going to tell these people, we will protect our people.

"Would I rather ruffle a few feathers, or do I want to count bodies?"  Associate Pastor Allen Hawes

The associate pastor said church leaders are fulfilling a biblical teaching to look after those in their care.

"I believe, if you look at the teachings of Jesus, Matthew, and different places in the scriptures, we see it will get increasingly darker, wars, rumors of wars, and people with not good intentions are going to look for a way to make a statement, he told FOX 13.

Despite criticism from some social media users on the church's warning, Hawes said recent events such as the Texas shooting and the ongoing search for the serial killer in a Tampa neighborhood prove violence can happen anywhere.

"Would I rather ruffle a few feathers, or do I want to count bodies?" Hawes said.
A Florida couple pleaded guilty Friday to beating the owner of a chicken restaurant and her teenage daughter over complaints that their chicken was cold and they didnt get enough fries in their order.

Nathaniel Eric Smith, 45, and Latasha Denise Smith, 28, pleaded guilty in Camden County Superior Court to aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the beating, officials said.

The June incident outside the Baxley restaurant was captured on surveillance video and aired on several television networks. It showed Latasha Denise Smith beating Jeanette Norris, Qwik Chick's owner.

When Norris 15-year-old daughter left a vehicle to assist her mother, Nathaniel Smith punched her in the face, knocking her down.

Norris had a broken nose and her daughter was treated for a concussion, reports the Florida Times-Union.

After the complaints about cold chicken and not enough food, the restaurant refunded the Smiths money, but the woman persisted in cursing Norris and beating on the restaurants takeout windows, reports the Florida Times-Union.

The couple was recognized on the video and warrants were issued for their arrests. There were at large for days but surrendered to the Bryan County sheriff and were taken to Appling County for booking, acording to the publication.

Superior Court Judge Robert Guy accepted the Smiths guilty pleas and will sentence them at a later date.
A Florida woman killed her 72-year-old husband and then went to great lengths to hide his body in a closet in their home, authorities have charged.

Okaloosa deputies said Alfred Wozniak was shot in the left temple. His wife Barbara Wozniak, 65, was charged Friday with murder.

The couple lived in Shalimar, in the Florida Panhandle.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and found a fabricated brick wall inside a closet under a stairway, the Okaloosa sheriffs office said. After removing the bricks and drywall, a large dark plastic type of tarp was observed, shaped in the consistency of an adult body. The material had been thoroughly duct-taped.

Wozniak was accused of duct-taping her husbands wrists, ankles and midsection before covering it with the tarp.

Deputies said the woman told her two adult children what she did and they called 911 Wednesday, Fox 10 Mobile reported.

According to the station, the deputies said Wozniak told them that she killed their father in self-defense after he tried to choke her on Nov. 10.

Investigators said the trajectory of the bullet contradicted Wozniak' explanation of what happened to her children.
Three dangerous men were on the loose Sunday after breaking out of a Florida jail, and authorities fear the escapees may have slipped out of the area.

The three broke out of the Wakulla County lockup in Crawfordville just after midnight Friday. Schools were closed Friday as a precaution. The escapees were Donald Cotterman, 44, a registered sex offender facing burglary and weapons charges, Joel Cooper, 43, a convicted burglar challenging his conviction and Casey Brandon, 25, a pretrial detainee facing burglary and theft charges.

We have transitioned from the massive area search to an intelligence-based search, Wakulla Sheriff Jared Miller said Saturday morning.

The Wakulla County Sheriff's Office along with many assisting agencies continue to follow every lead and tip that comes in aggressively, he said.

Indications are that the escaped inmates are no longer in the area.

Deputies said the escapees were last seen wearing gray or white sweats and long johns, Fox 13 Tampa reported.

Cotterman and the other two escaped through the ceiling of the jails law library, the Tallahassee Democrat reported Saturday.

The paper reported that investigators believe the escape involved extensive planning by at least one of the men.

Deputies were reaching out to friends and family of the three men and checking their recent contacts, the paper reported.
A man accused of punching a woman in the face on the New York City subway after she complained about him manspreading" was arrested Saturday, officials said.

Derek Smith, 56, of Brooklyn, was taken into custody late Saturday and charged with assault, officials told The New York Post.

The victim, Sam Saia, said in a Facebook post she was riding the N train from Brooklyn while on her way to work in Manhattan on Thursday when Smith sat down and started overcrowding her.

He proceeded to press me against the wall and man-spread me excessively, she wrote.

After Saia asked the man to move, the encounter quickly escalated.

When I asked him to give me room, he yelled Bch, you aint nothing! Ive raped white b__ches like you, f___ing c___t! You aint nothing, you f____ing b__ch!', Saia wrote.

After putting in earbuds to ignore him, Saia said Smith then socked her in the mouth, bloodying her lip and smacking her head into the wall behind her.

A fellow Brooklyn commuter and good Samaritan Victor Conde then ran to her defense, as seen in a video captured by Anthony Macca, holding the suspect and telling him to "get the f__k off the train."

He was definitely not all there, Conde told the Post. She just wanted him off the train. So I said, Get the F off the train.'

When she tried to report the incident at a police precinct near her workplace, Saia said she was told to file it back in Brooklyn. She told the Post when she called there, an officer said she instead could file a report at any precinct.

The different answers spurred the NYPDs top transit officer to get involved. "Sam, I want to investigate this incident," NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Fox tweeted to Saia on Friday.

The 37-year-old said she harbors no ill-will against police for the different answers and going public with her assault, but that she only cared about alerting her community.

When I filed my report, I apologized. I didnt mean to paint the police in a bad light. It was not about that. I wanted to make the community safe, Saia told the Post.

She called Smith's arrest on Saturday "excellent news!"

This is amazing news and Im relieved that he is unable to harm anyone else or retaliate against me, she said.
Several people were injured when scaffolding collapsed on a busy New York City sidewalk Sunday, officials said.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Broadway and Prince Streets in the trendy SoHo neighborhood in lower Manhattan, famed for shopping and art galleries.

Deputy Inspector Tommy Ng with the New York City Police Department's 5th Precinct said on Twitter there were 5 minor injuries reported.

All of the wounded were transferred to Bellevue Hospital, but none of their injuries are life-threatening, officials with the New York City Fire Department told Fox News.

At least one person was said to have been trapped in the collapse, but has since been freed, officials told The New York Post.

It's unclear what caused the collapse, but the New York City area is under a wind advisory until 6 p.m. Sunday, with the National Weather Service warning for wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour.

"Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, in open areas, and on elevated roads and bridges. Use extra caution," the weather service said.

The collapse also caused authorities to shut down Broadway, and several subway lines were bypassing the Prince Street subway station nearby.
Police investigating the slaying of Baltimore homicide detective Sean Suiter have raised the reward for information leading to an arrest to $215,000, as key details of the killing remained uncertain.

The award includes $100,000 offered by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, $69,000 from several federal law enforcement agencies and Metro Crime Stoppers, and $20,000 from Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The award climbed sharply after midnight Saturday, when an unidentified source contributed $25,000, police said.

Suiter was shot at approximately 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and died less than 24 hours later. Despite the ever-growing reward for information, no suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been made.

But Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said tips were steadily coming in, and detectives were following leads. Baltimore investigators were being assisted by federal agents.

Investigators said Friday that they had recovered Suiters gun from the gritty lot where he was shot, and have determined that it was fired more than once.

Ballistic tests show that recovered shell casings were matched to the recovered firearm, Davis told a news conference at police headquarters.

When asked if it was possible that the officer was shot with his own gun, Davis said authorities were "looking at every possibility."

"We only recovered one gun from the scene. That doesn't mean that there wasn't a second gun," Davis said.

An autopsy has not been completed for Suiter, an 18-year veteran of the department, the commissioner said. Suiter, 43, was shot in the head while working on a case in West Baltimore, a rough neighborhood of vacant lots and boarded-up row houses.

West Baltimore was the setting for much of the action in the gritty television series "The Wire," which ran from 2002 to 2008.

Davis said the shooter, who investigators suspect was wounded in the confrontation with Suiter, was likely still in Baltimore. Police planned to cordon off blocks of the West Baltimore neighborhood where the shooting happened through the weekend because evidence was leading detectives there.

Officials say Suiter was a Washington, D.C, native who lived with his family in York, Pennsylvania, about an hour's commute from Baltimore.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Illegal immigrants reportedly assaulted two U.S. Border Patrol agents with rocks, killing one and seriously injuring another Sunday near the southern border with Mexico.

Details around the attack remained murky Monday, however, an FBI spokesperson said Rogelio Martinez and his partner were not shot and a National Border Patrol Council official told KTSM the assailants were "undocumented immigrants" who used likely used rocks to bash the agents.

"We strongly believe rocks were what was used," NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto told KTSM.

The FBI had taken over the investigation into the death of Martinez, 36, and the injuring of his partner, who was not identified. The two were patrolling the Big Bend Sector of Texas when the attack occurred.

"They were not fired upon," said Jeanette Harper of the FBI's El Paso office. "There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline."

Martinez, who was from El Paso and had worked as a border agent since August 2013, died of injuries sustained while responding to activity near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

He was on Interstate 10 near Mile Marker 151 when the incident occurred, KFOX14 reported. At some point, Martinez's partner called for help, saying he and Martinez had both been injured, investigators told KFOX14.

TRUMP'S BORDER WALL: A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

President Trump pushed the need for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall Sunday night following the incident, tweeting: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement Sunday calling Martinezs death a tragic event.

Earlier this morning, I was notified that Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of serious injuries suffered while on patrol in the Big Bend Sector of our southern border in Texas. Agent Martinez was responding to activity while on patrol with another agent, who was also seriously injured, the statement read.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also released a statement calling the attack a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them.

Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty. We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked, Cruz said.

FIRST FEMALE BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS AGENTS ARE EMPOWERED TO 'ENFORCE THE LAWS' UNDER TRUMP

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.

The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents. It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.

Fox News Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 23-year-old Ohio high school substitute teacher charged with having sex with two male teenage students has been indicted on two counts of sexual battery, WHIO reported Friday.

The woman, Madeline Marx, had also been accused of sending nude photos to one of the teens, the report said.

Marx was arrested Nov. 8. Police physically removed her from Fairmont High School in Kettering, where she was a substitute teacher for two years, Fox 45 reported. She has been released on bond and ordered not to contact the two students.

Marx pleaded not guilty after her arrest.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, 23, PHYSICALLY REMOVED FROM CLASS OVER SEX ALLEGATIONS WITH TEEN STUDENTS

According to court documents obtained by Dayton Daily News, Marx is accused of having oral sex with a 17-year-old male student in July and sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old male student in September. Neither of the incidents happened on school property.

Police said Marx admitted to sending several nude photos to one of the students over social media.

Marx graduated last year from the University of Dayton -- and dropped out of a fall 2013 sexual ethics class, WHIO says.
Authorities in Connecticut are asking for help to identify a woman caught on surveillance camera swiping a cancer research jar from a Connecticut liquor store on Thursday.

Police told FOX 61 the incident happened at East Haven Discount Wines and Liquors around 1:13 p.m.

Surveillance footage released by police shows a woman in a gray hoodie enter the store wearing sunglasses, then briefly look around before grabbing the jar and leaving.

The owner of the store told police the donation jar was intended to raise money for cancer research.

Police are asking anyone with information to call or message them on the East Haven Police Department Facebook page.
Emergency signals believed to have come from Argentina's missing naval submarine with 44 crew members were detected Saturday, as the U.S. Navy prepares to send a second sub-hunting aircraft to area to help with the search.

Argentina's Navy said it detected seven brief satellite calls late Saturday that officials believe may have come from the ARA San Juan, which hasn't been heard from since Wednesday.

The communication attempts "indicate that the crew is trying to re-establish contact, so we are working to locate the source of the emissions," the navy said on its Twitter account. "The calls of a short duration, between 4 and 36 seconds, were received between 10:52 and 10:42 on Saturday at different bases."

But Argentine authorities cautioned that it has not been confirmed the calls came from the submarine, though that is the working hypothesis.

The sub's crew includes Argentina's first female submarine officer, 35-year-old Eliana Krawczyk, Agence France-Presse reported.

The U.S. Navy announced late Saturday it was sending a P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance plane with a crew of 21 will depart from Jacksonville, Fla., on Sunday, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command. The P-8 will join a NASA P-3 plane and another Navy P-8 already taking part in the search.

The Navy has also sent two undersea rescue systems to Argentina aboard four U.S. Air Force cargo planes.

Adm. Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata Naval Base, said personnel there were coordinating "with units from the United Kingdom and the United States." Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

"We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return," Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

She said she spoke with her husband when the submarine departed and is still sending him WhatsApp messages, though he has not responded.

The satellite communications were believed to have failed because of foul weather, a source in the defense ministry who was not authorized to speak publicly told Reuters.

The search and rescue mission has so far been hampered by adverse weather conditions, including high winds and 20-foot waves in the South Atlantic.

Slightly better weather was predicted for Sunday, Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said.

On Saturday, Balbi said the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the fate of the submarine and its crew grew.

"We are not discounting any hypothesis," Balbi said, adding that possibilities to explain the submarine's disappearance include "a problem with communications" or with its power system.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built, diesel-electric sub on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use "all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine."

Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a NASA scientific aircraft and a Navy plane. Britain was sending a polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which British officials said should arrive Sunday.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making "fervent prayers" for the crew.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe could be ousted from power as early as tomorrow, a former Zimbabwe Cabinet minister said Saturday.

The remark came a day after all ten of the provincial branches of Zanu-PF, the ruling party, called for the presidents resignation.

Tshinga Dube, a former war veterans minister, told The Associated Press, we are just going to properly send the old man away as early as tomorrow or so.

Mugabe is said to be resisting calls to step down as he remains under house arrest with his wife, Grace.

ZIMBABWE CRISIS: WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS?

Army commander Constantino Chiwenga, who led the military government takeover following Mugabes move to fire his vice president last week, is scheduled to meet with the leader for a second time on Sunday, according to Zimbabwes state run broadcaster. Members of the negotiating team are also expected to be in attendance.

Talks have been ongoing since the takeover to find a seamless path for Mugabes removal.

In an organized rally Saturday, thousands took to the streets of Harare, Zimbabwes capital, to demonstrate against the leader.

THOUSANDS IN ZIMBABWE CALL FOR MUGABE TO STEP DOWN

Members of the crowd gathered near the State House carried signs reading, Mugabe must go! and Not coup but cool. Protesters were also seen removing street signs bearing Mugabes likeness and stomping on them, as pressure builds for the 93-year-old longtime leader to step aside.

One speaker at the rally expressed popular anger at first lady Grace Mugabe, whose apparent attempts to succeed her husband were a factor in the militarys move.

You and your husband should go today and not tomorrow, the speaker said.

The military, who previously backed the rally, released a new statement urging protesters to be orderly and vigilant against agent provocateurs who might wish to discredit the push to get Mugabe to step aside.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
United States and coalition partner forces near Tanf Garrison killed nine Islamic State fighters and destroyed several of their vehicles on Nov. 16, military officials said.

No U.S. special operations troops were hurt or killed in the incident.

Although ISIS has been losing territory rapidly, suffering a range of defeats in Iraq and Syria, the terrorist group can still mount attacks.

ISIS militants penetrated Syrian regime lines in the de-confliction zone. Coalition and partner vehicles ordered the vehicles to stop, when the militants began firing their weapons. After coalition forces returned fire, nine ISIS fighters were killed.

SYRIA TRIES 'TERRORIST REHAB' TO DERADICALIZE ISIS MILITANTS

Though Daesh has lost over 95% of the land it once claimed as part of its so-called physical 'caliphate,' this exchange of fires in southern Syria is evidence the terrorist organization still poses a threat to the people of southern Syria, Special Operations Joint Task Force Director of Operations, Col. Owen Ray, said in a statement.

There are more than 500 U.S. troops in Syria.

Defense Secretary Mattis recently told reporters that American forces will remain in eastern and southern Syria to make sure ISIS 2.0 does not blossom.

This skirmish also underscores the Coalition's commitment to remain in the region until Daesh is defeated, Ray said.
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China's foreign minister met with Myanmar's top leaders on Sunday during a visit to the country, a day after discussing the Rohingya refugee crisis with Bangladesh's prime minister.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for neighboring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched what it called "clearance operations" in response to insurgent attacks. The refugees say soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them and burned their villages to force them to flee.

The campaign has been described by the United Nations as "ethnic cleansing" and drawn widespread outrage from the international community. China, a long-standing friend of Myanmar during the Southeast Asian country's isolation from the West, has been helping shield Myanmar from the criticism.

On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Dhaka, where he met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, that the Rohingya crisis should be solved bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and should not involve outside parties.

As well as meeting President Htin Kyaw in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, Wang met with Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the powerful commander-in-chief of the military, Min Aung Hlaing.

On Monday, Myanmar hosts a meeting of Asian and European ministers at which the Rohingya issue is expected to be prominent.
Kim Jong Uns regime is pursuing an aggressive schedule to construct its first operational ballistic missile submarine, an analysis of satellite images indicated as North Korea scoffs at international condemnation and moves to complete its missile and nuclear program.

The images of Sinpo South Shipyard released on Thursday by 38 North, a project by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies that specializes in North Korea analysis, suggested there were signs of movement and parts in the area since the start of the year. The shipyard has been notoriously known to be used to build large submarines for North Koreas army, the analysis stated.

Several signs indicated the regime is expanding the site and working on a shipbuilding program to build and deploy a submarine capable of carrying a missile. The Nov. 5 satellite images showed two larger circular objects that could be used for a pressure hull on a submarine. Gantry and tower cranes have been seen moving around the facility, suggesting a prolonged and ongoing shipbuilding program, according to 38 North.

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, the 38 North report said.

An object spotted on the service tower appeared to be a launch canister support or launch canister, which wasnt pictured in previous images of the shipyard area. It also replicates how a missile would be launched from a submarines hull. The report, however, said there are no indications a submarine-launched missile test will be conducted in the near future.

Though the images do not definitively show how much progress Kims scientists have made on building a ballistic missile submarine, North Korea has previously vowed to obtain a submarine capable of launching a long-range ballistic missile. State media released a propaganda video in late September depicting a submarine-launched missile striking the USS Carl Vinson.

Mark Fitzpatrick, a veteran arms control expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the BBC on Sunday the volatile regime has repeatedly surpassed expectations in developing its missile program.

"Up to now, North Korea has frequently surprised analysts and exceeded expectations in terms of the pace of its missile development, Fitzpatrick told the BBC.

North Korea test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile in July, giving Kim the ability to strike Alaska for the first time in history. Its last intermediate-range missile launch in September, which flew over Japan, placed U.S. territory of Guam in range of a missile attack  a strike that Kim has previously threatened.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday called on African nations to isolate North Korea in an effort to suppress the regimes missile and nuclear program. Speaking to African foreign ministers at the State Department, Tillerson said North Korea poses a threat to the world, not just Asia and the U.S. and that as such all countries have an obligation to reduce that threat.

"Let me stress that the United States seeks greater support from our African partners on growing global security matters, including North Korea," he said.

However, North Korea has clutched on to its nuclear program, vowing to complete its goal despite U.N. sanctions and international pressure as the crisis reaches a peak. President Trump, during his speech in South Korea, gave Kim a stern warning to not underestimate the U.S., to which North Koreas state media responded: [Trumps threat] pushes us to speed up the effort to complete our nuclear force."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Amid rising nuclear tensions with North Korea and concern over the potential for war, the top U.S. nuclear commander said on Saturday that he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an illegal launch of nuclear weapons.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had thought a lot about what to say if he received such an order.

I think some people think were stupid, Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario, reports Reuters. Were not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?

Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear arsenal, detailed the process that would follow such a command.

As head of STRATCOM I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do, he said in his remarks, which were retransmitted in a video posted on the forums Facebook page.

SCIENTISTS HAVE A NEW THEORY ON HOW THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER UNFOLDED

And if its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im going to say, Mr. President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works. Its not that complicated.

Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Hytens remarks.

The generals comments came after U.S. lawmakers, including some Republicans, expressing concern about Trumps authority to wage war using nuclear weapons.

Trump has traded insults with North Koreas Kim Jong Un and threatened in his maiden United Nations address to totally destroy the country of 26 million people if it threatened America.

Some senators want legislation to alter the nuclear authority of the U.S. president and a Senate committee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing in more than four decades on the presidents authority to launch a nuclear strike.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addressed the nation on Sunday, but did not formally announce his resignation hours after the ruling party fired him and threatened to impeach him.

During his speech, Mugabe said Zimbabweans cannot be guided by bitterness and concluded with, I thank you and good night. The ruling party's Central Committee announced early Sunday they fired the leader after nearly four decades in power. An official close to the talks told The Associated Press the 93-year-old leader will be resigning, but Mugabe baffled the country when he didn't formally announce his resignation.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public, Mugabe said.

The ruling partys Central Committee urged Mugabe to resign by noon Monday and threatened to begin impeachment proceedings if he didnt step down. Parliament is expected to resume on Tuesday.

Recently fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was appointed as the new leader of the party and is expected to lead a new government. Members of the ZANU-PF party's Central Committee stood, cheered and sang as Mugabe was recalled. Meeting chair Obert Mpofu called Mugabe the outgoing president and said Sunday was a sad day after 37 years of ruling Zimbabwe.

ZIMBABWE: A GUIDE TO WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR IN MUGABE DRAMA

"He has been our leader for a long time and we have all learned a great deal from him," Mpofu said.

But Mugabe "surrounded himself with a wicked cabal" that brought him down, Mpofu added, saying that the leaders wife and close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition to loot national resources.

Senior figures of the party gathered early Sunday for an emergency meeting of the party's Central Committee to discuss calls to expel the 93-year-old leader. First lady Grace Mugabe was also recalled as head of the women's league. As he and his wife remain in their lavish mansion, Mugabes allies left or were arrested.

Vast throngs of demonstrators turned Zimbabwe's capital into a carnival ground on Saturday in a peaceful outpouring of disdain for their longtime leader and calls for him to quit immediately. People in Harare clambered onto tanks and other military vehicles moving slowly through the crowds, danced around soldiers walking in city streets and surged in the thousands toward the building where Mugabe held official functions.

The old man should be allowed to rest, former Zimbabwe finance minister and activist Tendai Biti told South African broadcaster eNCA.

On Friday, all 10 of the provincial branches of the Zanu-PF party demanded Mugabes resignation.

The military intervened when Mugabe decided to fire his deputy, setting in motion his abrupt fall from power. Without the military's intervention, first lady Grace Mugabe likely would have replaced him as vice president and been in a position to succeed her husband.

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Each year, the Stafford County Historical Society sells an ornament that depicts a scene relating to local history. Previous years ornaments showed historic sitessuch as George Washingtons Ferry Farm, Government Island and Chathamwhile others heralded famous figures with ties to the area, such as Capt. John Smith and Abraham Lincoln. Thanks to the fundraiser, scenes from throughout Staffords history are depicted on Christmas trees throughout the county and beyond.

This years ornament shows Aquia Landing as it looked in 186264, when the Union Army used the landing to help supply more than 130,000 troops in the county. A brief history of the site is included with the ornament.

Ornaments will be sold during a launch event Monday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Stafford County Administration Center, 1300 Courthouse Road. During the event, the items will cost $10 for society members and $15 for nonmembers. After the event, they may still be purchased at the administration center in the Community Assistance office at the same cost. Historical society Vice President Jane Conner said they will be sold later, and for a higher price, at Belmont, 224 Washington St., Falmouth; and Olde Virginia Gourmet and Gifts, 261 Garrisonville Road, Suite 109.

To kick off this years project, Conner sketched a scene and sent it to The Ornament Company in Williamsburg. Artists there produced the decorations, which are made of brass and covered with a layer of 24-karat gold, said Conner, a Stafford County historian and author. They never tarnish because of this, she added.

Most of the proceeds from the sale benefit the historical societys museum project, though some of the money goes toward other preservation projects, Conner said.

The Stafford County Historical Society usually meets the third Thursday of each month at the Stafford Administration Center, Conner said.
After vital signs are taken and symptoms are evaluated, examinations are completed and prescriptions are written, patients are offered one more remedy for what ails them.

A word of prayer.

Many who attend the Living Water Community Clinic in Locust Grove gladly accept it.

We dont push it on them, said Tom Schafer. But when youre struggling and hurting, youre more open to it.

The clinic is a mission of The Lake of the Woods Church, and it offers free medical and spiritual care, along with counseling, to uninsured adults in the surrounding area. Most of the patients whove come to the clinic since it opened in June 2016 live in eastern Orange County, but residents of Culpeper and Spotsylvania counties also have attended.

The church started the outreach as part of its great commission to share the gospel, but it certainly developed at an opportune time. As health care costs continue to rise, one of every 10 adults in the state lacks medical insurance, according to the Virginia Health Care Foundation.

If we have insurance and we get sick, we go to the doctor. These folks arent able to do that, said Debbie McInnis, executive director of the clinic. And they work hard, some of them have two jobs.

More than three-fourths of Virginias uninsured adults are part of working families, according to the foundation. Without health insurance, they have lower five-year survival rates, higher likelihoods of being diagnosed with late-stage cancers and far lower rates of receiving important screening tests, the foundation states.

A PIPE DREAM

In 2016, the Rev. Adam Colson was doing a summer series called Living in the Red, in which he examined the words of Jesus, often printed in the New Testament in red type.

The church has about 600 members and already had a number of ministries in place. It provides training for foster parents and makes sure children in foster care have backpacks filled with needed items. It offers after-school programs and keeps lockers full of school supplies for needy children in the Locust Grove area. It caters to disabled adults and holds support-group meetings for those seeking help with addiction or weight loss.

But it wasnt doing anything in the heal-the-sick department, and Colson had a pipe dream that maybe, five or 10 years down the road, the church would be in a position to offer free medical care.

A year later, we were able to open up our community care clinic, he said. We believe were to follow Jesus example, and he met the whole needs of the person.

The LOW Church put together a leadership committee to plan the facility, and word spread quickly.

The phone was ringing off the hook with people calling and asking, What can we do to help?  recalled Schafer. Ive been a pastor for 40 years, and I have never seen a community embrace something like they did this clinic.

Officials with Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg or the Novant Health UVa Health System Culpeper Medical Center serve on the board or as the clinics medical director. The clinic also has partnerships with health-care agencies that process tests and lab work for free or provide prescriptions as low as $4 each.

Thats really the only thing we ask people to pay, McInnis said about the co-pay for medicines.

Since the clinic opened, its offered more than 300 visits to more than 90 patients.

BEATEN DOWN BY LIFE

About seven churches in the Locust Grove area provide funding to cover the clinics rent and utilities, which total about $50,000 a year. Businesses also have donated items.

The facility operates in the Locust Grove Town Center on State Route 20, in the same strip mall as the Exxon gas station. Its housed in an office that once offered eye exams and already had separate treatment rooms.

All the workers at the clinic volunteer their time, including McInnis, who puts in 12 to 16 hours a week as the director. Shes joined by about 25 active volunteers, including nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians assistants who are certified and all have day jobs, McInnis said.

Others help with paperwork, offer counseling or just keep an eye on the place.

The clinic currently is open once a week, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, but is looking to add another week night or Saturday morning to its schedule.

Many of its patients come for an acute issue, such as the flu or bronchitis, then are diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or other chronic problems.

Others who seek counseling suffer from anxiety, depression or struggles with alcohol, said Schafer, who meets with people on clinic nights, then schedules counseling sessions at other times. Colson does the same with those who seek spiritual guidance.

A lot of these folks have numerous stressors in their lives, partly brought on by their health, Schafer said. Some of them are beaten down by life.

WEVE ALL BEEN SEEN

April and Robert Creekmore live in Orange with their two children, ages 10 and 5, and had been able to get insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

But when it was time to renew, the price went up three times and we couldnt afford that, she said.

She sought care at the Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg, but wasnt accepted because shes not part of the Planning District the facility serves. She had planned to visit the Orange County Free Clinic, which operates in the Silk Mill Building in the Town of Orange, about 20 miles away.

Its been amazing to come down the street to the churchs clinic, said the stay-at-home mother whose husband is a self-employed carpenter.

The clinic doesnt normally see children because theyre typically covered by a Medicaid-based insurance. But when April Creekmores son had a rash, one of the clinics providers examined him.

Theyve all been very nice, professional and caring, she said. Weve all been seen.

The clinic wont turn away anyone who is sick or needs help on the first visit, McInnis said. After that, clients must get an eligibility card thats good for a year.

To be eligible, patients must live in Orange, Spotsylvania or Culpeper and not qualify for any type of medical insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid. They must have a household income that is 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level guidelines.

For a family of four, thats $49,200 a year.

Like others without insurance, April Creekmore and her family live without a safety net, always worried that a broken bone or chronic illness could change everything.

You pray that nothing serious happens, she said.
REEDVILLEThis tiny fishing town on Virginia's Northern Neck was given a big win last week in the form of a bait fish.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to boost the Atlantic menhaden harvest by 8 percent and to delay factoring in other species dependent on the fish until a scientific study is completed in 2019.

The commission increased the total harvest allowed each year from 200,000 metric tons to 216,000 metric tons and capped the amount of the total that can be taken from the Chesapeake Bay at 51,000 metric tons.

The overall number is good news for Omega Protein Corp., which maintains a fleet of seven ships and employs more than 200 people at its rendering factory in Reedville, where menhaden is processed into oil supplements and other products.

But it was a blow to environmentalists and anglers who had weighed in heavily, sending thousands of comments to the commission during the past few months.

Just because we didn't do exactly what any one of those people wanted us to do didn't mean that we haven't considered it, and it hasn't strongly factored into our ultimate decision that we make around the table here today, said Adam Nowalsky, a proxy commissioner representing New Jersey.

The commissioners, who have been struggling for years with the complexity of a fish that migrates and is hard to survey, were not without empathy.

If Dr. Seuss were in the room with us, he would remind us of the limitless forest of truffula trees  and, wouldn't you know it, something called a thneed could be made from them, said Loren Lustig, a commissioner representing Pennsylvania, referencing a popular children's tale to hint at the outcome of over-harvesting. And I do reserve the right sometime today to use the word, 'unless.' 

It may have been the nearly 85,000 form letters asking for a cap on menhaden harvests in the Chesapeake Bay that paid off for environmentalists and anglers. During the last hour of the last day of the two-day meeting in Linthicum, Md., Dr. Allison Colden, standing in for Maryland Delegate Dana Stein, moved to institute the cap.

An 87,000 metric ton cap was reduced to 51,000 metric tons, with no rollover of the unused harvest. It appeared to be a direct shot at Omega, which is allowed to take about 85 percent of the total annual harvest, most of which comes from the Atlantic. Last year's Chesapeake Bay harvest was less than 45,000 tons.

The Chesapeake Bay is an extremely important nursery habitat and it remains the largest contributor of menhaden to the coast-wide stock, said Colden, whose day job is fisheries scientist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which advocates for the Bay. And it's because of this contribution, this issue concerns not just the bay states, but obviously every state that's sitting around this table.

Virginia's commissioner Rob O'Reilly fought back.

I think the main issue is that this is a coast-wide stock and there's no scientific basis to indicate that the Chesapeake Bay has suffered any localized depletion, he told the commission. I certainly understand those who hold to that concept only because they think of the Chesapeake Bay as different from the coastal area, but it's not.

O'Reilly had supported increasing total harvests to 240,000 metric tons or more.

Five years ago, the commission cut harvests of 212,000 metric tons by 20 percent to prevent overfishing. Omega was forced to lay off workers and decommission a ship. But a few years later, the commission used new scientific models and they showed a healthy menhaden population that was not being overfished.

In its latest assessment, stocks remain healthy and not overfished, but there are signs the population of menhaden capable of reproducing has declined slightly.

The commission called the 8 percent harvest increase modest and that it has zero percent chance of subjecting the resource to overfishing or causing it to be overfished."

Still, commissioners voted 142 to set the Chesapeake Bay cap. Virginia and New Jersey, which also has a large fishery, voted no, while NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife abstained.

Just before a final vote to approve all changes and add them to their management plan, Commissioner Lustig asked to speak.

Unless, he said, fulfilling his promise from earlier in the day and returning to the Dr. Seuss reference, someone like you cares a whole awful lot, it's not going to get better, it's not.

"And I think what we proved to our critics and supporters is the people in this room care a whole awful lot.
Caroline County will contribute $45,000 to opposing Aqua Virginias recent application to the State Corporation Commission for a rate increase and permission to impose a water and wastewater infrastructure service charge.

The county will also examine the possibility of acquiring the water and wastewater systems owned by Aqua.

The Board of Supervisors voted 51 at its meeting Thursday on a motion by Supervisor Nancy Long to allocate the funds to hire a lawyer and a subject matter expert to represent the county in opposing Aqua before the SCC in April. Supervisor Reginald Underwood, Reedy Church district representative, voted against the motion.

Supervisors cited their concern with the possible decrease in property values that could stem from residents moving out of the county due to high water bills.

Supervisor Floyd Thomas asked that Long amend her motion to state that the county will move forward to see whether it can acquire the systems owned by Aqua. He said he asked for this amendment to send a strong statement to Aqua and to Caroline residents who might be concerned with the county funding regular rate-case oppositions.

This way, its not just putting a Band-Aid on the problem every time it comes along, he said.

About 3,000 county residents in the Western Caroline and Madison districts could see their water bills increase between 3 and 7.3 percent if Aquas application is approved.

The water and wastewater infrastructure service charge would be based on a previous years capital infrastructure investment and has the potential to be as much as a 10 percent increase on a bill.

Board Chairman Jeffrey Black, who represents the Western Caroline District, asked the board to approve allocating $40,000 to opposing the rate case at its Sept. 26 meeting. The board declined to commit at that time, with supervisors saying they wanted to see whether property owners in Lake Caroline and Lake LandOr, as well as in other localities served by Aqua, would agree to participate financially.

Since the Sept. 26 meeting, the Lake LandOr homeowners association voted to contribute $25,000, contingent on the county offering matching funds. Fluvanna County agreed to contribute $5,000, with the same stipulation.

Lake Carolines homeowners association declined to participate in the rate case, as did King George County. Frederick County will oppose Aquas rate increase separately through its own county attorney.

At Thursdays meeting, Black said 24.5 percent of Caroline homes are served by Aqua. He said the county has stepped in to help when water and wastewater systems in Dawn, Port Royal, Caroline Pines and Lake Caroline failed, so there is precedent for the county as a whole assisting one community.

If the neighborhoods on Aqua lose 5 percent of their value, the county would lose $211,000 in real estate taxes, Black said. We as supervisors represent a district, but we also represent all of Caroline County. This is not a Lake LandOr problem, this is not a western Caroline problem, this is a Caroline problem.
HOW DID this happen? How did Thanksgiving come upon us so quickly? What happened to later summer and early fall?

Id ask if anyone else is feeling like 2017 has been gobbled up by a time-eating machine, but I already know the answer.

My 16-year-old granddaughter recently said life is passing her by so quickly, theres no time to savor the moment. Co-workers in their 30s and 40s, 50s and 60s are scrambling for free time. Even retired people say theyre so busy, they dont know how they ever managed to work a full-time job.

While many of us will approach this holiday season with grateful heartsand more blessings than we probably deserveit would be nice if we had a little more time and energy to enjoy them.

I listen to my daughter and daughter-in-lawone with a newborn and first-grader and the other with two teenagersand wonder what Id do if I still had kids at home. Then I think about which scenario comes with more worry and sleeplessnesstaking care of a baby whos up at all hours or fretting over what teenagers do when theyre out of your sight.

Maybe this has just been a year for busyness. I feel like I lost the second half of 2017, starting with the evening of Aug. 1, when I walked out of a government meeting and threw up in the parking lot.

Whatever strange virus I contracted lingered for most of the month, even during our vacation at the beach. Then, as soon as we returned from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I put together a baby shower for my daughter. The next weekend, I helped with a Sweet 16 party for my granddaughter.

My newest granddaughter made her appearance three days laterafter an emergency C-section a month before her expected arrivaland I spent a week driving back and forth between work, my home and theirs. I put 800 miles on the car in less than seven days.

There was a momentary reprieve in early October, then it was time to deal with two big work projects: a special section for veterans and preparing charts for election results. In between, we squeezed in a four-day trip to New Jersey for a family wedding.

I worked two Sunday shifts in a row and had one week when all my assignments were at night, which totally threw off my eating and sleeping habits. As soon as my eyes opened each morning, I had to ask what day it was, where I needed to be and when.

I told myself that, hopefully, things would settle down shortly.

Then, Thanksgiving loomed. And we all know how quiet the four weeks after it are.

I started seeing outdoor Christmas lights a few days after the election. The night of Nov. 15, I spotted a decorated tree in someones front window.

It made me feel like I need to run a little faster on this giant hamster wheel in which we all seemed to be trapped.

But then a voice in my brain tells me to reread what Ive just written. That I should be grateful Ive still got a job that I love, despite the hectic pace.

My freaky illness was but a blip on the radar screen, compared to what others suffer. My baby granddaughter arrived safely. Almost everyone I love lives close by and is healthy.

In the days to come, Ill share a 10,000-calorie meal with them. What else could I possibly want from life?
Thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of students at Virginia middle and high schools, seat belt usage by teen drivers saw a significant spike during the YOVASO 2017 Save Your Tailgate, Buckle Up and Slow Down campaign. The four-week challenge, which aims to encourage youth and teens to develop a lifelong, life-saving habit of always buckling up, saw a 12 percent increase among students at schools that completed pre and post seat belt checks. The campaign also focused on speed-prevention.

Locally, Louisa County High School in Louisa County placed second in the high school division and Rodney Thompson Middle School in Stafford County placed third. The two schools will receive cash prizes and a banner. All prizes for the Save Your Tailgate Campaign were funded by donations and by a grant from State Farm.

Sixty-six schools participated in the annual campaign, including Brooke Point, Colonial Forge, Mountain View, North Stafford and Stafford high schools in Stafford; A.G. Wright, Dixon Smith, Drew and H.H. Poole middle schools in Stafford; Louisa County Middle School, Louisa; Walker-Grant Middle School, Fredericksburg; and REACH Homeschool Group in Orange County. Participating schools sponsored hundreds of events aimed at increasing seat belt use and/or speed prevention.

YOVASO, Virginias peer-to-peer education and prevention program for teen driver and passenger safety, currently has 100 active member schools and is administered by the Virginia State Police and funded through grants from the Virginia DMV Highway Safety Office. Membership in YOVASO is free and open to all Virginia high schools and middle schools. For more information, contact YOVASO at 540/375-3596 or visit yovaso.org.
Beloved son, brother, father, grandfather and husband, Kevin John Kocher, 60, passed away October 31, 2017 at home with his loving wife, Cynthia Cobb Kocher. He is preceded in death by his nephew, William 'Willie' Whitney; father James Kocher; and brother Newell Kocher. Survived by his mother, Mary Gates; brother James Kocher; sister Lynda Kocher Bennett; children Kevin A. Kocher, Opal Kocher, Alex Monroe, Richard Monroe; and grandchildren Arabelle Kocher and Fia Sheler. Kevin retired from the Pentagon Police Department in 2009. Previously, he worked at Lorton Prison for 18 years until its closure and was also a Deputy and Bloodhound handler at the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department for 23 years until the MS forced his retirement. He dedicated his life to his faith, family and to Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue K9 handlers worldwide. Kevin created a method of training called 'The Kocher Method' that has saved lives and apprehended criminals throughout the world. Kevin co-founded the InterNational Bloodhound Training Institute (www.inbti.com) to further his method, which now has instructors in the United States and many other countries. He is also the author of the book, "How to Train a Police Bloodhound and Scent Discriminating Patrol Dog" which has now been published in seven languages. He traveled tirelessly even as Multiple Sclerosis took hold of his body to share his method and his faith. A humble servant, he taught free of charge as a vessel of God's work and for the greater good of humanity. During his time as a K9 handler, Kevin was successful in numerous high-profile cases including murders, two serial killers, abductions, rapes and robberies. His first find was recovering the body of 14-year-old Alexander E. Sztanko. While working for Lorton Prison he was instrumental in the search for escaped inmate and convicted murder Thomas A. Wilkes Jr. Of the many cases that haunted Kevin throughout his life were the missing Spotsylvania girls Sofia Silva, and Kristin and Kati Lisk. He made a promise to the family of Sofia Silva to never forget her. He created the Sofia Silva Life Saving Award, which has been presented by her sister, Pam Silva Grimes, to instructors and handlers to recognize those K-9 units who have performed with a determined sense of duty and responsibility by assisting in saving a life. Kevin's legacy of faithful service to the Lord, self-sacrifice and humility will never be forgotten by all who have benefited by K9 teams trained with his method and by the INBTI instructors and members who will carry on his work. Even as MS attacked his body; his heart and spirit could not be held down. He trained K9 handlers first with the aid of a cane, then with the help of a walker, and then still while in a wheelchair. Even after being bedridden, he mentored students and instructors online. Services will be held up on the mountain he loved so much in Ulysses, Pennsylvania the first weekend in June. More information will be provided via Facebook including places to stay closer to time, or you may contact the.inbti@gmail.com to request the information. All are welcome to attend. Memorials can be made to the International Bloodhound Training Institute (INBTI) to be used as a scholarship fund.
IT'S NOW been one year since the election of Donald J. Trump as our nations 45th president. Is America great again?"

The election certainly did make America grate. Ive never seen people so much at one anothers throats, especially on social media.

But great? Yes and no.

The giddy stock market signals are unmistakable (up over 20 percent since the election), and unemployment is down to 4.1 percent, although too many remain out of work and have dropped off the statistical radar.

What role does a U.S. president play in this?

As a limited government guy, I want that answer to be almost none. But government spends your tax dollars and it regulates your business, neither of which started in 2017.

Yet, the president does set the agenda, and therefore a tone that can fuel or undermine greatness.

Government spending is worrisome and could derail the good economic news just noted. The 2017 deficit is an astounding $666 billion, and Americas total accumulated debt is now $20 trillion.

Another debt-limit battle potentially looms in December; agreement on tax reform remains elusive and health insurance markets remain something of a shamble. Theres a lot of uncertainty.

But on cutting red tape in the economy, things are trending extremely welleven though no regulatory reform legislation has made it to Trumps desk.

Less regulation can mean more jobs and income for those who may not be sharing in the stock market boom. You dont write a check the way you do for taxes, but the cost of regulation, hidden in prices and undermining efficiency and growth, hits the typical household to the tune of $15,000 annually.

Trump prominently declared that 70 percent of federal regulations can go, and issued a regulatory freeze early in his term. (So did President Obama).

Seventy percent didnt go yet, but Trump has issued executive orders targeting regulations. He is requiring agencies to look for ways to speed up permitting on large-scale construction, pipelines and other infrastructure.

He issued an executive order in January requiring the elimination of two rules for every one adopted, and required net new costs of zero. Few realize that Trump's one-in, two-out program has a bipartisan pedigree in the United States, as well as a healthy track record overseas to learn from.

So while the administration and Congress debate legislation, at least the costs of regulation arent growing.

We can see the results in the size of the regulatory rulebook. The Federal Register is the daily depository of agencies proposed and final rules (plus many other kinds of notices). Its all-time record was set last year under President Obama, when it reached 97,110 pages.

Last week, the Federal Register stood at 51,752 pages. It was 78,700 pages long on Election Day 2016 under Obama.

So even without regulatory reform legislation, the 2017 regulatory rulebook is 34 percent less hefty than it was in 2016. That seems pretty great.

Similarly, the numbers of final and proposed rules and regulations from the Trump administration are far below those under Obama. These reductions are reminiscent of Ronald Reagan, under whom rules and Federal Register page counts dropped over a third over the course of a few years.

Today, a year out from Election Day 2016, in terms of cutting red tape to promote prosperity, good things are happening even without congressional action.

There is some bipartisan disinclination to regulate new technologies like Uber, Airbnb, drones and driverless cars, all of which could create many new jobs and industries. Sentiments like these can be a bridge to working with Trump on cutting red tape.

Meanwhile, the prominent bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus (House co-chairs are Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, and Tom Reed, R-New York, has had its sights on regulation, too.

Obama used to talk of going it alone if Congress didnt act. Sure, greatness can be sought unilaterally from either partisan standpoint with executive reforms of executive agencies.

But it might be even greater to get some bipartisanship on cutting red tape and fixing that budget.
ONE YEAR into the Trump era, America is becoming great againbut not how Donald Trump envisioned it would.

In a world increasingly dominated by alternative facts, defining greatness is perhaps more difficult than one would expect. President Trump would most certainly tell us how great he has made America in 240 characters.

Unfortunately for Trump and Americans looking for greatness, his alternative understanding of both facts and what makes a country great do not match with reality or the needs of our nation. A year into the Trump era, America is not making the progress he promised as a candidate or is promising as president.

The tone was set early on when President-elect Trump decided to take a victory lap on promised job creation. He used workers in Indiana as a backdrop and claimed he had saved jobs. The problem, one that is all too familiar now, is that he was lying.

Then he made it worse by disparaging a local worker who had the audacity to tell the truth. This is not greatness. Lying about and to the very people who had helped elect him and then insulting an American citizen is petty, not great.

Throughout the last year we have seen this pattern play out. Boasting and bullying. Lies followed by distraction followed by blame. Time and again key Trump promises either disappear or come crashing down to inglorious face-planting failure when met with reality.

Lets review a few of the key failures in his proclaimed quest to make America great.

On the campaign trail, Trump championed the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it is more commonly referred. This legislative goal, despite continuing pushes from Trump himself and numerous attempts by his congressional enablers, has not happened.

Why? Inept legislative maneuvering aside, people actually like Obamacare despite years of tearing it down with false rhetoric and outright sabotage. Saying its going to be great and trust me simply are not effective tools for actual legislative achievement.

Trump also talks much about making America safer, but his clumsy and dangerous approach to world affairs is actually making us less safe, not to mention being despised by our allies.

The ridiculous and potentially perilous way in which he is handling North Korea, a hostile and erratic nation with nuclear weapons, is downright outrageous. His egotistical approach to his meetings with foreign allies is embarrassing. None of this make us safer or greater.

His disdain for the press and any news that contradicts his manufactured reality is nothing short of treacherous. A truly great America is an open America that enhances debate and centers that debate on facts.

The list goes on, of course. No wall to speak of and certainly no payment by Mexico despite that being a central theme of his campaign.

The D.C. swamp is not drained but rather overflowing with the worst special interest creatures imaginable.

A renegotiation of NAFTA is stalled at best. The plan of cutting taxes for everyone is falsely being represented by what is moving through Congressand even that is being met with much resistance from Trumps own party.

Thats just a small sample of the many boastful promises made by Trump. We could debate whether Trumps plans would actually make America great, but the complete lack of progress on almost all of his agenda items makes it hard to claim victory even with an alternate view of reality.

The central and defining theme in all of these failures is Trump himself and his persistent and self-serving disconnect from reality. Its led to a massive resistance movement on the left. Support for a sitting president nationwide is at or near record lows.

The first truly representative electoral response to Trump in Virginia and New Jersey state elections ended in a landslide rebuke of the style and content of his first year since election.

Nothing about what Trump has been doing is great. Certainly, America is not greater for having him as president.

His allies and apologists in Congress are disgraceful. What is great is the awakening of a corrective force that is defending rights, defending free speech, standing up to bullying and hate, and exercising our democratic power to change.

If that continues, Trump will have made America great again, just not in the way he thought.
Once again, Donald Trump has proven that he is the foe of all that is good or noble in the world.

Now, he's lifting an Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from two African nations. So now, in addition to declaring climate protection a non-activity, endangering our very planet, trying to rescind health care coverage for millions and potentially provoking a nuclear war, he and his lobbyist friends are attempting to destroy one of the most noble and intelligent creatures on earth.

Mr. Trump, you are totally lacking in moral or social values. And you never have been, nor ever will be, my president.

Dave Siler

Spotsylvania
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A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
nametalkam at 19-11-2017 10:25 AM (4 years ago) (m)

The sumptuous bride- Ehizogie Ogbebor is not only a supreme beauty and super stylish too, but she's also an Instagram sensation par excellence, a big gal by all standards and ramifications, as the CEO of her own Lekki based luxury boutique hotel and also Interior/furniture/furnishings brand by name Sayaveth Hotel and Apartments, on Freedom Way, Lekki and Sayaveth Interiors, Emma Abimbola Road, Off Fola Osibo, Lekki Phase 1.

The sumptuous bride- Ehizogie Ogbebor is not only a supreme beauty and super stylish too, but she's also an Instagram sensation par excellence, a big gal by all standards and ramifications, as the CEO of her own Lekki based luxury boutique hotel and also Interior/furniture/furnishings brand by name Sayaveth Hotel and Apartments, on Freedom Way, Lekki and Sayaveth Interiors, Emma Abimbola Road, Off Fola Osibo, Lekki Phase 1.

Her gushing groom, is none other than Warri Millionaire, Kenneth Bramor, who though is already married to 2 before his new wife Ehizogie, is madly and deeply in love with this his angel who he apparently met 2 years ago at her Interior store.



Their love story is like things read in romantic novels, a beautiful damsel meeting her knight in shining armour, who rode in on a white horse and coming in to sweep her off her feet and both live happily ever after.



This marriage is Ehizogie's 2nd missionary journey into matrimony, as before now she was a divorcee of over 10 years and with 2 kids to show for the first experience.



The humongous Wedding Edo-Benin wedding ceremony took place today and like we already described, it was humongous and magnificent by all standards. It was obvious that money wasn't spared at all, imagine that even 2 lucky guests went home with 2 brand spanking new Toyota Camry Cars as part of the gifts that were shared.



Imagine that the initial plan was to invite just 800, but at the end of it all, 3000 guests was what the guest list came to at the end of the day and they were feted, well taken care of and apparently had unbridled fun.



Ehizogie spoke about their first meeting thus-



Her gushing groom, is none other than Warri Millionaire, Kenneth Bramor, who though is already married to 2 before his new wife Ehizogie, is madly and deeply in love with this his angel who he apparently met 2 years ago at her Interior store.Their love story is like things read in romantic novels, a beautiful damsel meeting her knight in shining armour, who rode in on a white horse and coming in to sweep her off her feet and both live happily ever after.This marriage is Ehizogie's 2nd missionary journey into matrimony, as before now she was a divorcee of over 10 years and with 2 kids to show for the first experience.The humongous Wedding Edo-Benin wedding ceremony took place today and like we already described, it was humongous and magnificent by all standards. It was obvious that money wasn't spared at all, imagine that even 2 lucky guests went home with 2 brand spanking new Toyota Camry Cars as part of the gifts that were shared.Imagine that the initial plan was to invite just 800, but at the end of it all, 3000 guests was what the guest list came to at the end of the day and they were feted, well taken care of and apparently had unbridled fun.Ehizogie spoke about their first meeting thus- Quote Met my Oxygen In Sayaveth INTERIOR. so we decided to give Sayaveth the Honour of hosting us for the Photoshoot. 2 and a half years a ago .. i just arrived from abroad were i went shopping for goods ddnt even want to work the next day cause i WAS tired but my brother insisted we go to the office that day @butty_boyyy  just 5 mins after arrival at the store.. a MAN walked into my store looking very restless like he had not even taken his bath that day with his dalabia and slippers with a Scrab looking CAB.. pricing our Settee on SALE  (our cheapest settee) started negotiating with my staff @interiordesignerandconsultantneeded a 200k discount .she insisted to call her madam from upstairs to approve the discount asked as a very Stubborn Man that he is I kept hearing no  Nono telling his boypay make we go MAKE WE GO Warri man stubborn people..SHE INSISTED  I CAME DOWN AND SAW HIM THERE STANDING WITH A STRAIGHT FACE PERSUADED him to come up to my office  He reluctantly agreed  well after a couple of talks OGA ENDED UP STAYING 4 HOURS EVEN HAD THEM TO GO BUY HIM COCONUT RICE 2. HALF YEARS AFTER NAH WETIN WE SEE SO .. After several months of dating I found out HE IS TERMED LIFE CHANGER A GOOD MAN WITH A GREAT HEART HELPER OF PLENTY .Irony of the story dont ever look down on any one only if you are admiring their shoes. FOUND MY FOREVER MY KING THE ONLY MAN THAT TAMES ME  I LOVE HIM LIKE THE AIR. (sic)



More photos below:













More photos below:

Post Reply I specialize in investigative reportage across several subject matter and sectors but mainly focus on metro events and investigation. Do leave your thoughts and opinion on my reports to let me know what you think about them. Thank you Posted: at 19-11-2017 10:25 AM (4 years ago) | Addicted Hero
kacylee at 19-11-2017 09:38 PM (4 years ago) (f)

A former President of the Association of Lagos State Indigenes, Chief Layi Ajayi-Bembe, in this interview with BAYO AKINLOYE of PUNCH says the real owners of Lagos are the Bini, not the Yoruba.

A former President of the Association of Lagos State Indigenes, Chief Layi Ajayi-Bembe, in this interview with BAYO AKINLOYE of PUNCH says the real owners of Lagos are the Bini, not the Yoruba.

What is your lineage as a Lagosian?



My grandfather was Ajayi Bembe; the eighth Obanikoro of Lagos  my father was the last of his children. My mother was the first child of Gbajabiamila (of Olowogbowo fame)  of course, of Lagos. When it comes to the ownership of Lagos, it is sad when people talk about Lagos being no mans land or Lagos being part of Yoruba land  I consider that position to be an abomination. Yes, because of the affinity or geographical location of Lagos, were nearer to the South-West (the Yoruba) than to other regions. It should be stated that Lagos has always been independent of the West. When I returned from England, (Chief Obafemi) Awolowo was in prison; before I came back to Nigeria, there had been agitations that Lagos wasnt part of the West. No doubt that a lot of us speak Yoruba  in my family, were Bini. Oba of Lagos (Rilwan Akiolu) was completely right that the early settlers in Lagos were the Awori and the Bini. Were talking about the Island of Lagos.



Extending it to the east of Lagos, you have Oshodi, the Tapa (from Niger State) were there. And, of course, we knew one another. I dont understand why some of our brothers in the West think that we can be enslaved by them. In all my years, I have not seen what Afenifere has done for Lagos to inspire me because during the last constitutional conference, they were not talking about Lagos; they were talking about themselves. Dont forget that the so-called Edo State was part of the West before. But to say Lagos is part of Yoruba land is not fair; it is not charitable. And when kabiyesi now said, Lagos is Bini, not only because we came from Benin, there are signs and relics of Benin all over Isale Eko. And obas (in Lagos)  we dont call them obas, we call them eleko. My grandfather said in 1903 that when there was a dispute of which traditional rulers should wear crowns  my grandfather was at that meeting. Ooni of Ife had to come all the way from Ife to Lagos upon the invitation of Governor (John Hawley) Glover. And the question they asked him (Ooni) was, Who are the obas that should wear crowns? He mentioned them  Lagos was not part of the list. We dont wear crowns in Lagos. I remember, Pa Edegbele  thats Prof. Edegbeles father  when he said oba is alien to Yoruba land that only the Bini use that title, there was a furore over that. But Edegbele was right. Note that politicians have done a lot of havoc in Yoruba land more than in other regions of the country. Nobody is going to doubt the hegemony of the Sultan of Sokoto in the North. But the Yoruba are fond of creating problems among themselves in Yoruba land. Permit me to digress: look at the recent installation of some kings in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. A governor created 21 kings, for what? Is that what the people need at a time when the masses are hungry, civil servants are owed salaries and basic amenities are not available? It now appears there are more rulers than the ruled.



Are you saying Lagos belongs to the Bini people?



Lagos belongs to us  the Bini. When you get to Enuowa, they (the inhabitants) pay homage to Oba of Benin there. Enuowa is in Lagos; Idumota is like a Bini name; Iduntafa is Bini name; Idunmagbo is Bini name; Iduganran is Bini name; tell me, what further proof do you want (that the Bini own Lagos)? Why have some people tried hard to erode our identity and the labour of our ancestors? Today, if you go to the Lagos State Secretariat, youll hardly see the original indigenes of the state hold a prominent position. So, why are people crying about the quota system? You dont quotarise knowledge. Whatever is the case, I believe that the indigenes of Lagos  by the way, I was president of Association of Lagos Indigenes for almost 15 years  we know how our resources were plundered and carted away. Look at the fiasco called Lagos @50. The state government doesnt recognise the true indigenes of Lagos State. Some of the indigenes work with them for the purpose of getting whatever they can get from the government. Some people are trying so hard to maintain the stupidity that Lagos doesnt belong to anybody  thats annoying.



What about Alhaji Femi Okunnus view of the Awori being the original owners of Lagos?



I am not a lawyer but Femi Okunnu is a lawyer  a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for that matter. On the issue of the original owners of Lagos, my attention was drawn to an article focused on the Idunganran celebration. Mr. Femi Okunnu happened to be my mentor; he was an inspiration to me particularly when I returned from England. He was not only elder brother to me because we lived close together. They were living at No. 1 Ido Olowu Street and I was living at No. 7 Ido Olowu Street. I have known him for a long time. I remember when he came back from England as a young and vibrant lawyer. When Femi Okunnu himself was the Federal Commissioner for Works during the military regime, he was the one who actually acquired the area where you have the National Theatre, Iganmu. From whom did he acquire it? He got it from the indigenes; my grandfather had a place there. We must have a good perspective of history. People should learn not to mutilate history. The owners of Lagos are not the Yoruba; they are the Bini. We are Bini; theres no ambiguity about that. To prove it further, the obas or the elekos, when they died, their bodies were taken to Benin for burial for a time. Tell me, who owns the land then?



Who are the Awori? The Awori and the Bini are the same. If an Awori spoke to me when I was young, I understood him. My parents spoke Awori. The Awori are partly from Dahomey and partly from Benin. My forebears came from the riverine area through the Bight of Benin and settled in Badagry for a long time before moving down to Lagos. And when they moved down to Lagos where did they go? They went to Idunsagbe  a place famed for Bini culture and tradition. I am an Awori. Tell me, which state did they create for the Awori now? If you say the indigenous people of Lagos State are the Awori, then the Awori are the Bini. We must put history in its right perspective. The right perspective is that Lagos does not belong to the Yoruba; it belongs to the Bini. According to the Lyttleton Constitution, the West was created; the North was created and Lagos was made a colony and it later regained its independence.



Some may argue that the original Lagosians didnt protect their legacy, allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry to hold sway politically and economically.



It is true that Lagos is open to everybody that could bring ideas. But when it comes to certain elements within the political spectrum in Nigeria Look at it this way, will it surprise you that a representative of Lagos who calls himself a Lagosian representing the state in the National Assembly went to Kogi State to vie for the governorship? Isnt that insulting? Some are even saying once (Osun State Governor, Rauf) Aregbesola has completed his tenure in Osun, he will come back to Lagos to contest a senatorial seat. We called Bola Tinubu, sat him down and told him how we accepted him and he let us down. I know the role I played when Bola Tinubu was coming in; when I gave him my second cousin, (Musiliu) Obanikoro to go along with him (I dont talk to that one (Obanikoro) again after he had his hand in something embarrassing; because you dont disgrace your family). I am not looking for anything from them. It is very wrong that people should trivialise the affairs of Lagos. For example, we kicked against (Prof. Wole) Soyinka being made the chairman of the Lagos @50 celebration. But nobody listened to us. Look at the fiasco; was it a success? Who bothered about it? People who will not celebrate the living are celebrating the dead  it doesnt go beyond that. You acquire land from me for a public purpose and the next thing you did was to share it with your siblings, friends and other loved ones. It is really sad for people to proclaim Lagos as no mans land. Lagos is so accommodating; it is only here you see an Igbo man being made a commissioner. Even the Yoruba that are shouting, how many Lagosians are in their cabinets? They all live in Lagos; we know them. Some of them benefitted from the liberty Lagos offers. But ask them: what have they done for their host communities? Can you imagine Orji Kalu, who bought land here, saying Lagos belongs to nobody? They just talk.



Dont you think Prof. Wole Soyinka deserved to have been the chairman of the Lagos @50 celebration?



I am not used to Soyinka and I dont want to be acquainted with him. It is unfortunate that because he was made the chairman of Lagos @50, he began to insult people, claiming that his father had a land in Lagos. We traced the land  one plot of land  and discovered that the land was bought from my grandfather. People like him go around insulting others. Has he not insulted Femi Okunnu before? Tell me who Wole Soyinka has never insulted? He is part of the Tinubu group. Is he not an Ogun man? I dont think he has a right to say that Lagos is no mans land. Who is he to say that? I think Okunnu knew better; I dont think he meant what he said the way the press reported him. What he said is that Lagos is part of Yoruba land; he didnt say it was owned by the Yoruba. We need to be discreet in our definition. Geographically, were in the West and culturally, we speak Yoruba. If an Igbo man speaks Yoruba fluently, does that make him a Yoruba? Go to Lagos State House of Assembly and count how many of them are truly Lagos indigenes. Again, Okunnu was an active participant in the creation of Lagos State together with (Philip) Asiodu and Alison Ayida. They facilitated the creation of the state; there was a western state then. If Okunnu had advocated the merger of Lagos with the western region then, one would have thought otherwise. Wole Soyinka didnt want Lagos to be created at that time. Soyinka used to be very radical but having got into the group of Bola Tinubus scientific imposition, he has been mellowing down. Soyinka would be the one that would stand for the truth when people were accused of certificate forgery and other ills. He was always at the forefront; he has become a turncoat. What happened to him? I respected him; he may not know me and he doesnt need to know me.



So, you think Okunnu is on the same page with you when he talked about the early settlers of Lagos?



I believe Okunnu was actually agitating for the indigenes. He was president of Lagos State indigenes before me  we have Isale Eko Descendants Union, which we all belong to. All I am saying is this: Lagos is not part of Yoruba. The settlers are Bini. Wasnt Benin part of the West before until the Mid-West was created? The Bini agitated for that, insisting that were not part of the Yoruba. Why cant the Yoruba leave us alone for Gods sake? My grandfather went to court in 1889 to claim all the lands that belonged to him. He got a judgment. Then some people said, these lands were too much for one family  the place now called Ikorodu Road, they acquired it  for how much? For 27,000! My grandfather wasnt around; hes dead. But they forgot that this man gave them a land to build the first police barracks in Lagos. How could Bola Tinubu come all the way from wherever he came from (Kafaru brought him to me, turn Lagos into a place for Osun people in the secretariat). Theyre radicalising the owners of Lagos with the way theyre acting. By the time they stand up youll be shocked. What are the people asking for? Give them what they deserve. Show them some respect. Okunnu did a lot for Lagos State; most parts of Victoria Island were sand-filled by the Federal Government. He and his colleagues at Kings College were able to excise Victoria Island and gave it to Lagos. In fact, Okunnu has done more for Lagos than any governor. Okunnu had his roots in Isale Eko. My grandfather was Ajayi Bembe; the eighth Obanikoro of Lagos  my father was the last of his children. My mother was the first child of Gbajabiamila (of Olowogbowo fame)  of course, of Lagos. When it comes to the ownership of Lagos, it is sad when people talk about Lagos being no mans land or Lagos being part of Yoruba land  I consider that position to be an abomination. Yes, because of the affinity or geographical location of Lagos, were nearer to the South-West (the Yoruba) than to other regions. It should be stated that Lagos has always been independent of the West. When I returned from England, (Chief Obafemi) Awolowo was in prison; before I came back to Nigeria, there had been agitations that Lagos wasnt part of the West. No doubt that a lot of us speak Yoruba  in my family, were Bini. Oba of Lagos (Rilwan Akiolu) was completely right that the early settlers in Lagos were the Awori and the Bini. Were talking about the Island of Lagos.Extending it to the east of Lagos, you have Oshodi, the Tapa (from Niger State) were there. And, of course, we knew one another. I dont understand why some of our brothers in the West think that we can be enslaved by them. In all my years, I have not seen what Afenifere has done for Lagos to inspire me because during the last constitutional conference, they were not talking about Lagos; they were talking about themselves. Dont forget that the so-called Edo State was part of the West before. But to say Lagos is part of Yoruba land is not fair; it is not charitable. And when kabiyesi now said, Lagos is Bini, not only because we came from Benin, there are signs and relics of Benin all over Isale Eko. And obas (in Lagos)  we dont call them obas, we call them eleko. My grandfather said in 1903 that when there was a dispute of which traditional rulers should wear crowns  my grandfather was at that meeting. Ooni of Ife had to come all the way from Ife to Lagos upon the invitation of Governor (John Hawley) Glover. And the question they asked him (Ooni) was, Who are the obas that should wear crowns? He mentioned them  Lagos was not part of the list. We dont wear crowns in Lagos. I remember, Pa Edegbele  thats Prof. Edegbeles father  when he said oba is alien to Yoruba land that only the Bini use that title, there was a furore over that. But Edegbele was right. Note that politicians have done a lot of havoc in Yoruba land more than in other regions of the country. Nobody is going to doubt the hegemony of the Sultan of Sokoto in the North. But the Yoruba are fond of creating problems among themselves in Yoruba land. Permit me to digress: look at the recent installation of some kings in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. A governor created 21 kings, for what? Is that what the people need at a time when the masses are hungry, civil servants are owed salaries and basic amenities are not available? It now appears there are more rulers than the ruled.Lagos belongs to us  the Bini. When you get to Enuowa, they (the inhabitants) pay homage to Oba of Benin there. Enuowa is in Lagos; Idumota is like a Bini name; Iduntafa is Bini name; Idunmagbo is Bini name; Iduganran is Bini name; tell me, what further proof do you want (that the Bini own Lagos)? Why have some people tried hard to erode our identity and the labour of our ancestors? Today, if you go to the Lagos State Secretariat, youll hardly see the original indigenes of the state hold a prominent position. So, why are people crying about the quota system? You dont quotarise knowledge. Whatever is the case, I believe that the indigenes of Lagos  by the way, I was president of Association of Lagos Indigenes for almost 15 years  we know how our resources were plundered and carted away. Look at the fiasco called Lagos @50. The state government doesnt recognise the true indigenes of Lagos State. Some of the indigenes work with them for the purpose of getting whatever they can get from the government. Some people are trying so hard to maintain the stupidity that Lagos doesnt belong to anybody  thats annoying.I am not a lawyer but Femi Okunnu is a lawyer  a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for that matter. On the issue of the original owners of Lagos, my attention was drawn to an article focused on the Idunganran celebration. Mr. Femi Okunnu happened to be my mentor; he was an inspiration to me particularly when I returned from England. He was not only elder brother to me because we lived close together. They were living at No. 1 Ido Olowu Street and I was living at No. 7 Ido Olowu Street. I have known him for a long time. I remember when he came back from England as a young and vibrant lawyer. When Femi Okunnu himself was the Federal Commissioner for Works during the military regime, he was the one who actually acquired the area where you have the National Theatre, Iganmu. From whom did he acquire it? He got it from the indigenes; my grandfather had a place there. We must have a good perspective of history. People should learn not to mutilate history. The owners of Lagos are not the Yoruba; they are the Bini. We are Bini; theres no ambiguity about that. To prove it further, the obas or the elekos, when they died, their bodies were taken to Benin for burial for a time. Tell me, who owns the land then?Who are the Awori? The Awori and the Bini are the same. If an Awori spoke to me when I was young, I understood him. My parents spoke Awori. The Awori are partly from Dahomey and partly from Benin. My forebears came from the riverine area through the Bight of Benin and settled in Badagry for a long time before moving down to Lagos. And when they moved down to Lagos where did they go? They went to Idunsagbe  a place famed for Bini culture and tradition. I am an Awori. Tell me, which state did they create for the Awori now? If you say the indigenous people of Lagos State are the Awori, then the Awori are the Bini. We must put history in its right perspective. The right perspective is that Lagos does not belong to the Yoruba; it belongs to the Bini. According to the Lyttleton Constitution, the West was created; the North was created and Lagos was made a colony and it later regained its independence.Some may argue that the original Lagosians didnt protect their legacy, allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry to hold sway politically and economically.It is true that Lagos is open to everybody that could bring ideas. But when it comes to certain elements within the political spectrum in Nigeria Look at it this way, will it surprise you that a representative of Lagos who calls himself a Lagosian representing the state in the National Assembly went to Kogi State to vie for the governorship? Isnt that insulting? Some are even saying once (Osun State Governor, Rauf) Aregbesola has completed his tenure in Osun, he will come back to Lagos to contest a senatorial seat. We called Bola Tinubu, sat him down and told him how we accepted him and he let us down. I know the role I played when Bola Tinubu was coming in; when I gave him my second cousin, (Musiliu) Obanikoro to go along with him (I dont talk to that one (Obanikoro) again after he had his hand in something embarrassing; because you dont disgrace your family). I am not looking for anything from them. It is very wrong that people should trivialise the affairs of Lagos. For example, we kicked against (Prof. Wole) Soyinka being made the chairman of the Lagos @50 celebration. But nobody listened to us. Look at the fiasco; was it a success? Who bothered about it? People who will not celebrate the living are celebrating the dead  it doesnt go beyond that. You acquire land from me for a public purpose and the next thing you did was to share it with your siblings, friends and other loved ones. It is really sad for people to proclaim Lagos as no mans land. Lagos is so accommodating; it is only here you see an Igbo man being made a commissioner. Even the Yoruba that are shouting, how many Lagosians are in their cabinets? They all live in Lagos; we know them. Some of them benefitted from the liberty Lagos offers. But ask them: what have they done for their host communities? Can you imagine Orji Kalu, who bought land here, saying Lagos belongs to nobody? They just talk.I am not used to Soyinka and I dont want to be acquainted with him. It is unfortunate that because he was made the chairman of Lagos @50, he began to insult people, claiming that his father had a land in Lagos. We traced the land  one plot of land  and discovered that the land was bought from my grandfather. People like him go around insulting others. Has he not insulted Femi Okunnu before? Tell me who Wole Soyinka has never insulted? He is part of the Tinubu group. Is he not an Ogun man? I dont think he has a right to say that Lagos is no mans land. Who is he to say that? I think Okunnu knew better; I dont think he meant what he said the way the press reported him. What he said is that Lagos is part of Yoruba land; he didnt say it was owned by the Yoruba. We need to be discreet in our definition. Geographically, were in the West and culturally, we speak Yoruba. If an Igbo man speaks Yoruba fluently, does that make him a Yoruba? Go to Lagos State House of Assembly and count how many of them are truly Lagos indigenes. Again, Okunnu was an active participant in the creation of Lagos State together with (Philip) Asiodu and Alison Ayida. They facilitated the creation of the state; there was a western state then. If Okunnu had advocated the merger of Lagos with the western region then, one would have thought otherwise. Wole Soyinka didnt want Lagos to be created at that time. Soyinka used to be very radical but having got into the group of Bola Tinubus scientific imposition, he has been mellowing down. Soyinka would be the one that would stand for the truth when people were accused of certificate forgery and other ills. He was always at the forefront; he has become a turncoat. What happened to him? I respected him; he may not know me and he doesnt need to know me.I believe Okunnu was actually agitating for the indigenes. He was president of Lagos State indigenes before me  we have Isale Eko Descendants Union, which we all belong to. All I am saying is this: Lagos is not part of Yoruba. The settlers are Bini. Wasnt Benin part of the West before until the Mid-West was created? The Bini agitated for that, insisting that were not part of the Yoruba. Why cant the Yoruba leave us alone for Gods sake? My grandfather went to court in 1889 to claim all the lands that belonged to him. He got a judgment. Then some people said, these lands were too much for one family  the place now called Ikorodu Road, they acquired it  for how much? For 27,000! My grandfather wasnt around; hes dead. But they forgot that this man gave them a land to build the first police barracks in Lagos. How could Bola Tinubu come all the way from wherever he came from (Kafaru brought him to me, turn Lagos into a place for Osun people in the secretariat). Theyre radicalising the owners of Lagos with the way theyre acting. By the time they stand up youll be shocked. What are the people asking for? Give them what they deserve. Show them some respect. Okunnu did a lot for Lagos State; most parts of Victoria Island were sand-filled by the Federal Government. He and his colleagues at Kings College were able to excise Victoria Island and gave it to Lagos. In fact, Okunnu has done more for Lagos than any governor. Okunnu had his roots in Isale Eko.

Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 19-11-2017 09:38 PM (4 years ago) | Addicted Hero
xspraise at 19-11-2017 10:13 PM (4 years ago) (m)

The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Dino Melaye, speaks with FRIDAY OLOKOR on Senate President Bukola Saraki, the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari and other national issues



What motivated you to go into politics?



My drive in politics is to make life more bearable for Nigerians. My interest in politics is for developmental reasons. I am in politics to right the wrongs of the society. I am in politics to offer palliatives to Nigerians. I am in politics to make sure that the youths of this country get their fair share in power sharing and resources of this country. My drive has always been revolutionary books which affected my life. Early in life I read books on Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. and that has helped in revolutionising my life and resulted in a positive effect on me politically. So my driving force is my orientation, my indoctrination from most autobiographies that I have read and more important God.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Dino Melaye, speaks with FRIDAY OLOKOR on Senate President Bukola Saraki, the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari and other national issuesMy drive in politics is to make life more bearable for Nigerians. My interest in politics is for developmental reasons. I am in politics to right the wrongs of the society. I am in politics to offer palliatives to Nigerians. I am in politics to make sure that the youths of this country get their fair share in power sharing and resources of this country. My drive has always been revolutionary books which affected my life. Early in life I read books on Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. and that has helped in revolutionising my life and resulted in a positive effect on me politically. So my driving force is my orientation, my indoctrination from most autobiographies that I have read and more important God.

Most Nigerians, especially your peers, have expressed reservations about your sudden rise politically. How did you do it?



I give all honour, glory and adoration to the Almighty God who has supreme control over the universe. I want to believe that God is the ultimate reason for where I am today. I have tremendous belief in myself and I believe that every man must dream a dream; every man must have in mind the picture of what he intends to be; and I want to believe that with resilience, commitment, perseverance and prayers, one will always attain his goal in life. It is not all about me; it is about God. Failure to plan is planning to fail. For me, the battle to attain my goal is a battle of no retreat, no surrender and I will continue to pursue it. I also want to announce that I am still climbing the ladder. I still have some steps up to climb.



What is the future of youths in attaining the political leadership of this country?



Power is never served as a buffet. To attain power, you must struggle for it. The youths of this country will not get power on a platter of gold. So they must come out of their cocoons and begin to make sacrifices in search for power. The youths of this country must be resolute. They should be interested in how they are being governed and they must be interested in policy formulation and implementation. They must be interested in their political and economic environment. That is the only way they can capture power because power is not given; power is taken. The youths of this country must show capacity and interest in every facet of our national life and they must also make sure that they react to the environment. Power ultimately belongs to God. But when man wants it, man must labour for it because he that refuses to labour should not eat. The youths of this country are about 65 per cent of our population and have about 70 per cent of the voting rights in this country. The youths have the strength, the energy, the dynamism, the intellectual prowess and more important the population to capture power.



Several allegations have been made that you are close to the Senate President, against the interest of your political party, because he settled you. What is your reaction to this?



Bukola Saraki is my friend. He is my brother and I value friendship. My definition of friendship is he or she who walks in while others are walking out. I am not a monetised character. I dont commercialise my conscience. I do what is only right in mans sight and in the sight of Almighty God. No one has the money to buy me. My relationship with Bukola Saraki is true friendship and I will stand by him come rain or shine. I will always be by his side as a friend and I will always advise him rightly. I did not pitch any tent against my party because as a senator, I swore an oath before God and before man using the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and also using the Holy Book. I swore to uphold the constitution and there is no All Progressives Congress senator, there is no Peoples Democratic Party senator. All we have is senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, the party to me is just a vehicle for winning elections because no political party in this country is ideologically based; no political party in this country has a manifesto that is being implemented. The governor of Kaduna State is from the APC; the governor of Kano State is from the APC, but the programmes of the Kaduna State governor is apparently at variance with that of his Kano State counterpart. So people should not use the instrumentality of political parties to determine loyalty to the nation. My loyalty is first to Nigeria before my political party and the independence of the Senate is important to me. I believe that the internal issues of the Senate should be handled internally and I give my support to Bukola Saraki. I have no regrets about it.



So was your loyalty why Saraki compensated you with the position of chairman, senate committee on the Federal Capital Territory?



In every facet of life, people work for loyalty and today as a Muslim or as a Christian, we all strive to make heaven because there is a hope and a promise of eternity. So if a man gets rewarded for diligence and loyalty, it is not a crime. And if I got rewarded with the position of chairman, senate committee on FCT because I was loyal to Bukola Saraki, then the losers should lick their wounds.



Many believe that you are young and therefore they query the source of your stupendous wealth. How did you get your money?



I dont know about stupendous wealth. I dont know about being wealthy, but I will say I am a comfortable Nigerian and I have never got any contract from the government contract in my life. I have also never taken any political appointment in my life or a position where I have control over government funds. I have never had government imprest and I challenge anyone who has any criminal allegation against me to actually come out and present it. With the vigour with which I fought the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, if I had any skeleton in my cupboard, by now it would have been exposed. For a man who buys very expensive cars with his name labelled on the number plate, it is enough to tell you that he is clean. I am a very transparent Nigerian, a very open and honest Nigerian. I have never stolen from government and I can say it without fear. I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise. But at the same time, God is the ultimate giver of legitimate wealth and anyone who really wants to tap into the anointing of getting resources from God should please consult me.



Before you became a senator, were you already a millionaire?



I have not acquired anything dramatically new since I became a senator. The houses I have in this city (Abuja), I acquired before being sworn in as a senator. Hard work pays and the Holy Book says God shall supply my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To me, that is very fundamental. My source of wealth is heavenly, my purse is divine and it wont dry up.



You were the brains behind the Like-Mind senators; a platform through which Saraki became the Senate Presidnt. Now, he is facing the Code of Conduct Tribunal over discrepancies in the declaration of his assets. Why didnt you advise him to resign honourably?



I am not Bukola Saraki. I dont speak for Bukola Saraki. And I cannot speak for Bukola Saraki. But all I want to say is that if Bukola Saraki thinks he is guilty, he should resign. But if he thinks he is not guilty, there is no reason he should resign. I say it without fear or favour that what Bukola Saraki is passing through is not prosecution. It is persecution. You dont punish a man for being ambitious. The reason Saraki was before the Code of Conduct (Tribunal) in the first instance was because he was being ambitious. President Muhammadu Buhari is also an ambitious character; having contested (the presidential) election three times and he got it (won the poll) the fourth time. That shows how ambitious he is and then getting to the Presidency now, he should not be queried for being ambitious. I am also ambitious; I want to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is God that gives power to whosoever he wishes. So for me, the CCT trial is a kangaroo one and at the end of the day, nothing will come out of it. Just as the case of forgery was withdrawn, this in due course wont see the light of the day.



You founded the Anti-Corruption Network. How will you assess Buharis administration in his fight against graft?



The President is sincere about his corruption war. But is the approach right? He cannot say so. I want to say the approach of Mr. President in fighting corruption will yield no dividends because in the ongoing trials, no single Nigerian has been successfuly prosecuted and jailed. Because of the magnitude of resources available to the looters of our national treasury, they will have a way of manipulating Nigerian courts. Most of the cases are still at the court of first instance and one year after, witnesses have not been examined and cross-examined in the courts. Then you will use two years in the court of instance, you will use another two years in the Court of Appeal and you have the Supreme Court. By that time, the President might have been out of power, money not retrieved from the looters, time and resources wasted because the Federal Government is also engaging lawyers and congesting the courts. I believe in transparency, accountability and respect for the rule of law. But in this particular incident, I am advocating for an economic amnesty in the sense that government will invite all looters and ask them to return the loot within a stipulated period of time, for example six months. If in six months the loot is not returned, then we should have a court that will expeditiously sentence them within the shortest time possible. By so doing, it will be a win-win situation for all because ultimately, at the end of the day, we want these monies to be recovered so that they can be used for the development of this country. We must look at the procurement process in the country that gave birth to the weak structures that exposes Nigerians to corruption and stealing. We must look at the procurement laws and the loopholes that create room for stealing and wastage  that must be looked at critically. Secondly, we must block wastage; without doing all these, the same corruption structure remains and it will still be exploited.



The Presidency is said to have been hijacked by a cabal. Do you believe this, going by the allegation recently made by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari?



I am not an occupant of Aso Rock, so I dont really know if it has been hijacked or not. And, I dont know if it has been invaded or not, because I dont have access to Aso Rock.



The recent amendment to the Code of Conduct Bureau and CCT Acts were believed to have been due to the ongoing trial of Saraki. Is that correct?



For everything in this world, there is a reason; situations give birth to circumstances. We amended the Act of the Independent National Electoral Commission because Prince Abubakar Audu died and we discovered that there was no provision in our laws for somebody who eventually won an election and died before swearing-in. So, the lacuna in our law necessitated the amendment of the law. For every amendment, there is a reason for it. I want to say that the reason for all the amendments in the CCB and CCT Acts are also as a result of necessity. I want you to disassociate the person and personality of Saraki from any amendment because Bukola Saraki is occupying an office that is time-bound. These laws will live beyond him. They are lifetime established laws for generations yet unborn. It will outlive all of us and people should not tie a particular law to a particular individual. Laws are made for man and not man for laws.



Since the death of the former Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi (SAN), Kogi State has not been represented in the federal cabinet. Are you satisfied?



I moved a motion today (Wednesday) on the floor of the Senate quoting the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 14, saying the people of Kogi State have been automatically robbed socially, economically and politically because for eight months now we dont have a minister. Our mileage has been completely shortened and the provision of the constitution made it explicitly clear that there shall be, meaning that at all times there must be one minister from each state of the federation. So for me, it is a constitutional breach that for eight months, we are not represented in the federal cabinet. That has been taken care of and we got the resolution of the House, mandating Mr. President to immediately recommend to the Senate for screening a minister representing Kogi state.



Recently, you had an altercation with a fellow senator, Oluremi Tinubu, what is the update?



For me, old things have passed away and behold they have become new. I leave the dead to sleep.



It was alleged that she was not the one you were targeting but her husband because of the role he played in an attempt to stop Saraki from becoming Senate President.



I am trying to emphasise again that I dont cry over spilt milk. The things of history are left in the realm of history. I have moved on.



Why is it difficult for Saraki to publish details of the National Assemblys budget, despite his promise to do so? Is he or the Senate up to something else?



The truth of the matter is that the Freedom of Information Bill has been passed; Nigerians should take the opportunity of the FoI Bill to ask any Nigerian anywhere, not only the National Assembly, including the President, any question they want. You have the right to write Saraki and ask him any question about the finances of the National Assembly and he is obliged by law within seven days to respond. There is no secret about that.



You are from the Okun Yoruba-speaking part of Kogi State and your people have been crying of marginalisation by the Igala ethnic nationality that has been controlling the political machinery of the state. What are the chances of the Okun people producing the next governor?



Power is not given; power is taken and when it is time for us to get it, we will take it.



What is your relationship with your governor, Yahaya Bello? It is believed that you are having some altercations over the sharing of political offices in Kogi State?



The relationship between me and the governor is the relationship between a citizen and his governor. He is my governor and I am a citizen of the state.



Where is Mrs. Melaye and what can you say specifically about your marital life?



I am single. I have three children. But I am not married. I wont remain single forever. Very soon I will invite you (to my wedding) and I assure you (that the person I will marry) will be a Made-in-Nigeria woman.



Why do you find it difficult to settle down with one woman?



I have always been married to one woman and all my children are from one woman. I have only been married once. Whatever marriage I am going into now will be my second marriage. If you are anxious to know, I will invite you.



Are you ruling out the possibility of reconciling with your wife?



I dont have a wife.



Some Nigerians have a negative perception about you. Are you not disturbed by that?



There is no negative perception about me on social media. I appreciate those who appreciate me and I get a lot of support from there. I get a lot of encouragement. Nigerians have demonstrated love for me. I dont think there is any politician that has the kind of followers I have on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and I get a lot of love and appreciation from Nigerians. But you cannot rule out those who will antagonise you. Its normal and it happened to Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad. It is the same with everybody. You cant be loved by all but I want to say that all those who dislike me, who blackmail me, and lie against me, are giving vitamins to my soul and it makes me fresh.



Why do you love cars?



I love automobiles and everybody can be passionate about a particular thing. Some can be passionate about homosegxwality. They can spend any amount of money to sleep with a man. Some are passionate about occultism. They can buy blood at any amount of money. Some are passionate about diamonds; you can ask Diezani (Alison-Madueke). My passion is automobiles and there is no crime in that and I am very proud of it. Once the automobiles are not products of crime and they are not got from any ill-gotten wealth, then a man should be proud about what he is passionate about. I love automobiles and I am waiting for the next collection.



You have ordered for more cars at this period of economic recession, when many Nigerians, even those from your constituency and senatorial district cannot feed and there is poverty everywhere?







I give all honour, glory and adoration to the Almighty God who has supreme control over the universe. I want to believe that God is the ultimate reason for where I am today. I have tremendous belief in myself and I believe that every man must dream a dream; every man must have in mind the picture of what he intends to be; and I want to believe that with resilience, commitment, perseverance and prayers, one will always attain his goal in life. It is not all about me; it is about God. Failure to plan is planning to fail. For me, the battle to attain my goal is a battle of no retreat, no surrender and I will continue to pursue it. I also want to announce that I am still climbing the ladder. I still have some steps up to climb.Power is never served as a buffet. To attain power, you must struggle for it. The youths of this country will not get power on a platter of gold. So they must come out of their cocoons and begin to make sacrifices in search for power. The youths of this country must be resolute. They should be interested in how they are being governed and they must be interested in policy formulation and implementation. They must be interested in their political and economic environment. That is the only way they can capture power because power is not given; power is taken. The youths of this country must show capacity and interest in every facet of our national life and they must also make sure that they react to the environment. Power ultimately belongs to God. But when man wants it, man must labour for it because he that refuses to labour should not eat. The youths of this country are about 65 per cent of our population and have about 70 per cent of the voting rights in this country. The youths have the strength, the energy, the dynamism, the intellectual prowess and more important the population to capture power.Bukola Saraki is my friend. He is my brother and I value friendship. My definition of friendship is he or she who walks in while others are walking out. I am not a monetised character. I dont commercialise my conscience. I do what is only right in mans sight and in the sight of Almighty God. No one has the money to buy me. My relationship with Bukola Saraki is true friendship and I will stand by him come rain or shine. I will always be by his side as a friend and I will always advise him rightly. I did not pitch any tent against my party because as a senator, I swore an oath before God and before man using the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and also using the Holy Book. I swore to uphold the constitution and there is no All Progressives Congress senator, there is no Peoples Democratic Party senator. All we have is senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, the party to me is just a vehicle for winning elections because no political party in this country is ideologically based; no political party in this country has a manifesto that is being implemented. The governor of Kaduna State is from the APC; the governor of Kano State is from the APC, but the programmes of the Kaduna State governor is apparently at variance with that of his Kano State counterpart. So people should not use the instrumentality of political parties to determine loyalty to the nation. My loyalty is first to Nigeria before my political party and the independence of the Senate is important to me. I believe that the internal issues of the Senate should be handled internally and I give my support to Bukola Saraki. I have no regrets about it.In every facet of life, people work for loyalty and today as a Muslim or as a Christian, we all strive to make heaven because there is a hope and a promise of eternity. So if a man gets rewarded for diligence and loyalty, it is not a crime. And if I got rewarded with the position of chairman, senate committee on FCT because I was loyal to Bukola Saraki, then the losers should lick their wounds.I dont know about stupendous wealth. I dont know about being wealthy, but I will say I am a comfortable Nigerian and I have never got any contract from the government contract in my life. I have also never taken any political appointment in my life or a position where I have control over government funds. I have never had government imprest and I challenge anyone who has any criminal allegation against me to actually come out and present it. With the vigour with which I fought the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, if I had any skeleton in my cupboard, by now it would have been exposed. For a man who buys very expensive cars with his name labelled on the number plate, it is enough to tell you that he is clean. I am a very transparent Nigerian, a very open and honest Nigerian. I have never stolen from government and I can say it without fear. I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise. But at the same time, God is the ultimate giver of legitimate wealth and anyone who really wants to tap into the anointing of getting resources from God should please consult me.I have not acquired anything dramatically new since I became a senator. The houses I have in this city (Abuja), I acquired before being sworn in as a senator. Hard work pays and the Holy Book says God shall supply my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To me, that is very fundamental. My source of wealth is heavenly, my purse is divine and it wont dry up.I am not Bukola Saraki. I dont speak for Bukola Saraki. And I cannot speak for Bukola Saraki. But all I want to say is that if Bukola Saraki thinks he is guilty, he should resign. But if he thinks he is not guilty, there is no reason he should resign. I say it without fear or favour that what Bukola Saraki is passing through is not prosecution. It is persecution. You dont punish a man for being ambitious. The reason Saraki was before the Code of Conduct (Tribunal) in the first instance was because he was being ambitious. President Muhammadu Buhari is also an ambitious character; having contested (the presidential) election three times and he got it (won the poll) the fourth time. That shows how ambitious he is and then getting to the Presidency now, he should not be queried for being ambitious. I am also ambitious; I want to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is God that gives power to whosoever he wishes. So for me, the CCT trial is a kangaroo one and at the end of the day, nothing will come out of it. Just as the case of forgery was withdrawn, this in due course wont see the light of the day.The President is sincere about his corruption war. But is the approach right? He cannot say so. I want to say the approach of Mr. President in fighting corruption will yield no dividends because in the ongoing trials, no single Nigerian has been successfuly prosecuted and jailed. Because of the magnitude of resources available to the looters of our national treasury, they will have a way of manipulating Nigerian courts. Most of the cases are still at the court of first instance and one year after, witnesses have not been examined and cross-examined in the courts. Then you will use two years in the court of instance, you will use another two years in the Court of Appeal and you have the Supreme Court. By that time, the President might have been out of power, money not retrieved from the looters, time and resources wasted because the Federal Government is also engaging lawyers and congesting the courts. I believe in transparency, accountability and respect for the rule of law. But in this particular incident, I am advocating for an economic amnesty in the sense that government will invite all looters and ask them to return the loot within a stipulated period of time, for example six months. If in six months the loot is not returned, then we should have a court that will expeditiously sentence them within the shortest time possible. By so doing, it will be a win-win situation for all because ultimately, at the end of the day, we want these monies to be recovered so that they can be used for the development of this country. We must look at the procurement process in the country that gave birth to the weak structures that exposes Nigerians to corruption and stealing. We must look at the procurement laws and the loopholes that create room for stealing and wastage  that must be looked at critically. Secondly, we must block wastage; without doing all these, the same corruption structure remains and it will still be exploited.I am not an occupant of Aso Rock, so I dont really know if it has been hijacked or not. And, I dont know if it has been invaded or not, because I dont have access to Aso Rock.For everything in this world, there is a reason; situations give birth to circumstances. We amended the Act of the Independent National Electoral Commission because Prince Abubakar Audu died and we discovered that there was no provision in our laws for somebody who eventually won an election and died before swearing-in. So, the lacuna in our law necessitated the amendment of the law. For every amendment, there is a reason for it. I want to say that the reason for all the amendments in the CCB and CCT Acts are also as a result of necessity. I want you to disassociate the person and personality of Saraki from any amendment because Bukola Saraki is occupying an office that is time-bound. These laws will live beyond him. They are lifetime established laws for generations yet unborn. It will outlive all of us and people should not tie a particular law to a particular individual. Laws are made for man and not man for laws.I moved a motion today (Wednesday) on the floor of the Senate quoting the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 14, saying the people of Kogi State have been automatically robbed socially, economically and politically because for eight months now we dont have a minister. Our mileage has been completely shortened and the provision of the constitution made it explicitly clear that there shall be, meaning that at all times there must be one minister from each state of the federation. So for me, it is a constitutional breach that for eight months, we are not represented in the federal cabinet. That has been taken care of and we got the resolution of the House, mandating Mr. President to immediately recommend to the Senate for screening a minister representing Kogi state.For me, old things have passed away and behold they have become new. I leave the dead to sleep.It was alleged that she was not the one you were targeting but her husband because of the role he played in an attempt to stop Saraki from becoming Senate President.I am trying to emphasise again that I dont cry over spilt milk. The things of history are left in the realm of history. I have moved on.The truth of the matter is that the Freedom of Information Bill has been passed; Nigerians should take the opportunity of the FoI Bill to ask any Nigerian anywhere, not only the National Assembly, including the President, any question they want. You have the right to write Saraki and ask him any question about the finances of the National Assembly and he is obliged by law within seven days to respond. There is no secret about that.Power is not given; power is taken and when it is time for us to get it, we will take it.The relationship between me and the governor is the relationship between a citizen and his governor. He is my governor and I am a citizen of the state.I am single. I have three children. But I am not married. I wont remain single forever. Very soon I will invite you (to my wedding) and I assure you (that the person I will marry) will be a Made-in-Nigeria woman.I have always been married to one woman and all my children are from one woman. I have only been married once. Whatever marriage I am going into now will be my second marriage. If you are anxious to know, I will invite you.I dont have a wife.There is no negative perception about me on social media. I appreciate those who appreciate me and I get a lot of support from there. I get a lot of encouragement. Nigerians have demonstrated love for me. I dont think there is any politician that has the kind of followers I have on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and I get a lot of love and appreciation from Nigerians. But you cannot rule out those who will antagonise you. Its normal and it happened to Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad. It is the same with everybody. You cant be loved by all but I want to say that all those who dislike me, who blackmail me, and lie against me, are giving vitamins to my soul and it makes me fresh.I love automobiles and everybody can be passionate about a particular thing. Some can be passionate about homosegxwality. They can spend any amount of money to sleep with a man. Some are passionate about occultism. They can buy blood at any amount of money. Some are passionate about diamonds; you can ask Diezani (Alison-Madueke). My passion is automobiles and there is no crime in that and I am very proud of it. Once the automobiles are not products of crime and they are not got from any ill-gotten wealth, then a man should be proud about what he is passionate about. I love automobiles and I am waiting for the next collection.You have ordered for more cars at this period of economic recession, when many Nigerians, even those from your constituency and senatorial district cannot feed and there is poverty everywhere?

Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 19-11-2017 10:13 PM (4 years ago) | Hero
When Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam rolled to an unexpectedly large, 9-percentage-points victory in the Nov. 7 gubernatorial election, one of the big winners was the cause of redistricting reform. With Northam now set to become the third Democrat to occupy the Executive Mansion since 2001 and both chambers of the General Assembly closely divided between Democrats and Republicans, that long-sought dream may be closer to reality than at any time in modern Virginia history.

Going into the election that Tuesday morning, Republicans controlled the 100-member House of Delegates by a margin of 66 to 34 seats, one vote short of a veto-proof majority. Twenty-four hours later, that 32-seat margin had been erased, with Democrats picking up 15 seats outright to bring their membership to 49  control of the House is now hanging in the balance as a handful of extremely close races go into the recount stage.

Reform of the redistricting, the process by which state legislatures redraw state and congressional districts after each U.S. Census, certainly isnt an issue that gets the base of either party riled up and out to the polls, but it is one of the most important duties of state government. Under the Virginia Constitution, redistricting is the responsibility of the General Assembly, with the commonwealth one of the 28 states in which legislators have total control over the process. The Privileges and Elections committees of the House of Delegates and state Senate draw the lines for their respective chambers, which then go across the Capitol for approval by the other and then to the governor for his signature. Its a bloody political process with the parties fighting ferociously either to maintain or grow the ranks of their members.

Its how Lynchburg, in the redistricting that followed the 2010 U.S. Census, was split in half between the 22nd and 23rd House of Delegates Districts, how Campbell County was sliced between three House Districts and how Pittsylvania was chopped in half between two House and two Senate districts.

We should note that partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts is not limited to any one party. In Virginia and North Carolina, Republican-controlled legislatures carved up their states to their partys advantage, but Maryland, long considered one of the worst gerrymandered states in the nation, is a Democratic stronghold. Gerrymandering is a sin of both parties.

When the Assembly began the 2010 redistricting process, a Republican  Bob McDonnell  was governor and the GOP controlled the House of Delegates. The 40-member Senate was evenly divided, but Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, as president of the Senate, could not break ties on redistricting votes. The most that Democrats could do was conduct rear-guard actions.

After leaving office, Bolling, primarily because of what he had observed as lieutenant governor, joined with former Lynchburg Del. Shannon Valentine, a Democrat, to head up the efforts of OneVirginia2021, a bipartisan organization pushing for redistricting reform in the commonwealth.

The outcomes of statewide vs. legislative district elections over the past decade point to the need for redistricting reform. Democrats hold all five positions decided by a statewide vote  two U.S. senators, governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general  but at the levels of the House of Representatives and the House of Delegates, Republicans dominate with a 7-4 advantage in Congress and, until Nov. 7, a 66-34 advantage in the House of Delegates.

In the 2015 elections, when all 140 Assembly seats were up for re-election, every single incumbent who sought a new term won and no seat flipped to the opposite party. That the largest Democratic non-presidential election turnout in Virginia in 30 years in the 2017 election was only able to bring parity to the House of Delegates is testament to the extent of gerrymandering in the state.

During the campaign, Northam pledged he would not sign off on any redistricting maps not drawn up by a nonpartisan commission. At this point, creation of such a commission for the 2021 redistricting would have to be by an act of the Assembly, as there is not enough time to amend the state Constitution for a permanent fix. Amending the Constitution to create a nonpartisan redistricting process is something for which we have long advocated, and we urge the legislature to undertake this effort.

Cynics might say that those of us who support redistricting reform are either naive or closeted partisans with a secret agenda to aid one party or the other. Not so. We simply believe in the promise of our democratic republic, that each persons voice  his vote  carries equal weight, counts and will be heard. Thats what America is supposed to be about.
Danville and Pittsylvania County spent a total of about $13,000 to send local officials to the United Kingdom to recruit Unison Ltd. and other companies in May, according to figures from the city.

The city of Danville spent $7,036 and Pittsylvania County spent $6,408 for the May 1-9 trip to the U.K. to meet with three economic development prospects, including Unison. The trek cost a total of $13,444.

Danville Finance Director Michael Adkins said international travel among city officials has not been common but is becoming more frequent in order to recruit foreign companies.

Its picked up lately since weve had a lot of European recruitment, Adkins said. In the last couple of years [Danvilles economic development director] has made two or three trips. That has not been the custom in the past.

Whether the practice remains isolated to the region or is common to other Virginia localities is unknown. Michelle Gowdy, acting executive director of the Virginia Municipal League, said she could not provide information regarding other localities across the state for this story because the organization has not conducted research on foreign travel by local governments.

The trip in May included Danville Economic Development Director Telly Tucker, Pittsylvania County Economic Development Director Matt Rowe and Danville Community College Director of Advanced Manufacturing Troy Simpson.

The city of Danville paid Tuckers expenses, Pittsylvania County covered Rowes, and the city and county split the cost of Simpsons expenses, Adkins said.

According to figures obtained from the city by the Register & Bee, costs for Tuckers airfare, lodging, meals, and transportation were $4,599, while Rowes (covered by the county) were $3,971, and Simpsons were $4,874.

The Unison portion of the trip occurred from May 4-6. The three-day visit included a factory and office tour, a brief tour of Scarborough, England, where the company is located, presentations and a meeting with company representatives to discuss the visits purpose.

For international travel, the economic development director makes travel arrangements using the city credit card for airfare reservations, Adkins said. Meals and taxis, for instance, would be paid out of pocket and reimbursed by the city.

He would save his receipts and turn them in with a travel report and document those costs with the city, Adkins said.

We reimburse him for reimbursable items as long as everything follows policy, Adkins said.

There is usually a per diem cap on meals for routine domestic travel, but there is no policy for travel outside the country, Adkins said.

We dont do a lot of international travel, so we dont have per diems [caps] for international travel because its so rare, he said.

City Manager Ken Larking agreed that international travel has increased lately to recruit foreign companies.

There has been a slight uptick in the frequency of international travel compared to the past, Larking said.

The city has seen more interest from prospects in other countries because of the Dan River Regions investment in precision machining programs at area institutions.

Weve been on companies radar screens, Larking said.

Also, when city officials travel to other countries to recruit prospects, they try to visit as many businesses as they can, Larking said.

Its driven by interest from businesses to come and locate in our area, he said. It says a lot about our interest in them to send our representatives to their country and their location.

Visiting and touring those industries also enables officials to see that prospects have a legitimate business, he added.

It gives a lot of confidence that company has a track record of success and that it can continue here in Danville, Larking said.

The practice has yielded results, Larking pointed out.

Job announcements by Kyocera and Overfinch last year were the result of visits to England for recruitment, he said.

Overfinch, based in Leeds, England, enhances Range Rovers into customized, luxury vehicles. Kyocera, based in Kyoto, Japan, produces solid carbide rotary tools.

We have more potential prospects lined up, Larking said.

Unison Ltd. announced in September it would bring more than 50 new jobs to Cane Creek Centre Industrial Park in Pittsylvania County over the next five years. It will be Unisons first U.S. manufacturing operation and will include a $5.2 million investment in equipment and an already existing facility.

Unison designs and makes machines used by industries to bend pipes for products used in the automotive, military, aerospace, marine, oil and gas and general engineering applications.

The company plans to renovate a 40,000-square-foot facility at 500 Cane Creek Parkway in the industrial park in Ringgold. The park is owned by the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA), a joint entity including Danville and Pittsylvania County.
GREENSBORO  A Greensboro man pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing his neighbor.

Guilford County Superior Court Judge John Craig sentenced Jorge Mejia to 19 years in prison for beating and stabbing 58-year-old Constance Peters.

Before her death on Oct. 8, 2015, Peters tripped an alarm in her house that alerted police to investigate. They found Peters naked and dead in a pool of blood inside her mobile home at 724 Creek Ridge Road, Lot 35.

She had been beaten and stabbed in her neck.

Police used security cameras outside Peters house to establish Mejia as a suspect.

Howard Neumann, chief assistant district attorney for Guilford County, said Peters knew Mejia and had let him into her house before her death.

Mejia, a native of Honduras, was arrested in February 2016 by U.S. marshals in Texas.
GREENSBORO  Another day, another gigantic piece of street art on a Marty Kotis-owned building.

But this ones different.

For starters, the art installed Sunday afternoon at the Friendly Avenue-facing wall of downtowns Vintage to Vogue at 124 N. Davie St. has a political message.

Artists glued dozens of photo portraits printed on poster-size paper onto the shops wall, part of a nationwide installation called the Inside Out/Dreamers Project.

Created by the renowned street artist JR (who has 1.1 million Instagram followers), the project celebrates diversity and draws attention to immigration, particularly so-called Dreamers.

The projects Sunday stop here came about quickly. Kotis, who owns the building, received a call from the organizers. They were in Charlotte on Saturday and had heard about Greensboros reputation as a street-art center  something Kotis has been trying to cultivate for months.

He and the projects organizers spread the word on social media, asking immigrants and descendants of immigrants (i.e., most everybody in Greensboro) to come downtown and get their portraits taken.

Participants would climb into a photo booth built into the back of a truck. Then their picture would print out onto poster-size paper, which workers would glue onto the shops brick wall.

The photos will remain on the wall anywhere from two weeks to a month, depending on how much rain Greensboro gets.

The art projects purpose is to remind us that behind the policies are real human stories that are deeply rooted in the story of this country, according to its website, www.insideoutproject.net/dreamers.

Dreamers is a topic ripped from the headlines. Former President Barack Obama established the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012.

It gives a reprieve from deportation to people in the country illegally who can prove they arrived before they were 16; have been in the U.S. for several years; and have not committed a crime since arriving. The DACA program also allows them to work legally.

President Donald Trump announced in September he would phase out the program, but said those whose authorizations were set to expire within six months could apply for renewals. He also gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix before recipients began to lose their status.

Kotis didnt know what what he was saying yes to when he agreed to the project a few days ago. But the Republican and conservative said Friday that he didnt care whether the artists political views align with his.

Its very likely not to align with my personal politics, and thats OK, he said. Art is art. I dont believe that you censor art.

If I can allow another perspective, it shows that Im comfortable with other ideas and perspectives.

The Inside Out/Dreamers Project, which has done installations in Salt Lake City, Orlando and dozens of other cities, uses the media attention it generates to give pro-immigration groups a platform to discuss the issues.

On Sunday, Greensboro City Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter, a board member of FaithAction International House, had her portrait taken, along with her Palestinian husband, Isa Abuzuaiter.

Kathy Hinshaw of the Center for New North Carolinians and Addy Jeffrey, a board member of Latino Community Coalition of Guilford County, also are memorialized on the wall.

But one participant had a decidedly apolitical motivation.

Six-year-old Mathilda Perrill-Estoppey of Greensboro made her second appearance in one of JRs art pieces.

In 2011, when she was around 18 months old, Mathilda was photographed for another of the artists creations in Vevey, Switzerland.

Mathildas father, Laurent Estoppey of Greensboro, is a Swiss immigrant. They were visiting the city during JRs installation, and the toddler cheesed for the camera there, too.

Mathilda said she doesnt remember her first portrait. And she was too busy skipping and dancing and giggling Sunday to understand the significance of being the daughter of an immigrant.

But her mother understood. Elizabeth Perrill said she felt compelled to bring Mathilda downtown Sunday to be part of a project that holds personal and political significance for the family.
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Our solar farm provides 1/4000 of the capacity of independent renewable power generated in North Carolina, enough for 5 percent of Browns Summit houses, which doesnt sound like much. But with more solar and other renewables, battery storage and energy efficiency, North Carolina can move from fossil fuels to new jobs and lower utility bills.

This isnt wishful thinking; NC Clean Path 2025 carefully documents the ways our economy can shift to clean power. Read the whole report on nccleanpath2025.org.

North Carolina could produce enough solar power to replace electricity generation from coal and natural gas that produce toxic coal ash and leak climate-wrecking methane and carbon dioxide into our air.

Bill Powers, the reports author, notes, There are no economic or technical barriers to its adoption by the large utilities, although the smaller public utilities  cooperatives and municipals  are adopting local solar and battery storage more quickly in the U.S. so far.

Duke Energy is the largest utility in the country and consistently resists transitioning away from fossil fuels, despite its claims to be green.

The National Climate Assessment just released by the Trump administration shows that rising global temperatures from fossil fuels are causing extreme weather events and changes in sea levels. Antarcticas ice is melting from below. Rising sea levels wash over coastal cities at high tide. The UN Climate Change Conference has been meeting in Germany to discuss ways each country can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As farmers, we check the weather forecast three to four times a day to plan watering or covering to protect our vegetables from hot sun or cold wind. Temperatures have been substantially higher than the previous averages, keeping us guessing about seasonal harvesting.

But we havent yet had life-threatening weather, like many around the world. Hurricanes and tornadoes, droughts and flooding, fires and earthquakes have devastated communities.

We can pray for people who have died or become homeless in Puerto Rico, California, Texas and Florida.

We can send our dollars for relief and rebuilding.

But the next disaster and the next will continue more frequently with the rising global temperatures from burning coal and gas.

The good news is that in North Carolina we can turn from our use of fossil fuels relatively quickly and in ways that build our economy.

In addition to praying for people harmed by weather disasters, we pray that Duke Energy joins the Clean Path of renewables.

Last month, I prayed on the sidewalk outside Duke Energy headquarters in Charlotte, along with other clergy.

Duke representatives there noted that, as a regulated monopoly, the company is constrained by regulations.

One of the people praying responded, And Duke Energy writes the regulations, referring to the companys political power in the legislature and Utilities Commission.

The prayer vigil was organized by Faith in Solar, an initiative of faith leaders in collaboration with Durham nonprofit NC WARN to dialogue with Duke Energy about ways to help faith-based organizations finance solar power, so that their electric use can be consistent with their faith in Gods creation.

Prayers in Hebrew, Arabic and English reminded us that Jews and Muslims and Christians  and many other faiths  believe that we honor God when we are good stewards of Gods creation. Imagine faith communities being able to stop polluting and to use more of their donations on community service and less on utility bills. The Utilities Commission, backed by Duke Energy, fined NC WARN for installing solar panels on Faith Community Church in Greensboro and charging the church low rates for electricity. That case is now in the N.C. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Faith in Solar clergy are seeking a positive path forward.

We all want our children and grandchildren to have a livable world.
Three weeks ago, a few hundred local conservatives gathered to listen to an acclaimed, like-minded speaker in Greensboro. The occasion was unusual and noteworthy for a couple of reasons.

First, a prominent author and speaker from the right was invited to a university campus (UNC-Greensboro), where progressive groupthink dominates. Rarely do our institutions of higher learning invite speakers who might challenge the ideological conformity that prevails on their hallowed grounds.

The occasion was also noteworthy because it defied the conventional wisdom among Democrats and the mainstream press. They have worked tirelessly to create the illusion that conservatives are white supremacists who hate foreigners. But the speaker who drew a sizable, highly enthusiastic crowd is a self-described non-white immigrant from India.

His name is Dinesh DSouza, and hes the author of several New York Times best-sellers. Hes also the creator of three of the top eight highest-grossing political documentaries ever made. Yet, to my knowledge, his speech at UNCG was not mentioned in the local press.

The death of Bill Buckley in 2008 created a void into which several influential newcomers have stepped. Among them, DSouza is arguably the most formidable.

DSouza spent the majority of his time at UNCG debunking the big lie perpetrated by the political left: that modern conservatives are racists, fascists and Nazis. (Not coincidentally, the title of his latest book is The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left.). Most of his arguments targeted Antifa, prominent Democrats and the mainstream press  specifically, the three major broadcast networks, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Antifa activists routinely denounce President Trump and his allies as fascists and Nazis, but in fact, fascism and National Socialism were left-wing movements. Trump is an unapologetic capitalist. Hitler and Mussolini were life-long, self-proclaimed socialists; both despised capitalism. Nazis and fascists cherished collectivism and centralized state power  Trump flatly rejects both.

Consider the very definition of the term fascism. It is an Italian word, DSouza informs us, that means groupism or collectivism. The individual is merely a cell that serves the larger body  the state. Fascists, then, were clearly leftists, not conservatives.

In the 1920s, DSouza reminds us, the Nazi Party issued a 25-point program that included, among other things, universal free health care and education. If you read the Nazi platform without knowing its source, DSouza writes, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were reading the 2016 platform of the Democratic Party.

Unlike Trump and the Republican Party, Democrats have much in common with Nazis and fascists: The Nazi Nuremberg Laws, DSouza writes, were directly modeled on the segregation and anti-miscegenation laws that had been implemented decades earlier in the Democratic South. The Democrats forced sterilization and euthanasia laws also inspired the Nazi Party. These embarrassing links are well-documented in The Big Lie.

In America, DSouza writes, it was the Democratic Party that was the party of slavery, segregation, racism and the Ku Klux Klan. It remains the party of racial identity politics to this day, while the Republicans were founded as an anti-slavery party, continue to favor a color-blind society, and are tolerant in a polite, respectful, old-fashioned American way that politically correct speech-banning progressives cannot stand.

It was interesting to watch the spectators at DSouzas speech. Seated in front of me were several young people who were visibly moved. Their reactions included wide-eyed astonishment, head-shaking disbelief and, finally, nods of agreement. These were apparently facts and opinions they had never heard. At the conclusion of DSouzas remarks, they joined the throng in a standing ovation.

Free speech on campus. Imagine that!
Four employees were killed at the Pasquotank prison recently in a riot. And now officials are saying that working in a prison is very dangerous. Really?

Working in a prison has always been dangerous. I worked at Southern Correctional Institution in Troy for 24 years as a correctional officer. I retired. Mostly I worked the night shift, but that had its moments. I once helped put out a fire an inmate set in his cell at 3 a.m. This was in 1990 before they werent allowed tobacco. On Aug. 27, 1994, we had three officers stabbed by an inmate. Fortunately, they all survived.
EDEN  Born to Run through the Purple Haze trying to beat the Purple Rain to the Dark Side of the Moon, caffeine aficionados can find not only hot and cold lattes of those legendary song titles, but also the records on which they are found.

Adrian Wilson, who grew up near Wentworth and went to Reidsville High, and Donion Moore, a Reidsville native who went to Community Baptist School, have reopened the popular Uprising Coffee & Books in downtown Leaksville.

While keeping the familiar coffees, books and lounging areas, the duo has added quite a collection of old school vinyl albums.

Wilson discovered Uprising on social media, and was so impressed that he started sharing it with others. He decided to personally visit the shop to make sure it met his expectations, since he was promoting it to his friends.

I thought it was great for the community, Wilson said. I got a great feeling when I came in here. I loved the place and I thought [the former owners] were great.

Wilson had worked at Borders bookstore for several years, and more recently had his own art gallery/used book store on Tate Street in Greensboro for eight years. The abstract and mixed media artist and photographer spoke with the couple that owned Uprising, and offered to curate an art show.

While the shop had featured artists, they had not experienced a true art show, complete with an opening, an organized display and an artists statement.

When the owners decided to sell the business last Christmas, Wilson was thrilled at the opportunity. He and Moore had talked about opening a business, and had looked at a couple of places in Reidsville before buying Uprising. Moore continues his day job at Earth Fare in Greensboro, where hes been for 15 years.

At his Tate Street shop, Wilson had mostly books, with some crafts and art. He rode the wave of the resurgence of records from 2000 to 2007, starting out with a tenth of the store being records to more than half of the store.

Sales of books and records at Uprising are nearly 50/50, with books in a slight lead.

Things like this are needed in the community, Wilson said.

While the walls are bare now, Wilson has talked with some local artists about doing a collaborative show in time for Christmas.

When you walk into a place, you can tell the difference between whether [the wall art] is just thrown together or curated, Wilson said. We were so busy opening, I didnt want to just throw something up there.

The small shop includes tables and chairs and comfortable loveseats and chairs where customers can relax and hook up to the free wifi.

Uprisings signature drinks run $3 to $4.50, and feature espresso with various flavors like toasted marshmallow (Whiter Shade of Pale); caramel, maple and mocha (I Hear a Symphony); hazelnut and vanilla (Born to Run); and strawberry and vanilla (Strawberry Fields Forever).

The flavors can also be added to Italian sodas, which are $2.25 to $3.25.

Theres also cappuccino, chai, hot chocolate and hot or cold tea.

If the drink names sound familiar, its because theyre all named after songs. And thats not always an easy task.

For I Hear a Symphony, we knew we wanted a Supremes song, but many of their songs, while theyre upbeat, are about love not working out, Wilson said. So we wanted to find one that was positive.

That latte flavor was his favorite, until he got burned out on it, so he has switched to Purple Haze, which is espresso, raspberry and blueberry. Its not purple, because the blueberry isnt a strong enough color to overtake the raspberry.

Wilson also touted the Orange Blossom Special, a flavor based on Terrys Chocolate Orange, a spectacular holiday confection made to look like a chocolate orange complete with slices.

He said cold brewed coffee has gained popularity in the last year, which Uprising steeps in cold water for 18-24 hours  much longer than most places.

Cold brew is supposed to taste better than iced coffee. But if you only let it steep 10-12 hours, it will just taste like iced coffee, Wilson said. It should have flavor and fullness to it. I use a special blend of dark and medium roasts, with some chocolate notes.

Iced coffee is hot brewed and then iced down. Its cheaper, because its just the leftover hot coffee that places have, he said. But for us, even the iced coffee has cold brew added to it, because you want it to taste good.

Wilson knew coffee from his days at Borders, but hes learned a lot through personal research. I knew I didnt like iced coffee because it tasted horrible at some places. So I would think, why does this work? In the places Ive been all over the state in the last couple of years, Ive wanted to know what kind of beans they used.

Stop by Uprising for records, roasts and reading materials. It's located at 655 Washington St., and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, visit Uprising Coffee & Books on Facebook or call 336-612-5798.
WENTWORTH  Rockingham County officials are moving forward with supporting potential legal action against prescription pain manufacturers, in an effort to hold them accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.

The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution on Nov. 6, which helps them follow the path that many county governments across the nation have taken to recoup epidemic costs and provide treatment.

In September, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced that he was joined 40 other attorney generals in requesting documents and information from prescription opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The request is being used as a tool to determine whether or not opioid manufacturing companies Purdue Pharma, Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and other related entities are engaging in unlawful practices, in regards to the marketing, sale and distribution of prescription opioids.

The resolution states that the board of commissioners supports the nationwide coalition and recommends that legal action should be taken up by the state of North Carolina on behalf of its 100 counties, if it is found that those manufacturing businesses have engaged in unlawful practices.

Outside of support, the resolution lays the groundwork for the county itself to investigate the feasibility of joining any active or potential lawsuits.

County Attorney Emily Sloop said during the Nov. 6 meeting that potential action through the legal system could help cover the rising expense of various needs due to the epidemic, such as transportation for medical personnel, EMS, court costs, and the increased need of resources for the Rockingham County Department of Social Services.

According to the resolution, over 130 children entered the local foster care system as a result of substance abuse by a parent or parents from July 2016 through June of 2017.

Sloop said that expenses related to the opioid crisis have created a $100,000 burden in Rockingham County alone.

"Overall, it's very important that we seek some remedy in the legal form about potentially having litigation to get reimbursed for some of these costs that our local economy has seen, Sloop said.

The resolution comes after County Manager Lance Metzler, Health and Human Services Director Felissa Ferrell, Sloop and Vice-Chairman Kevin Berger met with several attorneys that are in the process of suing manufacturers of opioids and recover money that could be used to fight the problems the addictive drugs present.

Berger told those in attendance during the commission meeting at Oregon Hill Fire Department that there are other groups of attorneys also joining together to file similar litigation.

What this resolution would do is point out an RFP to seek information from these groups of attorneys to see which one is best suited for Rockingham County to move forward with litigation against the opioid manufacturers, Berger said.

The commissioner, who also practices law in Rockingham County, said that current and potential litigation is based off current legislation that requires pharmaceuticals to notify federal authorities when "things are out of whack."

He added that the resolution will allow the county to move forward and get involved, with no cost to the taxpayers.

According to the notice of request for information for special legal counsel published by Rockingham County Government, if counsel is retained for potential litigation it will be done through a contingency fee arrangement -- meaning special council would accept a fixed percentage of the county's recovery.

The RFI also states being retained council will include the responsibility of doing significant evaluative and investigative preparatory work and litigation work may include drafting pleadings, motions, briefs, and all other papers to be filed in court.

"I'm happy to see the county pursuing this effort towards recouping some of our tax dollars, said Commissioner Reece Pyrtle.

Unfortunately this epidemic that is affecting this whole country is hitting our county. We are not immune to it and the cost associated with it goes through all aspects of the county government  from social services who have more foster kids in foster care  to including the more intense treatment that is needed for those individuals that have an opioid addiction.

The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners will meet again on Monday, during two separate public meetings at commissioner chambers in the Rockingham County Governmental Center.

At 5 p.m., the commission will discuss water and wastewater service in Rockingham County, during a recessed meeting.

The boards regularly scheduled commissioner meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m.
REIDSVILLE John "David" Carter, 62, passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at his home. A visitation will be held from 5 until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22, 2017, at Wilkerson Funeral Home. Other times the family will be at the home, 3113 Country Lane, Reidsville, NC. David was born in Rockingham County to Pat M. Carter and the late John D. Carter. He was a former employee with both The American Tobacco Company and Lorillard Tobacco Company. He was a lifetime member of the Elks Club and various Shag Clubs. Along with his father, he was preceded in death by a sister, Janet Carter. Survivors include his wife Donna McBride Carter; son, John "Heath" Carter; mother, Pat M. Carter, brothers, Jimmy Carter and wife, Donna and Jerald Carter; sisters, Sandra Carter and Patsy Carter; nieces, Ryan Ramey and husband, Rick, Carly Carter and Olivia Carter; three great nieces; mother-in-law, Bertha McBride and step-daughters, Gini Cardwell and Kate Cardwell. Special appreciation is extended to the Doctors and Nurses at Wesley Long Cancer Center for their love, care and support to the Carter family. Memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Long Cancer Center, 501 N. Elam Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403. Wilkerson Funeral Home is assisting the family and condolences may be sent to www.wilkersonfuneral.com.
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Each November, as Thanksgiving looms closer, America begins to pay more attention to an issue that is prevalent around the country year-round: hunger.

Between the years of 2016-18, an average of 12.4 percent of Connecticut households were food insecure, according to most recent data from the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A little over four percent of those households were considered to be "very low food secure households."

These numbers have declined slightly since the period of 2013-15 when 13.1 percent of Connecticut households were food insecure, but a more troubling statistic is the increasing number of people who experience actual hunger in Connecticut.

Despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that there has been a drop in food insecurity across the country, the drop in Connecticut has been smaller, Paul Shipman, spokesperson for the Connecticut Food Bank, told Hearst in 2018.

Feeding America, which helps support the Connecticut Food Bank, as well as over 200 food banks across the country, releases an annual Food Insecurity Report breaking down hunger amongst the 50 states. The most recent report shows thatthe food insecurity rate in Connecticut in 2017 was 11.3.

According to the 2017 Feeding America report, Litchfield County experienced the least food insecurity with a rate of 9.3 percent, followed by Fairfield County at 9.4 percent, Tolland County at 9.6 percent and Middlesex County at 9.7 percent.

More News Stats: Hunger and poverty in Connecticut

New Haven County is in worse shape with a 12.1 percent food insecurity rate. The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven supports local food banks and organizations battling hunger in the Greater New Haven area, which extends beyond just New Haven County to include parts of the Valley.

In 2016, the foundation published The Community Progress Report, which found that "14 percent of Greater New Haven, and nearly one in four New Haven residents, did not have enough money for food," Matthew Higbee, the Research and Communications Officer, Grantmaking and Strategy, told Hearst in 2017.

One issue that the Connecticut Food Bank has seen is the number of individuals who working more than one job, yet cannot afford to put food on the table.

"What has become more apparent is that the people who visit us are working. They are working one or more jobs but they still struggle to make ends meet," said Shipman in 2018.

Shipman attributed this to the rising cost of living in Connecticut.

"Hunger impacts every community," said Shipman. "People would be shocked to know that they may have neighbors who are struggling because of a sudden loss of a job or a health emergency."
Weve become a Shark Tank nation. Since the shows inception in 2009, its become a household staple. Members of generation z -- who were weaned on investments, valuations, royalties and Mr. Wonderful's snark -- have embraced the concept in a big way.

Related: Why 'Gen Z' May Be More Entrepreneurial Than 'Gen Y'

Is it any wonder that these late 1990s babies are poised to become the biggest entrepreneurial generation yet? Theyre so comfortable seeing themselves as founders that business schools are offering more startup-style classes, including the opportunity for students to compete in Shark Tank-inspired events.

This shift represents a true evolution in academia. With hands-on experience now driving the curriculum, could the old style of business school be dead? Perhaps on some level -- if the up-and-comers have their way.

Sharks on campus.

Gen z students aren't satisfied with simply riding the wave of this transformation -- they want to be in the driver's seat.

Take Daniel Newman. He's not a household name yet, but around the University of Southern California, a junior working on a dual degree in business administration and real estate development, the former Hawke Media intern has become a bit of a sensation. Newman launched TAMID Tank at the school -- the first Shark-style pitch event to be held on the campus.

Related: Generation Z News & Topics

It took $14,000 in sponsorship money and a whole lot of legwork to secure three venture capitalists (including Eytan Elbaz, who sold his company to Google for $100 million), but the results were magnificent.

The event included a fireside chat with Tinders director of product management, Jeff Morris Jr., and a VIP reception for top USC entrepreneurs and investors. And over the course of this event -- three startups entered Shark Tank and got a few bites.

This philosophy may be why Shark Tank-inspired events have become a craze at other universities as well -- not the least of which are Johns Hopkins University and Emory University.

Related: Top Colleges and Business Schools for Entrepreneurs

On the heels of these campus-bound events are campus-authorized entrepreneurship programs. These programs have helped move interested young people into the business market with externships, internships and everything in between. Babson College, the University of Houston and the University of Missouri are just a few schools that now offer learning laboratories for budding business leaders.

At MU, the Entrepreneurship Alliance promotes innovation through entrepreneurial learning. Established in 2011, it fosters and fuels entrepreneurship by allowing members to explore opportunities.

EA participants have the chance to hear the tales and travails of actual entrepreneurs through various events, including luncheons and conferences. The results? Those who go through the program have stronger self-confidence, leadership abilities, creativity and attention to detail.

Why we should swim with the sharks.

Having a bevy of sharks in the waters may not sound appealing to beachgoers, but swimming with the sharks makes perfect sense in our evolving corporate bionetwork. Here are four reasons why:

1. More gen z-ers are interested in entrepreneurship.

Members of gen z are taking entrepreneurial enterprises seriously. According to Gallup, approximately eight in ten middle and high school students want to be their own boss. The Gallup study also found that nearly half plan to launch their own companies.

42 percent of these hope to "invent something that changes the world." In light of these findings, universities and incubators would do well to focus curricula on gen z's natural leanings.

2. Entrepreneurism creates well-rounded individuals.

In addition, millennial Branding's "The High School Careers Study" found that more and more parents are pushing their gen z kids toward entrepreneurism -- and for good reason. According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, "Youth who are taught about entrepreneurship show a positive change in attitude and strong success orientation and are more likely to be focused on academic and professional achievements, aspirations and leadership."

3. Students can fail safely at first while at home, then draw on those lessons later.

Often, a fear of failure holds us back from getting started in the first place. Baby boomer, gen x and millennial entrepreneurs had to fail the tough way. Gen z doesnt have to fail in the same way.

The college atmosphere provides an interesting safety net, allowing young entrepreneurs to make mistakes and learn from them without going bankrupt. Plus, as they put business theories and concepts to work, they can see how what theyre learning applies to the real world.

Related: 6 Ways Gen Z Will Change the Tech World

As college students, we have absolutely nothing to lose by pursuing a venture, Newman said. If a startup takes off, excellent. But even a failed startup is a gained experience that will compound and prove exponentially higher results in the long run.

4. Future employees will get their employers.

Not every business school grad will pursue entrepreneurship, but possessing an entrepreneurial mindset can still comes in handy. How many times have employers lamented that their employees dont understand what it means to own and operate a company? Young workers who have tested the Shark Tank waters will bring more to the table in terms of insight and understanding.

Related: 4 Tips for Leading a Company in a Constantly Evolving Business

The waters are just right to support the plethora of would-be sharks raring to get their chance for a swim. Instead of keeping them at bay, the educational institutions of our nation should be tossing them the nutritious chum theyll need to stay healthy and alert as they transform our ecosystem.

Related:

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Agility Matters: Here's How To Make Your Business Knowledge-Based

These Startups are Defying All Odds in India's Defence Industry



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com






Haiti - Vertieres : A page of history is turned, a new chapter opens dixit Jovenel Moise





On Saturday, President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by his wife Martine and Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, participated in the Haut du Cap, at the commemoration of the 214 years of the Battle of Vertieres, a battle that concluded the independence of the Haitian Nation, January 1st, 1804.



In the presence of high dignitaries of the State, Ministers and Secretaries of State, Directors General, Members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ), Parliamentarians, Mayors, officials and members of organizations and associations, Representatives of the Society the Head of State has proceeded to the deposit of a wreath of flowers at the feet of the monument of Vertieres, as a tribute to the heroes of our independence.



President Moise then went to the College Notre Dame du Cap-Haitien to attend the Mass of Thanksgiving followed by the Te Deum celebrated by the Archbishop of Cap, Mgr. Max Leroy Mezidor.



The Head of State then went to the Official Tribune on Carrenage Boulevard, where he proceeded, in the presence of military officials, to the presentation of the national flag to the colored escort of the battalion of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) and attended the military parade of the 150 men of troops and officers currently making up the entire armed forces of Haiti.



In his official address to the Nation, President Jovenel declared :



"[...] On this day of celebration of the conquest of Independence, the conditions are much more favorable for the national revival, the awakening of the forces of the nation of lethargy in which our internal quarrels have pushed it since for too long already.



November 18 on this piece of sacred land, our ancestors won the battle that created our nation, our beloved Haiti. Two armies were standing, facing each other. The native army, the army of our ancestors won the battle [...]



Dear heroes of Vertieres, dear compatriots in my capacity as Head of State, I bow to you, illustrious Ancestors. Vertieres is a source of inspiration for many countries around the world.



[...]







Grenadye Alaso ! Alaso against misery !



Alaso against instability! Alaso against exclusion! Alaso against corruption! Alaso against insecurity! Alaso dependent in all its forms.



I say it again and again, I keep saying it again, the Nation must take another direction, it must reinvent itself its future by the means of a present inscribed in positive works which favor the economic growth, the development and the promotion of citizenship.



I want and I mean that through sound works, thought and planned, the ideals of Vertieres are read in the space and the political, social and economic environment of the nation. I say that poverty is not a fatality.



The Conch of concord, of the Union who makes the Force, rang. It rang from Fort Liberte to Dame Marie, from Anse-a-Pitre to Mole St. Nicolas, from Navase, to Cayemites, to Gonave, to La Tortue.



[...]



I declare that a page of the history of this country is turned. A new chapter opens : the Reorganized, Reorganized Armed Forces, as a constitutional institution, ensure the safety and security of the lives and property of citizens.



At the same time that the armed forces will be re-established, the Government undertakes to continue strengthening the National Police, the only public security force established on the national territory. I reach out to all of you, political opponents, country people, townspeople, workers, entrepreneurs, students, teachers, Haitians from the inside, Haitians living abroad, the time has come for the national revival [...]"



Full speech of the President of the Republic Jovenel Moise (PDF) :

https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/vertieres-214-discours-jovenel-moise.pdf



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22737-haiti-flash-president-moise-appoints-acting-commander-in-chief-of-the-army-of-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22727-haiti-flash-army-jovenel-moise-establishes-an-interim-command.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22725-haiti-politic-armed-force-and-states-general-on-the-agenda.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22694-haiti-army-the-remobilization-of-the-armed-forces-of-haiti-a-priority.html



Sl/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Justice : Seminar on the fight against corruption in Artibonite





At the hotel Le Village dEnnery, the director general of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), Major David Basile has proceeded to the opening of the second exit of training seminars and information on the fight against corruption, in favor this time of mayors of Artibonite https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22678-haiti-politic-seminar-on-the-fight-against-corruption-for-the-mayors-of-artibonite.html around the theme "Towards the involvement of local elected representatives in the fight against corruption".



It is question, like these training and information sessions, to raise citizens' awareness of the application of ethical standards of good local governance, to promote sound management of public resources that reflects the principles of integrity and transparency. All this to strengthen their legitimacy with their citizens and promote their participation in municipal affairs.



From the outset, Major David Basile thanked the mayors of the Artibonite for their presence at this two-day symposium, which, he recalls, is part of the "Highly educational journey through the Republic", for the benefit of municipalities. "This seminar was designed solely, he said, to help you tackle the challenges of fighting corruption in your communities. It is in your interest, as a local elected representative, and in the prospect of re-election that would put you in situation, to continue your action for the good of your municipality, to have a responsible administration, reflecting the notions of good governance, transparency and integrity, and ultimately focused on the ultimate administrative principle of accountability."



In an effort to exemplify local government management, and in the context of the moralisation of public life promoted by the ULCC through its policy of prevention and fight against corruption, Major David Basile, emphasized the obligation for mayors to complete the form on the declaration of assets, as required by the law of 12 February 2008 governing the matter. In order to facilitate this exercise, the ULCC has already organized a training for the benefit of two executives of the National Federation of Mayors of Haiti (FENAMH) to provide guidance to mayors who wish it.



Speaking at the opening of the seminar, Saint Marc Deputy Mayor Frantz Ulysse, who is also president of AMA, welcomed this innovative and successful initiative by ULCC to strengthen the administrative capacity of communities and fight corruption. "May this seminar be, for us all, elected in general, mayors and community officials in particular, executives of the public administration, a new breath, a new way of seeing and understanding the exercise," of power and management of the affairs of the public thing. He also calls for the fight against corruption "everywhere, from school to the corridors of state administrations."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Gender pay gap (full-time total remuneration): 22.4% (down 0.7 pp)

Employers who have conducted a gender pay gap analysis: 37.7% (up 10.8pp)

Employers with manager KPIs related to gender equality: 28.4% (up 5pp)

Appointments of women to manager roles (including promotions): 43.4% (up 0.8pp)

Employers with flexible work policies: 68.3% (up 5.3pp)

Proportion of women directors on boards and governing bodies: 24.9% (up 0.2pp)

Australia today, men still out earn women in every industry and across all occupations, said Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Director Libby Lyons.This is not about womens choices: whether you are a manager, a scientist, a butcher, a baker or even a TV presenter, there is a gender pay gap favouring men, added Lyons.The sharp increases in employer action show that the momentum for improved gender equality is building.Indeed, more employers are taking action to address pay gaps and gender imbalances that persist across the economy, according to 2016-17 workplace data released by the WGEA.The data records strong improvements in organisations conducting gender pay gap analyses, making managers accountable for gender equality outcomes, promoting women into manager roles and encouraging flexible work arrangements.It also found women are earning on average just 78% of mens full-time earnings and the average annual pay packet of full-time female employees is $26,527 less than mens, rising to $89,216 at the top level of management.Pay gaps favouring men were also identified in every occupational category, from 8.4% for Clerical and Administrative workers (worth $6,472) to 26.7% for Technicians and Trades workers (worth $28,042).Management roles continue to be heavily dominated by men with women remaining under-represented in the upper leadership echelons, holding just 16.5% of CEO roles and 29.7% of key management personnel roles.Lyons said the Agencys world-leading dataset covering over four million employees and 11,000 employers shows strong improvement in employer awareness but the pace of change needs to increase.I am very encouraged that many more employers are now analysing their pay data for gender pay gaps and hopeful this will flow through to improved pay outcomes for women in the years ahead, said Lyons.Other positive developments include an increase in managers having KPIs related to gender equality and more women are being appointed to manager roles.Unfortunately, the number of women on boards remains static and too few organisations are reporting their gender metrics up to the board. We need to see some real change. Boards must take more accountability for gender equality.Key findings include:
An HR manager is one of three people who have been found to be systematically exploiting employees at a Chinese restaurant in NSW and fabricating records to try to cover their tracks.



Almost $400,000 in penalties were imposed in the Federal Court after 85 employees at the New Shanghai Charlestown restaurant were underpaid $583,688 over a 16-month period in 2013-2014.



Justice Robert Bromwich imposed a $54,672 penalty against the restaurant owner Zhong Yuan John Chen, and penalised his company NSH North Pty Ltd a further $301,920.



Justice Bromwich also imposed an $18,496 penalty against the restaurant manager Jin Xu for her involvement.



Moreover, he imposed a $21,760 penalty against the restaurants HR manager Ting Sarah Zhu, and dismissed her argument that her culpability was greatly reduced because she was following her bosss orders.



The Fair Work inspectors found that many employees were paid only $10 an hour. The workers were mainly visa holders from Asia.



Most workers were entitled to be paid more than $20 an hour for ordinary hours and between $24 and $45 an hour for weekend, public holiday and overtime work, under the Restaurant Industry Award at the time. One employee was underpaid more than $33,000.



NSH North provided fabricated records to inspectors that claimed staff had been paid correctly when the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) began its investigation.



It was only later that the company provided the correct employment records, when the issue was raised by the Fair Work Inspector and a further Notice to Produce was issued.



Justice Bromwich found that the contraventions involved serious and premeditated conduct and encompassed a widespread, systematic and prolonged failure to accord employees their basic entitlements.



Chen, Xu, Zhu and NSH North all admitted in Court that they were involved in deliberately underpaying the workers and fabricating records.



However, Zhu submitted that her culpability was reduced because she was at all times acting under the direction of Chen.



Zhus duties included processing payroll and arranging staff wage payments.



Zhu was being sponsored by a related company, NSH Restaurants Pty Ltd, on a 457 skilled worker visa and was being paid an annual salary of $100,000 when the underpayments were occurring.



Justice Bromwich found Zhu had acted in her own interests in choosing to be a knowing participant in the underpayments and took an active role in the creation of false records.



There is nothing wrong with sending the message that an employee should indeed resign if that is the only alternative to continuing to participate knowingly in illegal activity, ideally coupled with reporting the conduct, in a case such as this, to the FWO, said Justice Bromwich.



Zhu argued in Court that her position as a 457 visa holder with familial and cultural pressures of loyalty to Chen made her vulnerable and should be a mitigating factor.



In no sense was Ms Sarah Zhu a victim of the conduct. If this aspect of Ms Sarah Zhus circumstances is really mitigation at all, it cannot be given much weight, Justice Bromwich said.



That is so both as a matter of public policy in requiring individuals to put compliance with the law ahead of their personal interests, and having regard to Ms Sarah Zhus knowledge that the law was being disobeyed for the entire period of over 16 months.



Moreover, she took an active role in the attempt to thwart the FWO investigation.



Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Kristen Hannah said the outcome of the matter sends a clear message that the FWO is committed to using accessorial liability laws to hold individuals involved in exploiting vulnerable workers to account.



Rogue business owners and managers who think they can run operations based on exploitation of vulnerable workers and then try to hide behind corporate structures or flimsy excuses are playing with fire, said Hannah.



We are committed to actively seeking them out, dismantling their unlawful business models, making sure the public are aware of the actions and ensuring they are penalised for their conduct. Business models based on exploitation of employees to gain an unfair commercial advantage are unacceptable.



Where we find blatant exploitative conduct, we will do everything within our power to ensure that all accessories to that conduct are held to account.



This includes taking action against not only business owners and directors  but also any HR practitioners, accountants, industrial relations specialists and any other professionals involved in knowingly facilitating exploitation of employees.



HR managers and other specialists must explain the requirements to their clients, make it clear when they are in danger of breaking them and not become involved in breaches of the law themselves.



NSH North has rectified more than $450,000 of the underpayments and is attempting to locate the employees yet to be back-paid.



If any employees cannot be located, the company will pay the amounts owing to the Commonwealth to be held in trust for the employees.




Ive seen a few small flocks of wild turkeys this fall, although larger flocks have been elusive so far. As the fields and woods grow more stark as the cold season advances, I am confident I will start seeing more turkeys. I am even thinking of spending part of my upcoming Thanksgiving holiday looking for some of these very American birds.

The wild turkey has been venerated as an example of an American success story almost from the time the first Europeans settlers set foot on the continent of North America. Even prior to the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans hunted the wild turkey and also made a place for the bird in their myths and lore. Here are my top three reasons to celebrate the wild turkey, one of Americas most fascinating birds:

First, who doesnt like to root for a contender? Many people have heard accounts of how the wild turkey was a candidate for Americas national bird. Its a well-known example of historic trivia that the wild turkey had its supporters among the nations founding fathers, but was it ever seriously considered for the elevated status as Americas official bird? The answers not cut and dry.

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams formed a committee assigned the task of designing an official seal for the new United States of America. As is often the case with gov-ernment committees, the job of designing the seal took longer than expected. After three differ-ent committees came up with different designs, Pennsylvania lawyer named Thomas Barton eventually came up with one featuring a white eagle. Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson recommended replacing that eagle design with one depicting the native bald eagle. Eventually, the bald eagle received designation as the nations official bird.

Nevertheless, some of the committee members had second thoughts. Franklin later wrote a letter to his daughter that seemed to bemoan the choice of the bald eagle. He labeled the eagle a bird of bad moral character and lauded the wild turkey as a bird of courage.

Perhaps Franklin suffered some buyers remorse. I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country, he wrote in his letter. The turkey is a much more re-spectable bird. He also noted that the turkey is a true and original American native. Of course, the bald eagle is also a bird unique to North America. So while theres no direct evidence that Franklin did anything to actively promote the turkey as the nations official bird, he didnt ex-actly provide a ringing endorsement of the bald eagle.

Second, the wild turkey has a wide range of experience, both foreign and domestic, as a rep-resentative of the United States. While wild turkeys still roam through North America, to the tune of seven million individuals, their domesticated kin are farmed in huge numbers. Native tribes in the Americas began domesticating the wild turkey centuries ago. When early Spanish explorers conquered the Aztec empire in Mexico they found that turkeys were among the do-mesticated animals kept by the Aztecs. The Spaniards returned to Europe with domesticated turkeys around 1520. In the next few decades, domesticated turkeys spread into other European countries, arriving in England between 1525 and 1540.

In a strange twist of fate, colonists in New England and Virginia brought domestic turkeys with them to the New World in the early decades of the 1600s only to be surprised to find the native forests already populated by wild turkeys, which were the ancestors of their domesticated fowls. Today, that back-and-forth saga regarding the turkey continues. One of the most important customers for U.S turkey farmers is the nation of Mexico. Almost 70 percent of U.S. turkey exports go to Mexico.

Finally, the wild turkey has that in-your-face attitude that is so American and helps turkeys thrive no matter where they live. In recent decades, some turkeys have taken to suburban living. An article by Brian Handwerk on the National Geographic website puts the spotlight on these turkeys that have taken so readily to living in the burbs.

Massachusetts and Connecticut, former strongholds of the first settlements by Europeans in the New World, are home to densely populated cities like Boston and Hartford. These days, however, turkeys demand their share of the pie, figuratively speaking, when it comes to prime real estate. All a turkey really needs is some cover, which is adequately provided by landscaped lawns in the suburbs, and a few trees that provide nightly roosts. As social birds, they roam in flocks that dont particularly pay attention to property lines.

In addition, a wild turkeys a fairly big bird. A male turkey, or tom, can weigh between 16 and 24 pounds. The females, or hens, are usually about half that size. Human-turkey conflicts occur most often in the spring when the boisterous toms are focused intently on besting rivals and impressing potential mates. Unfortunately, these hormone-addled tom turkeys sometimes mis-take humans going about their daily lives as rivals.

In addition, many human residents of the suburbs have a tendency to offer food to wildlife ranging from squirrels and deer to perhaps a flock of resident turkeys. Providing food can make turkeys expectant and demanding. To put it mildly, a turkey can be a little intimidating. Theyre not likely to harm a human being, but occasionally turkeys will also stand their ground, refuse to back down and even give chase to any human who crosses them. Sounds like a proud American, right?

Now, one last thing for which Americans can be thankful. We dont chow down on bald eagles every Thanksgiving. It would be awful, wouldnt it, to eat our national bird?

Bryan Stevens lives in Roan Mountain, Tennessee. If you have a question, wish to make a comment or share a sighting, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com. He also welcomes friend requests on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler.
BRISTOL, Va.  The Bristol Emergency Food Pantry was bustling with activity Saturday as local Boy Scouts dropped off and sorted food from donors.

Jim White, the food pantrys director, estimated that the Scouting for Food Good Turn project provides the organization with about a quarter of the food needed during the year. The food pantry, located on Washington Street near the Bristol sign, assists about 14,000 people every year.

Its very helpful, said White. Were really glad because this came just in time.

Before Saturday, the pantry had been low on supplies to help feed local residents, White added.

Members of the Sequoyah Council Boy Scouts picked up bags early Saturday during the 30th annual Scouting for Food event. The week before, thousands of local Scouts and volunteer leaders canvassed neighborhoods throughout Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee and left bags on doors. The bags, supplied by Food City, contained instructions and suggested food items to be donated.

The donated food was collected Saturday and taken to collection centers, where it was sorted, boxed and turned over to the local food distribution agencies.

The Bristol Emergency Food Pantry was just one of the agencies in the Mountain Empire to receive assistance as a result of the annual drive.

A group of Scouts from Troop 113 said they picked up about nine bags from a neighborhood in Bristol, Tennessee. The entire troop picked up 189 bags in the Avoca and Haynesfield areas, according to Scout leader Donny Ankers, who said the event allows the Scouts to help the community.

Scouts Christian Bolick, 14, Jeremiah Coleman, 14, and Zach Stiltner, 15, said theyve participated in Scouting for Food for several years

The Scouts get to feed families, get some exercise and receive service hours, the three Scouts said.

It helps me sleep at night knowing I helped feed families, Bolick said.

Coleman added, Its fun  plus, it helps people.

The three said they enjoy working together during the project as they travel through the various neighborhoods to drop off or collect bags of food.

Food City supplied more than 150,000 bags as well as physical and financial support, according to a news release from the Sequoyah Council. Food City has sponsored the project since its inception in 1988. During that time, more than 5.7 million cans of food have been collected.

Each year, about 200,000 cans of food are collected, the release states.

This project works because it is people helping people, said Ronald Cameron, program director for the Sequoyah Council. Our ability to go door to door asking for help is what makes it so successful. We would not be able to canvass neighborhoods like this without Food Citys sponsorship. What makes this food drive special is that the food donated by a community goes back to help people in that community. What a tribute to our Scouts and all of the people this program has helped.

Anyone who still has food and would like to donate can drop off items at any local Food City store.
A few weeks back, I got hung up in a traffic jam caused by a stalled car stopped at the crest of a hill, which made it impossible to safely pass. After a minute or so, I pulled my car over and ran up to help push them out of the way.

One of the stalled cars passengers, a young man, got out and tried to help, too. Even the young woman driving the car opened her door and pushed along with her left foot as she steered onto the shoulder. Two little kids popped up in the back seat and watched as we strained to get their car out of the way. Once I started pushing the car, I realized who those people were.

Im no expert, but Ive worked closely enough with people to spot an addict when I see one, and I have little doubt that the couple I helped are victims of the opioid crisis that our region is facing. The image of the two kids in the backseat is haunting  especially given their chances of avoiding addiction and being that lost generation that Chad Napier, prevention and education coordinator of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, talked about in a Bristol Herald Courier story Wednesday.

In a Tuesday article, though, Lottie Ryans of Workforce and Literacy Initiatives issued a call to action for churches. Ryans and others are planning the Holy Friendship Summit for May 2018, which intends to equip clinicians, clergy, educators and congregations with resources, such as a tool kit, and guidance to respond to, interact with and care for people struggling with pain and addiction.

Ryans is talking to the right crowd. After all, you cant throw a rock around here without hitting a stained-glass window. Ryans is counting on the majority of people here to live out their confession by helping those who are suffering under the weight of addiction. But something needs to change before she can expect help from churches.

You see, church people are fantastic at dealing with crisis. Most denominations have crisis response teams, ready to mobilize at a moments notice, and church agencies respond faster than government agencies. Ask the people of New Orleans, and they will tell you who rebuilt their city. Ray Cannata, a pastor in New Orleans and a friend of mine, told me that his church worked closely with churches from all over the country and rebuilt over 500 homes after Katrina.

But this opioid crisis is different from a natural disaster. This crisis is in our backyard and, well, sometimes it is easier to send money or a crew of folks to New Orleans, Miami or Houston than it is to work on our home. Plus, this crisis is overwhelming; the number of pills prescribed in Tennessee alone is, according to Tuesdays Herald Courier article, enough to provide every person in the state an average of 17 prescriptions.

Despite these challenges, churches in this community need to do what we are very good at doing: We need to step into this crisis. After all, stepping into the lives of broken people is something that Jesus did and calls his people to do, and the book of Isaiah is pretty clear about Gods love for justice.

But this crisis will require church folks to approach things a bit differently than perhaps they are used to. Stepping into broken lives is messy, and it is not a quick fix. Churches will have to move out of their comfort zones and engage people theyd likely forgotten. They may need to forego sending money out of the region in order to invest it here. They may need to couple Bible studies with training on how to help someone with addiction.

Frankly, those changes need to be made, but I am not naive when it comes to churches and change. They are often at odds with one another. But we have a real need in our community, and if churches dont get involved, there is very little hope that future generations will not be impacted by this epidemic. Something must be done; if churches dont answer this call, who will?
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He is one of UK's most loved comedian's and he is finally back with a new tour after eight years.

Peter Kay will take to the stage from April 2018, calling at all major arenas in the UK and Ireland, according to the Birmingham Mail.

Hertfordshire residents will be able to catch the Phoenix Nights and Car Share star across nine shows at London's 02 Arena.

It will take you just an hour to get to the 02 if you are planning to travel from Hertfordshire by car.

Alternatively, for those opting to travel via public transport, you should head to either Liverpool Street or Moorgate before taking the tube to North Greenwich station.

Peter said: "I know how lucky I am to be making television series and have really loved these past few years working on Car Share but I miss doing stand-up.

"As terrifying as it is, when it works there's nothing more fun and exciting.

"Plus, a lot has happened in the last eight years, with Trump, Twitter and my Nan getting her front bush trimmed at the age of 96.

"I can't wait to get back up on stage."

Tickets went on pre-sale yesterday (November 18) before general sale earlier this morning.

Audiences must be aged 15 and over.

Prices range from 35 to 55.

Full list of tour dates:

2018

Saturday 21 April Birmingham Genting Arena

Sunday 22 April Birmingham Genting Arena

Monday 14 May Glasgow The SSE Hydro

Tuesday 15 May Glasgow The SSE Hydro

Monday 4 June Manchester Arena

Tuesday 5 June Manchester Arena

Wednesday 6 June Manchester Arena

Saturday 9 June Manchester Arena

Thursday 13 September London The O2

Friday 14 September London The O2

Saturday 15 September London The O2

Thursday 20 September London The O2

Friday 21 September London The O2

Saturday 22 September London The O2

Thursday 27 September London The O2

Friday 28 September London The O2

Saturday September 29 London The O2

Tuesday 2 October Leeds First Direct Arena

Wednesday 3 October Leeds First Direct Arena

2019

Sunday 13 January Belfast SSE Arena

Monday 14 January Belfast SSE Arena

Wednesday 23 January Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

Thursday 24 January Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

Friday 1 February Dublin 3 Arena

Saturday 2 February Dublin 3 Arena

Monday 11 February Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Tuesday 12 February Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Monday 4 March Sheffield FlyDSA Arena

Tuesday 5 March Sheffield FlyDSA Arena
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HICKORY - Catawba Valley Community College staff member Kristen Bumgarner donated 12 inches of her hair to Wigs for Kids recently at the colleges Cosmetology Center in Newton.

Bumgarner is raising donations for a childhood friend whose daughter lost her three-year battle with Rhabdomyosarcoma in 2014. Jennifer Eckard and her husband Danny of Denver, N.C., operate the nonprofit Fight With ME in memory of their daughter Miranda.

The money raised by the nonprofit goes to a scholarship at East Lincoln High School where Miranda attended and helps provide gifts for teenagers at the treatment center where Miranda received her treatment. https://www.stbaldricks.org/kids/mypage/6277

My oldest son Josh turned 17, and I just cant imagine going through something like this, said Bumgarner, who is also a CVCC alumnus. Growing up with Jennifer and being close friends in elementary and middle school, I want to help her keep her daughters memory alive through the work that she and her husband do.

Bumgarner has received more than $500 in donations to date.

For more information about the Fight With ME nonprofit or to donate, visit the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/fighwithmeinc501c3.

CVCCs Cosmetology Salon run by students is open to the public. For operating hours and a menu of services, visit http://www.cvcc.edu/Health_Public_Services/Health_Services/Cosmetology/index.cfm.
One of the most famous pieces of furniture of the 20th century, Salvador Dalis Mae West Lips sofa, could be taken out of the UK unless a buyer willing to pay almost half a million pounds is found. The British government has placed a temporary export bar on Sofa, which Dali created with Surrealist poet and collector Edward James. A buyer will have to be found before May to match the asking price of 480,281 plus 16,600 VAT for the red sofa to remain in Britain.

This iconic piece is considered to be the single most important example of Surrealist furniture ever made in Britain, said arts minister John Glen. I very much hope that a buyer comes forward to keep this unique item in the UK. The 1938 piece of furniture has been described as the most famous object in the history of Surrealism. The lips relate to Dalis paintings and drawings that were inspired by Hollywood star Mae West. Five of the sofas were made in total, with the version on sale altered by James, with the lips elongated, to make it an integral part of the Surrealist interior of Monkton House in West Sussex. The temporary export bar follows a recommendation by the reviewing committee on the export of works of art and objects of cultural interest.

Committee member Richard Calvocoressi said: Salvador Dali and Edward Jamess sofa in the shape of Mae Wests lips shares with Meret Oppenheims fur-covered cup, saucer and spoon of the same date (Museum of Modern Art, New York) the distinction of being the most famous object in the history of Surrealism. But is more than a witty surrealist sculpture or a striking example of fantasy furniture. It is a masterpiece of Pop Art, 25 years before Pop was invented.

The committee noted the power of the image of the sofa in the 20th century. It made its recommendation on the grounds of the sofas close connection with Britains history and national life, its outstanding aesthetic importance and its significance for the study of furniture history, as well as the history of design and Surrealist art. The decision on the export licence for the sofa will be deferred until 16 February. That date will be extended until 16 May if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price.

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There are voices galore against the BJP in Saurashtra. But are there votes aplenty for the Congress?

The jigsaw gets trickier as one engages with people young and old on the streets, at roadside kiosks and in local agriculture marts. The anger thats palpable is only a dip test. It isnt yet electorally quantifiable.

A perspective nevertheless can be attempted against the experience of past elections  in 2002, 2007 and 2012the BJP won under Narendra Modis direct command. Even passing criticism of the government or the chief minister in those times begot dirty stares and scorn.

Crowds would rise and recede in waves at Modis public rallies, including those in the 2014 elections. He held his audience in thrall. They captive, he the captivator.

A contrast suggestive of diminishing appeal has been noticed at the PMs recent meetings in the state. Yet many believe history might repeat itself once he gets into the arena full throttle, in his avatar as the Prime Minister from Gujarat.

Will he or can he rekindle the love affair that appears to have gone sour? Thats the questions the sceptics ask, mindful as much of the Modi lure coupled with his partys ground strength.

The BJPs phenomenal reach in the state is cogently summed by its spokesman Bharat Pandya. The Congress cannot match our eye contact with voters...

But the saffron partys door to door canvassing is a recognition as much of the challenge it faces. Its either worried or unwilling to leave anything to chance in the region with 48 assembly constituencies. The 150-seat target in the 182-strong House is the highest the party ever set for itself.

Is the BJPs boast realisable? On the 300-km Ahmedabad-Rajkot stretch through Surendra Nagar and Morbi districts, I countenanced an eclectic mix of disenchanted electorate: farmers, daily wagers, jobless youth, small businessmen and lowly government servants.

They were an encyclopaedia of complaints, each one of them having a story to tell: official apathy in ensuring minimum support prices for farm produce; systemic corruption; lessened incomes post demonetisation and GST; arm-twisting by legislators and growing unemployment.

There were clear signs of a rural-urban, poor-rich divide on class lines. The trend transcended the caste hiatus as Dalits and OBCs talked the language the Patidars did albeit with less ferocity.

Articulated variously, their concerns were common. Called khedut in vernacular Gujarati, farmers were at the mercy of private traders. Waiting lists at agro markets are long, the per farmer purchase restricted to 70 sacks of 35 kg each.

The paper work at the mandis is huge, the growers forced to bribe officials at several levels. Even on completion of tedious formalities, the gap between sale and receipt of money is 20-30 days.

So much for Digital India and Aadhaar identification, rued Mansukhbhai, a Leuva Patel, at an agriculture cooperative in Rajkot. I wont vote for the BJP but I suspect theyd make the grade again...

The incongruity inherent to the argument is the leitmotif in popular scores of angst, of spontaneous outpourings that often conclude with predictions of a happy ending for the BJP. It has a lot to do with Modis image of invincibility, the power he wields and the disbelief that he can be felled on his home turf. That too as Prime Minister.

At Dhrangadhra in Surendranagar, a disabled carpenter showed me a cluster of houses built under the Garib Aawas Yojana. His has been an eternal wait for the spartan dwelling for which he paid a booking amount. The entrance blocked by wild growth, the premises lies in waste. Built as if for a crop of weeds!

The carpenters income has halved after notebandi. The same is true of a clutch of stone cutters who cursed the local legislators middlemen. But Rahul Gandhi hasnt come seeking your votes, I asked. So what? Did the BJP MLA come after getting elected, countered Gopal Parmar. He put a caveat however to the spontaneous outburst: we wont vote to defeat Modiji, wed vote to defeat his party leaders here...

In simple terms, it can be explained as local anti-incumbency. At Halvad taluka, in the Morbi hub of ceramic industries and at Rajkot, anger is more against sitting MLAs and the state administration. Illustrating that as much were farmers in Charadva village accusing a BJP leader of blocking supply of Narmada water to his opponents, in the area with scarce ground water.

One also heard sporadic voices against the PM on demonetisation and GST. But that aspect of the popular mood was understated even deferential.

The Centres decision to cut GST on ceramic products to 18% has had a salutary impact on the Rs 5,000 crore turnover sector dominated by Kadva Patels in Morbi town.

But the countryside remains dotted by Patidar villages declared out of bounds for the BJP.

Those upfront in their criticism of the PM are from among the rebellious Patels seeking quotas.

They vent vitriol over sex CDs in circulation against Hardik Patel.

If not a 23-year-old, will a 63-year-old diabetic do sex, is the refrain. Recalled in that vein is the Naliya sex scandal in which a BJP leader allegedly pushed many girls into prostitution.

(vinodsharma@hindustantimes.com)
Barely a kilometer off the main road at Ahwa, the headquarters of the tribal-dominated Dang district of Gujarat, is a sprawling ashram with facilities for healthcare and education that far outstrip anything available in one of Indias poorest regions.

At the ashram is a residential facility for 50 tribal students, who pay a nominal fee of Rs 1,000 a year for lodging; local villagers are trained in farm techniques and animal rearing; and there are self-help groups for women and nutritional programmes for expecting mothers.

The campus that came up in 2006 is run by the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and it represents the BJPs persistent efforts to expand its footprint in a Congress bastion using a network of organisations and affiliates.

Dang is home to 200,000 tribals, including the Bhils, Kokanis and Warlis, and has traditionally voted for the Congress but many voters there say they are dissatisfied with the party.

The BJP is eyeing tribal communities, which comprise around 15% of the states population and can influence the outcome of 35-odd seats in a 182member assembly, to offset possible losses among the other backward classes (OBC) and the disgruntled Patidars.

Pre-poll surveys, such as one by Lokniti at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), show a shift in the tribal vote from the Congress to the BJP on account of popular schemes such as Ujjwala (free LPG cylinders to poor families). But some academics disagree.

Dr JC Patel, head of the Sociology department in Gujarat University, says tribal communities feel exploited by both mainstream parties. Many tribal groups are upset with the BJP for giving ST certificates to pastoral communities in Gir forest. The groups have indicated that they support the party that will fulfill their demands including the proper implementation of the fifth schedule, he said. The fifth schedule of the Constitution allows for federal administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in states except the Northeastern region.

In Dangs Borkhet where most villagers have been given houses under the Indira Awas Yojna and toilets after the Swachh Bharat mission was announced, villagers complain of water shortage. When ground water levels fall after the rainy season, agriculture is no longer an option and the villagers shift to poorly-paid contractual jobs.

Election fever has yet to pick up here, though some sections seem content to pick Narendra Modi (BJP). They take pride in the fact that the son-of- the-soil is the countrys Prime Minister. In the adjoining Mulchond, water scarcity, poorly run health centres and the lack of avenues for earning are a major grouse.

Villagers here say they though they have been voting for the Congress, they do not foresee the any changes in their fortunes if the BJP is voted to power. They are all the same, says Devram Bhai, a farmer.

Tribal rights activists say both major parties are equally guilty of neglecting the community.

The promise to provide forest land for cultivation remains on paper, reservation for tribes is not properly implemented and there are no avenues for employment. Tribals are not an issue in this election where for the first time voting is likely to be on caste lines, says SH Iyer, convenor of the civil rights group Jan Sangharsh Manch.

Which way will the tribal vote then swing? Will it stay with the Congress or opt for the BJP?

Romel Sutariya of the Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha says it could be either way; but is quick to add that tribal rights groups are collectively demanding their rights and a face from within.

Many tribal groups feel they need a leader from among themselves. The BJP does not care and the Congress, which should have played the role of the Opposition in highlighting the problems, has failed too, he said.

The need for an alternative is also accentuated by the fact that tribal communities have had to rely on others to be their voice. Congress Amarsinh Chaudhary who was chief minister from 1985-89 is perceived as the last tribal leader of reckoning in the state, though his son Tushar too rose to the position of a union minister of state.

The triumvirate of Jignesh Mevani (Dalit leader), Alpesh Thakor (OBC leader) and Hardik Patel (Patidar leader) does not cut ice with a large section of tribal communities. The clout of leaders such as JD(U)s Chottubhai Vasava is limited too.

Problems in the implementation of the forest rights act are a big issue among these communities. In the Tapi region, tribal groups are also up in the arms against illegal sand mining and stone crushing. To win over them, the BJP is relying on the welfare sector groundwork of the VKA network in the Valsad, Sabarkantha, Panchmahal, Chotaudepur and Narmada regions. The Congress, however, dismisses this and accuses the BJP of running a Hindutva campaign to subsume the tribal identity within the larger Hindu fold.

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The Congress party on Sunday released the first list of its 77 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly election with senior state leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia getting tickets for the crucial polls in December.

Besides the old guards, the list also features a former member of the Hardik Patel-lead Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS).

There are at least 20 Patidars, 20 OBCs and 7 Dalits in the list. The party has also renominated 12 sitting legislators. The Patidar focus in the list clearly reflects the Congress strategy to reap dividends from the PAAS-led agitation against the ruling BJP for OBC status.

Given their widespread agitation for OBC status, for the first time the BJP is unsure about the unflinching support of Patidars, who have been loyal to it for three decades

Of the 89 seats going to the polls in first phase on December 9, the Congress declared candidates for 77, after the BJP having declared 106 candidates in two phases over the last two days. Gujarat has 182 assembly constituencies.

The Congress list does not include those seats where it is in seat-sharing negotiations with the NCP and Chhotu Vasava-led JD(U) in Gujarat.

Along with sitting MLAs, the Congress has also brought back in the fray former MPs like Soma Patel from Limbdi, Kunwarji Bawalia from Jasdan and Virji Thumar from Lathi.

Lalit Vasoya, co-convener of PAAS, has been given ticket from Dhoraji. Vasoya resigned from the PAAS just a couple of hours before the list was declared.

In fact, a few hours before the list was released, the PAAS and Congress also declared that they had arrived at a consensus on the reservation formula for Patidars and that an announcement on the same will be made on Monday.

The Congress has repeated 12 sitting MLAs in keeping with it declared intent that all 43 sitting MLAs will be renominated after they remained loyal to the party during the bitter Rajya Sabha elections held in August.

But heavyweight Shanktisinh Gohil will not contest from his current seat Abdasa, moving instead to Mandvi in Kutch district. Similarly, Indranil Rajyaguru will move from Rajkot East to Rajkot west to take on the BJP chief minster Vijay Rupani.

Former state president Arjun Modhwadia will again contest from Porbandar, a seat he had lost in the 2012 assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the official announcement about the nitty-gritty of the reservation formula and the PAAS stand on supporting the Congress during the Gujarat polls will be announced by Hardik Patel at a public gathering in Rajkot on Monday, PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the crucial meeting on the issue.

Hardik Patel was not present in the meeting. Earlier, we had asked the Congress to clarify how they would grant Patidars a constitutionally valid reservation. Today, we held a crucial meeting on that issue and finally reached a consensus on various options offered by the party to us. Official announcement of this agreement will be made by Hardik tomorrow in Rajkot, said Bambhania, a key aide of Hardik Patel.
A strong-willed and visibly determined 18-year-old Sushmita Sen brought India glory when she won the Miss Universe in 1994. She became the first Indian woman to be honoured with the crown. The diva then made her foray into Bollywood with Dastak (1996) and went to do films such as Biwi No.1 (1996), Zor (1997), Aankhen (2002), Filhaal... (2002), Main Hoon Na (2004), Chingaari (2006) and Zindaggi Rocks (2006).

Her personal life is as interesting as her career. At the age of 24, Sushmita adopted her elder daughter Renee, who turned 18 recently. In 2009, she adopted her second daughter Alisah. She also had a colourful love life. Her list of boyfriends includes names such as Vikram Bhatt, Sabeer Bhatia, Randeep Hooda, Imtiaz Khatri, Sanjay Narang, Manav Menon, Bunty Sachdev, Mudassar Aziz and Wasim Akram, among others. Vikram Bhatts film Ankahee is based on his real life relationship Sushmita.

Be it winning the crown, becoming a single mother or portraying strong female characters in her movies , Sushmita has been an inspiring personality, especially for women. The actor turns a year older today, 42 to be precise. And on her Birthday, here are ten interesting things you didnt know about her.

1. The gown that Sushmita wore in the final round of beauty pageant was designed by her mother Subhra Sen. Reportedly, the gloves she wore with the gown were actually made out of socks.

2. Aishwarya Rai [Bachchan] was also a contestant at the beauty pageant that year. Seeing Aishwarya, as many as 25 participants decided to opt out of the competition. But Sushmita did not and went on to win the title.

3. Sushmita was 15 when she made her first public appearance at the Air Force Club Contest. And in 1994, she decided to take part in the Miss India pageant. Rest you know is history.

4. Sushmita studied in a Hindi medium school till she was 16 but then she mastered the English language.She was an English honours student and earned a degree in journalism.

5. Sushmita is philanthropist and runs her charitable foundation called I AM Foundation. She contributes to childs welfare and girl child education.

6. She loves penning down poems whenever she is free . Many believe that she inherited this skill from her maternal grandfather. She was once quoted as saying, Poems are rhymes of the heart that express one emotion as they are written, but transform into countless different feelings when read by others. She also enjoys writing prose.

7. Being a single mother of two girls, Sushmita is an idol to many. She once said, Its challenging and being a single mother isnt easy, but you learn so much, and it really makes you appreciate your own parents.

8. Did you know that Sushmita has a pet python?

9. Sushmita wore a saree in a film for the first time in Farah Khans Main Hoon Na. She was paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the movie.

10. She is believed to be someone who doesnt enjoy reading books. She prefers reading books with quotations.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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It has been 17 years since Priyanka Chopra won the Miss World crown and we finally have another Indian Miss World ending the countrys dry spell at international beauty pageants. On Friday night, 20-year-old Manushi Chhillar won the crown at a grand event in China.

As the medical student from Haryana won the coveted crown, Priyanka  who is now busy with an international career  had a word of advice for her successor. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, And we have a successor!Congratulations @ManushiChhillar on becoming #MissWorld2017.. cherish and learn, and most importantly enjoy it.Bravo.

And we have a successor!Congratulations @ManushiChhillar on becoming #MissWorld2017.. cherish and learn, and most importantly enjoy it.Bravo  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) November 18, 2017

Manushi edged out top five contestants from England, France, Kenya and Mexico at the event, which saw participation from 118 countries. As she was presented the crown by Stephanie Del Valle, the last years Miss World winner from Puerto Rico at an event held at a resort in the coastal city of Sanya, Manushi was overcome by emotion.

Manushi Chhillar celebrates after winning the Miss World 2017 pageant in Sanya, China . (IANS)

Manushi Chhillar reacts as she is crowned Miss World. (PTI)

In a statement, Manushi said: The feeling is still sinking in and very excited to make India proud too. Im also looking forward to the year ahead. My parents have always been my pillar of support and having them here tonight by my side has only brought me more strength and joy. My final answer also came to me by having them here with me in front of me.

Thank you, everyone, for your constant love, support, and prayers. This ones for India, she later wrote on her official Twitter handle. Manushi is the sixth Indian to win the coveted crown, which was first won by Reita Faria back in 1966. Her win brings India at level with Venezuela as the countries with most victories in the history of the pageant. Aishwarya Rai had bagged the title in 1994, followed by Diana Haydon in 1997, Yukta Mookhey in 1999 and Priyanka won hers in 2000.

Miss World Winners from India 

1966 - Reita Faria

1994 - Aishwarya Rai

1997 - Diana Hayden

1999 - Yukta Mookhey

2000 - Priyanka Chopra

2017 - Manushi Chhillar



Congratulations @ManushiChhillar #MissWorld2017 pic.twitter.com/Ucy5ahAZ3w   - (@insenanoop) November 19, 2017

Priyanka, meanwhile, is shooting for the third season of her hit ABC show, Quantico. She is also acting in two Hollywood films  A Kid Called Jake and Isnt It Romantic?

Not just Priyanka, other Bollywood celebs also lined up to congratulate the new Miss World. Taking to Twitter, Randeep Hooda wrote, First they took #Sports & now #Glamour these #Haryanavi #women I tell are something else.. well done #ManushiChhillar.

Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen wrote, India wins Miss World 2017!!!! Congratulations @ManushiChhillar yipeeeee about time!!!! super proud!!!! #JaiHind.

Amitabh Bachchan congratulated Manushi and wrote, "T 2715 - A Miss World in our world .. ! Pride and felicitations. Manushi Chillar congratulations !!"

Model-turned-actress Dia Mirza, who won the title of Miss Asia Pacific in the year 2000, had this to say, , "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar! May your beautiful smile and grace always win over the world and help make a positive change #MissWorld2017 #India."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher also congratulated the 21-year-old Manushi Chhillar and tweeted, "Dear @ManushiChhillar!! Thank you for bringing that crown back to India after 17years. Thank you for your amazing answer about mothers. Congratulations. India awaits to welcome you with colours of love, warmth & pride. Jai Ho."

Sharing the same pride, Arjun Kapoor tweeted, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar well done."

Actress Neha Dhupia, who wore the crown of Femina Miss India in 2002, wrote, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar. we knew you had all the qualities to conquer the world ever since we met u for the first time! You go girl! #missworld2017 #proudmentor."
The makers of Padmavati have put off the release of the film after a wave of protests from multiple Rajput groups and dire threats to lead actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind the period drama, said, We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course.

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it distorts history regarding Rajput queen Padmini, a charge that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya joined the anti-Padmavati chorus, saying the films screening will be allowed in the state only after objectionable scenes are edited out.

The state government has made it clear that the movie will be allowed to be screened in Uttar Pradesh only if objectionable parts are removed, he said while interacting with reporters after addressing a rally in support of BJP candidate in Kushinagar.

Three days ago, the state government had written to the Union information and broadcasting ministry, expressing apprehension that the release of the film on December 1 could lead to serious law and order problems in the state.

The announcement by the producers deferring the films release came a day after Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje urged Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani to ensure the movie is not released without necessary changes so that it does not hurt the sentiments of any community.

Incidentally, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi had slammed the makers of the film on Saturday for allowing the film to be screened for some media channels before obtaining a certificate from the board. The CBFC had sent the film back to the producer as the application for the certification was incomplete.

The studio said in a statement it had the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all institutions and statutory bodies, including the CBFC. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film, the statement added.

The studio said the film was a cinematic masterpiece capturing Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our countrys story-telling prowess across the globe, it added.

The films star, Padukone, said in an interview on Saturday: As a woman, as an artiste, as someone who has worked and given two years of my life to this movie, I feel hurt, I feel angry

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, which has been spearheading protests against the film, deferred its Bharat Bandh, scheduled for December 1, hours after the studio put off the release.

The organisation would meet them in the field whenever the film is released, said Karni Sena patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi in Jaipur. He called Bhansali a cultural goon, trickster and regular offender and said the movies release being put off was a part of his continued drama.

Watch: Bhansali reacts to attacks on his film

Meanwhile, more fringe outfits have jumped into the fray to issue threats and announce rewards on the heads of the lead actors and director of Padmavati.

Haryana BJPs chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Sunday passed derogatory remarks against Bhansali, Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

In a statement to news agency ANI, Amu threatened actor Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Alauddin Khilji in the movie, for supporting Bhansali.

If you (Ranveer Singh) do not take back your words, we will break your legs, he said, adding slurs against the actor.

He also praised the Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika and Bhansali.

I want to congratulate the Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, and Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their familys needs, he added.

Amu also claimed he was ready to quit the BJP for his remarks, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to speak up against the release of the film.

Another fringe group from UP on Sunday targeted actor Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone burning her alive.

Making the announcement in Bareilly, Yuva Kshatriya Mahasabha chief Bhuvneshwar Singh claimed the film maligns the character of Rajput queen Padmavati.

In Kota, Rajput women wore turbans and wielded swords to demand a ban on the film. They said the womens wing of the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena would start a signature campaign across Kota from Monday to demand a ban on the film.

While Karni Sena has been at the forefront of the protests former royals of Rajasthan and leaders of other communities have also joined the chorus against it.

Padmavati has been facing controversy since Bhansali started shooting the film earlier this year. Members of the Karni Sena allegedly roughed up Bhansali and vandalised the sets of the film at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others claiming that the director had distorted historical facts.

Mumbai police stepped up security for Bhansali and Padukone after threats. The film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.

Rani Padmini enjoys an important place in Indian literature but her place in history is disputed amid debates over her existence.
The debit and credit card transactions have jumped to Rs 74,090 crore in September this year, up a hefty 84 per cent as compared to the same month last year when it stood at Rs 40,130 crore, thanks to the government push for non-cash payments, says a study.

The transaction volume at all points of sale (POSes) clipped higher by 86 per cent to 378 million in September this year over the same period last year when it stood at 203 million, European payment solutions provider Worldline said in a weekend report quoting the Reserve Bank data.

In September 2016 the number stood at 203 million, it added.

With demonetisation, people were pushed to use non- cash modes of payment for everyday expenses. Even after the cash is back to the pre-demonetisation levels, there is a visible growth in card transactions, Deepak Chandnani, chief executive of Worldline South Asia & Middle East, told PTI.

The push to increase cards usage started with the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in August 2014, the survey said.

Total number of cards as of September 2017 stood at 853 million. Of this, 33.3 million were credit cards and 819.8 million were debit cards.

There was a marked spurt, especially for debit cards, which shot by 39 per cent in 2015 because of the new Jan Dhan accounts. Post-demonetisation, growth has been averaging at 22 per cent, the survey added.

The growth of credit cards from 2016 to 2017 has been 24 per cent, higher than the average growth but consistent with the trend of the past few years, the study said.

Between 2011 and 2016, credit cards have seen a steady 9 per cent increase.

The study further said digital payment companies have seen a substantial jump in business following the governments push towards cashless transactions after the note-ban last November, and the major contributor to this growth was online payments.

According to RBI, after the note-ban, digital transactions rose 31 per cent from last November to this September.

Growth rate of the digital payments industry, which was earlier in the range of 20-50 per cent, has accelerated post-demonetisation to over 40 per cent.

As of September, the number of transactions on the unified payments interface (UPI) jumped 85 per cent in a month. The rise in UPI adoption is also facilitated by the rise in smartphone users and increased availability of 3G and 4G data (89 per cent of total mobile data), the survey said.
What would you do if your three-year-old happens to soil his or her pants? You would clean them up gently and help put on fresh clothes. That, however, was not to be with Pinky (name changed) who lives in a government-run childrens home in Dehradun.

On January 1, 2014, while the rest of the staff and inmates were busy with the New Year celebrations, Pinky suffered serious burn injuries allegedly after an irate caretaker poured hot water over her. The caretaker was angry at the child for soiling her clothes.

The horror didnt end there

Failing to get proper medical care over the next few days, the girl developed a limp in her leg. She continues to be a testimony to the alleged negligence of the staff at government-run shelter homes in Uttarakhand.

The girl, now seven, shared the nightmarish incident with social welfare minister Yashpal Arya and even named her alleged perpetrator, during his visit to the shelter home recently. Aryas visit itself came after the Dehradun police booked seven staff members and a former pharmacist of the childrens home on November 3 for negligence allegedly leading to Pinkys disability and the death of two other children.

I was totally shocked to hear what the child said...even other facilities (at the childrens home) were not found up to the mark, Arya told HT.

No happy homes for the homeless

Homeless women and children, rescued from distress situations by the police or the district administration, are lodged at state-run shelter homes, but shortage of staff, funds, facilities and adequately trained personnel often leave them fighting for survival.

A departmental report by former additional secretary (social welfare), Manoj Chandran  prepared after secret inspections at the Dehradun childrens home in July and August this year  blew the lid off the horrors faced by the likes of Pinky and fellow inmates.

The report  based on which the Dehradun police booked the children homes caretakers  revealed how two infants died at the shelter home in 2016 (see box) allegedly owing to lack of proper care by the staff. A special investigation team (SIT) comprising officials of the police, health and social welfare departments, is currently investigating the case, said Ashok Kumar, additional director general of police (law and order), Uttarakhand.

Prior to this, the Nari Niketan or womens shelter home in Dehradun had hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. A hearing and speech impaired inmate was sexually exploited there and later forced to undergo abortion in 2015, an incident that caused much outrage among locals and activists in the state.

In December the same year, two inmates of the womens shelter home died, reportedly due to malnutrition and lack of medical care, while several others were admitted to hospitals, further hinting towards the lack of facilities at the not-so-happy homes for the homeless.

Regular monitoring required

Despite repeated inspections  including by chief ministers and top bureaucrats  in the past, much remains to be done to improve facilities like security, hygiene, clean drinking water, beds and food at the shelter homes. In 2014, a Dehradun-based organization, Empowering People Society, had conducted a study at Dehradun Nari Niketan with the help of a professional clinical psychologist, where it found that 64 (of the then 86) inmates were suffering from chronic psychological disorder, as per Gyanendra Kumar, founder of the society.

The Uttarakhand government had set aside a sum of Rs 7.34 crore for running various shelter homes and institutions for the homeless for 2017-18, said an officer of the social welfare department. Activists, however, called for regular monitoring of all women and children homes so that any irregularities found there could be promptly rectified.

We recommended high-level probe

Yogendra Khanduri, chairperson of the state commission for protection of child rights, said that the panel had recommended a high-level probe in the case to the state government in October this year after receiving a confidential report (from Chandran) about atrocities to children at the shelter home.

Our panel members also conducted independent inspection there, in which negligence of the staff became apparent, he told HT. On November 16, the state panel sent a report on incidents at Dehradun childrens home to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

We have apprised the national body about the incidents at the shelter home along with sending report from the police and (report) from our own inspections, Khanduri said. We suggest measures (for improvement of shelter home facilities for women) to the government from time to time, added Sarojini Kaintyura, chairperson of the state women commission.

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An apex body of priests on Sunday criticised the state government for delay in nullifying the erstwhile Congress governments notification, declaring the Ganga as a canal from Bhoopatwala to Shri Daksheswar Mahadev temple  a stretch within which lay Har ki Pauri.

The notification was seen as an attempt to avoid problems for development works close to the Ganga bank.

The Akhil Bharatiya Teerth Purohit Mahasabha (ABTPM) has termed the notification unethical and a move aimed at hurting the religious sentiments of large number of devotees, who come to Haridwar to take dip in the holy river.

The ABTPM held a meeting in Allahabad recently and passed a resolution demanding to restore the sanctity of sanctum sanctorum of Brahamkund at Har Ki Pauri.

Shrikant Vashisth, ABTPMs general secretary, told HT that teerth-purohits were quite angry over the BJP government that assumed charged early this year for not taking any step to repeal the notification.

Its almost six months, since the new BJP government came to power in the state, yet the notification still exists there. If Har Ki Pauri is a canal, then whats the significance of taking holy dip and performing rituals there, government should explain, he said.

Its the same place where nectar had fallen during tug-of-war between deities and demons. There are ample evidences of ancient texts and Vedic scriptures mentioning Braham Kund, Har Ki Pauri. The previous government did a blunder but if not rectified then this government, too, is treading a similar line, which teerth purohits will not accept.

Ganga Sabha, the apex body that looks into Har-Ki-Pauri affairs, has also lend it support to this demand.

Its president Purushottam Sharma Gandhiwadi said since ages Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh fair has been organised at Brahamkund, Har Ki Pauri, it was quite surprising that political parties and respective governments were not taking this issue seriously.

Ganga Sabha has been managing Har Ki Pauri since 1916, when an agreement between Pt Madan Mohan Malviya and the British rulers was signed to ensure unhindered flow (aviral dhara) of Ganga at Har Ki Pauri and minimum 1,000 cusecs flow of water at any point of time at Brahamkund.

Even the British rulers acknowledged the significance of Har Ki Pauri. So, its quite shocking that the government is not repealing the order, said Sharma.

Government spokesperson and minister Madan Kaushik said the state government was committed to protect the holy river and mistakes made by the previous government would be rectified.

The Ganga was regarded as deity and chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat during his visit to Har Ku Pauri had himself announced of rectifying the mistake. So, its just a matter of time, he said.

Ex-Congress municipal chairperson Satpal Brahamchari said then chief minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat had already apologised to people of Haridwar and Ganga devotees for making a grave mistake by declaring Har-Ki-Pauri stretch as canal.

It was a mistake which has been realised. So, its up to the current BJP government to nullify that order, said Brahamchari.

RTI activist JP Baduni, who has filed numerous petitions before courts regarding Ganga pollution, said the Congress government had issued the notification to protect commercial interests of hoteliers, guest house owners and traders in Har Ki Pauri.
In a first, the Delhi government has decided to install new sign boards on roads built by the Public Works Department carrying the names of that areas executive, assistant and junior engineers along with their numbers.

The new sign boards will also have the Control Room Helpline Number of the Public Works Department (PWD).

The move is intended to help motorists take up with the authorities their complaints about roads in the national capital.

A government official said the Public Works Department has directed chief engineers of north, east and south zones to get such sign boards installed on each PWD road within one week.

Around 1,200 km of roads in the capital come under the Public Works Department.

This is the first time that PWD will install road sign boards mentioning the names of executive, assistant and junior engineers and their numbers. Apart from this, the PWDs Control Room Helpline Number will be on these boards, the official said.

The Lt Governor also recently expressed desire to put up such sign boards on the departments roads in the city, the official said.

If motorists want to take up the complaint with senior officers about a particular road, they can directly make a call to the concerned areas engineer, the official added.

A study conducted by the Delhi-based Institute of Road Traffic Education on 14 major stretches of the national capital had in June found that faulty signages may actually be behind traffic violations and the resulting accidents.

Nearly 70 per cent of such signs are wrongly designed and placed. Of around 1,514 regulatory, warning and information signages on the surveyed stretch, 1,098 (75 per cent) do not meet the prescribed norms, it had said.
A 4 year-old-girl died after she was hit by a Mercedes on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon road on Sunday afternoon.

The police have arrested the man behind the wheels, a driver with the family that owns the vehicle.

The police identified the girl as Devika, whose father is a cobbler and the driver as Sunil Kumar, a resident of Mahendargarh.

According to the police, the incident happened around 3 pm while the child was playing on the side of the road, next to the slums where her family lives.

The girl was hit by the Mercedes and fell. Her head collided with the pavement and the driver rushed her to the general hospital where she died due to her injuries, said assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Narpat Singh, the investigation officer in the case.

The hospital staff informed us (the police) about the incident. The driver was present at the hospital and the vehicle has been seized, the ASI said.

As per the police, eyewitnesses claim the car was not speeding.

The driver took her to the General Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries soon after.

A case of rash driving and death by negligence has been registered under section 279 and 304 A of the Indian Penal Code at the sector 14 police station.

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With the number of visitors to the India International Trade Fair capped at 60,000 per day and no tickets being sold at the venue, many visitors were left stranded at the gates of Pragati Maidan on Sunday.

Only a little over half the area of Pragati Maidan is being used this year for the fair as state pavilions and many halls have been razed for the construction of the new International Exhibition cum Convention Centre.

Because of safety concerns arising from a limited space, the number of visitors had been capped at 60,000 per day this year. No tickets were being sold at the gates of Pragati Maidan or the metro station there. Tickets had to be booked in advance online or at the other metro stations.

But we realised some people were coming early in the morning and leaving early. So we sold some extra tickets. Our footfall was over 60,000 and maybe close to 63,000 on Sunday, said Vikas Malhotra, general manager, corporate communications division, at India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), which organizes the fair.

Last year, the footfall on the first Sunday of the fair was around 1.5 lakh. This year too, many people were seen waiting at the gates, unable to get in as they had not got tickets.

This is my first time at the fair, and I have come with three other families. I did not know that they would not be selling tickets here, and now I am not able to buy the tickets online. I think they are sold out. So even though I spent around Rs 500 to get here, it was all for nought, said Azhar Ahmed, a resident of South Delhi.

Others like Karan Sakya, a northeast Delhi resident, said that he was unable to get tickets at Mandi House, Janpath and Rajiv Chowk metro stations either.

The Kashyaps, who had come in a group of 11, said that they were unable to find tickets at the Mandi House, Barakhamba, Laxmi Nagar, Nirman Vihar, or Rajiv Chowk stations.

We finally got the tickets at Anand Vihar station. We had tried booking it online first, but the transaction kept getting cancelled, said Aarti Kashyap.

Malhotra explained that they had earlier allotted 80% of the tickets to metro stations and 20% for sale online, but later decided to enhance online sales in response to the demand. We heard some metro stations had run short of tickets but these were replenished later, said Malhotra.
#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 ...
For long, India used to be a preferred posting for senior executives at multinational corporations. This was back in the days when India wasnt what it is now to these companies -- the most important market and source of talent outside the HQ -- and executives posted here could, apart from enjoying the kind of stature they couldnt have dreamed of back home, also take home hazard pay as it was called.

That, though, was long before India became the I in BRICS and also the fastest growing major economy in the world. Still, thanks to circumstances largely of its own making, India finds itself in a similar position now. Five years ago, an India stint was considered crucial to the resume of anyone who had corner-room aspirations in multinational corporations. It still is, only, not too many people may be willing to put their own health and that of their families at risk by working in New Delhi, Indias capital, and home to most multinationals not in the banking and technology spaces. Diplomats, who are almost exclusively based in Delhi, are more career-minded usually, but even they are likely to baulk at a posting in what becomes, at least for a few weeks every year, one of the most noxious gas chambers in the world.

Recently NASAs Earth Observatory released images of northern India taken by its satellites. One image showed a thick white blanket of smog much of north India, including Delhi. But damaging as that image may have been, India should be more worried by another -- its image among diplomats and executives at multinational companies. In some ways, these people are citizens of the world. Their inputs and impressions about India matter. Judging from news reports on how diplomats and expat executives are dealing with Delhis annual bad-air problem, their image of India is likely to be unflattering, even frightening.

Diplomats posted in India, especially in Delhi, are literally running for cover.

Costa Ricas ambassador to India Mariela Cruz Alvarez has left Delhi for Bengaluru to recover from a respiratory illness. The Thai embassy has requested Bangkok to classify New Delhi as a hardship post because of the risk its staff face in breathing Delhis polluted air. Hardship posts would mean greater allowances and perks. In the first week of this month Prince Charles of Britain was in Delhi and when asked about the air pollution, he said he was trying to get used to it.

The winds will eventually pick up and clear away the smog, but they wont be as effective in clearing the countrys image. Only concerted and well-informed political action can do that.
Manushi Chhillar, a 20-year-old medical student, made history on Saturday when she won the prestigious Miss World 2017 title. She is the sixth Indian to win this crown, the first being Reita Faria in 1966, and the last being Priyanka Chopra in 2000.

The talented beauty from Haryana beat five contestants from England, France, Kenya and Mexico to win the pageant, which saw participation from 118 countries.

Chhillar, who is a trained Indian classical dancer, poet and painter, is truly a beauty with brains. She comes from a family of doctors and wants to be a cardiac surgeon.

Heres looking at 15 pictures that prove the beauty queen has always been a dazzling fashionista as well:

Bridal Look in uncut diamonds and tourmalines | For @sabyasachiofficial A post shared by Manushi Chhillar (@manushi_chhillar) on Oct 24, 2017 at 9:50pm PDT

The day belongs to the dreamer... Thank you @theladyinbun #RoadtoMissWorld #MissWorld #MissIndia #ManushiChhillar A post shared by Manushi Chhillar (@manushi_chhillar) on Aug 16, 2017 at 7:32pm PDT

The road not taken... @fbbonline A post shared by Manushi Chhillar (@manushi_chhillar) on Jul 8, 2017 at 10:25pm PDT

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With the growth of antibiotic resistance complicating treatments for several diseases in India, we might reach a stage where common infections become incurable. Antibiotic resistance is a global threat to health and is part of a bigger problem called antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AMR refers to the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics and antivirals) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Each year, drug-resistant infections kill around 7,00,000 people worldwide, and by 2050, this figure could increase to 10 million, according to an estimate. A World Bank report analysing the economic threats of AMR also suggests a decline of 3.8% of worlds annual GDP by 2050. In India, the problem of antibiotic resistance is even more crucial as the country bears a huge burden of infectious disease.

With easy availability of cheaply priced antibiotics over-the-counter, there is growing antibiotic use. (Shuttertock)

The tropical wet and dry climate of India provides suitable conditions for proliferation of bacterial disease. India bears one of the highest burdens of bacterial infections, says Rajeshwari Sinha of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based research organisation. This, along with largely unsanitary conditions, limited infection prevention and control, poor environmental regulations and practice, and inadequate health systems allow for the high prevalence of infectious diseases, Sinha added.

With easy availability of cheaply priced antibiotics over-the-counter, there is growing antibiotic use. The result of such overuse, and often misuse, of drugs is antibiotic resistance. Bad bugs, no drugs is no longer a mere slogan. The nightmare is turning into a reality. There is a surge in patients with multidrug resistant bacteria both on outpatient and inpatient basis, said Monica Mahajan, associate director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare.

Besides urinary tract infections, antibiotic resistance is making it difficult to treat ICU (intensive care unit) infections and central lung infections, according to Rajesh Chawla of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. Both therapeutic and non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in poultry and other animals are also contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, according to the experts.

Giving low doses of antibiotics routinely to animals mostly though feed, to fatten it in less time and less feed is a common practice. According to Supradip Ghosh of Fortis Escorts Hospital in Faridabad, Haryana, other factors driving antibiotic resistance in India include lack of awareness among both medical professionals and general public about the importance of preserving antibiotics.

A CSE study earlier this week revealed that while popular fast food multinationals made specific commitments to eliminate antibiotic misuse in chicken supply chains in developed countries, they have not taken such steps in India. The report accused these global giant of adopting double standards.

To address the issue, a Strategic National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR, led by the Ministry of Health and family Welfare and supported by the WHO, was released in April 2017. While the NAP is ambitious and comprehensive, its thorough implementation will be a challenge, Sinha said.

At an individual level, we have to create awareness and stop self-medicating ourselves. Antibiotics can have side effects. Chemists should dispense medication only after ensuring a proper prescription and stamp the prescription mentioning the date and quantity dispensed. Increasing costs to discourage use will not work, Mahajan said.

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As many as 300 residents of the city have signed up for a week-long car-free challenge starting Monday.

They have launched a page on Facebook called The Car Free Challenge where people, over the next one week, will narrate the hurdles they face while commuting in the city without their cars.

During the challenge, the participating residents will not opt for cabs. The initiative assumes importance at a time when the citys air quality has been lurching between very poor and severe categories. Since Diwali, the citys air quality has been a matter of concern for residents.

Apart from the worsening air quality, road accidents have also spiked in Delhi/NCR, the participants pointed out.

The city lacks a public transport system and there is a need to spread public awareness on the issue. It will be difficult to commute without car in Gurgaon. However, we will share our experience and motivate people to join the cause, Manu Dangi, country head, Evalueserve, said.

The residents aim to reclaim the streets by giving up on their vehicles for a week.

I am planning to take a cycle ride to my workplace at Udyod Vihar from South City 1. It will help me identify stretches where pedestrians and cyclists have problems commuting, Manas Fuloria, CEO, Nagarro and chairperson, NASSCOM, Regional Council for Haryana, said.

Read I Gurgaons public transport not so public friendly

Participants in the challenge also pointed out that commuters are not being allowed to cross some streets, as medians are blocked by high rails and foot over bridges are being built to enable crossing over. All arterial roads in the city are designed to give preference to movement of vehicles and not people, they said.

We will submit the experience report of all participants to the district administration and to the chief ministers window, urging them to improve air quality of the city by introducing a public transport system in the city, Sarika Panda, trustee, Raahgiri Foundation, said.

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The crime branch of Gurgaon police arrested a 25-year-old man, who was on Motiharis most wanted gangsters list, on Saturday night.

The police identified the gangster as Ram Singh, a resident of Chakia, in Bihars Motihari district. It is located 150km from state capital Patna.

According to the police, Ram has several cases of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, and ransom registered against him.

After committing a crime, Ram used to lie low in Delhi/NCR for some time before returning to his native Bihar. Once things calmed down, he would return to commit his next crime. We are verifying if he was involved in other cases in this region as well, Ravinder Kumar, public relations officer, Gurgaon police, said.

Ravinder said that Ram had been taking refuge in the NCR for nearly three months and living in different locations, using aliases every time.

Police said that acting on information, a checkpoint was set up by the anti-vehicle theft unit of crime branch in Sector 15.

Ram was apprehended at the checkpoint and the police recovered a countrymade pistol and a stock of bullets from him.

After conducting a probe, the police found that Ram had been involved in numerous crimes this year and a reward of 50,000 had been announced for his capture.

Read I Gurgaon: Rs19 crore goes missing from mobile wallet MobiKwiks account

Ram and his gang had opened fire at a police unit in Motihari and managed to evade arrest, while one of his accomplices was injured during retaliatory fire.

He had also opened fire from an AK 47 rifle in a bid to extort school authorities in Bihars Sitamarhi. He also shot and killed a rival gangster named Bablu Kumar at Champaran while the latter was in police custody.

Gurgaon police have got in touch with their Bihar counterparts and are simultaneously carrying out their own investigation on whether Ram was involved in other cases in the city as well.

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A group of assailants on a bike allegedly opened fire on a shop owner in Sadar Bazar area on Saturday evening, before robbing him of his two-wheeler on which he was also carrying close to 5 lakh in cash.

The victim owns a ghee shop in the Sabzi Mandi locality of Sadar Bazar. He was admitted to the Civil Hospital. Police are investigating the matter, but are yet to make any arrests.

The police identified the victim as Ravinder Singla, a resident of Housing Board colony.

According to the police, Ravinder was shot at while he was on his way back home on his Scooty after closing his shop around 7.30pm.

Around 7.45pm, the attackers took up positions in a dark spot' near Baraf Khana Marg.

As Ravinder arrived in his Scooty, they stopped the two-wheeler. They tried to snatch his bag, which was stuffed with cash and was kept inside the Scootys trunk.

As Ravinder tried to fight off the attackers, they shot him on the foot.

One of the attackers fled in his Scooty, while others bolted with the bag, containing 4.85 lakh in cash, on their motorcycle.

The Scooty was later recovered near the forest departments office in Civil Lines, the police said.

It seems the culprits were aware of Ravinders routine and an inside job cannot be ruled out. Investigation is on and we are trying to examine the CCTV footage of the spot near the crime scene, inspector Narender Khatana, station house officer (SHO),Civil Lines police station, said.

Read I Rising crime in focus as Manesar industrialists demand CCTVs

Police said the firing triggered panic in the area. A passerby took Ravinder to the Civil Hospital where his condition is said to be stable, the police said.

In a similar incident on Friday morning, 4.20 lakh was stolen from Sheetla Gas Agency in Sector 5.

Three men, with faces covered, entered the godown of the gas agency and fled with cash. Police said the men were aware that there were no CCTV cameras nearby.

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India has the highest number of people  732 million without access to toilets, a report by international charity WaterAid has said.

If all these people stood in a line, the queue would run more than four times around the earth, the report released ahead of World Toilet Day on Sunday, said. Women and girls are among the worst hit, with 350 million of them lacking access to basic sanitation, the report said.

Indias press information bureau said in a statement to Hindustan Times that the report was based on outdated data and mislead readers. (Read statement below).

On World Toilet Day we reaffirm our commitment towards improving sanitation facilities across our nation. I compliment all those individuals and organisations working towards building more toilets in various parts of India. Their invaluable contribution adds solid momentum to Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Modi tweeted Sunday.

The Swachh Bharat Mission is a flagship programme of the Modi government launched on October 2, 2014. One of its primary objective is to make India 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, 2019, marking five years of the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

While India is making rapid progress in improving sanitation under the ongoing Swachh Bharat Mission, we need to ensure inclusion, recognising the importance of safe and accessible toilets specific to the needs of the differently-abled, the elderly, the poorest, as well as women and adolescent girls, VK Madhavan, chief executive for WaterAid India, said.

The ODF free deadline of 2019 would require 12 crore new toilets to be built between October 2017 and 2019.

Till November 2017, 5.38 crore new toilets were built under the programme.

A report released by TERI University earlier found that the only state to meet its toilet-building targets was Gujarat.

In a survey conducted by Quality Council of India (QCI) that assessed 1.4 lakh households in 4,626 villages across all states, a little more than half of all households (62.45%) in rural India had access to toilets, which were used 91% of the time.

The ODF recognition is notoriously hard to verify. It is a three-step process- first for an administrative unit to declare itself ODF, then the claim is checked by the government and finally verified by an independent body.

The pressure to meet the ODF deadline has triggered false claims from villages, urban local bodies, districts and states, prompting the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) to issue a warning in November that strict action would be taken against officials involved in fudging gains.

Government findings suggested claims by 155 villages in Madhya Pradesh were exaggerated, leading the government to file charges against 450 officials in October.

Water Aids report on Swachh Bharat Out of Order based on outdated data, misleads readers: Indias Press Information Office says in statement

Water Aids Out of OrderThe State of the Worlds Toilets 2017 (Hindustan Times, November 20) quotes data from the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) that is extrapolated from studies between 2000 and 2015. It misses out on most of the progress under the Swachh Bharat Mission that aims to end open defecation by October 2019. While the JMP recognizes that Indias unprecedented commitment to making India open defecation-free in such a short time has no parallels anywhere in the world, Water Aid misleads readers by not mentioning it.

The report says that 355 million women and girls are still waiting for a toilet, while the same JMP report mentions the number of people defecating in the open is below 300 million as of November 2017. The report claims 56% of people lack access to safe sanitation, when the number is about 28%, as mentioned in Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation household level database available online.

The Water Aid report is factually incorrect and irresponsible, especially since Water Aid India team works closely with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin and is fully aware of the work on the ground, current statistics and progress.

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What is COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases that gradually block air flow and make breathing difficult. Pollution and smoking are the two main causes of COPD. Across urban India, the number of COPD cases is growing, and the average age at diagnosis dipping.

Seven years ago, Rajendar Kumar Mahna, 71, was rushed to a hospital emergency room with breathlessness, and ended up on a ventilator.

Doctors told the family that he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which had decreased his lung capacity.

His condition was so bad, we did not think he would survive. He was bedridden for a long time and developed severe bed sores, says his wife Sharda, 70, a homemaker. Even now, he can go to the washroom, but answering the door leaves him out of breath. He cannot even speak much.

The Delhi winters, with their pollution and smog, are especially difficult for him.

Initially, when his symptoms were not well managed, we ended up in Emergency again and again. In fact, one year, we had three hospital visits in January alone, Sharda says.

Every Diwali, Rajendar has to add steroids to his list of medications to boost his respiratory system.

Mahnas case is a classic example of pollution and smoking  the two main causes of COPD  coming together in a lethal cocktail.

Rajendar K Mahana, 71, walked and did yoga every morning. But his smoking, one or two packs a day since he was 16, eventually caught up with him, says his wife Sharda. He was diagnosed with COPD seven years ago. Even answering the door now leaves him breathless. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

Every winter, as the smog descends on Delhi, Rajendar Mahana has to take steroids to boost his respiratory system.

All his life, Mahna kept fit. He walked and did yoga every morning. But his smoking, one or two packs a day since he was 16, eventually caught up with him, Sharda says.

COPD is an umbrella term used to describe progressive inflammatory lung diseases that gradually block air flow and make breathing difficult.

Across urban India, the number of COPD cases is growing, and the average age at diagnosis dipping.

Mumbai may think its better off, but there are invisible pollutants here all-year round, and rising COPD numbers to prove it.

We cant see as much pollution in Mumbai as in Delhi because our temperature is not as cold, so the smog is not so dense, says Dr Arvind Kate, pulmonologist and chest physician at the citys Zen multispecialty hospital.

In addition to the smog, there is a quintessentially Mumbai aspect to air pollution  construction activity.

The construction boom and the rise in vehicular traffic have increased the incidence of COPD in Mumbai, says Dr Suresh V Rang, senior consultant chest physician at the citys Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre. Cement dust from construction activity and fumes from vehicles contribute heavily to pollution, as does biomass burning.

This is Mumbai on Friday. Residents may think theyre better off, because theyve never needed masks, but there are invisible pollutants all year round, doctors say. Much of the air pollution in this city comes from vehicular traffic and construction activity. (Pratik Chorge/ HT Photo)

As a result, doctors are seeing a rise in the number of non-smokers diagnosed with COPD.

On average, one or two in every 10 COPD cases in my practice are non-smokers, says Dr Rohan Aurangabadwalla, pulmonologist at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.

The average COPD patient is also getting younger. Over the last ten years, more patients closer to 40 are being diagnosed with COPD, says Amit Agarwal, research scientist and head of the molecular biology department at the Chest Research Foundation, Pune. Where earlier 1% or 2% of patients were around 40, this number is now 4% to 8%. Earlier the age range was largely above 45.

Instances of cough and breathlessness among non-smokers are also evaluated much more closely now.

Increased COPD awareness among both doctors and patients has contributed to the increase in the number of patients being diagnosed, says Dr Aurangabadwalla.

WHOS AT RISK

You are at greater risk of developing COPD if you smoke, use a kerosene stove, or are exposed to pollution for a long period of time. Any infection or injury to the lung puts a person at greater risk for COPD in later life too.

Kunda Khawnekar, 62, a homemaker from Mumbai, began suffering from sustained bouts of coughing, especially during winter months, four years ago.

Prolonged exposure to indoor pollution can also cause COPD. Kunda Khawnekar,62, a homemaker from Mumbai, was exposed to fumes from her kerosene stove for years. She was diagnosed a year ago and now exercises daily by inflating balloons, to improve her lung capacity. (Rishikesh Choudhary / HT Photo)

In December last year, she approached chest physician Dr Rajendra Kesarwani; by this point, she was having trouble breathing even at rest.

Till 10 years ago, she worked over a kerosene stove, and the hydrocarbon exhaust has contributed to her condition, Dr Kesarwani says. The fringe suburb where she lives, Dombivli, also has a lot of small-scale chemical industry units polluting the air, which affected her respiratory system.

Diagnosed with COPD, Khawnekar was admitted to the ICU, where she was given oxygen support, steroids and bronchodilators via a nebuliser, to stabilise her condition.

She returns for regular checks every three months. I also do some breathing exercises and blow up a balloon every morning, Khawnekar says. Deep inhalation and deep exhalation for 10-15 minutes daily, combined with the regular exercises over the past year, have helped improve her lung capacity, Dr Kesarwani says.

Not every bout of cough and breathlessness should cause alarm, though. If routine medication does not help and they persist for ten days, you should consult a specialist. The Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), along with the X-Ray, are main tests to check for obstruction in the airways.

Based on factors such as age, gender, smoking habits and the patients family medical history, it could either be chronic bronchitis or emphysema which are the two main types of COPD, or asthma, says Dr Babu.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you want to help keep your respiratory system healthy, first up, stop smoking.

If a patient quits smoking, it arrests decline in lung function almost immediately, says Dr Vikas Maurya, head of the department of pulmonary medicine at Fortis Hospital, Delhi. Sadly, even after being diagnosed, many people do not quit smoking as they are addicted.

In a country that ranks fourth worldwide in number of deaths caused by smoking (11%), cigarette smoke remains a major pollutant too, particularly indoors.

Also, check the ventilation in your home, especially the kitchen. Indian cuisine involves a lot of extensive frying, and fumes combined with oil adhere to surfaces and cause indoor pollution. One must always use extractors when frying, or an exhaust, so that the smoke does not circulate in the home, says Dr Kesarwani.

Exercises help, but it is important to do them in clean environments like parks, or indoors, as long as the home is pollution-free, says Dr VA Sajit Babu, consultant pulmonologist at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai. If you live around a construction site, or see smog during the day time, wear a mask with a fine net, which will filter most of the particulate matter.

It takes 15 to 20 years for COPD to manifest, and prolonged exposure to its chief causes - smoking and pollution - accelerates it. Typically, if a patient has two to three months of cough and breathlessness per year, for a period of two years of more, he should get himself tested for chronic lung diseases, Dr Rang says.

In a bit of good news, treatment options have progressed considerably over the past decade.

Ten years ago, a patient like Manha would have been sent home to bide their time, says Dr Maurya, who finally brought the Delhi seniors condition under control.

Now medical devices like Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) can help support the patients breathing and even at his age, he can live in his house with the help of non-invasive ventilation and oxygen support.

Of course, it shouldnt come to that. So take World COPD Day (November 15) as your reminder; if youre still coughing three weeks after you started, check in to see if your lungs need some help.
Air quality around the iconic Taj Mahal has stabilised, though it has not improved in the last 14 years, reveals Uttar Pradesh governments latest pollution figures of Agra, amid concerns about pollutants discolouring Indias best-known monument.

States tourism department claimed in its affidavit to the Supreme Court that yearly average concentration of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the area is steady and within the notified ambient air quality standards.

The data was collected at four air quality monitoring stations - Taj Mahal, Itimad Daulla, Ram Bagh and Nunihai industrial area Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) set-up under the top courts supervision.

In Nunihai, the department admitted, NO2 is more than the prescribed standard. SO2 and NO2 are air pollutants and contribute to secondary particulate matter. In Agra it had led to acid rain that reacted with the marble of Taj Mahal, causing damage to one of the worlds seven wonders.

In 1996 the top court cracked down on the industries emitting the toxic gases and ordered their closure. Since then the SC has been monitoring the preservation of the Mughal-era monument.

The UP tourism department provided the data to the SC after it was last week rebuked for not placing a comprehensive plan on Taj Mahals conservation.

Even though there has not been a spike in SO2 and NO2 levels the particulate matter (or PM 10) continues to be at least three times the average level. While PM 10 should be 60 microgram per cubic metre, it hovers between 150 and 240 at all the four sites.

The particulate matter is a hazardous mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets suspended in air.

However, the government said the increase in PM 10 has been slow compared to the manifold increase in pollution sources such as increase in vehicles and other commercial activities.

The government maintains it has taken concrete steps to conserve the marble mausoleum built on the south bank of the Yamuna.

As part of its comprehensive preservation plan for the monument, it proposes to construct four new sewage treatment plants (STP) in Agra.

Eight STPs are already operational in the district. The new units will make it possible to check the dirty water coming out of the drains in the Yamuna. There is also a proposal to establish six new CNG stations, which on completion would take up the number of such outlets to 15.

Efforts are on to ensure unobstructed power supply to the city of Agra. Besides, administration is also proceeding to convert private vehicles, which include commercial modes of transportation, to CNG.

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The Aligarh Muslim University must abolish separate colleges for male and female undergraduate students, do away with discretionary admission quotas and merge the departments for Sunni and Shia studies, a government-backed audit of the institution has suggested.

These are among the top recommendations the audit made to help move the 142-year-old university away from its past feudal culture and present obscurantist attitude, ensuring its students broaden their mental horizon and climb the social ladder with blinkers off.

The institution, better known as AMU, is among 10 universities being audited for their academics, research, finance and infrastructure. The University Grants Commission set up five panels for this on April 25.

No official reason was given for the audit, although some of these universities have been in the news for student protests and allegations of nepotism and autocratic administrations. The Allahabad University and Pondicherry University are among them.

In the case of AMU, a university known for its orthodox Muslim culture and segregation of the sexes, its more about a need for wider reforms, the audit suggested.

There is a need to reorient the educational pattern and syllabi in a very conscious way taking into account the need and background of the students, said the audit report, which was submitted to the human resource development ministry earlier this month.

In a section titled University Culture, the audit said the institution should encourage vocational courses not only to enhance students employability but because it will facilitate their upward social mobility and broaden their mental horizon so that they can contribute more meaningfully to their family, community and society.

The audit report said the segregation of boys and girls up to the under-graduate courses in separate boys-only and girls-only college is considered a legacy of the past especially when the workplaces and activities in the real world are gender-neutral.

The AMUs identity is a contentious political issue, with the central government arguing that granting it the status of a minority institution was in violation of the constitution that does not permit a secular India to set up and fund institutions on religious lines.

In July last year, the government withdrew an appeal filed in the Supreme Court by the previous Congress-led government that had sought to retain the minority tag for the AMU. It also withdrew all letters issued by the previous government allowing the AMU to reserve 50% of its seats for Muslims in the faculty of medicine.

Reacting to the audit, AMU official spokesperson Omar S Peerzada told HT: As the university has not received any intimation or correspondence in this regard till this date, we are not in a position to give any reaction.

Some of the recommendations made: Abolish segregation of sexes in courses Do away with VCs admissions quota; make other quota categories merit-based Appoint VCs through search-cum-selection panel, not election Hike fees Use standard national-level entrance tests for admissions Merge departments; amalgamate three off-campus centres with nearest universities

The UGC-backed audit also said many of the universitys departments could be merged. For instance, the separate Sunni and Shia departments under the Theology faculty could be merged into a department for comparative religion.

There is a need to merge departments to make them wholesome and to facilitate constant interaction with one another, said the audit, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times.

The audit panel pointed out that during its visit and interactions with various stakeholders it sensed groupism being rife amongst teachers, arising from regional and linguistic biases.

The audit also recommended abolishing admission quotas, including those under the discretion of the vice-chancellor and for the children of employees. It suggested reservations under other categories be made open and merit based as the present system smacks of nepotism.

Admission quota for internal candidates should be as per state governments prescription for other universities in (Uttar Pradesh), it said.

This will help in diverse mix of students in the AMU and as a sequel, lead to natural de-inbreeding, it said, using an official term to describe the universitys practice of promoting its own students through primary and high school to post-doctoral levels before staffing most of its faculty with them.

While on a personal front this could be convenient and comfortable, such continued stay in one place doesnt help academically and professionally due to lack of exposure to the outside world. Lack of such ingress and egress carries with it the seeds of a ghetto culture that is academically debilitating.

It suggested that just as in the case of many other top higher educational institutions, Masters and PhDs student of AMU take a five-year break before taking up a teaching assignment with the university.

The audit report also suggested the AMU follow other central universities and Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Management whose vice-chancellors or directors are picked through a search-cum-selection committee and not through election.

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Dynasty is a lazy word coined to describe succession in politics, but public representatives have to ultimately go back and get elected, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday.

He said the countrys first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not launch a dynasty, and that the people who overwhelmingly voted for then premier Indira Gandhi in 1971, threw her out of power in 1977.

Ramesh was speaking at a discussion on Remembering Indira Commemorating Her Centenary at the Tata Litfest 2017 in Mumbai.

Did Nehru launch a dynasty? No. Did Mrs Gandhi select her successor? Well, it appears that she did select her successor, but my views on dynasty in politics are somewhat different. I think ultimately, people (public representatives) have to go back and get elected, he said.

People are accountable. And the same electorate which gave Mrs Gandhi a huge mandate in 1971, threw her out in 1977. And the same electorate brought her back in 1980.

Dynasty is a lazy word coined to describe succession in politics. There is accountability, you go back to the people, the former Union minister said.

A debate on dynastic politics came to the fore after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, in an interaction with students of the University of California in Berkeley recently, said India was run by dynasties. He cited examples of some regional political parties and even Bollywood to back his claim.

The BJP had slammed the Congress scion for his remarks and said merit, not dynasty, drove Indias robust democracy.
Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested early on Sunday by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in Palk Strait off Katchatheevu.

The fishermen from Rameswaram and Mandapam were arrested by the Lankan Naval personnel while they were fishing near Katchatheevu and taken to Kaarainagar in the island nation, assistant director of fisheries, Mandapam, Gopinath said.

Two boats were also seized, the official said adding fishing nets of 50 boats that had ventured from Rameswaram were snapped by the island nations authorities.

Ten fishermen from Thideer Kuppam village in Nagapattinam district were on November 17 arrested by the Lankan Navy when they were allegedly fishing near Neduntheevu in the island nation waters.

So far 117 fishermen have been arrested in the last three months.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday accused the BJP and the RSS of playing communal politics and claimed that they want to fragment India.

He also accused the RSS of colluding with the British during Indias freedom struggle.

By promoting and playing communal politics, the RSS and its off-shoots, including the BJP, are hell bent to fragment India into bits and pieces, Abdullah said in his address to the office bearers and prominent leaders of NC Students Union at the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan here.

Abdullah accused that BJP of indulging in divisive politics and decried attempts of sowing seeds of hatred and mistrust among various communities for petty political gains.

Onus lies on the youth of the country to sensitise the people against the polarising and communal politics of the BJP, RSS and its affiliated organisations, he said, adding that communal divide is against the idea of India and its ethos.

The NC president said that Jammu and Kashmir had preferred to be a part of a secular India and not theocratic Pakistan, as the people believed that religion alone was not a binding force.

This was proved beyond any doubt in the wake of the creation of Bangladesh, he said.

The former J&K chief minister advised the youth to get acquainted with the history of the country and the state, saying it will help them in analysing political developments in the right perspective.

The history has unfortunately been distorted and the version the young minds are being fed is far from facts, he alleged.

Abdullah said the people of the state are not asking anything beyond the promises made and the National Conference is prepared to have positive discussions over autonomy.

I had made it amply clear to (finance minister) Arun Jaitley, when he was designated as representative of the NDA Government during Atal Behari Vajpayees tenure to study the J&K Autonomy Report that either get convinced over the document or convince us as to what was wrong in the autonomy document that jeopardises the national interest, Abdullah said.

He said the youth have to be catalyst of change and the National Conference will provide an appropriate platform to them and harness their energies in productive pursuits in the field of governance.
Indias new ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale arrived in Beijing on Sunday to take up his position.

Bambawale, a seasoned diplomat who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge on Monday.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bambawale succeeded Vijay Gokhale who took over as secretary (Economic Relations) at the ministry of external affairs (MEA).

A deft hand on Sino-India relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA which also included relations with Japan, China, South Korea, Mongolia and North Korea.

A Mandarin speaker, he has also served as the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier.

His arrival here comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Dokalam standoff, and work on a forward-looking approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, the two countries held their border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting here two days ago during which they reviewed the situation in all sectors of their border and exchanged views on confidence building measures and military contacts.

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on November 17.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is taking charge ahead of plans by both countries to begin a high-level dialogue next month, which will be the first after the Dokalam standoff as well as commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping.

Xi began his second term in office following the endorsement by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here last month.

Officials say Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi in the second week of next month to take part in the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue mechanism during which he was also expected to hold talks his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and meet the top Indian leadership.

It will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also to be held in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives who are also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.
A Rs 32,640-crore project to fill gaps in the navys mine warfare capability has hit commercial complications, with India and South Korea struggling to hammer out a deal to build mine-counter measure vessels (MCMVs, or minesweepers) in the country, Hindustan Times has learnt.

Navies deploy minesweepers to secure harbours by locating and destroying mines.

Twelve MCMVs are to be built at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in collaboration with Koreas Kangnam Corporation under the Make in India programme.

India was hoping to sign the contract in August 2016.

Some commercial issues have delayed the deal. We are working diligently to resolve those issues, GSL chairman Rear Admiral Shekhar Mital told HT. It is important to address each others concerns in such complex programmes.

The navy needs to swiftly scale up its mine warfare capability.

Its present mine counter-measure force consists of six vessels bought from the erstwhile Soviet Union in the late 1970s. Navy officers said the force requires an estimated 24 minesweepers to secure major harbours in the country.

The scenario is likely to worsen in the coming years as the existing minesweeper fleet is on its way to be decommissioned by next year.

The navy would be without a single minesweeper till 2021, warned a March 2017 parliamentary report on the alarming decline in naval force levels. Navy sources said any further delay in closing the deal would mean that the navy could be without minesweepers even beyond 2021.

The construction of the first vessel is supposed to begin in April 2018, and deliveries of all 12 MCMVs are to be completed between 2021 and 2026. The vessels are expected to have 60% indigenous content.

GSL has spent hundreds of crores on creating infrastructure to kick off construction of the vessels.

Facilities have been created for building glass-reinforced plastic hulls, a design that reduces the ships magnetic signature and allows safer navigation through waters that are mined. These underwater weapons can detonate on contact, or be activated by magnetic and acoustic signatures.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi hailed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as someone who could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairness, in what was seen by many as a subtle message for the ruling dispensation.

Inaugurating a photography exhibition looking back at Indira Gandhis life and personality on her birth anniversary, Sonia recalled that For her as Prime Minister there was but one religion, a sacred creed passionately held  that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

She fought for secularism, against all those forces seeking to divide the Indian people on lines of religion and caste. She gloried in the rich diversity of India, its profound democratic and secular values, said Sonia, dubbing her as one of the greatest Indian Prime Minister. He comments assume significance as a section of the followers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already started comparing his charisma and political standing with that of Gandhi.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength.

At the photo exhibition, Gandhi recalled her 16 years of association with the late PM, the Congress chief said Indira Gandhi passionately felt for her country, deeply cared for the poor and oppressed, and faithfully followed the teachings of her father and other great leaders of the freedom struggle who had been a part of her as she grew up.

A cultural programme at Delhis Nehru Park on Sunday evening will mark the culmination of the year-long celebrations of Indira Gandhis birth centenary.

It was that rigorous schooling in the Independence movement that made her so staunch in defence of Indias sovereignty, so committed to the ideals of secularism and social justice, and so determined to advance them through her policies and programmes.

Asserting that Indira Gandhi fought for Indias dignity and independence as a sovereign nation, against the dominance of superpowers, the Congress president said Bangladeshs creation is a monument to that stand.

I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the Iron Lady. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits. She fought, yes -- but not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas, she said.

In his speech, former President Pranab Mukherjee, whose political career blossomed under Indias regime, said Indira Gandhi left a message that a commitment to the people can never be killed by any power, however strong it may be.

Mukherjee pointed out that her decision to nationalize the banks also helped the Congress come closer to people.
In a faux pas, several media houses on Sunday reportedly carried the picture of a local lad as one of the six Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists killed in a fierce gun battle in Bandipora district of north Kashmir the previous day.

I was shocked on seeing my picture among the dead terrorists in electronic and print media. Somebody downloaded my picture from the Facebook account and circulated it as one of the dead terrorists, a shocked Abdul Majid told PTI.

He has demanded a probe into the conspiracy.

Majid, who is married with two children, sells barbecues at Khati Ka Talab here and is also associated with a religious group preaching Islam.

I am not a terrorist. How can they carry my picture? It is the negligence of media and the state administration, he said, adding that he has filed a police complaint.

Majid, having a long beard and wearing Afghani cap, displayed several newspapers which carried his picture on the front page with an alias Abu Zargam.

He said he was at home when he received a call informing him that his picture was among the six terrorists killed by security forces.

The news came as a big shock for my family. They are all very upset, he said.

I do not know whose conspiracy is this. But whoever has done it has tarnished my image. It is the negligence of media and the administration--how did they publish the picture of an innocent without any proof, he asked.

I want my name to be cleared as soon as possible, Majid added.

Six Pakistani militants of the LeT, including the nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in Bandipora yesterday in an encounter in which an IAF Garud commando was also killed.
The controversy over the Bollywood movie Padmavati reached Haryana on Sunday with the BJPs state chief media coordinator offering a bounty on actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Suraj Pal Amu passed derogatory remarks against the trio, threatening them for the portrayal of Rajput queen Padmavati and Delhi sultan Alauddin Khilji.

If you do not take back your words, we will break your legs, he said in Hindi, addressing Singh who supported filmmaker Bhansali.

Taking his threats further, he praised the Meerut youth from Rajput community who announced a Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Padukone and Bhansali.

I want to congratulate the Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, and Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their familys needs, he said.

Earlier in the day, the makers of the film said they had decided to defer its release. In a statement, Viacom 18 spokesperson said the studio had made the decision voluntarily. The film was due to hit theatres on December 1, 2017.

Trouble began after the Rajput Karni Sena, a fringe group, demanded a ban on the film because it distorted history. Bhansali has repeatedly denied this charge while the makers reiterated that the film was a cinematic masterpiece capturing Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory.

Earlier this year, Bhansali was even roughed up by the Sena members in Jaipur and the film sets vandalised during shooting.

Bhansali and Padukone received have also been receiving threats and their security has been beefed up. The film fraternity came out in support of the movie, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.

However, some political outfits demanded that the release be deferred in view of the Gujarat assembly election.

Last week, the film certification board returned the movies application to its producer stating it was incomplete.

On Saturday, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also weighed in, asking Union minister Smriti Irani to ensure the movie was released only after necessary changes were made, keeping in mind that no communitys sentiments are offended.
Even as Gujarat gears up to enter the record books with the Statue of Unity, an upcoming 597-feet representation of Indias first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the banks of the Narmada, Telangana is all set to unveil a sculptural achievement of its own.

The southern state will soon boast of the worlds second-tallest statue in a seated position  depicting Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanujacharya  on a sprawling 40-acre plot of land at the Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy ashram in Muchintal village.

The 216-feet image, called the Statue of Equality, and related structures on the premises are fast nearing completion. The first phase of the project  comprising the main statue of Sri Ramanujacharya, the parikrama and the temple  will be completed by March 2018. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed in principle to unveil the statue in April, Devanatha Swamy, a disciple of Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, said.

According to Devanatha Swamy, the Rs 1,000-crore project was taken up as part of the Shasrabdi (1,000th anniversary) celebrations of Sri Ramanucharya, who was born in 1017 and spent a major part of his 120-year life span propagating the Hindu philosophy of Vishishtadwaita (qualified non-dualism). It was Ramanujacharya who fought against discrimination in the name of caste, colour and creed, and propounded that the Almighty exists in all living beings. That is why we decided to name this structure the Statue of Equality, he said.

The statue is likely to be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after completion. (HT Photo)

The spiritual leader said the 216-ft statue of Sri Ramanujacharya  made of panchaloha (an alloy of gold, silver, copper, brass and tin/lead)  is the second-tallest statue in a seated position, the first being a 302-feet image of Lord Buddha in Bangkok. We could have constructed a taller statue, but the Airport Authority of India would clear only up to 216 feet (due to security concerns). The statue is located near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on the outskirts of Hyderabad, he added.

The statue was constructed by the Aerosun Corporation in China before being shipped to Hyderabad in July. A team of 60 professionals assembled the statue. The cost of the statue itself is Rs 100 crore, but we had to pay Rs 32 crore as import duty to the government, said Devanatha Swamy.

DNV Prasad Sthapathi, the chief sculptor of the project, told Hindustan Times that the main statue would be placed on a huge lotus built on a three-storied 54-feet structure called the Bhadravedi. The ground floor, spread over an area of 63,444 square feet, will feature a dark ride show that provides glimpses of Ramanujacharyas life and philosophy as visitors are taken around in an electric vehicle, he said.

The second floor will have a temple for Sri Ramanuja spread over nearly 30,0000 square feet, complete with a 120 kg gold statue meant for daily worship. The third floor will house a Vedic digital library and research centre encompassing 14,700 square feet.

The Bhadravedi will be surrounded by 108 Divya Desa Kshetras (Vaishnavite temples) built in stone. A Chinese colour fountain with a revolving mini statute of Ramanujacharya is also being constructed on the premises, said Sthapathi.

Devanatha Swamy said as much as Rs 350 crore has already been spent on the project so far. Donations are pouring in from every part of the world. We are sure that Muchintal will turn into one of the biggest tourist destinations and pilgrim centres in the world, he added.

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Top security officials in Kashmir on Sunday sought to draw a distinction between local and foreign militants, urging Kashmiri boys to return home, promising to receive them in an honourable manner.

The appeal came a day after six Pakistanis militants were killed in a gun fight on Saturday and a few days after a young footballer who joined militant ranks came back home after a video of his tearful mother was shared on social media.

(Like Majid Khans mother) I would request all mothers to ask their children to leave the path of violence, director general of police SP Vaid said at a press conference in Srinagar, adding they had managed to wean 60 youth away from guns.

Lt Gen JS Sandhu, who heads the armys Srinagar-headquartered 15 Corps, and Central Reserve Police Force inspector general (operations) Zulfikar Hassan, who were also at the press meet, joined Vaid in asking the local youth to shun violence and stop being a proxy of Pakistan.

The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call yourself a Mujahid. But are you a Mujahid or are you just a proxy for Pakistan? Sandhu said, using the Arabic word for the one who engages in Jihad.

The officers also shared helpline numbers to facilitate the return of the youth and urged their families and friends to get in touch if the men themselves couldnt.

And we will help them. There will be no harassment and they will get help more than their expectations, Hassan said.

Sandhu said people of Kashmir wanted peace. So let the local terrorists take a call now and come back we are ready to receive them in an honourable manner, he said.

The security forces have taken an aggressive stance against militants in the Valley Kashmir where violent street protests left more 100 people last year.

The government has also restarted the dialogue process, appointing a former Intelligence Bureau chief, Dineshwar Sharma, to talk to all stakeholders in Kashmir to seek an end to 30-year-old insurgency.

The officials said in 2017 they had carried out several successful operations in Kashmir region and the situation was changing.

Today when I take stock what we are finding is that we have killed 190 terrorists as on date, Sandhu said. Eighty of those were locals, rest foreigners, he said, adding the unrest seen earlier in the year had been brought under control.

India accuses Pakistan of fanning trouble in Kashmir by pushing in militants and bankrolling a section of separatists.

Hassan said Majid Khans return had encouraged others to shun violence. Twenty-year-old Khan joined the Lashkar but came back after a week following his mothers tearful appeal to return.

We want to assure that anyone who joins militancy is free to come back. I am talking about the local Kashmiri youth and not the foreigners. Very strict action as was taken yesterday (against foreign militants in Hajin) will be taken, he said, referring to Saturdays gun battle.

Six militants, including a nephew of Mumbai terror attacks plotter Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi , were killed in Hajin in north Kashmirs Bandipora. An air force commando was also killed in the fierce gun battle.

After Saturdays encounter, the Hajin group had been eliminated, Sandhu said. He said Hajin was an area of concern because of heavy militant presence but they launched a number of operations since September and tasted success.

No IS in the Valley

DGP Vaid played down Islamic States claim of carrying out an attack in Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar in which a militant and a policeman were killed on November 17.

It is yet to be verified. I dont think ISIS has any imprints here, Vaid said, calling the terrorist group by its other name, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
As many as 191 benign tumours were removed from the uterus of an Omani woman at a private hospital in Kozhikode, north Kerala, on Saturday.

Doctors at the citys Starcare Hospital claimed this was a new world record. They said the previous one was held by an Egyptian woman, who had 186 tumours removed from her body last December.

Dr Abdul Rashid, the hospitals chief gynaecologist, told Hindustan Times they performed the operation in four hours without removing the patients ovaries or uterus. We blended keyhole and traditional mechanisms to do it. We were expecting 80-odd tumours, not so many, he said, adding that the woman was now recuperating from the procedure.

The existing record in the country is 84 tumours.

Dr Rashid said the hospital will soon update Guinness World Records authorities on the development. We did not operate on the 34-year-old woman to break any record. We had initially considered laparoscopic surgery, but decided against it when we realised that the tumour was really big, he added.

A team of three doctors had performed the surgery.

The chief gynaecologist said a leading medical body has already confirmed that this was a unique case. The woman seemed to be in an advanced stage of pregnancy when she first came here, but we were keen on protecting her ovaries and uterus. She can now lead a normal life, and even conceive after a couple of years, he added.

According to Dr Rashid, there has been a significant rise in middle-eastern patients visiting super-specialty hospitals in the state lately. Our facilities are economical when compared to hospitals in the West, while keeping with similar standards. Kerala has always been a leading tourist destination, but it may soon become a medical hub too, he said.

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Jaipur:

A Bajrang Dal stall removed a booklet on love jihad from its shelves on Sunday, a day after selling the manual  containing hate content against Muslims at a Hindu outfits fair in Jaipur.

Stall managers denied having kept or sold any literature on love jihad, a conspiracy theory that Muslims woo Hindu girls to convert them to Islam.

We never sold any literature on love jihad. And whatever hate content you are talking about is certainly wrong, said Mahesh Saini, who was manning the stall. He added that they did warn people coming to the stall about love jihad.

Its wrong and we must stop conversion of Hindu girls to Islam. The only way is to inculcate Hindu values and traditions in the girls when they are young. We only want to protect and propagate our Hindu culture, said Saini.

The fair has been organised by the Hindu Spirituality and Service Foundation (HSSF). The objective of the five-day fair that kicked off on Thursday is to give a platform to all Hindu organisations to come together and showcase their work to common people, said Dinesh Peetaliya, treasurer of HSSF.

The love jihad booklet warned the girls about the ways in which Muslim boys trap Hindu girls. It also cited the example of Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan and Amir Khan, arguing that they left their Hindu wives and trapped other Hindu girls.

The education department recently asked government schools in Jaipur to take students to the fair, prompting critics to call it another move by the government to saffronise education.

Ramkrishna Mission, Patanjali, Shankhnaad Foundation, and Subhadra Gau Utpad were some of the organisations that had put up their stalls in the fair. The treasurer said the fair was apolitical, neutral and for all the communities.

Jaipur district education officer Ratan Singh said government schools had been asked to take kids to the fair but the visit was not made mandatory.

Earlier this month, the Rajasthan government organised a mass Vande Mataram recital programme in collaboration with the HSSF and told students to attend the programme. The state government has earlier drawn flak for glorifying Hindutva icons in schoolbooks and pushing to sidelines the role of Gandhi and Nehru in the Indian independence movement.
Second transformer blast in Rajasthan within three weeks has raised a question mark on the quality of transformers being supplied to the Jaipur discom and also the maintenance works being carried out by the discom personnel.

While some victims of the transformer blast in Khatauli village of Jaipur district are still battling for their lives at the SMS hospital, a man was killed in another transformer blast at Kotputli, also in Jaipur district, on Saturday.

Birbal Saini (50) had gone to irrigate his fields when there was a sudden blast in the transformer installed near the field. Saini died on the spot. Kotputli police have registered a case in the matter.

Taking note of the Khatauli blast, Rajasthan high court on Saturday issued a notice to the state chief secretary, principal secretary (energy) and Jaipur discom managing director and asked them to furnish the details of the action taken against the supplier of the transformer.

The transformer blast in Khatauli village on October 31 had killed five people on the spot and injured 22. The toll in blast has risen to 21 with another victim succumbing to her injury at the SMS hospital on Friday.

The issue was brought to the high courts notice through a petition filed by Sheopal Prajapat, kin of one of the victims. The petitioner has alleged that the transformer in which the blast took place was of inferior quality.

The explosion had taken place outside a house where pre-wedding function and rituals were taking place and the guests were returning to the house of brides father after completing the rituals at a nearby temple.

Sources said that the transformer had been repaired and installed only six days ago. Jaipur discom managing director RG Gupta had termed the explosion a rarest of rare case and said that the discom is taking help of engineering department of the National Institutes of Technology to ascertain the cause of the blast.
A 29-year-old Argentinian national died on Saturday evening after being hit by a bull inside the Walled City area, the police said.

According to the police, the incident took place as the tourist, identified as Juan Pablo Lampe, was walking near Chaura Rasta along with his fiancee Paula.

Two bulls were fighting and Lampe got trapped between them. One of the animals hit Lampe with its horn. Locals rushed Lampe to a nearby hospital and later was shifted to the SMS Hospital, where he died, said sub inspector Seema Pathan of the Manak Chowk police station.

The police said that Lampe and Paula were supposed to get married next month.

Lampe worked in Hollywood films as part of the crew and lived in New Zealand although he originally hails from Argentina. The two had come to Jaipur on Saturday, said Pathan.

The postmortem of Lampes body was done on Sunday evening, said the police.

The couple came to our hotel on Saturday from Pushkar and on the same day this freak accident happened. They were supposed to stay here for two days before heading to Agra, said Kunal Sonar from the Hotel Moustache where the duo was staying.

Ironically, facing heavy criticism at the aftermath of this incident, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation woke up from its slumber and started a drive to control stray animals in the city from Sunday, a day after Lampe became a victim of this menace.

Most of these animals are owned by people who run illegal dairies. There are also people who leave cows on roads after they stop giving milk. We have started a drive from Sunday wherein such illegal dairies will be demolished, said Shiv Bhagwan Gathala, deputy commissioner, Jaipur Municipal Corporation.
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansalis film Padmavati, which has seen threats against the makers and actors by several fringe Hindu outfits, has been in the eye of the storm from the word go. The narrative has changed from hurting Rajput pride to an assault on Hindu pride and now experts see a political agenda behind this politicisation.

Though this is not the first historical film to face anger, the scale of the protests this time is unprecedented. Bhansalis film has galvanized all communities -- Rajputs, Brahmins, Jats and Muslims -- in Rajasthan and in other states against alleged distortion of historical facts. The protests have found resonance in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Protests began in January when Bhansali was shooting for the film in City Palace, Jaipur. Karni Sena activists vandalized the film set and roughed up Bhansali over an alleged romantic scene between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji, the Delhi ruler who was smitten by her and attacked the Chittor fort in 1303 to claim her.

Bhansali denied romanticizing the relationship. But the issue refused to die down. After the song Ghoomar was released, there was more flak. Apart from Rajput organisations, erstwhile royal families joined in the criticism, saying a queen would never dance before the public or bare her midriff.

Since then there has been no let-up in the frenzy. The issue has now moved beyond dishonour of queen Padmini to becoming an issue of womens honour and then to being an insult to Hindus. Brahmin, Jat, Gurjar and Muslim organisations joined in the clamour for a ban on the film.

The issue was politicised with leaders across political lines, from the BJP and Congress, saying that sentiments should not be hurt and distortions of facts cannot be justified.

Sociologist Rajiv Gupta sees this as a dangerous trend. He says the BJP is playing up the film as a caste and Hindu Muslim issue for polarization. To turn attention away from its political and economic failures, the BJP is directly or indirectly giving support to religious and caste identities, says Gupta.

He says the Gujarat assembly elections present a challenge to BJP and to counter the caste issues of Patidars in Gujarat the BJP is coming out with Rajput identity as a political tool. He said not all communities but only the Rajputs, Brahmins and Vaishyas were protesting against the film.

The role of feudals in the freedom struggle has been debatable and so they claim nationalism by presenting symbols such as Padmavati. The BJP, he says, is trying to consolidate the upper castes. Till now the lower castes and tribals were important to acquire political power. But now they are trying to reverse this trend so that power concentrates in upper castes.

Narayan Bareth, former professor at the mass communication department in the University of Rajasthan, agrees there is a political agenda. Some parties are using the issue to further their political agenda so that the debate does not centre on issues such as education, poverty, employment and development, he says.

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena has been at the forefront of the protests and vandalism. The outfit is no stranger to controversy.

When director Ashutosh Gowarikar was filming Jodha Akbar in Jaipur in 2008, he too had faced protests by Karni Sena . The film was eventually not released in the state.

Its leader Lokendra Singh Kalvi says there is no compromise possible now except a ban on the film as Bhansali has backtracked on his promises.

Raj Bansal, director of Yashraj Jai Pictures Pvt Ltd says the protests are unwarranted as no one has seen the film so far. Though distorting history is not justified, the protests so far are based on assumptions.

He says losses for distributors due to the protests will run into crores of rupees.

We were expecting that the film will release in 200 screens in Rajasthan but if it does not then the losses will be to the tune of 8-10 crore in the state, Raj Bansal said.

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BARMER:

To boost the Prime Ministers dream project Swachh Bharat Mission, the state government in 2016 launched Mukhyamantri Swachchh Gram Yojna by linking the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the cleanliness mission.

The Centre, under Swachh Bharat Mission or Clean India Mission has set a target to make the country open defecation-free by October 2, 2019, which coincides with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

But due to desert topography in Barmer, two years on, the scheme has failed to bring any impact in district.

The scheme was announced to be launched only in panchayats which were open defection free.

Until now, the district authorities have able to implement the scheme--aimed at making villages clean and create awareness about cleanliness among the rural people besides encouraging them to recycle biodegradable waste--only in seven open defecation free panchayats in the district.

During the 2016 Rajasthan budget, chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced Mukhyamantri Swachchh Gram Yojna (MSGY) to ensure cleanliness in villages.

Following the announcement, in December 2016, the state rural development department issued guidelines to district authorities for implementing the scheme.

As part of the scheme, the state government directed the MGNREGA authorities in the districts to appoint two sweepers in each cluster--covering 150 households.

Apart from providing manpower for the cleanliness through the MGNREGA scheme, government also directed that dustbins be installed for every 10 to 15 families and e-rickshaw to collect the garbage from the dustbins and transport it to the treatment plant for proper disposal of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.

In Barmer, out of the total 489 panchayats, only 210 have been declared open defecation free, however, the scheme has been implemented only in seven panchayats.

Confirming the report ML Nehra, chief executive officer at Barmer zila parishad said: The rural population in Barmer is concentrated in scattered hamlets due to which we are facing hurdles in implementing the scheme.

We have implemented the scheme in seven panchayats and efforts are on to implement it in more panchayats.

Barmer, the fifth largest district in the country, spread across 28,387km, is sparsely populated with people living in far-flung hamlets.
Calling Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali a cultural goon, trickster and a regular offender, Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Sunday said that it wanted a ban on the film and claimed underworld don Dawood Ibrahims money was invested in the film.

Karni Sena patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi said that the decision to defer the films release was a part of Bhansalis drama. We have heard the movies release date (December 1) has been postponed. We will be on the streets as soon as a new release date is announced. All we want is a complete ban on the film, Kalvi said.

We will not allow the release of Padmavati at any cost, he added.

The release of Bhansalis historical drama was voluntarily deferred, a spokesperson for the films producer and distributor Viacom18 Motion Pictures said earlier on Sunday.

The Karni Sena leader also claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahims money was invested in the movie. I got three threat calls from international numbers -- one from Karachi, which indicates Dawoods money is involved... What is the interest of a man sitting in Karachi in bumping me off?

The outfit has also deferred its decision of holding a Bharat Bandh on December 1.

Protests against the film with sword-wielding Rajput women in turbans demanded a ban on the film, which they allege distorts historical facts.

The womens wing of the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena (RRKS) said they will start a signature campaign across Kota from Monday to demand a ban on Padmavati.

The RRKS held a meeting at the Aashapala temple in Kota. RRKS women wing state general secretary Neena Chhapol said that Rani Padmavati was the epitome of Rajput and Hindu women who gave her life through Johar.

RRKS district president Tapasya Naruka said Rajput women were not behind men and could lift sword if needed. The RRKS said it was not in favour of any negotiation on the film and wanted a complete ban.

With inputs from agencies
For long the origin of the Ramgarh crater has been a subject of debate among researchers. While some believe that it was caused by meteorite impact, others are of the view that it evolved from tectonic or structural activity or magmatism.

For years the crater  located near Ramgarh village, about 12 km east of Mangrol  has been considered as a meteorite impact site, but the theory lacked unambiguous evidence. However, a study by geologist Satyanarayan Rana has found diagnostic evidence of meteorite impact at the crater.

Rana, a research scholar at the department of geology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MSU), Udaipur, has found evidence in the form of shatter cones in sandstones, planar deformation features (PDFs) and planar fractures (parallel sets of multiple planar cracks) in quartz grains.

Shatter cones are rare geological features and are only known to form in the bedrock beneath meteorite impact craters or underground nuclear explosions. PDFs are also formed by extreme shock compressions on the scale of meteor impacts.

This regional geological structure has invited the interest of various geologists throughout the world since its discovery and the past five decades have witnessed a number of theories on the origin of this structure, but the issue of origin remained debatable, the 33-year-old PhD researcher, who started his research in 2013 and he completed it in April this year.

We have collected shatter cones from the central part of the area (25 19N :76 37E), very near to the centrally uplifted region of the Ramgarh structure, which is an ideal location as per the well established and internationally accepted criteria for their presence. Shatter cones have been found in the sandstones, displaying curved surfaces, with sharp striations and exhibit horse-tail like markings, he said.

These are uniquely regarded as an evidence for shock metamorphism (alteration in rocks due to very high shock pressure), added the geologist, who completed his research under the supervision of Professor Vinod Agrawal, ex-chairman, Faculty of Earth Sciences and former dean, College of Science, Mohanlal Sukahdia University, Udaipur.

The evidence found in the research on Ramgarh crater, with a diameter of 2.7 km and at an elevation of more than 200m above the surrounding terrain, indicates its origin due to a meteorite impact.

At present, Lonar crater (Buldhana, Maharashtra) and Dhala crater (Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh) are the only two confirmed impact craters in India.

Rana said that the Ramgarh Crater is not more than 650 million years old. There is only one opening into the circular structure in Ramgarh, which is the entry route into the crater, he said.

The study has been conducted as a part of research fellowship funded by the UGC. Rana has presented his research at a national seminar at the MLS University, Udaipur, while it has also been published in research journals too.

The inclusion of the Ramgarh crater in Earth Impact Database (EID)  operated from Planetary and Space Science Centre at the University of New Brunswick, Canada  is still awaited.

The president of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Baran, Jagdish Kumar Sharma said that once the impact origin is established, the Ramgarh crater should be conserved and declared a geo-heritage site by the government to increase awareness and boost tourism in Baran.

At present, a famous ancient Shiv temple, Bhanddeora temple, and a water body, Pushkar Sarovar, is located in the midst of the Ramgarh crater, said Rana.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is also examining the prospects for declaring the amazing geographical feature as a national geological monument.
The Binoy Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is likely to expel fugitive Morcha president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri soon with Tamang seemingly holding the upper hand in the turf war in the Darjeeling hills.

The threat came at the Tamang factions first public meeting on Sunday that is being seen as a show of strength.

From underground the earlier GJM leadership had announced my expulsion and of some other GJM office bearers from the party. Now it is time to see who gets expelled in future, said Binoy Tamangs close associate Anit Thapa.

The Tamang faction is backed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee after Gurung and Giri who were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, went underground.

Sundays meeting at the motor stand in the heart of Darjeeling was considered as a litmus test for the rebel GJM faction to prove its supremacy in hill politics. Around 5,000 people attended the meeting despite Gurungs call from hiding to boycott it.

In his appeal, Gurung had argued that public attendance would just jeopardize the long- standing demand for separate Gorkhaland state and the ongoing movement in support of that demand.

Thapa said that a crucial meeting of the GJM central committee has been convened on November 20. The meeting will take several crucial decisions relating to the Morcha leadership. One of the decisions might be relating to expulsion of Gurung and Giri, he said.

Read more: Darjeeling impasse: Bengal seals GJM office building, arrests 3 for cops death

In the absence of Gurung and his close associates, Tamangs faction has gained substantial strength. The chief ministers decision to create board of administrators in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) making Tamang its chairman and Thapa as its vice- chairman, has worked in favour of the anti- Gurung faction in the hills.

Gurung has nothing else to do except issuing statements. So in such a situation, the official expulsion of Gurung, Giri and their associates from the party will only strengthen our position in the hills, Thapa said.

Before Gurung went into hiding, the GJM had called for an indefinite strike in the Darjeeling hills to push for a separate Gorkhaland state. The strike which lasted over 100 days crippled the economy of the north Bengal hills. The GJM called off the strike on September 27 following an appeal by Union home minister Rajnath Singh who also asked the Union home secretary to convene an official level meeting to discuss all related issues for Gorkhaland.

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A throne with a built-in commode for a French monarch takes pride of place at a New Delhi museum trying to break taboos surrounding toilets in a country where such convenience remains a sensitive issue.

The replica of the wooden throne used by King Louis XIV is among a treasure trove at the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, tucked away in a bustling suburb of the capital city.

The French king is believed to have struggled with constipation and held audiences while defecating to save time, say the museum curators.

Scores of curious visitors stop by daily to see the centuries-old commodes, chamber pots and bidets as well as a 21st century machine that turns human waste into ash in seconds. More are expected on November 19, which happens to be UN World Toilet Day.

It is quite an unusual museum and I believe its the only one of its kind in the world, Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the museum and the non-profit Sulabh International, told AFP.

The idea was to start a healthy conversation about sanitation and toilets. We wanted to tell people toilet is not a dirty word, he said, playing with a small black ball made from dried human waste mixed with glue.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets scientist R.C Jha displays a toilet that can incinerate waste. (AFP/Sajjad Hussain)

Pathak said the museum has gained traction since being named among the worlds top 10 whacky museums by Time magazine in 2014. Hundreds of visitors come now on the weekends, said the 74-year-old, affectionately known as Indias Toilet Guru.

The walls of the museum are plastered with toilet room jokes as well as Victorian-era pictures of basket women in Europe carrying night-soil  fertiliser made from human faeces.

Toilets are a touchy issue in India where about 600 million people  nearly half of the population  defecate in the open, according to UNICEF. Some 70% of Indian households do not have a toilet  while 90% have access to mobile phones. More than half the world population does not have a home toilet.

Experts say open defecation in India stems from poverty and a belief that toilets inside the home are unclean. So people prefer to squat in the open. Three years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a massive cleanliness drive, pledging to build toilets for all by 2019. So far the government has helped install more than 50 million toilets across the country of 1.3 billion people.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets employee Nigar Imam explains a toilet compost system to nursing students. (AFP/Sajjad Hussain)

The Delhi museums collection also draws the curious to see a cushioned loo used in European gambling clubs which helped members keep an eye on table stakes without having to take a break.

One 18th century pot used by French royalty mocks the English by being designed as a stack of Shakespearean classic books. It is very interesting to see and read about the quirky designs and the history behind them, said Vinita Lodwal, a 25-year-old studying to be a nurse. Its informative and funny too, said Lodwal, as she posed for a selfie with her friend in front of an ornately designed commode.

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I sometimes wonder if there is anything as delicious as well-cooked haleem. My search for haleem takes me far and wide, from one end of the city to the other. In some seasons, I even order haleem online, and it comes all well packed all the way from Hyderabad.

Haleem, as you would know, is a delightful mix of grains and meat. It is cooked over a slow fire for long hours, so that by the time it is done, the dish is a creamy mash redolent with the flavours of meat, grain and spices. If you want, you can add some fried onions and chopped green chillies to it. Squeeze a wedge of lemon if you like it tart, and you have a meal that you cant forget.

I have gone to almost every haleem outlet worth its salt in Delhi, but this one that I encountered in Old Delhi a few days ago was by sheer accident. And I cant say how happy I am to have found this small Hyderabadi outlet in Purani Dilli.

I was in search of an old favourite  Kashmiri kebabwallah  when I saw this place called Hyderbadi Dum biryani, or Hotel Mustafa. We stopped there, and, boy, am I glad we did so! Its chicken haleem arguably is the best that I have eaten in the last few years.

Hotel Mustafa is off Matia Mahal, in Haveli Azam Khan. Its a tiny place opposite Shabrati, which is a well-known eatery in the area.

Hotel Mustafa is off Matia Mahal, in Haveli Azam Khan. Its a tiny place opposite Shabrati, which is a well-known eatery in the area. (HT Photo)

Mustafas haleem is cooked with broken wheat, some urad dal and chicken. This is cooked with a potli ka masala, a mix of black cardamom, cinnamon, coriander seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, patthar ka phool, khus and other flavouring agents and spices. Once the meat is done and has turned really mushy, it is garnished with browned onions. Mustafa adds small pieces of cashew nuts to the chicken, a dash of lime juice and desi ghee on top. And the dish is simply superb.

This is a new place, and came to me as a real surprise. Its good to have a Hyderabadi food outlet in the Walled City. The haleem is cooked in a big degh, and a kilo of haleem is for Rs 240. They sell biryani as well, for Rs 140 a kilo.

What makes this haleem special is the smooth texture and taste. The chicken is cooked so well that it has a creamy consistency, and the taste envelopes the flavours of the spices. I liked the crunchy surprises that the nuts posed, and enjoyed the aftertaste and aroma of the ghee in the dish.

Haleem is a meal in itself, for it is heavy and nourishing. In some parts of the country, it is made and sold only during the feasting period of Ramzaan. It is also a breakfast meal, and gets you ready for a hard days work.

Now that winter is upon us  almost  I can see that I will be making many more trips to Old Delhi, for this wonderful dish that warms my soul.

What makes this haleem special is the smooth texture and taste. (HT Photo)

Recipe: Haleem

Ingredients: 500g boneless chicken, 100g broken wheat, 3 large onions, 1tbsp ginger-garlic paste, a pinch of turmeric, chilli powder to taste,  tsp garam masala, 1 cup yoghurt, oil for frying, juice of 1 lemon

Method: Slice the onions and fry them. Take half the fried onions out. Fry the ginger and garlic with the remaining onions in the oil. Season with salt and turmeric, and then add the chilli powder. Fry some more. Add the chicken and cook. Once almost done, add whisked yoghurt and stir. When the oil comes to the top, take off the stove. Take the chicken out, allow it to cool. Grind it with boiled and ground broken wheat. Put this back on the stove, add garam masala and green chillies. Fry for a few minutes. Add the lemon juice and then serve garnished with the browned onions.

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Panchlait

Director: Prem Prakash Modi

Cast: Amitosh Nagpal, Anuradha Mukherjee

Rating: 2.5/5

Renowned Hindi writer Phanishwar Nath Renus first brush with Bollywood was the legendary Teesri Kasam (1966)  an adaptation of his short story, Maare Gaye Gulfam. Decades after the Raj Kapoor gem, Renus short story, Panchlait, forms the basis of a film.

Panchlait begins by paying respect to Raj Kapoor and throughout the journey, we are constantly reminded of him and Awara . The protagonist, Amitosh Nagpal playing Godhan, often dresses as Raj Kapoor, apes his mannerisms and has the music of Awara playing in the background whenever he delivers emotional monologues.

The film is set in a Bihar village in 1954, and majorly talks about the Mahato community. An orphaned Godhan arrives at his maternal village, planning to settle down with his childhood sweetheart Munri (Anuradha Mukherjee) but ends up antagonising the elders of the village and her mom. How he wins back their hearts forms the crux of the film.

The pressurised paraffin lamp, also known as panchlait (Petromax), is used as a symbol to highlight the transition of villagers from darkness to light. The caste divisions, class issues are beautifully embedded in the film, much like the original story.

Director Prem Prakash Modi and writer Rakesh Kumar Tripathi have added layers to Renus original story. They have offered a background for Godhan and an elaborate love story has been developed between him and Munri. Narrated in a non-linear format, Panchlait keeps shifting between flashbacks and the present day (1954 in the film) and it adds to the theatrical form of the film.

Godhan acts as the sootradhar or the narrator of the film that unfolds like a play, and his character often talks directly to the camera, taking the audience through the non-linear flashbacks.

But over-the-top theatrical gestures used in the film are rather repulsive. At times, Amitosh Nagpals and Anuradha Mukherjees characters seem to be caricaturing 50s cinema when acting was mainly about gestures. They are, however, better when they are not together. While the supporting cast mostly remains in their character, the lead actors seem to be confused and often swing between eras. Sometimes, they don the typical village attire and hairstyle suitable for the 50s but, at times, flaunt well-designed suits and kurtas, alongwith salon-styled hair that mar the entire earthy feel of the film. They also lose grip over their accent too often.

Watch Panchlait trailer here:

While some of the changes and novel elements in Renus story bring an extra element of social relevance to the film, Panchlait may have been better off without the over-done romantic track.

Interact with the author @swetakaushal

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A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray stood by Patidar leader Hardik Patel in the sex CD leak case, the Shiv Sena slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for resorting to low level politics in the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The party said the BJP allegedly leaked the sex CD of the leader because it could not counter him.

Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut, in his weekly column in party mouthpiece Saamana, said the BJP has resorted to such tactics to divert attention from the governments failure in Gujarat. The Patidar leader in Gujarat has been criticising the BJP. They know they cant counter his criticism logically, so they came out with the CD. Such immature things are done to hide weaknesses and the fact that there has been no vikas (development) in Gujarat under the BJP rule, Raut wrote in his column, referring to the CD allegedly featuring Patel.

The Sena, which is a key constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will contest around 60 seats in the Gujarat polls slated to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The majority view in the BJP is the Sena is contesting the forthcoming elections in Gujarat to put the BJP in an embarrassing situation by dividing votes.

Raut slammed the BJP for its double-standards for initiating an inquiry against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, while inducting former Trinamool Congress Party leader Mukul Roy, who is accused in the Saradha chit fund scam. Had this been done by the Congress, the BJP and the media would have collectively criticised the party. Patels CD being aired on news channels is an example of yellow journalism. How is his sex CD a campaigning tool? I had objected a similar slander campaign against Narendra Modi, when it was being said that he does not live with his wife, Raut wrote.

In a scathing attack on its saffron ally, the Sena leader said, Saints and Mahatmas are criticised even after they are dead. Even today people ridicule Mahatma Gandhis experiments with Brahmacharya (celibacy). A picture of Pandit Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten smoking a cigarette together is still being published and Nehru is being defamed for it. Had the BJP been around then, they would have circulated a CD about these tops leaders too.

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Western railway (WR) commuters now can directly give their feedback about cleanliness of toilets on certain suburban railway stations using their smartphones. The zonal railway has launched an innovative feedback service with the help of a few NGOs on the occasion of World Toilet Day on Sunday.

WR, with support from Rotary club and Gaia smart city, which is working with Swachh Bharat Mission, has launched the service for to get feedback about cleanliness at 17 stations on its suburban network.

To register their feedback, passengers have to scan the QR codes at the toilets with any scanner app on their smartphones, which will open a link on their browser. They then have to submit their mobile number or email address, and answer questions about the cleanliness of the toilet. Citizens can also give feedback about attendants behaviour.

The smart feedback system will enable railway authorities to monitor facilities and sanitation levels at public toilets across stations. Through the simple,user-friendly interface, commutes can rate the toilets; enabling the railways to hold their third party service providers accountable for the complaints.

This initiative will give us the instant feedback about general maintenance of toilet blocks, which will help to assess steps for improvements, said WR, adding that if response is good , they will further proliferate this platform for other types of feedbacks as well.

The passengers would be able to use this feedback system at Churchgate, Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Lower Parel, Elphinstone Road, Dadar, Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra, Goregaon, Andheri, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Bhayander and Nallasopara stations.

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Temperatures in Greenland, a frigid island located to the northwest of Europe, may have an effect on Indias southwest monsoon and likely nullify the impact of El Nino, a climate cycle in the Pacific which affects rain in India. This has been revealed in a new study, done by a group of institutes led by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun, based on 8000-year-old peat deposits in the Himalayas.

The study analysed a 5.2-metre-long thick peat sequence  partially decayed vegetation  in Kedarnath. Comparing the peat with similarly old ice cores from Greenland, the 13-member team found that temperature in the worlds largest island  which is mostly covered in ice  influences Indias summer monsoon. Wetter rainfall events coincide with a warm Greenland, and a cooler Greenland resulted in less rainfall over the country, the study said.

Scientists not involved in the study said linking the monsoon to temperatures in Greenland supports the activities taken up Goa-based National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research to study the effect of melting Arctic on the Indian monsoon.

The findings brings out an important fact that all the changes in Indian monsoon are not only due to increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases, but also have major contribution from the naturally occurring changes on the earth, JV Ratnam, senior scientist, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, who was not involved in the study, told HT. The study will be important for improving modelling studies of paleo-climate.

The peat was a chance discovery after a team of geologists found it exposed between two moraines  deposits of past glacial advances  after the 2013 deluge in Uttarakhand. Professor YP Sundriyal, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, who was member of the team got the peat dated using 14C-AMS technique.

Researchers said meteorologists in India predict monsoon based on sea surface temperature, land temperature, land vegetation and snow cover over Tibet and also temperature in north Atlantic region.

We have tried to establish that this forcing factor for the Indian summer monsoon is valid for at least the past 8,000 years. Whats new about this finding is that Indian summer monsoon gets strengthened when temperature in North Atlantic is warmer, said Pradeep Srivastava, lead author, WIHG.

The team also found a correlation between temperatures in Greenland influencing the Indian monsoon during an El Nino year. El Nino is a weather phenomenon caused when warm water from the western Pacific Ocean flows east. If the Pacific warms up, the precipitation shifts in that direction, weakening monsoon currents and causing below-normal rainfall in other parts of the world, including India.

The [drought-inducing] impact of El Nino nullifies over India if Greenland is warm. But a cold Greenland during an El Nino year will lead to severe drought, said Srivastava.

The team said this is the first radiocarbon dated continuous Holocene climate record from Indian higher Himalaya that reveals the basic ramp of natural variability of India monsoon during the last 8,000 years. Holocene is the current geological epoch that started when glaciers began to retreat from lower altitudes around 11,500 years ago.

Our findings are important for climate models that are being developed to predict monsoons especially in the era of climate change caused by anthropogenic [manmade] warming. It will also help in contextualising Indian history in the realm of this newly available Indian monsoonal record, said Dr Rajesh Agnihotri, co-author, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow.

Peat records from Kedarnath are important because the temple town, which lies in the northern extremity of the Indian summer monsoon, logs small fluctuations in the monsoon pattern.

If there is slight increase in monsoon, Kedarnath becomes wet, and the town becomes dry with a decrease in rainfall activity. This is in contrast to the Ganga plains where small variations in monsoon are not recorded because the plain is already humid, said Srivastava.

Researchers said the study finding is therefore significant because Kedarnath with its 8,000-year-old history of climate has helped in understanding past variability, past vegetation cover, glacial period, and interglacial Holocene period which co-relate with human evolution in India.

The US-based National Centres for Environmental Information describes glacial period as a time with large ice sheets  also called the ice age  while an interglacial timescale is one without large ice sheets. The earth is currently in the interglacial period called the Holocene.

Till date, most Indian summer monsoon records spanning the Holocene have used sediments from the Arabian Sea, cave deposits from peninsular India, lake sediments and peat sequences from central and north-western India. The Kedarnath peat, comprising more than 50% organic matter, contained pollen grains belonging to broad leaf trees and conifers.

The team found wet and dry climate records preserved in the peat  so 5,000 years to 6,000 years ago was the warmest. At 5,400 to 3,800 years ago, climate varied between extreme dry and extreme wet. This was the time when the Harappan (Indus) civilisation was facing adversaries of climate that may have led to significant change in style of subsistence, said Agnihotri.

These climate variations in India gave way to a higher monsoon phase, which researchers describe as the Vedic Age (2,900 to 3,700 years ago), followed by a dry phase, then another wet phase during the Gupta empire regarded as the golden age of Indian history (900 to 1400 AD). The Kedarnath peat also recorded a distinct colder phase that is globally called as Little Ice age (14th century to mid-19th century).

The ratio of these two plants was suggestive of varying climate. We inferred the climate was warmer if the proportion of broad leaf trees in the peat increased significantly. A rise in the conifers was representative of cold climate, said Srivastava. Broad leaf trees are not found in Kedarnath today, and hence the town was far warmer in the past. The studies on pollens were conducted by Dr Anju Saxena, BSIP.

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A 21-year-old youth from Kalyan was allegedly killed by his friend earlier this month. The accused, Gokul Pardeshi, 23, was arrested by the Kolshewadi police.

The police suspect that the youth, Mayur Dolse, was killed either over a money lending issue or some other personal matter. They said investigations were ongoing.

Dolse was a resident of Kolshewadi. He went out with his friend on November 8. When he did not return home, his family asked police to file a missing persons complaint.

On November 10, an unidentified body was found in Khadakapada, and an accidental death report (ADR) was lodged with the local police.

Police discovered that the body was Dolses, and handed it over to his family.On November 18, the family told us that their son was last seen with Pardeshi, and that the two had a fight. We questioned Pardeshi and found many loopholes in his story. We arrested him for murder, said an officer from Khadakpada police station, who did not wish to be identified.

We trying to find out more about Pardeshis motive for the murder. We are also questioning their friends and relatives, said an officer.

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Against the backdrop of increasing cases of construction debris being dumped illegally, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cracked the whip against the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) contractors in Masjid Bunder. The civic body has issued stop work notices to them, saying these will only be revoked once a debris management plan is submitted.

The BMC issued notices to 22 contractors for demolishing structures without a such a plan. One of the officials said they had sent a copy of the notice to MHADAs repair board.

We received complaints from residents, who told us debris were being dumped illegally in their vicinity. We have also imposed a penalty of Rs20,000 on one of the contractors for past cases of illegal debris dumping, said Uday Shirudkar, assistant municipal commissioner of B ward.

BMC officials said they realised that the housing body does not set any debris management guidelines for its contractors. MHADA, in the work order issued to its contractors, states that the removal of debris is solely the contractors responsibility.

A debris management plan involves acquiring permissions to dump garbage. Civic officials said most developers and contractors across the city illegally dump construction waste on open spaces, without proper permission from the concerned authorities.

Currently, more than 1,000 metric tonnes of construction debris are dumped at the citys three dumping grounds.

We agree that a debris management plan and its effective implementation is necessary. However, instead of issuing stop work notices, the BMC should have notified the repair board first. We will speak to our contractors, Sumant Bhange, chief officer, MHADAs Mumbai Repair Board told HT.

There are more than 1,400 buildings that need repairs in B ward. These repairs are undertaken by MHADAs Mumbai Repair and Reconstruction Board.
Of the 1.14 lakh cases of snake bites in India between April 1 and October 31, 24,437 were in Maharashtra, putting the state on top of the list compiled by the ministry of health and family welfare.

While West Bengal came a close second (23,666 cases), 10,735 cases were reported from Andhra Pradesh, 7,657 from Odisha, 7,619 from Karnataka, 6,976 from Uttar Pradesh, 4,567 from Tamil Nadu, and 4,079 from Telangana. The data showed 94,874 cases were reported from rural areas.

Maharashtra recorded 19,012 cases from rural areas and 5,425 cases from urban spaces. Nashik reported most incidents in the state (2,696), followed by Palghar (2,343), Thane (1,332) Raigad (1,216), Jalgaon (1,180) and Pune (1,081). Mumbai came last with 133 cases.

Experts blamed lack of lights, garbage management and awareness to deal with situations, said experts. We need to create awareness about how the incidents happen and how to tackle them. There is a need to avoid open defecation, sleeping on the floor, said Sunil Limaye, chief conservator of forest, Thane forest range. We also need to provide specialised training to all medical doctors, be it at primary medical centres, clinics and hospitals, regarding urgent steps to be taken.

Officials from the Maharashtra animal welfare board said they will inform the state government about the rising incidents and work with ministry of health to reduce the issue. The figures are alarming for Maharashtra. Awareness drives are already in progress at the local panchayat levels, but they will be expedited, said NG Jayasimha, member, Maharashtra animal welfare board. Snake bite deaths can be completely prevented. Open defecation is a major issue. Providing basic amenities such as solar lights and toilets in remote areas can help.

This is the first year the union health ministry collated country-wide data on snake-bite cases on the Health Management Information System (HMIS), said central government officials. Our intention is to increase reporting, said a senior official from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Guidelines were issued to all state governments to direct hospitals at the city, district and village levels to submit data on snake-bite emergencies. This will act as a database to identify locations where anti-snake venom can be provided to mitigate such cases faster.

There is more awareness and the presence of local clinics in rural districts in Maharashtra and West Bengal compared to other states that are able to deal with such cases, he said.

According to a Lancet study from October this year -- Snake-bite in India: a neglected disease of poverty -- in India, 49 000 people die of snake bites every year, although this figure is probably underestimated because most patients in rural India attend village healers, read the study. Doctors at primary health centres in India are replaced every 6-12 months and have poor knowledge on how to tackle them. Many victims die on the journey to big, city-based hospitals, the study said.

Doctors said snake bites need to be made a nationally notifiable disease such as AIDS, polio or malaria. To avoid panic situations, doctors also need to be well aware about the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, said Dr YK Gupta, head, department of pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and chief of National Poisons Information Centre.

He said there is a need for widespread availability of anti-snake venom in rural districts. Based on primary reporting of the issue, the central government along with states, need to map areas prone to snake bites cases and deaths. Once this is done, provide primary hospitals with a large stock of anti-snake venom, and this information needs to be shared to the most remote medical clinics for faster treatment and availability of medicines, said Dr Gupta.

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The roles of the four people arrested in connection with the bank heist in Sanpada are yet to be established, said the police.

Also, the ops have not been able recover much of the stolen valuables from the arrested accused so far. The arrests came a week after 30 lockers at the Bank of Barodas Sanpada branch in Navi Mumbai were looted by robbers who entered through a tunnel dug two shops away.

After recording statements of all the people who had lockers in the bank, the police have come to a conclusion that valuables worth Rs3.19 crore were stolen.

The police formed around 10 teams to investigate the case. Tushar Doshi, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said, The roles of only two arrested people in the crime have been partially established so far. The other two are still suspects.

He added, It was a disoriented crime and several people got involved in it. So even the main culprits may not be able to give details of all accomplices.

The police suspect that the culprits didnt know their accomplices real names and were only told their fake names for the heist. So even if the arrested people give us some names, that wont ensure that we will get the proper details of the absconding accused, Doshi added.

On Saturday, the police claimed to have recovered one car which was used in the crime. Sudhakar Pathare, deputy commissioner of police (zone I), said, Our teams are still looking for the culprits at different places around the country. We are analysing the evidence available, but many culprits are yet to be arrested.

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Thanks to callous authorities and a pending case, the Technology Street and Hiranandani Link road in Powai have been left without streetlights for months.

Vikram Venkataraman, a resident of Eldora Apartments, said, The roads pass through commercial buildings and are used by a large number of residents. Technology Street has been without lights for two months. A lot of miscreants loiter around in the area. My phone was stolen while I was on my morning walk, said Sudipta Mandal, a resident of Hillside Avenue.

Aarti Shukla, a resident of Hiranandani link road that connects Hiranandani to Vikhroli, said the street never had streetlights. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said the road is newly made and the work on streetlights is in progress.

When questioned about other streets, assistant municipal commissioner Santoshkumar Dhonde blamed Reliance Energy, the company that supplies power in the area.

Reliance officials found an illegal wire was attached to one of the electric poles and reported the matter to the police. This led to an altercation between locals and employees of Reliance Energy, said police, adding they cant tamper with evidence until the investigation is complete.

We will repair the streetlights on Technology Street in Powai as soon as we receive the courts permission, said a Reliance Energy spokesperson. .

The next hearing is on November 24, said Anil Pophale, senior inspector, Powai police station.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has asked the Indian ambassador in the Philippines to initiate steps to exhume the body of an unidentified Indian sailor found with a life jacket worn by the crew of cargo vessel MV Emerald Star, which sank five weeks ago.

As many as 26 Indians were on board the ship when it sunk on October 13.

While 16 were rescued, 10 could not be found, of which one is Virar resident Captain Rajesh Nair. The body of the Indian sailor was found at Banua, in Phillippines, on October 28, following which locals buried it.

I have asked Indian Ambassador in Manila that the body be exhumed and brought to Manila for identification by DNA. /4  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 18, 2017

The Phillipines coast guard informed Swaraj of the find.Since the body was decomposed, it was buried there, Swaraj said.

She added that she asked for the body to be exhumed and brought to Manila for identification through DNA testing. In a series of tweets, Swaraj added that operations to track the missing Indians were ongoing. We continued the search on nearby islands, she said.

Extensive search operations were launched by Japan and the Philippines after the ship capsized. The Indian Navy had also joined them.The ship was carrying minerals from Hong Kong to Indonesia when it sunk. It had reportedly send out distress signals to nearby vessels.

The Japanese coast guard had called off the search on October 16.

(With agency inputs)
The Amboli police on Sunday arrested three more college students in the Mumbai university Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) examination question paper leak case. This takes the number of people arrested in the case to 13. All of them have been sent to police custody for one more day.

The police arrested Mohammad Irfan Khatri, 22, a student and also an employee with an online portal. The other two students are Naved Khatik, 20, and Rajesh Dangi, 20, from Vasai.

A police officer said the trio is involved in illegal money transactions and forming a Whatsapp chain through which the paper was leaked to other students. The police are trying to recover the money that exchanged hands between these students and the agents. The Amboli police said they are also probing the possibility of an organised gang behind the paper leak. The police have seized the CPU of the college computer used to leak the paper, a DVR and 13 mobile phones.

The 10 accused arrested earlier are Kalpesh Bagul, 31, a computer technician who allegedly masterminded the crime. The rest are Deep Thakur, 21, Jeet Gandhi, 21, Deep Sanghvi, 20, Mitesh Parekh 21, Namit Kothari, 20, Pankaj Doshi 20, Abhishek Chandan 20, Sidharth Bhargav 21 and Abhishek Vora, 20.

The paper leak came to light on Thursday when the examination was on. One of the students had the papers copy on her Facebook messenger app stored in her smartphone, which she kept in her compass box. The examiner saw this and alerted college authorities. The student, who is a wanted accused in the case, said she received it through WhatsApp from Vora. She deleted the WhatsApp post after copying the paper on her Facebook messenger. More accused are wanted in the case.
The body of a 20-year-old man was found in the jungles of Garhi Sablu in Loni town of Ghaziabad on Sunday morning under highly mysterious circumstances with three bullet injuries to the body.

The man was identified as Pankaj Gurjar, a student of class 12. His family members said that he had gone out on November 17 after several police teams had come to his residence looking for him in connection with an incident of robbery.

The body was found in the jungles behind a primary school in Garhi Sablu, nearly 10-12 kilometres away from his residence in Jawli of Loni. The family members of the victim suspected that the young man was killed late Saturday night. His bike, with the keys in the ignition slot, was found on the outskirts of Jawli.

On November 16, police teams from Delhi and Ghaziabad had come to the house but he was not there. The police went back after telling the women who were present in the house that they will return. When Pankaj came back and was told of the police visit, he went out saying that he was going to meet the police. He also said that the police were mistaken as he had no connection or involvement in any case of robbery, said Uday Vir Singh, Gurjars uncle.

He said that Gurjar did not return home but they had a conversation with him around 7.30pm on Saturday.

During the call, he told me that the issue was sorted with the police and he was going to stay at a friends place. He had also operated his Facebook account around 8pm on Saturday but could not be contacted later. On Sunday morning, we rushed to the scene of the crime and saw that three bullets were fired in his back. It seems that he was also made to run before being shot there were traces of mud on his jeans near the knee area, Singh said.

His family also spoke to locals, who said that they had heard three shots being fired late Sunday night and the sound of someone running.

Gurjar was a student of class 12 at an inter college in Chirori. His family said that he was preparing for his examinations and had recently bought some books for studies.

We will soon lodge an FIR into the incident. We are getting a post-mortem examination of the body conducted after which we will perform the last rites, Singh said.

The Ghaziabad police said they have no leads on the murder case and they are investigating the incident.

A case of murder will be lodged. The young man suffered three bullet injuries to his abdomen. Delhi police had come to Ghaziabad and our teams went to his house in connection with a robbery case but he was not at home and we had returned, said Durgesh Kumar Singh, circle officer (Loni).

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Rejecting Canadas New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singhs allegations of torture of British national Jagtar Singh Johal, alias Jaggi, arrested for targeted killings in Punjab, the state police on Sunday said due process of law was followed at every stage, with the accused allowed access to his counsel and family members, and also a team from the UK high commission.

Not only police have sufficient evidence to prove the complicity of Johal in targeted killings, they have also ensured that there was no violation of his rights at any stage, a police spokesperson said here on Sunday, trashing allegations of a frame-up and torture.

Besides being allowed to talk to his family members after his arrest, Jaggi was produced before a judicial magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest as laid down under the Criminal Procedure Code, the spokesperson said.

The British high commission was informed about Johals arrest. His medical examination was also conducted as required under the procedure, said the spokesperson.

The British deputy high commissioner in Chandigarh was in touch with the Punjab director general of police, said the spokesperson, adding that the envoy did not question Johals arrest.

The spokesperson said there was a huge pile of evidence against Johal, who had been produced before the court several times and taken on police remand as per the courts orders, before he was sent on judicial remand to Faridkot jail on November 17.

Jaggis medical examination has also been conducted regularly since his arrest from Dakoha Fatak, Jalandhar, on November 4, said the spokesperson.

On November 15, Jagpreet Singh Chadha, a lawyer, met Johal and the next day a team of the UK high commission, comprising Margaret Partridge and Amit Kotecha met him, added the spokesperson.

Giving details of Johals involvement in conspiracy, coordination, funding and arranging of weapons for members of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) module busted in connection with targeted killings, the spokesperson said the accused came in contact with Gursharanbir Singh, also a British national based in Coventry, UK, who was involved in the killing of Rulda Singh, Punjab President of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat in July 2009.
After an online campaign seeking release of accused Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, a UK resident arrested in Jalandhar for the tageted killings in Punjab over the past two years, now comes another campaign. This one is directed against the police officers involved in busting of the alleged terror module.

Being run on Facebook and WhatsApp, the campaign liberally uses abuse and has various posts with death threats.

One such Facebook update posted from the page Fan Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara  dedicated to convict in the killing of the then chief minister Beant Singh in 1995  targets an inspector-rank officer, Jangjit Singh, who reportedly led the operation to arrest Johal on November 4. Even Family pictures of the inspector have also been shared in the post in which he has been accused of torturing Johal.

The police headquarters has written to Facebook for blocking such pages and accounts.

Sources said a DSP and SP have received threatening phonecalls from two Canada numbers, and the intelligence wing of the police has started a probe. Other cops have got such calls from the UK and Italy too.

On Twitter too, threat posts can been seen. One tweet reads, Everyone is having family and these police officials who have tortured Jaggi by giving shocks of electric wire on private parts, would have to reply one day. Kaum thuaton badla leke rahegi (The community will take revenge from you). As part of #freejagginow campaign earlier, social media groups have been alleging torture but a court in Moga on Friday refused a new medical test, saying that it had already been carried out.

A senior police officer, who did not ant to be named, said hate mail, phone calls and death threats have been received from various hardliner groups. Since this tantamounts to deterring police officers from doing their duty, we are looking at available legal remedies, he said.

A DGP-rank officer told HT, We are conducting a probe about persons running such pages. Not even a single one of them is from India, and all such hatemongers are functioning from Canada, Italy, UK and Germany. We are mulling the option of blacklisting these persons.

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SS Rajamouli is riding high on the success of Baahubali 2 but the director appears to have become a bit of a tease. As India waits for the talented director to announce his next, Rajamouli is happy dropping hints. He shared a photo on Saturday night which has left hearts racing. The photo has him with Jr NTR and Ram Charan Teja  with whom he has delivered hits in the past  posing on a couch with a wink emoji to go with it.

Is this just the three of them having fun? Is it the announcement of his next? Or is it Rajamouli just messing with us? Didnt we tell you he has become a tease? Also, there is no Prabhas in the picture and while we knew it was going to happen, we are still a bit heartbroken. The actor is busy with his next, Saaho, at present.

Speaking to Variety earlier, Rajamouli had said he will direct social drama for producer DVV Danayya. I dont know which language it is going to be in and who is going to be in the cast, yet, Rajamouli told Variety. I have committed to Danayya and that will be my next.

He had also said he will work with Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu in a yet-to-be-titled project for producer KL Narayana. The film is likely to roll in 2019.

Talking of Ram Charan and Jr NTR, they have both worked with Rajamouli in the past. While Ram Charan and Rajamouli came together in Magadheera, Jr NTR and the director collaborated in Student No 1. Rajamouli has been on a long break after Baahubali: The Conclusions massive success earlier this year.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Britain will submit its proposals on how to settle its financial obligations to the European Union before an EU Council meeting next month, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was told on Friday that there was more work to be done to unlock Brexit talks, as the European Union repeated an early December deadline for her to move on the divorce bill.

We will make our proposals to the European Union in time for the council, Hammond told the BBC.

Last week, 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 ($24 billion), about a third of what Brussels wants.
Catalonias secessionist push is nothing short of a disaster that the European Union will work to impede in support of a unified Spain, the European Commissions president said in comments published Sunday.

Spain is facing its worst national crisis in nearly four decades after Catalonias regional parliament violated the Spanish Constitution by voting to declare independence October 27. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy responded by firing its government, dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling a regional election for December 21.

Catalonia is an enormous concern, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told the Spanish newspaper El Pais. I dont like the situation it has provoked. It is a disaster in several ways. It has charged the political atmosphere, it has fractured Spanish and Catalan society, it has caused problems inside families, between friends. Its sad.

Juncker sent a message to Carles Puigdemont, the ex-Catalan president who fled to Belgium, that Catalan secessionists must not underestimate the wide support that Mariano Rajoy has throughout Europe.

The threat to shatter the EUs fifth-largest economy comes while the 28-nation bloc is handling its divorce with Britain and the impact it will have on the continents economy and fragile common political project.

I am in favour of a Europe of regions, of respecting their identity, of what makes them different, he said. But that does not mean that we are going to support these regions in all their adventures, which sometimes are a tremendous error, and even more so if one declares independence unilaterally based on a referendum that lacked in guarantees.

Puigdemont and Catalonias separatists claim a mandate for independence from a referendum on secession held against the will of Spanish authorities on Oct. 1. The ballot had been banned by Spains top court, was boycotted by parties opposed to independence, and failed to meet international standards. Less than half the electorate participated in the poll, which the separatists won in a landslide despite violent police raids. Spains government has defended the police response, saying it was proportionate to the aggression officers met.

The (Spanish) government and the (Catalan government) can argue about the degree of its self-rule, but Europe is a club of nations, and I cannot accept that regions go against the nations. Especially when they are outside the law, Juncker said.

Spains Constitution deems the nation indivisible.

Puigdemont and four former regional ministers are currently fugitives from Spain and facing extradition from Belgium after they fled to Brussels almost three weeks ago.

Polls forecast a tight race for the December vote between parties in favor of secession and those who want Catalonia to remain a part of Spain.

Juncker said that Catalonias election next month could, should improve the situation.
Prakash Dahal, the only son of Nepals former prime minister and senior Communist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, has died of a heart attack, the hospital where he was being treated announced on Sunday.

The Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu made the announcement during a news conference. The 36-year-old Dahal suffered a massive heart attack early on Sunday and was declared dead when he was brought to the hospital.

Prachanda, who was campaigning for upcoming elections at Jhapa in eastern Nepal for his CPN-Maoist Centre party, rushed back to Kathmandu.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and other political leaders met Prachanda and expressed their condolences.

The CPN-Maoist Centre decided to place Dahals body at the party headquarters so that people could pay their respect.

Dahal had been unwell for some time and had mild fever. He had been resting in his house for the past few days, media reports said.

His wife Bina is contesting elections from a constituency in the far west of Nepal. Prachanda is contesting elections from Chitwan district and has been extensively travelling across the country for the campaign.

Dahals sister Renu is the mayor of Chitwan. His elder sister had died of cancer some time ago.

A large number of people gathered outside the Norvic International Hospital as news of Dahals death spread.
Pakistani authorities today deferred by 24 hours the operation against protesters led by hardline clerics blocking two busy highways in the capital, as the earlier deadline for them to disperse peacefully or face a crackdown came to an end this morning.

About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) for about two weeks have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connect Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Pakistani activists of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group shout slogans on a blocked flyover bridge during a week long protest in Islamabad . (AFP)

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government has decided to give talks one last chance and convince the protesters to disperse peacefully instead of resorting to force.

The government is trying to deal with the situation. We will wait for the outcome of the talks with leaders of protesters, he said.

Iqbal said Senator Raja Zafarul Haq will head the negotiating team and expressed hope that he would succeed.

Hundreds of supporters of the TLYR have blocked the main road to Islamabad, threatening violence if Law Minister Zahid Hamid is not sacked.

Head of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group Khadim Hussain Rizvi (R), offers Friday prayers on a blocked flyover bridge. (AFP)

.

They blame the minister for changes to an electoral oath (Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of the Prophethood) 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 on Thursday after the National Assembly passed the amendment to the law.

Pakistans blasphemy law is a lightning rod for Islamists, especially since 2011 when the liberal governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was murdered by a bodyguard for questioning it. The law mandates the death penalty for insulting Islam or the Prophet Mohammad.

Activists from the religious group block a street during the protest. (AFP)

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 yesterday ordered the city administration to clear the roads and issued a 24-hour deadline for protesters to disperse. Hundreds of security personnel in riot gear were deployed to take action against the protesters.

Soldiers of Frontier Constabulary stand guard at barricaded road close to the site of sit-in protest at an intersection of Islamabad. (AP)

The protesters, however, refused to call off the demonstration and demanded that Law Minister Hamid be removed for allegedly orchestrating the changes in the electoral oath.

A spokesman for the Labaik party, Ejaz Ashrafi, said the group would not comply with the deputy commissioners ultimatum. Were not moving, he told Reuters by phone from the sit-in.
The contentious issue of Britain leaving the European Union was among key topics discussed between representatives of the Democratic Unionist Party, which is supporting the government of Prime Minister Theresa May, and senior Indian diplomats in Belfast.

DUP representatives Edwin Poots and Jonathan Buckley met acting Indian high commissioner Dinesh Patnaik over the weekend and sought Indias views on Brexit. Britain has been keen to forge a free trade agreement with India after losing access to the European market after Brexit.

The Indian high commissions focus has mostly been on England, Scotland and Wales, where the vast majority of the 1.5 million-strong Indian community is based in the United Kingdom.

For the first time, it held a community event in Northern Ireland, which is home to nearly 8,000 Indians, mostly employed in the National Health Service, Indian IT companies based there and universities. The region and its future is central to ongoing talks related to Brexit.

Unlike elsewhere in the country, there are no Indian-origin MPs or representatives in locally elected bodies in Northern Ireland.

High commission sources said its outreach in Northern Ireland included celebrations of 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in the Indian Community Centre in Belfast, a seminar on the life and teaching of the tenth Sikh guru and a photo-exhibition on Sikhism curated with support of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Patnaik spoke about Guru Gobind Singh's contribution in promoting national unity and equality, and the Panj Piaras who were chosen from different regions, different castes and different professions, and lauded the contribution of the small Indian community to Northern Ireland.

The event was attended by a large number of Indians based in Belfast and Londonderry, and included community leaders such as Diljit Rana, Indias consul-general, and Satyavir Singhal, chairman of the Indian Community Centre.

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The Pakistani government continued crunch talks with Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and other radical religious groups and requested the courts to extend a deadline for thousands of protestors to clear two busy highways in Islamabad that they have been blocking for over a week.

The newly formed group is holding the sit-in demanding the removal of law minister Zahid Hamid over a change in the country's electoral laws under which a Muslim candidate has to sign a declaration in which the finality of the Prophethood is affirmed. It was earlier proposed that certain sections of this law could be amended but this had led to an angry reaction from religious parties.

Supporters of Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, along with groups like Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan, have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connect the capital with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

A clash between police and protestors was averted as interior minister Ahsan Iqbal requested the courts to give them more time to disperse, in the hope of an amicable solution.

We hope that the crisis will be resolved. Several religious leaders have been involved in the process. We will try to finalise things by tomorrow, Iqbal said on Saturday night after holding the second round of talks.

The government was expected to go into action on Sunday after the Islamabad High Court gave a deadline to the protestors to end their blockage of one of the city's most important traffic intersections or face government action.

Iqbal appealed to the protest leaders to call off their sit-in, saying parliament had already addressed the issue by restoring the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration to its original shape and strengthened it further by also restoring 7b and 7c clauses in the elections law.

A statement issued by the interior ministry said that the issue of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat should not be used for doing politics and making division. He said the country could not afford division, tensions and lawlessness at this time. Creating hurdles in the movements of the general public is against the teaching of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), he further stated.

However, a spokesperson for the protest leaders told local media that they had not budged on their demand for removal of law minister Hamid. The government has shown some flexibility, but we will not end our sit-in unless the law minister is removed from his post, said Ijaz Ashrafi, the groups media adviser.

While the government is under pressure to end the siege of the protesters, it is also wary of the consequences of a police action which may result in casualties.

Already the government has blood on its hands in the Model Town incident where several supporters were killed by the police in a similar action some years back, recalled political analyst Ayaz Khan, adding, in these sensitive times, the government does not want a repeat of this situation.

To diffuse the situation, the government engaged some religious leaders, particularly the Pir of Islamabads Golra Sharif shrine for mediation, following which the two sides came to the negotiating table.

Speaking to the media after the second round of the negotiations which continued till midnight on Saturday, the interior minister said the Islamabad High Court had ordered clearing of the area and now pressure was mounting on the government to take some actions. However, we should avoid violence, he added.

He said there was no discussion on withdrawing first information reports against protesters in Saturdays talks. Iqbal said it was not proven that law minister Hamid was involved in changing the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration on the election form.

The Election Act was prepared in several months and it is not yet clear who was behind the changes, he added.

Local media reports said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been monitoring the situation.

On Friday and Saturday, Abbasi received briefings from the interior minister, religious affairs minister Sardar Yousaf and party secretary Raja Zafarul Haq over standoff between the government and the religious group after the latter refused to accept the order of the High Court to to end the sit-in.

The premier is in favour of giving one last try before adopting a decisive course of action, reported a local paper. That is why the government functionaries reached out to clerics from different schools of thought to persuade the protestors to end the sit-in, it added.
A defiant Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said that no decision of a court could weaken his relationship with the masses as Pakistans ousted prime minister kicked off the ruling PML-N partys campaign to seek public support in the wake of Panama Papers scandal, a media report said.

He said that four or five people cannot decide the fate of millions of people, referring to the bench that ruled against him in the Panama Papers case, the Express Tribune reported.

Sharif, 67, and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their ownership of properties in London in connection with the Panama Papers scandal.

He resigned as the prime minister in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him over undeclared income.

The support of the (large) number of people gathered here is a proof that no decision of the court could separate me and them, he said while addressing a rally in Abbottabad.

The people expressed the same support for him in the 2013 general elections, he said.

If someone thinks I will be defeated, then they are wrong. I am not the one who is going to be defeated here. Sit- ins were staged as soon as I assumed responsibilities as the premier. However, we continually worked on development projects, Sharif said.

Then, he said, the Panama (Papers) drama was staged.

If I were a dictator, I would have disintegrated from you and left. I promise to never leave you and I hope that the people supporting me would continue to do so, he said.

Sharif and four of his family members can soon be barred from leaving Pakistan in connection with the Panama Papers case as the anti-graft watchdog has initiated a process to place their names on the Exit Control List.

Three cases were registered by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 8 against Sharif, his children and son-in-law in the Accountability Court Islamabad, following the July verdict by the Supreme Court.

The NAB Lahore office on Friday initiated the process to place the names of Sharif, his sons Hussain and Hassan, daughter Maryam and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar on Exit Control List (ECL).

An accountability court had earlier declared Hussain and Hassan proclaimed offenders for skipping court proceedings in connection with the case.

Sharifs family has been shuttling between Islamabad and London in recent days due to his wife Kulsoom, who is battling throat cancer.

The three cases against the Sharifs are related to the Flagship Investment Ltd, the Avenfield (London) properties and Jeddah-based Al-Azizia Company and Hill Metal Establishment.

The political future of Sharif, who leads the countrys most powerful political family and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, has been hanging in balance since his disqualification. If convicted, Sharif could be jailed.

Sharifs family alleges that the cases are politically motivated.
Sri Lankan troops patrolled a coastal town Sunday where nearly 90 homes were damaged and cars set alight in violence between the islands Sinhalese and Muslim communities.

A brawl over a traffic accident on Gintota, about 110 kilometres (68 miles) south of the capital Colombo, on Thursday descended into clashes between mobs from the majority Sinhalese and minority Muslim minorities.

The army and navy were deployed to reinforce local police as the situation spiralled over the weekend with at least five people hospitalised and close to 90 buildings damaged in the rioting.

The town remained tense and under lockdown throughout Saturday evening, but at dawn a curfew imposed on previous days was lifted.

We have called for a complete report about damages and all the victims will be compensated by the state, Home Minister Vajira Abeywardena told reporters.

Security forces and police would remain in place until law and order had been restored, he added.

Muslims account for about 10 percent of Sri Lankas 21 million people, the second-largest minority group after Tamils.

Sinhalese -- a largely-Buddhist ethnic group -- make up more than 70 percent of the population.

Police said 19 people have been arrested in connection with the weekend riots and the authorities were looking for more suspects.

In June 2014, there were religious riots between the majority Buddhists and minority Muslim leaving four dead and many injured.

That violence was instigated by a Buddhist extremist group whose leaders are on trial accused of spurring religious conflict.
Located on the western coast of Norway, and known to many as the energy and oil capital of Europe, Stavanger has slowly been gaining recognition globally for the cities art and culture and is now considered one of the worlds leading destinations for street art by fans and enthusiasts.

Stavanger's NuArt Street Art Festival



Each year the annual NuArt festival invites a selection of international and national street artists and muralists to create artworks in Stavanger, both outdoors on the streets and indoors in the form of a large-scale exhibition at the Tou Scene space, a former beer brewery now used as a multi-functional space for Contemporary Arts.



With the festival organisers attempting to locate new walls for each edition of the festival, a large number of works from previous NuArt editions can still be seen around the city. Some are weathered by the coastal climate, and others still looked surprisingly fresh considering their age.



Works from as far back as 2008 are located right across Stavanger - from the city centre to the Harbour and further afield there is plenty of quality Stavanger Street Art to be discovered.



Download a copy of the Stavanger street art map at the bottom of this post, before you set off either by foot or bike should you want to cover more ground.









The Nuart festival traditionally takes place around the last week of August / first week of September  we suggest checking the









LA-based artists Dabs and Myla's mural is located in Stavanger city centre.



Stavanger City Centre Street Art

 We suggest following the map on foot as it will allow you to explore some of the historic parts of Stavanger while also seeking out street art.The Nuart festival traditionally takes place around the last week of August / first week of September  we suggest checking the NuArt festival website if you want to plan your city visit during the festival.LA-based artists Dabs and Myla's mural is located in Stavanger city centre.





The port is also the jump of point for cruises to the spectacular Lysefjord and Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) which are just an hours boat trip away from the city.



Walking around this part of the city you will find street artworks by street artists



A short stroll from the main shopping streets and you will find yourself at the equally colourful Stavanger Harbour. As the 3rd largest Norwegian cruise port it's not uncommon to see supersized cruise ships docked right in the heart of the city.The port is also the jump of point for cruises to the spectacular Lysefjord and Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) which are just an hours boat trip away from the city.Walking around this part of the city you will find street artworks by street artists DalEast , Futura, Faith47 , Nick Walker, Ampparito, Jaune , Martin Watson and Sandra Chevalier.

Street Art at the Tou Scene Space



This coastal city with its 18th and 19th-century wooden houses seems an unlikely location as a leading destination for street art, but this city host works from some of the leading practitioners of the street art movement.The explosion of street art across the city is for the most part a result of the annual NuArt Festival. Founded by Martyn Reed in the early 2000s, the festival started life as a sister festival to the NuMusic electronic festival also run by Reed.The Stavanger NuMusic festival ran for 15 years with NuArt running alongside the music festival until 2015 when Reed shifted his focus to other projects, launching a gallery in Stavanger and a second sister edition of the NuArt Festival in Aberdeen, Scotland in 2017.Our first visit to Stavanger and the NuArt Festival was back in 2014 and we were delighted to re-visit the city again this year during the most recent edition of the festival - invited back on this occasion by Visit Norway and Region Stavanger to explore the cities street art and take in some of the countries breathtaking nature, culture and gastronomy.One of the supersized cruise ships docked in the Stavanger harbour.The work of South African street artist Faith47 , painted in Stavanger for the 2013 edition of the NuArt Festival. Isaac Cordal  The Belgian-based Spanish artist's work can be found right across Stavanger. The small sculptural works are often installed high above eye level so be sure to look up when walking around the city.This large blue whale is one of two large street art mural works in Stavanger painted by Belgian street artist ROA who visited the city in 2013.Icy & Sot in Stavanger, Norway. 2017The work of German duo Herakut in Stavanger, Norway. 2017meaning hooligan is a pseudonymous Norwegian street artist based in Stavanger. This lifesize stencil work was sprayed back in 2010 with fellow Norwegian artist strem who we believe painted the pieces' letters is starting to slowly fade as the elements whether the paint on this piece.Polish duo ETAM Crew painted this large-scale mural titled The first day of school back in 2014 and is still looking fresh.
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When about-to-be parents rush to the hospital for delivery full of the joy and terror, there is almost never the thought that when they leave their newborn will not be with them. They're unprepared for the heartbreak of an empty lap.

But an infant born too sick or too soon to go home may remain behind in the neonatal intensive care unit for a few days or for months on end. This week, for example, Kamryn Ruth Abbott celebrated her third month of life at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center's NICU. She had been there since July 17 when her mom, Lisa Abbott's, blood pressure was so high she was told she must deliver that day - nearly four months early.

Kamryn was born by Caesarian section weighing 1 pound, 5.8 ounces, so tiny she could fit easily into cupped hands. Four days later, Lisa left without her new daughter to go home in Katy where her other five young children were waiting. For months she has been torn between needing to care for the children in front of her and the one miles away.

For the past three months she and her husband, Kevin, have gone to the hospital whenever they could but they have also kept watch over Kamryn through a new piece of technology that lets them view their baby in real time any hour day or night from their phone or computer screen.

The system is called NicView and features a sci-fi looking camera that dangles over each individual baby's incubator for live-streaming access. Unlike other webcams that keep tabs on nannies or preschool classes or even pets in doggie day care, these cameras are specific to each individual baby rather than offering a wide view of a room.

Kevin Hart, a NICU nurse and director of the Kate Lindig Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatrics at Children's Memorial Hermann-Memorial City, saw a demonstration a few years ago at a medical conference and was intrigued by the idea. He had witnessed the empty lap syndrome far too many times and saw the incredible stress it puts on families.

It was an idea he couldn't let go.

Using about $40,000 in foundation money, his unit installed 25 cameras that cost roughly $1,200 apiece plus the cost of the server. It was the first of its kind in Houston, launching a year ago with results that have surprised everyone.

Last month alone there were 6,817 log-ins from as far away as India, Korea and Nigeria. So far in October the views have come from across 20 states, said Candice Triulzi, a nurse and clinical manager at the unit.

The account is secured for privacy and parents are given a free access code they can share with grandparents or anyone else they want to sneak a peek.

For the Abbotts, their daughter's birth was already frightening enough but made worse because 11 years ago, during Lisa's first pregnancy, the couple's baby was stillborn.

It was the only other time she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a potentially fatal condition.

Last summer it all came rushing back when her blood pressure spiked and the baby's heart began to drop.

"It's just too early," she thought over and over. "I was scared she wasn't going to make it."

After the delivery she was too groggy to really see her tiny daughter. The first real look came from a live stream through her husband's phone.

"To see her on the camera was huge. She was really there. She was breathing. She was really a baby," Lisa said.

The rest of the family could watch her as well, growing ounce by ounce as the weeks turned into months. By now she has filled out to become a tiny bundle swaddled tightly in a hospital blanket, squeaking occasionally, to all the world looking like any other newborn.

Kevin's mother in South Carolina leaves the live feed on so she can peek at her granddaughter whenever she passes her computer. Kevin sometimes logs on in between the math classes he teaches at the University of Houston. Lisa checks her phone as she waits to pick up her other kids at school or as she pumps breast milk for her child.

Eight weeks ago as Hurricane Harvey was bearing down on Houston the couple faced a difficult choice. One of them could camp out at the hospital for the duration or they could stay connected through the live stream. They weren't sure if they would have to evacuate from their Katy neighborhood and worried for their other children, ages 5 to 10.

Their home was spared, but they were unable to get to the hospital for four or five days. Their only connection was the camera on their daughter's incubator. At the time, Kamryn's health had hit a rough patch. Her blood sugar was low and she had kidney problems. Doctors had found a heart problem, too, though it ultimately healed itself.

"You can talk to the nurse on the phone and they can give you all the vitals, all the numbers, but to look at her is different. Is she fidgety? Does she seem content? It gives you peace of mind that she is OK," said Lisa.

These days Kamryn weighs 4 pounds, 12 ounces and the couple hopes she has grown strong enough they can take her home soon, perhaps before Lisa's official Oct. 27 due date.

They won't be the only ones celebrating.

"My favorite moment," said Triuizi, the clinical manager, "is when the parents strap them into their car seats and they drive away."
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Virginia Rosas, 50, admired the table's construction paper place mats before setting down her plate of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce. Taking her daughter and granddaughter's hands, she bowed her head in prayer.

"Thank you Lord for the food, and for our family," she said, gripping her daughter's hand a little tighter when she uttered "Amen."

For the first time in many years, Rosas will not host her family's Thanksgiving feast. She, like many other Dickinson and greater Houston-area residents, lost her four walls to the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey.

Her daughter, Elvira Rodriguez, 32, will take over the duties this Thursday, though space and resources are limited.

To make do, Rodriguez took her mother and daughter out to the annual Dickinson community Thanksgiving feast Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post 6378. Started in 1999 with help from the Dickinson Police Department, the Thanksgiving tradition took on a new meaning this year with several community members still recovering from the historic storm's damages. This year, hundreds of volunteers served a record 657 plates.

"It's a sign that life goes on," said Terri Harles, 64, daughter of former police chaplain Nelda Harles, who fell ill during the storm and passed away on Sept. 24 at age 83.

Minutes before the doors opened to a line of guests wrapping around the building at 11 a.m., Harles received a plaque in honor of her mother. This marked the first year Nelda was unable to assist with the festivities' preparations.

"She's still here though, flying around, smiling," Terri said, tears in her eyes.

Her hands traced the handmade placemat in front of her, decorated by local schoolchildren like all the rest adorning the long tables. Most displayed colorful hand-shaped turkeys. Some bore the message "Happy Thanksgiving" or "Happy Fall." One had "I love you" written inside a big heart. For years, Nelda collected them, storing them away as keepsakes from the community tradition.

A few seats away, Tomasita Mack, 58, swatted her grandson's hand to prevent any food from falling on the placemat under his plate. She then patted his head. She almost lost him in August.

Mack, a Dickinson ISD bus driver, recalls wading through the waters near Highway 3 on her way to rescue her seven grandchildren from their flooded home. As the journey became more perilous, a familiar voice cried out in the pouring rain.

"Mrs. Tomi," Rodriguez yelled out.

Rodriguez, a fellow bus driver, had just left her brother's side at the hospitals' intensive care unit to rescue dogs from her house in case the waters rose too high. On her way over, she spotted her co-worker in the water and assisted her in navigating the children out of the flooded house, using wooden logs as flotation devices.

After the ordeal, Rodriguez figured she wouldn't see Mack and her family again for a while.

Yet on Saturday, as Rodriguez, her mother and daughter were dining in the VFW post, they spotted Mack sitting at the table across from them.

The two families exchanged tearful hugs as they cleaned up their seats and headed out into the sunshine, passing a growing line of neighbors awaiting their turn at the turkey.
Forty LGBTQ and HIV-positive Houstonians were given $10,000 vouchers to roam through a furniture chain's warehouse Saturday, where a selection of sofas, dining room sets, lamps, decorations, rugs and mattresses had been curated for them as potential replacements for items lost to Harvey's floodwaters.

Luxury furniture outlet Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams donated $350,000 of high-end furniture to families at the Montrose Center gravely affected by Hurricane Harvey.

"These people lost everything they owned and were under-insured, and now they don't have simple comforts like a sofa or table," said store spokesperson Nikki Martin. "It's not enough to furnish every room, but it will at least get them the basics that they need."

Williams, who is from Texas, and Gold reached out in September to connect with families who lost everything during Harvey.

"We're already talking about a significantly more vulnerable population," said Kent Loftin, chief development officer for the Montrose Center. "We're under-insured; we don't have traditional families; we have the highest rates of homeless youth and seniors living in isolation."

During Harvey, the Montrose Center provided shelter and supplies for myriad people, many of whom are transgender or HIV-positive and came for treatment and safety they couldn't get at other shelters, said Loftin. The need for resources for LGBT groups led the Montrose Center to create an LGBTQ relief fund, which since Harvey has provided help to more than 800 individuals, including the families at Saturday's event.

For Maurita Mateo, 29, and her husband Kelvin Williams, 54 - both HIV-positive - the event offered an opportunity to pick out new furniture for the first time in eight years, helping them start fresh after they and their two daughters lost everything in their old apartment during Harvey, they said.

The couple, like many others at the giveaway, took time to plan out what they wanted for their apartment, coordinating furniture colors and decorations. Though they didn't snag the sofa they wanted, they left Saturday with a dining room set, a mattress and some chairs all set to be delivered to their home in the next few days.

"It's going to be beautiful and comfortable," said Mateo.

Judy Woods, 70, lost nearly everything in her home to Harvey and is still staying with friends while damages are repaired. With nowhere to deliver the furniture she selected Saturday, Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams agreed to ship hers once her house is finished being renovated.

Woods, a lesbian and advocate for LGBT seniors, said she was surprised that she actually got to coordinate the items she wanted and looks forward to changing up the appearance of her home. She's already looking in resale shops to get more furniture in her new style on the cheap.

"I went modern and changed my look. I'm really excited about it, said Woods. "It's been such a dark time and so many days are not good, but this was a really good day."
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Armando Aviles Jr. fondly recalls the soothing sounds of "coquis" or frogs during the summers he spent as a boy in Puerto Rico. The memory of those sounds was a call to arms for the Harris County Sheriff's deputy after Hurricane Maria devastated his native island.

Just weeks earlier, the deputy with the Harris County Sheriff's Office had rescued flooded victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. "They needed help, (and) I could get to them," said Aviles, who felt fortunate to only suffer some minor damage at the home he shares with his wife and five stepchildren.

When Maria hit, he said: "My family needed help, and I couldn't get to them."

Aviles' cousins and grandparents live in Aguas Buenas, but he had no way of immediately getting to the mountain town thousands of miles away. Worry paralyzed the deputy as he sat at home trying to figure out a way to help his isolated relatives.

"I'm not rich," he said. "I don't have the hook up with big organizations. I can't call somebody and say, 'Hey give me a plane.' "

Aviles grew up in New Jersey but spent summers in Puerto Rico, where he was born. He couldn't stop thinking about his family running out of food and living without electricity and water.

The 35-year-old deputy decided to hold a two-day relief drive at Kroger on Highway 6 in northwest Houston, an area he now patrols. He's worked six years for the sheriff's office.

As Aviles started putting plans into place, he asked the area Kroger manager if he could use the store to keep donations and hold the drive.

The manager broke down in tears, confiding to Aviles that she, too, was Puerto Rican.

The plan started to come together.

Aviles spread the word on social media. He also partnered with another deputy who is an executive for United Sikhs, an organization that has been active in hurricane relief.

In a moment of panic, he remembers asking his wife, "What if nobody shows up?"

Instead, he watched Puerto Ricans from across Houston flood the store to donate whatever they could.

"All these Puerto Ricans came out from different backgrounds, different jobs, even Puerto Ricans who didn't have any money. Puerto Ricans who are unemployed, children," Aviles said. "They came out and wanted to help."

Aviles managed to fill four 18-wheelers with supplies to send to Puerto Rico. They were sent to a warehouse in Miami and are scheduled to arrive by plane in Puerto Rico by early December. However, the deputy still doesn't feel like efforts are enough. He's heard stories of Puerto Ricans burying loved ones in backyards and tales of hospitals with no electricity.

He hears about islanders with diabetes who have run out of insulin.

Plans swim around in the head of Aviles, who set up a GoFundMe to help raise more money for supplies.

He's also searching for families from Puerto Rico who relocated to Houston in the wake of Maria and are in need of food for Thanksgiving. He dreams of holding a local Christmas toy drive for Puerto Rican children.

He wrestles with the reality that there's always more he could do. "You know, you can't get to everybody, as bad as you want to," he said.
Fair warning. You will disagree with some aspect of this column. If you don't, I'm not doing my job.

I toil in the gray, the nuance, the squishy middle of tough issues that make some people break out in hives.

But after weeks of watching a painful procession of sexual harassment allegations crash the news pages like a freeway pileup, I'm worried the conversation - the outrage and the pushback - is becoming too black and white.

The obvious truth is that there are some monsters out there, some men who for too long have used their power and influence to abuse women sexually. The fact that women were afraid to come forward with accusations against film producer Harvey Weinstein was a tragedy, and the fact that they somehow found the courage to speak out, and in doing so opened the floodgates for multitudes of other women to share their stories about Weinstein and others, is profound progress.

So, too, is the fact that alleged victims feel empowered to call out some of the most well-regarded celebrities and politicians in the country for a range of sexual indiscretions - from pinching rears, to exhibitionist masturbating, to propositioning minors for sex.

Even average women have found a voice to speak out about through the #metoo hashtag.

All of this has the potential to be as healing and as constructive as it is painful and stunning.

But here is some gray.

The other night, a dear friend who is about as gentle and sensitive in his demeanor as any man I've ever met, sent me a text that read:

"Is there any man in America that has not harassed women? Al Franken, for God's sake. I hope there is no woman ever in my life that could accuse me of such behavior  ever," he wrote. "It must be tough to be a woman out there in the world."

Part of me was glad for his recognition that it's tough to be a woman, especially since he's got a teen daughter who will soon be headed off to college. But part of me was sad to see him doing what other men I know are doing these days: questioning their perceptions of right and wrong and scouring past experiences with women for anything that might border on inappropriate.

To some degree, this self-assessment is healthy, for anybody, even the good guys. The risk, though, is creating a hostile environment, an insecurity among men that erodes trust, communication and some of the progress we've made toward equity with women. The risk is generalizing or demonizing men, and responding to the string of allegations, big and small, with false equivalences.

This conversation shouldn't be so toxic that it taints the act of simply asking a woman out.

The proper context

In looking at these cases, we need to ask a few questions: Is there a pattern, an element of control as in a superior propositioning an employee, or did the incident involve children or threats or a cover-up? I'm not urging triage so much as context.

Rape is not the same as a forced kiss. A U.S. Senate candidate and former state supreme court justice propositioning minor girls is not the same as a former president pinching rears. None are OK. All should be discussed and addressed as the victims see fit. But they should not be lumped together.

In the past week, I've seen men remain mum in groups where women are discussing harassment. I saw one shot down and criticized when he tried to do so. This is not healthy and it is not productive. Like race, sexual harassment is an uncomfortable topic that requires people to listen to each other's experiences. It's how we learn. We will get nowhere excluding men or dismissing their honest questions and concerns.

Yes, there are plenty of men in America who have not harassed women. There are plenty of men who respect the word no, who wield power responsibly, and who teach their sons to do the same.

At the same time, I don't believe we should teach our daughters that this is merely a man's problem, and that women have no power in solving it, or in mitigating risk. In the past week, I've had passionate debates with women on this point, including a close friend who is the mother of two young boys.

She seemed to feel that even talking to my daughters about responsible behavior around men would somehow leave them with the impression that women are to blame if they're assaulted. Of course, I'll be careful to avoid sending that message.

Knowing the dangers

But to me, teaching a girl to watch out for herself at a party, or in the work place, is akin to teaching a teenager defensive driving. No one would blame the teen for being hit by a drunken driver, but that doesn't mean we can't encourage our children to be on the lookout for swerving cars or to be extra vigilant, waiting a few extra seconds at intersections, while driving at night.

I don't begrudge those who want to join fraternities and sororities, but by the time my daughters hit college, they will be keenly aware of rape culture and how to spot an organization that promotes it. They will know the dangers of alcohol and the importance of the buddy system.

They will know how to say the word no, clearly and firmly - a skill they already practice daily on me.

That word has little power over a sexual predator, but it can help avoid misunderstandings with other men.

Still, there is only so much that women and girls can do to protect themselves. The rest has to come from men, from those who raise them, and from society as a whole.

That includes organizations that must establish policies on harassment and recourse for victims. That includes governments and political parties that must stop protecting serial harassers and pedophiles. That includes bystanders who must stop looking the other way and start supporting the victim.

And yes, it includes uncomfortable conversations where both men and women are welcome. And so is the gray.
AUSTIN - Republicans are beginning to worry that a "blue wave" of Democratic voters angry with the Trump administration could crash into the 2018 election, even in the deep red state of Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott's top campaign adviser and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are both sounding the alarm: Texas Republicans would be remiss to ignore sweeping Democratic victories on Election Day in Virginia. On Friday, The Cook Political Report, an independent nonpartisan election newsletter, weighed in, declaring Republican Congressman John Culberson's Houston district a toss up.

Although some GOP leaders in Texas are warning that Republicans could feel the weight of a grass-roots surge by Democrats outraged by the Trump administration, many political analysts and operatives here say Republicans here have little to worry about.

"Even if the election becomes a tidal wave, Texas will remain solidly red," said Mark McKinnon, a former media adviser to former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, both Republicans.

But McKinnon thinks it's smart politics for Abbott and Patrick to warn of a wave. "It helps raise money. And if it doesn't happen, nothing wrong with running up the score," he said.

Virginia Democrats smoked Republicans for the state's highest offices on Nov. 7, winning races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general by more than 5 percentage points each. Democrats also gained 14 seats in its House of Delegates, which included replacing one of the state's staunch social conservatives with a transgender woman. After recounts conclude next week, Democrats could have wrested control of the chamber, which few thought possible before Election Day.

Much closer to Texas, a 26-year-old lesbian Democrat pulled off a special election surprise in Oklahoma, beating the Republican candidate for a key state Senate seat last week in a district Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential race by almost 40 points.

GOP adviser's memo

Consternation about the recent election results soon made its way into an internal memo from Abbott's top campaign adviser who warned the Republican governor's aides that the Virginia election should be a "wake-up call" to the Texas GOP, although Democrats haven't won statewide office since 1994.

"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. However, that would be a huge mistake," adviser Dave Carney wrote in a memo obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

Culberson, a Republican whose wealthy west Harris County district went for Hillary Clinton in 2016, is in the cross hairs of Democrats, who see an opportunity to flip the long-held Republican district President George H.W. Bush once represented.

Seven eager Democrats have entered the race and have raised about $1.9 million among them to vie for it, although one of them will first have to emerge from the primary race before they can set their sights on the general election. With nonprofit executive Alex Triantaphyllis leading in fundraising, the high-powered field includes a lawyer, a Democratic activist, an MD Anderson research doctor, an assistant city attorney, an educator and a UT health sciences administrator.

"Almost every election that is not a presidential cycle is bad for the party in power," said McKinnon, who was chief media advisor to five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns. "So any district that is even marginally close, could be in play including, and especially Culberson's."

Texas Democrats have yet to field viable candidates against the state's top officials. While Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso is pushing to oust Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz at the top of the ticket, all of Abbott's Democratic challengers to date are little-known. A Democrat who ran and lost in a bid for comptroller in 2014 is running against Patrick for lieutenant governor, and an Austin lawyer with no name recognition announced last week that he would run against Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Candidates have until Dec. 11 to file to run for office, giving Democrats three weeks to find a credible challenger to run against Abbott, who demolished state Sen. Wendy Davis by 19 points in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

Virginia is different

Pointing to the major Democratic wins in Virginia earlier this month, Patrick told party members in Waco on Thursday that they have a challenging election year ahead and the GOP should take nothing for granted. The Houston tea party favorite is considered a shoo-in for re-election.

"Recently in Virginia, Republicans turned out in record numbers, but it made no difference. A blue wave prevailed," Patrick said, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald. The paper said Patrick went on to ask Republicans to each get at least 10 voters to the polls, and said Democrats are "howling" about Trump and are now "coming after us."

Texas' politics are different from Virginia's, said Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, a politics professor who studies political behavior and teaches at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Virginia is a swing state and moderate, far from Texas as a Republican stronghold with several conservatives at the helm.

Patrick's not actually worried, she added. It's a strategy.

"I would tell Dan Patrick to say the same thing," she said. "It's number one in politics: always run scared and never feel safe, even if you're Dan Patrick. That's textbook. I wouldn't expect him to say anything else."

While Texas remained solidly Republican in the 2016 election, several areas showed signs the state could one day turn purple: Democrats had their best showing here in 20 years when Trump won the state by a single digit of 9 points while urban enclaves like Houston and Dallas remained blue.

Hard work ahead for Dems

Voters under 45 years old, women and people of color are turning against the Republican Party, said John Weaver, who has consulted for candidates on both sides of the aisle, including George H.W. Bush and most recently former presidential contender Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "It's a simple math equation. There's only so much you can stretch out a party based on old white guys. That unwillingness to change your tone and have policies that are more inclusive will eventually catch up with Republicans here in Texas, whether that is in '18, or '20 or '22, I don't know. But it's coming."

Case in point: Instead of focusing on education, health care and infrastructure, leaders in Texas and Washington are "playing small ball by doing bathroom bills and all kinds of crap like that, and I think people are getting fed up with it," he said, referencing a Texas bill that would have required transgender people to use the bathroom of their birth gender.

Glenn Smith, one of the key operatives who helped deliver the late Democratic Gov. Ann Richards to the governor's mansion, sees hope for Democrats after watching the "blue wave" of voters in the Virginia elections but adds it will take a lot of work.

If Texas Democrats want to make gains like Virginia did, the party needs to be well-funded and organized, he said. The best opportunities for Democrats are in the big counties, like Harris and Dallas, he said, which Clinton won in 2016 by 12 points and 26 points, respectively. Democrats could make bigger gains in Tarrant County, which Trump won by 8 points, and needs to organize better in Bexar County, which Clinton won by 14 points, he added. Clinton won Travis County by 38 points.

"I don't like saying, 'Yeah, a blue wave's coming, everybody just surf it,' because that's not what you get to do. You've got to make the waves," Smith said.
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PARIS - Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Saturday he will return home in the coming days from where he will declare a political stance for the first time since making a strange resignation announcement from Saudi Arabia that unleashed fears of a crisis in Lebanon.

Hariri and his family met Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who invited the Lebanese leader to Paris to dispel fears that he was being held in Saudi Arabia against his will. Macron is seeking to calm tensions and avert a proxy conflict between Saudi-backed and Iranian-backed camps in Lebanon.

Hariri's appearance in Paris - looking relaxed and posing with his wife and older son on the steps of the Elysee Palace with the French presidential couple in front of a large crowd of journalists - contrasted with his limited-access, carefully choreographed appearances from Saudi Arabia.

'Pure friendship'

Hariri told Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Saturday that he will take part in Independence Day celebrations in Beirut on Wednesday, according to Macron's office.

After his meeting with Macron, Hariri told reporters: "God willing, I will attend Independence Day in Lebanon and will declare my political stance from Lebanon and after meeting President Michel Aoun."

"As you know, I have resigned, and we will talk about this matter in Lebanon," Hariri said after thanking Macron, who he added "expressed pure friendship toward me that I will never forget."

The independence day ceremony is usually headed by the president, prime minister and parliament speaker, and Hariri's presence could help calm uncertainties that have escalated since his strange and surprising resignation announcement on Nov. 4 from Saudi Arabia.

However, Hariri's political status is murky. Lebanon's president refused to accept Hariri's resignation, accusing the Saudis of holding him against his will.

Raised fears

Before leaving Riyadh, Hariri dismissed as "rumors" reports about his alleged detention in the kingdom.

In his televised resignation announcement, Hariri cited Iran and Hezbollah for meddling in Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. He also said he was afraid for his life.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday asked its citizens for the second time in less than two weeks to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible" given the "circumstances" there. That raised fears of more punitive actions to come.

The French presidential official said it is essential that Lebanon be protected from "negative" foreign influences because the country needs stability and a strong state.

The Arab League is due to hold a meeting on Sunday in Cairo at Saudi Arabia's urging where the Lebanon crisis and Iran's role in the region are expected to be discussed.
When Daniel Yergin speaks, Houston would be wise to listen.

The vice chairman of the research firm IHS Markit and all-around guru of oil and gas won a Pulitzer for his book documenting the history of petroleum - "The Prize." Now he has a prediction about the future.

By 2040, the fossil fuel industry will lose its tight grip on the transportation industry.

Houston must start preparing now for a coming seismic shift in economic trends.

"This will be the biggest change in the auto ecosystem since the beginning of the 20th century," Yergin said ("Oil may lose auto market by 2040," Page A1, Tuesday).

Ride sharing, electric cars and new efficiency standards will cause global oil demand to plateau.

Today Houston sits at a nexus of energy trade. But what happens when the definition of energy shifts from oil and gas to batteries and renewables? The same thing that happens to any business when people stop buying their products. The change won't occur overnight, but a hazy vision of our energy destiny is coming into focus.

In this week alone:

Tesla released an all-electric big rig truck - the Tesla semi. Walmart has already placed 15 preorders even though production isn't slated to begin until 2019.

The Norwegian Central Bank recommended that the nation's $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund divest all holdings in international petroleum companies.

"It's very significant symbolically because it sends a signal that even the people who make money from oil and gas are coming up with divestment plans," Michael Webber, deputy director of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, told the New York Times. "The Norwegian view is that oil has had a good run and will have a good run for a couple of decades but it's not the only future that is out there."

The United Nations concluded its climate conference in Bonn, Germany, where every nation on the globe except the United States affirmed support for the Paris accord.

With each passing day, private companies and national governments are all moving closer to a future where Houston's role in the world becomes an afterthought. The year 2040 may seem far off in the distance, but soon enough we're going to pass a turning point that our city won't be able to ignore. And like any big change, things will happen slowly, then all at once.

In "The Prize," Yergin points to the moment when Winston Churchill transitioned the British navy from coal to oil as the tipping point in humanity's reliance on petroleum.

"Mastery itself was the prize of the venture," Churchill said, referencing all the strategic benefits of an oil-based navy.

It isn't hard to imagine some command-and-control structure, like the Chinese government or Wal-Mart management, one day deciding to untether itself from the entangling global ties of our oil and gas economy and totally embrace a new model of electric vehicles and renewable power.

If Houston wants to survive and thrive beyond 2040, we must start carving for ourselves an economic niche that doesn't rely on an oil boom. The city will have to invest in education, strengthen connections with global markets and build resilience into our municipal soul. But like Churchill said, mastery itself will be the prize of the venture.
The raft of Trumpian Russophiles is not yet as long as the daily queue at Lenin's Tomb, but congressional investigations and Special Counsel Robert S. Meuller's work are still ongoing. Granted, by the time they've issued their reports, the Lenin-line comparison may be hyperbole, but we can think of others that likely won't be.

A Cossack dance troupe, perhaps? We can imagine Jared Kushner, the Trump boys and numerous associates performing the patented squat-and-kick maneuver called prisyadka (knee-bending) on the South Lawn of the White House.

Donald Trump's own knee-bending toward Vladimir Putin and all things Russian continues to mystify. (It's an old question by now, but why Russia? Why not Brazil? India? Canada?) Putin assured the president, once again, a few days ago that his hands were clean when it came to efforts to disrupt American elections. And Trump, presumably peering as a predecessor did into the Russian despot's soul, professed to believe the former KGB operative's denials.

And now it's Kushner's turn again. The presidential son-in-law and senior adviser received and then forwarded emails concerning WikiLeaks and a "backdoor overture" from Russia during the presidential campaign but failed to turn them over to Senate investigators.

Nothing new here, of course. In July, Kushner admitted to four separate contacts with Russia during the campaign and the transition - and then left all four off the security-clearance forms he had to fill out to gain access to this nation's closely guarded secrets.

We're a year beyond the 2016 election and less than a year before the midterms, and the Trump administration has done nothing either to investigate or strengthen U.S. election systems against outside interference. The administration has refused to implement the sanctions Congress approved to punish Russia for its well-documented efforts to interfere last year. The president has done everything possible to hamper the special counsel's investigation, including firing the director of the FBI and hinting that he'll fire Mueller.

We don't know yet whether this president is guilty of collusion with Russia, however collusion is defined. What we do know is that it's up to Congress - Republicans and Democrats - to help Americans learn the truth about this administration's obvious predilections. That means protecting the investigations, making sure they're thorough and unsullied. It means protecting Mueller. And it means ignoring Trump when his Putin protestations threaten to interfere with policy that puts America first (to coin a phrase), not despots, oligarchs or greedy businessmen seeking to cash in.
Bipartisanship

Regarding "Brady tax bill passes House" (Page A1, Friday), while the overall possible proposed Senate bill is confusing to say the least, it is clear that the effort is still alive to treat the Affordable Care Act as a Thanksgiving turkey and carve it up. By taking away the individual mandate, common sense tells me that the cost of ACA coverage will go up for those who need it most by removing the penalty/tax for the mandate. And to tie this carve-out into a bill that provides permanent tax relief for corporations and the super wealthy but only temporary relief for the individual middle-class taxpayer is just wrong.

When is the Senate going to insist that major legislation such as tax reform, health care reform, immigration reform, etc., must be bipartisan efforts. U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., suggested it, but then the concept is dropped. Perhaps a new Senate rule would be that all legislation must be bipartisan and have at least 10 affirmative votes from the minority party in order to be passed. What we have now for sure isn't working!

Bill Turney, Houston

Cross purposes

The new tax bill, especially the Senate's version, will likely raise my taxes; but that is not my main point. I do not mind paying taxes when the money is used for the public good and the tax burden is fair.

A major reduction on the taxes of those who make far more than I, however, is neither a good purpose nor fair. And the Senate's added decision to eliminate the mandate to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is just pure destructiveness.

When fewer and fewer young and healthy persons insure, the premiums of everyone else inevitably increase.

William Nelson, Houston

Trickle down

The 81,000 new Texas jobs that U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady says could be created because of the tax bill would surely be based on the theoretical trickle-down fallacy that says when the rich are made even richer they will trickle down the largesse to the masses.

I would point Brady to the Wall Street Journal's recent CEO Council meeting, which had President Trump's economic adviser Gary Cohn present. When the room full of CEOs was asked by the moderator whether they were planning to increase their business investment if the tax bill became law, few CEOs raised their hands.

If trickle down does not produce the theoretical results envisioned, that along with having an estimated 13 million people lose their health plan, the result could be personal tragedies across the nation.

Ron Curtis, Houston
It's been one year since I have seen my mother, the day after Thanksgiving last year.

Just over two months later we would say goodbye to her for the last time, after she biked into an intersection she knew to be dangerous, in front of an oncoming light rail train, on her way to work in Houston.

The day after her death, my family and I went to the crash site. We watched more than a dozen people cross this complicated intersection against the "Don't Walk" sign, confused about why they couldn't get the pedestrian signal to come on. My mom, Marjorie Corcoran, had complained about this intersection; she had had near-misses with both drivers and trains there in the past. Even as someone aware of the dangers, she couldn't avoid them.

To its credit, Metro has worked to improve safety at their station here and elsewhere along their rail lines in the months since, making trains brighter and adding louder signals. But it is only one of three entities in charge of this intersection: The city of Houston controls the streets and traffic signals, and the Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for the median and the area next to Hermann Park. The complicated and often political nature of these overlapping jurisdictions is a roadblock to expediting much-needed safety improvements in streets across our country.

A native Houstonian, I live in Los Angeles now, and I have my own harrowing commute to work (on foot and transit) across another deadly street, North Figueroa, where speeding drivers have caused many fatal crashes in the past few years.

In fact, just two weeks before my mom's death, I witnessed a man thrown 25 feet through the air by a driver in the crosswalk in front of me. Though he was alive when the ambulance came, I have no way to know if he survived. If he did, his life will likely never be the same. On that same block, once I make it across the street, I pass a ghost bike memorial for another crash victim, a memorial like the one that stands on Main Street in Houston for my mom today.

These two cities, the second- and soon-to-be-third-largest in our country, should be leading the way in making their streets safer. They have the most to gain and a lot to lose: Both cities see around 200 people killed in traffic crashes every year.

Houston and L.A. have much in common and much they can learn from each other. Both are often misunderstood by the rest of the country. They have become among the most diverse places in the United States, where languages from around the world can be heard simultaneously on one block, and where strip malls hide treasures of Vietnamese or Korean food as good as can be found in Saigon or Seoul.

Their populations are growing and their centers are densifying, but they are both still decentralized, with large populations who can't afford cars and are dependent on transit, biking or walking. Their transit systems are stretched to the limit trying to serve people across thousands of miles of routes.

Both cities have grand plans for their futures too: Los Angeles with its recently passed Measure M sales tax will continue to build out its rail system over the coming decades, leading up to the 2028 Olympics. Houston is developing its downtown core, with plans to create a 5-mile Green Loop for biking and transit, enhance walkability and develop a tech corridor in the area. In spite of these long term plans to increase walkability and access to transit and biking, both cities seem to lack a commitment to the actual safety of people who will use these systems. This spring, Houston passed a bike plan, which outlines a proposed network of safer bike lanes across the city, but there is no funding for its implementation. In fact, some city council members have fought to stop funding for other roadway improvement projects from going toward new bike lanes.

Similarly, in 2015, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city's Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic deaths by 2025, but traffic deaths in Los Angeles have only increased dramatically since then. In places where safety improvements have been implemented, they have been met with such public backlash and lack of support from Los Angeles' leaders that one project has actually been reversed, and others could meet the same fate. Still other shovel-ready safety improvements are on hold.

Why is the prospect of redesigning dangerous city streets such risky political territory? These two cities, like much of the rest of our country, have been designed around the automobile and their residents conditioned to believe a now-unattainable dream of getting to where they're going quickly in their own car. So constituents demand that elected officials achieve the impossible task of ending traffic, and the officials spend money on stopping projects that could provide other transportation options.

Meanwhile, our cities spend even more money paying out massive lawsuits to families of victims who have died due to negligent roadway design. The recommendations of transportation engineers are ignored out of fear of the perception of "increasing traffic." We now know that we could pave over our entire cities with wider streets and freeways and still more traffic would come.

We will never return to the carefree days of a 20-minute drive to any destination, with a parking space waiting at the front door.

In April, my mom would have met her first grandchild, my daughter Juniper Olive, whom she called "Livie." A mother now myself, I have serious questions about a society that can so easily look the other way while innocent people lose their lives. I doubt myself every time I step into a crosswalk. Do the drivers see me? Should I walk backwards with the stroller behind me? Will I make a mistake and leave my daughter without a mother, too?

Today is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, and I will be remembering. I know that we need to work toward the future envisioned by plans like Los Angeles' Measure M and Houston's Plan Downtown, so that our children have more options to get around our cities and to do so safely.

Vision Zero is a place to start. As others have argued before, Houston should adopt a goal and plan for getting to zero traffic deaths. And Los Angeles should commit to implementing its plan.

But we will need strong leaders to stand up to political pushback, value the safety of everyone using our streets and keep the grand plans for the our cities' futures as a guiding light.

Corcoran is a designer, advocate and co-founder of Los Angeles' open streets event, CicLAvia. She is a native Houstonian living in Los Angeles. This essay first appeared in Gray Matters.
Call it the politics of "I know you are, but what am I?"

It is a form of "reasoning" that could not be more puerile, infantile, juvenile. So it very much appeals to Donald Trump.

You got an example in last year's final presidential debate, when Hillary Clinton called him a "puppet" of Russian president Vladimir Putin. "No puppet," snapped Trump. "No puppet. You're the puppet. No, you're the puppet."

That exchange illustrated the degree to which a (then) 70-year-old man can be indistinguishable in temperament from a 7-year-old boy while also showcasing Trump's reflexive instinct to turn every jab back against his opponent. It takes a rather testicular temerity to accuse someone else of your own sins, but that's what Trump does.

Indeed, as seen in the 2016 campaign, it's his go-to move. Trump, the favored candidate of David Duke, challenged Hillary Clinton to address her "racist" 2008 campaign. Trump, king of the ad hominem insult, complained of opponents being "nasty" and "angry" toward him. Trump, who bragged about being a grabber of pudenda, condemned Bill Clinton's abuse of women. And so on.

Once you get that this is his favorite tactic, you get why last week's announcement that the Justice Department is considering a special counsel to look into Clinton's supposed collusion with Russia was predestined.

After all, Trump has long chafed at the fact that his campaign is under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for allegedly conniving with Putin's regime as it interfered in the 2016 election. And the drip-drip of the headlines can only have added to his discomfort, what with reports of frequent, friendly contact between his people and the Russians and the indictments of three former aides (two for alleged money laundering unconnected to the campaign).

In response, Trump has repeatedly invoked Clinton's supposed crimes and chided his Justice Department for failure to investigate them. So last week's news reads, unavoidably, as an attempt by beleaguered Attorney General Jeff Sessions to save his job by giving his boss what he wants. Not incidentally, it also reads as a troubling attempt to turn Justice into a political missile, a weapon to punish Trump's enemies.

You see, there's no obvious crime here. The allegation is that Clinton, as secretary of state, approved a deal for a Russian firm to purchase shares in Uranium One, a Canadian mining company with operations in the United States, in exchange for a more than $140 million donation to the Clinton Foundation.

But Clinton didn't green light the deal; she had no power to do so. Rather, it was approved unanimously by a nine-agency committee of which State was a member. As for the supposed quid pro quo, the vast majority of the money - over $130 million - came from a single Uranium One investor. He says he had no connection to the company at the time, having sold his shares 18 months before Clinton even took office.

What we apparently have here, then, is another "nothing burger" in the mold of Whitewater and Benghazi - not to mention superfluous proof of Trump's juvenility. The man who said, "No puppet - you're the puppet" now desperately wants to say, "I didn't collude, you colluded." In other words, he wants to distract and deflect.

But the evidence of Team Trump's plotting with Russia grows more alarming with each headline. I, for one, refuse to allow baseless accusations about Hillary Clinton to make me lose sight of that. Or, to put that in terms the child president might better understand:

She's rubber, he's glue.

Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Readers may write to him via email at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
An investigation by the Cabool Police Department last May has resulted in a Cabool man facing several felony charges.

Jesse Foreman, 28, of 1305 Parker Ave. in Cabool, was charged Nov. 14 with unlawful possession of a firearm and three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child involving drugs.

The case began when a Cabool police officer went to Foremans residence in search of a woman with active warrants. According to a probable cause statement written by the officer, three rifles were found inside a closet in the house during the investigation.

Foreman has a prior felony conviction and isnt allowed to possess guns.

The investigation also revealed that methamphetamine and marijuana were present in the home, where three juvenile children also resided.

A Missouri Division of Family Services representative was involved in interviewing the kids, and showed the officer results from drug screening that showed two of them tested positive for meth.

Foreman is held in the Texas County Jail on $200,000 bond.
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Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Adaptability and Agility

Collaboration

Build Relationships Quickly

Resilience

Creativity and Innovation

Make Good Decisions with Incomplete Information

Leadership

Displaying Empathy

t attributes do business leaders see as very important for the future?A new report, The Future of Talent, by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) set out to answer that question by reaching out to nearly 800 Australian business leaders.Communication skills ranked first with 90% of the vote, while problem solving ranked second, and adaptability and agility ranked third.Geraldine Magarey, leader of policy and thought leadership at CA ANZ, said the results showed that despite advancements in technology, business leaders see human skills as being more important than ever.Communication skills, collaboration and problem-solving are essential human skills, which are extremely difficult to replicate with technology, said Magarey.Its clear that business leaders believe a human touch is crucial as we increasingly see technological advancements influence the workplace.These attributes which rely on well-developed emotional intelligence are needed to make sense of global megatrends and navigate through rapidly changing times.The paper surveyed leaders from all sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, hospitality, logistics, IT, professional services, accounting, finance and healthcare.The top ten skills ranked by businesses leaders as very important for the future:Magarey added that at the heart of every future workplace is the need for both workers and workplaces to be agile and adaptable.Businesses need to be flexible in relation to hours, locations where employees can work and leave entitlements too. These initiatives help to increase the talent pool and the employees they can attract, said Magarey.As our paper outlines, most businesses have the skills they need for the operations now. But from their responses, its clear they are not confident about the future.Australian businesses were also asked about the education sector, saying the system more often than not fails to prepare employees, and prospective employees, for careers in their workplaces.The report revealed businesses are turning to on-the-job training, mentoring and on-line courses to fill the gap.In fact, when asked if the current education system does a good job of preparing people for careers in their organisation, only 42% said yes.This demonstrates a lack of confidence by organisations in the education sectors ability to equip the future workforce with the skills they will need, said Geraldine Magarey, Leader of Policy and Thought Leadership at CA ANZ.Only two in five employers believe the education system is doing a good job of preparing people for organisations like their own.The report added that leading universities in New Zealand and Australia are introducing new courses, curriculums and entry criteria with a view to better preparing students for the workforce of the future.Magarey said schools also need to broaden their measures of success and drop the inclination to teach to the test.Whats needed is broader learning, including encouraging skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration and ethical understandings.These are the skills businesses are indicating they want.
elopments in the technology space are happening faster and more frequently than ever before with organisations scrambling to adopt new advancements and stay ahead of the pack  however, two top legal figures have warned that the quick pace could end up putting companies at risk.While keeping up with the pace of change and ensuring that employees are skilled up to the latest advancements is becoming increasingly important, employers also need to be aware of the potential legal and regulatory pitfalls associated with early adoption, say Kylie Dunn and Liz Blythe, both senior specialists with law firm Russell McVeagh.Dunn leads the firms employment practice while Blythe is a highly experienced lawyer across the technology and commerce sector  the pair recently joined forces to offer insight into how digital advancements will impact employers across New Zealand.According to Dunn and Blythe, there have not yet been any cases through Kiwi courts regarding the imposition of new technologies  such as microchipping  on the employment relationship. However, there have been a number of decisions regarding the introduction of new technology which can offer guidance to employers.Firstly, the technology and its application to the workforce must be lawful.The technology must be permitted by law in New Zealand, and it also must not breach a provision of the employment agreement or the Privacy Act, say Dunn and Blythe, pointing to a 2013 case between an Electrical Union and Mighty River Power.The Employment Court prohibited Mighty River Power from introducing a random testing into an industrial workplace on the basis that the employment agreement contained a contractual obligation requiring individual consent to the collection of workplace data, they explain.Secondly, the technology must be implemented in a fair manner  a rule which was clarified after the Employment Court considered the process required to introduce fingerprint scanning for time recording purposes back in 2006.In OCS Ltd v Service and Food Workers' Union Nga Ringa Tota Inc., the technology was implemented without consultation, and over the objections of a Pasifika workforce whose concerns were on cultural grounds, explain Dunn and Blythe.The court held that employees were not acting unlawfully in refusing to use the new technology, and the employer was required to consult and consider feedback before implementation could be lawful.


Town Clerk Carol Jammalo, at right in red, swears in assistants on Saturday to help with running the special town meeting. CLARKSBURG, Mass.  The controversial $19 million school project went down to defeat on Saturday by 292-263.

The borrowing authorization required a two-thirds vote to pass, or 370 yes votes out of the 555 cast.

The result was a flip of September's special town meeting vote that saw the project fail to capture two-thirds of the ballots by a single vote.

School Superintendent Jon Lev said he had previously posted a meeting of the School Building Committee for 5 p.m. on Monday.

"We're going to meet and talk about it," he said.

Selectmen Chairman Jeffrey Levanos said he anticipated another petition for a third vote.

"I think at this point, all the informational meetings have been done," he said. "It's just a matter of trying to sway people ... This obviously speaks volumes of the way Clarksburg feels."

Supporters of the project had hope to swing a few more votes their way after gathering more than 300 signatures to petition for a second special town meeting. But as the town's financial picture became clearer, the initial yes votes began to switch.

One hundred more people voted this time, and the division in town could be seen in the results that nearly split down the middle on the renovatoin/addition proposal.

The town would be responsible for some $7.7 million of the project that over the anticipated 40-year loan period would cost this rural town of less than 1,700 about $15 million. Those figures led voters to reject what Moderator Bryan Tanner on Saturday described as a project whose "scope is unprecedented" in the town's history.

"I am very pleased, I think the town has spoken," said Karin Robert, who had pressed officials about the project's impact on town finances. "I would really like to get a committee together of town people to work with the issues of the school and move forward to fix and repair."

Eric Booth, who had initially been on the School Building Committee when it first formed, felt the first three information sessions hosted by that committee had not fully examined what the $350,000 a year in loan payments would mean.

Town officials had held three more sessions after the revote was scheduled to air out any concerns about the town's finances.

"After the last three meetings, people were able to make a more conscious decision of what was actually going to happen," he said. "It was a majority that went the opposite way."

Booth said he's willing to volunteer his own time and expertise and has a list of electricians, carpenters, plumbers and HVAC technicians "willing to come together to help us out."

It's not clear how these volunteers will square with laws and codes related to public buildings, but a number of residents are sure they can work something out.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority has approved a plan to add about 10,000 square feet (mostly a gym) and fully renovate the structure, including rebuilding the 1970s section to accommodate a preschool. The MSBA is committing up to $11.3 million (70 percent) toward eligible reimbursements; the town would be responsible for up to $7.7 million.

Estimates to repair the most immediate issues  mechanicals and the roof  was set at $4 million and to renovate just the structure with no additions, $11 million.

Clarksburg had been waiting nearly a decade to be invited into the program to deal with its outdated and undersized school. Proponents on Saturday wore name-tag stickers with photos of children, names of children or grandchildren, or declarations like "our future" or "For the Children."

Voting took about an hour and then another half hour or so to count the 555 ballots cast. Unlike September's somewhat chaotic vote, this Saturday afternoon special town meeting was planned out the smallest detail, like a mini D-Day.

Parking was held offsite as much as possible with two DuFour short buses shuttling residents from the Senior Center, Town Hall and the Fire Station. Rather than registering on entrance, voters went up one six registers based on what road they lived on just before they voted. The ballots were the same as the last time  one perforated card with yes and no printed on it.

Six classrooms were opened (and filled) with a livestream feed from the cafeteria where the motions were being made. Twenty-five volunteers were sworn to aid in voting directions and to assist Robert Norcross, serving as assistant moderator upstairs, with residents seated in the classrooms. Each room had a moderator.

Tanner and Norcross were kept in communication by hand radio.

Tanner spent time at the opening of the meeting walking voters through the entire process, including having Raymond Moulthrop, keeper of the ballots, and Al Nelson, keeper of the discarded ballots, rise and show their empty respective recepticals.

"Mr. Moulthrop is the actual voting mechanism for this meeting," he said. "Make sure your vote is accurate the first time."

There had been complaints about the last voting of people keeping their discarded ballots because of concerns they would be mixed in with counted ones, and murmered accusations about who was doing the counting.

Town Clerk Carol Jammalo had both the cast and discarded ballots counted and the counters for the yes and no votes switch over to doublecheck each other.

Most of those voting left as soon as they cast their ballots.

The borrowing article, the only question on the warrant, was read and motioned by Patricia Prenguber, a member of both the School and School Building committees. It was seconded by Select Board member Kimberly Goodell. Mark Denault, who affirmed he had rejoined the Finance Committee, motioned to move the question to an immediate vote and that was seconded by a host of voices.

A hand vote approved the motion both upstairs and downstairs (unanimiously in that case.)

Tanner closed voting at 4:25, about 90 minutes after the start of the meeting.

Robert said she hopes the town can come together now.

"We have to put our energies together, to heal as a town come together as a community and fix this school in the best way we can in a manageable, feasible, affordable way that all residents can live with," she said.




iciHaiti - Tourism : The Haitian bicolor fleet at the second World Ecotourism Fair in DR





Under the coordination of the Ministry of Tourism, representatives of several sectors of national life participate in the 2nd World Ecotourism and Production Fair, which is held in Jarabacoa, province of La Vega in the center of the Dominican Republic, from November 16 to 26, 2017.



Among the twenty countries participating in this edition, the Haitians have been able during the opening day take part in the parade bringing together the various organizers or participants in the fair.



Colombe Emilie Jessy Menos, the Minister of Tourism, Representative of the Haitian State at this fair explained the reasons why Haiti takes part in this fair. Relying on sustainable tourism with the motto of placing the individual in the center of the tourism activity itself, taking advantage of the various exchanges included in the program are among the objectives of the Minister.



Moreover, she believes that it is important for the two countries sharing the island, to bury their conflicts and to put themselves on the same front in order to face the major challenges especially in ecotourism.



At this Ecotourism Fair, Haiti will exhibit handicrafts in the pavilion of 120 m2 of the Ministry of Tourism, will participate in various cultural events scheduled in the evenings with groups such as Vodoula and the National Theater as well as seminars and Communications with teachers of university.



The Ministries of Culture, Social Affairs, Trade and Agriculture, through the National Office of Crafts (ONART) alongside the Ministry of Tourism participated in the planning of Haiti at this event.



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre


















Imperial Valley News Center

U.S. Department of State Announces Partners for Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State announced the partners for the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which will be co-hosted by the United States and India in Hyderabad, India, November 28-30. Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump will lead the U.S. contingent to the summit, which will focus on the theme of Women First, Prosperity for All and on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.

The Summit, following closely on the heels of Global Entrepreneurship Week, will be attended by more than 1,500 entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders from 170 countries around the world. Attendees will participate in three days of interactive discussions and workshops with accomplished entrepreneurs and investors who will share their knowledge and experience in how to start and scale a business.

The State Department 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, the following companies and organizations are supporting GES 2017:

Amazon

Amway

CNBC

Cognizant

Dell

Google

Intel

Kauffman Foundation

Salesforce

Silicon Valley Bank

Walmart

The financial and in kind support from 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. Partners will also provide direct services for the entrepreneurs including livestreaming sessions, global media coverage, and programs to help entrepreneurs continue to grow and scale after the Summit.
Imperial Valley News Center

US Navy P-8A Poseidon to Support Argentina Search for the Submarine A.R.A. San Juan

Washington, DC - U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) directed the U.S. Navy to deploy a P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft to Bahia Blanca, Argentina, today, to support the South American nation's ongoing search for the submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the waters of the Southern Atlantic.

The aircraft and its 21-person crew will depart El Salvador's Comalapa Air Base, where it was supporting counter-illicit trafficking maritime patrol operations. Once in Bahia Blanca, they will join the ongoing international search for the Argentinean Navy vessel and its crew, as requested by the government of Argentina.



The P-8A Poseidon is the Navy's newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and is configured with state-of-the-art sensors and communications equipment, allowing it to support a wide range of missions over large bodies of water, including sub-surface search-and-rescue operations. It can reach an airspeed of 564 mph, has a ceiling of 41,000 feet and a range of 1,200 nautical miles with four hours on station, allowing it to loiter over search areas.



In April, SOUTHCOM deployed a P-8A Poseidon to Galeo Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it took part in an internationally-supported search for The Republic of Korea ship, Stella Daisy, which tragically sank in the Southern Atlantic, off the western coast of Africa.



In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducted overflight assessment missions, capturing images of conditions on the ground in Dominica to support U.S. foreign disaster assistance operations led by the U.S. Agency for International Development.



SOUTHCOM is one of the nation's six geographically-focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
Remarks at the Ministerial on Trade, Security, and Governance in Africa

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, Remarks at the Ministerial on Trade, Security, and Governance in Africa:

Thank you. And good morning, everyone. It really is my honor to welcome all of you to the State Department this morning.

And we are grateful to see so many friends and partners here in the United States, and appreciate you traveling to be with us today for this event.

I have been very eager to host this ministerial meeting to bring together leaders from the continent to address our shared goals and, as I was sharing with the chairman of the African Union yesterday evening, I have not had the chance during my time as Secretary of State to travel to the continent. 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. We have a trip thats in the planning now, so  but in the meantime, really did not want to wait that long to get this group together. So very eager to host this ministerial meeting and appreciate you all coming to address our shared goals and challenges, and I look forward to a full day of discussions on how we can work together to achieve those shared goals.

I know all of us are following very closely the events in Zimbabwe and they are a concern to I know each of you, they are a concern to us as well, and we all should work together for a quick return to civilian rule in that country in accordance with their constitution.

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. In our conversations today, we have an opportunity to discuss concrete ways that we could help them through this transition.

Our aim today is to expand and enrich the United States relationship with Africa along three fronts that were going to be discussing today: promoting trade and investment; encouraging good governance; and countering terrorism.

Let me briefly touch on how these issues will help us strengthen U.S.Africa relations and our ties in the coming decades.

Were going to begin todays proceedings with a discussion on ways we can work together to expand trade and investment, and grow economic opportunities that benefit the people of Africa and the American people.

Trade and investment between the United States and African countries is growing. U.S. exports to Sub-Saharan Africa grew from $17 billion in 2010 to more than $25 billion in 2014. And last year, the U.S. direct investment in Africa grew to $57.5 billion  the highest level to date.

Our trade and investment is stronger than its ever been, and the United States sees even more opportunity ahead in the coming years.

Africa is a growing market with vast potential. Five of the worlds 10 fastest-growing economies are in Africa, and consumer spending there is projected to exceed $2 million[1] by the year 2025.

By the year 2030, Africa is expected to represent about one quarter of the worlds workforce and consumers, with a population of more than 1.7 billion. 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. All of these young people will have expectations for entering the workforce. The challenge is how to prepare Africa with the appropriate education for its workforce, and to prepare economically and financially for this future, so our partnership can facilitate greater growth and prosperity for both the United States and Africa.

This administration seeks to refocus our economic relationship squarely on trade and investment  to encourage policies that increase openness and competition within Africa.

A more economically vibrant and competitive Africa will grow the middle class, increase standards of living, and make the entire continent more prosperous.

I am also pleased to welcome with us today USAID Administrator Mark Green, and I look forward to his comments on this topic shortly. We also look forward to hearing from private sector leaders, and are very eager to learn more about your views and priorities for expanding trade and investment. Through Power Africa, for example, the United States and its partners have helped the private sector bring 82 power projects to Sub-Saharan Africa.

But economic growth and lasting prosperity can only thrive in environments of good government  good governance.

So we are going to discuss at our working lunch today how a countrys success is firmly rooted in good governance, which fosters strong, accountable relationships between citizens and their elected officials, how that drives economic progress, and improves overall security.

Lasting peace and economic growth are undermined when governments fail to provide good governance, respect for human rights, or to uphold the law.

Peaceful, democratic transitions are important and contribute to stability. But democracy is not just about elections, and elections are neither the first nor are they the final step in the long road to building resilient democracies.

Democracy requires the inclusive, peaceful participation of a nations citizens in the political process. 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. Corruption and weak governance, restriction on human rights and civil society, and authorities who ignore the rule of law and change their constitutions for personal gain are all obstacles to the development of prosperous, free societies. In fact, an African Union study estimated that corruption costs the continent roughly $150 billion a year.

This is money that should be used to create jobs, build schools and hospitals, improve security, and provide social services.

A quality basic education is another powerful contributor to economic growth and development  one that reduces poverty and provides children and youth the skills they need for gainful employment. We have worked with you to build the capacity for your national education system to offer quality education for more people, and we look forward to continued partnership to address low literacy rates, teacher shortages, and greater access to education across all of Africa.

We encourage our African counterparts to address these many governance challenges, and in doing so, unlock your countrys development potential. We look forward to discussing today specific ways to strengthen democracy and promote better governance over our lunch discussions.

The United States also stands with you as we work to defeat the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, which have taken so many innocent lives in Africa and across the world. That will be our final topic of discussion today.

We are particularly grateful for the work of African countries to expand multinational and regional cooperation to counter terrorism. The United States is committed to partnering with you to defeat ISIS, al-Qaida, and other terrorist groups across your continent.

Just last month, I announced that the United States pledged up to an additional $60 million in funding to support the G-5 Sahel Joint Force in counterterrorism efforts, and to bolster our regional partners in their fight to provide security and stability.

The United States, as the largest peacekeeping capacity-building contributor, is also helping over 20 African countries train, deploy, and sustain peacekeepers. This year, such efforts have already supported the training of more than 27,000 African peacekeepers to the UN and AU missions.

But we recognize that the force of arms alone is insufficient.

It is imperative that we work together, and with civil society, to address the root causes of violent extremism. To create sustainable peace, we must also combat marginalization, strengthen accountability, and create more economic opportunity.

Before I conclude, let me stress that the United States seeks greater support from our African partners on growing global security matters, including North Korea.

We appreciate the statements condemning the DPRK missile launches that many of your governments have made. But all nations must act to implement UN sanctions in full and cut off all UN-proscribed ties.

Further, 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 Koreas presence in your country in all other ways it may be found.

The DPRK presents a threat to all of our nations. Everyone  including each country represented here today  must play a part in this peaceful pressure campaign to convince the DPRK that the only way to achieve true security and respect from the international community is to abandon its current path and choose a meaningful dialogue about a different future.

The United States will continue to support your efforts to secure your citizens, encourage stronger institutions and better governance, and promote greater economic growth for each of your countries.

I really do look forward to our time together today and in particular to hear how you are working to address these challenges, and how we can learn from your experience and strengthen this already very fruitful partnership.

Thank you very much.
US Navy to Deploy Undersea Rescue Capabilities to Argentina

San Diego, California - The U.S. Navy has ordered its Undersea Rescue Command (URC) based in San Diego to deploy to Argentina today, to support the South American nation's ongoing search for the Argentinean Navy submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the Southern Atlantic.

URC is deploying two independent rescue assets based on a number of factors, including the varying depth of ocean waters near South America's southeastern coast and the differing safe operating depths of the two rescue systems.



Three U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and one U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft will transport the first rescue system, the Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from Miramar to Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. The four aircraft are scheduled to depart Miramar today and arrive in Argentina Sunday.



The second rescue system, the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) and supporting equipment will be transported via additional flights and is scheduled to arrive in Argentina early next week.



The SRC is a McCann rescue chamber designed during World War II and still used today. SRC can rescue up to six persons at a time and reach a bottomed submarine at depths of 850 feet. The PRM can submerge up to 2,000 feet for docking and mating, with a submarine settled on the ocean floor up to 45-degree angle in both pitch and roll. The PRM can rescue up to 16 personnel at a time. Both assets are operated by two crewmembers and mate with the submarine by sealing over the submarine's hatch allowing Sailors to safely transfer to the rescue chamber.



The URC Sailors deploying with the rescue systems are highly trained on its use and routinely exercise employing the advanced technology in submarine rescue scenarios.



The U.S. government is supporting a request from the government of Argentina for international assistance to the ongoing search for the missing submarine and possible rescue opportunities once the vessel and crew are located.



A Navy P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft and a NASA P-3 research aircraft are already in Argentina assisting ongoing search efforts near the submarine's last known location.
Marking the 84th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Holodomor

Washington, DC - This month we remember and honor the millions of Ukrainians who were starved to death in the early 1930s as a result of the brutal Soviet-era policies under Stalin. The barbaric seizure of Ukrainian land and crops leading to the Holodomor, or death by hunger, was one of the most atrocious acts of the twentieth century and turned Europes breadbasket into a land of immense human suffering.

Commemorating the Holodomor is a solemn occasion, but we also celebrate the resilience of Holodomor survivors, who carry with them the memory of loved ones lost during this horrific man-made famine. Ultimately, the Soviet regime failed to destroy the identity and independence of the Ukrainian people.

The United States stands with the people of Ukraine as we commemorate this Soviet-manufactured tragedy and condemn efforts to deny it as a historical fact. We also reaffirm our commitment to a secure and prosperous Ukraine, free from external aggression and occupation, and able to choose its own future.
On the Occasion of Sovereign Prince's Day in Monaco

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I would like to congratulate the people of Monaco as you celebrate La Fete du Prince.

"Monaco has been a trusted partner of the United States since 1866, and our government values the warm relations and enduring friendship between our two countries. By maintaining this partnership, we can continue to advance our joint interests in maintaining peace and expanding prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's Call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by phone yesterday with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Secretary Tillerson and the Foreign Minister discussed continued strong U.S. support for Jordan, our two countries interest in maintaining the de-escalation area in southern Syria, support for the upcoming UN-sponsored Syrian political talks in Geneva, as well as the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Syria.

The Secretary and Foreign Minister Safadi also discussed important regional issues including the latest developments in Lebanon. The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' support for Lebanese independence, sovereignty, and stability.
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Lena Dunham has issued an apology after coming out in support of a friend and former colleague accused of rape.

Murray Miller, a writer for Dunhams hit TV drama Girls, is accused of raping actress Aurora Perrineau when she was 17-years-old.

Millers attorney, Matthew Walerstein, said he categorically and vehemently denies Perrineaus outrageous claims and said his legal team had gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims.

She was also accused of seeking monetary damages from him [Miller] and accused of going to police after those demands were rebuffed.

Perrineaus mother vehemently denied that anyone from her legal team or family had asked for monetary damages.

There was never a demand for money ever made from anyone on behalf of Aurora or our family, she said.

Aurora Perrineau claims she was raped by writer and producer Murray Miller when she was 17. Miller categorically denies the accusation (Getty)

Aurora Perrineau, daughter of acclaimed actor Harold Perrineau, told The Wrap: I filed a police report today. I cannot talk about the investigation that is happening currently.

The now 23-year-old said in her statement to police that she met Miller while out with some friends at a hotel, where she consumed some alcoholic beverages.

He was flirting with me. I told him repeatedly that I was 17 years old, she said in the statement.

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Perrineau and her friends allegedly accompanied Miller, who was 35 at the time, to his home because he was drunk and needed a ride.

At some point, I woke up in Murrays bed naked. He was on top of me having sexual intercourse with me. At no time did I consent to any sexual contact with Murray, she said in the statement.

Girls showrunners Dunham and Jenni Konner issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter after the allegations emerged, in which they declared the importance of women speaking out over sexual assault, yet assigned Perrineaus claim to the 3 per cent of assault cases that are misreported every year.

During the windfall of deeply necessary accusations over the last few months in Hollywood, we have been thrilled to see so many womens voices heard and dark experiences in this industry justified, they said in the joint statement.

Its a hugely important time of change and, like every feminist in Hollywood and beyond, we celebrate. But during every time of change there are also incidences of the culture, in its enthusiasm and zeal, taking down the wrong targets.

We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller. While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murrays situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 per cent of assault cases that are misreported every year. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all well be saying about this issue.

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.

Their statement prompted a huge backlash due to Dunhams stance as a feminist, which has included tweets, statements and articles on the importance of believing womens claims of sexual assault.

She has since issued a statement, in which she said she and Konner regretted their decision to comment on the allegations.

As feminists, we live and die by our politics, and believing women is the first choice we make every single day when we wake up, a post on her Twitter read.

Therefore I never thought I would issue a statement publicly supporting someone accused of sexual assault, but I naively believed it was important to share my perspective on my friends situation as it transpired behind the scenes over the last few months.

I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry. We have been given the gift of powerful voices and by speaking out we were putting our thumb on the scale and it was wrong. We regret this decision with every fibre of our being.

Recommended Lena Dunham discrediting a woman of colour is part of a bigger problem

Every woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, fully and completely, and our relationship to the accused should not be part of the calculation anyone makes when examining her case.

Every person and feminist should be required to hear her. Under patriarchy, I believe you is essential. Until we are all believed, none of us are believed. We apologise to any women who have been disappointed.

A West Hollywood Sheriffs office spokesperson confirmed their office took Perrineaus statement on 17 November and said it would be referred to the LAPD.
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Charles Bronson's new wife has revealed details of their wedding day.

Paula Williamson married the man dubbed Britains most violent prisoner at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire earlier this week.

She told the Sunday People that they walked down the aisle to Chopins Funeral March instead of Time by Hans Zimmer, as Bronson, now known as Charles Salvador, gave the warders the wrong music.

That was the wrong song. From now on, you need to remember I am always right! she told her new husband after the mistake.

She said "it wasnt the day a bride would choose, but I love him", adding: "I had to cherish every second, as we only had two hours, and it was lovely."

The newlyweds "usually kiss through the bars," she said. "But Charlie wasnt handcuffed to a warden so we had to make the most of it while we could.

The couple also exchanged rings engraved with the letters CPS, to represent Charlie and Paula Salvador and the Crown Prosecution Service.

She also revealed how the she danced with a lookalike of her husband at the wedding reception, as Bronson had to return to his wing inside the prison, before heading to Malta for a honeymoon she shared with her bridesmaids.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA

The pair also received an unusual gift - a signed piece of artwork depicting Bronsons face.

The wedding present, which appears to be a canvas print of Bronsons face and torso, was signed by his friends and his new wife, Paula Williamson.

A number of unusual guests were present at the ceremony, including the ex-husband of Katie Price and MMA fighter, Alex Reid, who had contacted Bronson about fight training.
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Jeremy Clarkson has warned that he could have been killed by a driverless car as Chancellor Philip Hammond is about to allow the new technology to be tested on UK roads.

The former Top Gear presenter said he tested out a driverless car which made two mistakes within 50 miles, and as a result he feared for his life.

He wrote in the Sunday Times magazine: I drove a car the other day which has a claim of autonomous capability and twice in the space of 50 miles on the M4 it made a mistake, a huge mistake, which could have resulted in death.

Recommended Driverless cars will be tested on UK roads as early as next year

We have to be very careful legally, so Im not going to say which one.

Writing about the technology being developed and safe enough for British roads, he said: For now, were miles away from it.

The Grand Tour hosts article came as Mr Hammond was preparing to give the green light to the autonomous car industry, allowing developers to test self-driving cars on UK roads for the first time.

Robot Car UK set to rival Google's driverless-car project Show all 2 1 /2 Robot Car UK set to rival Google's driverless-car project Robot Car UK set to rival Google's driverless-car project pg-36-no-hands-1-lawrence.jpg John Lawrence Robot Car UK set to rival Google's driverless-car project pg-36-no-hands-2-lawrence.jpg John Lawrence

Changing the regulations is part of Mr Hammonds goal to see autonomous cars on British roads by 2021, boosting an industry which is predicted to be worth 28 billion by 2035 and provide 27,000 jobs.

 The Independent tries Bosch's "driverless" cars in Germany

Audi will start selling advanced autonomous cars next year.

Mr Clarkson wrote: You drive one of your driverless cars over the Death Road in Bolivia and Ill buy one.

Sit there with your hands folded and let it drive you up there, then squeeze past a lorry with half the tyre hanging over a 1,000ft drop while the car drives itself. Fine, Ill buy into it.

As part of his November 2017 budget to propel the UK to the forefront of technology, Mr Hammond is also expected to lay out a multi-million pound investment in artificial intelligence and 5G mobile networks to improve the countrys productivity and high-tech workforce.
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Britain is poised to increase its Brexit divorce bill offer to Brussels, Philip Hammond has signalled, ahead of a fresh Cabinet clash on the issue.

Senior ministers are set to meet on Monday to decide a response to the EUs December deadline to resolve the critical row over money, or future trade talks will be shelved.

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, and Brexit Secretary David Davis are both urging Theresa May not to concede too much on the financial settlement without guarantees on trade in return.

But the Chancellor  the Cabinets key advocate of keeping close economic ties with the EU  said Britain would make new proposals next month.

British companies would have to break contracts to import parts from the EU unless a transitional deal to allow trade to flow after Brexit Day, in March 2019, was agreed soon, he warned.

The Prime Minister is clear that we will meet our obligations to the European Union ... we want to make progress in the discussions at the December Council, Mr Hammond told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show. We will make our proposals to the European Union in time for the Council, I am sure about that.

The comment will fuel speculation that the Prime Minister is preparing to up her offer to pay 20bn (18bn) to trigger trade talks  perhaps by putting another 20bn on the table.

The Chancellor defended such payments, saying: Its not about demands, its about what is properly due from the UK to the European Union under international law in accordance with the European treaties.

And we have always been clear it wont be easy to work out that number but, whatever is due, we will pay. We are a nation that honours our debts.

Britain would, however, negotiate hard whether there is any question, any doubt about whether an item is payable or not, he said.

The EU is believed to be seeking about 60bn (55bn) from Britain, to settle outstanding liabilities from EU membership, before the negotiations can move on to a transition and future trade deal.

On Friday, Donald Tusk, the European Council president, said much more progress was needed within two weeks in order to make a breakthrough.

He dismissed Mr Daviss claim that it was up to the EU to make the next concession. I really appreciate Mr Daviss English sense of humour, he said.

The Prime Minister is not expected to reveal whether she will up her 20bn offer until the eve of the EU summit, on 14 December.

Publicly, the Government has insisted the EU must also blink, by agreeing that the financial settlement will only be resolved in the context of our future relationship.

However, key decisions could be taken at the Monday meeting of a small Cabinet committee set up to decide the Brexit negotiating strategy, with Mr Davis, Mr Hammond and Mr Johnson all in attendance.

In his interview, the Chancellor again stressed the dangers of delay warning companies would start making alternative supply arrangements in the coming months.

British companies that are importing components from the European Union may have had to break those arrangements and start sourcing elsewhere, he said.

Mr Hammond added: It is a wasting asset and thats why its in everybodys interest that we get the implementation agreement as soon as possible.
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Bringing back a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit would "be a nightmare" that could undermine the peace process, John McDonnell has warned.

When asked what would happen to the border once Britain leaves the European Union, the shadow chancellor said Britain needed to have a close relationship with the customs union to ensure the peace process was not jeopardised.

"Bringing back a hard border would be a nightmare. It would not be practical anyway," Mr McDonnell told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

 Brexit chief David Davis tells EU: "Don't put politics above prosperity"

"We have to have a relationship which is as close to the customs union as we can, because I would not want to see anything that undermines the peace process in particular and all the gains that we've had.

"A hard border would undermine that relationship that's been built up between north and south so delicately."

It comes after Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, demanded a commitment there will be no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Attending a European summit in Sweden, he made clear Brexit negotiations could not move on to their second phase until the future status of the border was clear.

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

Theresa May, the Prime Minister, 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 Ms 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."

Leo Varadkar, the Irish Prime Minister, has demanded a commitment there will be no return to a hard border (AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty)

Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, who was in Dublin to meet his Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney, insisted there was no desire for a return to a hard border of the past.

However, Mr Coveney warned it was impossible to avoid some form of "border infrastructure" if - as Ms May has said - Britain is to leave the customs union and the single market.

"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 told a joint news conference with Mr Johnson.

"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."

But Mr Johnson argued the border issue could only be resolved in the context of the wider negotiations on Britain's future relationship with the EU.

"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."
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A former Tory minister has launched a blistering attack on some of his party colleagues, accusing them of becoming unhinged amid the hysteria over Brexit.

Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, who campaigned to Remain, warned there is a danger of MPs being bullied into silence by newspapers and social media as Brexit legislation slowly works its way through Parliament.

Mr Grieve was one of those labelled a mutineer on the front page of The Telegraph this week for apparently being ready to vote against a government amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, which proposes to enshrine the official Brexit date into law.

I do sometimes think that some of my colleagues have become unhinged actually, not the Prime Minister, he told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics.

The PMs problem is that shes surrounded by people who get louder and more strident by the moment as some of the inevitable problems, which were going to come with Brexit, start to make themselves apparent.

Asked whether disagreeing with some of his colleagues made him uncomfortable, he replied: Of course I feel in one way uncomfortable, parties are held together by ties of affection and loyalty more than anything else.

Its very important to be polite and its very important to listen if youre going to have a disagreement.

But equally there does come a point in these processes where the risk that you start to run is that youre just being bullied into silence and I think the last week has shown to me that that risk is very apparent.

Some of my colleagues get death threats. All these are at least in part generated by the sort of media coverage that is being given and cranking up the tension, the excitement, the hysteria, presumably because it sells copy.

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

This isnt a good way of making rational decisions.

Other pro-Remain MPs from all sides, including Conservative Anna Soubry, have echoed Mr Grieves sentiments.

Ms Soubry labelled The Telegraphs front page bullying and claimed to have received death threats.

Mr Grieve said he does not intend to derail the Brexit process but that sensible compromises are required through amendments to the bill.

He said the Governments attempt to write the date of Brexit in March 2019 was a completely goofy amendment, adding it could prevent us achieving the best possible Brexit by bringing down the guillotine.

My feeling is the Government does not have a majority to get this through the House of Commons, he said.

Were providing extraordinary powers to Government... to change the law by ministerial decree.
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Driverless cars will be tested on UK roads as early as next year, after a shake-up of legal restrictions expected in this weeks Budget.

Philip Hammond is set to announce a clear-out of regulations to allow developers of self-driving vehicles to put them through widespread trials for the first time.

The move will form part of a package of measures that will put high-tech Britain in the fast lane, he will say  in an attempt to show the Government is not consumed by Brexit.

Recommended Hammond set to announce Budget boost to council housebuilding

There will also be hundreds of millions of pounds for more electric car charge points, to boost sales of battery-driven cars and for next-generation 5G mobile networks.

The Budget will build a country fit for the future and make the UK a leader in the technological revolution, a Government source said.

Ministers have already set out an aspiration for driverless cars to be on Britains roads by 2021, several years ahead of earlier forecasts.

Experts believe they will reduce the number of accidents and make roads safer  despite warnings that hackers could seize the controls remotely and cause motorway pile-ups.

But only very limited trials have taken place so far, in Coventry and Milton Keynes, because changes first need to be made to the Road Traffic Act.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA

Now Mr Hammond will pledge to make that change, arguing the driverless car industry could be worth a staggering 28bnto the UK economy by 2035, supporting 27,000 jobs.

This will remove the last remaining barrier to advanced, on-road testing putting the UK in the fast lane of global developments for this technology, the source added.

It would help realise the Chancellors vision that fully self-driving cars will be on UK roads in as little as three years.

Mr Hammond is not expected to say when the trials will start, but one industry expert told The Independent they would follow quite quickly, once the regulations are loosened.

The Budget package is also expected to include:

* 75m to secure the nations position as a world-leader in artificial intelligence, by supporting start-up companies and increase the number of new PhD students to 200 each year.

* 400m for more electric car charge points  although no figure has been given.

* 100m for plug-in car points to encourage purchases of electric cars  seen as crucial to improving air quality.

* 160m for next-generation 5G mobile networks across the UK  plus 35m to deliver mobile connections and lightning-speed internet on rail journeys. Trials will start on the Trans-Pennine route, which connects Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

* 100m for an additional 8,000 fully-qualified computer science teachers, supported by a new National Centre for Computing.

* 76m to boost digital and construction skills.

* 40m for training programmes for groundworkers, bricklayers, roofers and plasterers, to boost housebuilding.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders welcomed the efforts to make the UK one of the best places in the world to develop driverless cars.

These vehicles will transform our roads and society, dramatically reducing accidents and saving thousands of lives every year, while adding billions of pounds to the economy, said Mike Hawes, the SMMTs chief executive.
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A woman who claims to have had an affair with former Ukip leader Nigel Farage has claimed she was prevented from visiting him in hospital after his plane crashed.

Annabelle Fuller, 36, said she was turned away from hospital as another woman close to the politician was in the room.

During an election stunt in 2010, Mr Farage was injured after the plane he was in flipped upside down and nosedived into a field.

A friend rang to tell me about the crash, followed immediately by a party official who said that I should make my way to the hospital as no one else was there, Ms Fuller, a former political aide to Nigel Farage, told The Mail on Sunday. I was shaking with worry by the time I got there. I didn't even make it inside before a woman who said she was his local aide barred my way.

Ms Fuller claims she was told Mr Farages ex-wife was in the room, which is why she could not enter, so she went home.

She says Mr Farage later called her from hospital to apologise for the way she was treated.

Ms Fuller claims she subsequently found out another woman, Laure Ferrari - who runs the think-tank Institute for Direct Democracy in Europe - was visiting Nigel Farage in hospital.

She must have been already nearby to have arrived at the hospital first, she told the newspaper. I'm told that Ukip members were trying to calm her down and move her out before Kirsten got there. They definitely didn't want me to meet Laure either.

The former speechwriter and adviser to Mr Farage said the pair had an affair from 2004 until last year, but claims she was told to keep quiet about the relationship to save Brexit and Ukips reputation.

Right from the beginning, lying about the affair was a strategy we decided on," she said. "We had many conversations about it, even in the past couple of years. He told me I had to keep quiet.

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

Nigel and I both knew we had to keep quiet to save Brexit. We are both liars and hypocrites, but the reason I had to lie throughout the years was that I didn't want Ukip or the cause we were fighting for to be damaged, she said.

She said she suffered depression as a result of the relationship.

Issuing a statement in response to the claims, Mr Farage did not confirm or deny the affair.

At the time of Ms Fuller's employment the party did not know there was a history of mental illness and other serious personal issues. I always tried to help her, recognising that she had ability, and prevented her from being fired on several occasions.
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The Chancellor has rejected an NHS chiefs plea for an emergency 4bn injection in this weeks Budget, accusing him of exaggerated claims of a crisis.

Instead, Philip Hammond appeared to blame Simon Stevens for problems in the health service, saying the plan that the head of NHS England drew up is not being delivered.

Mr Stevens took the extraordinary step of making a public plea for an extra 4bn, warning waiting lists for operations would otherwise hit a record five million people.

That call was echoed by Sarah Wollaston, the respected Tory head of the Health Select Committee, who pointed out health spending per head is set to fall.

But Mr Hammond appeared to dismiss the warnings, making clear his belief that the NHS did not need  and would not receive  the 4bn asked for.

In the run up to Budget, people running all kinds of services and government departments come to see us and they always have very large numbers that are essential, otherwise Armageddon will arrive, he told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show.

Increases in funding would be delivered in a sensible measured and balanced way, the Chancellor said. Some extra money is expected in Wednesdays Budget.

Mr Hammond also made clear the Governments frustration with the NHS England chief executive, amid continued speculation that he could be sacked.

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

Ill just remind you that Simon Stevens drew up the NHS five-year view, back in 2014.

He drew up the envelope of resource he asked for: 10bn by 2020. The Government agreed that. That plan at the moment is not being delivered.

The Chancellor also claimed that public satisfaction with the NHS is at a 20-year high, again downplaying the scale of the looming problems.

Mr Stevens is likely to point out that he agreed that 10bn was needed on the proviso of other improvements, particularly in social care, which have not been delivered by the Government.

The rejection of his plea comes despite two-thirds of the British public urging the Chancellor to make the NHS his top priority for higher funds.

The Independents exclusive poll, carried out by BMG Research, found that 64 per cent of the public want billions more found for the NHS, amid closures of A&E units and walk-in centres and as waiting lists lengthen for routine operations.

The poll cemented health as easily the publics number one concern, way ahead of education, social security, cutting the deficit  or housing, which is expected to be the Budgets centrepiece.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labours Shadow Health Secretary said Mr Hammonds stance showed him to be out of touch on NHS funding.

Its incredibly serious and, if I may say so, Ive seen Philip Hammond doing interviews today, being dismissive of the calls for more money for the NHS.

This is happening now, today, in the NHS and if he doesnt realise that hes completely out of touch. We are calling on the Chancellor to put aside an extra 6bn in this Budget coming up.

Mr Hammond has also confirmed that he will find money to lift the public sector pay cap on Wednesday, after the Government accepted it is unsustainable.

Weve got to recognise that people in our public services feel under pressure from a long period of pay restraint, he told The Sunday Times.

The public services themselves have strained every muscle, every sinew to deliver within very tight resource envelopes. Weve got to do what we can.

However, the Chancellor is yet to say whether the NHS, and other services, will be forced to find the funds for higher pay from within their own budgets.
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Robert Mugabe has been given until noon on Monday to resign or he will face impeachment, Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF's party's central committee has said.

The 93-year-old leader has also been fired as the party's chief. The recently dismissed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will replace him.

The party said if he doesn't step down as President by midday on Monday they will begin impeachment proceedings when Parliament resumes the following day.

Mr Mugabe's 52-year-old wife Grace has also been expelled from the party. An official said she would also be prosecuted, along with "a number of others".

She has been accused of "preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office." The controversial first lady, who used to be her husband's secretary, has also been removed as head of the women's league.

The vote, taken by hundreds of senior Zanu-PF officials in Harare on Saturday, leaves Mr Mugabe in a significantly weakened position after he refused to step down following last week's military takeover.

Zimbabweans have taken to the streets in their thousands to demand the resignation of the veteran autocrat, who has ruled the country since 1980.

As the motion was passed to oust the veteran autocrat, members of the central committee leapt to their feet cheering and chanting Mnangagwa's name before breaking into celebratory song and dance.

 Robert Mugabe removed as leader of Zimbabwe's ruling party

This is the day that is defining the new birth and development of our country, said Mike Madiro, chair of one of the provincial party branches that had formally set the process of ousting Mugabe in motion.

A second round of talks between Mugabe and the army commanders who led the military takeover stalled on Sunday.

Mr Mnangagwa is widely expected to take over as President when Mr Mugabe finally leaves office with the military saying it has no intention of remaining in power. As Mr Mugabe's henchman, he former intelligence chief was responsible for oppressing opposition parties in successive elections between 2000 and 2008.

Mr Mugabe remains under house arrest at his palatial residence in Harare and maintains that the bloodless takeover is illegal. His stated ambition had been to remain as President until his 100th birthday, having ruled the country for almost four decades with widespread corruption at the heart of his government.

Support for Mr Mugabe has waned in recent years in key branches of the security establishment, including the police, following years of bribery where loyalty was often paid for. The coup is believed to have been motivated in part by widepread opposition to the ambitions of Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband as President.
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Zimbabwes parliament is about to kick-start a legal process to impeach President Robert Mugabe.

The main oppositions parliamentary chief whip, Innocent Gonese, said lawmakers will "definitely" try to hasten the 93-year-olds exit when parliament resumes this week.

"If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in," Gonese of the MDC-T party said.

His comments come as thousands of people in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, took to the streets, climbing on tanks and dancing around soldiers, near to the ruling leaders Blue Roof mansion.

His house, where Mugabe is under house arrest and in discussions with the army commander to exit the government, has become a symbol to many of a failing economy, international sanctions and human rights violations.

Mugabe's party, the Central Committee, will also meet on Sunday to discuss his departure following calls from the partys provincial branches to oust the worlds oldest head of state.

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

While local people are concerned about who will take over the leadership  likely former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa  they have reportedly enjoyed protesting peacefully in the streets without fear at present of a military crackdown.

It was presumed before military intervention that first lady Grace Mugabe would have replaced Mnangagwa as vice president and put herself in a position to succeed her husband as leader.

Mugabe was recently appointed goodwill ambassador for the World Health Organisation, a United Nations agency, but the position was rescinded following an international backlash.

Agencies contributed to this report.
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been dismissed as head of the ruling Zanu-PF party and replaced by the deputy he sacked earlier this month.

Emmerson Mnangagwa will take over as leader of the party, Chris Mutsvangwa, the chairman of the Zimbabwe War Veterans Association confirmed.

Mr Mutsvangwa also said the party was beginning the process to remove Mr Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe.

Members of the ruling party's Central Committee danced, cheered and sang as Mr Mugabe was recalled.

Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken over from Robert Mugabe as leader of the ruling Zanu-PF party (REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo)

Later on Sunday, the 93-year-old will meet with the army commander who put him under house arrest in a second round of talks on his departure after nearly four decades in power.

Recommended Robert Mugabe given deadline to resign as President

The party has given the President until noon on Monday to step down or face impeachment, cyber security minister Patrick Chinamasa said.

Grace Mugabe, the country's unpopular first lady known as "Gucci Grace," has also been expelled from the party and recalled as head of the women's league, party sources told Reuters.

Without the military's intervention, Ms Mugabe was expected to have replaced Mr Mnangawa as vice president, putting her in a position to succeed her husband.

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

Speaking before a special Zanu-PF meeting to decide Mr Mugabe's fate, Mr Mutsvangwa said the 93-year-old was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.

"He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit," he said.

The war veterans' leader followed up with threat to call for street protests if Mr Mugabe refused to go, telling reporters: "We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business."

Mr Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as "The Crocodile," is now in line to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of the capital Harare to call for the resignation of Mr Mugabe after 37 years in power.

Robert Mugabe has refused to stand down as president, even as he has watched support from his party, security services and people evaporate (AFP/Getty)

Under house arrest in his lavish "Blue Roof" compound, Mr Mugabe has refused to stand down, even as he has watched support from his party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.
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An extraordinary day in Zimbabwes turbulent political crisis ended with Robert Mugabe refusing to resign and vowing to carry on as head of state despite being officially stripped of the leadership by his own party.

The President is now in direct confrontation with parliament as well as the military. He was given an ultimatum by Zanu-PF, after being removed from office, that he would face impeachment unless he resigned by midday on Monday.

Mr Mugabe was widely expected to stand down in a speech made through state broadcasters this evening. While mentioning errors which have been made by the government in the 14-minute speech , he gave no hint of resigning, insisting instead that he would oversee the needed reforms. He also held that he would preside over a special congress of Zanu-PF next month. We cannot be guided by bitterness or revengefulness which would not makes us any better ... Zimbabweans he wanted to stress.

The 93-year-old Presidents address was given surrounded by military commanders who had placed him and his wife, Grace, under house arrest following a coup which began last Tuesday. Mr Mugabe stumbled over his words, mixed up the pages and apologised for re-reading some of the passages. At the end he appeared to say to an aide that was a long speech. The farcical nature of what has unfolded led to questions on social media about whether what he actually said was that was the wrong speech.

What he did say, however, led to furious reaction from his critics. The head of the organisation of veterans who fought against white rule accused Mr Mugabe of being deaf and blind to the will of the people. Christopher Mutsvangwa had warned earlier today of the risk of violence if the President did not step down: We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people trying to defend him, the choice is really his, he cannot avoid it.

Impeachment proceedings are due to begin on Monday. Joshua Nhamburu, another veteran, warned: There will be an end to peoples patience.

Mr Nhamburu had expected that Mr and Mrs Mugabe would be allowed to go into exile after the President stepped down. He added: Mugabe has been given enough time now to make his arrangements and leave. His wife Grace, who is a thief, is also being allowed to go. They are both lucky that they are not looking at long years in jail, but their luck may run out soon if they continue acting in this way.

Mr Mugabes rapidly fading hopes of political survival now appears to lie with the African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) both of which have strong stances against military coups  a reaction to the repeated takeovers by armed forces of newly independent countries in the continent in the past.

That is the reason why General Chiwenga and the military hierarchy are trying to engineer a voluntary departure by Mr Mugabe. But the appointment of Emmerson Mnangagwa by Zanu-PF as leader and acting President in waiting would, believe senior officers, counter accusations of a military takeover.

Mr Mugabe did not blame the military for the coup, saying it was motivated by a deep patriotic concern for the stability of the nation which did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order. It is unlikely that the army would force him from office, opening the possibility of a long drawn-out impeachment process with popular anger spiralling in the streets.

Mr Mugabe is now an isolated figure without any effective support. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Harare on Saturday demanding that Mr Mugabe and his 52-year-old wife  given the epithets Gucci Grace and DisGrace by her many critics for her lavish spending on luxuries  must go. His party  including the Youth Wing, which had been fervent Grace loyalists  the opposition, the trade unions and the military are all urging him to go.

Although the mood of the crowd was celebratory at the prospect of deliverance from Mr Mugabes rule rather than confrontational, there have been warnings that frustration at Mr Mugabes failure to leave may trigger a violent reaction. Mr Mutsvangwa had stated that he would bring back the crowd to do the business if Mr Mugabe did not step down.

The announcement of Mr Mugabes sacking and replacement by Mr Mnangagwa, a former vice president, was greeted earlier with prolonged applause, singing and dancing by senior figures of Zanu-PF  a scene which would have been unthinkable even a few weeks ago when the President still bestrode the power structure of this country as he had done for the last 37 years.

There were further cheers at the firing of the President wife as head of the partys womens league. Mrs Mugabe has been accused of corruption and abuse, and has been a hugely divisive figure in the country. She had been responsible for the dismissal of Mr Mnangagwa as vice-president seeking, it is claimed, to take over the post. He subsequently fled to South Africa claiming to fear for his life.

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Mr Mugabe had been asking the military for guarantees of immunity from prosecution for himself and his wife. His failure to resign means that such a deal is now off. Some Zanu-PF officials maintained that Mrs Mugabe may face prosecution. Obert Mpofu, the minister of home affairs, who chaired the central committee meeting that sacked her and her husband, said: Mugabes wife and her close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition and abused the resources of the country.

Emmanuel Fundira, a Zanu-PF MP, added: It is only right that corrupt and rotten people should be punished. There are resources which have been taken away from this country. Naturally, the laws will follow up and make sure that all those people are brought to book.
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The reign of Robert Mugabe, the longest serving living head of state in Africa and one of the most well known and controversial figures in international politics, is on its final death throws after Zimbabwes ruling party stripped him of its leadership, with the ultimatum that he would face impeachment if he does not resign in the next 24 hours.

The announcement of Mr Mugabes sacking and replacement by Emmerson Mnangagwa was greeted with prolonged applause, singing and dancing by senior figures of Zanu-PF - a scene which would have been unthinkable even a few weeks ago when the President still bestrode the power structure of this country as he had done for the last 37 years.

There were further cheers at the firing of the President wife as head of the partys womens league. Grace Mugabe, accused of corruption and abuse, has been a hugely divisive figure in the country. She had been responsible for the dismissal of Mr Mnangagwa as vice-president seeking, it is claimed, to take over the post. He subsequently fled to South Africa claiming to fear for his life.

The administration of the last-rites to the presidency of 93 year old Mr Mugabe came five days after the military staged a coup putting him and his wife under house arrest, and detaining a number of senior ministers. Criminal charges, carrying lengthy sentence on conviction, are likely to be laid against some of the ministers in the next few days.

Mr Mugabe is due to hold more talks with General Constantino Chiwenga, who had headed the takeover, and the military high command who want him to step down. The President, according to those familiar with the talks, has been desperately trying to cling on to power, insisting that he remains the constitutional head of state and demanding immunity from prosecution for him and his family.

But Mr Mugabe is now an isolated figure without any effective support. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Harare on Saturday on a overwhelming show of demand that Mr Mugabe and his 52 year old wife, given the epithets  Gucci Grace and DisGrace" by her many critics for her lavish spending on luxuries, must go. His party, including the Youth Wing which had been fervent Grace loyalists, the opposition, the trade unions as well as the military are all urging him to go.

Although the mood of the crowd was celebratory at the prospect of deliverance from Mr Mugabes rule rather than confrontational, there have been warnings that frustration at Mr Mugabes failure to leave may trigger a violent reaction.

 Robert Mugabe removed as leader of Zimbabwe's ruling party

The head of the organisation of veterans who fought against white rule had warned that he would bring back the crowd to do the business if Mr Mugabe did not step down. We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people trying to defend him, said Christopher Mutsvangwa the choice is really his, he cannot avoid it.

Joshua Nhamburu, one of those who had fought in that conflict, added: There will be an end to peoples patience. He has been given enough time now to make his arrangements and leave. His wife Grace, who is a thief, is also being allowed to go. They are both lucky that they are not looking at long years in jail : but their luck may run out soon if they continue acting in this way.

The drive to remove Mr Mugabe from Zanu-PF leadership had started on Friday with branch after branch of the party voting motions of no confidence in Mr Mugabe. On Friday evening, it has emerged, the President sought to suspend parliament. But National Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda refused the demand and senior Zanu-PF figures began talks with opposition parties to agree on a course of action.

Innocent Gonese, of MDC-T party, confirmed that there had been discussions with Zanu-PF about impeachment when parliament seats again on Tuesday. "If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in he said.

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

Although any settlement is likely to see Mr Mugabe going into exile with his wife, there is growing demands that others in their cohort should face justice. Emmanuel Fundira, a Zanu-PF MP, said: It is only right that corrupt and rotten people should be punished. There are resources which have been taken away from this country. Naturally, the laws will follow up and make sure that all those people are brought to book."

Mr Mugabes rapidly fading hopes of political survival now appears to lie with the African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) both of which have strong stances against military coups : a reaction to the repeated takeovers by armed forces of newly independent countries in the continent in the past.

That is the reason why Gen Chiwenga and the military hierarchy are trying to engineer a voluntary departure by Mr Mugabe. But the appointment of Mr Mnangagwa by Zanu-PF as leader and acting President in waiting would, believe senior officers, counter accusations of a military takeover and the massive street protests would show that he was being driven out by popular will.

The original plan for Saturdays rally had been for demonstrators to gather at the citys Freedom Square, but soldiers on duty asked them to go on to the far bigger Harare stadium at the outskirts of the city. It was a far bigger venue, but also symbolic. This was the place where another huge crowd had gathered 37 years ago to welcome Mr Mugabe on his return from exile following independence.

Washington Chando, remembered being taken at the age of ten to the stadium that day by his parents. Everyone thought he was a hero. I remember people were crying with joy, but everything began to get worse after a while. I havent been able to find any permanent work for the last nine years, we have all had a very negative experience while people like Grace Mugabe has got richer and richer. 

There were some expressions of regret at the humiliating end of one of giants of African politics. People would forget now that he did a lot of good for this country at one stage. He was our leader, much respected in Africa, other parts of the world Daneil Zangaya, a teacher, reflected.  But he stayed too long and allowed himself to be surrounded by corrupt people. He will be remembered for the dad day, not the good ones. That is a shame, but no man can avoid responsibility for his actions.
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A man who had his nose and mouth torn off by a bear has had his face reconstructed by surgeons.

Lee Brooke was hunting for elk in the mountains near Dubois, Wyoming, when he encountered the grizzly struck in October 2016.

Having shot one of the creatures, he returned to the scene the following day to find the corpse was covered in debris - a sign the animal had been claimed by a bear.

As he turned around, the bear struck, tearing away at his face with its giant claws.

After briefly being knocked unconscious, the Pennsylvania native awoke to feel the creature sniffing his face and realised he was still in danger.

Pulling out a steak knife, he slashed at the bear, forcing it to retreat. But Mr Brooke was left severely injured and alone, as he had been separated from his group.

I dont know that I would have been brave enough to stab her if I could see her, he told the KDVR news channel. I had to lean in to stab her in the head. So I was this close to her nose.

After hearing his cries for help, Mr Brookes brother-in-law George Neal found him and found his detached nose and moustache, which he placed in Mr Brookes pocket.

I took my T-shirt off. I tried to keep him warm. He was kind of shaking, Mr Brooke said.

After he was rushed to the Swedish Medical Centre in Englewood, Colorado, where he spent a month in a medically-induced coma.

While fighting to keep him alive, doctors also managed to preserve a section of Mr Brookes nose.

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. 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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. 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He is now able to speak using a trachea tube but can no longer control tears due to the damage the bear inflicted.

Doctors Lily Daniali and Benson Pulikkottil, part of the team who cared for Mr Brooke, said the patient went through months of reconstructive surgery, including one procedure which lasted 24 hours, as well as rehabilitation and psychological support for trauma.

We didnt just fix his body, Dr Daniali said. We really wanted to make sure that he recovered mentally.

Doctors rebuilt the bones in Mr Brookes face using leg bone and plan to rebuild Mr Brookes face using cartilage from different body parts, including his rib and his ears.

I dont know how to say thank you, Mr Brooke said.
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Jack Ruby told an FBI informant to watch the fireworks on the day President John F Kennedy was assassinated, the latest release of JFK files reveals.

Ruby, who went on to shoot and mortally wound Lee Harvey Oswald two days later, made the comments hours before the President was killed in Dallas, Texas.

Although the President was assassinated on 22 November 1963, the interaction between Ruby and the FBI informant, identified as Bob Vanderslice, was not officially relayed to the FBI until March 1977.

 What are the JFK files?

The informant stated that on the morning of the assassination, Ruby contacted him and asked if he would like to watch the fireworks, the FBI record stated.

He was with Jack Ruby and standing at the corner of the Postal Annex Building facing the Texas School Book Depository Building, at the time of the shooting.

Immediately after the shooting, Ruby left and headed toward the area of the Dallas Morning News Building, without saying anything to him.

Vanderslice told the FBI that after Ruby was arrested for killing Oswald, he was also arrested on an unrelated criminal charge and got to know him better at the Dallas County Jail.

Ruby died in 1967 while he was still incarcerated.

The assassination of JFK  in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 The assassination of JFK  in pictures The assassination of JFK  in pictures President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy ride with secret agents in an open car motorcade shortly before the assassination, 22 November 1963 Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy prior to his assassination Keystone/Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures Kennedy is struck by an assassin's bullet as he travels through Dallas in a motorcade In the car next to him is his wife Jacqueline and in the front seat is Texas governor John Connally Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures The view from the sixth floor window of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, from which Lee Harvey Oswald is thought to have assassinated Kennedy. This photograph was taken approximately one hour after the assassination Hulton Archive/Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures Lee Harvey Oswald during a press conference after his arrest in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby on 24 November on the eve of Kennedy's burial AFP/Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures Lyndon B. Johnson takes the oath of office as President of the United States on the day of Kennedy's assassination. Jackie Kennedy is stood next to Johnson Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures Kennedy's funeral procession goes into Arlington Cemetery in Washington Newsmakers/Getty The assassination of JFK  in pictures Kennedy's casket sat in the East Room of the White House Newsmakers/Getty

Donald Trump ordered the release of 2,800 files relating to the assassination of President Kennedy and the documents have been published in batches on the National Archives website.

The US President agreed to withhold hundreds of documents the US intelligence community deemed were still sensitive for six months.
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Michelle Obama has revealed the growing number of sexual assault allegations have made her feel "sick".

During a speech in Connecticut, the former first lady said: "I cant tell you how sick it makes me, the more I see the uncovering of the truth that all us women know has been out there, that there is an ugliness there."

She added, as reported by People, "If we want young women to be strong and have voices and advocate for themselves, then we have to realise how much work we have to do. And Im talking to the men out there, who cannot be innocent bystanders and complacent, watching this happen."

Recommended Michelle Obama just gave Donald Trump some Twitter advice

Ms Obama said she was "loved and nurtured and invested [in]" which contributed to her success in life.

She also said that girls and women today face all kinds of "danger", from men looking at them in an odd way to opportunities being taken away from them.

Her comments come as an increasing number of men in Hollywood, the media and politics have been accused of sexual assault and harassment.

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 and former comedian Al Franken was accused of kissing and groping radio host Leann Tweeden when they were on a USO tour in the Middle East in 2006.

Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore has also been accused by multiple women of making sexual advances on them when they were teenagers, including one woman who was 14 at the time and he was in his 30s. Mr Moore has denied most of the allegations and has resisted calls to step aside.

Ms Obama was a vocal critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign trail after a leaked Hollywood Access tape from 2005 revealed that Mr Trump had bragged about his fame allowing him to grab women by the genitals.

The President was accused by more than a dozen women of sexual assault, which he denied.
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The British music publicist who arranged a meeting between Donald Trump's inner circle and a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damaging information on Hillary Clinton has insisted he was a merely "useful idiot" who became inadvertently embroiled in the scandal.

Rob Goldstone has agreed to be questioned by Special Counsel Robert Mueller about the meeting, which is at the heart of a probe into alleged collusion between Mr Trump presidential campaign and the Kremlin.

The publicist emailed the US leader's son, Donald Trump Jr, last year offering "official" Russian documents he claimed would "incriminate" Hillary Clinton and "be very useful to your father".

He was acting on behalf of his client Emin Agalarov, an Azerbaijani-Russian pop star whose oligarch father wanted to make contact with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump Jr quickly replied: "If it's what you say it is, I love it."

The exchange was forwarded to Mr Trump's son -in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and his then campaign manager Paul Manafort. Both joined Mr Trump Jr at a subsequent meeting with a Russian delegation that included Natalia Veselnitskaya, a lawyer with links to the Kremlin, on 9 June last year.

Mr Goldstone, a former journalist, fled his New York home for the Far East shortly after the emails were published online in July this year, bringing intense new scrutiny on claims of collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and Moscow.

 Trump-Russia investigation: who has been charged in the Mueller probe

In his first interview since the scandal erupted, Mr Goldstone said he regretted his involvement but insisted he had merely been a "useful idiot".

"I never thought in a million years that an email I wrote to [Donald Trump Jr]... would be examined by the world many times over," he told The Sunday Times. "I should have listened to that little voice in my head. I remember specifically saying to Emin: you know, we probably shouldn't get involved in this."

He said the meeting at Trump Tower ended inconclusively, adding he believed the Russians used the promise of dirt on Ms Clinton as a "pretext" to lobby the Trump campaign on unrelated issues.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Mr Goldstone claimed he "puffed up" the wording of his emails to Mr Trump Jr to secure the meeting.

"If I'm guilty of anything, and I hate the word guilty, it's hyping the message and going the extra mile for my clients," the publicist added

 Protester throws Russian flags at president shouting "Trump is treason! Trump is treason!"

The said he did not know of any other collusion between Moscow and Mr Trump's campaign "but I'm sure I wasn't part of it".

Mr Goldstone has accepted an invitation to meet Mr Mueller's investigation team. He said: "I want to share what I know... I'm keen to talk to [the justice department] and put my recollection of events in the public record."
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Donald Trumps pick for health secretary, Alex Azar, was previously an executive at a pharmaceutical company that repeatedly raised the prices of its drugs and tripled the cost of its top-selling insulin over the five years he served as a company president, it has emerged.

Mr Trump announced his choice on Monday, tweeting that Mr Azar would be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices.

If Mr Azar becomes Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, he will oversee a $1tr (760bn) department responsible for Americas major insurance programmes, including Obamacare, public health, medical research and food and drug safety.

He would succeed Tom Price, who resigned in September after allegedly using private and government planes at the expense of taxpayers.

The nomination has sparked criticism, however, over Mr Azars own track record at Eli Lilly, a pharmaceuticals giant that was one of several to repeatedly increased the price of insulin, a life-saving drug used to treat diabetes.

Mr Azar worked as HHS deputy secretary under President George W Bush from 2005 to 2007 before joining drugmaker Eli Lilly as a senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He served as a high-ranking executive at the company for ten years, becoming the president of Lilly USA in 2009, and was with the company as it tripled the price of its insulin product, Humalog.

Just over a year ago, the Washington Post reported that the price of Humalog had risen from $21 (16) a vial to more than $250 (190) over the past 20 years.

 The Trump Organization is worth one tenth of value previously reported

Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders condemned the nomination on Twitter, writing: Trump was clearly never serious about this promise to lower drug prices.

Donald Trump announced Mr Azar as his pick for HHS secretary on Monday (Getty) (Getty Images)

We need an HHS secretary who will take on the drug industrys greed, not someone who has financially benefited from it.

Last year, Mr Sanders called for a federal probe into whether Eli Lilly, Sanofi SA, Merck & Co Inc and Novo Nordisk colluded to raise prices on insulin and other drugs used to treat diabetes.

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley was also critical of the nomination, tweeting: If my priority were bringing down RX prices, I probably wouldnt tap a pharmaceutical industry exec accused of colluding to drive up the cost of insulin.

Mr Azars nomination is unusual because HHS secretaries have previously come from the ranks of elected officials, such as governors, or top executive branch managers, rather than coming from the industry meant to be regulated by the department.

The pharmaceuticals executive has been critical of Obamacare in the past. In a May interview with Fox Business Network, Mr Azar said Obamacare was circling the drain and was part of a fundamentally broken system. Its certainly circling the drain, Mr Azar said of the Affordable Care Act.

Obamacare plans are following the laws of economics. First, if youre running an insurance company, youve got to be able to make money, and in order to make money, youve got to be able to predict risk.

 Trump has his own awkward water bottle moment

The Obamacare system has made it impossible to predict risk. The HHS secretary nominee added: Theres actually fairly few levers that the government can do at this point to stabilise this broken system.

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. 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Protect Our Care campaign director Brad Woodhouse also criticised the nomination, writing in a statement: President Trump has nominated in Mr Azar someone who shares his misguided and factually flawed views on the Affordable Care Act.

Mr Azar, a drug industry lobbyist, has been a harsh critic of the ACA and has gone so far as to say the law is circling the drain despite evidence to the contrary.

In fact, the ACA is working despite President Trump and former HHS Secretary Tom Prices repeated efforts to repeal and sabotage it  open enrolment is off to a strong start, plans remain affordable and every county in the country is covered.

The nomination of a new HHS Secretary could be an opportunity for Trump and Republicans to turn the page on their repeal and sabotage agenda, Mr Woodhouse said.

 'Cards Against Humanity Saves America' advert fights Trump's Mexico border wall

Sadly, we know President Trump will never turn the page, and in Mr Azar, he appears to be looking for a willing partner in his spiteful ongoing campaign to deny affordable health care to millions of Americans.

Before Mr Azar can take up the role as HHS secretary, his nomination must be approved by the Republican-controlled US Senate.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Azar and Eli Lilly for comment.
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A top general says would resist an illegal nuclear strike order issued by Donald Trump, tamping down fears about a reckless foray into nuclear war.

If its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im going to say, Mr President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up (with) options, Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the US Strategic Command, told a security forum in Canada.

We think about these things a lot, Gen Hyten said according to CBS. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?

The generals comments follow a hearing in which senators pressed military officials to explain safeguards against hasty nuclear strikes, with multiple Democrats citing fears that Mr Trumps haphazard decision-making could have devastating consequences.

Officials told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that although the President has ultimate authority to lunch nuclear strikes, he is tempered by layers of review and constrained by legal barriers depending on whether the strike is preemptive or responsive.

This is a system controlled by human beings. Nothing happens automatically, testified former commander of US Strategic Command Gen C Robert Kehler.

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

He noted that civilians would be able to vet those commands and that the militarys obligation to disobey an illegal order for a first strike could override a commander-in-chief.

Those statements did little to assuage Democrats on the committee, who noted Mr Trumps propensity for antagonising foes like North Korea on Twitter.

 Ri Yong Pil tells CNN the possibility of a nuclear threat from North Korea should be taken 'literally'

I dont think that the assurances that Ive received today will be satisfying to the American people, said Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey. I think they can still realise that Donald Trump can launch nuclear codes just as easily as he can use his Twitter account.

Hovering behind the committees questions was an escalating international crisis spurred by North Koreas belligerent talk and tests of increasingly sophisticated weaponry, including a hydrogen bomb. Mr Trump and North Korea have traded barbs, with both the President and his advisers threatening to destroy the nuclear-armed nation.
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An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to arrange a meeting with Donald Trumps presidential campaign on the sidelines of a National Rifle Association meeting  outreach that Jared Kushner subsequently failed to disclose, sources have told NBC.

Earlier this week, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee contacted Mr Kushners attorney asking for more documents from Mr Kushner, who is the Presidents son-in-law and a top aide.

Specifically, the panel  which is conducting one of multiple investigations into potential collaboration between the Russian government and Mr Trumps presidential campaign  said Mr Kushners attorney had not turned over documents concerning a Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite.

According to NBC, that overture involved a Russian banker named Aleksander Torshin who is described as being close to Mr Putin. Citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, NBC reported that Mr Torshin wanted Mr Trump to attend an NRA event in Louisville, Kentucky, where Mr Torshin hoped to meet with campaign officials.

Mr Kushner rejected the request and advised campaign officials to do the same, NBC reported, but Mr Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr, ended up sitting next to Mr Torshin during a private dinner.

The President has denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia, lambasting investigations as a partisan witch hunt.

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

But evidence that Russian-linked actors sought to contact the campaign has steadily surfaced in recent months. It emerged earlier that Mr Kushner and Mr Trump Jr accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer who was described as having damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation has produced a guilty plea from former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who repeatedly sought to connect campaign officials to the Russian government. Mr Papadopoulos admitted to lying to the FBI about his meetings with Russian-linked individuals.

 Trump-Russia investigation: who has been charged in the Mueller probe

While Mr Trump and his administration have described Mr Papadopoulos as a bit player with no influence, the campaigns Instagram account had posted a photo of Mr Papadopoulos at a meeting with Mr Trump and then-Senator Jeff Sessions on a date that matches a meeting described in the court document laying out the case against Mr Papadopoulos. Now the Attorney General Mr Sessions has said he did not remember the meeting.
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A Republican Senator has been caught on a live mic saying his party will be toast if it becomes synonymous with President Donald Trump.

Senator Jeff Flake thought he was having a private conversation with Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles at a recent tax event. The Senator, however, forgot to remove a mic from local news station KNXV from his lapel. The live mic caught snippets of the exchange, in which the Arizona Senator criticised both Mr Trump and Senate candidate Roy Moore.

"If we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast," he said.

When a man walked by and pointed to the mic still sitting on his lapel, the Senator appeared surprised.

Roy Moore, the Senate candidate Mr Flake mentioned, has been accused by several women of sexually harassing or assaulting them when they were teenagers. Though Mr Moore has denied the allegations, they have still sparked outcry across the country. Mr Flake is one of more than 30 Republicans in Congress who have urged Mr Moore to step down if the allegations are true.

"If there is any shred of truth to these stories, he ought to step aside. And now, the Senator told ABC.

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 Flake is also one of a handful of Republican Senators who have been openly critical of Mr Trump. In a speech on the Senate floor last month, Mr Flake condemned the "alarming and dangerous state of affairs" under Mr Trumps leadership, claiming there was now a "flagrant disregard for truth or decency" and a "regular and casual undermining of our democratic norms".

We were not made great as a country by indulging or even exalting our worst impulses, turning against ourselves, glorying in the things which divide us, and calling fake things true and true things fake, he said.

The speech, in which he announced he would not be running for Senate again in 2018, was met with a standing ovation by some Republicans.

In the audio from the Arizona tax event, Mr Giles can be heard urging Mr Flake to run for president in the future.

"I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy. Just for fun, think about how much fun it would be, just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy is," Mr Giles said, in what appears to be a reference to Mr Trump. "Anyway, I hope you do it."
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A majority of Americans blame Donald Trumps administration for any future problems with Obamacare, a new poll has found.

Carried out by the Kaiser Family Foundation, it found 61 per cent of respondents believe the US President and his Republican Party are responsible for any issues with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Only 37 per cent said Barack Obama's administration - who introduced it in 2010 - would be at fault for fewer enrolments.

The former US leader introduced it to extend health insurance coverage to some of the estimated 15 per cent of the US population who lack it. Those people receive no coverage from their employers and are not covered by US health programmes for the poor and elderly.

Mr Trump pledged to repeal Obamacare on his presidential campaign trail and after taking office in January, his administration has made a series of moves to do so, all of which have been defeated in the House of Representatives.

The survey of 1,200 adults, taken over a five-day period in November, found half believed actions taken by the Trump administration were to blame if fewer people sign up for individual health insurance plans this year.

A majority of Republican respondents (82 per cent) polled said they trusted Mr Trump to do what is best for the country with regards to healthcare.

Yet the majority of the public (60 per cent)  including majorities of Democrats (89 per cent) and independents (57 per cent)  do not trust the President to do whats best when it comes to healthcare.

Although Republican efforts to repeal and replace the ACA have failed, the partys actions have been blamed for forcing prices for Obamacare plans up in 2018.

The Trump administration slashed the Obamacare budget for advertising by 90 per cent and significantly reduced spending on groups that help customers find the appropriate insurance plan.

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. 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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. 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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 2018 open enrolment period for the health insurance exchange is also only running for six weeks, which is half as long as last year.

Analysts say these measures increase the likelihood of less people signing up to the ACA.

US health officials say 1.5 million people have already signed up for Obamacare individual health insurance plans so far - with more than 600,000 signing up in the first four days - but experts say early figures are not necessarily representative of final sign-up numbers.
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A southern pastor has said he still supports Roy Moore, the Senate candidate accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls, because "more women are sexual predators than men.

Pastor Franklin Raddish of the Capitol Hill Independent Baptist Ministries claimed that recent allegations against Mr Moore, and other prominent men in Washington and Hollywood, were part of a war on men.

"More women are sexual predators than men," Mr Raddish told AL.com. "Women are chasing young boys up and down the road, but we don't hear about that because it's not PC."

Recommended Alabama Republican Party stands by Moore despite child sex abuse claim

According to US Department of Justice statistics, 91 per cent of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female. Nine per cent are male.

Mr Raddish is one of approximately 50 pastors who signed on to a letter supporting Mr Moore's campaign for a US Senate seat in Alabama this August. In the months following, five women came forward to accuse Mr Moore of pursuing them when they were teenagers and he was in his thirties. One woman claims he initiated sexual contact when she was only 14  under the age of consent in Alabama.

Mr Moore has denied these allegations as politically motivated, in one case claiming he did not even know his accuser at the time of the alleged assault.

 Roy Moore says he doesn't 'generally' remember dating teenage girls while in his 30s

AL.com recently reached out to all of the pastors who signed onto the letter of support in August, to see if they continued to back Mr Moore. Of the 29 churches that responded, 19 confirmed that the pastor was still supporting the candidate.

Pastor David Gonnella, of the Magnolia Springs Baptist Church, previously called the Republican Party a bunch of sissies for asking Mr Moore to step aside.

"I don't desert my friends just on mere accusations, I require evidence," he told Fox News 10. Mr Gonnella suggested the allegations were perhaps satanically motivated, and questioned why the accusers took decades to come forward.

US sexual assault statistics Show all 8 1 /8 US sexual assault statistics US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq

Many Republicans in Washington, however, have called on Mr Moore to bow out of the race. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, current Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, and more than a dozen other Republican members of Congress have called on the candidate to step down in advance of the 12 December election. The Republican National Committee has pulled its funding from his campaign.

Mr Moore, however, shows no signs of ending his run.

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! the former judge tweeted last week. I'm gonna tell you who needs to step down, that's Mitch McConnell.
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CNN host Jake Tapper excoriated Donald Trump for rank hypocrisy after the President, whom numerous women have accused of unwanted sexual advances, condemned Sen Al Franken for groping a woman.

Mr Franken swiftly issued a public apology on Thursday after broadcaster Leanna Tweeden accused the Minnesota Democrat of having non-consensually kissed and groped her during a 2006 tour. Ms Tweeden released a photo of Mr Franken - then a professional comedian who had not yet been elected to office - touching her breasts as she slept.

In response, Mr Trump said on Twitter that the picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words, wondering where his hands gowhile she sleeps.

And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women, Mr Trump added.

But as Mr Tapper pointed out, the President has batted away sexual misconduct claims that so far outnumber the allegations against Mr Franken. Numerous women have alleged Mr Trump kissed or groped them without his consent, and Mr Tapper used his segment to recount a dozen of those accounts.

Mr Trump has denied engaging in sexual misconduct, saying during the campaign that his accusers were liars and their claims were a total fabrication. Last week White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders affirmed that, in the words of a reporter, the official White House position is that all these women are lying.

In Trumps world were supposed to believe the very compelling claims of Leanna Tweeden, Mr Tapper said, but we are not supposed to believe these women who have accused the President.

In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Show all 32 1 /32 In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London An image of President Donald Trump is seen on a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A view of the skywriting word reading 'Trump' as thousands rally in support of equal rights in Sydney, New South Wales EPA In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome People shout and hold signs during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A protester holds a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille A placard ready 'Pussy grabs back' is attached to the handle bar of a bike during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A young Thai girl holds a "women's rights are human rights" sign at Roadhouse BBQ restaurant where many of the Bangkok Womens March participants gathered in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A Thai woman takes a photo of a "hate is not great" sign at the women's solidarity gathering in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok American expats and travellers gather with the international community in Bangkok at the Roadhouse BBQ restaurant to stand in solidarity in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protetesters gather outside The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Women's March at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Protestors hold placards reading 'My body my choice, my vote my voice' during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome A person holds a sign during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activist Sarah Annay Williamson holds a placard and shouts slogan during the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activists participate in the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A Women's March placards are rested on a bench outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A women carries her placard ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila Women protesters shout slogans while displaying placards during a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President Donald Trump, in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Protesters take part in the Melbourne rally to protest against the Trump Inauguration in Melbourne, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters take part in the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Womens march on Melbourne protestors marching during a rally where rights groups marched in solidarity with Americans to speak out against misogyny, bigotry and hatred Rex In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau, Macau. The Women's March originated in Washington DC but soon spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila A mother carries her son as they join a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney An infant is held up at a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman attends a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman expresses her Anti-Trump views in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydeney Protesters demonstrate against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia. The marches in Australia were organised to show solidarity with those marching on Washington DC and around the world in defense of women's rights and human rights Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters march from The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square towards Trafalgar Square during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters carrying banners take part in the Women's March on London, as they stand in Trafalgar Square, in central London Reuters

Noting that Republicans have distanced themselves from Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of engaging in sexual misconduct with several women including while some of them were teenagers (Mr Moore has said he never engaged in sexual misconduct), Mr Tapper asked: Why do you believe the Roy Moore accuser but you do not believe those who accuse Donald Trump?

He then replayed a tape, leaked during the presidential election, in which Mr Trump can be heard boasting about sexual assault and saying you can do anything with women.

You can do anything except criticize other alleged offenders without folks like us pointing out the rank hypocrisy of it, Mr Tapper said.
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A British Sikh man arrested in India and allegedly tortured by police has been returned to police custody, campaigners have claimed.

Jagtar Singh Johal was moved to judicial custody after appearing in court in Punjab on Friday, sparking hopes the "physical torture" will come to an end, the Sikh Federation UK said .

However, the federation said he was later returned to police custody for the next two days without charge after he was taken to an area magistrate by police from another district.

His legal team are said to be concerned this period will be used to try and "falsely link him" to unsolved cases in the area.

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 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".

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 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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 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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 Sikh Federation said that following his court appearance in Punjab, he was sent to jail until 30 November, when he will reappear in court.

It said he has had a brief meeting with his in-laws and a UK official, but 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: "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.

"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 in support of Mr Johal on Thursday.

An FCO spokesman said: "Our consular staff in New Delhi have visited a British man who has been detained in Punjab. We have met his family to update them, and have confirmed that he now has access to his lawyer.

"We take all allegations or concerns of torture and mistreatment very seriously and will follow up with action as appropriate.

"When considering how to act, we will avoid any action that might put the individual in question or any other person that may be affected at risk."

Press Association
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A British couple have been forced to cancel their dream wedding on a Greek island after a viral photo of another pair of newlyweds simulating a sex act, led a local Bishop to ban foreigners from getting married there.

Emma Coupland and Stephen Wilson had planned to tie the knot at the chapel in St Paul's Bay, Rhodes, which is famous for its scenic setting.

But after another British couple, Carly and Matthew Lunn, posed for a picture showing them simulating oral sex while she was still in her wedding dress.

The image went viral after they posted it on Facebook and it came to the attention of Bishop Kyrillos, the island's most senior clergyman, who promptly banned forbidden foreigners from marrying at the church.

Travel operator TUI has since contacted couples to inform them their weddings could not go ahead as planned.

They contacted me last week, telling me that it was official cancelled," Ms Coupland, 24, told The Sun. "I was devastated."

The Wakefield mother had booked a ceremony at the quiet bay for May next year, but will now marry her fiance at a busier spot further away. They said guests had been forced to rearrange travel plans and the best man can no longer attend because he cannot afford to book new flights.

 British Airways introduces 'group boarding' system on all its flight

It was meant to be a little white chapel wedding, with fantastic views, in a quiet area on a little beach," Ms Coupland said.

A TUI UK spokesman said: Following a recent decision by the senior bishop for the island of Rhodes in regard to weddings at St Pauls Bay, we are contacting affected couples directly to discuss their options.

While the situation is beyond our control, we understand how important and distressing this is to our customers with weddings already booked."

Ms Lunn, 34, was said to be "mortified" at the consequences of the picture, which she and her husband agreed to pose for as a joke. The pair are reportedly facing legal action from other couples whose weddings have been cancelled.

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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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

Giorgos Eleftheriou, a community leader in Rhodes who performed the Lunns' wedding ceremony, said brides-to-be had called him in tears after their plans were ruined.

Shame on those two for the damage they have done," he said after implementing the ban last month. "Would they have done the same in their homeland; in front of a British chapel, a Jewish temple, a Muslim mosque?

"We are Greek and we cherish our traditions and the sanctity of our religious sites We cannot allow this disgusting behaviour to prevail.
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Turkey has banned all events by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights groups in its capital city, Ankara.

The ban has been imposed to protect public security, the Ankara governors office said.

The restrictions came into effect on Saturday and will last for an indefinite period, applying to all LGBTI film screenings, theatres, panels and exhibitions.

The governors office claimed such events may cause animosity between different groups and endanger health and morality, as well as the rights and freedoms of others.

It warned some groups may be provoked by LGBTI events and take action against participants due to certain social sensitivities.

Unlike many Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey and numerous LGBTI associations are legally registered with the state. But there is widespread hostility and rights activists say LGBTI people face discrimination and stigma.

The announcement by Ankaras government is likely to deepen concern about civil liberties under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

 Turkey's president Recep Erdogan wins referendum to greatly expand powers

Authorities in Ankara had already banned a German gay film festival on Wednesday, the day before it was due to start, citing public safety and terrorism risks. Organisers of Pink Life Queerfest said the ban deprives us of our constitutional rights in the name of protection.

Gay pride parades have been banned in Istanbul for the last two years running.

In June, 25 LGBTI rights supporters were arrested after attending a banned Pride march. They were later charged with participating in an unauthorised demonstration.

Istanbuls local government had banned the march at the last minute on the grounds it might lead to provocative actions and disrupt the public order. Police in riot gear broke up the parade, firing rubber bullets at demonstrators, after organisers decided to press ahead with the event.

Recommended Turkish police fire rubber bullets at LGBT marchers

Our security cannot be provided by imprisoning us behind walls, asking us to hide, organisers said. Our security will be provided by recognising us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom.

Earlier this month, Mr Erdogan accused the main opposition party of moving away from the countrys moral values after a small opposition-run district installed a quota for LGBTI candidates running for election to a neighbourhood committee.

The Turkish leader, a pious Muslim, said the pro-secular main opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, would learn the lesson they deserve at an election in 2019.

We have no business with those who have declared war on the peoples values, he said.
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Authorities are investigating the apparent suicide of an 11-year-old Afghan boy at a refugee camp in Austria.

The child had reportedly been struggling to help care for his six siblings at the camp in Baden, south of Vienna, where they had lived since last year.

He died a day after being taken to hospital in the capital, police said. They did not reveal how he had taken his life.

Recommended Austria elects youngest leader in lurch to the right

Austrian ombudsman Guenther Kraeuter announced an inquiry into the boy's death following claims, reported by public broadcaster Oe1, that authorities had been aware of the family's difficulties.

Austrian media reported that the boy had been left in charge of his siblings by his 23-year-old brother.

Authorities said they noticed nothing unusual. The boy's death appeared to be the latest in a wave of suicides among young refugees in Europe.

The UN's children agency Unicef has denounced the lack of protective measures for migrant children in Europe, accusing EU member states of doing much too little.

Human Rights Watch warned in July that a deal struck by the EU to slow refugee boat crossings to Greece was driving levels of suicide and self-harm upwards.

Asylum seekers detained on islands in the Aegean Sea described how they saw people setting themselves on fire, hanging themselves and cutting their wrists in desperation at their squalid living, according to a report by the organisation.

Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Show all 13 1 /13 Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Volunteers walk a group of refugee children towards their school on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Refugee children pose at a makeshift camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A Syrian Kurd mother combs Roza's hair, as she prepares to go to a volunteer-run school in a refugee camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Refugee children attend an English language class at the volunteer run school on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Refugee children carry vegetables in a refugee camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A newly arrived Syrian refugee, 13, holds her sister, 2, in a makeshift camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Refugee children pretend they go to school as they play in a refugee camp in the island AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A Greek girl walks past a graffiti on her way to a school on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A Malian refugee child poses from behind a fence in a makeshift camp AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A Syrian Kurd mother combs Roza's hair, as she prepares to go to a volunteer-run school in a refugee camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A Syrian family from Aleppo newly arrived to Greece sits in a makeshift camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A child carries a broken blackgammon game in a makeshift camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees Inside the classroom with Chios's child refugees A child holds onto her mother, Djeneba from Mali, before attending school in a refugee camp on the island of Chios AFP/Getty

Dozens of asylum seekers, including children, reported rising anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses as they were forced to wait months on end in horrific conditions to see if they would be granted passage to the Greek mainland or deported to Turkey.

There have been reports that Afghan refugees are sometimes treated as second class in comparison to Syrians by Western governments, with the asylum process for Afghans reportedly taking much longer due to a belief that many Afghans are not forced to leave their homes but rather are economic migrants.

Since 1979, Afghanistan has ranked between four and five out of five on the political terror scale, a measurement developed by political scientist Mark Gibney. Level five is the highest and is defined as a condition where: Terror has expanded to the whole population.

In 2015, there were around 2.7 million Afghan refugees  the worlds second-largest group after Syrians.

Suicide rates among Afghan teens in Sweden are reported to have soared following the implementation of tougher suicide rules.

During a two week period in January and February this year, seven unaccompanied minors were reported to have attempted suicide in different housing centres across the Scandinavian country  with three of them dying.

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 Europe's migration crisis.

The far-right Freedom Party is expected to enter Austria's government in coalition with the centre-right People's Party (OVP) following the recent election where the electorate lurched decisively to the right following concerns over immigration.
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Police have arrived at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official residence as part of an investigation into corruption allegations.

Detectives have previously questioned him over claims he received gifts from Hollywood and business figures.

A separate probe is looking into secret talks with the publisher of a major Israeli newspaper in which the Israeli leader allegedly requested positive coverage in exchange for reining in a free pro-Netanyahu daily.

Police were questioning Mr Netanyahu for the sixth time on Sunday, according to Israeli media. A police spokeswoman declined to confirm the reports.

No charges have been brought against the Israeli leader, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and called the accusations against him a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media.

The scandal has yet to threaten his eight-year rule, but has harmed his public approval ratings.

Investigators arrived at Mr Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem late on Sunday afternoon and disappeared behind security gates.

Israeli media reported this week that police believe they have sufficient evidence to charge the Prime Minister with bribery for accepting gifts worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from wealthy businessmen.

Among the alleged donors is billionaire film producer Arnon Milchan, who purportedly gave cigars and champagne to the premier over a seven to eight-year period. In return, Mr Netanyahu is claimed to have lobbied then US Secretary of State John Kerry over Mr Milchan's bid to acquire a new US visa.

In a separate case, the Israeli leader's wife, Sara Netanyahu, is facing a trial over alleged misuse of public funds. She is accused of using money set aside for the prime ministers official residence for furniture and improvements to the pairs private home, among other offences.

Police said earlier this month that a top confidant of the Prime Minister had also been questioned as part of a different investigation into a $2bn (1.5bn) submarine deal with Germany.
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British Airways passengers have responded rapidly to the revelation that travellers on the airline's cheapest tickets will be held back at the departure gate until everyone else is on board.

Many reactions to the pay least, board last policy were negative. The travel writer Nick Redmayne tweeted: Think BA has lost the plot. Instead of competing with the Aldi and Lidl of the airline world they should have stuck to offering more and costing more. This is a race to the bottom.

Ben Rattigan tweeted: BAs obsession with its status will bring the airline down. Its happened in every other industry. Its change or die time for them. And Paul Kingsley asked: What happens if you got it free with frequent flyer points? Will you have to do the walk of shame?

Rob McVicker said: It's not about how much money you have, it's about how much of your money you want to give to BA. I want to give them the smallest amount.

But Phil Lowry was in favour of a new policy that reflects frequent fliers getting rewarded for their regular business and their typically organised manner in boarding the plane. And Sonya Tank said: "Some people might like to go business class and have extra stuff, those who cant afford it, dont.

"Dont crow at people who choose to spend their money on what they see as better seats and maybe a little luxury."

Meanwhile another proponent tweeted: This system works very well for American Airlines. It will hopefully end the chaos of BA boarding where everyone tries to board at same time.

Some travellers commented on the logistical challenges the new policy may present.

The broadcaster Andi Peters observed: "If you've paid for Hand Baggage Only by the time you board (last) they'll be no space left in the overhead lockers.

Economy passengers sat at the rear of the aircraft to board last?, tweeted Geoff Coyles. Interesting to see what happens to their on time punctuality.

The world's 10 worst airlines Show all 10 1 /10 The world's 10 worst airlines The world's 10 worst airlines 10. Jet AirHelp, has assessed more than 30 airlines using scores for quality of service, on-time performance and responses to claims for compensation. Here follows the lowest ranked airlines, starting with Jet Airways, 35% of whose flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 9. Aerolineas Argentinas 15% of Aerolineas Argentinas flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 8. Iberia 16% of Iberia flights were delayed in 2018 Getty Images The world's 10 worst airlines 7. Korean Air 36% of Korean Air flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 6. Ryanair 14% of Ryanair flights were delayed in 2018 EPA The world's 10 worst airlines 5. Air Mauritius 31% of Air Mauritius flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 4. easyJet 21% of easyJet flights were delayed in 2018 AFP/Getty Images The world's 10 worst airlines 3. Pakistan International Airlines 39% of Pakistan International Airlines were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 2. Royal Jordanian Airlines 13% of Royal Jordanian Airlines flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 1. WOW Air 25% of WOW Air flights were delayed in 2018 Getty

Tillyecl said: In my experience airlines can't even manage to get passengers to board by row number efficiently, so how they think they are going to get this to work I've no idea.

Andy55 commented: No problem as long as BA are forced to make sure there is enough overhead space for all legitimate hand luggage and enforce regulations where passengers try to take on the kitchen sink as hand luggage.

Olivier, a member of British Airways cabin crew from 1989 to 2010, expressed surprise that a high value is placed on boarding early. He said that in his time at the airline the principle was: The higher you paid, the later you could board. The reason given during training course in BA was that being in an aircraft is less comfortable than in a premium airport lounge, so if you pay less, you'll board first'.

A significant proportion of passengers said they would be perfectly happy to be last to board. Karen Woods tweeted: Who cares? Proud to be frugal. We're all going to the same place on the same plane

AdvocatusDiaboli said: If some idiot pays more to sit in stationary plane waiting for those he considers socially inferior, so what?

How sad do you have to be as a person to find your worth in an airline seat?, wondered "Victoria V". And Steve Hill vowed: I shall enter triumphantly at the very end wearing a shirt that says Yay! I paid less than all you suckers.

The new policy takes effect on 12 December.
Only recently we reported about how actress, Nikita Dutta aka Aanchal from Sony TV 's Haasil was left bruised on the sets of the show while shooting for a sequence.

And once again, things were rather unfortunate for the actress as she was at the receiving end of another unanticipated instance.

While shooting in Mauritius, the actress was doing an underwater sequence and things went awry for Nikita, who suffers from hydrophobia and kept choking.

With assistance from co-actor, Vatsal Sheth , the actress went on to complete the sequence and felt better only later.

Things actors have to go through!
Report: The US-led War "Against" ISIS Is Killing 31 Times More Civilians Than Claimed



This may be the least transparent war in recent American history, the reporters write.



By Alex Ward

November 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The Pentagon claims that its air war against ISIS is one of the most accurate in history and that it is so careful in who it targets that the 14,000 US airstrikes in Iraq have killed just 89 civilians.

It turns out that the militarys assertion is a stunning underestimation of the true human cost of Washingtons three-year-old war against ISIS. An 18-month-long investigation by the New York Times has found that the US-led military coalition is killing civilians in Iraq at a rate 31 times higher than its admitting.

It is at such a distance from official claims that, in terms of civilian deaths, this may be the least transparent war in recent American history, Azmat Khan and Anand Gopal report .

From April 2016 to June 2017, Khan and Gopal traveled to nearly 150 sites in three ISIS-controlled areas in Northern Iraq. These were sites where the coalition conducted airstrikes against targets ostensibly linked to the militant group. In the places they visited, they found that the coalition vastly underreported how many civilians had died in the bombing.

The US-led coalition claims that one civilian has been killed in every 157 airstrikes. But Khan and Gopal report that, actually, the rate is one civilian death for every five airstrikes  a rate 31 times as high as what the military claims.

Gopal and Khan tell the story of 56-year-old Basim Razzo , an Iraqi man whose family was killed in an airstrike in September 2015. The coalition later put up a video of the airstrike on Razzos home on YouTube. The video claimed to be hitting a car bomb factory. Razzos family wasnt counted among the civilian deaths until Khan and Gopal brought it up to coalition officials.

This raises many troubling issues about Americas air war against ISIS. First, a US-led military campaign is greatly underreporting the number of civilian casualties in Iraq. That also raises questions about how many civilians the US-led coalition might be killing in Syria, the neighboring country where the fight against ISIS is also taking place.

And, worse, killing civilians in ISISs territory could be a boon for its own recruitment.

The anti-ISIS war keeps killing civilians

As Vox reported before, the US military has a civilian casualties problem.

For example, on May 26, Al Jazeera reported that more than 106 civilians, including 42 children, died during two days of bombing in Al-Mayadeen, Syria, by the coalition. The planes fired strikes at buildings that housed families of ISIS fighters.

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US officials routinely note all the steps they take to ensure civilians arent harmed in an attack, such as gathering detailed intelligence and attacking sites during times when few noncombatants are likely to be in the area. However, Khan and Gopal couldnt find a noticeable ISIS target near half of the strikes they visited.

Still, officials acknowledge, they take the necessary precautions to ensure civilians arent casualties of the war  even though they sometimes are.

Were not happy with it, and were never going to be happy with it, Col. John Thomas, a spokesperson for the military command that oversees the war, told Khan and Gopal. But were pretty confident we do the best we can to try to limit these things.

Despite the advanced military techniques the coalition uses, however, it still cannot stop killing noncombatants because the US and its allies choose to fight ISIS primarily from the skies. It was inevitable that civilians would become collateral damage.

America is good at dropping bombs exactly where it wants to, but it cant control the explosion and those who might get hurt as the dust settles. The Pentagon knows this, of course, but it has historically done a very poor job policing itself and its allies to take all available measures to minimize innocent deaths.

Thanks to Khan and Gopal, we now have statistics showing just how poor a job the military has done  and just how many civilians are paying the price.
Who Gets to Push the Nuclear Button?

By Paul Craig Roberts

November 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - William Binney is the former National Security Agency (NSA) official who created NSAs mass surveillance program for digital information. He says that if the Russian government had conspired with Trump, hacked the Democratic National Committees 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 Russiagate for more than one year without being presented with a scrap of evidence is complete proof that Russiagate 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 :

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 shouldnt 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 Russiagate 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 Russiagate is preventing Trump from reducing. See :

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.

Before launching each of these acts of unprovoked aggression, Washington demonized the leader of the country. To get rid of one person, Washington did not flinch at murdering large numbers of people and destroying the infrastructure of the country. This tells you that Washington has no morality. None. Zilch. Therefore, Washington is capable of launching a preemptive nuclear strike. Back when nuclear weapons were puny by todays standards, Washington nuked two Japanese cities while Japan was trying to surrender. That was in 1945, a lifetime ago. Whatever bits of morality that still existed then are long gone.

Today a CNN editor-at-large named Chris Cillizza, published online an article titled, Theres a massive moral vacuum in the country right now. At last, I thought, a presstitute has realized that Washingtons constant nuclear threats against other countries shows a complete disrespect for the life of the planet and indicates a moral vacuum. But no, the presstitute is talking about sexual harassment, especially that of Roy Moore in the 1970s. And it is all Trumps fault. How can he lead when he harasses women himself? http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/16/politics/roy-moore-mcconnell-trump/index.html

President Trump intended to normalize relations with the other major nuclear power. He has been prevented from doing so by the military/security complex, the DNC, and the presstitutes.

Cillizza says sexual harassment is a very big consequence of Trumps election. I am left wondering if CNNs editor-at-large considers nuclear war to be as serious as sexual harassment.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
US Military and CIA Leaders May Be Investigated for War Crimes

By Marjorie Cohn

November 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - 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.

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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.

If a full investigation of US officials proceeds as requested, it "would send a clear signal to the Trump administration and other countries around the world that torture is categorically prohibited, even in times of war, and there will be consequences for authorizing and committing acts of torture," according to Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU's Human Rights Program.

During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump declared he would "immediately" resume waterboarding and would "bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding" because the United States is facing a "barbaric" enemy. He labeled waterboarding a "minor form" of interrogation.

"The long overdue message that no one is above the law is particularly important now, as the Trump administration ramps up military machinations in Afghanistan and embraces the endless war with no plan in sight," Katherine Gallagher, a senior lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights, said in a statement.

Marjorie Cohn is professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, former president of the National Lawyers Guild, deputy secretary general of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and a member of the national advisory board of Veterans for Peace. The second, updated edition of her book, Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues , will be published in November. Visit her website: MarjorieCohn.com . Follow her on Twitter: @MarjorieCohn .

This article was originally published by Truth Out -

The US-led War "Against" ISIS Is Killing 31 Times More Civilians Than Claimed

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Capitalism Collapsing from Inequality... Blame Russia!

By Finian Cunningham

November 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - New figures published this week on obscene inequality show how the capitalist economic system has become more than ever deeply dysfunctional. Surely, the depraved workings of the system pose the greatest threat to societies and international security. Yet, Western leaders are preoccupied instead with other non-existent threats  like Russia.

Take British prime minister Theresa May who this week was speaking at a posh banquet in London. She told the assembled hobnobs, as they were sipping expensive wines, that Russia is threatening the international order upon which we depend. Without providing one scrap of evidence, the British leader went to assert that Russia was interfering in Western democracies to sow discord.

Mays grandstanding is a classic case study of what behavioral scientists call displacement activity  that is, when animals find themselves in a state of danger they often react by displaying unusual behavior or making strange noises.

For indeed May and other Western political leaders are facing danger to their world order, even if they dont openly admit it as such. That danger is from the exploding levels of social inequality and poverty within Western societies, leading to anger, resentment, discontent and disillusionment among increasing masses of citizens. In the face of the inherent, imminent collapse of their systems of governance, Western leaders like May seek some relief by prattling on about Russia as a threat.

This week European bank Credit Suisse published figures showing that the wealth gap between rich and poor has reached even more grotesque and absurdist levels. According to the bank, the worlds richest 1% now own as much wealth as half the population of the entire planet. The United States and Britain are among the top countries for residing multi-millionaires, while these two nations have also emerged as among the most unequal in the world.

The data calling out how dysfunctional the capitalist system has become keeps on coming. It is impossible to ignore the reality of a system in deep disrepair, yet British and American politicians in particular  apart from notable exceptions like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders  have the audacity to block out this reality and to chase after risible phantoms. (The exercise makes perfect sense in a way.)

Last week, a report from the US-based Institute of Policy Studies found that just three of Americas wealthiest men  Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett  own the same level of wealth as the poorest half of the entire US population. That is, the combined monetary worth of these three individuals  reckoned to be $250 billion  is equivalent to that possessed by 160 million citizens.

Whats more, the study also estimates that if the Trump administration pushes through its proposed tax plans, the gap between rich elite and the vast majority will widen even further. This and other studies have found that over 80% of the tax benefits from Trumps budget will go to enrich the top 1% in society.

All Western governments, not just Mays or Trumps, have over the past decades overseen an historic trend of siphoning wealth from the majority of society to a tiny elite few. The tax burden has relentlessly shifted from the wealthy to the ordinary workers, who in addition have had to contend with decreasing wages, as well as deteriorating public serves and social welfare.

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To refer to the United States or Britain as democracies is a preposterous misnomer. They are for all practical purposes plutocracies; societies run by and for a top strata of obscenely wealthy.

Intelligent economists, like the authors at the IPS cited above, realize that the state of affairs is unsustainable. Morally, and even from an empirical economics point of view, the distortion of wealth within Western societies and internationally is leading to social and political disaster.

On this observation, we must acknowledge the pioneering work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels who more than 150 years ago identified the chief failing of capitalism as being the polarization of wealth between a tiny few and the vast majority. The lack of consumption power among the masses owing to chronic poverty induced by capitalism would result in the systems eventual collapse. Surely, we have reached that point in history now, when a handful of individuals own as much wealth as half the planet.

Inequality, poverty and the denial of decent existence to the majority of people stands out as the clarion condemnation of capitalism and its organization of society under private profit. The human suffering, hardships, austerity and crippled potential that flow from this condition represent the crisis of our time. Yet instead of an earnest public debate and struggle to overcome this crisis, we are forced by our elites to focus on false, even surreal problems.

American politics has become paralyzed by an endless elite squabble over whether Russia meddled in the presidential elections and claims that Russian news media continue to interfere in American democracy. Of course, the US corporate-controlled news media, who are an integral part of the plutocracy, lend credibility to this circus. Ditto European corporate-controlled media.

Then we have President Donald Trump on a world tour berating and bullying other nations to spend more money on buying American goods and to stop cheating supposed American generosity over trade. Trump also is prepared to start a nuclear war with North Korea because the latter is accused of being a threat to global peace  on the basis that the country is building military defenses. The same for Iran. Trump castigates Iran as a threat to Middle East peace and warns of a confrontation.

This is the same quality of ludicrous distraction as Britains premier Theresa May this week lambasting Russia for threatening the world order upon which we all depend. By we she is really referring to the elites, not the mass of suffering workers and their families.

May and Trump are indulging in perception management taken to absurdity. Or more crudely, brainwashing.

How can North Korea or Iran be credibly presented as global threats when the American and British are supporting a genocidal blockade and aerial slaughter in Yemen? The complete disconnect in reality is testimony to the pernicious system of thought-control that the vast majority of citizens are enforced to live under.

The biggest disconnect is the obscene inequality of wealth and resources that capitalism has engendered in the 21st century. That monstrous dysfunction is also causally related to why the US and its Western allies like Britain are pushing belligerence and wars around the planet. It is all part of their elitist denial of reality. The reality that capitalism is the biggest threat to humanitys future.

Do we let these mentally deficient, deceptive political elites and their media dictate the nonsense? Or will the mass of people do the right thing and sweep them aside?

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.

This article was originally published by Strategic Culture Foundation -

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Home Brennan and Clapper: Elder Statesmen or Serial Fabricators?



By Mike Whitney November 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - On Sunday, Former CIA Director John Brennan and Former National Intelligence Director (NID) James Clapper appeared on CNNs morning talk show, State of the Union, to discuss Donald Trumps brief meeting with Vladimir Putin in Vietnam. The two ex-Intel chiefs were sharply critical of Trump and wondered why the president did not not acknowledge and embrace the idea that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections. According to Brennan, Russia not only poses a national security problem for the US, but also Putin is committed to undermining our system, our democracy, and our whole process. Naturally, CNN anchor, Jake Tapper, never challenged Brennan or Clapper on any of the many claims they made regarding Russia nor did he interrupt either man while they made, what appeared to be, carefully scripted remarks about Trump, Putin and the ongoing investigation. There were no surprise announcements during the interview and neither Brennan or Clapper added anything new to the list of allegations that have been repeated ad nauseam in the media for the last year. The only time Tapper veered off course at all was when he asked Brennan whether he thought any laws were broken by the Trump campaign? Heres what Brennan said: Im just a former intelligence officer. I never had the responsibility for determining whether or not criminal actions were taken. But, since leaving office on the 20th of January, I think more and more of this iceberg is emerging above the surface of the water, some of the things that I knew about, but some of the things I didnt know about, in terms of some of the social media efforts that Russia employed. So, I think what Bob Mueller, who, again, is another quintessential public servant, is doing is trying to get to the bottom of this. And I think were going to find out how large this iceberg really is. In other words, after an arduous 12 month-long investigation involving both Houses of Congress, a Special Counsel, and a small army of high-paid Washington attorneys, the only straw Brennan has found to hold on to, is a few innocuous advertisements posted on Facebook and Twitter that had no noticeable impact on the election at all. Thats a very weak foundation upon which to build a case for foreign espionage or presidential collusion. Its hard not to conclude that the public has been seriously misled by the leaders of this campaign. The Intel bosses continue to believe that they can overcome the lack of evidence by repeating the same claims over and over again. The problem with this theory is that Brennans claims dont match the findings of his own Gold Standard report, the so called Intelligence Community Assessment or ICA which was published on January 6, 2017 and which supposedly provides rock solid evidence of Russian meddling. The greatly over-hyped ICA proves nothing of the kind, in fact, the report features a sweeping disclaimer that cautions readers against drawing any rash conclusions from the analysts observations. Heres the money-quote from the report: Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact. Assessments are based on collected information, which is often incomplete or fragmentary, as well as logic, argumentation, and precedents. So, while Brennan continues to insist that the Kremlin was involved in the elections, his own analysts suggest that any such judgements should be taken with a very large grain of salt. Nothing is certain, information is incomplete or fragmentary, and the entire report is based on what-amounts-to educated guesswork. Is Brennan confused about the reports findings or is he deliberately trying to mislead the American people about its conclusions? Heres Brennan again on Sunday: I think Mr. Trump knows that the intelligence agencies, specifically CIA, NSA and FBI, the ones that really have responsibility for counterintelligence and looking at what Russia does, its very clear that the Russians interfered in the election. And its still puzzling as to why Mr. Trump does not acknowledge that and embrace it, and also push back hard against Mr. Putin. The Russian threat to our democracy and our democratic foundations is real. There appears to be a significant discrepancy between Brennans unshakable belief in Russian intervention and the findings of his own hand picked analysts who said with emphatic clarity: Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact. Why is it so hard for Brennan to wrap his mind around that simple, unambiguous statement? The reason Brennans intelligence analysts admit that they have no proof, is because they have no proof. That might sound obvious, but we have to assume that it isnt given that both Houses of Congress and a Special Counsel are still bogged down in an investigation that has yet to provide even a solid lead let alone any compelling evidence. We also have to assume that most people do not understand that there is not sufficient evidence to justify the massive investigations that are currently underway. (What probable cause?) Adds placed in Facebook do not constitute hard evidence of foreign espionage or election rigging. They indicate the desperation of the people who are leading the investigation. The fact that serious people are even talking about social media just underscores the fact that the search for proof has produced nothing. These investigations are taking place because powerful elites want to vilify an emerging geopolitical rival (Russia) and prevent Trump from normalizing relations with Moscow, not because there is any evidence of criminal wrongdoing. As the Intel analysts themselves acknowledge, there is no proof of criminal wrongdoing or any other wrongdoing for that matter. What there is, is a political agenda to discredit Trump and demonize Russia. Thats the fuel that is driving the present campaign. Russia-gate is not about meddling, its about politics. And Brennan and Clapper are critical players in the current drama. Theyre supposed to be the elder statesmen who selflessly defend the country from foreign threats. But are they or is this just role-playing that doesnt square with what we already know about the two men? Heres thumbnail sketch of Clapper written by former-CIA officer Ray McGovern that will help to clarify the point: Clapper played a key role in the bogus Iraq-WMD intelligence when he was head of the National Geo-spatial Agency and hid the fact that there was zero evidence in satellite imagery of any weapons of mass destruction before the Iraq invasion. When no WMDs were found, Clapper told the media that he thought they were shipped off to Syria. Never Miss Another Story Get Our Free Daily Newsletter In 2013, Clapper perjured himself before Congress by denying NSAs unconstitutional blanket surveillance of Americans. After evidence emerged revealing the falsity of Clappers testimony, he wrote a letter to Congress admitting, My response was clearly erroneous  for which I apologize. . Clapper also has demonstrated an ugly bias about Russians. On May 28, as a former DNI, Clapper explained Russian interference in the U.S. election to NBCs Chuck Todd on May 28 with a tutorial on what everyone should know about the historical practices of the Russians. Clapper said, the Russians, typically, are almost genetically driven to co-opt, penetrate, gain favor, whatever, which is a typical Russian technique. (Mocking Trump Doesnt Prove Russias Guilt, Ray McGovern, Consortium News) So, Clapper concealed information that could have slowed or prevented the rush to war in Iraq. Thats a significant failing on his part that suggests either poor judgment or moral weakness. Which is it? He also lied about spying on the American people. Why? Why would he do that? And why should we trust someone who not only spied on us but also paved the way to war in Iraq? And the rap-sheet on Brennan is even worse than Clappers. Check out this blurb from Glenn Greenwald at The Guardian: Brennan, as a Bush-era CIA official, had expressly endorsed Bushs programs of torture (other than waterboarding) and rendition and also was a vocal advocate of immunizing lawbreaking telecoms for their role in the illegal Bush NSA eavesdropping program Obama then appointed him as his top counter-terrorism adviser. In that position, Brennan last year got caught outright lying when he claimed Obamas drone program caused no civilian deaths in Pakistan over the prior year. Brennan has also been in charge of many of Obamas most controversial and radical policies, including signature strikes in Yemen  targeting people without even knowing who they are  and generally seizing the power to determine who will be marked for execution without any due process, oversight or transparency.. (John Brennans extremism and dishonesty rewarded with CIA Director nomination, Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian) So, Brennan supported kidnapping (rendition), torture (enhanced interrogation techniques) and targeted assassinations (drone attacks). And this is the man we are supposed to trust about Russia? Keep in mind, the jihadist militants that have been tearing apart Syria for the last six years were armed and trained by the CIA. Brennans CIA. These radical militias have been defeated largely due to Russian military intervention. Do you think that this defeat at the hands of Putin may have shaped Brennans attitude towards Russia? Of course, it has. Brennan never makes any attempt to conceal his hatred for Putin or Russia. As we noted earlier, Brennan and Clapper are central figures in the Russia-gate story, but their records show we cant trust what they have to say. They are like the eyewitness in a murder trial whose testimony is thrown out because he is exposed as a compulsive liar. The same rule applies to Clapper and Brennan, that is, when the main proponents of the Russia hacking story are shown to be untrustworthy, we must discount what they have to say. Which is why the Russia-gate narrative is beginning to unravel. Mike lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition . He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com . Watch These Criminals Spew Propaganda, Lies And Distortion ==== Note regarding comments You spoke and we listened. It is no longer necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. This website encourages readers to use the "Report" link found at the base of each comment. When a predetermined number of ICH readers click on the "Report" link, the comment will be automatically sent to "moderation". This would appear to be the most logical way to allow open comments, where you the reader/supporter, can determine what is acceptable speech. Please don't use the report feature simply because you disagree with the author point of view. Treat others with respect, remembering that "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."- Benjamin Franklin. 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There is chaos and an ongoing massive march towards Eleme Police Station After A young boy of Ten Years was allegedly shot dead by the operatives of SARS in the Town.

It was gathered that, Men of the Federal SARS shot the innocent boy at Agbonchia Community in Eleme this morning, the officials were said to have appeared without there Uniform, however the reason behind the killing is yet unknown as at the time of filing this report.

A 10-year-old boy was reportedly killed by a stray bullet from a SARS operative in Agbonchia Eleme area of Rivers State.

Facebook user, Paul Amasi who shared the story wrote;

What a mess will are getting and facing in the land of Agbonchia Eleme from the SARs men of rivers state. Happening now, Eleme police and sars men short and kill an innocent 10years girl hookin treliveyam along the roadside.

-Punch
The Federal Government has filed 311 requests for extradition and mutual legal assistance in the two years of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

This figure was contained in a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity, which was presented to the public on Thursday.

The 360-page book is a mid-term scorecard of the present administration authored by the Presidential Media Team. It listed the achievements of all the ministries 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 figure of the extraditions and mutual legal assistance was contained in the section allotted to the Ministry of Justice.

The book however did not give details of the offences committed by the Nigerians that necessitated the extradition requests.

It also did not mention the names of those who were listed in the requests or the countries from where their extraditions are being sought.

There are however many former government officials who are being investigated of corruption currently residing outside the country.

The statistics further showed that the ministry received 636 incoming requests of extraditions and mutual legal assistance.

Those are foreign nationals whose countries of origin are requesting their extradition from Nigeria back home.

According to the document, only 503 out of the 636 incoming requests were forwarded to competent authorities for execution.

It said 390 of the requests had been completed, meaning that the affected persons may be on their way back to their respective countries or could have been repatriated already.

The book did not also disclose the offences committed by the affected persons in their countries or the names of the wanted persons.

It also did not state the countries from where the extradition requests were received.

According to the book, the EFCC recorded about 200 convictions in 2016 with assets running into billions of naira recovered.

It stated that in the first quarter of 2017, the commission recorded 62 convictions.

It said more significant was that among the convicts were a number of high-profile personalities, including a former governor, oil barons and top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Bala Ngilari, former governor of Adamawa State, was jailed five years on March 6 by Justice Nathan Musa of the Adamawa State High Court for procurement fraud.

The conviction was significant not only on the score that the trial was completed in seven months but it was also the first conviction of a former governor to be recorded in nearly six years, the book read.

According to the book, the EFCC is closely working with the US Department of Justice, the FBI, UK National Crime Agency, UK Serious Fraud Office and the Netherlands Police.

The relationships, it stated, were geared towards seamless investigations of transnational economic and financial crimes as well as tracing and recovery of looted funds and assets.

The commission has been actively involved in the tracing and recovery of stolen assets both within and outside Nigeria.

It has also been instrumental in securing the cooperation of countries such as the UAE in supporting the anti-money laundering efforts of the Nigerian government, the book added.

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.

At the public presentation of the book on Thursday, Buhari said he had resolved to pay back the goodwill Nigerians extended towards him during his recent health ordeal by protecting their interests with all the energy at his disposal.

He restated his administrations commitment to improving security, fighting corruption and restructuring the economy.

The President stated that within the limited resources available to him, his administration would continue to give priority to security by addressing herdsmen/farmers clashes, kidnapping and armed robberies.

Buhari added that his government was working quietly to secure the release of the remaining girls, who were kidnapped in their school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

He had said, We have gone through difficult times due to worldwide economic recession. We are coming out of recession and government efforts are targeted at easing economic hardships, with more jobs, social security platforms for vulnerable families, and unemployed and infrastructural progress.

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.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Jennifer Hudson and her former fiance David Otunga split recently and according to a new report, her fiance caught her cheating with another man  and confronted Jennifer.

Heres how TMZ is reporting it:

Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga broke up after he confronted her, claiming she was secretly dating music producer Mali Music  TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story  cops kicked David out of the family home Thursday night after Jennifer got an order of protection claiming she feared him, he had gotten physical with her and he was a threat to her and her son. David vehemently denies the allegations.

Heres the guy:

Source: TMZ
An anti-LGBTQ lawmaker, identified as Wesley Goodman, has resigned after being caught having sex with another man.

The lawmaker,representing the Republican Ohio state representative was elected in 2016, resigned earlier this week after it came to light that hed engaged in inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature with another man sometime this year.

Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger confirmed the incident in a statement that read: I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations.

It became clear that his resignation was the most important course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.

Goodman seemed to also confirm the incident, saying in another statement that goes: We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life. 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.

Goodman, who is married to a Bethany , presented himself as a conservative Christian who is openly against religious liberty. He strongly condemned homosexuality and endorsed natural marriage (i.e heterosexual marriage) as the only valid marital option.

On his Twiiter account, which he has now made private, he describes himself as Christian. American. Conservative. Republican. Husband to @Beth1027. On his website, which has now been taken down, he also shared his opposition to homosexuality.

A Washington Post story suggests this is not the first time Republican lawmakers have been made aware of Goodmans private sexual behavior, and that not all of his behavior has been consensual in nature.

According to documents and correspondence obtained by the Post, Tony Perkins  of the conservative Christian Family Research Council  had privately urged Goodman to drop out of the Ohio state representative race following reports that he had fondled an 18-year-old at a campaign fundraiser, alongside other similar incidents.

Source: ( Linda Ikeji)
As whereabouts of Nnamdi Kanu, remain unknown, his younger brother, Emmanuel has reiterated the familys belief that the Nigerian military either killed or kidnapped leader of the now outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Emmanuel Kanu told newsmen on Saturday that Nigerias chief of army staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai had shown through a recent counter-affidavit filed before a court in Abuja that the army knew the whereabouts of Kanu.

Buratai had in the counter-affidavit being referred to, said soldiers chased a truck laden with weapons into a house belonging to Kanus father in Afara Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State.

Kanus brother also said Buratai should be jailed for allegedly lying in a Federal High Court in Abuja concerning the invasion of their house by soldiers at Afara Ukwu.

From the look of things, everyone now knows that Nnamdi Kanu was either killed or taken away by the military, he said.

Emmanuel insisted that if the army had traced someone who had a truckload of ammunition to their house, the COAS should tell the world who the person was, when it happened, and the evidence to show that the military traced the person with dangerous weapons to their house.

What is Gen. Buratai talking about? The question I am asking is why should Justice Binta Nyako listen to such lies? If she fails to jail Buratai, it means the judicial system in this country should not be trusted for any reason. He should be jailed for telling such cheap and childish lies, Emmanuel said.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in Abia State, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, has denied claims that IPOB members were arrested by soldiers in Aba and handed over to the state police command.

Punch reports that Ogbonna said the state police commissioner, Mr Anthony Ogbizi, also urged residents of the state to ignore IPOB members and go about their lawful duties.

Source  Punch
New details have emerged showing that the police officers attached to the Cross Rivers state command executed alleged kidnappers after taking them into custody.

The Nigeria police is without doubt, a representation of the grave level of systematic rot in Nigeria. Many Nigerians have fallen victim to the unprofessional conduct of its poorly trained officers who use their position of authority as an opportunity to intimidate, harass and oppress innocent citizens.

Without mincing words, most of our police officers act like lunatics and worst still, they never obey the law. To them, anytime they put on the uniform, they become untouchable and above the law. You will see them drive against traffic with speed without considering the fate of other road users. They run a red light, brazenly collect bribe in the open and arrest innocent citizens just to extort money from them.

It came without an iota of surprise when a recent study revealed that the Nigeria police is the worst in the world.The 2016 report which was compiled by the World Internal Security and Police Index International, WISPI and released by the International Police Science Association, IPSA, and the Institute for Economics and Peace, categorically rated the Nigeria Police Force as the worst in the world.

Instead of the top echelon of the police to hide their faces in shame and find an understandable way out of the glaring mess, the police in its predictable nature regaled us with tales how it is the best in Africa.

As an ordinary citizen of Nigeria and having lived in this country for over 25 years, I can authoritatively tell you that the WISPI report is absolutely correct.

You do not need to look far to find justification for the such a rating. Be patient with me as I take you through some horrifying experiences Nigerians have passed through in the hands of daft and murderous police officers who no longer hide their evil from the public. These experiences are just a few in the list of many such uneventful cases.

On the 8th of November 2017, six alleged kidnappers were reportedly killed by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Cross River state command during a shootout.

The SARS team purportedly rescued the kidnap victim in Ikom local government area after a shootout that left the six kidnappers dead, according to reports.

Hear the Spokesperson of the command, ASP Irene Ugbo speaking on the incident as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria: Our men today had an encounter with some kidnappers in Ikom local government area while trying to rescue an abducted woman in their captivity.

During the process of rescuing the victim, the kidnappers engaged our men in an exchange of fire and we were able to rescue the woman while five of the kidnappers were shot dead.

We also arrested two of the kidnappers and our men are bringing them down to Calabar as we speak, she said.

From the above statement by Ugbo, it was established that 5 kidnappers didnt survive the shootout with the police, only two were taken alive. Investigation I carried out showed that six people and not five were executed by the police.

Photographic evidence by people present at the scene further revealed that the police lied blatantly that the alleged kidnappers died during a shootout.

In fact, there was no shootout in the first place. The alleged kidnappers were reportedly murdered in cold blood by police officers.

Information gathered from an eyewitness revealed that the alleged kidnappers were alive when they were arrested by the police and taken into custody. Also, photo showed the alleged kidnappers numbering at least four climbing into the police van while being handcuffed. THEY WERE NOT KILLED DURING A SHOOTOUT!

Another photo also showed the alleged kidnappers at a place believed to be the police station in handcuffs before they were executed.

It is imperative to note that the police lied when it said the alleged kidnappers were killed during a shootout. It is also worthy to note that the alleged kidnappers were stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into the police van ALIVE, so there was no way they could have died in a shootout as they were seen ALIVE while entering the back of the police car and had no access to any gun.

The plan by the police to cover up the extrajudicial execution of suspects is a great shame showing how low our institutions have become.

With the above points made, it is lame of the police Spokesperson to have come out in public with a false statement to cover the tracks of its murderous officers instead of making them face the music for such a horrendous crime. No police officer has the right to take the life of a suspect in their custody without allowing the law take its due course.

Such blatant disregard for the rule of law and many other unprofessional conducts have brought ridicule to the image of the police giving its ill-informed officers the impetus to carry on with such unjustified killings because they are bound to go scot-free. Such a shame the police has become!

As a matter of fact, the police hierarchy must move fast to arrest the erring officers who participated in this extrajudicial killing in Akwa Ibom. Investigation into

this incident must be conducted in a thorough manner. Gone are the days when such impunity is allowed to fester. If the police is serious to make a name for itself in Africa and the world, it must stand up to the call and take the bull by the horn and do away with bad eggs in its rank and file. If the police pay deaf ear to this call, then it stands to be disgraced soon.

On the 13th of November 2017, a police officer was caught on camera fighting a protesting student of the Federal College of Education, Ibadan with an axe. The incident happened while the students were protesting over the closure of their school. In saner climes, police presence at rallies is to guide and make sure the protesters follow due process of the law. But in Nigeria, the half-baked police officers will foolishly attack peaceful protesters with live bullets and teargas. Policemen in Nigeria act like street urchins; they do not even know the law.

The alleged kidnappers were surprising executed and their bodies displayed by the police who claimed they died during a shootout

It is a really sad thing to see a police officer who should be held in high regard as a custodian of the law acting like a motor park agbero. Policemen in Nigeria act like people with a brain the size of a lizard. Tell me, how can a police officer take his gun to a welder for repairs? But that was what a Nigerian police officer was caught doing recently. The system has been bastardized.

Back to the student protesters in Ibadan, Prof. James Adediran, the Executive Director of Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan (IAR&T) whose institution shares same location with the College accused overzealous policemen attached to the Oyo State Police Command of shooting two members of staff of the institute after they were drafted to quell the students during a protest. But the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, denied it. He said the police didnt fire a single shot but instead used teargas to disperse the protesting students.

Hear him: Police fired teargas to push the students to the extreme and were able to arrest some of the students that threw the stones. There was no gun shot, Odude said.

What a blatant lie! A video of the clash showed police officers shooting to disperse the protesters. Empty gun shells were also recovered at the scene of the incident. Considering this ugly trend by the police to deny the irresponsible conduct of its officers, it is very obvious that the police will remain the worst in the world for a long time.

In the middle of October this year, four SARS officers were arrested in Kwara state after they reportedly sexually harassed a young Nigerian woman by name Kachi Anifela Zion to the extent of inserting their filthy fingers into her privates. The officers had accused her of being a prostitute before going ahead to fondle her privates while searching her. What became of the investigation is unknown as the police as I learnt is yet to make it public its finding.

A member of the Nigerian Merchant Navy, Ay Suave shocked many people when he narrated the traumating ordeal he passed through in the hands of shameless police officers who bundled him into their van before assaulting and dumping him in their cell for absolutely committing no crime. Yet the hierarchy of the police will read and hear these horrifying and still remain adamant to investigate and bring these bad eggs to book. Yet, they will in a moronic manner come up with excuses when they are rated as the worst in the world.

Some days ago, a video of a SARS officer pointing gun at two residents of Ogun state threatening to shoot and throwa their bodies without anything happening to him left many of our dead ancestors turning in their graves. Those are the kind of police officers we have in Nigeria.

With such reckless display of stupidity, nothing has happened to the officer who is now a threat to the citizens hes supposed to protect.

It was in this same vein that men of the Nigeria police in an extrajudicial manner, executed supporters of Mohammed Yusuf which gave birth to one of the deadliest terror groups in the world. The same line is being followed by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari whose record for flagrant disobedience to rule of law is legendary as he has for nearly 2 years now held the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim Yaqoub El Zakzaky in custody.

El Zakzakys wife and sons were among many of the sect members brutally murdered by the Nigerian army who laid seige at the sects enclave in 2015. Many court orders asking for El Zakzakys release never saw the light of the day.
A large turnout of voters was observed in the Anambra East LGA, despite the election boycott declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Willie Obiano, and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Tony Nwoye, are from the local government area.

Our correspondent observed large crowds in most of the polling units in the area.

Voters in the areas defied the boycott order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra by turning out in large numbers to support their candidates.

Before the election, there were fears that IPOB members would interfere with the exercise, but there was little or no sign of the group during the poll.

The groups prediction that bomb blasts would be recorded during the exercise did not come to pass.

However, as early as 9am, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, issued a statement to congratulate the people of Anambra State for obeying Nnamdi Kanus order to boycott the election.

The statement did not reflect the situation on the ground in the areas as voters turned out in large numbers to support their candidates.

Commenting on the large turnout of voters in the areas, a former national chairman of APGA, and Chairman of Obiano Re-election Committee, Chief Victor Umeh, said there was no way the people of the state would have boycotted the election.

Speaking at a polling unit at Aguluzigbo Ward, in Aniocha LGA, Umeh said, Our people wouldnt have agreed to boycott the election.

We told our people not to stay away from the polls because of fears that some people might hurt them. You can see today that both young and elderly voted. They heeded the call.

Umeh advised IPOB to change its strategy by getting involved in the political process.

He added, I appealed to IPOB members to come out and vote. They should participate in the democratic process  that is the only way we can solve our problems. The only viable way for Igbo to succeed in Nigeria is by participating in the democratic process.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper)
TV personality Ebuka shared a photo on his Instagram of Banky W on his way to propose to then girlfriend Adesua Etomi.

Ebuka, who sneaked the above selfie with a sleeping Banky W, wrote:

#FlashBackFriday To that secret trip in February when Banks went to propose in Cape Town. Dude was obviously exhausted from all the planning 

Meanwhile, Id met with Adesua earlier to make sure she had no idea what was coming. She didnt. Every damn thing went according to plan!!!

And now, #BAAD2017 is loading Whoop!!! 

Source  Ngtrends
The Southern Senators Forum have expressed their commitment to ensuring an equitable, progressive and prosperous Nigeria.

According to the Chairman of the forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, in a statement on Sunday, said the lawmakers would continue to canvass for lasting solutions to issues affecting Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe or religion.

According to him, the forum has scheduled a retreat for later in November to discuss burning national issues, including the protection of ethnic minorities in the country.

Uzodinma added that issues for discussion at the retreat would also include the imperative of restructuring in a multi-religious country as Nigeria and the role of the legislature in a constitutional democracy.

The senator stressed that the sustenance of national unity in a restructured Nigeria would equally be discussed.

He said, The Southern Senators Forum is a consultative assembly of serving senators from the southern states of the federation which has been in existence since the advent of democracy in 1999.

The forum seeks to evoke progressive conversations among the peoples of the southern parts of the country through their elected representatives in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
Actor, Tyrese Gibson won his court battle over custody of his 10-year-old daughter on Friday, after a judge denied his exs request for a permanent restraining order against him, which would have severely restricted his access to his daughter, Shayla.

Norma had claimed that Tyrese physically abused their 10-year-old daughter, claiming he beat her up 12 to 16 times, owever.

Child services initially launched their investigation into Gibson after Norma, who was married to him from 2007 to 2009, accused the actor of abusing their daughter on Aug. 19, claiming in court documents that Tyrese pushed our daughter to the ground, pinned her face down, put his knees on her back, grabbed her hands with one arm and beat her with the other.

Tyrese denied the allegation, saying he only struck her once on the bottom, and that Norma was just being vindictive.

On Friday, the judge ruled that both Tyrese and his ex Norma Gibson will have equal joint custody of their daughter starting in January. Until then,both sides have worked out a visitation schedule that will allow Tyrese to see Shayla over the holidays.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
Nollywood actor and filmmaker Yomi Fabiyi has written a petition to the Lagos State commissioner of Police through his lawyer, Barrister Bardu to lodge a complaint in reaction to a lady who accused him of sexual harrassment on Instagram.

During the week, Eniola Omoshalewa Eunice who goes by the name @ennygold1 called out the actor saying he wanted sex for a movie role about 9 years ago.

She wrote, this stupid guy, I remember my encounter with him about 9 years ago wen I was so passionate about acting. I was happy wen I met him as he promised that he would feature me in a movie that very day. I was so excited, I quickly called my people that I wouldnt be coming home. I dey go location.

Only for him to be telling me that shey I know I cant sleep in a separate room when we get to the location o. At ikorodu. That we have to sleep together and he will have sex with me before he can feature me at all. He say na normal tin for all actresses o. I was so heart broken. You know what dis guy now did? As I told him I cant do it, he just dropped me along the expressway in the middle of the busy road in Ketu. I cried till I arrived home. My mama just dey console me like baby.

Yomi Fabiyi in his response wrote, Please anyone who know or has or had direct dealings with this woman and how she can be reached physically should DM me or whatsapp me ONLY via 08029062692, better still pass the info to Barrister Badru M B via  08134821247.

It is not in my habit to warn or be on the wrong side of the media as I believe we are in here for one another with high respect but please if you are not part of the this pull him down by all means syndrome campaign going on, I advise you avoid letting this cheap BLACKMAIL seat on your portal.

To my friends, fans and close allies that know me so well, one thing is crystal clear, I will not walk anybody out of my car in a manner that terrible lies has pointed. So many lies and discrepancies in the story. I do not know who is behind this but I am sure they are not someone with better lives and they shall meet their waterloo very shortly.

I will see this to a logical end and ensure criminals like this are not allowed to spoil the cyber space or hoodwinked people into falling in line with their jaundice or criminality. In the interim, let us relax and see how things pans out.

Source: ( Linda Ikeji )
Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson who recently gave birth to a baby girl is facing a messy scandal, after the Nigerian wife of her baby daddy spilled all their shenanigans on social media.

Keela Harrison, a fashion model, accused Ms Nelson of snatching her British husband, a photographer, Jamie Harrison , and having a baby for him, regardless of the fact that they are still legally married.

The estranged wife claimed she introduced Yvonne Nelson to Jamie, adding that the Ghanaian actress had wanted to purchase slimming tea from them, but it wasnt long before Jamie and Nelson kicked off their relationship.

Ms Harrison also added that Yvonne cant marry Jamie yet, because he is still legally married to her.

Thats the real reason they cant get married. Jamie is still legally married to me and bankrupt, she added.

Meanwhile, while speaking with WOW Magazine, the actress who just clocked 32, noted that she is not the traditional girl, and does not really believe in the idea of marriage because all she wants is a man who can give her true happiness.

Marriage nowadays is just ceremony and a huge wedding, Nelson told WOW, adding, The whole marriage thing, that name is just so scary.

source: Thesun
Zimbabwean army generals will pile further pressure on President Robert Mugabe to resign on Sunday after tens of thousands of overjoyed protesters celebrated the apparent end of his 37-year regime.

Mugabes hold on power was broken this week when the military took over in a dispute over who would succeed the 93-year-old president, the worlds oldest head of state.

Mugabe remains in office but now faces overwhelming opposition from the generals, much of the Zimbabwean public and from within ZANU-PF, the once loyal party now calling for his exit.

President Robert Mugabe will meet the command element of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces tomorrow, state television announced on Saturday.

The two sides first met for talks on Thursday, smiling in photographs that attempted to present a dignified image of the tense process of negotiating Mugabes departure.

In scenes of public euphoria not seen since independence in 1980, huge crowds marched and sang their way through Harare and other cities on Saturday, demanding the end of Mugabes authoritarian rule.

The marches came after a historic week in which the military seized power and put Mugabe under house arrest in response to his sacking of vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, a perceived rival of Mugabes powerful 52-year-old wife Grace who had increasingly voiced her ambition to succeed her spouse.

Source: ( AFP )
By Elaine Loughlin, Political Reporter, In the RDS

Gerry Adams is to step down as leader of Sinn Fein next year and will not contest the next election.

In a much-anticipated speech, Mr Adams told around 3,000 delegates attending his partys Ard Fheis this evening that this would be his last as leader.

The party Ard Chomhairle will meet in two weeks time to decide when the emergency Ard Fheis will take place to decide when Gerry Adams' will be replaced.

Mr Adams received a standing ovation as he made his way onto the podium and again when he announced his departure.

"This is my last Ard Fheis as Uachtarain Sinn Fein," he said, adding Kerry TD Martin Ferris would also be stepping down ahead of the next General Election.

He said he had requested that a special Ard Fheis in 2018 to elect a new leader.

Mr Adams said he had been "very proud" to serve as president but added that he had come here to speak to party members about the "plan for change".

He thanked "everyone who has invited me into your homes and communities" and singled out the people of west Belfast and Louth.

"Leadership means knowing when it is time for change," he said.

Gerry Adams takes to the stage to give his address. Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The 69-year-old TD who played a critical role in the Northern Ireland peace process and in recent years brought electoral success for the party in the South.

Looking back to the 1980s when he first became involved in politics when "the war in the north was raging" Mr Adams added that the and hunger strikes two years before "dramatically altered" the political landscape and his party had striven to bring about change.

He also paid tribute to the late Martin McGuinness saying "we miss Martin" and singled out his widow and children who were in the audience. He described his death like a "kick in the face".

Some 2,500 Sinn Fein delegates sing Oro se do bheatha bhaile at #SFAF17 as Gerry Adams announces he will be stepping down as leader of Sinn Fein in the coming months - a seminal moment in the history of Irish republicanism #SlanAChara pic.twitter.com/eR4F7gyah9  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) November 18, 2017

Before announcing his departure, Mr Adams took the time to hit out at his political opponents, he claimed that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar "needs to be more like Michael Collins and less like Hugh Grant".

"Leo Varadkar needs to stand up for the interests of all the people of the island. He has a veto."

Earlier today Sinn Fein members voted to hold a special Ard Fheis three months after the departure of the party president.

.@GerryAdamsSF finishes his Presidential Address "Mile buiochas a chairde

An Phoblacht Abu.

Leanfaidh muid ar aghaigh.

Le cheile." pic.twitter.com/mGoKMNP57K  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) November 18, 2017

This will allow for a leadership contest within the party, however Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary-Lou McDonald has been widely tipped to take over the position when it is vacated by Mr Adams.

Mr Adams has led Sinn Fein for the past 34 years and in recent months had strongly hinted that he would announce his stepping down at the Ard Fheis.

During the partys think-in before the Dail returned in September Mr Adams said the party were finalising a 10-year plan and details of this would be announced during the Ard Fheis.

Fianna Fail says Sinn Fein may have new leaders, but they are not new faces.

Speaking at his party's annual dinner in Dublin tonight, Micheal Martin said Sinn Fein remains as unacceptable as ever as a Government partner.

The Fianna Fail leader went on to accuse Sinn Fein of leaving Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole, exposed to Brexit, by refusing to break the impasse in the Stormont talks.
The great wines of Burgundy can perform like a great orchestra offering a heavenly scent, perfumed with notes of sweet decay... - and it is no wonder that they have held people in thrall for centuries. So writes Raymond Blake in his new book Cote dOr part of the Classic Wine Library series just published by Infinite Ideas www.infideas.com; available in good book and wine shops (e.g. Bradleys, 64 Wines).

Blake is the wine editor of Food and Wine magazine and this is his second book on Burgundy (his previous travelogue/memoir Breakfast in Burgundy is also recommended), and he is to be congratulated for such a readable informative book about this most vexing and glorious of wine regions.

What I liked most was its light touch and straight talking. The Burgundy region is complex and Blake explains it well. He is very clear about the difficulties of loving the regions wines. They are (very) expensive and will get more so, and yet they can often be (severely) disappointing. Land prices are driving out family-owned domains, prized white Burgundies often have premature oxidation, fashion and demand is pushing the best wines out of reach as are shortages caused by climate change with frost and hail now yearly occurrences. And yet we keep coming back.

One positive development Blake focuses on is the emergence of the micro-negoce  enthusiasts driven by love and sometimes messianic zeal to make gorgeous wine in tiny quantities and against all odds. One of these is a pharmacist from Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, and her recently released first wines (pleasingly bottled as Maison Roisin Curley) were released in the past month.

Ms Curley has a masters in Viticulture and Oenology from Montpelier and has had stints at Chateau Latour in Bordeaux and at Chateau Grillet in Condrieu and is driven by a profound love for wine. She didnt mean to start making wine in Burgundy but once she realised she could, she knew she had no choice. Renting a couple of rows in Beaune and Saint-Romain in 2015 was not exactly easy (or cheap) and the air-miles keep increasing but she ploughed. The wines are excellent and warmly recommended.

Couveys Les Petits Greniers Pinot Noir, Pays dOc IGP, France  10.99

Stockists: Eurospar, Spar, Mace & Londis

To find Burgundy under 15 you need to leave Ireland (almost any other country in the world will do such are our criminal taxes). Meanwhile there are some cooler spots in the Languedoc suitable for Pinot and this has a bright dark ruby colour with ripe red fruit aromas, a supple soft palate and a pleasing fresh finish.

Incanta Pinot Noir 2016, Recas, Romania - 10.99

Stockists: Independents, Ardkeen Stores Waterford, McHughs Malahide and Kilbarrick, Hollands Bray, Vintry Rathgar.

Romania and Cramele Recas in particularis producing some excellent value wines these days and has some cooler vineyards suitable for Pinot. This has typical Pinot Noir red fruit aromas tinged with earth, a lithe fruity palate with a pleasing texture and a decent amount of grip on the finish.

Santa Carolina Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2016, Chile - 9.99

Stockists: ODonovans, JJ ODriscolls, Next Door Ennis, Ardkeen, Martins, Redmonds.

Chile in no way resembles Burgundy but the cool Pacific climate does allow some fine Chardonnay and Pinot to be produced. It is time to embrace the worlds greatest white grape again and this is a good place to start - tropical pear and apple aromas and is balanced and fresh with a touch of spice on the finish.

Machard de Gramont Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Aux Guettes 2011, France - 29.99

Stockists: Karwig Wines Carrigaline

Ive mentioned this producer before and their wines are on the light side but consistently fragrant and elegant. Savigny is north of the town of Beaune and is frequently a source of good value reds. Pale ruby with brick edges, aromas of sweet raspberry and touches of forest floor (decaying leaves)  light and supple fruits, pleasingly refreshing and bright with yielding tannins.

Roisin Curley Beaune Clos des Rouards 2015, Burgundy, France - 49.95

Stockists: Bradleys Cork, Fordes Ballyhaunis, The Wine Library, GreenMan, 64 Wines, Donnybrook Fair

From an elevated walled vineyard near Pommard in the south of Beaune. One of just 1500 bottles from de-stemmed grapes gently extracted and wild yeast. Bright ruby colour, warm chestnut tinged red fruit  supple and silky with fleshy fruits, still young and taut but with a pleasing fruity freshness. Drinking beautifully but will happily age. A rather stunning debut.

Roisin Curley Saint-Romain 2015, Burgundy, France - 49.95

Stockists: Bradleys Cork, Fordes Ballyhaunis, The Wine Library, GreenMan, 64 Wines, Donnybrook Fair

Saint-Romain is a somewhat lesser known patch of Cote de Beaune to the west of Auxey-Duresses. From organic grapes with warm, butter-tinged, (over) ripe pear aromas  beautifully fleshy on the palate with rich complex fruits and a taut apple, (under-ripe) pear freshness, lingering toasted touches and refreshing acidity combine to make a complex exciting whole.

Mor Gin  Pineapple Edition  40% ABV, 500ml - 34.00

Stockists: OBriens Off-Licences Nationwide, Celtic Whiskey Shop Dublin & Killarney

Mor are based in the town of Tullamore and Ive long been a fan of their classic crisp zingy classic gin but am happy to report they have a new limited edition (2,000 bottles) Pineapple version.

Pineapple, lemongrass, bergamot bitter orange, lime, rosemary, and of course juniper give this a pleasing tropical fruit aroma with orange, lime, and floral notes on the palate and a herbal finish. This makes a fine tropical fruit tinged G&T (add a sprig of lemongrass) and works with dry ginger ale and with coconut milk.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.s third-party tobacco contracts will face a tobacco-supplier review in 2018 by new parent company British American Tobacco Plc.

The review was disclosed last week in the companys 2017 Sustainable Agriculture and Farmer Livelihoods focus report.

It is the first public comment by BAT on Reynolds tobacco-farm contracts since the company completed in July spending $54.5 billion to buy the remaining 57.8 percent of Reynolds American Inc. it did not already own.

BAT mentioned the Reynolds-FLOC issue in a question-and-answer section of the report in which it asked What actions is BAT taking to address allegations of labor rights issues for migrant workers in U.S. tobacco growing? Answers were provided by Alan Davy, BATs group operations director.

This is a long-running issue, which, as with any human rights allegation, we take extremely seriously, Davy said. We have been working extensively with Reynolds to integrate our businesses and our supply chains.

BAT sources tobacco leaf from more than 350,000 farmers in 34 countries: more than 90,000 directly contracted by BAT leaf operations and more than 260,000 contracted by third-party suppliers.

Since 2007, the Farm Laborers Organizing Committee had conducted occasional adversarial inquiries during the question-and-answer session of Reynolds annual shareholders meeting, as well as peaceful street protests after the meeting. Reynolds did not hold a shareholder meeting in 2017.

According to the N.C. Growers Association, FLOC represents about 2,000 farmworkers in the state.

FLOC has identified a number of problems at tobacco farms in North Carolina, including fatalities, pay below the minimum wage, child labor and a lack of water and breaks during work. Studies by researchers with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have documented such conditions.

In recent years, FLOC requested that Reynolds support its efforts to require its tobacco suppliers to guarantee laborers freedom of association, including recognition of the right to collective bargaining. FLOC also is pushing for tobacco growers to pay a living wage of $15 an hour.

Before BAT completed taking full ownership of Reynolds, FLOC president Baldemar Velasquez visited BATs board of directors to directly make his case.

BAT said it had conducted in 2015 an independent, on-site review of its U.S. tobacco leaf suppliers.

It found no evidence of any wrongdoing, but did highlight some areas for improvement, which the suppliers addressed, Davy said.

BAT said it supports Reynolds and FLOCs involvement in a multilateral council, formed in 2011, that is made up of other tobacco manufacturers, growers, advocacy groups and labor officials to take up the farm labor issues.

We believe the most effective and practical way of dealing with the issues is by encouraging all the parties in the U.S. to get around the table and talk, Davy said.

Together, they are working on initiatives to improve workers experiences and promote compliance with the laws that protect workers rights.

BAT statement

In September, FLOC voted unanimously to conduct a national boycott of Reynolds Vuse product, the top-selling electronic cigarette. As of August, Vuses top market share was 29.8 percent, sold at more than 111,000 U.S. retail outlets.

Reynolds has still not signed an agreement with FLOC that would affect real change on the ground by guaranteeing farmworkers freedom of association and implementing a grievance mechanism that farmworkers could use to resolve issues without fear of retaliation, FLOC spokeswoman Catherine Crowe said in September.

Nicandro Durante, BATs chief executive, said in a statement that the company has been working in partnership with tobacco farmers for more than a century.

Over that time, weve evolved our approach to take advantage of new opportunities, focused on creating value for the future of our business and the farmers we work with.

FLOC said in response to the BAT report that companies such as BAT, spend a lot of time and effort on glossy reports with fancy figures that arent very specific.

Since the founding of the Farm Labor Practices Group, not one U.S. tobacco farm worker has better living or working conditions that can be attributed to the groups efforts.

FLOC said it believes BAT better understands that freedom of association is a human right and one the company has to take serious steps to implement in a state, like North Carolina, where the right doesnt exist in practice.

However, to date, we have not seen any such changes, so we continue to call on BAT to do the right thing and sign an agreement.

FLOC lawsuit

On Wednesday, FLOC filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block enforcement of Senate Bill 615, the N.C. Farm Act of 2017, which it claims limits the ability to conduct its activities on behalf of workers in the states vegetable and tobacco farms.

A last-minute amendment to the bill forbids farming operations from collecting union dues from workers.

FLOCs lawsuit called the laws restrictions unconstitutional and discriminatory. Gov. Roy Cooper, who signed the bill into law in July, is among the defendants.

FLOC said the bill also makes it illegal for workers to settle a legal claim with union recognition and/or a union agreement that guarantees better working conditions.

These were introduced by agricultural producers, who are also state legislators, in an unethical manner and (with) little to no debate, FLOC said.

The law effectively prevents FLOC from expressing and advancing the interests of its members.

According to The Associated Press, Republican Sen. Brent Jackson, a Sampson County farm operator, was a primary sponsor of the bill and a chief negotiator of the final compromise legislation that retained the House amendment. Jacksons farm company decided to leave the North Carolina Growers Association in 2014.

The company was sued last year by several former workers, including FLOC members, seeking back wages and other financial damages. A financial settlement was reached. Jackson did not admit wrongdoing.

A farm worker advocate filed General Assembly ethics complaints against Jackson and another legislator last July over the anti-union language, but a legislative panel quickly dismissed them.
Richard Topping, the controversial chief executive of Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions, was removed Friday from his duties by the agencys board of directors, effective Dec. 1.

Cardinal spokeswoman Ashley Conger issued a statement Saturday confirming Toppings contract was being terminated after 26 months on the job, which included two substantial raises that nearly tripled his salary.

Per state law, only the Cardinal board and the state health secretary could have dismissed Topping. Cardinal did not say why Topping is being given two more weeks as its top executive.

Toppings dismissal comes a month after the board voted 5-3 at a special called meeting Oct. 17 to reduce his annual salary from $617,526 to $204,195  the maximum permitted by state law for the top position of a behavioral health managed care organizations.

Trey Sutten, interim chief financial officer of Cardinal, has been appointed to take Toppings place on Dec. 2, also on an interim basis. Sutton is a former N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid official in the McCrory administration.

The board started Fridays meeting by voting to remove Bryan Thompson, the only representative from the former CenterPoint Human Services of Winston-Salem. Cardinal took over CenterPoint in June 2016 as part of expanding to 20 counties.

Thompson confirmed Saturday his dismissal and declined further comment. He was serving as CenterPoints chairman at the time of the merger.

Thompson made the motion to significantly reduce Toppings salary at the special meeting, which was called to discuss two scathing state audits.

Conger said the board would conduct a search to find a representative from Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham and Stokes counties.

Sparking another round of Cardinal controversy is confirmation from Conger that the MCO plans to provide Topping with a severance package worth up to two years salary. Cardinal did not say whether the package is at the $204,195 salary level or the $617,526 level.

The distinction is important given that Cardinal still has a lawsuit against the state to retain authority to pay Topping his previous salary and total compensation that could have been worth more than $1.2 million.

Conger said the MCO's lawsuit remains active. She said it is "still committed to recruiting and retaining the best talent to serve our members. ... That includes ensuring we have the right resources to hire the right talent."

It is not clear whether state health officials, including Health Secretary Mandy Cohen, w ill challenge the severance package offered to Topping. DHHS officials could not be reached for comment Saturday.

I support the boards decision to terminate Richard Topping as CEO, but Im concerned about the contract that allows 10 other high-ranking Cardinal executives to exit with him, all with two years salary payout, Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, and one of the legislators top health-care experts, said Saturday.

'Very concerned'

Cardinal oversees providers of services for mental health, developmental disorders and substance abuse for Medicaid enrollees, including more than 96,000 in the Triad. It handles more than $675 million in annual federal and state Medicaid money.

Toppings three-year contract provides severance payments for a broad range of reasons beyond termination of employment without just cause. They include:

If Cardinal is taken over or ceases to be an independent entity.

If a majority of the board is replaced without the boards approval.

If the agency is materially affected by statutory or regulatory changes to its services, revenue, governance or employment practices.

Chairwoman Lucy Drake was one of three board members who voted against reducing Toppings salary.

We brought him in and we offered (the reduced salary) to him. And he has said he cannot accept that, Drake told Charlotte radio station WFAE following the special meeting. Drake has not commented to the Journal.

Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth, and co-chairman of the joint legislative oversight committee on Health and Human Services, said Toppings dismissal is only one step toward fixing the many problems at Cardinal.

The board needs to be reshaped to bring in individuals committed to the oversight and controls needed. I hope it is ready to move to fix the multiple areas of concern highlighted by the state audits.

Lambeth said he is very concerned with a severance package that is not in line with market-based plans.

Two years is highly unusual. This will need to be looked at closer.

After the second of two scathing state audits on Cardinal executive compensation and board expenditures, DHHS issued a statement Oct. 2 saying, Cardinal should immediately bring its salary/compensation package for its CEO in line with the other MCOs, and shed its excessive severance offerings. DHHS will continue to monitor Cardinals performance.

Dave Richard, head of the states Medicaid program, attended the special meeting and presented the Cardinal board with a list of state compliance requirements.

Richard said after the board vote to reduce Toppings compensation that Cardinals board is taking steps to comply with state law, and we look forward to continuing to work with Cardinal to ensure North Carolinians receive excellent care and state resources are handled appropriately.

No explanation

WFAE reported that Friday nights vote to dismiss Thompson was requested by Steve Yuhasz, who also voted against reducing Toppings salary.

"When we first sat down at this table, we each agreed that we would act and behave as a whole, and not as individuals. We agreed to leave our personal agendas behind, Yuhasz was quoted as saying. "Recently not every member has lived up to that pledge, to the detriment of this board and this organization."

Yuhasz made a motion for Thompsons immediate dismissal, which was approved with no further explanation given.

It is not clear whether Cardinal violated any bylaws with Thompsons dismissal, such as forcing him out without the permission of the county commissioners who appointed him to the Cardinal board.

Dudley Watts, Forsyths county manager, said Saturday that I feel comfortable saying that while the board has not discussed the matter formally, the board will expect our appointed representative to continue serving.

Lance Metzler, Rockinghams manager, said Saturday that all of our appointees will stay intact. There are no ifs, ands, or anything else. We have conveyed that to Cardinal."

David Mount, a CenterPoint board member at the time of the merger, said he is concerned that Thompson may have become the target of hostile and targeted mistreatment by his fellow board members.

There appears to be an absence of due diligence here. Is he being penalized, and does his removal represent internal scapegoating?

Cardinal continues to suffer from a transparency disaster, plain and simple, and an ever-growing case of the fox guarding the hen house, Mount said.

Andy Hagler, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Forsyth County, said that Thompsons dismissal is outrageous behavior and demonstrates that the board is self-serving and does not serve the public good.

Disagreement

Cardinals predecessor was formed in part as a legislative experiment for using private-sector methods to lower the cost of caring for Medicaid enrollees without sacrificing the quality of care.

Cardinal and Topping have viewed the agency as an independent contractor as part of state Medicaid reform, gaining financial and business flexibility beyond those of other MCOs.

That included being able to retain about $70 million in Medicaid savings from fiscal years 2014-15 and 2015-16. Topping has told legislators that Cardinal is performing in accord with what legislators have asked it to do.

However, Cardinal is considered a political subdivision of the state, with oversight contracts subject to approval by the state health secretary and executive compensation subject to Office of State Human Resources guidelines.

Cardinal argues in its lawsuit that not being allowed to pay Topping up to $635,000 in annual salary could convince him to resign, thereby putting Cardinal at a significant market disadvantage recruiting a top executive in the Mecklenburg County business market.

Cardinal sues state to continue paying CEO's $635K salary Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions is suing the state to maintain what it claims is t

This would result in immediate and irreparable harm to Cardinal Innovations and reduce the organizations ability to fulfill its mission, Cardinal said.

An internal DHHS audit, released Oct. 1, determined that the salary and severance packages Cardinals board approved pose a substantial risk (to Cardinal) and may not be in the best interest of Cardinal, beneficiaries and/or the state.

This is excessive and raises concerns about the entitys solvency and ability to continue to provide services in the event of a significant change in its leadership team, DHHS said in a statement.

Insko asked on Saturday why would any board approved such irresponsible policies? This calls for further investigation and perhaps changes in how the board is constituted and trained.

In May, the state auditors office cited in its audit of Cardinal unauthorized executive compensation and a combined $490,756 in high-end board retreats and unreasonable spending (that) could erode public trust.

N.C. Auditor Beth Wood said in May that Cardinal is not independent of the state ... and it is definitely responsible to the General Assembly.

Its whole independent contractor claims have been taken out of context, and they are being misleading when they say they are, Wood said.

Looking ahead

A bipartisan group of state legislators has urged Cohen to replace Topping and the board, and/or terminate Cardinals state Medicaid contracts, for noncompliance with state laws.

State health officials and legislators say they are not ready to predict what steps Cohen might take, which could include splintering Cardinals 20-county territory and assigning parts to one or more of the states other six MCOs. Cardinal also covers Alamance and Davidson counties.

All of the options are possible, state Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, said last week. Krawiec is a member of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services.

Counties can request, during a relatively brief period each year, to switch MCOs with the state health secretarys permission.

However, it is not likely that Cohen would approve resurrecting CenterPoint.

Krawiec said the executive-compensation information about Cardinal is very disappointing and disturbing.

While Cardinal has obviously shown us how health services can be delivered at a cost savings, those savings have led to lavish expenditures by Cardinal, she said.

Instead of returning the savings back into improving the system and providing for those in need, the funds have been spent in a very irresponsible manner.
WASHINGTON  Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

Along with roll call votes this week, the Senate also passed the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act (H.R. 1679), to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agencys current efforts to modernize its grant management system includes applicant accessibility and transparency; the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act (S. 807), to provide anti-retaliation protections for antitrust whistleblowers; the VALOR Act (H.R. 3949), to provide for the designation of State approving agencies for multi-State apprenticeship programs for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the VA Prescription Data Accountability Act (H.R. 1545), to clarify the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disclose certain patient information to State controlled substance monitoring programs.

The House also passed the Market Data Protection Act (H.R. 3973), to require certain entities to develop internal risk control mechanisms to safeguard and govern the storage of market data; the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act (H.R. 3739), with respect to the monetary allowance payable to a former president; and a bill (H.R. 4374), to authorize additional emergency uses for medical products to reduce deaths and severity of injuries caused by agents of war.

House votes

YEMEN POLICY: The House has passed a bill (H. Res. 599), sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., expressing the sense of the House condemning Iranian interference in Yemen by supporting the Houthi rebels, and urging foreign governments to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Khanna said the resolution, by acknowledging U.S. support of Saudi Arabian forces in Yemen, would enhance congressional oversight of the military and the danger of the U.S. getting entangled in the Yemen conflict without any congressional debate. The vote, on Nov. 13, was 366 yeas to 30 nays.

YEAS: Budd R-NC (13th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Walker R-NC (6th)

RENTING GOVERNMENT EQUIPMENT: The House has passed the Federal Acquisition Savings Act (H.R. 3071), sponsored by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., which would require federal executive agencies to consider the option of equipment rental in their cost-effectiveness analyses for buying equipment for agency use. The vote, on Nov. 13, was unanimous with 396 yeas.

YEAS: Budd R-NC (13th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Walker R-NC (6th)

FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM: The House has passed the 21st Century Flood Reform Act (H.R. 2874), sponsored by Rep. Sean P. Duffy, R-Wis. The bill would change the federal governments National Flood Insurance Program by allowing the sale of private flood insurance policies, provide increased funding for housing relocation and flood mitigation efforts, and provide subsidies for low-income families to buy flood insurance. Duffy said the changes would help the homeowner and our national debt by reforming an unsustainable program that does not adequately safeguard against flood risks and generates an annual deficit of $1.5 billion. A bill opponent, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said it would make flood insurance more expensive by increasing premiums and surcharges, and would cut coverage for low-value homes with repeated insurance claims. The vote, on Nov. 14, was 237 yeas to 189 nays.

YEAS: Budd R-NC (13th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Walker R-NC (6th)

2018 MILITARY BUDGET: The House has agreed to the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810), which would authorize spending on the Defense Department and military construction programs in fiscal 2018. A supporter, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said the report addressed concerns about military readiness, adequate treatment of servicemembers, missile defense, and reforms of various military programs to help it meet the nations security challenges. The vote, on Nov. 14, was 356 yeas to 70 nays.

YEAS: Budd R-NC (13th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Walker R-NC (6th)

GOVERNMENT WEBSITES AND SMARTPHONES: The House has passed the Connected Government Act (H.R. 2331), sponsored by Rep. Robin L. Kelly, D-Ill. The bill would require federal agencies to have websites that are easily viewed on smartphones and other mobile devices. Kelly said the requirement was necessary for government to be accessible and responsive to the needs of Americans who dont have ready access to computers. The vote, on Nov. 15, was unanimous with 423 yeas.

YEAS: Budd R-NC (13th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Walker R-NC (6th)

TAX REFORM BILL: The House has passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. The bill would introduce a variety of changes to the federal tax code, including adopting four tax brackets in place of the current seven, increasing the standard individual deduction, and cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent. Brady said the changes would allow 9 out of 10 taxpayers to use a postcard system to file their taxes, would cut taxes for the average family by more than $1,000, and would result in better jobs and bigger paychecks across the country by creating a simpler, fairer tax system. A bill opponent, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y., said it would increase the debt by trillions of dollars by giving tax cuts to Americas wealthy families and corporations while stripping credits and deductions from middle class families. The vote, on Nov. 16, was 227 yeas to 205 nays.

YEAS: Budd R-NC (13th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Walker R-NC (6th)

Senate votes

TRANSPORTATION POLICY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Derek Kan to serve as Policy Under Secretary at the Transportation Department. Kan, currently an executive at the ride-share company Lyft and member of the Amtrak board, previously served as a Senate and White House staffer. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Kans career in both the private and public sectors will serve him well as he works to develop important policies related to our nations infrastructure. An opponent, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cited the lack of focus on infrastructure investment by the current administration and the continued roadblocks it has put up against the Gateway Project to build a new railway tunnel under the Hudson River in New York City. The vote, on Nov. 13, was 90 yeas to 7 nays.

YEAS: Burr R-NC, Tillis R-NC

TRANSPORTATION COUNSEL: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Steven Gill Bradbury to serve as General Counsel for the Transportation Department. Bradbury, currently a partner at the Dechert law firm, was previously a Justice Department official from 2005 to 2009 and a private practice lawyer. The vote, on Nov. 14, was 50 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Burr R-NC, Tillis R-NC

ARMY SECRETARY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Mark T. Esper to serve as Army Secretary. Esper, an Army veteran who most recently was VP for government relations at Raytheon, has also served as a senior staffer in the House and Senate. A supporter, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., stated his belief that Esper will provide commitment, courage, skill, and determination for the Army and help it reform to meet its readiness crisis and modernization needs. The vote, on Nov. 15, was 89 yeas to 6 nays.

YEAS: Burr R-NC

NOT VOTING: Tillis R-NC

OVERSIGHT OF COAL MINING: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of David G. Zatezalo to serve as Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health at the Labor Department. Zatezalo is a former coal miner and executive at the Rhino Resources coal company.

YEAS: Burr R-NC, Tillis R-NC

CURRENCY COMPTROLLER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joseph Otting to serve as Comptroller of the Currency for a five-year term. Otting had been CEO of OneWest Bank and an executive at various regional banks. The vote, on Nov. 16, was 54 yeas to 43 nays.

YEAS: Burr R-NC, Tillis R-NC

SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Donald C. Coggins Jr., to serve as a judge on the U.S. court for the South Carolina district. Coggins, who was previously nominated by President Obama in 2016, had been a private practice lawyer at a South Carolina law firm for several decades. The vote, on Nov. 16, was unanimous with 96 yeas.

YEAS: Burr R-NC, Tillis R-NC
RALEIGH  I could always hear John McLaughlin long before I could see him.

The larger-than-life former Jesuit priest, Nixon speechwriter and host of the McLaughlin Group public-television show from 1982 to 2016 was just as loud and bumptious in person as he was on TV. I never worked for him, but I did spend a year working for weekly McLaughlin Group panelists Fred Barnes and Mort Kondracke when they were both editors at The New Republic, the magazine where I served as a reporter-researcher.

This was during the tail end of the Reagan administration and the first months of the George H.W. Bush administration. It was a fascinating time to be in Washington, D.C. I spent lots of time on Capitol Hill, at trade association and think tank events and poking around government offices looking for story ideas.

Still, every Friday I accompanied Fred and Mort to WRC-TV, the NBC affiliate where their show was taped. Id research each topic to be discussed, provide the panelists with talking points and often spar with them a bit as show prep (and because I am a natural contrarian who has a hard time keeping my opinions to myself).

Fred and Mort were tolerant and gracious instructors in the art of political commentary. And for John McLaughlin  whose entrance into the studio was invariably preceded by a brash comment or noisy argument from far down the hallway  I learned how to construct a panel discussion that would both hold an audiences attention and deliver substantive content.

Shortly after returning to North Carolina in 1989, I put Fred and Morts tips to good use as a regular panelist on the UNC-TV program North Carolina This Week, which featured a panel of journalists discussing state government and political news. Some years later, I offered McLaughlins lessons to my friend Tom Campbell  a broadcast veteran whod previously worked at UNC-TV  as he put together a new program, NC SPIN, which debuted on commercial stations across the state in 1998.

Ive been a weekly SPIN panelist ever since. Its been an honor to spend the last 19 years alongside Campbell and some of North Carolinas most respected and insightful political journalists, politicians and commentators. The show is currently broadcast on 26 TV and radio stations, from Asheville to Wilmington and just about everywhere in-between.

Weve built quite an audience over those years. According to a recent independent survey of North Carolinians interested in politics and public policy, NC SPIN is the most-watched program of its kind in the state.

Beginning in early January, NC SPIN will have a new home. For me and several other panelists, it will be a homecoming. The show will now be recorded at and broadcast statewide by UNC-TV. It will air each Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. and each Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m., with additional air times on UNCs North Carolina Channel, which already broadcasts a number of excellent programs focused on our state.

Ill continue to serve up my conservative views. Other panelists will disagree. We wont call each other names, except in jest, but we will present the audience with clear distinctions and spirited discussions.

If you like that kind of thing and you dont already watch or listen to NC SPIN, heres your chance to join our not-so-exclusive club. And if you are already a SPIN fan, rest assured that the change in venue will only enhance the programs statewide reach by offering more showings at great air times.

John McLaughlin passed away last year, as did his eponymous talk show (although there is talk of reviving it). Our host, Tom Campbell, is a very different  and much quieter  person. But our team does owe a nod in the direction of McLaughlin, who sought to bring a diverse set of views and interpretations to public TV audiences for decades. As NC SPIN moves to UNC-TV in January, well continue to do something similar for our North Carolina viewers.

Until then, folks, Ill just say, Bye, bye!
HARRISBURG, Pa.  Howard Henrys no preacher.

But the prayer he uttered outside a home on Logan Street in Harrisburg on a chilly night last week for Kaliah Dearing, 16, and Natasha Harner, 24, who had been found shot dead there, carried the same weight as if theyd been uttered by a man or a woman of the cloth.

This really is the time for us to join together and ask some very important questions, Henry said. What is love? What is love? Does love really conquer all or not? Thats why were here. God is everything or God is nothing, right?

As someone shouted out an Amen, Henry continued.

We have to understand the truth of God, he said. Were not worried what other people did. We have to understand what God wants of us.

Then he stepped down from the stoop of the home that Harner and Dearing, their lives cut tragically short, shared together.

His voice was hoarse. His hands were cold.

The questions that Henry posed that night challenge all of us. And they call us to act.

Theyre posed in the face of unspeakable violence, both in the streets of Pennsylvanias capital city and elsewhere, in such places as Sutherland Springs, Texas, whose names we only learn when their tranquility is shattered by the sharp report of semi-automatic weapons fire.

So we ask ourselves: Does love really conquer all?

Is love enough to overcome the shocking darkness that fills someones soul when they choose, as a man named Stephen Paddock did last month, to mow down 59 people and injure hundreds more people gathered for a concert at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino in Las Vegas?

The answer, tragically, and obviously, is that it is not. If love alone were enough, then it would have been enough to put an end to the sad catalog of mass shootings that have claimed thousands of lives across America over the last five years.

It would have been enough to calm the spasms of violence that resulted in the slaughter of the children of Sandy Hook or the revelers at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

If love alone were enough, then perhaps Harrisburg would not have seen, with the deaths of Harner and Dearing, its eighth homicide of the year.

But since it is not, then we need to look to the second half of Henrys impromptu prayer: Whats being asked of us, as a society, as a community, as a nation, to staunch the flow of blood, to end the violence?

The answers are not easy. And the obligations are heavy.

It starts, obviously, with looking after each other; with taking to heart the admonition to love our neighbors as ourselves; to committing ourselves, however we can, and in whatever small way we can, to making the streets safer. And people of good faith and character are working toward that end all the time.

There is a place, too, for educators, for community groups, for law enforcement, for counselors, for clergy, for parents or extended family, for anyone who can act as a role model, a guide, a friend. Someone who can provide stability and a home and recognize the warning signs of violence and intervene before its too late.

But they cant do it alone.

There is room, too, for policymakers, for our elected leaders, who are called to move beyond the bromides of their own thoughts and prayers  however earnestly offered  and to act.

That responsibility was starkly outlined recently by U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, who offered that the terrifying fact is that no one is safe so long as Congress chooses to do absolutely nothing in the face of this epidemic.

Murphys lengthy remarks are worth reading in their entirety, but one part stands out:

The paralysis you feel right now  the impotent helplessness that washes over you as news of another mass slaughter scrolls across the television screen  isnt real, he said. Its a fiction created and methodically cultivated by the gun lobby, designed to assure that no laws are passed to make America safer, because those laws would cut into their profits.

After every one of these mass slaughters  and the killings that wrack our streets  we are told that no law, no government program, would have prevented the newest tragedy. Weve been told it so often now that it has become self-perpetuating, that its become its own excuse not to act.

Henrys prayer challenges us to honor our obligation to each other and to do better than that.

Murphys words, forged from the hard experience of Newtown, point the way out of the darkness.

The only question is whether we are brave enough to work together, all of us, to take up those burdens.

And the answer, of course, is that we must. Or Howard Henrys prayer, offered on a cold night on a dark street in Pennsylvanias capital city, will die on the air.
NEW YORK  Jesmyn Wards Sing, Unburied, Sing, a surreal and poetic novel about a struggling family in Mississippi, won the National Book Award for fiction last week.

It was the second time Ward received the fiction prize: She won in 2011 for Salvage the Bones.

Masha Gessens The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia received the nonfiction prize and Robin Benways Far From the Tree won for young peoples literature. The poetry prize was given to Frank Bidart for his career anthology Half-light: Collected Poems 1965-2016. Each of the four winners received $10,000.

In a brief, emotional speech, Ward spoke of her frustration with some readers who wondered if they could connect with members of a poor black community in the South. She thanked the publishing community, and her friends and family, for their ongoing support.

You looked at me and the people I love and write about ... and you saw yourself, she said, adding that she felt honored to reimagine and amplify the voices of those she knows back home in Mississippi.

Themes of identity and displacement were common in this years fiction finalists, from Elliot Ackermans Middle East saga Dark at the Crossing to Min Jin Lees novel of cultural conflict in Japan and Korea, Pachinko. Lisa Ko, whose The Leavers tells of a young adoptees divide between East and West, said that America has always been obsessed with identity and self-definition.

As someone whose family has been immigrating for generations, Im drawn to stories of survival and a search for home and belonging, and Im interested in how expectations of assimilation have intersected with culture and policy throughout U.S. history, and at what cost, and to whom, she said. These are evergreen themes in this country ... perhaps especially resonant right now as our current administration is running on an explicitly exclusionary platform.

The ceremony also took place during a wave of allegations of sexual harassment and assault, including against literary editor Leon Wieseltier. One of the featured speakers, former President Bill Clinton, has received increased scrutiny for past allegations of harassment and assault.

Chris Hayes of MSNBC tweeted last week that As gross and cynical and hypocritical as the rights what about Bill Clinton stuff is, its also true that Democrats and the center left are overdue for a real reckoning with the allegations against him. A liberal columnist for The New York Times, Michelle Goldberg, wrote this week that it was time to look clearly at the credible evidence of sexual assault. Clinton has repeatedly denied the accusations.

The awards were presented by the nonprofit National Book Foundation. Lisa Lucas, executive director, declined to comment on Clintons attendance Wednesday night. Many stood and cheered for the former president as he was introduced by the ceremonys host, Cynthia Nixon. Clinton was there to praise Richard Robinson, Scholastic chief executive and chairman, winner of a Literarian prize for contributions to the book community. Clinton noted that he and Robinson had collaborated on projects for the Clinton Foundation and even managed a pointed inside joke when he boasted that Robinson would send him early copies of Harry Potter books, a perk off-limits to the general public.

Thats one of the things the establishment gets thats so terrible, he joked.

In her introduction, Nixon called books a vital weapon in an increasingly hostile world. Robinson cited literacy as a great equalizer, ideally available to the rich and the poor. Equal education is the only solution to maintaining a democratic society, he said. Bidart said writing poetry has been how he survived over the past few months.

Gessen, the Russian-born author and journalist, observed ruefully she never imagined a book about her native country would win a prominent American prize.

But, of course, times have changed, she said.

Oscar winner Anne Hathaway presented a lifetime achievement medal to Annie Proulx and performed an act of anti-name dropping, confiding that she and the author had never met. Hathaway starred in the film adaptation of Proulxs Brokeback Mountain, playing a character who barely existed in the original story. Hathaway called Proulx an epic, singular talent whose fictional creations were vivid to Hathaway, like people she had met.

Proulx was grateful for her award and dire about the times, which she called Kafkaesque. She lamented tribal politics, flickering threats of nuclear war, environmental destruction and a shift to what she called viral direct democracy, cascading over us in a garbage-laden tsunami of raw data.

Still, she noted the longing for old notions of truth and community.

The happy ending beckons and we keep on hoping for it, she said.
Description

The Massapequa Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot is a community driven event designed to raise money to fight cancer. Through the efforts of the Turkey Trots main benefactor, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the race has raised thousands of dollars since its inception in 2010 to combat blood cancers. All proceeds from the event are given to the LLS.



RACE DAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

FUN RUN: 8:30 a.m.

5K: 9:15 a.m.

Limited award ceremony. Everyone go home and enjoy your families!
LINCOLN  Nebraska Farm Bureau has selected former Nebraska Director of Agriculture Merlyn Carlson as the 2017 recipient of its highest honor, the Silver Eagle Award. The award will be presented to Carlson on Dec. 5 at the 2017 Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Kearney.

Merlyn Carlson and his wife Janice raised their family on their ranch near Lodgepole, where they raised cattle. Carlson has made a tremendous impact on Nebraska agriculture and has held a long list of national positions in agriculture. In 1999, Carlson was appointed Director of Agriculture for the State of Nebraska, where he served as an advocate for Nebraska agriculture, promoting agricultural products in both domestic and foreign markets.

Carlson left his post with the state in 2005 to work alongside then Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns at the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). He served as an Under Secretary for the Natural Resources Conservation Service from 2005-2007.

Merlyn presided over the state department during one of the worst droughts in Nebraska history and the mad cow case that resulted in U.S. beef being banned in many countries. He left his mark by increasing value-added agricultural opportunities, improving trade relations, and dealing with weather concerns. While at the USDA he focused on conservation efforts, especially related to crafting the 2007 farm bill, Steve Nelson, president of Nebraska Farm Bureau said Nov. 15.

Carlson has also served on the Board of Governors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, was chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the National Cattlemen Association, and served on the USDA Animal Disease Committee. He has held key positions in many Nebraska agriculture organizations as well. Some of his past work includes chairmanship of the Nebraska Beef Council and president of the Nebraska Stock Growers Association.

He also worked in the political arena both at the state and national campaign levels, for Presidents George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, Congresswoman Virginia Smith, Senator Chuck Hagel, and Governors Charles Thone, Kay Orr, and Mike Johanns.

Merlyn has not just been a friend of agriculture as a tireless advocate, but he is a friend of many who make their living within agriculture. His years of accomplishment make him more than qualified for receiving Nebraska Farm Bureaus highest honor, the Silver Eagle Award. We thank him for his service to the farmers and ranchers of Nebraska agriculture, Nelson said.

Today, the Carlsons are partially retired and living in Sun City West, Arizona.
The Nebraska Extension in the Panhandle has recognized a Lakeside woman and a diversified family farm and ranch operation near Hay Springs for their years of service to agriculture and Extension in the Panhandle.

Linda Andersen of Lakeside, who has spent four decades volunteering with the local 4-H program (and 59 years altogether as a member or volunteer), was recognized for Service to Panhandle Extension. Terrell Farms near Hay Springs was recognized for Service to Panhandle Agriculture.

The Service to Panhandle Extension Award, initiated in 2015, recognizes persons or groups whose contributions have furthered Extension activities in the Panhandle. Andersen was nominated by 4-H assistant Melissa Mracek.

As a 40-year volunteer to the Sheridan County 4-H program, Andersen has been extremely dedicated and loyal, helping her two children and four grandchildren become 4-H alumni. (She also has two great-grandchildren.) She has also been an extension board member and county fair donor.

She has taught sewing and quilting to a number of youth, and is currently helping with a monthly sewing group. She still offers to teach at summer workshops and can be seen helping at the Sheridan County Fair every year.

She has helped grow the Sheridan County goat program and sewing program tremendously. While she participated in 4-H she showed market steers, breeding heifers, sewing, baking, public speaking contest, and demonstration contest. She even showed her market steers and breeding heifers in Denver. Linda was a Sheridan County 4-H Queen in 1968-69 and was a recipient of the Friend of 4-H award.

When the Extension office in Sheridan County was understaffed during the employment search for assistants and educators, Linda was an active part of the hiring process, attending all of the interviews. She did her most to help welcome everyone new who came through the office doors.

The Outstanding Service to Panhandle Agriculture Award recognizes persons or groups who provide outstanding service to agriculture in western Nebraska. Award criteria include value of work done or cooperation with UNL specialists or educators; leadership in agriculture; community service other than agriculture; and level of impact on Panhandle agriculture. Terrell Farms was nominated by Extension Educator Jack Arterburn.

The Service to Panhandle Agriculture honoree, Terrell Farms, is a progressive and diversified farming and ranching operation in west central Sheridan County managed by Vern and Marjean Terrell and their son and daughter-in-law, Brock, and Heidi Terrell, as well as several employees.

Terrell Farms has a reputation as leaders of innovation and their management continues to evolve. They grow both irrigated and dryland row crops. On the livestock side, they run a cow-calf operation and recently acquired sheep to help graze their pastures. The sheep tend to follow the cattle and will eat the grasses that cattle will not.

In addition to running sheep, they use other new or innovative practices, such as cover crops and annual forages and irrigated perennial pasture.

The Terrells are active in numerous agricultural organizations including the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, Nebraska Cattlemen, Sandhills Cattlemen and Nebraska Extension.

They are tremendous supporters of agricultural research and participate in on-the-farm research with Nebraska Extension. These include dry-bean harvest methods, along with extension educator John Thomas, and grazing cover crops along with Cow-calf and Range management Specialist Mitchell Stephenson and support by the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition.

In 2002, they received the Sheridan County 4-H Alumni award. Vern is also currently serving as a Sheridan County Extension Board member.
KEARNEY  Whether hes starting a fire or putting it out, to say Cody Miller likes fire is an understatement.

I like to burn, said Miller, the supervisory wild land firefighter for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Rainwater Basin at Funk. Hes been on the job since April, and has a lot of plans for the basins 21-county area in south-central Nebraska.

A native of Ardmore, Okla., Miller, 39, is in charge of prescribed burns in the Rainwater Basin. Prescribed burning is used to remove old vegetative growth, release nutrients back to the soil, decrease woody and other invasive and undesirable plant species, increase warm season grasses and forbs, and reduce the amount of organic matter on the soil surface.

Fire has been used as a tool for land management for centuries, Miller said, allowing for the eradication of invasive plants and give native plants a chance to survive.

Miller was in college at Oklahoma State University taking a prescribed fire management class when he was bit by the fire bug.

The first time I burned off a section, I was like, Whoa, thats really cool, he said. Thats something I could do.

And hes loved the work ever since.

Its one of those things that you can do, and at the end of the day you can see what you did, and thats pretty fulfilling, he said. That was the first bug, when I got a drip torch in my hand.

After college Miller moved to Maryland, working for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources forestry division, and the Maryland Fire Service where he started earning wild land fire qualifications. In 2007, he moved to northwest Arkansas to work for the National Park Service.

The job took him all over the United States, including the Rainwater Basin at Funk, conducting prescribed burns and helping with wildfires, and emergency management relief. Its the burning that drew him to south-central Nebraska.

I got to burn in almost every state in the U.S. he said. Theres a challenge here, and I want to see if I can do it.

In April, Miller moved to Kearney and started working at the Rainwater Basin.

Im the fire guy, he said smiling.

With 12 fire qualifications ranging from engine or crew boss to helicopter crew member, Miller is often assigned to help extinguish wildfires throughout the country. His name goes into a database, and based on his experience and the nature of the wildfire, he could be dispatched to a fire at a moments notice.

In late July, Miller was assigned to wildfires at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Montana where he was assigned as an engine boss. He worked four fires in 21 days, then was assigned to the Meyers Fire, near Philipsburg, Mont., for another 21 days as a task force leader.

Its pretty primitive. Youre sleeping in a tent the whole time, he said.

Firefighters can work 16 hours a day for a standard 14 days in a row on wildfires before theyre required to take a mandatory two days off. Miller must also pass the basic physical test of walking three miles carrying 45 pounds on his back in less than 45 minutes.

In February, weather permitting, Miller wants to start prescribed burns in the Rainwater Basin and at Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas. Eventually, he wants to burn as many as 5,000 acres by late spring.

If everything goes right in my head the Rainwater Basin can be a shining standard for the fish and wildlife. Thats my hope, he said.

A drawback to his job, besides the long hours, weeks away from home, and last-minute calls to unheard of regions is that Miller doesnt get much of a personal life.

I dont have a personal life like regular people do. Ive been married to the job for a while. But its so much fun, he said.

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File - In this Tuesday, May 9, 2017 file photo, Norway's King Harald makes a speech during a gala dinner, at the Royal Palace in Oslo. Norway's royal palace says King Harald has been hospitalized with an infection and remains in satisfactory condition with improving health, it was reported on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix via AP, File)
People crowd the Paolo VI hall for a lunch at the Vatican Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Pope Francis is offering several hundred poor people _ homeless, migrants, unemployed _ a lunch of gnocchi, veal and tiramisu on Sunday as he celebrates his first World Day of the Poor with a concrete gesture of charity in the spirit of his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe delivers his speech during a live broadcast at State House in Harare, Sunday, Nov, 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by ending his address on national television without announcing his resignation. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
LAUREL  To the continued homelessness awareness efforts of Congregations United to Serve Humanity.

On Wednesday, dozens of religious leaders, elected officials and community activists decried the dearth of lodging for homeless men and women. They gathered on a city streetcar and called on the city and county to take immediate steps to provide a shelter as winter nears.

While the new permanent Shalom Center shelter is a tremendous community achievement and a major step in the right direction, not all of the areas homeless meet that shelters parameters.

In previous years, many homeless people  often battling drug and alcohol addictions  were clients of First Step Services, a low-barrier, overnight respite center. First Step closed in May and, as the temperature drops, the task force is hoping to find a solution.

Winters in Kenosha can be brutal. It is imperative that the community finds innovative solutions to this issue. Its likely a matter of life and death.

DART  To those who target the elderly in crimes.

The latest example is Anthony Kimmons, 19, of Kenosha. DNA evidence led to his arrest connected to two home invasions last summer. Kimmons allegedly assaulted the same elderly man twice over two weeks, binding him in his own house while committing burglary. Kimmons was charged Wednesday with armed robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

Are there more heinous acts? Sure. But crimes against individuals with weakened defenses  like children and the elderly  add an overflowing helping of disbelief to the pool of outrage.

LAUREL  To the Kenosha Community Foundation and Grace Kolakowski for creating a $100,000 endowment fund to help inspire a Kenosha performing arts center.

Kolakowski, a retired teacher and principal, said she donated the initial money to help fill a void in Kenosha. She said the city is growing, and its time to consider cultural development as well. She envisions a venue where schools, colleges, the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra and others could perform.

In many other cities, the arts have taken a leading role in downtown revitalization, and Kenosha is no different. In this case, Kolakowskis generosity could provide the seeds for a project that would impact many.
Writing in this paper in September, Kilkenny County Council was lauded by this columnist for their diligence and pro-activity around identifying any cladding on buildings in the county.

Three properties in Kilkenny were found to have the material which means the structures in the county make up just over 1% of the national figure of 262 tall buildings which have cladding.

Nevertheless, these buildings needed to be looked at, first by the Council - who carried out a site visit. Then the onus fell on to the property owners to carry out a fire safety assessment of the cladding, but three months on and theres still no sign of a safety analysis forthcoming from them.

For some context on cladding and why theres so much fuss over it, first of all, it is a covering on a structure, the material is often used to insulate buildings and also used in part to improve their appearance.

It was used in the Grenfell Tower block and blamed for the rapid spread of the fire which killed at least 80 people in London.

The material on Grenfell Tower was found to be defective and failed safety tests which prompted a widespread review across the UK with many buildings cladding ripped down.

That same review was ordered here by our Government with a letter sent to local authorities on July 4 of this year. An appraisal was then carried out and off the back of this we now know cladding was found on three Kilkenny structures.

So far, so good. The potential for fire safety problems has been identified. One aspect of the audit was that Councils identify buildings greater than six storeys or more than 18m in height fitted with some form of external cladding.

Eleven such properties were identified in Kilkenny and three of these have a residential element to them and these 3 have a limited amount of cladding.

The Council said back in September that the owners of these properties were contacted in respect of their fire safety obligations and the owners said they would carry out the necessary assessments.

This week the Kilkenny People has revealed that the owners were contacted on August 24. This newspaper has obtained copies of the three missives sent by the Council and they are unequivocal.

The details of the correspondence with property owners reveals the amount of time that has lapsed since the cladding was identified and the wait for an outcome of that analysis is whats concerning. The properties are required to carry out their own fire safety assessment and report to the Fire Authority.

Its important to note that the fire safety constitution of the cladding on the Kilkenny properties is not known. But the argument being made here is that it should be known by now.

Whats not acceptable is almost twelve weeks have passed and the Council have confirmed that they arestill awaiting the outcome of the fire safety assessments  three months after the initial survey.

Now, the Councils fire authority are the experts and they do say that it is a quite technical issue which will involve time and the engagement of fire safety consultants.

Thats fair enough, but its three buildings and three months is three months.

The process must be expedited so that we know whether the cladding is defective or not.

The residents of the properties in Kilkenny, as well as the general public, have a right to know; and soon.
Over 120 staff from Kilkenny based global nutrition group, Glanbia, took to the mountains of Kerry as part the companys Two Peaks Challenge event.

They raised over 30,000 in support of Breast Cancer Irelands research and awareness programmes around Ireland.



The enthusiastic group were a sight to behold in their bright pink beanies as they took on Mount Brandon on Friday, October 13 followed the next day with a second climb up Irelands highest peak, Carrauntoohil.



Consultant Radiologist, Dr Deirdre Duke, met the team as they came off the mountain and joined them afterwards for a well-deserved celebratory dinner in the Castlerosse Hotel.

She said: It is endeavours such as these and the generous contributions of family and friends that help make a difference and change the landscape of breast cancer into the future.

On behalf of the charity I would like to thank those who challenge themselves and in doing so help others

As well as raising funds to support pioneering research nationally, BCI also invests in the recruitment of specialist breast cancer research nurses for each of the designated cancer centres.

Their role is to collaborate across centres, collecting tissue and serum samples from patients, into one large national bio resource which is accessed by researchers.



Discovery times in BCI funded labs have greatly improved as a direct result of increased investment in research and the charity are coming ever closer to their aim of transforming breast cancer from often being a fatal disease to making it a treatable condition that can be managed long-term.
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A student from St Kierans College was recently selected to represent Ireland in The International Junior Science Olympiad (ISJO) in the Netherlands.

Its a phenomenal achievement for Transition Year student Eoin Morgan as he joins only five other students from around Ireland to make up the team. Eoin qualified for the Irish team when he received a silver medal in the Irish Junior Science Olympiad (IrJSO) which was held recently in DCU.

The top 1% of Maths and Science students (based on their Junior Cert results 2017) were invited to this prestigious exam. The exam lasted for over two hours, during which, Eoin had to answer over 60 multiple choice questions.

To achieve a silver medal in such an examination, when pitted against the best students in Ireland, requires great knowledge, skill and understanding.

Eoin will now join the Irish Team consisting of the six top students in the country and will train with them to prepare for the ISJO, which will be held in The Netherlands this December. Over 50 countries will compete in an examination which will centre on the theme of Water and Sustainability.

We wish Eoin and the rest of the Irish team, the very best of luck in the Junior Science Olympiad, in The Netherlands next month.
DUBAI/ABU DHABI, Nov 19 (Reuters) - The distribution unit of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co could command a valuation of between $11 billion and $14 billion, according to fund managers who have seen research reports on the firm before an initial public offer of its shares.

The research notes were prepared by analysts at banks which are advising ADNOC on the planned listing of at least 10 percent of its fuel distribution unit in Abu Dhabi, sources said. One source said a listing of 15 percent or more was possible.

"As we disclosed last week, we plan to float at least 10 percent of ADNOC Distribution next month. More information regarding the full offering will follow in due course," an ADNOC spokesman told Reuters in response to a question about the valuation.

Abu Dhabi's national oil company last week unveiled details of ADNOC Distribution's listing, as Gulf states step up plans to privatise energy assets in an era of cheap oil.

"One analyst put the valuation at between $10 and $13 billion," one fund manager said; other sources said different analysts had higher estimates of the company's value.

The ADNOC unit's flotation comes as Saudi Arabia plans to list 5 percent of its national oil company Aramco by the end of next year, which Saudi officials say could raise $100 billion, making it the world's biggest IPO.

Citigroup, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are joint global coordinators for the ADNOC unit's offer and also bookrunners alongside EFG Hermes, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

(Reporting by Saeed Azhar, Stanley Carvalho and Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Andrew Torchia)
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
By Jun Ji-hye



A Chinese special envoy's visit to North Korea is raising cautious hopes for resumption of dialogue on the North's nuclear and missile issues.



Chinese diplomats including Song Tao, the special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, arrived in Pyongyang Friday to inform the North of the outcome of the recent 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), according to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Saturday. Xi entered his second five-year term at the congress held last month.



It marked the first visit by the Chinese special envoy to the repressive state in one year and nine months amid strained Pyongyang-Beijing relations due to the North's repeated military provocations and China's participation in international sanctions against Pyongyang.



Song's visit came only about a week after Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump held a summit in Beijing, during which time the latter pressed the former to take more action to rein in North Korea.



President Trump expressed his expectations for China's dispatch of its envoy to Pyongyang, tweeting: "A big move, we'll see what happens!"



Song, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, is expected to have delivered the results of the U.S.-China summit and views of the outside world on the North's nuclear program to North Korean officials.



It is unknown whether Song met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the visit.



On Friday, Song briefed Choe Ryong-hae, the vice chairman of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party, on the details of the CPC congress, according to the KCNA.



"He stressed the CPC's stand to steadily develop the traditional friendly relations between the two parties and countries," the KCNA said.



The North Korean state news agency also said Song conveyed a gift for the North's young leader through Choe, without elaborating.



The KCNA added that Song had talks with Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Saturday, and exchanged views about the situation on the peninsula and in Northeast Asia.



It is not clear how long Song will stay in the North, but diplomatic sources said he may stay there for about four days.



The North has stopped its military provocations since the last one on Sept. 15 when it launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan.



The suspension of the provocations for more than 60 days has raised cautious optimism about a possible change in the North's attitude, but experts say it would be premature to expect great changes.



Park Hwee-rhak, dean of the Graduate School of Politics and Leadership at Kookmin University, said the North seems to have suspended its provocations due to technical problems in developing an operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), so it may not be a sign of its move toward dialogue.



"The Chinese envoy could make some offers to the North, but it would be difficult for Pyongyang to change that soon," Park said during his cable TV appearance.



Considering Beijing is worried about enhanced cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, Park also noted China may deliver a message to the North that the only option left for the North is denuclearization.



"In addition to this, if South Korea and the United States make various offers, it may change the North little by little," he said.



China's Global Times also warned against high expectations on the visit, saying, "Song is not a magician."



"The key to easing the situation on the peninsula lies in the hands of Washington and Pyongyang," the newspaper said in an editorial. "If both sides insist on their own logic and refuse to move in the same direction, even if Song opens the door for talks, the door could be closed anytime."




Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Chairman Moon Hyun-jin speaks in a plenary session of the International Forum on One Korea in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, Nov. 14. / Courtesy of GPF



By Kim Hyo-jin



WASHINGTON, D.C.  Under the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump, the two Koreas have a better chance for reunification, activists and Korea watchers said Wednesday.



Their view, presented at the International Forum for One Korea held on Nov. 14 to 15 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, is an assessment of the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid the war of words between North Korean and U.S. leaders.



They pointed out that Trump has put the peninsula high on the United States' foreign policy agenda, unlike the previous Barack Obama administration whose approach of strategic patience had led to the U.S.'s inaction; they said the attention Trump shed light on advocates of the reunification of the two Koreas, who are seeking larger support for their campaign.



"With the North's development of nuclear weapons and, now, its delivery systems positions to strike the U.S. and its territories, the current (U.S.) administration is making the Korean crisis the centerpiece of its foreign policy (agenda)," civic group Global Peace Foundation Chairman Moon Hyun-jin said during a keynote speech.



Edwin Feulner, founder and president of the Heritage Foundation, also pointed out that the atmosphere for a South Korea-led reunification is being created, noting Trump's emphasis on building a free Korean Peninsula devoid of nuclear threats from North Korea during his speech at the National Assembly.



"The great focus of the global political community is directed at this problem. It's hot, and components of the long-standing problem are changing fast," William Parker, chief operating officer of the EastWest Institute, concurred. "And that means this is a unique opportunity for a meaningful change that simply could not have happened on your other leadership than ours and then also of yours."





William Parker speaks to The Korea Times during an interview in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, Nov. 14. / Courtesy of GPF





During the two-day forum sponsored by the U.S.-based think tank EastWest Institute and GPF, participants, which range from scholars to activists, voiced that establishing a "peace approach" on the peninsula through diplomatic measures is urgently needed to assuage the current security concerns.



In such a diplomatic process, Parker explained that the United States should engage in direct talks with the Kim Jong-un regime, avoiding a third-party mediator.



"This is not intended to recognize North Korea as a nation with significant capabilities but rather to recognize that we need to communicate in order to ease tensions and hostilities," he said.



Alexander Zhebin, director of the Center for Korean Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, put much weight on the role of inter-Korean dialogues in overcoming the suspended multilateral negotiating process on the North's nuclear issue.



"The best option for Koreans would be to resume working on the implementation of the bilateral agreements and understanding between South and North Korea at the various talks and contacts during the several previous decades, including those agreed upon at the historic inter-Korean summits of 2000 and 2007," he said.



Empowering change from inside North Korea



Meanwhile, Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, underlined the need to empower the North Korean people through information campaigns to realize reunification, saying change can come only from the inside.



"The only ones who can bring change to North Korea are its very people. What the outside world can do to enact that change is to step up information campaigns delivered through vehicles including radio broadcasting, mobile media storage devices, and even drones," he said during his speech.



He added this means delivering basic stories about their own abysmal human rights situation, their corrupt leadership, and the outside world, in particular, the democratic economic powerhouse South Korea and the downfall of communist despots.



"So they can understand that there are different paths to transformation, including peaceful transformation scenarios," he said.





Kenneth Bae speaks to The Korea Times during an interview at President Lincoln's cottage in Washington D.C., Nov.14. / Courtesy of GPF





Kenneth Bae, president of Nehemia Global Initiative, chimed in, saying civic society should take initiative in this process.



Bae, who was once detained in a North Korean labor camp, is now at the frontlines of the reunification movement. "While witnessing the dismal lives of North Koreans inside the country, I felt strongly about the value of freedom and the importance of the capability of the state leader," he said.



He plans to start radio broadcasting from South Korea to the North next year.



"It will aim to inform North Koreans about the outside world and the fact that people out there actually care about them," he said. "Helping North Koreans open their minds to the outside world is critical to prepare for a unified Korea."



The activist called for the U.S. government to allow North Korean refugees captured in China to choose a third country to enter into its territory, noting that none had been accepted under the Trump administration.



"U.S. politicians should carry out a policy of separating (the North Korean people from the North Korean regime). Accepting North Korean refugees is the best way to assure the remaining citizens in the country that we will embrace them," he said.



The international forum, which discussed ways of better dealing with the North Korean missile and nuclear threats and identify political and civic measures to facilitate peaceful reunification on the Korean Peninsula, will be followed by another one to be held in Seoul on Dec. 7-8.




By Choi Ha-young



Conservatives here are bashing the military for not returning fire when North Korean sentinels opened fire at a soldier who was escaping to the South, but experts lauded the decision that avoided full-scale war.



Rep. Kim Jong-dae, a military expert-turned-lawmaker of the Justice Party, noted that rules of engagement at Panmunjeom aim at upholding peace for possible inter-Korean talks. "There, soldiers from the two Koreas are so close together, an accidental shooting could definitely lead to death for many," Kim said in an interview Thursday.



In case of North Korea attacking in other borderline areas, the South Korean military is required to return fire according to the rules of engagement of the South Korean authority. "However the Joint Security Area (JSA) is not subject to South Korean sovereignty. It's controlled by the United Nations Command (UNC)," Kim said.



"If the nation moves to ease the conditions for attack, Panmunjeom's role for inter-Korean talks will be nullified. Who can start discussions in the area under the permanent risk of war?



"In cases such as the defection, South Korean soldiers are supposed to wait and see and then decide to return fire or not after securing their safety once backup forces arrive at the site," Kim added. In line with the rules, Lt. Col. Kwon Young-hwan, who was in command, promptly ordered the soldiers to wear body armor and equip themselves with K-2 rifles.



Kim Min-seok, research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, agreed with the lawmaker.



"If the North Korean sentinels kept firing at the defecting soldier after he crossed the military demarcation line, the South should issue a statement of protest. However, the South Korean military's decision not to return fire was proper, because no South Koreans were injured or killed."



The lawmaker's claim was in response to criticism from conservative media and political parties that South Korean soldiers should have returned fire and the military's vigilance was a "total failure."



"The military authorities should stop shifting responsibility to the UNC and disclose the surveillance camera footage right away," conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) spokeswoman Jun Hee-kyung said Thursday.



"A mad dog deserves beatings," the LKP said in a statement the previous day. The conservative party harshly criticized the liberal government, calling it "Pyongyang's spokesperson."



After the incident, President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday revising the rules of engagement at the JSA needs to be discussed together with the UNC, so South Korean soldiers can at least fire warning shots if a bullet from the North is fired at the South.



The UNC originally planned to disclose part of the surveillance camera footage of the scene of the defection on Thursday but postponed it, saying it would fully investigate the situation first. Reportedly, North Korean soldiers accidentally crossed the MDL, which is in violation of the armistice treaty, but they retreated rapidly.



Despite the conservatives' offensive, Kwon's sacrifice became viral online. Kwon himself crawled to rescue the North Korean soldier who had fallen to the ground from the gunshot wounds, at risk of his own life.



In a briefing to the generals, Kwon reportedly said: "I couldn't send the young soldiers (to rescue the North Korean soldier). I thought the chief of the UNC could lead the troops in place of me should I have been injured.




By Bahk Eun-ji



Thailand has warned the country's traditional masseuses about working in South Korea, where providing a massage service is generally illegal.



Under Korea's medical law, providing therapeutic massage for business is exclusively reserved for blind people or nationally certified professionals.



According to The Nation, a daily English newspaper in Thailand, the Department of Special Investigation issued the warning after eight Koreans were arrested for allegedly forcing Thai women to work as prostitutes.



The suspects were charge with human trafficking after a joint operation by Korean police, Thai Police and the Korean embassy to Thailand.



In August, a Korean man, surname Kim, 39, said to be a key member of the criminal network, was arrested for human trafficking in Thailand.



He allegedly lured Thai women to work in massage parlors in Korea, and forced them into prostitution.



The Thai government has warned women to be careful when using social media, because this was how Kim allegedly recruited women.



On Friday, Thai authorities also arrested a woman for allegedly recruiting women by giving false information on social media about massage jobs in Korea.



The suspect allegedly offered to help the women get job at respectable massage parlor in Korea, plus free accommodation.












By Kim Bo-eun



Bereaved family members of five unaccounted for passengers of the sunken ferry Sewol held a memorial ceremony for the deceased at Mokpo New Port, Saturday.



The ceremony was held more than three and a half years since the ferry sank off the coast of the southwestern island of Jindo and killed over 300 passengers, most of them students of Danwon High School, on an excursion to Jeju Island, on April 16, 2014.



The family members had stayed at the ports of Jindo and Mokpo throughout the three years and seven months, waiting for the remains of their loved ones to be retrieved. But on Thursday they stated they would move on, as searches were coming to an end.



The five whose remains were not retrieved are two second-year students of Danwon High School Park Young-in and Nam Hyun-chul, Danwon teacher Yang Seung-jin, and two other passengers _ a father and son Kwon Jae-keun and Hyuk-kyu.



Their coffins were instead filled with their belongings.



Present at the ceremony were members of a civic group representing the bereaved family members of the Sewol disaster, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-choon and former minister Lee Ju-young who had served in the position at the time of the Sewol disaster, Reps. Park Jie-won and Chun Jung-bae of the People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung and Youn So-ha of the Justice Party, around 200 citizens and bereaved family members of the unaccounted for passengers.



The families will hold funerals at halls in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and in Seoul through today.



The belongings of the deceased will be cremated in Suwon and Incheon.



The cremated belongings of Danwon students Park and Nam, and teacher Yang will be buried at a park in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where other victims have been buried.



Those of Kwon and his son will be buried in a park in Incheon.



The Sewol ferry was taken to Mokpo in April for an internal search. Searchers retrieved the remains of four out of the nine passengers who were then-unaccounted for.



The family members of the five unaccounted for passengers had stayed at a makeshift shipping container home at Mokpo New Port for the past seven months. But on Thursday they held a press conference at the port, and announced they had made the decision to accept the deaths of their loved ones and move on.



"We knew that some disapproved of our requests for the ferry Sewol to be salvaged and searched, but we were unable to let go because of our wishes to find the remains of our family members," they said.



"But it occurred to us that requests for further searching would be unreasonable."




Lee Byeong-ho, the only one that avoided arrest among three former spy agency chiefs over allegation that they gave "bribes" to former President Park Geun-hye with the agency's "special funding," was questioned for the second time, Sunday.



By Lee Kyung-min

Lee Byeong-ho, the only person who avoided arrest among three former spy agency chiefs over allegation they gave "bribes" to former President Park Geun-hye with the agency's "special funding," was questioned for a second time, Sunday.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office summoned Lee in less than two days after the Seoul Central District court rejected its request to issue an arrest warrant. The remaining two _ Nam Jae-joon and Lee Byung-kee _ were arrested following the court-issued arrest warrant.

The three are suspected of paying 4 billion won ($3.6 million) of the agency's special funds to Park's former presidential secretaries _ Ahn Bong-geun, Lee Jae-man and Jeong Ho-seong.

Nam was under suspicion that while he was serving as spy chief, he pressured Hyundai Motors to cough up 2.6 billion won to fund conservative advocacy groups that held pro-government and pro-business rallies.

Lee Byung-kee is suspected of increasing the monthly payment to Cheong Wa Dae to 100 million won, double the amount under his predecessor Nam who gave 50 million won a month.

The prosecution asked Lee Byeong-ho why he volunteered that Park asked him for the money, a step further from his statement made during an earlier prosecution questioning when he only admitted he gave the money at the request of Cheong Wa Dae.

The revelation, the prosecution said, was the main reason the court rejected the arrest warrant, as it deemed he would not seek to "dare" destroy evidence after volunteering the key information.

The prosecution said he needs to be arrested as he gave as much as 2.6 billion won to Park. He is highly likely to destroy evidence involving a separate allegation that he gave 500 million won to a pollster to determine the viability of a Park-loyalist lawmaker running in then upcoming election.

Lee said he only knew Park asked for the money but did not know where she spent it.

The prosecution is considering seeking a new arrest warrant after questioning him about how and when Park asked for the money.

Prosecutors are likely to question Park soon after questioning former presidential secretaries for political affairs Cho Yoon-sun and Hyun Ki-hwan, who are suspected of regularly receiving the spy agency funds.




By Lee Kyung-min



The Constitutional Court will hold a hearing next month to review whether the law governing details of "packet sniffing" violates an individual's right to privacy and freedom.



Packet sniffing, otherwise known as network monitoring or network analyzing, is used by a network or system administrator to troubleshoot network traffic.



Packet sniffers with access to its host computer can intercept, log network traffic and can see username and passwords as well as messages exchanged via wired or wireless network interfaces in real-time.



In Korea, most of the "sniffing" was conducted by the spy agency, which has long used the method to monitor anti-state activities of "North Korea sympathizers."



Police and the prosecution often use it, but NIS is known to be the most frequent user.



The hearing comes nearly two years after an earlier long-dragged-out case ended without a court ruling in February 2016 after the petitioner, surnamed Kim, died of liver cancer.



Kim, a former member of the Korea Teachers & Education Workers' Union (KTU), filed the Constitutional appeal in March 2011 after the NIS "packet-sniffed" his landline internet connection between December 2010 and February 2011. NIS conducted the operation after the Seoul Central District Court (SCDC) issued a warrant. Kim claimed his right to privacy and having free telecommunications was violated.



Kim came under NIS monitoring after he stood trial for having his students attend an event commemorating figures that refused to give up their ideological and political orientation supporting North Korea including North Korea spies and captured North Korean soldiers.



Kim was also alleged to have uploaded pro-North Korea materials online intending to share it, a charge for which he was convicted.



The Constitutional Court at the time did not make a ruling, saying his right to freedom and privacy could not be breached and therefore did not require a further deliberation following his death.



But the politically sensitive issue was taken to the court in March, jointly by five liberal organizations including Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and Jinbonet, a human rights organization.



The two filed the appeal against the NIS and the SCDC, representing a man surnamed Moon, who was subject to the NIS-commissioned investigative measure.



Much attention and controversy is expected as no details have been available thus far on the scope, procedure and specifics of the monitoring.



The hearing will also deliberate on whether it is Constitutional for a government agency to wiretap private citizens without their prior consent.



Meanwhile, cyber surveillance is an issue that rocked the country three years ago.



In October 2015, Kakao Talk, the nation's most-used messenger service, said it would fully cooperate with the prosecution. It was seen as caving to the authorities at the risk of compromising user privacy by helping the prosecution make arbitrary decisions about who it should monitor.



The "caving" came after the company struggled from a degraded reputation and fast-disappearing users following the revelation of a a minor opposition lawmaker who claimed that he was informed about the police seizing his Kakao Talk communication history with 3,000 acquaintances from a four-month period three months after the seizure.



Many users went on a so-called "digital migration," switching to other applications seeking better protection.



Then Kakao Talk co-CEO Lee Sir-goo vowed to push back against the authority's "cyberspace surveillance" even if it meant him being subject to criminal prosecution, but it did little to allay public fear at the time.




























At least 6 lawmakers under suspicions of money accepting



By Kim Hyo-jin



The nation may face another massive bribery scandal, with suspicions top policymakers and lawmakers received illicit funds from the spy agency during the 2013-17 Park Geun-hye administration.



Although National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon said there were no records of such bribery Thursday, tension is still growing in political parties, both ruling and opposition, as the prosecution expands its investigation.



After three former NIS heads during the Park government admitted they offered part of their "special activity fund" to Cheong Wa Dae under Park's orders, news reports said the NIS had provided money to three ruling party lawmakers and two opposition lawmakers.



The reports stated each of them received millions of won each time on about 10 occasions from 2015 to 2016. Rumors are circulating that more lawmakers are involved in the scandal. The money was reportedly offered during business trips overseas or during National Assembly audits of government offices.



Part of the NIS budget was spent under the name of "special activity funds," and the agency does not need to report or clarify what it spends this money on because it is supposed to be used for classified activities and investigations. Other inspection agencies that manage such funds include the prosecution, the police, the Board of Audit and Inspection and the defense and justice ministries.



Regarding the allegation, Suh said in an Assembly session Thursday he had no records how the money was spent. Later in the day, though, the prosecution said it was investigating Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), a Park loyalist, based on testimony from former NIS director Lee Byung-kee.



Lee said the spy agency gave Choi 100 million won ($91,000) in cash in 2014 while he served as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of strategy and finance, in return for his influence because the finance ministry was planning to reduce the NIS special activity fund.



Choi's alleged involvement is leading to speculation among lawmakers the bribery scandal could reach even farther.

The LKP has relentlessly claimed the Moon Jae-in government is conducting a "purge" of its political rivals.



Its chairman Hong Joon-pyo denounced the prosecution, saying it is merely seeking the government's interest.



"The prosecution, once a symbol of justice, is now being pushed to act as a puppet for the leftist government," he wrote on Facebook. "It concerns me that the prosecutorial organization could collapse due to short-sighted prosecutors currying favor with the new administration."



Rep. Park Jie-won, former leader of the minor opposition People's Party, also voiced his concerns. "The country is turning into a state of inspection on comprehensive corruption scandals following investigation of Park loyalists' disruption of state management and the NIS's malicious comments about liberal politicians," he said on Facebook.



Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) focused its offensive against Park and her loyalists, demanding the ousted former president unveil the truth of the scandal.



"Former NIS head Lee Byung-ho confessed Park made an order, and Cheong Wa Dae senior secretaries Ahn Bong-geun and Lee Jae-man said they delivered the NIS funds to Park. This is why she should speak up herself," DPK spokeswoman Rep. Je Youn-kyung said Sunday.



Je noted that Park, when serving as the chairwoman of the Grand National Party, a predecessor of the LKP, criticized the NIS for lacking transparency on budget spending and called for enhanced monitoring of the process.



"Taking responsibility for what she said 10 years ago, she should explain how the people's tax money, meaning the NIS's special activity fund, had been spent," she said.


A wall at Hunet's headquarters shows major projects done by employees at Hunet to fulfill its mission to make the world a happier place through "edutech." / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



Online education company Hunet never stops swimmin'

By Yun Suh-young

Why should companies exist?

"To make employees happy," says Hunet's founder and CEO Cho Young-tak.

When employees are happy, service is improved, and with better service, more customers appreciate the brand and become loyal to the brand -- hence the virtuous cycle. It's common sense, but it's easier said than done.

Hunet is a Korean online education company established in 1999, which both functions as a platform and content provider. It has been touted as one of Korea's rare and innovative companies with its forward-thinking work culture and ethics. Several of its unique policies stand out, such as unlimited vacation, a paid one-month sabbatical after five years of service, flexible working hours, retirement age set at 100, retirement pension provided until death after 15 years of service and unlimited book supply, to mention a few.

It also allocates 20 percent of work time every week for employees to study whatever they want to help them improve in work and life. It's called "Fri (free) Learning Day" and takes place on Fridays for the entire day. Not surprisingly, being an education company, its employees must learn continuously. Every day, employees get an hour to spend on learning -- anything from watching performances to going to school -- and these are calculated as "credits." Every employee must fulfill 365 credits a year.

The company also holds "Innovation Battles" where each team competes on how they have innovated in their work or work processes and shares them with the entire staff at the end of every month. The winning team, based on the accumulated total score at the end of the year, is gifted with an overseas trip. This year's grand prize is a visit to Silicon Valley.

The "Idea Park" is where employees throw in whatever ideas they have on improving the company's service, office culture, facilities or work process. Great ideas extracted from this platform actually come to life.

Its CEO doesn't have his own desk and sits beside employees -- he believes a company should exist to make people happy, not to make money.

Some of this sounds similar to that of successful global startups stemming from Silicon Valley, but what makes Hunet impressive is its implementation of other policies that is eye-opening, even to the most innovative companies in the world.

Hunet's CEO Cho Young-tak believes in what he calls "happiness management," a term he claims to have created back in the early 2000s when he was mulling over how to improve his company.

Happiness management basically has three pillars as its philosophy: 1) A company is not for maximizing profit, but maximizing happiness, 2) Help others first and others will help you, and 3) Employees come first in the pursuit of stakeholders' happiness.

Changing the society

"In the beginning, everyone thought I was too idealistic," Cho said during an interview with The Korea Times. "That meant unrealistic. But after 15 years of doing this, people are now taking it in better."

Cho entered the workforce in 1988 as an employee at Keumho Group, one of the local conglomerates. He quickly earned respect from peers and superiors, climbing the ladder to the strategic core, but he was always witnessing irrationality and inefficiency at the workplace.

"It was extremely hierarchical. The process to receive the go' from the CEO took six months due to the layers of approvals we had to get. I studied business management in college but I started studying more on the topic after I started work. I wanted to become a global expert on business management so I made some notes for myself on how to run a company if I became the CEO," Cho said.





Hunet employees are at work in its headquarters in Guro-gu, southern Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



"It wasn't all set from the beginning. But I decided I needed a business model. I traced back to business theories and they all said companies exist to maximize profit. But I thought such a world would be desolate. It would justify all the bad actions committed by the company. So I decided I shouldn't do business to maximize profit. Then why should I run a company? Well, companies were formed of people and I started wondering what I can do for people. I came to the conclusion that if I make people happy through business, the deeds will return. If we help others first, they will help us."

Cho explicitly said he is not interested in making money. Work, he said, is not a means to making a living, but a means to pursue one's purpose in life and grow and develop.

"What's most important in modern society is corporations. They create added value and they are where many people are affiliated. So if more companies apply happiness management, it influences society. CEOs will no longer be slaves to money and will be happier. They will have peace at heart and smile all the time, with positive energy," he said.

"I want to spread this as much as possible. Through books, through online and offline programs and so on. We have something called the happiness management university where we educate 30 CEOs every quarter on happiness management. If 10,000 CEOs implement this, then Korean companies will change. It's best to change the CEO to change the company. Wouldn't it be great to have more people looking forward to going to work on Monday?"
By Eugene Lee





The brinkmanship in the words of leaders of the U.S. and North Korea is drawing dangerously close to a declaration of open warfare. At first, in a portrayal of senseless bravado each side has tried to outdo the other in calling each other names and the use of profanity. The fear is that these words may turn into full action.

The question is "What can we do?" I do have a suggestion and let me start from afar.

A week ago, on November 2, by invitation I was observing the 7th round of the Syrian negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan. I wasn't really impressed with the mood or the process itself. On that day the parties (25 altogether) were supposed to issue a resolution by 5 pm, but the negotiations dragged on late into the night. The sides couldn't find a compromise until 11 pm and eventually announced their "intent to gather again" for the 8th round sometime in December. Even without any clear result, as I see it, there is a very positive element. It means these negotiations allow all participants to indicate, probe and mark the grounds of discussion and hopefully, eventual peace.

On the next day, Nov. 3, we were invited to the presidential residence, the Akorda, to witness an award ceremony of a peace prize to the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, for his efforts in establishing peace in the Middle East and hosting refugees from war-torn Syria. He was the first recipient of the peace prize recently inaugurated by President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan,.

In the early 1990s the country organized and helped to establish a nuclear-free zone in Central Asia. Today Kazakhstan is a strong supporter of nuclear non-proliferation around the world. In a few months' time Kazakhstan is set to begin its non-permanent membership in the Security Council of the United Nations. All this puts Kazakhstan in a uniquely good position that allows it to engage various sides in disregard of existing differences.

I've been vocal about this earlier and, once again, would like to call for inviting Kazakhstan to help in mediating the conflict between South Korea and North Korea. Kazakhstan already has a fair share of history and experience of engagement with both. And with its current posture and influence in the international community, Kazakhstan is well equipped to bring all sides to the table.

Obviously, Kazakhstan will not be seeking participation in resolving the conflict on the Korean peninsula proactively, but maybe it should. Also, I would call out to Kazakhstan to show its own good will and employ its experience.

I am not deluded in thinking that Kazakhstan would become a panacea to the conflict. Nor am I imaging that North Korea will easily open its doors and meet with open arms. Nevertheless, it is a diplomatic route that we haven't explored yet and it is, in my belief, certainly worthy of our attention. Let's start and see where this road will take us.





Eugene Lee (mreulee@gmail.com) is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Governance of Sungkyunkwan University.
By Ricardo Hausmann



CAMBRIDGE  Why do people vote, if doing so is costly and highly unlikely to affect the outcome? Why do people go above and beyond the call of duty at their jobs?



Two recent books  Identity Economics by Nobel laureate George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton and The Moral Economy by Sam Bowles  indicate that a quiet revolution is challenging the foundations of the dismal science, promising radical changes in how we view many aspects of organizations, public policy, and even social life. As with the rise of behavioral economics (which already includes six Nobel laureates among its leaders), this revolution emanates from psychology. But while behavioral economics relies on cognitive psychology, this one is rooted in moral psychology.



As with most revolutions, this one is not happening because, as Thomas Huxley surmised, a beautiful old theory has been killed by ugly new facts. The ugly facts have been apparent for a while, but people cannot abandon one mental framework unless another one can take its place: in the end, beautiful old theories are killed only by newer, more powerful theories.



For a long time, economic theory aspired to the elegance of Euclidean geometry, where all true statements can be derived from five apparently incontrovertible axioms, such as the notion that there is only one line that connects two points in space. In the nineteenth century, mathematicians explored the consequences of relaxing one of those axioms and discovered the geometries of curved spaces, where an infinite number of longitudinal lines can pass through the poles of a sphere.



The axioms underpinning traditional economics embody a view of human behavior known as homo economicus: we choose among the available options that which we want or prefer the most. But what makes us want or prefer something?



Economics has long assumed that whatever informs our preferences is exogenous to the issue at hand: de gustibus non est disputandum, as George Stigler and Gary Becker argued. But with a few reasonable assumptions, such as the idea that more is better than less, you can make many predictions about how people will behave.



The behavioral economics revolution questioned the idea that we are good at making these judgments. In the process, they subjected the assumptions underlying homo economicus to experimental tests and found them wanting. But this led at most to the idea of nudging people into better decisions, such as forcing them to opt out of rather than into better choices.



The new revolution may have been triggered by an uncomfortable finding of the old one. Consider the so-called ultimatum game, in which a player is given a sum of money, say, $100. He must offer a share of that money to a second player. If the latter accepts the offer, both get to keep the money. If not, they both get nothing.



Homo economicus would give $1 to the second player, who should accept the offer, because $1 is better than zero dollars. But people throughout the world tend to reject offers below $30. Why?



The new revolution assumes that when we make choices, we do not merely consider which of the available options we like the most. We are also asking ourselves what we ought to do.



In fact, according to moral psychology, our moral sentiments, on which Adam Smith wrote his other famous book, evolved to regulate behavior. We are the most cooperative species on earth because our feelings evolved to sustain cooperation, to put "us" before "me." These feelings include guilt, shame, outrage, empathy, sympathy, dread, disgust, and a whole cocktail of other sentiments. We reject offers in the ultimatum game because we feel they are unfair.



Akerlof and Kranton propose a simple addition to the conventional economic model of human behavior. Besides the standard selfish elements that define our preferences, they argue that people see themselves as members of "social categories" with which they identify. Each of these social categories  for example, being a Christian, a father, a mason, a neighbor, or a sportsman  has an associated norm or ideal. And, because people derive satisfaction from behaving in accordance with the ideal, they behave not just to acquire, but also to become.



Bowles shows that we have distinct frameworks for analyzing situations. In particular, giving people monetary incentives may work in market-like situations. But, as a now-famous study of Haifa daycare centers showed, imposing fines on people who picked up their kids late actually had the opposite effect: if a fine is like a price, people may find that it is a price worth paying.



But without the fine, coming late constitutes impolite, rude, or disrespectful behavior toward the caregivers, which self-respecting people would avoid, even without fines. Unfortunately, this other-regarding view of behavior has been de-emphasized both in the corporate and the public domain. Instead, strategies have been derived from the view that all our behaviors are selfish, with the intellectual challenge being to design "incentive-compatible" mechanisms or contracts, an effort that has also been recognized with Nobel Prizes.



But, as George Price showed long ago, Darwinian evolution may have made us altruistic, at least toward people we perceive as members of the group we call "us." The new revolution in economics may find a place for strategies based on affecting ideals and identities, not just taxes and subsidies. In the process, we may understand that we vote because that is what citizens ought to do, and we excel at our jobs because we strive for respect and self-realization, not just a raise.



If successful, the new revolution may lead to strategies that make us more responsive to our better angels. Economics and our view of human behavior need not be dismal. It may even become inspirational.





Ricardo Hausmann, a former minister of planning of Venezuela and former Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank, is Director of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and a professor of economics at the Harvard Kennedy School. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.








Lamentably, Japan has again snubbed an important call to reflect on the forced and systematic prostitution of tens of thousands of Korean and Chinese women for its soldiers during its colonial occupation.



The Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council Friday recommended Tokyo apologize to the former comfort women and offer them compensation.



The Japanese government showed no signs of accepting the recommendations, claiming these were the work by "only a few countries and regions" and pointing out the 2015 Korea-Japan agreement did what's so far left undone.



Yoshifumi Okamura, Japan's ambassador in charge of human rights, argued Japan demonstrated to the world its leadership in the protection of women's rights.



Japan's position is, to say the least, ludicrous, since it subjected countless women to gang rape, and is paying a token sum of money to the last remaining survivors and trying to make itself a paragon protector of women's rights. The comfort women agreement was government-led without the full participation of the victims.



Japan's ulterior purpose is about engaging in a race against time to see the last among the 33 surviving former sex slaves die so as to force a collective case of amnesia on the world.



Therefore, it is not just the duty of Korea and China, the accusers in this nonbinding recommendation by the U.N. working group, but that of the rest of the world not to forget the wrongs Japan did against these women.



This is not enough, though. Japan is suspected of having used its influence to thwart the listing of evidential materials about its criminal acts against the comfort women as world heritage with UNESCO. Corroborating this suspicion is that after the rejection Tokyo is now moving to pay its dues that had been withheld.



It is time for the world to ask itself whether Japan is a conscientious state that is qualified to represent the will of the world and join the veto-wielding five-member Permanent Security Council despite war atrocities it committed and the persistent and unconscionable effort to whitewash them. The answer should be a resounding no, until it clears worries it may resort to this criminal practice again.








Moon's caution right so far



President Moon Jae-in called an emergency press meeting at the APEC summit last week in Danang, Vietnam, to clarify that Korea would not decide whether to back the "Indo-Pacific" vision propagated by U.S. President Donald Trump until the nation fully comprehends it.



Moon's intervention quelled the controversy arising from his aides' rebuttal of the term used in their post-summit joint press statement.



The President's call for a wait-and-see stance was prudent for at least two reasons.



First, Korea has been kept in the dark about what appeared to be Trump's Asia policy to replace his predecessor Obama's Pivot to Asia, later renamed "Rebalance to Asia."



The most obvious difference is that the Indo-Pacific is more "naked" than the pivot in its purpose of containing China. The concept dates back to the old Anglo Saxon concept of preventing the emergence of a rival and maintaining its regional control. But more recently, Japan's Prime Minister Shizo Abe used it during his 2007 India visit. U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson mouthed "the free and open Indo-Pacific" in October ahead of his Indian trip. This vision brings together four countries most fearful of a bigger China _ Japan, India, Australia and the U.S. _ to create a united front.



Much of its future is up in the air. Most of all, it is unclear whether it is aimed at becoming an economic bloc, a security alliance or a combination of the two. Also, it is a tossup concerning the evolution of its plotted path. One is replacing the current U.S.-Korea-Japan format that serves the dual purpose of keeping China and its client state, North Korea, at bay. Another is a reorganization by "recruiting" South Korea and Vietnam as junior partners around the four main pillar states.



Second, Korea has not reset its priorities as of yet.



True, its immediate priority is to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula through the denuclearization of the North. That depends on a strong ROK-U.S. alliance.



That doesn't mean Korea can afford to ignore China's rising power. Not heeding it _ deploying a U.S. missile interceptor on the Korean soil despite China's vehement opposition _ cost Seoul tens of billions of dollars. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on Moon to bear the historic responsibility, however Beijing intends not to do so. China relented only after Seoul openly declared that it would neither deploy any more Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense batteries nor join the U.S.-led Missile Defense (MD) initiative; it would back no Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance. Humiliating as this may sound, Seoul's concessions reflect a changing order in the region.



Finally, Korea should be patient in seeing how the Indo-Pacific vision will coalesce into a policy or miscarry before making a commitment. As things stand, it is inevitable China's influence will increase at the expense of the U.S. That may give Moon or his successor an opportunity to become a "balancer" of power in the region _ a goal that was propagated by the late President Roh Moo-hyun and recently denied by Moon, Roh's political partner.








By Tong Kim





In the wake of Trump's Asia trip and following a two-month pause of North Korea's kinetic provocations, the Korean peninsula appears to have been relieved from the risk of an imminent military conflict, although high tensions continue. A clear path to the resolution of the nuclear/missile issue is still missing.

Trump's trip was focused on the North Korean nuclear threat, U.S. trade imbalances, and on a new, broader U.S. Asia policy  for trade and security interests  for the Indo-Pacific region. Throughout his trip, Trump did well, by sticking to the scripts, away from his usual bombastic rhetoric on twitter or off the teleprompter.

Trump's position remains unchanged: apply maximum pressure and sanctions of worldwide unity against Kim Jong Un until he gives up his nuclear weapons, which few believe will happen. Military options remain on the table, which increasingly become more unrealistic and less credible for implementation.

In Seoul, Trump warned North Korea "not to underestimate or try us," underscoring the unparalleled U.S. military might. He denounced the North Korean leadership as "the murderous regime," calling the North "not the paradise" that Kim Jong Un's grandfather had envisioned but "a hell." Trump said he would still offer "a path to a much better future" for North Korea, if they would come out for "a complete, verifiable, and total denuclearization."

In Beijing, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump agreed to work together for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. The two major powers will not accept the North as a nuclear weapons state. But Xi did not promise any new additional measures of pressure, beyond China's commitment to fully implement UN sanction resolutions.

Some of Trump's successes were seen in the area of trade. Japan and South Korea announced huge investments in the U.S. worth tens of billions of dollars. The two U.S. allies will spend billions of dollars to buy U.S. military platforms. And, they will renegotiate their trade relations in the context of a "fair, open and reciprocal trade" in the coming months. China offered a super business deal worth $250 billion with the United States.

For the past two months, Pyongyang, while continuing nasty rhetoric, did not launch a new nuclear or missile test. Three possible reasons: (1) they are concentrating on finding ways to survive the impact of the new sanctions that started affecting their economy; (2) they are conserving the resources for future tests of weapons; (3) they are still working on the technology to complete an operational ICBM,

However, they will continue to advance their nuclear-tipped missiles capable of striking the U.S. homeland, using whatever resources are available before the sanctions could paralyze their economy. Pyongyang shows no interest in dialogue now, maybe not until after they acquire an ICBM.

In Washington, reporting on his Asia trip, Trump said Xi and he "agreed that we would not accept a so-called freeze for freeze' agreement like those that have consistently failed in the past." In 12 hours, Beijing's foreign ministry denied Trump's claim, saying that China sticks to its double freeze proposal  freeze on the DPRK's nuclear and missile tests in return for suspension of U.S.-ROK joint military drills, as "the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan."

Also in Washington last week, the Senate foreign relations committee held a hearing on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons, fearing that the "unstable and impulsive" President Trump might really start a catastrophic nuclear war in Korea, given his dangerous statements such as "fire and fury the world has never seen," or "total destruction of North Korea."

Witnesses included the former commander of the Strategic Command that oversees the U.S. nuclear deterrent. He said if he had been ordered to fire nuclear weapons, he would first decide its legality in terms of proportionality and context, and if he determines it is illegal, he would not carry it out. In this case, the President may fire the Secretary of Defense or the combat commander.

The witnesses agreed that North Korea's mere possession of nuclear weapons does not constitute the threat of an imminent attack, while it poses a serious threat to the U.S. and its allies. If the North attempts to use its nuclear weapons, it will justify a preemptive strike, and President Trump could order a nuclear strike. But, a preventive strike would require a Congressional approval if not a Congressional declaration of war. However, if the North keeps their weapons only for deterrent and survival, there would be no nuclear strike by the U.S. What's your take?





Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies.
By Stephen Costello





The South Korean administration made some progress this week in crafting a foreign policy that recognizes the nation's middle power realities, starts to engage in the "big game" in the region, and begins to build an alliance with its U.S. ally that is modern, forward-looking, and effective. President Moon Jae-in's "Five Principals" are an excellent beginning, even if he still needs to reconcile the basic contradiction in No. 4, the "sanctions and pressure" White House fantasy.

Moon's points were one, establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. Two, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Three, taking a primary role in resolving inter-Korean issues. Four, resolving the North Korean nuclear issue by peaceful means, using sanctions and pressure. Five, responding sternly to any North Korean provocation.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa's clear "Three Nos" statement to the National Assembly a week ago was also a great step forward. No additional THAAD batteries, no joining the US missile defense network, and no entering a military alliance with the US and Japan. This confirmation of Seoul's inevitable and invaluable independent interests could have been made six months ago, but with multiple summits coming up, it was not at all too late. It is unfortunate that Moon has not yet demanded some kind of repayment for the $8 billion cost of Xi Jinping's illegal boycott, but the THAAD issue is not resolved yet, and Seoul still has cards to play.

Days later President Moon embraced and doubled-down on Minister Kang's statements. The push-back from the anti-diplomacy and "Korean subservience" crowd was expected, and it will continue. A Wall St. Journal editorial, whining that Moon is "appeasing Kim Jung-un," "caving to Chinese pressure," and is "an unreliable friend" should confirm that he is on the right track.

For the North Korea issues and the US-ROK alliance, all now depends on Seoul sticking to its principles and finally resolving the contradiction in Principle No. 4, Seoul's embrace of pressure and sanctions. If North Korea is going to change, at least three basic facts must be recognized.

One: The usefulness of showing additional military strength or pursuing global isolation and economic warfare in order to move the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic) is a fiction, since it was Washington, not Pyongyang, that rejected successful agreements two decades ago. There continue to be indications that the North would return to credible win-win negotiations now. There are no indications that the U.S. would. That means pressure and sanctions  beyond those applied to any country's illicit and destabilizing actions  are aimed at the wrong problem.

Two: The "threat" from North Korea has been exaggerated and misnamed for at least 15 years. Its main threat is to defend itself, as the US CIA and numerous professional analysts have assessed for years. It is unlikely to launch major attacks on the U.S. or anyone else unless pushed into a corner. This cannot be realistically called an unacceptable or global threat, any more than Russian or Chinese capabilities can. The fact that the White House National Security Advisor is forced to pretend that Kim Jung Un is crazy and can't be deterred  contradicting years of professional intelligence  should be a tip-off to the false nature of these claims.

Three: The U.S. refusal to enter into unconditional talks with North Korea  a position now embarrassingly embraced by the ROK (Republic of Korea)  should be another revelation to journalists, analysts and policy-makers paying attention: the Trump administration, like its two predecessors, does not have any roadmap or outline that would recreate the kind of mutual benefits that anchored the last successful deals. Such an economics- and security-based outline is the first requirement for resolving the DPRK nuclear and missile programs, as it always has been.

If Seoul can now advance a credible plan, and collect eager and powerful supporters, including the U.N., it could realize its long-delayed aspiration to lead a coalition toward a solution. As part of this, the Moon-Xi Jinping relationship could now become the most important of all. That will require that China's power and interests be aligned. If they are opposed, as the tactics of the past two ROK administrations and the last three US administrations fantasized they could be, then Chinese diplomatic and economic power cannot be successfully applied to advance shared Chinese, Korean and U.S. interests.

There are still impediments to moving forward with the Seoul administration's newly clear and practical foreign policy. The visit of President Donald Trump to Seoul should be seen as a necessary distraction, to be quickly overcome and forgotten. Seoul's choice is more obvious and its responsibility more urgent in the visit's aftermath. Despite Trump's predictable gambits  the aborted DMZ PR stunt and the "surrender" address to the National Assembly  the Moon administration took the high road, and put on a smart and impressive welcome. But we don't know yet whether they have undercut the newly articulated positions of last week.

Trump's gambit seemed so transparent: "I won't blow up your country if you waste billions on U.S. military hardware you don't need." Yet such a "deal" is characteristic of this U.S. President. A wide cross-section of Korean media and policy elites seem to have abandoned  temporarily?  their ambitions for the country. Many supported Seoul taking a leading role in making diplomatic progress just two months ago, but they now seem satisfied to just avoid an imaginary war, cooked up by reckless amateurs in Washington and promoted by a gullible press.

Accepting such a mafia shakedown will not work for President Moon Jae-in, however. He has serious work to do and ambitions to lead actors toward productive agreements. Hopefully, he will make a new start this week. The Blue House has not yet won out during this visit by Trump. To assume so would be a strategic blunder. Following the pressure and sanctions illusion will wreck the new clarity that has just been spelled out. Either afraid or unable to sit in the "driver's seat," Seoul would in that case find that the back seat is already taken, and it will have to squeeze into the trunk for the next four years. As Trump might say, "Sad."





Stephen Costello(scost55@gmail.com) is a producer of AsiaEast, a web and broadcast-based policy roundtable focused on security, development and politics in Northeast Asia. He writes from Washington, D.C.
By Yoon Sung-won



Adults in the United States want a Samsung Electronics Galaxy S8 for a present, even more than an Apple iPhone X, a survey showed Sunday.



According to U.S. market research company Propeller Insights, 38 percent of U.S. adults answered they want a Galaxy S8 the most for a holiday present, compared to the iPhone X at 20 percent. The proportion of respondents who want an iPhone 8 is 22 percent, the survey shows.



In the survey, which Propeller Insights conducted at the request of U.S. e-commerce firm Ebates, the market tracker asked U.S. consumers  1,034 adults and 507 teenagers  about the presents they want for year-end holidays such as Christmas.



The results are notable not just because the survey was done in the United States, the home turf of the iPhone, but also for the explosive popularity of the iPhone X worldwide. Apple launched the iPhone X on Nov. 3 in 55 countries around the globe to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. But the iPhone X has also drawn criticism as its cheapest model sells for $999.



The survey, on the other hand, showed contrasting results from teenagers. Only 28 percent of teenage respondents said they want a Galaxy S8 for a holiday present, whereas 35 percent of them picked the iPhone X. Another 35 percent said they want the iPhone 8, showing strong support for the iPhone among young people in the country.



U.S. media including Forbes and USA Today pointed out that the iPhone X's lack of a headphone jack and fingerprint scanner, in spite of its higher price, is influencing adults to prefer Galaxy smartphones, which are not only less expensive but also have the two features.



In an online YouTube commercial, Samsung Electronics depicts a boy who chooses to buy a Galaxy Note 8 following his girlfriend, after using iPhones for the last 10 years. The U.S. media said this commercial is Samsung's ridicule for the inconveniences of the iPhone.



Samsung Electronics is seeking to boost its sales of Galaxy smartphones during the upcoming holiday season starting with Black Friday this week.



The company plans to offer a special Black Friday discount for both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 and offer a compatible virtual reality camera for those who buy one of the smartphones. In particular, it will offer a $150 discount for the Galaxy S8 series smartphones through the Microsoft Online Store.






British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay speaks during a press conference at Conrad Seoul, Saturday. / Courtesy of Oriental Brewery
Senior North Korean official Choe Ryong-hae, left, shake hands with Chinese envoy Song Tao at the Mansudae Assembly Hall, in Pyongyang, on Nov. 17.



By He Huifeng

China has tried to underscore traditional ties with North Korea, making no public mention of the crisis on the Korean peninsula in a brief statement after a Beijing envoy met a senior Pyongyang official on Friday.

China sent veteran diplomat Song Tao, head of the Communist Party's international department, to Pyongyang to brief North Korean official Choe Ryong-hae on last month's twice-a-decade national congress.

In the statement after the meeting, the department said the friendship between the two countries was a source of "valuable wealth" and they should advance the relationship.

"China-North Korean friendship was cultivated and founded by the leaders of previous generations in the two countries and they are valuable assets of the two countries," it said.

"Both sides must work hard together to promote further development of relations between the two parties and two countries to benefit their two peoples."

Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency said Song told Choe "in detail" about the congress, and stressed China's focus on traditional friendly relations between the two countries.

The meeting comes after China has stepped up enforcement of United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Song's trip also comes just a week after US President Donald Trump visited Beijing, pressing China to take more action to rein in North Korea.

In a Twitter post on Thursday, Trump said Song's visit was a "big move".

But analysts said Song might have limited influence given the mistrust between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Beijing.

East China Normal University professor Shen Zhihua said Kim did not have "firm" trust in Beijing, and contact between the two neighbours was continuing only as a matter of convention.

"Only Kim Jong-un has the last word on whether North Korea will take the offer of a peaceful solution, no matter what deal Beijing and Washington reach," Shen said.

"China has limited influence over North Korea. The foundation of their political alliance has been dismantled. The strong trust between the two no longer exists."

Bonnie Glaser, from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said ties between the two countries were under great strain.

"Relations are extremely stressed  perhaps at the lowest point since the Korean war. Perhaps [the mission] will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration," Glaser said.

Song arrived in the North Korean capital on Friday but it is not clear how long he will be there or whether he will meet Kim.

The last time China's special envoy for North Korea visited the country was in February last year.

Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages of congratulations and thanks over the party congress, but neither leader has visited the other's country since assuming power.
For as long as he can remember, Nano Crespo has worked in the kitchen - first at his grandmothers side at home in Buenos Aires and then in restaurant kitchens starting at the ripe old age of 16. I grew up around a kitchen, Crespo says from his perch at Quinto La Huella, his Uruguayan restaurant in the stunning EAST, Miami hotel. Now his kitchen revolves around the parilla he has created in its center. The wood fire oven blazes with logs he selected because it was closest to that used at the restaurants namesake, the famed beachfront Parador La Huella in Jose Ignacio on Uruguays Atlantic coast. The parrilla turns out perfectly cooked fish, beef, chicken, and lamb.

While he was growing up in Buenos Aires in an enormous family whose roots lay in Spain and Italy, Crespos grandmother was an extraordinary cook. For Crespo, as for many Argentines, the family homes brick-built parrilla provided an education in grilling meat. But his grandmothers passion for paella and pasta making is her lifetime lesson to Crespo. His father shared the family passion for food. He was a partner in a restaurant called La Higuera (The Fig Tree) in the San Isidro neighbourhood, and Nano was there night after night. He was just 16 years old when he enrolled at IAG, the Argentine Institute of Gastronomy, where he completed two years of a three-year program.

Crespo came to the United States in 1997. In California, he perfected his skills in Italian cuisine at Cecconis in West Hollywood. And it was there that he adopted the farm-to-table ethos that colors everything he does. He joined the Soho House team and opened their restaurants in West Hollywood, Toronto, and Chicago. From there, he was drafted by Swire Hotels to develop Quinto La Huella from the ground up.

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The chef has a huge respect for Uruguayan ingredients and explains that because all of Uruguay lies near the sea, it incorporates seafood in its grill menus in a way thats not seen in the land of beef, Argentina. All his seafood offerings are from the wild and all are sustainable and caught in Florida waters. For his meats, he both imports grass- and grain-fed products from Uruguay and uses local Florida beef. And the wood that fires his ovens is white and red oak and hickory sourced from northern Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.

Crespo gives credit to famed Argentine chef Francis Mallman for the unique style of cooking at Quinto La Huella. Mallmann was a classically trained chef serving French food at his restaurants in Argentina and Uruguay, when he was invited to cook in Germany. He decided to serve a meal cooked the way he had seen gauchos and Indians cook growing up in Patagonia. He came home and began to cook over wood fires. He uses fire in all its forms, from flame to hot ashes. Like Mallmann, Crespo likes to cook with a chapa, also known as a plancha. He uses the cross to cook meats for an extended period of time. But the chefs extensive menu of 46 items includes many dishes which never see the parilla at all. That was the biggest challenge: introducing the whole concept of Quinta La Huella, with its extensive selection of seafood, to an audience in Miami which had no idea what Uruguayan cooking was all about.

The chefs absolute favorite menu item is a dish that is the top seller both at Parador La Huella and at his restaurant: pesca a la parrilla, which is most often red snapper. Asked whether he ever cooks at home, the chef admits that on one of his two days off, he always cooks at either lunch or dinner. And his favorite thing to cook: the stews he used to make in the dead of winter in Chicago. The one thing he doesnt miss: the dead of winter in Chicago.

Quinto La Huella is located on the fifth floor of EAST, Miami at 788 Brickell Plaza, Miami, Florida. For reservations, email the restaurant or telephone them at 786-805-4646.
Mass killer Charles Manson died of natural causes Sunday evening at a Kern County hospital, authorities said.

The 83-year-old cult leader died at 8:13 p.m., according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Charles Manson, mastermind of 1969 murders, dies at 83 

Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys, issued a statement Sunday saying that Vincent Bugliosi, the deputy district attorney who prosecuted Manson, provided the most accurate summation: Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values.

Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death, Hanisee said.

Why was so little information released?

Local law enforcement in Bakersfield confirmed Wednesday that he had been hospitalized, but state prison officials had declined to comment on his condition, citing federal and state medical privacy laws that preclude the agency from commenting on protected health information for any inmate in our custody.

This marked the second time Manson, an inmate at Corcoran State Prison, was hospitalized this year. In January, he spent several days in a Bakersfield hospital. The prison system would not comment on his condition, but sources at the time said he had a serious illness.

The most recent image of Manson, taken in August. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

How does California deal with sick inmates?

Though officials did not comment on where specifically Manson was being treated or why, the corrections departments regulations provide a glimpse of how tightly coordinated the process must be.

They remain under CDCR custody and 24-hour supervision during this time, said Vicky Waters, a department spokeswoman. CDCR also notifies and works with hospital security and law enforcement.

Inmates are routinely taken to outside hospitals for medical care ranging from scheduled surgeries to emergency trauma, she said. The departments protocol provides up to four levels of review by a medical services committee for cases in which an inmate receives emergency care outside the prison walls.

California Correctional Health Care Services has contracted with several Central California hospitals to provide services to prisoners, including Adventist Medical Center Hanford, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and Mercy Hospital Bakersfield.

No Bakersfield hospital would comment. But some reporters in Bakersfield last week saw a prison department van parked in front of Mercy Hospital.

What did we know about security measures for Manson?

Given Mansons crimes and his numerous problems as a prisoner, it was likely significant security measures were employed. But officials would not comment. When Manson was hospitalized in January, several prison officials were seen at the the hospital.

Manson incurred more than 100 rules violations since 1971, when he and other members of his so-called family were convicted of killing pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people during a bloody rampage in the Los Angeles area during two August nights in 1969.

Over the years, he was cited for assault, repeated possession of a weapon, threatening staff, and possessing a cellphone.

Officials have said over the years that he spat in guards faces, threw hot coffee at a prison staffer, started fights, tried to cause a flood and set his mattress ablaze.

In 2014, Manson and Afton Elaine Burton, a 26-year-old Manson devotee, were granted a marriage license, but it expired before the two could marry. She had faithfully visited him in prison for seven years.

Mansons next parole hearing had been scheduled for 2027.

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Four people were killed in two separate wrong-way crashes early Sunday in Irwindale and Chatsworth, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The first accident occurred about 12:25 a.m. when CHP officers responded to a report of a collision on the 118 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said.

After responding to the scene, CHP officers learned that a 30-year-old man driving a 2014 Toyota Camry was heading east in the westbound carpool lane of the freeway when it collided with a 2003 Lexus sedan, just east of the De Soto Avenue freeway off-ramp, according to a CHP statement.

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In its report, NBC showed video footage of the driver heading the wrong way before the collision.

The station reported that Carlos Huerta, who was driving home at the time of the accident, pulled over to render aid.

The first thing I saw was a car seat, so I made sure there was no baby in the car, Huerta said. I ended up pulling the passenger door with another person who left, and the lady took what I assume to be her last breath. They have her in the ambulance right now and Im not sure where they went from there.

Fire paramedics declared the driver of the Lexus sedan dead at the scene. He was identified by the CHP as Christian Glenn, 38, of Simi Valley. His passenger, Brooklyn Acker, 25, also of Simi Valley, suffered major injuries and was transported by ambulance to Holy Cross Medical Center. Her condition was not known.

The Toyota Camry driver was not identified as of Sunday afternoon.

The crash forced the closure of the carpool and three other westbound lanes of the 118 Freeway until the traffic investigation was completed around 5 a.m.

Meanwhile, a similar fatal collision occurred a short time later about 12:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 605 Freeway in Irwindale.

CHP officers at the scene determined that a 35-year-old woman driving a 2002 Honda Odyssey entered the freeway from the Ramona Boulevard offramp and drove north until her vehicle collided head-on with a 2013 Dodge Challenger. The woman died at the scene, according to a CHP press statement.

The driver of the Dodge Challenger, a 25-year-old man, was declared dead at the scene. He has not been identified. His passenger, a 23-year-old woman from Los Angeles, identified by the CHP as Leticia Lopez, was taken to the L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Her condition is unknown.

A preliminary investigation found that alcohol or drugs is suspected to be a factor in the collision, according to CHP.

Both crashes remain under investigation.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.
The accusation against the Los Angeles gang cop was as strange as it was troubling.

A police sergeant hundreds of miles away in Nevada claimed that LAPD Det. Frank Flores and one of his gang informants had interfered with the hunt for a murder suspect. Flores meddling, the officer alleged, had helped the killer flee the country.

It was 2011 and Flores was part of an FBI-led task force investigating Mara Salvatrucha, the notoriously violent gang commonly known as MS-13. Flores had established himself as an MS-13 expert who testified frequently about the gangs secretive inner workings. A product of East L.A., he wrote in a court filing that he learned early on the language, culture, rivalries and turf territories associated with gangs.

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The sergeant from Sparks, just east of Reno, detailed her complaint in a 10-page memo to the FBI that The Times reviewed. Detective Flores openly discussed the identity of a tipster with his informant and overlooked the opportunity to immediately apprehend our murder suspect, she wrote.

Her accusations landed to little effect. Flores remained on the task force and continued to work with secret informants whose recordings of drug deals led to several federal prosecutions of alleged MS-13 members. After the FBI passed on the complaint to the LAPD, Flores was formally cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal investigation, an LAPD spokesman said.

The episode seemed to be in the past.

But in recent months, the allegations resurfaced in two of the MS-13 drug cases Flores was working on at the time he crossed paths with Sparks officers. A judge hearing the cases ruled that the defendants were entitled to have the LAPDs records from its investigation into the allegations and also gave the go-ahead for the Nevada detectives involved in the complaint to testify about what occurred.

The decision was a potential boon for the accused MS-13 members, whose lawyers planned to use the material to cast doubt in jurors eyes on Flores credibility and, by extension, the credibility of his informants and the cases in general.

The rulings appeared to spook the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles, which, after years of work on the cases, dismissed the charges in one case and agreed to a plea deal in the other. The resolution meant the LAPDs file on Flores was not disclosed and the Nevada detectives did not testify.

Mark Windsor, a defense attorney who represented the defendants in both cases, said he believes the government opted to dispose of the cases entirely because of Detective Flores, the way he handled his [informants], and the behavior of his informants.

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney, said in a written response to questions that the decisions were made after evaluating all of the evidence known to us at the time. We make decisions designed to ensure that justice is served and we meet all of our obligations as federal prosecutors.

Mrozek added that the decisions recently made in the cases were not designed to protect any law enforcement officer.

LAPD officials did not allow Flores to comment on the allegations, and a spokesman for the Sparks Police Department referred questions to the LAPD.

The allegations against Flores have resurfaced amid heightened scrutiny over law enforcements efforts to combat MS-13, which was formed by Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles in the 1980s and has since spread into dozens of states. President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions have made targeting the gang a priority, frequently citing its members as justification for their hard-line stance against illegal immigration and their attacks on cities such as Los Angeles that refuse to fully cooperate with deportation efforts.

In May, the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles announced a sweeping racketeering case against dozens of alleged MS-13 members, including its senior ranks in the region.

In May, the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles announced a sweeping racketeering case against dozens of alleged MS-13 members, including its senior ranks in the region. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times )

The claims against Flores stemmed from a double murder in Sparks on Nov. 20, 2010. Two men from a local gang were shot in an apartment in front of several witnesses. The assailant was identified as an MS-13 associate, Luis Alejandro Menendez-Cordero, who went by the street name Apo. Witnesses said the killings seemed unprovoked and that Menendez-Cordero had tried to fire on a third man, but his gun jammed.

Greta Woyciehowsky, a detective sergeant in the citys police department, and others were assigned the case. They tracked Menendez-Cordero to Sacramento, but learned he had fled to Los Angeles a few days earlier. The detectives sent fliers with the suspects photo and information to police throughout the region.

Flores called Woyciehowsky the next day. One of his MS-13 informants, he said, had been with Menendez-Cordero at a party, according to the memo Woyciehowsky later wrote. She added that Flores was cagey on the phone and reluctant to reveal his informants name or telephone number.

Shortly afterward, a woman called Sparks police to report that Menendez-Cordero had been staying in an apartment in South L.A, the memo said. Woyciehowsky noted that the woman was scared of the man and worried for the safety of a little boy who lived in the apartment with his mother.

When a Sparks detective called Flores to relay the information, Flores told him the mother in the apartment was, in fact, his informant. Woyciehowsky accused Flores in the memo of then calling his informant to discuss Menendez-Cordero and revealing to her the name of the frightened woman who had alerted Sparks investigators to his whereabouts.

Flores told Sparks detectives that his informant denied Menendez-Cordero was staying in the apartment, according to the memo. When one of Woyciehowskys partners offered to arrange for officers to stake out the apartment, Woyciehowsky wrote that Flores refused, saying the officers would be quickly discovered.

Woyciehowsky described in the memo the growing frustration with what Sparks investigators saw as Flores refusal over the weeks that followed to assist them in their attempts to locate and interview Flores informant and the woman who had called with information about Menendez-Cordero. Eventually, the Sparks officers took matters into their own hands: Posing as workers from the gas company, a few of the officers went to the informants apartment and got someone there to provide her cellphone number.

Woyciehowsky said in the memo the Sparks team felt they had no choice but to go in search of Flores informant. The move, she said, angered Flores, who accused the Sparks officers of putting his informants safety at risk.

Menendez-Cordero, it turned out, had fled the country not long after being discovered in Los Angeles.

In an interview weeks later, the woman who had called to report Menendez-Cordero told Woyciehowsky that shortly after making the call, she was confronted by an unknown man for alerting police, according to the memo. The man, she recalled to Woyciehowsky, threatened to kill two of her friends unless she drove Menendez-Cordero to Mexico. The woman said Flores informant disguised Menendez-Cordero for the trip using a wig and makeup.

After the woman dropped Menendez-Cordero at a hotel in Mexico, he moved on to El Salvador. In 2015, more than four years after he fled, police in El Salvador arrested him. After Nevada prosecutors agreed to a demand by Salvadoran officials that they not seek the death penalty, he was extradited.

Last month Menendez-Cordero was convicted of the murders and sentenced to two life terms in prison.

Woyciehowskys accusation would not be the last time Flores faced criticism. The following year, the government dismissed charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder against a well-known anti-gang activist, Alex Sanchez. The charges had been based largely on Flores interpretation and translation of recorded phone calls, which came under heavy criticism from Sanchezs lawyer.

After Menendez-Cordero fled Los Angeles, Flores and others on the task force continued to build drug cases and in 2013 the U.S. attorneys office indicted several people in a string of cases.

Drug deals orchestrated and recorded by Flores informant were the basis for many of the charges, court records show. In exchange for her work, the woman was paid about $150,000 and at least temporarily spared being deported, among other benefits, according to the records.

Many of the defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison. Two of the cases, however, dragged on.

In one, the defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. After an appeals court overturned the conviction because the man was improperly prohibited from arguing the informant entrapped him, the case went to U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder.

Over the course of a week in June, Snyder ordered the LAPD files on the Sparks episode be turned over and approved the testimony of Woyciehowsky and another Sparks detective. Three weeks later, the government made a deal with the defendant that lowered the minimum prison sentence from 10 to five years. The defendant is awaiting sentencing.

In a second case, the defendant faced charges based on recorded drug deals carried out by Flores informant and another informant used by the task force. In August, weeks after Snyder made her order regarding the LAPD records  and nearly four years after the man was charged  the government dismissed the charges that were based on Flores informant without explanation. The remaining charges were eventually dismissed as well.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Follow @joelrubin on Twitter

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Dozens of mourners gathered for a prayer vigil in Boyle Heights on Saturday near the site where two young boys were killed and their mother seriously injured when a Los Angeles County sheriffs vehicle involved in a crash careened onto the sidewalk and hit them.

Jose Luis and Marcos Hernandez, 7 and 9, respectively, were walking home from school with their mother when the crash occurred about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, injuring a total of seven people.

On Saturday, people crowded onto the narrow sidewalk, some teary-eyed and clutching their rosaries as Father Parker Sandoval of Resurrection Catholic Church led them in prayer. The group recited the Lords Prayer and the Hail Mary in unison.

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 Why is the question that never seems to go away, Sandoval said, and I dont have a good answer.

But he told them to trust in God and the promise that life continues after death.

Sandoval preached beside dozens of lighted prayer candles assembled on the sidewalk as part of a makeshift memorial. As the sun went down, the flames flickered in the breeze.

Mourners left behind stuffed bears, bouquets of flowers, a Nerf ball and packages of gummy bears. A large wreath of white flowers on a wooden stand included a sash with the words Our deepest sympathy. Next to it was a white statue of Jesus with arms outstretched.

Sandoval blessed the vigil and doused it in holy water.

The deadly crash left the community in a mix of shock and anger. Some questioned whether the deputies had acted recklessly before their cruiser and another car crashed.

Relatives said Jose Luis was pronounced dead at the scene. Marcos died at a hospital a short time later.

More than $3,000 had been raised for the boys memorial and their mothers medical expenses as of Saturday afternoon on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe.

Jessa Ramos, who created the page and identified herself as the the boys sister, said Jose was passionate about reading books, while Marco enjoyed being creative with technology. Both loved drawing and playing with Legos. She said they were great students and liked to joke about who would be dropped off at school first.

Ramos said her mother was in critical condition with a broken pelvic bone, head injury, fractured neck, fractured leg and broken nose. She said the family hopes to raise enough to have the boys funeral within two weeks.

We ask you for your compassion, respect and prayers throughout our grief, she wrote on the website.

Luis Ramos, 51, attended the vigil. He identified himself as the ex-husband of the boys mother, Maria Veronica Solis, with whom he shares two children. He said Solis is recovering.

When he visited his ex-wife in the hospital the night of the crash, he said she told him to support their children through this time.

No one expected this to happen, he said. I dont even know what to do.

Sheriffs deputies were responding to a call of shots fired about 7:17 p.m. 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.

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 children, said Officer Drake Madison, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman. Madison said it was not clear how the collision occurred, how fast the sheriffs vehicle was traveling or if the vehicles sirens were blaring.

Julie Valle, 34, was a block away when she saw the sheriffs patrol vehicle speeding south on Indiana Street, no sirens and no light. She said at a news conference Friday that the driver did a California roll and then turned on the lights at the intersection before hitting another car.

Valle rushed over and attended the boys mother, who was moving. Then she saw the boys mangled bodies.

Valle said she had been thinking about the family ever since. She attended the vigil with her two daughters. Earlier, she had told them some of what happened.

It is a lesson, she said. Life is short.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com
Police are investigating the case of an unidentified homeless man who burned to death in a field near Mission Bay, authorities said.

An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer spotted the fire on a vacant lot just north of Pacific Highway near Seaworld Drive about 11:30 p.m Friday, according to the San Diego Police Department

There are no homes in the area, which is between Interstate 5 and the bay and north of the San Diego River.

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As of Saturday, it was not clear how the fire started, said Lt. Todd Griffin. Authorities have found no witnesses, and investigators with the San Diego Arson Strike Team and the police Homicide Unit are working the case.

So far, no suspects have been identified.

We are not calling this a homicide, but a suspicious death, Griffin said.

San Diego saw a string of attacks on the homeless in 2016, including two incidents where victims were set on fire. Officials eventually arrested Jon David Guerrero, who is awaiting trial on charges of murder, premeditated attempted murder, arson and assault.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at (619) 531-2293 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com
Seven Chicago police officers who were once part of a crew led by a corrupt sergeant have been removed from their street duties while their conduct years ago is investigated.

The decision to place the officers on desk duty came Thursday night, hours after Cook County prosecutors threw out the convictions of 15 men who were framed by the crew  led by former Sgt. Ronald Watts, who did prison time for shaking down drug dealers. Earlier in the week, charges were dropped against two other men who had served decades in prison for murder.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the mass exoneration, attorneys vowed to continue to review potentially hundreds of convictions tied to Watts and his crew. The lead attorney for the 15 men whose drug cases were thrown out said as many as 500 additional convictions need to be checked out.

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It needs to be investigated and vetted about how many of those are appropriate to overturn, Joshua Tepfer told reporters after the charges had been tossed. We are very much in the process of doing that.

Mark Rotert, head of States Attorney Kim Foxxs Conviction Integrity Unit whose investigation led to the dismissals, promised a careful review of remaining cases tied to Watts and his crew, though he declined to say how many that might involve.

Ten of the 15 men were in court Thursday as the criminal divisions Presiding Judge LeRoy Martin Jr., acting at the request of prosecutors, threw out the convictions en masse  believed to be the first mass exoneration in county history.

It marked the third consecutive day that prosecutors dropped charges at the Leighton Criminal Court Building because of alleged misconduct by Chicago police. 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 5th 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.

Watts and an officer under his command were sent to federal prison in 2013 for stealing money from a drug courier who had been working as an FBI informant.

Because of the age of the cases, all 15 men had completed their sentences, including prison time for many. Two remain in custody on unrelated charges.

Watts has repeatedly been accused of forcing residents and drug dealers alike to pay a protection tax and framing those who refused to do so with bogus criminal charges. 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.

Despite mounting allegations, Watts continued to operate for years amid a lengthy police internal affairs division probe as well as investigations by the states attorneys 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 22 months in prison.

Crepeau, Meisner and Gorner write for the Chicago Tribune.

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The lights remain off in bustling cities and in small rural villages. Gas generators, the only alternative to the downed power lines that seem to be everywhere, continuously hum outside hospitals and bodegas. When night falls, its the glow of car lights, not streetlights, that helps break through the darkness.

Two months after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, much of the U.S. territory still lacks electricity. Even in areas with power, such as the capital city of San Juan, residents must deal with daily blackouts.



For the record: An earlier version of this article reported that Puerto Rico faces a more than $70-million debt crisis. The figure is $70 billion.

A lack of reliable electricity coupled with massive destruction to roads and bridges have led hundreds of thousands to flee Puerto Rico for the mainland U.S., and some economists predict decades of stagnation for an island that already was struggling financially.

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In recent days, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced that the island, through the work of Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority, had restored power to 50% of the commonwealth.

Rossello has said the island will reach 80% generation by the end of November and 95% by mid-December  goals that some here have called unrealistic. By contrast, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that 75% of the island will regain power by the end of January.

Every time somebody leaves, my debt increases.  Anibal Lopez Correa, doctoral student, University of Puerto Rico.

Rossellos bold proclamations came before the resignation Friday of the power agencys director, Ricardo Ramos, amid a flurry of controversy over a $300-million contract awarded to Whitefish Energy Holdings to rebuild the islands power grid. Federal authorities have been investigating the contract awarded to the small company, which is headquartered in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes Montana hometown. The deal, signed shortly before Maria hit, was canceled last month as it faced scrutiny.

Rossello told reporters Ramos had become a distraction as the commonwealth scrambles to rebuild an electrical grid that was almost eliminated by the storm.

On Saturday, Yaniel Alexis Perez walked down a narrow street in Anasco, a city of about 27,000 people with views that overlook the Caribbean Sea. He wore a special necklace  a black cellphone charger he carries with him everywhere so he can power up his phone when he finds electricity.

Perezs house is without power, and still flooded after the unrelenting rains that have pounded the island. The floodwaters have made it dangerous for him to use a generator.

For several weeks, Perez, 25, has powered up thanks to the generosity of friends with generators. He also spends evenings at the home of his neighbor, Ricardo Prosper.

Prosper, 67, considers himself a creative type. He managed to wire the 12-volt lightbulbs in his home to a series of car batteries.

Even if there is no electricity, theres light here, Prosper said, showing his living room.

Officials estimate several hundred people  mostly young adults  are leaving Puerto Rico each day for the mainland.

The exodus was taking place even before Maria, a Category 4 storm, hit the island on Sept. 20.

For years, the commonwealth has struggled with debt. In May, Rossello said the Puerto Rican government, embroiled in a more than $70-billion debt crisis, would go to federal court in hopes of receiving protection from creditors.

Tony Villamil, an economist based in Miami who has worked extensively in Puerto Rico, said Saturday it was going to take a decade at minimum for the island to recover and regain some sense of normalcy.

The ports, the power grid, the highways all need to be rebuilt with significant improvements, Villamil said. There needs to be a strong public-private sector relationship that is developed to help in these efforts.

To date Congress has approved $5 billion in aid for Puerto Rico since Maria made landfall. Even so, Rossello has called on the federal government to give Puerto Rico nearly $94 billion in recovery aid.

While in Washington, D.C., this month for meetings with members of Congress, Rossello outlined how the money would be spent: about $46 billion from the Community Development Block Grant program to restore housing; $30 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for infrastructure; and $17 billion in other grant programs for long-term recovery.

Still, as Rosello and other officials scramble to find money to rebuild the commonwealth and, in turn, stanch migration to the mainland, some have given up and are moving out.

Anibal Lopez Correa is a doctoral student studying education at the University of Puerto Rico.

He was concerned about Puerto Ricos financial future even before Maria.

Every time somebody leaves, my debt increases, Lopez Correa said. Because those of us who stay remain with the same amount of debt and there is less of us to pay it.

On Saturday, he was thinking about his own future. Lopez Correa, 28, wants to work as a teacher and has been researching salaries in several states. The wages, he said, are nearly double what he would earn in Puerto Rico when he graduates.

Lopez Correa said he would not rush to a decision, but moving from his native Puerto Rico is something he  like many others  is strongly considering.

Special correspondent Carrero reported from Anasco and Lee from Los Angeles.

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @kurtisalee
LaToya Cantrell, a City Council member who first gained a political following as she worked to help her hard-hit neighborhood recover from Hurricane Katrina, won a historic election Saturday that made her the first female mayor of New Orleans.

The Democrat will succeed term-limited fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu as the city celebrates its 300th anniversary next year.

Almost 300 years, my friends. And New Orleans, were still making history, Cantrell told a cheering crowd in her victory speech.

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The leader in most polls before the runoff election, she never trailed as votes were counted.

Her opponent, former municipal judge Desiree Charbonnet, conceded the race and congratulated Cantrell late Saturday. Later, complete returns showed Cantrell with 60% of the vote.

I do not regret one moment of anything about this campaign, Charbonnet said.

The two women led a field of 18 candidates in an October general election to win runoff spots.

Landrieu earned credit for accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in an administration cited for reduced blight, improvements in the celebrated tourism economy and economic development that included last weeks announcement that a digital services company is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the city.

But Cantrell will face lingering problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing the citys drinking water system and storm drainage  a problem that became evident during serious flash flooding in August.

Cantrell faced questions about her use of a city credit card. Charbonnet had to fight back against critics who cast her as an insider who would steer city work to cronies.

Katrina was a theme in the backstories of both candidates. Cantrell moved to the city from California. Her work as a neighborhood activist in the aftermath of Katrina in the hard-hit Broadmoor neighborhood helped her win a seat on the City Council in 2012.

Charbonnet, from a well-known political family in New Orleans, was the citys elected recorder of mortgages before she was a judge. In the campaign, she made a point of saying hers was the first city office to reopen after Katrina, providing crucial property records to the displaced.

Cantrell entered the race as the perceived front-runner, leading in fundraising and in various polls. Former state civil court Judge Michael Bagneris, who finished third in last months race, endorsed Cantrell, as did Troy Henry, a businessman who also ran for the post last month.

University of New Orleans political science professor Edward Chervenak said the endorsements appeared to help Cantrell overcome revelations that she had used her city-issued credit card for thousands of dollars in purchases without clear indications that they were for public purposes. The money was eventually reimbursed but questions lingered about whether she had improperly used city money for personal or campaign expenditures.

Voters also made history in a City Council race.

Cyndi Nguyen defeated incumbent James Gray in an eastern New Orleans district. An immigrant who fled Vietnam with her family when she was 5 in 1975, Nguyen is the organizer of a nonprofit and will be the first Vietnamese American to serve on the council.
In 2016, the U.S. economy served as a punching bag for then-candidate Donald Trump. Today, it has become a lifeline for an otherwise embattled presidency.

Trump has increasingly grabbed for that line, touting low unemployment, record high stock market values and healthy economic growth rates in speeches and his ubiquitous tweets.

Great numbers on Stocks and the Economy. If we get Tax Cuts and Reform, we'll really see some great results!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

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Reactions from voters, even some who are otherwise skeptical of the president, show how the economys strong performance has bolstered Trumps standing.

At a recent focus group that Peter Hart, a longtime Democratic pollster, conducted in Wilmington, N.C., for Emory University, even participants who voted for Trump last year sharply criticized his administration, calling it chaotic embarrassing and disappointing.

Of the five Trump voters among the dozen participants, only one still strongly supported the president. The harsh critiques from the other four followed a pattern that Hart found earlier this year, illustrating how a segment of Trump voters, mostly college-educated and middle- to upper-income whites, has turned against him because of his behavior.

But when the subject turned to the economy, opinions of Trump noticeably warmed.

Trump wants to bring the economy jobs  infrastructure, construction, said Katrina Harrell, a 38-year-old black self-employed businesswoman who voted for Hillary Clinton last year. Harrell was extremely critical of almost all other aspects of the administration, but on the economy she gave Trump credit.

I think those are good moves, she said. I mean, thats what he knows  business.

Another Clinton voter, Jacob Eubank, a 35-year-old, white administrator at the University of North Carolina campus in Wilmington, shared a similar view.

I think hes good just for the stock market, he said.

Michael Leimone, a 41-year-old cook who voted for Trump last year but now finds him disappointing, praised his economic record.

I think hes turning it in the right direction, he said.

Comments like that exasperate Democratic officials, who say that theres little evidence to back Trumps claim that his election has worked a turnaround in the U.S. economy.

The unemployment rate, for example, has dropped steadily for more than eight years. It was at 5% or below throughout 2016  at a time when Trump sometimes said official unemployment statistics were fake  and the downward trend continued this year. Unemployment now sits at just over 4%.

Similarly, the stock market was on the rise for almost all of President Obamas eight years in office and has continued to tick upward since Trumps election.

Moreover, few of Trumps economic policies have actually been adopted.

His trade policies mostly remain as rhetoric. He withdrew from a proposed 12-nation trade agreement in Asia, but it had not yet taken effect. Other deals that he had lambasted remain intact.

The tax cut bill making its way through Congress would be the first major piece of economic legislation to pass in his tenure.

The biggest policy steps from his administration have mostly involved efforts to roll back federal environmental regulations, but even on that front, many of the largest efforts remain works in progress.

Trump would not be the first president to gain politically from a good economy that he didnt fully bring about  or suffer from a bad one that wasnt his fault.

Presidential popularity typically rises and falls with economic performance even though economists generally agree that presidents have limited ability to affect the short-term ups and downs of the business cycle.

Right now, Trump is clearly on the winning side of the economic statistics.

Polling by numerous organizations shows that the sentiments expressed in Harts focus group are widespread: While some Americans support Trump all the way and others loathe everything about him, a significant segment expresses different views depending on which aspect of the president theyre focused on.

His behavior  his tweets, his public quarrels, his racial divisiveness  all draw sharply negative responses. So, too, does his handling of healthcare.

But on the economy, Americans tend to give Trump higher marks. In Gallups surveys, for example, the share of voters who approve of Trumps handling of the economy has run about 8 percentage points ahead of the share who approve of his overall job performance.

White House aides do what they can to bolster the message that Trump should get credit for good economic times.

In a tweet on Saturday, for example, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders declared that if you thought 2017 economy was surprisingly good, just wait for 2018, linking to a report on a forecast by Goldman Sachs, the New York-based investment and securities firm.

Ironically, one of the major risks that the firm included in the forecast was Trumps trade policy, particularly his threat to end the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. If negotiations now underway dont succeed in keeping the deal largely intact, it could significantly hurt economic growth next year, the forecast said.

That possibility points to a potential downside for Trump: Sooner or later, the economy, which has been growing for nearly nine years, will sour.

If the political prop of a good economy disappears, its hard to know how much lower Trumps standing with voters might drop. Already, despite the good economic statistics, his job approval sits at a historically low level for a president in his first year.

If a downturn happens on his watch, Trump would have trouble persuading voters to blame the problems on his predecessors, having so forcefully claimed credit for the economys positive performance.

For now, thats a problem for the future. Faced with a multitude of challenges elsewhere, Trump is happy to proclaim what he recently called the great American comeback.

And the economic boost has helped prompt at least some voters to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I expected a lot out of him, said Leimone, one of the focus group participants, when asked about his tough criticisms of Trump. But, he added, Im still optimistic. He still has a lot of time to prove something.

David.Lauter@latimes.com

For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter

Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington 

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Regina Bateson was at home trying to get her young children to fall asleep before they realized Donald Trump would be their next president. Jessica Morse was volunteering in an empty office in Colorado surrounded by the wreckage of Hillary Clintons failed campaign. Roza Calderon felt like she was living through a nightmare as she watched the results roll in with a friend.

None of these three women, all Democrats, had run for office before. Now theyre all vying to unseat Rep. Tom McClintock, a conservative Republican who hasnt faced serious opposition from their party since winning his seat almost a decade ago.

The campaign could prove to be a test of just how far Democrats can reach outside their political comfort zone during next years midterm elections. Republicans have a 15-point voter registration advantage here. Trump won by more than 14 points.

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Its going to be extremely difficult just because of the math, said Mattis Goldman, a Los Angeles-based partner with Three Point Media, a firm that works with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. You cant just sit there and hope that the wave lifts you over.

Democrats recently added McClintock, 61, to a list of Republican targets, a sign of increasing confidence after the party scored sweeping victories this month in Virginia and New Jersey. The decision could dramatically raise the profile of a usually sleepy district anchored by Sacramento suburbs and stretching from Lake Tahoe in the north to Kings Canyon National Park in the south.

The latest fundraising reports suggest new enthusiasm and financial muscle. Not only did Morse raise more money than McClintock in the most recent fundraising quarter, her $268,000 haul was larger than all the cash raised by McClintock opponents in each of the three prior elections, according to a California Target Book analysis.

Bateson has raised $195,000 total this year, while Calderon raised $77,000. McClintock has pulled in $423,000 for his reelection.

Local Democrats have chartered a new group, Sierra Forward, to lay the groundwork for the candidate who emerges from the June 5 primary to challenge McClintock.

This is not a quixotic race, said Les Francis, the groups campaign manager who worked for decades in Washington before moving to the district last year. This is not a hopeless situation.

Jon Huey, McClintocks campaign manager, dismissed the idea that a Democratic wave could reach the 4th Congressional District and pointed to the congressmans strong re-election bids.

Theyve been electing him overwhelmingly because thats who they want as a representative, Huey said.

Congressional candidate Regina Bateson talks to voters in a supporters home in Auburn. (Chris Megerian / Los Angeles Times )

Returning home to run for office

A deer tiptoed in front of a house in Auburn one Sunday evening before Bateson arrived. Her audience is the Democratic faithful, mostly white-haired retirees, who have been meeting candidates at this early stage in hopes of finding one who can take down McClintock.

Bateson, 35, previously worked as a foreign service officer and conducted academic research in Guatemala. She received a doctorate from Yale University and found her way to MIT, where she started working as a political science professor.

After deciding to run for office earlier this year, she moved back to Roseville, where she grew up, with her husband and their three children.

This is a time when we all have to stand up and do the most that we can do, she said.

California could flip the House, and these 13 races will make the difference 

Bateson was born with a genetic condition that made her bones fragile as a child, and the wrong twist in her car seat could cause a fracture. Protecting the Affordable Care Act is a central part of her pitch. She also stresses her moderate bent by saying she would join the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress.

Although McClintock voted against Republican tax-cut legislation over concerns that it would have unintended and undesirable consequences, his hard-line record has provided plenty of fodder for Democratic critics. Bateson said hes more passionate about his conservative ideology than the district hes elected to serve.

He has hitched his wagon to the Trump administration agenda, she said.

Buttons for Jessica Morse, one of three Democrats running for Congress in Californias 4th Congressional District. (Chris Megerian / Los Angeles Times )

Foreign affairs to local politics

At the end of a winding dirt driveway in Sonora one recent Monday, dozens of voters have arrived to hear Morse speak in the pool house of a supporters home. Its so crowded some stand in the cool evening air and watch from the doorways.

Morse, 35, grew up in Carmichael and received a graduate degree from Princeton. She spent more than a year in Iraq with the United States Agency for International Development, then worked for the State Department in Washington and U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii. She moved back to California two years ago and lives in Pollock Pines.

Like other Democrats around the country, Morse wants to harness anti-Trump energy. During her stump speech she drew a comparison between todays politics and the rhetoric of 1930s Germany.

She also knows shes running in a district with strong conservative sentiment. She sometimes pauses to say, Let me tell you how I frame this for Republicans, and talks up her childhood hunting experiences.

Were not going to come and be crazy liberals and take away your guns, she said.

Morse repeatedly steers her pitch back to local issues, like the bark beetle infestation that has ravaged trees in the Sierras. She talks about turning the damage into economic opportunity with local businesses using the wood for furniture and other products.

Theres abilities for the government to come in with little grants and investments in vocational training to help jump-start these different economics in communities, she said.

Congressional candidate Roza Calderon holds a sign at a protest outside McClintocks Roseville office. (Chris Megerian / Los Angeles Times )

From protester to candidate

The rain let up outside McClintocks office in Roseville when Calderon started protesting in the parking lot on a weekday afternoon. Activists have been protesting here since Trumps inauguration, and Calderon still tries to find time to swing by despite her busy campaign schedule.

Calderon, 32, was born in El Salvador, where her mother fled after nearly being killed in a bombing. Her mother illegally crossed the border into the United States but received asylum, Calderon said, and was able to bring her daughters to Los Angeles.

They later moved to Northern California, and Calderon now lives in Granite Bay with her daughter. A longtime activist, she ran a geographic mapping company but recently stepped back to focus on the campaign.

This is our one and only chance to defeat McClintock, she said.

Calderon has fashioned herself as the progressive standard-bearer in the race, and touts her support for single payer healthcare. Two groups established by supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, have endorsed her.

Shes also found herself at odds with local Democratic organizations. The Placer Women Democrats said Calderon improperly spent $1,900 while serving as the groups treasurer, including $790 on music festival tickets, according to the Sacramento News & Review. Calderon said the tickets were only accidentally charged to the groups account and have been reimbursed, and she said the other purchases were not improper.

This all comes full circle to them asking me not to run, Calderon said. They believe someone with my name and progressive ideals will hurt their chance to win this district.

Calderon said thats the wrong approach, a disagreement that reflects broader schisms among Democrats over how California should pursue universal healthcare and who should lead the state party.

I talk about the Democratic Party as it was intended to be, a party of the people, she said.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

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Politics is full of references likening one group or another to a sleeping giant, a powerful voting bloc that could change the outcome in any given election.

In California, its almost always used to describe Latino voters. While now the states single largest ethnicity, Latinos often are underrepresented on election day with lackluster turnout that continues to be one of the states most perplexing political dynamics.

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For too long and too many cycles, Latinos have not participated at the levels that they should, said Michael Bustamante, a public affairs executive and one-time advisor to former Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat.

Bustamante is one of the architects of Civica Latino, a nonprofit organization with ambitious goals to boost Latino turnout by as many as 700,000 voters in the June 5 statewide primary election next year. And it may very well have to happen one voter at a time.

That person-to-person engagement is where the dramatic investment needs to take place, said Mike Madrid, a longtime Republican strategist and one of the new organizations leaders.

In an admittedly low turnout year for just about every subgroup of California voters, Latinos were hugely underrepresented in the 2014 primary, accounting for only 12% of the votes cast despite representing 23% of registered voters. That general trend has held true for years. And with the states shift to the top-two primary, the dilution of Latino voices can be especially noticeable: They arent voting in the one election with a wide array of candidates, before the choices have been pared down to just two people on the ballot in November.

And heres the dirty little secret about campaigns: The less you vote, the less the political world sees you as a likely voter thats worth a candidates time, which means the less they reach out to you in the future. In which case, voters may become even less informed, and less enthused to cast a ballot on a regular basis  and the vicious cycle gets even worse.

Political Road Map: This is why it always seems to take so long to count ballots in California 

Were trying to do an intervention thats not candidate-based or party-based, said John A. Perez, the former Assembly speaker who also is a leader of Civica Latino.

That kind of nonpartisan approach is notable, as most voter engagement efforts are conducted for a particular party or candidate  and not broadly to a large group of voters statewide. Of course, any campaign to boost Latino turnout is likely to help Democrats the most; there are three times as many Latino Democrats in the state as Republicans in California.

Boosting Latino voter participation also could rewrite another long-standing political axiom in California: the dominance of the Bay Area over Southern California. Simply put, Bay Area voters turn out at much higher rates than those in Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Latino voters are more highly concentrated in southern counties, and getting more of them to cast ballots could add some muscle in statewide races that have become largely dominated by Northern California politicians.

So where does the money come for the nonprofit hoping to get more Latino voters to show up? The backers of the new group are counting on foundations as well as business and labor groups, making the point that everyone is helped when a key part of the California mosaic has its voice heard at the polls. Without those voters showing up, Perez said, our democracy pays the price.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

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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
The ousted mayor of Caracas pledged to spread his protest against Venezuelas socialist government across the world as he arrived in Spain on Saturday, a day after escaping from house arrest and slipping past Venezuelan security forces into Colombia.

Antonio Ledezmas flight from Bogota landed at Barajas airport in Spains capital, Madrid. With a Venezuelan flag draped over his shoulder, he hugged his wife and two daughters and said he would fight Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from exile.

I am going to dedicate myself to traveling the world, to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship, Ledezma said. Venezuela isnt on the verge of an abyss, it has fallen into the abyss.

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Maduro, for his part, called Ledezma a vampire flying around the world.

Ledezma started his global tour by meeting Saturday with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at the presidential palace hours after his arrival. Neither politician spoke publicly after the meeting. Ledezma has not said what other countries he plans to visit.

Ledezma, 62, was removed as mayor of Caracas and detained in 2015 on charges of plotting to oust Maduro. He was one of the leaders of anti-government protests that rocked Venezuela in 2014 and led to the jailing of other prominent opponents.

Besides his family, he was greeted in Madrid by the former president of Colombia, Andres Pastrana, and the former Venezuelan ambassador, Fernando Gerbasi.

Venezuela is completely collapsing. We cant wait any longer, Ledezma said. We dont have any resources left, only our morale.

Ledezma told the Associated Press on Friday that his decision to flee was driven by threats intended to force the opposition to resume negotiations with Maduros government. Fellow opposition leader and former cellmate Leopoldo Lopez remains under house arrest in Venezuela.

After slipping past intelligence police officers stationed outside his residence 24 hours a day, he passed through several police checkpoints in a long journey by car to Colombia. Colombian immigration authorities said Ledezma entered the country legally across the Simon Bolivar Bridge.

Ledezma thanked both Spanish and Colombian authorities for what he described as warm welcomes.

Ive lived out a James Bond movie, he said, appearing elated. I made this route of more than 24 hours, passing 29 control points, checkpoints, crossing paths, accepting all the risks, and in every moment I always thought about the value of freedom.
In a glitzy Johannesburg nightclub earlier this month, a wealthy young playboy poured an entire $660 bottle of Ace of Spades Armand de Brignac Champagne over his diamond-studded watch: It was Bellarmine Chatunga, the youngest son of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

He had bragged about the watch and chunky gold bracelet on an earlier social media post: $60,000 on the wrist when your daddy run the whole country ya know!!!

As Zimbabweans struggle to afford food, when many find themselves sleeping outside banks in the hope of withdrawing $10 in cash, the video drew outrage, even among the ruling elite that had propped up the 93-year-old Mugabe for 37 years.

It hadnt been an isolated incident. Mugabes wife, Grace, and her son from a previous marriage, Russell Goreraza, recently imported two Rolls-Royces, and she was caught up in a legal battle over a $1.35-million diamond ring.

Bellarmine Chatunga, son of President Robert Mugabe, pours a whole bottle of top-shelf Champagne on a Rolex watch as he parties in South Africa.

Members of the ruling ZANU-PF party were furious that the first lady had seized majority control of a $1-billion government road contract. Then there was the incident involving a model who had been partying with her sons in South Africa: Grace Mugabe left an ugly gash when she hit her with a power cord and, facing charges of assault, she claimed diplomatic immunity and high-tailed it out of the country.

It angered people. There have always been reports of the high living by these boys, high living by the mother, the father looking aside. They became arrogant and thought No one can do anything to us,  confided one ruling party figure, who wouldnt be named for fear of reprisals. Theres palpable anger in the military.

The alarm over Grace Mugabe was magnified by her escalating power. When she attacked, government ministers fell. She said she could be president. Give me the job and see if I fail! she declared recently.

Zimbabwes fate came to a head this fall, according to numerous interviews with those close to the political intrigue, when Grace Mugabe turned her sights on former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his close allies among military commanders. At that point, sources say, those with any power to stop what was happening knew they would be finished  unless they toppled her. That meant removing Robert Mugabe.

Mugabes slow-motion downfall  planned for months by the military  is a story of his own hubris and arrogance, and his conviction that he was Africas last great liberation hero, with no living peers. For decades he chipped away at democracy and crafted the militaristic state that kept him in power, but he forgot that he was there at the militarys whim, not the other way around.

It was grand opera crossed with The Sopranos, full of scandal and treacherous turns, entertaining and dangerous. Accusations flew of poisoning, plotting, CIA espionage, military desertion and the theft of $15 billion in diamonds.

As the economy shriveled without foreign investment and a hard currency crisis sent prices of staples soaring 30% in a single week, many in the rank-and-file government felt hopeless at the prospect of going into elections in 2018 led by a president who could hardly stay awake in public meetings.

As Mugabe grew frail, he turned to promoting and protecting Grace, repeatedly warning the generals to stay out of politics, even as armed forces leaders were beginning to talk darkly of intervention.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, left, helps cut his birthday cake, with his wife, Grace, and son Bellarmine Chatunga during celebrations for his 87th birthday. (Gallo Images / Getty Images)

The first hints of palace intrigue came last year, when higher education minister Jonathan Moyo  manipulative, arrogant, ambitious and a prolific tweeter with the handle @ProfJNMoyo handed the first lady a report accusing armed forces chief Constantino Chiwenga, air force Cmdr. Perence Shiri and presidential guard Cmdr. Anselem Sanyatwe of plotting against Mugabe. In mid-2016, the president summoned the three men, who furiously denied the charges.

The accusation blew over, but it released its slow poison. Shiri retaliated on July 9, calling Moyo a liberation war deserter and collaborator.

Mugabe has spent his life cleverly playing one subordinate against another. But as his wife grew more ambitious, her poor judgment seemed to influence him. He embraced Moyo but lost the deft skill of juggling favor among sycophants.

He doled out benefits, handing out jobs and farms to loyalists but took many farms for his own family. When he turned against a minister or party official, he drummed up provincial branch party support to swiftly purge them.

In August, Mnangagwa fell seriously ill at a ZANU-PF rally eating ice cream from the massive Gushungo dairy farm owned by Grace Mugabe. He was airlifted to South Africa, where doctors found traces of poison.

Why should I kill Mnangagwa? Grace Mugabe insisted, furiously, last month. Who is Mnangagwa on this earth? Killing someone who was given a job by my husband? That is nonsensical.

At a Nov. 4 ZANU-PF rally in the southern city of Bulawayo, waiters handed out ice cream to all the VIPs  but pointedly excluded Mnangagwa and his wife. At the same event, ZANU-PF supporters heckled and booed Grace.

Bring guns, soldiers and shoot me. I dont care. I am the first lady, and I will stand for the truth. Yes! Grace retorted. The jeers outraged the president, who blamed Mnangagwa. Three men later were charged with insulting the dignity of the president.

Mugabe chose his moment for Mnangagwas dismissal carefully  a day after the booing. Chiwenga had been sent to China on a weeklong mission. National army Chief of Staff Trust Mugoba was dispatched on a mission to the African Union in Ethiopia.

But the president failed to appreciate how a year of confrontation with the generals had destroyed his iron throne.

President Robert Mugabe kisses his wife, Grace Mugabe, during the countrys 37th Independence Day celebrations on April 18, 2017. (Jekesai Njikizana / AFP/Getty Images)

The growing crisis was not just political, but economic. Mugabe was isolated on the international stage; it was increasingly apparent that until the aging leader and his brood left office, Zimbabwe would be starved of investment and international support. Mnangagwa, in many eyes, was the only one who might be able to repair the situation.

For us, we knew the trigger would be the day that he touched the vice president, the ZANU-PF lawmaker said. We could have had a coup in Zimbabwe some time back. It was only a matter of a trigger.

Knowing he would be arrested, Mnangagwa immediately fled by road to Mozambique but was detained by police at the border at dawn. There was a tense standoff when a group of soldiers confronted police and took him under their protection. They sped away to a military airbase, where he was whisked out of the country.

Chiwenga knew that with his ally Mnangagwa narrowly escaping arrest, he likely faced the same fate. He considered flying back from China to Mozambique, but opted for confrontation. A group of military special forces, many in plain clothes, was at the airport when he arrived from China on Nov. 11, according to a ZANU-PF source. When police tried to arrest Chiwenga, they were overwhelmed.

On Monday, when Robert Mugabe received his weekly security briefings from the police, intelligence and military chiefs, Chiwenga sent a replacement. He spent the day meeting officers, before delivering a statement at military headquarters, warning that the military planned to take matters into its own hands. Flanked by 90 officers, Chiwenga delivered a message of stunning military unanimity.

As the cabinet met Tuesday, troops rolled into Harare from Inkomo Barracks outside the city. ZANU-PF issued a statement in the late evening accusing Chiwenga of treason, but it was a belated, hollow gesture. There was no way for police still loyal to Mugabe to arrest the head of the armed forces, with military forces already on the move.

The army seized control of state television, the police armory and other key facilities. The presidential guard led by Sanyatwe, whose job is to protect Mugabe, abandoned the president.

The deputy director of the Central Intelligence Organization, Albert Ngulube, had left Mugabes mansion in upscale Borrowdale neighborhood in the early hours of the morning when he came across vehicles moving toward the presidential residence and tried to stop them. The military beat him up, demanded his ID and arrested him, according to a ZANU-PF source.

At 4 a.m., Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo read a statement announcing that the military had taken over in order to arrest criminals around Mugabe and restore order.

Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo addresses the nation in Harare on Nov. 15. (AP)

The truth of what had happened hit home for many when state-owned television began playing a joyful song called Pemberai, or Celebration, by iconic Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo, a staunch Mugabe critic who had fled into exile in the U.S. in the 1990s because of state harassment.

The grudge between Jonathan Moyo and Chiwenga goes back more than four decades to the 1970s liberation war from white minority rule. Chiwenga has long accused Moyo of snitching on him for criticizing the liberation struggle leader at the time, Ndabaningi Sithole, who promptly ordered Chiwenga to be executed.

Mnangagwas camp also claims Moyo has been a CIA agent since high school. Moyo denies all these accusations, but he was among the first to be arrested by the military last week; he was being held in a cell underneath military headquarters, his future extremely bleak.

Jonathan Moyo, former Zimbabwean minister of higher education, is now under arrest (STR / AFP/Getty Images)

Grace Mugabe has been stripped of her power and denied access to the negotiations between Mugabe and the military over his exit. Her only path to safety on offer is for her husband to give up power, say sources familiar with the discussions. Otherwise, she stands not only to lose all her property, but also could face charges ranging from corruption and embezzlement to possibly even attempted murder, should authorities pursue the poisoning accusation.

Arrest and asset seizures also would potentially affect her children, particularly if she were convicted of fraud and a new government demanded the return of stolen assets in South Africa.

One of the ironies of the unfolding drama is the extent to which the army now confronting Mugabe has been one of the presidents chief weapons of terror over the years.

The military carried out massacres in Matabeleland in the 1980s on Robert Mugabes orders to eliminate opposition. Some 20,000 people were reportedly killed.

He forgot that ... he could be fired, like anyone.  Tendai Biti, opposition representative

The army and war veterans evicted white farmers from their land soon after 2000 and got farms in return. Mugabe used the military to violently crush the opposition in successive elections and in Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, when up to a million people were displaced in opposition areas, their homes bulldozed.

Mugabe, say those who know him best, has always had an instinctive manipulative cunning and an acute understanding of how to wield force to break an opponent. When he saw a threat, he either crushed it or consumed it whole.

But as he aged, he grew more remote, stubborn and out of touch, and was loath to trust or consult his generals.

He forgot the nature of the state that he himself helped to create, which is a militaristic, securocratic state, said opposition figure Tendai Biti, a former finance minister. He forgot that the militaristic state could just dump him when he stopped serving their interests. He could be fired, like anyone.

Independent analyst Earnest Mudzengi said the closed, oppressive state Mugabe created likely will outlast him.

He was made by the same guys who now want to do away with him. He made them, and he was made by them. Big people tend to overreach themselves, he said.

Basically what they [the generals] want is a return to the status quo, he added. People are celebrating, but its premature.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

ALSO:

In Zimbabwe, Mugabe's fall appears to mark the end of Africa's postcolonial 'Big Men' era

From typist to first lady of Zimbabwe to presidential contender. Did Grace Mugabe's political ambitions topple her husband?

Zimbabwe's military intervenes in political crisis as explosions and gunfire are heard in the capital

Why a modest pastor with a flag is so threatening to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe

Queuing for crumbs in a Zimbabwe bread line
Learning sign language broadened and enriched Liberty High School senior Jake Weikert's circle of friends so much it got him thinking.

Weikert, 17, of Hanover Township, started teaching himself sign language the summer before his freshman year. Seeing his interest, his mom Courtney Weikert, a Bethlehem Area School District kindergarten teacher, suggested they take lessons along with his sister.

Weikert picked up American Sign Language quickly and began volunteering at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, where his mom taught, with both deaf and hearing students.

At Liberty, he began eating lunch with some of his classmates, who were deaf and hard of hearing, leading some of his friends to pick up some sign language as well.

"It was amazing to see how it changed their daily lives," Weikert said. "If two or three kids can make that much of a difference to them, what difference could it be for an entire school?"

So, Weikert began researching if school districts offered American Sign Language as a foreign language like Spanish or French. Turned out that the Parkland School District did.

"I had taken French for two or three years and that never clicked with me," he said. "Sign language was something that clicked with me very fast."

His sophomore year Weikert wrote a "very long letter" to Superintendent Joseph Roy that led to meetings with administrators and even a petition.

On Monday night, the school board is poised to pass a new program of studies that adds American Sign Language as a foreign language option for high school students.

"I'm honored and humbled to have helped make that change," Weikert said. "It is a little bittersweet to miss it. But I'm glad to know it is going to be changing the livings of hundreds of kids every year, both deaf and hearing."

All school districts today are looking to broaden their world language programs, said Jack Silva, assistant superintendent and chief academic officer. Mandarin, Arabic and American Sign Language are all popular choices, Silva said.

The district took Weikert's feedback into consideration as part of its evaluation of the entire world language program.

Bethlehem plans to begin offering sign language as a level one course during the 2018-19 school year and the program will build from there, Silva said.

There is a demand for the course and it fits into the district's career pathways model.

"There's opportunities for kids, not just in servng the deaf, but in a larger audience of careers," Silva said.

Weikert plans to attend Bloomsburg University and enroll in the deaf education program to become a certified K-12 teacher.

He's spent more than 1,000 hours volunteering at Thomas Jefferson in both his mom's kindergarten class and the deaf education classroom there.

Courtney Weikert has incorporated sign language into her classes, her son said. Her students learn colors, the alphabet and the Pledge of Allegiance.

"It helps them recall and memorize things," Weikert said.

And Weikert started an American Sign Language club at the high school, which has about 50 members.

"It is really cool to have that many kids show up," he said.

PROGRAM OF STUDIES HIGHLIGHTS

The school board will also be voting to add new communications courses as part of a new career pathway as well as a personal finance class. Bethlehem is adding two new criminal justice courses and finishing its roll out of the Poject lead the Way biomedical sciences program.

The district is also creating a lifeguard training class aimed at helping ease the city's lifeguard shortage at its pools. Other courses include a technology internship and a music appreciation class.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Of the roughly 840,000 turkeys that Jaindl Farms in Orefield will send out this year, two will probably get more press than the rest.

That's because every Thanksgiving since 1962 the Jaindls have supplied the White House with a pair of their signature "Grand Champion" brand turkeys. These are not the birds that are famously spared each year by the sitting president's pardon -- they are processed, packaged turkeys ready to be cooked and eaten.

But Luke Jaindl, a manager at the farm and one of company president David Jaindl's children, insists that those two birds get no more special treatment than any of their other free-range, antibiotic-free Grand Champions.

Jaindl is adamant that, besides their specific 30-pound weight, the president's turkeys are no different than the thousands of others that go from Jaindl Farms to Thanksgiving tables throughout the Northeast.

What makes him confident that any of their turkeys is fit for the country's commander-in-chief? It's the control that the Jaindl family has over the entire process, down to the feed that their turkeys eat, he said. Unlike many competitors, the farm handles the turkeys from the point that they hatch until they tumble off an assembly line, fully packaged.

"We do every aspect of it," Luke Jaindl said. "There's more awareness, so the quality is more consistent."

With a week until Thanksgiving, Jaindl Turkey Farms showed no signs of slowing down. In the run-up to the holiday, about 10,000 turkeys make their way through the company's processing plant every day.

The 65,000-square-foot facility is full of whirring conveyor belts, humming blue machines and dozens of bustling workers in aprons, face masks and hairnets. Twenty birds begin the process every minute. Five hours later, they're ready to distribute.

Roughly 90 percent of the turkeys Jaindl processes each year are prepared for Thanksgiving, with most of the remaining birds going to Christmas-time dinners. During the peak of the Thanksgiving season, they send out about 20 trailers daily, each holding 40,000 pounds worth of turkey. For the rest of the year, just one of those trailers goes out every week or month.

Jaindl Farms launched in 1935 when John L. Jaindl and his son Fred began raising turkeys. But these days, the Jaindl business goes far beyond the birds. The company also operates a real estate business, and holds more than 13,000 acres of land. Jaindl also bought A-Treat, the iconic Lehigh Valley soda brand, in 2015.

Through the decades of expansion, the business has remained a family affair. The company has been owned by David Jaindl, the founder's grandson, since 2004, after his father and predecessor Fred Jaindl died in a car crash.

David's five children -- Adam, 31; Jake, 28; Luke, 27; Josh, 25; Joanna, 22 -- now all take part in aspects of the business. (The first of the fifth generation has already been born, too.)

"We've all been helping out since we were 7, 8, 9 years old," Luke Jaindl said. One of his first roles was spreading straw in the turkey barns. "How can we manage the company without ever doing the positions?"

With less than a week to go before this year's Thanksgiving, the kids were left to mind the store. David Jaindl was honored over the weekend with a lifetime achievement award for his business and philanthropic leadership at a gala in Palm Springs, California -- not a bad respite from the chilly, wet weather the Lehigh Valley has seen this week. Luke Jaindl said the honor was well-earned by his father, whose work ethic the kids agreed was unrivaled.

The kids are also tasked with helping the brand appeal to new, younger customers. While the Jaindl name is an institution among longtime Lehigh Valley residents, the company is looking to get involved in new traditions.

Joanna Jaindl, who works mostly on the business' retail side, said the company plans to focus some of its marketing next year on "Friendsgiving," the trend among millennials to gather for a big meal with pals. Quippy T-shirts in the Jaindl retail store reading "Talk to Turkey to Me" also seem targeted to a millennial audience.

Meanwhile, as Jaindl's presidential birds make their way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., it appears that the Trump family will not actually dine on the turkeys.

Like their predecessors the Obamas, the First Family is opting to donate his birds to a food bank, according to CNN. The Jaindls say past presidents had complimented the turkeys in thank-you letters, while Obama gave them shout-outs in remarks at his turkey pardonings.

The Jaindl's presidential connection comes through the National Turkey Federation. The Jaindl turkeys won the title of "Grand Champion" at the 1954 National Turkey Federation Competition, and the farm turned the honor into the brand name for its signature turkey. The National Turkey Federation later selected Jaindl's turkeys to supply the White House every year.

Not everyone has cheered the farm, though. Last year, Jaindl Farms was the target of a sting by the animal rights activist group Direct Action Everywhere, who released photos and videos purporting to show inhumane conditions for turkeys at the farm.

David Jaindl responded to The Washington Post that the birds depicted were in a "recovery barn" for sick and injured turkeys, and that some images appeared to show overcrowding because the animals had flocked toward the activists' lights. (The Jaindls did not show their non-free-range barns during lehighvalleylive.com's visit to the property.)

But rather than presidents and animal rights activists, the Jaindls are most invested in the opinions of the local families who rely on a Jaindl turkey as their Thanksgiving main event.

Many of them drive to Orefield to purchase their turkeys directly from the farm's on-site store; phones ring constantly from loyal customers asking about their hours and prices. While those direct sales make up a tiny portion of Jaindl's turkey revenue, they want to prioritize the community engagement.

"People want to see exactly what they're getting," Joanna Jaindl said. "Farm-to-table is the term now, and we've always done that."

Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.
Too often, government attempts to ban unwanted robocalls turns into a game of "Whack-a-Mole." A federal agency identifies the intrusion into our lives -- unwanted calls on landlines and unsolicited calls and texts on cell phones -- and enacts a set of rules to give us a greater degree of privacy.

Last week the Federal Communications Commission approved regulations to zero in on annoying and sometimes fraudulent "spoof" calls -- those that emanate from bogus phone numbers.

Under the new FCC rules, providers of voice communications services will be empowered to block spoofing robocalls, along with ones that come from nonexistent area codes and out-of-service numbers.

Well, hooray -- for now.

The problem is that phone scammers don't care about the law, and usually find ways to flout it.

Nonetheless, several officials -- including U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who have been pushing the FCC for better consumer protections -- said the changes should provide relief for those plagued by robocalls, including seniors targeted for shady sales pitches or outright threats. That includes the now-familiar scam imploring someone to bail out a grandchild in danger -- by buying gift cards at a local store and sending them overseas.

Another insidious tactic is using Internal Revenue Service phone numbers that don't dial out to demand money allegedly owed to the IRS. These calls appear legitimate because of the caller-ID source, and can help lure a victim into extortion or identity theft.

For many years consumers have been able to register with the FCC to try to block robocalls at www.donotcall.gov, but the firewall is far from flameproof. The FCC advises that you can ask your provider to offer robocall-blocking technology. You can also tell unwanted callers you do not consent to the call, record the incoming number and inform the FCC if the caller does not comply with your request.

To the extent that the new rules help, fine, but experts predict that only a fraction of the calls will be blocked.

While phone service providers are now authorized to help customers with call-blocking, they're not required to do so.

Also, there's nothing to stop companies from charging for the service, an oversight pointed out by FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who voted for the ruling.

"So this is the kicker: the FCC takes action to ostensibly reduce robocalls but then makes sure you can pay for the privilege," Rosenworcel said. " If you ask me, that's ridiculous."

There's only so much the government can do. If phone companies want to regain the confidence of customers plagued by nuisance calls, they can do so, easily and quickly -- by offering free call-blocking services
People First Credit Union is inviting each and every one of its members to call in, or contact them, and enquire about their Credit ReUnion as part of a brand new loan campaign. The campaign will kick-start with the roll-out of Christmas, car and home improvement loans, and will relaunch the credit unions existing suite of great member services and loans.

People First Credit Union is embarking on the new campaign as part of its ongoing commitment to tailoring services and products to the specific needs of its members. People First Credit Union has lent almost 20 million to the local community in the past year and has upwards of 30 million available to lend.

The new campaign also comes in the wake of People First Credit Union winning the 2017 national Customer Experience Awards, along with more than 270 of its sister credit unions. Credit unions were ranked number one for customer experience for the third consecutive year in the CXi Ireland Customer Experience report, leading the way for qualities such as integrity, empathy and commitment to delivering services in line with members needs.

Commenting on the new campaign, Sean Dunne CEO, of People First Credit Union said: We are very excited to invite all our members to come in and see us, or pick up the phone and call us, about their Credit ReUnion. We are looking forward to reconnecting with those we have not seen in a while, and chatting to those members we know well, to tell them about the great suite of loans we have, and to show them the quality of customer experience we offer here, which has been officially endorsed as being the best in Ireland.

We want to ensure that all of our valued members, including those who have not been active with us for a while, are aware of the fact that all of our loans are straightforward, and are typically approved within 48 hours from receipt of your application and with as little as 100 in savings, with 93% of loan applications approved in full this year. There are no penalties for paying a loan back early, nor are there any hidden fees or charges on our loans. As we make decisions locally, we are happy to take the time to get to know the individual circumstances of all of our members," he said.

For example, our new car loan, which comes with an affordable APR rate of 7.22% *, has clear and transparent terms and conditions, and comes without the red tape and the balloon payments of a PCP agreement

"Drop into us today at People First Credit Union and we can have a catch-up, and see what you want from your Credit ReUnion, concluded the People First manager.

Now with 36,000 members People First Credit Union has branches in Portlaoise, Abbeyleix, Stradbally and Athy.

More on the People First Credit Union Here
At least 40% of people living in the greater Naas area can communicate in Irish; although this figure rises to more than half in Two Mile House (57%).

Sult an Sollan, a Sallins-based group which promotes Irish language, music and culture, has assessed the level of Irish use in local towns including Naas.

The percentage of people who can converse in Irish is 40% in Sallins; 52% in Caragh; 47% in Johnstown and 42% in Kill.

In Naas the percentage figure is 42%.

This means that the number of people who can speak the language is more than 12,500 in Naas, Kill, Two Mile House, Johnstown and Caragh.

The numbers of people who speak Irish every day in all five areas is 500 and the figure for weekly usage rises to 670  while the cumulative figure for the number of who never use the language is less than 100.

Sult is hoping to have an Irish language plan for County Kildare, which will be supported by Kildare County Council. The group resumes trad music evening at the Bridgewater Inn in Sallins on December 1 (9pm) and developing musicians can play with a band on Wednesdays (8.30 to 9.30pm) at Sallins parish hall.
It's the end of the X Factor road for Sean and Conor Price, following a double elimination on tonight's show (November 18).

The Blessington brothers missed out on a spot in the semi-final, after receiving the fewest votes, alongside Sam Black, in tonight's quarter final.

Sean and Conor had an impressive run in this year's show

This weekend's theme was 'crazy in love', and the boys performed an impressive rendition of Julia Michael's smash hit 'Issues'.

Sean (18) and Conor (15) shot to fame at their audition in Edinburgh back in September, with their original take on on Jimi Hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower'.

The pair stole the hearts of the nation and survived four weeks of gruelling live shows, and did Ireland, Blessington and Naas CBS proud.

We're sure to see plenty more of the talented duo in future!

WATCH SOME OF THEIR BEST BITS HERE:

The judges had no issues with tonight's performance!

Their audition reached over 3m views on YouTube

Conor was dubbed a 'rock version of Justin Bieber' by Nicole Scherzinger after this George Michael classic

A particularly 'strong' performance for the brothers
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD, has presented awards to 83 towns and villages from the North West and West Region as part of the Tidy Towns competition sponsored by SuperValu.

Minister Ring also announced a grant scheme for Tidy Towns committees that will enable each committee to apply for a grant of between 1000 and 4000 in recognition of the competitions 60th anniversary next year.

Carrick-on-Shannon Tidy Towns was presented with a Gold Medal and a Silver Medal as was presented to Dromod Tidy Towns.

Dromod was also presented with the Award for County Winner while Carrick-on-Shannon received the Highly Commended Award.

Cloone Village Tidy Towns received a Commended Award while Manorhramilton Tidy Towns was presented with the Endeavour Award for Co Leitrim.

Minister Ring said: It is fantastic to have the opportunity this evening to meet TidyTowns groups from across the North West and Western region. A total of 83 towns and villages are receiving awards tonight. These awards are just a small recognition for the efforts of so many volunteers who take pride in their home town and work tirelessly to make it a better place now and for future generations. This selfless effort and the generosity displayed by these volunteers makes a huge difference in our communities.

2018 sees the 60th Anniversary of Tidy Towns and I am delighted to announce a 1.4 million grant scheme from my Department to Tidy Towns groups around the country. The Tidy Towns competition sponsored by SuperValu has made our country a better place to live in and to visit. The work is carried out on a voluntary basis and we all benefit from it. This investment by the Government will further enhance our towns and villages and represents great value for money.

The Minister also thanked TidyTowns main sponsor SuperValu: For 26 years SuperValu has been involved in this competition at local and national level and they have helped it to flourish and grow and continue to demonstrate a real commitment to supporting local communities. They have worked closely with Department officials to help make it the success it is today.

Richard Lennon, SuperValu Regional Manager said: At SuperValu we believe in building vibrant local communities and the SuperValu TidyTowns competition goes to the heart of what community is all about. The incredible dedication shown by the volunteers involved is truly admirable and continues to amaze us year after year. Their relentless commitment to working to build better local communities is what makes this competition the success it is today. As Irelands leading grocery retailer, with 219 stores across Ireland and retailers embedded in communities around the country, SuperValu is extremely proud to have sponsored TidyTowns for the past 26 years, one of the longest running sponsorships in Ireland. I am delighted to recognise the dedication of TidyTowns committees in the North West and West who are at the heart of their local communities, working tirelessly behind the scenes throughout the year to enhance their locality.

Interest in the TidyTowns competition sponsored by SuperValu has been stronger than ever in recent years and with a record 870 communities entering the competition in 2017. The competition has been running since 1958 and is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The competition has been sponsored by SuperValu since 1992.
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Since it looks like Webb County won't be getting a new jail any time soon, the county will have to address overcrowding at the current site through a different avenue.

But during the last budget session, Commissioners Court voted to stop funding a program that decreased the number of arrests in the county and brought bookings down at the jail.

For 14 months, up until October of this year, the District Attorney's Office had a rotation of prosecutors present at the jail 24/7 to screen potential arrests before suspects were booked.

Assistant district attorneys would speak with police officers or sheriff's deputies on the phone before they arrested a suspect to ensure that they were making a quality arrest.

Officers even began to change their behavior, and stopped bringing suspects to the jail that they knew the attorneys wouldn't take, the DA's office said.

Over the course of this jail intake program, which also ran on a part-time basis for three months in summer 2016, assistant district attorneys explicitly rejected 652 arrests, and prevented others by educating the officers, according to the DA's office.

READ MORE: Laredo Police hand out turkeys instead of traffic citations

For a cost of about $450,000 in overtime pay per year, 20-22 assistant district attorneys would rotate six-hour shifts at the jail. District Attorney Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz would work shifts as well, he said.

This way, the DA's office would be able to review cases immediately, in real time. Before the jail intake program, it would sometimes be months before they received a police report, Alaniz said.

"We got rid of the lag time involved, and police officers having to get their report approved through their chain of command, and that report being made available to us, which translates into days, sometimes months," he said. "In the meantime, what happens to that inmate? In any system, in any jail, it's going to create a backlog and overcrowding."

The number of inmates being booked in Webb County decreased about 25 percent in the first year that this program ran full-time, according to information provided by the District Attorney's Office.

"The numbers here prove that the jail intake program was reducing the population of the jail. You see it over time," Alaniz said.

Cost analyses

Considering that the cost of housing an inmate at the jail is about $62.50 a day, the DA's office calculated that the county saved about $1.2 million over the 17 months that this program ran.

To come to this number, they looked at the difference in the county's average daily jail population each month before and after the implementation of this program.

RELATED: Voters reject proposal for $125 million jail facility in Webb County

In August 2015, for instance, the county had an average of 572 inmates a day being housed in their jail and elsewhere. In August 2016, the first month the jail intake program was running 24/7, the average number of inmates dropped to 486 a day.

This is a difference of 86 inmates a day. Multiply that by the 31 days in August and the cost of $62.50 per inmate per day, and the county saved $166,625 in the first month of the jail intake program, according to the DA's office.

This is not to mention the subsequent load taken off the shoulders of the Public Defender's Office, the District Clerk's Office, the County Clerk's and the Magistrate's offices, Alaniz noted.

However, Webb County Budget Officer Lalo Uribe analyzes the costs and benefits of this program through another lens.

In fiscal year 2014, the county spent $436,543 housing inmates at other detention facilities due to overcrowding at the Webb County Jail, according to a county auditor's report.

In fiscal year 2015, that number jumped up to $962,023. And in fiscal year 2016, the county spent $514,067. The jail intake program ran for two months part-time and two months full-time during this period.

But Uribe notes that the county spent $450,000 on the program in fiscal year 2017, plus $390,592 on housing inmates in Zapata and Maverick counties. This comes out to a $840,592 cost.

He believes it will actually be cheaper for the county to do away for the jail intake program.

What's next?

Commissioners Court voted on Oct. 2 to stop funding the jail intake program and to revisit the idea in January. They budgeted $100,000 for the program for 2018.

Commissioner Jesse Gonzalez, who is also a reserve sheriff's deputy, said he has always been a strong proponent of the jail intake program, and that it's badly needed.

He said he believes Sheriff Martin Cuellar and Alaniz can come to an agreement where the assistant district attorneys are only working in the jail during peak hours, such as on the weekends, so that the program is less expensive.

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The idea of running the program on weekends only also appeals to Commissioner John Galo. He believes there is no need to have attorneys there 24/7. But in general he does not believe the jail intake program is a bad idea, he said.

"I just think the way we did it last time was not very cost effective," Galo said.

However, Alaniz said he does not want this program controlled or overseen by anyone other than himself, and as far as he is concerned, the program isn't coming back.

"Where are we at right now? My understanding was, based on the statements made by the Commissioners Court, that they did want to consider bringing this back in January with a whole new set of rules. That they would oversee it and be in charge of, I guess, running it themselves. So we'll see what happens down the road," he said.

Laredo Police Department

Alaniz said Laredo police initially weren't in favor of the jail intake program, but came to embrace it.

Investigator Joe E. Baeza, LPD spokesman, conceded that it was an adjustment, but that officers learned the procedures quickly to adopt the new intake process.

"New and innovated procedures is what improvement and enhancement is all about," he said.

LPD also saw a drastic decrease in arrests in the time this program ran. In 2014, Laredo police arrested 8,347 adults, according to their annual reports. This number bumped up to 8,680 arrests in 2015. In 2016, the year the jail intake program began, LPD arrested far fewer adults, only 7,500, a 14 percent drop from the year before.

But Baeza does not credit this decline in arrests to the jail intake program. Not only are there fewer arrests, but there are fewer crimes being committed and reported, he said.

This boils down to having fewer repeat offenders on the streets, according to Baeza. He said they have been working closely with the DA's office and probation officers to put the people committing the same crimes over and over again in jail.

"This alleviates the repetitive arresting," he said.

In September, LPD made 448 arrests, representing a 5 percent reduction in crimes against persons from the year before, and 20 percent reduction in crimes against property, according to their uniform crime report.

Domino effect

When commissioners defunded the program, Alaniz said he had to decline a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to run a DWI "no refusal" weekend.

PHOTOS: Locals enjoy the nightlife at Tilted Kilt, Vibe

This would mean that anyone arrested on a DWI charge that particular weekend could not refuse to have their blood drawn and tested for blood-alcohol content, which would be used as evidence against them in their case.

Having an attorney present at the jail is critical for this program to work, Alaniz said, because they can prepare a warrant to draw a suspect's blood. On a typical night, if a suspect refuses, a police officer cannot force him or her to get their blood drawn for evidence.

"Without the jail intake program, it would be impossible to contract Assistant District Attorneys to work every weekend during the No Refusal implementation of the grant," Alaniz wrote in his letter to TxDOT.

The grant was for $21,000.

"So there's been a domino effect of us being pulled out of (the jail)," Alaniz said. "I think we're going backwards instead of forwards in the area of criminal justice."

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
HOLLIS, N.H. - For decades, the battle lines in New England's most politically conservative state were clear. Republicans ran on tax cuts. Democrats ran on targeted tax credits. Both parties kept New Hampshire free of a state income or sales tax, blurring some distinctions for suburban voters.

Then came the Republican tax plan in Congress.

"Do you think it's right to raise taxes on millions of hard-working Americans?" asked Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., at a Friday night Democratic fundraiser. "Do you want to risk a $25 billion yearly cut to Medicare to give the wealthiest few a tax cut?"

The crowd of about 600 Democrats bellowed "no," still shocked by the party's recent political gains. Coming off Election Day wins from Seattle to Long Island, Democrats are starting to see the shape of a new majority, built on a potential suburban backlash to changes in the tax code.

"It's incredible," said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., a vice chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who has helped the party recruit candidates in suburban West Coast districts. "I don't understand why they think raising taxes on the middle class to benefit the rich would be better for them electorally than doing nothing at all."

Republicans have accused the minority party of demagoguery and bad math. In New Hampshire, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has praised the tax plan for doubling the standard deduction and adding a property-tax exemption. Democrats have falsely claimed that the bill would raise taxes on "most working-class families" - only 6.5 percent of lower-income households will take a direct hit, though many taxpayers making less than $100,000 would get little.

Yet Democratic wins, and polling about the tax bill, has led the party to think that it can cleave millions of voters from the GOP.

In a column for conservative news website Newsmax this week, pollsters John and Jim McLaughlin wrote that voters generally approved of "President Trump's plan to cut taxes," but opposed the elimination of state and local deductions - an idea that was "driving disapproval" for whatever Republicans proposed.

"We have polled for 21 currently sitting House Republican members," the McLaughlins wrote. "Many of these members are in hard-fought battleground districts which would see a tax increase if the state and local deduction was eliminated. We helped them get elected and want to make their re-election easier, not harder."

Thursday's tax vote in the House revealed who some of those members were, many from California, New Jersey, and New York. In statements, they echoed Democrats in predicting that the bill would hurt the middle class.

"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, I'm supposed to represent their interests," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., who represents a prosperous stretch of the Southern California coastline.

Thirteen Republicans opposed the bill - enough for easy passage, but a sea change in tax-cut politics. The 2001 Bush tax cuts, the closet comparison to the current bill, won unanimous support from House Republicans and 13 votes from Democrats. No Democrat voted for the Republicans' tax bill last week.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., who had warned in 2016 that Hillary Clinton would lose Michigan, said that the tax bill would reverse Republicans' gains. She compared the vote to Democrats' 1993 passage of a tax hike package, which Republicans unanimously opposed while chanting "bye-bye" to Marjorie Margolies, a suburban Philadelphia Democrat who cast the bill's deciding vote.

"The Republicans are going to pay a real price," Dingell said. "Margie voted for that knowing she was going to lose. I don't think they know they're going to lose. I don't think they realize this is going to cost them those seats in the suburbs."

Democrats like Dingell paid close attention on Nov. 7. In even high-tax areas, such as New York's Westchester County, Republican promises of tax relief fell flat. In New Jersey, where Gov.-elect Phil Murphy, D, won easily, his Republican opponent came out loudly against the GOP's tax bill.

In Virginia, where the party's bigger-than-expected wave swept out suburban Republican legislators, Republican gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie pitched a 10 percent "across-the-board" cut in state tax rates. But according to Geoff Garin, the pollster for Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam's campaign, the tax plan was "a flop in the suburbs," which is why Gillespie pivoted - also ineffectively - to attacks on cultural issues.

"First, there simply were not that many suburban voters who felt aggrieved by the amount they are paying in state income taxes," said Garin. "Second, suburban voters quickly saw Gillespie's proposed cuts as a dangerous gimmick, and the first question they had about his plan was what programs would have to be cut to pay for it."

In New Hampshire, Democrats saw the same Republican swoon. In 2017 special elections, Democrats won four state legislative races in Republican-held districts. Just as telling was where they did it - Republican-leaning suburbs of Manchester, and in the vacation area around Lake Winnipesaukee.

Those wins continued on Nov. 7, when Democrats took over Manchester's city hall for the first time since George W. Bush's presidency and made gains in large towns closer to high-tax Massachusetts. "In Nashua, sweet Nashua, we pulled off a clean sweep," New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley said at the party's dinner.

In an interview, Buckley said that many of the gains had come from ramped-up Democratic enthusiasm. The Manchester race had attracted 236 full-time volunteers, more than three times as many as Mayor-elect Joyce Craig's first bid in 2015.

"There've been years where we've had to get volunteers from Massachusetts," he said with a laugh.

The tax cut, Buckley argued, would help Democrats more than the party that actually wanted to pass it. A University of New Hampshire poll released Tuesday found the tax bill already underwater, with just 39 percent of voters in support. A majority of New Hampshire voters favored the bill's expanded child tax credit, but just 35 percent favored its slash to corporate taxes, which Republicans have described for months as a job creator. But the talk of changes to state tax deductions overwhelmed all.

"A lot of people here work in Massachusetts and pay some of those taxes," said Chris Pappas, a member of the state's Executive Council who's now running for the Manchester-based 1st Congressional District. "They're going to get whacked if they cut the state and local tax deduction."

Democratic confidence about fighting the tax cuts has also been bolstered experience in recent years. In 2009, the party passed a stimulus package with little Republican support, and waited for voters to appreciate its payroll tax and alternative minimum tax cuts. In a sluggish 2010 economy, Democrats were blown away, with voters largely unaware of minor changes to their taxes.

The unpopularity of 2017's tax cuts have sent Democrats back to a playbook that Republicans used effectively in 2010 - warnings that Washington was going to pile up debt to redistribute money away from the people who needed it. At the New Hampshire dinner, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who just months earlier had warned his party not to rule out a tax plan, described a Republican Party that would put suburban and working-class taxpayers in hock.

"They're gonna go to the Chinese banks, the Chinese government, borrow $2.5 trillion, and give it away to the wealthiest people in our country," said Ryan.

Hassan hit on similar populist themes. The bill, she said, would not only cut health-care spending - the Senate's version includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's insurance mandate - but penalize small businesses.

"Under this proposal there will be a real incentive to keep manufacturing overseas," said Hassan. She was quoting a colleague, she explained: Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., one of the Republicans who was making the bill easy to oppose.
WASHINGTON - On Friday, the White House released, without context, a list of the people whom President Donald Trump might consider should a vacancy open on the Supreme Court. It was an updated version of a list that he has released before, with five new names added for a total of about two dozen jurists.

The update was released in conjunction with a convention of the conservative Federalist Society, members of which made up the original list released by the Trump campaign in May 2016. (Neil M. Gorsuch, Trump's actual Supreme Court pick, wasn't on that original list.) But Trump's update to the list served a broader purpose, as well: reminding his base - and Republicans in Alabama - that his presidency, plus a Senate majority, gives him the power to shape the judicial branch for decades to come.

Trump is president because of Republicans who voted on party lines. While a substantial number of Americans viewed both him and Hillary Clinton negatively, those who viewed both unfavorably largely cast their ballots for Trump. Some chunk of those voters were Republicans who ended up coming home to their party - and in a race settled by fewer than 78,000 votes in three states, that probably made the difference.

Why? One significant reason was that Republicans would rather have a Republican nominating people to the Supreme Court. In exit polling, more than a quarter of Trump voters cited Supreme Court nominees as the most important factor in their vote; nearly three-quarters of Trump voters overall said it was at least an important factor. Many Clinton voters said the same thing, but a smaller percentage.

Trump was clearly aware that this was a useful sales pitch as the 2016 campaign wound down. He mentioned it repeatedly. To the extent that he had a stump speech, his line that he would "appoint justices to the United States Supreme Court who will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States" was part of it.

Since his election, the appointment of Gorsuch has been a mainstay of Trump's summaries of his presidency's successes. While addressing the National Assembly in South Korea this month, he touted the "miracle" that the United States was experiencing, including "strengthening the judiciary" with a "brilliant Supreme Court justice."

Part of this is Trump's reflexive defensiveness. Part of it, too, is a president who is very attuned to making his base happy reminding it constantly of why it should be. The Gorsuch pick was broadly popular with Republicans.

The rift between the popularity of a candidate and the assurance that he will uphold partisan goals is repeating itself in Alabama. Roy Moore, the Republican candidate in that state, has been the subject of serious allegations concerning his behavior with underage girls in the 1970s. Republicans in that state are presented with the same choice as were Republicans nationally last November: Do you vote for a man who has been accused of molestation and sexual assault but who will support Trump's agenda - or do you vote for a Democrat?

Shortly before Trump unveiled his bolstered Supreme Court list on Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey, R-Ala., explained how she planned to vote in her state's Senate election.

"I do believe the nominee of the party is the one I'll vote for," Ivey told reporters. "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. So that's what I plan to do, vote for Republican nominee Roy Moore."

Shortly afterward, the White House sent out its list of possible appointments, should another vacancy on the Supreme Court occur.

This issue is less potent for Moore than it was for Trump. For one thing, Moore isn't appointing the justices, just voting on them. And, for another, his is one of only 100 votes. Without that vote, though, the Republican majority in the Senate slips to 51 - making every fight, not just fights over Supreme Court nominees, that much more fraught. (Gorsuch's nomination was approved by the Senate only after the body eliminated the long-standing rule that nominations to the court could be subject to filibuster.)

A less potent issue, but still an issue, as Ivey made clear in her statement. It may, in fact, be Trump's trump card: one of the few places that he can exercise his partisanship without the moderation of Democrats.

During the third presidential debate, held weeks before the 2016 election, Trump and Clinton were asked about their visions for the Supreme Court.

"The Supreme Court," Trump replied. "It's what it's all about." Then he mentioned his list of possible nominees.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabweans watched in disbelief Sunday as President Robert Mugabe, who they thought was going to resign, instead delivered a meandering speech on state television that made clear the 93-year-old leader has no plans to leave power.

In less than a week, Mugabe has survived both a military takeover and the largest public protests in the country's history, reaffirming his uncanny ability to navigate the country's political tides.

Mugabe said the criticisms leveled against his government "were inescapable." But he suggested that he could make the necessary reforms to satisfy his critics, a doubtful contention given the overwhelming opposition to his rule. That opposition was underscored on Sunday, hours before his speech, when his own party dismissed him as leader. The party, ZANU-PF, also told Mugabe that he must resign by noon Monday or face impeachment proceedings.

Those actions, unimaginable only a week ago, added to the groundswell of public support for the ejection of the world's oldest head of state.

"He is senile and obviously his faculties were beginning to deteriorate," said Christopher Mutsvangwa, a member of the ZANU-PF central committee, which voted to oust Mugabe from the party.

Mugabe was placed under house arrest by the military Tuesday, though the generals insisted they weren't conducting a coup. Huge protests followed, and it seemed by Sunday evening that events would finally bring about Mugabe's resignation. The state broadcaster announced that he would address the nation. Zimbabweans gathered by their televisions. Some news outlets reported that he was about to resign. People discussed how they would celebrate the beginning of a new era.

But Mugabe did not resign. He spoke obliquely about the country's economic challenges and disaffection with some of his party's "rules and procedures." He said those matters would be "settled and discussed" at next month's party congress.

It was a speech that prompted the same questions about Mugabe that Zimbabweans have asked for years. Was he showing signs of senility? Or was he displaying the same shrewd, stubborn ability to defy his critics that has kept him afloat for decades?

It was "proof of his psychotic obsession with power," said Fadzayi Mahere, a lawyer and politician. "We must never put ourselves in this place as a nation ever again."

Now, Mugabe's critics are trying to sort out another way to unseat him. While the party's vote against him is a sign of its opposition, it does not have any immediate effect on Mugabe's position as president. The party leaders have control only over their ranks and cannot influence the composition of Zimbabwe's government.

Impeachment proceedings in parliament appear the most likely way forward, but they could take weeks, according to Zimbabwean legal experts, and would leave the country with a power vacuum in the interim.

"This is not instant coffee," said Tendai Biti, a lawyer and opposition member. "We can't sacrifice our constitution to get what we want."

The chief whip of the ruling party, Lovemore Matuke, said impeachment proceedings would start on Tuesday. After 37 years in power, Mugabe is now technically a leader without a party, his closest allies having been detained by the military.

It is possible that the military will now move to oust Mugabe by force, but so far its commanders have gone out of their way to accommodate him, still referring to him as their commander in chief. In a picture taken Sunday and released by the state-owned newspaper, a general saluted Mugabe while the president stood behind his desk, one of many signs that Zimbabwe was hardly undergoing a textbook coup.

The military commanders have appeared intent on giving the public impression that they are not conducting a coup - likely to preserve the veneer of legitimacy that would sustain their relationship with the international community. In its bylaws, the regional bloc of southern African nations includes strong language against coups.

Even though Mugabe's rule for years was above the law, many members of Zimbabwe's opposition have shown enormous respect for the country's constitution.

"If the military had run roughshod, it would have lost the support of the people," Mahere said.

During Sunday's meeting, the central committee of ZANU-PF, the ruling party, voted to replace Mugabe with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and expelled Mugabe's once-powerful wife, Grace, from its ranks. The committee was composed of Mugabe's rivals, some of whom had been forced from ZANU-PF months or years ago.

Until Sunday, Zimbabweans had united behind the military's actions, an unpredictable turn of events in a country where security forces have for years cracked down on political dissent.

"Zimbabwe's army is the voice of the people," one popular sign read.

By the time a protest march on Saturday was over, signs for Robert Mugabe Road had been trampled.

On Sunday morning, when members of ZANU-PF arrived at the party headquarters in downtown Harare, they saw that a billboard bearing Mugabe's face had been vandalized, a hole sliced through the center.
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Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Indirajis Martyrdom

Ten years have not dimmed but, on the contrary, brightened the image of Indira Gandhi as one of the most luminous leaders that India and the entire world have known in modern times. These years have also made it clear why she was murdered and who did the murdering.

In assassinations of this kind it is rarely, if ever, that any enquiry commission finds out the conspirators even if the actual assassins are caught red-handed. This has happened in the case of President Kennedy. So also has it happened in the case of Indiraji. What, however, goes beyond surmise is that in her case the bullets were clearly aimed against India and meant to halt our country from recovering from the disasters of the rule of the destabilisers in 1977-79. It was also meant to revenge the reverses that the US neo-colonialists suffered in 1971 with the aided birth of Bangladesh. What has happened subsequently cannot vitiate the fact tht this was a defeat for the military-industrial complex of the US and its swordarm, the CIA, of a dimension surpassed only by its still more spectacular reverse suffered in Vietnam in 1975.

It is no accident that the three leaders who made any contribution, differing widely in the extent of that contribution, to the 1971 setback for the US neo-colonialists were murdered. Alongwith Indira Gandhi they were Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

In the case of our dear, departed leader it was not only her pre-eminent role in the liberation of Bangladesh that rankled. That only formed part of a more epoch-making happening. And that was the taking of India on to the level of a global great power. That level was, of course, not reached in a day. Arrival there was the climax of a process set in motion by Pandit Nehru from our very birth as an independent country but more especially from 1995. This process received a jolt in 1962 with the Chinese aggression and even reached crisis proportions in 1967-69. In those latter two years we went through a phase of acute national soul-searchig and even more than a shade of demoralisation. The Congress itself faced the test of choice between breakup and resurgence.

It was Indiraji who set this ancient land and our people with their immemorial past moving again. Her actions and achievements were multifaceted. This is not the place to even attempt an enumeration and analysis of all of them. It must suffice to mention the Green Revolution which made us self-reliant in food, the scientific-technological breakthrough including the Pokhran implosion, the substantial and strategic expansion of the public sector, and the resounding reiteration of the national objective to remove poverty and build a democrtic socialist country.

Very many would agree that the above-mentioned were historic acheivements and also that they were made under her leadership. Not so many would, however, agree that these contributions were the chief reason for her assassination. In fact, those who wittingly or unwittingly made her murder happen, if that is the right word to use, point to some other reasons for the tragedy of October 31, 1984. These need to be critically examined.

The first of such reasons cited is that she hurt the Sikhs beyond bearing by the Operation Bluestar. It should be said straightaway that the actual carrying out of the Operation was in the hands of General Sundarji. Of course, there were certain political constraints which Indiraji laid down. All of them were for avoiding civilian casualities and minimising the hurt to the religious sensitivities of the Sikhs. These sensitivities were, of course, hurt. But the responsibility for that is, first and foremost, Bhindranwales. It was under his leadership that the Golden Temple was converted into an infamous headquarters of an anti-national conspiracy which could have converted Punjab into another Kashmir with far greater loss to the nation and with more dangerous possibilities of some kind of international intervention. In the midst of all the talk about the Sikh psyche it is quite amazing that the damage done to the Sikhs by Bhindranwale is never mentioned.

It is said that Bhindranwale was Indirajis creation. To go into this question would involve opening of a probe into the roles of persons both alive and dead which would be harmful and unproductive at this stage. What can be gone into, however, is who did what once the anti-national activities of Bhindranwale had been revealed. The Akali leaders, in general, aided him either because of terror or because they hoped to make political capital out of the passing popularity of the Khalistan slogan among a section of the Sikhs. All sections of the Opposition were busy holding conclaves with these Akali leaders with the primary objective of damaging Indiraji because she had committed the sin of returning to power and set about repairing the damage done by the Janata Party Government backed by the CPI-M with great enthusiasmn and the CPI with shamefaced reluctance.

It was left to Indiraji to deal with this menace to the nation even though she knew that this spelled danger to her life. If the Golden Temple had not been liberated from the anti-national forces, there would have been catastrophic consequences for our unity and our existence.

The second of such reasons cited is that Indiraji had so unsettled conditions in the country and in the Congress that lawlessness and anarchy were in the air, if not murder itself. The exact opposite is the truth. The conditions had been unsettled after the Janata Party had been voted to power following the protest vote against the Emergency excess in the northern, eastern and western parts of the country. It is through the Janata Party Government that the RSS (operating through the Jana Sangh supposedly dissolved in the Janata Party) infiltrated key sectors of the state apparatus including the radio and television. It was Madhu Limaye who told me that the experience of working with the BJP had given him more lessons on how the fascists operate than a dozen books could have done. The strange interlude of the government headed by Charan Singh only made matters worse.

It was left to Indiraji to mount the offensive against the destablilisers and to win by sheer courage, grit and skill. It is to be remembered that she chose the sloganelect a government that workswith which to rout the Janata Party and the odd and variegted alliances that had sprouted since 1978.

It should also be remembered that the CPI-M continued its opposition to Indira Gandhis return to governance on the ground that it would mean the return of authoritarianism. it would not be unfair to say that the CPI-M preferred anarchy to Indiraji and then they complain that she was responsible for unsettling the country! The CPI chose to support Charan Singh on the ground that he represented the weak bourgeoisie whereas Indiraji represented the strong bourgeoisie. It came to the same position as that of the CPI-Mstability was worse than instability. As it turned out, it was her government that restored governance and stability. And that was why she was assassinaed.

The cruellest canard spread against Indiraji by her opponents is that she was reponsible in some way, however indirect, for the dastardly attacks made on the Sikhs after her assassination. Her secularism is sought to be questioned in this manner.

The fact is that she was a peerless secularist and despite all advice insisted that none of her Sikh guards should be removed, including those who actually murdered her. The anti-Sikh riots were, in fact, the second time that she was murdered. This canard is the third time that she is being done to death especially when in the name of not reopening wounds the tenth anniversary of her martyrdom is to be commemorted on a low key. This is said to be the decision of the committee set up to work out the programme to commemorate precisely this event. Vendattas are being carried on beyond the funeral pyre!

As a matter of fact, Indiraji went byeond and, as it were, back to the Mahatma in upholding and popularising secularism among the younger generation, especially of the Hindus, born after freedom and grappling with the phenomenon of the hate-India wenom of Pakistan as well as the dilemmas of develop-ment in conditions of democracy. She made a great contribution in separating religion from communalism which is essential if secularism is to be rooted among our people. She also continued the Mahatmas great work not only in this respect but also in contesting the communalists claim that they were the true custodians of Hinduism. She was as misunder-stood and misrepresented about this as was the Mahatma himself. She was evolving a modern, progressive nationalism with all the richness of our history, our diversity as well as the strength of our unity. It is a tragedy that she had to leave the message of this nationalism as the lesson of her death.

(Mainstream, October 29, 1994)

A prominent Marxist ideologue, the author was close to Indira Gandhi both during and after the Emergency. A CPI leader, he subsequently became a leading figure in the United Communist Party of India.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Indira Gandhi and Third World

Indira Gandhi died as she livedcourageous and fighting.

However she is judged at home on her domestic record, in the Third World she is remembered as a courageous woman, who had braved many odds to successfully lead her country, safeguarding Indian independence and national interests, but at the same time viewing them in the wider universal context and as part of the struggle of the peoples of the Third World for peace and development with equity and justice.

In the international polity, the Third World saw her as a moderator and conciliator, who at the same time stuck to the basic ideology and needs of the nonaligned and the Third World.

The large gathering of world dignitaries, from East and West and the Third World, at her funeral in New Delhi, the extensive TV and press coverage of the assassination and the moving funeral ceremonies, and the genuine outpou-rings of sympathy for Indira at its moment of travail, all testify to the place Indira Gandhi occupied in the worlds polity.

She was one of the few world politicians and leaders who commanded respect among the peoples and governments of the Third World, even when she was out of office.

This was forcefully brought home to this writer, first at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 in Arusha (Tanzania) in 1979, and later the same year at the Havana Nonaligned Summit.

When she was turned out of office by the electorate in 1977, many in India, understandably though, had viewed harshly Indira Gandhi and her actions during the Emergency. Mediamen, many of whom had not merely accepted the force majeure of the Emergency but had actively supported it, turned harshest in judging her.

But outside India, and in much of the Third World, Indira Gandhi did not lose her admirers. Even those among them who cherished the values of bourgeois democracy, and thus adjudged negatively the Emergency and its excesses, as an aberration.

Only the hard-core centres of Western Trans-national capitalism, which saw a strong and autonomously developing India as a block to their ambitions, lost no opportunity to cavil at Indira Gandhi, whether in or out of office.

But to the Third World, Indira Gandhi was and remained a historic figure, who had carried forward the policies of Jawaharlal Nehru and who had fought for and advanced the wider interests and causes of nonalignment and Third World efforts for cultural and economic decoloni-sation of the world.

Within days of Indira Gandhis defeat and assumption of office by the Janata in 1977, the Nonaligned Movements Coordinating Bureau met in New Delhi, and this brought to New Delhi more than the normal quota of members and observers at ministerial level, to see at first hand the changes in India and assess their possible impact.

The major concern of foreign friends of India in 1977 was the likely future course of Indian policies specially because of the past pro-Israeli and pro-US pronouncements of some of the important Ministers and the political parties to which they had belonged before their merger into the Janata, on non-alignment.

While those of us in India were mainly concerned about the domestic developments and the Janata promises, to the outside world possible changes in Indian foreign policies were of primary concern.

The Nonaligned Movement had seen by then several cases of change-over of governments among its member-countries, often by coups and violence leading to changes of policies by their successors. And while the Movement had survived such vicissitudes, any such change in a large country like India, occupying such a strategic geo-political position, would have upset the balance in the world and dealt a severe blow to the Nonaligned Movement itself.

In my discussions, I had sought to present to these foreign friends the basic imperatives behind Indias nonalignment, involvement with the rest of the Third World, and its policies of friendship with the Soviet Union. In this frame-work I hazarded the guess that whatever the Janata Ministers might have said before, no basic changes could take place and would be tolerated by the Indian people. The foreign friends were sceptical, though they politely accepted my arguments with reservations.

But as things turned out, despite some aberra-tions, including the talk of genuine nonalign-ment and the secret contacts with Israelis at top levels, Indias overall policy remained basically on course.

At Arusha in 1979, when I met some of these same friends again, they acknowledged the correctness my basic prognostications, but noted some minor changes in Indian policies that they said would never have taken place under Indira Gandhi. Such was the confidence and faith in Indira Gandhi in large portions of the Third World.

At Arusha when the Group of 77 met to formulate a common position for UNCTAD-V, a minor issue, minor for India but major for the African countries, related to the special treat-ment for the Least Developed Countries, and the programme that the UNCTAD Secretariat had mooted.

Even at UNCTAD-II India had viewed the classification of the LDCs as a special category of developing countries as part of the efforts of the North to divide the South. At Arusha, India had been very much opposed to the special measures. In the preparations leading to Arusha, both at the preparatory official meetings in Geneva and at the Asian regional meeting, India had voiced the same view, but the thrust of its opposition was perhaps more strident.

An African Minister, from a country whose head of government had close contacts with Indira Gandhi, criticised the Indian stand in extended discussions with me, adding: This would never have happened under Indira.

In the Third World, especially among those in Africa who were in an even more disadvanta-geous condition than India, it was axiomatic that Indira Gandhi, while fighting for Indian national interests, would never do so at the cost of other Third World nations.

The Indian stand on the Least Developed Countries had already been the subject of internal debate and criticism among Indian officials, and when I conveyed to Indias Commerce Minister, Mohan Dharia, what the Africans were talking about, he understood the political implications, and Indias somewhat rigid stand was modified. But the Africans saw it as due to their collective position rather than as a reflection of the traditional Indian policies towards these poor African states.

By the time of the Havana Summit, the Janata had already broken up, and the Government of India was headed by Charan Singh, and there were little signs of the kind of political initiatives that India had been noted for. At Havana it was for the first time that India was not represented by the Prime Minister at a Nonaligned Summit.

And while the Indian stand at Havana was on the basis of the traditional Indian nonalign-ment policies, and pushing for South-South cooperation and self-reliance as a part of the efforts for North-South global negotiations initiated by Algeria, and little could be faulted with the Indian stand, many at Havana were already looking at the changing Indian political scene and the prospects of Indira Gandhis return to power.

And when in 1980, Indira Gandhi returned to power, it was widely welcomed in the Third World, which saw in it a return by India to active leadership and participation in the Non-aligned Movement and Third World issues.

And over the last four years, the Third World had not been disappointed.

In the economic crisis that enveloped the world from the end of 1980, and continues even now, despite some recovery in the North, particularly in the USA, the Third World has remained in a crisis. Many of the leading nonaligned and other Third world countries of Africa and Latin America, and Asia, have been overwhelmed by the external pressures on them due to the crisis. Under the combined onslaught of the International Monetary Fund and the bilateral pressures from the USA, they took a relatively low profile on North-South issues.

Fortunatley for India, though it could not escape the effects of the global crisis, it had been able to contain them better than others. And India under Indira Gandhi was able to stand up to external pressures, and provide a leadership to the Third World to enable it to maintain its cohesion and unity.

This was seen at Cancun and later, including at UNCTAD-VI in Belgrade where Indira Gandhi delivered the Raul Prebisch lecture and set the pace for the conference. Her lecture on Peace and Development was a ringing political testament of the basic Third World thrust for world peace, for autonomous development through collective self-reliance and for inter-national multilateral cooperation with the North.

As UNCTAD Secretary-General Gamani Corea summed up at the memorial meeting for Indira Gandhi by the Group of 77 in Geneva on November 5, In the political arena as Prime Minister of India and the leader of the Nonaligned Movement, Indira Gandhi had worked towards relaxation of international tensions and to create a better climate of stability and good relations throughout the world. In the economic field her goal was for a set of cooperative economic relationships in the world which would enable each country to pursue its objectives in the light of its own priorities and ideals. These two goals need to be pursued, and the best tribute we can pay to her memory is to continue in the earnest pursuit of these goals.

Kazmir Vidas, the Yugoslav representative, made the same point when he said: We will always remember the importance which Mrs Gandhi attached to international cooperation for development, to equitable and democratic dialogue between North and South, and in particular to the enhancement of economic cooperation among developing countries. Her lasting contribution in that respect is best reflected in a compre-hensive, untiring and consistent activity of India in all multilateral economic fora.

After Belgrade, and the failure there to pursuade the North to agree on immediate measures for reactivating Third World development, Indira Gandhi tried to break the stalemated North-South dialogue through her initiative for a mini-summit at the UN General Assembly in 1983. But as in other areas, the efforts were frustrated by the stand of the United States under Ronald Reagan.

In the four years since her return to power in 1980, despite domestic preoccupations and failures, India had tried to advance the North-South dialogue and South-South cooperation, and seek to reduce East-West tensions.

And while in these four years, the South has not been able to advance at all, much of its efforts had been at preserving what it had, and stemming the US onslaught to push the Third World back.

India under Indira Gandhi contributed to this in a large measure. At GATT, IMF, UN and UNCTAD and other international forums, Indian stands helped to forge a cohesive Third World stand, and India was in the forefront to resist US pressures.

(Mainstream, Nehru Birthday Number, 1984)

A veteran journalist, the author is the Chief of the Geneva Bureau of Interpress Third World News Service.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Fidel Castros Tribute to Indira Gandhi

November 19 this year marks Indira Gandhis birth centenary. On this occasion we remember her by reproducing what Cubas President had written about her 32 years agothis was one of the best tributes to her from anyone after her death. We are also reproducing and publishing some other tributes to Indira Gandhi written after her demise.

On September 11, 1973, on our way to Vietnamthen involved in the peoples heroic war against the Americans and their Southern puppets, a war that was crowned with success later onwe made a technical stop-over in Delhi. It was foreseen in the itinerary of that trip that we would make an official stop-over in India on our way back, fulfilling an invitation of its Government.

On that simple transit, we were received with fraternal warmth by Indira Gandhi, her Government and people. Despite pressures and responsibilities that overwhelmed her, Indira Gandhi was all the time with us. She took us to see some historical monuments in New Delhi and Old Delhi and displayed a charm that was proverbial in her and that was touched with her own naturalness which enabled the visitors not to feel disturbed by taking the time, undoubtedly necessary, she was devoting to them.

At night, Indira Gandhi wanted the Cuban delegation to enjoyjust on the eve of resuming its trip to Hanoia splendid banquet in which Indias courtesy and gastronomic knowledge were combined with a beautiful performance of traditional dances of a rich and multinational culture.

Our delight as spectators was interrupted, as if by a thunderbolt, when we were told that a few moments earlier, in faraway Chile, our beloved friend, a great leader of its people and of Latin America, Salvador Allende, had been assassinated in an ominous coup that brought Pinochet power in such an unpopular mandate.

We could barely finish in a proper manner, while we were being put in touch with Havana, the function that far from formal was deeply friendly.

The trip to Vietnam had to be cut short and the stay in India could not take place as a result of our necessary return to Havana. At that dramatic moment, Indira Gandhi, in a tone of familiarity and confidence, told me:

What they have done to Allende they also wish to do it to me. Here, there are people who, linked to the same external forces that acted in Chile, would like to eliminate me.

Eleven years later, amidst an important international socialist forum of which our country was the hostthe 39th Session of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA)the news that Indira Gandhi had died, assassinated came also to hurt our sensitivity and to precipitate the final moments of the conference. Her tragic premonition of that night was then confirmed, and it was possible to understand better the brave calmness of such a delicate woman who had to pursue all those years a complex policy, besieged by external enemies, pokers of embers of hate which inevitably endure in a multinational state, and a woman who was preventedbecause of historical traditions and national customsfrom organising the security for her own life in such a way that it would have made more difficult any attempt of her enemies.

Alongwith the sorrow of her absence, I will always have the sorrow that my complicated life allowed me only hasty encounters with such a sensitive and profound woman and not the quiet dialogue we had promised each other.

But the almost fleeting contact amidst international form where we were both besieged by irrevocable engagements and programmesat the Delhi Conference, the funerals of Brezhnev and Andropovmade it possible, however, to establish among us a personal link in which mutual respect was accompanied by mutual affection. I was able to value all the energies embodied in such a small body. Her eyes revealed the inner tension which she lived in and that her almost majestic Hindu manners succeeded in concealing. I always looked at her not as an expression of abstract power.

Other international personalities of her same importance pass through life without noticing those small circumstances that take place around them. We saw Indira Gandhi concerned with every little detail in the attention to her guests and while organising the functions to which her Government was devoted.

In New Delhi, for the success of the Nonaligned Conference, it was necessary for Indira Gandhi to display her subtle capacity of persuasion and her negotiating abilities that would enable her to retrace on time to achieve the necessary arrangements.

All this was accompanied by an energy without which it would not have been possible for her to lead during so many years a country of hundreds of thousands inhabitants, of caste, religious and national contradictions and to maintain at the same time an independent international position when some others did not renounceas they have still not renouncedto convert India into an instrument for the great geopolitical aspiration in which they insist.

While paying homage to Indira Gandhi, we do it with the sentiment of one who refers to a lost friendship, with the sorrow that the obligations as a host that we had at the time of her death made impossible our personal presence in her dramatic funeral.

From far away we followed, with an oppressed heart, such an impressive spectacle. We saw her disappear amidst flames while her people, her descendants, and statesmen from all over the world surrounded the funeral pyre in respectful silence. And we recalled the august calmness with which years earlier she had insinuated that one day she also would with resignation give up her life in holocaust for the unity of her nation.

(Courtesy: Granma, October 4, 1985)
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > After Indira Gandhi / Being a Proud Indian

From N.C.s Writings

Indira Gandhis 33rd death anniversary fell on October 31 this year. And her birth centenary is on November 19, 2017. Remembering her on this occasion we are reproducing the following Editors Notebook that N.C. wrote on November 6, 1984, that is, soon after her death as well as one of his pieces ten years following her tragic assassination.

After Indira Gandhi

Twenty years after her great fathers passing away, Indira Gandhi fell, her frail body riddled with the assassins bullets, in the winter morning of October 31, 1984.

She died as she livedtaking danger as her constant companion. And she left behind a nation not only benumbed with searing sorrow but engulfed in insensate fratricidal violence, threatening the very unity of the country to defend which she faced martyrdom.

This is not the moment to undertake an objective appraisal of Indira Gandhis contri-bution towards building modern India or her role in world affairs. Future historians will undertake this task, a difficult task because hers was a career which until her last breath knew no respite, a career crowded with events of unmitigated severity as well as unalloyed glory. Few were her moments of repose, for she more than anybody else went among the largest segment of Indias seven hundred millions covering the length and breadth of this far-flung country. It was an endless odyssey no other leader of her times has undertaken.

At home, many significant steps were taken during her fifteen years of Prime Ministership which strengthened the economy of the country and yet its base could not be reinforced because of the balance of social forces, their level of consciousness and organisational consolidation did not permit any fundamental transformation. On the political plane, Westminster type of parliamentary democracy has been maintained though it has to a large measure been corroded by graft and corruption while the system of election has fostered caste and communal loyalties.

Abroad, Indira Gandhis tenure as Indias unchallenged leader saw the extension and enrichment of the policy of non-alignment in a manner that it could throw in its lot with the forces of peace and progress against the forces of reaction. Adherence to the principle of democratic solidarity brought fresh laurels when Bangladesh was born out of Pakistani brutality. At the same time, the country found it difficult to muster the strength necessary to sustain a determined and dynamic foreign policy because of the internal socio-economic weaknesses.

The shortcomings of the politico-economic order that was set up on the morrow of independence under the balance of forces prevailing at the time, began to surface conspicuously during Indira Gandhis regime. This was particularly evident from the fact that significant reforms did not produce the desired changes. Land reforms did not bring land to the tiller. Restrictions placed on monopolies could not weaken the monopoly houses. Planning did not reduce economic disparities; rather they grew despite the plans. Bonded labour persists despite its official abolition. Expansion of education has intensified its lopsidedness while prevalence of illiteracy has weaknened the cultural base of our democracy. As democracy has spread to diverse regions, parochialism has increased, bringing severe strain on the structure of national integration. Instead of trying to tackle this on the axiomatic principle of unity-in-diversity, it has been allowed to degenerate into a false confrontation between the Centre and the States.

Taking a broader, historical view one cannot help noting that Indira Gandhis tenure as the Prime Minister marked the end of the generation that had witnessed the culmination of the freedom struggle in the triumphant unfurling of the Tricolour on the Red Fort, and the coming-of-age of the generation born after independence. The so-called generation gap touching off social tensions was in reality the manifestation of an unfinished revolution. The entire national leadership covering all parties tried to live on the laurels of the freedom struggle: they did notor perhaps could notwork out an authentic programme of nation-building, a programme which could rouse the millions and mobilise them with the same intensity which Gandhi and Nehru could fifty years ago. Instead they could only produce schemes and plans which are impressive as the drawing-board blueprints or seminar papers but are ineffective in galvanising the masses. That is why election-time slogans mostly sound empty and fail to set the masses in motion in the direction of socio-economic transformation.

In the absence of such a national matrix for the building of independent India, disequili-brium leading to tensions surfaced in both politics and economy of the country. The turbu-lence that marked the greater part of the Indira Phase has had its roots in this disequilibrium. Whenever there was the slightest signs of groping towards social transformation, she could muster unprecedented mass support as could be seen in the wake of the new economic programme beginning with bank nationalisation and culminating in the call for Garibi Hatao. But with no political (as distinct from administrative) infrastructure to implement or enforce it, the programme at its very incipient phase was lost; later the Twenty-Point Programme, both in its original and revised versions, was but its pale imitation, incapable of bestirring the masses in the way the earlier call for Garibi Hatao could rouse mass expectations: at the end populism became the subject of ridicule or trenchant criticism.

Most of the intractable problems that beset Indira Gandhi with particular sharpness during her second tenure of power, that is, since 1980, can be traced back to their origins in the early years of independence. Whether it is Assam or the North-East, the minorities sense of insecurity, or the vexed Centre-State controversy, or the entire Punjab problemall these had surfaced on the very morrow of independence. Those who deify today the founding fathers of the Constitution need to be reminded that it was the unresolved items that had come up in the Cosntituent Assembly which later on assumed the magnitude of crisis points particularly under Indira Gandhi. This is not to say that the founding fathers of the Constitution should be held responsible for these crisis issues. What needs to be debunked is the thoughtless Opposition charge, long bandied about, that Indira Gandhi must be branded as the arch culprit for having deliberately left all the problems unsettled to exploit them to her own advantage.

Nobody will deny that there had been a certain amount of drift and sometimes miscalcu-lation in dealing with these issues under Indira Gandhi. What was, however, a mistake was that these for long were sought to be tackled as if they were ordinary problems of a conventional nature demanding conventional responses. In reality, all these were issues germane to the basic weaknesses of our democratic set-upweaknesses which should have been overcome a long time ago, long before Indira came to power, and that too, should have been attempted by means of wide national consensus. These are problems which can hardly be solved through the majority vote of the ruling party alone; they have had to have the sanction of most, if not all, political parties. Otherwise they face the danger of being treated as partisan issues, as they finally did.

Not that bold initiatives were totally missing. It is necessary to remind ourselves the irony of the fact that Indira Gandhi of all our Prime Ministers was the one who had acceded to the demand for a Punjabi-speaking State, while nothing had been done by the Janata Govern-ment to even examine the Akali demands though it had an Akali as a Cabinet Minister.

After Indira Gandhi, her mantle has fallen on the shoulders of her son, Rajiv Gandhi. The party in command of two-thirds majority in Parliament has made him the Prime Minister, though a section of the Opposition did not fail to make a demonstration of their miserable incapacity to rise above pettifogging absurdities by questioning the propriety of his appointment. The challenge that he faces today are many and varied, and his capacity and competence to deal with them will undoubtedly be watched with close scrutiny by friends and adversaries alike.

Like his grandfather, Rajiv Gandhi has assumed power in the midst of turbulence, though in character and intensity, it is different from the one which engulfed the country thirtyseven years ago. The promptitude with which he has taken steps to put down all violence in the Capitalwhere in the ranks of the mischief-mongers could be identified some of the star performers in the mafia of the Sanjay days, whom Rajiv had rejectedhas brought out the initiative which promises to earn him the confidence of the nation.

What has happened is no ordinary outburst of anger tinged with sorrow. The faceless elements, domestic and foreign, who engineered the killing of Indira Gandhi, have as their objective the unleashing of destabilisation on a large scale. More than many others in the country who should have known better, Indira Gandhi herself knewand did not hesitate to confide to othersthat she was the prime target of powerful forces interested in weakening the position of India in the world of today through disturbances within the country itself. US Secretary of State George Schultzs assurance about the Administrations concern for Indias unity is indeed touching though unfortunately it has hardly been reassuring in view of the rather long record of its agencies having had a hand at destabilisation of regimes which did not fall in line with it. Needless to add, the new Prime Minister can hardly depend on such assurances from abroad: he has to take stepsas he has begun to taketo deal with a firm hand the forces that are out to disrupt the nations unity, calculatedly or unwittingly.

At 40, Rajiv Gandhi has become the youngest Prime Minister of this country. His mothers style of functioning made her entire establish-ment, both government and party, into a one-pillar structure. Apart from the superhuman stamina that she had to summon up to manage things as she did, there is little doubt that this encouraged an unwholesome tendency of dependency on the part of her colleagues and acted as a disincentive to initiative on their part. Placed as he is today having yet to earn his spurs as the chief executive of the nation and having colleagues most of whom are senior in age though not all in wisdom or competence, Rajiv Gandhi cannot possibly afford to function as the apex of a pyramid. To carry his colleagues along with him and to make the system run as effectively as possible, he will have to foster collective functioning without in any way permitting his initiative to be stifled. This way alone can emerge a viable framework of governance as also open up the potentialities for his leadership of it. The Congress, though a ruling party, has a history in which it was for long regarded as the common national front, while since independence, it has continued as a loosely held organisaton, largely for the purpose of holding periodic elections. Factions bristle within its ranksperhaps they consti-tuted the major threat to the stability of the Indira Raj at the State levelalthough at the moment, they are to a large measure subdued at the loss of their chief campaigner for the coming General Election. But this is only temporary.

For Rajiv Gandhi to iron out the factions would be a major task. With the disappearance of the banyan tree protection that Indira Gandhi provided them all, it is possible that the urge for survival might help Rajiv to reduce, if not eliminate, group politics. Side by side there appears to be an urge, at the moment incipient, among a good number of old Congressmen who had strayed into different Opposition formations, to return to the fold having seen through the bankruptcy of leaders like Charan Singh and Chandra Shekhar. The trend was perceptible in the last days of Indira Gandhi and is likely to grow in the coming months. It will be important for Rajiv Gandhi to consolidate into one organi-sation all those belonging to what may be termed as the Congress culture.

In the last four years, there grew up around Rajiv Gandhi a band of young Congressmenregarded as a management elitewho have their strong points as having drive and self-confi-dence; at the same time they have yet to imbibe the ethos of the Congress as it has grown over the years. It will be for Rajiv Gandhi himself to harness them and harmonise diverse interests and outlooks into a one homogenous whole. This way will he be able to rebuild the Congress in the conditions of today and this way too holds the promise of his establishing its effective leadership.

Beyond the confines of his party, Rajiv Gandhi will have to evolve through persuasion and pain-staking endeavour the code of national consensus which alone will enable him to deal with the intractable problems that stare him at the face today. This way too perhaps the fragile structure of Indian democracy can still be saved.

(Editors Notebook, Mainstream, November 3-10, 1984)

Being a Proud Indian

Amidst the profusion of tributes paid to Indira Gandhi on the tenth anniversary of her martyrdom on October 31, perhaps the most eloquent but concise was by the eminent scientist-philosopher, Professor Yash Pal, who said she had made us feel proud of being an Indian.

To be proud of belonging to our motherland was the constant injunction that my generation had to abide by when we were young studentsthat was before the country became independent. The galling yoke of foreign rule was not allowed to thwart the personality of a true Indian. How elated we used to feel those days when our young revolutionary heroes mounted the gallows singing Rabindranath Tagores memorable linesBlessed is my life that I am born in this land! It was the same spirit which could be suppressed neither by the bullet and the bullying of the Raj nor by the incessant ideological refrain of the White Mans superiority.

This by itself was the surest guarantee for the triumph of our freedom struggle. All our great leaders have not only harped on the greatness and grandeur of our civilisation but instilled into millions upon millions of their countrymen the sense of irrepressible pride of being an Indianborn out of the soil of this mother earth that is India. Not everybody could face the trials and tribulations of being an activist in the freedom struggle, but everybody, even those who could not come forward to make the sacrifice for the struggle for independence, were mandated not to bend their heads in servility before the foreign ruler. Even today we could get a touch of that unbending spirit as we watch scene after scene in Attenboroughs Gandhi. To be kowtowing to the Raj or be a scab was the worst from a disgrace in the eyes of the awakened public those days.

This feeling persisted even after independence, rather our leaders who were wielding power could perceive the strength of this pride as a national asset and could draw upon it for the rebuilding of our country after independenceits economy, its culture, its foreign policy. Nowadays we hear a lot of attacks on the Nehruvian model of development. But any unbiased observer would concede that what Nehru tried to achieve was the rebuilding of a strong economy shattered by colonial depre-dation. The preference was for the industrial revolution model. The government had to step in because the private sector was at that time too weak and bereft of resources to undertake the building of the basic industries, in short providing for the necessary infrastructure. As for external help, the World Bank authorities made it abundantly clear that they were not interested in underwriting a programme of industrialisation of the country.

At this point, the strength of our national movement came into full playinstead of submitting to the dictates of the powerful vested interests of the developed countries and their friendly multilateral agencies, we in our country launched our unique programme of industriali-sation. We had no hesitation in seeking the advice and cooperation of a whole galaxy of economists from many countries cutting across the Cold War dividing lines. That was how our mixed economy was planned, which held to the motto of self-reliance.

Without this, we would not have been where we are today. We might have had a sort of imported industrialisation that would have been at the mercy of the industrial giants abroad. More likely we would have met the fate of Pakistan, which lagged miles behind in economic growth while burdened with a bloated military outfit that was tied to the Pentagon while bringing in instability in government and politics of the country. Much as our pundits of today may run down the economic strategy of the Nehru era, it needs to be realised that with all the shortcomings of that strategy, there could have been no economic growth today without the foundations laid yesterday.

In a sense, our foreign policy strategy of non-alignment has been the manifestation of that same urge to be proud of being an Indian. After having liberated itself from the rule of the mightiest empire of the time, India was in no mood to be subjected to pressures by any outside power in foreign affairs. As the world got virtually bifurcated into two blocsthe Western bloc under Washington and the communist bloc under Moscowour leaders refused to submit to either. Hence came non-alignment. As decades passed, more and more countries joined the ranks of the non-alignedincluding a number of those who had originally joined one power bloc or the otherthe snooty critics some of whom had branded non-alignment as sin, found themselves out of step with the growing worldwide urge against bloc politics until one of the superpowers collapsed thereby bringing an abrupt end to the Cold War itself. Non-alignment marked the triumph of self-respect in international politics.

During the current drive for economic reforms in our country, the term very much in fashion today is globalisation. There is certainly no place for an autarchy in todays interdependent world. Both the advance of technology and extension of the frontiers of knowledge have made narrow nationalism anachronistic and definitely harmful to our economy and polity as well. At the same time, a copycat importing of any foreign model would not only be repugnant but harmful for our country.

The subservient implementation of diktats from the Fund-Bank bosses that the Finance Ministry mafia has all the time been clamouring for, can only harm the economy and in effect would undermine the very purpose of the economic reforms as befitting this country. What is missing in the present dispensation is a pride in our own achievements; instead has come the mortgaging the fate of our economy to the new Moghuls of the world economy, the giant conglomerates miscalled multinationals. The spirit that fought tenaciously to overthrow the domination of the Raj fifty years ago can hardly be expected to bow to the dictates of the super-moneylenders of the Fund-Bank caucus. If we allow ourselves to be subservient to the Fund-Bank order, we shall be swamped by the economic overlordship of the G-7. Already when we talk about our impressive foreign exchange reserve, we do not at the same time tell the country the enormous debt servicing that we have to bear now and this will continue for years to come.

Does that mean that we should have chosen to wallow in the backwardness of a stagnant economy? Not in the least. What a self-respecting country led by a government proud of its strength and accomplishments would have done would be to carefully review its own unique experiment of mixed economy for four long decades, and on the basis of such a re-examination of the past, design its own model of modernising the economy, removing the shackles that are impinging on its growth and rousing the entire nation with the vista of a strong economy that could harness the nations wealth, tap its human resources and ensure the social well-being of its billion strong people. All this demands the discarding of inferiority complex and rekindling the spirit of being a proud Indian. Globalisation in that case would not be mere subservience to the giant marauders that prowl the world market. Its time the Prime Minister had spelt out the sign-posts of his Middle Way.

(Mainstream, November 12, 1994)
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Chinas Support to Terrorist

This is a familiar exercise. China resents Indias rule over Arunachal Pradesh. New Delhi, and, on the other hand, ignores the protests and treats the North-East territory as its own. Beijing has been irked by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamans visit to Arunachal Pradesh. The noise was, however, louder when the Dalai Lama went there earlier.

China and India have seldom agreed on where the actual border line lies. Beijing attacked India in 1962 when New Delhi tried to get back its territory. However, this time India showed its muscles with the stand-off at Doklam. China had to withdraw its forces behind the present border. Prime Minister Narendra Modi went for the BRICS summit in September after the face-off, and by then the tension was reduced.

The positive side of the trip is the reiteration by the two countries to fight against terrorists. But here too Beijing elucidated its own line. It has again reneged on the proposed UN resolution which sought to put a ban on Azar Masood, a well-known terrorist. He could not be punished. The friendship of China and Pakistan is only getting stronger to the concern of New Delhi. Not long ago, Beijing had begun stapling visas of Indians visiting Arunachal. China wanted to indicate that it was a separate territory, not part of India.

New Delhi bore the humiliation quietly. In the past China had accepted without demur maps showing Arunachal Pradesh as Indias territory. To recall, the dispute is over a small territory lying between Arunachal and Chinas border. The status of Arunachal Pradesh has been seldom questioned.

Tibet for China is like Indias Kashmir which too has raised the standard of independence. There is, however, one difference: the Dalai Lama is willing to accept an autonomous status for Tibet within China. Kashmir today wants independence.

Maybe, the Kashmiris will come round to accept a similar status one day. The problem is so complicated that a minor change can lead to a major catastrophe. Hence the risk is not worth taking. I have visited Bomdila Pass from where the Dalai Lama entered India to seek asylum. His land, Tibet, had been occupied by China, which has also destroyed the Tibetans culture. The Chinese have imposed communism and shown no respect for either the Dalai Lama or his monastery.

The Dalai Lamas visit to Arunachal Pradesh has brought back the memories of the days before the Chinese annexed Tibet. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias first Prime Minister, did not raise any objection at that time because he was on personal terms with Chinese Premier Chou Enlai. It is another story that he betrayed Nehru and China attacked India. It occupied thousands of kilometres of India. It has shown no intention to vacate it.

Tibet is another story of betrayal. True, it was under the suzerainty of Beijing but the autonomy of Tibet was considered unviolable. Suzerainty means a government exercising political control over a dependent state. Suzerainty does not mean absorption. Tibet was not even a part of China when India agreed to the suzerainty of China over it. Beijing betrayed Nehru again when it made the Dalai Lamas stay at Lhasa impossible. The biggest betrayal was when China attacked India eight years later, in 1962.

The Dalai Lamas visit may not have raised doubts about Tibet but it renewed the debate of its annexation by Beijing once again. China called his visit a provocation. Its warning to India was that the Dalai Lamas visit would affect the normal relations between the two countries. That intensified with Doklam. Yet, India managed to hold its own.

In fact, Chinas problems with India have roots in the British demarcation of the India-China border. China refuses to acknowledge the MacMahon Line that demarcates Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of India. Any activity that takes place in this area is viewed by China skeptically.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamans visit to the disputed territory despite Chinese protest showed that New Delhi was prepared for hostilities if it comes to that pass. In 1962 the Indian soldiers did not have shoes for a mountain combat. India is now a power to reckon with.

It looks as if China would go on provoking India to exhaust the latters patience. When war is ruled out this is the only option China has. How to retaliate, without resorting to hostilities is the situation that India faces.

Beijing is trying to revive the Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai scenario. New Delhi cannot trust Beijing, particularly when it is trying to encircle India. China has given a big loan to Nepal. The port which Sri Lanka is building is at the behest of China. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is happy that China is trying to placate her.

But all should realise that India is no push-over now. Apart from war, India has many options. Taiwan is a trump card. It can revive the debate on two Chinas.

The question of terrorism is always there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed with a Chinese leader that they share common concern over terrorism. A portion of the Muslim population living in China is beginning to assert itself. The Chinese leaders are ignoring the uprising. But they should realise that what the Muslims in China are doing has the support of Muslims in other countries. Still China would be helped by non-Muslim countries because they see terrorism at the heart of Muslim chauvinism.

The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Nivedita as an Incredible Educationist - Patriot

by Samit Kar

Swami Vivekananda came in contact with Margaret Elizabeth Nobel for the first time in November 1895 in the latters friends residence in London. He was then in the midst of a world- wide tour to garner morality and financial support to establish the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission as wished by Sarada Devi, the wife of the Ramakrishna Deva. Vivekananda became a well-known figure in many parts of the world since his famous oration in the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in September 1893. There can be no denial that the Ramakrishna Mission was a devout religio-social organisation expressing deep faith in incessant service to humanity following the principles of Hinduism. He also personally believed, Hinduism as a religion is head and shoulders above all the religions of the world. But there was also no denial that Hinduism faced the worst brunt during the 18th and 19th century in Bengal in particular and India in general under the fiat of Brahminical orthodoxy in league with a section of the British adminis-trators. The Master, Ramakrishna Deva, and his devoted disciple, Vivekananda, were immensely pained to see the deplorable status of Hinduism then facing large scale exodus to Christianity precceded by conversion to Islam. The Rama-krishna Mission movement began to assume the proportion of a social reform movement to cure and allay the aberrations inflicting Hinduism during this period.

The objective of the Ramakrishna Mission under the magical inspiration and wise teachings of Ramakrishna Deva in a language true to the understanding of a large number of commoners and the inspirational role of Vivekananda as a superb organiser enabled the organisation to grow in leaps and bounds across the world. The organisation was established on May 1, 1897 and apart from preaching the glorious role of spiritualism, it also adopted certain laudable roles like spreading education, deliverance of health care and social welfare for the downtrodden, poor villagers and members of the depressed castes. The spread of education became one of the important roles of the Rama-krishna Mission and Vivekananda used to say repeatedly, man-making is my mission through education.

When Vivekananda introduced himself before the largely attended World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, he said: I am a Hindoo Monk from India. However, it needs to be remembered that he expressed his strong reservation to what was then going on in the name of Hinduism in India. He became so annoyed with Hinduism that he chose to become a member of the Brahmo Samaj which also emerged as a social reform movement against Hinduism under the leadership of Raja Ram- mohan Roy, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, Keshab Chandra Sen and other great social philosophers and humanists par excellence. When Vivekananda was undergoing a world- wide tour to collect allround support to build the Ramakrishna Mission, he was also carrying in his heart a burning flame to liberate his Motherland from the yoke of British colonialism. The philosophy of Vedanta and the teachings of Ramakrishna Deva lay central to his heart and his penchant to establish the Ramakrishna Mission on the western bank of River Hooghly at a place called Belur in Howrah district in West Bengal became his lifes most sought-after mission. But at the same time he used to cultivate his life-long obsession to liberate his motherland, if necessary even by means of violence and the fiery path. When he could meet Margaret for the first time, Vivekananda made a passionate and mesmerising speech on the cardinal imperatives of Vedanta, the deep-sighted teachings of Rama-krishna Deva and the relevance of establishing the international centre of the Ramakrishna Mission at Belur, later known as the Belur Math. But he also mentioned that everything can wait for the time being but the freedom of his beloved motherland cannot. This was his first and foremost task, which needed to be accomplished without delay. There is a common saying: Love at first sight. The same seems to be very apt to decipher the love between the Master and the Sister which began to snowball with the passage of time.

Vivekananda believed that religion should provide an incessant service to humanity and the Ramakrishna Mission should never budge from this mission. Thus, it would be critically wrong to consider him as an average Hindu Sanyasin. His devotion to the cause of humanity was always exemplary and his commitment to educate the Indian masses, especially Indian women, was indeed beyond comparison. His tremendous attraction to Margaret from the moment he could see her might be due to her equally deepest possible commitment towards the spread of education, especially education of the tiny tots. Margaret set up a primary educational centre at Wimbledon, about 40 kms from London, and developed wonderful techniques of teaching. She used to watch the activities of the toddlers without letting them know that all their activities were discreetly observed by her in order to carefully assess their intrinsic potential. This gave her a far- reaching insight regarding their potential in order to assume what future occupation a child should adopt. Margaret used to provide clay, balls, coloured threads, strings etc. by following the methods of teaching propounded by Maria Montessori and Froebel. In this way Margaret imparted a unique and new method of teaching the Playway to educate the greenhorns. There was no pressure, no hard and fast imposition and no scope to set up a syllabus-based teaching leading to a very unhealthy practice of ill-educated parenting, these days known as helicopter parenting.

The British Government has recently announced to comemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Margaret Elizabeth Nobel who later became known as Sister Nivedita as Vivekananda christened her so on March 25, 1898 subsequent to her arrival in then Calcutta on January 24 of the same year. The British Government decided to provide a face-lift to the school where Margaret used to teach the children with her unique improvised techniques at Wimbledon that later bacame the nuts and bolts of Montessori teaching. Vivekananda became more glued to Margaret when he could find out her uncanny ability as a teacher. He was further attracted when he could ascertain that Margaret was intimately connected with the activities of the Irish revolutionaries who were then fighting a similar battle like the Indians against the British Government to demand their national independence. She was also a hard-core member of the British Labour Party. There is indeed a very strong debate whether Margaret arrived in India due to repeated pleas of Vivekananda or for the sake of organising the Indian masses as widespread discontent was then brewing in various parts of the world against the grave crisis of capitalism leading to the outbreak of World War I since 1914. There is also a huge debate whether Vivekanandas appeal to Margaret to come and contribute to India to spread female education was actually to hoodwink the British Police and the colonial administrators as both of them were hand in glove to organise a mass revolt against the British Government.

The spread of education in every country is the most important endeavour in the making of a nation. Without education, human develop-ment is impossible, let alone the rise of mass revolt in an educationally backward nation like India. Thus, Vivekananda in his different letters written to Margaret used to stress on the relevance to spread education in India and the daunting spirit in her descrbing her as a lioness. The need of a lioness, as written by Vivekananda, does provide a semblance of intuition that he was perhaps more eager to see her lend the push-factor to the cause of mass revolt apart from playing the role of a passionate teacher. Vivekananda made necessary arrangements to begin Margarets effort to serve as a school teacher in then Calcutta. The school building housed at 16A Bosepara Lane at Bagbazar in North Calcutta was inaugurated by Sarada Devi in the presence of Vivekananda on the auspicious day of Kali Puja in 1898. Margaret, who by then became known as Bhagini Nivedita, went door to door to enroll girl students for her school. But during the days of 19th century Bengal, education to the girls was possibly a nightmare instead of a rosy dream. Therefore, she could get a very lukewarm response from the then Bengali society and some even began to see her activities with utter suspicion. But there could be hardly any doubt that Niveditas concern for spreading girls education was indeed genuine and she soon became a die-hard patriotprepared even to sacrifice her invalu-able neck to attain the freedom of India whom she called her mother-land. No foreigner, irrespective of gender, could be compared to her for her continuous craving for freedom of her motherland.

Vivekananda, after writing a series of letters, wrote the final letter of invitation to Margaret on July 29, 1897, three months after the establish-ment of the Belur Math. She reciprocated positively and reached the Budge Budge sea port on January 24, 1898. Vivekananda went there to welcome her. Margaret began her role as a school teacher and started to collect as many girl students as possible despite facing resistance from the conservative Bengalis.

Her contribution as a primary school teacher at Wimbledon was indeed memorable and she could be described as one of the harbingers of the Montessori education system. She had deep love and compassion for the children and was known to have a very sensitive mind. But in India, her passion as a school teacher was found to be short-lived and soon she became actively involved with Indian politics. There was hardly any nationalist leader bearing national stature who did not visit her residence and she soon became a centre of attraction in the realm of Indian politics. Doctor Bhupendra Nath Dutt, the younger brother of Vivekananda, wrote in his Swami Vivekananda: Patriot Prophet (1957) that the latter had little faith in peaceful democratic movement towards the ouster of British rule in India and was actively considering to join secret militant societies for this purpose. Nivedita followed suit since March 1902 after her return from Europe and instead of an educationist, she became fully devoted to Indian politics to attain freedom of her motherland. She even contested Vivekanandas concept of man-making through education and instead said: The eradication of the British rule should be the first priority as nothing could be gained through the spread of education made by the faulty policy of the colonialists. Thus, their removal has to be our primary concern instead of spreading a wrong educational system which can do no good to my motherland.

It is therefore surprising as to why the British Government has decided to observe the 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita (1867-1911) in the wake of the beginning of her 151st Birth Anniversary, which fell on October 28, 2017. Surprisingly enough, the Ramakrishna Mission too decided to do so. Niveditas love and concern for a new approach to primary education is indeed laudable. But her daunting contribution as an incredible Indian patriot and her inherent hatred towards British colonialism while in Ireland and India remains unforgettable in our memory lane. The British Government will highlight her contribution as a primary educator. But would she be ever glorified as an outstanding patriot and an Indian nationalist par excellence?

The colonial interpretation of History is perhaps the biggest impediment to Enlighten-ment and the spread of knowledge without bias and prejudice. Who can disagree that the British had always played the spoilsport to hoodwink the world ever since modern human civilisation spread its tentacles to subvert people across the world? The assessment of Niveditas illumi-nating contribution would never be well known due to British machinations. She will be glorified from a reductionist viewpoint instead of pursuing a holistic view.

The author was in the Sociology Faculty in Presidency College, Kolkata.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Indian Struggles in 1917: On the Eve of the Russian Revolution

Seldom in history do things happen suddenly; they are often years in the making.

It is known that during his South Africa years Mahatma Gandhi had corresponded with Leo Tolstoy, described by Lenin in 1908 as the mirror of the Russian Revolution. This correspondence was three or four years prior to Gandhis last major agitation in South Africa, in which tens of thousands of Indian mine workers and plantation workers and other indentured workers struck work.

By the time the Russian Revolution took place in 1917, Gandhi had already been back in India for two years, barely a month before the death of one of two leading statesmen who had guided Gandhis politics in his South African life, Gopal Krishna Gokhale. The other, Dadabhai Naoroji, the Grand Old Man of India, would pass away shortly in the midst of the coming struggle in Champaran, Bihar.

The Marxist Socialist Narendra Deva, a keen student of Lenins life and writings, would observe that the Bolshevik Revolution placed the masses at the centre-stage of history for the first time.

In India, too, 1917 was a curtain-raiser to events two years later that would mark the beginning of mass involvement in the movement for freedom. As Gandhis critic M.N. Roy acknowledged in his memoirs, Lenin looked upon Gandhi as the inspirer and leader of a mass movement and a revolutionary.

But what is significant is that while 1917 saw Gandhi devising methods of struggle to bring about institutional changes that would also lead to self-government, or swaraj, each of the four struggles preceded the climax of the Russian Revolution and was connected with the peasantry as well as labour.

The Indentured Ultimatum

One of Gandhis earliest ultimatums to the British Government was to end indentured emigration from India. Recruitment of indentured labour for South Africas Natal province had ended in 1911, but continued for Fiji and some other places. In 1915, Viceroy Charles Hardinge had himself urged abolition, but the authorities in London were reluctant. They wanted the Colonies utilising such labour (to have) reasonable time to adjust themselves to the change, hoping to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

On February 26, 1917, Gandhi gave an ultimatum to end indentured recruitment by May 31, failing which he would advise a passive resistance struggle. If the request was not acceded to, he said, all practical steps should be taken to prevent Indians from leaving the country for labour in Fiji. The pressure had its effect. Recruitment of indentured labour from India was stopped on March 12, 1917.

Champaran

His confidence in passive resistance strengthened, Gandhi now turned his attention to the grievances of peasants in Champaran. By April 15, he had reached Bankipore, Patna and from there, later the same day set out for Motihari in Champaran district.

India and Russia were moving, almost step for step, even if they were to different beats. Gandhis country was under colonial rule, while in independent Russia the Tsarist monarchy had abdicated more than a month ago. The day after Gandhi reached Champaran, Lenin, who had been in Switzerland till then, reached Petrograd (now St Petersburg). On April 16, 1917, Gandhi sent instructions that his Kaiser-i-Hind medal be returned to the British regime; an order to leave the district, meanwhile, had been served on Gandhi and he had refused to obey. He had been arrested on his way to a village to inquire into the condition of indigo workers.

After struggles, surveys, and enquiries in the district, the Champaran Agrarian Act followed. The legislation abolished the Tinkathia system under which ryots had to set apart a certain proportion of their best land for the landlords crops.

In retrospect, some historians have argued that the amendments then made did not go far enough. This somewhat Trotsky-like criticism may well be valid; yet the relevant question to ask would be what, if anything, the later Kisan Sabhas that emerged in Bihar in the decades before Indias independence and which are believed to have been active and radical, did to take the Champaran struggle forward.

The fact is, Champaran initiated a wider engage-ment of the national movement with peasant struggles. It did not come about entirely as a matter of chance. When Gandhi was still in South Africa in 1908 there had been indigo-related disturbances in Champaran. This had revived memories of similar struggles in some Bengal districts from the 1860s. On January 8, 1910, Gandhis South African journal Indian Opinion had devoted its entire front page to an account from the Calcutta press on this 19th century struggle which referred to the courage and self-sacrifice of the indigo ryots of Bengal as being without parallel in the world. Gandhis journal had described that struggle as thrilling and commented that passive resistance can have no better illustration. It had thus become an inspiration for and vindication of the passive resistance then being conducted in South Africa.

Internments in the Home Rule agitation

In the year following Gandhis return to India, two Home Rule Leagues had been founded by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, respectively. In June 1917 Annie Besant and some of her associates were interned in Ootacamund. At this juncture Gandhi, who was in Motihari, Champaran, again advised passive resistance. In a letter at the end of June to J.B. Petit of Bombay, an early supporter from his South Africa days, Gandhi wrote : The descent at the present moment upon the villages by you, Mr Jinnah and such other leaders cannot but end in arrests. This propaganda must be carried on in spite of Government prohibition and to that extent it may be considered illegal but for a passive resister not unlawful. There are various other methods which I am unwilling to advise until passive resistance in its present form has soaked into us a bit.

There are two noteworthy features about Gandhis advice to J.B. Petit from Champaran. Firstly: go to the villages. In this attempt to reach out to the peasantry, Gandhi seems to anticipate the later emphasis on the peasantry within international Marxism which would come with Dimitrov in Bulgaria and Mao in China; he was reflecting also an obvious compulsion of Indias social formation of the time, in that the peasant-based population was overlaid with a further layer of a full-blown foreign colonialism.

In the two scenarios, Lenin had gravitated towards the workers and soldiers. Gandhi moved toward the peasantry, which was drawn to the national movement as never before.

Secondly, there is in Gandhis communication to Petit evidence of an attempt at some planning of the sequence of the moments of passive resistance.

There were countrywide protests against the internments leading to withdrawal of the orders against Annie Besant and her associates by September 1917.

The Social Struggles of 1917

Perhaps the most fascinating of the four major Indian struggles of 1917 was the one against untouchability and the way this was reflected in the political and social conferences held in Godhra, Gujarat, from November 3, 1917, some four days before the climax of the Russian Revolution. The political conference was attended also by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whose trial and sentence had been followed and commented on by Lenin in 1908.

Echoing the underlying message of the other struggles embarked on during the year, in his presidential address, Gandhi told the Political Conference on November 3, We have to demand swaraj from our own people. Our appeal must be to them. When the peasantry of India understands what swaraj is, the demand will become irresistible.

He called for the entire law on indenture to be repealed: It is no part of our duty to look to the convenience of the Colonies. The inter-religious question and the social inequalities prevailing in India had characteristics not known in many other countries, including Russia. Repeatedly, in 1917, Gandhi spoke for Hindu-Muslim accord. In the Godhra conferences he lashed out against the practice of untouchability. At least since September 1915, when he had taken in a Dalit and his family into his settlement in Ahmedabad and encountered some resistance over it, he had been considering the efficacy of passive resistance in social questions such that this would embrace swaraj.

The Social Conference at Godhra, which was presided over by Gandhi on November 5, 1917, included persons from the so-called untouchable communities and was attended by, among others, Abbas Tyabji and Vithalbhai Patel. Do not suppose, Gandhi told his listeners, that that community belongs to a lower status; let the fusion take place between you and that community, and then you will be fit for swaraj.

Two days after the extraordinary Social Conference held at Godhra, precisely a century ago, the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd and inaugurated the Russian Revolution that would affect the course of history by creating a state that became for more than 70 years a countervailing force to the old colonial powers.

Along with the forces of nationalism that swept across the world in the 20th century, the new countervailing power too contributed, even by its mere existence, to the demise of colonialism. At the same time it also unleashed forces which both strengthened and, through premature zeal, weakened the nationalist movements and sometimes even contributed to dividing them.

(Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/web-edits/indian-struggles-in-1917-on-the-eve-of-the-russian-revolution-4926133/)

Anil Nauriya has studied Economics, has been a counsel at the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court since the 1980s and widely written on both history and politics in India. His writings include The African Element in Gandhi (2006), English Imperialism and the Varied Lights of Willie Pearson (2014) and Non-Violent Action and Socialist Radicalism: Narendra Deva in Indias freedom movement (2015). He tweets @AnilNauriya
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Indias Contradictory Stances on Rohingya Refugees

by Kadayam Subramanian

During his visit to Myanmar in early September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed support for the Myanmar regimes fight against extremist violence perpetrated by the Rohingya rebels but failed to mention the suffering inflicted on innocent Rohingya civilians who have been subjected to violence, including torture and rape, and displacement by the Myanmar security forces in the course of their clearance operations against extremists.

While supporting the Myanmar regime, the Chinese Government officials are reportedly concerned about the persecution of the Rohingya, but that feeling does not appear to be shared by their counterparts in New Delhi.

The Rohingya Muslim ethnic group in Myanmar has suffered decades of discrimination and violence at the hands of the Buddhist majority and security forces in Myanmar. However, the magnitude of the recent violence against them is unprecedented. UN Secretary- General Antonio Guterres and UN Human Rights Council chief Zeid raad al-Husein have described the August attacks on Rohingya villages as a systematic effort amounting to ethnic cleansing. Satellite images released by Human Rights Watch on September 19 showed massive swathes of scorched landscape and the near total destruction of 214 villages.

A report by the Arakan Project said the attacks drove nearly all Rohingya out of one of the three northern Rakhine townships where the ethnic group is concentrated in Myanmar (population: 60 million).

Robin McDowell reported (The Indian Express, September 20) that an estimated 421,000 Rohingya had fled in less than a month to Bangladesh as their villages burned and hundreds were killed.

The Rohingya have lived for centuries in the Rakhine state. However, they have been denied Myanmar citizenship because they allegedly arrived as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh during colonial times. The denial of citizenship makes the Rohingya one of the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world today. There are said to be 135 officially recognised ethnic groups in Myanmar.

Resistance and Repression

In October 2016, the newly emerged Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked three border guard posts. In response, the Myanmar Army (known as the Tatmadaw) raped, killed and displaced hundreds of Rohingya.

On August 25, 2017 the rebel Rohingya army attacked three police posts and an Army base. The security forces cracked down on the wider population and indulged in an orgy of violence, burning villages, raping women and shooting civilians from helicopters. More than 410,000 Rohingya, including hundreds of Hindus, are reported to have fled to Bangladesh. Others, including Buddhists, were displaced. The human rights scenario in the Rakhine state deteriorated dramatically.

Role of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi

Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars de facto leader, claimed that the great majority of Muslims in the conflict zone had chosen to remain and that more than 50 per cent of the villages were intact.

Her global image has been badly tarnished since Rohingya insurgents attacked the Myanmar security forces on August 25, forcing Rohingya civilians to flee following the village-torching military crackdown that followed. The govern-ment blamed the Rohingya themselves but members of the persecuted community insisted that soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them.

On September 19, Suu Kyis first-ever address to the nation since the violence erupted came after she cancelled plans to attend the UN General Assembly meeting. She said anyone found to have broken the law would be punished, and those who fled to Bangladesh would be allowed to return if they passed a verification process. Though fires continued to burn in the Rakhine state, she said there were no armed clashes or clearance operations in the previous two weeks.

Bangladeshi and Indian Response

Bangladesh, the country most directly affected by the refugee influx, has handled the situation with as much finesse as it can muster. About 410,000 refugees have been sheltered in the border region between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

India is said to have received over 40,000 Rohingya refugees, A Bangladeshi diplomatic initiative persuaded India to issue a statement acknowledging the Rohingya refugee crisis and deploy aid.

Indias hyper-nationalist Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on September 18 that the Muslim Rohingya, who had entered India through the porous Bangladesh border, were illegal entrants and would be deported.

Indias Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) responded to a public interest litigation against possible deportation filed by two Rohingya refugees by submitting an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India which said they were illegal entrants and that the Government of India had a right to deport them.

The MHA argued that India was not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and was therefore not bound by the principle of non-refoulment. Non-refoulment, a principle in international law, stops a country from returning refugees to a place where they could be at risk of persecution. The Supreme Courts judgment in the case is expected.

Indias MHA, however, forgot that this is a diplomatic issue and that the relevant Ministry, namely, the Ministry of External Affairs, had accepted and practised the principle over a period of time despite India having not signed and ratified the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees.

On September 19, the Indian media pointed out that the MHAs affidavit in the Supreme Court contradicted a statement made in July 2017 by the Ministry of External Affairs in a discussion on refugees at the UN Human Rights Council. (Nirupama Subramanian, The Indian Express, Chandigarh, September, 19, p. 1)

During this discussion on July 10, Indian official Anil K. Rai from the Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, supported the concept of burden-sharing, including the relocation of refugees on a case by case basis with the consent of the refugees. The official added that while doing so, it was necessary not to open the path for redefining the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol nor dilute its principle of non-refoulment.

Such an endorsement of the principle of non-refoulment was not new. India has repeatedly asserted that it stood by this principle, despite not having been a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

In 2001, Indian diplomat R.N. Prasad said at a UNHCR meeting that the Indian judiciary had taken care of the rights of refugees. He added that with regard to the refugees access to courts and the justice system, the courts in India had laid down certain markers for refugees based on the principle of the right to life and liberty of all persons residing in the national territory. (See Devirupa Mitra, Modi Governments Affidavit on Rohingya Refugees Reverses Long-held Stand on Refoulment in www.thewire.in)

Against that backdrop, India had, at the earlier meeting of the UNHCRs Standing Committee on June 26, 2012, sought to stress the fundamental principle of non-refoulment and insisted that any return of refugees has to be voluntary. It added that the principle of non-refoulment was pivotal for the safety and security of the international protection regime for the well-being of refugees.

Despite not having signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Indian delegations have claimed that the country had always carried out successful repatriation of a large number of refugees through bilateral arrangements without any multilateral assistance.

However, in the case of the Rohingya refugees in India, it may be difficult for the government to repatriate them to Myanmar through a bilateral arrangement since the latter has denied citizenship to the Rohingya.

In an interconnected world, India must immediately sign and ratify the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol. Former Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid has stressed (The Statesman, September 22) the urgency of Indias ratification of the Convention and Protocol.

India has not so far signed and ratified the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and the 1967 Protocol arguing that the Convention had been tailored to suit post-war European conditions not applicable to regions of massive population movement such as the Indian subcontinent. This argument is no longer relevant.

It may be relevant to note here that India must also promote better utilisation of the mechanism of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in discussing regional cooperation to address conceptual and opera-tional refugee issues in South Asia.

(Courtesy: Asia Times)

Kadayam Subramanian is a former Director of the Research and Policy Division of the Union Home Ministry and the erstwhile Director General of Police in Northeast India. He is the author, inter alia, of Political Violence and the Police in India and State, Policy and Conflicts in Northeast India.
MARTINSVILLERobert Andrew Moody had been employed as a music teacher with Henry County Public Schools since 2006 when officers arrested him May 28, 2015, in connection with a child pornography case.

As a result of that investigation, Moody was indicted by a Martinsville grand jury in July 2017 on one count of first-offense possession of child pornography and 39 counts of possession of child pornography-second of subsequent offense, for a total of 40 charges. On Nov. 8, Moody, now of Meckenburg County, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of first-offense possession of child pornography, 19 counts of which were reduced from possession of child pornography-second or subsequent offense. The prosecution also dropped but can reinstate 20 charges of possession of child pornography-second or subsequent offense against Moody.

Judge G. Carter Greer ordered a presentence report and set sentencing for March 15 on the charges to which Moody pleaded guilty.

But the case left several questions, including how long he had access to local children and what the school district did when they learned of the charges.

Officers from both the Martinsville Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were involved in the search of Moodys house that day in 2015. The warrant had been obtained after an investigation by the task force discovered that child pornography was being downloaded to a device inside the house.

While the search warrant was being executed, Robert Moody claimed ownership of all the items that were being seized and stated to officers that he does look at pornography on the internet. (Moodys wife) doesnt look at pornography on the internet, so you are looking at the right person for any kind of mistakes that were made.

According to court records, task force officers performed a forensic analysis of all the items recovered from Moodys home. On the Acer hard drive, officers located numerous thumbnail digital images, including 40 such images portraying identifiable children who were mostly or fully nude. Most of the images portrayed these identifiable nude minors performing sexual acts on or with identifiable minors and/or adults.

The Acer hard drive was confirmed to be the exclusive property of Robert Moody, that he was the sole user of the device, and that the device was associated with the specific internet IP address assigned to the computer devices located at Moodys home. It also was determined that Robert Moodys specific user name was directly associated with the computer files on the hard drive containing all 40 of these digital images.

For the 2014-2015 school year, which ended on May 21, 2015, Moody served as an itinerant music teacher at Mount Olivet Elementary School during the first semester and at Stanleytown Elementary during the second semester, according to Monica Hatchett, director of communications for Henry County Public Schools.

Hatchett said she was not permitted to comment when asked if or when the school division was notified by law enforcement or other criminal justice agencies such as the commonwealths attorneys office about the investigation into Moody after the search on May 28, 2015. Martinsville Police Chief Eddie Cassady did not respond to a similar question.

I believe the school was first made aware of the investigation as of the date the search warrant was executed, said Martinsville Commonwealths Attorney Clay Gravely. If I recall, Martinsville Investigators actually picked up Mr. Moody at the school on the day they executed the warrant and brought him back home so they could execute the warrant in his presence. What steps the school took after that, you would have to ask them.

The Bulletin also asked Gravely what the law requires police, prosecutors and public schools to do in such situations.

I am unaware of any law or statute that mandates reporting or notification by law enforcement of an investigation into the alleged possession of child pornography by a public school employee, Gravely said. In this case, there was no information that any Henry County students were being harmed or were in imminent danger of being harmed by Mr. Moody, so the mandatory reporting required in those types of cases would not apply here.

According to Hatchett, from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, Moody was assigned to the school divisions Central Office and did not work in a school.

He was tasked with working on special project development during that time, Hatchett said.

When asked what those special projects were, she said that Mr. Moody completed special projects as needed for various departments within the School Board office, including updating web content, school division forms and manuals, and researching policies and compliance within VA Code, as well as performing administrative and office support functions to facilitate the efficient and effective operation of the school division support office.

Hatchett said Moodys salary was $41,359 in both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. She added that Moody did not have contact with students in his position of special project development and that he reported to the School Board office each day.

In terms of why he was moved to the central office and not suspended after the arrest, Hatchett said that she couldnt comment, as that was a private personnel matter.

As far as a suspension or termination, the school districts policy states that an employee who is charged by summons, warrant, indictment, or information with the commission of a felony or a misdemeanor specified in Va. Code  22.1-315 may be suspended in accordance with Policy GCPF Suspension of Staff Members.

At that point in 2015, Moody had been arrested in connection with the crime. However, he was not actually indicted until July 2017, two full years later. As for why it took so long? Gravely said the analysis of all the computer equipment seized took time.

Many of the items recovered from Mr. Moody's home included computers and hard-drives which had to be forensically analyzed by the expert forensic technologists with ICAC, Gravely said. This process alone took upwards of [more than] 18 months to confirm whether or not the numerous items recovered contained [child porn], and we moved as expeditiously as possible to pursue indictments against Mr. Moody once we were able to finalize the analyses and complete the investigation.

School districts policies

Hatchett also outlined Henry Countys policies, in terms of what the district does to protect students from any employees or job applicants.

Every incoming staff member and volunteer undergoes a criminal background check as well as a Central Registry check through the Department of Social Services that identifies whether they have any founded cases of child abuse or neglect, Hatchett said. Anyone who is a candidate for employment or requesting approval as a volunteer who has a conviction for a barrier crime would not be eligible to work with our students.

According to the Virginia Code, barrier crime refers to a conviction for certain felony violations, one of which is possession of child pornography.

Any visitor to our schools has their identification scanned to undergo a screen that corresponds with the National Registry of Sex Offenders, Hatchett added. By law, violent sex offenders are not permitted on school property at any time. HCPS policy also dictates that non-violent sex offenders are not permitted on school property.

The Virginia Department of Education also mandates that teachers who are renewing their teaching license must answer a series of questions on their application for license renewal regarding whether they have been under investigation or have received a conviction in a case of misconduct.

Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin and can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com.
A Randolph man is facing charges in court after police say he tried to assault a woman Friday night in Boston while wearing some type of security guard uniform.

Isaiah Brown, 26, of Randolph, was arrested Saturday night and now faces charges of indecent assault and battery and impersonating a police officer. He should be arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court.

Police were called to the Hanover Street area of Boston around 2:30 a.m. Friday for a report of an incident assault. A woman told officers she was approached by a man wearing what appeared to be a security guard's uniform.

"According to the victim, the suspect stated that he needed to talk to her about an important issue and that she had to go with him immediately," police said. "After following the suspect for a short distance, victim states the suspect stopped and attempted to indecently assault her, at which time, the victim ran away and called police."

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans praised his officers for making an arrest.

"I want to commend both my officers and detectives for the comprehensive effort that led to the quick arrest of the suspect wanted in this case," Evans said. "Clearly, the community's a safer place with this individual off the streets and I hope the residents of the North End can breathe a little easier and take comfort in the fact that this individual is no longer in a position to harm or harass anybody else."

The incident remains under investigation by detectives.
ELLINGTON, Conn. - State police arrested a 22-year-old man accused of firing at least 34 shots from three different guns while drinking Saturday night.

Alexander Czaja, of Ellington, is being accused of shooting a speed limit sign and firing at random in the area of Crystal Lake and on Minor Hill, Aborn and Sandy Beach roads at about 10:25 p.m. Saturday, Connecticut State Police said.

Police received multiple 911 calls from residents of the Crystal Lake area, who reported hearing multiple shots being fired. State Police troopers and Ellington police responded and began searching the area.

They then found a man walking out of a wooded area carrying a long gun. Troopers ordered the man to drop the gun and lay on the ground, which Czaja followed. After handcuffing him, police found he was also armed with two handguns and had at least 25 more rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, police said.

"It was determined that the male had been drinking alcohol and was walking home from a friend's house" when he fired shots from each of the guns. Czaja did have a pistol permit, which was confiscated with the three guns, police said.

Czaja was charged with unlawful discharge of firearms, carrying firearms illegally while under influence of drugs or alcohol, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. He was released on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Nov. 27, police said.
Multiple police departments across Western Massachusetts are scheduling a variety of charity drives this holiday season to help those in need.

The majority are holding toy drives to ensure children get a visit from Santa this year. Monson Police is also collecting gifts for members of the military.

Toys will be given to local food pantries and other community organizations as well as Toys for Tots. Nearly all are asking people for new, unwrapped toys to stuff a cruiser.

Some of the events are as follows:

Agawam: The Police Department will be collecting gifts for Toys for Tots from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 17 and 18 in Geissler's Supermarket parking lot on Suffield Street.

Blandford: The Police Department will stuff a cruiser with toys from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Dec. 12 at Town Hall. The toys will be donated to the Huntington Food Pantry.

Chicopee: Chicopee Police will stuff a cruiser or two from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dec. 9 in the Chick-Fil-A parking lot on Memorial Drive. The toys collected will go to Toys for Tots.

Great Barrington: The Police Department is collecting for Toys for Tots from now until Dec. 11. People can drop off toys in the lobby of the department on Main Street.

Monson: Police are collecting gifts for care packages that will be shipped to residents who are serving in the military and deployed across the world. A collection box will be in the lobby of the Police Station on Main Street through Nov. 20. Donations have to be collected early because of the time it takes to ship packages.

Sturbridge: The Police and Fire Departments will be collecting Toys for Tots from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 9 at the Public Safety Complex on Main Street. Santa will be there and there will be hot chocolate and cookies. People can also drop toys off to the Public Safety Department lobby any time.

Wales: The Police Department will stuff a cruiser with toys for children and gifts for women, including gift cards, gloves and toiletries, during the Christmas Tree Lighting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Wales Elementary School on Main Street. The snow date is Dec. 9 and those who cannot make the event can drop donations off at the Town Office building until Dec. 1 or on Monday nights at the Police Department. The donations will be given to Womenshelter/Companeras in Holyoke.

Wilbraham: The Police Department is hoping to stuff three cruisers with toys on Dec. 9 to donate to families who are not able to afford presents. The event will be held between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Big Y on 2035 Boston Road. Contact Sgt. Jeff Rudinski, Sgt. Mark Paradis or Officer Brent Noyes at 413-596-3837 to nominate a family in need to receive gifts.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker made it very clear that police officials shouldn't be doing favors for anyone, period.

The governor's statement came on the heels of the Alli Bibaud case and the discovery that now-former Massachusetts State Police Col. Richard McKeon ordered troopers to redact comments made by the judge's daughter during her October arrest.

Baker, while speaking to WBZ-TV's Jon Keller, said police cannot give special treatment to anyone.

"You should never do a favor for a local big shot. Period. Ever," Baker said. "No exceptions."

McKeon and his second-in-command, Lt. Col. Francis Hughes, resigned amid controversy over the redaction of Bibaud's arrest report. McKeon ordered troopers to remove alleged statements by Bibaud where she mentioned her father is a judge and that she performed sex acts in order to obtain drugs.

While responding to Hughes' retirement, State Police said it is typical for the second-in-command to leave their position to allow the new colonel/superintendent to select a new deputy superintendent.

The two troopers involved in the arrest of Bibaud, Toopers Ali Rei and Ryan Sceviour, have both filed federal lawsuits against the State Police, McKeon and others over the colonel's order.

Troopers Rei and Sceviour were both reprimanded after including the statements McKeon deemed "sensational" in the arrest of Bibaud, the daughter of Worcester County Judge Timothy Bibaud.

Sceviour claims members of the Worcester County District Attorney's Office, supervisors in the State Police and other high-ranking state officials, were involved in the redaction of Bibaud's report.

Judge Bibaud has denied ever being involved.

New State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin is removing the reprimands from the troopers' files, Baker said. The new colonel is also conducting an investigation into the situation. Baker said there are going to be "other investigations" but did not specify further.

Baker said his office determined McKeon made a mistake and should not have intervened.

"His stated position, and he's never said anything other than this, he's owned it from the beginning, is that he wanted to clean it up because he felt some of the information in it was not germane to the charges that were being leveled against the defendant," Baker said in his interview with Keller.

One could argue most of the redacted information could have remained in the report based on the charges, Baker said. The desk supervisor should have handled the reports and any possible redactions, the governor said.

"They (State Police) need to put a much more explicit set of protocols in place with respect in how they handle issues associated with editing arrest reports," he said. "When we looked at the information, we concluded that - except for very minor circumstances - everything that was there belonged in the report."

Bibaud pleaded guilty to operating under the influence of liquor and several motor vehicle violations in Framingham District Court Friday. The charge of operating under the influence of drugs was not settled and a hearing on that matter will be held at a date yet to be determined.

Bibaud was placed on probation for 14 months and will undergo drug treatment. She cannot drive for one year. Her lawyer said she is attending a 32-day treatment program in New Hampshire.

Troopers determined Bibaud was under the influence of alcohol and drugs during an October crash in Worcester. Troopers said they discovered drug paraphernalia associated with heroin use in Bibaud's car.
Air Mauritius commemorated its 50 years of air services to Rodrigues at an official ceremony held at Plaine Corail Airport on the 11th October 2022.

Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity was the Chief Guest at the ceremony.

On 13 September 1972, five years after its creation, Air Mauritius, was ready for its first take-off and made history as its first commercial flight landed safely in Rodrigues. It was operated by a 6-seater, twin-engine Piper Navajo aircraft, leased from Air Madagascar. This event marked the beginning of a great adventure for an airline that would fly an island nation to the world and back.

In his address at the function, the Chairman of Air Mauritius, Mr Marday Venketasamy, G.O.S.K, C.S.K, stated that

The Rodrigues route is served with 3 ATR72-500 aircraft, while we await runway developments at Plaine Corail Airport to consider deployment of bigger sized aircraft. We are proud that for the past decades we have been connecting Rodriguans to Mauritius and beyond via the Air Mauritius network. In order to meet our customers expectations, our inflight services to and from Rodrigues are currently being reviewed. For the Rodriguan tourism industry to thrive, we need to provide all facilities as well as regular and safe air connectivity. In order to boost tourism, Air Mauritius, with the support of Government, offers a Special Holiday Package to the destination.

The Prime Minister then proceeded to unveil a commemorative plaque. A Bois Clou, a critically endangered plant endemic to Rodrigues was symbolically planted at Plaine Corail Airport by the Prime Minister. The Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues, Mr Johnson Roussety, G.O.S.K. and the Chairman of Air Mauritius, Mr Marday Venketasamy G.O.S.K., C.S.K, also planted two other endangered endemic trees to Rodrigues namely the Bois Balai (Turraea laciniate) and the Bois Bouteille (Fernelia Buxifolia) respectively, in the presence of members of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly and other dignitaries.

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On Thursday, some talented young dancers from McDowell County will show off their moves as part of the traditional Macys Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City.

As folks back home get ready to enjoy their turkey and mashed potatoes, 10 dancers with Miss Jacies School of Dance in Marion will be performing as part of the Spirit of America Productions dance team in the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade. Held since 1924 in the middle of Manhattan, it is the worlds largest parade and probably the best known.

The 10 girls from Miss Jacies School of Dance who will be going are: Shana Adcock, 16; Madison Brown, 16; Maggie Buckner, 15; Abigail Dayton, 14; Mackenzie Gibbs, 15; Savanna Hall, 14; Jade Hardin, 15; Kari Maney, 17; Hannah Strickland, 15; and Sydney Young, 15.

They will be accompanied by their parents making a total of 26 from McDowell County.

Melanie Eckenrod Buckner, mother of Maggie Buckner, is one of the parents looking forward to this trip and watching her daughter get this opportunity.

The parents are just as excited as the girls, said Melanie Buckner.

Miss Jacies School of Dance, which is owned by Jacie White, has sent groups before to the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade.

These young dancers have worked for two years to raise enough money to have this opportunity. Theyve had booths at the downtown Marion New Years Eve celebration and the Carolina Donut Festival. Theyve sold concessions at their recitals and hosted a Fun Run 5K. The girls have held numerous yard sale and car washes to get enough money for this event. During this time, they were able to raise $2,500 per dancer, according to Melanie Buckner.

And now the big moment is about to arrive. During this week, they will arrive in New York City and check in to the New York Hilton Midtown, which is the largest hotel in the city. While they are in the Big Apple, the girls will need to rehearse a professionally choreographed routine that they and others with the Spirit of America dance team are to perform in the parade.

It will be a jazz routine that they have practiced before at the studio. The 10 girls from Jacies School of Dance will join 500 to 600 girls, ages 14 to 18, from all over the United States as part of this massive dance team.

Im very excited to get up there and work with the people who choreographed the routine, said Maggie Buckner. I dont know who I will be paired with. Its an opportunity to meet new people.

The event will be televised nationally on NBC, as it has been since 1952.

There will be time for fun and sightseeing too. Between the rehearsals, they will attend a Broadway show, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. They are looking forward to touring such famous landmarks as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. They will attend a taping of the Today show and naturally do some shopping at Macys.

The parents get to do what the girls get to do, said Melanie Buckner.
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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." 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.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.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 with 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."Source: Eurekalert


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Its the potential dark side of this period in public life, when entertainers and politicians are targets of sexual harassment claims by men and women who sense a new freedom in publicly airing their sometimes decades-old claims.

An apparent hoaxer who targeted U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Friday underscores the potential for anonymous political enemies to hide behind shifting, even-disappearing social media platforms.

Blumenthal on Saturday night dismissed the attack and stressed that false claims like this can take away from the legitimate harassment reports that many are now feeling strong enough to pursue.

Everything about this attack was phony and false, said Blumenthal, a Democrat, in a phone interview discussing the internet troll. The twitter account was phony. The claims are a lie. Everything about this attack was false from beginning to end. This kind of phony hoax is a disservice and tremendously detrimental to the courageous and brave people coming forward.

Blumenthals personal response came a day after Hearst Connecticut Medias report of an apparent internet troll involving a woman who says she was harassed and assaulted while a teenaged intern when he was U.S. attorney in 1979.

Some experts see these attacks as harbingers of a new era in fake news media.

If they dont identify themselves that should put a cloud over it, said Gary L. Rose, professor and chairman of the Department of Government, Politics and Global Studies at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. In the case of false claims, they better have their attorneys. They should be sued.

Rose said in a Saturday interview that false allegations are an almost inevitable, treacherous side effect of the revelations of high-powered movie producers like Harvey Weinstein, actors like Kevin Spacey, and politicians including Sen. Al Franken and President Donald Trump sexually harassing and touching men and women.

I think that a lot of high-profile people, actors, comedians, senators, with the proliferation of allegations going on, and other social media, it was just a matter of time before frivolous claims came up, said Rose. Even people like Dick Blumenthal have to be on-guard. Some people have a perverse intent. We have to be on the lookout for a rash of these.

On Friday, a person identifying herself as Linda Flores of Cheshire, charged that Blumenthal insulted, harassed and sexually assaulted her during that summer of 1979. He served as U.S. attorney from 1977 until 1981, before winning election to the state Senate, then state longtime attorney general, before winning the U.S. Senate seat in 2010.

Someone identifying herself as Flores, in an email, declined to be interviewed. Throughout the day, her Twitter account changed and was eventually suspended. Her profile photos on social media also changed.

Cindy Wolfe Boynton of Milford, who is the president of the Connecticut chapter of National Organization for Women said Saturday that there will always be people who are going to cry wolf and make unwarranted attacks.

I would hope that what appears to be a false claim doesnt inhibit other women who have suffered any sort of sexual harassment or sexual assault from coming forward, Boynton said in a phone interview. Its like women have - all of a sudden - been given permission to come forward and say what happened to them. Theres a strength in numbers. I think whats happening right now is really important, extremely empowering, she added.

Rose, the SHU political scientist, warned of the possibility of a rash of copycat attacks on public figures and others from Internet hoaxers using web robots, called bots, which are software that can perform work at high speed with near-anonymity.

Flores initially sent an email, full of misspellings and poor grammar, to the New Haven Register, part of Hearst Connecticut Media, saying she grew up in Cheshire and that her father helped get her an unpaid internship in the U.S. Attorneys office in New Haven.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
November 19, 2017: Oslo, Norway, Petroleum Geo-Services ASA ("PGS" or "the Company") announces that it has entered into an agreement with the tax authorities of Rio de Janeiro to settle all ongoing disputes related to Municipal Services Tax ("ISS") on the licensing of MultiClient data.

The Municipality of Rio de Janeiro recently published new regulations for ISS relating to licensing of MultiClient data. PGS has opted to settle all the ongoing ISS disputes in accordance with the provisions of the new regulations and has together with the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro presented a motion to the courts for withdrawal of the lawsuits and release of the amounts deposited as escrow.

The settlement covers all historical periods and exposures relating to ISS on MultiClient licensing up to today. Under the settlement, PGS will pay an aggregate amount which is substantially less than the amounts already deposited by PGS for the parts of the exposure which are in court proceedings. With current exchange rates, PGS estimates that it will receive approximately USD 55 million of the amounts on deposit and therefore realize a significant positive liquidity effect. PGS expects that the funds will be released before year-end 2017.

PGS expects to record a loss of approximately USD 15 million in Q4 2017, since the full book value of the deposited amount is not recovered. The deposit was reported as restricted cash with a book value of USD 72.2 million at September 30, 2017.

PGS welcomes the new regulations issued by the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro which will increase transparency going forward and specifically require 2% ISS to be paid on MultiClient licensing.





FOR DETAILS, CONTACT:



Bard Stenberg, VP IR & Corporate Communications

Mobile: +47 99 24 52 35













****

Petroleum Geo-Services is a focused marine geophysical company providing a broad range of seismic and reservoir services, including acquisition, imaging, interpretation, and field evaluation. The Company's MultiClient data library is among the largest in the seismic industry, with modern 3D coverage in all significant offshore hydrocarbon provinces of the world. PGS operates on a worldwide basis with headquarters at Lilleaker, Oslo, Norway.

For more information on Petroleum Geo-Services visit www.pgs.com.

****

The information included herein contains certain forward-looking statements that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are based on various assumptions made by the Company, which are beyond its control and are subject to certain additional risks and uncertainties. The Company is subject to a large number of risk factors including but not limited to the demand for seismic services, the demand for data from our multi-client data library, the attractiveness of our technology, unpredictable changes in governmental regulations affecting our markets and extreme weather conditions. For a further description of other relevant risk factors we refer to our Annual Report for 2016. As a result of these and other risk factors, actual events and our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The reservation is also made that inaccuracies or mistakes may occur in the information given above about current status of the Company or its business. Any reliance on the information above is at the risk of the reader, and PGS disclaims any and all liability in this respect.

--END--
ANN ARBOR, MI - For the second year in a row, a Pinckney couple has established scholarships for graduating high school seniors, in partnership with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.

Remedios Montalbo Young and A. Michael Young, of Pinckney, recently announced the creation of two new scholarships to help a graduating senior at Pinckney Community High School and at Ypsilanti Community High attend a college, university or technical school in a general field of study.

These are in addition to the scholarships the Youngs established in 2016 for Pinckney and Ypsilanti high school graduating seniors who are pursuing a career in a music or other arts-related field.

The new scholarships will be awarded at each high school's spring 2018 graduation ceremony. The one-year, $2,500 scholarships are based on the Youngs' "deep pride in their community, their respect for education, their belief in the potential that is part of every youngster, and their abiding respect for the spirit of volunteerism," according to a press release from the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.

A. Michael Young is the son of a German immigrant, and he grew up in Detroit. Remedios Montalbo Young was born and raised in the Philippines Islands, and she moved to the United States to complete her post-graduate degree.

A. Michael and Remedios both spent more than 30 years as research scientists at Parke-Davis, Warner-Lambert and Pfizer. Over the years, they and their sons, Ricardo and Michael, developed a love of Washtenaw and Livingston counties, education, youth, volunteerism and music.

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra is involved in both Pinckney and Ypsilanti schools, through its popular "side-by-side" concerts in Pinckney and youth education programs in Ypsilanti.

Counselors at each high school will help graduating seniors apply for the Youngs' scholarship.

The scholarships shall be awarded regardless of race, sex, sexual preference, creed, color, religion or country of origin. Prior academic performance, citizenship, extra-curricular activities and recommendations from non-faculty individuals as well as the motivation, character, ability and potential of the applicants will be considered.

The 2017 winners of the Youngs' Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra scholarships were: Pinckney High School's Alexander Hazelton, to attend Michigan State University; Pickney's Kanielle Knapp, to attend Saginaw Valley State University; Pinckney's Kylie Taft, to attend the Gwen Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University; and Ypsilanti's Nathan Krannitz, to attend Albion University.
YPSILANTI, MI - Delmar Carr III was fairly certain of what he wanted to do for his Eagle Scout project after a conversation with a fellow parishioner at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

He was told about an organization called Kids Coalition Against Hunger, which sends out prepared meal packets to those in need around the world.

For Carr III of Troop 290 in Ypsilanti, it was an easy decision, especially when he was told the church he has attended since he was a child would be able to keep a third of the meal packets for local distribution.

"I went and volunteered a few months ago at one of these at another church and I really liked it, so I said 'Yep, that's what I want to do,'" said Carr III.

He set out with a goal to raise enough money to distribute 10,000 meal packets, but after speaking with numerous community groups, his fundraising efforts afforded him the opportunity to prepare over 11,000.

The meal packets - made up of a cup white rice, a cup of soy, a dehydrated vegetable blend and chicken-flavored vitamin powder - were prepared with the help around 60 volunteers of family and friends and packed for distribution.

Kids Coalition Against Hunger Executive Director Michael Burwell was on hand to help the process and said that in addition to the one-third of packets staying for local distribution, the remaining two-thirds of packets will be sent to 23 different countries sponsored by the organization, as well as for disaster relief in Puerto Rico.

The meal packets being sent to Puerto Rico will arrive in time for Thanksgiving.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Christina Olsen believes a museum serves a greater purpose beyond simply providing a community exhibitions of noted visual artists.

It should be a place of inspiration and a catalyst of new ideas, said Olsen, who began a five-year appointment as the director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art this month.

"The museum should be a really dynamic and exciting place," said Olsen, who previously was the director of the Williams College Museum of Art in Massachusetts "You should come here to get ideas. It should be brimming with ideas, and that's what art is.

"I really look forward to kind of making (the UMMA) that," she added. "Ann Arbor is such an incredible town with so many interesting, creative people in it. The museum should be one of its key resources for inspiration, but also for learning and being in touch with what's happening in the country in terms of the arts."

When Olsen joined the Williams College Museum of Art in 2012, she was responsible for building the museum's national reputation around critically acclaimed exhibitions and publications and new, creative forms of faculty and student engagement.

Olsen believes UMMA already benefits from such a reputation. She hopes to be able to build on its existing strengths.

"It's a great, nationally-known university art museum," Olsen said. "It's got a gorgeous building and it's got really terrific collections and a long, interesting history. My desire is to really keep that momentum and build on it - make really interesting, significant exhibitions and build a collection and make the museum really matter to students, faculty and the broader community."

UMMA has done its part to open its collections up to the broader community. The museum began offering free memberships in January through a grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

Offering memberships, Olsen said, gives members a sense that they are invited, rather than simply making admission free to everyone.

"If you're a member, you feel a kind of ownership of the institution and part of something," Olsen said. "The free membership program is absolutely a desire for the museum to be really accessible and build a community of people who feel like it's their place, that it belongs to them and is for them."

Olsen sees promoting Michigan's deep history in the visual arts - particularly with design and architecture - as a key component of her mission.

She believes there is a larger story to be told about how artists have gravitated toward places like Detroit and Southeast Michigan over the past decade.

Opportunities also exist, she noted, for promotional collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Arts and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, as well as cultural organizations like Ann Arbor's University Musical Society.

"I think there's a statewide, but also national story about the visual arts here that the institutions in town and across the state can really make use of - to talk about how important the arts have been historically to the state and to its identity and how important they will be going forward," she said.

"On the small side it's like 'What can we promote this season that's synergistic?' but on the big side, it's like 'How can we tell our story in a way that will resonate at a higher level?" she added.

Olsen received a bachelor's degree in history of art, with honors, from the University of Chicago, and a master's degree and a doctorate in art history from the University of Pennsylvania.

She went on to join the Getty Foundation in 2005 as a program officer, managing and directing the foundation's $4 million in global grants for institutional research and education. In 2008, she joined the Portland Art Museum as director of education, where she developed new programs and exhibitions, putting together the museum's first education committee.

UMMA will debut a new display "Matisse Drawings: Curated by Ellsworth Kelly from The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Collection," showcasing the master draftsmanship of Henri Matisse and Ellsworth Kelly beginning Saturday, Nov. 18. The display features 45 rarely exhibited works by Matisse made in the first half of the 20th century.
BAY CITY, MI -- Area residents have opportunities to attend a free Thanksgiving dinner this week.

The Salvation Army of Bay City and First United Church of Christ are serving free traditional Thanksgiving meals.

First United Church of Christ:

What: 13th annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner

When: 4-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20

Where: First United Church of Christ, 1710 S. Wenonah St. on Bay City's West Side.

Cost: Free.

Details: The meal includes all the traditional Thanksgiving fare, including turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. The church is also offering free takeout service, in addition to a free delivery service to residential high rises in Bay City, like Maplewood Manor, Pine Towers and Bradley House. Organizers ask residents hoping for either service to make reservations in advance by calling the church at 989-894-2430.

The Salvation Army

What: Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner

When: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21.

Where: Bay County Community Center, 801 John F. Kennedy Drive on Bay City's West Side.

Cost: Free.

Details: Bay City's Krzysiak's House Restaurant is again catering this annual meal with a menu that includes turkey, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. The Salvation Army is requesting people make reservations, but no one will be turned away at the door.

Call: 989-893-3041.

Boys & Girls Club of the Great Lakes Bay Region

What: Free Thanksgiving Dinner

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23

Where: Boys & Girls Club of the Great Lakes Bay Region, 300 Lafayette Ave.

Cost: Free

Details: Redeeming Love Christian Embassy is hosting this Thanksgiving dinner. Volunteers from the church and the Boys & Girls Club will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, all the trimmings and desserts.

Call: 989-686-9910
DETROIT, MI - Detroit police released a sketch of one of two suspects wanted in connection with a fatal shooting outside a city business.

A 26-year-old man was shot during a robbery Wednesday, Nov. 14, in an alley of the Water Station, 18710 Woodard Ave., near Seven Mile Road, Detroit police reported. According to WXYZ-TV, Channel 7, a store co-owner, Devin Lewis, was taking out the trash when he was stopped by the two robbers.

The suspects then fled the area. One of them is described as aged 25 to 30 with a caramel brown complexion, low hairstyle, brown almond-shaped eyes and possibly a light mustache. He was wearing a black waist-length jacket and armed with a BSA handgun, Detroit police reported.

Anyone with information about the man or the crime is encouraged to contact the police department homicide secion at 313-596-2260, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP.
DETROIT - "Oh I got a million of these," legendary rapper Jay-Z told the audience an hour into his first show at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The Brooklyn boy had already performed hits "No Church in the Wild," "Run this Town," and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," but as he reminded the capacity crowd several times, he was just getting started.

Performing in front of thousands of adoring fans, Detroit rapper Big Sean and Cleveland Cavaliers players LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson, Jay-Z' "4:44" tour featured a few songs off his new album, but mostly hits from his more than two-decade discography.

Jay-Z had the crowd on its feet throughout the raw, back-to-basics show. Throughout the fast-paced concert, he emphatically made his way around a luminescent, circular stage in the middle of the new arena.

There were lights, but not many and most of the time, the massive screens positioned above stage didn't provide flashy graphics or visuals, but rather 1990s-style video camera footage of the legend on stage.

This is Jay-Z, after all. No smoke and mirrors needed. Just a beat, the lyrics and the stage presence fans have known since he burst on the scene with "Reasonable Doubt" in 1996.

J serenaded the audience during the two-hour show with a constant barrage of lyrical genius while sprinkling in a shoutout to Flint, "Detroit vs. Everybody" and a final tribute to collaborator and friend Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.

As the kids say these days: It was lit.

"Kill Jay-Z," the first track on his new album, led things off, but quickly transitioned into the grim opening track from his 2011 collaboration with Kanye West, "Watch the Throne." Tracks like "Lucifer," "Heart of the City," "F***withmeyouknowigotit."

Two songs off the new album, "Bam" and "4:44" followed, but the audience really got involved when "Jigga my N****" and "Izzo (H.O.V.A)" echoed the arena. "Public Service Announcement," J's raucous opener to 2003's "The Black Album" was also a highlight since the crowd exploded when the familiar "My name is Hov."

More familiar tracks, like "99 Problems" and "Big Pimpin" came next. And then, amidst the music, Jay-Z stopped to share a message with the audience.

"You see people been putting their fists in the air, that's not about the flag. Don't be fooled." he said to massive applause. "That's all about injustice. That's about bringing intention to injustice. That's not even a black and white issue, that's a human issue."

"And black people in particular we got to get our s*** together. We got to work together. We got to stop hating on each other. We got to bring something to the table. We aren't second-class citizens to nobody. We some of the flyest in the entire world I know that. So let's turn up and celebrate black excellence."

The speech led into another "Watch the Throne" hit, "N***** in Paris." Soon after, the whole crowd was yelling "fish fillet."

The final segment of the show featured "Empire State of Mind," "Hard Knock Life" and "Smile," another song off the new album. The grand finale, appropriately, was "Numb/Encore," during which Jay-Z implored the crowd to "help him" with Bennington's lyrics.

"Thank you, Detroit, what an unbelievable night," he said before making his way through the crowd and exiting the arena.
FLINT, MI -- International Academy of Flint is set to greet the community for Thanksgiving dinner.

The school is holding its ninth annual Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23 at its building located at 2820 S. Saginaw St. located on the city's south side.

Free bus transportation is being offered by MTA to and from the dinner at several locations across the city.

A free food box, clothing, haircuts, and personal hygiene items will also be made available to those in attendance, while supplies last.

The dinner is being held by the school in partnership with MTA, Vermont Christian Church, St. Paul Baptist Church, Word of Life Christian Church, East Side Mission, Deluxe Dental, Hazim's Party Store, Diplomat Pharmacy, and several others.

Anyone with questions about the event may contact International Academy of Flint at 810-600-5000.
HOLLAND, MI - A 24-year-old man was killed and a 19-year-old passenger seriously injured when their car crashed into multiple objects Sunday morning.

According to a release from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, the crash occurred around 1:09 a.m. at the intersection of 136th Avenue and Liberty Street in Holland. Police said 24-year-old Rafael Alvaraz was driving a Chevy Malibu north on 136th Avenue when his car left the roadway on the left side.

The vehicle hit a mailbox, utility pole and a tree.

Alvaraz, a Holland Township resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.

His passenger, 19-year-old Wyoming resident Lorena Silva-Poblano, suffered serious injuries but is in stable condition after being transported from Holland Hospital to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.

She was wearing a seatbelt during the crash.

The incident remains under investigation by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, MI -- Police are seeking a man who fled on foot after crashing his vehicle into a truck Saturday.

According to a release from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred at the intersection of North River and Douglas avenues around 10:27 p.m. in Holland Township. Police said a motorist was erratically driving a 2009 Audi at a high rate of speed when his vehicle struck a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado that was attempting to turn left into a Family Fitness parking lot.

Deputies believe that alcohol may have been a factor.

Brian Grooenhof, a 50-year-old Holland resident, sustained minor injuries in the crash. The driver of the first vehicle, whose name is being withheld by police during the investigation, fled the scene on foot.

A K-9 unit was brought in to track the suspect but he was not found. Grooenhof was hospitalized and released shortly after being treated for minor injuries.

Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Ottawa County Sheriff Silent Observer at 888-887-4536.
NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (Omega or the Company) (NYSE:OHI) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 17-cv-09024, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Omega securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you are a shareholder who purchased Omega securities between February 8, 2017, and October 31, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until January 16, 2018, 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 amount of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Omega is a self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in income producing healthcare facilities, including long-term care facilities located in the United States and the United Kingdom.

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) financial and operating results of certain of the Companys operators were deteriorating; (ii) as a result, certain of the Companys operators were experiencing worsening liquidity issues that were significantly impacting the operators ability to make timely rent payments; (iii) as a result, certain of the Companys direct financing leases were impaired and certain receivables were uncollectible; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants statements about Omegas business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and/or misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

On July 26, 2017, after the market closed, the Company issued a press release entitled Omega Announces Second Quarter 2017 Financial Results; Increased Dividend Rate for 20th Consecutive Quarter.

On the next day, July 27, 2017, the Company held a conference call to discuss its second quarter results. On this news, the Companys stock price fell $1.35 per share, or 4%, to close at $32.10 per share on July 27, 2017, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, 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
A track record of defending weak safety standards for the type of unregulated chemicals polluting Michigan drinking water is being cited by some U.S. Senate Republicans as cause for opposing the Trump administration's nominee for chief regulator of toxic chemicals at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Michael Dourson, a toxicologist nominated to lead the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, is facing new opposition from at least two, possibly three Senate Republicans -- jeopardizing his chances of confirmation by simple majority.

Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voiced opposition to Dourson's nomination this week based partly on his past evaluations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances named PFAS, (also PFCs), which are plaguing a major North Carolina river.

In Michigan, PFAS from industrial and military sources have polluted drinking water supplies in Kent, Iosco, Crawford and Washtenaw counties, as well as many state lakes and rivers.

In North Carolina, a PFAS compound called GenX developed by DuPont to replace PFOA in the manufacture of Teflon nonstick cookware is polluting the Cape Fear River -- the drinking water source for Fayetteville, Wilmington and other cities.

"I will not be supporting the nomination of Michael Dourson," said Burr. "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."

If confirmed, Dourson would oversee implementation of last year's Toxic Substances Control Act overhaul, which requires the EPA to evaluate existing chemicals and set new standards. He would decide appropriate risk assessment levels and chose which toxic chemicals the agency would consider next.

His nomination is staunchly opposed by Democrats and he would be the first Trump nominee to be rejected by the Senate if another Republican opposes him.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has voiced concern about Dourson but has yet to make a final decision, according to the Washington Post.

"I think it's safe to say that I am leaning against him," Collins said.

Dourson has close ties to the chemical industry. He worked at the EPA in the 1980s before leaving to found Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA), an industry-funded nonprofit that evaluates the health risk posed by hazardous chemicals.

In October, Dourson's nomination was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in a narrow 11-to-10 vote.

Work on behalf of the chemical industry defending weakened standards and exposure guidelines for toxic chemicals like PFAS, 1,4, dioxane and trichloroethylene horrifies public health advocates and others who say Dourson is too tightly allied to the chemical industry to be the federal government's chief chemical regulator.

"His approach has not typically been for the benefit of public health," said David Andrews, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that focuses on chemicals in consumer products. "Every place where there's a decision to be made in terms of how to utilize the scientific data, he's always shifted or bended the rules toward protection of higher contamination levels."

Dourson and his work has been relied on by chemical industry clients during litigation, the Associated Press reported.

The AP reported that Dourson led a team in 2002 that found exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, was safe at levels far above what DuPont scientists had concluded were safe years prior, and orders of magnitude higher than the EPA's present health advisory level of 70 parts-per-trillion for PFOA in drinking water.

Dourson's work was for DuPont, which was found liable in 2015 for negligence in the case of a woman who developed kidney cancer after drinking PFOA-contaminated water and ordered to pay $1.6 million in damages, according to The Intercept.

PFOA is showing up in many private wells around northern Kent County and has been detected in the Plainfield Township municipal water. It's one of numerous PFAS compounds found to be contaminating groundwater near old Wolverine World Wide tannery waste disposal sites like the former House Street NE landfill.

PFOA is also contaminating drinking water wells in Oscoda near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base and in Grayling near the Camp Grayling airfield.

Dourson's nomination is supported by the EPA under the leadership of its new administrator, former Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt. In July, the agency released a list of endorsements that included laudatory remarks from a Michigan State University professor and the director of a Christian summer camp near Frankfort.

Jay Goodman, an MSU pharmacology and toxicology professor, recommended Dourson with "my highest level of enthusiasm" in a statement distributed by the EPA.

"Dr. Dourson has pursued a very successful career track centered around advancing science-based safety/risk assessment of chemicals," Goodman wrote.
Sentences may be suspended

Editor's note: the sentencing for Brandon Scott Ramos has been corrected.

JUDGE SUSAN B. JORDAN

Dakota John Brewer, 25, 90 days in jail, credit for three days served, $758 costs and fines, for weapons - carrying concealed.

James Steven Deland Jr., 90 days in jail, credit for two days served, $758 costs and fines, for MDOP-utility property.

Amber Sue Dumond, 29, 365 days in jail, credit for 157 days served, $1,158 costs and fines, for OUIL - 3rd offense.

Christian Joseph Emerson, 41, 365 days in jail, credit for 225 days served, $848 costs and fines, for domestic violence - third offense.

Leslie Anne Garner, 53, 90 days in jail, credit for 6 days served, $808 costs and fines, for carrying a concealed weapon and operating with presence of a controlled substance.

Wendy Denise Pifer, 38, 18-60 months in jail, credit for 52 days served, $858 costs and fines, for R&C U/20000 O/1000 and 18-48 months in jail, credit for 52 days served, $858 costs and fines, for controlled substance possess narcotic/cocaine less than 25 grams.

Savanna Lynn Pope, 31, 365 days in jail, credit for 133 days served, $898 costs and fines, for controlled substance-possess analogues.

Brandon Scott Ramos, 28, 365 days in jail, $1,108 costs and fines, for third-degree child abuse.

Amber Marie Rumsey, 32, 365 days in jail, credit for two days served, $608 costs and fines, for perjury - court proceeding.

Christina Theresa Ryan, 32, 365 days in jail, credit for 1 day served, $1,208 costs and fines, for child abuse 2nd committed in presence of another child and child abuse-failure to report.

Autumn Rachelle Tyler, 27, 330 days in jail, credit for 16 days served, $1,108 costs and fines, for child abuse - second degree.

Ashlee Nicole Vanness, 26, 365 days in jail, credit for 16 days served, $1,158 costs and fines, for child abuse 2 committed in presence of another child.

Raydontae Tyreke Worthey, 17, 40-60 months in jail, credit for 611 days served, $458 costs and fines, for two counts of assault of prison employee (prob.viol.)
JACKSON, MI - An 18-year-old has been charged with a felony for lying to police in the investigation of Ronnell Martin's October shooting death.

Markus Shepherd was arraigned this month in Jackson County District Court. A preliminary examination was scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 21, before District Judge R. Darryl Mazur. The offense is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Shepherd was driving before 10 p.m. Oct. 18 in the area of First and Biddle streets in Jackson when shots rang out. Martin, one of his passengers, was hit and later died at Henry Ford Allegiance Health. Two others, Jazzrell Witherspoon and Martez Haywood, both 18, were also injured and survived, according to Jackson police. Shepherd, who was not hurt, drove all three to the hospital.

The city police department has not reported any other arrests in the case, which remained open and pending.

Elmer Hitt, director of police and fire services, released Shepherd's name and role in the incident but would not go into specifics about any alleged untruths.

Martin's mother, Tonece Taylor, tearful and warm, was open in an interview after her son's funeral about Martin's troubles and gang involvement. The 22-year-old father had been to federal prison and in and out of group homes and facilities for years.

Since his death, two others have died by gunfire in or near Jackson. Ronald Demetrius Owens, 32, was shot and killed Oct. 27 outside his mother's house on W. South Street, just beyond the city's southern border. Raheim Armstrong, 30, and Prettyattie Cooper, 42, are charged with murder for their roles in the killing.

Malik Rodriguez was found with multiple gunshot wounds early Nov. 3 in the Shahan apartments off Blackstone Street.

Of five homicides within the city limits since July, four of them are correlated, Hitt told a crowd at a meeting addressing the violence on Nov. 9. Some involve the same groups, people or associates, though police did not have information that one is directly in retaliation to another, he said.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A two-time embezzler has been sentenced to 30 days in jail with work release for thefts that could amount to $150,000 when IRS fines are figured in.

Kelli Jo Hubers of Sparta was sentenced Thursday by Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley, who had plenty to say to Hubers about her thefts from her friend's company. Smedley's sentence was dictated by state guidelines, though she did agree to the work release so Hubers can pay back what she owes in restitution.

Smedley noted that despite Huber's previous conviction for embezzlement, her friend convinced her husband to let Hubers work for their business because "you're a single mom and had a hard life."

"You got put into this position and stole from her after she trusted you," Smedley said.

Hubers, 52, in October entered a no-contest plea to the charge of embezzlement by agent or trustee of more than $1,000 but less than $20,000.

However, restitution is more than $33,000 at this point. That could increase as the company faces "at least $150,000 in (IRS) fines based on her criminal activities," said Muskegon County Senior Assistant Prosecutor James L. Corbett.

Smedley agreed to leave the issue of restitution open for 30 days so the victims could file additional claims.

Hubers worked 10 years for Wolf Creek Landscaping in Ravenna Township, where she was in charge of payroll and accounts payable, according to a Muskegon County Sheriff's Office report. She was the only one who handled cash flow and had access to the company's computer, the incident report stated.

Hubers was convicted in June 2003 of embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000 in Kent County.

When confronted by deputies about the embezzlement, Hubers confessed, according to the sheriff's incident report.

"Kelly stated that she gave herself extra money because she felt that she deserved it because of all the work she was doing," the report states.

Hubers wrote numerous checks to herself and also direct deposited company funds into her account, according to the report.

Her thefts became known when an IRS agent showed up at the landscape business to ask why the company had not been responding to notices regarding its failure to submit payroll taxes, Corbett said. Hubers had been hiding the IRS mail from the owners, he said.

Hubers told investigating sheriff deputies that she didn't pay payroll taxes because there wasn't enough money in the company's account.

The IRS agent as well as the company's accountant advised the owners to fire Hubers and they didn't, after which she continued embezzling, Smedley said.

"You continued stealing from her after she gave you a second and third chance to stay there," Smedley told Hubers.

Hubers has paid $10,000 toward restitution - a requirement for her 30-day jail sentence. Smedley credited Hubers for two days already served and sentenced her to five years of probation, though she said that can be shortened if Hubers pays full restitution.

Smedley said the owners are in jeopardy of losing their business.

"Their life may be in shambles because of what you did to them," she said.
EGELSTON TOWNSHIP, MI - Greg Maki kept his comments short and sweet when he supported the creation of a new medical marijuana ordinance that would allow growers and provisioning centers to operate in Egelston Township.

"All I have to say is, it's just weed," said Maki, 28, of Muskegon, during a public hearing before the township's planning commission earlier this week.

Maki's sentiment was echoed by other pro-pot advocates and would-be marijuana growers who dominated the public hearing.

Following the hearing and subsequent debate Tuesday, the planning commission on a 3-2 vote approved the ordinance and forwarded it to the Egelston Township Board of Trustees for consideration.

If the ordinance is approved by the township board, medical marijuana plants and products could be grown, manufactured and sold at provisioning centers located in Egelston Township. It's not yet known when the board will vote, according to township Supervisor John Holter.

The township board voted unanimously in July to begin drafting an ordinance allowing the township to regulate the growth and sale of medical marijuana.

Michigan's Licensing and Regulatory Affairs department issued a new set of rules earlier this year that allow municipalities to regulate medical marijuana on their own terms.

The proposed ordinance allows processing facilities in I-1 and I-2 industrial zones, provisioning centers in C-1 and C-2 commercial zones and growers in R-5 residential districts or I-1 and I-2 zones. Facilities must not be located less than 1,000 feet from a school, church or licensed day care facility.

The ordinance would also regulate how medical marijuana is distributed to Egelston Township patients and would discourage unregulated sales.

Voting in favor of the proposed Egelston Township ordinance were planning commission Vice Chairwoman Lois Gunther, Commissioner Robert Coon and Secretary Shawn Vanderstelt. Chairman Rob Gustafson and Commissioner Barbara Woudwyk voted "no."

Here's what each camp said during the Tuesday's hearing.

Pro-medical marijuana crowd touts revenue, regulation

Among the most vocal supporters of the Egelston Township ordinance were growers and their business partners.

Jesse Sproat of Jension said he and his wife were small-scale caregivers looking to set up a larger operation in Muskegon County.

"She's a doctor and I own three small businesses, so it made sense for us to stay here," Sproat said. "People have their reservations, but there is a lot of medicinal benefit for it.

"That's kind of why I got into this in the first place. All of my patients are my family members."

With an ordinance in place, Sproat believes he can expand his operation while also giving back to Egelston by "being a good neighbor."

Jason Skotarczak from Clean Green Farm said his main goal was to help people find "good medicine." Skotarczak said many provisioning centers around the country were notorious for selling products with unregulated dosages, a practice he believes he can prevent for patients in Egelston Township.

"There's a lot of bad medicine out there and what people are smoking is actually harming them," he said. "We want to grow all organic and vegan. This will be a big process, but we're very excited for the opportunity to build, to expand and to succeed.

"We feel good about Egelston Township and we'd like to be in this area."

Both Sproat and Skotarczak are represented by Connie Maxim-Sparrow, the owner of Sparrow Consulting. Sparrow spoke of the economic benefits to the township.

She said two provisioning centers with a 3 percent state excise tax on retail sales of medical marijuana would amount to $817,640 in tax revenue a year.

All medical marijuana products sold would be subject to the state's 6 percent sales tax. The tax on sales from two provisioning centers would send more than $1.6 million to the School Aid Fund and allocate $534,780 for local revenue sharing, Sparrow estimated.

Two provisioning centers run by her clients would create 50 new jobs with an economic impact of $2.7 million annually, she added.

Longtime Egelston Township resident Mary Jones said the medical marijuana ordinance would provide an economic boost to the township.

"Please do not be afraid to be the leader on this issue just because other communities are afraid to go forward," Jones said. "Test this issue in your hearts and your minds, let the good outweigh the bad to encourage businesses to come to our community.

"I know and you know that Muskegon took away some of the tax base. It's time for us to get something back."

Residents concerned about zoning, 'getting high'

Speaking against the ordinance was Charles Asplund, a retired doctor who said there was no medical benefit to the plant. He also said doctors have good success prescribing synthetic forms of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

His medical opinion was bolstered by what he called his personal experience with the perceived dangers of marijuana: a few decades ago, Asplund's daughter was injured in a car crash, and the driver, he claimed, was "high on marijuana."

Asplund pleaded with planning commissioners to not let dollar signs cloud their judgment on what could be harmful unintended consequences.

"Ask yourself, 'is marijuana going to make things better in our community?'" he said. "Is this something we want to be known for? I wonder about that. The purposed of the government is to protect life and property.

"Is that protecting life and property?"

Another resident, Janet Brott, said she agreed with Asplund.

"We do not know what the long-term consequences are going to be," Brott said. "I do understand some of the good medical benefits, but my concern is that it does not belong in an R-5 district, and does not belong in a residential area. It should stay in an industiral district."
Update: Sanilac shootout that killed 2, injured one, leaves police searching for motive

SANILAC COUNTY, MI - Two men were shot to death early Sunday morning by a homeowner after they allegedly broke into a Greenleaf Township residence, police said.

Deputies with the Sanilac County Sheriff's Office responded around 5 a.m. Nov. 19 to the 4300 block of Holbrook Road for a 911 call received by Sanilac Central Dispatch advising police three male subjects had broken into a home and shot the homeowner in the leg.

Gunfire was exchanged between the suspects and the homeowner. One of the suspects was pronounced dead at the home with a gunshot wound, while another suspect fled on foot.

A vehicle was found by police at Holbrook and Germania roads -- less than one mile away from the home -- with one of the suspects, a Flint-area man, found dead inside with a gunshot wound.

The vehicle in which he was discovered was reported stolen in October 2017 from the Flint area.

All suspects have been taken into custody.

Sanilac County Sheriff's deputies were assisted at the scene by the Tuscola County Sheriff's Office, Cass City Police Department, Michigan State Police Caro post, Michigan State Police Crime Lab, Sanilac County K-9, St. Clair County K-9, Sanilac County Detective Bureau and Drug Task Force, Sanilac County Road Commission, and Bingham EMS.

The shooting incident remains under investigation.
SAGINAW,MI -- Sen. Ken Horn and State Rep. Christine Greig will be honored with the Excellence in Education Award at the 17th annual AT&T, Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning and Michigan Virtual Student Technology Showcase.

Horn, R-Frankenmuth, along with Greig, D-Farmington Hills, will be recognized for their dedication to improving the Michigan educational system.

The event will take place at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at the state Capitol building in Lansing.

The awards are presented to lawmakers who demonstrate a remarkable commitment to Michigan students and student access to computers and technology.

"Senator Horn and Representative Greig have put the learning needs of school children in their districts first, time after time," said Mark Smith, executive director of MACUL. "This award is hard earned, and we are thrilled to present it to them at the upcoming Michigan student technology showcase."

Horn is the chair of the Senate Economic Development and International Investment Committee and vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.

"The most important work we do at the Capitol is focused on improving the lives of Michigan kids," Horn said "I'm humbled by this honor, and look forward to next month's student showcase."

Greig serves as the House Democratic Floor Leader, and is in her second term representing residents in Farmington and Farmington Hills.

Before being elected to the House, Greig served as a founder and executive director of the Farmington / Farmington Hills Education Foundation, and president of the Farmington Area PTA Council, according to a press release from the Michigan student technology showcase.

"Students are using technology in remarkable ways," Greig said. "New tools and resources have taken learning beyond the classroom, and that's almost as exciting for policymakers as it is for Michigan's kids."
Former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Edwin Espinal has signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Espinal, 23, signed with the Pirates out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound right-hander plays first and third base.

He elected free agency after posting the best offensive season of his career. He hit .283 with 15 home runs and 25 doubles in 95 games at Double-A Altoona.

He's currently playing in the Dominican Winter League, where he's hit .329 with two home runs in 22 games.

Espinal is at least the fourth player the Tigers have signed since the minor-league free agent period began earlier this month.

Tigers minor-league free agent signings

IF Edwin Espinal
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Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama

India and China have to "live side by side" whether they like it or not, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on Sunday and asserted that the two countries can together work towards making a more compassionate world.

The 82-year-old Buddhist monk also said Tibetans are not seeking independence or separation from China but meaningful autonomy, and added that he "admired the European Union spirit".

The Tibetan spiritual leader appreciated the idea of the "Union of India". Citing his recent visit to Manipur where he learnt that some politicians wanted independence for the state, he said they needed to "think broadly, more holistically".

He said India and China are more than two billions of people together and though they have differences, Nalanda thoughts are not alien to them.

Nalanda university, the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, attracted scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, among other countries. These scholars have left records about the ambience, architecture and learning of this unique university.

India and China can "do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity", the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said.

"And then India and China, at a practical level also, neither one has the ability to destroy others. Whether you like it or not, you have to live side by side," he told reporters when asked about the strain in bilateral ties over the Dokalam issue.

Earlier during an interaction with children at an event here organised by the Smile Foundation, the Dalai Lama said many Chinese people appreciate Tibetan scholars' knowledge of Nalanda.

He said the Nalanda school of thought, a shared heritage of India, China and Tibet, can help resolve the Tibetan crisis.

"Many Chinese Buddhists are very very eager to learn from Tibetan masters. And, we are not seeking separation from China... I really admire the European, the EU spirit... of national sovereignty," he said.

Amid all the linguistic and cultural diversity in India, it is a country that is the "most stable, more peaceful" of the Asian nations, he said.

"Here you have east India, north India and west India and south India ... different India, different scripts, different languages, but spirit of one India, which is wonderful," the Dalai Lama said.

"At a meeting, someone told me that some Maipur politicians want independence (for the state). I think they need to think broadly, more holistically. Union is important. Of course, I have no right to criticise," he said.

Making a veiled reference to the Catalan movement, he said, "In Spain, I think it was too short-sighted."

"It was time to think of one Europe. And, here (in India), you already have one nation... time to think long- sighted, about the wonderful Union of India," he said.

Hailing India's ancient knowledge system, especially the one based on the Nalanda school of learning, the Tibetan spiritual leader appealed to India to lead the world in shaping an education system which will inspire students to think "outward as much as inward" and be wary of "materialistic outlook".

At the event, he also announced that his philanthropy body will grant endowment to the Smile Foundation over the next five years.
We finally know what this year's Nobel prize winner for economics thinks about demonetisation. After the BJP's IT cell had initially trumpeted Professor Richard H Thaler's 'support' for the exercise, the Nobel laureate has now made his views clear by re-tweeting a screenshot of his response to a student's query on demonetisation. Here's what Thaler said:

"The

concept was good as a move to a cashless society to impede corruption but the rollout was deeply flawed and the introduction of the Rs 2000 note makes the motivation for the entire exercise puzzling."

21:04 The Congress appears to have made some headway in its negotiations on a quota formula with Patidar leaders. "Had fruitful discussion with PAAS convenors in a positive environment. We have clarified all their queries and meeting has ended on a positive note," Gujarat Congress Committee chief Bharat Solanki tweeted on Sunday evening.

PAAS leader Dinesh Bambhaniya was quoted as saying that the outfit's chief Hardik Patel would make an announcement in this regard in Rajkot on Monday.

Even though only two days are left to file nominations for the first phase of Gujarat polls, the Congress is yet to announce its candidates as the party is trying to strike the delicate caste balance while doing the quota tight rope and grappling internal factionalism.

20:18 Hours after the producers of Padmavati announced that they were deferring the release of the film, Haryana BJP chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Sunday said that he would reward Rs 10 crore to those who behead Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone.

Amu's remark came two days after a Meerut resident from the Kshatriya community declared a Rs 5 crore bounty on the heads of director and the female lead in Padmavati. Amu congratulated the youth. "I will take care of the families of those who decapitate Bhansali and Deepika," he said. He threatened to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh,"if he didn't take his words back."

19:14 Prospects of fresh hiring by the private sector "do not look bright" in the remaining part of 2017-18, with wage cost control being a key priority for India Inc, Assocham said on Sunday.

The chamber said that PSU banks would bring down their employee cost to operation ratio, post re-capitalisation by the government, and fresh hiring may come down there as well.

The chamber based its assessment on the feedback received from its members.

18:40 Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was fired as leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party on Sunday and replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month, sources at a special ZANU-PF meeting to decide Mugabe's fate told Reuters.

"He has been expelled," one of delegates told Reuters. "Mnangagwa is our new leader." Three other delegates confirmed Mugabe's dismissal.

Mugabe, 93, has been in power for 37 years. Zimbabwe's army detained him earlier this week days after he ousted Mnangagwa as his deputy, a move seen as a precursor to naming his wife, Grace, as his successor.

18:06 Hours after the makers deferred the release of Padmavati, Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has said that the state government will not allow the release of the movie until "objectionable" scenes are deleted.

17:35 Congress leader P Chidambaram has warned that as the Narendra Modi government inched closer to the end of its term, it might also be assailed by the same degree of corruption allegations which drowned the UPA-II.

The former finance minister said the erstwhile Congress- led UPA-2 dispensation had acquired a reputation for "many many corrupt deeds" at the fag end of its tenure.

He, however, said the same "odium" could be attached to the BJP government as well when it completed its term (in 2019) though he was not wishing it to "happen".

"Since the UPA II was the last government that completed its tenure, that odium attached to the government. Wait for any government to complete its term of five years, the same odium will attach to that government as well," he said during a discussion at the Tata Literature Live festival in Mumbai.

"I am not wishing it happens, but it will happen," said Chidambaram, who was a key figure in the UPA regime.

17:05 More than 200 govt websites made Aadhaar details public: UIDAI

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India has said.

The Aadhaar issuing body added, in response to an RTI query, that it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

It did not specify when the breach took place.

16:20 President, Vice-President continue to get less salary than top babus, chiefs

The President and the Vice- President continue to get less salaries as compared to the top bureaucrats and service chiefs since the laws are yet to be amended to rectify an anomaly with the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission's recommendations nearly two years ago.

At present, the President gets Rs 1.50 lakh per month, the Vice-President Rs 1.25 lakh and a Governor of a state Rs 1.10 lakh. Read the full story here.

16:01 The popular belief about controversies surrounding a film is that the issues are raised for publicity and to create hype around the movie for better box office collections.

However, the flip side to this assumption is that when political parties, cultural groups or religious outfits go strongly against a film, the situation gets grim and may even result in a delay in release or or even cancellation in some states. And that amounts to crores in lost revenue.

The team of Padmavati is dealing with a similar situation because it is quite likely that the film may not see the light of day in some states. Made with a budget of around Rs 180 crore, which for a Bollywood movie is massive, the stakes are high for director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Find out why the ongoing controversy doesn't bode well for Padmavati.

15:35 The statement by Viacom18 read as follows:

"Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind Padmavati' has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1st 2017. Along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, amongst the most gifted film makers of his generation, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in 'Padmavati' that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country's story-telling prowess across the globe. We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification. We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha', 'Queen', 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and many more."

15:30 The development comes a day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje urged the Centre to ensure that the controversial movie is not released without necessary changes.

In a statement, Viacom18 said the revised release date would be announced in due course.

15:08 Viacom18 decides to voluntarily defer Padmavati release

Viacom18, the makers of the film Padmavati, have decided to voluntarily defer releasing the film on December 1.

No fresh release date has been announced. The lavishly mounted period film, which centres around the Rajput queen Padmavati, has drawn the ire of various Rajput groups and others who have been protesting across the country. Both actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali have received threats.

Online grocery firm Grofers has denied holding merger talks with larger rival BigBasket, saying "just one meeting about business" last year between the two had been blown out of proportion.

Grofers founder and Chief Executive Alibinder Dhindsa said the company is focusing on growing its business as the online grocery segment is still at the nascent stage.

Wildlife SOS, an NGO based in India, has petitioned US Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke against President Donald Trump's proposed move of lifting a 2014 ban on import of elephants trophies from two African nations.

On Thursday, the Trump administration had reversed an Obama-era ban to issue permits for elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe, which environmental groups said would lead to more poaching.

Aviation regulator DGCA will gather point of views of all affected parties during the probe into the recent incident of IndiGo staff assaulting a passenger at the airport in the national capital, a senior government official said.

The incident, that happened on October 15, was condemned by the civil aviation ministry, which has sought a detailed probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

To ensure success of bankruptcy process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the Finance Ministry has asked banks to be vigilant to ensure that wilful defaulters are prevented from buying same stressed assets again, official sources said.

Continuing to increase its exposure, India's holdings of American government securities touched USD 145.1 billion at the end of September, official data showed.

Remaining the 11th largest holder of the US Treasury securities, India increased its holdings by little over USD 6 billion in September compared to August when the same stood at USD 138.9 billion.

To ensure success of bankruptcy process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the Finance Ministry has asked banks to be vigilant to ensure that wilful defaulters are prevented from buying same stressed assets again, official sources said.

As many as 12 accounts each having more than Rs 5,000 crore of outstanding loans and accounting for 25 per cent of total NPAs of banks are being under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code process.

Kolkata-based wire rope manufacturer Usha Martin has been dragged to the Supreme Court for alleged irregularities in land acquisition in Jharkhand, according to a report by Business Standard.

The apex court has issued notices to the company and other respondents including the state government on a special leave petition challenging an order by the Jharkhand High Court.

Party president Sonia Gandhi has called a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet on Monday morning, to notify the schedule for the election of the next president of the Indian National Congress, The Hindu reported.

The move comes after the Election Commission set a deadline of December 31 for the party to complete the process of organisational elections.

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje waded into the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" on Saturday, asking Union information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani that the movie not be released without making the necessary changes. She's the first CM to come out openly against the film.

US economist and Nobel laureate Richard Thaler thinks that the Indian government's decision to demonetize high value currency notes was a "good" concept but its implementation was "deeply flawed", according to a report by Times of India.

Thaler further said that the move to introduce Rs 2,000 notes during the remonetisation exercise was "puzzling" and undercut the purpose of the note ban, considering that it aimed to crack down on the parallel economy and transform India into a less-cash society.

Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested early today by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in Palk Strait off Katchatheevu.

The fishermen from this island town and Mandapam were arrested by the Lankan Naval personnel while they were fishing near Katchatheevu and taken to Kaarainagar in the island nation, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Mandapam, Gopinath said.

Zimbabwean army generals will pile further pressure on President Robert Mugabe to resign today after tens of thousands of overjoyed protesters celebrated the apparent end of his 37-year regime.

Mugabe's hold on power was broken this week when the military took over in a dispute over who would succeed the 93-year-old president, the world's oldest head of state.

Road injuries caused 65 percent more ill-health, disabilities and early deaths in 2016 than they did in 1990, according to a government report.

The contribution of road injuries to the total disease burden in the country has increased in most states since 1990, said the report compiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Heath Foundation of India (PHFI) and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India's

stature globally.

According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee.

It's the duty of a car manufacturer to remove the defects in a vehicle and make it roadworthy, the apex consumer commission has said while asking Maruti Suzuki India Limited to refund the price of one of its models to a customer for failing to rectify the complaint.

Leading private sector hospital chain Narayana Hrudayalaya has chalked out a Rs 500 crore expansion plan, which will see it entering high-value markets in the country over next three years as well as making a foray into Africa.

The debit and credit card transactions have jumped to Rs 74,090 crore in September this year, up a hefty 84 percent as compared to the same month last year when it stood at Rs 40,130 crore, thanks to the government push for non-cash payments, says a study.

The BJP today released its second list of 36 candidates for the next month's Gujarat assembly polls.

Twelve sitting MLAs, including one minister, were not given tickets in the list. The party has announced 106 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The deadlock between the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and Congress over ticket distribution continued on Saturday with Hardik Patel's outfit demanding nine tickets for its key players and the Congress ready to part with only four, according to a report by ToI.
The Nifty50 closed the week on a slightly muted note despite two back-to-back days of solid gains after Moodys upgraded Indias sovereign rating for the first time in 13 years.

But the index still managed to reclaim 10,200 and closed slightly below its crucial resistance level at 10,300. Investors are advised not to get carried away post the upgrade and avoid placing aggressive bets as there is a lot of resistance built up between 10,344 and 10,368.

One major worry for analysts is the divergence seen in the Nifty and Nifty Bank charts, which is not a good sign. The notable outperformer in this move was the entire banking pack as we saw Bank Nifty outperforming by a fair margin and clocking record highs on Friday.

Now, here the confusion arises; because, both major indices, Nifty and Bank Nifty are clearly showing divergences. Going forward, one need to decide whether the outperforming banking index pushes the Nifty higher or the underperforming index (Nifty) becomes the culprit in dragging its peer lower, Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst- Technical Derivatives, Angel Broking Pvt Ltd told Moneycontrol.

Looking at few key technical pieces of evidence, our sense is Nifty would remain under pressure and we may see index failing to extend this relief rally. As far as Nifty is concerned, 10,344  10,368 seems to be an immediate hurdle; whereas any move below 10,250 would resume downward move to test sub-10,200 levels, he said.

Chavan reiterated that traders should not take aggressive positions in the index and should rather keep focusing on individual stocks with a proper exit strategy.

Here is a list of top five stocks which could give up to 18 percent return in the short term:

Brokerage: SMC Global

Indo Count Industries (ICIL): BUY| Target Rs 150| Stop Loss Rs 115| Time 1-2 months| Return 18%

The stock closed at Rs 127.80 on November 17. It hit a 52-week low of Rs 93.70 on September 27 and a 52-week high of Rs 210.05 on May 03.

The 200-days Exponential Moving Average (EMA) of the stock on the daily chart is currently placed at Rs 143.64

As we can see on charts, the stock has witnessed a sharp correction from 210 levels to 90 levels in a short span of time.

Thereafter, it has been consolidating in the range of Rs 90 to Rs 125 levels and formed an Inverted Head and Shoulder pattern, which is bullish in nature.

Last week, the stock has given a breakout from the said pattern and from 200-WEMA by registering gains of around 10 percent, so follow up buying may continue in the forthcoming days.

Therefore, one can buy in the range of Rs 123-125 levels for the upside target of Rs 145-150 levels with a stop loss placed below Rs 115.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd: BUY| Target Rs 1,550| Stop Loss Rs 1,340| Time 1-2 months| Return 9%

The stock closed at Rs 1,416.75 on November 17. It hit a 52-week low at Rs 1,141.40 on the December 27 and a 52-week high of Rs 1,458.95 on June 12.

The 200-days Exponential Moving Average (EMA) of the stock on the daily chart is currently placed at Rs 1,339.40

The short-term, medium term, and long-term bias is positive for the stock. It has been consolidating in the range of Rs 1,150-1,450 for the last three months and has also formed a Continuation Triangle on the weekly charts, which indicates buy.

Moreover, the technical indicators like RSI and MACD also suggest buying the stock. Therefore, one can buy in the range of Rs 1,395-1,400 levels for the upside target of Rs 1,520-1,550 levels with a stop loss placed below Rs 1,340.

Analyst: Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst- Technical Derivatives, Angel Broking Pvt Ltd

Mindtree: BUY| Target Rs 542| Stop Loss Rs 502| Time 14-21 sessions| Return 5%

We have been maintaining our positive stance on Midcap IT counters since the last couple of months and Mindtree has been one of the preferred picks.

If we look at the daily chart, the stock has broken out of the accumulation pattern after forming a strong base around Rs 445.

The volume activity too has picked up substantially, indicating strong buying interest in the counter. Hence, we recommend buying this stock at current levels for a target of Rs 542 over the next 1421 sessions. The stop loss now should be fixed at Rs 502.

Sun TV: BUY| Target Rs 930| Stop Loss Rs 806| Time 14-21 sessions| Return 11%

Of late, we witnessed some corrective move in this stock and it is now resting around its previous breakout points since last three days.

The weekly chart still looks promising, hence, recent correction can be construed as a pullback move with slightly medium-term perspective.

One can buy this stock for a target of Rs 930 over the next 1421 sessions. The stop loss should be fixed at Rs 806.

Hero MotoCorp: SELL| Target Rs 3,480| Stop Loss Rs 3,731| Time 5-10 sessions| Return 4%

The strong bull run in this stock took a pause during the early part of September. Since then, the stock has been experiencing a corrective phase in a gradual manner.

Recently, we witnessed a breakdown of the crucial Neckline around Rs 3,700. Last week, the stock prices saw resistance and have started falling once again.

Thus, we expect some weakness to continue in this counter. One can sell this stock for a target of Rs 3,480 over the next 510 sessions. The stop loss should be fixed at Rs 3,731.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Voting polling EVM election

The BJP today released its second list of 36 candidates for the next month's Gujarat assembly polls.

Twelve sitting MLAs, including one minister, were not given tickets in the list. The party has announced 106 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

Today's list has 12 candidates from Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, while two Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. There are two Patel candidates in this list.

A Patel community outfit, led by Hardik Patel, has been vociferously demanding reservation for Patidar community. Hardik has made overtures to the Congress after taking an aggressive stand against the ruling BJP.

Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Wadhvani (Naroda constituency in Ahmedabad) has been dropped by the BJP in the list. The name of parliamentary secretary Samjhi Chauhan (Chotila assembly segment in Surendranagar district) also does not figure.

Similarly, 10 other sitting MLAs have not been given candidature so far. These include former ministers (during former chief minister Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government) Mangu Patel (Gandevi seat) and Ranjit Gilitwala (Surat East constituency).

State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said, "We have declared 36 names (in the second list), so the total candidates declared by us so far is 106. Out of these, 60 candidates are for the first phase of polls to be held on December 9, while the remaining are of the second phase to be held on December 14."

The BJP has once again given candidature to Pradeepsinh Jadeja from Vatva area of Ahmedabad city. It has also fielded former MP Haribhai Patel from Dhoraji seat, while Dabhoi seat has been given Shailesh Mehta.

On Gondal seat, the BJP has given ticket to Gitaba Jadeja, the wife of sitting MLA Jayrajsinh Jadeja, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case.

Yesterday, the BJP had declared a list of 70 candidates which included Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy chief Minister Nitin Patel and state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani.

The BJP is yet to declare candidates of 24 seats for the first phase of polls, although the last date of filing of nomination forms for first phase is November 21.

Eighty-four seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region are going to polls in the first phase.

The opposition Congress is yet to release its list of candidates.
Wildlife SOS, an NGO based in India, has petitioned US Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke against President Donald Trump's proposed move of lifting a 2014 ban on import of elephants trophies from two African nations.

On Thursday, the Trump administration had reversed an Obama-era ban to issue permits for elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe, which environmental groups said would lead to more poaching.

However, after facing criticism from animal rights activists, Trump had yesterday put on hold the decision to import elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe into the US to "review all conservation facts".

Co-founder of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan said, "The argument has no scientific justification. As an organisation based in India where the government permits no such trophy, we can attest there are many other scientific ways to help wild populations without the need to hunt them."

There is a need to not remove the existing protection measures that are in place for them, he said in a statement.

Nikki Sharp of the NGO, stationed in the US, said, "The announcement came as a shock to all of us. It's an insult to everyone working to protect and conserve elephants, in particular in light of this supposed reasoning behind the decision  that hunting of these animals will enhance the survival of the species in the wild."

"It is a massive step backward that will have direct and lethal effects on elephants," Sharp said.

The number of elephants in the wild plummeted 30 percent overall between 2007 and 2014, despite large scale conservation efforts. In some places it has dropped more than 75 percent due to ivory poaching.

In 2016, there were just over 3,50,000 elephants still alive in the wild, down from millions in the early 20th century.
The Rajasthan government has asked all schools to take students to a fair organised by Hindu Spirituality and Service Foundation where students are warned against love jihad and Christian conspiracies.

According to directions of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vasudev Devnani, government and private schools in Jaipur have been asked to help organisers of the fair by getting students to attend it, as per media reports.

Various stalls in the fair are distributing pamphlets to warn the students. A Bajrang Dal stall has books explaining how girls can save themselves from "love jihad", citing actors Aamir and Saif Ali Khan's case in which the men "abandoned their Hindu wives to marry other Hindu women," according to News18.

The book explains how a Muslim boy lures a Hindu girl into marrying him. "Muslim boys' regular visits to Hindu households, their incessant conversations with Hindu daughters, their respect for parents, who they address as 'mataji and pitaji' etc. are all part of a larger scheme," the pamphlet reads.

Eventually, a girl falls in love with the boy and demands to marry him. But when the family refuses to give assent, girls elope with Muslim boys, get married in an Islamic way, and convert to Islam, the pamphlet further explains.

Another pamphlet says that after converting Hindu women, Muslim men throw them either into prostitution business or use them to spread "violent jihad". The pamphlets also mention the money offered by Mulsim men to attract Hindu women.

Source: News18

The stated objective of the fair is to convey the message of way of living through the Saanatan Dharam which accepted peaceful co-existence with ever belief as also to bring together small pockets of the tremendous work done by the society at large which if combined together can bring forward the gigantic contribution by the society in India and that too in every conceivable field, according to its website.

The directives of the Rajasthan government met criticism from opposition parties. Congress accused CM Vasundhara Raje of failing to deliver on promises, diverting people's attention to topics of no consequence.

Sachin Pilot, Congress leader, accused the government of "spreading venom among school kids". "They want to alter the narrative -- from real issues of job and corruption -- for the purpose of elections," he said.
Twitter and Facebook suspended the accounts of Pakistan Defence Forum, a long-running website devoted to discussions about Pakistans armed forces, after it posted a morphed picture of a Delhi University student activist.

The original image was posted by All India Students Association (AISA) Delhi University president Kawalpreet Kaur. The picture showed the student standing in front of Jama Masjid holding a piece of paper which bears the message: "I am a citizen of India and I stand with secular values of our Constitution. I will write against communal mob lynching of Muslims in our country #CitizensAgainstMobLynching."



An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. #NotInMyName#ProfileAgainstMobLynching pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7

 Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) June 27, 2017

She posted the picture in June along with a caption urging people to change their profile pictures in protest against mob lynching.

The Facebook and Twitter accounts of the Pakistan Defence Forum, however, shared a morphed picture that replaced the original message with: I am an Indian, but I hate India, because India is a colonial nation that has occupied nations such as Nagas, Kashmiris, Manipuris, Hyderabad, Junagard, Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa."

The image was first brought to the notice of former vice-president of JNU Students' Union, Shehla Rashid, who asked Twitterati to report the image.

Image posted by Pakistan Defence Forum. The message currently displayed by Facebook and Twitter account of the forum (below).

Kawalpreet also hit out against Pakistan Defence Forum and said, "The message of the picture shouldn't be lost in these dark times. No nation wants lynching and killings. Only bigots want hate." She thanked the people who reported the accounts to the social media giants.

Pakistan Defence Forum is better known by its website url of 'defence.pk' and describes itself as "one-stop resource for Pakistan defence, strategic affairs, security issues, world defence and military affairs. The forum has retired and serving Pakistani military personnel as its members but is not an official website of the armed forces.
India's new ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale arrived in Beijing on Sunday to take up his position.

Bambawale, a seasoned diplomat who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge tomorrow.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bambawale succeeded Vijay Gokhale who took over as Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

A deft hand on Sino-India relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA which also included relations with Japan, China, South Korea, Mongolia and North Korea.

A Mandarin speaker, he has also served as the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier.

His arrival here comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Dokalam standoff, and work on a "forward-looking" approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, the two countries held their border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting here two days ago during which they reviewed the situation in all sectors of their border and exchanged views on confidence building measures and military contacts. The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on November 17. The India-China border dispute covers the 3488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is taking charge ahead of plans by both countries to begin a high-level dialogue next month, which will be the first after the Dokalam standoff as well as commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping.

Xi began his second term in office following the endorsement by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here last month.

Officials say Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi in the second week of next month to take part in the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue mechanism during which he was also expected to hold talks his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and meet the top Indian leadership. It will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also to be held in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives who are also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.
PERKASIE >> Fans of the Perkasie Farmers Market are delighted to know that their favorite locally made foods will be available year-round now that the market moves indoors for a brand-new seasonal Winter Market. The Winter Market opens at the Perkasie Fire Hall on November 26th and will run on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month through May...
State officials announce $2.85M for new police station in Upper Moreland
November 19, 2017

Weekly Review And Open Thread 2017-42

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:

Nov 13 - Yemen - Having Lost The War Saudis Try Genocide - Media Complicit

No progress has been made towards lifting or breaking the total Saudi blockade. There are new rumors of an imminent attack of Saudi proxy forces on the capital Sanaa. All earlier attacks failed miserably.

Nov 14 - Revealed - Saudis Plan To Give Up Palestine - For War On Iran

Has anyone seen other English language sites pick up the Al-Akhbar report? I continue to believe that it is true and important to understand the ongoing issues.

Nov 15 - The Non-Coup Coup In Zimbabwe

A new tick-tock report of the preparations and execution of the non-coup coup is here. China and South Africa were informed and had agreed to an unbloody internal regime change. The U.S. was in the known but not involved. Action was planned for mid December when Mugabe was expected to lift his former mistress "Gucci" Grace into the leading position. It was pushed forward when Mugabe fired his (coup plotting) vice-president.

An unofficial account of the leading party in Zimbabwe tweeted today:

ZANU PF @zanu_pf - 3:49 AM - 19 Nov 2017 We have recalled president Mugabe, he is no longer the president of ZANU PF. May he leave with grace.

Nov 16 - Syria Summary: The Idlib Battle Comes Into Sight

At noon local time today the last ISIS held city, Abu Kamal (aka Albu Kamal, AlBoukamal) in east-Syria, was declared liberated. Remaining ISIS fighters fled northwards across the Euphrates into areas controlled by the U.S. proxy force SDF. They will be relabeled and reused. An unimpeded road drive between Beirut in Lebanon and Tehran in Iran is again possible.

Nov 17 - NATO Adds To Turkey's Chagrin

Erdogan aligned media assert now that the subject of the troublesome NATO exercise in Norway was an attack on Turkey. The issue stays hot.

Nov 18 - Is Satire "Fakenews"? - How Fact-Checkers Peddle Snake-Oil

A fitting New Yorker cartoon on the issue:

bigger

Please use the comments as open thread ...

Posted by b on November 19, 2017 at 14:07 UTC | Permalink

Comments
Thanks to Nigel the Nutcracker from The Warehouse, we are granting wishes across the country!
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SAN ANTONIO  Construction has begun on the first phase of the EPIC NGL Pipeline project.

The 650-mile EPIC NGL Pipeline runs from Southeast New Mexico to Corpus Christi. When complete in early 2019, the EPIC NGL Pipeline will have throughput capacity of at least 375,000 barrels per day with multiple origin points in the Delaware and Midland basins.
Having gained a foothold in the Permian Basin oil fields with its cloud-based software, Delta Perform is looking to expand its footprint.

Since moving the company from El Paso to Midland early this year, Travis Laman, president and founder, said his company has been experiencing growth and he has been hiring, including locally.

We have the product on the ground and in the field. Ive contracted with business development professionals in Dallas and Houston, and Im looking in Midland, he said.

Lamans software tool helps clients create step-by-step tasks and sub-tasks that result in detailed procedures, to be executed on timelines, that can be shared with engineers and drill-site managers who can access tools and assignments, real-time updates and safety and information alerts on their smartphones.

The system helps eliminate fiscal waste by allowing site managers to place work orders with pre-approved vendors and suppliers and track their responses. Those orders and responses are kept in a database that allows for supply chain accountability and transparency.

Laman plans to launch early next year oil and gas industry software, Delta Engineering, and also will be hiring to support that new program.

It would be nice to see Midland become known as the Silicon Valley of West Texas, he said.

The neat thing about Delta Perform is you dont need to have 35 years in the oil and gas industry to understand what its doing. We take it down to the basics. Were one of the few groups in the industry that can bring on inexperienced people because were a new leg of the industry.

Laman said he will be creating jobs with potential, good-paying jobs that are relatively immune to the whims of crude prices.

We wont really be affected because our clients  Chevron for example  once theyre on the platform, theyre on the platform. Once a company like Chevron puts the platform in place, they dont just run it for a year or two.

As we fill these roles, well be leaning heavily on Midland, he said.

And as the company grows beyond that initial core group, Laman said he can see Delta Perform venturing into construction, even aerospace.

We can be a part of expanding Midlands code of people and building new support industries, Laman said.

The company is already beginning a big push into health care through process management, he said.

His goal is to work with local and state governments to give them a platform to ensure tax dollars are spent properly and ensure vendors are following the right processes and managing their time properly.

Were taking the backhanded business out of business  buying jobs, buying work  and putting into a legitimate, fair business market, wherein if you want to do business with a company, all vendors are on an equal playing field, Laman said.

But working for the federal government is what Laman calls the end of my dream. That would affect my kids and grandkids future.

And, as we do all this, well stay in Midland, he said.
Expansion in the Permian Basins oil and gas economy celebrated its first birthday, with the September Texas Permian Basin Petroleum Index marking 12 consecutive months of increase.

Boosted by strengthening prices and a rig count sharply higher than a year ago, the index came in 25.7 percent higher than September 2016.

And there could be more good news in the future, according to Karr Ingham, the Amarillo economist who prepares the index. He said the rig count had flattened in recent months and even declined in recent weeks as stalled crude oil prices failed to stimulate growth in the rig count. Also a victim of stalled oil prices was the number drilling permits issued by the Railroad Commission, which declined in September.

The rig count has been a function of a lack of sustained increase in oil prices, he said. October prices are up a couple of dollars. Prices are up $5, probably more like $6 or $8 over what was averaged last year. This is what it will take to stimulate the rig count.

Ingham said crude prices were on the rise before Saudi Arabia announced the arrest of several hundred people in a sweeping corruption probe. Those arrests probably added $2 or $3 to oil prices, Ingham said, But there were other things going on.

Those things included a tightening of the oil market, improvement in oil demand, an improved gross domestic product, global economies that were healthier and the withdrawal of some crude from storage.

Exports are on the way up and rapidly, he said. Absent a jump in demand, thats just displacing other crude supplies. But its good for us, providing some local support, especially for Permian producers. Oil is going overseas from the Permian Basin.

All this is good news, compared to two years of bad news, Ingham said.

He said Permian Basin operators should be asking: What does the global situation look like?

U.S. crude production is rising and has been for a while, and expectations are that next year the U.S. will surpass its record high, Ingham said. In reaction to this, what will OPEC do? Ingham said.

September crude prices averaged $46.06 a barrel, up 11.1 percent from $41.48 last September. The year-to-date average is $45.82, up 21 percent from $37.85 last year.

The September rig count soared 87 percent to average 316 rigs, up from 169 last September. The year-to-date rig count average is 288, 99.9 percent higher than the 144 averaged in the first nine months of 2016.

The Railroad Commission issued 564 drilling permits in September, up 28.2 percent from 440 last September. The commission has issued 5,550 drilling permits so far this year, a gain of 72.4 percent from 3,219 last year.

Operators reported 198 oil well completions in September, down 16.5 percent from 237 last September. Year-to-date oil well completions were likewise lower, with the 2,629 completions reported so far this year, down 25.1 percent from 3,512 completions a year ago.

Still, the rise in drilling activity continued to boost production volumes, which were up 9.3 percent in September over last September and are up 9.2 percent so far this year over last year.

Natural gas prices averaged $2.65 per Mcf,, a decline of 5.7 percent from $2.81 last September. But the year-to-date average is sharply higher. The average of $2.74 is up 26 percent from the $2.17 averaged in the first nine months of 2016.

Operators reported 11 natural gas completions in September, down 35.3 percent from 17 last September. There have been 108 natural gas completions so far this year, down 33.3 percent from 162 a year ago.

Natural gas production volumes in September were 10.7 percent above last September and are 10.2 percent higher so far this year compared to last year.
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Take an intense focus on cutting costs and stir in shifting tastes in preferences for frac sand. Combine with abundance of West Texas sand dunes that can be mined at low cost, and youve created a magnet drawing sand mine companies to West Texas.

U.S. Silica Holdings of Frederick, Maryland, is constructing not one, but two mines  one in Crane County about five miles south of Interstate 20 near Farm-to-Market Road 1053 and one about 60 miles north of Midland near Lamesa in Dawson County.

The two new mines represent a combined investment of about $400 million and are testament to the companys bullish outlook on the long-term economic health of the Permian Basin oil and gas industry, said Michael Lawson, spokesman for the company. He estimates almost half of future demand for frac sand will be coming from the Permian Basin.

Both sites offered all that the company was looking for in a location: High quality reserves, ample water supply, transportation infrastructure and no lizard, Lawson said in a phone interview from his Maryland office.

He was referring to the dunes sagebrush lizard, whose habitat includes areas where companies are building sand mines. Lawson said his company was aware of the lizard and whether it should be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

When we looked at the Permian Basin, we were aware of the lizard. We contacted Texas companies and were aware of all the issues from a regulatory and environmental standpoint, Lawson said.

In October, the company announced it had received from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts a certificate of inclusion into the Texas Conservation Plan for the lizard for its Crane County mine. He said the Crane County site is home to no or low-grade lizard habitat and that Lamesa is not even on the map.

In another environmentally conscious move, Lawson said the company will recycle about 80 percent of the water it uses at its facilities.

What is bringing U.S. Silica and other mining companies to West Texas sand dunes is producers drive to cut costs, Lawson said.

When oil prices fell from $100 to below $30, everyone began looking at how they can cut costs, he said.

That included looking at transportation costs, which could be as high as $50 or $60 per ton to ship sand by rail from the companys mines in Illinois. Trucking sand from area mines lowers that to about $20 per ton.

Producers also looked at the components of a frac job, Lawson said. Companies that once used guar or gels to create viscosity and carry coarser sands down the wellbore are now using slickwater fracs  water-based liquids  to carry proppants down the wellbore, so theyre seeking finer-grade sands such as the 40/70 and 100 mesh sands that will come from the Crane and Lamesa sites.

He said the shift from coarser sands to finer sands is especially popular in the Permian Basin, in part because finer sands are less costly.

Also, lateral lengths are getting longer and the finer grades are lighter. You can push them further into the lateral, they can get into smaller cracks and you can get greater production, Lawson said.

In selecting West Texas sites, he said U.S. Silica decided to build in southern Crane County and northern Dawson County because we didnt want to be clumped in with other facilities and add to the congestion.

Besides joining the Texas Conservation Plan for the lizard, the company is also working with the Texas Department of Transportation on creating the best access to the facilities, which may include adding turn lanes into the mines to ease congestion. Lawson said that will be especially important because he expects both facilities will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We need to be responsible when it comes to traffic safety. Our workers dont just work there, they live in those communities, Lawson said.

He said the biggest challenge right now is finding the 800 to 100 employees to staff the two facilities  from operating the mines and plants to operating and maintaining the equipment and driving the trucks to transport sand to customers.

Were competing with our customers seeking people for frac crews and to drive trucks, Lawson said.

The Crane County mine, which is expected to be in full operation producing approximately 4 million tons per year by the second quarter of next year, costs $225 million and sits on 3,200 acres holding an estimated 30 years of reserves.

The $150 million Dawson County project is expected to be fully operational by next summer, producing 2.6 million tons per year. It sits on 3,500 acres with an estimated 30 years of reserves.
MRT File Photo

A man and a boy were killed and another boy was injured Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 20, nine miles east of Midland, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Andrew P. Satroplus, 34, of Lake Worth was driving a Dodge pickup eastbound on I-20 behind a Freightliner truck-tractor towing a semi-trailer. The driver of the truck-tractor, a 51-year-old Dallas man, slowed down because of heavy traffic. Satroplus failed to control his speed and hit the trailer, according to the press release.
The board of trustees has directed Midland ISDs chief operations officer to create and then lead a facility master planning committee that will examine facilities needs for at least the next decade.

The need for this committee has been made more urgent by recent growth across Midland. Earlier this fall, James Riggen told the board that student population numbers were greater than what could have been anticipated from previous studies. He said 2.5 percent growth  a percentage being predicted across the community for at least the next five years -- could increase student population from 25,627 earlier this school year to as high as 32,859 in 10 years and to 35,855 at the end of a decade.

That is an additional 10,000 students, which could fill as many as nine new schools, Riggen previously said.

Riggen said this ad-hoc advisory committee will research and discuss this expected student growth and study the need to provide facilities required for this growth. When this committee studies and develops a facility master plan, that plan will be submitted to the board for consideration and possible action.

Riggen said the following items will be considered in this facility planning process:

-city/county population growth  historical and forecasted,

-existing building capacity for MISD  forecast building capacity for expected growth,

-educational programs for MISD  elementary, secondary and CTE,

-stakeholders input  public, teachers, students, business community, etc.,

-existing MISD facilities  building age, condition and deficiencies,

-preliminary project costs  new construction, renovations and deferred maintenance, and

-a plan to phase funding and project completions  proposed five- or 10-year plan.

Factors that will be taken into account during the process, according to Riggen, include possible grade reconfiguration: changing high schools to ninth through-12th grades and creating true middle schools, sixth through eighth grades. Other factors could include the need for additional high schools and the need for additional magnet schools or charter schools.

There will be 24 people on the committee, including two representatives from each board members district, up to three board members, representatives of the PTA, MISD executive directors representing secondary and elementary education and campus leadership. Also on the committee will be a representative from the city of Midland Planning Department and at least one architect and engineer. Riggen will chair the committee; vice chair will be Chief Academic Officer Patrick Jones. The committee is tentatively scheduled to meet monthly. Riggen said there will be opportunities for community input, as was provided by Superintendent Orland Riddicks recent Listen and Learn tour.

Riggen said it is his expectation that the committee will work approximately 10 to 12 months and then make a final presentation and possible recommendation to the MISD board.

Once they wrap their arms around the data, the hard part is looking at options for the future, Riggen said. What does (the future) look like for Midland ISD and Midland? What does a facility master plan look like?

If the projections are that our current building capacities will not handle that growth, the district will have to make additional decisions about housing additional students. Whether they do it in temporary buildings or through hard construction is a decision that will come out of this committee.
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.


Family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Eustis for a Homegoing Celebration for a 16-year-old Aleaya Jackson.

Family, friends honor Aleaya Jackson at memorial

Jackson was found dead Nov. 5 in Sumter County home

PREVIOUS STORY: Manhunt continues for man accused of sexually assaulting, killing Sumter teen

Authorities found Jackson dead Sunday, Nov. 5, in a Sumter County home.

"I want them to remember her as a person that when people down she always lift them back up and thats who she was," said Michael Jenkins, Jackson's father.

"She would do anything for anybody. Shed give the shirt off her back for anybody. She didnt deserve this, nobody deserves this," said family friend Allyson Gay.

Family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Eustis for a Homegoing Celebration for a 16-year-old Aleaya Jackson. (Sarah Panko, staff)

Authorities said the man wanted for her murder, Larry Peavy, 35, is still on the run.

Family members say Peavy was a family friend. Authorities believe he's in the Ft. Pierce area.

"Young man if you're out there and youre hearing us just come, everybody has forgiven you, just come and do the right thing," said Velvet Anderson.

Authorities said Peavy also sexually assaulted Jackson's 16-year-old friend and is also wanted for kidnapping charges.

The US Marshalls is following all leads.

There's a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Larry Peavy.

Anyone with information can contact Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
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This story published in September 2017.

Good news, Texas: It's not unbearably hot outside anymore.

Though there are still a few 90-degree-plus days ahead of us, it looks like the worst of the summer heat is behind us as the Lone Star State welcomes another fall season.

While the prime time for tubing Central Texas' rivers might be over, cooler temperatures means it's time to take a road trip to enjoy the region's quaint small towns and popular state parks.

RELATED: 35 can't-miss concerts coming to San Antonio for fall 2017

But taking a road trip doesn't have to mean stopping at a fast food joint along the highway. New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Uvalde and other towns are filled with local restaurants worth a visit.

We looked at Yelp to find the top three dining spots in towns close to popular tourist destinations.

From German bakeries, to tacos, to roadside restaurants serving up American classics, take a look in the gallery above to find out where to go and what past customers had to say about their visits.

erobinson@mysa.com

Twitter: @eeelizzzabeth
Names and faces

Ryan OConnell has opened Aspen Medical Solutions, a professional medical billing and practice management company in Helena. The company serves individual and small group medical and dental practices, handling the entire insurance billing process including filing claims, following rejected or denied claims, and collecting unpaid claims.

In addition to billing services, the company offers practice management software, electronic medical record (EMR) software, and a suite of personalized services. OConnell is a former health insurance executive.

For more information, call 406-205-1440, or email roconnell@aspenmedsolutions.com. Additional information is available at www.aspenmedsolutions.com.

***

Kathryn A. "Kathy" Munro and Joseph "Joe" Passamani have joined Silverman Law Office in Helena.

Munro received her B.A. from Montana State University, her Juris Doctor from the University of Montana School of Law in 2003, and a Master's in taxation from the University of Washington School of Law in in 2004.

Her practice areas include school contracts, both employment and acquisitions (including finance leases); nonprofit setup and compliance; estate planning, probates, and guardianships and conservatorships. Before joining Silverman Law, Munro worked in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Passamani graduated Magna Cum Laude from Sandra Day OConnor School of Law at Arizona State University in 2011. He received his LL.M. in taxation from New York University in 2012.

Prior to joining Silverman Law Office, Passamani for a transactional and business firm in Naples, Florida, where he practiced in the areas of commercial and residential real estate transactions, business acquisitions and development, estate planning and corporate transactions.

Call Silverman Law Office at 449-4829, or visit www.mttaxlaw.com.

***

Lewis and Clark Public Health has hired Eric Henrich to work with its Licensed Establishment Program as an environmental health specialist. He joins a team responsible for inspecting restaurants, public accommodations, pools, day-care centers, and other facilities. He has a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Montana Tech.

***

Tetra Tech, Inc. has moved all of its operations to one office located at 825 W. Custer Ave.

The company also announced the promotion of Mike Hatten, P.E. to the ECA Unit Operations Manager. Hatten has been with Tetra Tech for more than 11 years and provides environmental engineering services to federal, state, and private clients across Montana and the U.S. He will be responsible for 50 professional staff in Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, Billings and Salt Lake City.

Colin McCoy, P.E. has been promoted to the EMI Unit Operations Manager. McCoy has been with Tetra Tech for more than 10 years and will provide environmental engineering services to federal, state, and commercial clients across Montana and the U.S. McCoy will be responsible for 25 professional staff in offices in Helena, Spokane and Butte.

Tetra Tech is a publicly owned, full-service environmental engineering company with 40 employees in Helena, 100 employees in Montana, and over 16,000 employees worldwide.

***

Keri Hill has joined the Boise office of Great West Engineering as an associate project manager. Hill is an Idaho native and University of Idaho alumni with eight years of experience in water and wastewater issues.

News and notes

Dr. Adam Ostby and Dr. Marlene Ostby, have joined the team at Ballweber Orthodontics, which will now be called Ballweber-Ostby Orthodontics.

Marlene received her dental degree at Baylor College of Dentistry in 2003. She was in the private practice for two years and went on to earn her Masters and a Certificate in Orthodontics in 2007 at the University of Iowa. She is board certified. Since 2008 she has been in orthodontic private practice in Montana and a member of the State Cleft Lip/Palate Team.

Adam received his dental school training at the University of Iowa School Of Dentistry in 2008 and his orthodontic training at the University of Minnesota graduating in 2010. Adam also has his board certification. He has a special interest in airway/sleep apnea and related orthodontic treatments.

Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred). Email your information to irstaff@helenair.com.

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.
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TORRINGTON  Clarence Lucky, 71, helped out with a team during the pasta lunch and coat giveaway for about 200 visitors on Saturday afternoon at St. Peters Hall .

The event at at 109 East Main St. was part of the third annual Rally Day to End Hunger and Homelessness in Northwest Connecticut. But at the sprawling event, Lucky was more than a volunteer; he had experienced homelessness back in March before getting his life back on track via Torringtons Friends in Service to Humanity (FISH) shelter.

It was a rough time but I made some great friends while there, Lucky elaborated. I really give thanks to FISH. They are nice people.

Lucky was from South Carolina and had been a U.S. Navy airman who served near Vietnam 28 years ago. It was tough to adjust to civilian life, he said, adding that he had served time in prison in 1990 for an act of vengeful destruction of property. He eventually landed jobs landscaping and painting, settling in Torrington in 2014.

At first, I didnt like Torrington, he said. But now, I like it. I thank FISH for the things it has brought to me.

The things include an apartment in Torrington of his own as well as working in a local soup kitchen. His girlfriend, Marie Mackey, also volunteers in the kitchen at St. John Paul the Great Parish. Mackey led a group prayer prior to the pasta dinner and coat giveaway on Saturday. After speeches and the dinner and dessert, a record 800 coats were given away.

The coat giveaway was part of a daylong event that started with a rally at and tour of The Gathering Place, at 21 Prospect St., which processes homeless clients into area social services and gives clients the means to take showers and to do their laundry.

The rally was timed to coincide with National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week Nov. 11 through 19, which is designed to foster empathy with neighbors in economic crisis.

Eileen Geoghegah showed The Gathering Place facilities to about 20 visitors throughout the morning. The updates to the facility include a new reception area and a conference room. In the basement, she showed orderly racks of new clothing, shoes, knapsacks, and toiletries, which come in handy for clients, who usually have no money left after putting down their first months security deposits.

Geoghegah said the facility has served 400 clients in the past month, which includes 62 showers and 46 loads of laundry. After you call 211, The Gathering Place is one-stop coordinated access, she added.

I know what it was like to be homeless, said Geoghegah, who now serves on The Gathering Places Board of Directors. Eight years ago, it happened to me. After you put down your money for a security deposit, the funds are not there for everyday items.

FISH executive director Deirdre DiCara next gave tours of the FISH Food Pantry and Homeless Shelter at 332 South Main St. The facility was a dormitory-style, 36-bed shelter, whose rooms were divided by gender. A separate living space was reserved for five U.S. war veterans.

The goal is to get everyone housed with a roof over their head, DiCara said. Over the summer, we once had 10 kids.

Over the past year, FISH has distributed more than 115,109 meals to clients and given shelter to 11,695 adults, children, and veterans.

FISH residential monitor Darryl Fleming gave a tour of the facilitys bedroom quarters. He said following being scanned with an electronic wand for weapons, clients are given lockers for their personal belongings and given group room assignments. It is a combination of people going to meetings and those who are still struggling, Fleming added.

FISH food pantry manager Margaret Franzi gave a tour of the shelves, which were filled with holiday items for clients, and the facilitys new walk-in refrigerator in the basement, which contains milk and perishables. The walk-in freezer contains 150 turkeys for clients. The turkeys were acquired by Troop L state police cadets, said Franzi.

FISH Executive DirectorDeirdre DiCara gave a talk and introduced speakers from area charities following the pasta dinner at St. Peters Hall at 109 East Main St.

Julia Scharnberg, grants director at the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, said her organization serves 20 towns in the region. She said, We listen and learn how to do things better, she said to the crowd of many homeless people, adding, We are looking for more ways to help you to move to a better, more successful life.

Later Saturday evening, a Cardboard Box City Sleep-Out was scheduled. St. John Paul the Great Parish youth minister Donna Puzacke said during the lunch that Confirmation students will sleep in cardboard boxes, weather-permitting, in front of St. Francis of Assisi Church at 160 Main St.in Torrington to empathize homelessness for youth. If it rains, they will sleep inside, in the pews, she said.
Its hard to tell from down here in Connecticut what kind of U.S. senator Al Franken has been, but we know hes not much of a man, and we also know hes very much an embarrassment to the people of Minnesota who elected him.

If his indiscretions grow to be such a damaging problem that hes forced to resign - very doubtful  Franken will walk away with the golden benefits members of Congress have long since provided for themselves, namely full pay and top medical coverage for the rest of his life. Our representatives in Washington take good care of themselves.

On Thursday, U. S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal made a statement on his colleagues admitted gross behavior.

Blumenthal said, Unwanted sexual advances are never OK and never funny. It takes tremendous courage to come forward. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior, and Senator Franken needs to address it directly.

Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, have also pledged to donate the donations they received from Frankens PAC to charity.

The U. S. Senate, particularly the Democratic members, is outraged. Franken, the former television writer and comedian, has a supportive PAC known ironically as Midwest Values, which has supplied money to various Democratic senatorial candidates, including incumbents. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri is one, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin is another. Both have promised to donate the thousands of dollars they have received from Frankens PAC to charities. Another of the 21 female senators, Kristen Gillibrand of New York, is said to be on the verge of doing so, and others are expected to follow suit. Moreover, the National Republican Senate Committee has called upon 11 senators who got donations from Frankens PAC to return or donate the money.

The Senate Ethics Committee will soon be swinging into action, for sure.

President Donald Trump has leapt to comment you know it because Franken has been brutally critical of Trump ever since the president took office 10 months ago and before.

Of course, Trump overdid it. Doesnt he always? He said, 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?

If only Mr. Trump would refrain from such poorly expressed opinions of his political enemies, and others, in his public comments. But he never has and wont, and he hurts himself and blunts the points hes trying to make with his shoddy use of the language. Nonetheless, hes the president, and his words, spoken and tweeted, have impact.

Meanwhile, in Alabama, Judge Roy Moore is the picture of defiance, vowing he will not remove himself from the Senate race. And he still has considerable support. His wife, Kayla, says, no, by gosh, he wont step down; the governor, Kay Ivey, says she will vote for him; and a number of churchmen, including Pastor Mike Allison of Madison Baptist Church, have thrown their support behind Moore.

As weve been hearing for days, Moore has been accused of sexual harassment by a number of women, as well as accusations that he dated very young teenagers.

Its a mess, but I have a feeling it will all come out right, tawdry as it is, in the end. Look at our countrys history. It always does.

Editors note: The following is a comment from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., which he released on Thursday.

Unwanted sexual advances are never OK and never funny. It takes tremendous courage to come forward. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior, and Senator Franken needs to address it directly.

Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, have also pledged to donate the donations they received from Frankens PAC to charity.
John Davenport / San Antonio Express-News

A brush wildfire that sparked Saturday afternoon at Joint Base San Antonio Camp Bullis caused San Antonio firefighters to deploy to a nearby posh neighborhood in a precautionary measure, an SAFD spokesman confirmed.

Firefighters set up a perimeter in The Dominion to prevent possible spreads, Joe Arrington, SAFD spokesperson said.
Firefighters rescued two children Sunday morning from a fire on the Northwest Side that ended up destroying the home, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.

Units responded to the 13000 block of S. Village Drive about 3 a.m., Sunday, to find part of a residence engulfed in flames and the parents of two children, trapped in the home, breaking out windows in an attempt to rescue them.
A man was arrested and is facing multiple charges after a rollover on the far North Side Saturday morning that sent multiple people to area hospitals.

According to San Antonio police, a white Nissan Altima was traveling on U.S. 281 near Evans Road when it struck another vehicle.
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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.

RELATED: Costumes of Texas State University sorority draw criticism

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.

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.

Click through the gallery to see controversial moments from college fraternities:
All Texans are proud of our heritage. Our ancestors fought for and won our freedom, and that makes us unique. This is what makes us Texan. This heritage starts at the Alamo.

Jose Toribio Losoya was literally born at the Alamo. His family owned a tiny two-room home on the Plaza de Valero. In 1830, Losoya joined the Mexican armys Alamo de Parras company. That is the unit from which the Alamo gets its name. To say that he is part of the Alamos incredible story understates things. The Alamo was his world, and he was willing to risk everything to protect it.

Like many Texans of his time, Losoya rejected the brutal dictatorship of Mexicos Santa Anna. He wanted Texas to be free, and left the Mexican army to join Capt. Juan Seguins Texas unit as a private. This courageous choice would have marked him for death.

Losoya fought in both battles of the Alamo the Battle of Bexar in late 1835 and the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. After the Battle of the Alamo, his body was found in the chapel, where he undoubtedly fell fighting bravely alongside his 188 brothers in arms. He was just 28 years old.

Today, there is a beautiful lifesize statue of him on the Paseo del Alamo, and Losoya Street in my hometown of San Antonio is named after him.

Jose Toribio Losoya was also my great-great-great-great-uncle, making me a direct Alamo defender descendant. You might say that caring for the Alamo is a family tradition for me.

The Alamo is the heart of my family, and it is the heart of Texas. But, sadly, a combination of Santa Annas vindictiveness after San Jacinto and the growth of my beloved city have placed the Alamo in peril.

Santa Anna ordered the walls torn down in May 1836. The 1836 battlefield is invisible, paved over with streets, sidewalks and the plaza over the past century. Where we should feel a deep sense of prayer and reverence, we instead hear loud protesters and see things that do not belong on the most sacred battlefield in Texas.

We have lost so much of the Alamo. Only two structures, the church and the Long Barrack, survive from 1836. Decades of a lack of preservation and maintenance have left them in need of intense study and care. The traffic on Alamo Street causes the Alamo to crumble bit by bit every day.

Something has to be done. Many of us have been crying out for the city, the state someone  to do what it takes to restore the Alamo as much as possible, preserve it, and better tell its story. Its heartbreaking that a place with such a grand history often feels so small. We have been crying out for courage and leadership.

We finally have the leadership and the plan that we need. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has made preserving the Alamo his top priority. He has brought a talented team together to focus on saving the Alamo.

His plan is simple: Preserve the Alamos 1836 structures; close Alamo Street and recover the battlefield; and build the world-class museum that the Alamo deserves.

Commissioner Bush is a son of Texas, and he will ensure that the Alamo always tells the story of 1836 faithfully.

The Alamo needs Texans to come together and save it. The time for Texans to come to the Alamos aid is right now. Commissioner Bushs preservation plan is the right plan, and all Texans who love the Alamo should support it.

Yvette Reyna is a lifelong San Antonio resident.
I was shocked and horrified when I heard the news about the Sutherland Springs shooting while watching the small TV mounted on the wall at the gym. The initial reports were varied and confusing, but there was no doubt that lives had been lost and many injured.

My cellphone blew up with calls. Still in workout clothes, I jumped off the elliptical and raced out of the gym and into work at Brooke Army Medical Center. As one of two hospitals in the city with the highest level of trauma care, I knew patients from the shooting would be on their way.

We received eight of the 20 injured victims that Sunday afternoon  six adults and two minors. The days that followed were filled with a barrage of media calls and condition requests. As I fielded calls, my heart broke as I watched the news: 26 people killed, including eight members of a family spanning three generations.

However, as is often the case after tragedy, I was inspired and uplifted by our nations outpouring of love and support for the victims and their families. With this tragedy so close to home, I was also privileged to witness an outpouring of support for our communitys first responders and the staff here at BAMC.

Recently I received a call from a colleague at the Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Sunrise was the closest hospital to the Oct. 1 shooting at the Las Vegas Strip that left 58 people dead and 546 injured  the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in the U.S. The hospital received more than 200 victims.

My colleague told me the Sunrise hospital staff wanted to show its support of our hospital in the wake of this tragedy, dissimilar in scope but alike in a pain that cant be measured. She was mailing a banner, she said, signed by the hospital staff and intended for BAMC staff caring for Sutherland Springs victims and their families. I was touched by this thoughtful gift, as were my leaders. We plan to display it a week at a time in each ward where patients have been treated.

Another call came from Capts. John Arroyo and Katie Blanchard, who asked to speak with the recovering victims. As survivors of unspeakable violence, both can relate to the journey that lies ahead for these patients and their families.

In 2014, a fellow soldier walked up to Arroyo in a parking lot at Fort Hood and shot him at close range in the neck. The shooter killed three soldiers and wounded 14 others. Blanchard had been doused in gasoline and her face lit on fire by a former employee at her post in Kansas in 2016.

They are still recovering and perhaps struggling to understand what led to those attacks, yet both feel compelled to share a message of hope.

Perhaps the most touching conversation I had last week was with the charge nurse who was on duty that Sunday afternoon when we received eight of the 20 wounded from the shooting.

Air Force Maj. Belinda Kelley took the initial call that patients from a mass shooting were on their way. The staff sprang into action, opening 15 trauma bays to accommodate a larger number of patients. More than two dozen trauma surgeons heard the news and showed up to work, not to observe but to assist. This was a number more than matched by nurses, medics, pharmacists and countless other staff members.

Kelley coordinated the teams and ensured everything needed was on hand. Later that evening the gravity of the events struck her.

As a nurse, this is a very emotional place, she said, her eyes filling with tears, especially when I pick up the phone and someone is looking for a loved one.

If I walk out of here and cant cry, then I cant come back, she said, because that means I dont care anymore. Caring is what I do.

Sadly, there are some who will always seek to cause tremendous harm and pain. But there are countless others, like the Sunrise Hospital staff, whose abundant acts of love will always triumph over unfathomable hate.

Elaine Sanchez works in the Brooke Army Medical Center public affairs office.
Judge Roy Moore, the embattled Republican nominee for Alabamas open U.S. Senate seat, must surely long for the good ole days. Dogged by allegations of sexual assault and pedophilia arising from conduct that may have taken place decades ago, he is the subject of publicity so unflattering that his reputation may never recover.

He has lashed out at the Washington Post for its coverage of the allegations, threatening a lawsuit.

In the world that existed when Moore was a boy, everything would have been different. The alleged victims would never have come forward to tell their stories, so great was the stigma and risk of retribution. Media outlets would probably not have reported the womens allegations for fear of being sued and held liable for defamation.

Until 1964, the American legal principles governing libel and slander were completely out of sync with the free speech and free press guarantees of the First Amendment.

First, a defamatory statement at that time was presumed to be false. The plaintiff did not have to prove falsity.

Second, it made no difference how much care the speaker exercised. If the statement was false, strict liability was imposed.

Third, certain statements were presumed to cause harm. Even if a plaintiff presented no evidence of actual losses, a jury could award a large amount of damages based simply on the nastiness of the utterance and the extent of its circulation.

In other words, in the old days, defamation law favored plaintiffs. People could exercise their First Amendment rights to discuss matters of public concern, but only at the risk of too-readily being held liable in a civil suit. If you were not sure that you could bear the costs of litigation and persuade a jury that you told the truth, it was prudent to stay silent.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. Supreme Court eventually concluded that the principles of defamation law that America inherited from England were inconsistent with the First Amendment. The landmark case was New York Times vs. Sullivan, decided in 1964.

That lawsuit arose from an advertisement in support of the civil rights movement that was published in the New York Times. The ad discussed the struggle by Martin Luther King Jr. for racial equality, but contained minor misstatements that purportedly defamed an Alabama official charged with overseeing the police officers who arrested King and confronted demonstrators. Without any proof that the statement caused the official actual losses, an Alabama jury returned a verdict for $500,000.

The judgment, which was affirmed by the Alabama Supreme Court, threatened to deter the New York Times and other media outlets from reporting on issues related to the civil rights movement. This was true because financial ruin could flow from any inaccuracy.

Instead, the U.S. Supreme Court rewrote defamation law. It is now clear that a public official or public figure cannot recover for alleged defamation without proving both that the statement is false and that the defendant acted with actual malice. Actual malice means knowledge of the statements falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.

Moore is certainly a public figure. He has served as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, sought public attention by his campaign to promote the Ten Commandments as guiding principles for public life, and now seeks to become a senator.

Whether Moore engaged in alleged sexual misconduct with several women certainly bears on his fitness for office. It is not a matter of purely private concern.

Thus, if Moore follows through on his recent threat to sue the Washington Post for libel based on its reporting of the accusation, he, not the Post, will bear the burden of proof. Past decisions show that only in the rarest case can a public official prove that a media outlet acted with actual malice.

This is as it should be. America is committed to the robust, uninhibited, wide-open debate of public issues.

Johnson is the South Texas Professor of Law at St. Marys University.
Opposition political parties have said the governments recent move to give chiefs brand new Isuzu double cab vehicles is a clear indication that Zanu PF is preparing the machinery for a ruthless election campaign.

Despite public pronouncements by Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, that there were no funds to procure vehicles for chiefs which amounted to $14 million, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Saturday, handed over the first batch of vehicles during a meeting with the traditional leaders in Gweru.

The allocation of Isuzu vehicles to chiefs by Mnangagwa is not a sign of benevolence or kindness, but it is part of Zanu PF ruthless campaign machinery. Zanu PF has got weak structures on the ground and they are trying to use chiefs to coerce people to vote for them, said MDC T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora, in an interview.

Mwonzora accused the Mnangagwa administration of following in the footsteps of his predecessor Robert Mugabe whose government was routinely accused of using state resources to buy votes.

The President of Economic Reform Assembly (ERA), Amos Dangwa, said while it is was a noble idea to give chiefs vehicles to carry out their constitutional mandate his party strongly condemned the move. He said the gesture was not done in the spirit of honesty and genuine interests of the chiefs.

To start with, President Mnangagwa being only a few days into office announced that all cars that had been bought by the previous government for chiefs would be distributed among government departments. A few weeks down the line, the cars are allocated to the chiefs. Nothing on the ground has changed that warrants chiefs to be given new cars save the fact that there will be elections in a few months time.

We strongly believe that buying chiefs cars at a time when we are facing elections is a way of tooling chiefs, bribing them as well as getting them ready to campaign for Zanu PF, said Dangwa.

The ERA president said Zimbabwe has got more pressing issues that urgently need the scarce foreign currency such as service delivery, infrastructure development and capital injection into the ailing industries.

The biggest question we are all left with is: did we even have a budget for the purchase of these cars? This shows that Zanu PF is not yet reformed in anyway. It only changed guard and it will continue with the clueless management of the economy, added Dangwa.

Zapu spokesperson, Ipithule Maphosa, said the money channelled towards the procuring of the vehicles should have been allocated to the setting up of provincial councils.

Zapu is surprised that this government is prioritising the purchasing of luxury vehicles for chiefs yet there are still important outstanding constitutional obligations such as the setting up of provincial councils and the revival of Bulawayo industries. This clearly shows that the government does not prioritise development, said Maphosa.

 NewZimbabwe

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Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,

Can be writ the nation's glory, Illinois, Illinois.

-- official state song

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- This state's story, which lately has been depressing, soon will acquire a riveting new chapter. In 2018 Illinois will have the nation's most important, expensive and strange election.

Its importance derives from this fact: Self-government has failed in the nation's 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 California's $280 million gubernatorial race in 2010, when that state's 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 Rauner's real opponent is a Democrat who has been in the state assembly since Richard Nixon's first term (1971) and has been speaker all but two years since Ronald Reagan's 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 nation's 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 state's 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 nation's 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 he's since been bullied. Another Democratic legislator -- an African-American from Chicago's 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, Madigan's automatons passed a law (Rauner's 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 Madigan's 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 Madigan's 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 nation's glory.

George F. Will is a columnist for The Washington Post.
Champaign, IL (61820)

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Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 24F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%..

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Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 24F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
New Delhi: Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday opposed the decision to rename Dyal Singh (Evening) College in Delhi as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya, saying the move would negate the legacy of the philanthropist.

Sirsa said it was S Dyal Singh Majithia's efforts that resulted in the college getting its land on a lease in 1960.

Majithia made huge contributions as one of the leading philanthropist of the country, Sirsa said in a statement.

"Dyal Singh Evening College is an important part of the Dyal Singh Trust. Changing the name of Dyal Singh (Evening) College is like negating his legacy. Nobody would tolerate it," he said.

Sirsa's remarks came a day after the Governing Body of college decided to rename it as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

Expressing high regards for Vande Mataram, the MLA said, future generations would not know about a great philanthropist if the college was renamed.

"We would not let the name change happen. If it is not revoked, it would result in unpleasant protests," Sirsa said, adding that he had already had a word with the chairman of the college's management committee to not initiate the process.

Various students too have opposed the decision to rename the evening college. "Instead of improving facilities in the college, the chairman of the college bypassed all existing mechanisms and overruled the dissent from students and professors and took a decision for renaming with support from the ABVP," student Swali Prakash said, referring to the RSS-affiliate student body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India said in a statement it would welcome the trend of renaming colleges if students will be provided better infrastructure and facilities.

"When the governing body seeks to change the name they also disgrace the legacy of Punjab's first freedom fighter Sardar Dyal Singh Manjithia. The establishment of the Punjab National Bank, Dyal Singh College were noteworthy contributions by him," the NSUI said in the statement.
New Delhi: The government has accepted a high-level committee's recommendation of increasing by over three per cent the quota of private tour operators sending Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

The high-level committee formed by the government to frame draft 'Haj Policy 2018-2022' had made the recommendation last month.

The committee had recommended that the quota of private tour operators be increased from the present 26.47 per cent to 30 per cent.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has confirmed that the panel's suggestion has been accepted.

India has an annual Haj quota of 1.70 lakh.

Out of this, according to the allocation for 2017, 1.25 lakh pilgrims could travel to Saudi Arabia through the Haj Committee of India (HCoI).

The private tour operators (PTOs) could transport 45,000 devotees.

The revision of the quota allocation now will mean that 51,000 devotees can travel through the PTOs.

Remaining 1.19 lakh devotees can undertake the journey through the HCoI.

"We have accepted the recommendation. It is a logical recommendation which has been accepted after studying each aspect of the issue including that of interests of the pilgrims," Naqvi said.

He also said that the categories of PTOs have been increased to three from two.

The private players are categorised based on the number of years they have facilitated pilgrims (more the number of years of operation, higher the category they are put in).

Those, who have successfully completed at least seven years of operations, are put in category 1.

According to a source in the ministry, the allocation revision "should not make much of a difference" for devotees given the Haj subsidy is being gradually reduced in view of a 2012 Supreme Court order.

As per the apex court's order, the subsidy is to be abolished gradually till 2022.

"Earlier people would seek to go through the HCoI because they would get subsidy. Now the subsidy is being gradually lowered since 2012," a source said.

"So, it should not make much of a difference to the devotees whether they undertake the journey either through the HCoI or PTOs in future," the source added.

The source also said that the ministry plans to ensure stricter regulations to see pilgrims are not troubled by PTOs.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs in a letter to Assams National Register of Citizens (NRC) Coordinator, Prateek Hajela, stated that the ration card as a "supporting document" has to be treated valid for the purpose of NRC update, due on December 31.

The letter, issued by Deputy Director General Sanjay, has mentioned that, while, Gaon (Village) Panchayat certificates will not be considered valid until the Supreme Court rules on it, ration cards do not fall under the same category.

"While approving modalities dated March 13, 2015, the list of documents that were admissible, which were to be enclosed by each applicant was also approved. The list contained two supporting documents ration cards and Gaon Panchayat certificates, issued by the Secretary of Village Panchayat. It is clarified that all documents as appearing on March 13, 2015, except Gaon Panchayat certificates, which is sub-judice, are valid documents," read the letter.

Mustafa Khaddam, the advocate representing the All Assam Minorities Students Association told News18 that more than the refugees; the move would help genuine residents of Assam.

"Acceptance of ration cards as valid documents will help genuine citizens, who have been residing here since March 24, 1971," said Khaddam.

In April, this year, the Supreme Court had refused to accept ration cards as valid documents to include a person's name in the NRC.

The ruling came after the Gauhati High Court refused residency certificates, issued by gram panchayats, for the NRC update. The bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice F Nariman gave the order after it was informed by NRC state coordinator that the Centre had objections in accepting ration cards to prove citizenship.

The MHAs latest move will bring relief to those refugees who entered Assam and were given shelter, ration cards by the Indira Gandhi government.

The Ministry, though, has made it clear that while disposing applications based on ration cards, there still needed to be "thorough investigation".

"It is suggested that careful scrutiny and thorough investigation is done before disposing applications based on ration cards in accordance with Citizenship Rules of 2003. As far as linkage is concerned, all legally admissible documents may be accepted," reads the MHA letter.

The next hearing on the case, which would hear on whether Gaon Panchayat certificates be treated as valid or not, will be heard on November 22.
New Delhi: Flying out has not come easy for High Court judges in the country.

One in every four High Court judges has failed to get a nod from the central government to go abroad for official purposes.

This is in contrast to the Supreme Court judges whose requests were cleared without any exception between January 2016 and June 2017.

Information accessed through RTI by CNN-News18 demonstrates that the government approved all the requests received from the Supreme Court judges offices, but the High Court judges were not just as lucky.

Eleven out of 44 requests by the High Court judges were turned down between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. The rate of denial for the permission comes out to be one-fourth.

In the same period, the government received 23 requests from the Supreme Court judges and all these were approved.

The RTI reply received from the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry clarifies that official foreign visit of Supreme Court and High Court judges are sanctioned at the level of Minister of Law and Justice, Finance Minister and Prime Minister.

The sanction for official foreign visits are given after the government officials examine such requests and arrive at a decision that the events, which may include seminar, lectures, conferences, meet the protocol of visits by the judges of Indian constitutional courts, besides other criteria of judicial discipline. Even for the private foreign trips, the Department of Justice has a set of guidelines for judges.

Responding to the RTI application, the Department of Justice has given a break-up of the requests received from the Supreme Court and High Court judges and the sanctions issued in accordance with the norms.

During 2016, sanctions have been issued for 17 judges of the Supreme Court, with as many requests made. On the other hand, 28 High Court judges sought the approval, but the government cleared only 23, rejecting five others.

The RTI response added that till June 30, 2017 sanctions were issued for six judges of the Supreme Court, whereas in cases of high court judges, out of 16 requests, only 10 were cleared.

Thus, over a span of 19 months, the government declined permission to 11 High Court judges to go abroad on official foreign visits on various grounds, but primarily because the reason of their visits and the invitations sent to these judges failed to satisfy the protocol.

In August last year, the Delhi High Court had come out with a first-of-its-kind circular to curb the movements of over 300 judges in Delhi. The circular asked all the judges in Delhi district courts not to go abroad even if they were on official leave.
Bhopal: Locals in the Old City area on Friday thrashed three men, who have been accused of raping a minor, while they were being taken around the area for investigation purposes by policemen.

As the accused were being taken to their residence, locals surrounded the group and attacked them, even as the outnumbered policemen tried to protect the accused. Slogans seeking death penalty for the rapists were also raised.

A video, that has now gone viral, shows the police and suspects being surrounded in a narrow bylane by residents, who subsequently beat up the accused. Even after the police pulled themselves and the accused out of the tight spot, they were followed and the accused were further thrashed by the residents.

Jehangirabad Police Station in-charge Pritam Singh Thakur said they wanted to seek evidence, which allegedly included obscene videos, from the houses of the accused and hence had taken them to the area. The search, though, ended empty-handed.

On Thursday, the police had booked Nannulal Bhilala (67), Gyanendra Pandit and Gokul Chaurasia for raping a minor girl. A woman, Suman Pandey, also allegedly helped the accused in their act and has been booked in the case. All four accused have been arrested.

The girl, a student of class five, had been repeatedly raped by the three at Sumans house for three months. The accused had threatened the girl with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anyone, said the police.

Reports of the incident come when the city is already seething over the gang rape of a 19-year-old girl in the Habibganj railway station area.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Special Investigation Team, led by DIG Sudhir Laad handed over the police negligence report to ADG (Anti-Women Harassment) Aruna Mohan Rao, reportedly holding five policemen accountable for the delay in registration of FIR by almost eight hours after the Habibganj gang rape incident.
New Delhi: Hours after the producers of film Padmavati announced that they were deferring the release of the film, Harayna BJP chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Sunday said that he would reward Rs 10 crore to those who behead Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone.

Amu's remark came two days after a Meerut resident from the Kshatriya community declared a Rs 5 crore bounty on the heads of director and the female actor in Padmavati. Amu congratulated the youth. "I will take care of the families of those who decapitate Bhansali and Deepika," he said. He threatened to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh,"if he didn't take his words back."

#WATCH:Haryana BJP Chief Media Coordinator SP Amu says will quit BJP if needed,asks PM to exercise his powers to strike down film #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/h2x76mdAKb ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Amu didn't even spare Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mocking him over his "Bhaaiyon aur Behenon" invocation. He attacked Modi for his silence, saying, "You will have to speak. Even if I have to resign from my post, you will have to speak, Modi Ji."

He was addressing a gathering of Rajput leaders and even took Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, who urged the Centre not to release Padmavati until necessary changes were incorporated, to the task, saying, "There is no need to talk about any cuts to the films. We will not let it enter theatres only," to a huge roar from the crowd.

Padmavati has been facing protests by several Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena and others, for allegedly distorting historical facts. The controversy took an ugly turn earlier this week when Karni Sena leaders threatened to cut off Deepika Padukones nose.

Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh government jumped on the bandwagon, saying it will not let the movie release in the state unless its "controversial portions" are removed.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the legendary queen had sacrificed her life instead of surrendering before the Mughals and made a place for herself in the history.

"Islamic invaders created a lot of mayhem in the country. The 'Rani' burnt herself alive in 'Jauhar' for her 'satitva' (pride) and dignity," he said.
New Delhi: The education department of Rajasthan government has asked all schools to take students to a fair organised by Hindu Spirituality and Service Foundation where booklets on "love jihad, Christian conspiracies" are being distributed by right-wing groups.

A Bajrang Dal stall has books expounding how girls can save themselves from "love jihad", citing actors Aamir and Saif Ali Khan's case in which the men "abandoned their Hindu wives to marry other Hindu women."

Another book says that Muslims have been using love jihad to convert Hindus for the last thousand years. A pamphlet, with the picture of actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, explains how Muslim men lure Hindu women into loving them, which is followed by conversion.

"Muslim boys' regular visits to Hindu households, their incessant conversations with Hindu daughters, their respect for parents, who they address as 'Mataji and pitaji' etc. are all part of a larger scheme," the pamphlet reads. Furthermore, it explains that the conversation between boys and girls easily diverts towards love and relationships, and the girl, then, wants to marry the same boy.

"If the family doesn't assent to their demands, girls elope with Muslim boys, get married in an Islamic way, and convert to Islam," reads the pamphlet, adding, "converting others to Islam is a service in their religion".

Another book, blue in colour, says that after converting Hindu women, Muslim men throw them either into prostitution business or use them to spread "violent jihad".

The lessons do not stop here. A woman, wearing a bindi on her forehead, features behind bars on a yellow brochure. The booklet explains the cycle or steps comprising the process of love jihad. "Love, fraud, Niqaah, conversion lead to persecution," according to this book, which also mentions the amount of money offered by Mulsim men to attract Hindu women.

The government's decision was met with scorn by the Congress-led Opposition that accused CM Raje of failing to deliver on promises, diverting people's attention to topics of no consequence.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that it is clear that the Rajasthan government is openly supporting organisations "spreading venom among school kids". "They want to alter the narrative -- from real issues of job and corruption -- for the purpose of elections."
Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the famed Sabarimala temple, is getting ready to re-record with changes a devotional song, played every night to put Lord Ayyappa, the principal deity, to sleep.

"Harivarasanam," a Sanskritised Malayalam song written in 'astakam' (eight stanza) metre, is recited at the hillock shrine located in Pathanamthitta district of the state, routinely as an "urakku paattu" (lullaby) for the deity.

The TDB wants to bring out the song afresh by adding a word that exists in its original text and missing in the popular musical version, and by correcting a pronunciation error.

Though there are many versions of 'Harivarasanam,' the one rendered by legendary Carnatic vocalist and playback singer K J Yesudas and composed in the popular musical format by iconic composer late G Devarajan, is being played for decades at the temple after final poojas.

The newly-appointed TDB president A Padmakumar said the word 'swamy' was there in every line of the original devotional song, believed to have been penned in 1920s, and it might have been omitted for the easiness of rendition when it was brought out in the musical format.

"Swamy" is a term used as honorific title addressing a male deity in Hindu belief.

"We want the song to be sung as in the original text.. Besides this, the famous line that goes 'Ari Vimardhanam' should be spelt separately which is rendered as a single world in the present version," Padmakumar told PTI.

Yesudas, who himself is an ardent devotee of Lord Ayyappa and a regular visitor of the shrine, had admitted some time back that the words 'ari (enemy) and 'vimardhanam' (destroy) should have been spelt separately.

Yesudas had originally sung 'Harivarasanam' song for the 1975 Malayalam film, 'Swamy Ayyappan' and recorded the song afresh later, which has since been played at the shrine.

"I have already discussed the matter with Yesudas.. He is in United States at present and is expected to come to Kerala later this month to attend a private function.. I hope that we can fix the final date of rerecording at that time," he said.

Incidentally, Padmakumar is the descendant of Konnakathu Janaki Amma, who is believed to have written 'Harivarasanam' over nine decades ago.

For long, it was believed that Kambakudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer had originally penned the devotional song.

But, the descendants of Janaki Amma came up with a claim some time back that she had originally authored the song.

She had submitted the song to the temple as an offering to the deity through her father Ananthakrishna Iyer, who served as the 'melsanthi' (chief priest) of Sabarimala temple from 1907-1920, the family said.

"We have the original handwritten notes of the song by her to prove the authorship.. In all records, Srinivasa Iyer's name is mentioned as 'sambadakan' (compiler) of the song," he said.

During those days, people would not write their name when a creative work was submitted as an offering at the temple.

That might be the reason she did not mention her name underneath the song, Padmakumar, also a former MLA, said.

According to sources, it was believed that Swami Vimochanananda had sung the song for the first time at Sabarimala.

The practise was to play it at the end of the day's rituals since 1950s and the tradition is continuing till date, they said.

Marking the beginning of the pilgrimage season, the Sabarimala Lord temple opened on November 15 for the three-month annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival.

Thousands of people, from and outside the state, are visiting the hillock shrine every day to catch a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa and offer worship.

Security in and around the temple has been tightened in view of the heavy rush. The 41-day Mandalam festival will conclude on December 26 after Mandala pooja.

The temple would reopen for the Makaravilakku festival on December 30.

The Makaravilakku will be celebrated on January 14.

More than 4.5 crore devotees offered prayers at the temple during the festival season last year.
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 Corporation's 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.

Jagruti Vyas, a long-term resident, hoped the UNESCO listing would bring standards in her dilapidated neighborhood 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 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.

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.

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."
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
An Indian medical student was crowned Miss World at a glitzy event in a Chinese resort on Saturday, making her country the joint-most successful in the beauty pageant's history. Manushi Chhillar is the sixth Indian winner of the long-running contest, following in the footsteps of Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai.

Her win brings India level with Venezuela as the countries with most victories in the history of the pageant, now in its 67th edition. Chhillar, 20, is a trained Indian classical dancer who also enjoys painting and hopes to open a chain of non-profit hospitals in rural areas, according to the Miss World website.

"Thank you, everyone, for your constant love, support," and prayers she wrote on Twitter. "This one's for India."

Chhillar's victory rapidly became a top trending topic on the social media platform in India after the announcement, with Manohar Lal Khattar -- the minister of her home state of Haryana -- among the first to offer congratulations.

Chhillar was handed the crown by last year's winner, Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico, at the ceremony in the Chinese coastal city of Sanya on Saturday night. Stephanie Hill of England and Andrea Meza of Mexico finished as runners-up.

Saturday marked the Miss World pageant's return to Sanya, on southern China's Hainan Island, for a seventh time, where the event was last held in 2015. At the previous occasion two years ago, controversy erupted as officials in Hong Kong stopped Miss Canada, Anastasia Lin, from boarding a plane bound for Sanya, telling her she would not receive a visa.

The 25-year old actress claimed the decision was due to her stance on China's human rights record, including its persecution of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual group of which she is a practitioner.

At last year's event in the United States, Lin was again embroiled in controversy when pageant officials reportedly warned her against speaking to the press for three weeks about human rights abuses in China. Miss Lin did not participate in this year's event, with Canada represented instead by Cynthia Menard, a high school student.
17 years after Priyanka Chopra won the coveted Miss World pageant, Manushi Chhillar brought back the crown on Saturday evening. Chillar competed against 108 contestants from various countries to win the Miss World title at a glittering event held at Sanya City Arena in China. As soon as the news broke out, the entire film fraternity began to shower love on Chhillar and congratulated her for the big win.

Pee Cee, who is now creating waves in the West, advised her successor to enjoy the moment. She took to Twitter and wrote, "And we have a successor!Congratulations @ManushiChhillar on becoming #MissWorld2017.. cherish and learn, and most importantly enjoy it.Bravo"

And we have a successor!Congratulations @ManushiChhillar on becoming #MissWorld2017.. cherish and learn, and most importantly enjoy it.Bravo PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) November 18, 2017

Dia Mirza, who won the Miss Asia Pacific in the year 2000 when Pee Cee was crowned Miss World, wrote, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar! May your beautiful smile and grace always win over the world and help make a positive change  #MissWorld2017 #India."

Congratulations @ManushiChhillar! May your beautiful smile and grace always win over the world and help make a positive change  #MissWorld2017 #India pic.twitter.com/W0tMDZOmA1 Dia Mirza (@deespeak) November 18, 2017

Neha Dhupia, who has herself been a pageant winner and had mentored the contestants this time, wrote, "Congratulations @ManushiChhillar ... we knew you had all the qualities to conquer the world ever since we met u for the first time! You go girl! #missworld2017 #proudmentor @vineetjaintimes @TOIIndiaNews"

Congratulations @ManushiChhillar ... we knew you had all the qualities to conquer the world ever since we met u for the first time! You go girl! #missworld2017 #proudmentor @vineetjaintimes @TOIIndiaNews https://t.co/8hcSikcqS8 Neha Dhupia (@NehaDhupia) November 18, 2017

Veteran actor and FTII Chief Anupam Kher also expressed his elation. "Dear @ManushiChhillar!! Thank you for bringing that crown back to India after 17years. Thank you for your amazing answer about mothers. Congratulations. India awaits to welcome you with colours of love, warmth & pride. Jai Ho," he wrote.

Dear @ManushiChhillar!! Thank you for bringing that crown back to India after 17years. Thank you for your amazing answer about mothers. Congratulations. India awaits to welcome you with colours of love, warmth & pride. Jai Ho. pic.twitter.com/itdGLPcXDO Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 18, 2017

A proud Amitabh Bachchan wrote, "A Miss World in our world .. ! Pride and felicitations ..    ,         Manushi Chillar congratulations !!"
Gandhinagar: Amid growing protests over Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati, the leader of a Rajput group in Gujarat has criticised the filmmaker, alleging it was a tactic" of Bhansali to always create a controversy ahead of his films release" to create a boom at the box-office.

Protests against Bhansalis upcoming movie Padmavati are burgeoning around the country, and has also rubbed off in the poll-bound state of Gujarat.

This time the Rajput communitys various groups are not against the films release on December 1 as the Supreme Court has refused to stay it.

The Gaurav Swabhiman Sabha in Gujarat has declared a pledge to not let the film run in the theaters of Gujarat, as they feel that it has been mischievous on the part of Bhansali to depict Rajput women in degrading fashion".

The groups leader Shersinh Rana told the media, In the coming days we will be reaching out to all the people in Gujarat and urge the people to boycott this film. Besides we will be fielding around a thousand people at each theater the film will be shown in the state. We want to inflict maximum financial blow to the mischievous film director Bhansali."

When IANS asked him about the apex court verdict, Rana said, I totally agree with the apex courts decision, but why is it that every time Bhansali produces a film it lands in controversy? He has made a habit of it, and we will make him pay for it. And why did he display it to some groups when first it has to be shown to the CBFC before the certification?"

According to Shersinh Rana, the group will work along with other Hindu organizations in the state and hold Gaurav Swabhiman Sabha in each of the three districts of the state. The demonstrations and meetings will start from November 25 in Surat, on November 26 in Dhanera, and so forth covering major cities of the state. A mega convention is planned at the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad on December 3 for the cause.

Earlier, people associated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and those belonging to Rajput, Karni and Gurjar communities too had warned against release of the film that allegedly tarnishes the image of Queen Padmavati.

Last month, a mob of Karni Sena and VHP members had destroyed a rangoli depicting actress Deepika Padukone made by a local artist in a city-based mall.

The ruling BJP too had written to the Election Commission seeking a ban on release of the movie till after the Gujarat Assembly elections on December 9 and 14.

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New Delhi: The much-awaited meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to approve the schedule of the party president's election will take place on Monday at Sonia Gandhi's residence, party sources said.

The meeting of the CWC, the highest decision-making body of the Congress, is scheduled to take place at 10:30 AM at 10 Janpath, they said. This would clear the decks for the elevation of party vice president Rahul Gandhi to take over as the next chief.

He is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said. Party leaders say though it is not necessary to convene a formal meeting of the CWC to approve the schedule of the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi has decided to get the approval of the party's highest decision-making body.
New Delhi: The Congress party on Sunday night released its first list of candidates, fielding 20 Patidars among 77 nominees, for the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017.

It comes after the Congress said that it had reached a consensus with the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on the issue of reservation for the Patel community. The agreement will come into force if the Congress is voted to power.

Shaktisinh Gohil, the sitting MLA from Abdasa, will contest these polls from the Mandvi constituency in Kutch. He is also said to be the frontrunner for the post of chief minister, should Congress garner a majority.

PAAS leader Lalit Vasoya will fight elections in the Dhoraji seat. The big battle, however, is between Indranil Rajyaguru and the sitting chief minister Vijay Rupani in Rajkot West.

Arjun Modhvadia, former leader of Opposition from 2004 to 2007, will lock horns with the sitting MLA and minister in the Gujarat cabinet, Babu Bokhiria in the Porbandar seat.

Out of the total candidates nominated, 11 belong to the scheduled tribe (ST) category and seven are from the scheduled caste (SC) category.

The Congress list comes with barely two days left to file nominations for the first phase of the election.

The delay was caused as the party was trying to strike the delicate caste balance while doing the quota tight rope and grappling internal factionalism.

While Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), had demanded around 20 seats from the Congress quota, Alpesh Thakor-led OBC group had demanded 12 seats.

On the contrary, the ruling BJP has announced 106 candidates out of total 182 seats, by releasing two lists so far.

While polling for 89 constituencies will be held on December 9, remaining 93 seats will go to polls on December 14. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is November 21.
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bharatsinh Solanki may opt out of electoral contest in the upcoming state assembly polls.

The former union minister has indicated that as the state Congress president, he is responsible for the party's performance in all 182 constituencies.

Solanki's decision to not contest is also an indicator that Congress may not project a CM-face against chief minister Vijay Rupani.

Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has already toured Gujarat five times in the last months and the poll contest may boil down to another battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul.

Solanki- son of former state CM Madhavsinh Solanki- is a three-time MLA and has been elected Member of Parliament twice. He comes from the influential Kshatriya community in central Gujarat.

The decision not to field Solanki also alludes towards the fine balancing act the party is attempting to keep all large and electorally influential social groups interested. It is being seen as an attempt to paper over the traditional Patel-Kshatriya rivalry in the state.

Congress this election season is aggressively wooing a section of the Patidar community, the bedrock of BJP's resurgence in Gujarat after it was handed a comprehensive defeat by Solanki senior in 1985.

It is expected that some close aides of Hardik Patal, may be accommodated by the Congress in its first list to be released soon.

With only two days left to file nominations, the Congress list has been delayed by PAAS playing hardball and factionalism within the party.

While the Hardik Patel-led Patidar group has demanded around 20 seats from the Congress quota, Alpesh Thakor-led OBC group has demanded 12 seats. Thakor had joined the Congress recently.

Moreover, groupism and dissension in the state Congress unit is also said to be a reason behind the delay in finalising candidates.
New Delhi: In power or in opposition, old habits die hard. Especially if you are a party with 125 years of history, of which a good seven decades have been spent in the Treasury Benches.

Once again, and as is its wont, the Congress is yet to declare a single candidate for the Gujarat Assembly elections next month. Nominations for the first round of polling will end on Tuesday.

Even when it is down and out, the Grand Old Party continues to maintain necessary secrecy and a protracted crawl to the finishing line. This, by its own standards, is neither the new first nor the new normal.

There have been occasions when the All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) has chosen the darkest of hours well past midnight to release its list of candidates. Cold winter nights or sickly-sticky monsoon evenings, reporters would come prepared to beat all that and file a preliminary report before papers went to press.

Administrative staff at AICC headquarters during the elections season has always been in high demand, both for journalists and ticket seekers. Scribes sought out information on who was in and who was out, while aspirants sniffed around for vital clues to out-do the competition.

Today, when political parties send regular updates on social networking sites, all this may sound ancient. Like the stories from the warrens and watering-holes of the famed Fleet Streets. In the Congress party, till around five years ago, this was business as usual.

Others who were in great demand during election season were state in-charge and Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents. Candidates camping in Delhi would chase them for a last-minute audience to bolster their case. In 2002 Punjab Assembly elections, an aspirant worked overtime to ensure that his seat was not allocated to the CPI, an alliance partner. Capt. Amarinder Singh and Motilal Vora had to play hide and seek for a good one week to evade the determined Congressman who wanted the seat for himself.

The same year, the list of candidates for Uttarakhand Assembly elections was delayed by a good 48 hours. It so transpired that the state Congress chief went incommunicado on learning that half a dozen candidates close to his adversary were being accommodated by the party.

The Congress went on to win the first elections in the hill state carved out of Uttar Pradesh. It is another matter that the said leader had to pay a heavy price for his insolence towards the party high command. His claim to the CMs chair was overruled and octogenarian ND Tiwari was brought back from retirement and anointed Chief Minister.

Dragging ticket distribution to the fag-end is both deliberate and tactical. Like a skill developed after years of practice. The idea is to engage potential candidates till the very end leaving them little or no time to contest as a rebel against the official nominee. Or seek ticket from the opponent.

There have been instances when B-Form  issued by the party for the purpose of symbol allocation  is surreptitiously given to the chosen one, while the others slug it out till the very end.

By the time others still camping in Delhi realise what happened, the official nominee sneaked out of the national capital to file the nomination papers.

The BJP, on the other hand, follows a different trajectory. The Central Election Committee meets well in advance to discuss, debate and fine-tune its list. The names are generally declared well in advance.

As far as the Gujarat election is concerned, it is not very clear whether the delay in ticket declaration is out of old habits. Perhaps there is more to it.

There remain some unsettled issues with Hardik Patel-led PAAS that both sides would like others to believe are related to Congress stand on quota commitment for Patidars.

The BJP says the delay is more about accommodating PAAS leaders in the Congress list. The latter is not willing to concede more than five seats. The PAAS may have been demanding more flexibility.

In the meantime, the wait for the Congress list continues.
Ahmedabad: In a big setback for the BJP, sitting party MP Prabhatsinh Chauhan from Panchmahal has rebelled against the party after his wife was denied a ticket.

The two-time Lok Sabha MP and five-times MLA was seeking a ticket for his wife Ramilben Chauhan from Kalol in central Gujarat. Chouhan has announced that his wife would now contest as an independent candidate against the official party nominee.

Chouhan is a local OBC strongman who has also served as minister for seven years from 2002 to 2009 when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.

He is the second sitting MP in the BJP to have openly expressed displeasure on being denied assembly ticket to their immediate family. Patan MP Leeladhar Vaghela had earlier sought ticket for his son from Deesa assembly seat in North Gujarat.

There have also been several resignations from the BJP after the party announced its first list of candidates for 70 seats, despite party leaders claiming that the choices made were unanimous.

Vijaysinh Patel, a member of the Bharuch district panchayat, quit the party, protesting against the Ankleshwar assembly seat being given to Ishwarsinh Patel, the sitting MLA from the seat. Vijaysinh and Ishwarsinh are brothers.

In Saurashtra, where the BJP is already facing the prospect of losing a section of Patidar votes, opposition was seen in the Mahuva, Jasdan and Amreli seats. Mahuva councillor Bipin Sanghvi quit the after the party decided to go with Raghavjibhai Makwana from the seat once again.

In central Gujarat, Kamlesh Parmar, leader of opposition in the Congress-ruled Vadodara district panchayat, too, quit and has threatened to contest as an independent from the Padra assembly seat in Vadodara after Dinesh Patel was given the seat. Patel has been MLA from the seat in the last two terms.

The Adivasi Ekta Manch, a front supported by the BJP, has threatened to field as many as ten candidates in tribal dominated seats of south Gujarat. The Manch said that its leaders have not been given enough representation by the BJP in the list of candidates announced.
New Delhi: On the birth centenary of Indira Gandhi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday described her as a prime minister for whom there was only one religion -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi was "one of the greatest" as she fought for secularism and against all those forces seeking to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.

"For her, as the prime minister, there was one religion, a sacred creed passionately held -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," Sonia Gandhi said at a function at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of the former prime minister.

The former prime minister fought not for her personal ascendancy but for her principles and against vested interests, the Congress president said.

"She fought for secularism, against all those forces seeking to divide the Indian people on lines of religion and caste. She gloried in the rich diversity of India, its profound democratic and secular values," Sonia Gandhi said.

The Congress chief, who along with former president Pranab Mukherjee and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, was present at the event, said Indira Gandhi fought for the poor and the weak wherever they were being oppressed and denied their rights and toiled for their material well-being.

"I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the 'Iron Lady'. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits," Sonia Gandhi said.

"She fought, yes -- but not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas. She could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairness. That was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battles - those she took on and those that she faced," the Congress president said.

At the event, Manmohan Singh unveiled a special catalogue on Indira Gandhi, bringing out her fond memories. On the occasion, an exhibition on the former prime minister titled 'A Life of Courage' was organised by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Sonia Gandhi said in the 16 years that were given to Indira Gandhi to lead the country, she had to confront many challenges, from the endemic problems of combating poverty and inequality to the critical ones of war and terrorism.

She faced them all with courage, fortified by her dedication to making India strong, united and prosperous. In all her efforts she was sustained by the faith reposed in her by her fellow countrymen and women, the Congress president said.

Indira Gandhi, the first woman prime minister of the country, was born on this day in 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), its highest decision body, is set to meet on Monday and officially start the process of elections for the post of party president, clearing the decks for the coronation of Rahul Gandhi.

The body will announce the much-awaited election date to complete the prolonged election procedure. The CWC will approve the schedule prepared by the party's central election authority. Once the dates are approved, the process would be over in about 10 days.

Rahul will be filing his nomination for the post. If no other party leader files nomination till the last date, he would be elected unopposed. Many state units have already passed resolutions endorsing Rahul's candidature.

The anointment would most likely take place at an All India Congress Committee (AICC) plenary before Gujarat goes to polls.

His taking over the reins would be a generational shift in the party, but would a Rahul-led Congress working committee be reflective of that? Or would he edge out the old to make place for the new? Earlier this year, at the University of Berkeley, the Gandhi scion said party needs both the new and the veterans to move forward.

There would be several challenges before the Congress vice-president in his role as the party boss. He would be saddled with the task of resurrecting the party that has only been going downhill post 2014. It couldn't make a mark in any state barring Punjab. Himachal Pradesh has voted. Gujarat, the home turf of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, is anything but a cake walk.

But the interesting bit is that Rahul Gandhi has not shied away. The belief or at least the hope is that with him taking over, the party would see new vigour. But would that translate to votes?

Veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi said the challenge lies in reaching out to the youth in the country. "Rahul Gandhi has to capture the aspirations of youth to stand a chance against the Modi-Shah duo."

The party also admitted that a lot of work needs to be done. "There is much work needed at the grassroots level. A different strategy is needed at national level, state level, and for rural and urban audiences. But we believe all that will be achieved under Rahul Gandhi", said Sushmita Dev, Silchar MP and close confidante of Rahul Gandhi.

Journalist Gautam Lahiri said the task at hand is an uphill one. "I think what former president Pranab Mukherjee had said in a memorial lecture should be a lesson for the young leaders. Firstly, he has to interact with party workers and the sympathisers at regular intervals. He should institutionalize the mechanism for interactions as Indira Gandhi did with party workers as well as think tanks."

Yet another challenge for Rahul Gandhi would be factionalism. State units are in disarray and the infighting would force him to constantly do the balancing act. For example, in Madhya Pradesh, veterans like Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh would not want to be sidelined but Jyotiraditya Scindia too has to be accommodated.

Rahul's elevation would also generate a lot of interest from outside the party. The BJP continues to dismiss him as a non-entity but doesn't cease to counter him at every opportunity.

As leader of the Congress, Rahul would have to play a very important role in stitching together an anti-BJP and anti-Modi front for 2019.

He continues to bond with gen next as evidenced by his lunches with Tejashwi Yadav and support from Samajwadi party in Gujarat despite the debacle in Bihar and UP. All of this is reflective of his eagerness to bring others on board, knowing fully well that he will need a lot of work to rock Modi's boat.

Lahiri said it would be tough for Rahul to replicate what his mother did. He sees Sonia playing an active role even after Rahul takes over. Sonia Gandhi has to play a role for cementing allies and it is she who can make Rahul acceptable to others. For example, before finalising presidential and vice-presidential candidates, she had to preside over a meeting of the allies. Later she formed a committee of all alliance partners and Rahul was not even a member of this committee.

He said that only electoral success can make him acceptable to allies like Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar. "At the moment he may not be acceptable to other like-minded parties as most of their leaders are veterans and electorally successful in their states."

On GST and demonitisation, Rahul has recently attacked the Modi government where it hurts the most. Employment generation is another issue which Congress would want to rake up before next general elections. But the question is to what extent Rahul and the Congress be able to cash in on that. The BJP, as an election-winning machine, is well oiled and battle ready and the Congress has a long way to go.

Image guru Dilip Cherian said, "Rahul's success or failure will not be determined by his being a scion, but how effectively he can capture the imagination of the voting public in India. His success will also depend on who his political advisers are and how well they work with him."
Dhaka: Bangladesh is in negotiations with Myanmar aimed at a deal to repatriate displaced Rohingya and Dhaka's foreign minister will address the matter at talks in Myanmar this week, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry said on Sunday.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State. The Rohingyas' suffering has caused an international outcry.

"Bangladesh and Myanmar are in the process of negotiation for a bilateral agreement for repatriation of displaced people and expect to form a Joint Working Group to facilitate the repatriation," said a ministry statement, quoting remarks by Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Dhaka on Sunday.

A senior aide to Ali said he would leave for Myanmar late on Sunday to attend an Asia-Europe (ASEM) meeting on Monday and Tuesday and would stay on another couple of days for bilateral talks on the Rohingya.

The official said Ali hoped for an agreement on allowing Rohingya to return to Myanmar. "Both countries have almost reached an understanding on this issue and there are a few points (still) to be agreed ... We hope to reach an agreement."

There was no immediate comment from Myanmar. On Nov. 1, Myanmar insisted it was ready to set up a repatriation process but voiced fears Bangladesh was delaying an accord to first get international aid money. A senior Bangladesh home ministry official described the accusation as outrageous.

ALLEGATIONS OF ETHNIC CLEANSING

Stung by international criticism and accusations of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has said Rohingyas who can prove they were resident in Myanmar would be accepted back.

Last week a United Nations General Assembly committee called on Myanmar to end military operations that have "led to the systematic violation and abuse of human rights" of Rohingya.

The move revived a U.N. resolution that was dropped last year due to Myanmar's progress on human rights.

However, in the past three months there has been a Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military began an operation against Rohingya militants who attacked 30 security posts and an army base in Rakhine on Aug. 25.

Myanmar's 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.

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

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

A U.S. congressional delegation, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of Germany, Sweden and Japan visited Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar at the weekend to raise awareness of their plight.

"We support Bangladesh's efforts towards a lasting solution, including the repatriation of displaced persons," Japan's Taro Kona told Ali at their meeting, where Tokyo pledged $18.6 million in aid to ease the Rohingya crisis.

Mogherini told reporters: "More than putting pressure, our approach has always been and will continue to be to offer a negotiating space, encourage the taking care of a situation that is not going to disappear."
Dhaka: China has offered to help defuse the Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh said Saturday, following meetings with Beijing's top diplomat that Dhaka hopes will apply pressure on Myanmar take back hundreds of thousands of refugees.

More than 600,000 Rohingya are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in late August.

The UN says the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in northern Rakhine state, amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Bangladesh, which already hosted some 250,000 Rohingya before the current exodus, wants the latest arrivals to return swiftly and is keen to enlist help from China, a staunch ally of Myanmar.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali held talks in Dhaka on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over the issue.

"When the issue of exodus of displaced Myanmar nationals was raised, the Chinese Foreign Minister stated that as a friend China will help resolve the issue and will not be partial to any side," Bangladesh foreign ministry said in a statement after the talks.

The statement added Wang stressed the "importance of continued consultations and dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the issue."

No details were given on what concrete steps Beijing might take.

Myanmar has faced growing international anger over its treatment of the Rohingya, but China has helped shield the country from censure.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council dropped plans to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the violence in Myanmar in the face of strong opposition from China.

According to Bangladesh's private news agency UNB, Wang held a briefing for a small number of local media at China's embassy in Dhaka where he said Beijing supports "a proper solution of the problems through bilateral channels".

But he warned against further moves at the UN to criticise or punish Myanmar.

Wang is the first of a host of foreign ministers from Asia and Europe who are visiting Bangladesh for talks on a refugee crisis that has left the impoverished nation reeling.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister 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 on 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.

The ministers will also meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya, but are still tussling over the details.

Yet, on Thursday, Myanmar's powerful army chief distanced himself from any suggestion of a quick return. The Rohingya, he said, could only return if Buddhist citizens accepted them  a highly unlikely scenario given that the minority are so widely loathed and ostracised inside Myanmar.
London: Hundreds of Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists were smuggled out of Raqqa in Syria last month as part of a deal struck by the US and UK armed forces, a media investigation has claimed.

ISIS fighters and their families were covertly evacuated by American, British and local Kurdish forces from the de facto capital of the terrorist group after it was bombarded in October, and freed to "spread out far and wide across Syria and beyond," according to a BBC documentary titled 'Raqqa's Dirty Secret'.

Foreign fighters who had joined ISIS - those not from Syria and Iraq - were also allegedly able to join the escape convoy.

"There was a huge number of foreigners. From France, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi, China, Tunisia, Egypt," a local driver told the BBC.

The report describes how the escape convoy of trucks carrying 250 fighters, 3,500 family members, and loads of arms and possessions, was arranged on October 12 by local officials in meetings attended by a western officer.

The aim was to spare the lives of attacking forces and end the four-month battle over Raqqa, a crucial stronghold of the terrorist network.

"Great pains were taken to hide it from the world. But the BBC has spoken to dozens of people who were either on the convoy, or observed it, and to the men who negotiated the deal," the makers of the documentary claim.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had cleared Raqqa of media so that the ISIS escape from its base would not be televised.

It claimed that only a few dozen fighters had been able to leave, all of them locals.

But a local driver told the BBC that the convoy was six to seven kilometres long and included almost 50 trucks, 13 buses and more than 100 of ISIS' own vehicles.

ISIS fighters, their faces covered, sat defiantly on top of some of the vehicles.

"Footage secretly filmed and passed to us shows lorries towing trailers crammed with armed men. Despite an agreement to take only personal weapons, IS fighters took everything they could carry. Ten trucks were loaded with weapons and ammunition," the report said.

The SDF did not want the retreat from Raqqa to look like an escape to victory.

No flags or banners were allowed to be flown from the convoy as it left the city, the deal struck by local officials had stipulated.

In light of the BBC investigation, the US-led coalition fighting in Syria admits the part it played in the deal.

"We didn't want anyone to leave. But this goes to the heart of our strategy, 'By, with and through' local leaders on the ground. It comes down to Syrians they are the ones fighting and dying, they get to make the decisions regarding operations," Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the Western coalition against ISIS, was quoted as saying.

He maintains that while a Western officer was present for the negotiations, they didn't take an "active part" in the discussions and that only four foreign fighters were allowed to leave in the convoy and they are now in SDF custody.

According to the report, the deal to free the ISIS fighters was about maintaining good relations between Kurds leading the fight and Arab communities who surround them. It was also about minimising casualties.

"ISIS was well dug in at the city's hospital and stadium.

Any effort to dislodge it head-on would have been bloody and prolonged," the BBC report said.

"But it has also meant battle-hardened militants have spread across Syria and farther afield and many of them aren't done fighting yet," it added.

The SDF, meanwhile, continues to maintain that no such deal was done.
Harare: Zimbabwe's ruling party fired Robert Mugabe as its leader on Sunday and gave the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to force a peaceful end to his 37 years in power after a de facto coup.

Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month, a senior party official told a news conference.

In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement was met by cheers from the 200 ZANU-PF delegates packed into the party's Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.

Mugabe's 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from the party, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her 'G40' political faction.

Speaking before the meeting, war veterans' leader Chris Mutsvangwa said Mugabe was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.

"He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit," he said.

He then followed up with threat to unleash the mob onto Mugabe if refused to go, telling reporters: "We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business."

Moments after the vote was taken to remove Mugabe, the delegate hall erupted in applause.

"The president is gone. Long live the new president," Mutsvangwa, who has led an 18-month campaign to remove Mugabe shouted, according to cellphone footage posted online.

Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as "The Crocodile," is now in line to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall in just four days is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to quit.
Mar Del Plata, Argentina/Buenos Aires: A search and rescue operation for an Argentine navy submarine missing in the South Atlantic with 44 crew members aboard reached its third day on Sunday, after failed satellite calls likely from the vessel raised hopes the crew are alive.

The U.S. Navy said early Sunday morning it would send an aircraft with 21 personnel from Jacksonville, Florida, to assist with the search for the German-built ARA San Juan, which was 432 km (268 miles) off Argentina's southern Atlantic coast when it sent its last communication early on Wednesday.

The submarine likely tried to make seven satellite calls on Saturday between late morning and early afternoon, the Argentine defense ministry said. Stormy weather likely interfered with the calls, and the government was working with an unidentified U.S. company specialized in satellite communication to trace the location.

"Yesterday's news was something of a respite for us, to know that there is life," Claudio Rodriguez, the brother of a crew member, said in an interview with television channel A24 on Sunday morning.

The new U.S. navy aircraft would join another U.S. aircraft and Argentine planes and sea vessels scouring the southern sea as whipping winds and more than 20-foot waves hindered the search. Nations from Chile to Britain and South Africa also offered help.

A search of 80 percent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the vessel on the ocean surface, but the crew should have ample supplies of food and oxygen, according to Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi.

The navy said an electrical outage on the diesel-electric-propelled vessel might have downed its communications. Protocol calls for submarines to surface if communication is lost.

Family members of the crew gathered at a naval base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata, where the submarine had been destined to arrive.

Argentine-born Pope Francis mentioned the missing vessel in his Sunday noon prayer.

"I also pray for the men of the crew of the Argentine military submarine which is missing," the pontiff said.

The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens killed when a truck driver plowed through a bicycle path in New York City.

The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navy's fleet. Built in Germany by Nordseewerke, it underwent mid-life maintenance in 2008 in Argentina.
United Nations: The UK is trying to "misuse" its UN Security Council membership by pushing for a joint conference mechanism, which was last used 96 years ago, in the election to the last seat in the World Court on Monday in which India's Dalveer Bhandari is a front-runner, diplomatic sources said.

Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the ICJ.

One-third of the court's 15-member bench 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.

Britain is aggressively pushing in the UN Security Council for resorting to the joint conference mechanism which was last used some 96 years ago and against which there exists an unequivocal legal opinion, the diplomatic sources said.

The "dirty politics" being played by India's former colonial ruler, as one UN insider put it, has sent a sense of "uneasiness" among other members of the powerful UN Security Council, many of whom are aware of the long-term implications of a move to ignore the voice of the majority of the United Nations General Assembly.

In all previous incidents, the candidate getting a majority in the General Assembly has eventually been elected a judge of The Hague-based International Court of Justice.

Bhandari, 70, has the support of nearly two-thirds of 193 UN members. Greenwood, who has already served one nine-year term in ICJ, is trailing behind more than 50 votes in the General Assembly. However, he received nine against five for Bhandari in the Security Council.

To win ICJ election a candidate needs to get a majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, which has not been the case in the 11 rounds of voting so far.

Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have convened separate meetings at the UN headquarters tomorrow (3 p.m. local time) to hold the 12th round of voting.

At a reception for Bhandari at the UN headquarters here on Friday, representatives of 160-member countries were present reflecting the overwhelming majority India enjoys in the General Assembly.

Sensing that majority is not on its side, almost at the same time, the United Kingdom went to the Security Council for an informal consultation with other 14 members.

Observing that there is a deadlock situation on the ICJ election, Britain is learnt to have proposed that voting in the Security Council be stopped after first round tomorrow and they go for joint conference mechanism. It is understood that this was opposed by some members of the Security Council.

However, the British diplomats on Friday appeared confident to push its agenda through on Monday.

Britain needs nine votes for the voting be stopped.

Their calculation is based on the fact that in multiple rounds of the elections in UNSC, Britain has been getting nine votes for its candidate. But it is yet to be seen if the same countries support such an undemocratic move to stop voting.

The British proposal is against all legal advice, which basically says that this option has never been used in the entire history of seven decades of the ICJ, the sources said.

The only time it was used was prior to the establishment of the UN in 1921, when Deputy Judges for the Permanent Court of International Justice were selected, they said.

A point in this regard was made by Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, at the ICJ reception at the UN headquarters.

He had strongly opposed the joint conference mechanism.

"Those who talk of bringing the UN and updating it to the 21st Century world cannot look back to the toolkit of 100 years ago and try to take out a tool which has never been used in the history of the UN and perhaps for valid reasons," he had told the diplomats from more than 160 countries.

"Because it opens a can of worms. Will we forget about the electoral process and go after a can of worms? You are diplomats, you are sagacious people. Diplomacy is the solution. Voting is the way that diplomats resolve their differences, rather than through convoluted, cabalistic solutions of a bygone era," Akbaruddin had said.

Legal opinions also point out that there have been several instances of deadlocks between the General Assembly and the Security Council during ICJ elections.

On these occasions, the balloting took place in many more rounds than what has been completed this time.

On each such occasion, the candidate who was consistently leading in the General Assembly was elected ultimately.

In fact, there exists an unequivocal legal opinion provided in the 1984 UN Juridical Yearbook that argues against the resorting to the Joint Conference mechanism.

Under this, three members each from the General Assembly and Security Council would be formed to come out with a name, which would again have to be voted through both the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Britain, informed sources said, is now suggesting something which has never been tried and no one knows what its implications are.

Its move raises a series of question, as to what happens if the three representatives of the General Assembly stick to the voice of the majority, or if it does not provide any names or every time says that it does not agree with the names being proposed by the Security Council, they said.

"There is unease among several countries on the move to stop voting," an informed source said.

These countries feel that such a move would unnecessarily pitch Security Council against the General Assembly.

"No one is certain how it will play out," sources said.

Once Security Council stops voting, the General Assembly has to comply. This is because under the ICJ election rules the candidate needs to get a majority in General Assembly and Security Council.

"This is their hope to stall the trend which is moving against them," informed UN sources said.

The British fear that as the voting goes into multiple rounds tomorrow, it might snowball into India getting more than two-thirds of the votes, which could be humiliating for them and would become "morally difficult" for the UN Security Council to stop voting.
Real estate developers and other organizations planning construction projects in Lynchburg have new flexibility on whether or not they will be required to build sidewalks.

Passed unanimously by Lynchburg City Council at Tuesdays council meeting, the citys new sidewalk ordinance loosens requirements that construction projects adding on to an existing property have to build sidewalks on all of the properties road frontages. With the changes, construction projects expanding an existing property will only have to construct sidewalks on two road frontages only if the project meets certain requirements.

These changes have been in the works since City Council requested city staff to change the ordinance in June to allow for more flexibility for sidewalk requirements after the old ordinance was found to be burdensome for development on properties fronting on multiple streets, with long street frontages and those adjacent to streets with limited daily vehicle traffic.

After four work sessions with the planning commission, city staff developed a formula that determines whether or not new construction is extensive enough to warrant new sidewalks in the area.

According to the new formula, sites are only required to build sidewalks if the structure exceeds 15,000 square feet of building per 100 linear feet of street frontage. This means that in order for a developer to be required to build a long length of sidewalk it will have to be planning a large building, which shields small projects from being burdened with expensive sidewalk projects that bog down development. If a site already exceeds that threshold, the ordinance allows for an additional 5,000 square feet of development before a sidewalk is required.

At Tuesdays public hearing for the proposed ordinance change, Lynchburg First Church of the Nazarenes Executive Pastor Cavan Carlton said his church on Wards Ferry Road is considering building a new freestanding ministry center focused on outreach to poor residents of the city with an expanded food pantry.

Under the old ordinance, the church would have been required to build a $100,000 sidewalk along the churchs property line on Wards Ferry Road. Because of the lack of sidewalks on that section of the road, neither end of the new sidewalk would connect to anything.

Without a change to this ordinance it is almost certain that a very large compassionate ministry center would simply not be built because the city would have required us to build a $100,000 sidewalk to nowhere, Carlton told city council on Tuesday night. I respectfully ask for you to approve these changes and in doing so helping to remove a barrier to an important project.

The new ordinance also gives the City Zoning Administrator Kevin Henry the authority to lessen the sidewalk requirement on streets with fewer than 100 vehicle trips per day and if the citys future land use map doesnt anticipate an increase in traffic.

In the discussion, several council members expressed thanks to the planning commission and city staff for building a more flexible ordinance that will encourage development.

Im glad they came up with something that we can look at, Councilmember Jeff Helgeson said. Especially in the annexed area where there are not many sidewalks, this will be a major burden on groups like the Church of the Nazarene who want to do the very initiatives youre requesting which is fighting poverty but instead of fighting poverty we want them to build a sidewalk to nowhere.

Also speaking in favor of the idea was Lynchburg pediatrician Dr. Rachel Gagen representing the Live Healthy Lynchburg Coalition who thanked the city for continuing to require developers to build sidewalks where pedestrians will use them.

We encourage the city to work together with individual property owners when enforcement of the policy is not reasonable, Gagen said. Public-private partnerships should be considered when appropriate. Compromise will ensure a win-win for private development and public gain and the economic benefits of walkability far outweigh the costs.
Construction on Lynchburgs Main Street Bridge began last week and with its anticipated closure of 13 months, some downtown business owners are working together to make sure customers know they still are open for business.

The gist among business owners is there is a little bit of a fear of people putting downtown on the back burner for the next year, Blake Gederberg, owner of Speakertree Records on Jefferson Street, said.

The bridge, over the U.S. 29 Business Expressway, was built in 1954 and is due for replacement because of its age and condition.

The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic and pedestrians during demolition and construction. The ramp from U.S. 29 North to Main Street on the James River side will be closed for an estimated six months from the beginning of winter through early spring 2018, according to city documents.

Construction is expected to be complete in Jan. 2019. Including design and inspections, the project is estimated to cost slightly more than $8.5 million.

Pull quote Im worried customers will stay at another hotel. They cant get in and theyre frustrated. Theyll go somewhere else. Sam Patel, owner of Hill City Inn in downtown Lynchburg.

At 1500 Main Street, Sam Patel, owner of Hill City Inn, already is seeing a decline in business.

With almost 100 rooms, Patel keeps about 30 to 40 rooms on average occupied at all times. Last Thursday, he only had three rooms occupied.

I dont know whats going to happen, he said. Im worried customers will stay at another hotel. They cant get in and theyre frustrated. Theyll go somewhere else.

Patel wishes the city could work on half of the bridge at a time so drivers still can access it.

This is just the beginning, he said. I hope the city can do something. We are not the only one. I think the whole downtown will be affected.

Last Tuesday, downtown business owners John Seinar, owner of Bikes Unlimited, and Dave Henderson, owner of The Water Dog, both located on Jefferson Street, met with Gederberg at Speakertree to talk about the construction and how they could better communicate to their customers about the detours.

They said the meeting came about organically and is something they do from time to time to discuss marketing and strategy.

Thats why were sitting in this room, Henderson said. When we come to the table and share our shared message, we are partners in this community together. When we have this front to people in community, that is a warming message, it reminds people that we are not individual businesses fighting for ourselves, we are a community of businesses fighting for the community.

Seinar said some businesses take a hit in winter and the bridge construction is just one more challenge.

In the struggle, youre all there together, Seinar said. Theres a reason so many downtown businesses are thriving; we have had a pretty good year this year. In the past few years, our business has doubled; its an incredible thing. People are finally coming down here, and part of the reason for the frustration is it was growing, growing, growing, growing, and then you get beat down a little bit.

However, the three business owners remain positive about the growing pains. They said they want to make sure they are doing their part in communicating to their customers about the construction.

Gederberg posted a video to the Speakertree Facebook page on Nov. 13 letting his customers know that just because the bridge is closed, there are several detours and his business still is open.

I posted the video because I want my customers to know but on behalf of downtown, I want all customers to know, he said. I wish every business owner would make it personal. Its up to them to let their customers know what is going on.

He said if any business closes over the next 13 months, they will probably attribute it to the construction.

Accents Flags & Gifts, located at 1716 Main Street, is about 500 feet away from the bridge. Owner Deborah Keeling said although downtown has endured a lot of construction in the past year with utility and streetscape improvements on Main and Church streets, she tries to make the best of the situation and remains upbeat.

I was totally off base in thinking we wouldnt do any business this week, Keeling said last week. But people are coming out in support. Some are curious how to get around and whats happening. We are showing them how to get there.

Fifth Street also has been under construction for about 10 years after the city adopted the Fifth Street Corridor Master Plan in 2006. Phase I was completed in 2009, Phase II in 2014 and Phase III, which began in the fall, is expected to take 21 months.

To Gederberg, its no surprise that downtown is up and coming, and the continued construction is only a sign of progress.

Construction on Main Street now looks beautiful; the lights and sidewalks look amazing, he said. Its more welcoming. In the meantime there [are] consequences the businesses have to face. Im not mad its happening. It just comes down to communication for the public. For some people, downtown is not on their radar, its just not a place they go, but for the few times of the year they do, we dont want them to be like, I didnt even know this bridge was shut down.
Homelessness is growing in Lynchburg, but with newly coordinated nonprofit services, residents are finding roofs over their head faster than ever before.

According to Central Virginias Annual Homeless Assessment Report, Lynchburg has seen a rise in single residents and families entering emergency homeless shelters in Central Virginia over five years.

Between 2011 and 2016, homelessness in the region grew 65 percent, with 685 individuals entering emergency shelter in 2016 compared to 415 in 2011. Despite this growing number of residents in need of assistance, individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in Lynchburg decreased from a high of 227 in January of 2015 to 125 in January 2017.

According to Miriams House Executive Director Sarah Quarantotto, the agency that heads up Lynchburgs homelessness response system, this is due to a new strategy called rapid rehousing that quickly moves to place individuals and families in their own housing as soon as they enter emergency shelter.

This gives them a housing location, financial assistance maybe with utility deposits or first months rent and providing them those supporting services in their home for as long as they can for them to reach stability, Quarantotto said. By doing that, we shorten the time households experience homelessness because its not saying ok lets work on getting a job, now you have a job and it will take you four months in shelter for you to save up for a security deposit and first months rent.

Currently, across Central Virginia the average time a homeless person spends in a shelter is 45 days. In Lynchburg after residents are moved out of a shelter they are provided with support services while in their new housing for as long as necessary until they reach stability. This includes connection to medical and mental health services, assistance enrolling children in school or other financial resources to help individuals get back on their feet.

According to Miriams House Director of Housing Services Kristen Nolan, moving homeless residents into housing quickly makes more beds available in shelters for new people in need of assistance.

Youre using housing out in the community and not having to build new buildings and facilities, Nolan said. Instead youre using vacancies in rental apartments to move people out of congregate shelters, especially with their children, and back into something stable safe and secure thats their own.

Homelessess in Lynchburg has been steadily growing since the financial downturn in 2008, which pushed a lot of families who were hovering on the edge of making ends meet into poverty. While the economy has been steadily improving overall, Lynchburg has had a slow climb back.

According to Randolph College economist John Abell, Lynchburg lost approximately 5,000 jobs in the 2008 recession, but has only gained back about 1,000 leaving poor families still struggling to make ends meet even though the overall economy has improved over the last nine years since the crash.

We just havent created enough jobs with the number of people that are here, Abell said. If youve got a vibrant economy, there will still be people falling through the cracks but the chances of them being poor and homeless in a vibrant economy is much less than in an economy that isnt doing so well.

While the homeless population has been growing, the regions system of nonprofits that make up the Continuum of Cares homelessness response system have become more coordinated to assist those in need. Between 1987 when Congress passed the first federal law providing financial support for agencies serving the homeless and 1993, various agencies applied for funding and worked individually.

Beginning in 1994, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began requiring nonprofits working on homelessness to partner and apply for funding together to increase coordination.

This created a centralized intake process so nonprofits can help connect the homeless with the proper programming and agencies that serve their individual needs.

We have multiple tools to address homelessness in these different layers, Nolan said. As people present as homeless we try to fit the right tool with the person so weve become really person centric instead of program centric. That coordination ensures that not only are we serving people really quickly based on their vulnerabilities and their needs if we cant serve them we can identify that as a gap.

The Central Virginia Continuum of Cares partner agencies receive approximately $759,000 in state and federal grants to fight homelessness. These funds are distributed to groups such as the Lynchburg Community Action Group, the Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Miriams House and the YWCA of Central Virginia.
Richmond native Anne Poulson knows better than most the special connection that exists between humans and horses.

It's the trust and respect that horses require, she said, that makes that bond so special, and could be what makes horses so valuable in helping veterans with post traumatic stress disorder.

"Horses are large creatures and many of these veterans have never done anything (with them) except see them in a field," Poulson said. "Coming face-to-face with these large creatures can be intimidating, but going through these ... interactions, it's very interesting how that empowers them to take control of other things in their lives."

Poulson is the president of the Man O' War Project, a Columbia University Medical Center-led research study investigating the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy to treat veterans with PTSD.

The study is taking place at a farm in New Jersey, where veterans have 90-minute weekly therapy sessions with the horses over 8 week periods.

The point of it is so that researchers, led by co-directors Prudence Fisher and Yuval Neria, both with Columbia University, can prove whether equine-assisted therapy works, learn more about how it works, and to create a uniform system that can be applied in other programs.

Poulson has been around horses her entire life. She was born and raised in Richmond, was formerly the president of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and the former chair of the Virginia Racing Commission. She and her husband still have a farm in Orange, Virginia.

There are a slew of benefits to therapy with horses, she said. Many veterans do not seek traditional office-based therapy due to the stigma of it, and because it often forces them to relive their trauma.

She said that only half of veterans seek treatment for PTSD, and of those, 80 percent are likely to drop out. The need is great, too, she said, as statistics show that 20 veterans commit suicide every day.

But having veterans attend a beautiful farm and enjoy interacting with animals in a natural setting is beneficial in and of itself because it doesn't feel like traditional therapy. And working with horses does not force them to relive their trauma, she said.

Horses also have their benefits over dogs, too. While dogs can be very therapeutic for veterans, their unconditional love functions in a different way.

"They're there to sort of help veterans manage symptoms and problems, but they don't really help them overcome problems because their reaction is always the same: I love you no matter what," Poulson explained.

Horses, on the other hand, require trust and respect to build a relationship. There are numerous similarities between them and veterans.

"Horses are hyper-vigilant creatures, much like veterans," Poulson said. "Vets are hyper-vigilant because of their combat experience, and horses are hyper-vigilant because they're prey animals."

Horses also tend to mirror someone's emotions, so if a person comes into the interaction feeling anxious and uncertain, the horse will react to that.

Poulson added that, once the study wraps up, the program will expand and hopefully use more retired racehorses.

The program already exhibits a relationship with horse racing through its name: Man o' War is still considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time. In 1920, he was featured along with Babe Ruth as the outstanding athlete by The New York Times.

Retired racehorses, like veterans, will have left an intense experience in which their daily job and purpose was clearly defined, she said.

When they come home from combat, Poulson said, veterans can often feel as though they're searching for a mission. Horses can help them find that purpose.

Often, that can act as the basis for their bonding.

"It's been really rewarding to see it," she said.
As a seemingly infinite amount of sensitive data multiplies each year in cyberspace, government intelligence agencies and the academic institutions they recruit from are left to navigate changes in technology and blows to the industrys brand.

These efforts are complicated, as recently seen in the Shadow Broker breach at the NSA, by the risk associated with human error or malignance of highly sought- after employees in the booming cyber intelligence field.

In Virginia, politicians have forced cybersecurity and geospatial intelligence into the forefront of the citizens minds.

This is part of our new Virginia economy, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said during an event at Radford University earlier this fall. He added that cyberattacks are the largest threat we face in our commonwealth today. We have the jobs. We need to fill them.

Approximately 71 million such attacks were launched against companies or local governments within the commonwealth last year, according to state data. In 200 of those cases, a data breach was reported.

Elected officials and business leaders are struggling to field an army to defend their proprietary information. An estimated 36,000 jobs are open in cybersecurity across 650 companies within the state.

For schools training these individuals, major incidents like the Equifax and Shadow Broker breaches can have both a positive and negative effect on recruiting.

It varies from student to student what motivates them, said Charles Clancy, director of Virginia Techs Hume Center for National Security and Technology in Arlington. What we try to do with our program is fully explain to the students the importance of the mission of the NSA.

Radford University, meanwhile, recently launched a program called Innovative Mobile Personalized Accelerated Competency Training with a concentration in cybersecurity.

Any time you have a major breach, it raises peoples awareness to the gravity of these attacks or leaks, said Matt Dunleavy, executive director of Radfords IMPACT program. We look to the federal agency to set the standards for excellence.

The human element is a largely uncontrollable variable, Dunleavy explained.

In any organization, the strongest asset is always the people, Dunleavy said. Theres not any way around that. We can build outstanding software and great tools but at the end of the day, human behavior is at the core of all of our strengths and our weaknesses.

Clancy said that when breaches take place, employee self-esteem can be hindered and even the most sharpened technical skill wont work well without human confidence.

Leaks are damaging in morale, Clancy said. Losing that access and flow of information hurts our ability to keep policy makers informed and support tactful missions and operations.

At least one former national intelligence leader has criticized the NSA for the most recent breach.

These leaks have been incredibly damaging to our intelligence and cyber capabilities, Leon E. Panetta, the former defense secretary and director of the Central Intelligence Agency told The New York Times. The fundamental purpose of intelligence is to be able to effectively penetrate our adversaries in order to gather vital intelligence. By its very nature, that only works if secrecy is maintained and our codes are protected.

With the potential consequences of such deviant behavior in mind, cybersecurity instructors at RU have built in an ethics component to students coursework.

We want to emphasize that there are ethical responsibilities that come with these skills, Dunleavy said. You can do wonderful things with it, but they can also be used for malevolent purposes.
Rabidly opposed to the Generation 40 in Zanu PF factional politics, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa  better known as Ngwena (Crocodile)  was born in Zvishavane on September 15, 1942 and is reportedly fronting the Team Lacoste faction that is rooting for the Midlands politician taking over from President Robert Mugabe.



Mnangagwa did his O and A Levels through correspondence while in prison although after his release, he later completed his studies in law in Zambia where he was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Zambia in 1976.



During the liberation struggle, Mnangagwa was a member of the Crocodile Gang, which at some point included William Ndangana, Mnangagwa, Matthew Malowa, Victor Mlambo, James Dhlamini and Master Tresha.



Besides smuggling arms into the country, one of the gangs other tasks included recruiting supporters from Salisbury, Fort Victoria, Mberengwa and Macheke, smuggling them out through the border at Mutoko for political and military training in Tanzania. They travelled on foot between Salisbury and Mutoko.





During one of their operations, they killed a resident farmer and police reservist, Petrus Oberholtzer, at Nyanyadzi, Chimanimani District and sabotaged a locomotive train in the then Fort Victoria (Masvingo).



Ngwena accompanied Mugabe to the Lancaster House negotiations that led to the independence of Zimbabwe and led the first group of civilian leaders which included Didymus Mutasa and and Eddison Zvobgo from Maputo, Mozambique to Zimbabwe in April 1980.



Mnangagwa, was a long-time confidante and ally of Mugabe  having spent the better part of the liberation struggle as his personal assistant.

At independence in 1980, Mnangagwa was appointed into Mugabes Cabinet as minister of National Security.



The Midlands godfather has held several Cabinet positions under Mugabe, including at one point being demoted to the less influential post of minister of Rural Housing in 2005.

He, however, regained Mugabes favour after masterminding the 93-year-olds retention of power in the March 2008 harmonised elections, negotiating a power-sharing agreement with the Movement for Democratic Changes Morgan Tsvangirai on Mugabes behalf.



In that election, Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe albeit without a decisive majority to enable him to form a government.



The result was a presidential run-off from which Tsvangirai withdrew citing the killing of over 200 of his supporters.



In Mugabes next government, Mnangagwa was appointed Defence minister, the capacity in which he served until July 2013 when Zimbabwe held another general election.

Following the 2013 elections, Ngwena became Justice minister, a post he held concurrently with the vice presidency post following the sacking of Joice Mujuru  Mugabes deputy for 10 years  in December 2014.



Until recently, Mnangagwa had almost become Mugabes successor. However, the rise of Mugabes wife  Grace  to the top womens league post led to a meteoric rise in her political profile.



After leading the assault on Mujuru, Grace went all-out for Mnangagwa, attacking him left, right and centre at all political rallies she addressed.

Mnangawa fell ill during a youth interface rally in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province in August and had to be airlifted to South Africa where he underwent surgery. He has since said he had been poisoned by his enemies in G40.



Mugabe finally fired his deputy on November 6, leading to a series of dramatic events that

culminated in the military stepping in to get at criminals around Mugabe.



After being fired by Mugabe, Mnangagwa skipped the country when it became apparent that he was going to be arrested. A close ally of Defence Forces Commander Constantino Chiwenga, the former vice president is believed to have gone to China via South Africa.

In a biting statement issued immediately after his axing Mnangagwa, who clearly enjoys the support of the military, promised to be back into the country in a few weeks time to confront Mugabe.



Unconfirmed reports say that Ngwena is back in the country after the military take-over of power.



Meet some of Mnangagwas key backers

Josiah Hungwe

Hungwe is one of the oldest members of Zanu PF from Masvingo province and was handed a ministerial post  that of State for Liaising on Psychomotor Activities in Education  by Mugabe.

At some point, Hungwe worked as Provincial Governor for Masvingo Province but was removed following allegations of leaking secrets to the United States alongside his wife and ex-Labour minister July Moyo.



Hungwe is a key member of the Team Lacoste faction, which is rooting for Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over the presidency from Mugabe.



Christopher Mutsvangwa

Born on May 24, 1955, Mutsvangwa is a key member of the team Lacoste faction who served as a diplomat in China in Robert Mugabes government.

Mutsvangwa is a war veteran and a former War Veterans minister from where he was kicked out by Mugabe in March 2016.

Attempts to kick him out as leader war veterans chairperson failed catastrophically after encountering legal hurdles.

A splinter group of war veterans led by Patrick Nyaruwata, Mandi Chimene and George Mlala, has been effectively rendered illegal by the courts.



Energy Mutodi

Sungura musician, politician who is also an academic, Energy Mutodi was born on August 4, 1978 and was educated at the University of Zimbabwe and Witwatersrand University. He was a member of the Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial executive until his expulsion from the party over spurious allegations.

An avid Facebook follower, Mutodi has a pending court case involving one of his Facebook posts.

A self-confessed Mnangagwa loyalist, Mutodi is a key member of Team Lacoste. Daily News
Two couples are suing a New York fertility doctor and his clinic after giving birth to children with a genetic abnormality later traced back to donated eggs, the AP reports. The two children, both born in 2009, have Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that can lead to intellectual and developmental impairments. The parents argue the doctor and the clinic failed to test the women who donated the eggs to determine whether they were carriers for Fragile X. They're seeking damages for the added expenses of raising a disabled child. The New York Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case on Wednesday. The outcome is likely to hinge on the statute of limitations in the state's medical malpractice law, which gives plaintiffs two-and-a-half years to sue following an alleged act of malpracticeor a patient's last treatment by the physician.

Attorneys for the Reproductive Medicine Associates clinic and physician Alan Cooperman argue the suit was filed too late, because the statute of limitations began counting down when the women ended fertility treatment after becoming pregnantand not when the children were born or when the genetic abnormality was diagnosed. The parents filed the lawsuits two years after the children were born. Their attorneys argued the parents couldn't sue before the condition became apparent in the children. Attorney James LiCalzi said it makes no sense to expect the parents to file a lawsuit before they even knew about the abnormality. But attorneys for the clinic said it's outside the power of the court to extend the statute of limitations in this case. Attorney Caryn Lilling said that it should be up to elected lawmakersand not the courtto change the rules.

(Read more fertility clinic stories.)
A Calgary mother has been sentenced to three years in prison for failing to medically treat the strep throat that caused her seven-year-old sons death. Per CBC News, Tamara Lovett was found guilty of criminal negligence in January after treating her son Ryans illness with home remedies in 2013. Believing he had a cold or the flu, Lovett said she administered Ryan dandelion tea and oil of oregano and didnt take him to the doctor. Ryan remained bedridden for 10 days before Lovett found him on the floor of their home. She called 911, but Ryan was dead when the paramedics arrived. During the sentencing, Justice Kristine Eidsvik called Ryans death senseless and said the decision to give Lovett prison time is meant to send a warning to parents.

Ryan suffered terribly from this inaction. He died an excruciating, unnecessary death, she said. Eidsvik also expressed sympathy for Lovett and noted that she believes the mothers thinking around medicine has evolved since the tragedy. "Her remorse, I believe, is genuine," she said, per CTV News. Lovetts defense lawyer Alain Hepner had argued for a shorter sentence of one year with an additional year of probation. "She's received a life sentence already for being responsible for the death of her child," he said after the hearing. Hepner attempted to get Lovetts case dismissed due to the long time frame between her arrest and conviction, but was denied. (A new Canadian law limits superior court cases to 30 months; this one took 38.)
Argentina's Navy detected seven brief satellite calls Saturday that may have come from a submarine with 44 crew members that hadn't been heard from in three days. The communications "indicate that the crew is trying to re-establish contact, so we are working to locate the source of the emissions," the Navy said via Twitter; the calls lasted between four and 36 seconds. It has not been confirmed the calls came from the submarine, the ARA San Juan, though the AP reports that is the working hypothesis. Earlier Saturday, Navy rep Enrique Balbi said the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the fate of the submarine and its crew grew. "We are not discounting any hypothesis," Balbi said, adding that possibilities to explain the submarine's disappearance include "a problem with communications" or with its power system.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built, diesel-electric sub on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata. Argentine President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use "all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine." Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a NASA scientific aircraft and a Navy plane. Britain was sending a polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which British officials said should arrive Sunday. The US Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, Calif., to deploy to Argentina to support the search. "We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return," Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

(Read more Argentina stories.)
An FBI report on the rise of black "extremists" is stirring fears of a return to practices used during the civil rights movement, when the bureau spied on activist groups without evidence they had broken any laws, the AP reports. The FBI said it doesn't target specific groups, and the report is one of many its intelligence analysts produce to make law enforcement aware of what they see as emerging trends. A similar bulletin on white supremacists, for example, came out about the same time. The 12-page report, issued in August, says "black identity extremists" are increasingly targeting law enforcement after police killings of black men. The report describes cases in which "extremists" had "acted in retaliation for perceived past police brutality incidents." It warned that such violence was likely to continue.

Black leaders and activists were outraged after Foreign Policy revealed the existence of the report last month. The Congressional Black Caucus, in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, said the report "conflates black political activists with dangerous domestic terrorist organizations" and would further erode the frayed relationship between police and minority communities. The FBI noted it issued a similar bulletin warning of retaliatory violence by "black separatist extremists" in March 2016, when the country had a black president, Barack Obama, and black attorney general, Loretta Lynch. Current Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not ease lawmakers' concerns when he was unable to answer questions about the report or its origins during a congressional hearing this past week.

(Read more FBI stories.)
LaToya Cantrell, a City Council member who first gained a political following as she worked to help her hard-hit neighborhood recover from Hurricane Katrina, won a historic election Saturday that made her the first woman mayor of New Orleans, AP reports. The Democrat will succeed term-limited fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu as the city celebrates its 300th anniversary next year. "Almost 300 years, my friends. And New Orleans, we're still making history," Cantrell told a cheering crowd in her victory speech. The leader in most polls before the runoff election, she never trailed as votes were counted. Her opponent, former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet, conceded the race and congratulated Cantrell late Saturday. Later, complete returns showed Cantrell with 60 percent of the vote.

The two women led a field of 18 candidates in an October general election to win runoff spots. Landrieu earned credit for accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in an administration cited for reduced blight, improvements in the celebrated tourism economy, and economic development that included last week's announcement that a digital services company is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the city. Voters also made history in a New Orleans City Council race. Cyndi Nguyen defeated incumbent James Gray in an eastern New Orleans district. An immigrant who fled Vietnam with her family when she was 5 in 1975, Nguyen is the organizer of a nonprofit and will be the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the council.

(Read more new orleans stories.)
Police have identified a suspect in the tragic shooting of a rookie officer in western Pennsylvania. Per CNN, authorities named Rahmael Sal Holt, 29, as the alleged gunman who killed officer Brian Shaw Friday during a traffic stop turned foot chase. Details about the incident are still unfolding, including why Holt was pulled over and how many gunshots were fired, the Washington Post reports. A warrant for Holts arrest has been issued. Consider Holt armed and dangerous! Pennsylvania State Police warned in a tweet calling for tips. A $40,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the suspects arrest as a manhunt is under way (the money was reportedly pooled from multiple agencies, including the FBI.)

"If you look back in the history of many horrific incidents, a very small, minute tip could be the tipping point to lead us in a direction of who the person was that committed this crime, said a Pennsylvania State Police spokesman. The Allegheny County Police Department offered condolences to Shaws family and colleagues in a Facebook post, writing, Your life mattered and you will be missed. Shaw, 25, had been on the force for under a year. According to his obituary, he is survived by his parents, brother, grandmother, and girlfriend. He will always be remembered for his charismatic, outgoing personality and addictive smile, it said. (Read more police stories.)
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New Delhi:

Bharat Singh Solanki, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President has met Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) PAAS leaders in Ahmedabad on Sunday late evening.



Solanki said that the meeting was successful as both the parties have reached common agreement and understanding over the issues which were pending since the last meeting.



He further said that PAAS did not ask for any ticket to any seat for the upcoming Gujarat elections. He added that Alpesh Thakur and Jignesh Mevani too did not ask for any tickets for the state assembly polls.

On Saturday, cracks in Patidar and Congress friendship started showing and they were even visible when one of Hardik Patels close aide gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the party to clear its stand on reservation.

Hardik Patels former close aide Chirag Patel on Thursday had joined the BJP in the presence of Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

Chirag, who is also facing sedition charges along with Hardik, after joining BJP attacked the Patidar leader and said, He is trying to fulfil his personal ambitions in the garb of leading the agitation for reservation to Patidar community.
With 2017 drawing to a close, oil companies are starting to turn their attention to 2018. Several recently unveiled their plans for next year, including Hess (NYSE: HES), Suncor Energy (NYSE: SU), and Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC). While each plan had a slightly different focus, two recurring themes stood out. Not only do all three expect production to grow, but each intends to return cash to investors. That combination of growth and income could drive their stocks higher next year, even if oil slips a bit.

Refocused and ready to give back

Hess has spent the bulk of the past few years sharpening its focus around a few core assets. That led the company to jettison $3.4 billion in assets this year. As a result, the company enters 2018 in a strong financial position.

Because of that, Hess has the flexibility to invest in growth projects while also returning money to investors. On the growth side, the company plans to pre-fund its world-class development in Guyana, which it co-owns with ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM). Phase one of the project will cost about $3.2 billion and should deliver first oil starting in 2020. That offshore project has remarkable economics even at current oil prices, with Exxon and Hess estimating that they can earn a higher return on this development than they could in the top U.S. shale play. In addition to that project, Hess also plans to ramp up drilling in the Bakken by increasing its rig count from four to six. These investments position the company to grow production and cash flow by a 10% and 20% compound annual rate, respectively, through 2020.

At the same time that Hess is funding that growth, the company said it plans to return $500 million in cash to shareholders next year via a stock repurchase program. Meanwhile, it also plans to pay off another $500 million in debt to further strengthen its balance sheet. The combination of growth, cash returns, and a stronger balance sheet could fuel meaningful gains for investors in the coming years.

High growth and a significant hand out

Anadarko Petroleum's 2018 plan also balances growth with returning money to shareholders. Overall, the company plans to spend between $4.2 billion and $4.6 billion on capital expenses, with 85% of that money going toward drilling in the U.S., including the Delaware and DJ basins, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico. The company expects this investment to fuel a 14% increase in its oil production next year. Furthermore, the plan breaks even at $50 oil, which positions the company to generate more than $700 million in free cash flow if current prices hold.

That said, even if prices fall, Anadarko still expects to return $1.5 billion in cash to investors next year via its stock buyback program. The company can easily afford that spending level since it had $6 billion in cash when it initially announced plans to repurchase $2.5 billion in stock by the end of next year. Meanwhile, if oil holds up, it's possible the company could return some of the free cash flow it produces to investors next year.

The big investments will start paying off

While most rivals spent the bulk of the oil market downturn selling assets to shore up their financial situation, Suncor Energy used its already strong balance sheet to take advantage of opportunities to invest for the future. One way it did that was by continuing to invest in two major projects. Because of that, the Canadian oil giant will start reaping the rewards of those investments next year.

One piece of evidence for this is that the company expects to spend about 750 million Canadian dollars ($589 million) less on capital expenses next year, bringing its budget down to a range of 4.5 billion CAD to 5 billion CAD ($3.5 billion-$4 billion). However, even with that spending decline, production should rise by more than 10% at the mid-point of its guidance range, thanks to a full year of production from its Fort Hills oil sands mine and the Exxon-operated Hebron offshore facility.

That's near perfect timing according to CEO Steve Williams, who said, "With first oil at both Fort Hills and Hebron expected by year-end, we're bringing on new production at the same time as oil prices are rising to their highest level in several years." Because of that, Williams stated, "As we look to 2018, with increasing production and reduced capital spending, we're well-positioned to return more free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks." While the company didn't put a number behind the cash returns, last April it announced plans to repurchase 2 billion CAD ($1.6 billion) in stock over the next year, and it had only spent 578 million CAD ($454 million) of that amount as of the end of last quarter. It'll likely exhaust that authorization first and then refill it early next year. Meanwhile, the company also boosted its dividend 10% this year and will probably give investors another big raise in 2018.

Growing production and cash returns

These oil giants made it clear that they're perfectly fine with oil in the $50s next year. That's because they've repositioned their businesses to such an extent that they can generate more than enough cash flow to finance the capital needed to deliver a double-digit production growth rate while at the same time returning a significant amount of money to investors. Those dual catalysts could provide these stocks with the fuel needed to soar in 2018 -- as long as oil doesn't take a tumble.

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New Delhi:

The Congress on Sunday evening released its first list of candidates for the Gujarat elections, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The party also claimed that a fake list of candidates was allegedly circulated on social media by the BJP.

The State Congress Committee spokesperson Manish Doshi informed the media that they have released first list of candidates for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly.

In the first list, we are announcing 77 candidates out of 182, Doshi said. He also added that earlier a fake list of candidates was circulated allegedly by the BJP.

Letter pad of Congress and signatures of our President have been misused. Our IT cell found that the phone used for BJP's website, was used to circulate the fake list, Doshi said.

ALSO READ | Gujarat Elections 2017: State chief electoral officer orders police probe in anti-Muslim video clip

He further asked BJP to answer people why did they resort to such gimmick and circulated the false list. BJP must apologise to the people for doing such thing, he added.

The list of 77 includes 12 Patidar leaders along with senior Congressmen Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhvadiya. The Congress party had won 57 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grabbed 119 seats in the last assembly elections in 2012.

Earlier in the day, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president, Bharat Singh Solanki met Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) PAAS leaders in Ahmedabad.

Solanki then had said that the meeting was successful as both the parties have reached a common agreement and understanding over the issues (reservation) which were pending since the last meeting.

He further had said that the PAAS leaders did not demand for any ticket to any seat. Alpesh Thakur and Jignesh Mevani have also demanded any ticket, added Solanki.

ALSO READ | Gujarat Elections 2017: Congress, PAAS reach agreement; Hardik to make announcement tomorrow
New Delhi:

The Rajasthan government has ordered all the state-run schools in Jaipur to send their students and teachers to take part in a five-day fair organised by RSS-backed Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation (HSSF) where girls were being taught about Love Jihad.

Not just that, on the directions of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vasudev Devnani, it was made compulsory for all the students to attend the fair.

The fair is said to be organised for philosophically explaining that through traditional Hindu lifestyle, many contemporary challenges including womens honour, patriotism can be solved.

The right wing organisation Bajrang Dal was running an awareness program and distributing pamphlets on Love Jihad to all the female students attending the fair.

The manual cites Bollywood celebs Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khans marriages as examples of Love Jihad.

The Pamphlet also describes places of Love Jihad which includes Beauty Parlours, Mobile recharge Shops, Ladies tailors shops and Muslim Feri-walas.

At fair, Bajrang Dal's booklet also explains ways to save Hindu women from "Love Jihad". It said, parents should call Muslims as disgusting, terrorist, smuggler, traitor and Pakistan supporters in front of females at home.

The students were also asked to sign up for a campaign to declare Cow as national mother and switch to Vegetarianism.

A Baba named Jai Guru Dev, says people should become vegetarian to make their childrens future brighter and save womens honour.
New Delhi:

Though Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati is currently embroiled in controversy, the lead actor Ranveer Singh is busy promoting the much-awaited film in his own way. The popular Bollywood star has managed to receive rave reviews for his first look in the period drama.

The 'Befikre' actor took to social media to share a collage picture where his character in the film is photoshopped with two of the most popular villains in Hollywood. Heath Ledgeras Joker avatar from 'The Dark Knight' and Malcolm Mcdowellas Alex Delarge face from A Clockwork Orange were merged with Ranveer's Alauddin Khilji to make it look like a single face.

The original meme featured Brad Pitt's look as Tyler Durden from 'Fight Club' and has been making waves for a long time.

Check out the picture right here.

Y A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Nov 17, 2017 at 5:11pm PST

The 'Gunday' actor had to face the ire of the fans who were not so impressed with the picture. Many fans took to Twitter to ask the charismatic actor to stop comparing him with the classic performers.

With all due respect, you are one of the finest actor in todays time. But....comparing your role with joker is just too much. I am not denying you may reach to that level. But it takes a lot of polishing before you get that shine like Heath Ledger. #NotNow pic.twitter.com/kqmDawevTK a Krish Charania (@Krish_24x7) November 18, 2017

Heath ledger was on different level altogether. You can be ANYTHING but joker....You may have acted great but you don't have to compare yourself with him a Om Chaudhary (@om_chaudhary56) November 18, 2017

When will Bollywood be original? Y pic.twitter.com/9hnIZmGcuR a Kru (@Achari_Nimboo) November 18, 2017

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New Delhi:

Amidst the ongoing protest against the release of Padmavati, the makers have deferred the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial. The announcement was made by Viacom18 Motion Pictures who released an official statement about the same and stated that the decision has been taken voluntarily.



Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind Padmavati, has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1st 2017, said the statement.



The spokesman further stated that it had the highest regard for the law of the land and statutory bodies such as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).



Along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, amongst the most gifted filmmakers of his generation, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in Padmavati that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our countrys story-telling prowess across the globe. We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification. We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Queen, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and many more, statement added.



Notably, Padmavati has been mired in controversies for a while now after it was alleged that the movie has distorted historical facts and demeaned the Rajput queen.



While the makers have denied all the accusations, Padmavati has been witnessing continuous protests over its release.



In fact, Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi had sent the movie back to the producer as the application for the certification was incomplete. He had also slammed the film-makers for allowing the film to be screened for various media channels before obtaining a certificate from the board.



Disappointing that the film Padmavati is being screened for the media and getting reviewed on national channels without CBFC having seen or certified the film. This compromises the role of systems and balances that are part of a functioning industry. Its myopic to treat the certification process haphazardly to suit convenience, Joshi was quoted as saying.



Interestingly, Padmavati, which stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, has been facing controversy since Bhansali started shooting the film earlier this year.



The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.



The first poster of the movie was released in October and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others claiming that the director had distorted historical facts.



Bhansali and lead actor Deepika Padukone have received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai Police.



Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.

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New Delhi:

A joint press conference was held on Sunday by 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu, DGP SP Vaid, GOC Victor force and IG Operations CRPF on Bandipora encounter in which six terrorists were neutralised.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu said that after receiving specific information, they had launched joint operation by CRPF, Army, J&K Police in which six terrorists were eliminated.

aAll were foreign terrorists. Commend all agencies who worked to ensure success of the operation,a he said.

What we find this year is that we have killed approximately 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley. This has resulted in a remarkable change in situation: General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Sandhu informed that the security forces have killed about 190 terrorists as on date in 2017.

aOut of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the LoC while infiltrating,a he said.

We had launched several operations in #Hajin mid September onwards we were practically launching search ops on a daily basis, had inducted special forces into the area: GOC of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu pic.twitter.com/yqBiroxVio a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

While defining it as remarkable achievement, he said this year they have killed approximately 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley which has resulted a remarkable change in the situation.

Sandhu said that they had launched several operations in Hajin are from mid September and they were practically launching search operations on a daily basis. aWe had inducted special forces into the area,a he said.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid said Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs.

Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. Commendable joint effort by our agencies, jawans. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence: J&K DGP SP Vaid #HajinEncounter pic.twitter.com/Mtd8YviXJx a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

He said it was a commendable joint effort by the agencies and soldiers. aWish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence,a he said.

While speaking on ISIS mouthpiece claiming responsibility of Zakura encounter in Srinagar, Vaid said, "It is yet to be verified, I don't think ISIS has any imprints here."

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New Delhi:

A Bihar government officer allegedly committed suicide at his residence on Sunday. He was the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Buxar DM Mukesh Pandey who had committed suicide by jumping in before train in the month of August in Ghaziabad.

The deceased has been identified as Tauqeer Akram. He was posted in land ceiling department. The police officials have launched a probe into the matter.

On August 11, Senior IAS officer and District Magistrate of Bihar Buxar district Mukesh Pandey was found dead near railway tracks.

Pandeyas body was found on the tracks about one km from the Ghaziabad railway station and a suicide note was also recovered from the spot.

Tauqeer, OSD to Buxar DM Mukesh Pandey(who had committed suicide in August this year) has also allegedly committed suicide. Police begin probe #Bihar a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had condoled the death of the officer. "He was a capable administrator and a sensitive officer. May god bless his soul," he had said in a tweet.

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New Delhi:

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is set to meet on Monday to take final call over Rahul Gandhis elevation as the partys president. The prolonged suspense over Rahul Gandhis elevation as the party president could be over prior to Gujarat polls.

The election authority of the party has decided last date of filing nomination papers to be December 1 and if there is a contest, internal elections will be held on December 8.

The opposition party is running behind schedule to elect its new chief. The Election Commission has set December 31 as the deadline to complete its internal poll.

Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi told the media that the dates for election of the next Congress president will be fixed on Monday. If there is only one nomination then the name of next Congress president will be announced on the last day of nomination which is December 1, added the senior Congressman.

Since 2000, no one has filed for the post of the party chief. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has indicated willingness to take over the position of the party president.

Gandhi addressing students at University of California, Berkeley, on September, had said that he was ready to lead the Congress but the mandate had to come from within the party. I am absolutely ready to do that. We have an organisational election process which decides who the next chief will be, he said.

Majority of states have unanimously passed resolution demanding the 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi to be made the party chief.

Sonia Gandhi has been holding the the post of Congress president for more than 19 consecutive years.









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Hyderabad :

A 45-year-old man was dragged out of his house and was allegedly set ablaze by his wives in Hyderabads Jagadgirigutta, police said.

The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old G Mahender. According to Hyderabad Police, the duo woman were fed up of the deceaseds addiction to alcohol.

Police said, The two women in a fit of rage dragged out Mahendar out of the house, poured kerosene on him and set him on fire.

The police official added, The two women aged 38-year-old and 33-year-old told us that he used to regularly harass and beat them after consuming alcohol.

He added that the dup further told the police that on Sunday morning after drinking alcohol started beating them and his son. The duo angered with his act killed him, police said.

Hyderabad Police have registered a case against the duo women under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections.

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New Delhi:

BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Sunday hailed his grandmother and former PM Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary saying she was a mother to this nation.

Gandhi took it to Twitter and said Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you cant practice any other virtue consistently. To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you Dadi...I know you always watch over us.

He also tweeted a picture in which the former prime minister is seen holding him, then a small child, in her lap.

'Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently'. To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you Dadi... I know you always watch over us. pic.twitter.com/2UltgEExD7  Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) November 19, 2017

ALSO READ: Congress prez Sonia Gandhi says Indira fought against people who wanted to divide society on religion, caste

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to the former PM.

Other Gandhi family members, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi also paid tributes to her.

Indira Gandhi, the Iron Lady was the first woman prime minister of India. She was born on this day in 1917 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

ALSO READ: Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee pay tribute to Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary

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New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested three terrorist having alliance with Jaish-e-Mohammad from Badgam area of the valley and recovered arms and ammunition from their possession on Sunday evening.

According to sources in the Jammu and Kashmir Police, an operation was launched by the security forces in Badgam on intelligence inputs. He said, We had inputs that few militants were camping in forested area in Badgam. They were planning to attack security forces.

Police have recovered an SLR, a pistol, several rounds of bullet and hand grenades from the arrested militants.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police along with Indian Army and CRPF had gunned down six Pakistani militants having alliance with LeT on Saturday late in Bandipora district. The security forces had recovered huge cache of munitions from the encounter site. The recoveries included Ak-47, hand grenades, under-barrel grenade launchers.

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New Delhi:

The security forces recovered huge arms and ammunition including Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers, AK-47s and 10 hand grenades after the encounter in which six Pakistani militants of the LeT, including the nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday.

An IAF Garud commando was also killed in the encounter.

Apart from Lakhvi's nephew, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders were also among the militants killed by the security forces, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP), S P Vaid, said.

Arms and ammunition including Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers, AK-47s. 10 hand grenades were recovered after Hajin encounter yesterday. Six terrorists including Zakir ur Rehman Lakvi's nephew were killed #JammuandKashmir a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Security forces launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Six LeT terrorists have been eliminated in Bandipora encounter," Vaid said.

He said all the six militants killed in the encounter were Pakistanis.

One of the terrorists named Owaid is the son of Zakir Rehman Maki and the nephew of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, he said on Twitter.

Two LeT commanders -- Zargam and Mehmood -- were also eliminated in the operation today, the DGP said, adding that the operation was a "success". Six weapons were also recovered from the encounter site.

Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said an IAF Garud commando was also killed in the operation. "An IAF Garud commando was killed, while an army soldier was injured," he said. (With PTI Inputs)

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New Delhi:

Adding to the list of parties and individuals who are protesting against the controversy-riddled film Padmavati, the latest to make his presence felt is Suraj Pal Amu, Haryana's BJP Chief Media Coordinator.A A



Ridiculing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Amu said, aI want to congratulate Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their family's needs.aA



He also said he will quit BJP if needed, asking PM Modi to exercise his powers to strike down the film.A



He said that the BJP and PM Modi use the Rajput community for votes and to assault Muslims during riots but now they are silent over the issue of Padmavati.A A

#WATCH:Haryana BJP Chief Media Coordinator SP Amu says will quit BJP if needed,asks PM to exercise his powers to strike down film #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/h2x76mdAKb a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Issuing a threat to actor Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Alauddin Khilji in Padmavati, Amu said that he will break Ranveeras legs.A

Agar tune apne shabd wapas nahin liye to teri taango ko todke tere haath mein de denge: Suraj Pal Amu, Haryana's BJP Chief Media Coordinator on Ranveer Singh #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/mMON1Kk38x a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

On the other hand, in Lucknow, members of Akhand Rashtrawadi Party staged a demonstration against Padmavati adding that they have filed a PIL in Delhi High Court against the film.

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New Delhi:

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for terming his partys Rafale deal corruption allegations as Shameful.

Rahul Gandhi, who is likely to be elevated to Congress partys President Post on Monday, said shameful was her boss silencing her.

Earlier on Friday, Sitharaman had said that the allegations relating to the procurement deal for 36 Rafale fighter jet by Congress were shameful".

Rahul Gandhi asked Sitharaman to tell the public the final price of each Rafale fighter jet and whether PM Modi took prior permission from Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase deal in Paris.

Rahul also asked the Defence Minister to explain that Why PM bypassed experienced HAL & gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience.

Dear RM, whats shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us :

1. Final price of each Rafale jet?

2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris?

3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL & gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 18, 2017

The Congress party had accsued Modi government of compromising national interest and security over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

Surjewala said the UPA government floated a tender on August 20, 2007 for purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of themRafale and Eurofighter Typhoon remained in the reckoning.

On December 12, 2012, Rafale was declared L1 vendor, the bidder whose quotation is the lowest, with base price of USD 10.20 billion (Rs 54,000 crore according to the conversion rate prevalent then).

It was decided that of the 126 aircraft, 18 would come in fly away condition and the remaining 108 will be manufactured in India by HAL with transfer of techonology, he said.

After the Modi government was formed in May 2014, Surjewala said, the earlier Request for Proposal (RFP) for purchase of 126 aircraft was cancelled on July 30, 2015, and signed a deal on September 26 the next year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets for USD 8.7 billion.

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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court (SC) has asked the Centre to file a status report "positively", on the prisoners languishing in Indian jails including Pakistani nationals.

The SC expressed serious concern over the prolonged imprisonment of foreign prisoners and had asked for the release and repatriate 61 Pakistani nationals who have served sentences for various offenses.

The bench comprising of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan has given four weeks time to the government to apprise it of the current status of foreign nationals in jail.

The last status report filed by the Centre was in April 2016.

The principal petitioner in the case, senior advocate Bhim Singh has told the SC that there were 82 Pakistani prisoners in Jammu and Kashmir back in 2005.

So that the prisoners from foreign countries do not lag in Indian jails, the apex court has asked the Centre to bring in a suitable mechanism.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

As the country observed World Toilet Day on Sunday, biggest toilet pot model in the world was unveiled at Marora, popularly known as the Trump village, in Haryana. The development came in response to improve sanitation facilities across the country.

With a population of 1,800, Marora in Mewat region was named as 'Trump village' in June by NGO Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in a gesture to US president Donald Trump ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington.

However, the move to rename the village was termed as 'illegal' by the Nuh district administration that led to the removal of boards mentioning the new name.

Read more: Modi reaffirms commitment to improve sanitation facilities in India

The mega toilet pot made up of iron, fibre, wood and plaster of Paris, measuring 20x10 feet was inaugurated by Sanitation expert and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak and other dignitaries.

Along with the pot model, they also dedicated another 95 new household toilets to the residents of the village and two books on the use of toilets and sanitation were also released.

"It's a symbolic gesture to inaugurate a large toilet pot at Trump village to mark the World Toilet Day to create awareness among people towards the use of toilets and safe sanitation", Mr Pathak said.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

NASA has completed another major milestone on its journey to space and on Saturday launched a next-generation satellite into space designed to monitor weather around the world and help improve forecasts.

The American space agency has joined hands with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and introduced the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1) aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket as scheduled at 1:47 am (0947 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

It will orbit the Earth 14 times each day from one pole to the other at 512 miles (824 kilometers) above the planet, "providing scientists full global coverage twice a day," NASA said.

The satellite 'is the first in NOAA's series of four, next-generation operational environmental satellites representing major advancements in observations used for severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring," it said.

Also Read: SpaceX's latest rocket engine explodes during test in Texas

JPSS-1 "carries a suite of advanced instruments designed to take global measurements of atmospheric, land and sea conditions, from sea surface temperatures, volcanic ash, hurricane intensity and many more."

Four smaller satellites called CubeSats, part of NASA's educational nano-satellite program, are to be released on the same mission.

The CubeSats belong to four US universities and will be set in orbit after the weather satellite has been deployed, NASA was quoted in a statement.

Also Read: NASA releases SoundCloud playlist to make this Halloween extra spooky

Two previous launch attempts were canceled, once due to high winds and another due to technical problems.

(With PTI inputs)

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Cairo:

Egypt is keen on boosting economic cooperation with India specially in developing small and medium enterprises, a senior minister said on Saturday.

India is Egypt's 10th largest export destination and also the 10th largest import source.

Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil said there are possibilities to enhance bilateral cooperation in key areas like automotive industry, textile and leather products.

His remarks came during a meeting with Tamil Nadu's Minister of Rural Industries P Benjamin who is here leading the Indian delegation participating in the MACTECH Fair in the Cairo International Convention Centre from November 16-19.

India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya said that both the sides discussed possibilities of technology and investment cooperation in textiles and leather sectors.

"India's participation with 50 companies at MACTECH Fair was with the objective of showcasing our strengths in engineering and capital goods. Our advantages lie in high quality, affordable prices and efficient utilisation of labour", Bhattacharyya told PTI.

"Among the largest suppliers of capital goods to Egypt, we wish to increase exports and also look for opportunities for joint ventures", the Indian envoy said.

The delegation from the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC India) comprises 50 leading Indian machine tools and technology firms.

The Indian Pavilion is organised by the EEPC, the premier trade and investment promotion group in engineering sector sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in association with the Embassy of India in Cairo.

The participating Indian companies represent various segments of engineering products including machine tools, industrial tools, heavy tools, machinery, generators and tube and wire machinery.

India stands 13th in production and 10th in the consumption of machine tools in the world with 0.9 per cent share in the total global production.

The market is expected to reach USD 3 billion by 2019-20, growing at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 14 per cent from 2013-14 to 2019-20.

India is set to become an important player in the global machine tools industry and is expected to see substantial increase in the manufacture of high-end products.

The automobile sector, a major user of machine tools, is set to grow 3.5 to 4 times from its current size of USD 74 billion to reach about USD 300 billion by 2026.

New emerging sectors such as defence and aerospace, consumer durables, green investment in auto sectors are likely to enhance demand for machine tools.

In Machine tools and Industrial tools sector, India is among the top five exporting countries to Egypt.

India exported USD 3.16 million of hand tools to Egypt in 2016 constituting six per cent of the total imports of Egypt for the product.

MACTECH is the picture-perfect event for metal forming, machine tools, industrial tools, welding and cutting equipment technology makers; providing widespread competition array, constant business opportunities, far-reaching media coverage and cross-industry technology transfer.

Egypt has traditionally been one of India's most important trading partners in the African continent.

During the year 2016-17, bilateral trade between India and Egypt was to the tune of USD 3.23 billion.

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New Delhi:

On Sunday, a group of over 100 Hindu Indian pilgrims arrived in Lahore to take part in Shadani mela at Shadhani Temple located in the Sindh province of Pakistan.



Evacuee Trust Property Board's chairman Siddiqul Farooq and other officials greeted the pilgrims at the Wagah Border, board's spokesman Amir Hashmi told PTI.



"Some 104 Hindus arrived here by train to participate in annual festivities in connection with Shadani mela (festival) at Shadhani Temple in Hayat Pitafi, Mirpur Mathelo, Sindh," Hashmi said.



During their 10-day stay, the pilgrims will also visit Sadhu Mandar in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kanpur in Sindh.



The main event of the festival will be held on November 25 in which the local Hindus will also participate, Hashmi said, adding that the visiting Hindus will return to India on November 28. Farooq reiterated that the people of Pakistan and India want peace between the two countries.



"The two South Asian countries should address outstanding issues between them through dialogue," he said.



"We have brought a message of peace, love, and harmony from India. We want both the governments to resolve the issues through peaceful dialogue," said Yogester Lal, the head of the delegation.



Earlier this month, more than 2,000 Sikh pilgrims attended the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Trolls have been abusing and threatening Tan Dhesi, a Sikh MP in the UK, with threats of violence for his alleged silence on issues related to the Sikh community.



Dhesi has been accused of ignoring the plight of Jagtar Singh, a British Sikh man and Scottish activist who was arrested during his visit to India.



Dhesi became Labour MP for Slough in June and vowed to continue working for the whole public "regardless of background, colour or creed" rather than focussing on just one community, The Sun reported.



Trolling started after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about a rail link in his local area.



One troll wrote to Dhesi saying: "...A Sikh British citizen is being tortured in Punjab and you're worried about rail. You have no response to that. You need a slap upside your head you fake Sikh!"



"It's hard enough serving as an MP without having to face constant abuse from various quarters (whether that's the far-right/extremists/others who feel that I'm only interested in 'my community's issues', or those from within my 'own' community who feel I don't do enough)," he wrote on Facebook.





"When people resort to abuse, they are actually doing a disservice to their own cause. I will do what I genuinely feel is right, rather than be forced by anybody to follow their priorities or way of thinking.



"I am not merely a Sikh MP/representative speaking solely on Sikh issues," Dhesi added.

(With PTI inputs)

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Harare:

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has agreed to resign, a source close to the presidency said on Sunday, as his authoritarian 37-year reign drew to a close days after a military takeover.

"Yes he has agreed to resign", the source told AFP after Mugabe's expected television address to the nation was delayed.

Zimbabweans have been left stunned during a historic week in which the army seized power and put Mugabe, 93, under house arrest in response to his sacking of vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

On Saturday, in scenes of public euphoria not seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, huge crowds marched and sang their way through Harare and other cities in peaceful celebrations marking the crumbling of his long and often brutal rule.

Analysts say the military acted after Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.

Read more: Pakistan welcomes Hindu pilgrims from India

The ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier on Sunday and told him to resign as head of state, naming Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Mugabe was due to make a television address on Sunday evening hours after a second round of talks with army chief Constantino Chiwenga at State House, the president's official residence.

Official photographs of the meeting showed one officer saluting the president, who stood behind his desk, and several senior officers sitting in a formal room with white sofas and a bright red carpet.

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WASHINGTON  With the clock ticking down to an epic House vote Thursday on the GOP tax bill, President Trumps budget director took aim at high-tax, high-cost states like Connecticut that benefit from state and local tax deductions  which Republicans want to reduce or cut altogether.

Whose fault is that? Mick Mulvaney said when asked about predictions that loss of state and local deductions, known by the acronym SALT, would wreak havoc on middle-class taxpayers and state governments in Connecticut and similar states like New York and New Jersey.

Is it the federal governments problem that Connecticut is having such difficulty?

Mulvaney, who as head of the White House Office of Management and Budget is one of President Trumps point men on taxes, said he was optimistic the Republican tax plan ultimately would win congressional approval.

The atmosphere is pretty positive, he said.

But the atmosphere thickened late Tuesday with reports that Republican senators are considering a roll-back of Obamacares individual mandate  the requirement that all must have health insurance or face a tax penalty  as a way of paying for $1.5 trillion in tax cuts in the bill.

Mulvaneys outburst against Connecticut and other such states followed the parameters of Red state/Blue state, Democratic/Republican divides on how best to foster a new, fair and equitable tax system.

The House is expected to vote on its version of the bill on Thursday. It varies from the Senate version in important ways, but both seek to double the standard deduction up to $24,000 per couple, soften or eliminate the estate tax and reduce the corporate tax from 35 percent to 20 percent.

The House bill would limit the mortgage interest deduction on new home loans to $500,000 while the Senate bill would keep the current $1 million cap in place.

The Senate bill would eliminate the SALT deduction entirely, while the House bill would eliminate it only for state income tax payments while capping property tax deductions at $10,000.

Loss of the SALT deduction has been a major rallying cry in opposition for Connecticut Democrats.

Many citizens of Connecticut will see their taxes increase, said Rep. Jim Himes. Our most economically productive states are getting screwed by this deal in the service of handing a huge amount to corporations in the form of a 20-percent tax rate.

To counter Republicans, Democrats have relied upon Connecticuts status as a donor state  one that gets back 83 cents for every dollar it sends to Washington. A report last year by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that Connecticut had the nations highest per capita contribution to the federal treasury at $16,052. Mississippi had the lowest at $5,557.

Connecticut Democrats also have argued that loss of SALT deductions would only add to that inequity.

Mulvaney rejected the idea that Connecticut, as a donor state, would be subject to unfair double taxation if SALT deductions are eliminated or substantially reduced.

As a taxpayer, I dont care what the state gets, Mulvaney said. I care about my taxes. And one of the things I should care about is making sure Im paying a tax thats fair.

The fairest comparison, he said, is not whether states like Connecticut are, in effect, subsidizing states like Mississippi or South Carolina that get back substantially more than a dollar for each tax dollar sent to Washington.

Rather, he said, it is what individuals of equal economic means pay in taxes if they live in a low-tax state like South Carolina, compared with a high-tax state like Connecticut.

If Im paying more fed tax than you are, Im subsidizing your high tax existence, he said.

Rep. Elizabeth Esty scoffed at Mulvaneys equations.

Hes flat wrong on the donor-state argument, she said. Government provides for things individuals cant pay for themselves, things we value but it takes the organizational ability of government to provide. We choose to tax to provide things, but when more of our tax dollars go into fed kitty, those dollars would not be available to us to pay for hospitals, schools, roads and other needs

Why should Connecticut pay for Floridians who live in hurricane alley? she said. We pay for agricultural subsidiaries. And I dont see Mulvaney talking about government subsidies of oil and gas.

In their political calculus, Republicans are framing their respective bills as benefiting the middle class by encouraging use of the doubled standard deduction in place of itemizing.

But in a state like Connecticut where middle-class couples easily could make $100,000-plus annually, itemizing  and thereby using the SALT deductions  often is a crucial part of the affordability factor that goes into home buying and family raising.

Republicans should stop trying to jam this outsourcing, job-killing, corporate giveaway bill through Congress and work with Democrats on a tax plan that puts middle class families first, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
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WALLINGFORD  The only thing that was missing was a train.

The towns new $21 million commuter rail station opened with great fanfare Monday as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, along with state and other political leaders, took part in a ceremony celebrating the completion of work on the facility. Construction of the station, at 343 Cherry St., got underway in December 2014.

It is one of three new stations being built along the so-called Hartford Line between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts, and is the first to be completed. The new Meriden station is expected to be completed by the end of this year and one in Berlin will be completed sometime early next year,

Commuter service along the new Hartford Line wont commence until next May, but Amtrak trains began using the Wallingford station Monday. Amtrak currently has six daily round-trip trains coming through the station, according to state officials, although none of them passed by during the ceremony.

Malloy noted that the new station represents a return of commuter rail to Wallingford. There previously had been commuter rail service between Wallingford and Fairfield County, but that ended during the 1980s.

We shot ourselves in the foot when we did that, Malloy said of ending the commuter rail service. Quite frankly, this is something that never should have ended.

After the end of the previous version of commuter rail service, Amtrak removed some 25 miles of track along the New Haven to Springfield line in a cost-cutting move, converting what was then double-tracked line to a single track with passing sidings.

When the Hartford Line begins operating, the number of daily round-trip trains between New Haven and Hartford will go from the current six per day to 17, with 12 providing continuing service to Springfield. Two companies, TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts Inc., are working as partners to operate the line, which has cost about $569 million to build.

Tom Moritz, Amtraks assistant vice president for infrastructure access and investment, said the new station will set a tone of better things to come for the town.

A train station is the first impression that many people get of a town, Moritz said.

Malloy said that in order for Connecticuts economy to move forward, there needs to be more investments in transportation projects similar to this one. Next years election will allow voters to consider whether they want support a constitutional amendment that would create a transportation lock box, a fund for projects that cant be raided by state lawmakers to help balance the state budget, he said.

We have underinvested in transportation in the past, Malloy said.

Proposed fares for the Hartford Line were announced last month. A one-way trip from New Haven to Springfield will cost $12.75, and $8 from New Haven to Hartford.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
SAN FRANCISCO - 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 organization's flagship conference in Vancouver in April, according to interviews and email correspondence seen by The Washington Post.

The nonprofit's general counsel Nishat Ruiter said in an April email to TED's 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.

"We did hear from a small number of women attendees at TED2017 about harassment. As a result, two men were immediately disinvited and won't 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 TED's 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, Anderson's 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 organization's talks have been watched online more than 1 billion times worldwide.

Most people pay $10,000 to attend and must apply for tickets.

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.

FREDERIC LARSON

Anderson forwarded the complaint to his leadership team, saying, "I don't want to overstate what's here (until we can find more) but I do think we'll need to think seriously about what more we can do."

Tom Rielly, the organization's director of partnerships whose satirical monologues are the traditional closing event of the conferences, wrote in response that harassment had occurred in past years.

"I'm 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 year's 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. "Don't 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. It's still happening," she said. "What's different now is we're 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, you're trying not to make it an issue," she said in an interview. "I'm 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 inserted 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 forbid direct sales pitches.

Jess Ladd, a TED fellow and founder of Callisto, a nonprofit 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 it's a powerful investor or an academic in your field, it's really hard to know what to do and what your options are."

Conferences approach the problem in different ways. The World Economic Forum's 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 don't change systemically I'm 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.

TED said in its response: "There was indeed an unhappy staff departure in 2014, but it's 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 with a young woman who worked on one of the organization's digital marketing teams for about $31,000, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

The woman's lawyer told Anderson that the woman's 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 under her 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 between 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 wasn't 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 Hammerling's 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 must've 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. "It's 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. It's supposed to be a safe environment."
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WINDSOR LOCKS  The Connecticut Airport Authority is making an aggressive push to attract more travelers to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, particularly those along the Shoreline, all the way from Fairfield County to the Rhode Island border.

Evidence of that effort is all around at Bradley, New Englands second largest airport in terms of passenger traffic after Logan International in Boston.

Follow the Route 20 connector all the way to Bradleys main entrance and youll see road construction designed to help accommodate a new transportation center that Kevin Dillon, the Authoritys executive director, hopes to have in operation sometime in 2020. The roadwork is being done to allow for a different circulation of traffic on the airports grounds, according to Dillon.

Reworking traffic circulation on the airports grounds will make more space available for the transportation center, he said. The new facility will be built an area adjacent to where the airports Terminal B used to exist before its demolition was completed in 2016.

Once inside the terminal, passengers are greeted by renovations being done to the public area of the terminal. Once passengers have made it through security, Bradleys remake continues.

A space that once held spare mattresses for use by travelers who might be stranded at the airport by inclement weather has been converted into a snazzy travelers lounge. For a fee of $45, travelers with a little time on their hands can visit the Escape Lounge and sample a variety of complimentary hot- and cold-foods as well as drinks in the lounges fully stocked bar.

Tegan Abear lives near Stockbridge, Massachusetts and travels 27 weeks a year for business. He said under the right circumstances, he might spend the money and use the lounge.

Theyre not going to draw the Mom and Pop crowd taking the kids to Disney, thats for sure, Abear said

Escape Lounge just celebrated its first anniversary and the makeover of the airports concessions is still a work in progress. The Dunkin Donuts located across the hall from the lounge will soon undergo an expansion to accommodate more ordering stations.

Airport Authority officials also showcased the changes made to the terminals concessions last week by taking Connecticut reporters to Two Roads Brewery. The Stratford-based craft brewer opened its Bradley terminal location earlier this year and travelers can slake their thirst either at the airport location or fill-up a growler to take along with them.

The transportation center would bring all of the rental-car companies that serve the airport into one location that travelers could walk to from Bradleys main terminal building. Currently, the rental-car locations are scattered in multiple locations along the periphery of the airport, which requires arriving and departing passengers to take shuttle buses to and from the terminal.

When the Hartford Line commuter rail between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts, begins operating next May, it will include more frequent stops at the Windsor Locks train station, which is located three miles from the terminal. There will be frequent shuttle bus service between the train station and the airport, Dillon said.

The transportation center will also include gates for regional bus operators like Peter Pan and Vermont Translines, since the airports customer base also includes much of western Massachusetts and southern Vermont.

Dillons goal is to push passenger traffic to 10 million annually over the next several years. Last year, 6.3 million travelers used Bradley and the airports most recent travel peak was 7.2 million in 2006. The recession that followed stopped the passenger growth for a time a long with higher jet fuel prices that made it more costly to travel.

Dillon said attracting more passengers from New Haven and Fairfield counties is critical to achieving the 10 million passenger milestone.

The airport authority views detailed passenger data as proprietary information that would benefit other airports in their competition with Bradley and Dillon declined to release it. But he said the airport has two catchment areas that it draws from: Passengers who live within a 90-minute drive of Bradley and those who can get to the airport within 60 minutes.

We are a regional airport, Dillon said. Our business doesnt know any state lines.

One reason why Connecticuts shoreline is so attractive to airport officials based on those parameters is that traffic conditions leading to New York area airports can make flying out of those facilities a less convenient proposition, Dillon said.

The business travelers is driven by convenience, he said. By the distance to the airport, how easy it is to get through security and the availability of flights to the destinations they want to go to at the time they want to get there.

The construction around the airport makes Abears regular trips to Bradley a little less convenient.

The traffic situation there isnt very enticing right now, he said.

Abear is the kind of customer that Bradley would love to keep.

He travels a lot for business and lives 50 minutes away from the airport. But Abear also lives about the same distance from Albany International in New York.

There are times when I really have to watch the price and the availability flights between the two airports because their can be a tremendous difference, he said.

Business travelers are critical to airports because they sustain a particular route year around, Dillon said. That in turn, he said, enables the airport authority to better negotiate increased services or new routes from the airlines that serve the airport.

Were alwaysworking to satisfy three different groups: the airlines, the business traveler and the leisure traveler, Dillon said. Its a delicate balance.

Airlines need to be convinced that a new route can be profitable and are looking to maximize what they are able to make at any airport they serve, according to Dillon. That puts them in direct conflict with the leisure traveler.

The leisure traveler will always look for lowest fare, he said.

Dillon said once Bradley officials believe that a route has been established as being successful, were constantly after the airline about (lowering) their pricing. But the price travelers pay for their airline tickets is function of seat availability, he said..

Sometimes the New York airports have more inventory to a given location, Dillon said.

Another factor in the pricing equation is when travelers book their flights, he said. Someone searching for a ticket to a certain destination may be able to find prices at Bradley that are equal to those at the New York airports if they book three or for months before their trip.

That all changes the longer someone waits to purchase their ticket, he said, as the availability of seats decreases.

Attracting more passengers from southern Connecticut wont be an easy sell for some who live in that part of the state, judging by responses the New Haven Register received via social media.

John Emra is an AT&T executive who lives in Fairfield County who travels frequently for business. He said Bradley would benefit by increasing the number of flights it has to major business destinations like Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago.

Typically, Bradley fares are higher because there are fewer flights, fewer seats, Emra said, adding that he would like to see Bradley add more vacation destinations as well like islands in the Caribbean Sea.

Patricia Agudow is works for Amphenol Corp., a Wallingford company that makes electronic and fiber optic connectors, cable and interconnect systems. Agudow echoes Emras sentiments about a wider choice of direct flights to major business cities from Bradley and added that high speed transportation alternatives to get to their airport would be welcome as well.

Face it, even with all traffic, its hard to beat flight choices from LaGuardia or JFK, she said.

Dillon has said that someday, if passenger loads warrant it, hed like to see a light rail connection to the airport from the train station. Light rail was also discussed the 1990s, when state officials proposed extending the Griffin Rail Line to the airport.

The state-owned rail line stretches from Union Station in Hartford to the Day Hill Road area in Windsor. But the plan was rejected in part because officials in the state Department of Transportation were more focused on development of highways at the time.

Agudow said shes not convinced that kind of project is any more likely to gain traction today.

 If Connecticut couldn't built Route 7 to Danbury; theres no hope for Bradley, she said referring to the states inability to extend Route 7 as a limited access highway from Norwalk north to Danbury.

Others who use Bradley frequently say they are appreciative of the improvements that have been made at the airport.

I use Bradley primarily although I am usually only traveling domestically, said Lon Seidman, who has a small online media company in Essex. Back in the early 2000s, I was going to Providence more because of cost. I am happy to see nonstop options expanding at Bradley.

Southeastern Connecticut residents have Providences T.F. Green Airport, which travelers in New London County said is easier to get to and offers cheaper flights. And Fairfield County residents said even though Bradley is easier to get in and out of than any of New York Citys three major airports, the lack of a direct route to the airport from southwestern Connecticut as well as less selection in terms of frequency of flights and lower costs airfares still makes them willing to brave traffic to and from LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports.

Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of research for New Haven-based DataCore Partners, said Bradley officials find themselves in a difficult position and not just because of the issues cited by travelers who responded to the New Haven Registers queries.

Its nice to try and improve the airport, but Connecticut hasnt had the economic activity that creates the revenue that results in increased investment, Klepper-Smith said. And airports that arent making investments in their facilities are at an economic disadvantage.

Bradley benefits from the strength of the Massachusetts economy since many of its travelers come from the Bay State, he said.

Dillon disagreed with Klepper-Smiths assessment of Connecticuts economic climate and its relationship to the airports growth.

We would love to see more business development in the state, but the level of activity that we have now provides us with the ability to do what we want to do going forward, Dillon said.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Time to Build a New World



Being the text of the Acceptance Speech by the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano on his Re-election as the Governor of Anambra State on Sunday, November 19, 2017



Ndi b anyi, ekenem unu



With utmost humility, I stand before you to accept thehistoric mandate you have bestowed on me today!



Umu nnem, the victory we savour today belongs neither to Willie Obiano nor to our great party, APGA. No! This sweet victory belongs to Ndi Anambra!



It belongs to the wheel barrow pushers and the Okada riders who have clearly seen in our recent political experience, a glimmer of light in the horizon.



It belongs to the farmers in Ayamelum, Onono, Ogbaru, Omasi, Omor and Ufuma who have now realized that Agriculture is the future of Nigeria.



It belongs to the teachers and civil servants who have seen that a motivated workforce is the greatest asset of any government and have rewarded our faith in them with an overwhelming verdict at the polls.



It belongs to the illustrious sons and daughters of Anambra State who have seen the STAR of this great state rise in the Eastern Skies and have answered our call for Aku luo uno; bringing home their Naira and Dollars to put our dear state on the investment map!



This victory belongs to all of us! Umu nnem, this victory isnot a winner takes it all. For in the New Anambra of my dream, everyone is a winner. Everyone!



So, I reach out a hand of brotherhood to my fellow contestantsOseloka, Tony, Osita, Godwin and others whose names I cannot easily recall here. And I say to you;my brothers, we have all fought a good fight. But Anambra State is the WINNER! The interest of AnambraState is bigger than the private ambitions of anyone of us.. Therefore, I pray you to join hands with me and build a better place for Ndi Anambra! Our beloved state needs our talent and our time. The time to build a better place is NOW!



Indeed, this victory is a referendum on the solid resolve of Ndi Anambra to rise above average in all we do. We have demonstrated that we are indeed capable of taking charge of our lives and making difficult decisions that will brighten the future of our children. I have no doubt in my mind that we shall continue to lay the building blocks for a prosperous tomorrow for all.



Ndi Anambra, this mandate is dear to my heart. I see it as a historic call to inspire my people to greatness. I see it as a call to deny myself sleep that my people might sleep better. Umu nnem, I will not give myself rest until our beloved state has fully assumed the status of the model state of Nigeria. This is my promise to you all.



Fellow compatriots, this victory did not come by chance. It is the final product of the combined efforts of brilliant men and women who sacrificed their personal comfort to ensure that Anambras steady march to progress is not derailed.



My first and deepest gratitude goes to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President MuhammaduBuhari for proving to Ndi Anambra that under his watch, democracy will sink deeper roots in the Nigerian soil. Mr President promised us a free and fair election. Today, we can all see that he has kept his promise. Thank you so much Mr President!



I must also thank the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting what has been widely adjudged a transparent election in Anambra State. With this election, INEC has shown that it has fully braced up for the 2019 elections. Thank you so much.



I will also not forget the vigilance of the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army and other law enforcement agencies whose alertness ensured that the expressed will of the people was not thwarted. Indeed, you have done an incredible job!



To the indefatigable DG of my re-election campaign organization, Chief Victor Umeh, Ibobo Aguleri, Ohamadike! You and the entire Campaign Team have written your names in gold. My immense gratitude goes to every member of APGA, from the Ward Chairman to the members of the National Executive Council; you have made us proud! Chukwu gozie unu nine.



And to all the members of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, all the PGs and members of the various town unions across Anambra State, all the Bishops, Reverend Fathers and Pastors, the members of the organized Labour, the youths of Anambra State, the traders, the farmers, the ordinary men and women who look up to government for a better day, I assure you that my team and I shall never fail you.



Indeed, Ndi Anambra, on behalf of my capable Deputy, Dr Nkem Okeke, I thank you all for renewing this mandate and I urge you to prepare for the speedy transformation of Anambra State into a prosperous sub-national entity in the next four years.



Umu nnem, we have stepped into our finest hour. We have finally hit the proverbial bend in the river. Our journey into greatness is now assured. We are ready and willing to work with anyone who has something to share that will make Anambra State great.



We are open to new ideas, new visions of society and a New Hope!



God bless Anambra State



God bless Nigeria



Dalunu



Willie Obiano



Governor
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Oseloka Henry Obaze has said he was sure of victory if the election is free and fair. He arriv...

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Oseloka Henry Obaze has said he was sure of victory if the election is free and fair.He arrived at Unit 001 in Ochuche Umuodi in Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) at 1.32pm and was accredited without hitches.He cast his vote at about 1.40pm.Obaze scored 379 votes in his unit. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate Governor Willie Obiano scored 11 votes, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Tony Nwoye scored five votes.Addressing newsmen after voting, Obaze said: I ran hard for this campaign and I ran to win. Im confident that if our people have voted and there is no tampering with the process and there are no illegalities in the processing of the balloting and coalition, then we should win this election fairly at the end of the day.Were confident that well win this election, no question about that. One is the people voting based on their conscience, the other is for and INEC and its agents to follow the process and render the results accordingly.Shouts of OHO!!! OHO!!!, the initials of his name, rented the air as his supporters welcomed him to the unit. Some called Obaze our governor as, accompanied by wife, he smiled and waved to the villagers, observers and journalists.Before his arrival, there were doubts as to whether he would not vote as information filtered in that other candidates had voted earlier. Journalists had been waiting for his arrival since 10am.On why he voted late, he said: I chose to wait till towards the end rather voting early. Ive been busy monitoring the situation in the state. Evidently there seems to be a low voter turnout. I dont know the cause of the apathy.You can explain low voter turnout in the city because people might have travelled to their villages to vote. But we dont know why the turnout has been that low.There seems to be a mixed process. I heard that in Okpoko and Umudim in Nnewi there were no voting going on. By and large the feedback I get is that everything has been peaceful which is very gratifying.Obaze said he heard about allegations of vote buying multiple thumb printing, adding: It is the responsibility of INEC to monitor that. But I can tell you we are not involved in that in any way.We campaigned vigorously; were not interested in buying votes. People voted for us because they believe in our mission. Those who bought votes did so because they lacked confidence that people would vote for them.Ive heard allegations that in Okacha in Aniocha and Amaobia there were people arrested for multiple thumb printing, but these are mere allegations. Its meant for law enforcement agencies to investigate them.He said he would come to a conclusion about the elections credibility when he gets reports of both local and international observers and party agents.A combination of factors will lead us to conclude that the election is credible. Those will depend on what we hear from international observers and from our field reports. My situation room will brief me before we make that assessment.I have always said federal agencies have a responsibility to meet their statutory obligation. Same with INEC. I dont want to question anybody.. It is for the people to say if they have met that obligation and if they passed the litmus test of their responsibility and as it relates to law and order.Asked if he was concerned about federal might, he said: I know the ruling party will be inclined to see that their candidate wins, but I cannot derogate the Federal Government to say theyve been unfair or biased because I dont have the basis for that yet.Its when we get in the field report and we see that something untoward happened that we would speak to that effect, he said.
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, says President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to make thi...

The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, says President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to make things better, urging all Nigerians to give the needed support.Oyegun spoke in Uyo on Saturday while flagging off the APC local government election campaign in Akwa Ibom, slated for Dec. 2.Your president is working hard to turn things around for better. APC needs people of vision, people with passion to bring about a new Nigeria, he said.Oyegun said that the APC was poised to reposition Nigeria on the path of progress by sweeping away corruption and the evil of the past.He said that he was overwhelmed by the crowd at the rally ground, describing it as an indication that the Akwa Ibom people were ready to embrace change.Oyegun, who received formally some defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Sen. Nelson Effiong, representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, said that APC was proud of the state.He described Sen. Effiong as a gentleman; a man of vision and integrity, who could look into the future.The national chairman commended the defectors for seeing the new Nigeria which APC had promised to deliver to all Nigerians.Speaking on behalf of the new entrants into APC, Sen. Effiong, said that he had the vision of change 10 months ago and took the decision to join the party.Effiong commended President Buahri for taking Nigeria to the promised land and assured the APC National Chairman that the party would win the forthcoming council election convincingly.I assure you sir, that we are here in the party with open mind and we will take the state to the main fold of Nigerian politics in 2019, Effiong said.In his welcome address on the occasion, the APC State Chairman, Dr Amadu Attai, said that the Akwa Ibom people were committed to supporting President Buhari because of his sincerity.Attai, who applauded the Social Investment Scheme of the Federal Government, also thanked the APC-led government for taking Nigeria out of recession.He commended the quality and purposeful leadership of the party at the national level and promised that APC would work hard to win the local council election in Akwa Ibom.In his goodwill message, the chairman of APC Governors Forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, commended APC in Akwa Ibom for presenting a very strong opposition in the state.Okorocha said APC was the way to follow in Nigeria because the party was the antidote to corruption in Nigeria.I am impressed with what I have seen in Uyo; come 2019, our victory is sealed. Lets connect to the national grid for all the good things from the national, Okorocha said.In his remark, the Deputy National Chairman, South, Chief Segun Oni, urged the APC people in Akwa Ibom to unite and work as a team in the state.Oni, who is a former governor of Ekiti, noted that some people were disenchanted and effort should be made to reconcile them into the party.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign featured official presentation of party flag to 31chairmanship as well as 329 councillorship candidates of the party by the national chairman.The campaign flag-off was attended by APC stalwarts such as the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Nsima Ekere and Senior Presidential Special Assistant on Political Matters, Mr Gideon Zamani.Others are Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly, Sen. Ita Enang; the Managing Director, Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone, Mr Umana Okon Umana; APC chieftain in Akwa Ibom, Chief Don Etiebet.
Tess Hatch, a young investor with Bessemer Venture Partners in their Menlo Park office, isnt shy when she talks about the early stage landscape in Wisconsin. In fact, as she told a packed room in Madison this month, she and her colleagues often tell their portfolio companies to think beyond Silicon Valley and expand in the Midwest.

Why look to the heartland? With about $4 billion invested in more than 130 companies around the world, Bessemer wants to go where the business costs are reasonable and the talent and technology are first rate.

Its a message that is slowly but surely getting across to investors outside Wisconsin, from as close as Chicago and as far away as California, as the cost of doing business in the nations largest urban centers skyrockets and high-quality pockets of innovation emerge in lower-cost cities in the Midwest.

While those same investors see challenges to closing deals in the Midwest, they also see advantages ranging from lower valuations compared to what they see on the coasts, access to research and development centers and a customer base too big to be ignored.

That was a recurring theme at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, held last week in Madison, where scores of companies met with investors in three formal settings and informally through networking encounters throughout the conference.

The interest shown by out-of-state investors can be written off as anecdotal, except some harder data backs up the fact that Wisconsin is no longer viewed as flyover land.

In 2016, about one in five angel or venture capital deals in Wisconsin involved investors from other states, a trend that appears to be holding in 2017. Thats according to the Wisconsin Portfolio, a publication of the Wisconsin Technology Council that charts deal activity every year.

A national group that periodically ranks states according to their new economy quotient recently gave Wisconsin its highest marks since 1999, when it first started ranking the states according to 25 specific criteria.

Wisconsin ranked 26th overall in the November 2017 index published by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, just behind Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania and just ahead of Nebraska, Missouri and Idaho. Top-ranked states were Massachusetts, California, Washington, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland.

In previous years, Wisconsins highest rank overall was 29th, and it once stood as low as 37th among the 50 states. In the 25 categories, Wisconsin ranked as high as sixth for advances in eGovernment and as low as 43rd for foreign direct investment, a standing that is certain to change as Taiwans Foxconn Technology Group puts down roots in Racine County. It was 27th in venture capital, not stellar but at least in a second-tier class that includes many Midwestern states.

Parts of Wisconsin are still venture-poor. Thats especially true in the Milwaukee area, despite the emergence of some smaller corporate funds. The cure in the states largest city would be a corporate fund-of-funds along the size and scale of the Renaissance Fund in Michigan or Cintrifuse in Cincinnati. Foxconn has quietly signaled for some time it has interest in the venture class.

The Badger Fund of Funds, which invests in companies at the smaller end of the scale, has announced its first deal and formation of three regional funds so far. That will increasingly add to the states venture footprint.

Older, more established funds are far from finished. Baird Capital, Capital Midwest and Venture Investors have remained active and, in some cases, are raising new funds to follow on the success of previous efforts. Finally, companies such as American Family, TASC, CUNA Mutual and WEA Trust in Madison are making corporate investments, although not always in Wisconsin.

For years, the advice to young companies in the tech space was, Go west, young man or woman, to paraphrase Horace Greeleys advice from an earlier time. Many still do, but others are discovering there is more than a fighting chance at making it close to home.
Buratai Emmanuel, the younger brother of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has insisted that the Chief of Ar...

Buratai

Emmanuel, the younger brother of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has insisted that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, knows the whereabouts of the IPOB leader.Kanus brother also said Buratai should be jailed for allegedly lying in a Federal High Court in Abuja concerning the invasion of their house by soldiers at Afara Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State.Buratai, in a counter-affidavit he filed in reaction to a suit court by his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had said soldiers chased a truck laden with weapons into a house said to belong to Kanus father in Afara Ukwu.From the look of things, everyone now knows that Nnamdi Kanu was either killed or taken away by the military, he told our correspondent in a phone interview on Saturday.Emmanuel said if the army had traced someone who had a truckload of ammunition to their house, the COAS should tell the world who the person was, when it happened, and the evidence to show that the military traced someone with dangerous weapons to their house.He said, What is Gen. Buratai talking about? The question I am asking is why should Justice Binta Nyako listen to such lies? If she fails to jail Buratai, it means the judicial system in this country should not be trusted for any reason. He should be jailed for telling such cheap and childish lies.Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in Abia State, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, has said no IPOB member, allegedly arrested by soldiers in Aba, was handed over to the police command.Ogbonna said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, had urged residents of the state to ignore IPOB members and go about their lawful duties.He added that the CP had ordered a stop and search operation at all Anambra and Abia boundaries.
An Indian medical student, Manuchi Chhillar, was crowned Miss World at a glitzy event in a Chinese resort on Saturday, making her the 67...

An Indian medical student, Manuchi Chhillar, was crowned Miss World at a glitzy event in a Chinese resort on Saturday, making her the 67th to be crowned in the history of the pageant. Chhillar, 20, is the sixth Indian winner of the long-running contest, following in the footsteps of Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai.Her win brings India level with Venezuela as the countries with most victories in the history of the pageant, now in its 67th edition. Chhillar, 20, is a trained Indian classical dancer who also enjoys painting and hopes to open a chain of non-profit hospitals in rural areas, according to the Miss World website. Thank you, everyone, for your constant love, support, and prayers she wrote on Twitter.This ones for India. Chhillars victory rapidly became a top trending topic on the social media platform in India after the announcement, with Manohar Lal Khattar  the minister of her home state of Haryana  among the first to offer congratulations. Chhillar was handed the crown by last years winner, Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico, at the ceremony in the Chinese coastal city of Sanya on Saturday night.Stephanie Hill of England and Andrea Meza of Mexico finished as runners-up. Saturday marked the Miss World pageants return to Sanya, on southern Chinas Hainan Island, for a seventh time, where the event was last held in 2015. At the previous occasion two years ago, controversy erupted as officials in Hong Kong stopped Miss Canada, Anastasia Lin, from boarding a plane bound for Sanya, telling her she would not receive a visa.The 25-year old actress claimed the decision was due to her stance on Chinas human rights record, including its persecution of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual group of which she is a practitioner.At last years event in the United States, Lin was again embroiled in controversy when pageant officials reportedly warned her against speaking to the press for three weeks about human rights abuses in China. Miss Lin did not participate in this years event, with Canada represented instead by Cynthia Menard, a high school student.
The Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN) says that its members in Lagos State will start wearing uniforms from Jan. 1, 2018 for ...

The Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN) says that its members in Lagos State will start wearing uniforms from Jan. 1, 2018 for security and effective service delivery.Mr Isreal Adeshola, the National President of the association, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.Adeshola said the operational uniform would bring sanity to the service in the state and the country as a whole.According to him, the association has started training its members in Lagos State and educating them on the job procedures and attitudinal change while on duty.The association has been able to train a reasonable number of conductors on behavioural change.We started the registrations and training at Lagos State Drivers Institute for attitudinal and change in orientation of the members toward passengers and traffic rules.By Jan.1, 2018, all our registered members will be in their operational uniforms for proper identification and effective service delivery, he said.The president explained that part of the reasons for training its members was to ensure adequate security of passengers and good customer relationship with the people they relate with.He said that putting on uniforms with identification numbers would ensure accountability and brought sense of responsibility among the members.Adeshola said that the association was working towards eradicating the menace of using under-age as bus conductors across the country.He announced that persons from 18 years and above were qualified to join the association.The president added that any minor found operating as a bus conductor should be arrested.We are coming out to tell Lagos residents that bus conducting is a respected profession like in other western countries where they are respected because they offered humanitarian services.In Nigeria, people see them as nobody which is not supposed to be so, he said.NAN reports that Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport had said that the introduction of uniforms for bus conductors would ensure safety and bring more development to the nations transport sector.Amaechi spoke at the inauguration of the official uniforms for members of the Bus Conductor Association of Nigeria (BCAN), Lagos State chapter, on Thursday August 2, at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.You have to change the perception of the people; you have to create a positive impression about yourself and make yourself accessible, he said.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his wife Grace are ready to die for what is correct and have no intention of stepping down, hi...

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his wife Grace are ready to die for what is correct and have no intention of stepping down, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, said.Speaking to Reuters from a secret location in South Africa, Zhuwao said Mugabe had hardly slept since the military seized power on Wednesday but his health was otherwise good. The leaders of Zimbabwes ruling ZANU-PF party are set to meet on Sunday to approve the dismissal of President Robert Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence 37 years ago, two party sources have said.An extraordinary meeting of the partys central committee is expected to convene around 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) to consider removing the 93-year-old, four days after a military seizure of power ostensibly aimed at criminals within his entourage.Separately, state television said Mugabe would meet military commanders on Sunday, quoting the Catholic priest who has been mediating in negotiations with the president. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabes overthrow.ZANU-PFs central committee is also expected to reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa as party vice-president, resurrecting the political career of the former security chief, nicknamed The Crocodile, whose sacking this month triggered the militarys intervention. Mugabes wife, Grace, will be fired as head of the ZANU-PF Womens League, the sources told Reuters, completing the demise of a 52-year-old former government typist who just a week ago stood in pole position to succeed her husband after Mnangagwas dismissal.The pairs stunning downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Ugandas Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congos Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step aside. In scenes reminiscent of the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and troops who stepped in this week to oust the man who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980.Under house arrest in his lavish Blue Roof compound, Mugabe has refused to stand down even as he has watched his support from party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days. On Harares streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a second liberation for the former British colony and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.These are tears of joy, said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. Ive been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last. The crowds in Harare have so far given a quasi-democratic veneer to the armys intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, which would help it avoid the diplomatic backlash and opprobrium that normally follow a coup.The U.S., a long-time Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.(Reuters/NAN)
Robert Mugabe will be removed as Zimbabwe president, two sources from the countrys ruling Zanu-PF party have said.

Robert Mugabe will be removed as Zimbabwe president, two sources from the countrys ruling Zanu-PF party have said.The party will reportedly hold a special central committee meeting this morning to dismiss the 93-year-old as leader.The meeting is due to start at 10.30am local time and is also set to see the removal of Mugabes wife, Grace, as head of the Zanu-PF Womens League.It was gathered Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was ousted by Mugabe earlier this month as Zimbabwes vice-president, will be reinstated.The move comes amid what has been a day of celebrations in the capital Harare.There had been calls for a Day of Rage but tens of thousands poured into the streets yesterday convinced that they were seeing the end of Mugabes 37-year rule.Protesters even began marching towards Mugabes residence, live television pictures showed.In scenes reminiscent of the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and troops that stepped in this week to oust the only leader Zimbabwe has known since independence in 1980.The 93-year-old Mugabe has been under house arrest in his lavish Blue Roof compound in Harare from where he has watched support from his Zanu-PF party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.But Mugabes nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters the elderly leader and his wife were ready to die for what is correct and had no intention of stepping down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, Zhuwao said Mugabe had hardly slept since the military seized power on Wednesday but his health was otherwise good.On Harares streets, emotions ran high as Zimbabweans spoke of a second liberation for the former British colony, alongside their dreams of political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.These are tears of joy, Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, said, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. Ive been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last.The secretary-general of Zimbabwes War Veterans Association, Victor Matemadanda, called on those at an anti-Mugabe rally to march on Mugabes residence and live television footage showed hundreds of protesters marching in that direction.Let us now go and deliver the message that grandfather Mugabe and his typist-cum-wife should go home, Matemadanda told the crowd in the Harare township of Highfield.Zimbabweans abroad were also awaiting the end of Mugabes rule. Hundreds living in Britain gathered outside the countrys embassy in central London calling on the leader to step aside.I am happy today because Bob Mugabe is about to go. He must go. At least if he goes, well have a change of president after so many years of injustice, said Florence, a 34-year-old who declined to give her last name.Political sources and intelligence documents seen by Reuters said Mugabes exit is likely to pave the way for an interim unity government led by Mnangagwa, a life-long Mugabe aide and former security chief known as The Crocodile.Stabilising the free-falling economy will be the number one priority, the documents said.The United States, a long-time Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.Meanwhile Catholic priest Fidelis Mukonori, who has been mediating the negotiations, confirmed Mugabe will meet military commanders for talks on Sunday, state broadcaster ZTV said yesterday
Officials of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabes own ZANU-PF party said Saturday that they would meet Sunday to discuss dismissing the lo...

Demonstrators seeking ouster of President Mugabe

Officials of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabes own ZANU-PF party said Saturday that they would meet Sunday to discuss dismissing the longtime ruler.Two unnamed party sources told Reuters they would reinstate Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe fired last week, and would dismiss Mugabes wife  Mugabes choice to succeed him  from her position as leader of the ZANU-PF Womens League.One of two party officials who confirmed Sundays meeting with AFP said they would endorse the decisions of the nine [party] provinces to call for Mugabe to resign as president and party leader.Shortly after the sources disclosed the meeting, a motorcade departed Mugabes official residence in Harare amid boos and jeers from protesters. A security official said Mugabe was not inside any of the vehicles.The meeting was scheduled as thousands of exuberant Zimbabwean demonstrators flooded the streets of Harare, some of whom marched toward the official residence of Mugabe amid nationwide protests calling for the his resignation.The protesters  some carrying signs that said Mugabe must go! and Not coup but cool  came within 200 meters of the gates to the complex and staged a sit-down protest after being halted by national troops.The State House is where Mugabe is under official house arrest and where negotiations for Mugabes departure have taken place.This is not fair. Why are soldiers preventing us to march to the State House, said Rutendo Maisiri, 26. It is wrong. We will stay put.The military has stopped such demonstrations in the capital in the past, but is now supporting the protests, directing demonstrators to the Zimbabwe Grounds, where speeches are being made by activists, politicians and former freedom fighters calling for the president to resign.The Zimbabwe Grounds is a symbolic location. It is where Zimbabweans welcomed Mugabes return from exile in 1980 after the liberation war from white minority rule.Mugabe is reported to be resisting demands to step down from the army, members of his ZANU-PF party and political activists.The Zimbabwe Defense Forces seized key state institutions Wednesday, confined Mugabe to house arrest and clamped down on those 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.The detainees, who were 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. Robert Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from the position on November 5.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.Demands intensifyMembers of opposition groups are expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations over Mugabes political future.Christopher Mutsvangwa, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, told journalists that Saturdays protests were designed to push the president out of office.Jacob Ngarivhume of opposition group Transform Zimbabwe said hopes of Mugabe leaving office were 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 that it was time for the southern African country to return to civilian rule.Zimbabwe 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.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, ZANU-PF 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 were uncertain, though he was widely believed to be in South Africa.As for the president, the Zimbabwe Defense Forces said Friday that it was currently engaging with the commander-in-chief, President Mugabe, on the way forward and will advise the nation as soon as possible.
Korean-American leaders are outraged over derogatory comments reportedly made by a teacher at Bergen County Academies in Hackensack against Koreans.

The Korean Daily New York reported that the unnamed teacher asked students in one class about their culture and said that she loved those but "hated Korean."

In another class, she allegedly asked Korean students to raise their hands and repeated the statement, NorthJersey.com reported.

School administrators reportedly met with representatives from the Korean-American Association of New Jersey, Korean American Civic Empowerment and the Korean Parents Partnership Organization for more than an hour.

Superintendent of Bergen County Technical Schools Howard Lerner told NorthJersey.com that he couldn't comment on the incident or any disciplinary action that may have been taken against the teacher because of confidentiality laws.

NJ Advance Media reached out to Lerner on Saturday but he was not available to comment.

Lerner told NorthJersey.com that intolerance, insensitivity and discrimination is against school policies and would not be tolerated.

Bergen County Academies is a free public magnet school serving Bergen County. The school was named the No. 5 high school in the country by Newsweek in 2015.

Students study seven specialized programs in the subjects of mathematics and science, engineering and design, medical science, business and finance, culinary arts and hospitality administration, visual and performing arts, and technology and computer science

Last school year it enrolled 1,052 students, among them nearly 52 percent were Asian. About 11 percent of the student body speaks Korean at home, according to New Jersey Department of Education data.

Last month at Cliffside Park High School, students protested after a teacher urged Hispanic students to "speak American." Some students walked out of class and the teacher later apologized over the public address system.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The two people being sought by the Cumberland County Sherriff's Office are as followed:

* Karl D. Finger, 39, is being sought on three Superior Court of New Jersey Family Court Warrants for failure to appear.

Finger is described as a white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He has blue eyes and blond hair and a tattoo on his left forearm of a lion. His last known address was Gershal Avenue in Elmer.

* Jodi Lyn Hartem, age 28, is being sought on two Superior Court of New Jersey Criminal Court Warrants for failure to appear. Hartem is described as a white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown eyes and red hair. She has a tattoo of a frog on her right wrist and left forearm. Her last known address was Route 47 in Delmont.

Cumberland County Sheriff Robert A. Austino asks anyone who comes in contact with these individuals to call the police immediately. You should contact state or local police, or the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department TIP-LINE at 856-451-0625.

If you know the whereabouts of this individual, share this information anonymously by downloading the CCPOTIP App at the Android or iPhone Store and choosing Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, submitting an anonymous tip via text to 847411 with CCSONJ and your tip in the message line or going to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Facebook page and clicking "Submit a Tip" and submitting a tip to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department.

Citizens are reminded not to approach, confront, or attempt to detain these fugitives.

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook
UPDATE: Peak gusts hit 60 mph. See the latest weather update.

High winds are expected across the state Sunday, potentially bringing down trees and power lines.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for all of New Jersey, effective Sunday in most counties through 4 p.m. The advisory runs through 6 p.m. Sunday in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union.

In New York City, a wind advisory went into effect 6 p.m. Saturday and is active through 6 p.m. Sunday.

Wind gusts are expected to hit 45 to 50 mph across the region on Sunday, posing a risk to tree limbs and power lines.

As of 9:45 a.m., more than 6,000 homes and businesses were without power.

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Temperatures across are expected to reach the mid to high-50s, with overcast conditions or some rain in the morning. The clouds will give way to sunshine, but the strong winds will remain.

Very windy across the region on Sunday! 20 to 30 mph with gusts 40 to 50 mph. Secure any outdoor loose objects. #njwx #mdwx #dewx #pawx  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) November 17, 2017

The strongest winds are expected around noon and will diminish later Sunday, the National Weather Service reported.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips
As near as I can tell, this is the 1,291st metro column Ive written for the Wisconsin State Journal. I picked an old one at random last week  about the controversy over a liquor license for a former Downtown Madison restaurant  and timed myself reading it. It took 1 minute, 58 seconds.

Just one stranger taking the same amount of time to read each of my other 1,290 columns amounts to about 40 hours. I know there have been at least a few more readers than that, though, and that theyve collectively devoted years of time to my takes on events in Madison, Wisconsin and occasionally the nation.

For this, I am eternally grateful.

Today marks the public launch of my third career at the State Journal. I started with the paper in 2007 as a night-shift, general assignment reporter and soon took over the reader-help SOS column. In 2010, three months after I turned 40, I became a metro columnist.

Now the newspaper is looking to further dedicate itself to local news, and Ill be the urban affairs reporter covering city and police policy, changing demographics, social disparities and other city-centric topics in the Madison area  as well as, to quote my editor, efforts by policymakers, residents and nonprofits to improve their community  or thwart it.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it was nice being less tethered to breaking news and the other daily surprises that for journalists are the jobs greatest rush and the thing that drives them to drink.

On the other hand, it hasnt been all beer and Skittles: The coming up with ideas, making the case for those ideas, the more-or-less permanent anxiety that you might have just reached some kind of tipping point of angry readers.

But ultimately, the straight, striving-for-objectivity reporting is always more important than the opinion. Everyones got an opinion, after all. And in a day when it seems like 90 percent of media have a product, an agenda, a shill or a powerful interest to promote, straight reporting is as important as it is endangered.

While I wont be offering an opinion anymore, my approach to journalism isnt changing.

As a columnist, Ive occasionally been accused of wishy-washy-ness, and many are the times Ive been called a raging liberal or a knee-jerk conservative  sometimes on the same day, in the very same minute.

I never saw it that way. The journalists first responsibility is to the truth, which in human affairs is rarely clear cut. But a close second is challenging those who have the power, whether that means the Republican Legislature or the liberal Madison City Council, the influence-peddling corporations or the influence-peddling unions.

Good journalism is about more than just getting quotes from all sides of an issue, or even about the accurate understanding and explaining of various competing perspectives. Its also about being the kind of person who makes an effort to feel, as much as possible and on a gut level, what other people feel, even if you think theyre wrong.

Thats what will save this country. That and more news, which by definition, is the exact opposite of fake.

The journalists

first responsibility

is to the truth, which

in human affairs is rarely clear cut. But a close second is challenging those

who have the power 
By Michael Reagan

Hello, Senator Franken.

Welcome to the growing list of creepy guys in Hollywood and Washington who apparently think it's OK -- or funny -- for men in power to sexually harass or assault women and men.

We'll see if the liberal media and his fellow Democrats treat the charges against Franken as seriously as they've been treating the ones against Republican Senate hopeful Roy Moore of Alabama.

Franken, the very unfunny comedian who became the very liberal senator from Minnesota in 2009, is apologizing as fast as he can - and even calling for a Senate ethics committee to investigate himself.

But weird Al's got a lot of 'splaining to do.

On-air radio personality Leeann Tweeden of Los Angeles has accused him of kissing her without her consent and groping her in 2006 during a USO tour in Afghanistan.

There's even a damning photo of a grinning Franken cupping his hands over Tweeden's breasts while she slept that has quickly gone viral.

Given that sexual predators of all kinds don't commit a single sleazy act of molestation, assault or harassment and then retire, we'll probably be hearing from other women who had unwanted encounters with Franken.

In any case, Franken apparently is not Congress' lone harasser.

We learned just this week that for years Congress has had a secret slush fund to pay off women who had been victims of sexual harassment by its members.

More than $15 million in settlements -- paid by taxpayers -- was spent from 1997 to 2014 to protect our duly elected slime balls from bad publicity they probably deserved.

Meanwhile, in Alabama Roy Moore is still refusing to exit the special election next month to fill Jeff Sessions' vacated seat.

Voters may elect him and ignore the credible charges that he hit on or assaulted underage girls as a 30-something DA nearly 40 years ago.

But I think Moore is guilty as charged.

Having lived through molestations and abuse by a man as a boy, I think I can read when someone is being honest about their accusations and someone is not.

I tend to believe the women accusers more than I believe Roy Moore.

People will say, "Why did the women wait 40 years to bring these charges up?"

I tell them I didn't reveal my sexual abuse for 34 years. It's not something you're dying to publicize, believe me.

The charges against Moore are coming forward now because the young women he took advantage of long ago are being empowered by the "#Me Too" campaign.

It's a new era. Victims of sexual assault by the powerful and famous -- women and men -- can now come out of the closet and tell their horror stories.

Moore's got zero defenders in the GOP establishment, and his poll numbers are crashing.

It's true he has not been convicted in a court of law, and probably could never be. But he's been declared guilty in the court of public opinion.

He should step aside. Alabama's governor should delay the election or do whatever he can to allow a write in.

The Moore and Franken cases are a good morality test for conservatives and liberals.

Is sexual assault, harassment or serial creepiness by a man always wrong, or is it just wrong when the guy charged with it is not on your political team?

During the 1990s Bill Clinton's misbehavior and possible crimes got a pass from Democrats and most of the mainstream liberal media, which either didn't believe the women accusers or denigrated them.

I see some in the conservative media making the same partisan mistake by disbelieving Moore's accusers.

In the 1990s conservatives were right about Bill Clinton. Let's not be wrong about Roy Moore.

I don't care what party he belongs to, I don't want someone like him in the Senate any more than I want someone like Al Franken.

Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). Send comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com. .
On Nov. 8, the House of Representatives passed the "Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017" (HR3043), a bill to streamline the licensing process for hydroelectric facilities.

The word "modernization" in the title is a euphemism for deregulation, exactly as it was in the "Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999" -- which repealed Depression-era banking regulations that had separated consumer banks from riskier investment banking. This set the stage for the Great Recession that began in 2007.

HR304 would let the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) refer Clean Water Act disputes over state environmental, fish and wildlife agencies' regulatory approval to federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. This would effectively gut broader state environmental protections and possibly threaten the safety of our water supplies.

H.R. 3043 is supported by the electric power industry. But private environmental groups and many state environmental officials oppose it. Officials of three such organizations recently sent a joint letter to the House leadership expressing their concerns.

The chief sponsor of HR3043, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, is a Republican from Washington State, but the bill's 257-166 passage was not entirely a party-line vote. Three Republicans voted "no," while 26 Democrats, including New Jersey's Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist., voted "yes."

Norcross voted to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline three times and is no friend of the environment. Let's hope the Democrats find a better candidate for his district next year.

And let's hope the "Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017" dies in the Senate.

R. Baker, Mantua Township

GOP faith in 'trickle-down' repeats itself

Here is some history to consider as the Republican Party is again in control of the entire government and again proposing deficit-increasing tax cuts for the wealthy:

In 2000, the Clinton administration projected from Office of Management and Budget data, that if Congress over the next decade dedicated to debt reduction the federal budget surplus amounts achieved by President Bill Clinton -- and kept the same policies in place once he left office -- the entire national debt would have been paid off by 2009.

But, along came the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to award the contested 200) presidential election to Republican George W. Bush. With a Republican-majority Congress, they passed deficit- and debt-increasing tax cuts, not once, but twice. They ran up unpaid bills for two wars, and Bush left the scene in 2009 with a $1.3 trillion budget deficit, an economic collapse and an economy bleeding 700,000 jobs a month.

So, here we are again faced with a similar situation after another Democratic president steadied a broken economy and headed the country in the right direction for economic growth and employment. Only, now, the debt is $20 trillion.

In the rational world, you pay down your debt in good times. You don't take on more debt due to tax cuts and "trickle-down" economic theory that was recently re-branded as "pro-growth." Is the middle class still buying this fiction?

Let's face it, it is in the Republican Party's DNA to make tax cuts happen for the donor class and sell it as a middle-class tax cut. If the middle class actually has more money to spend, this improves the economy. When tax cuts are aimed at the wealthy and corporations, they take the money and stash it overseas in tax-avoidance schemes.

The Republican Party is complicit in the hollowing out of America and deserves to be replaced next year -- again and eternally.

Roy Lehman, Woolwich Township

N.J. needs push against triple-dippers

I never get tired of complaining about the abuse perpetrated by politicians and public employees who collect a public pension and additional salaries from state and public entities.

A state senator in Gloucester County (Fred Madden) gets three checks -- as a lawmaker, a dean at Rowan College at Gloucester County, and as a state police retiree. But do not wait for any elected officials to stop the abuse. They are not about to cut their compensation if they can help it.

Just think, this is one of the reasons that our public employee pension funds are always short. Yet the overpaid union officials have not done anything about. It will take the rank and file to protest about this abuse. I urge union members to tell their union officials to stop political contributions to elected officials who sit on their rear ends and do nothing about this.

The federal government prohibits the collection of full pension benefits while retirees go back to work full or part time for the federal government. Their pensions are reduced by the salaries they receive.

Luis M. Perez, Glassboro

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

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By Declan O'Scanlon

Republicans must understand our role. It is our job to be skeptical, to challenge, to question, to offer alternatives to Gov.-elect Phil Murphy and his incoming administration. But, it is also our moral obligation to root for the administration's success. To wish for or foment failure is to wish ill for all New Jersey.

That would be dishonorable.

No, our first goal should be that New Jersey is successful. If Murphy wins re-election by a landslide because of that success, that has to be OK with us. In fact, I'd go so far to say that that should be our goal -- that New Jersey is in such great shape four years from now that no one even bothers to challenge him. He'd get the credit for fixing New Jersey, and for his brilliance and guts is recognized across party, regional and ideological lines to eventually become U.S. president.

Toward that end, I'm here to help!

For I know exactly what needs to be done if such prosperity is to occur in New Jersey and such a glorious future awaits Gov. Murphy. Right now, based on his outrageous promises and aversion to taking tough stands, he's more likely to end up another failed Gov. Corzine clone.

But again, none of us should hope for that. Our new governor is a smart guy. Now he needs to be bold, willing to break promises when the critical needs of the state call for it. If he does, he will not only save his governorship, but has the chance to make it spectacular.

I'm no ideologue. I let the facts and laws of mathematics dictate my conclusions and solutions. I don't care who I upset. And neither should Gov. Murphy.

The facts and conclusions are clear and immutable. New Jersey is headed for insolvency if we don't take action quickly and decisively. We are facing a $3 billion to $6 billon deficit before paying for any campaign promises. Puttering around with talk of fairy-dust-inspired growth levels or suggesting that a simple and "harmless" tax on the rich will magically solve our problems won't fix our state -- or lead to Gov. Murphy's meteoric rise as a gutsy savior.

Property taxes could make him a one-termer, too. He ignored these issues during the campaign because he could pay to dodge them. That won't fly four years from now.

So here it is, Gov. Murphy's Roadmap to Success. I provide it free of charge or any credit:

* Remove the arbitration award cap (A2123) sunset during the lame-duck legislative session. The governor-elect can and must make that happen. If he doesn't, he will be blamed incessantly for the havoc every contract wreaks on local budgets. Along with this should come advice to locals to reform salary guides so policing can remain a fairly compensated career choice. (I can walk you through it.)

* Bring public worker unions to the table immediately. Include responsible Republicans to share the blame or not. But have the frank talk that we all know is necessary. Work from my bill that implements the health benefits reforms outlined by the Byrne-Healey Pension and Health Benefit Study Commission first. The sooner we do this, the more we decrease the depth and impact of pension reform. Mark my words, teachers and other public workers, this prescription is in your best interest. Failure to take action now will only mean more painful actions later. I'm not anti-public worker, I'm pro survival of the system, which includes your pensions and New Jersey's economy. And we are in serious danger of things completely collapsing.

* Modify my health benefits bill (A3905) to give back some of the health benefit savings (through employee and retiree reimbursement accounts) to minimize any impacts on individual workers. No one wants to hurt our teachers, cops or other public workers.

* Devote every penny of the savings to pension payments. You'll go to 90 percent overnight. Take all the credit.

* Deep dive our overall budget. I'm happy to give you my work and have you take credit. But then accept your own findings. This will make the case for all of the above actions.

With Gov. Murphy leadership maybe we can get these things done in a way that works for all. Do THAT, and you Gov.-elect Murphy, have a shot at being great. I sincerely hope you fulfill that potential.

In the end, while it's our moral obligation to hope for the best for this incoming administration and do all we can to persuade Murphy and his team to succeed, it is also our obligation to be here to hold them accountable if they fail.

Striving for the best for New Jersey transcends all else. Murphy administration, you've been encouraged, invited -- and warned. Let's go!

Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, is a member of the New Jersey Assembly. He won election to serve on the New Jersey Senate, where he'll represent the 13th Legislative District beginning Jan. 9, 2018.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Please, don't let Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen fool you.

He voted against the Republican tax bill in the end. But he voted for it in the earlier stages, when the bill's fate was hanging in the balance. The fake change of heart at the last minute came only after he reportedly got permission to stray from party leaders who knew they had enough votes to spare him the headache.

As one Republican source told The Hill newspaper, Frelinghuysen's vote "was cleared by leadership in advance."

Call it Rodney's Ruse. It's a kabuki dance that is common in Washington, in both parties, an attempt to trick voters.

"I'm skeptical it will work," says Julian Zelizer, a professor of politics at Princeton University. "If this legislation goes through, people in New Jersey will not be in a forgiving mood."

New Jersey should revolt against this monstrous bill. We are one of just four states that would pay higher federal taxes if it becomes law. It's full of goodies for the idle rich, but would increase taxes on most families earning $75,000 or less. It would balloon the deficit, which could trigger automatic cuts to Medicare.

Frelinghuysen's fingerprints are all over this. He didn't pull the trigger in the end, but he helped Team Trump buy the gun, and load the bullets. He's an accomplice to the crime.

And Thursday, after this vote, the respected Cook Political Report reduced Frelinghuysen's odds for a second time, and now says he faces an even chance of losing his seat next year after 24 years in Congress.

"We saw Phil Murphy win this district in the governor's race, and that's a pretty big wake-up call," said Cook's David Wasserman. "Democrats are seeing a surge of enthusiasm from college-educated white voters, and this district is home to more college-educated whites than just about any district in the country...Now he's just handed them an issue."

A second issue, really. Frelinghuysen also voted in favor of the Obamacare repeal that would have left 23 million more without coverage, and weaken protections for those with pre-existing conditions like cancer and diabetes.

I find it hard to believe that Frelinghuysen is a Trump man, deep down, but who knows?

He faces a tough political bind. If he stays with the party on votes like this, he risks losing his job. But if he abandons the party too often, he could lose his chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee.

Frelinghuysen wouldn't talk to me, but a confidant of his denied that he was working in cahoots with leadership.

"He is getting the crap kicked out of him by leadership on this, and he stood up to huge pressure to make this vote," he says. "He is risking his chairmanship, and they are hurting his fundraising on purpose."

So, we can't be sure what happens in the backrooms of the Capitol. But the evidence convinces me that Frelinghuysen is in good standing on Team Trump.

He's there when they need him. He was the only Republican in the state to support this tax bill in its most noxious form, when it eliminated the deduction for all state and local taxes. He was one of just two who supported the Obamacare repeal. Overall, he has supported the Trump position in 92.5 percent of his votes.

And at times, he channels Trump's obnoxious attitudes. He's refused to hold a town hall, even when presented with petitions and fresh-baked cookies. And he bullied a woman who joined a demonstration against him by writing a protest note to her boss at Lakeland Bank in Oak Ridge, a firm that has interests before Frelinghuysen's committee. She lost her job.

"I made the decision to leave, but he created the situation where I had to leave," says Saily Avelenda, who was a senior VP.

She hasn't found a new job yet. So, she volunteers for NJ 11th for Change, the group that organized the protest, and now serves as its chairman. Call that Karma.

Frelinghuysen's most likely opponent next year is Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, and a mother of four. She raised three times what Frelinghuysen did last quarter, and I caught her Friday in Chicago, where she was raising more.

"His early budget votes allowed this bill to go forward," she said. "He paved the way for it."

I asked her if Frelinghuysen is really a Trump guy, or is just acting that way. Her answer: Who cares?

"I can't read what he believes," she said. "My sense is he just takes the easiest path forward, what's best for his self-interest. He doesn't seem like someone who is ready to stand up for the district."

I wonder if he'll retire, as more than a dozen House Republicans have done so this year, including our own Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd). That would explain why he raised only $157,000 last quarter, the kind of money that comes to a chairman without lifting a finger.

"His fund-raising calls into question whether he's running for re-election in 2018," says Wasserman, of Cook. "The Democratic enthusiasm in this district is palpable."

It's a tough time to be a Republican in a blue state. Frelinghuysen is trying to keep one foot in Trumpland, and one foot in New Jersey. In the end, it's a straddle that's bound to break him.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Former Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres has only been in custody for a matter of days since a judge sentenced him to five years in prison on corruption charges, but his lawyer is already filing Torres' application to get him released early under an intensive supervision program.

The disgraced mayor, who used city employees to do work at a liquor business his family hoped to open, will be eligible for parole in a little more than a year.

But Torres, a Democrat, could be out of prison in as early as six months, said John Azzarello, his attorney. Unlike many convictions of public officials in the past decades, Torres' case was prosecuted by the state, not the federal government.

The distinction means he will be eligible for release under state sentencing laws, rather than more prohibitive federal rules. The man who Torres succeeded as mayor in 2002, Republican Martin G. Barnes, served more than two years of his 37 month sentence on federal corruption charges.

Torres pleaded guilty in September to second degree conspiracy to commit official misconduct.

If accepted into the state's Intensive Supervision Program (ISP), Torres would have to meet strict requirements, such as obtaining or proving he tried his best to get a job, Azzarello said.

ISP is stricter than parole and has its own set of restrictions for each person based on his or her case, Azzarello said.

"I think that he would be an ideal candidate for the program, and I think he would successfully complete the program," Azzarello said.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable would not go so far as to recommend Torres for ISP earlier this week, but said she didn't have any objections to it. A panel will ultimately review Torres' case and decide whether he should be admitted.

If he's accepted, he can be released that day, Azzarello said.

"I think he has a tremendous amount of support and not just from his family, but clergy and members of the community that are there to support him and they do recognize that he his remorseful and will help him, going forward, be a better person and not make that mistake again," Azzarello said.

In the rear-view mirror of Torres' end in public service, and on the mind of the judge who sentenced him, was the downfall of Barnes.

Martin G. Barnes

Barnes was indicted in 2002 by then-US Attorney Chris Christie and was accused of mail fraud and other charges as part of a kickback scheme -- which included free trips and the installation of a pool in his backyard.

Torres had been a councilman for 12 years when he ran against the then-indicted Barnes. He promised voters he would work to make Paterson a safer place and, connecting with the city's large Latino community, was sworn in as Paterson's first Latino mayor.

Torres was sworn in on the same day Barnes pleaded guilty.

In Torres' first news conference as mayor in 2002, he told those who gathered to watch him speak at City Hall that he was "proud" they approved his candidacy.

"I will work as hard as I can over the next four years to make a better Paterson," Torres said at the time.

Torres went on to serve two terms as mayor until 2010. He began a third term on July 1, 2014.

Eight months ago, Torres again stood at City Hall and called the state's corruption charges against him "baseless."

He turned himself in to state police in March. On Tuesday, at Torres' sentencing, the judge said she would recommend he be sent to Bayside State Prison, at his attorney's request.

Back in Paterson, in a city not unfamiliar to a scandal, officials have taken the steps necessary to carry on.

"We have gone through this in previous mayors and previous elected officials and I hope this is a learning process for all of us," Paterson Councilman Luis Velez said. "I think that justice has been served on behalf of the taxpayers in the City of Paterson."

A new mayor will be selected by voters in May, but Paterson has had an interim in place since Torres entered his guilty plea.

Paterson Council President Ruby Cotton automatically became interim mayor and the council voted to replace her with retired municipal clerk Jane Williams-Warren.

Williams-Warren could not be reached for comment, but has previously said she'll deviate somewhat from her predecessor by not collecting the pension she earned as the municipal clerk on top of the mayor's salary.

Torres received a $68,000 public pension on top of the $119,000 he earned as mayor.

"I have always said that the transparency has to be there. If it's not there, government isn't going to work like it should work. You have to be able to tell your constituents what's happening in the city," Cotton said.

The former mayor's sentencing is a "sad chapter in our city's history," Paterson Councilman Andre Sayegh said, adding that Paterson would "endure."

"We've been able to overcome great fires, floods, natural disasters," Sayegh said. "Our resiliency is being put to the test again and I'm confident we'll bounce back."

In Torres' quiet residential neighborhood, neighbors would not speak about the former mayor, waving away questions about him and declining to comment. Nobody answered at his home designated by a T in cursive over the entryway.

As part of his plea deal, Torres will forfeit future public employment and pay the city restitution. At his sentencing, he said he was remorseful and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Torres sobbed.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips
The "Murphy Leap" was absent this time.

As Gov.-elect Phil Murphy stepped on stage in Atlantic City on Thursday to deliver his first major speech since Election Day, he told the audience not to get excited.

"I don't want to disappoint you," the Democrat said at the beginning of his keynote address at the annual New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference. "There'll be no dancing today."

(He also wasn't wearing the Allbirds sneakers he donned a few times on the campaign trail.)

Shucks.

Murphy, of course, is referring to the euphoric leap he made last Tuesday as he took the stage to give his victory speech after winning the race to succeed Gov. Chris Christie.

Clips of him busting a move quickly went viral. And late-night comedians poked fun.

The Phil Murphy leap! pic.twitter.com/jYPhQbUCbi  Bumper DeJesus (@bumperdejesus) November 8, 2017

OK, I promise this is the last @PhilMurphyNJ victory jump thing I'll post. Air Murphy. pic.twitter.com/7UsPoPc7uT  Stephen Stirling (@SStirling) November 8, 2017

To those who know about Murphy's background, it wasn't a surprise. He originally had aspirations to go into musical theater and was president of Harvard University's celebrated Hasty Pudding Theatricals Club.

Murphy told NJ Advance Media in May that he can even tap dance.

But Murphy told News 12 New Jersey this weekend that he didn't plan his election-night dance move.

"That was planned from one step below the step on the stage," he said. "It just occurred to me."

"I used to do a lot of musical comedy in high school and college," Murphy added. "I was in a pretty good mood, for obvious reasons. And I was thrilled to be up there with my family."
Lance Brock, 21, was booked into Orleans Justice Center jail Saturday morning on four armed robbery charges, according to online court records. (Orleans Justice Center jail)
Jake Altwegg of Madison is this weeks You Toon winner. Congrats, Jake!

His caption about a turkey talking to Donald Trump beat out more than 150 entries.

Altwegg wins publication of his line with todays finished cartoon. He also will receive a signed print by artist Phil Hands.

Runners-up and their suggested captions include:

Patricia A. Bode

of Mazomanie: From one turkey to another, your goose is cooked!

Mary Fawcett

of Elroy: Youre supposed to say Youre pardoned, not youre fired!

Jackie Rietmann

of Merrimac: You would make an excellent hot air balloon for the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Thanks to all participants. Well play again next Sunday with a fresh cartoon and empty caption.
Another holiday lights ceremony is in the books, with the lights in Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs set to illuminate the park through Christmas.

This years event featured additional lights to the previous two years, according to the city, purchased with a $25,000 grant from the Iowa West Foundation. Thats in addition to the roughly $175,000 in lights the city has used for the past two years.

The holiday display was revitalized in 2015. All the lights were purchased through donations by area businesses and other entities, according to Mayor Matt Walsh.

The Iowa West donation is a matching grant, meaning the city had to put up the same amount. The city pays about $25,000 to put up, take down and store the lights, Walsh said.

About 3,500 people attended Thursdays lighting ceremony.

I thought it went well, Walsh said.

Walsh said hes heard from a least one business looking to donate again.

Maybe we can get even more lights next year, he said.
DENISON  Quick fundraising allowed the Chamber & Development Council of Crawford County to act as a funnel for Denison businesses to share in a three-way split of the cost for new Christmas decorations with the City of Denison and Denison Municipal Utilities.

The need for new decorations was brought to the citys attention at an Oct. 3 City Council meeting by Pam Soseman. She said that, upon returning from a trip last December, she noticed that no Christmas decorations were up in the downtown area and was told by Street Commissioner Dave Nemitz that many of the decorations had fallen into disrepair.

Soseman asked if the city had any plans to replace the decorations.

We have a vital downtown, and we need to support our local businesses by dressing up the downtown as best as possible during the Christmas season, she said, adding those were her personal thoughts, not those of businesses.

A committee of representatives of the city, DMU and the CDC took place, and a decision was quickly made to share in the cost of decorations. Decorations were ordered and already have been delivered to Denison.

The decorations, ordered from Display Sales, of Bloomington, Minnesota, are forked-style snowflakes and diamond-shaped snowflakes. There are 259 of each type. The cost of the decorations, including shipping and handling, was $7,126, which includes mounting equipment and hardware.

I made 11 phone calls in one day and no one turned me down, said Janine Keim of Consumers Credit Union, a chamber member. That says a lot about Denison and Denisons pride, and that if we get the right people working together, we can do whatever we put our minds to.

Keim added: Thats the beauty of Denison. We know who we can call.

The sentiment was echoed by Denison Mayor Dan Leinen. Council member Rachel Desy, who is the the chambers office manager, said she expected to receive the donations in the next two weeks.

The citys share of the funds will be taken from the administrations capital improvements account.

Mahrt pointed out that the cost of Christmas decorations was done the same way in the past  a three-way split between the city, DMU and what was then the Denison Chamber of Commerce  before the chamber and the Crawford County Development Corporation merged into one organization.
DENISON  Replacement of the historic Beaver Creek Bridge on 180th Street in Morgan Township is set to begin sometime in the next week, according to Crawford County Engineer Paul Assman.

The bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is of the bowstring arch design.

It was built in 1946 and was one of only four of that type still in service on the Crawford County road system.

The structure was damaged when a vehicle or towed equipment caught the west truss of the bridge.

Parts of the bridges iron structure were twisted by multiple impacts and some of the structural elements were partially severed.

Assman ordered the bridge permanently closed in April 2016. He said repair of the structure was not feasible.

Prior to the damage, the bridge had been limited to 10 tons for a two-axle vehicle and could not be used for legal farm loads.

Assman said one of the first steps in the replacement process would be to remove the damaged truss and take it to the county yard in Schleswig, where it will be stored until a new public use can be found for it.

Those bridges make really nice pedestrian or trail bridges and it will be perfectly fine for that, he said.

Several parties have already shown interest in finding a new home for the bridge, Assman said.

The old bridge spans 77 feet, which is longer than the beams that will be used to make the replacement span.

The county crew will build a pier and construct two spans to cover the distance.

The new bridge structure will utilize 24-inch steel beams and a timber deck.

At the October 4, 2016, meeting of the Crawford County Board of Supervisors, Assman presented an estimate of $89,760 for the project, but that estimate was based on the use of salvaged 21-inch beams.

Assman told the Bulletin and Review that he estimates the project will cost between $75,000 and $100,000, which is what he initially estimated in 2016.

The project will not include replacement of the bridges approach spans, which are aging but are still rated for a legal load.

The new bridge structure will also be rated for a legal load.

The board of supervisors initially considered permanently closing the bridge and closing and vacating a portion of 180th Street, but sentiment ran strongly against that idea at a public hearing in August 2016.

Several landowners in the area said permanently closing the bridge and road would cause serious problems for their farm operations.

The county bridge crew will work on the bridge over the winter, Assman said.

His goal is to have the new bridge open by spring if the weather permits, he said.
Keeping track of and managing the 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers who will gather at Lake Manawa State Park next May to assemble what amounts to an oversized Tinkertoy project  better known as updating and expanding the Dream Playground  will be no small task.

Chris Rochleau, the owner of Cherry Ridge Construction, volunteered for the task.

But Rochleau, with the help of Council Bluffs Fire Chief Justin James and Pottawattamie County Supervisor Justin Schultz, will also be tasked with keeping track of tens of thousands, if not more, Tinkertoys  the parts needed to renovate existing structures and create the proposed additions to the 25-year-old Dream Playground.

The effort to find area residents who are willing to donate materials and necessary tools  and guide them through a massive list of needs  hasnt started yet, but its coming.

Most of the wooden playground features will be assembled with screws  thousands of them. Star-drive deck screws will be a staple. The project materials list supplied by Play by Design, the New York firm that designed the original Dream Playground and is designing the improvements, cites a need for 5,000 2-inch deck screws, 10,000 2 1/2-inch deck screws and 1,000 1-inch deck screws.

To avoid confusion during the assembly process, the design firm suggests that the 2 1/2-inch screws should be painted red, the 2-inch screws blue. The star-drive screws will, of course, require star-drive bits to install them  planners suggest a supply of 120..

Planners have indicated constructions will require 30 pieces of 1-inch x 6-inch x 16-foot plastic composite lumber and an additional 30 pieces of 2-inch x 4-inch x 16-foot plastic composite lumber.

The materials list also includes a need for non-pressure treated #2 grade framing lumber. Quantities here include 30 pieces of 2-inch x 6-inch x 16-foot as well as 50 16-foot 2x4s.

There will also be a need for router bits, Sawzall blades, 20 carbide-tipped circular saw blades along with carbide-tipped blades for compound miter boxes, table saws and miter boxes.

Other lesser but important items that will be needed include marking crayons, sandpaper belts and discs, nylon string for snap lines, duct tape, flagging tape, vinyl electrical tape, spray paint, clear 6mm plastic for emergency rain covers, fine tip marking pens, 3-inch x 5-inch index cards, dusts masks, utility knife blades  and the list goes on.

Lynne Branigan, one of the organizers of the Dream Playground Re-Imagined project, said planners are waiting for a finalized list from the designed before asking for donations.

She said Rochleau will also be putting together a list of tools that will be needed for the building project.

Branigan said when the Dream Playground was built initially 25 years ago, area residents were asked to loan project managers the tools needed for the build. The tools were stored in a locked trailer at the site, checked out as needed and checked back in at the conclusion of each work day. When the playground was completed, the tools were checked for proper functioning before being returned to their owners.
On Nov. 5, just 35 days after the deadly Las Vegas shooting, a man walked into a church in a small Texas town and murdered 26 people with an assault rifle. The coverage dominated the news.

But the day before, even more people  43  were shot to death in cities and towns around the country. And nobody really seemed to notice.

Shootings kill more than 36,000 Americans each year. Every day, 90 deaths and 200 injuries are caused by gun violence. Unlike terrorist acts, the everyday gun violence that impacts our communities is accepted as a way of life.

Of all firearm homicides in the world, 82 percent occur in the United States. An American is 25 times more likely to be fatally shot than a resident of other high-income nations.

As public health scholars who study firearm violence, we believe our country is unique in its acceptance of gun violence. Though death by firearms in America is a public health crisis, legislators accept it as a societal norm. Some have suggested it is due to blacks, not whites, being the predominant victims, and our data support this striking disparity.

Within the United States, the odds of dying from firearm homicide are much higher for Americans who reside in cities. Twenty percent of all firearm homicides in the United States occur in the countrys 25 largest cities, even though they contain just over one-tenth of the U.S. population. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that of the 12,979 firearm homicides in 2015, 81 percent occurred in urban areas.

There is even more to the story: CDC data also show that within our nations cities, black Americans are, on average, eight times more likely to be killed by firearms than those who are white. The rate of death by gun homicide for black people exceeds those among whites in all 50 states, but there is tremendous variation in the magnitude of this disparity.

In 2015, a black person living in Wisconsin was 26 times more likely to be fatally shot than a white person in Wisconsin. At the same time, a black person in Arizona was only 3.2 times more likely than a white person to be killed by a gun.

The combination of being black and living in an urban area is even more deadly. In 2015, the black homicide rate for urban areas in Missouri was higher than the total death rate from any cause in New York state.

These differences across states occur primarily because the gap between levels of disadvantage among white and black Americans differs sharply by state. For example, Wisconsin  the state with the highest disparity between black and white firearm homicide rates  has the second-highest gap of any state between black and white incarceration rates, and the second-highest gap between black and white unemployment rates. Racial disparities in advantage translate into racial disparities in firearm violence victimization.

Americans are 128 times more likely to be killed in everyday gun violence than by any act of international terrorism. And a black person living in an urban area is almost 500 times more likely to be killed by everyday gun violence than by terrorism. From a public health perspective, efforts to combat firearm violence need to be every bit as strong as those to fight terrorism.

The first step in treating the epidemic of firearm violence is declaring that the everyday gun violence that is devastating the nation is unacceptable. Mass shootings and terrorist attacks should not be the only incidents of violence that awaken Americans to the threats to our freedom and spur politicians to action.
The following editorial appeared Nov. 10 in The Fort Dodge Messenger.

On Nov. 7, voters throughout Webster County went to the polls to pick their local elected leaders.

Well, a few of the voters went to the polls.

According to Webster County Auditor Doreen Pliner, there are 23,183 registered voters in the county. Of that total, 14,513 are in the city of Fort Dodge.

But, on Nov. 7, just 3,857 ballots were cast in the county. That means fewer than 4,000 of the countys 23,183 registered voters participated.

Thats pathetic.

Its a sad commentary on how little respect we collectively give our civic duty these days.

The fact that the president and members of Congress werent on the ballot is no excuse for those who didnt turn out. The mayors and city council members who were on Tuesdays ballot have a very direct impact on the lives of local people. In fact, their decisions may impact the daily lives of Iowans in a more direct way than anything that the president and Congress may do.

After all, it is the local officials who decide what job-creating economic development projects should be supported. And it is the local officials who decide how many parks and trails a community should have. The local officials are also the ones who decide how many police officers and firefighters a city has. And last, but not least, the local officials set the property tax levy.

There is a flip side to this gloomy picture, however. The flip side is that there are people who are willing to campaign for jobs that require them to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions.

So congratulations to Matt Bemrich, who was re-elected to a third term as mayor of Fort Dodge. And congratulations to councilmen Kim Alstott, Dave Flattery, Jeff Halter, Dean Hill and Terry Moehnke, who were all re-elected to the Fort Dodge City Council.

And special congratulations to Lydia Schuur, who was elected to become the newest member of the Fort Dodge City Council.

Congratulations also to Sandy McGrath, who was re-elected as mayor of Eagle Grove.

In fact, we congratulate all of the other citizens who dedicate themselves to local leadership positions.

It is delusional to think that our way of life, our government, no matter how faulty we may think it to be, can be effective without citizens who dedicate themselves to these local leadership positions.

And, in the same vein, it is equally delusional to believe that our American system can survive without the election process.

We vote not simply because we can, folks, but because we must. If we want to continue to enjoy choices, we must continue to express the need to have those choices.
How bad are Dane Countys 1954-vintage cell blocks at the City-County Building in Downtown Madison?

Alcatraz came to our jail to see how to build their facilities, Sheriff Dave Mahoney says.

Hes kidding, of course, about Dane Countys oldest jail cells being the inspiration for the notoriously harsh island prison in San Francisco Bay, which housed the likes of Al Capone.

But Mahoney still makes a good point.

The jail cells at the City-County Building must close because they are terribly outdated, cruel, dangerous and inefficient. The doors and locks are faulty. Metal bars have allowed suicide attempts  six in one month, according to the sheriff.

And the jails solitary confinement cells  measuring just 6 feet by 9 feet with one tiny window  can and often do exacerbate the conditions and bad behavior of inmates, especially those with mental illnesses. Thats bad for public safety because most jail inmates will be released back into the public within a few weeks.

The Dane County Board this week should make sure the City-County cell blocks close by approving a $76 million consolidation and renovation project, which Mahoney strongly supports and which County Executive Joe Parisi included in his budget request.

The proposal would locate all jail facilities in one location, at the Public Safety Building, 115 W. Doty St., one block off the Capitol Square. The plan is to add four floors of modern facilities at this central location next to the courthouse.

The dramatically improved jail would include 64 mental health beds and 128 medical beds to accommodate inmates with special needs. The renovated jail also would house significantly more space for programming and recreation.

Inmates could get help with substance abuse, mental health issues, education and employment.

Yet it would still be a jail, protecting the public from people deemed unsafe or who failed to abide by rules for release.

Most of the inmates at the redesigned jail would be held in 60-person pods centered around a larger common area where deputies would have an easier time monitoring and engaging with the jail population.

Some inmates could still be separated from their peers. But not for long periods in tight, stark spaces.

And overall, the number of jail beds would fall by 91 to 922, which reflects greater use of electronic monitoring and alternatives to incarceration.

The more efficient facility could produce modest savings over time  something the County Board should encourage and closely monitor. That could include fewer guards and more treatment specialists, for example.

The county also should pursue work opportunities for longer-term inmates. They could cook meals for fellow offenders and do laundry to gain employment skills. Those services dont occur on site now.

The $76 million proposal is the best option the County Board has. The board should approve the project this week to improve the troubled lives of inmates and to better protect the public.
Pandoras Loss Poised To Become Gain For Investor Sirius XM

Pandora is struggling on almost every level, from monthly average users to revenue. This week Wall Street punished the streamer's performance, more than halving its stock price in a single day. But Pandora's loss appears poised to become Sirius XM's gain, says MIDiA analyst Mark Mulligan. The successful satellite broadcaster invested $480 million in Pandora earlier this year.streamer.

_____________________________

By Mark Mulligan of MIDiA and the Music Industry Blog

Pandora is in trouble, as explained by the consistently excellent Tim Ingham at Music Business Worldwide, after losing a billion dollars over the last four years and monthly active users (MAU) fell to 73.7 million  its lowest point since Q1 2014. Regular readers will know that Im a long-time advocate of Pandoras model. Indeed, Pandoras model is the future of radio. However, it now appears that Pandora may not be the future of Pandoras model. In fact, with Liberty Media subsidiary Sirius XM waiting in the wings for Pandoras market cap to fall even lower than its current $1.4 billion (down from $8 billion in Q1 2014), Pandora might not even be the future of Pandora. In fact, Pandoras struggles could be Sirius XMs gain, exactly when it needs the help.

Pandoras three most important metrics have long been:

MAU (Monthly Average Users) Revenue The share of total radio listening it accounts for

All three are intertwined, but Pandora has managed to sustain strong growth in numbers two and three because it got better at increasing engagement and driving ad revenue from a largely flat MAU base. However, Pandora was only ever going to be able to squeeze so much revenue out of a flat user base. So, it is no surprise that ad revenue for the nine months to September 2017 was up a paltry 2.4% at $777.3m, compared to the same period in 2016 (figure). Pandoras problem is not monetization. Indeed, it is better at monetizing ad supported streaming than any other player on the planet, having invested heavily in ad sales infrastructure and continuing to innovate ad formats. But even the shiniest car will eventually grind to halt if it has a gaping hole in its fuel tank. And make no mistake, Pandora has a gaping hole.

Spotify Stole Pandoras Clothes

Long before Spotify was changing the music business, Pandora was virtually single-handedly creating the US streaming market  though subscription service Napster (then Rhapsody) was also making a small contribution. For the best part of a decade Pandora had almost all of the market to itself, but it is now buckling under the impact of on-demand streaming. Pandora was meant to be different to Spotify, and it was, until Spotify started stealing Pandoras clothes. Pandora grew its user base by delivering a lean back, but personalized listening experience. Radio on its users terms. Spotify soon recognized the value of lean back listening, bringing in a vast selection of curated playlists, directly and via partners. Beats Music followed suit and soon became the foundation for Apple Musics curated streaming proposition.

Pandoras Reach Metrics Obscure The Real Story

Pandoras own key metrics have been part of the problem. It fell into the same trap that traditional radio broadcasters did, of convincing itself that its reach metrics were a genuine indicator of its success. But reach means nothing in the digital era. Engagement is everything. MAU is a meaningless metric in todays always on world. If you have an app on your phone that you only use once a month, youd hardly consider that active usage. Active usage is measured at the very least in weekly active user (WAU) terms. Thats why at MIDiA we track all digital media apps using this measure to reveal just how active user bases really are.

On this basis, Pandora has jut 22% WAU penetration in Q3 2017, representing around 57 million users, or 77% of its MAU base. That missing 17 million users will be the ones that Pandora will lose next over the coming 12 months. Yet, its WAU base is at risk too. 26% of Pandoras WAUs  its most engaged users  also use Spotify. Although Pandora has done an admirable job of building its own subscription business  reaching 5.1 million subscribers in Q3 put it at a credible sixth in the global subscriber rankings, it is looking like its too little too late. Furthermore, dumping its founder Tim Westergren robbed Pandora of a genuine visionary just when the company needed him most.

Pandora Will Enhance Sirius XMs User Base

Pandoras loss will be Sirius XMs gain. Sirius XM has been feeling the pressure from Spotify and co, just like Pandora, but it has also experienced competitive pressure from Pandora. Sirius XM is another of radios potential futures, but it has faced growing pressure from Pandora and also other streaming services. The growing adoption of interactive dashboards in cars has been key (5% of US consumers now have one). Sirius XMs WAU base fell from 11% of consumers in Q4 2016 to 8% in Q3 2017. That 30 decline is far more dramatic than Pandoras 6% WAU decline over the same period. The 8% WAU penetration represents around 21 million users which means that its active user rate is even lower than Pandoras at just 69%. Added to that, more of Sirius XMs WAUs (30%) use Spotify. It also has a demographic time bomb ticking: just 8% of WAUs are aged under 35 while just 49% are female. This compares to 31% and 57% respectively for Pandora. Sirius XMs aging user base is old and male. While Pandoras is young(er) and female. This is Sirius XMs opportunity.

In 2016, Sirius XM made an informal offer of $3.4 billion for Pandora. Today, it looks like an amazing deal for Pandora, but Pandora turned it down. Sirius though was not deterred and was able to get close to its goal by investing $480 million in a struggling Pandora in June 2017 and securing three board positions. Now all Sirius has to do is wait for Pandoras stock to fall further and make its move  perhaps when the market cap gets closer to $750 million. When this happens, Sirius will get a major boost to its user base. More than that though, Sirius will significantly enhance its audience profile. Sirius and Pandoras user bases are so different in composition that they will slot together like jigsaw pieces. The challenge for Sirius will be how to integrate Pandora in terms of feature sets, user experience, business model and, of course, company organisations. That challenge could prove even bigger than Pandoras attempted turn around.

The data in this blog post is taken from MIDiAs forthcoming report: Radio  Streamings Next Frontier: How Streaming Will Disrupt Radio Like It Did Retail If you are not yet a MIDiA client and would like to find out how to get access to this report email stephen@

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I have had some very sweet surprises while unpacking the treasures from the New Mexico antique shop I purchased over a year ago. It has been fun unwrapping the items inside all of my boxes that I carefully hauled in my trailer from Deming so many months ago. I just happened to unwrap the little goody in my photo just in time for the holiday season.

First of all, this cute little turkey candy dish is 5 inches tall by 5 inches long and 4 inches wide. It is a small one but oh so cute! Its perfect for setting it on the holiday table surrounded with all kinds of silk fall leaves in shades of oranges, yellows and browns. The turkey itself is painted with browns, whites, red and olive green. It could hold a small candy treat for all after their luscious meal on Turkey Day or Christmas.

It isnt in perfect condition, I am sad to say, but the chip on the top half of the candy dish does not show when sitting on the bottom part of the turkey. So I felt lucky in that it does not interfere with the look of the dish at all.

I was excited when I unwrapped it and found the markings of the Goebel Hummels from Germany with a cobalt blue full bee sitting inside a V. This means that it is probably pre-World War II and would be a very nice collectible for those who collect the Hummel figurines.

I am sure most of you are aware of the little (and some not-so-little) figurines made by the Goebel Hummel factory in Germany many years ago. Small children and their antics were copied in lovely color and surprising activities. For a true Hummel collector, they usually look for oddities or rarities of different figurines  and I truly feel that this cute little turkey candy dish would fall in that category.

There are various ways online to find out values of some of our treasures, but they all seem to take quite a bit of investigating, and in most areas of pricing items, we soon discover that there may be way too many variations of something in order for us to tell exact prices. It requires even more research and then you discover that it all depends on the person appraising a certain item. Sizes may vary, colors may vary, but condition is the utmost important thing when appraising an item. However, if the item is rare and very hard to find, then a bit of crazing or discoloration or even a chip may not affect the value as much as we would normally think it might. The list goes on and on with so many variables that it comes down to our own personal taste of an item and what it would mean to have a certain item in our personal collections. I have seen people get carried away at an auction when bidding too high, but in reality, maybe it was the last piece they may have needed to complete their collection.

And so it goes when we are hunting for items to add to our collections. It may be a certain color, shape, design or character that catches our eye immediately. Whatever the case may be, the hunt is sometimes the best part of our treasure finding scheme in life. And, that, my friends, is the whole story, the true story and the best story ever.

Keep looking for your little treasures as they may become your big treasures in your lives. The whole book comes together when we find that one little item that may be our special have to have piece that makes our book worth writing.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Special wishes to friends and family throughout this holiday season. Gobble, gobble. That is turkey talk for God bless you all.

P.S.: I just looked at my calendar and I believe I will be starting my 27th year writing my Trash & Treasures column for The North Platte Telegraph. My goodness, where has the time gone?
Thanksgiving approaches, and the centerpiece of the celebration is the holiday meal. Preparation can be a long process, and safe food handling procedures should be key in the kitchen.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million Americans will contract food-borne illnesses this year, 128,000 will be hospitalized and 3,000 will die. To avoid food poisoning, the CDC offers a list of dos and donts.

Do not...

 Defrost the turkey at room temperature. Bacteria can accumulate on the outer layers before the inner layers finish defrosting.

 Leave a thawed, uncooked turkey out of the fridge for more than two hours.

 Partially cook the turkey one day and continue roasting it the next day.

 Rinse the turkey before cooking. The cooking process should take care of bacteria, and this will avoid the risk of cross contamination.

 Set the oven lower than 325 degrees Farenheit.

 Prepare food if you are sick or have a nose or eye infection.

 Re-freeze a completely thawed, uncooked turkey.

 Leave leftovers on the counter longer than two hours, and do not store leftover stuffing inside the turkey.

Stuffing a turkey is not advised because it makes it difficult for the turkey to achieve the minimum internal temperature in a safe period of time. If you have to stuff a turkey, leave room inside the turkey for the oven to cook the interior with the stuffing.

Do...

 Make sure everyone washes their hands before handling food.

 Leave the turkey in its packaging and in the fridge until its time to cook.

 Defrost the turkey by placing it in the fridge or under cold, running water. Allow one day for every 4-5 pounds to defrost in the fridge, or change the water in a cold-water bath every thirty minutes.

 Use a meat thermometer to make sure the turkey is fully cooked. The minimum internal temperature should be 165 degrees Farenheit.

 Remove the stuffing immediately after cooking the turkey.

 Store the turkey and stuffing separately, store leftovers in the fridge, make sure to use the turkey within 3-4 days and the stuffing and gravy within 1-2 days.

Poison centers receive thousands of calls about suspected food poisoning each year. Taking simple precautions can help ensure safety for this special holiday meal.
Indiana's unemployment rate of 3.9 percent is so low that manufacturers in the state have had trouble finding workers, especially qualified ones in the increasingly high-tech field.

Their lobbyist, the Indianapolis-based Indiana Manufacturers Association, is broaching a novel idea to solve their workforce woes: Give new residents incentives to move to the state like those new businesses often get.

Indiana Manufacturers Association President and CEO Brian Burton pitched the idea at the recent 2017 Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable and Construction Advancement Foundation's Business & Economic Outlook at Ivy Tech in Valparaiso. The association plans to lobby the legislature next year to dangle a financial incentive for people to relocate to Indiana to work in high-demand industrial areas, as well as to further develop the workforce in other ways, such as by encouraging high school career counselors to push students toward manufacturing.

Weve got to develop programs to attract workers, and by doing so well attract employers, he said. This is our No. 1 issue. Everywhere we go and everyone we talk to, this is the key component.  We are going to also push an incentive for individuals relocating to the state of Indiana. We do nothing to attract workers to our state.

Specifically, the association is pitching a state income tax credit that would encourage certain individuals with skills in needed areas to move to Indiana. Theyd get tax breaks for a certain period of time if they moved to Indiana to fill an in-demand job.

It would give the state of Indiana, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and communities the opportunity to use that tool also, he said. We are also looking for legislation to allow local communities to provide incentives to also be more competitive. We have a population issue.

Heres the reason for such tax breaks: Indianas population is expected to grow by 1 percent by 2040, while the nations population will grow by an estimated 18 percent, Burton said.

And making matters worse for employers, about 25 percent of manufacturing workforce is due to retire in the next five years, according to Indiana Manufacturers Association surveys.

That could be a big problem for Indiana.

We are standing in the most manufacturing intensive state in the country, Burton said. We have the highest percentage of Gross Domestic Product from manufacturing of any state. Twenty-nine of the GDP in Indiana is manufacturing.

Indiana has a GDP of $14,839 per individual, which is No. 1 nationally, Burton said. Factory jobs also pay more than $76,000 on average per year, as compared to just over $46,000 for all other professions.

Since the Great Recession ended, Indiana added back the second most manufacturing jobs  more than 100,000, which was second to only Michigan.

No industry in Indiana is even close to manufacturing in economic impact, since it employs 1 in 5 Hoosiers and accounts for roughly 60 percent of the states economy when you factor in indirect and induced jobs, Burton said. By contrast, finance, insurance and real estate collectively combine for only about 15 percent of Indianas GDP.

Though Indiana is thought of as a farm state, agriculture only accounts for about $4 billion, or 1 percent of Indianas GDP.

Roughly 95 percent of all research and development dollars in Indiana last year were spent in manufacturing.

So if you talk about technology, this is where its at, Burton said.
Traffic on the Region's roads has grown dramatically in recent years. Daily vehicle-miles traveled grew 38 percent from 2006 to 2016, ending the period at 30.9 million miles after starting at 22.3 million.

Meanwhile, the miles of roads those vehicles travel grew less than 5 percent, to 6,097 miles in 2016 from 5,829 in 2006.

Lake County's daily travel grew from 13.2 million miles in 2006 to 19.3 million in 2016; Porter County's from 4.9 million in 2006 to 6.9 million in 2016; and LaPorte County's from 4.1 million to 4.7 million.

The previous decade saw a smaller increase in traffic, with region-wide growth of about 12 percent.

The expanding wear-and-tear prompted calls for greater infrastructure spending, and that, along with state government's tendency toward funding sources more akin to "user fees" than wealth-based taxation, helped produce an infrastructure bill this year that increased the state's per-gallon gas tax by 10 cents and imposed other fees to create a funding flow expected to last 20 years.

INDOT and local agencies have begun amending their transportation infrastructure plans to provide an expanded and more detailed program for road and bridge improvements.

Traffic data is available on INDOT's website, www.in.gov/indot.
. 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.
Wheatfield resident Jill Terborg and her family will embark on a holiday trip this season that will see them return with a new member of the family.

The two-week trip to China will include the adoption of Yunlian, a precocious 6-year-old girl who spent several weeks with Terborg and her two daughters in summer 2016.

"Once she was here, we just fell in love with her," Terborg said of Yunlian, whose American name will be Selah.

Terborg's two older daughters, Ella, 11, and Lexie, 9, also were adopted from China. The visit of their soon-to-be sister came about after the family had hosted a little boy, Bobo, who was Lexie's best friend at their orphanage in China. Bobo was adopted by family friends of Terborg after his visit.

Ella had enjoyed the visit enough to ask if the family could host another child  this time a girl.

When the Pennsylvania adoption agency Living Hope next sent a list of children available for a U.S. visit, Yunlian caught the Terborg family's imagination.

"She has a lot of pretty big medical needs, but you wouldn't know from looking at her video," Terborg said. That bright, happy appearance proved to be true once Yunlian arrived.

The decision to try to adopt her came soon after. "It was a lot to consider," Terborg said, especially concering medical care. But her profession as a nurse will help, and ultimately the challenges appeared "insignificant."

Final approval from U.S. immigration authorities came Nov. 9.

'A good experience'

Terborg, her mother, stepfather, Ella and Lexie will fly to Beijing in late December or early January to bring their new daughter, granddaughter and sister home.

They'll spend some time adapting to the time change and seeing the sights in and around the capital city. It will be the second time back to China for Ella, who doesn't have strong recollections of the first visit, and the first return trip for Lexie.

"They're really excited to go to China," Terborg said. "They really don't know what to expect. It will be a good experience for both of them."

The travelers will then take a 70-mile train ride to Tianjin, where Yunlian lives. She spends her days in an orphanage with probably 600 and 800 children, Terborg said, and her nights with a foster family.

It will take several days to process paperwork there, then the family of now six will travel to Guangzhou, where they'll take the necessary steps to acquire Yunlian's visa. From there, they'll travel to Hong Kong for a flight back to the United States. Within a few weeks a certificate of citizenship should arrive, Terborg said, and Selah officially will have a new home.

'Take things as they come'

Ella and Lexie, both adopted at a younger age, were eager to adapt to their new home, including their new names, Terborg said. She said she'll let her newest daughter decide what she wants to be called.

"I will let her choose," Terborg said. "If she wants to be called by her Chinese name, I'm OK with that."

Exactly how adoptees will adjust to their new home is always uncertain  "You don't know what kind of situation they're coming from," Terborg noted  and a new language and culture can add to that.

"I try to talk to them on their level," Terborg said of her girls. "You have to take things as they come and be honest and try to give them a positive view of their birth culture and country."

Terborg said she wants her daughters to be proud of their Chinese heritage as well as their American citizenship.

"We always talk positively about China and try to learn some of the culture and holidays," she said.

Terborg said she's confident Selah will adapt well. China has stopped allowing the type of temporary visit she made to the U.S. last year because it can be traumatic for the children, but Selah was happy and active during hers.

"I was really amazed at how well she did," Terborg said. Selah was determined to learn new things, trying to be like Ella and Lexie.

She'll need to learn English, but Terborg said the older girls  now in fifth and third grades at DeMotte Christian School  did well once immersed.

"That's not to say we won't have any issues with adjustment," Terborg said, "but I think she'll do well."
VALPARAISO  More than 4,200 people in Northwest Indiana now know how to do hands-only CPR training, thanks to an initiative with the American Heart Association and The Times.

They are working on a challenge to train 5,000 NWI residents in CPR.

"The rhythm and the cadence of 'Stayin' Alive' is the perfect rhythm to perform hands-only CPR," said Diane Kemp, executive director of The American Heart Association of Northern Indiana. Kemp and volunteer Debbie Mengel led a CPR class for employees in the Valparaiso Times office.

"We want to empower a person that they will know what to do if they hear a thud in the house or workplace," Kemp said. "Our lead partner is ArcellorMittal and have had several corporate trainings. This is so important to me to teach everyone how to save a life."

Kemp said the two basic steps to staying alive with hands-only CPR is call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the Bee Gees' song.

Kemp added that some individuals may be afraid of hurting someone or being sued because they did something wrong in trying to save a person.

"There's a good Samaritan law that prevents that," she said.

The training course taught by Kemp is essentially called the CPR Anytime training system.

For more information on both CPR Anytime or certification training, visit heart.org/handsonlycpr or heart.org.
EAST CHICAGO  A former West Calumet Housing Complex resident asked to give input on a plan to bring more affordable housing to Lake County said she urged developers to avoid cutting corners and ensure any new homes are safe and free of contamination.

Akeesha Daniels participated in a two-day workshop Tuesday and Wednesday with developers Miller-Valentine Group and UP Development at the old Carrie Gosch Elementary School in East Chicago. The workshops were part of the state's Moving Forward 3.0 program.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority said in May it would be bringing the Moving Forward program to Northwest Indiana. Plans call for one development in East Chicago and another in a to-be-determined location in Lake County.

The May announcement followed Gov. Eric Holcomb's February executive order declaring a disaster emergency in East Chicago, after lead and arsenic levels in the West Calumet Housing Complex were found to be much higher than expected.

The city in August 2016 ordered residents to leave the public housing complex and began preparing for demolition. Though a cleanup of West Calumet is on hold, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for two years has been excavating soil and removing indoor dust from private homes in the middle and eastern parts of the neighborhood.

The new developments are expected to provide energy-efficient affordable homes for about 80 low- and moderate-income families. Before new housing is built, the site will need to be cleared of contamination, IHCDA said.

Daniels said developers sought feedback on bike paths and walking paths and inquired about the distance of East Chicago's Calumet neighborhood from grocery stores and hospitals.

"We just basically told them we want to see more single-family homes," Daniels said. "We would like to see more home ownership."

Daniels said she warned developers not to cut corners and to take a hands-on approach.

"I lived in a complex," she said of West Calumet. "A lot of stuff was done halfway. It wasn't done correctly. I would want them to make sure that whatever they said needs to be done is done, and no shortcuts are taken. Look outside the city for builders."

It wasn't clear exactly where the developers might build in East Chicago, Daniels said.

"If you're going to build for people to stay here, and you want them to stay, you need to ensure it's a safe, clean environment from Day One," Daniels said. "Make sure it's somewhere that they would live."

Designs developed during the workshops were shared with local leaders and state agencies. A representative for East Chicago attended the workshop, Daniels said.

IHCDA selected the developers in September, rejecting a bid by the East Chicago Housing Authority's nonprofit development arm Managed East Chicago Housing Authority.

The developers will spend the next year identifying sites and creating a design plan that follows goals outlined in the workshop, the IHCDA said. The developers are expected to apply for tax credits in fall 2018 and complete the projects by late 2019.

Daniels said information about another Moving Forward development in Fort Wayne was presented during the workshop.

"It looks really nice," she said. "It could happen in East Chicago. It's possible."
PORTAGE  State environmental regulators now say they are seeking penalties against U.S. Steel following Aprils illegal discharge of hexavalent chromium at its Midwest plant and a more recent, second illegal wastewater discharge in late October for which the company sought confidential treatment.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management also told The Times last week the agency and its federal partners are currently negotiating an agreement in principle with U.S. Steel  to be embodied in a federal consent decree that will address violations of the Clean Water Act.

The news of potential penalties comes just days after the University of Chicagos Abrams Environmental Law Clinic put the Pittsburgh-based company on notice of its intent to sue on behalf of the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation because of repeated violations of the Clean Water Act.

'Not rare breakdowns'

The threat of a legal challenge centers on the Portage facilitys permit to discharge wastewater into the Burns Waterway, a small industrial ditch which empties directly into Lake Michigan not far from a recreational spot used by area surfers.

The Surfrider Foundation seeks to improve water quality in Lake Michigan by securing long-term compliance with applicable law, U of C attorneys wrote in a letter to the company dated Monday.

Wastewater was incorrectly routed and so was not properly treated and was discharged without permission in April 2012. Equipment failure and malfunctioning controls in February 2013 then allowed for excessive discharge in the waterway, according to U of C attorneys.

Illegal discharges and water temperature fluctuations reported to IDEM since 2012 are in violation of the companys National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit  which establishes quantitative and qualitative limits and standards for discharges, reporting requirements and maintenance standards, U of C attorneys allege in a letter to U.S. Steel.

The Pittsburgh-based companys long-deferred maintenance at its Midwest plant resulted in Aprils leak of hexavalent chromium, a second leak of total chromium first detected Oct. 25, as well as several past violations, the letter alleges.

As reported by The Times, the company withdrew plans in October to build a new galvanizing line at the Midwest Plant in Portage, instead investing $400 million at a facility in northwest Ohio.

This pattern suggests that the problem is not rare breakdowns of single pieces of equipment but an ongoing failure to maintain plant facilities, the letter alleges.

U.S. Steel blamed the April leak on equipment failure.

Timely communication

In the April incident, nearly 300 pounds of hexavalent chromium  or 584 times the daily maximum limit allowed under state permitting laws  leaked from the U.S. Steels Portage wastewater treatment facility into the Burns Waterway just hundreds of feet from Lake Michigan.

The leak  first reported to the public by the National Park Service  garnered immediate local and national media attention and spurred the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct round-the-clock sampling for about a week to ensure the toxic industrial byproduct had not reached Lake Michigan. It also forced the temporary closure Indiana American Waters intake in Ogden Dunes.

Though smaller in scale, a second leak first detected Oct. 25, was not reported to the public by IDEM or U.S. Steel, which had sought "confidential treatment" from state regulators on that particular leak, according to publicly available IDEM documents. U of C attorneys and the Surfrider Foundation are arguing the public has a right to know.

"Where is the common sense in duty to inform the public?" said Rob Weinstock, an attorney working with U of C's Environmental Law Clinic.

Officials with the Indiana American Water Company and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore said last week neither learned about the companys October leak until it was reported in the news media.

Indiana American Water was not made aware of the apparent U.S. Steel permit exceedance in October and only recently learned of it  through a local news report. While it is unlikely the release from more than two weeks ago would still be present in the area, we are testing throughout our system as a precautionary measure, spokesman Joseph Loughmiller said.

We will also be reaching out to state officials and U.S. Steel to review emergency notification processes and this specific incident to determine what happened, Loughmiller said.

NPS spokesman Bruce Rowe said the park service began an investigation Wednesday into the leak and has been in constant contact with EPA, IDEM and others since first learning about the October leak this week.

Timely communication on spills is critical to protecting park resources and the health of our visitors and employees. We normally receive notification of hazardous spills through the Department of the Interior's Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. Part of our investigation will be to determine why there wasn't a notification in this case, NPS spokesman Bruce Rowe said in an email.

Reporting requirements

IDEM said they are evaluating information provided by U.S. Steel for the October discharge to determine appropriate next steps, and that part of that evaluation will include determining whether the proper notification procedures were followed by the company.

However, IDEM added that the October 56.7-pound leak at U.S. Steel of total chromium did not meet the 5,000-pound threshold for reporting to the National Response Center. Leaks below that threshold typically do not require spill notifications, IDEM said.

The outstanding question is whether the October discharge of chromium contained a high volume of hexavalent chromium, which is the more toxic form and has a lower reporting threshold, Weinstock said. This matters in determining whether U.S. Steel followed proper protocol, he added.

"We all need an affirmative statement that it was not hexavalent chromium," Weinstock said.

IDEM in an email on Thursday said while the agency did not "have a value from US Steel from (Oct. 25 or 26), of the 6 samples provided for the month, all were less than the limit of quantitation of 00025 mg/l indicating compliance with U.S. Steels permit for (hexavalent chromium) for a monthly average."

A spokeswoman for U.S. Steel declined to disclose in a email what amount, if any, of the total chromium that discharged into Burns Waterway in October contained hexavalent chromium.

"We immediately shut down the affected portion of the treatment plant and shifted to an alternate operation that allowed us to identify the cause. This allowed us to make the necessary corrections to be within allowable federal and state levels," she said. "The event did not pose any danger to water supply, human health or the environment."
Eighth-grade students at Hanover Central Middle School had the opportunity to share in an unique experience. They participated in a live interview with Gary Littrell, a combat veteran of Vietnam and a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, during part of a Character Development Program of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. They joined thousands of students from across the country and around the world to connect with Littrell through an edWebinar interview.

Littrell offered hope to students, not just by his service and sacrifice during the Vietnam War, but by sharing his life story with the students. Life can be hard  dont give up. Look forward, have a shining star that you can follow  and to all students  study, study, study. Be a professional student; let your mom and dad pay out of their pockets. Stay in school forever, you can never learn enough.

Littrell answered questions submitted by students, including several from Hanover students. Savanna Morgan asked Littrell how it felt when he got the Medal of Honor. He received the recognition from then President Richard Nixon. Littrell indicated that it was really exciting, but noted; You dont go into battle looking for awards. Another Hanover student asked Littrell to describe war in a single word. He simply said, Sad.
PORTAGE  If and when the city builds a new city hall, it will be smack dab in the middle of its newly created downtown area.

The City Council Strategic Planning Committee reached a consensus last week that the best place for a new building would be on Vivian and Main streets, centered in a new city square that would be the western twin of the square housing Founders Square Park.

While the location, dubbed by the committee the Modesto site because it was initially suggested by City Councilwoman Liz Modesto, D-1st, has presumptively been determined, when it will be built and how it will be financed still is up in the air.

Dan Botich, of the consulting firm SEH, suggested before the city moves further they review the 2000 downtown plan that outlined proposed development and improvements in the area between Hamstrom and Willowcreek roads and Central Avenue and the Indiana Toll Road before moving forward. He said the eastern portion of the downtown plan has been developed with the new fire and police stations, Promenade at Founders Square and Founders Square Park.

"The next step is how does this plan generate between Vivian and Willowcreek roads," he said.

The committee agreed and directed Botich to amend the plan to be presented to both the city's Plan Commission and City Council early in 2018 for approval.

"I want to keep people thinking big. For 30 years we said we couldn't build a new police station. For 30 years we said we couldn't build a new fire station," said Mayor James Snyder, adding he would like to see the area, which has already seen a public investment of $20 million and a private investment of $40 million, opened up for development.

Snyder asked Botich to generate assessed valuation numbers for the vacant land within the development area to see how much the city could collect in tax revenues. The land within the area is owned by the city's Redevelopment Commission. That increased revenue, along with payments by the Utility Services Board for space utilized in the new building, could help pay for the building, he said.

Botich introduced the committee to Rick Adcock, CEO of Broe Infrastructure, a Denver, Colorado, firm involved in using private financing for the construction of public infrastructure in lease/purchase arrangements.

Adcock told the committee there is "a sea of money looking for utility risk and utility return."

Botich and Adcock explained the concept in which the complex would be build with private funds and, after completion, turned over to the city. The city then would pay lease payments until the debt was paid off. Private investors receive tax incentives and the finance method would allow the city to avoid bonding and utilizing its debt limit. It would also avoid the public bidding process.
Six Valparaiso Cadette Girl Scouts and their leaders traveled to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to join more than 3,000 other Girl Scouts to participate in a Slumber Party at the Speedway.

Hands-on activities hosted by more than 70 community partners gave the girls an opportunity to focus on healthy living and STEM-related topics. The fun environment focused on science, technology, engineering and math to give the girls career options in fields traditionally headed by men. Some of the activities included robotics, building race cars, code breaking, programming, creating a tornado in a box and a presentation by Pippa, a female professional race car driver.

The girls were allowed to ride their bikes around the 500 Speedway track in costumes followed by a tent or treat refreshment station. A glow dance party capped off evening activities before cooking Brownie Stew and hot chocolate for dinner and tucking into a tent for slumber time.

The Speedway Museum offered more time for exploring the history of race cars throughout history. Troop leaders are Amanda Letany, Jeffrin Lozano and Linda Griffith.
Nyachal Reats favorite thing about Omaha is its people.

Though most of her family is still in Ethiopia, the 39-year-old mother of eight has found a support system here, too.

Since her SUV broke down a few weeks ago, those supportive friends have been taking turns driving Reat to and from her housekeeping job at Nebraska Medicine-Village Pointe.

Reat isnt one to ask for help. She has even tried to walk the 10 miles to work so she wouldnt have to inconvenience anyone.

She hopes that with her next couple of paychecks shell have enough money saved to fix her vehicle.

It has been easier lately for Reat to put aside that money, thanks to help from Goodfellows, The World-Heralds charity.

After her electricity was shut off in October, Reat went to Together, one of the local service agencies that help identify families in need of one-time emergency aid from Goodfellows.

Reat went three days without electricity, burning candles for light and making meals that didnt need to be heated.

It was starting to get cold, so I was worried, she said.

Goodfellows funds paid $500 of Reats bill, sending the money directly to the power company. Reat paid the remaining $10.

That really helped me out, Reat said.

Reat moved to Nebraska in 2004 after a decade in Dallas. She misses Texas weather, but Omaha has good people, she said.

Before arriving in Texas, Reat lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for two years after her family fled from their village in whats now South Sudan. She was maybe 12 years old  as a refugee, she doesnt have records showing her exact age  when the second Sudanese civil war reached her village. She remembers the sounds of the fighting  women screaming, children crying, guns firing, villagers running. Her family ran, too, ending up across the border in Ethiopia before driving to the refugee camp in Kenya.

It was very hard, Reat said.

Its still hard. Its hard to go so many years without seeing her mother, who still lives in Ethiopia.

Reat last visited Ethiopia in 2013 and stayed for a month to catch up with family she hadnt seen for two decades. When she returned to Omaha, she found that she no longer had her job  she had been gone too long. Without an income, Reat lost her South Omaha home. Over the next few years, her children lived with her ex-husband and Reat worked to find an affordable home that would be big enough for her family.

The single mother recently moved into a four-bedroom town house with six of her children  her others have moved out but still live in Omaha.

The living room is decorated with family photos and several colorful woven baskets from Kenya and Ethiopia. Each of the four couches that line the walls is covered with bright green place mats with embroidered South Sudanese flags.

When she can, Reat tries to send some money to her family members in Ethiopia.

They sometimes have nothing to eat, Reat said. I try to help.

When she calls home, Reats mother always reminds her how proud she is of her daughter, of the life she has built for herself in America.

Reat hopes to visit again soon. But there are other priorities now: mainly, fixing the car. She doesnt want to keep relying on her friends for rides and she cant walk the 10 miles in the winter.

Christmas is coming, too. Reat tries not to think about it, but she would love to be able to give gifts to her children and two young grandchildren.

Above all, Reat is grateful. For her friends and her family. For the nice people at Together. For the donors to Goodfellows.

I am very lucky, she said. I want to say Thank you. 
"Something is wrong on the internet," declares an essay trending in tech circles. But the issue isn't Russian ads or Twitter harassers. It's children's videos.

The piece, by tech writer James Bridle, was published on the heels of a report from the New York Times that described disquieting problems with the popular YouTube Kids app. Parents have been handing their children an iPad to watch videos of Peppa Pig or Elsa from "Frozen," only for the supposedly family-friendly platform to offer up some disturbing versions of the same. In clips camouflaged among more benign videos, Peppa drinks bleach instead of naming vegetables. Elsa might appear as a gore-covered zombie or even in a sexually compromising position with Spider-Man.

The phenomenon is alarming, to say the least, and YouTube has said that it's in the process of implementing new filtering methods. But the source of the problem will remain. In fact, it's the site's most important tool  and increasingly, ours.

YouTube suggests search results and "up next" videos using proprietary algorithms: computer programs that, based on a particular set of guidelines and trained on vast sets of user data, determine what content to recommend or to hide from a particular user. They work well enough  the company claims that in the past 30 days, only 0.005 percent of YouTube Kids videos have been flagged as inappropriate. But as these latest reports show, no piece of code is perfect.

Similar algorithms serve as the engine behind almost all of the most successful tech companies, powering everything from Facebook's news feed to Google's search results (Google, incidentally, is the parent company of YouTube). Naturally, these mysterious tools have become convenient scapegoats for many of the content problems we face today, from bizarre videos aimed at vulnerable children to misinformation in news feeds during the 2016 election.

Clearly, Silicon Valley has some work to do. But in addition to demanding more accountability from companies after their tools go awry, we should demand more responsibility from ourselves. We need to think about whether we want to reduce our own reliance on corporate algorithms, and if so, how.

As the Internet has become an ever-larger part of our lives, we've come to rely on these proprietary bits of code as shortcuts for organizing the world. Algorithms sort through information and make decisions for us when we don't have the capability (or perhaps just the energy) to do it ourselves. Need to distract the kids? Send 'em to the wildly educational world of YouTube. The app will pick out the safe videos  probably. The mechanism may be skewed by profit motives, biased by its data sets or just generally inscrutable, but is that any reason to give it up?

Why aren't we more alarmed by this? Maybe because we've always used decision-making shortcuts, and they've always had flaws. How would we have chosen a children's video before YouTube? Perhaps we'd act on a recommendation from a librarian, or a peer group, or even a National Legion of Decency list. These sources, too, were insular, subject to personal biases and limited in scope.

Still, there were meaningful differences between those old-school shortcuts and today's machine-learning algorithms. The former had at least some oversight and regulation; it's unlikely that a public library would lend out nursery rhyme snuff films. Shared community values made it clear which choices were being favored, and why. And human judgment  today almost quaint  occasionally allowed for serendipity in a positive direction. One might come across a resource not carefully calibrated to agree only with one's stated preferences, and be the better for it.

Is there any way to steer our current algorithmic regime in that more human direction? It's not clear how. Some lawmakers have suggested that companies release their algorithms for public review; others propose regulating corporate algorithms. For now, the lesson for everyday users may just be an urgent need for increased awareness, a reminder that maybe we shouldn't place all of our trust in a decisionmaking function that we don't fully understand. Frightening children's videos are, among other things, a wake-up call. If there's something wrong on the Internet, we should do more than just watch.

***

Christine Emba is an opinion columnist and editor for The Post.
A Denver man who is charged with armed robbery and intimidation in a federal arrest warrant was captured Saturday in Council Bluffs on the Veterans Memorial Highway.

Blake A. Newton, 23, was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail as a fugitive from justice. He was captured in a parking lot, according to a statement from the Council Bluffs Police Department.

The capture occurred about 2:30 p.m. after FBI agents told Bluffs police that they were tracking a violent felony suspect who was in the area of 3200 Manawa Center Drive near a Target store. Officers stood by in the area until the suspect drove to the parking lot on the side of a Qdoba restaurant.

When officers approached Newton, he was able to get back into his vehicle and lead police on a short pursuit. A Pottawattamie County sheriffs deputy performed a pursuit intervention maneuver that caused the vehicle Newton was driving to come to rest on top of the median.

Newton left the vehicle and ran but was taken into custody by officers a short time later as he tried to steal another vehicle in the parking lot of 429 Veterans Memorial Highway, police said. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle that Newton used to elude them and found a loaded 9 mm handgun along with a small amount of marijuana.
LINCOLN  In what is expected to be a split decision, Nebraska regulators will decide this morning whether to approve or deny the route of the Keystone XL pipeline across Nebraska.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission will vote on the $8 billion project during a meeting that begins at 10 a.m. at the agencys office in downtown Lincoln.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m., and space is limited in the commissions hearing room.

For the past several months the PSCs five elected commissioners have been taking public comments and testimony from the Alberta-based developer of the crude oil pipeline, TransCanada, and opponents of the project, which include Bold Nebraska, the Sierra Club, dozens of landowners and two Indian tribes.

The question: Is the proposed 275-mile route across Nebraska in the public interest? By state law, the commissioners decision is not supposed to be based on safety issues or the possibility of leaks, but last weeks 210,000-gallon spill of crude oil in South Dakota from a companion pipeline, the Keystone, has renewed cries from opponents to consider that.

Regardless of how todays PSC vote goes, lawsuits are expected. TransCanada has said it wont determine whether the project is financially feasible until mid-December.

On Sunday, about 140 protesters, some holding signs saying No oil in our soil, gathered at the State Capitol in Lincoln to voice their opposition to the Keystone XL.

The buried pipeline could carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the tar sands region of Canada to oil refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

One speaker at the protest, Tom Genung of Hastings, said his family in Holt County was threatened with an eminent domain lawsuit during its first meeting with TransCanada representatives years ago.

We thought eminent domain was used only for public works projects, Genung said. The idea of using it for private gain should make everyone upset.

Todays meeting will be livestreamed by the PSC via its Facebook page and at OP-0003KXLPipeline Application Meeting November 20, 2017 10am - 11am CT.

The final order will be posted to the PSC website at psc.nebraska.gov.

The commissioners have said they will not comment on their decision, which will be laid out in a written order. Observers do not expect a unanimous decision.

The 36-inch pipeline was proposed in 2008, but the northern portion was rejected by then-President Barack Obama, who cited increased greenhouse gas pollution from the mining and extensive processing needed to convert Canadian tar sands into oil.

President Donald Trump resurrected plans for the Keystone XL after taking office in January.

The oil market has changed dramatically from when the Keystone XL was proposed. Back then, crude oil was trading at nearly $150 a barrel, about three times what it fetches today.

The Canadian tar sands oil that will flow down the Keystone XL is expensive to produce, and some major players have pulled out of that region because of a glut of cheaper and more easily accessed sources of oil elsewhere.

Production of oil in the United States, because of fracking, has risen to an all-time high, and exports of U.S. oil have increased sharply in the past few years.

However, TransCanada recently announced that commercial support for the project was about the same as when the Keystone XL was proposed.

The head of the companys pipeline division, Paul Miller, told Reuters that there was sufficient demand to justify building the pipeline, though specific terms remained to be worked out.
The tractor used on the nations last homestead will be unveiled Monday at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska.

The program will begin at 2 p.m. at the Heritage Center, 4 miles west of Beatrice.

The 1945 Allis-Chalmers Model C tractor was used by homesteader Ken Deardorff on land he claimed on the banks of the Stony River in roadless western Alaska in 1974. He received title to the land in 1988.

The tractor represents the end of Americas epic homestead movement, said Superintendent Mark Engler.

When most people think of homesteading, they have an image in their minds of a single-bottom plow being pulled by a team of horses, he said. This tractor will show the size and scope of homesteading ... (and) the relevancy of this law that transformed our nation.

The Friends of Homestead, with donations from retired Beatrice physician Dr. C.T. Frerichs, made the recovery and exhibition of the tractor possible.

Deardorff parked the tractor at the edge of a clearing on his homestead in 1978. It remained there until it was recovered in June.

The tractor was lifted out of the Alaska woods by a helicopter, floated on a ship from Alaska to Washington and transported by truck to Nebraska. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Tractor Club members cleaned and readied the tractor for exhibition.

Diane Vicars, president of the Friends of Homestead, said the tractor  now a museum artifact  will play a big role in educating people about the Homestead Act of 1862.

Homestead National Monument is located on the first homestead claimed under the act.

Now to have on display Deardorffs tractor, we will see an incredible artifact that represents the end of the homestead movement, Vicars said.

Admission to the National Park Service site is free.
LINCOLN  Nebraska is on track to get a near-record number of foster children adopted into permanent families this year.

With about six weeks left in the year, the total is approaching 545 adoptions, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

That would be the second-highest number since 1995.

Among those children are Nathan, 5, and Cason, 10, who were to be adopted Saturday by Gwen Johnson of Omaha.

I think its going to be all good, she said Friday. Were prepared and ready.

The brothers have been living with Johnson for the past four years as foster children. Before that she had provided day care for them.

Johnson already has one adopted son and three biological daughters, all now grown, and several grandchildren.

But she promised a good friend, who was the boys grandfather, to look out for the two if something happened to him. He died not long afterward, leaving the boys in need of care.

Their mother had been left disabled by a motor vehicle accident. Their father was out of the picture and their grandmother had her hands full taking care of their mother.

So Johnson fulfilled her promise to care for the boys.

Courtney Phillips, chief executive officer for HHS, praised the Nebraskans like Johnson who take in foster children.

Adoptive and foster families are heroic for adding state wards to their families, she said.

Phillips said this years adoption total continues a decadelong trend of increased adoptions of foster children.

According to HHS, 395 state wards had been adopted as of Nov. 1 this year. About 150 more adoptions were expected to become final Saturday, National Adoption Day.

HHS spokesman Russ Reno said the final total is unlikely to top the record set in 2008, when 572 state wards got new families. But it continues the trend started in 2006.

The annual average number of adoptions from 2006 through 2016 has been 483. That compares with an annual average of 257 adoptions from 1995 through 2005.

Phillips attributed the higher average to increased cooperation by all parties involved with foster care and adoption, including judges, attorneys, child welfare workers, service providers and others.

She particularly credited the departments permanency teams, which evaluate how well a child will fit with a potential adoptive family.

We have a lot of great team members whose priority is to help these children live better lives, she said.

Higher adoption numbers also have earned federal adoption incentive bonuses for the state. In 2014, the year after getting 525 children adopted, the state got a $1.1 million bonus. The state got smaller bonuses in the three years since then.

Nebraskas adoption performance had been criticized in earlier years. A 2004 Omaha World-Herald investigation found that Nebraska was slower than neighboring states in getting foster children adopted.

HHS boosted its adoption success rates in 2006 in part because of a focus on finding permanent homes for children who had been in foster care for 15 of the previous 22 months.

Reno said the higher average since then reflects the departments commitment to finding permanent homes for children in loving and caring homes.

When child abuse or neglect occurs, HHS focuses first on finding ways to keep children safe while staying home with their parents.

If children are removed, the goal is to reunify them with their parents. But if reunification is not possible, the goal becomes adoption or guardianship.

Whether for foster care or a more permanent situation, Reno said, the department tries to place children with relatives or people who have a significant relationship with the children, such as neighbors, teachers or family friends.

Staying with relatives or familiar people, who are dubbed kin in the child welfare world, can reduce a childs trauma over being removed from home.

In Johnsons case, the boys knew her first as a day care provider and then as a foster mother. And when state officials determined the two could not reunite with their parents, she decided to adopt them.

I just couldnt see them being in foster care with anyone else or adopted by anyone else, she said.
Howard, of Omaha, represents District 9 in the Nebraska Legislature. Bolz, of Lincoln, represents District 29.

In Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services is trusted with the responsibility to protect children from harm.

As state senators serving on the Health and Human Services and Appropriations Committees, we take our role in providing oversight for childrens safety very seriously. We applaud the caseworkers, foster parents, extended families and others who are working hard to make Nebraska children safe and families successful.

Recently, however, the Department of Health and Human Services submitted documents to the Legislature showing that resources for the Division of Children and Family Services will fall a total of $61.5 million short for fiscal 2018 and 2019.

This follows a session in which the division testified to the Legislature that it did not require additional resources and could take on more responsibilities for kinship care and training.

After a gubernatorial veto that cut child welfare service provider rates, it is now more difficult than ever to guarantee that Nebraska will have the services, and providers, to ensure the safety of children.

Lets cut to the heart of the matter: The Department of Health and Human Services deserves credit for examining ways to do things more effectively, and we respect the decision to ask for needed funding.

However, there must be a new commitment from both the Legislature and the administration to fund and support the child welfare system moving forward in a way that achieves our child welfare goals of prevention of maltreatment and stability for families.

As a state, we have work to do. The most recent report of the inspector general of child welfare cites nine reports of death or serious injury to a child in the custody of our state foster care system. It further notes a disturbing increase in sexual abuse cases and a need for an investigation into mental health needs and suicide attempts by state wards.

Also, while our state succeeds on some federal benchmarks, we fall short on measures relating to timeliness to reunification of children with family members and preventing recurring maltreatment in foster care.

As state senators, we are also mindful of the long-running problem of an overburdened protection and safety workforce. High caseloads, staff turnover and vacancies remain a source of stress for our child welfare system.

Finally, we know that parental substance use is a challenge in our child welfare system, and we need to look at opportunities for our child welfare system and our behavioral health system to partner in prevention and treatment.

As a state, we must do our part to prevent tragedies for children in the first place. The most pressing and obvious strategy is to provide adequate resources to serve the children entering the system and to ensure that there are enough caseworkers to appropriately support families.

Another is not to over-promise the ability and capacity of our current system or to underestimate future needs.

Specifically, we urge this administration to invest in a strong and efficient protection and safety workforce, to review data in order to accurately predict utilization and to embrace focused public-private partnerships that help serve children. This may mean investing more in caseworkers, reworking existing contracts and building stronger partnerships with service providers and the Divisions of Behavioral Health and Medicaid.

We also call on our colleagues in the Legislature. In this time of fiscal shortfall, the Legislature has an extraordinarily tough job of deciding who must do more with less. The Department of Health and Human Services Division of Children and Family Services should not be on that list.

As the adults entrusted with responsibility for our kids, lets rebuild our commitment to partnership, budget reality and problem-solving in our child welfare system.
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By PTI: By M Zulqernain

Lahore, Nov 19 (PTI) Gold antiques dating back to the second century have been stolen from an ancient archaeological site in Pakistan apparently due to negligence of officials.

Sirkap, also known as the second city of Taxila, 300 kms from Lahore, is a UNESCO-protected heritage site since 1980.

"A large number of the stolen antiquities - a necklace with multi-coloured gems, bangles and other jewellery worth millions of rupees ? have been stolen from Sirkap last week. The antiquities could be centuries old," Punjab Archaeology Department Director General Chaudhry Mohammad Ijaz said.

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He said the department had awarded a contract for the restoration of an ancient archaeological site in Sirkap to a local contractor.

"On November 12, during preservation work, some labourers had found gold antiquities that included earrings, bangles, nickels and other small pieces while removing wild grass from the remains of a residential complex located at the eastern side of the site at the back of the apsidal temple and stole them," Ijaz said.

He said the labourers sought deals for the stolen ornaments with local antique dealers.

"After reports of the deals surfaced the department got a case registered against the labourers with police," he said, adding some labourers have been arrested but no ornaments were recovered so far.

"We have formed a high-level committee to probe the matter and fix the responsibility of the theft," he said.

The last excavation of the site was carried out under the supervision of John Marshall in 1912-1930 during which gold ornaments were recovered which are now on display at the Taxila Museum. PTI MZ KUN

--- ENDS ---
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If you need a nudge away from stress and toward holiday cheer, take up the ukulele. Saying the multisyllabic Hawaiian word, which some people believe means "jumping flea" as inspired by player's aerobic fingers, is enough to laugh you into leisure.

Pick up a ukulele and feel your mood lighten even more. Most are shaped like a baby guitar, while novelty ukuleles are modeled after pineapples or boat paddles. Search harder and you might find a square one, crafted from an old wooden cigar box rather than plywood, plastic or pricey mahogany or acacia koa.

Finally, strum a ukulele and you'll find it effortless to emit a cheerful sound.

All of these factors lower the intimation of playing the easy-to-learn, inexpensive -- starting at $30 -- instrument and perhaps performing in front of others.

Just ask Dan Casey, 63, who with his wife, Patty, took a ukulele lesson during a Hawaiian cruise and got hooked. After returning home to Medford, the couple joined Southern Oregon's ukulele band called Plaza Players and Friends.

On Saturday, Nov. 18, Dan Casey was wearing a Santa hat and red shirt to perform with the group at the Gingerbread Jubilee at the Craterian Theater at the Collier Center for the Performing Art in Medford.

Like about 30 other older, amateur musicians, he was relaxed before curtain call.

After joking that he can rest his ukulele on his belly, he says, "When I mess up playing, I don't care. It's all about fun."

Ukuleles, like their owners, are young and old, and come in a range of sizes. In the ukulele's case, measurement is categorized as soprano, concert, tenor or baritone.

Besides bringing joy, ukuleles and other musical instruments deliver other benefits. Practicing enhances dexterity and muscle memory. MRIs show playing and singing light up all areas of the brain, not to mention the spirit, says teacher Barb Meredith, who started the all-ukulele band three years ago at a retirement home and has helped membership spread throughout the Rogue Valley.

"The ukulele has the most beautiful, sweet sound and it's about unity," says Meredith, who was wearing ukulele-shaped earrings at Saturday's concert, where she told the audience: "This is not a performance but a sing-along. If everyone sings and we miss a chord, we won't hear it."

The ukulele lures in famous musicians. George Harrison was a fan, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole forever changed "Over the Rainbow" and Bob Haworth, who toured for three decades as a member of the Brothers Four and the Kingston Trio, joined the ukulele group Saturday in Medford for "Jingle Bells."

But there's a spot for beginners and the tone deaf, too. Meredith counsels people who can't find a chord to strum and smile.

"There are always enough people in the group to make the songs sound pretty good, even if some can't play much," she says. "That makes for lots of laughing."

The group's simple rules: Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be perfect at playing or singing, and nobody expects you to advance beyond your capabilities.

One of the players has a progressive disease, which means she can do less and less. Another member has been diagnosed with dementia. The group has played by the bedside of a member as she was dying; another member asked them to play at her funeral.

At the very least, says Meredith, practicing the ukulele takes minds off problems for a little while.

And ukulele euphoria is catching.

Senior citizens -- some in their 80s and 90s -- practice playing the ukulele at least once a week at Medford retirement homes and get rides to gigs at schools and community events.

"It keeps us off the streets and out of the bars at night," jokes Jeanette Miller, 90.

The instrument is also lightweight, so children and others with weaker hands can still make music, says Sylvia Surratt, 79, who was one of three original members of the ukulele group, which was founded in 2014 at the Fountain Plaza retirement home in Medford where she lives.

"The group is not for people who want structure and are bothered when we are out of tune," says Surratt, who has post-polio syndrome, a gradual weakening in muscles. She plays the smallest ukulele, a soprano, and says the group is serious about trying to play, but "we're never going to be perfect."

In this world, mistakes don't happen. If a note is flat or just flat out wrong, players shrug and one of the conductors, Patty Williams, explains, "That's how we wanted it."

Beverly Kopp, wearing a gold-colored necklace against a red sweater, played Saturday with the all-volunteer band. Members also performed happy love songs like "Can't Help Falling In Love" at her April wedding to fellow octogenarian Jack Kopp at Fountain Plaza.

Learning to play an instrument isn't hard, Beverly Kopp says, if there are only four strings. Meredith reminds beginners that there are more than 1,000 songs you can play with three chords: C, F and G7.

Ron Tompkins, 78, remembers playing the accordion when he was 11 or 12, but nothing else until he moved into the Horton Plaza retirement home and heard the ukulele group practice and was encouraged to join.

"Pretty soon I wanted a ukulele in my hands," says Tompkins, who is blind and can't read the sheet music. After his first performance on Saturday, he said practicing with the group "gives me great joy."

Tompkins' stepdaughter, Pam Webber of Medford, was smiling in the audience at the Craterian Theater. She says her stepfather's life has been improved by socializing with the enthusiastic members.

Studies show that practicing music in a group lowers stress, builds confidence and memory power, teaches patience and widens social circles.

Since learning to play music relies on mental, emotional and cognitive abilities, the brain is also stimulated to think out of the ordinary, which improves creativity.

When the group plays at memory care facilities, Meredith says, "It's so interesting to see how music from people's youth just 'wakes' them up."

Instead of the group's repertoire that includes "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and "Stand by Me," they strummed 15 holiday songs -- from a soft "Silent Night" to a rocking "Feliz Navidad" -- at the Gingerbread Jubilee, where they will return on Monday, Nov. 20.

Members bobbed their heads and jiggled bells. They tapped the wood bodies of their ukuleles during "The Little Drummer Boy" song. Pa rum pum pum pum.

Meredith, a retired kindergarten teacher who taught a Tai chi-based fall prevention program at Fountain Plaza, launched the Plaza Players and Friends after she performed there with another ukulele group.

"At the next [Tai chi] class, one of my regulars said, 'Well, that was nice. Why don't you teach us to play? We don't always just want to listen,'" recalls Meredith, who lives about 15 minutes away in Talent. "And I thought, 'Well, why don't I?'"

Tom's Guitars in Medford lent ukuleles to the original members and continues to offer a rent-to-own program.

Since the start, musicians Jane Levesque and Tish McFadden, and later Patty Williams and Marlene Riegel, have helped Meredith teach once a week at Horton Plaza in Medford and Twin Creeks Retirement home in Central Point. Lessons are twice a week at Fountain Plaza.

It adds up to a lot of volunteer hours.

"Tirelessly, Barb [Meredith] visits these locales and gives people a new reason to get up in the morning," says McFadden of Rum Tum School of Music in Ashland, who brought sheet music, her ukulele and a music stand to join the group during Saturday's performance.

"This is a story of love and connection and thankfulness for music at every age," McFadden continues. "Their energy, love and sense of belonging, through music, is nourishing. Simply put, they love making music together."

 Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman




Back in June 2016, Gov. Kate Brown happily accepted a $68 million payout from Volkswagen after the automaker was caught using software to evade diesel emission tests.

Warning that upwards of 400 Oregonians are sickened or die each year from diseases caused by diesel emissions, the governor promised the money would be used "immediately to protect the health of Oregonians, both now and in the future."

Unfortunately, in Salem, "immediately" is a relative term.

Legislators failed last session to pass solid proposals to get particulate-spewing delivery trucks, buses and construction vehicles off the road. Even attempts to provide cash incentives to replace old engines failed. That wasn't Brown's fault. But now, the governor is veering from her surgical focus on public health, issuing an executive order last week that aims to use about $10 million of the VW settlement to pay for electric car charging stations.

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Encouraging Oregonians to buy electric cars is a good move that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that harm our planet. Setting goals for Oregon to more quickly reduce carbon emissions is also laudable.

But the governor's plan calls for more charging stations in residential areas, in rural and metro areas and around the Capitol, making it easier for the state's fleet and public employees to charge up. And in reality, cars aren't the big problem when it comes to diesel emissions. Even long-haul semi-trucks that crisscross our nation's freeways have increasingly become more efficient.

The issue, which is already being addressed in California and Washington, is larger diesel rigs that drive within the state. Local and in-state delivery trucks. Construction vehicles. School buses. The diesel soot they emit causes heart disease and cancer and can aggravate asthma in children, whose developing lungs more susceptible to damage.

Oregon received $68 million to tackle this public health issue and state leaders must not waver from using the money to reduce these risks.

Though banned in our neighboring states, those old trucks are welcome here. Of the proposed laws gutted by special interests last session, one banned the purchase of old diesel equipment being liquidated by businesses to the north and south. It's these vehicles that are disproportionately hurting Oregon's low-income families and communities of color who live closer to high traffic and industrial areas.

Health experts testified last session about the dangers of toxic diesel exhaust. Tiny matter is inhaled, passes through the lungs and directly into the bloodstream. Oregonian's don't have time for redundancies. Yet as The Oregonian/Oregon- Live's Hillary Borrud reported, Brown's executive order called on the state's environmental agency to set up an electric vehicle rebate program. Such a program is already in the works through the recently passed transportation package.

Brown's executive order, announced before she traveled to a climate conference in Bonn, Germany, obviously resonates with the environmental groups and like-minded voters she wants to secure for her reelection bid. That's fine. But when it comes to plans for this unexpected pot of money, Brown shouldn't pull back from the work these advocates also support to address diesel pollution.

As Brown sharpens her message on the electric vehicle front, she should make it crystal clear that it's a priority for businesses to upgrade or replace diesel vehicles operating in Oregon. She should leverage this potential to bankroll charging stations by locating them near operators willing to replace their diesel fleets, especially those that spend their days idling in metro areas and near schools.

Thanks to one of the few bills passed last session to address diesel, work will begin in Salem this coming week to track the number and location of diesel vehicles that operate within the state. That could make this mission even more clear.

Instead of executive orders echoing work already in place, Gov. Brown has the opportunity now to get done what legislators could not. And she'll have to make a compelling case - lawmakers must approve her bid to use the settlement cash. Hopefully this time, they won't be swayed by outside interests.

With a focus on public health, the money should be well spent.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

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The investigation is going on, the official said, adding that they belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit.

By Press Trust of India: Three militants belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad have been arrested in central Kashmirs Budgam district, police said here today.

In a major success, three militants were arrested in Budgam and an SLR rifle, a pistol and few grenades were seized from their possession, a police official said.

The investigation is going on, the official said, adding that they belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit.

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He did not share further details.

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BY ASHIA WILSON, MAYA DAVIS, JACOB LEBEL and SHARLENE WALTON

We represent youth voices from across Southern Oregon, along the whole route of the proposed Pacific Connector fracked gas pipeline. We oppose this project because it is our watersheds, our forests, our bays, our culture, our magical places, our homes, our climate and our future that is at risk.

As Gov. Kate Brown is participating in the climate talks in Bonn, Germany, and declaring that Oregon is still going to meet its share of the Paris Accords climate goals, we have something important we need her to hear: There is no way Oregon can maintain climate obligations to future generations if we allow the Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Export Terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline to be constructed.

We applaud Gov. Brown for her strong statements on climate change and for her support of policies that would begin to reduce climate pollution and help speed up the transition to clean energy in the process. However, it completely defeats the purpose of strong climate action to allow a new project that would become the state's single largest climate polluter, as well as to ship gas that will be burned overseas releasing even more climate pollution into the atmosphere.

This is just simple math and science. As Angus Duncan, chairman of the Oregon Global Warming Commission, recently wrote in a public comment to the Oregon legislature, "Oregon is not on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals: not in 2020, 2035 or 2050. Not even close."

So far, the governor has not even publicly acknowledged that the Jordan Cove project exists, let alone taken a position on it. This is in stark contrast to President Trump who declared Jordan Cove a top 3 national energy priority and has appointed hand-picked Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members to ensure his project gets federal approval. But, because this project crosses our waters and lands, the state of Oregon still has the power to say no to this polluting project. And Gov. Brown, as the most powerful elected official in the state and a member of the State Land Board, has the power to make sure that our region's resources are protected and that we do everything possible to prevent climate catastrophe.

Many adults in Oregon are standing with youth and future generations. Hundreds of individuals, tribal governments, business owners and organizations have intervened in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's process to object to this dangerous project. Thousands more have submitted comments, participated in hearings and more to show our opposition.

Oregon's youth who are affected by this proposal are standing up. Will you stand up for our future too, Gov. Brown?

Ashia Wilson, 15, lives in Klamath County. Maya Davis, 18, lives in Jackson County. Jacob Lebel, 20, lives in Douglas County. Sharlene Walton, 18, lives in Coos County.

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Submit your 500-word essay on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.
BY JEFF MERKLEY

Oregonians, you better watch your wallets: The biggest bank heist in American history is underway, and you may be among the victims.

House Republicans just passed a tax bill that they are marketing as a tax cut for the middle class. But in reality, it raises taxes on many middle-income Americans while delivering virtually all of its benefits to corporations and the richest Americans.

Senate Republicans are close on their heels with their own version. They want to pass it right after Thanksgiving, before Americans wake up to this travesty.

What do these tax bills mean for the typical middle-income family? Take Camille and Daniel Trummer. They both work full time as public servants -- Camille for the City of Portland and Daniel as a police officer. They own their home in North Portland, where they're raising a vibrant 3-year-old daughter, Naomi, who just started preschool. The Trummers are just the kinds of people who should get a tax cut to help make ends meet while the cost of living keeps rising, right?

You would think. Yet these tax bills do exactly the opposite. Camille and Daniel would be among the many Oregon families who would pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more in taxes each year to give more than a trillion dollars to corporations and another trillion or more to the richest 1 percent of Americans.

Middle-class families like the Trummers would lose key deductions. They would lose their ability to deduct the interest on student loans. They would suffer from double-taxation on the sums they currently pay for state and local income taxes -- a change that would really hit Oregon hard, affecting 675,000 families. Middle class families would also be hurt by many other provisions, like the loss of deductions for adoptions and medical expenses.

As a result, the Tax Policy Center estimates that nearly a third of middle-income families would see their taxes go up by the time the House bill is fully phased in.

To add insult to injury, this bill attacks healthcare for the middle class. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the Senate bill would knock 13 million Americans out of healthcare and drive up premiums. The bill would also force deep cuts in Medicare, harming seniors and people with disabilities.

In contrast to all of this pain for the middle class, the bills deliver vast benefits to the best off, from lowering tax brackets and special deals for real estate developers and hedge fund managers, to expanding the "dynasty loophole," which lets a handful of the wealthiest heirs in the country inherit fortunes without paying a cent of tax.

And unbelievably, after President Trump said he would fight for American jobs, these bills include a huge incentive to move jobs overseas.

If America has trillions to spend, let's not waste it enriching the best off. Let's instead revitalize our crowded public schools; create debt-free public college for all Americans; invest in living-wage jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure; and give families like the Trummers a real tax cut.

The president's top economic advisor, Gary Cohn, said of the tax bills, "the most excited group out there are the big CEOs." No doubt. As Congressional Republicans work to ram this through, you can be sure they're hearing from the CEOs. If you think our nation's tax policies ought to benefit families like you and the Trummers, it's time to make your voice heard in Congress.

Jeff Merkley is a U.S. Senator for Oregon.

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Submit your 500-word essay on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 18 (PTI) At least five more bullet-riddled bodies were recovered today in a remote district of Pakistans Balochistan province, days after 15 corpses were found in the same region.

The five bodies were found in Tajban area of Turbat district and are linked to the earlier recovery of 15 bodies in the same district on Wednesday.

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Baloch separatist militant group Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) had claimed responsibility for the killings.

A local police official said residents found the bodies and alerted police who moved them to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Turbat.

"All victims belonged to Gujrat district of Punjab and had received multiple bullets wounds," the official said.

The 15 bullet-riddled bodies found on Wednesday were also identified as residents of Punjab who were trying to reach Europe illegally through Iran and Turkey.

Yesterday, security forces had shot dead a BLF commander who they claimed was involved in the killing of the 15 people.

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 SH KUN

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A wind turbine issue has divided Ingersoll Township  those that realize the financial and environmental benefit derived from turbines against those that are concerned about what wind turbines would do to the health, safety and welfare of the township.

Thursday night, a crowd of interested citizens filled the Bullock Creek High School cafeteria to learn more about the issue. Sponsored by the Ingersoll Township Concerned Citizens, the focus of the "Wind Energy Informational" meeting was the negative effect of wind turbines.

"I'm so sorry how this wind division has beset your community and creeped in. Finding a way that everyone in a community is at peace with wind turbines has been elusive," said Kevon Martis, director of Interstate Informed Citizens Coalition.

The wind turbine issue sprouted when Detroit Edison (DTE) approached township landowners about placing wind turbines on their property. The Ingersoll Township board and planning commission proceeded to discuss the issue last March at an emotionally charged town hall meeting.

Originally on the agenda, Rep. Gary Glenn, who serves as the chair of House Energy Committee, was unable to attend Thursday's meeting. Instead his wife, Annette, read a letter verbatim from her husband.

"As long as I serve as chairman of the House Energy Committee, the committee will not consider legislation that in any way eliminates or diminishes local control and decision-making authority regarding the development of industrial wind projects in your township," Rep. Glenn wrote.

Glenn also wrote that he would try to advance legislation to repeal the mandate found in state law requiring that 15 percent of the electricity generated in Michigan must be generated from so-called renewable sources such as wind and solar power.

State Rep. Roger Hauck, who represents Ingersoll Township and is vice-chair of the House Energy Committee, echoed everything that Annette Glenn read.

"I also hope that we can still be friends and neighbors because I've seen how this divides a community," Hauck added to Thursday's crowd.

However, it was Martis who was Thursday's keynote speaker, as he brought a zoning background to the meeting.

"The truth of this from a zoning perspective is that you have tall, noisy structures that need to be situated in a community that is filled with human beings living in residences. We have to accommodate those in the community in a way that protects health, safety and welfare," he said.

He also said DTE would like to maximize its return on investment.

"It is not their job to protect the health, welfare and safety of your community. Only the planning commission has that responsibility," Martis said.

Unfortunately, most planning commissions lack knowledge regarding wind turbines and often negotiate making sure that the contract is agreeable to the energy companies, Martis said.

"The township board is the government and has all the powers of government and what they put into law the wind companies have to abide," Martis said. "If they don't like it, their only option is to move on."

Martis also addressed potential revenue.

"All the revenue they give back to the communities is recovered from your utility bills. There is no free lunch," he said. "A very small subset of farmers get some sort of benefit and they are not all farmers, some of them are large landowners. A lot of communities have found out at tax tribunals that the promises of the wind companies are not binding."

Martis recommended a 1,640-foot setback of turbines from property lines, not houses.

"Two safety manuals from Vestas and Nordex, large turbine companies, state that in case of a fire, people should run away 500 meters, or 1,640 feet," he said. "So, 1,640 feet seems like a reasonable amount."

But, he went on to explain that DTE has been calling people in Beaver Township in Bay County and telling them that there is no scientific basis for the 1,640-foot setback.

Martis also recommended that townships adopt a two-stage setback ordinance instead of allowing the planning commission and board to formulate an ordinance. The two-stage plan adopts large setbacks to a property line and small setbacks to a leased house.

"Then every one of you has to be approached by the wind company," he said. "Every one of you has equal footing and gets to decide your own amenity of loss from wind turbines instead of the planning commission."

Following Martis, retired Dow Chemical employee David Moll added that the setbacks from wind turbines are comparable to lifeboats on a ship. Under normal conditions, none are needed. But, in a catastrophe, they are a necessity.

Martis added that he has seen property value loss anywhere from 11 percent to 40 percent because of the addition of wind turbines.

The Ingersoll Planning Commission will continue its formation of a township wind turbine ordinance at its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Ingersoll Township Hall.
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By PTI: Kuala Lumpur, Nov 19 (PTI) Afghanistan stunned favourites Pakistan by a massive 185 runs to clinch their maiden Under-19 Asia Cup title, here today.

The Afghans rode on an unbeaten 107 from Ikram Ali to post a competitive 248 for seven after being asked to bat.

In response, Pakistan was bundled for just 63 in 22.1 overs with off-spinner Mujeeb Zadran returning with brilliant figures of five for 13.

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Mujeeb had taken six for 23 in the league match between the two sides, which too Afghanistan had won, by seven wickets.

Mujeeb, who finished the tournament with 20 wickets from five matches, removed openers Mohammad Arif (4) and Omair Yousuf (0) early in the chase to hand Afghanistan control over proceedings.

The early wickets triggered panic in the Pakistan camp, and Afghanistan bowlers took full advantage of the situation.

Besides, leg-spinner Qais Ahmad picked up three wickets for 18 from his six overs.

Pakistani batsmans struggle can be gauged from the fact that as many as nine of them failed to reach double-figures.

Earlier, sent in to bat, Afghanistan got off to a good start with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (40) and Ibrahim Zadran (36) putting on a 61-run off 108 balls for the opening wicket.

Once Gurbaz fell, caught by Muhammad Arif off Muhammad Musa, Pakistan sensed an opening. But Ikram foiled its plans with his brilliant knock to singlehandedly carry Afghanistan past 200. PTI SSC SSC

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NORMAL  High schools students will have an opportunity to learn more about career paths and college at a conference from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 at Illinois State University.

The College and Career Conference, organized by the University of Illinois Extension for McLean and Woodford counties, will be in the Prairie Room of ISU's Bone Student Center. The deadline for registration is Friday. Register online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw.

The conference is aimed at teaching high school youth to be intentional about their post-graduation plans. It will include a career path question-and-answer panels, workshops and booths, similar to a job fair, where professionals from various industries will be present to answer questions about how to prepare for careers in their fields.

There will be prize giveaways and chances to win job shadowing opportunities.

Among the professions to be represented are agriculture, cosmetology, information technology, law enforcement, various trades and veterinary medicine. Representatives from ISU also will be present.

There will be three different Q&A panels, each focused on a different career path: military, trades and formal education. The latter includes colleges, community colleges and vocational programs.

The military panel will have recruiters from different branches describing available opportunities.

The trades panel will have training directors from different unions discussing apprenticeship programs.

The formal education panel will cover topics such as advice on preparing for college, admissions requirements, fields of study and campus life.

There will be workshops on building your resume, an opportunity to take part in a mock interview and a fashion show on what not to wear to a job interview

Information on how to use social media to market yourself for jobs will be presented by the manager for marketing and public relations for the McLean County Chamber of Commerce.
BLOOMINGTON  The start of the 2018-19 college academic year is nine months away, but the early application deadline for many universities was Wednesday and the filing period for the all-important financial aid form began Oct. 1.

Don't panic, even if you have a son or daughter who is a high school senior. However, parents and their kids shouldnt delay starting the college search.

Now is a good time to gather information online or at college fairs, plan campus visits and  for those seniors  narrow your college choices and fill out applications.

While theres no instruction manual for students about how to pick the best college, high school counselors and college admissions officials have some advice.

Picking a college is stressful, but try thinking of it as, 'I have the academic ability of going to college.' Some kids don't have the opportunity to have that stress," said Addie Ince, Normal Community High School counselor.

Rather than getting stressed out, take time to enjoy the process, said Illinois State University admissions director Jeff Mavros. This is an exciting time. See it as an opportunity.

Bloomington High School Associate Principal, Amanda Jarvis said parents should start talking to their children about college and post-high school plans as early as junior high.

Its never too early, she said.

Officials said the real hunt for a college should begin no later than junior year of high school.

College fairs

Last month, representatives from about 100 universities assembled at Illinois State University in Normal for a college fair.

Claire Meyer, an NCHS junior, spoke to college representatives while browsing the booths with a binder of paperwork and support from her parents.

Im trying to talk to as many colleges as possible to get a feel of different schools, she said.

Mavros said the role of college fairs has changed now that the internet provides an easy way to find out the nuts and bolts about an institution.

But Greg King, associate vice president of enrollment management at Illinois Wesleyan University, said the fairs are still a great way to learn about a lot of schools at once. Students also get practice talking to college recruiters, he said.

It might not be as important in the research aspect, but it's important for students to come out of their shells, said King.

In addition to college fairs, all Twin City high schools host college workshops throughout the year for families to understand the search and application process.

College visits

Admissions officials say campus visits are an important way to get a feel for the campus and the surrounding community. Most, if not all, offer a variety of options  from large open house events that last most of the day to individualized visits of a few hours.

There are so many intangibles that can only be answered with a visit, said King.

The likelihood of dropping out or transferring increases if a student never visited campus before beginning classes, according to Mavros.

He recommends visiting a variety of institutions, from large public universities to smaller liberal arts schools as well as rural, urban and suburban settings to determine the best fit.

King said people in the Bloomington-Normal area can start with visits to IWU and ISU. Even if their intent is to attend an out-of-town school, touring both campuses will give families a feel for two different types of institutions without having to travel far.

Ince said students should spend their junior year shopping for colleges via campus visits and come back their senior year with a game plan of where to apply.

Both ISU and IWU have several large open house events. One at ISU this month attracted 2,000 prospective students while IWU had 400 at its November open house.

There's a lot of energy in the room and a lot of fun, Mavros said of the open house that includes large group sessions on subjects such as housing and financial aid, plus smaller group tours of campus and residence halls.

But Ince recommended avoiding huge open house days and setting up individual day tours instead.

ISU and IWU both offer more individualized day tours most weekdays and some Saturdays. In both cases, you can register online.

The smaller day tours can be customized. For example, meeting with a professor or possibly sitting in on a class in the field in which a prospective student is interested.

Financial aid

NCHS recently hosted a workshop for high school families about Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Members of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and guidance counselors helped parents and students sort through the paperwork.

Trinity Debord, an NCHS senior, said the workshop was a huge help.

Its a little stressful. Its more work than I thought it would be. There are so many essays to fill out. But its exciting and rewarding when you turn it in, he said.

Jarvis said all students should apply for FAFSA, regardless of their familys income. BHS also offers FAFSA workshops throughout the year.

There are so many things available concerning financial aid. Its easy for parents and students to get overwhelmed, said Jarvis. We encourage families to set up a meeting with a guidance counselor.
In the spring of 1830, Ephraim Scudder Myers settled near the large timbered tract in eastern McLean County known as Cheneys Grove. Like most of his pioneer neighbors, he waged a pitiless war of extermination against the wolf.

Mr. Myers formerly kept seven hounds to hunt wolves and gave them plenty of business, reads his biographical sketch in a history of McLean County pioneers. But in the year 1850 the people all turned out for a grand hunt, and went after the wolves in their dens, before the little wolf puppies were large enough to come out, and killed 30 in two days, and after that they were never so troublesome.

Indeed, dens left unattended while adult wolves were off hunting presented easy pickings for hunters. Jacob Bishop, who eventually settled in Randolph Township in southern McLean County, once dug out a den and found five little wolf puppies. The old ones were looking on in the distance, but did not dare to come up. Such was the character of this merciless campaign against Canis lupus.

Wolves were but one of countless species that staggered and then fell before the onslaught of Euro-American settlement in Central Illinois. Indigenous mammals as dissimilar as the prairie chicken and black bear were hunted for food and sport, and they too were removed from their homeland, never to return. Wolves faced a similar fate, though they provoked an unmatched level of contempt and cruelty, and this in an era when violence toward the natural landscape and the creatures upon it was near universal.

Early McLean County settler William Crose, who had great sport with wolves, attempted to tame a captured wolf so he could lead it like a domesticated dog. He tied a chain to its neck and fastened the other end of the chain to his wagon, but the wolf would allow itself to be dragged for miles without walking. Alfred Stringfield dragged a captured wolf home, and after keeping it a week he had his dogs maul it to death at his mothers quilting bee.

Wolves have long been associated with sin and the supernatural, and wolf hatred was deeply ingrained in Euro-American culture. Even modern perceptions of wolves are tinged with the bedtime stories of youth, and our unwarranted fear of wolves is more a reflection of legend and lore than the hard science of wolf biology and behavior. That said, if anything doomed Canis lupus in Central Illinois, it was pioneer's ferocious defense of livestock, as wolves naturally turned to the relatively slow-footed and defenseless newcomers such as sheep, hogs and calves.

At this time, the coyote, Canis latrans, was also called a wolf, so sometimes its uncertain if pioneers were referring to a wolf proper or its smaller relative. Fortunately, they often employed descriptive vernacular terms that differentiated the two species. One can be reasonably certain that talk of large, big, gray (sometimes spelled grey), or timber wolves usually meant true wolves. On the other hand, prairie wolf was a common term for whats today called a coyote.

At various times and with varying degrees of success, government officials encouraged the killing of wolves and other predators through bounty programs. In 1823, the state legislature dangled $200 in prize money to the wolf killer who could produce the most scalps (with ears entire). In 1860, McLean County offered a reward of $3 for grown wolf scalps, and 50 cents for wolf pups, with no distinction made between wolves or coyotes.

The preferred method of dispatching wolves was chasing them down on horseback. Once overrun, the animal could be dispatched with a firearm, club, knife, riding stirrup, or simply be trampled to death under hoof. As with all methods of wolf killing, this was anything but a fair fight. When chased to exhaustion, the wolf crouches on the ground and quietly receives the blow, which kills it, related a McLean County history published in 1874.

Although pioneer recollections stressed the economic necessity of killing wolves to defend livestock, it is interesting to note the frequent distinction made between hunting and wolf killing as a sport. For instance, Martin Township settler Lytle Royston Wiley, it was said, was never a hunter but occasionally took amusement by chasing wolves. Likewise, Stringfield, of Randolphs Grove, made no boast as to his hunting prowess, but was sometimes pretty lively in chasing wolves.

Frequently, dogs were used in horseback chases. William Crose of Money Creek Township took a great interest in sporting, and kept the finest and fleetest hounds for running wolves and deer. Based on pioneer accounts, it was not uncommon for these chases to stretch 10 or more miles. Circle or ring hunts were the embodiment of wolf killing as amusement. Participants would employ horns, cowbells and hounds to drive wolves, foxes and other animals into a predetermined killing ground, usually a field marked with a pole and flag.

As with all wolf killing, the danger to hunters was not from the fangs of Canis lupus, but rather from incidental mishaps, for riding over the prairie at a breakneck pace has dangers sometimes not thought of. For example, Ebenezer Mitchel was once thrown 20 feet when his horse plunged into a slough and fell, and during another chase, the horse of James Rumsey Means broke its neck when it stepped into a badger hole.

Wolves were also trapped in cages and pits, or poisoned with strychnine. William Wilcox was said to have caught these cunning and treacherous animals in pens, with dogs and horses, and in every way that ingenuity could suggest. Money Creek settler Samuel Ogden, for one, never considered it a sin to kill a wolf on Sunday or any other day.

According to the standard reference work on mammals in Illinois, wolves disappeared from the Prairie State "sometime before 1860." Yet other sources offer conflicting dates, and small numbers may have survived into the latter decades of the 19th century. Coyotes, though, were never entirely exterminated in Illinois, and the number of "prairie wolves" in McLean County may be greater today than that of the pioneer era.
NORMAL  While counting their blessings on Thanksgiving, thousands of people in Bloomington-Normal now can add home-cooked meal to the list.

Sarah Granacher of Normal said a free meal on her table on Thanksgiving means she can put more money toward bills.

Its a reminder to be thankful for all you have, even if you dont have much, said Granacher, after a box of Thanksgiving fixings was loaded into her car Saturday.

Box distribution will continue from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday at the food bank. Recipients are asked to bring a photo ID but dont need to preregister.

Between distributions on Saturday and Monday, officials expect to hand out 2,000 meal boxes, feeding 10,000 people.

Items and funds to help to fill the boxes were donated by the community since October.

Even a simple meal can provide hope for those in need. Thanksgiving is about family and friends around a meal. For some, thats not a reality, so this makes all the difference, said Leslie Bunge, communications coordinator with Home Sweet Home Ministries, which assists with the campaign.

Cars wound down the rain-filled street and filed into the warehouse where volunteers were poised with boxes of ingredients and armloads of frozen turkeys to load into vehicles.

Wishes for happy holidays and shouts of thanks echoed through the warehouse as the line moved quickly.

Zach Langford of Manhattan, Kan., volunteered at the food bank while in town visiting family. He slung turkeys up and down the receiving line.

"It's called Thanksgiving for a reason. Everyone deserves the ability to sit down with family around a meal and be thankful," said Langford.

Randy Doss of Normal pulled up in a truck loaded with his family. He said he recently drove to Florida to pick up his brother, David Doss, whose home was struck by Hurricane Irma.

It cost me a lot to get down there and back, but this is going to be the best Thanksgiving in years, having him home. Its a wonderful thing theyre doing here, said Randy Doss.

After directing traffic outside the warehouse for an hour, volunteer Dennis Loveridge came inside to warm up, wringing out of his sopping gloves.

Its going great, other than the cold and wet, said Loveridge, of Bloomington, as he pulled on a dry poncho. Its good to give back to the community this way and its a reminder that we have so much to be thankful for.

As Loveridge headed back out for a second shift of traffic control, the rain morphed into fat snowflakes.

A purple van pulled into the warehouse and the door slid open to receive a box of food. Seven-year-old Noah Beaty poked his head out to examine the slushy snow that was stuck to the window.

We really appreciate it, said his dad, Andrew Beaty of Bloomington. We have a lot of family here for Thanksgiving and this really helps us feed everyone.
There's a place where embarrassment and hypocrisy regularly meet, and that's anywhere lawmakers gather in Springfield.

The most recent gaffe came as an effort was being made to do the right thing.

In the wake of accusations of sexual harassment directed at Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and the subsequent flood of #MeToo tags on social media, it's become incumbent for leaders and supervisors to make sure their hands are clean. We have no room and no tolerance for those who use their positions to take advantage of their authority to harass others.

In a laudable attempt to stay ahead of the curve of controversy, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan put forth a proposal for legislation adding specific language about sexual harassment to state employee and lobbyist ethics laws, and for training and reporting procedures on sexual harassment.

It's not difficult to appear as though you're doing something, however slight or obvious, about a perceived problem. So far, so good for Illinois. There will continue to be issues needing to be dealt with. But you move to the high ground when you're able to point to something that's being done and you're also able to punish that person quickly, being able to say, We just told you this was wrong.

Unfortunately, at the same hearing where Madigan proposed his additions, crime victim advocate Denise Rotheimer detailed allegations of misconduct toward her by Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago. Rotheimer tried to file a complaint without success. The Office of Legislative Inspector General is supposed to handle such issues, but the position had, until it was filled this month, been empty since Dec. 31, 2014. The House and Senate were supposed to fill the position, but didn't get around to it for almost three years.

On Nov. 4, the legislature finally acted, naming former Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie B. Porter as temporary legislative inspector general through June 30. Three days later, they passed the ethics code revisions, and waived the one-year statute of limitations that would have nullified complaints filed more than a year before Porters appointment.

Republicans accused Madigan of dragging his feet on filling the vacancy. Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, accepted a share of the blame for the length of the vacancy. Madigan's silence is deafening.

It's typical of Illinois politics that those in the Capitol manage to pull a loss out of a victory. How could any accusations of misconduct be handled if the position charged with investigating was empty? The answer is, none could. Rotheimer's complaint was one of 26 (according to Madigan) or 27 (according the Chicago Tribune) filed in the time when the Office of Legislative Inspector General did not have a tenant.

It's troubling to ponder how many more of these missing appointments exist in the midst of the morass of inaction in Springfield. It's additionally troubling to ponder what might have to happen for the next example of legislative incompetence to be uncovered.
In recent past, along with raising the Mountain Strike Corps to tackle the rising Chinese military presence along the borders, the Army has deployed additional two brigades (approximately 8,000 troops) in eastern Ladakh for better security preparedness.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: In a bid to strengthen position against the threat of Chinese troops carrying out incursions along the Line of Actual Control, the Indian Army has enhanced its presence in relatively peaceful areas, such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where new formations have been deployed.

In recent past, along with raising the Mountain Strike Corps to tackle the rising Chinese military presence along the borders, the Army has also deployed additional two brigades (approximately 8,000 troops) in eastern Ladakh for better security preparedness.

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"In Himachal Pradesh, there was one sector which has now been converted into new brigade in the area bordering the Chinese territory. While in Uttarakhand, a brigade has been sent from a rear position to Pithoragarh in the Kumaon hills of the state," sources told Mail Today.

During the Doklam crisis also, senior level officers from the directorate general of military operations had visited the Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh borders near China to review the security situation.

In the last one decade, incursions and transgressions from the China's People's Liberation Army into the Indian side have gone up due to different perception about the actual boundary line between them.

However, eastern Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have been the most active in terms of transgressions committed by the Chinese Army.

DOKLAM

During the Doklam crisis, when Indian and Chinese troops were in an eyeball to eyeball situation with each other, a People's Liberation Army (PLA) border patrol crossed the Uttarakhand border and entered the Indian territory.

They crossed into Barahoti in Chamoli district on July 25 at about 9 am, and came upto 200 metres on the other side of the border where they entered the Indian side and asked cattle owners to leave the area. However, the soldiers left after a couple of hours later.

Last year also a similar incident was reported from the region.

The ITBP team, patrolling the area, raised the issue and the Chinese soldiers went back after a meeting.

Indian army also patrols this area, but without uniform or weapons. The flat land is used by grazers of both India and China.

Chinese and Indian soldiers had been locked in a face-off n Doklam plateau at the tri-junction with Bhutan where Beijing wanted to build a road up to Jhampiri which would have allowed them to come close to the Indian chicken's neck area in Siliguri corridor.

The two sides disengaged from the area but have maintained their presence there. India's strong stand on the issue resulted in China backtracking from its hard stand as its official media was even threatening to wage a war if India did not allow it to construct a road there.

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--- ENDS ---
The French Haute Couture Federation announced Saturday that beloved designer Azzedine Alaia has died at age 77, reportedly from heart failure. The fashion community has been sending out tributes to the late iconic designer, known for his structured and body-con couture designs that broke the mold of over-the-top 80s silhouettes and whose influence can be seen throughout fashion today.

Born in Tunisia, Alaia was also known for refusing to bow to pressure to keep up with ever-increasing industry timelines, preferring instead to work at his own pace.

Alaia's evening dresses, form-fitting knits and tailored leathers were his trademarks, leading the fashion world to dub him the "The King Cling" because his clothes fit so snugly. In the body-con world we live in today, Alaia's importance as an innovator is all the more clear.

Many of the designer's friends and muses -- including Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Victoria Beckham -- paid tribute to him today on social media, along with an outpouring of sentiments, memories and thoughts on his impact from the fashion community at large. Alaia also counted Tina Turner, Madonna, Michelle Obama and Grace Jones among his patrons, according to WWD.





Hearing of the passing of Azzedine Alaia. A designer who embraced women of color as models and muses when others didn't. May he rest in power and peace. pic.twitter.com/TzdiJUfBLo

 Ava DuVernay (@ava) November 18, 2017

Azzedine Alaia, uncompromising master of the fashion form, has died in Paris. He defined what it meant to be a designer.

 Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) November 18, 2017

Azzedine Alaia was such a little bundle of joy, may his soul truly rest in peace. <3 pic.twitter.com/QPqQ7a3vLP

  (@NicoKartel) November 19, 2017

Remembering Azzedine Alaia's Influence within Fashion pic.twitter.com/JWP4Po782c

 Outlander (@StreetFashion01) November 19, 2017

I am so sad. SO sad. My dearest darling #azzedinealaia . From the first moment I met him aged 17 he was the gentlest and greatest friend. Kind and honest. A true master . I miss him. I can't believe it. X RIP

 Daphne Guinness (@TheRealDaphne) November 18, 2017

Azzedine Alaia left us... One of the few whose work was art.



My fav ever look of Naomi. I'll just leave it here. pic.twitter.com/75fJkDjSuI

 Mia (@Mia_Irisha) November 18, 2017

You don't understand: this is an Alaia!"



This moment in pop culture and fashion history brought to you by Clueless" and the late, great #AzzedineAlaia pic.twitter.com/EPva2OM54F

 Lauren La Rose (@lauren_larose) November 18, 2017

RIP Azzedine Alaia, one of the most iconic couturiers of our era, a rebel designer who worked against the system and its trends. pic.twitter.com/CLfH7ZrRJN

  (@opfavestyles) November 18, 2017

RIP Azzedine Alaia  one of the most influential couture designers of our time pic.twitter.com/kdhjOtnool

 'Red' (@Red__Mos) November 18, 2017





Rest in peace to the master Azzedine Alaia. Fashion is indebted to his legacy. pic.twitter.com/ibTDkUZqnt

 Janelle Okwodu (@okjanelle) November 18, 2017

Splash image via Getty


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MbS: Pride Cometh Before The Fall?

11/18/17

By Shireen T. Hunter (source: LobeLog)



Mohammed bin Salman (MbS)

(source: cover of Iranian magazine Mosalas)

Until only a few months ago, Saudi Arabia's conduct of its domestic and foreign policies was largely characterized by a good deal of caution, a lack of bombast, and a respect for established traditions. One area where the role of tradition, and respect for rank and precedence, was particularly important was the issue of succession in the royal family. Until recently, everyone inside and outside the kingdom was quite certain that once the reigning monarch died or was incapacitated, the next in line would follow and no one would challenge the established order of succession.

As long as the sons of Ibn Saud were alive, this method was quite efficient. However, there are no more sons left to take over: those still alive have been removed from the line of succession. The large number of second- and third-generation princes has made it impossible to carry on with the traditional line of succession. Trying to pick someone through some form of election from among a long list of princes is not practical.

Instead, King Salman abruptly decided the succession by bypassing the anointed Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef and replacing him with the young Mohammad bin Salman (MbS). The new crown prince quickly set about consolidating his position. Part of this effort has included the recent crackdown on prominent princes and other influential individuals. No doubt Saudi Arabia-and indeed all Middle East states-needs to reform and also deal with rampant corruption. However, trying to turn a monarchical rule, which at least paid lip service to consultation within the royal family, into absolutist rule is not exactly reform. Nor will imprisoning wealthy princes and confiscating their resources end corruption.

Moreover, one outcome of the concentration of power in MbS's hands is that he will be responsible for whatever goes wrong in future. No one else will be left to blame for future failures. If people's anger boils over-as it will inevitably since MbS will not likely succeed with his ambitious economic plans and foreign adventures-he will become the object of resentment. If MbS carries on with a belligerent foreign policy that embroils the kingdom in another regional war, this time with Iran, while the Yemen conflict is still going on, Saudi Arabia could suffer significant economic losses that would exacerbate its internal contradictions and cleavages.

Under such circumstances, the princes that MbS has scorned may try to challenge his position. And they may be assisted by one of the foreign governments that MbS has treated with such arrogance. Saudi Arabia is not popular with the Arab masses although it has managed to buy off some of them, such as al-Sisi's Egypt.

So, why has MbS embarked on this rather risky venture? His character and upbringing clearly play a role. MbS, the favorite of his father, has not experienced adversity. He is spoiled and impatient, and he seems to believe that everything is there for the taking.

Meanwhile the disruption of the balance of power in the Arab world as a result of the destruction of Iraq and Syria and the taming of Egypt has left no other Arab state to stand up to Saudi Arabia. Thus, the young prince thinks that he can run roughshod over anything that stands in his way, whether it's Qatar, Lebanon, or the Houthis.

The only country left standing, although weakened, is Iran. Hence, MbS reserves a special animosity towards Iran, and he wants done with it once and for all.

In the midst of this highly sensitive transition period in Saudi Arabia's history enters Jared Kushner, another young, brash, favored son. As the emissary of the Trump administration, Kushner has made MbS believe that if he cooperates with Israel to help solve the Palestinian problem then Saudi Arabia and Israel can achieve everything together, including getting rid of Iran once and for all. With Iran out of the way, Israel can combine its international influence and technological know-how with the immense wealth of the Saudis so that the two countries can establish a condominium over the Middle East.

Such dreams have a way of turning into nightmares. I recall the euphoria at a 1993 conference in Israel about the prospects of Arab-Israeli cooperation, including the establishment of a common market. The dream turned into a nightmare when Yitzak Rabin was assassinated, the Oslo process stalled, and wars broke out in the region.

But there are other reasons why MbS is naive about the benefits of an alliance with Israel. After taking care of Iran, Israel will certainly not allow Saudi Arabia to become the de facto hegemon of the Middle East. According to the logic of balance of power, alliances made against a common enemy collapse once the enemy is eliminated. Saudi Arabia would not feel the same need for Israel once Iran is gone. It might even resume the Arab plan of liberating Palestine. Even worse, war might extend into Saudi territory itself, endangering and possibly even scuttling the current political order established on the basis of the supremacy of MbS.

Historically, no state in the region has managed to establish its hegemony over another. Many leaders, from Gamal Nasser to Saddam Hussein to Muammar Qaddafi-as well as Iran during the early years of the revolution-have gotten into deep trouble by attempting this hegemony. Even the great powers have not been able to pacify the region under their own exclusive auspices.

Regional stability can only be achieved through the recognition of everyone's rights and security requirements as part of an agreement that satisfies these essential needs. This also includes the Palestinians. Any deal that they are forced to accept and that they do not consider fair, even if supported by Saudi Arabia, will not last long.

In short, if he wants to succeed, MbS needs a greater dose of realism and humility and less hubris. Otherwise, when it comes to his reform project, it will be a case of pride cometh before the fall.



About the Author:



Shireen T. Hunter Shireen T. Hunter is a Research Professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Her latest publication is God On Our Side: Religion, Foreign Policy and International Affairs (Rowman & Littlefield, December 2016).
The Police Administration has deployed police personnel to Kasoa in the Central Region to clamp down on land guards and armed robbers whose activities have claimed three lives within two weeks.



The personnel are to patrol the area day and night, especially areas identified as crime prone, to ensure the safety of life and property in the area.



The Director-General of Police Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has, therefore, assured residents of Kasoa that the police will not rest until all the bad nuts have been weeded out of the area.



He warned that the police would deal decisively with criminals who had been disturbing the peace in the area, especially land guards whose activities had caused mayhem and deaths.



Criminal activities



Within two weeks, three persons have been killed and another is battling for his life, following criminal activities of land guards.



The first was a 52-year-old commercial bus driver who was killed at Opeikuma, a suburb of Kasoa, by some suspected land guards over transport fares.



Family and residents have been quick to link the murder to a tussle over land and have since been on a warpath with authorities demanding justice.



A few days after that, a young lady was found dead in a bush at Akwele, near the Kasoa New Market on the Bawjiase Road. This was after she was allegedly raped and later killed by her assailants.



Barely four days later, another young lady was killed by some unknown persons at the Peace and Love Guest House, near Pink FM.



She has been identified as a receptionist at the guest house, who was said to have been raped before being stabbed in the chest.



Even before the dust could settle on that attack, 21-year-old Kwame Osei was also attacked at Anigyekrom at Opeikuman with machetes supposedly by land guards for refusing to hand over his money and mobile phone to them.



He went into coma after he was attacked and inflicted with knife wounds.



Residents of Kasoa and adjoining communities, such as Ngleshie Amanfro, have been living in fear following armed robbery attacks on them.



According to the Kasoa Divisional Commander of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Abade, so far, seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the driver.



He said with the others, the police were still investigating and appealed to members of the communities where those crimes were committed to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.



Residents of the area



Residents of the affected areas have blamed landlords for renting out their premises to persons without any proper background checks on them, reports Deborah Oluwamuyiwa from Kasoa.



According to our reporter, about 90 suspected criminals had so far been arrested in swoops in and around Kasoa since the police arrived.



The police have also retrieved two guns and substances suspected to be Indian hemp and cocaine from the suspects.



Addressing the personnel after the swoop, COP Dr Dampare said the police had the mandate to maintain law and order and protect life and property anytime, saying we have no choice than to come in with all the force necessary to bring peace to the communities.



The police commander and his entourage also visited the families of the deceased and assured them that the police would do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book.





Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will leave Ghana on Sunday, 19th November, 2017, for a 3-day visit to the United Kingdom.



On Monday, 20th November, President Akufo-Addo will meet with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Theresa May, MP. The discussions between the pair will centre on strengthening the ties of co-operation between the two countries, and moving the bilateral relations to a point beyond aid, and on the Commonwealth, as preparations for next years Commonwealth Summit intensify. Later that day, the President will deliver a speech on Democracy and Development at the Cambridge Union Society of the University of Cambridge.



On Tuesday, 21st November, the President will speak at an event, organised by the Royal Africa Society, Facebook and the Ghana 60 years on Committee, on Africa Beyond Aid, where the President will outline his vision for progress and prosperity of the continent.



President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Wednesday, 22nd November, 2017, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Call him what you may; a soothsayer, a pastor, a politician on a pulpit, or a prophet of doom. Isaac Owusu Bempah, founder and leader of the Glorious Word Ministry International continues to dominate the headlines in Ghana, often for reasons other than right.



The pastor, who has courted controversy in Ghana for several years appears to have a trigger that sparks such discussions about him.



The 31st of December 2016 was one such day he decided to make use of that trigger.



As is now custom at his church, hundreds of Ghanaians showed up for a 'taste of what to expect' in 2017 and Rev Owusu Bempah was sure to stay the course of not disappointing.



However, some of his utterances on new year's eve seem to have gotten Ghanaians more worried than excited.



The controversial man of God is predicting the deaths of a former president, a former first lady as well as a 'great king' in Ghana.



He's also predicting a terrorist attack in the country, a coup d'etat as well as more clashes between Christians and Muslims in the country.



The prophecies, though intriguing to the several who hear them, have left many pondering what really a 2017 Ghana will look like. But Rev Owusu Bempah could not be bothered about how his prophecies are interpreted. His message is simple: Pray to avert them.



Prophecies



- Death of a former president



- Death of a former first lady



- Coup d'etat in Ghana



- Death of Nigeria's president



- Terrorist attack in Ghana



- Death of several young men and women



- Important personalities in parliament will die



- Many people will be kidnapped



- Innocent blood will be shed in a particular political party



- Increase in occult practices



- Americans will go for war



- More Muslim/Christian clashes this year



- A great king will die



- Another plane crash in Ghana



- Fire outbreaks in important offices in Ghana



- More celebrities(Actors, musicians and media practitioners) in Ghana to die



- NDC to stay in opposition for 16 years

Source: Ghanaweb.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 government had initiated moves for the African Union (AU) Space Centre to be sited in Ghana.



This was announced by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the 20th graduation ceremony of the All Nation University College (ANUC) at Koforidua on Saturday.



The University is the first University in Sub-Saharan Africa to design and build a ground space station that communicates with satellites that crosses the air space of West Africa.



The institution is also the first to design, build and launch the first satellite for Ghana.



The theme for the graduation ceremony was: Celebrating Ghanas lead in Africans space science research and development.



The President said Ghana cannot develop without advancing in science, technology and mathematics hence government initiated educational reforms to help expand the science, technology and mathematical base of the country.



Nana Akufo-Addo said to boost research in the country, government has voted one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country into the national research fund and promised to increase it to two per cent in the long term.



He congratulated the university for its efforts in space science and directed the Minister of Education to speed up the work on the granting of the Presidential Charter to the ANUC.



Nana Susubiribi Krobea Asante, Omanhene of Asante Asokore and the guest speaker, said his failing hope in the industrialization of Africa was rekindled with the launching of the first satellite of Ghana by the ANUC.



He said the second issue that rekindled his hope was the announcement by President Akufo-Addo when he was an opposition leader that when voted into office, he will launch the industrialization of the country and with this he won the elections.







Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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In the knowledge and the calculation of the economic team of President Akufo Addo, the 2018 Budget presented in Parliament by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta will give more opportunities to Ghanaians to turn their lives around for the better, but Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi says God has revealed something different to him concerning 2018.



According to the Leader and Founder of Glorious Waves Church International, in the realms of the Spirit, the 2018 budget is different from what the Finance Minister read in Parliament to Ghanaians last Wednesday.



Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Prophet Badu Kobi insisted unless prayers are offered to God to change the situation, next year 2018 will be tougher than what Ghanaians experienced in this year 2017.



Ghanaians will acknowledge me for this prophecy unless they pray and do something about it, because next year 2018, will be tougher than what we have experienced in this year 2017. This is the prophecy God has revealed to me concerning next year. The hardship will be unbearable for Ghanaians, he predicted.



He stressed that the economic prospects envisaged by the Finance Minister in the 2018 budget will not go according to plan; thus every promise this government has made concerning next year 2018 will not materialize as expected.



The problem of the government is that they will mention figures but in reality it will be different as they have envisaged. The year 2018 will be tough for the Government and Ghanaians in general but the economic situation will begin to turn positively a bit in 2019 and then we go for the next elections in 2020, he revealed.



So this is how Ghana budget will be like in 2018 and if a prophet speaks like this, there is a chance for the government to also speak to God in prayer to change the situation,...I have spoken the mind of God, he added.



Presenting the 2018 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government in Parliament on Wednesday, Ken Ofori-Atta, said the government is committed to pursuing an agenda which will create jobs to improve the economy.



Beginning January 2018, electricity tariff for residential consumption will be reduced by 13%, the minister further disclosed.



In his address, Mr Ofori-Atta indicated that the programme will modernise agriculture, improve production efficiency, achieve food security, and increase profitability for our farmers.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/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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By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 19 (PTI) Indias new ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale arrived here today to take up his position.

Bambawale, a seasoned diplomat who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge tomorrow.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bambawale succeeded Vijay Gokhale who took over as Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

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A deft hand on Sino-India relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA which also included relations with Japan, China, South Korea, Mongolia and North Korea.

A Mandarin speaker, he has also served as the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier.

His arrival here comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Dokalam standoff, and work on a "forward-looking" approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, the two countries held their border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting here two days ago during which they reviewed the situation in all sectors of their border and exchanged views on confidence building measures and military contacts. The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on November 17. The India-China border dispute covers the 3488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is taking charge ahead of plans by both countries to begin a high-level dialogue next month, which will be the first after the Dokalam standoff as well as commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping.

Xi began his second term in office following the endorsement by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here last month.

Officials say Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi in the second week of next month to take part in the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue mechanism during which he was also expected to hold talks his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and meet the top Indian leadership. It will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also to be held in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives who are also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations. PTI KJV KUN

--- ENDS ---
The Dauphin County District Attorney's office recently asked a newly-elected Harrisburg School Board member to step down because of a criminal conviction in her past.

But Carrie Fowler does not plan to give up her hard-fought seat, according to her spokesman, Brandon Flood.

The request from the DA's office in recent days resurrects a debate about a controversial state law that forbids people with convictions for felonies or "infamous" crimes from holding office.

The law cropped up during the race for Harrisburg School Board seats earlier this year because three candidates had felony convictions in their past. All three defiantly stayed in the race, saying they had a right to run if they have turned their lives around.

As it turned out, none of them won enough votes in the Democratic primary, avoiding a potential showdown with the prosecutor's office.

But now the same issue has cropped up against Fowler, who won the Democratic primary for a seat in May and won in the recent general election. She is expecting to be seated on the nine-member board next month.

Fowler does not have a felony conviction, but instead has several misdemeanor convictions, including one from 16 years ago that the district attorney's office said might disqualify her from serving.

Fowler vehemently disagrees and told First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo she won't step down voluntarily.

Fowler does not believe her 2001 conviction in Dauphin County for receiving stolen property qualifies as an "infamous" crime. The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop where she had someone else's license plate on her car.

According to the criminal complaint filed at the time, Fowler either "knew such property was stolen or believed that it probably had been stolen."

Chardo told Fowler the state Supreme Court previously has defined the term "infamous crimes" to include all "crimen falsi" offenses, which includes all thefts and theft by receiving stolen property.

Her spokesman, Brandon Flood, said they believe "it's a little bit of a stretch," to consider a license plate on a vehicle a crime of falsification.

Muddying up the situation is the fact that the city council president and mayor-elect in the nearby city of York has two drug felonies in his past, but a judge previously ruled that he could serve on city council, despite precedents set in other cases that determined "felonies" are a disqualifying offense.

Some of Michael Helfrich's opponents are seeking to get him disqualified, but he told the York Dispatch this month he wasn't worried. He said his attorney advised him that any new court challenge would constitute "res judicata" -- a matter that has been adjudicated by a competent court and may not be pursued further by the same parties, according to the York Dispatch.

Flood said if the York mayor elect can serve with felony convictions from 1991, then Fowler could fight for her right to serve as well.

"She thinks it a bit of an overreach," Flood said of the attempt to get her to step down. "She received the license plate from a friend of hers and they put it on her car. She didn't think she would have any problems with it."

Chardo said he is not currently taking any action against Fowler, but that he simply gave her the courtesy of a phone call after his office received a complaint about her eligibility.

Chardo said he would take no action until the election results are certified in a few weeks. At that point, he said he would investigate her situation more closely and decide whether to file a lawsuit to remove her from office.

Interestingly, the term "infamous crime" does not necessarily mean a violent, or even serious, offense, according to the Associated Press, which reported on the topic in 2010. Pennsylvania courts have ruled, for example, that it did not apply to a borough councilman who pleaded guilty to various offenses after he held his girlfriend at gunpoint in a car for three hours, according to the AP report.
Rahmael Sal Holt (Screenshot/WTAE)

An arrest warrant has been issued for the 29-year-old man police say shot and killed an on-duty police officer outside of Pittsburgh Friday night.

Authorities say Rahmael Sal Holt should be considered armed and dangerous, WTAE is reporting.

Holt is accused of shooting New Kensington Officer Brian Shaw, according to reports. Shaw was shot after a traffic stop that led to a foot chase around 8 p.m. Friday.

Anyone who knows Holt's whereabouts should call 911.

Pennsylvania residents who came to the aid of a rookie police officer who was fatally shot and killed during a traffic stop say he was "gasping for air" and not responsive when they arrived at the scene, the Associated Press reports.

Shaw was shot in the chest around 8:15 p.m. in New Kensington, about 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The shooting occurred during a foot chase that began shortly after the traffic stop took place, the AP says.

Police later recovered an older model of an unoccupied brown Jeep Grand Cherokee, wanted in connection with the shooting. State police said Saturday that investigators know why the suspected shooter was pulled over but would not provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Shaw had served as a part-time officer in three other towns before joining the New Kensington police force full time in June. He was taken to a hospital after the shooting but was pronounced dead there a short time later, according to authorities.

Nicole Drum, whose family lives directly across from the shooting scene, told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that she was on a couch in her living room when she heard six or seven shots, including one that hit her house. She looked outside and saw Shaw fall. She was the first person to reach him.

"I was trying to talk to him," she said Saturday. "He wasn't responding."

Brad Larocca, who lives next door to the Drums, also heard the shots, which he said came rapidly. He said Shaw tried to sit up before collapsing.

"I don't know if he was trying to talk," said Laroccoa, who also tried to help the officer. "He was gasping for air."

Larocca said he didn't know if Shaw also fired his weapon.

"Whichever one was shooting knew how to use a gun. It was quick," Laroccoa said.

Drum said her home was hit twice -- once under the front porch, and again on the second floor -- but neither shot went inside the house. Her father, Wayne Drum, who was not home when the shooting occurred, said police recovered the bullet that hit the porch on Saturday morning. He was told it was a .40 caliber slug.

The Drum home has a surveillance camera mounted under the second-story eave. Wayne Drum said it had captured everything, but the video was fuzzy since it was taken at night. He said police took his hard drive, telling him they would be able to enhance it.

Police officers from neighboring towns continued to scour the area for the suspect Saturday. SWAT teams and police dogs assisted.

Authorities were offering a $40,000 reward for information on the shooting. The FBI has contributed $25,000 to the reward, while the U.S. Marshals Service offered $5,000 and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will contribute up to $10,000.

A wake for Shaw will be held Monday and Tuesday, followed by a funeral service Wednesday morning.
Police are investigating an incident in which they say a 16-year-old boy attacked his teacher.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police at York, the assault occurred around 8:29 a.m. Tuesday at the River Rock Academy Red Lion Campus.

The 43-year-old male teacher told the 16-year-old Seven Valleys student to take a seat, and the student became agitated and charged the teacher, police say.

The student bear hugged the teacher and pushed him backwards. The teacher was able to take the him to the floor and restrain the student with the help of another teacher, police say.

This article has been updated to correct the location of the incident.
A Lancaster County woman who was a teenager when she was sentenced to life in prison for her part in the brutal slaying of another girl may have a chance at freedom.

Tabatha Buck.

Tabatha F. Buck, 43, is scheduled for a resentencing hearing Monday in Lancaster County Court.

Buck was 17 in 1991 when she helped a friend, 19-year-old Lisa Michelle Lambert, kill classmate Laurie Show.

Buck, like more than 500 juveniles sentenced to life behind bars in Pennsylvania, is up for possible resentencing after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that mandatory life sentences for juvenile killers is unconstitutional.

Investigators say Show's mother, Hazel Show, was lured from their Lampeter Township home with a fake appointment and returned to find her daughter bound, on a bedroom floor, with her throat cut, gasping for air.

Laurie Show managed to tell her mother that Lambert was her attacker before she died.

Prosecutors said Lambert killed Show because she regarded her as a romantic rival.

Buck, prosecutors argued, helped hold Show down, and was convicted as Lambert's accomplice. Lambert's boyfriend, Lawrence Yunkin, drove them to the house. He was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and was paroled in 2004.

Court records show that Buck's hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday before Lancaster County President Judge Dennis E. Reinaker.
By Susan Stamper Brown

What kind of vermin mocks prayer and politicizes human tragedy after a dark-hearted creep who reportedly bought dogs online and used them for target practice walks into a Texas church and kills 26 innocent people?

Susan Stamper Brown (Cagle Syndicate photo)

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, for one, and leftists at large. Just after the Sutherland Springs shooting, Warren tweeted: "Thoughts and prayers are not enough, GOP. We must end this violence. We must stop these tragedies. People are dying while you wait."



The Hollywood hypocrite crowd paused from sexually assaulting each other long enough to attack the faithful for their "thoughts and prayers." Meanwhile, Democrats chimed in, mocking Christians and promoting gun control.



As if gun control would have prevented this deranged nut job from illegally acquiring guns and shooting innocent people, including young children and a pregnant woman point blank.



It's easier to piously play politics and sanctimoniously point fingers than look in the mirror.



Democrats should take responsibility for the damage they've caused by kicking God out of America.



They mock prayer, ostracize the faithful and embrace their secular do-whatever-you-want-ism, believing their actions bear no consequences.



They remove the Ten Commandments from the public square, then self-righteously promote themselves to God-status, arrogantly believing the new laws they conjure up will somehow prevent more slaughter.



While the downward spiral has been happening for some time, Democrats removed all references to God, including denying Jerusalem as Israel's capital, from their party platform in 2012.



Removing God was not clerical oversight; it was intentional.





For them, it's all about politics. They soon realized they'd made a bad political move, so they conveniently decided to put God back in. When then-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa introduced an amendment to do just that at the DNC convention, masses of Democrat delegates booed.



Democrats fail to understand removing the mention of the Almighty doesn't remove the omni-present creator just like removing the Ten Commandments from the public square doesn't remove our responsibility to obey them.



While we don't know yet how or if he voted, it seems Devin Patrick Kelley was one of them in spirit. The anti-God rhetoric Democrats espouse came home to roost in a sweet little church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.



Both the Washington Times and Daily Mail report that fellow classmates described Kelley as an angry "atheist who used social media to mock Christianity." Fellow classmate Nina Rose Nava posted on social media that Kelley "was always talking about how people who believe in God were stupid and trying to preach his atheism."



Kelley received a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force that should have prevented him from buying guns, but the Air Force recently acknowledged it failed to notify the FBI about his convictions after he pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic violence in 2013. Moreover, Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that Kelley once applied for a gun permit, but was rejected.



One of Kelley's former colleagues, Jessika Edwards, told CNN that while serving in the U.S. Air Force, Kelley "displayed a fascination with mass murders" and "would make jokes about wanting to kill somebody." She claimed Kelley's obsession with killing was "so pronounced" she warned those disciplining him to "back off or he would shoot the place up."



Even still, Democrats continue to crow about gun control, while a good guy with a gun, Stephen Willeford, used one to stop Kelley from continuing his carnage.



Laws already on the books did not stop this madman from committing a massacre, while laws Democrats tend to ignore could have:



"Thou shalt have no other Gods before me; Thou shalt not worship any graven image; Thou shalt not take God's name in vain; Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy; Honor thy father and thy mother; Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness; Thou shalt not covet."



Susan Stamper Brown Susan lives in Alaska and is a regular contributor to Townhall and The Christian Post. Her work appears most Sundays on PennLive Opinion. Readers may email her at writestamper@gmail.com.
New allegations about Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore continue to roll like like Crimson Tide.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

At the same time so are charges, complete with photographic evidence, about U.S. Sen. Al Franken. D-Minn.

Meanwhile, we're getting the first details of a secret "Shush Fund" that for more than two decades has been shelling out taxpayer money to quietly "settle" allegations against Members of Congress. No wonder they call it "the swamp."

For Republicans, the Roy Moore saga is a multitude of problems.

Politically, there aren't many good options for the GOP. With a scant two vote majority in the Senate, there's very little "wiggle room" for Republicans who badly need to get legislation, starting with tax reform, passed.

Despite that fact, there's a growing awareness that the GOP "brand" is also impacted by what goes on in Alabama. As a result, there are a growing number of Republicans who have called on Moore to "step aside."

They include U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who told Meet the Press last Sunday that he thought Moore should leave the race.

He suggested that current U.S. Sen. Luther Strange, who lost the primary to Moore, could be a write-in candidate. Several other Republicans have followed Toomey's call.

There's a very practical problem with simply having Moore step aside. Even if Moore decides to give up his candidacy, which is far from likely, his name will remain on the ballot.

We're already past the point when ballots can be changed. Under Alabama law, names can't be added or deleted from the ballot within 76 days of an election.

The special election to fill the seat vacated by Attorney Jeff General Sessions is scheduled for December 12. Ballots were printed and distributed a month ago when absentee voting began in the Yellowhammer State.

Without the ability to substitute candidates, the options are very limited. Some have talked about a write-in candidacy.

That's a Herculean task under the best of circumstances. There are multiple practical problems. Without detailing each of them, proof of the difficulty is that no Alabaman has ever won a statewide race through a write-in.

Others have suggested that the date of the special election be changed.

While Gov. Kay Ivey apparently has the legal power to do that, she has given no indication that she'd even consider such an extraordinary move. In any event, how would changing the date change things? Bad news doesn't improve with age.

Another theory that being tested by some in Washington, is to have Strange resign his seat, declare the special election scheduled for Dec. 12 as null and void and schedule a new special election for the seat then opened by Strange's resignation.

Whether or not that's a legally plausible scenario remains to be seen. At best it's a last gasp approach.

But gasping means there's still life.

That leaves things in the hands of Alabama voters. If they elect Moore, there's not much question that he must then be seated.

Moore meets the constitutional requirements and the election would be valid. Those are the only reasons the Constitution provides for refusal to seat someone.

The question then becomes whether or not the Senate would seek to expel him.

Expulsion is an extraordinary action and it overrules the express wishes of the voters. As a result the process requires a two-thirds vote. That's a very high bar.

The bigger question is whether or not the Senate would act on allegations of behavior that occurred prior to Moore being in the Senate.

I'm willing to be corrected, but I can't think of any senator who's been expelled for something they did prior to their election.

The theory is that acts or alleged acts that occurred before a senator got elected is an issue for the voters to decide. Once a senator is in office, the theory continues, voters don't have that opportunity, so the full Senate acts in their stead.

The last time a senator was expelled was more than a century and a half ago. Pledging allegiance to the Confederacy was enough to get you thrown out.

The House has expelled Members more recently.

The late Ohio congressman, Jim "Beam Me Up" Traficant, was expelled 15 years ago after his bribery conviction.

If Moore is elected, seated and then expelled, it'll be up to Ivey, a Republican, to appoint his successor.

What becomes of Franken, in this context will be interesting. His conduct was also before he took office, but voters didn't know about it at the time of his election.

Moore's political fortunes don't look good from here, but they may be brighter in the heart of Dixie.

Alabama hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in a quarter of a century (and he switched to Republican after his election).

However, some polls now show Moore trailing the Democrat, Doug Jones, and some by double digit margins. Other polls show down-the-middle results on the question of whether he should even stay in the race.

President Donald Trump hasn't said much about Moore's candidacy. He supported Luther Strange over Moore in the primary election. He might figure that's enough said.

Conservative commentator Charlie Gerow is CEO of Quantum Communications, a Harrisburg public affairs firm. His "Donkeys & Elephants" column appears every Sunday opposite progressive commentator Kirstin Snow.
Top security officials today lauded the operative success in the Bandipora encounter and trashed reports of ISIS imprint in the Valley after the group today claimed responsibility for the Zakura attack on Friday.

By India Today Web Desk: A day after six Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, global terror organisation Islamic State today claimed responsibility for the Zakura attack carried out on Friday.

On the other hand, addressing a joint press conference, Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF officials today assured of 'remarkable change' in the Valley.

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Speaking to the media, 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu and DGP SP Vaid, GOC Victor force, IG Operations CRPF lauded the efforts made by the Indian security forces in sanitising turbulent areas in the Valley and neutralising terror agents.

Further commending the operative success of the forces in the Bandipora encounter, JS Sandhu said, "All were foreign terrorists... We had launched several operations in Hajin in mid-September and were carrying out search operations on a daily basis, had also inducted special forces into the area. Laud all agencies who worked to ensure the success of the operation."

Hoping to see Kashmir free of violence, Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid said, "Valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence."

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW BANDIPORA ENCOUNTER:

Acting on specific inputs, security forces on Saturday cordoned off Chandergeer village in Hajin area of Bandipora to launch a search operation to weed out hiding terrorists.

As search operations were going on, the terrorists hiding there fired at the security forces, who retaliated befittingly.

All six Lashkar militants were killed in the gunfight, but the forces lost a Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Tributes were paid to commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala at Chandigarh Air Force station.

Tributes paid to Garud commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala at Chandigarh Air Force station; he lost his life in J&K's Hajin encounter yesterday pic.twitter.com/AsWOVJ6IE2- ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Out of the militants killed, one was the nephew of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. Apart from him, two top LeT operatives were also killed in the encounter.

Some reports claim that separatists have called for a strike today against the killing of LeT militants. Most shops in Srinagar are shut today and public transport has also been affected.

Whereas, rail services between Banihal and Baramulla have been suspended for security reasons by the authorities.

Addressing the press conference today, JS Sandhu added, "We have killed about 190 terrorists as on date in 2017. Out of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the LC while infiltrating."

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DID ISIS REALLY STRIKE IN ZAKURA?

The ISIS propaganda wing Amaq News Agency today claimed the attack in Zakura area of Srinagar on November 17 but security forces deny its credibility.

Speaking about the Islamic State imprint in Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir's DGP, S P Vaidya said, "It is yet to be verified. I don't think ISIS has any imprints here."

On Friday, a shootout took place in Zakure area during which a police sub-inspector Imran Tak was killed, while an SPO was injured.

In retaliatory fire, one militant Mugees Ahmad Mir was killed- whose body was wrapped in ISIS flag during the funeral.

--- ENDS ---
A Zimbabwean woman attends a Christian peace and prayer rally in Harare, Zimbabwe, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Longtime President Robert Mugabe ignored a midday deadline set by the ruling party to step down or face impeachment proceedings, while Zimbabweans stunned by his lack of resignation during a national address vowed more protests to make him leave. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Tourists visit the navel base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Argentina's Navy said Saturday it was ramping up the search for a submarine that hadn't been heard from in three days. Authorities last had contact with the German-built diesel-electric sub, the ARA San Juan, on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Vicente Robles)
By India Today Web Desk: Boss 11 contestant Benafsha Soonawalla is the latest contestant to be evicted from the house. Host Salman Khan broke the news tonight in the Weekend the Vaar episode. The other contestants who were nominated this week were Hina Khan and Sapna Chaudhary.

Earlier there were speculations that Hina will be asked to leave the house and will be kept in a secret room. But, Benafsha's eviction has shut down all the rumours.

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Benafsha hardly had friends in the houses, except for Priyank and Hina. Benafsha who was not quite active during the first few weeks and had been pointed out about the same by host Salman Khan was suddenly seen in action during a nasty fight with rapper Akash Dadlani. So much so that she even got physical with him.

Her growing proximity with BFF Priyank Sharma had become the talk of the town. Their closeness didn't go down well with Priyank's girlfriend Divya Agarwal, who broke up with him.

After coming out of the house Benafsha posted an Insta story that said, "Karara jawaab milega. The truth will be out. Wait for it." It is not clear, who she intends to give a fitting reply to. Well, we might have to wait and see who's the one she wants to give a 'karara jawaab'.

--- ENDS ---
ISSUES....

Inside, confidential and off the record

Lopez Obrador wants Mexico to grow all its own food and protect farmers from cheaper U.S. imports. He also says he'll work to reverse legislation that opened up the oil sector to private and foreign investment, since it didn't lower energy costs as promised.





For Mexico, the challenges mount. Poverty is rife. Corruption is the norm in daily life. Drug gangs have murdered more than 100,000 people in the last decade. And U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to rip up the free trade agreement that's shaped the country's modern economy. Frustration over the state of affairs has led to growing signs that Mexicans are ready for change, a spirit that's shaping the 2018 presidential election campaign.

The Situation

Polls indicate an early favorite for the July 1 vote: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the populist founder of the Morena party who's run for president twice before. The 64-year-old former Mexico City mayor calls the political establishment a  mafia of power  and vows to use money lost to corruption to boost social welfare spending. Voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the current president, Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, who's barred by the constitution from running again. (The party hasn't yet chosen a 2018 candidate.) Pena Nieto has been dogged by corruption charges and allegations of human rights violations by his government. And he's struggled to deal with Trump, who's stepped up efforts to deport unauthorized Mexican immigrants and launched a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or Nafta. Trump's demands include higher wages for workers in Mexico, so cheap labor ceases to draw U.S. manufacturers there, and strict limits on the use of parts from outside the continent in products assembled in Mexico that are labeled made in North America. Mexico is trying to retain unimpeded access to U.S. and Canadian markets for its goods and services. Meanwhile, the homicide rate reached a record high in 2017. Drug violence began to spread into tourist spots like Cancun and Los Cabos.

The Background

The PRI has held almost unbroken power since its formation in the aftermath of the 1910 Mexican Revolution . The party's early moves included land reforms and nationalizing the oil industry in 1938, using the profits to buttress the largely agrarian economy. The PRI began to lose support after an inept government response to the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City that killed some 10,000 people. Foreign investment flowed in ahead of the start of the Nafta agreement on Jan. 1, 1994. But when a presidential candidate was assassinated the following March, skittish investors fled, a financial crisis ensued and the U.S. and International Monetary Fund provided Mexico with a $50 billion bailout . In 2000, voters ended 71 years of PRI rule by electing opposition businessman Vicente Fox president. Between 1970 and 2007, roughly 11 million Mexicans headed to the U.S. to look for work. They were fleeing deprivation  about half of Mexico's 124 million people live in poverty  and, more recently, gang wars. Domestic drug production rose steadily after Colombia began to crack down on its narcotics industry in the mid-1980s. In 2007, Mexico began to deploy the military to hunt down drug kingpins, but broken gangs re-formed into scores of smaller ones, prompting turf battles that sent the murder rate soaring. Pena Nieto regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012 by promising to break with the party's autocratic ways.

The Argument

Angry citizens have begun to take action. Some villages have formed militias to battle criminal gangs. In September, civil rights groups and opposition politicians managed to stop the attorney general, a longtime PRI lawmaker, from automatically becoming the nation's independent prosecutor, a new nine-year post. Voters are increasingly questioning Nafta. Average incomes have barely risen under the trade deal; only a third of Mexicans now say it has been good for the country. Lopez Obrador wants Mexico to grow all its own food and protect farmers from cheaper U.S. imports. He also says he'll work to reverse legislation that opened up the oil sector to private and foreign investment, since it didn't lower energy costs as promised. Some middle-class voters fear that Lopez Obrador could undermine businesses and political freedoms. His first presidential campaign faltered after an opponent's ads linked him to the late Hugo Chavez, the populist president of Venezuela who nationalized companies, expanded social spending and steered his country into authoritarianism. While Lopez Obrador did introduce the country's first pension system in Mexico City, supporters say he was a pragmatic mayor who built freeways and worked with business leaders to restore the city's historic center.

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Anthony T. Bryan, PhD : Guyana, boom or bust?





Lorski, CC BY-SA



Guyana, a largely rural former British colony, must upgrade

its river transport system to accommodate an oil boom.





Guyana, one of South America's poorest countries, struck oil. Will it go boom or bust?

Today, Guyana is one of South America's poorest countries, with an average per capita annual income of around US$4,000 .

But within the decade, it could be among the richest. In 2015, ExxonMobil and its international partners discovered vast oil reserves off the Caribbean coast of this small country. By 2018, five new wells will be pumping out 120,000 barrels of Guyanese crude daily.

Deep-water surveys estimate Guyana's oil reserves at around 2 billion barrels . That pales in comparison to neighboring Venezuela but surpasses the reserves of Trinidad and Tobago , long the Caribbean's biggest oil producer.

In short, Guyana is on the verge of unprecedented wealth  but only if it plays its cards right. As I've seen during two decades of research into Caribbean oil and gas development, natural resources can easily become a curse.

Is Guyana prepared for the good and the bad of the oil bonanza to come?

Guyana lays the groundwork

Given its marine reserves, by the mid-2020s Guyanese oil production offshore could rise to 400,000 barrels a day . Once production starts next year, Guyana will receive a 2 percent royalty on gross earnings and 50 percent of oil proceeds.

While that's a fairly low royalty by international standards, it will make Guyana rich. At the current market price of around $50 per barrel , this country of 750,000 people can expect to net $1 million a day in oil earnings.

Since full monetization of Guyana's oil and gas resources will occur in five to 15 years , the country has less than a decade to deal with numerous energy-related hurdles , including unresolved territorial issues with Venezuela, environmental protection, wealth management and social concerns.

The government's top priority is to resolve a border controversy dating back to Guyana's days as a British colony. For 200 years, Venezuela has claimed sovereignty over two-thirds of Guyana's territory, including its exclusive economic zone.

This controversy  which hinges on a disagreement over the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea  is unlikely to scare off international oil companies . Venezuela could muck things up a bit for Guyana, though, by increasing Navy patrols in Venezuela's exclusive economic zone, which abuts Guyana's disputed maritime area, deterring oil vessels and intercepting commercial ships.

Hoping to avoid such confrontations, Guyana is now pursuing a judicial settlement at the U.N. If the countries fail to settle, the case will go to the International Court of Justice in The Hague .

Inadequate infrastructure is another constraint to growth. Guyana now has an ambitious $164 million plan to upgrade its road networks, bridges, ports, telecommunications and river transport system. But to get Guyana's crude to international markets, some of this construction must be done by 2018  a tall order for a small nation.

Guyana, a largely rural former British colony, must upgrade its river transport system to accommodate an oil boom. Lorski , CC BY-SA

Environmental protections

As oil production expands, protecting the marine environment will become an urgent issue for the entire Caribbean region.

In April, three Venezuelan doctors transporting medical supplies from Trinidad to Venezuela drowned when their boat overturned in an oil slick . A barge belonging to Trinidad and Tobago's national oil company had ruptured, discharging 300 million barrels of crude into the sea just seven miles from Venezuela.

Most recently, in October, a fisherman discovered an unreported massive spill off of Trinidad's northwest coast. A video posted to Facebook shows black waters near Chaguaramas, the site of a major national park. The source of the spill remains unknown .

Such catastrophes are commonplace around Trinidad, which for 110 years has been the Caribbean's major oil producer .

They should serve as a warning for Guyana. Maritime crude drilling goes hand in hand with leaky pipelines, ruptured barges and rig malfunctions. In my experience, spills rarely result in sanctions for oil and gas producers.

According to a June 2017 report from Guyana's Environmental Protection Agency, the country's forests and ecosystems are, today, almost untouched . To keep Guyana pristine even as the oil and gas sector grows , proper environmental management systems are critical.

Avoiding the resource curse

Revenue management is another big question mark right now. From Iran to Nigeria, worldwide experience confirms that social conflict and economic instability result when income from drilling, mining and the like is unequally distributed.

This is called the  resource curse , and Guyana must move quickly to avoid it. Recent opinion polls show that the Guyanese public has little faith in the leadership ability of both the government and the opposition.

Indeed, Guyana's gross mismanagement of its corruption-plagued sugar and mineral extraction industries raises doubt about whether the coming oil windfall will actually benefit citizens.

The Guyanese government seems to be aware of these financial management risks. On Oct. 26, Guyana became the latest member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative , an international watchdog that partners with organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

In addition to monitoring Guyana's resource governance, the initiative requires mandatory full financial disclosures to demonstrate commitment to reform and anti-corruption.

A critical next step would be to establish a sovereign wealth fund, following the good examples of Trinidad and Norway . This type of national savings account ensures that oil revenues are invested and spent in a way that transcends political cycles and generations.

Ethnic strife

There is good reason for concern about Guyana's future as an oil power. Though the country has enjoyed relative political stability over the past decade , its society is fractious . Politics in Guyana  whose population is 29 percent Afro-Guyanese and 40 percent Indo-Guyanese  divide along racial lines, with the two main ethnic groups competing over money and power.

Protests in 2012 killed three people , and more unrest occurred earlier this year .

Challenges aside, Guyana also has some solid foundations for economic development. Its well-educated population and open, market-driven financial climate make it an attractive destination for American, Chinese, Mexican and Brazilian companies, among others.

From 2006 to 2015, foreign direct investment  mostly in Guyana's mining, tourism and telecommunications sectors  averaged $188 million per year, representing 7.9 percent of gross domestic product. That will surely grow once oil starts flowing.

The odds of a success are aided by Trinidad and Tobago, which has been providing technical assistance to Guyana since 2016. In addition to helping its neighbor develop its energy and gas expertise , Trinidad hopes its own refinery will soon begin processing Guyanese crude .

One way or another, oil riches will transform Guyana. With sound economic policy and thoughtful leadership, it can be for the better.




One of Power's tasks will be overseeing completion of the Pennsylvania Ballet building on North Broad Street. Read more

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," she said.

"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 reengaging in that atmosphere."

A former dancer, Power spent a dozen years as the administrative and artistic director of Houston Ballet's 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, Okla., 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 nonprofit 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 400 more 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 that 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."

pdobrin@phillynews.com

215-854-5611 inquirerpeter
Sexual harassment is serious and claims made by victims have to be taken seriously. We know that.

But that does not mean they should short-circuit the American presumption of innocence. When Mayor Kenney suggested accused sexual harasser Sheriff Jewell Williams should resign, he was acting from emotion. Innocent until proven guilty is more than a bumper sticker.

Sexual predators are in the spotlight now, and that attention is long overdue. The way the powerful, usually men, treat subordinates, usually women, needs both an airing and a reformation.

Even with that in mind, we cannot forget that false claims of sexual abuse have been made, and more than once, for a variety of motives.

Rolling Stone ruined its reputation with a long report on a University of Virginia rape that was a fraud. Criminal charges were levied against the Duke lacrosse team as the result of a lie. False charges are sometimes made, but they are a small minority.

In the last few days comedian-turned-senator Al Franken found himself in the public dock, with some (although not the victim) demanding he resign his U.S. Senate seat. Unlike Williams, Franken 'fessed up and turned his case over to the Senate Ethics Committee.

Not only is Williams not admitting anything, he is denying everything.

Objectively, it looks bad for him because there are two accusers and the record contains a $30,000 settlement in 2012 to an earlier alleged victim.

But does it look so bad that Williams, and people in his predicament, should be forced to resign? That's what I asked law professor emeritus Eleanor Myers of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University.

"No, but there are a lot of qualifications," says Myers, who for a decade was the ombudsman for sexual harassment issues at the law school.

There could be grounds for someone to be removed from office, but that would come after a full investigation.

"I can't say every allegation would result in removal," Myers said. The most important thing, in her view, is that victims have a safe place to come forward, where they will be protected against "recrimination and retaliation."

That seems to be what's happening today. The sheer numbers of women coming forward present protection. As in the Bill Cosby case, one or two women could be written off as cranks and screwballs, but not 50.

Before finishing up with Jewell Williams, let's look back to another Williams  former Philly D.A. Seth, who didn't resign even when he was indicted and brought to trial.

In that case, Myers says, Seth Williams should have resigned because he was unable to run his office (or properly teach his Temple law class) as he prepared his defense.

That doesn't seem to be the case with the sheriff. He should be allowed to carry out the duties the people elected him to do. There's time enough to dump him if he's found guilty.

In dealing with people who look like gold-plated creeps, I feel I must hold my nose and believe the presumption of innocence must prevail.

But  as Myers reminds me of recent words by Mitt Romney  presumption of innocence is hardly the standard for public office.
A scene from the 1973 fatal fire at the Caley Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Wayne, Pa., showing AT&T workers assisting with rescues. Read more

Don Wood had been fire chief in Wayne for only eight months. The largest blaze he had handled was a pile of logs.

Then the call came in at 8:57 a.m.  44 years ago. The Caley Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center was on fire.

By the time firefighters put out the blaze at 30 West Ave., nine residents were dead and 27 injured. Seven others would later die of complications from their injuries.

The Dec. 4, 1973 blaze, one of at least four deadly fires at nursing homes in the area between 1972 and 1974, would help spur an overhaul of state inspections and regulation compliance.

On Saturday, one day after officials continued to dump water on the burned-out wreckage of a West Chester nursing home, Wood and retired firefighter Charles DeNicola recalled the Wayne inferno and its deadly result.

DeNicola remembers a sunny day off from his job as a postal worker. He had stopped by the Radnor Fire Company, where he was a volunteer. Wood, a physics teacher, was in class at Radnor High School.

At the sound of the alarm, Wood raced out of a classroom to the nursing home. DeNicola and two fellow firefighters hopped on a three-man truck and zoomed down North Wayne Avenue to the complex, only blocks away.

The two men say officials of the complex  a renovated stone mansion built in the late 1800s and flanked by two newer wings  had frequently called the fire department because of alarm problems.

DeNicola traveled the familiar route and arrived within minutes.

"When I looked up, it looked like a giant black hand of smoke coming over the building," said DeNicola, now 81, of Radnor.

Wood, now 80, had seen the billows as he drove along King of Prussia Road.

About 100 area firefighters battled the blaze. DeNicola climbed up into a second-floor window, knocking his helmet off in the process. The thick, black smoke that went down to the floor made it impossible to see. Inside, about 30 firefighters continued to go from room to room, taking soot-covered patients to the windows and handing them off to those on the outside who carried the residents down ladders.

Neighbors and workers at nearby businesses helped out. AT&T employees working in the area propped their ladders up against the building to help rescue residents. Authorities used Radnor School District buses to transport patients to area hospitals.

"I was carrying one woman who had her hand around my neck," AT&T worker George Whitton told The Inquirer after the fire. "She kept murmuring, 'My God. My God.' "

Another woman shoved her way through a crowd of spectators saying, "Where's my mother? Somebody told me she was dead. Oh my God."

The fire was under control after about 60 minutes. Officials said it started in a second-floor lounge. The cause was ruled accidental. Wood said it was undetermined. Facility owner Dale Reese, then a partner in an Upper Darby mortgage company, was exonerated of any criminal liability.

But more than a year earlier, the building had been cited for 13 safety violations that had not been corrected by the time the facility caught fire. Caley needed an automatic sprinkler system, fire alarms, widened aisles, and corridors. The nursing home also had not installed fire doors between the lounge and the second-floor patient wing, Wood said.

The deficiencies were found during an inspection by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety, but state officials didn't notify the facility about the violations until six months before the fire because of a backlog of paperwork.

State officials blamed the backlog on the 1971 revision of the Life and Safety Code, which required that 1,400 nursing facilities be inspected.

With just six months until the deadline to bring the building up to code, the nursing home's administrator explained to state officials that she had asked for an extension. But officials said they found no record of the request.

After the fire, state officials stepped up their inspection program. In October 1974, the U.S. Justice Department sued the state for failing to enforce the regulations at 147 skilled-care nursing homes.

About 55 nursing homes closed for not meeting state standards. And 100 more would probably not be able to comply with the federal Life and Safety Code regulations, Dr. Leonard Bachman, state health services director, said nearly a year after the nursing home fire.

"I think we could have a catastrophe tomorrow," Bachman said at a news conference in October 1974, "but the chances are less now than they were a year ago."
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
Hardik Patel, the convenor of the PAAS, will announce the agreement tomorrow in Rajkot, in Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's constituency, PAAS leader Dinesh Bambhaniya said.

By India Today Web Desk, Jumana Shah: Gujarat Congress chief Bharat Sinh Solanki said Sunday that a reservation formula has been worked out with Patidar leaders ahead of next month's Gujarat Assembly election.

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Dinesh Bambhaniya, too, said the Congress agreed to Patidars' demand for a constitution reservation.

Over the last fortnight, the party and a team of PAAS members have had multiple meetings to discuss the formula that can be worked out within the tenets of law.

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With just hours to go for the Congress to announce its first list of candidates for the Assembly elections scheduled next month, both the sides have conceded that an agreeable formula, which does not eat into the existing reservation available for backward communities.

Though the details of this formula have not yet been revealed, it is understood to mean that Hardik Patel will now urge the Patidar community to support Congress in coming elections.

"A formal announcement about Congress's formula and the other issues on which consensus has been reached will be announced by Hardik in a rally in Rajkot on Monday evening. There have been no negotiations about seat sharing. Our first and last agenda is reservation and what the party promises to do for us if it comes to power," said Dinesh Bambhania, who is Hardik's closest aide.

Bambhania has been holding the talks with Congress, while Hardik has not attended any meeting. Hardik was rumoured to have had a surreptitious meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi last month. But, he refused to admit it. He however conceded to have met senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot to discuss the reservation formula.

Congress state president Bharatsinh Solanki and the party's key Patidar leader Siddharth Patel reiterated that a consensus has been reached. The leaders appeared hopeful and insisted that it will be a win-win collaboration.

"Congress will also include some of our demands in its manifesto," Bambhania added.

Since last month, a committee led by Kapil Sibal has been at work for a formula to offer the Patidar community in exchange for their support to the Opposition party in the coming polls. Patidar community is perceived to be the BJP's loyal votebank since the last two decades.

Hardik Patel has been leading a movement demanding reservation for the community since last two years, claiming the community has missed out on key positions in government jobs and expensive higher education for want of opportunities.

The Gujarat Assembly election will be held in two phases - on December 9 and 14.

QUOTA FORMULA

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Bharat Sinh Solanki refused to comment on the quota formula, saying Hardik Patel would say more about that at tomorrow's rally.

Asked on what grounds the Congress made a deal with the Patidars, Solanki said in a cryptic tone, "I hope you understand what our consensus means."

"We have addressed the issues mutually", he said.

NO WORD ON PAAS SUPPORT FOR CONGRESS

Bambhania said the PAAS' meeting with the Congress was "fruitful," but neither confirmed nor denied its support for the Grand Old Party.

He said the PAAS hadn't asked for any tickets, and that getting reservations for the Patidar community was their only agenda.

23-year-old Patel is a popular leader among the youth of the Patidar community. His rallies across Gujarat have seen a massive turnout, which has given some sleepless nights to the saffron party.

If the Patidar follows Hardik's directive to support Congress, the BJP is looking at a tough time in the Assembly polls.

WATCH | Gujarat Opinion Poll: Results of the India Today-Axis My India Opinion 2017 survey

--- ENDS ---
Three assaults and a robbery by two rowdy crowds were reported Saturday night near Rittenhouse Square. JESSICA GRIFFIN/Staff Read more

Two flash mobs  one of them comprising more than 100 juveniles  caused pandemonium Saturday night near Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, assaulting at least three people and committing a robbery, police said. Two teenagers were arrested by SEPTA police.

The melee began around 7 p.m. Saturday on the 1700 block of Walnut Street and spread to nearby streets, said Philadelphia police, who provided few details Sunday.

In a brief statement, police said one group emerged from a club and assaulted a couple walking on Walnut Street. The club was not identified and police did not provide the age of the couple, the manner of the alleged assault, or whether there were any injuries.

The other group, the juveniles, were "acting rowdy and harassing citizens" in the same block of Walnut Street, according to the police statement.

A SEPTA police officer who was helping Philadelphia police disperse the crowds was punched and kicked by a 16-year-old girl, according to SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch. He did not release her name, saying only that she is from West Philadelphia and has been charged with assault on police, simple assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses at 15th and Market Streets. It was not clear whether that officer was the third assault victim or a fourth. He was not injured, Busch said.

Also arrested was a 14-year-old boy from Southwest Philadelphia. Busch said a SEPTA officer saw him punching a person in the crowd around 15th and Market. When the officer intervened, the teenager resisted, Busch said. He has been charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses, Busch said.

Both teens were handed over to the Philadelphia Police Department for processing, Busch said. It could not be determined whether they remained in custody.

No details were provided by Philadelphia police on the reported robbery.
Joseph G. Procacci, pictured here in 2012, was CEO and chairman of Procacci Brothers Sales Corp. Read more

Joseph G. Procacci, 90, known as the South Philadelphia tomato king, died Friday, Nov. 17, of cancer at a hospice center in Cherry Hill, where he lived.

Mr. Procacci's death was confirmed by his son, J.M. Procacci.

"If you're standing still, you're going backward," J.M. Procacci said his father taught him. "Charge, charge forward. Be the innovator. Be the first. And then bring others with you."

Mr. Procacci was cofounder with his brother Michael, and longtime chief executive of Procacci Brothers Sales Corp., a wholesale produce supplier based on Front Street in South Philadelphia.

The company, which owns farms in New Jersey and Florida and operates overseas, says it produces 10 percent of the country's tomatoes. Its clients are as big as McDonald's and as small as a produce vendor in the Italian Market.

Mr. Procacci also made a foray into the casino business, unsuccessfully bidding for Philadelphia's second license a few years ago and later for one in western Pennsylvania.

He is credited with bringing two new tomatoes  the grape and the UglyRipe heirloom  to the U.S. market in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mr. Procacci won a fight against Florida agriculture regulators to sell the tasty UglyRipe out of state; Florida argued the tomato was too misshapen and could compromise quality.

"He commandeered a lot of shelf space," J.M. Procacci said.

John O'Riordan, Mr. Procacci's lawyer, described his client as an "old-world kind of gentleman" who believed hard work and honesty was the way to go."

As chief lobbyist for the produce industry, Mr. Procacci prevailed over food service and supermarket groups that wanted Congress to eliminate a law that promoted fair trade in the fruit and vegetable industry, his son J.M. said. A trade group named him Produce Man of the Year in 1995 for those efforts.

"He looked out after the little guy," O'Riordan said.

John Giordano, 55, who helps run a family produce business in the Italian Market, said he'd been buying tomatoes and other produce from Mr. Procacci since Giordano was 16 years old.

He'd go to Procacci Brothers' at 7 a.m. on Sundays, and the whole warehouse was empty  except for the light on in Mr. Procacci's office, where he was working.

"He'd be doing deals in California," Giordano said, "and sell me 50 tomatoes."

"He was an icon, this guy," Giordano said Saturday.

Giordano said Mr. Procacci's specialties were wine grapes and chestnuts, which he would buy in Italy.

Well into his 80s, Mr. Procacci began looking into a new business opportunity. Casino operators hoping to win Philadelphia's second license wanted to buy some of his property. But Mr. Procacci thought the bids were too low, his lawyer said. Seizing a chance to provide even more for his family, O'Riordan said, "He got this twinkle in his eye, and he said if they can do it, I can do it."

His bid was backed by the investor Walter P. Lomax Jr., a physician and private-equity executive. Mr. Procacci proposed the $367 million Casino Revolution for Front Street and Pattison Avenue, near Procacci Brothers' headquarters.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board granted the license to another bidder, Stadium Casino LLC, in 2014.

Mr. Procacci was born and raised in Camden, where he got his start selling produce door to door with his father's pushcart.

He didn't graduate from high school, but in 1948 he opened Procacci Brothers Sales Corp.

Mr. Procacci raised his family in Pennsauken and lived there most of his life, his son said.

Mr. Procacci is survived by his wife, Teresa; two brothers, Michael and Sam; his sister Rose; children J.M., Rita, and Loretta; 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A viewing is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 24, in the evening at the Falco, Caruso & Leonard funeral home, 6600 Browning Rd., Pennsauken. Specific hours have not been set. A funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at Christ Our Light Catholic Church, 402 Kings Highway, Cherry Hill.

Memorial donations may be made to the Abramson Cancer Center, Bladder Cancer Biomarker Discovery Fund, in care of Andrew Bellet, Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations, 3535 Market St. Suite 750, Philadelphia, Pa., 19104.
ATLANTIC CITY  New Jersey Gov.-elect Phil Murphy calls her a rock star.

But in Atlantic City, they may as well call her de facto mayor. Even as the broke-yet-beloved city looks to Councilman Frank Gilliam to be its newly elected mayor, it's Lt. Gov.-elect Sheila Oliver who will determine the fate of Atlantic City.

By appointing Oliver to head the Department of Community Affairs  New Jersey's lieutenant governor is required to hold a cabinet post  Gov.-elect Murphy signaled that Atlantic City will be Oliver's call. The DCA has run Atlantic City for a year under a far-reaching state takeover.

It was his first cabinet announcement, and it was a big one around the Boardwalk. As an assemblywoman, Oliver opposed the takeover altogether.

So if, say, you're a partner in Chiesa, Shahinian & Giantomasi, a West Orange law firm with ties to Gov. Christie, and want to know how much longer you'll be billing taxpayers $400 an hour to run Atlantic City, it's going to be Sheila Oliver's call.

She said Thursday it would be among her first calls.

"The first thing we have to do is take a look at what has been going on here, what the Chiesa firm has engaged in, what is on the table," Oliver said in an interview just before the League of Municipalities' final luncheon, in a room full of New Jersey VIPs, of which she and Murphy were newly minted. "We don't have access nor are we privy to everything that's going on.

"I have concerns with how much they're spending," Oliver said, of the firm, whose billing for the takeover has reached $3 million. "They always say the devil's in the details. But if we were trying to reduce expenses, we have to look at how much it's costing us for an external entity to run the government."

Or if you are a private water company waiting to make your move on the coveted Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority, don't look to Oliver for any help.

"I don't support privatization," Oliver said. "Just take a look at Flint, Michigan."

Oliver, former Assembly Speaker and an assistant Essex County administrator, has long signaled whose side she's on. In 2016, she traveled with the Black Legislative Caucus to Atlantic City to voice objections to the takeover.

Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, whose power was usurped in the takeover and who lost his reelection bid this month, said selecting Oliver to head DCA, the state's powerful apparatus overseeing state funding and services to municipalities, was a signal to the state's mayors, some of whom, like Guardian, famously tangled with Christie.

"If I can pick anybody in the state of New Jersey to be the head of DCA, that'd be my first choice," Guardian said. "It'll be wonderful for city, for urban issues, for minorities, for all the issues I'm sure every mayor feels have been neglected."

The DCA assumed powers over Atlantic City in November 2016, after legislation authorizing a takeover of the near-bankrupt casino town, where ratables had plunged from $20 billion in 2010 to $6 billion. Tim Cunningham, director of the Division of Local Government Services, was the salaried official given the power, but Christie appointed a designee, former Senator and Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, a longtime ally, as overseer.

Chiesa's contract allowed his entire law firm to bill for their time.

The law gives the state power over payroll, assets, union contracts, and city council, for up to five years.

In the last year, the state settled a $165 million tax appeal debt with Borgata Hotel and Casino for $72 million, a savings Christie said more than made up for the law firm's fees  and altered police and fire contracts. It spent a lot of time fighting for firefighter layoffs, which a judge blocked.

Christie's DCA refused an interview request on the takeover, asking for written questions. It then refused to answer those questions. Mayor-elect Gilliam, who said he anticipates the Murphy administration's restoring local control, did not return a message.

Ending the takeover outright would require repealing the legislation, said State Sen. President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester).

"It's not going to be repealed," Sweeney said bluntly.

But the way DCA runs the takeover could change dramatically.

"That's her call," Sweeney said, of Oliver.

A takeover proponent, Sweeney said he was frustrated the state refused to offer Early Retirement Incentives instead of pressing for layoffs. And he said he did not envision the city being run by a law firm in North Jersey billing $3 million.

Now that tax appeals are settled, and state-backed bonds issued, Guardian said the Chiesa firm had overstayed its welcome. He noted two more levels of oversight exist  a business administrator, Jason Holt, who now works for the state, and a state monitor in place since 2010.

"I think the transition should be quick  before they do any more damage," Guardian said.

Oliver, 65, said she is ready to dig in.

"It's the culmination of everything I've done professionally all my life," she said.
Fireman work on a fire that broke out Thursday night at Barclay Friends on North Franklin Street in West Chester. At least 27 people were injured in the multi-alarm fire at this senior living community. Read more

Beatrice Founds Conner has questions  about where she is, where all her clothes are, when she can return to her West Chester nursing home.

Her family has tried to keep her busy. On Friday, she watched her 2-year-old great-granddaughter take photos with Santa. On Saturday morning, she ate eggs and toast and prepared for an extensive shopping trip at the Exton Mall with her daughter, Linda Barnes.

Conner escaped Thursday night's five-alarm blaze at the Barclay Friends senior living facility uninjured, but on Saturday the adjustment continued for the 90-year-old retired schoolteacher who suffers from dementia.

"It took a while for her to get acclimated" to Barclay Friends three years ago, Barnes said. "So it's like starting all over again."

Fortunately, Barnes said, she set up a room for her mother at her family's West Chester home when her mother first moved to Barclay Friends. But the last couple of nights, Barnes said, she has been sleeping in the bed with her mother, in case she wakes up disoriented. The room is on the second floor, so Barnes also must help her mother up and down the stairs.

It has been a trying situation, Barnes said, but family members have been working together to help make Conner as comfortable as possible. To them, she said, it is not a burden.

"She's always been our archangel," Barnes said. "Now it's our turn."

More than a day since the blaze injured 27 and left an undisclosed number of residents unaccounted for, Conner was among scores of displaced residents forced to adjust to new environments.

Meanwhile, authorities said, investigative officials were still unable to enter the site Saturday because the facility was unsafe. The origin of the fire cannot be determined until officials get inside the building.

"Hot spots are still flaring up," Chester County Fire Department spokesman Dave March said.

The roof also collapsed into the second floor during the fire, he said, and parts of the structure remained unstable.

By early afternoon, local fire companies were still working in a rotation, bringing their trucks to the scene to help douse hot spots. By dusk, a steady rain kept workers inside their trucks.

They hoped to get the heat under control, March said, so a special team from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives could investigate the scene, in conjunction with the Chester County fire marshal's office and county prosecutors.

"The building is burned pretty bad," March said. He thought it wouldn't be until Sunday that crews could get in.

Outside the facility on North Franklin Street Saturday morning, dozens of passersby stopped and stared. There were children, still in their pajamas, holding their parents' hands; elderly couples walking their dogs; runners taking a break from their morning workouts. Many walked up to the caution tape and looked down the hill at the charred shell of the two-story complex that two days earlier had stood as the assisted living facility at Barclay Friends.

As a light drizzle began to fall, some snapped photos on their smartphones. Others expressed shock at the sight.

"It's like a tourist attraction," one firefighter said.

But, for displaced residents, it is a home destroyed.

"The entire Barclay Friends community is deeply saddened by Thursday's night tragedy," the facility said in a Saturday statement. "Right now, we are focused on our residents, their families and our staff, as their safety and well-being remains our top priority. We will continue to support local authorities as they investigate."

Authorities and Barclay Friends officials would not say how many residents were still missing. At least one family was waiting for answers. Kenneth McGill, of West Chester, had told The Inquirer and Daily News that his in-laws had not been accounted for after the blaze.

The fire at Barclay Friends broke out just before 11 p.m. Thursday in a section for residents with memory impairment, affecting mostly the assisted living area of the facility.

Hundreds of firefighters fought to get the blaze under control into the early morning hours Friday. Neighbors rushed to help, too, assisting emergency responders in evacuating 160 residents and staff. Those who were evacuated are at other facilities or at home with relatives.
President Donald Trump has put on hold an administration rule that would have allowed parts of hunted big game to be brought to the United States from Africa. Read more

Conservationists who have a visceral emotional reaction to words like "carbon emissions" and "TransCanada" and "Rick Perry" rarely find themselves closely allied with President Trump's opinions on the proper stewardship of the planet.

Trump has consistently dismantled Obama-era environmental protections, using the common refrain that his administration desires to "better balance conservation strategies and policies with the equally legitimate need of creating jobs for hard-working American families."

So, some who've criticized Trump might have done a double take when they read one of his tweets Friday morning. The message effectively put the brakes on a new administration policy that would allow American hunters to bring pieces of recently slaughtered African elephants back to the United States:

But Trump's opposition to big-game hunting isn't new. Just ask Cher. In 2012, the outraged celebrity tweeted a story with a picture of Donald Trump Jr., a belt of ammunition around his hips, posing with slain animals: an elephant, a leopard, and a water buffalo, among others. Cher's point was clear from the Gothamist headline: "Photos: Donald Trump's Sons Awesome At Killing Elephants And Other Wildlife."

But the elder Trump took to Twitter to set the record straight:

The younger Trump, on the other hand, has consistently defended his hunting from occasionally profane critics, saying he's not going to let fear of the "PETA crazies" stop him from posting hunting pictures.

The president's tweet led to the quick  and likely fleeting  redrawing of a few battle lines. It was also part of a quick-moving flurry of activity regarding African elephants this week.

As the Washington Post wrote, on Wednesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to end a 2014 ban on big-game trophy hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Its justification was that killing elephants and bringing pieces of their corpses back to the United States to grace hunters' dens would help the species. Coincidentally, helping the species is the only way that hunters can legally bring elephant trophies back to the United States.

The ruling, and its justification, angered environmentalists and elephant lovers. In a tweet, Fox News host Laura Ingraham expressed her dismay.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce, R-Calif., suggested that the Fish and Wildlife Service's move could pump money into Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe is being asked to resign or face impeachment.

"In this moment of turmoil, I have zero confidence that the regime, which for years has promoted corruption at the highest levels, is properly managing and regulating conservation programs," Royce said. "Furthermore, I am not convinced that elephant populations in the area warrant overconcentration measures."

It was unclear whether Trump had heard the words of elephant lovers or his fellow Republicans, but he thumbed out the tweet saying the Fish and Wildlife Service's decision was on hold.

His tweet had environmentalists thanking the president.

Trump's stance on hunting is more closely allied with that of Democrats. As the Post wrote last year, "Animal welfare remains an issue more heartily embraced by Democrats, however, who tend to be less tight with farming and gun-rights groups that are often at odds with animal- and wildlife-protection organizations."
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(Reuters)  The U.S. Congress is hurtling toward some major tax, budget and other policy deadlines. Some are hard and some are flexible, with the end of 2017 approaching. Here is the Capitol Hill outlook for what promises to be a turbulent November-December.

WEEK OF NOV. 20: Except for the Nov. 23 Thanksgiving holiday, Senate Republican staffers spend the week working on a tax bill. The House of Representatives has approved its bill, part of a tax overhaul push backed by President Donald Trump.

Senate staffers must make their bill comply with procedural rules allowing it to be approved by a simple majority of 51 votes. Otherwise it would need 60 votes, which would require the support of eight Senate Democrats, an unlikely outcome.

TUESDAY, NOV. 28: Senate reconvenes after a week-long holiday break. Republicans could unveil their tax bill.

THURSDAY, NOV. 30: Possible, although far from certain, final Senate vote on tax bill.

FRIDAY, DEC. 8: Expiration date for funding needed to keep the U.S. government open. Congress has three choices: approve a massive bill for more than $1 trillion to keep the government operating through Sept. 30, 2018; pass a shorter extension of current funding to buy more time; or fail to pass anything and risk a partial government shutdown, stalling the tax effort.

U.S. Treasury hits its limit on borrowing, but takes steps to postpone any need for action by Congress, eliminating any need for a debt limit increase in an end-of-year catch-all bill.

TUESDAY, DEC. 12: Special U.S. Senate election in Alabama pits Republican Roy Moore, a conservative firebrand accused of sexual misconduct involving teen-age girls, against Democrat Doug Jones. The election could mean trouble for the tax overhaul effort. Moore, a critic of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, could cause turmoil if elected. A win by Jones would shrink even more Republicans narrow margin of Senate control, which now stands at 52-48.

THURSDAY, DEC. 14: Houses last scheduled session of 2017.

FRIDAY, DEC. 15: Senates last scheduled session of 2017.

THURSDAY, DEC. 21: Seen by some as a possible date for swearing in a new Alabama senator, which would create new uncertainty for the Republican tax overhaul drive. But Alabama officials say the election results will not be certified until Dec. 26 at the earliest. With the Senate scheduled to be out that week, no new senator could be sworn in until January.

FRIDAY, DEC. 22: The last weekday before Christmas, and a potential deadline for sending tax legislation to Trump.

DISASTER AID: On Nov. 17, the White House asked Congress to approve $45 billion in more aid for disaster-hit Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida and other states. If approved, as expected, aid would total nearly $96 billion. Additional requests are expected.

DREAMERS: Trump has threatened to end an Obama-era program that helped Dreamers, people brought illegally into the United States when they were children. Trump gave Congress until early March to come up with a replacement program, but Democrats and some Republicans want to do this in December.

CHIP: The Childrens Health Insurance Program, which helps millions of lower-income pregnant women and children, is running out of money. Congress has struggled to approve a five-year renewal for the program that normally enjoys bipartisan support.

(Reporting by David Morgan and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and James Dalgleish)
By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 19 (PTI) A CPI(M) worker was injured when he was attacked by two motorbike borne persons, allegedly belonging to Social Democratic Party of India here today. The attack took place at around 6 AM at Kattakada, in the city outskirts, police said. A video of the incident, which went viral, shows the two attackers pushing the victim, Kumar, riding a bike and attacking him with a weapon as he falls down. He managed to escape and is undergoing treatment at the Neyattinkara government hospital. Kumar, an agent of CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani, was distributing copies of the newspaper when he was attacked. SDPI has denied their involvement in the incident. CPI(M) and SDPI workers are on a warpath since the last two days. On November 17, a march taken out by SDPI was allegedly attacked by some CPI(m) workers at chavara in Kollam district. Protesting against this, SDPI took out a march to the Secretariat later that night and police used tear gas to disperse them when they turned violent.

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Meanwhile, DGP Loknath Behara said patrolling has been intensified and police wold handle such incidents with a firm hand. PTI UD APR A APR MVV

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14 female staffers who worked for Al Franken are speaking out and saying that the Senator from Minnesota treated them with the utmost respect and was a champion for women.

Here is the statement and the list of women who signed it:

Many of us spent years working for Senator Franken in Minnesota and Washington. 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.

Katherine Blauvelt

Lianne Endo

Alexandra Fetissoff

Rachel Friedlander-Holm

Jessi Held

Anna Henderson

Lisbeth Kaufman

Natalie Volin Lehr

Jamie Drogin Lehman

Rachel Pike Norton

Karen Saxe

Charlotte Slaiman

Bethany Snyder

Ashley White

Alexandra Fetissoff issued a separate statement, So much of what we did as a Senate office focused on trying to create workplaces for other women that reflected our ownand that all came from Senator Franken. It was a safe and supportive place where you could ask questions, grow, and learn. This environment allowed me to move from press assistant into a leadership role, like many of my female colleagues. During the six years I worked for Al, I never experienced, saw, or heard anything about the Senator treating women with anything but respect.

Natalie Volin Lehr, This isnt the Al Franken I know. I worked for him for 7 years, several of which were focused on womens outreach and related policy work. He is a staunch supporter of womens rights, and I am proud to have worked for him on his campaign, in his Senate office, and on his leadership PAC. He has continued to demonstrate his commitment to empowering women through both his policy work and placement of women in leadership positions in all of his organizations.

Sen. Franken did something that is very wrong. He has taken responsibility for it and sincerely apologized. Some on the left have been using tactics similar to Donald Trump and Roy Moore by trying to smear Frankens accuser. No victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault should be smeared for speaking out.

As the days go by and no more accusers come forward, it looks like Sen. Franken did something horrible, but he is not in the same category as a Donald Trump or a Roy Moore. Character matters, and character can also be seen in how a person takes responsibility for their wrongdoing.

The statements from the women who worked for Sen. Franken arent an attempt to exonerate him or minimize what he did, but an effort to show to testify to the character of the Senator.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Cloudy skies. Low near 45F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Low near 45F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Parts of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station are shown uncovered in October. Utility watchdogs and legislators want the two unfinished reactors to be maintained in case a buyer steps up, but majority owner SCANA Corp. says they're more valuable as a tax write-off. The deduction can't be claimed, it says, if the site is preserved. File/High Flyer/Provided
November is a truthful month  it doesnt indulge fantasies of permanence, such as mortals sometimes cling to, because it demonstrates unmistakable change from start to finish. Read moreAging for Amateurs: November is a dance on the foggy coast
Honesty isnt just the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. And it has to be more than telling the facts. It must include awareness of other people and respect for them. Read moreNorris Burkes: Spewing honesty
The new Berkeley County school board wasted no time in their first meeting to leave their mark on the district. Just after being sworn in, the board fired superintendent Deon Jackson and banned the teaching of critical race theory. Read moreNew Berkeley County school board fires superintendent, bans critical race theory in first meeting
After running fake website of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and cheating more than five thousand people within one week, Delhi Police has finally arrested the mastermind of this racket.

By Munish Pandey: After running fake website of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and cheating more than five thousand people within one week, Delhi Police has finally arrested the mastermind of this racket.

Sumit Kumar, a 27-year-old, who is pursuing post graduation in law and judiciary from Delhi University, is allegedly the brain behind this crime where he created a fake website of MWCD and had put applications for more than 6000 job vacancies in the ministry and cheated more than 5000 people. He made lakhs of rupee within a week.

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M K Prabhat, under secretary to the Govt of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development (Women Welfare Section) lodged a complaint at Parliament Street police station regarding a fake fund raising website in the name of Ministry of Women and Child Development. The complainant alleged that the Ministry of Women and Child Development noticed that an unauthorised organisation/NGO/individual has set up a false website in the name of Ministry of Women and Child Development using the logo of the Ministry.

Accused Sumit Kumar has disclosed that while studying LLB, he came in contact with Navita Nagpal and Anip. In March 2017, they set up an organisation in the name of Women and Child Development organisation, resembling the name of Ministry of Women and Child Development and got it registered in the office of Sub-Registrar, Central Distt. Delhi.

Around 5000 applicants have submitted applications and paid an amount of Rs 20 lakh.

Accused Sumit Kumar hails from Sonipat and is married. His father was inspector with state police.

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There was a combination of superlative hysteria and political opportunism behind the warnings about the end of democracy leading up to last weeks elections, but it wasnt inconceivable that wed have flare-ups of violence and intimidation, that people who embrace the fantasy that the 2020 e Read moreEditorial: Election 2022 gave everybody something to celebrate
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has been reelected as Republican leader, quashing a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. Scott was the Senate GOP campaign chief, and he has been criticized over his partys midterm election failures. Republican senators reelected McConnell on Wednesday by a vote of 37-10, with one other senator voting present. After the vote, McConnell said he's proud to be reelected. He's poised to become the longest-serving leader when the new Congress convenes in the new year. Scott's challenge came amid fallout from the midterms, when Republicans failed to take the Senate majority. Read moreMcConnell reelected Senate GOP leader: 'Not going anywhere'
OCAMPO, Mexico  This is a story that must begin at the end. But oh, what an end.

I stood on a forested mountaintop in Mexico in late February, mesmerized by monarch butterflies swirling around me, darting in and out of the trees and pockets of sunlight. They were high in the blue skies, clumped by the thousands on tree trunks and branches, clustered on woodland flowers and swarming in small streams of water on the forest floor. The sound of their wings was like a whisper on the breeze.

Beams of sunlight shone through 100-foot-tall oyamel fir trees like spotlights on a stage, with enough dancing butterflies to make a Bollywood extravaganza.

Bucket list experience? Absolutely.

Mingling with monarchs on a Michoacan mountaintop was a singular experience, mystical and almost spiritual.

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Epic journey

My interest in monarchs started when I was a child, enjoying what has since, sadly, become unusual: an abundance of the orange, white and black butterflies floating through my Chicago backyard. As an adult, I noticed there were fewer monarchs around. I started learning about the decline of the monarchs, which once numbered in the billions, and about their near-miraculous  at least to me  annual migration to Mexico.

Each year in late summer and early fall, monarchs born in the northern U.S. and Canada begin an epic journey of about 2,500 miles to mountaintops in Mexico  a place they've never been. It's not clear how they know where to go. But somehow the fragile insects, each weighing about as much as a cotton ball, travel to the spot where their ancestors mated and began their own journey, at that time headed north.

The butterflies begin arriving in Mexico at the end of October and early November, close to the Day of the Dead. Some locals believe the butterflies are the souls of deceased ancestors. The monarchs stay in the forest until March, when they begin heading back north.

Monarch populations are measured by the geographic size of the overwintering sites in Mexico. From a peak of about 45 acres in 1996-97, the size has been on a downward trend. In the 2016-17 winter, the area was estimated to be about 7 acres.

"What's fair to say right now is that scientists estimate the population is at a pretty serious risk of getting so low that it might not be able to recover," said Karen Oberhauser, director of the University of Wisconsin, Madison Arboretum and co-chair of Monarch Joint Venture, an organization that coordinates monarch conservation efforts in the U.S.

Milkweed wanted

The decline of the monarch population is largely because of habitat loss, both in the overwintering grounds in Mexico and in the northern breeding grounds. Monarchs only lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and that's all their caterpillars eat. But milkweed has been disappearing from farm fields and elsewhere, mainly because of the use of herbicides.

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Monarch numbers have been on the decline, but visitors to the high forests of central Mexico can still get an eyeful of the insects from November to March.

Mexico's butterfly reserves were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. But Omar Vidal, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund in Mexico, notes that illegal logging in the butterfly reserves remains a concern.

"But even if Mexico's overwintering sites never lose another tree," he said, "without food and habitat along the migration routes, the forests will soon bid farewell to their final orange-and-black-winged tenant."

El Rosario butterfly reserve, a little more than 100 miles west of Mexico City, is the largest sanctuary in the state of Michoacan, and it's where I got my first look at the beautiful insects. It's perched roughly 10,000 feet above sea level, and the altitude hit me hard. I was short of breath even at the entrance to the reserve. Rather than make an hourlong walk to the top, I rode a horse  a bargain at 100 pesos (about $5).

It took around 20 minutes over rough terrain for our group of about 10 people to make it to the top. Each horse is led by its own guide, so all the passengers have to do is hang on. After a few minutes riding under a dark forest canopy, we came upon a small dip in the trail that was flooded with sunlight and dozens of fluttering monarchs. The riders let out a few whoops, but the trail guides didn't stop for photos.

'It's just an amazing thing'

At the top, a wide, sunlit meadow offered lots of photo ops. But our jaws didn't drop until we went further into the dark forest and saw the butterflies clustered on tree trunks and branches, covering them in orange and black.

"I was overwhelmed when I first entered the quiet and dark of the forest," said Paula Zito, an operating room nurse from Sarasota, Fla. "I can't believe they were circling me, surrounding my body, occasionally landing on my shoulder or backpack."

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Oberhauser, who has been studying monarchs since the 1980s, recalls her first visit to El Rosario in the '90s.

"I just looked into the trees and saw all the monarchs, and it was mystical  and I just burst into tears," she said. "It's just an amazing thing to look at those butterflies and think that every single one of them has an amazing story of survival."

I didn't just see the butterflies  I felt them. A wing brushed my cheek, a pair landed on my shoulder, a few more on my hat. And I felt the joy of touching nature and whatever is spiritual in this world.



IF YOU GO

TOUR: Tia Stephanie Tours offers trips that include visits to two monarch butterfly reserves in Mexico between Nov. 15 and March 1. Prices begin at $2,385 per person, double occupancy. Airfare not included; tiastephanietours.com/tour/monarch-butterfly .

LODGING: Rancho Cumbre Monarca in Ocampo is about a 10-minute drive from El Rosario. It has a kind of rustic elegance, with large, tile-floored rooms with fireplaces and windows overlooking the grounds, where farm animals wander. Kids would love it. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available at the on-site restaurant. Rooms start around $50 a night; ranchocumbremonarca.com (in Spanish).
CANNON FALLS  Two people were hospitalized Saturday night after their vehicle struck a deer on U.S. Highway 52.

Mai Vu Beauclaire, 24, of St. Paul, was driving northbound on U.S. 52 just after 7 p.m. when she hit a deer and her vehicle rolled into the ditch, according to the Minnesota State Patrol's incident report.

She and her passenger  Taylor Joseph Beauclaire, 25, of St. Paul  both suffered non-life threatening injuries and were transported to Mayo Clinic Health System  Cannon Falls for medical attention. A condition update was not immediately available this morning.

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office and Cannon Falls Ambulance assisted at the scene.
Theres an old moral precept, derived from classical teaching, that virtue is its own reward. Right about now liberals may be slowly coming to learn the wisdom behind this thought. You can see this in the way many liberals are now engaged in self-flaggelation about whether Clinton should have resigned from office in 1998 when the Lewinsky scandal blew up.

To be sure, much of this is political posturing, since Democrats want to use the sex harassment issue to defeat a Republican senate candidate next month. But the situational ethics of liberals is not exactly a new observation. A better question is whether Democrats would have been better off if they hadnt nominated Clinton in the first place in 1992.

Churchill once wrote that the chain of destiny can only be discerned one link at a time, so counterfactual histories are always a bit chancy. But consider: if Clinton had resigned in 1998, Al Gore would have become president, and my guess is, running as an incumbent probably would have enabled him to find another 700 votes in Florida. (So maybe conservatives should be grateful to Clintons stubbornness.)

Who knows if wed have gone on to have President Obama, but one thing is certain: wed never have had Senator Hillary Clinton, and Democrats wouldnt have been saddled with her pathetic candidacy in 2016. Which means we probably wouldnt have President Trump today. No wonder some liberals are turning on the Clintons at last: a few of them are starting to recognize what a disaster theyve been.

The cherry on top of this sweet sundae is that there is talk of a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary. I hear Ken Starr is tanned, rested, and ready.
Will Democrats give Al Franken a pass to preserve the double standard that is otherwise applied in their favor or cut him loose in search of bigger game? At the moment it is not clear. They are not of one mind.

Hillary Clinton herself has spoken up on Frankens behalf: Look at the contrast between Al Franken, accepting responsibility, apologizing, and Roy Moore and Donald Trump who have done neither. [That] is the kind of accountability Im talking about.

Thus spoke the author of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy concoction to defend Bill Clinton in the matter of Monica Lewinksy. Bill Clinton also accepted responsibility and apologized, but not until Monicas blue dress gave him no alternative. Then the Democrats and their media friends stepped up to save him because, well, he served their interests in office. Like Bill Clinton, Franken apologized because he couldnt contradict definitive proof of his misconduct. Indeed, as Byron York points out, Franken has accepted no responsibility beyond what the photograph depicts.

Howard Fineman shows that its not just Hillary Clinton speaking up for Franken as in the olden days. Now Fineman is global editorial director of the AOL Huffington Post and analyst for NBC/MSNBC vouching for his good friend Al Franken; then he was a bigwig at Newsweek  here I am writing from memory  faithfully defending Bill Clinton. Fineman is quoted to weird effect in a 1999 Washington Post column by Howard Kurtz: The whole Clinton story is going to turn into the Alger Hiss case. Partisans will be arguing over the years who was really guilty, did Ken Starr overstep his bounds, who among the Republicans screwed up getting Clinton. Fineman did not mean that both Clinton and Hiss were left-wing liars.

In the tweet below Fineman reverts to classic form. According to Fineman, Franken is a good guy and lifelong champion of womens rights. He is not to be confused with unnamed others. Franken is certainly a left-wing politician after Finemans heart. Fineman to the contrary notwithstanding, however, Franken is a jerk who showed his true colors for all to see in the case of Leeann Tweeden.
In January 2016, Amy Chozick of the New York Times wrote an article called 90s Scandals Threaten to Erode Hillary Clintons Strength With Women. I dont think, as it turned out, that the scandals had this effect. In light of recent developments, however, its worth taking another look at Chozicks piece.

Chozick began by reporting that at an Upper East Side dinner party hosted by the head of HBO, Lena Dunham said she was disturbed by how, in the 1990s, the Clintons and their allies discredited women who reported having sexual encounters with or being sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton. According to Chozick, Dunhams concern capture[d] the deeper debate unfolding among liberal-leaning women about how to reconcile Mrs. Clintons leadership on womens issues with her past involvement in her husbands efforts to fend off accusations of sexual misconduct. There was, Chozick said, a rethinking among some feminists about how prominent women stood by Mr. Clinton and disparaged his accusers after the bimbo eruptions, as a close aide to the Clintons. . .called the claims of affairs and sexual assault against Mr. Clinton in his 1992 campaign.

Chozick wasnt bashful about recounting Hillarys role in standing by her man. She reminded readers:

We have to destroy her story, Mrs. Clinton said in 1991 of Connie Hamzy, one of the first women to come forward during her husbands first presidential campaign, according to George Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton administration aide who described the events in his memoir, All Too Human. (Three people signed sworn affidavits saying Ms. Hamzys story was false.) When Gennifer Flowers later surfaced, saying that she had had a long affair with Mr. Clinton, Mrs. Clinton undertook an aggressive, explicit direction of the campaign to discredit Ms. Flowers, according to an exhaustive biography of Mrs. Clinton, A Woman in Charge, by Carl Bernstein. Mrs. Clinton referred to Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern who had an affair with the 42nd president, as a narcissistic loony toon, according to one of her closest confidantes, Diane D. Blair, whose diaries were released to the University of Arkansas after her death in 2000. Ms. Lewinsky later called the comment an example of Mrs. Clintons impulse to blame the woman.

I dont doubt Chozicks report of a rethinking by feminists of Hillarys role. However, it never threatened Hillarys campaign because the views remained behind closed doors.

Chozicks article foreshadowed this. She reported that publicly, Dunham had a different take than the one she articulated at the posh dinner party. Her public position, as Chozick described it, was that Hillarys career is a monument to overcoming sexism.

Dunham refused to comment on the report of her remarks at the dinner party. Her spokeswoman said that Dunham is fully supportive of Hillary Clinton and her track record for protecting women, and that the description of her comments at the dinner party was a total mischaracterization.

(These days, Dunham is defending the writer of Girls from the allegation that he raped a 17 year-old. Earlier this year, however, Dunham tweeted, stupidly, Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women dont lie about: rape).

Its clear from Chozicks article that the willingness of feminists to attack the Clintons at this moment is not the result of new thinking prompted by events such as the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Feminists knew in 2016 that Bill Clinton was a predator and Hillary an enabler. 2016 simply happened to be an inopportune time to acknowledge this.

2017 is so much more convenient.
Michael Ramirez anticipates Thanksgiving, only this time the turkeys are on offense, shooting down the Trump administrations effort to make Americas economy more competitive and to stimulate growth that will benefit American workers. Click to enlarge:

I cant disagree. And yet, Republicans have the votes to reform our tax code without any Democrat support. Unfortunately, it appears they may be too disorganized to get the job done. It is no secret that Democrats put their partys power above the national interest. But why cant Republicans like Ron Johnson put the national interest above their own policy preferences? This photo from yesterdays Week In Pictures offers a new Republican Party logo. It suggests that the biggest turkeys in Washington may not be Democrats:
Amid a swirling debate over criminalising marital rape in India, several men share their ordeal of sexual violence at the hands of their wives that go unreported.

By Sneha Agrawal: Vijay Batra says he spent four nights on the streets after his wife threw him out for failing to fulfil her sexual desires including replicating her pornographic fantasies.

In a marriage that barely lasted six months, he says every refusal to satisfy her meant being humiliated and getting battered.

"Even when I had a fever, I was forced to have sex with her. She told me that I will have to fulfil all her fantasies as I am her husband. She would get rough and bite me so hard that I would bleed," he told Mail Today.

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"I approached the police, complaining of my wife's behaviour. The response that I received was that they too are helpless as there is no legal provision that would save a husband from a wife's sexual assault."

Amid a swirling debate over criminalising marital rape in India, men like Vijay share their ordeal of sexual violence at the hands of their wives that go unreported. And apparently they have no legal remedies except filing for divorce, which they claim does more harm to them emotionally and financially.

RALLYING TO RESIST CRIMINALISATION OF MARITAL RAPE

On International Men's Day that was celebrated on Sunday, scores of men in the National Capital Region carried out a rally from Leisure Valley Ground in Gurugram to Red Fort, in a bid to resist criminalisation of marital rape, a matter which is being heard by the Delhi High Court.

SIF-one, the largest all-India helpline for men in distress, gets more than 5,000 calls each month from across India. Many of them are from men who have suffered domestic violence, including physical and sexual assault, but the day they said "no", they were slapped with multiple frivolous cases and are fighting court battles along with misandry in society.

Rakesh Joshi, 36, says his wife resorted to physical assault whenever he refused to have sex. "It started with emotional abuse at first. I was married for a year and a half and was working at a call centre. There used to be days when my working hours were extremely tiring and left me with no energy to sexually engage with my wife," he said.

"But, my wife was so adamant that she would blackmail me with the threat of a case of impotence. This left me with no option but to force myself to have sex with her. Eventually, she started clawing my arms and neck whenever I said no," he added.

When Rakesh decided to fight back, his wife called the police and alleged that he harassed her. "One day I got fed up and pushed her away after she pounced on me. The next moment I saw her calling the police. It was my landlady who came to my rescue and mediated in the matter," he said.

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'SHE USED TO MOCK MY MANHOOD'

Male victims of sexual abuse in marriage also say that they have become objects of ridicule in society. Suraj Tyagi, a 35-year-old businessman in Delhi, says he has been living with an abusive wife for eight years and takes care of his minor son all by himself. "My wife is so obsessed with sex that she would hurt me and force me to perform unnatural sex. When I could not do it, she used to mock my manhood and threaten to have an extramarital affair," he said.

"She does nothing at home. I cook for my son, drop him at school and help him with homework. I have tried committing suicide several times, but then thinking of my son I give up the thought. My social circle has reduced to zero and my friends make fun of me."

Men's rights activist Amit Lakhani, who is also the president of Men Welfare Trust that organised Sunday's rally, alleged that the attempt to criminalise maital rape is a deliberate effort to label Indian husbands as potential rapists, a propaganda of having another draconian law without enough deterrents and something which can again be used as a tool to cash in on a failed relationship.

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"The society today has generalised men as perpetrators and women as the oppressed gender and laws in India do not recognise domestic violence on men, leave aside spousal sexual violence," he said.

"But the fact of the matter is that anyone can be at the receiving end of spousal sexual violence. If a wife alleges to being subjected to sexual violence by her husband, we already have laws that cover it," he added.

(Names of victims changed to protect identity)

WATCH VIDEO | Why can't marital be criminalised?

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All three state representatives who represent Dearborn and Dearborn Heights voted against a recent automobile insurance reform bill.

Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn), Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park) and Jewell Jones (D-Inkster) all came out against the bill, which they viewed as not forcing enough change to be valuable to the people who most need insurance reform.

Overall, the bill failed by a vote of 63-45, despite being introduced by a Republican into a GOP controlled House.

Deliberations went on for 90 minutes on the House floor before the vote sank the new law.

HB 5013 would have forced drivers to accept substandard coverage with no guaranteed rate relief, Hammoud said. I am disappointed that legislators and stakeholders could not come together for a compromise on an issue that is crucial for residents. The effort to provide insurance savings for Michigan drivers should not end with this bills defeat.

Democrats had their own package of bills introduced to committee, but they were shot down before ever getting to the House floor for a vote.

My colleagues asked for HB 5124 to be discharged from committee for a potential vote to prevent seniors who have Medicare or other lifetime retiree health care from paying for those benefits twice, Hammoud said. This proposal would result in real savings for people on a fixed income, which is why the bill has bipartisan support. It is my hope that we can set aside differences to advance common-sense solutions for Michigan seniors. I promise to keep fighting for both quality and affordable car insurance.

Liberati and Jones also were in support of the package that was killed in committee. All three have vowed to keep working toward real reform that will help their constituents.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Hand-crafted clothes and novelty items were on display Sunday at Stockton University as part of a fair trade sale that benefited small businesses in the United States and internationally.

Organized by the South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance, the sale featured items made in foreign countries by individuals and companies that do not use sweatshops or forced labor to make their products.

What you wont find here is shoes that sell for $1,000 that were really made for 50 cents, said Raven Ahmed, of Egg Harbor Township, who helped organize the event. People dont realize that slavery still exists around the world, and many of the products we use every day were made by someone who was paid almost nothing to make it.

Many of the vendors at the sale buy the items in foreign countries and then sell them at a fair price in the United States. For example, a bowl made in Guatemala came with a tag that read, By paying a fair price for this product you are enabling Guatemalan woman to pull themselves out of poverty and care for their families.

The sale of other items also helped support a school, daycare and a medical clinic in Guatemala.

Some local businesses, including Pacific Soul in Ocean City, also were at the sale.

Roger and Endang Brangan, owners of Pacific Soul, travel to Indonesia every year to buy items from villages. They then bring the items back and sell them in their store on Asbury Avenue.

Another vendor sold sculptures of animals made of wire that are crafted by Victorino Pineda, of Guatemala, who uses the money to help his family.

These sales are to make sure people get a hand up, not a hand out, Ahmed said. Its like the old saying You can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, or you can teach him how to fish and feed him for life.
Teacher medical costs justify jailing N.J. officials

Regarding the Oct. 30 story, NJ treasurers letter blames NJEA for health insurance cost increases:

New Jersey Education Association representative Steve Baker is correct regarding medical coverage. National medical coverage has increased costs in order to cover the uninsured. However, the state would have you believe that costs have gone up because teachers wont accept paying the same money for less coverage. The state continues to lie about everything regarding educators. Surely Gov. Chris Christie and Treasurer Ford Scudder have complete coverage for themselves and their families.

The entire Christie administration should be jailed for continually lying to the public about anything having to do with educators and education in New Jersey. Republican elected officials in New Jersey have a history of stealing from teachers and the teachers pension fund (for example, Gov. Christie Whitman) or theft by neglect, by simply not completely funding the pension system (Christie) as demanded by the New Jersey Constitution.

If this nonsense continues, the NJEA and the 116,351 teachers working in 2,516 schools throughout this state should stay home for a while. The pain in their backs and headaches caused by the injury resulting from the request to pay the same for less coverage has caused a painful condition. Having taught in the inner city for 38 years and having participated in several such activities, its my experience public officials suddenly gain clarity of thought after they realize that there arent enough jails, they cant lock everybody up; federal prosecutors, the public and news outlets are watching. They can pick individuals, but that simply aggravates the group condition more.

James K. Aumack

Cape May

No voice for most voters

Congratulations to all the winners in the recent election. The voter turnout in off-presidential election years has historically been very low and 2017 was one of those years.

In Cumberland County, where there are 89,420 registered voters, 29,196 ballots were cast. Therefore, one out of three registered voters cast ballots in this election. In other words, one voter cast a ballot while the other two didnt bother.

I hope the 60,224 apathetic registered voters that stayed home are satisfied with the results of the election. Their voices werent heard.

david m. levin

Vineland

Crash repairs overdue

Shortly after Labor Day, there was an early morning vehicle accident in Atlantic City near the entrance to the Atlantic City Expressway. One of the vehicles overturned and damaged two center cement barriers. Traffic cones, illuminated signage and additional barriers were placed to funnel traffic into one lane both westbound and eastbound.

Replacing the two barriers appears to be a rather routine job. However, after more than seven weeks, the damaged barriers are still not replaced and the rerouting of traffic continues to burden commuters and tourists. Why is this project taking so long to repair and when are repairs expected to be completed?

James Baltz

Mays Landing
The North Municipal Corporation of Delhi, a severely cash-strapped body, claims that the Delhi government owes it Rs 2,630 crore in dues.

North MCD standing committee chairman Tilak Raj Kataria has threatened to write a letter to the Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, and meet him with his team of councillors and bureaucrats over the issue.

By Mail Today Bureau: The North Municipal Corporation of Delhi (NMCD) has assumed a tough stand on its claims of the AAP-led Delhi government not paying the civic body its dues.

Its standing committee chairman, Tilak Raj Kataria, on Friday, threatened that he would write a letter to the Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, and meet him with his team of councillors and bureaucrats over the issue.

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"We will request him that from the next financial year onwards, the Centre should give us our share of taxes directly, without routing it through the Delhi government against existing norms. Meanwhile, that amount should be automatically deducted from the AAP government's share in revenues," he asserted.

The NMCD, a severely cash-strapped body, claims that the Delhi government owes it Rs 2,630 crore in dues. It gives a breakup of this amount thus - reimbursement of short fall in property tax due to Unit Area Method scheme: Rs 475 crore; amount less paid as per the 4th Delhi Finance Commission (DFC): Rs 1,616 crore and amount less paid for education sector: Rs 539 crore.

Kataria said the NMCD has sought time from Jaitley in this regard. "We want the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) to also look into our issue. If he can resolve it, well and good, or else, the Centre will have to hear our cries," Kataria said.

The NMCD says liabilities have gone up to as much as Rs 2,421 crore in the last few years, and it is unable to pay even its works contractors and employees their wages.

It says the Delhi government is still paying the corporation dues as per the 3rd Finance Commission whereas the AAP government says it disagrees with the 4th Finance Commission's recommendations of how much money it should share with the civic bodies.

'POLITICAL VENDETTA'

Kataria said, "The municipal corporations, especially the north and east, are passing through serious economic crises due to political vendetta of the non-BJP party in Delhi government. This is for obvious ulterior political motives to discredit us in the eyes of the voters of the city."

He added, "The Congress trifurcated erstwhile MCD to make it subservient to Delhi government and the present AAP government is withholding the legal and constitutionally justified due funds to the MCDs to break them."

The NMCD spends around Rs 280 crore in running five hospitals.

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.

Kataria explained that NMCD has taken several steps to bridge its income-expenditure gap by abolishing at least 830 posts, rightsizing the existing manpower, freezing fresh recruitment and putting a check on councillor funds.

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It has also revised its list of beneficiaries in the old-age pension scheme, exercising economy in purchase of medicines and replacing conventional street lights with LEDs to reduce the electricity expenditure.

--- ENDS ---
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
Chandigarh, Nov 18 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday congratulated Manushi Chillar for winning the coveted "Miss World 2017" pageant at Sanya in China.

The 21-year-old Manushi hails from Haryana.

The Chief Minister said by winning the coveted crown of Miss World 16 years after Priyanka Chopra won the title in 2000, Manushi, "the daughter of Haryana", had made the country and the state proud.

Earlier this year, Manushi had also won the crown of "Femina Miss India 2017".
London, Nov 19 : Gerry Adams has announced he is stepping down as President of Sinn Fein, once the political arm of the now inactive Irish Republican Army (IRA), after 34 years in charge of the party, a media report said.

In his address at the party's annual conference on Saturday, Adams said this will be his last year as its leader and that he will not be a candidate in the next elections, Efe news reported.

"Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now."

Adams noted that the party will hold a special meeting next year to elect his successor.

Adams, 69, a member of the Irish Parliament for Louth County, has been the President of Sinn Fein since 1983.

"I have always seen myself as a team player and a team builder."

Sinn Fein has achieved solid progress in the Republic of Ireland, according to the latest opinion polls.

Mary Lou McDonald, 48, is considered the clear favourite to take Adams's place.
Lima, Nov 19 : The US trade policy has taken such a drastic turn that it may well affect trade with Latin America, said Sebastian Herreros, the representative for economic affairs of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Herreros told Xinhua news agency in an interview that, according to ECLAC, around 24.9 per cent of the total US exports head to Latin America and the Caribbean while imports from the region account for 19.2 per cent of the total.

"Clearly, the emphasis that was on multilateralism and commitment to free trade and historic precepts of the US trade policy, are now being questioned," he noted.

"There is a new focus that is far more centered on reducing trade deficits, on bilateralism, and in certain cases, far more protectionist attitudes."

Among US President Donald Trump's first measures after taking office was to remove the country from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

"A very obvious proof was the U.S. exit from the TPP, the suspension of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU and the questions being directed at the World Trade Organization," he noted.

However, in the region, preoccupation has been centered around the current renegotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"The renegotiation of NAFTA falls under the same logic. It has not been going very well until now and many of the proposals made by the US are really very radical, very difficult for Canada and Mexico to accept," explained Herreros.

"There is a very strong uncertainty on whether the negotiations will finish safe and sound, and if they do not, what will happen next," he indicated.

"The US has said that if the new agreement is not satisfactory, it will exit, which would certainly have strong consequences for Mexico and Canada."

However, Trump's threats are not limited to North America and has made it clear that other trade deals signed with other countries in the region such as Chile, Colombia and Peru will feel the impact.

According to ECLAC, around 70 per cent of the US imports from Latin America come from Mexico and cover 4,808 products.

The renegotiation of NAFTA and other potential changes to US trade policy could negatively affect trade in the region, ECLAC said.
Could the "animal" in the image below be a dinosaur? In Uttarakhand? It's certainly reminiscent of one the most famous Spielberg characters of all time, but don't get your hopes up just yet.

An ANI photograph of the remains said to be of a still-unidentified dinosaur-like animal

By India Today Web Desk: It looks reptilian and prehistoric, and like something you wouldn't want to see peeking through your bedroom window. And it wouldn't look out of place in that immortal Steven Spielberg classic, Jurassic Park.

But police in Uttarakhand's Jaspur - where the strange, unidentified sauroid "animal's" remains were found - aren't calling it a dinosaur yet.

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They are right to be skeptical.

After all, it could be anything...and that's exactly what the news agency ANI quoted Jaspur police as saying.

"Authorities" will establish the creature's identity, police were quoted as saying.

ANI has not yet said where exactly it was found, or by whom. Neither did it post images that could help determine the creature's relative size.

But dinosaur or not, the photograph is still remarkable.

People said remains of a dinosaur were found. On reaching there we found remains of animal resembling dinosaur's shape but it could be anything. We informed authorities which will establish what it is.: Jaspur Police on remains of unidentified animal found in Jaspur #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/mDVTaI3ArT- ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Fossils of prehistoric life forms have been found in India before.

Only last month, reports said a skeleton believed to be of an ichthyosaur was found in Gujarat's Kutch region. Ichthyosaurs were large, marine animals.

In March, ANI reported that fossils of red algae that lived over 1.5 billion years ago were discovered in Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh.

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi, Nov 19 : Being a woman entrepreneur may be aspirational for many, but is it easy being one? As people celebrate women entrepreneurship day on Sunday, many of them say entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted and it's important to have self-belief in a path strewn with bureaucratic and gender obstacles.

"Yes, it has been a man's world. Almost 10 years back when I took charge of the business there were a lot of insecurities in the minds of the people. People had also tried to buy out the business. But I remained strong. I had a mission to complete. I had to make the business bigger and stronger," Anasuya Gupta, Chairperson and Managing Director, Cico Group, told IANS.

Gupta was a homemaker who was forced by circumstances to turn entrepreneur. She took up the task after her husband's demise.

"Today I realise the opportunities of being an entrepreneur. I had the opportunity by accident; but now I understand what it is like to be an entrepreneur. In Cico itself I have changed the ratio of senior leadership. Now 50 per cent of the top leadership is women. Women are more empathetic and are good listeners, which helps in decision-making," she added.

She said financial independence and financial decision-making powers for women were important, but one should not seek extra benefits. "If we want women empowerment, we also have to be at a level playing field with men. We can't ask for extra opportunity for being a woman," she said.

Women's Entrepreneurship Day was started by social entrepreneur and humanitarian Wendy Diamond, who's now the CEO of Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organisation, a privately-owned philanthropic set-up which aims to empower women and girls globally.

But in India, how difficult is the entrepreneurship journey for women?

"Entrepreneurship is a very challenging task. It is a lonely path. It is important to have self-belief regardless of what the naysayers have to say. Persistence is one of the key elements in entrepreneurship," Upasana Taku, Co-founder and Director, MobiKwik, told IANS.

She also mentioned that for a women entrepreneur, family background is very important. "Some families make it easier, some make it harsher or harder. I started the company when I was single, my parents are pro-career, so it was easier for me," she said. MobiKwik is a financial technology company.

Talking about work-life balance, on a lighter note, Taku said: "My start-up was my baby. Now the baby has grown up and is an eight-year-old. And now I have a two-year-old toddler of my own."

Shelly Singh, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, at PeopleStrong, who started her journey as an entrepreneur 12 years back, felt women should aim higher in life.

"I come from a middle class family. My parents ensured the best education for me. I worked in two places before embarking on this journey of entrepreneurship. In both the places I worked in the human resource (HR) development team. I have always felt that something needs to be done in the HR space. I wanted to build a scale company," Singh told IANS. PeopleStrong deals in HR services and solutions.

She said the mentoring eco-system for women entrepreneurs is very weak in India. "If you get the right mentor, your journey becomes smoother."

"Women have their own mental blocks. If they aim for it, they can achieve it," she added.

Taking about work-life balance, Singh said: "We women do not have to be super in everything we do. Being super in everything is not possible. It is okay if one fails in one area."

"We have to set ground rules for ourselves. Entrepreneurship is also an inward journey. If someone likes luxury, then do not get into entrepreneurship. There will be failure and there will be massive failures. It is not for faint-hearted people," she said.

Singh added: "Women really do not dream big. Women aim for limited economic freedom. Women are born networkers; they are good at social lives and are more empathetic as bosses."

(Aparajita Gupta can be contacted at aparajita.g@ians.in)
Guwahati, Nov 19 : President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Assam's Lakhimpur district on Sunday before departing for Arunachal Pradesh.

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Cultural Minister Naba Doley received Kovind at the Lilabari airport.

He then left for Itanagar in an India Air Force aircraft.

The President will participate in the valedictory function of the completion of Vivekananda Kendra and address legislators at a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly on Sunday evening.

On Monday, he will attend the closing ceremony of the Namami Barak festival in Silchar and take part in a civic reception in Guwahati.

The President will leave for Manipur on Tuesday and inaugurate the North East Development Summit and the annual Manipur Sangai festival the same day.

Kovind is expected to visit the INA War Memorial in Moirang on Wednesday before returning to New Delhi.
New Delhi, Nov 19 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday visited a hospital here to enquire about the health of Narayan Datt Tiwari, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Tiwari on Saturday became unresponsive when he was being given physiotherapy and was shifted to Max Hospital in Saket.

"Adityanath also had a talk with Tiwari's doctors," said a statement from Tiwari's office.
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 19 : Congress leaders in Kerala on Sunday paid glowing tributes to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary.

At a function held at the state Congress headquarters, two-time Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described Gandhi as a "leader who led the party from the front and took it to new heights even though it was once written off by its rivals".

"She was one leader who never ever faltered when entrusted with responsibilities. Her economic policies helped lay the foundations of India that we see now," Chandy said.

State Congress President M.M. Hassan described Indira Gandhi as "one who was rock solid in keeping India secular".

"While Gandhi led the country with a socialist ideology, present Prime Minister Narendra Modi is treading a path where the only beneficiary is the corporates while the common man is finding it tough," Hassan said.

Chandy, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony and leaders of the then Indian National Congress-Urs led by D. Devraj Urs parted ways with Indira Gandhi in 1978 and contested the 1980 assembly polls in tandem with a front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist and won.

However, in 1982, a good majority of Kerala leaders, including Chandy and Antony, returned to the parent Congress at a political meeting in Kochi which was presided over by Indira Gandhi.
Itanagar, Nov 19 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said the development scenario of Arunachal Pradesh has changed since 2001.

"The state's development scenario has changed since 2001 with the execution of Trans Arunachal Highway, road connectivity to the remote interior areas, besides construction of advanced landing grounds at Pasighat, Mechukha, Ziro, Tuting and Walong to facilitate connectivity to the people living in remote areas," he said.

Kovind was addressing the valedictory function of the celebration of 40 years of Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKV) in Arunachal Pradesh at Indira Gandhi Park here.

He also noted that introduction of railway services from Itanagar to cities like Guwahati in Assam and construction of the 500 bedded hospital-cum-medical college at Naharlagun shows accelerating development in the state.

Noting that the state has a huge hydro power potential, Kovind said Arunachal Pradesh can become "the power house of the nation", even as he mentioned that the state's immense natural habitations have the potential for development of agricultural and horticultural produce.

Describing Arunachal as the "land of rising sun" which, with its diverse cultures as practiced by different tribes and unparalleled scenic beauty, is the perfect symbol of "unity in diversity", the President said that the state has been mentioned in the Kalika puranas.

He said the state is found in the epic Mahabharata due to many historical references connected to the state.

On the state's contribution to the freedom struggle, he said many personalities, including freedom fighter Matmur Jamoh, fought against the British, and Talom Rukbo, Y.D. Thongchi and Padmashree Mamang Dai have been widely recognised.

Commending the services of the VKV with their motto of "service to man is service to god" towards promotion of quality education in the country and the state in particular despite challenges, Kovind emphasised on education to bring about progress in the society.

The Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Alumni Association was celebrating 40 years of VKV establishment in Arunachal Pradesh as an acknowledgement to the VKVs for their significant contribution in the education sector.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B.D. Mishra and Chief Minister Pema Khandu heaped praise on the Vivekananda Kendra's mission of selfless service to society in the fields of education and Swachhta, particularly in difficult areas like Changlang, Tirap and Longding.
Colombo, Nov 19 : Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the police chief to maintain tight security in the areas of the southern Galle district affected by clashes involving Buddhist and Muslim groups, a statement from his office said on Sunday.

The violent clashes that erupted on Friday night caused damage to property in Gintota town in the southern district of Galle. The statement said the government would continue to provide special security to the Gintota area as a precautionary measure, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Therefore, additional police battalions and the Police Special Task Force will be positioned at Gintota, although the area remains calm at the moment," the statement said.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka and Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena, visited the area on Sunday morning and inspected the houses and properties damaged in the clashes. The prime minister called for a report on the incident.

The police have arrested 19 persons involved in the clashes from both groups.
Chandigarh, Nov 19 : Agrarian states Punjab and Haryana have procured nearly 240 lakh tonnes of paddy so far, Food and Supplies Department officials said here on Sunday.

Punjab has procured around 173 lakh tonnes and Haryana around 67 lakh tonnes, heading towards a record paddy procurement this season.

Government agencies have procured 98.5 per cent of the paddy arriving in the grain markets in Punjab and nearly 95 per cent in Haryana. The remaining paddy has been procured by rice millers and private traders.

Punjab is expecting a record procurement of over 182 lakh tonnes of paddy this year compared with over 168 lakh tonnes of the bumper crop last year.

Paddy arrival in Haryana is much higher than the over 62 lakh tonnes that arrived in the state's grain markets in the corresponding period last year.

The procurement, which began in both states on October 1, will continue till November end.

The Reserve Bank of India has sanctioned over Rs 33,800 crore for paddy procurement in Punjab in this kharif season.
New Delhi, Nov 19 : The government on Sunday said that it has taken up with authorities in South Africa the case of armed robbery at the Indian Consul General's residence in the city of Durban.

"Ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad, and their families is a matter of highest priority for us," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a response to queries.

He said that "we have taken up the matter with relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing".

In a shocking case of security lapse, the home of Consul General Shashank Vikram was on Thursday robbed by eight armed men who held his five-year-old son at gunpoint.

According to the Independent Online, the envoy's residence, India House, in the Morningside area of the city, was breached on Thursday afternoon despite protection offered by the South African Police Services' VIP Unit, a private guard company and armed response provider.

Armed response officers, who arrived 15 minutes after the alarm was activated, took away surveillance camera footage.

The robbers burst into the home around 4 p.m. after overpowering and attacking a guard who had gone down to the driveway gate after apparently being summoned.

"Vikram's wife, Megha Singh, and the couple's two young children were home at the time and were subjected to a terrifying 10-minute ordeal during which their five-year-old son was held hostage as the robbers demanded money and gold," it said.

"The little boy, who had been studying in the reception room with a tutor, was carried at gunpoint and ordered to deactivate the alarm that had been set off by the family's domestic helper, who was beaten for her courageous act."

The intruders ransacked the building, smashing open a thick, solid door with crowbars, the report said.

One grabbed the five-year-old and hauled him upstairs, where Singh and her 10-year-old son were watching television.

The envoy's wife slammed the retractable security gate on the upstairs landing shut to call for help but the intruders forced open the gate with a crowbar all the while demanding jewellery and access to a non-existent safe.

Singh and her elder son ran to the main bedroom where she pressed the alarm and called her husband who was in a meeting at the town of uMhlanga north of Durban.

According to the report, Vikram rushed home before the security officers could reach the spot.

The robbers then fled taking a cellphone and a few small items, the Independent Online report said.

Durban is home to around 800,000 people of Indian origin.

Kumar said on Sunday that the intruders were expected to be arrested soon.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has also spoken to Vikram and inquired about his family.
Kolkata, Nov 19 : Bengali film and television actress Rita Koiral died on Sunday after a three-month battle with liver cancer at a private city hospital, her family said. She was 58.

Survived by a daughter, Koiral was a popular face on Bengali big and small screens and mostly portrayed negative roles.

She worked with directors like Aparna Sen, Rituparno Ghosh and Anjan Dutta.

Her prominent films include 'Asukh' (1999) by Ghosh, Sen's 'Paromitar Ekdin' (2008) and 'Dutta Vs Dutta' (2012) by Anjan Dutta.

'Boro Bou', 'Gunda', 'Jiban Niye Khela' and 'Chirodini Tumi Je Amar' are among her other hit films.

Koiral also acted in a number of television serials, including the ongoing 'Rakhi Bandhan' and 'Stree'.

She had at one time regularly acted in jatra (folk theatre) and theatre.

Condoling Koiral's death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "Saddened to hear about the passing away of actress Rita Koiral. My condolences to her family, friends and fans. Gone too soon."

Leading Bengali film hero Prosenjit Chatterjee said he was "shocked and extremely upset" over Koiral's sudden demise.

"Loss for the industry. Such a powerful actress she was," Chatterjee tweeted.
Harare, Nov 19 : Robert Mugabe has agreed to stand down as Zimbabwean President following a military takeover earlier this week.

A source close to the ailing leader quoted by the Independent online said he was reportedly working on his resignation statement ahead of a live address to the nation which is due to be televised later this evening.

The ZBC state broadcaster confirmed that Mugabe would address the nation shortly from his official State House office in the capital Harare.

The 93-year-old had previously refused to step down despite being under house arrest since Wednesday after the military launched a takeover.

Earlier on Sunday, the ruling party, Zanu-PF, held a meeting of its central committee where they removed him as the head of the party and warned that he must resign or face impeachment. It also appointed his former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new leader.

Mugabe sacked Mnangagwa as Vice President two weeks ago had prompted an extraordinary chain of events as the military intervened to block the 93-year-old President from installing his wife Grace in his place.

The President was due on Sunday to meet the Army commanders who took power last week, a statement broadcast by the state-run TV channel said.

The face-to-face encounter is only the second since the military takeover five days ago. Parliament is expected to start impeachment proceedings next week.

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans attended street protests on Saturday to demonstrate against the Mugabes.

The first lady has been expelled from the party altogether.

The BBC reported that cheering erupted as the decision to sack Mugabe was announced although the move has yet to be formalised.

But it increases further the pressure on Mugabe that has been building over the past few days. There were now moves to impeach him as President.

The head of the influential War Veterans Association, Chris Mutsvangwa, threatened to "bring back the crowds and they will do their business" if Mugabe did not step down. Mugabe has been President of Zimbabwe for 37 long years.

Mugabe's downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched autocratic leaders, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing pressure to step aside.

Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since the end of white-minority rule in 1980, was reportedly trying desperately to cling onto power and was believed to be in talks with the head of the armed forces, General Constantino Chiwenga, to negotiate the terms of his resignation.

It is unclear what deal he has agreed and whether this will include protection from prosecution for him or his wife, Grace Mugabe.
Dayal Singh College, facing massive infrastructure issues, is forced to accommodate nearly 6,000 students in a campus of merely 10 acres at present.

By Arpan Rai: Delhi University's most populated college Dyal Singh College - running in two shifts - has moved ahead and combines both morning and evening shifts into one. Amid uproar from faculty and students for space crunch, the classes in the college are being conducted in seminar halls and auditorium to accommodate nearly 6,000 students in a campus of merely 10 acres.

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The students and faculty members have flagged gaping infrastructure issues the college.

"Our classes are being conducted in basement, auditoriums and seminar halls. The classes that are being conducted in basement, have no emergency exit or passage. It gets worse when we appear for exams because some of the students who cannot be accommodated in a classroom are shifted to canteens and libraries. Last semester, we gave exams in canteen and corridors," said a student attending morning classes.

Even for a sprawling central varsity, the student specified that there is no space for cultural activities.

The student added that even for relaxing, the college is unable to provide a spacious canteen for the students of evening and morning classes. "For a college with 6,000 students, we have a canteen that can barely fit 150 students," the student said.

Aware of the existing infrastructural problems, college principal I S Bakshi said "Concerns raised by stakeholders of morning college have already been intimated to the university officials in detail. I hope visionary approach to prevail."

"I have briefed the university officials about the inability of both the colleges to function at the same time owing to lack of infrastructural facilities for students. The resources will be shared when we have to ensure all round development of a student as well," the principal said.

A committee set up by Delhi University's executive council had visited the college two weeks back and was briefed about lack of infrastructure for operating two colleges at the same time. According to the faculty members, running two colleges simultaneously will paralyse academics as there is a massive issue of space crunch and resource sharing with inadequate facilities.

Professor Naveen Gaur said, "We are looking at a situation of academics running into trouble and not benefiting students, neither in Dyal Singh College nor at the Vande Mataram College. Up until August, college was under heavy construction and classes were being conducted in dilapidated rooms."

--- ENDS ---
Gandinagar, Nov 19 : The Congress on Sunday released its first list of 77 candidates, which included one PAAS leader, for the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections on December 9.

The party's Central Election Committee finalised the list, as per which senior leader and sitting MLA from Abdasa, Shaktisinh Gohil, has been fielded for Mandvi seat.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener and leader Lalit Vasoya will contest Dhoraji seat.

PAAS conveners Dilip Sabwa and Manoj Panara, whose names the Patel group claimed were included, do not figure in the Sunday list.

The Rajkot West seat will see Indranil Rajguru, sitting MLA from Rajkot (East), pitted against Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. He has been challenging the Chief Minister for a long time.
Rabat, Nov 20 : At least 15 people died and five others injured in a stampede during distribution of food aid in Morocco's southern province of Essaouira, a media report said.

The stampede, which took place in the village of Sidi Boulalam, occurred when local people rushed to get food, Xinhua news agency quoted Moroccan state TV channel 2M as reporting. Most of the victims were women and elderly people.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI had given direct orders to support families of the victims, the Interior Ministry said.

Distributions of food aid are common in the North African nation, especially in remote areas. The activities are organised by private sponsors as well as by the authorities.
Jamboree Housing Corporation hires Tyson Jacobsen, a leader in the multifamily housing industry, as Vice President of Construction to head up operations for Jamborees in-house construction group.

Jamboree Housing Corporation announced today that Tyson Jacobsen, a leader in the multifamily housing industry, has been hired as Vice President of Construction to head up operations for Jamborees in-house construction group, Quality Development and Construction, Inc. Laura Archuleta, President of Jamboree, noted that Jacobsens professionalism, focus on technology, and industry experience are integral to meeting the challenges of the construction industry.

Incorporated in 2012, Quality Development and Construction is a 501(c)(3) subsidiary of Jamboree. Initially, the subsidiary was formed to provide construction management services for Jamboree development projects. In 2015, Quality Development and Construction was licensed as a General Contractor by the California Contractors State License Board and began acting as General Contractor for Jamboree projects. Since then, Quality Development and Construction has completed two award-winning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes-certified new construction developments and two rehabilitation projects, representing more than $106 million in development from northern to southern California.

Quality Development and Construction addresses all aspects of design and construction  from strategic master planning through post-construction warranty service  to ensure the highest industry standards and benchmarks in all specifications unique to Jamboree workforce and affordable housing properties. Quality Development and Construction provides Jamboree a strategic advantage in navigating the ever-changing dynamics of the construction industry which allows the development team to focus on successfully bringing high quality affordable housing to fruition throughout California.

Jacobsen has had a long, successful partnership with Jamboree. He has served as general contractor on seven of the nonprofits affordable apartment communities, including the recently completed West Gateway Place in West Sacramento, California. Jacobsen has also provided construction management services for a number of Jamborees affordable apartment developments. Jacobsen founded Advent Companies in 2002 and has successfully completed more than 80 construction projects. Prior to that, he held construction management positions at ICON Builders and Sares Regis Group. Jacobsen is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a licensed general contractor.

ABOUT JAMBOREE: Founded in 1990, Irvine, CA-headquartered Jamboree Housing Corporation is an award-winning, broad-based nonprofit housing development company that develops, acquires, renovates and manages permanently affordable rental and ownership housing throughout California for working families, seniors and people with special needs. A leading community development organization, Jamboree is committed to sustaining excellence with high quality affordable housing that benefits the environment, the economy and local communities. It currently has $280 million in affordable housing projects in its development pipeline and a $1.1 billion asset portfolio that includes the development of and/or ownership interest in more than 8,200 homes in more than 88 California communities. Currently, Jamborees Community Impact Group offers resident services that foster learning, health and wellness, and community building at 35 Jamboree communities with designated staff at each location. For more information, visit jamboreehousing.com.
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By PTI: Raje urges Irani

Jaipur, Nov 18 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, urging her to ensure that Padmavati is not released without necessary changes to the film.

Raje also said that the Censor Board should consider all possible results before certifying the film, a day after the Board sent the film back to its makers because the application for the certification was "incomplete".

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In the letter to Irani, she suggested that a committee of historians, film experts and members from the Rajput community be formed to look into the films subject and necessary changes be made to it so that it does not hurt the sentiments of any community.

The letter is the first official communication from the Rajasthan chief minister on the controversy surrounding the epic drama directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

Both Padukone and Bhansali have received threats.

The film is based on Rajput queen Padmavati and is scheduled to release on December 1.

Various Rajput groups have been protesting across the country, including in Rajasthan, against releasing the film, alleging it "distorts" history and hurts sentiments of people.

Yesterday, the protesters blocked entry to the Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan. Today, a similar protest was held at the Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajsamand district of the state.

Raje said a filmmaker has the right to make a film as per their understanding but provisions were also there in the Constitution to control such rights in case of hurt to public sentiments and law and order.

Therefore, she said, there should be a rethink on the release of the film, an official statement said tonight.

A delegation from Mewar region, comprising the states Urban Development Minister Shrichand Kriplani, MLA Chittorgarh Chandrabhan and others, met Raje at her residence and expressed gratitude for writing the letter to Irani. PTI SDA ABH

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By PTI: Jammu, Nov 19 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today accused the BJP and the RSS of playing communal politics and claimed that they want to "fragment India".

He also accused the RSS ofAcolluding with the British during Indias freedom struggle.

"By promoting and playing communal politics, the RSS and its off-shoots, including the BJP, are hell bent to fragment India into bits and pieces," Abdullah said in his address to the office bearers and prominent leaders of NC Students Union at the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan here.

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Abdullah accused that BJP of indulging in "divisive politics" and decried attempts of "sowing seeds of hatred and mistrust" among various communities for petty political gains.

"Onus lies on the youth of the country to sensitise the people against the polarising and communal politics of the BJP, RSS and its affiliated organisations," he said, adding that communal divide is against the idea of India and its ethos.

The NC President said that Jammu and Kashmir had preferred to be a part of a secular India and not theocratic Pakistan, as the people believed that religion alone was not a binding force.

"This was proved beyond any doubt in the wake of the creation of Bangladesh," he said.

The former J&K chief minister advised the youth to get acquainted with the history of the country and the state, saying it will help them in analysing political developments in the right perspective.

"The history has unfortunately been distorted and the version the young minds are being fed is far from facts," he alleged.

Abdullah said the people of the state are not asking anything beyond the promises made and the National Conference is prepared to have positive discussions over autonomy.

"I had made it amply clear to (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley, when he was designated as representative of the NDA Government during Atal Behari Vajpayees tenure to study the J&K Autonomy Report that either get convinced over the document or convince us as to what was wrong in the autonomy document that jeopardises the national interest," Abdullah said.

He said the youth have to be catalyst of change and the National Conference will provide an appropriate platform to them and harness their energies in productive pursuits in the field of governance. PTI TAS ASK SC ASK

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Sen. Bernie Sanders dodged a question about whether Sen. Al Franken should resign after a Los Angeles TV and radio host accused the Minnesota Democrat of sexual misconduct this week.

"I think that's a decision for Al Franken and the people of the state of Minnesota," Sanders said when asked on CNN's "State of the Union" whether Franken should step down.

"My understanding is that Al is a very popular senator. People in Minnesota think that he is doing a good job. And his political future will rest with the people of Minnesota."

On Thursday, TV host Leeann Tweeden wrote that Franken once kissed and groped her without consent in 2006 when they were on a United Service Organizations tour to entertain military service members abroad.

Though Franken apologized and agreed to a Senate Ethics inquiry into his behavior, some progressive activists and left-leaning opinion writers called for the Minnesota senator to step down.

Democratic lawmakers and major affiliated groups have largely supported the call for an ethics investigation, but have refused to say whether Franken should resign.

Watch the clip via CNN:
Akinwande Ogundana, who shared the clip on Facebook was thanking God and members of his community for foiling the attempt of the suspects as they aimed to abduct his wife - a full grown woman.

Conversations heard in the video suggested that the trio had the intention to whisk away the unnamed victim via a motorcycle in broad day. A scene in the footage saw them lie on a blood-stained floor as a group of people directed disparaging comments at them as well as some blows.

The seriousness of their plight was clear to them from their sober faces - they had chosen a wrong trade and have met their waterloo. An arrival of the police would mean their last hour as free men.

Cases of kidnapping have been a constant concern for security personnel in the country. Many of these have been for ritual purposes where the perpetrators receive a meagre fee after making a delivery to a higher person who has kept them under his employ.

ALSO READ: Notorious kidnapper arrested while having sex with lover

Notorious kidnapping kingpin Evans made headlines earlier in 2017, following his arrest by the police. It has so far been the most viral criminal matter this year. Investigations conducted by law enforcement officers led to the uncovering of a number of affiliates who worked with him in the kidnapping business.
He made the comments when he addressed the 18th congregation of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.

This national address system that Ghana has implemented is more advanced than the address systems that we have in London or the United States," the Vice President, said.

He continued: Unfortunately, people dont even want to think and believe that we can actually do things better than the more advanced countries. People have the mindset that we have to be behind them always but I say no, we can move forward and we can overtake them.

You must have the confidence that you can do things that are better than what America or the US can do, and in Ghana, we have been able to do a digital property addressing system that is better than what America or the US has.

Former NDC flagbearer, John Mahama, had a rally in Cape Coast said Ghana's digital addressing is fraud and have, thus, tagged it as "419."

They have also questioned the cost of the implementation of the digital addressing system as excessive.
The six persons are said to have gone into hiding and according to the police, they may be hiding in Ghana or neighbouring countries.

The suspects are Yaw Amankwa aka Bulla, Nana Kwadwo aka Nana Ajo, Maame Dedeekor, Tikwah, Yaw Boadu and Kofi Ahenkora.

The suspects are said to have played various roles leading to the death of the army Major, who was lynched in the area after he was mistaken for a thief.

He died as a Captain in the army but was posthumously made a Major by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Yaw Amankwa, Yaw Annor and Kwesi Asante are suspected to have fired at the soldier before being lynched by a mob, as two bullets were discovered in the soldiers body as well as bullet wounds.

A statement issued and signed by ASP Olivia Turkson, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, indicated that Bulla is about five feet five inches tall, slim built with black hair, brown eyes and medium ears.

He is believed to be in his mid 40s and suspected to be hiding in Ivory Coast, the statement claimed.

Madam Dedeekor is also believed to be in her early 50s, dark in complexion and is about four feet eight inches tall.

READ MORE: Good news for Barbara Mahama as Parliament passes trust fund bill

She is from the Volta Region and is believed to be hiding at Aflao.

The four others, according to the statement, are suspected to be hiding in the country.
The bill was on Tuesday, November 14 passed by parliament after over 30 amendments were made to the bill from both sides of the house.

Quoting Article 88 (3&4) of the constitution, the former minister, who was speaking on Joy FM's Newsfile Saturday, said: (3) The Attorney-General shall be responsible for the initiation and conduct of all prosecutions of criminal offences.

"(4) All offences prosecuted in the name of the Republic of Ghana shall be at the suit of the Attorney-General or any other person authorised by him in accordance with any law.

According to her, it was not possible for the special prosecutor to be independent based on the quoted Article of the constitution.

"We all want corruption to be tackled but lets do it in a systematic legal way that is consistent with our 1992 Constitution. This will not fly because it is inconsistent with the Constitution, Oye Lithur argued.

The Deputy Majority Leader and Minister of State in-Charge of Procurement, Sarah Adwoa Safo, rejected Oye Lithur's argument that special prosecutor is unconstitutional.

He said the constitution allows the Attorney General to delegate his/her prosecuting powers.

There is nothing wrong with the constitutionality of this law, she pointed out.
In statement signed by GJA General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, the umbrella body for Ghanaian journalists said KABAs death was big blow.

"Indeed, the death of KABA is a big blow to the Multimedia Group, the GJA and Ghana as a whole. It is in such sense of irredeemable loss that the GJA expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, especially his wife, Valentina Ofori Afriyie and little daughter, Nana Yaa, as well as the entire Multimedia family," he said.

The statement, issued on Sunday in Accra said he has paid his dues to journalism in Ghana and served his country well.

The GJA believes his death is only divine. And so in this grieving moment, and in utmost solemnity and sobriety, the GJA calls on all friends, families and loved ones to reflect on the good works of KABA in order to take a cue from them, rather than allow the pain of loss to overwhelm their thoughts and utterances," it further noted.

KABA died Saturday morning at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital aged 37.
In a live TV address, Mugabe said he would preside over the ruling party's congress in December 2018.

Mugabe had earlier been sacked by Zanu-PF as party leader, and gave him less than 24 hours to resign as president or be impeached.

"The (ruling Zanu-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," President Mugabe said in his speech.

"Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns," he said.

The Zimbabwean President's grip on power has weakened since the military intervened on Wednesday, in a row over who should succeed him.

The crisis in his governance was triggered he sacked his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, two weeks ago, angering the army who saw it as an attempt to move his wife, Grace, into the position of his successor.

Earlier on Sunday, Mnangagwa was named as Zanu-PF's new leader and candidate for the 2018 general elections.
He has been expelled, one of the delegates told Reuters. Mnangagwa is our new leader. Three other delegates confirmed Mugabes dismissal.

Mugabes 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harbored ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from the party, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her G40 political faction.

The party gave the 93 year old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment.

War veterans' leader Chris Mutsvangwa threatened to unleash the mob onto Mugabe if he refused to go.

We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business,said Mutsvangwa who addressed the press moments before the 200 ZANU-PF delegates packed into the partys Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of overjoyed protesters flooded Zimbabwe's streets celebrating President Robert Mugabe's expected downfall ahead of crunch talks between Mugabe and the military who seized power from him.

In scenes of public euphoria not seen since independence in 1980, huge crowds marched, danced and sang their way through the capital Harare and other cities, demanding that Mugabe, 93, finally step down.
By PTI: Hyderabad, Nov 19 (PTI) Elaborate security arrangements are being made ahead of the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 scheduled to begin here from November 28.

The event is to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump, who will lead the US delegation to the Summit.

According to senior police officials of Hyderabad and Cyberabad Commissionerates, security is being stepped up in the city and they have already undertaken security checks around the venue of the summit besides conducting door-to-door searches around the Falaknuma Palace, where a dinner is being organised for the delegates.

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"Special Protection Group (SPG) and US Secret Services officials have already visited the city and reviewed security arrangements and they are again coming to monitor and finalise the arrangements," the officials told PTI.

Apart from commandos of Greyhounds -- an elite anti-Naxal force and OCTOPUS - elite anti-terrorist force, over 1,500 police personnel will be deployed and another 300 personnel will also be deployed near the Summits venue located under Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, a senior police official said.

Around 1,500 delegates from across the World are expected to participate in the Summit.

Another senior police official attached to Hyderabad Police Commissionerate said over 2,000 police personnel will be deployed around Falaknuma Palace and already door-to-door searches (in around 3,500 houses in surrounding areas of the Palace) has been conducted.

"We have sanitised the areas and we have instructed the citizens of the localities not to give shelter to strangers in their houses...the people are supporting the security measures," the official said. PTI VVK NRB

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Both Malta and Germany legalized same-sex marriage and, this week, Australia made big strides towards doing so as well.

In a nation-wide postal poll, 61.6% of Australian voters said they were in favor of same-sex marriage, ensuring the federal government will try to pass a marriage equality bill before the end of the year.

Yet while demand continues to grow for LGBTQI rights, there are currently only 25 countries that allow same-sex couples to marry.

Keep scrolling to read the full list:

1. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriages.

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2. Belgium followed suit in 2003 and granted equal rights to same-sex married couples.

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3. In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed legislation making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

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4. Also in 2005, a closely divided Spanish parliament agreed to do the same.

The law

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5. After South Africa's highest court ruled the country's marriage laws violated the constitutions guarantee of equal rights, parliament legalized same-sex marriage in 2006.

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6. In 1993 Norway allowed gay couples to enter civil unions, but it took until 2008 for a Norway to pass a gender-neutral marriage law.

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7. In 2009,Sweden voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.

The bill passed

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8. Iceland's parliament voted unanimously to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010.

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9. Portugal has also allowed same-sex marriage since 2010, after legislation was originally challenged by the country's president.

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10. In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage.

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11. Denmark's legalization came in 2012 after Queen Margrethe II gave her royal assent to the proposed legislation.

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12. Uruguay passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage in 2013.

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13. In 2013, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific to legislate for same-sex marriage.

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14. President Francois Hollande signed a measure legalizing marriage equality in France in 2013.

Hollandes signature had to wait until a court challenge brought by the conservative opposition party, the UMP, was resolved.

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15. Brazils National Council of Justice ruled that same-sex couples should not be denied marriage licenses in 2013, allowing same-sex marriages to begin across the country.

Prior to the law, only some

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16. England and Wales became the first countries in the UK to pass marriage equality in 2014.

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17. Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favor of of legalizing same-sex marriage later in 2014.

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18. Luxembourg overwhelmingly approved legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed and to adopt children that went into effect in 2015.

The bill was spearheaded by

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19. Finland approved a marriage equality bill in 2014, but it only went into effect this year.

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20. Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote in 2015.

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21. Greenland, the world's biggest island, passed same-sex legislation in 2015.

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22. The United States Supreme Court made marriage equality federal law in 2015.

Same-sex marriage had been legal in 37 out of the 50 US states, plus the District of Columbia, prior to the 2015 ruling.

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23. Colombia became the fourth Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2016.

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24. In 2017, Germany became the 15th European country to allow same-sex couples to wed.

Germany gave full marital rights to homosexual couples in a vote that Chancellor Angela Merkel vited against.

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25. And earlier this year nearly all of Malta's parliament voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
Still, there is so much more to the story that a lot of people do not realise.

Here are 5 interesting things you should know about the Pontiffs exotic ride.

1. It is a custom-made gift:

Pope Francis newest car is a gift from Lamborghini, who customised the car just for him. The car was produced by Ad Personam, the companys customization department.

It was presented by Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, and others from the company, including two of the technicians who worked on the car.

The ceremony was held in the Vatican.

2. It's not just an ordinary Lamborghini:

The Pontiffs car is a one-off rear-wheel-drive Huracan LP5802 coupe, according to digital trends. It is a really fast car with a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 with 572 horsepower, 398 pound-feet of torque.

It has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that gives it the ability to hit 62 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. Top speed is 198 mph. CarandBike.com reports that it is worth about $210,730 (N76M).

ALSO READ: Isuzu Kenya builds Papal automobile for Pope Francis

3. The colours mean something:

The Catholic leaders latest addition has two colours, white and yellow. Offical names  Bianco Monocerus and Giallo Tiberino. These colours page homage to the Vatican city flag.

4. It was meant for charity:

Contrary to public belief, this car was made for charity. It was built so that the Pope could auction it off and donate to charity. According to the Pope, proceeds will go to various organizations around the world.

These organisations include the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need, the Pope John XXIII Community, GICAM headed by Dr Marco Lanzetta (hand surgeon) and Friends of Central Africa.

5. The charity will be held next year:

The car will be auctioned on May 12, 2018. This will be done by RM Sothebys. The buyer will be getting a special-edition Lamborghini Huracan with a signature from the Pope himself.

FYI:

This is not the first time an auto company has gifted the Pope. In 2013, Pope Francis got a Harley Davidson Dyna Glide motorcycle gifted that was auctioned for $327,000 in Paris. The proceeds went to a hostel in Rome.

The Pope has also received an Enzo supercar, the final one, from Ferrari.
The three students, Mary Jane Ahunna Onuegbu, Raymon Stephen Ekerete and Isabella Abosede Brown were arrested for the sale of 13 packets of drugs said to be synthetic cannabinoid and ecstasy.

The trio according to reports was arraigned in court for additional detention.

Talking about the arrest of the students, Mahir Ture, a Cyprus police officer reportedly said Ekerete was arrested in front of his apartment building, while Onuegbu was arrested in her room.

He added that scales used for weighing and materials used in packaging drugs were retrieved from the students.

ALSO READ:Nigerian student arrested for imprisoning a professor in US

Similarly, a post-graduate Nigerian student, Jackson Igwebuikewas arrested in Australia for drug trafficking in October.

Igwebuike who graduated from University of Benin was found guilty of importing drugs worth $10 million [about N3.6 billion], into the country and was sentenced to jail on October 25.

Also in May, two Nigerian students, Anthony Okafor and Paschal Adibe were arrested at at Cambodian airport for carrying cocaine in their stomachs.
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The 17-year-old student simply identified as Dami, who goes by Diwah Doll on Facebook took to the social media platform to react to the allegations.

According to Madailygist, Dami was caught using a stolen iPhone and was also caught in possession of a charm dripping with blood in her hostel.

However, Dami unremorsefully reacted to the accusations attacking anyone who dares questions her about the allegations, adding that she does not owe anyone any explanation.
The beautiful actress showed up at the wedding with boyfriend and rapper, Iceberg Slim. This would be the first time the couple would be attending a celebrity wedding together as a couple.

They both looked amazing and dashing as they celebrated with the latest celebrity couple in town. Well looks like these guys might be the next celebrity couple to tie the knot.

Well even though their relationship might be looking all rosy, the Ghanaian actress has given her boyfriend, Iceberg Slim some hints on how her country people will react if he breaks her heart. She revealed this while granting an interview to a Ghanaian radio station, Joy FM.

ALSO READ:

Ghanaians are listening, the whole country is behind me. If you mess upif you mess up Iceberg SlimI see the comments from my Ghanaian fans like if you try it, if you mess Juliet up, we will deal with you," the actress warned.

The couple also revealed how they met and fell in love during a trip to South Africa. This is coming a few days after the celebrity couple shared a deep kiss on a live television programme, dropping the hints that these guys are going to be here for a long time.
The lady, Eniola Omoshalewa Eunice, had alleged in a post that the actor intended to have sexual intercourse with her in exchange for a role in a movie nine years ago. Her blunt rejection of the idea led her to abandoned on the highway from where she made her way home in tears.

In response to the allegation, Fabiyi wrote to the office of the Police commissioner for Lagos through his lawyer Barrister Badru, asking the public to provide helpful information that can help in contacting his accuser, Linda Ikeji's Blog reports.

He referred to the comments submitted by Eunice as an act of blackmail and urged his fans and associates to disregard the allegation.

"Please anyone who know or has or had direct dealings with this woman and how she can be reached physically should DM me or whatsapp me ONLY via 08029062692, better still pass the info to Barrister Badru M B via  08134821247," he began.

"It is not in my habit to warn or be on the wrong side of the media as I believe we are in here for one another with high respect but please if you are not part of the this pull him down by all means syndrome campaign going on, I advise you avoid letting this cheap BLACKMAIL seat on your portal.

"To my friends, fans and close allies that know me so well, one thing is crystal clear, I will not walk anybody out of my car in a manner that terrible lies has pointed. So many lies and discrepancies in the story.

"I do not know who is behind this but I am sure they are not someone with better lives and they shall meet their waterloo very shortly.

"I will see this to a logical end and ensure criminals like this are not allowed to spoil the cyber space or hoodwinked people into falling in line with their jaundice or criminality. In the interim, let us relax and see how things pans out," the petition reads.

Meanwhile, Eunice has increased the security parameters of her Instagram page. Fabiyi posted a screenshot of her account on his as if to offer proof that she is only being used as a tool to discredit him.

The issue of sexual harassment by reputable actors became a viral subject following the public shaming of Hollywood filmmaker, Harvey Weinstein who was accused by some notable actresses including Angelina Jolie, of obscenity with an intention to have sexual intercourse with them.
These ladies had died from drowning on their way to Italy in search of better opportunities.

It was a big L on the government that it was the government of Italy that buried these women with no input from the FG.

This is really baffling because if a Minister can go abroad to watch the fight of Anthony Joshua (who is a British citizen), then the government should also use the same energy to be involved in the burial of these women.

The slow response of the FG to the tragedy was also sad. It seems the powers that be lack a human touch.
The Narendra Modi put forward a strong case for Aadhaar in the Supreme Court, telling the court the scheme saved the country Rs Rs 59,677 in the last three years. The government also said Aadhaar ensures privacy.

By Harish V Nair: Making a strong case for Aadhaar cards, the Narendra Modi government has told the Supreme Court that it could save a whopping Rs 59,677 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme in the last three years by weeding out duplication and fake claimants of welfare measures.

The Centre also said 118.64 crore Indians, which is 88% of the population, had obtained Aadhaar and they used it 1,216.8 crore times for authentication purposes.

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Questioning claims that linking of biometric data collected through Aadhaar to banking, mobile connections and other services was a violation of right to privacy, the government also said over 12.64 crore bank accounts were opened using Aadhaar-based e-KYC (Know Your Customer).

The assertion through an affidavit comes ahead of the SC constitution bench hearing which will determine if the mandatory rule to submit personal details including iris scan and fingerprints violate the right to privacy as argued by a host of petitioners who have challenged it.

Critics say the ID system weaves together enough data to create a full profile of a person's spending habits, their friends, property they own and a trove of other information.

'PUBLIC INTEREST'

"There is a clear public interest in ensuring that the various benefits, subsidies and services being offered by the state should reach the intended beneficiary and not to fakes and duplicates, which proliferate in the system leading to loss of crores of rupees of public money", said the affidavit of RP Pant, UIDAI assistant director general, and drafted by the body's standing counsel Zoheb Hossain.

The unique identification authority had in an earlier instance said public sector oil companies detected around 55,000 duplicate connections on the basis of Aadhaar numbers and once these connections are blocked, it would save the exchequer around Rs 35 crore annually.

The court should encourage and endorse the use of Aadhaar-based biometric identification to prevent pilferage, leakages and to ensure elimination of bogus or fake persons from the system, it said.

'HIGH LEVEL OF PRIVACY'

Seeking to allay fears of data leaks, the UIDAI said "technical architecture of Aadhaar has been structured in such a way, to ensure clear data verification, authentication and de-duplication, while ensuring a high level of privacy and information security."

The apex court in its August 24 landmark verdict declaring privacy as a fundamental right expressed concerns over inroads made into an individual's right to privacy in the digital age and called for a data protection law proportionate to the purpose for which data is collected and stored.

"Informational privacy is a facet of the right to privacy. The dangers to privacy in an age of information can originate not only from the state but from non-state actors as well. We commend to the Union government the need to examine and put into place a robust regime for data protection," the SC had said.

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QUESTION OVER AADHAAR REMAINS

The nine-judge bench of SC while declaring right to privacy a fundamental right has not commented if the Aadhaar scheme was a violation of it, as contended by the petitioners. This question has been delegated to a separate fivejudge bench which will begin hearings soon.

But a minute reading of the judgment makes it clear that the bench might have left enough loopholes, through reasonable restrictions on the extent to which citizens can enjoy fundamental right to privacy, after which the scheme may have secured a lifeline.

The judges also said the right to privacy is not absolute and has certain limitations.

One of the judges, Justice S K Kaul, in the privacy judgment bench even ruled that there is no harm in seeking details in legitimate national security interest, in public interest including for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes.

He even said that private information can be elicited for regulatory framework of tax and working of financial institutions and markets.

The bench said "the legitimate aims of the state would include for instance protecting national security, preventing and investigating crime, encouraging innovation and the spread of knowledge, and preventing the dissipation of social welfare benefits."

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Petitioners including retired Karnataka High Court judge K Puttaswamy, and social activist Aruna Roy said details for Aadhaar are collected by private contractors and NGOs hired by UIDAI without any safeguard, making them prone to misuse.

They claimed empirical research shows that the biometric identification denoted for UID, namely the iris scan and fingerprint identification, is faulty and could be abused.

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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!
He said it is now left to the people to give the Aare the necessary support that will make him deliver on his mandate.

Speaking in his palace during a thank you visit by the Aare Ona Kakanfo which coincided with a christening ceremony in the palace, Alaafin posited that the core of the Aare assignment is to unify the Yoruba race so that its citizens could carry on in one accord.

He expressed his joy over his choice of Gani Adams as the Yoruba Generalissimo, declaring that the accolades he has received over the issue have been overwhelming.

As at the last count he said, about 600 congratulatory letters have been received by the palace over the choice of Adams as Kakanfo, adding that he had to delete such message on his handset when there was no space anymore to accommodate them.

Remarking that so many futile efforts have been made in the past to foster unity among Yorubas, Alaafin said the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo's major assignment is to unite the entire race, adding that the importance of this assignment necessitated the proclamation of an Aare Ona Kakanfo at this time.

ALSO READ: Alake says Aare Ona Kakanfo title is a huge challenge

According to the Monarch, the Aare Ona Kakanfo has a duty to the entire Yoruba land, even as he registered that Adams was born great and destined to be great.

He stressed that God only used him as the catalyst to bring him to a greater level of his greatness, through the title.

This he said, is the reason the entire race must rally round him to ensure that he doesn't fail.

Speaking earlier, the Aare Ona Kakanfo designate said the response of the people to his proclamation as the Aare Ona Kakanfo showed that the people wanted a qualified person for the position.

Informing that he had received over 150 congratulatory messages since the proclamation, Adams said every palace he has visited since the proclamation have been very receptive, adding that the title has given him " another picture of the Yoruba race which suggests that there is so much work to do"
Buharis congratulatory message is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Sunday.

The President joined members of the Peoples Democratic Party, professional colleagues, associates of Jonathan, and his family in celebrating the unique history of the Nigerian leader.

He noted that the former president, within a short period rose from being a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President to becoming Nigerias President for six years.

According to him, Jonathans foray into politics and ascendency to the highest political office in Nigeria from a humble riverine background testifies to the greatness and inclusiveness of Nigerias democracy, and serves as an invitation to all those with interest to add value to the nation.

Former President Jonathan, who has been described as the luckiest politician of Nigerias political history, was born in Otueke, Bayelsa state, on Nov. 20 1957.

Before he entered politics in 1998, Jonathan worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer.

Jonathan had also served as Deputy Governor and later as Governor of Bayelsa from 2005 to 2007.

The former President had served as Vice-President, acting President, and later as Nigerias President from 2010 to 2015, following the death of President Umaru YarAdua.
NAN reports that the highest donation came from the Chairman, Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who donated N10 million.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the occasion and Lamidon Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammed Barkindo Mustapha described the book as a reminiscent of the good deeds of late Emir, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi I.

Late Sir Muhammadu Sanusi I was a political as well as a religious leader who led an exemplary life worthy of emulation, he said.

In his remarks, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed concern over the scrapping of history from school curricula, blaming it for numerous social challenges bedevilling the country.

He said Nigeria would be better if the leaders both in public and traditional institutions should learn and emulate the leadership virtues of their predecessors who had done great things during their life times for the benefit of their people.

He also described the late emir as a leading example worthy of emulation by all leaders in the country.

The former Vice President commended the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II for allowing the publication of the book.

According to him, the book will serve as an eye opener for many people in the country.

He called on the the government to include the book among the History literatures in the country.

NAN reports that the presentation of the book,which took place at the Emirs Palace, was attended by over 10 prominent traditional rulers and five governors, as well as members of the national and international business community
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, DSP Muhammad Shehu, made the confirmation to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Sunday.

Shehu said the attackers had on Nov. 16 and Nov.17 Nov invaded Gidan maidawa, Wari and Tungar baure, Mallamawa villages in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas, killing many people.

He said the command was still gathering data of the victims of the attack, from the affected communities.

The police image maker promised that the command would disclosed to the public accurate figure of the deceased and injured persons, after the exercise.

So far in the record we have, three people were killed in Maradun Local Government Area, we are still compiling comprehensive figures of the victims from other villages attacked and make them available to the pubic later, he said.

He said command had deployed its personnel to the affected areas, in collaboration with other security agencies.

"So based on the report we have now, peace has been restored in the area.
The Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Mr Asuquo Amba, revealed this in Yenagoa on Saturday during a visit by members of the state chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO).

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CLO team was led by its Chairman, Chief Nengi James.

The commissioner said intelligence report gathered by the police showed that the Delta and Rivers waterways had recorded relative calm due to synergy of the various state security agencies.

He, however, admitted that there were still some challenges with sea piracy in the state, pledging that the police would soon deal with sea pirates terrorising the states waterways.

Amba said 14 of the 16 gunboats being deployed were refurbished by the Bayelsa Government, while two were procured by the Police Zonal Command.

Gov. Seriake Dickson has directed that 14 gun boats be repaired for the operation and two donated by the Police high command.

The 6,000 personnel needed are being trained, he said.

Speaking on prison congestion and recent cell break at the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office, Amba blamed the deplorable state of police detention facilities on the slow judicial processes for the development.

Amba said proposal for construction of a new and secured SARS cell and the amendment to improve the judicial process had been submitted to the relevant authorities.

Most police cells are not in good conditions in the state. Also, the slow process of the Bayelsa judiciary is not helping matters.

Out of all the states of the South South, Bayelsa court process is the slowest. All cases depend on Director of Public Prosecutions clearance and when the case is cleared, it does not move forward.

 I have met with the Chief Judge of the state on the matter. I have also met with the state governor on the issue. When a police custody is congested, the inmates become agitated. Amba said.

In his presentation, the state chairman, CLO, commended the Bayelsa Police Command for the recent successes recorded in the state.

James noted that though some personnel of the command were doing well, others had continually engaged in alleged extortion of members of the public.
Maduagwu made the commendation in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government area of the state, on Saturday in an interview with newsmen.

The speaker, who said that the turn out of electorate was impressive, commended voters for complying with all electoral laws during the electoral process in the area.

Maduagwu said that the voters had done their beat and advised INEC to ensure that the electorates votes count .

She urged relevant agencies to work towards enthroning satisfactory democracy in the state to maintain the peace which exists in the state.

In a related development, Chief Marcel Okeke , the running mate to Mr Osita Chidoka, candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), condemned what he called high level of political inducement during the 2017 governorship election in the area .

Okeke who bared his mind to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Saturday at Ogbunka community in Orumba South Local Government Area said the act must be curtailed .

He said that some political party loyalists were seen in the open sharing wrappers and money to intending voters before casting their votes, luring them to vote for their party.

Okeke said that politicians should be made to understand that the quest to be a chief servant of the state is not a do or die affair

He said that electoral umpire should come up with stiffer penalty for any political party involved in monetary inducement of the voters.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The government has not asked the Reserve Bank to pay any special dividend and is only seeking Rs 13,000 crore of surplus lying with the central bank, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has said.

In August, the RBI had paid a dividend of Rs 30,659 crore for the fiscal ended June 2017. It was less than half the Rs 65,876 crore it had paid in 2015-16.

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The government had budgeted for a Rs 58,000 crore dividend from the RBI in its Budget for this fiscal year.

"There is no proposal at this stage to ask for any special dividend. What is being discussed is to only ask for what the RBI earned this year but did not distribute. That is about Rs 13,000 crore. Thats what the government has suggested the Reserve Bank to transfer," Garg told PTI.

RBIs profit was about Rs 44,000 crore, of which Rs 30,000 crore has been distributed and Rs 13,000 crore it retained towards risks and reserves. So the government has made a suggestion that the Rs 13,000 crore may also be transferred, he said.

The government had last month announced an unprecedented Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital infusion in PSU banks, which are grappling with high non-performing assets (NPAs).

Asked about the contours of the recap bonds, Garg said "the recapitalisation package is in the final stages. The Department of Financial Services is working on it and soon we would see all these aspects being addressed".

Of the Rs 2.11 lakh crore, Rs 1.35 lakh crore would be infused through recapitalisation bonds and the remaining Rs 76,000 crore through budgetary support and banks diluting equity in capital market.

Credit rating agency Moodys had last week upgraded Indias sovereign rating after a gap of over 13 years citing reform push and steps being taken by the government to solve the high NPA problems in the banking sector.

Bad loans in the sector have neared Rs 10 lakh crore.

Garg said Moodys has acknowledged the reform process and believes that India is in a position to control its debt and put its banking sector in order.

"The kind and quality of reforms, the boldness of reforms, the structural, fundamental needs of reform is what has persuaded them to believe that India is now on a longer term high growth path ...That (reform) process will continue and I dont see any slackening in reform effort," he said.

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The US-based rating agency cited government efforts to reduce corruption, formalise economic activity and improve tax collection and administration, including through demonetisation and GST, as well as improvements to the monetary policy framework and measures to clean up non- performing loans as reform steps which would foster sustained economic growth.

On privatisation of Air India, Garg said it is progressing "reasonably steadily" and the plan about how to privatise has also been broadly worked out.

Asked if it would happen in the current fiscal, Garg said, "I wont put a timeline on when this is likely. Air India is not just one company, there are other assets."

The government has in-principle decided to disinvest the Air India group as a whole or its constituents fully or part thereof through the strategic sale with transfer of management control.

Air India has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore.

The Cabinet, in June, had decided on strategic disinvestment of the loss-making Air India, which is staying afloat on taxpayers funds, and a ministerial panel is working on the modalities. PTI JD MKJ

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Onyia, who received one of the leading aspirant for the office of National Chairman, in his country home in Enugu, stressed that the electoral success of the People's Democratic Party in the forthcoming elections depends largely on its choice of Chairmanship at the National Convention slated for December 9, 2017.

According to the statesman, any attempt to impose any candidate by whatever means, without being pessimistic, will be the end of the party.

"As far as I'm concerned, I will stand against any form of imposition and should allow the people to make their choice," Onyia said.

Welcoming Otunba Daniel to his residence, he thanked him for visiting his home saying the act shows that Daniel is a good politician being a grassroots man who will visit his constituents however remote where they are may be.

Otunba Gbenga Daniel, he said, is a man of great experience, highly courageous, bold and imbued with political will. He has the capacity. He is someone you see and respect and so the most qualified for the position".

ALSO READ: Otunba Gbenga Daniel says he's the best man for the job

He also sounded a note of warning that those who were responsible for the failure of the PDP in the past should never be allowed to destabilise it again. Power, he stressed, should return to the people and by the time that is done and with a correct leadership, PDP and Nigeria will move forward.
The meeting comes as tensions soar between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, including over League member Lebanon.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir warned Iran that Riyadh "will not hesitate to defend its national security to keep its people safe", in opening remarks at the meeting.

Riyadh called the ministerial meeting to discuss "violations" by Iran after a missile was intercepted near Riyadh in a November 4 attack claimed by Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen.

In a resolution, the League issued a "strong condemnation" of this incident, saying it was "blatant aggression against the kingdom and a threat to Arab national security".

The League ministers affirmed Riyadh's right to defend its territory and said they would support all legitimate procedures it night take "against these Iranian violations".

They also tasked "the Arab group in New York to address the security council president to clarify Iranian violations" of a UN Security Council resolution on Tehran's ballistic missiles programme.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon was "in total control" of the country.

"Iran's biggest arm in the region at the moment is the terrorist Hezbollah arm," he said.

He added that Hezbollah "does not just carry out operations inside the borders of (Lebanon), it also crosses its borders to all of our nations", making it "a threat to Arab national security".

Hezbollah a 'terrorist party'

"The Lebanese Republic, in spite of our relations with it as a brotherly Arab nation... is under the total control of this terrorist party," Sheikh Khalid said.

In the resolution, the Arab ministers said they would hold "the terrorist Lebanese Hezbollah... responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said Lebanon was among the countries that voted in favour of the resolution, except for the points in which Hezbollah was mentioned.

Lebanon's foreign minister did not attend Sunday's session, but Beirut's permanent representative was present.

The ministers also condemned a pipeline fire in Bahrain on November 10, calling it "a terrorist act by a group supported by Iran and the Iranian revolutionary guard".

Abul Gheit also directed strong words at the Islamic republic.

"There are proven incidents of spying networks and sabotage whose destructive actions were uncovered" including in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan, said the Arab League chief.

"And there are proven incidents of support and financing of armed militias in more than one place in the Arab world," he added.

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Tehran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemen rebels with ballistic missiles. Tehran has denied any involvement.

Bahrain and the UAE supported the Saudi request for the extraordinary meeting, which was also approved by Djibouti, the current chair of the pan-Arab bloc, according to a memorandum seen by AFP.

Saudi-Iranian tensions have escalated over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation, also on November 4, in a statement from Riyadh in which he cited Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

Hariri said Saturday he would return to Lebanon from France for Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations, but on Sunday he said he would first visit Egypt.

"I will head to Egypt on Tuesday to meet my friend, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi," he wrote in a tweet.

A source close to Hariri said the Cairo meeting aimed to "continue the series of Arab and international consultations".

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to give a speech Monday at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) on the crisis in Lebanon and tensions between Riyadh and Tehran.

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by Hariri.
"Since (Saturday) 18 November and until further notice, all film and theatre events, screenings, panels, colloquium, exhibitions, etc... have been banned," the Ankara administration said on its website.

It argues that LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) events are likely to "provoke reactions within certain segments" of society and has issued the ban to "maintain public order".

But organisers of Thursday's film festival wanted authorities to instead offer greater protection, denouncing the move as a violation of their constitutional rights.

The ban announcement has fuelled concern amongst LGBTI activists in Turkey that their right to freedom of expression is being curtailed under the Islamic-rooted government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Two groups Kaos GL and Pink Life denounced the latest measure as "illegal, disciminatory and arbitrary" which "legitimises the violations of LGBTI rights."

"This ban... has no place in a democratic society," they said in a joint statement.

Homosexuality has been legal since the creation of the modern Turkish republic in 1923, and was also legalised in the Ottoman Empire from the mid-nineteenth century.

However, LGBTI individuals in the country frequently complain of mistreatment including harassment, abuse and rape as well as animosity.

The annual gay pride rally in Istanbul -- once a hugely popular event --- has been blocked by authorities for three years in a row also on security grounds.

Activists accuse the government of banning such events in a bid to impose a conservative morality on the hugely diverse country. But authorities insist they are acting to protect citizens' safety.
Mugabes grip on power was broken last week when the military took over, angered at his wife Graces emergence as the leading candidate to succeed the 93-year-old president.

At a ruling ZANU-PF party meeting earlier in the day, delegates cheered wildly as a party official announced that Mugabe had been ousted as party chief.

He was replaced by former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had been Grace Mugabes chief rival.

In a stunning reversal of allegiances, the party added that it would impeach Mugabe if he did not resign by Monday, Mnangagwa would be its candidate in 2018 elections, and that Grace was expelled from the ZANU-PF ranks.

Robert Mugabe  the worlds oldest head of state  remained national president but faces overwhelming opposition from the generals, much of the Zimbabwean public and from his own party.

(Mugabes) wife and close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition to usurp power and loot state resources, party official Obert Mpofu told the ZANU-PF meeting.

Army chief Constantino Chiwenga held further talks with Mugabe on Sunday at State House, the presidents official residence.

Official photographs of the meeting showed one officer saluting the president, who stood behind his desk, and several senior officers sitting in a formal room with white sofas and a bright red carpet.
The parliamentarian, who declined to be named, referred to the decision by eight of the party's ten regional committees on Friday to call for Mugabe to resign as president and party leader.

"Yes we are meeting (Sunday) to endorse the decisions of the nine provinces," said the party official who confirmed that a further region had called on Mugabe to go since Friday night's announcement.

"We are also recalling him as the president and first secretary of the party," said the source who also declined to be named.

The meeting comes after tens of thousands of overjoyed protesters flooded Zimbabwe's streets on Saturday, celebrating the crumbling of Mugabe's ruthless regime which had controlled the country for nearly 40 years.
Speaking to Reuters from a secret location in South Africa, Zhuwao said Mugabe had hardly slept since the military seized power on Wednesday but his health was otherwise good.

The leaders of Zimbabwes ruling ZANU-PF party are set to meet on Sunday to approve the dismissal of President Robert Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence 37 years ago, two party sources have said.

An extraordinary meeting of the partys central committee is expected to convene around 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) to consider removing the 93-year-old, four days after a military seizure of power ostensibly aimed at criminals within his entourage.

Separately, state television said Mugabe would meet military commanders on Sunday, quoting the Catholic priest who has been mediating in negotiations with the president.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabes overthrow.

ZANU-PFs central committee is also expected to reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa as party vice-president, resurrecting the political career of the former security chief, nicknamed The Crocodile, whose sacking this month triggered the militarys intervention.

Mugabes wife, Grace, will be fired as head of the ZANU-PF Womens League, the sources told Reuters, completing the demise of a 52-year-old former government typist who just a week ago stood in pole position to succeed her husband after Mnangagwas dismissal.

The pairs stunning downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Ugandas Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congos Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step aside.

In scenes reminiscent of the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and troops who stepped in this week to oust the man who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980.

Under house arrest in his lavish Blue Roof compound, Mugabe has refused to stand down even as he has watched his support from party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.

On Harares streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a second liberation for the former British colony and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

These are tears of joy, said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag.

Ive been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last.

The crowds in Harare have so far given a quasi-democratic veneer to the armys intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, which would help it avoid the diplomatic backlash and opprobrium that normally follow a coup.
In a report by BBC, the party has appointed ex-vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had been fired by Mr Mugabe two weeks ago.

In a report by Reuters, the Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe has also been expelled from the party altogether.

On Saturday, November 18, 2017, tens of thousands of Zimbabweans attended street protests to demonstrate against the Mugabes.

ALSO READ: Zimbabweans elated but cautious as Mugabe flounders

The head of the influential War Veterans Association, Chris Mutsvangwa, told Reuters news agency that the party was also starting the process of removing Mr Mugabe as the president of the country.
GENESEO - First United Methodist Church will host a free community Thanksgiving dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the church common area, 302 North State St., Geneseo.

It's based on Psalms 118:1 - Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.

The meal has been a tradition for the church youth group and students from Rock SOLID (Service, Outreach, Learn Teach Lead, Identity, and Discipleship) Youth Ministries, since 2003.

The menu includes turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, side dishes, desserts and drinks. Carry-outs and deliveries to shut-ins can be arranged by calling the church by 4 p.m. Monday at 309-944-2793.

It is a great opportunity to reach out to the community and show them the love of Jesus and it is a good opportunity to teach teens to serve others above themselves, said Tammie Konvicka, assistant of Student Ministries at First Methodist.

She has been involved in the youth group for several years and looks for opportunities for the youth to help others. About 200 people were served at the first meal in 2003, and 150 to 200 people have come to eat each year since.

Leftover food is given to families in need.

Mrs. Konvicka said the event is funded with donations from the congregation, and people can sign up to make a donation on a sign-up sheet in the church commons.

Students will arrive at the church Tuesday morning to cook and prepare for the dinner. "All the food is homemade," she said.

This is a great opportunity for us to open our church doors and to offer a Thanksgiving meal to the community, she said. The event is a fun-filled day for the students when we work together to share the love of Jesus with our community and enjoy dinner together as a group.

The Rev. Rick McDaniel and Mrs. Konvicka are co-leading the youth this year.
Sceptical about internal rebellion over giving tickets to outsiders, the Congress is engaged in a hard bargain with Hardik Patel and is willing to offer only four seats to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti.

Congress is negotiating with Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor over seats ahead of Gujarat Assembly election. Photo for representation: Reuters.

By Jumana Shah: While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already released two lists of its candidates for the Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress is yet to come out with its first list.

The primary reason for the delay is believed to be a logjam between the Congress and the two young rebels it is supporting--Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor.

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Hardik Patel is believed to be seeking six seats on which PAAS (Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti) candidates will be fielded on the Congress symbol. He will put his might behind these candidates, and also support other Congress Patidar candidates.

Sceptical about internal rebellion over giving tickets to outsiders, the Congress is engaged in a hard bargain with Hardik and is willing to offer only four seats to PAAS.

HARDIK's DEMAND

The logjam over seat-sharing is expected to be resolved either by today evening or tomorrow (Monday) afternoon as the last date for filing nominations for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election is Tuesday, November 21.

The Congress sources claim that negotiations were stuck till Friday, with Hardik Patel refusing to back down from his demand of 12 seats.

Soon, the PAAS leader's close aide Dinesh Bambhania issued another ultimatum of 24 hours to the Congress to come up with an acceptable formula for reservation. However, sources in the PAAS confide that the deadlock with the Congress is over seats.

Over the last two days, the demand for seats has come down to six. "A month ago, negotiations had started with 48 seats for Patidars overall, including Congress members," a Congress insider chuckles.

HARDIK-ALPESH CLASH

Hardik is demanding seats mainly in Saurashtra, north Gujarat and Surat which are Patidar-dominated areas. The PAAS leader's choice of seats in north Gujarat is clashing with Alpesh Thakor's preferences. This led to a fallout between Bambhania and Thakor on Friday evening at a Congress meeting in Delhi.

Further, there is still no absolute clarity on the main agenda of what the Congress is offering the Patidars in terms of inclusion in the OBC quota.

In his first major rally in Mansa on Saturday evening after the sex tapes were released, Hardik spewed venom against the BJP for resorting to dirty politics to tarnish his character, but did utter a word on the formula for reservation being offered by the Congress.

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PAAS official Dinesh Bambhania refused to comment on the same. "Announcement about whether or not we accept the reservation formula offered by the Congress will be made at the right time," he said.

WHAT ALPESH WANTS

Alpesh, on the other hand is also facing a difficult time, extracting his pound of flesh from the Congress despite formally joining it.

Alpesh is reportedly seeking a dozen odd tickets for his candidates, who may or may not be Congress members to begin with but will contest on the Congress symbol.

Alpesh refuted talks of negotiating with the Congress for a specific number of seats. "I have been invited to the party's CEC meeting, which is itself an honour for me. We have decided on 77 seats in the 182-member Assembly with consensus with the party," he told India Today.

Sources in the Congress have indicated that Alpesh may be fielded either from Chanasma in Patan or Vav in Banaskantha against BJP strongman and cabinet minister Shankar Chaudhary, or from Siddhpur, the seat vacated by Balwantsinh Rajput when he deserted the party with Shankersinh Vaghela.

The Congress anticipates Alpesh's effect can benefit the party on 34 seats. The BJP sources claim Alpesh made similar demands from the BJP, and the promise of the deputy chief minister's position. "BJP leaders had scoffed at his demands," a senior BJP leader said, asserting that the BJP is a cadre based party.

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ALSO WATCH: Gabbar Singh: The flavour of Gujarat Assembly elections this time around

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ROCK ISLAND Gloria Dei Presbyterian Church members will celebrate 100 years of witness and mission at events today and Sunday.

It includes a catered dinner at 5 p.m. today at the church, 4200 12th S t., Rock Island, with a gathering time of 4:45 p.m. Reservations are required.

The Rev. Ryan Landino, pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Geneseo, and moderator of the Presbytery of Great Rivers, will share greetings from Presbyterians throughout the area.

There will be special music, presentations of the church community then and now, and a slide show of the history of the church.

Members and visitors are invited to see a display tracing the journey of the church since its beginning, including a six-foot 100th anniversary cardboard cake which was part of the churchs float in Rock Island's Labor Day Parade.

Sunday will begin with a fellowship time with refreshments from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.

Attendees are invited to participate in a re-enactment march from the former Sears Sabbath Mission School on 45th Ave. and 9th St. to Gloria Dei Presbyterian.

The school was the first meeting place for the congregation, beginning May 7, 1916. Gloria Dei has been in its present location since the building was dedicated as Third United Presbyterian Church on Nov. 17, 1917.

The Rev. Drew Nagle, church pastor since 1989, will give the message at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. We give thanks for the past 100 years and seek Gods direction for us now and in the next 100 years, he said.

A cake and beverage reception begins at 11:45 a.m. Sunday.

The congregation grew from the Sears Mission Sabbath School which began May 7, 1916, Reg. Nagle said. A historical sketch from 1919 states the church is now known as Gloria Dei, Third United Presbyterian Church. Gloria Dei means Glory to God, and signifies the aim and purpose of this house of God and organization of His people.

The congregation continues to live this aim and purpose in its service and ministry.

As we reflect on the past, we can be filled with nostalgia, a longing for a different day, or we can be filled with pride, or we can remember those times when we were hurt," Rev. Nagle said.

"But throughout, we are most struck by the powerful hand of God in our midst for which we are thankful. God, who led to the starting of Gloria Dei 100 years ago, who directed these last 100 years of life and ministry, is still leading and directing us. God has a mission for us today.
All aboard! What better way to solve the mystery of dressing for the holidays than to be inspired by the all-star fashionable cast of the new movie Murder on the Orient Express?

Agatha Christies famous book, written in 1934, has captured our imagination in movies before, but this time around, Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne brings even more of the glamour of the era to the silver screen.

So if youre looking for a way to add some elegance to holiday parties, here are a few tips on creating some drama all on your own.

 Be biased. If youve seen the movie, youll definitely remember Michelle Pfeiffer and her entrance into the swanky dining car in a clingy magenta gown. The dress du jour in the 1930s was all about the bias-cut, where fabric was cut at a diagonal angle, producing curve-hugging silhouettes. Introduced by Parisian designer Madeleine Vionnet, the hour-glass shape was embraced by Hollywoods glamour queens like Mae West and Carole Lombard. Slinky stretch velvets in body-conscious dresses, long and short, will be the stars of this years holiday season.

 Suit up. The menswear plaids and tweeds were all the rage in the 30s, styled with mid-calf skirts fitted at the hip with wedge-cut pleats at the hemline, complete with jabot blouses, pearls, hat and gloves. Remember, this was the decade when French designer Coco Chanel debuted her sporty suits. A Chanel-inspired tweed suit is still a classic. Todays party girls will wear their jackets with skinny jeans, throw on their pearls and dance the night away.

 Get vested. For the men, sharp three-piece suits were mandatory. Agatha Christies Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (played in the new version of the movie by director Kenneth Branagh) is the ultimate detective and, of course, the ultimate dandy. His sartorial style is as impeccable as his handlebar mustache, accessorized with pocket squares, collar pins and cuff links. Ditto for Johnny Depps evil character, Mr. Ratchett, who adds some swagger to his suits with an ankle-length distressed leather trench coat. Guys, if you want to really step out in style at your next holiday soiree, take a cue from these dapper dressers.

 Jewels, anyone? Judi Dench sure thought her jewels were special in Murder on the Orient Express. But after all, she was channeling a Russian princess. In Christies book, Princess Dragomiroff is described as wearing a knuckleduster of rings. And in the movie, she did just that. You couldnt miss the huge sparkling rocks on each finger. Geometric art deco earrings, crystal brooches, lariat necklaces and enamel cuff bracelets also pop up in the movie. And sometimes, lets face it, no matter how old you are, one incredible piece of statement jewelry is all it takes to turn an everyday outfit into a head-turner, whether youre traveling on a train in the 1930s or toasting a new year with champagne at midnight in 2017.

 Have fun with fur. The fur was flying in the 1930s  from ermine to fox to mink, Mongolian lamb and more. The all-star cast of the movie was clad in fox stoles, sable coats and mink toque hats. Even the men wore hats and coats trimmed with fur. Today, we thankfully have the luxury look of faux furs to add a touch of affordable glamour to holiday celebrations. Watch for chic shaggy fur vests, boas, neck scarves and more to make a dramatic entrance at a cocktail party near you.

And if a dramatic exit is more your style this holiday season, then you may want to take a final cue from the Agatha Christie classic and slither into a scarlet silk kimono embroidered with dragons. And to solve that mystery, youll have to go see the movie  or at least read the book!
First Army hosts ARSC orientation

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL -- First Army leaders welcomed the new commander of the 85TH Army Reserve Support Command during a commanders' orientation on Oct. 22 in First Army headquarters here.

Brig. Gen. Kris Belanger assumed command in August but did not have a change of command ceremony until Oct. 21. The day after the ceremony, the orientation was held to foment a stronger working relationship between the 85th and other First Army elements. Brig. Gen. Belanger appeared via teleconference from Arlington Heights, Ill., home of the 85th.

Topics included First Army history, leadership, command relationships, logistical support of the Army Reserve, budgeting, and personnel management. There were also overviews of the special staff sections, such as the staff judge advocate, inspector general, and safety offices.

Brig. Gen. Belanger stressed the importance of communication in resolving issues, adding that she has an open-door policy.

"One thing I want you to understand as brigade commanders is that at any point in time, you can come directly to me. Thats a commander-to-commander relationship that I never take for granted," she said. "Please utilize me. I have a couple of you already on speed-dial, and I dont mind at all. I understand the challenges out there with our Reserve component.

She also alluded to the increasing complexities in the world and the corresponding increase in reliance on the Reserve component that may result.

Theres a heightened sense of awareness that we are preparing for increased activity. Without expanding on that too much, I can tell you I am leaning forward in the foxhole. I am moving out trying to make sure that the staff knows exactly what we need to do, she said.

Getting out in front of problems and addressing them directly is also crucial, she added.

Meanwhile, Col. Shawn Klawunder, First Army chief of staff, addressed the value command orientations can have in both the short and long term.

I commanded the 181st Infantry Brigade two duty positions ago, he said. We held a new command team orientation when I was there. It was probably the best thing that I did to prepare me for assuming a relationship with our Army Reserve battalions. Coming from a tactical, active component, I had absolutely no understanding of Army Reserve matters and how to integrate Army Reserve forces.

Above all, he told attendees, make sure during the orientation to address what you are unsure about in order to build crucial relationships.

First Army leaders meet with advisers

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL -- First Army brought its new brigade and battalion commanders, command sergeants major, and senior advisers to the Army National Guard here Oct. 23-26 to better equip them to carry out their duties.

Attendees were given an overview of First Armys mission and multi-component structure. This is necessary since some newly assigned brigade and battalion command team members and SRAAGs (senior army advisers National Guard) have never worked directly with Reserve component units and soldiers. This event enabled them to understand the characteristics of First Armys mission and facilitate their integration into the command.

First Army began including SRAAGs in the orientation three years ago because of the key role they play in helping First Army execute its mission to train Reserve component aoldiers. Each state and territory has a SRAAG whose mission is to provide military advice and assistance to the state's Army National Guard commanders concerning organization, operations, training and readiness.

Bringing SRAAGs and commanders together can be crucial because SRAAGs give battalion and brigade commanders someone in their state who can champion their cause and help them meet the commanders intent.

Key topics of the orientation included Army Total Force Policy, which requires the Army's active, Reserve and National Guard components to train to the same standard and operate toward a common goal. Attendees were also given an overview of First Army, the Reserve component, training support synchronization, and the mobilization process.

Col. Shawn Klawunder, First Army chief of staff, stressed the importance of open dialogue during the orientation.

"I was a brigade commander in First Army a few years ago, and I know from the brigade commanders perspective, as well as the sergeants major and SRAAGs, youre coming into this situation somewhat unfamiliar to you, he said. So we really appreciate the opportunity to have you here. Please feel free, whatever questions you have of me or anyone on the staff, ask those questions. The discussion will get us more out of this than anything else.

Lt. Col. Matt Giertz, West Virginia SRAAG, said the orientation equipped him with the knowledge to perform his duties.

There have been some really good information of tactics, techniques, and procedures, he said. What Ive gained form this is a good baseline foundation on processes, points of contact, and things we need to be aware of or involved with when dealing with our state representatives or networking with other SRAAGs and First Army-partnered units.
Chances are, every person reading this will know someone whose life has been impacted by Alzheimers disease. And for those who have not yet been hit by the diagnosis of a close friend or relative, 2025 is looming.

By then, if no cure is found for the dementia-related illness, more than 7 million Americans over age 65 will be affected  a 35 percent increase over todays figures.

In Iowa, where the population older than 65 is higher than the national average, 64,000 people are living with the disease, and that number that will climb to 73,000 in the next eight years.

Similarly, Wisconsin figures will rise from 110,000 to 130,000 by 2025, and Illinois, cases will go from 220,000 to 260,000.

A story researched by IowaWatch and HuffPost, published recently in the TH and newspapers across the state, showed grave concerns on the part of health experts who anticipate an Alzheimers tsunami.

State and federal health care systems are woefully unprepared for whats to come. The rise in Alzheimers coincides with changes in health care support at both the state and national level.

Iowas transition to a privatized Medicaid system 18 months ago gets mixed reviews, as outlined in a story on the front page of Sundays TH. While Gov. Kim Reynolds points to a J.D. Power survey showing high patient satisfaction, area lawmakers have concerns about the most vulnerable Iowans. Rep. Andy McKean, R-Anamosa, noted constituents have lamented significant declines in services.

Medicaid remains the only government program that covers nursing home care, something more and more Alzheimers patients will require. Currently, Medicaid covers half the nursing home patients in Iowa, a number sure to increase as Alzheimers numbers rise.

Those changes in the state come as Congress examines options to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Instead of expanding Medicaid, the Republican plan calls for changing the way the program is funded. Though the details are not yet hammered out, Iowa health care officials fear it would likely force states to eliminate benefits or curtail enrollment.

While many readers might view Medicaid as a supplement for the poor, the reality is that private insurance is unlikely to cover most people through long-term nursing home care. About a third of people turning 65 today will eventually reside in a nursing home. A full three-fourths of long-term nursing home patients rely on Medicaid after personal savings runs out.

As Iowa addresses issues with its Medicaid providers, and Congress considers what comes next for the future of the program, elected officials in all states and federal government must look at the looming Alzheimers tsunami and begin to make preparations. Support for Alzheimers cure research should be a top priority. Providing a safety net for those who will fall to this devastating disease is something lawmakers must address as well.
Id like to address the elephant in the room. That elephant being the Republican Party and their refusal to represent the majority of their constituents. Lets begin with stricter gun control (something that would help lessen the fears parents have when sending their children off to school), 53% of Americans favor this (Pew Research) yet the elephant in the room refuses to consider any such thing. Over 70% of Americans want stricter background checks yet again; the elephant in the room refuses to represent them. 61% of Americans say abortion should be legal. Again, the elephant in the room pushes laws that do the opposite. 74% of Americans do not want social security reduced in any way. But the elephant in the room pushes to do just the opposite, cut social security. 63% of Americans now prefer Medicare for all, but the elephant in the room fights it with all its might. 67% of Americans feel more needs to be done to reduce climate change, but not the elephant in the room. The elephant sides with the fossil fuel industry claiming its not a big concern. Given these few statistics (there are more like them) its obvious that the Republican Party is the party of minority rule, quite the opposite of what our founding fathers envisioned. The Republican Party has become a power cult, not a party that represents the majority of Americans. Remember this while you mark your ballot in this midterm election. Save Democracy! Vote Democratic!
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Police recovered an illegal OB van and five spy cameras from Dera Sacha Sauda during the sanitisation drive, according to the report of court commissioner AKS Pawar who oversaw the sanitisation process in Sirsa.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Police recovered an illegal OB van and five spy cameras from Dera Sacha Sauda during the sanitisation drive, according to the report of court commissioner AKS Pawar who oversaw the sanitisation process in Sirsa.

Sources say Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who has been sentenced to 20 years for raping two women, may have been involved in spying activities as the police has recovered as much as five spy cameras from Dera Sacha Sauda complex. Besides the cameras, the police has also recovered 68 hard disks and 11 pen drives. These memory storage devices are in addition to the 65 disks and 92 pen drives which the police had recovered earlier. 56 hard disks out of 68 drives were packed inside two briefcases and may contain the sting videos.

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The security agencies have taken a serious note of the recovery of an illegal OB van from Dera Sacha Sauda. The recovery of the OB van has become a worry for the agencies as the intelligence wing of Indian Army had already warned about the security threat from Dera after arms training camps were reported in 2014. Dera neither owned a licensed television channel nor had acquired a permission to use OB van.

Why Ram Rahim, who claimed himself to be the messenger of God, was using the spy cameras? Was he using the spy cameras to sting the special guests which he hosted at his resort? Sources say Gurmeet Ram Rahim's special guests were politicians, bureaucrats and senior police officers.

There are apprehensions that Gurmeet Ram Rahim might have misused the spy cameras to sting his female followers and models who allegedly visited his infamous cave called goofa. The secret of the spy cameras may be hidden inside the plethora of hard disks and pen drives which recovered during these sanitization drive. These drives have, however, been sealed on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Ram Rahim requests court not to air sanitisation drive video footage

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is afraid of the sanitization drive footage. He has requested the Punjab and Haryana High Court not to allow the footage to be aired or the details published in print or social media. However, the court has turned down his plea and has said that the bench will view the footage and only then decide whether the footage will be made public or not.

Meanwhile, Dera Sacha Sauda violence case will come up for hearing in Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday. The court, according to the sources, can hear the matter of attaching Dera Sacha Sauda properties to compensate the riot victims.

Ram Rahim Singh is currently lodged at the District Jail in Sunaria near Rohtak in Haryana.

--- ENDS ---
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At least 2,00,000 traders encountered difficulties in August, September, and October since there was no editing facility in summary return filing.

Ayan Pramanik reports.



The Goods and Services Tax Network will launch a facility for businesses to make changes to their August and September GSTR-3B return forms from Monday, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said.

The group of ministers formed to look at the information technology problems of the GSTN said the system was becoming stable, and this was reflected in the gradual reduction in revenue shortfall from states.

"Average revenue shortfall of all the states for August was 28.4 per cent; it has come down to 17.6 per cent in October," said Modi, who also heads the GoM.

The shortfall in August was Rs 12,208 crore; in October, it came to Rs 7,560 crore.

The group also had a review meeting with Infosys and Modi said he would meet the IT major's Chairman Nandan Nilekani. Infosys is implementing the IT network.

The GoM was set up in September, following an outrage over technical glitches in GST implementation.

Since then, it has identified a list of glitches and tasked Infosys to set it right on tight timelines.

It also asked Infosys to increase its engineering team and set up other teams to coordinate with state tax officials.

"We will see what the trend is in the days to come. Slowly the system is stabilising," said Modi.

The GoM, however, said challenges in the technology platform still exist: One of the major issues has been non-availability of editing facility for the traders for three months.

Nilekani had led the committee that drafted the architecture for GSTN. Infosys claimed to have resolved many of issues.

At least 2,00,000 traders encountered difficulties in August, September, and October since there was no editing facility in summary return filing (3B).

Infosys has been asked to make it available by November 21.

"There is a major issue regarding editing facility of 3B returns. It was there in July, But for August, September and October the facility was not provided and because of that more than 2,00,000 taxpayers were not able to file returns," said Modi.
India and China can "do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity", the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said.

By PTI: Spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said India and China have to live side by side, whether they like it or not. He asserted that both the countries can work together towards making a more compassionate world.

The 82-year-old Tibetian leader also said Tibetans are not seeking independence or separation from China but meaningful autonomy, while adding that he "admired the European Union spirit".

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The Buddhist monk appreciated the idea of the "Union of India". Citing his recent visit to Manipur where he learnt that some politicians wanted independence for the state, he said they needed to "think broadly, more holistically".

He said India and China are more than two billions of people together and though they have differences, Nalanda thoughts are not alien to them.

Nalanda university, the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, attracted scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, among other countries. These scholars have left records about the ambience, architecture and learning of this unique university.

India and China can "do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity", the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said.

"And then India and China, at a practical level also, neither one has the ability to destroy others. Whether you like it or not, you have to live side by side," he told reporters when asked about the strain in bilateral ties over the Dokalam issue.

Earlier during an interaction with children at an event here organised by the Smile Foundation, the Dalai Lama said many Chinese people appreciate Tibetan scholars knowledge of Nalanda.

He said the Nalanda school of thought, a shared heritage of India, China and Tibet, can help resolve the Tibetan crisis.

"Many Chinese Buddhists are very very eager to learn from Tibetan masters. And, we are not seeking separation from China. I really admire the European, the EU spirit of national sovereignty," he said.

Amid all the linguistic and cultural diversity in India, it is a country that is the "most stable, more peaceful" of the Asian nations, he said.

"Here you have east India, north India and west India and south India... different India, different scripts, different languages, but spirit of one India, which is wonderful," the Dalai Lama said.

"At a meeting, someone told me that some Maipur politicians want independence (for the state). I think they need to think broadly, more holistically. Union is important. Of course, I have no right to criticise," he said.

Making a veiled reference to the Catalan movement, he said, "In Spain, I think it was too short-sighted."

"It was time to think of one Europe. And, here (in India), you already have one nation... time to think long- sighted, about the wonderful Union of India," he said.

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Hailing Indias ancient knowledge system, especially the one based on the Nalanda school of learning, the Tibetan spiritual leader appealed to India to lead the world in shaping an education system which will inspire students to think "outward as much as inward" and be wary of "materialistic outlook".

At the event, he also announced that his philanthropy body will grant endowment to the Smile Foundation over the next five years.

-With PTI inputs

--- ENDS ---
'Why isn't the story of the valiant 13th Kumaon a part of every child's textbooks?'

'Why have we let these brave men die unwept, unmourned, and unsung?' asks Rajeev Srinivasan.

IMAGE: The Rezang La war memorial. Photograph: Divya Nair/Rediff.com

Most of us studied the Alfred Tennyson poem The Charge of the Light Brigade in school.

The Battle of Thermopylae we read of with goose bumps. We all know about Custer's Last Stand. And the battle cry 'Remember the Alamo!' resonates with us.

Yet, none of us has heard of the 13th Kumaon Battalion's Last Stand at Rezang La, Ladakh, in the Battle of Chushul, on November 18, 1962. I think this is a great pity.

For, let us remind ourselves of these examples of heroism:

The Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece in 480 BCE, where 300 Spartans under Leonidas stopped a Persian army of 250,000 at a narrow mountain pass.

They died to the last man, but provided enough time for the rest of the Greek army to escape to fight another day.

They died to the last man, but provided enough time for the rest of the Greek army to escape to fight another day. The 13th Light Brigade of the British army at Balaclava, the Crimea, in 1854.

Six hundred and seventy-three men rode at Russian artillery and were decimated.

Six hundred and seventy-three men rode at Russian artillery and were decimated. At the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, in 1836, several hundred Texans held out against the Mexican army before they were killed to the last man.

Custer's Last Stand was the Battle of Little Bighorn, 1876, in Montana where the Sioux nation under Chief Sitting Bull wiped out George Custer and 265 men.

And finally: The C company of the 13th Kumaon Battalion, under Major Shaitan Singh (Param Vir Chakra, Posthumous) held off a fierce Chinese attack on November 18, 1962, at the Rezang La heights that they held.

Massively outnumbered and outgunned, the defenders died almost to the last man, and expended their last round.

All 114 men were killed or wounded. But they succeeded in blunting the Chinese assault, killing as many as a thousand Chinese in the process at Rezang La and at nearby Gurung Hill.

Thereafter, the Chinese did not push further towards the Chushul plain. It was a critical checkpoint on a potential Chinese advance on Leh.

The story of 13th Kumaon is the kind of thing that would make the patriotic Indian stand tall with tears in his eyes. Yet, we do not stand in silence for a moment in memory of Major Shaitan Singh and his gallant men.

No poet eulogises them as Tennyson did the Light Brigade. There is only a small memorial at the site, which says:

How can a Man die Better than facing Fearful Odds,

For the Ashes of His Fathers and the Temples of His Gods,

To the sacred memory of the Heroes of Rezang La,

114 Martyrs of 13 Kumaon who fought to the Last Man,

Last Round, Against Hordes of Chinese on 18 November 1962.

Built by All Ranks 13th Battalion, The Kumaon Regiment.

I am indebted to the Bharat-Rakshak Web site for this information as well as a long article (external link) on the Battle of Chushul by L N Subramanian. Yet, why is there nothing written about them along the lines of what Tennyson did, as in these excerpts from his stirring poem:

Half a league half a league

Half a league onward...

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred...

Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blunder'd;

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do & die...

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd;...

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder'd.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade...

Why have Indians so consistently ignored the great sacrifices made by our soldiers?

Why isn't the story of the valiant 13th Kumaon a part of every child's textbooks?

Why have we let these brave men die unwept, unmourned, and unsung?

Just as we let thousands of soldiers die in Kashmir, in Kargil, everywhere, they are mere cannon fodder. India needs a draft, so people in power feel the pain of their children dying for the nation.

I think I know why there is no official celebration of the Battle of Chushul: The government can hardly bother to honour the Unknown Soldier on Kargil Day. Then how will they remember something that happened forty years ago?

There is also an element of shame. Congress governments were unwilling to talk about 1962 because it brings out the fact that 'someone had blunder'd' and that was their deity, Jawaharlal Nehru, along with his defence minister, V K Krishna Menon. Admitting this would leave them shamefaced, so they just let the soldiers 'but do and die'.

Even the current (the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee) government is unwilling to publish the Henderson Brooks report. Why? It will at least shed some light on what happened.

The media in India should have taken this up in the absence of governmental action. But the media, influenced by Chinese propaganda, has portrayed the 1962 war on Chinese terms.

Aping the Xinhua propaganda agency, Indian media mavens have taken the stand that the war was India's fault. As though Indians, with no mountain divisions, would go over the Himalayas and attack the Chinese in Tibet and Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh!

The Marxists in India say the 1962 affair was an internal matter for the Chinese, as they have generously 'awarded' Arunachal Pradesh to China. The Chinese believe this, too.

They told the CM of Arunachal Pradesh recently that he did not need a visa to go to China, as he was a Chinese citizen! Americans, Britons and Australians accept China's lies, for it suits them to support China.

But we know that all this isn't true.

Individual Indians must remember the 13th Kumaon. As the Quebec motto goes, Je me souviens: I remember. And I shall always remember those brave men of C Company who died in a frozen wasteland.

For me. For you.

Rajeev Srinivasan's column was first posted on Rediff.com on November 19, 2002.
'It is from her that present-day political stalwarts continue to draw lessons on testing the limits of Constitutional democracy, and whose slogans even her party's staunchest opponents imitate even after over 30 years of her death,' says Veenu Sandhu.

IMAGE: 'A sizeable chunk of India's current population was born after Indira Gandhi's death. Few of them know what India was like under her. But the ones who do remember it only too well.'

The then prime minister with Pranab Mukherjee.

November 19, 2017, Indira Gandhi would have turned 100.

Though seemingly down and out, the party she so emphatically formed around her cult is in celebratory mode.

Ahead of her birth centenary, three books centred on her have been published already.

First came India's Indira, largely a puff job by the Indian National Congress.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's Indira Gandhi: A Life In Nature followed soon after, drawing attention to Indira, the environmentalist.

Journalist Sagarika Ghose's Indira: India's Most Powerful Prime Minister (Juggernaut, Rs 699) hit the stands soon after.

Ghose's publisher has declared on the book jacket rather presumptuously that 'This is the only book you need to read about Indira Gandhi'.

One wonders whether they are forgetting one of the finest books on her has already been written: Katherine Frank's Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi, a thoroughly researched tome that was first published 16 years ago after six years of extensive work.

So what more could Ghose offer?

A fair bit, it turns out, when you read The Great Dictator, a chapter that stretches over almost 70 pages and which alone is reason enough to pick up this book.

Drawing from all possible sources, Ghose puts together Indira's life, the events of which would transform this once frail, uncertain woman into the most formidable politician India has seen.

It was her 15 years as prime minister, in two stints, that created the cult of personality-driven politics, the full force of which we are feeling today.

It is from her that present-day political stalwarts continue to draw lessons on testing the limits of Constitutional democracy, and whose slogans even her party's staunchest opponents imitate even after over 30 years of her death.

Examples:

'Woh kehte hain Indira hatao; main kehti hoon garibi hatao (They say remove Indira, I say remove poverty).'

'Woh kehte hain Modi hatao, mein kehta hoon kala dhan hatao, bhrashtachar hatao (They say remove Modi, I say remove corruption, remove black money).'

A sizeable chunk of India's current population was born after Indira Gandhi's death. Few of them know what India was like under her. But the ones who do remember it only too well.

Through Indira, Ghose does well to jostle our memory and take us to the past to show us the future we could well be staring at one more time in history.

Ghose turns the spotlight on the master tactician who had only India's interest in mind but who paradoxically also came to believe that she and only she could be trusted to safeguard that interest by keeping a tight hold on the reins of power.

So much so that, as Ghose writes, on the eve of declaring the Emergency, Indira said to West Bengal Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray, 'I feel that India is like a baby and, just as one would sometimes take a child and shake it, I feel we have to shake India.'

At the pinnacle of power after the decisive 1971 War that would liberate Bangladesh, the leader who could have, given the mandate she enjoyed, channelled the hope and optimism of the country into creating a new kind of politics, became a victim of her political insecurities.

There is a sense of here and now in Ghose's writing as she talks about how Indira tried to compromise robust institutions that are essential for a healthy democracy and reduce them into appendages of the prime minister's office.

Banks, courts, the press, Fundamental Rights were all grist for her brand of authoritarianism before the judiciary stepped in and 'saved Indian democracy'.

Here was a leader who could no longer tolerate dissent, who would come to view opposition not as a necessity in a democracy but as a conspiracy against her that needed to be actively discouraged.

It is a familiar narrative that many believe is being replayed. This makes Ghose's book all the more relevant.

In her book, Ghose draws insightful parallels between Indira and her father Jawaharlal Nehru, to whose expectations she constantly tried to live up but against whom she would also rebel to marry Feroze Gandhi.

'Nehru, the disciplined Congress soldier, regarded the party as bigger than himself,' Ghose writes. 'But Indira Gandhi had created a Congress reliant entirely on herself.'

'She (Indira) was comforted by the mediocre and threatened by exceptional talent,' goes another line. 'Nehru remained unthreatened by accomplishment in and disagreement from others.'

IMAGE: Indira Gandhi with Sanjay, the son she hoped would succeed her.

The sections in which Ghose deals with Indira's relationship with her maverick younger son Sanjay Gandhi, said to be the one who encouraged her to impose the Emergency, vividly bring out the desperation of the mother that stands in sharp contrast to her otherwise powerful image.

The author puts the picture in your face as she writes, 'Indira Gandhi failed both as a mother and prime minister when she made available the prime minister's office as a plaything for her child.'

She also draws attention to the menace of dubious political funding, the roots of which, too, lie in Indira's insecurities.

In 1969, Indira banned corporate donations to political parties fearing that companies would donate only to the right-wing Swatantra Party. With legal contributions banned, underhand deals were struck between politicians and industrialists.

One jarring issue in the book are the 'letters' Ghose has written to, as she says, the 'ghost of Indira'. These are questions, she feels, any citizen might want to ask of the former prime minister. But all that these letters do is interrupt the otherwise smooth narrative.

There is one letter, though, that catches attention for a crucial point it makes as it quotes from one of Nehru's letters to his chief ministers where he writes: 'We must remember that what our governments are doing today will set the tone for future administrations. The very powers that may be exercised, perhaps for adequate reasons today, may be exercised later for totally inadequate and perhaps even for objectionable reasons. It is always unsafe to weaken on principle.'

If only Indira had stayed that course, her legacy might have been more endearing -- and enduring.

Veenu Sandhu is co-author of Rahul, Rahul Gandhi's political biography.
The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday called for peace in the Valley and urged the local terrorists to give up militancy.

General Officer Commanding of 15 Corps Commander Lieutenant General J S Sandhu said, "The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call themselves a Mujahid. But are you a Mujahid, or just a proxy for Pakistan? Come back to the mainstream as this will facilitate return of peace to the Valley. We are ready to receive them in an honorable manner."

While addressing a joint press conference along with state Director General of Police S P Vaid, Sandhu claimed that the security forces have gunned down about 190 terrorists this year so far.

"We have killed about 190 terrorists so far this year. Out of these, 80 were local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the Line of Control while infiltrating," he pointed out.

He further said that the security forces have killed 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley which has resulted in a remarkable change in situation.

Speaking about the Bandipora encounter, Lieutenant General Sandhu hailed the Army, Central Reserve Police Force and Jammu and Kashmir Police for successful operation.

"Based on specific information, joint operation was launched by the CRPF, Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police in which six terrorists were eliminated, all were foreign terrorists. I commend all agencies who worked to ensure success of the operation," he said.

Six Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists, including Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid, were gunned down by security forces in the encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district on Saturday.

Meanwhile, DGP Vaid also called for peace in Kashmir and lauded the security force for Bandipora encounter.

"Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. It was a commendable joint effort by our agencies and jawans. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence," he said.

Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
A deft hand on India-China relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA.

Gautam Bambawale, India's new ambassador to China, arrived in Beijing on Sunday, November 19, to take up his position.

Bambawale, who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge on Monday.

A 1984 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Bambawale succeeds Vijay Gokhale who took over as secretary (economic relations) at the ministry of external affairs.

A deft hand on India-China relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA.

A Mandarin speaker, he also served as deputy chief of mission of the Indian embassy in Beijing.

His arrival in Beijing comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Doklam standoff, and work on a 'forward-looking' approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, India and China held a border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting in Beijing on November 17 during which the situation in all sectors of the border was reviewed. Both nations shared views on confidence building measures and military contacts.

The India-China border dispute covers 3,488 kilometres of the Line of Actual Control.

While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Both India and China plan a high-level dialogue next month, the first after the Doklam standoff.

Officials say Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi next month to articipate in the Russia-India-China dialogue during which he will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.

This will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and State Councilor Yang Jiechi in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.

Photograph: Courtesy Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti on Sunday said their main issue of concern, regarding negotiations with the Congress, was reservation and their leader, Hardik Patel, was slated to make an important announcement in this regard on Monday.

"Our first and last concern is reservation. Hardik Patel will make an announcement from Rajkot tomorrow (Monday)," PAAS leader Dinesh Bambhaniya said.

Bambhaniya's statement came after his meeting with Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Bharat Singh Solanki.

Solanki, on his part, confirmed the Congress had the backing of the PAAS, adding they had come to agreement on numerous issues with the Patidar leaders, which would be announced soon.

"We took our conversation forward with the Patidar leaders. We had further discussions on the issue on which we mutually agreed last time when we met. In the coming days, we will try to implement what we discussed," he said.

"PAAS leaders have not asked for tickets, so did Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani. But for the welfare of the people of Gujarat and for their happiness, we will give tickets to some of them," he added.

The Patidar leaders had reportedly given the Congress a 24-hour deadline on Saturday to declare their stand on the reservation status for the community.

The PAAS leaders flew to New Delhi on Friday to hold talks with Congress leaders regarding their demand of granting reservation status to the Patidar community.

The deadlock between the two parties has persisted for weeks over the reservation issue.

PAAS convenor Hardik Patel had categorically said that they would extend their support to the Congress in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections only if their demands were met.

The Congress is counting on the Patidar votes to sway the election results of Gujarat polls in their favour and uproot the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been in power since 1995 in the state.

The polls will be conducted in Gujarat in two phases -- December 9 and December 14.

The counting of the votes will be held on December 18.
The studio said it would soon announce the new release date for the film.

The proposed release date of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati has been deferred, the makers of the film said on Sunday.

In a statement to PTI, a spokesperson of Viacom18 Motion Pictures said it had taken the decision 'voluntarily'.

'Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind Padmavati, has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1st 2017,' it said.

The spokesman said it had the highest regard for the law of the land and statutory bodies such as the Central Board of Film Certification.

As a 'responsible and law-abiding corporate citizen', it was committed to following the established procedure and convention, it said.

'We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film,' the statement read.

Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi had yesterday slammed the makers for allowing the film to be screened for various media channels before obtaining a certificate from the board.

The CBFC had sent the film back to the producer as the application for the certification was 'incomplete'.

'...We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification,' the statement said.

The studio said it would soon announce the new release date for the film.

'We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Queen, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and many more,' it said.

The makers reiterated that the film was a cinematic masterpiece capturing 'Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory'.

'The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country's story-telling prowess across the globe,' it said.

Padmavati has been facing controversy since Bhansali started shooting the film earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others claiming that the director had 'distorted' historical facts.

Bhansali and lead actor Deepika Padukone have received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai police.

Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.

Protests spill over to Delhi

Continuing the string of revolts against the film, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha on Sunday staged a protest against its release in the national capital.

In a video that surfaced, the protestors can be seen raising slogans against Bhansali's magnum opus using brandish swords.

Arjun Gupta, a member of the Central Board of Film Certification and a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, came out strongly against Bhansali and said that the filmmaker should be tried for treason for making such movies.

"I have written a letter to Giriraj Singh and asked him to take strict action against Bhansali and he should be tried for treason," Gupta told ANI.

Gupta also noted that it has become a habit of Bhansali's to tamper the historical facts in his movies, citing the example of Bajirao Mastani.

The BJP leader also shared that Bhansali should have shown the movie to the CBFC first, but chose not to because he wanted to get more publicity out of all the controversy going on.

With ANI inputs

IMAGE: A still from the movie.
IMAGE: Former President Pranab Mukherjee with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi pays homage to Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversaryt at Shakti Sthal in New Delhi on Sunday.

Photograph: PTI Photo

Glowing tributes were paid to the countrys first woman prime minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary on Sunday with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi leading the remembrances.

Describing Indira as one of the greatest prime ministers, Sonia Gandhi said there was only one religion for the late Congress leader -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

Former president Pranab Mukherjee, ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and his cousin  Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi also remembered Indira Gandhi, often described as the 'Iron Lady of India'.

IMAGE: BJP veteran L K Advani and Rahul Gandhi after paying tributes to Indira Gandhi at Parliament House in New Delhi on Sunday.

Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Tributes were also paid in Parliament's Central Hall, where Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, BJP veteran L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and MoS Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel were in attendance.

Nation remembers former Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary #PresidentKovind, Kovind tweeted.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Modi said, Tributes to former PM Mrs Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi fought for secularism and against all those forces seeking to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.

IMAGE: Congress president Sonia Gandhi at Indira Gandhi Memorial.

Photograph: Courtesy @INCIndia/Twitter

"For her, as the prime minister, there was one religion, a sacred creed passionately held -- that all Indians were equal children of the motherland," Sonia said at a photo exhibition organised in the memory of the late leader at 1, Safdarjung Road.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated at the Safdarjung Road bungalow, her official residence, by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

The Congress president said Indira Gandhi took pride in India's rich diversity and its democratic and secular values.

IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi at Shakti Sthal in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo

The former prime minister also fought for Indias dignity and independence as a sovereign nation, against the dominance of superpowers, she said.

And not only for India, but for all countries that resisted colonial and post-colonial forms of hegemony, Sonia added.

Terming Indira as a leader of "courage and conviction, Mukherjee listed several of her decisions and stands she took on various issues, including Operation Blue Star and nationalisation of banks as a prime minister.

He also sought to underscore that the late leader was very concerned about promises made to the people and their actual delivery.

She provided this by emphasising that the Congress must stick to its ideology, he said during his address.

IMAGE: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh paying floral tributes at Shakti Sthal. Photograph: PTI Photo

To drive his point that her memory cannot be erased, Mukherjee invoked late British politician Michael Foot who in 1978 had said, "The Indira Gandhi story has not come to an end after the defeat in general elections of 1977 as many people believe she is doomed forever.

"I can tell them, many more glorious chapters are going to be added in her new innings, the former president quoted Foot as having said.

Mukherjee said, "In her death, she left a message to the people of this country and to the whole world: a commitment to the people can never be killed by any power, however strong it may be."

Mukherjee, Singh and Rahul paid floral tributes to her early in the morning at her memorial, 'Shakti Sthal', as well.

IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi exchanges greetings with Advani and other senior leaders after paying tributes to Indira Gandhi at Parliament House.

Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Rahul described his grandmother as his mentor and guide.

I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100, he tweeted.

Varun also hailed the Congress stalwart, calling her a mother to this nation.

Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently. To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you Dadi...I know you always watch over us, Varun said in a tweet.

IMAGE: Manmohan Singh, Advani, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders at Parliament House. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

He also tweeted a picture in which the former prime minister is seen holding him, then a child, in her lap.

Congress' communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter that she worked tirelessly to shape a new future for the country.

Indira Gandhi was born on this day in 1917 in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was shameful that her boss was silencing her.

He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.

Gandhis retort comes a day after Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the deal.

The Congress had raised several questions on the deal, accusing the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting crony capitalism and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

Dear RM, whats shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us: 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3.Why PM bypassed experienced HAL and gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience? Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress and the BJP have exchanged barbs over the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

While the Congress was alleging that a scam was brewing in the deal, the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that the renegotiated deal was transparent and better than the deal negotiated by the previous United Progressive Alliance government.

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-a-half years after the prime minister announced the proposal during a visit to Paris.

The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September, 2019.
Pupul Jayakar, her friend of long standing, remembers her encounters with the woman people loved and disliked in equal measure in that fortnight before her tragic death.

I went to see Indira Gandhi on 13 and 15 October, I arrived with a tape recorder; now she was not speaking to me alone, but to history. I was to be her ambassador, representing her to an unknown future. She spoke at length of her childhood and her growing up.

Towards the end of that morning I asked her what she considered the basic problem of this country.

Her response was immediate. 'The basic problem is poverty. If that is solved, nothing else matters.'

Again she stressed that in the process of improving the level of living, that special quality which gave the Indian people an inner strength should not be lost.

I commented that with development, in most countries, there was an end to serenity.

Did she think it would happen to India?

'I don't really know, but we have to try and preserve it. However carefully we try to separate what is really worthwhile and eternal in our values from the many superstitions which have gathered around them, we cannot always succeed.'

'Most people see religion not as a basic philosophy or the essence of life but as the mantras that they may have learnt to utter at a given time. That is why my father spoke up so strongly about the scientific temper and against astrology.'

'People must go back to the very roots, to the source of faith. Our philosophy says that the divine is in each one; there is light and strength in each one of us. We have to find a way of discovering the energy that is within us.'

Later, when we were alone, we spoke of her marriage to Feroze Gandhi.

I asked her 'When you were 16 or 17 years old, didn't you feel the desire to be admired?' 'Pupul, I was so sure that I had nothing in me to be admired.'

She then recalled that the first time she had been openly admired was at Shantiniketan, and how she responded in anger, feeling that she was being made fun of.

'Even with Feroze, it was not at all sex. I tried to explain to him that I wanted children and companionship.'

In the sixties, when Indira was living in her father's house, or even later, stories had circulated in the gossip circles of Delhi, that she had relationships with other men.

I myself had heard these stories, some spread by her close relatives. I knew Indira well, saw her frequently and felt that these rumours had no basis in fact.

She delighted in being admired, liked to be surrounded by good looking, witty, intelligent men, but the sexual side of her was underdeveloped. She appeared to confirm this that autumn afternoon.

'A part of the problem is,' she said, 'that I do not behave like a woman. The lack of sex in me partly accounts for this. When I think of how other women behave, I realise that it is a lack of sex and with it a lack of woman's wiles, on which most men base their views of me.'

She did not think she could have married anybody except Feroze, 'even though they fought like wildcats' and he had asked her for a divorce.

She recalled the occasion -- how she had been very upset at the time, had resisted and wept so that her face was swollen.

'Finally I said to Feroze that if "it (a divorce) is what you want, all right".'

'He turned and said, "Do you mean to say that you will let me go like that?"'

'Then I lost my temper and said, "This is the limit. I say -- we have our differences, but there are the children; all you say is separation. When I say -- all right, you blame me".'

'Feroze was very attached to me, but he listened to what other people said. You know Pupul, I have never carried on with anybody. But they would spread all kinds of stories and Feroze would believe them. I said to him, "How can I ever prove anything? I hardly go out except with my father and you, and when I am touring I always have someone with me".'

I asked her whether Feroze was upset when she came to live with her father. 'It was Feroze's idea. My father asked me to set up his house. I discussed it with Feroze and he said go. But by then he already had an eye on somebody.'

After 1950 Feroze was a member of Parliament and lived in Delhi. The situation seemed to have become more complicated.

Feroze had made her feel very possessive. 'He said to me, "Don't strangle me with your love." It was very difficult,' she said, 'to strike a balance in our relationship.'

On the evening of October 26, I was at the prime minister's house with some urgent papers relating to the future of handloom weavers.

She made some notes on her memo pad which was always with her, put it aside and turned to me. I could see that she had laid aside all her problems.

There was an openness, a mellowness in her as she watched from her study the leaves on the bushes respond to changing light of the setting sun.

Suddenly she turned to me to say that she had decided to fly to Srinagar the next morning. Governor Jagmohan was reluctant and unhappy over her visit.

He spoke of unrest in Srinagar and of unruly crowds wandering through the city. He was perplexed by her persistence, but she was determined to undertake the trip to see Srinagar in autumn when the chinar leaves explode in colour: From a deep vermillion through tones of burnt sienna to pale amber.

'Have you visited the valley in November?' she asked me. I said yes and suggested that she visit Gandharbal to see the great grove of chinar trees turn autumnal red.

She said she wanted to sit under the trees, to drink in the colours, to watch the chinar leaf reach its maturity and drop from its stem. Her two grandchildren, Rahul and Priyanka, were to accompany her.

She was to lunch with me a week later, on November 3, to meet J Krishnamurti and the Dalai Lama. I asked her whether she remembered the engagement. 'It will be a historic occasion and I look forward to it,' she replied.

'You remember, Pupul,' she asked me, 'that ancient chinar tree in Bij Bihara? I have just heard that it had died.' She spoke as if she was referring to an old friend.

'Once again', she said, 'a feeling is arising in me, Why am I here? And now I feel I have been here long enough.'

I had rarely seen her in such a mood, her thoughts entangled with death.

'Papu used to love rivers, but I am a daughter of the mountains and my heart is free of care. I have told my sons,' -- for an instant she appeared to forget that Sanjay was dead -- 'that when I die, to scatter my ashes over the Himalayas.'

It was a strange remark, strangely made.

'Why do you speak of death?' I asked. 'Isn't it inevitable?' she replied.

Excerpted from Indira Gandhi, by Pupul Jayakar, Viking, Rs 295, with the publisher's permission.

This feature was first published on Rediff.com on November 19, 1997.
By PTI: By Youssra El-Sharkawy

Cairo, Nov 18 (PTI) Egypt is keen on boosting economic cooperation with India specially in developing small and medium enterprises, a senior minister said here today.

India is Egypts 10th largest export destination and also the 10th largest import source.

Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil said there are possibilities to enhance bilateral cooperation in key areas like automotive industry, textile and leather products.

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His remarks came during a meeting with Tamil Nadus Minister of Rural Industries P Benjamin who is here leading the Indian delegation participating in the MACTECH Fair in the Cairo International Convention Centre from November 16-19.

Indias Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya said that both the sides discussed possibilities of technology and investment cooperation in textiles and leather sectors.

"Indias participation with 50 companies at MACTECH Fair was with the objective of showcasing our strengths in engineering and capital goods. Our advantages lie in high quality, affordable prices and efficient utilisation of labour," Bhattacharyya told PTI.

"Among the largest suppliers of capital goods to Egypt, we wish to increase exports and also look for opportunities for joint ventures," the Indian envoy said.

The delegation from the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC India) comprises 50 leading Indian machine tools and technology firms.

The Indian Pavilion is organised by the EEPC, the premier trade and investment promotion group in engineering sector sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in association with the Embassy of India in Cairo.

The participating Indian companies represent various segments of engineering products including machine tools, industrial tools, heavy tools, machinery, generators and tube and wire machinery.

India stands 13th in production and 10th in the consumption of machine tools in the world with 0.9 per cent share in the total global production.

The market is expected to reach USD 3 billion by 2019-20, growing at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 14 per cent from 2013-14 to 2019-20.

India is set to become an important player in the global machine tools industry and is expected to see substantial increase in the manufacture of high-end products.

The automobile sector, a major user of machine tools, is set to grow 3.5 to 4 times from its current size of USD 74 billion to reach about USD 300 billion by 2026.

New emerging sectors such as defence and aerospace, consumer durables, green investment in auto sectors are likely to enhance demand for machine tools.

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In Machine tools and Industrial tools sector, India is among the top five exporting countries to Egypt.

India exported USD 3.16 million of hand tools to Egypt in 2016 constituting six per cent of the total imports of Egypt for the product.

MACTECH is the picture-perfect event for metal forming, machine tools, industrial tools, welding and cutting equipment technology makers; providing widespread competition array, constant business opportunities, far-reaching media coverage and cross-industry technology transfer.

Egypt has traditionally been one of Indias most important trading partners in the African continent.

During the year 2016-17, bilateral trade between India and Egypt was to the tune of USD 3.23 billion. PTI YES CPS

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Johannesburg, Nov 19 (PTI) The family of Indias consul- general in the South African city of Durban was targeted by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence.

The family of consul-general Shashank Vikram, members of their domestic staff and a visiting teacher were held up at their residence on Innes Road, yesterday. Among them were two children, aged five and 10.

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"They are OK but they were obviously traumatised," said consul S K Pandey. Nobody suffered physical harm," he said, adding they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic workers cellphone which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident, the Independent Online reported.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban.

Following the incident,

India has reminded South Africa of its duty to protect diplomatic staff and property, under the Vienna Convention. PTI KUN

--- ENDS ---
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By PTI: New Delhi/Johannesburg, Nov 19 (PTI) The family of Indias Consul General in Durban was attacked by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence there, prompting India to raise the issue with South African authorities.

The family of Consul General Shashank Vikram, including his five-year old son, domestic staff and a visiting teacher were reportedly held up during the armed intrusion at their residence on Innes Road, yesterday.

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"We have taken up the matter with the relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing. We expect that the intruders will be arrested soon," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He said that ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats and officials posted abroad, along with their families, is a matter of highest priority for the Indian government.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has spoken to the Consul General and inquired about the well being of his family, Kumar said.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban, the Independent Online reported.

"They (Vikrams family) are OK but they were obviously traumatised," consul S K Pandey was quoted as saying.

Nobody suffered physical harm, he said, adding that they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic workers cellphone, which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident. PTI PYK/KUN ASK ASK

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Virginia Commonwealth University alerted students and community members to a shooting incident that occurred early Sunday in the Carver neighborhood, just north of campus.

About 12:24 a.m., VCU and Richmond police received reports that shots were fired in the 900 block of West Clay Street. When officers arrived, they believed the parties involved had already left the area, according to an alert VCU sent just after the shooting.
Kids and toys go together for Christmas.

But they dont beat waking up in your own bed on Christmas morning.

That sentiment is what drove 100 people from the Richmond area to come together on a chilly Saturday morning to pick up 150 new beds, frames, sheets, blankets and pillows and deliver them to 150 children who have been sleeping on floors, mats, couches and chairs.

Its priceless; its better than Christmas, said Bruce McDaniel, a volunteer with Bridging RVA, a Richmond-based nonprofit that organized the event  150 Beds for 150 Kids.

When you see the kids, they are so excited, McDaniel said. You have to do it to understand it.

McDaniel said he volunteers at two or three events every year. This is the best. You see the kids laughing and jumping once we set up the beds.

John Sawyer, Bridging RVA founder and executive director, told the volunteers before they embarked on their missions Saturday that they werent there to change anything. You are just there to deliver the beds. This is a matter of the heart.

The volunteers picked up the beds and bedding from a parking lot at Huguenot Village Shopping Center in Chesterfield County, loaded the items into their trucks or SUVs and took off in all different directions to the homes of recipients.

Henrico County residents Anthony and Kelly Long were given the names of two boys, ages 6 and 7, who live in a family day home in Petersburg. Its always good to give  it gives you a great feeling, Anthony said.

The Petersburg home wasnt ready for the beds to be set up and the children werent there. But Shakera Morris, the homeowner, was grateful for the generosity of strangers. The effervescent Kelly Long is never a stranger for long as she and Morris hugged and exchanged kind words.

I cry at every house, said Long, who volunteered with her husband last year for 100 Beds for 100 Kids.

This years ante was upped because the need is so great, Sawyer said.

Communities in Schools and local social services departments vet the recipients and provide the names of children who received beds.

Having your own bed is something most people take for granted, but not these children, said Ginger ONeil, Bridging RVA board member.

Its been said, Dont let a child go to bed hungry,  said Sawyer, the pastor of Bon Air Baptist Church. How about we first make sure children have a bed to go to?

This years event, the third such one, cost $25,500 to cover the cost of 150 beds. The money as well as sheet and blanket donations came from individuals, community groups, businesses and churches.

Beds for Kids is not a church-sponsored event, its a community event.

We wanted to create a space where anyone can give back no matter what their beliefs are, said Sawyers wife, Lee Ann. It tugs on peoples hearts, she said about Beds for Kids.
Indira Gandhi had almost decided to quit politics and move to London for a few years when a tragic incident brought her at the centre of Indian politics.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Two weeks after the mysterious death of Lal Bahadur Shastri at Tashkent (then in USSR, now in Uzbekistan), Indira Gandhi was sworn in as the prime minister of India in January 1966. Indira Gandhi was not the automatic choice of the Congress party leadership, which was dominated by a group, unofficially called the Syndicate.

Indira Gandhi took oath as the compromise candidate but she ended up as the second-longest serving prime minister of the country. Indira Gandhi was the first prime minister who moved away from idealist policy framework and built her politics around populist measures.

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On her centenary birth anniversary today, Indira Gandhi is best remembered for historical events like creation of Bangladesh and imposition of national emergency in the country which suspended basic human rights.

She was considered the most authoritarian and most popular leader in India of her times. But, much before that Indira Gandhi had been dubbed as a goongi gudiya (the dumb doll) by socialist stalwart Ram Manohar Lohia.

BEFORE INDIRA BECAME PM

The The Syndicate was a powerful grouping of the then Congress president K Kamraj, Atulya Ghosh of West Bengal, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, S Nijalingappa of Madras, SK Patil of Maharashtra and Biju Patnaik of Orissa.

The Syndicate played a key role in Indira Gandhi's transformation. The Syndicate owes its origin to the question asked by many in early 1960s: Who after Nehru? Morarji Desai was the tallest leader in the Congress after Nehru.

But Desai was disliked by both Nehru and the Syndicate for different reasons. Nehru did not approve of Desai's pro-business policies while the Syndicate feared that if he succeeded Nehru, his ambition would leave no space for them. After Nehru, they outmaneuvred Desai and elevated Shastri, who inducted Indira Gandhi into the Union Cabinet.

Though a compromise candidate for his affable nature, Shashtri outgrew the Syndicate led by K Kamraj with his political astuteness and the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Shastri was even getting uncomfortable with the way Indira Gandhi handled political situations. Once she set out to meet victims of natural calamities without prior approval of Shastri.

It was speculated that before Shastri went to Tashkent to negotiate peace deal with Pakistan, he had made up his mind to drop Indira Gandhi from his Cabinet. Indira Gandhi was the Information and Broadcasting Minister, which was not considered high-profile in 1960s. She was considered a weak leader with mammoth legacy. She was even heckled once in Parliament while she was the minister.

HOW INDIRA GANDHI BECAME PM

Indira Gandhi was said to be so frustrated with her political fate in India that she was seriously considering shifting to London for few years. Under such circumstances arrived the news of sudden demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri on one morning in January 1966. The plan to move to London was shelved promptly. She made her moves and appeared to be in the good book of the Syndicate.

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The Syndicate was not yet ready. K Kamraj was said to be harbouring ambition to become the prime minister. The Syndicate controlled most of the Pradesh Congress Committees and was confident of getting numbers in favour at a time when Morarji Desai was once again in the contest.

At the last moment Kamraj backed out saying "No Hindi, no English" how could he unite the nation behind him. But, he was not ready to let Desai have a field day. Indira Gandhi, thought as weak and submissive, suited the profile well.

The Syndicate backed Indira Gandhi and in the election she defeated Morarji Desai by 355-169 votes to take oath as the first, and till date only, female prime minister of India. Desai became her deputy.

HOW INDIRA GANDHI GOT BETTER OF SYNDICATE

During the initial years of her prime ministership, Indira Gandhi appeared nervous and shaky. In 1969, she found it difficult to present the Union Budget. She was too nervous to read out the speech. She was cornered by the Opposition leaders and opponents in the party while Ram Manohar Lohia gave her a nickname, goongi gudiya (the dumb doll).

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The staunch opposition and dominating handling by the Syndicate proved to be the trigger point for Indira Gandhi, who responded with utmost force and vigour. She decided to test her leadership mettle by going directly to public. She had begun experimenting with her own capability and popularity among the masses during the 1967 Lok Sabha elections.

Indira Gandhi extensively toured the country. She covered over 36,000 miles. She gave the slogan of garibi hatao (remove poverty), campaigned against Privy Purse enjoyed by the erstwhile princely state rulers and nationalised 14 big banks in 1969. The Syndicate and Morarji Desai opposed these moves.

INDIRA GANDHI AS IRON LADY

Indira Gandhi was expelled from the party. But, she announced her own Congress (I) in response. Her political moves exposed the existing Congress leadership which sided with the rich royals.

In two years' time, Indira Gandhi was the changed politician. By the time India-Pakistan war over the question of Bangladesh happened, Indira Gandhi had emerged as the tallest leader in the country. The Syndicate had been dismantled.

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The 1971 war reflected her quick decision-making ability on the question of securing the interests of the country. Indira Gandhi was involved in the strategic-planning of the war, which brought Pakistan to its knees. The defeat of Pakistan was so complete that it never again entered into a full-fledged war with India. The Kargil war was limited in nature.

The success of 1971 war led to Indira Gandhi being referred to as the "only man in Cabinet". The western press hailed Indira Gandhi as the Iron Lady of India. This sobriquet stayed on despite controversial decisions to impose national emergency and order troops to march into the Golden Temple of Amritsar at the height of Khalistan militancy.

WATCH: India's iron lady: Deity to her supporters and demon to her opponents

--- ENDS ---
POQUOSON  A white Virginia sheriffs deputy has been reassigned out of her job in the local school system after attending a Halloween party in blackface as part of a costume portraying Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.

Deputy Jean Browning is a 20-year veteran of the York-Poquoson Sheriffs Office in southeast Virginia, just north of Newport News, covering both York County and the city of Poquoson.

Sheriff J.D. Diggs said in a news release that Browning was an anti-drug officer teaching the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in schools for 10 years and was known as a kind and caring person who would do anything for anyone.

A photograph of Browning dressed as Wilson, wearing blackface, large glasses and a red hat similar to Wilsons signature hat, began circulating on the internet soon after Halloween. She was accompanied in the photo by her boyfriend, who was dressed as President Donald Trump.

The local branch of the NAACP brought the photo to the sheriffs attention, and Diggs said he met with members of the group on Nov. 6, then spoke by phone with the branch president the next day, asking for suggestions on how to handle the situation.

Diggs said he was still waiting for suggestions when the York-James City-Williamsburg branch of the NAACP issued a statement on Wednesday, noting that, For decades, blackface has been synonymous with hate, degradation and bigotry.

The NAACP called for Browning to be reassigned out of the DARE program and out of the schools completely.

Diggs said he was surprised to receive the NAACP statement and disappointed that the group did not meet with him again to discuss corrective actions.
Since I started covering central Virginias weather for the Richmond Times-Dispatch a year ago, weve seen some high points and low points.

To be specific, Richmond observed zero degrees and a triple-digit high in the same calendar year for the first time since 1987.

We plowed through one robust snowstorm in an otherwise lackluster winter, two fierce spring hailstorms, and a summer with a conspicuous lack of thunder but an excess of humidity that sprawled well into fall.

All of that activity (or lack of it) has kept the emails and office chit-chat flowing at a steady pace, but its just a small sample of whats possible in this part of the world.

The chaotic nature of the atmosphere usually prevents my forecasts  and those provided daily on the Weather Desk page by AccuWeather  from being very specific about any weather extremes that may be lurking beyond one week into the future.

So in the spirit of looking back, Ive compiled some answers to, When was the last time ... 

Temperatures at Richmond International Airport

When was the last time ...

... the high was hotter than 100 degrees?

101 on July 22, 2017

... the high was 105 degrees?

July 25, 2010

... the high was hotter than 105 degrees?

107 on Aug. 6, 1918

... the heat index was above 110 degrees?

114 on July 8, 2012

... the low was zero degrees?

Jan. 9, 2017

... the low was below zero degrees?

-1 on Jan. 28, 2000

... the low was colder than 10 below?

-12 on Jan. 29, 1940

... there was a wind chill colder than 10 below?

-15 on Jan. 19, 1994

Precipitation at Richmond International Airport

When was the last time ...

... there was more than 1 inch of rain on consecutive days?

Dec. 22 to Dec. 24, 2015

... there was a day with more than 5 inches of rain?

5.36 inches on Aug. 27, 2011

... more than 1 foot of snow fell in one calendar day?

13.3 inches on Feb. 11, 1983

... Richmond had measurable snow earlier than Dec. 1?

0.1 inches on Nov. 8, 1991

... Richmond had measurable snow later than April 1?

1 inch on April 7, 2007

... it snowed on Thanksgiving Day?

1.1 inches on Nov. 23, 1989

... it snowed on Christmas Day?

2.7 inches on Dec. 25, 2010

Storms and extremes

When was the last time ...

... a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for the Richmond metro area?

Aug. 18, 2017

... a tornado warning was issued for a part of the Richmond metro area?

May 5, 2017

... a tornado hit inside Richmonds city limits?

Oct. 27, 2010

... a hurricane warning was in effect for the Virginia coastline?

Aug. 28, 2011, due to Hurricane Irene

... the center of a tropical storm tracked right over central Virginia?

Tropical Storm Hanna on Sept. 6, 2008

... the center of a hurricane tracked into central Virginia?

Hurricane Isabel on Sept. 18, 2003

... there was a state of extreme drought in central Virginia?

October 2007

... there was a state of exceptional drought  the worst category  in central Virginia?

August 2002

... the James River hit flood stage (12 feet) at the Westham gauge?

May 27, 2017

... the James River hit major flood stage (22 feet) at the Westham gauge?

Nov. 7, 1985
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
On Friday, a shootout took place in the area during which one police sub-inspector Imran Tak was killed, while an SPO was injured.

Mugees was believed to be part of Zakir Musa group (Photo courtesy: Ashraf Wani)

By Shuja-ul-Haq : The ISIS propaganda wing Amaq News Agency has claimed that they carried the attack in Zakura area of Srinagar on November 17.

In the statement released by the terror group, they have taken the responsibility for killing a police officer in the Valley at Zakura.

However, Jammu & Kashmir's DGP, S P Vaidya expressed serious doubt on ISIS's claim by saying, "It is yet to be verified. I don't think ISIS has any imprints here."

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On Friday, a shootout took place in the area during which one police sub-inspector Imran Tak was killed, while an SPO was injured.

In the retaliatory action, one militant Mugees Ahmad Mir was killed while another was apprehended by the security forces.

Mugees's body was wrapped in black ISIS flag with Kalima (first fundamental of Islam) inscribed on it.

The ISIS propaganda wing Amaq News Agency of Islamic State claimed that they carried the attack.

Mugees was believed to be part of Zakir Musa group which claims to be a wing of Al-Qaeda in the valley. However, with this development the security forces are now trying to investigate the issue further.

It is being checked whether this ISIS message was just propaganda or was it the Zakir Musa faction that carried out the attack. Musa, it may be recalled had quit the Hizbul Mujahideen and floated his own outfit earlier this year.

In recent times there has been plenty of ISIS propaganda floating around in the Valley. Flags of the outfit have been raised several times.

But the security agencies have rubbished the idea that ISIS has any organisational capability in the valley. They have always seen the display of flags as mere acts of propaganda.

Watch the video here: ISIS terror group claims its first attack in Kashmir's Zakurab

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Botetourt County deputies are looking for a man accused of robbing a business in Daleville on Saturday evening, according to a Botetourt County Sheriff's Office news release.

The armed robbery happened at the Wuppertal Vape Tobacco Store in the 1400 block of Roanoke Road at 6:21 p.m., according to the release. A man entered the store, brought out a handgun and demanded money. He then left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The man was described as slender, 6 feet tall and in his 20s. He was wearing a dark-colored hoodie, grey jeans and a black hat.

Anyone with more information can call the sheriff's office at 928-2200.
An indefinite court injunction is currently prohibiting Charlottesville from removing statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson from a pair of downtown parks, but legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session could allow the city to remove them in 2018.

A major change in the makeup of the House of Delegates following this months elections, which saw Democrats pick up at least 15 seats, could increase the chance for such a bill to pass.

On Monday, the Charlottesville City Council will review its local legislative agenda. A draft of the legislative packet has several specific requests, including a call for legislation that would allow municipalities to decide whether they want to remove war memorials erected before July 1, 1997.

If the city succeeds, it could join the chorus of communities throughout the country that have removed their Confederate monuments in the wake of the deadly violence in Charlottesville in August.

But there still could be some hurdles and other legislative priorities.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginias Center for Politics, said state Democrats are likely to prioritize Medicaid expansion in the upcoming session now that hope is back on the table for them after winning several House seats.

Three House races remain contested, with recounts planned. If the results in one of those races changing in favor of one of the Democratic candidates, the House of Delegates will be evenly split between both parties.

As for legislation enabling localities to remove Confederate monuments, it is likely to still be a struggle, even with all the additional Democratic troops, Sabato said. And this very split General Assembly is not going to pass any kind of sweeping anti-statue legislation.

The best bet: loads of headlines, lots of heat, [but] nothing significant when adjournment comes.

House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said the Democrats will be focusing on improving economic opportunities by focusing on health care, wage growth, increasing the minimum wage, preventing job discrimination, education spending and investing in industries such as cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.

Local control over monuments is an important issue, but, for the present, it is not central to the House Democrat program, Toscano said.

I will be introducing this legislation and hope to get support from both side of the aisle; there are differences of opinion about how to handle monuments, but I hope most will agree that we all would be better off if each individual locality decides what is best for them, based on their unique local conditions.

Some work on bills

The draft legislative packet also includes requests borne from the blowback from the violent white nationalist Aug. 12 rally and the torch-lit marches that have taken place downtown and at the University of Virginia this year.

Those events were billed as protests against the citys plan to remove its Confederate statues, but were viewed by many as a more of a show of force by resurgent white supremacist ideologues.

The city will consider asking for legislation prohibiting the burning of torches in public places with intent to intimidate, as well as the authority to prohibit firearms and other weapons at government meetings and at public places controlled by local authorities.

The city also will consider asking its state lawmakers to include Charlottesville in the list of urban jurisdictions where its unlawful to carry certain kinds of semi-automatic weapons and shotguns.

Virginia cities and counties are beholden to what is known as the Dillon Rule, a governing legality that stipulates that localities can pass legislation and take actions only if they are authorized by the state government.

According to a recent report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, who were retained by Gov. Terry McAuliffe for a state-level review of the Aug. 12 event, the city did not place any kind of restrictions on the demonstrators, many of whom came prepared for violence, some with makeshift weapons and shields, others with military-style firearms and gear.

The report said a best practice in preparing for a potentially violent rally is prohibiting firearms and weapons of any sort within 10 blocks of such an event.

State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, said several people already are working to draft legislation on behalf of the city.

David and I have met with city officials and will work on many of their legislative requests, Deeds wrote in an email. We have met separately to discuss legislative responses to the events of August 11-12. There has been work on drafting some bills.

Ongoing litigation

After the city council voted in February to remove the Lee statue, a coalition of local Confederate descendents filed a lawsuit against the city alleging removal of the statue would violate state code.

Attorney Buddy Weber, a plaintiff in the case and spokesman for the litigants, said the city has every right to request legislation from their state representatives. However, he said, he personally objects to the idea as a veteran of the Vietnam War.

I believe the law as currently written represents sound public policy. It was intended to insulate war memorials or monuments to war veterans from the shifting tides of public opinion, Weber said. As a country, we honor our veterans regardless of whether we believe in the cause for which they fought and died.

I am a Vietnam veteran with the name of a personal friend engraved on our own Vietnam War memorial. I will personally oppose any legislation that grants authority to city council to remove or any way interfere with war memorials or monuments to war veterans.

In late August, about two weeks after the rally, Mayor Mike Signer called on McAuliffe to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly to amend a law that currently prohibits localities from tampering with protected war memorials.

Signer declined an interview for this story, referring questions to City Manager Maurice Jones and city spokeswoman Miriam Dickler.

The governor declined to convene a special session, citing the ongoing litigation over the citys decision to remove the Lee statue. The city council decided, following the Aug. 12 rally, to also remove the Jackson statue.

Clarity for cities?

In August, Toscanos communications director said the delegate was planning to draft a bill that would give the city permission to remove its two Confederate statues, which were erected in the Jim Crow era.

City Councilor Kristin Szakos first proposed the idea of removing the Lee statue about five years ago. With her final term in office ending this year, she said she hopes legislation will clarify whether the city has authority to remove the statues.

We really believe that we already have the right to, but theres a disagreement over that, she said. This could clarify that and give cities control over the message they send to the public.

Szakos said shes uncertain whether the states Democratic lawmakers will coalesce around the citys request, but she said there is a compelling reason to support the plan.

I would hope state legislators will see from what happened in Charlottesville that this monument really does telegraph support for white supremacy and that white supremacists identify strongly with it, she said. I think a lot of folks of good will have not seen that connection in the past, but I think its a lot clearer now.
Neighbours stated that Seeman was jobless and lived off on the dowry money.

By Pramod Madhav: A heart-wrenching incident has been reported from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari, where a 4-months pregnant woman was brutally assaulted and burnt to death by her husband.

Shalini, from Alangudi, got married to Seeman from Marthandam on May 22, 2017. Her family had reportedly given Rs 7 lakh as dowry to Seeman's family. However, things weren't going well for Shalini post marriage.

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Neighbours stated that Seeman was jobless and lived off on the dowry money.

As he has spent all of it, he was pushing Shalini to get more money from her family. She always denied to comply to her husband's wishes and their argument would often escalate into a fight.

On Sunday morning things turned ugly, as their argument took a violent turn.

In a fit of rage, Seeman attacked Shalini with a kitchen grinder. Shalini fell down after the brutal attack. Seeman pulled her towards the kitchen, opened the gas and set her on fire.

Engulfed in flames, Shalini ran out screaming in excruciating pain. The neighbours heard her cry, but before anyone could help, she was charred to death.

After the incident, Seeman tried to hang himself, which according to neighbours, was just another ploy to escape law authorities.

Shalini's family reached the spot and were seen crying profusely. The entire kitkchen was covered with her blood.

Seeman was arrested by the police and has been booked for dowry harassment.

Meanwhile, Shalini's body was transported to Kulitharai Government Hospital.

--- ENDS ---
The state's plans to bring private healthcare to heel have not gone down well.

With elections to the Karnataka assembly less than six months away, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is directing his attention to the serious business of voter appeasement. One overambitious bid, though, to rein in the private healthcare industry, is beginning to unravel. The proposed Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, has provisions to cap prices of healthcare services and punish doctors for medical negligence, even jail them, if necessary.

If the Congress government has its way, the proposed district-level 'grievance committees' (consisting of local politicians, panchayat heads, police officers, health officers etc.), will be empowered to summon a private doctor if a patient lodges a complaint of deficient service. It can even convict him / her to a term of up to five years with fines up to Rs 5 lakh for violations and substandard treatment.

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All this while the accused is not even entitled to a lawyer during the trial!

Understandably, the proposal has led to a massive backlash. 50,000-plus doctors struck work twice in the past two months. On Monday (November 13), 10,000-odd private doctors turned up to protest in Belagavi where the winter session of the assembly will see the tabling of the contentious KPME bill.

Medical experts and public healthcare providers have trashed the controversial amendment. Dr Devi Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, lamented the poor attitude of the government towards the medical profession. "The government fixing prices will upset the business plans of hospitals," he said, indicating that it could affect Bengaluru's image as a healthcare hub and medical tourism destination.

Incidentally, the amendments are proposed at a time when Karnataka ranks poorly in comparison to neighbouring states in curbing Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). Karnataka's MMR is 133 per 1,00,000 live births as against Andhra Pradesh's 92, Tamil Nadu's 79 and Kerala's 61. Likewise, Karnataka's IMR is 31 when Tamil Nadu's is 21 and Kerala's 12.

"Instead of improving healthcare services in government hospitals, politicians are targeting us. If implemented, private establishments, including clinics, nursing homes, corporate hospitals and diagnosis centres will have to shut shop in tier II and III towns," claimed Dr HN Ravindra, president, Karnataka unit, Indian Medical Association, which has been spearheading the movement against the proposed amendment.

The doctors are also agitated about the manner in which the government has gone about the exercise. "They initially tabled the amendment bill in June this year and referred it to a joint select committee after we raised concerns. We are not opposing the bill in toto, but the government is not even open to a dialogue," says Dr T Sathish, an anaesthesiologist who participated in the November 13 agitation. Cardiovascular surgeon Dr Vivek Jawali envisages a different scare scenario: "This proposal will lead to a hafta raj in Karnataka, with doctors being harassed by the committees."

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Downtown Blacksburg Inc. encourages the community to join us in celebrating Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  a fun-filled, family-friendly daylong event to support the towns small local businesses.

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is a day to celebrate the small businesses that help support your community, and is held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Now in its eighth year, Small Business Saturday has been embraced as part of the holiday shopping tradition as shoppers, businesses and public officials come together to shop small and show their neighborhood pride.

Recognizing the importance of supporting small businesses, Blacksburg Town Council passed a Proclamation signed by Mayor Ron Rordam on Nov. 13 in support of Small Business Saturday.

The fourth point in the Proclamation reads: Whereas, consumers throughout the United States agree that small businesses provide great value to local communities by supplying jobs, generating tax revenues, boosting the local economy, helping to preserve neighborhoods, and contributing to the quality of life for residents and visitors of those communities;

Small Business Saturday will feature shopping and dining discounts, a free showing of Toy Story at The Lyric Theatre, carol-singing by Wilderness Road Chorus, performances by small sections of the Blacksburg Community Band, storytime with Joelle at Main Street Inn, holiday ornament making, a treasure hunt at Kent Jewelers and so much more!

Micahs Backpack has once again partnered with Nest Realty and Kent Jewelers to bring the gingerbread house contest to Kent Square. Voting begins on Nov. 25 inside Kent Jewelers and donations to the hunger relief organization are encouraged with each vote.

The fifth annual holiday trees display will also begin on Nov. 25 in Kent Square. Vote for your favorite tree and be entered to win downtown gift certificates.

Voting for both the gingerbread houses and holiday trees ends on Friday, Dec 22. Winners will be announced Dec. 23 at The Lyric Theatre before a free showing of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Full details about Small Business Saturday are available at www.downtownblacksburg.com.
Quoting an astrologer, Lalu Prasad Yadav today said that the PM Narendra Modi will not be able to complete his term till 2019.

By Sujeet Jha: RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav may be out of electoral contests but he is not away from politics. In his own inimitable style, Lalu Prasad Yadav predicted an early election to the Lok Sabha.

Hitting out at his opponents, Lalu Prasad said that attempts were being made "to scare me away" but "my writ runs large even in jail."

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Lalu Prasad said, "An astrologer has said that PM Modi will not complete his term till 2019. This government will not last long because he took oath at an inauspicious moment. That was neither the daytime nor night."

"Hiranyakashyapu (a demon king mentioned in Puranic scriptures who was slain by Lord Vishnu) was killed in the similar bela (arrangement of stars). It was because of inauspicious timing of his (PM Modi's) swearing in that so many inauspicious incidents have happened thereafter," Lalu Prasad Yadav said.

The RJD president was speaking at the national executive of the party in Patna today. He was accompanied by former revenue sales tax officer and astrologer Shankar Charan Tripathi, who was recently made the spokesperson of the RJD.

"Whenever PM Modi goes to polls, in 2018 or 2019, his rout is definite," Lalu Prasad said. He also lashed out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar calling him "paltu ram" (one who switches sides out of habit). Lalu Prasad challenged Nitish Kumar to hold election to Bihar Assembly along with the Lok Sabha polls.

"MY WRIT RUNS LARGE IN JAIL"

Responding to multiple raids by various central government agencies on the offices, residences and properties of his family members in recent months, Lalu Prasad Yadav said, "Attempts are being made to scare me away. Cases are being registered against me and my family members in order to cow down us. They want me to go to jail so that they can win election."

"Even if Lalu Prasad Yadav is banished to the mountains, it will make no difference. Lalu's writ runs large even in jail," the RJD supremo said.

Accusing the Modi government of indulging in vendetta politics, he said, "Whose properties Lalu Yadav, Mayawati, Mamata (Banerjee), Mulayam (Singh Yadav) and Akhilesh (Yadav) have stolen that the agencies are after us. We are not the ones who get scared."

"WORSE THAN EMERGENCY"

Taking another swipe at the Narendra Modi government, Lalu Prasad Yadav said that the current circumstances in the country were worse than those prevailing during emergency.

"Situation is worse than Indira Gandhi's emergency. Media is not free. Earlier, people were scared of tiger. Now, they fear cow," Lalu Prasad said.

Lalu Prasad further said, "Throw the Muslims out, if you have the guts... If someone is having children (responding to rising population of Muslims), why they are getting jealous about it, and these humbugs remain celibate till 60 years of age."

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ON GUJARAT ELECTION

On Gujarat election, Lalu Prasad said that "yaduvanshis" must hand over a humiliating defeat to PM Narendra Modi.

"I spoke to Hardik Patel. He told me that he was in contact with Tejashwi Yadav and Misa Bharti. Harik's character assassination is being done," Lalu Prasad said.

Slamming Nitish Kumar for fielding JD-U candidates in Gujarat election, Lalu Prasad said, "They did not fight election in Uttar Pradesh. But, they are contesting in Gujarat with the sole aim of cutting into the vote base of Patels. If they want to contest, they should do so on BJP's tickets."

--- ENDS ---
The recent news that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be introducing 5 percent value-added tax (VAT) from January 2018 on both, rough as well as polished diamonds, has stirred and shaken the Indian diamond industry which has close business affiliations with the country.

UAE in recent times has emerged as the world's largest diamond trading hub after Antwerp. If the 5 percent VAT is made applicable, the Indian exporters of polished goods and importers of rough from UAE will have to bear a high tax rate of 5.25 percent, due to the Indian government's GST of 0.25 percent. This will eat into the already wafer-thin profits of the manufacturers, who are in dire straits.

The Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC) in the last decade has been following a tax-free environment. And, as most of the large diamond companies in India have set up their offices in DMCC, a significant value of rough diamonds is imported from UAE annually. The value of diamonds traded in the UAE rose to $26 billion in 2016, compared with $300 mn in 2002 when the DMCC was established.

So, the possible cost implications for the traders in UAE is huge, prompting Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DMCC to comment at the recent Dubai Diamond Conference in Dubai: "Our trading roots trace back to the principles of a tax-free environment for import and re-export and a mindset that industry drives government, not that government drives industry.

Surprisingly, this decision by the UAE government comes at a time when Dubai is beginning to be perceived as the next big Hub after New York and Mumbai; especially after Antwerp has lost some large diamond companies which relocated to Dubai.

To be fair, the count-down began a few years ago when Antwerp began to lose its position as a gem lender. The exodus of major companies as well as financing banks to the UAE began at a steadfast pace; with the recent successful biennial conference reiterating the popular belief that the Gulf emirate is on track to outpace New York and Mumbai as well.

From a $25.3bn of diamond trade in the first half of 2011, Dubai has grown in leaps and bounds to emerge as a growing hub of $57bn global market, taking advantage of its transport links to India, the worlds biggest diamond importer.

When diamond dealers from the global industry's hub in Antwerp found themselves deprived of the much-needed financing when a major lender closed business, they found a haven in the Middle East. The lending Banks in the Emirates were quick to grab the opportunity, which attracted many companies to set up their businesses in the country.

Many rough trading companies financed by the lending banks made a bee-line to Dubai, which was earlier a pearl trading centre. Rough diamond imports, which were $5.1 bn in the year 2013, shot up to $5.9 bn in 2016, forcing Kimberley Process to set up a system to stop the supply of blood diamonds from war zones into this area.

Now, the expanding diamond financing available in the Middle East is helping Dubai to grow into a major diamond trading hub. When Antwerp Diamond Bank, which funded more than $1.5 billion to the diamond industry for about 80 years wound up its operation, ABN Amro Bank and Standard Chartered Bank also followed suit with plans to leave the industry gradually.

This paved the way for National Bank of Fujairah(NBF) to enter the diamond financing market. Now, in a little more than the last six months, NBF (partly owned by Dubai and Fujairah) has capitalized on the shift in trade from Antwerp to Dubai, by offering loans between $5 mn to $50 mn to diamond traders.

But, will the 5 percent VAT announced by the UAE government be the 'spike in the wheel' for Dubai to become one of the largest diamond hub in the world? One has to wait and watch ...

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Japan will on Monday release October figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Imports are expected to jump 20.2 percent on year after climbing 12.0 percent in September. Exports are called higher by an annual 15.7 percent after gaining 14.1 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at 330.0 billion yen, down from 670.2 billion yen a month earlier.

Thailand will provide Q3 numbers for gross domestic product, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 0.75 percent on quarter and 3.95 percent on year. That follows the 1.3 percent quarterly increase and the 3.7 percent yearly gain in the three months prior.

Singapore will release Q3 data for wholesale sales; in Q2, sales were up 11.2 percent on quarter and 7.3 percent on year.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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(Agencia CMA Latam) - The Venezuelan government and opposition representatives scheduled a meeting for the first days of December to discuss the end of the economic blockade and respect for political rights in the country, said the head of the national government delegation for political dialogue, Jorge Rodriguez Gomez. The decision was made at a meeting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

"A fundamental point of discussion that we bring is to respect, when we go to the presidential elections in 2018, to respect political rights and also economic guarantees," said Rodriguez Gomez from Santo Domingo.

After a six-hour preparatory meeting with the Venezuelan opposition to continue with the exploratory phase of the dialogue as a way to consolidate peace, he mentioned that another issue that will rise in that next meeting is the National Constituent Assembly, elected in July amid an opposition boycott.

The balance of the public powers will also be discussed, as well as the joint work for the development of the Truth Commission and political rights in Venezuela, and the cease of the external violence against Venezuela, added Rodriguez in statements to the media.

The foreign ministers of Mexico, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Nicaragua would be invited to the meeting, as well as the representative of a sixth foreign government, to mediate the talks.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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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 Maharashtra government's initiative to computerise the public distribution system and link ration cards to Aadhaar has had impressive results, with the food and civil supplies department claiming to have saved foodgrains worth Rs 3,000 crore from being siphoned off. The initiative has helped the department detect 9.2 million fraudulent beneficiaries and 1.2 million fake ration cards so far.

This has come as a relief to the state at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a petition on whether the 12-digit unique identification number should be mandatory for access to the benefits of public schemes. The exercise of linking Aadhaar with ration cards was widely criticised after 11-year-old Santoshi Kumari from Jharkhand died of starvation on September 27 (her family was denied foodgrains under the PDS as they didn't have Aadhaar cards).

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In Maharashtra, some 75 million families are entitled to PDS benefits. Each member of these families gets 5 kg foodgrains every month. The food and civil supplies department has installed biometric machines at 51,073 out of 52,213 PDS shops. A ration card holder has to record his/ her thumb impression in the system linked to Aadhaar. At the same time, department officials also monitor stocks at the shop from a control room in Mantralaya, Mumbai. "Bogus claimants have been weeded out. No eligible person is now deprived of his right to subsidised foodgrains," says food minister Girish Bapat.

That said, the change of distribution norms for the Antyoday scheme, under which a family got up to 35 kg of foodgrains, has become a source of anger against the government. The new norm is: 5 kg of foodgrains per member. Officials say criteria had to be changed because of malpractices. "A family of two also used to get 35 kg foodgrains. They sold most of it to earn cash. Which is why we imposed restrictions," says an official.

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Robert Mugabe has agreed to end his four-decade reign as the leader of Zimbabwe and is preparing a statement with the military authorities who took power last week, according to reports citing people familiar with the matter.

President Mugabe, 93 years, took the decision after his ruling party told him to resign or face impeachment, the reports said.

The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front's central committee decided at a meeting Sunday to fire Mugabe as its leader and ordered him to resign as president or they'll remove him, Patrick Chinamasa, the party's secretary for legal affairs, said in Harare. Emmerson Mnangagwa, who Mugabe dismissed as vice president this month, will be reinstated, take over as interim president and be Zanu-PF's presidential candidate in elections next year.

The party's decision to dump Mugabe came four days after the military placed him under house arrest and detained several of his closest allies -- a move triggered by Mnangagwa's dismissal.

A former spy chief and defense minister, Mnangagwa had battled for control of the ruling party with Grace Mugabe, the president's wife, and her fellow members of the so-called Generation-40 faction of mainly younger politicians who didn't fight in the liberation war against the white-minority regime of Rhodesia.

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Manmohan Singh will receive the 2017 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for his leadership and his achievements during the 10 "momentous" years when he was Prime Minister.

By India Today Web Desk: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was chosen as the recipient of this year's Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

Singh received the international award, named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for "improving India's stature in the world" and for his "for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development", a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said.

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The Trust's statement said Singh was being recognised for the leadership he provided to the country and for his achievements during the "momentous" ten years between 2004 and 2014, when he served as Prime Minister .

An international jury selects the recipient of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development every year. This year's jury, which chose Singh unanimously, was chaired by the former PM's contemporary and ex-President Pranab Mukherjee.

"The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh... for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," the Trust statement said.

International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development announces former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the recipient of this year's prize. pic.twitter.com/HZGoUjaCsJ- ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017

The Trust also noted that Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the Prime Minister and said his tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement.

"There were improvements in troubled areas within the country, notably Jammy and Kashmir [during Singh's tenure as PM]," the statement added. "The ten years of his prime ministership were not only [a] period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, prolonged communal harmony, peace on the country's borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India's standing in the global community of nations."

The Trust, in a short biography of Singh, called the ex-PM a "brilliant student in his earliest days" and noted he had occupied a number of important positions in his career, including that of the Reserve Bank of India governor, chairman of the Planning Commission and chief economic advisor the government.

Referencing his work as Finance Minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government, the Trust said Manmohan Singh was responsible for "piloting" India's economic liberalisation project and that he "furthered" the reforms during his time as Prime Minister.

According to a PTI report, the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development was constituted in 1986 and its last two recipients were Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

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The announcement of the prize being awarded to Manmomahan Singh came on Saturday, on the eve of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's birthday, which is today.

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Stamp out Marcos rehabilitation

CARMMA denounces PhilPost-issued Marcos centennial stamps

By CARMMA

October 27, 2017

QUEZON CITY  Another stolen credit, another stamping of Marcos rehabilitation and revision of history, was how CARMMA described the issuance of a commemorative stamp on the birth centennial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Not in our mails, said CARMMA spokesperson Bonifacio Ilagan, in reaction to the stamp, issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation which featured Marcos portrait and signature. The Duterte regimes political rehabilitation of the Marcos goes on and on. One day, shall we see images of Marcos all over the country? Posters, action figures? We can only express extreme disgust, he said.

As to the non-announcement of the release of 50,000 stamps, Ilagan said the PhilPost knew there will be reactions and protests with these actions. However, they sadly chose to be part of the continuing sanitization of history, stamping out the sins and accountabilities of the Marcoses, as if he is the one who should be given high regard. Philippine heroes are definitely rolling in their graves, with their faces on stamps alongside a dictator who wronged the people! Ilagan said.

Whether PhilPost management is ignorant of the crimes of the Marcoses against the people and the nationss history of anti-dictatorship struggle or is engaged in the deliberate moves to rehabilitate the dead dictator, the issuance of a commemorative stamp to pay tribute to a murderer and plunderer is an affront to our morality and sensibility as a nation. It deserved our strong rebuke, said the group.

The group said with this, CARMMA is preparing for actions towards the one year of the infamous heros burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Supporters and members of the Faataua o le Ola were out in numbers yesterday morning to participate in this years Walk for Life.

Among them was former Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, who led the march.

Guided by the theme Walking towards a suicide-free Samoa, the initiative encourages members of the public to choose life and to always know that solutions are available to their problems.

The event yesterday was dedicated to the memory of the late Reverend Mafi Oloapu, who had been the director of Faataua o le Ola for many years.

His Highness Tui Atua Tupua pledged his full support to the cause, as he has always done over the years.

To those who are depressed or considering suicide as a solution, through the walk for life, we are here to say we love you and we care for you, he said.

We want to give you some tangible evidence of this love and caring by walking in order to say I hear Christ and I hear your cries.

I want to tell you that there are so many beautiful things in this world that you can contribute to, not only to yourself, but to families and the country if you allow Christ our Saviour into your mind, he said.

Walk for life is one event that Faataua o le Ola uses as an awareness programme to deliver their message.

The message is very simple, Christ I hear you and for those who are facing this dreadful dilemma, we love you and care for you.

Among the participants was the wife of the late Rev. Mafi, Mele Oloapu, who thanked the organization for believing and supporting her husband throughout the years.

Whoever will be selected to continue the work that was carried out by her husband, I wish them the very best.

Representative of Faataua o le Ola, Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale, on behalf of Hans Joachim Keil, thanked those who contributed to making Walk for Life possible this year.
The Federal Pacific Group has officially announced the naming of Federal Pacific House in the centre of downtown Nukualofa in line with the consolidation of with its regional group branding.

The commercial building becomes the companys corporate Headquarters in Tonga.

The building situated on Taufaahau Road in central Nukualofa, houses Fexco Pacifics No 1 Currency Exchange and Western Union businesses as well as Federal Pacific Insurance and Finance together with Cafe Escape, Jetsave Travel and Fedex Couriers.

The announcement was made during a cocktail attended by the delegates of the 32nd South Pacific Governors Meeting and co-hosted by the Governor of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, Dr. Sione Ngongo Kioa and Chairman of Federal Pacific Group, Alistair Hutchison.

This is proof that partnerships between the public and private sectors are possible and Id like to thank Federal Pacific for their hospitality, said Governor Dr. Sione Ngongo Kioa.

The Governor of Central Bank of Samoa, Maiava Atalina Enari, attended the function.

I wish to congratulate Federal Pacific Group for taking the leap of faith in its expansion plans, because it does come with many challenges, said Maiava.

It is great to see Samoan companies in particular getting out into the region and it is also in line with the Governments challenge to the private sector to seek growth opportunities outside of Samoa.

Federal Pacific Group has been involved in several commercial ventures in the Kingdom since 1994.

Federal Pacific Insurance and Federal Pacific Finance which were established in Samoa in 1999, opened its doors for business in Tonga in 2004.

General Manager Namulauulu Sami Leota said the name change of our commercial headquarters to Federal Pacific House is in keeping with our long term vision and strategy to expand the Federal Pacific brand around the Pacific region.

We now operate in Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Timor Leste and we have plans to move into other Pacific Islands in the near future.
The Ministry of Health has received a container full of medical supplies and equipment valued at $80,000from the University of Otago, New Zealand.

The donation was presented to the Director General of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, on Friday at Motootua.

On behalf of the Government of Samoa, and those who will benefit from these gifts, I would like to acknowledge and to thank specifically the University of Otago for facilitating this gift, Leausa said.

I understand that there are many others who contributed, Southland District Health Board, Mercy Hospital, Balclutha and Timaru hospitals, ALSCO, Rotary and other generous individuals.

The supplies and equipment donated included; laboratory equipment, clinical teaching equipment, surgical materials and equipment, trolleys with drawers, as well as hospital beds and mattresses to name a few.

On island to represent the University of Otago and handover their donation is the Manager of the Pacific Island Centre,Tofilau Nina Kirifi-Alai.

She was accompanied by Associate Dean, Faumuina Assoc. Professor Faafetai Sopoaga. They say Otago University is delighted to be able to help Samoa.

Present at the presentation was former Otago University student and member of the Council of Deputies, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia.
Migrating overseas is one way many people living in Samoa see as a way out of struggles and poverty.

Sulesa Fineitalaga Aloniu, 52, from the village of Nuu-Fou, is among people who holds such a belief.

She said the high cost of living in Samoa is almost unbearable.

The cost of living here in Samoa right now is really high and it is way too much for some families, Mrs. Aloniu told the Village Voice team yesterday.

The high cost of living in Samoa today does not match the money people are earning from their jobs.

Mrs. Aloniu also said theyve been in Nuu for two years now but they were still struggling.

Its two years now since we moved here and there is still struggle because the road to our place is really not good for transportation.

Another issue is that we dont have that much land around the house to have a plantation when the money we get is not enough.

Mrs. Aloniu says the way youths nowadays behave, really frightens her and her family.

Another tough part here in Samoa today is the behavior of young youths around here during the weekend when they are intoxicated, it is really inappropriate.

Our family is really scared when this happens, so whenever we hear the young youths start to shout while drunk on weekend, we just call the police.

Mrs. Aloniu says she encourages her children to move overseas and help her family because life in Samoa is tough.

Life is already hard here in Samoa today with the expensive cost of living and so many issues here.

I am encouraging my kids to go overseas so they can make more money and send it over because life here is really hard.
The proposal by the Alliance of Small Island States (A.O.S.I.S.) for an insurance pool to cover the cost of loss and damage caused by climate change was finally approved by world leaders at the 23rd United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (C.O.P. 23) held in Bonn, Germany.

In 1991, A.O.S.I.S. proposed an insurance pool to cover the cost of loss and damage. And this week, at last, an insurance mechanism was launched that will finally provide better access to more affordable insurance for those who need it most, C.O.P. 23 president and Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said while making the announcement at the Fiji Pavilion yesterday.

And After 26 years of trying to get world leaders to agree to the proposal, Mr. Bainimarama said this was one of the successful outcomes of the climate talks that will be concluding this week.

Mr. Bainimarama said the Alliance of Small Island States (A.O.S.I.S.) and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S.), which Samoa is a member of, have been making the case of the most vulnerable to climate change since the late 1980s.

And this week, at last, an insurance mechanism was launched that will finally provide better access to more affordable insurance for those who need it most, he said.

Mr. Bainimarama said loss and damage in the context of climate is not an abstract concept.

It is a reality experienced by far too many people around the world already.

And we know that is the case with 1.1 degree warming.

On some recent projections, we are headed to 3 or 4 degrees and that will spell catastrophe.

He said the Fiji Clearing House for Risk Transfer was launched to assist in the sharing of insurance information and solutions.

And Im very proud that these initiatives have happened during our Presidency of C.O.P. 23.

I want to pay tribute to the perseverance of all those who have been promoting this idea for almost 30 years.

This change is necessary because the current global insurance system does not work well enough for the poor and vulnerable.

And certainly our people and my Government really struggled when Fiji was struck last year by the biggest cyclone ever to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cyclone Winston in Fiji killed 44 people, destroyed thousands of homes, schools and health centers and caused losses amounting to 30 per cent of their G.D.P.

Mercifully, it spared most of the tourism areas on which our economy relies heavily on.

But as I have said before, we are deeply apprehensive, even fearful about what would happen if a similar event was to score a direct hit on our major towns, cities and tourism properties.

It could easily wipe out our economy in the space of a few terrifying hours and set back our development for decades.

And also make it impossible for us to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals.

On top of the terror and heartbreak of Winston itself, many of our people had to deal with the fact that the loss of their homes and possessions wasnt covered by insurance.

They effectively had to start their lives again with no financial means.

And while my Government responded quickly with a Help for Homes Initiative to assist our people to rebuild, we cannot always replicate such assistance each time a climatic event occurs.

Mr. Bainimarama said the initiatives would offer practical assistance and hope.

With a generous financing arrangement for the partnership from Germany, the United Kingdom and other nations and financial institutions such as the World Bank, climate-vulnerable people throughout the world at least have an avenue to bounce back more quickly.

It is a huge leap forward and we are delighted at the level of cooperation between governments, international institutions, private sector insurance, academia and civil society organisations that have made this possible.

It is another wonderful example of the grand coalition in action and a good result from C.O.P. 23.

Within Fiji, we know that our infrastructure must be upgraded or designed to cope with climate change.

This week, we have also celebrated a water and wastewater investment of more than US$400 million (T$1.02 billion) through a blended finance arrangement to improve the climate resilience and the public health of our capital city, Suva, and its surrounds.

As well as threats to infrastructure, we also have major concerns over the effect of sea level rise, ocean warming and acidification on our fisheries, reefs and mangroves.

This is already affecting our coastal communities and is obviously a threat to the future of our tourism industry if we dont solve this problem now.

He concluded that loss and damage wasnt some distant prospect.

It is a grave and present reality. And as C.O.P. President, I am aware of the responsibility of maintaining the dialogue between parties  which Im told is now going to be called the Suva Dialogue  to maintain focus on this issue and get to grips with its impact.

At the same time, we need measures that provide practical access to finance for adaptation and enable us to build our resilience to climate change.

It was one of my main motivations for taking on this role.

And I intend to use my Presidency of C.O.P. to encourage more initiatives like the insurance mechanisms already launched this week, Mr. Bainimarama said.
The high level call to constrain oil, gas and coal production to achieve the Paris goals was yesterday endorsed by former President of Kiribati and climate change activist, Anote Tong and Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Development Forum, Francois Martel.

Both leaders formally signed the Lofoten Declaration at the event.

The Lofoten Declaration affirms the urgent responsibility and moral obligation of wealthy fossil fuel producers to lead in these efforts.

The Lofoten Declaration has been signed by 500 organizations.

The event was held yesterday and following the official signing, the Pacific leaders called for a reining in of fossil fuel production in order to stay within the climate limits agreed to in Paris.

Fossil fuels will destroy our homes and two degrees will destroy our home, Mr. Tong said.

I have the mandate from the Pacific leaders to continue to fight for this ambitious and urgent work to reduce emissions globally.

I am very pleased to declare that the Pacific Islands Development Forum will be signing the Lofoten Declaration today and to join 500 like-minded organizations who believe in the urgency of this effort.

Mr. Martel says for about 20 years, the Pacific people have been resisting oil development and extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

We have taken our fight all the way to international courts and won.

We continue to resist new oil extraction and promote solutions to protect our living forests.

We must stand together to keep oil in the ground from the Amazon to the Arctic to protect our climate and our future generations.

The event program indicated that potential carbon emissions from oil, gas, and coal present in the worlds currently operating fields and mines would take us beyond 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius of warming.

For the world to stay within the Paris climate limits, new fossil fuel production must be halted.

This requires stopping exploration for, and expansion of, new reserves and a managed decline and just transition away from fossil fuel production starting with wealthy countries and States that have the means to act first and the fastest.
Manushi Chhillar being crowned Miss World 2017 shows Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign is progressing in the right direction, said Kavita Jain, Haryana's Women & Child Development Minister.

By India Today Web Desk: Manushi Chhillar winning the Miss World 2017 title last night and ending India's 17-year wait for the crown to come back saw laudatory messages pouring in from several quarters.

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar to former world pageant winners Priyanka Chopra and Sushmita Sen, congratulatory messages for the 20-year-old girl flowed in all night, making #MissWorld2017 and #ManushiChhillar the two top trends in India (as of writing this report).

Congratulations @ManushiChhillar! India is proud of your accomplishment.- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 18, 2017

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Among those who extolled the student of medicine's Miss World victory was her Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kavita Jain, who is also the Women & Child Development Minister of Harayana, the state Manushi hails from.

"Manushi Chhillar's victory will help boost the self-confidence of several girls," read a release posted on the minister's official Facebook page. Calling Manushi the "daughter of Haryana", Jain added she has made not just the state but the entire country proud.

"Manushi's victory shows that the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign is moving forward in the right direction," Jain said, referring to the central government's flagship scheme to provide better services for girls in the country.

Manushi, an MBBS student at the Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonepat, was crowned by Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle at a glittering ceremony at the Sanya City Arena in China.

During the question round of the beauty pageant, the Haryana girl was asked what profession she thought deserved the highest salary. Her response, which led her to winning the Miss World 2017 crown, was: "A mother deserves the highest respect. It's not always about cash but also the love and respect that we give to someone. My mother has been a huge inspiration to me. I think it is the job of a mother that deserves the biggest salary."

With her victory, Manushi became the sixth Indian woman to win the Miss World title. Her win came 17 years after Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra was crowned Miss World by the previous winner, Yukta Mookhey, also an Indian.

And we have a successor!Congratulations @ManushiChhillar on becoming #MissWorld2017.. cherish and learn, and most importantly enjoy it.Bravo- PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) November 18, 2017

Other Indian winners of the international beauty pageant include Diana Hayden (1997), Aishwarya Rai (1994) and Reita Faria (1966).

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Malifa Lodge at Motootua has undergone a major change since its establishment just three years ago.

The lodge was recently rebranded as Tivoliapart Hotel and a local business owner has won the tender to operate it.

It was built by the Samoa Land Corporation prior to the S.I.D.S. conference held in Samoa.

Chief Executive Officer of Samoa Land Corporation (S.L.C.), Ulugia Petelo Kavesi confirmed that there had been a successful tender to the Samoan Observer last week.

He said the Corporation believed the private sector could generate more income for the Corporation. This was after disappointing returns from the Lodge were tabled.

Just three years ago, at the official opening of the lodge, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi congratulated the Corporations management for their perseverance.

Tuilaepa said such establishments were vital for the development of Samoa.

We hope that this new project will be able to grow and prosper in the future, Tuilaepa said.

He said those developments not only earned the country much-needed revenue, they also provided employment opportunities for members of the community.
The Assistant Commissioner for Prisons and Corrections Services, Ulugia Sauafea Niuia Aumua, says he is unable to comment on the reasons leading to the death of a prisoner, Alele Mano.

This is because Police are now investigating the matter, he said.

As to whether Mr. Mano died at the Tafaigata Prison or at the hospital, Uligia repeated: I cannot comment on the matter because it is now in the hands of police for investigation.

We do not want to interfere with their investigations.

There will be an inquest heard at Court, where the report from the coroner will be given and all the details will be revealed.

I do believe all the questions the wife of Alele Mano wants answered, will be revealed during the inquest in Court, he said.

Mr. Mano, 33, from Siumu was serving life imprisonment when he was hospitalised on 21st October, 2017, at Motootua and pronounced dead the day after.

A source within the Ministry of Police had said the cause of death was a heart attack.

However, an earlier report published in the Samoa Observer last week, stated the deceaseds wife, Jackie Tasi, did not accept Police claims that her husband died of heart attack.

The doctors report clearly points out that my husband died because of high blood pressure and it affected his heart, Ms. Tasi said earlier this week.

She alleged that when she arrived at the Motootua Hospital, she saw that her husbands body was bruised.

When my husband came home to celebrate White Sunday with us, he mentioned to me that they were collecting money.

I asked him what that money was for; he replied that it was for their contribution for the construction of the newly-built Tafaigata Prison at Tanugamalala, she said in the report published early this week.

However, Uligia said claims by Ms. Tasi that prisoners were tasked to financially contribute to the newly-built prison at Tafaigata was not true.

We never asked any prisoner to put in money for the construction of the Tanugamalala Prison.

Those claims are wrong. He also made clear that the Tafaigata Prison cannot make any contributions financially or any kind to assist with a funeral of a prisoner, he said in reference to Mr. Manos fathers disappointment that there was no contribution from the prison.

We do have a clinic here where prisoners can go when they are sick but for further treatment, then they are taken to the national hospital.

We do have a management plan that is in place to monitor prisoners who are not well because we do care.

We give our sympathy to the family of the prisoner especially to his wife and their children for their loss, Ulugia concluded.
The My Girls Club has presented another donation to Nuanua o le Alofa.

Nuanua O Le Alofa is a National Advocacy Organisation established in 2001 to advocate for and promote the rights and abilities of persons with disabilities in Samoa.

The donation was a cheque of $2,000 tala

Nuanua o le Alofa expressed their appreciation to the My Girls Club for the donation.

Samoan fa'afafine group, My Girls Club, was established in 2009 by a fa'afafine group of friends and members of the Samoa Fa'afafine Association.

Its members gather regularly for informal meetings.

I want to express huge thanks to your club for believing in us at Nuanua o le Alofa and in what we are doing, said Mataafa Faatino Utumapu, a director of Nuanua o le Alofa Organisation.

The President of My Girls, Mandy Autagavaia told Samoa Observer, they have been fundraising throughout the year in order to make this special donation.

We have been donating to Ola Toefuataina as well as other organizations, she said.

According to the director of Nuanua o le Alofa, the money will be put to good use as there are items needed during their Outreach Programmes that cannot be funded by their other donor partners.

This is the third year My Girls Club has donated to the Nuanua o le Alofa and they will continue to do so in the future.
When Cabinet decided that responsibility for Government Housing would be passed to the Samoa Housing Corporation in 2013, it was a logical and timely move.

Cabinet must have been concerned it was not run as well as it could be so they wanted to make a change, said the C.E.O. of Samoa Housing Corporation, Matautia Rula Levi.

We just took it on board under our housing umbrella.

Previously, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Public Works Department had shared the responsibility for the houses.

Many of the houses were built in the 1960s and 70s, mostly for ex-patriates who were working in Samoa post Independence.

They were solidly built for the tropics, but forty years on, they were in a poor state of repair.

There were also outstanding rents owed on many of them and the rental fees charged on the one, two or three bedroom buildings, did not reflect market rates.

We decided to do the best we could do. We loaned funds from our core function which is providing loans for our clients, with the premise the money would be paid back.

They also set about collecting arrears.

In the five years since the handover, Matautia said that of the 73 houses in FagaliI, Moto-otua, Taumeasina and Vaiala, 69 have been completely renovated (94%).

In the future we want to further develop the areas where our houses are. When they transferred the houses we had problems with neighbours who would use our access roads but that has now been taken care of, said Matautia.

Our rates are very competitive and as landlords, we are concerned about the condition of the houses we are letting.

The maintenance and upkeep is important as well as fostering good relationships with our tenants. We want them to feel a sense of ownership and pride in the houses and this has happened in most cases since the takeover.

There must be satisfaction on both sides and we have been encouraged by comments from our tenants. We are mindful of costs and we are able to utilize timber from other houses; we are very much aware of economies of scale.

The increased value and transformation of these properties would not have been possible without the support of the Minister, Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell and a good Board, said Matautia

Within the Board there is a Sub Committee which oversees the Rental properties and meets every quarter.

We are also aware of the value of the buildings and properties which are situated in and around the Apia environs.

They are national assets. They belong to us the people so my objective is, I want to really maximize the return as well as give our people an opportunity.

The opportunity offered by the S.H.C. is for those renting, to eventually graduate to home ownership.

The Manager of Corporate and Rental Properties, Titimaea Tiotio said there was quite some research required before they could begin the work on the buildings.

We had to find the properties when we took over. 72 properties became 73 when we learned of an extra house which was previously unaccounted for. The tenant then began paying rental fees to us.

Recently, we completed the renovations on five houses at Fagalii so now we are looking for tenants for them. Four of them are three bedroom homes and there is one two bedroom home.

Before S.H.C. took over, only government employees could rent the houses but after the transfer, an equal opportunity policy began where applicants were eligible as long as they could pay the rent.

From renting a property, a tenant can be further helped by S.H.C. to eventually graduate to home ownership, Titimaea said.

Anyone can apply at the Samoa Housing Corporation headquarters in Apia or make an appointment with one of our officers on the S.H.C. website www.samoahousing.ws

Appointments can also be made on the S.H.C. Facebook page to apply for a house..

We are slowly reviewing our rental rates to ensure they remain competitive, said Matautia.

Our target market is lower to moderate income earners and families so our clients range from scholarship students who have returned from overseas and are starting a family, to established families and couples who are both working.

We can also help our clients further along by providing a loan when they have a deposit and are looking to buy a property for their own homes.

The S.H.C. is on Togafuafua Road and was first established in May 1990 by an Act which was amended in 2010.
A report on sustainable energy for all and power for all rural and vulnerable populations in developing countries was released at the United Nations Framework Climate Change Conference (C.O.P. 23) meeting in Bonn, Germany.

The Why wait? Seizing the energy access dividend report focuses on deploying decentralized renewable energy solutions and developing countries could miss out on multiple wide ranging benefits if they are forced to wait years, or even decades to get access to electricity through first ever power from the grid.

The report presents a first-of-its-kind approach to developing a framework for understanding and quantifying the financial, educational and environmental dividends for households through accelerated access to decentralized electricity, such as solar home systems and clean energy mini-grids.

According to the report, households in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Kenya  which were used as report Case Studies  can save hundreds of dollars, equivalent to the average annual income of between 61,800 and 406,000 people depending on the country and timeframe to deliver universal access.

This is by bringing electricity access forward through use of solar to power household services like lighting and mobile phone charging instead of kerosene or costly external phone charging services.

Another benefit from decentralized services is more time for studying equivalent to the time spent in school each year of between 142,000 and two million students depending on the country and timeframe to deliver universal access.

The data also shows significant black carbon emission reductions across the three countries  as much as 330 million metric tons of C.O.2 equivalent emissions, or roughly the emissions from 60 million passenger vehicles driven for one year  because of reduced kerosene use.

Special Representative of U.N. Secretary-General Sustainable Energy and C.E.O. of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All), Rachel Kyte said with the launching of the report, decision makers were faced with competing priorities against finite resources.

The Why Wait report provides powerful evidence on the development gains that can be achieved by focusing on integrated energy strategies that advance energy access.

Household savings and hours of study time that are won because of access to energy.

Denying those gains by not prioritizing solutions to energy access risks holding back whole generation decentralized renewable energy as an attractive option for closing the energy access gap quickly especially for remote rural areas.

This work shows it can bring prosperity and education outcomes as well as other services energy provides.

Kristina Skierka, C.E.O. of Power for All said default approaches to electrification that relied on slow, expensive fossil-fuel-powered centralized generation were out of date and out of time.

Properly supported, decentralized renewable energy can deliver socio-economic dividends faster and at a lower cost.

The report was commissioned by SE4ALL and Power for All, and authored by the Overseas Development Institute.

The framework factors in different time differences for delivering electricity access through alternative options involving decentralized and centralized grid-scale power.

The different time assumptions used for the three countries are the governments target goal for achieving full electricity access; the rate required to achieve the 2030 universal energy access goal; and the historical rate based on electrification progress from 2010 to 2014.
A 21-year-old Mormon missionary has died after he was struck by a vehicle on Sunday while walking with his companion in Samoa, Deseret News reports.

"Elder Aaron Ahkau Matapa Patiole, age 21, was killed when he was struck by a vehicle in Upolu, Samoa, as he and his companion were walking together," said Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a statement released Sunday.

Patiole is from Australia. He had been in the Samoa Apia Mission since December 2016.

The incident happened on Sunday afternoon, the report said.

"With great sadness we announce the death of one of our full-time missionaries," Hawkins said in his statement.

"We are grieved by his loss," he added, "and extend our prayers and love to his family and loved ones. We pray they will be blessed with peace as they mourn the loss of this valiant young man."

Efforts have been made to contact the Police for a comment.
There is a new eatery in town.

The C.C.M. restaurant, owned and operated by a family from Manono has opened in Vailoa just after the Lepea Bridge where the Asian Delights store was previously located.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, the owner of the restaurant Leiataualesa Mulipola Oliva said he was not new to the world of business.

This is the fourth business we have owned, said Leiataualesa.

We have an immigration and travel agency called Ensign Travel and Immigration Service which was established in 2003.

Then we thought of how Samoan people love to eat so we established a shop in 2008 at Manono.

In 2012, we established a headstone business called Ensign Memorials and Headstones.

And about two years ago, we started a fast food business. It was just temporary catering, but we thought that it was time to expand our fast food business.

We then started looking for a space to get established and in August this year, we found this space.

So from that time, we have been working on the building. When we got here there was no kitchen so we started that from scratch.

It cost us more than $17,000 to renovate the whole place.

Leiataualesa said the aim is to expand the business and have more local food on the menu.

We are looking ahead to cater at the Pacific Games in 2019 and for other opportunities because we also provide for weddings, birthdays and other occasions, he said.

Most especially because its close to the end of the year, there will be a lot of office parties so we are hoping to get opportunities to provide catering for those occasions.

This is our first proper restaurant because the one we previously operated was from home.

Our hope is to try it out and if it is successful then we will extend it and add more locations as well.

C.C.M. Restaurant will be run by Leiataulesas wife, Ogevai.

The name of the restaurant comes from the initials of our two boys Christopher and Collin Mulipola.

The location is great as it is on the side of the road its easily accessed by the people.

As to what makes his restaurant different from others in Samoa, Leiataulesa said it will be providing more local dishes.

The restaurant is owned by Samoans so we want the menu to have Samoan food on it, he said.

We are looking to add different Samoan food each week to the menu.

There will eventually be oka, octopus, taro and all those Samoan dishes as part of the menu but as of next week, oka (raw fish) and beef soup will be on the menu.

If you want find out more about this newly established restaurant contact Leiataualesa or Ogevai on 848-5342 or 7779352 and place an order.
Samoa will join the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (S.P.T.O.) to be part of the largest annual professional travel show in Asia, the China International Travel Mart (C.I.T.M.), to be held in Kunming China this weekend.

Organized by China National Tourism Administration (C.N.T.A.), the C.I.T.M. draws the attention of people in the tourism industry worldwide and will be attended by members of the international travel and tourism industry from all sectors; airlines, travel agents, hotels and the general public.

Other participants from the region include three National Tourism Organisations (N.T.O.) namely Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority, Samoa Tourism Authority and New Caledonia Tourism with tourism private sector participants from P.N.G. and New Caledonia.

C.N.T.A. are working in collaboration with S.P.T.O. through the provision of four complimentary booths for the NTOs and private sector partners.

S.P.T.O. C.E.O. Chris Cocker said, China is an important market for the Pacific because it is the fastest growing market globally. SPTO and the region is fortunate to have the continued support of China whose partnership is critical to our activities in China.

Mr. Cocker added, The last five years have shown a strong growth in Chinese numbers with an average growth of 32.8%. Annually, arrivals from China rose dramatically from 46,639 in 2012 to 153,119 arrivals in 2015.

In 2016, arrivals from China to the Pacific dropped slightly by 5.9% to 144,045. The two top Pacific destinations for the China market, Palau and Fiji accounted for the majority of the arrivals with 45.1% and 24% share respectively in 2016.

Given this trend, we are expecting numbers for 2017 to further increase and we hope to continue to attract Chinese visitors and niche segments in sustainable numbers going forward.

Recent statistics show that the total number of visitors arrivals from China to the South Pacific represented 8% of all arrivals into the region for the January  June 2017 period. The total number of visitors from China for this period was 65,496. Out of these arrivals into the region, 6,215 (9.9%) visited New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

S.P.T.O. will be conducting promotion and awareness through media partner Travel Link Marketing website to drive increased traffic to the South Pacific Islands booth from both travel trade and media across China. The event has been supported as well by the Pacific Islands Trade & Invest office in Beijing, a key partner of the S.P.T.O. in driving tourism promotion and development initiatives in this emerging market.

S.P.T.Os main objectives for their participation is:

 to strengthen awareness and visibility of the member country profile in the Chinese travel market

 Increase visibility of the South Pacific Islands brand

 To promote and increase awareness of SPTO travel trade Chinese specialist online programme for Chinese agents

S.P.T.O.s participation at the travel show is part of an ongoing effort by the organization to continue to tap into the Chinese market and to boost visitor arrivals from China to the Pacific region.
Think a minuteOne of the most famous Italians in the 20th century was Benito Mussolini, known to his people as Il Duce, which simply means The Leader. His charisma was almost like amovie star rather than a government leader, even though his charm was bathed in blood and violence.

The popularity of Mussolini was truly phenomenal. He transformed Italy into a spectacular show of national pride, parades, military power, and music.

Mussolini regularly stood on his balcony with thousands of people below cheering and worshipping him at the height of his power. Parents would hold their children up to see their mighty leader.

To young men he seemed to be the perfect example of a real man, fearless and tough; and to young women he represented both seduction and security in one.

Italians, and even citizens of other countries, asked for the autograph of Mussolini the superstar. One of these fans sent Mussolini a photo hoping he would sign it, but he rejected his admirers request. However, Mussolini would likely have signed it had he known who this fan would become.

For this young man who worshipped Mussolini as his hero did follow in his steps, until one day these two terrible dictators stood side by side: Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, two of the most evil leaders in all of history.

We become, now and forever, like the people we admire and want to be like. The great British author C.S. Lewis wrote:

Its a serious thing to live in a world of possible gods and goddesses...All day long, in one way or another, we are helping each other become a person of great goodness or horrible evilThere are no ordinary people.

You have never talked to a mere mortalEvery person we meet, joke with, work with, marry, mistreat, and ignore will become either everlasting horrors of evil or everlasting heroes of godly nature and goodness.

So what kind of person do you want to become forever? Where do you want to live for all eternity: with God or without Him? In Heaven or in Hell? Remember, Jesus makes it crystal clear that we all live forever since God created us in His likeness as living, eternal souls.

The only person worthy of being your hero whom you worship and follow is your Creator, Savior, and Lord. Wont you ask Jesus to forgive you for living your wrong, sinful way? You must also ask Him to take full charge of your heart and daily way of living.

It is the only way you can start becoming more like Him in your character for the rest of this life, and your eternal life after you die. Just think a minute
The Salk Institute in La Jolla has named as its new chairman Daniel C. Lewis, the former president of the consulting giant Booz Allen Hamilton. He replaces former chairman Ted Waitt, who announced in late August he would step down.

Lewis assumes his role on Monday. The La Jolla resident brings a wealth of management experience, especially in the aerospace industry but encompassing other areas.

A longtime benefactor of the institute, Lewis also has a personal connection to the institutes groundbreaking science. He survived chronic myelogenous leukemia with the help of Gleevec, a drug that arose from the basic research of Salk scientist Tony Hunter.

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Decades ago, Hunter discovered a family of enzymes called tyrosine kinases, many of which are involved in cancer. Today, Gleevec and other cancer drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors are major tools in the arsenal against cancer.

Such basic biological discoveries constitute the institutes fundamental mission.

Lewis formally became part of the institute in 2002, when he joined the Salks International Council, now the Salk Institute Council.

In 2012, Lewis and his wife, Martina, established the institutes Daniel and Martina Lewis Chair at the institute. It is now held by Geoffrey Wahl, a professor in Salks Gene Expression Laboratory. That same year, Lewis joined the Salks Board of Directors.

Dan brings tremendous experience of the world and set of skills that are so relevant to being a board chair, said Elizabeth Blackburn, the institutes president. And he also brings a passion for what the Salk Institute does. He really understands why the science is important. And hes also just a great person.

Hes the right man at the right place at the right time with exactly the right everything, Blackburn summed up.

Richard Heyman, an institute vice chair, said that out of those considered for the position, Lewis was really the best person, who had the characteristics of a good vision and could do a great job.

Hes a big fan of the science, Heyman said.

Lewis also understands that to maintain the science at a high level, the institute needs to recruit top-notch new faculty as well as support the scientists who are already here, Heyman said.

That job of recruitment and retention will require stepping up contributions from private philanthropy, he said. Thats because government funding is less reliable than before. So philanthropy, as well as other funding mechanisms, will become increasingly important.

This financial challenge is a concern not only for the Salk, but other biomedical research institutes in San Diego, including The Scripps Research Institute and Sanford Burnham Medical Discovery Institute.

Lewis holds a bachelors degree in industrial management in addition to an honorary doctorate of technology from Purdue University. Hes also a member of Purdues Presidents Council and the Deans Executive Council for the College of Technology.

Lewis earned an MBA in business and economic forecasting at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he is also a trustee.

Chairmans Circle: Scientists Presentations and Twist of Fate Endear Dan Lewis to Salk

Salk board chairman stepping down amid institute turmoil

Ted Waitt named Salk Institute chairman

Irwin Jacobs: from telecom mogul to Salk Institute leader

Salk Board of Trustees Names Dr. Irwin Jacobs chairman-elect

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

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
Former finance minister P Chidambaram said demonetisation was a "dismal" failure as far as curbing fake currency was concerned.

By PTI: Congress leader P Chidambaram has warned that as the Narendra Modi government inched closer to the end of its term, it might also be assailed by the same degree of corruption allegations which drowned the UPA-2.

The former finance minister said the Congress-led UPA-2 dispensation had acquired a reputation for "many many corrupt deeds" at the fag end of its tenure. He, however, said the same "odium" could be attached to the BJP government as well when it completed its term (in 2019) though he was not wishing it to "happen".

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"Since the UPA-2 was the last government that completed its tenure, that odium attached to the government. Wait for any government to complete its term of five years, the same odium will attach to that government as well," he said during a discussion at the Tata Literature Live festival in Mumbai.

"I am not wishing it happens, but it will happen," said Chidambaram, who was a key figure in the UPA regime.

"The point is, yes I know that the UPA-2 had acquired, by the time its term came to an end, a reputation for many many corrupt deeds. But unless some one is actually convicted and punished, I am not willing to accept that he or she is guilty," the former home minister said.

He said today what is being made out is that "everyone is presumed guilty until he is proven innocent, which I think is wrong, as it will destroy the rule of law in this country."

GO TO GUJARAT TO SEE HOW NOTE BAN HAS FAILED

Touching upon the issue of corruption, the Congress Rajya Sabha member said the main reasons for major graft "are greed as against the need for funding elections".

"In the case of a political person, or a political party, it is the need to fund elections, which drives what you describe as corruption. Unless you find the ways to fund elections, you will not be able to bring down that scale of corruption," he said.

Chidambaram claimed demonetisation was a "dismal" failure as far as curbing fake currency was concerned. "If you want to know where demonetisation has failed, if you are not able to curb corruption, if you are not able to curb black money... just go to or stay in (poll-bound) Gujarat for over the next 20 days, and you will know the kind of money that is being spent there," he alleged.

He said the Modi government could recover fake currency only to the tune of Rs 41 crore, which accounted for only 0.0027 per cent of the total currency that came back into the system following notes ban.

"Demonetisation to the extent of eliminating fake currency is a dismal failure," Chidambaram claimed.

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Disputing the government's claims that note ban had helped curb terrorism, he said, "As of November 10, the number of infiltration, the number of militants neutralised, the number of civilians killed and the number of jawans martyred, all are larger than the numbers for the corresponding period in 2016."

ALSO WATCH: Former finance minister Chidambaram slams demonetisation, calls it foolish decision

--- ENDS ---
In todays back story, business reporter Lori Weisberg, whose Sunday business cover story looks at the economic impact of Qualcomm, talks about the San Diego chipmaker and what the company means to the county.

This story really isnt on your beat. How did you approach it?

Because Qualcomm and the whole technology sector are pretty far removed from what I cover  tourism and hospitality  I initially felt a little bit overwhelmed and out of my depth. On the other hand, I think that may have been to the storys benefit because I had no preconceived notions and I could approach the reporting from the perspective of the average reader: What does Qualcomm mean to me and the community I live in?

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I already knew it meant a lot for the operation of my smartphone, but what else?

So my first task was to educate myself about Qualcomm the company and its affiliate ventures. As I note in the story, I dont think I am all that much different from many others in San Diego who know little more about Qualcomm than the technology it pioneered to power our phones. So it was especially helpful for me to first pick the brains of my colleagues, technology reporter Mike Freeman, who has long covered Qualcomm, and science writer Gary Robbins, an expert on UC San Diego, which has a very close relationship with the company.

Why do the story now?

There has been a laser focus lately on Qualcomm, not just because of its costly legal battle with Apple over the San Diego companys smartphone patents, but more significantly, because of the unsolicited offer from chipmaker rival Broadcom to buy Qualcomm. That has raised concerns from academics, business and civic leaders, and economists about the prospects of a buyout that could potentially diminish the groundbreaking research, entrepreneurial support and philanthropic endeavors that have long defined Qualcomm. And theres also the obvious concern about a downsized workforce that contributes mightily to the local economy.

What was the most challenging part of reporting the story?

I fancy myself somewhat technologically savvy but I have to confess that some descriptions of the research UCSD is conducting with the financial support of Qualcomm sometimes went over my head. Neuromorphic space, cognitive design of robots, nanotechnology arent part of my normal lexicon so there was on occasion a learning curve to absorb all that. I also wanted to make sure I included in the piece a variety of voices, beyond the more obvious civic leaders and economists.

What surprised you the most?

Put simply, the broad reach of Qualcomm. Its influence seems to be everywhere and sometimes in unexpected places. Until I began reporting the story, I had no idea there was a laboratory  Thinkabit  within the Qualcomm campus devoted strictly to inspiring and educating middle schoolers to pursue careers in engineering and science. I also didnt realize the breadth of Qualcomms venture capital pursuits, providing the wherewithal to nurture dozens of new entrepreneurial pursuits across multiple platforms (robotic floor cleaners was one). And while I was aware of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs long history of philanthropic efforts, I wasnt as knowledgeable about the companys commitment to charity and its generous matching program for its employees, who also devote hours to volunteering in the community.
Chicana Tributes tells the stories of 61 San Diego County women who challenged stereotypes about what they could do and became leaders in government, education, the arts, and other fields.

When women come together with a collective intention, powerful things happen, co-editors Rita Sanchez and Sonia Lopez write in the preface, which traces the emergence of female activists here to the wider civil rights movement that flourished around the nation in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Among those featured are the late Laura Rodriguez, often considered the matriarch of Chicano Park; Gloria Serrano Medina, the countys first affirmative action officer; muralist Gloria Rebolledo Torres; Norma Hernandez, the first Latina president of Southwestern College; and playwright Evelyn Diaz Cruz. Each of the chapters is written by a different author.

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Sanchez is a retired San Diego State and Mesa College professor of English and Chicana Studies. Shes helped organize a series of public events to highlight some of the women in the book, including one scheduled for Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Logan Heights branch library, 567 South 28th St.

Q: How did this book come about?

A: There are many, many factors behind it. I came here in 1974. I graduated from Stanford and I heard about a job at San Diego State in the Mexican-American studies department that was just forming. I started participating and observing all these things that were happening, all these women who were speaking out for womens rights in the neighborhoods.

They were so active, they did so much, but they were not recognized. Part of it was the men were so formidable, painting murals in Chicano Park. They were very, very visible. The women were at work behind the scenes.

These are strong, forceful women, and their stories havent been fully told. They arent silent, but theyve been hidden, and they are all in the book.

Q: How did you decide which women to include?

A: My co-editor Sonia Lopez and I are on the committee for the San Diego State University archives. Along with my husband, Richard Griswold del Castillo, we proposed they look at the civil rights movement in San Diego. There is an amazing history. Its subtle to a lot of people, but we lived it. Robert Ray (head of special collections at the San Diego State library) was so open to it, and weve been working on it ever since.

During one of our fundraisers, I proposed something called a tribute wall. A year earlier, two young Chicanas had asked, How come we never hear anything about these important women in San Diego? Lets have an event and honor them. So they started getting nominations, and they honored about 30 women.

So when we had the fundraiser for the archives, I said, Why dont we have a tribute wall and choose the women we think are important? It was a touchstone so people could see who these women are and what theyve done and are doing in San Diego. We had their pictures up. We wrote their stories. And people said, These should be a book.

Sonia and I asked people, Who needs to be honored? We came up with lots of names really fast. We decided we were going to have 30 in the book. Then it was 50. But we couldnt leave anybody out. So thats how we wound up with 61, and even then if feels like this is just a starting point.

Q: The book has a subtitle, Stories for the New Generation. Why is that important to you?

A: A lot of us have worked our whole lives to counter this stereotypical anti-Mexican sentiment that borders on bigotry and seems pervasive. A lot of times, we thought we were done having to talk about it. Then we found out we had to start up with each generation. I go to these lectures (given by Chicana pioneers) and every time some young student will raise her hand and say, What does this have to do with us? So that became my mission, to reach the younger generation.

We wondered if we should use the word Chicana. That was the name we had devised in the activist movement of the 1960s and 70s because it has a Spanish-Indian context to it and we didnt want to leave out the indigenous women who were part of our history and culture. But it was controversial at the time and still is for people who dont understand it. We decided to use it for the book as a way to introduce the younger generation to it, and to the work thats been done over the years.

Q: How did you pick the authors of the chapters?

A: At first, we saw ourselves writing all the stories. I would take half and Sonia would take half. As we thought about it we said, Wouldnt it be amazing to have each person have an author? Somebody who was a mentor, somebody they knew. We thought that would add to the stories.

We had an event at my house. We called on a lot of the younger generation. We told them our plan and asked them if they would be interested in writing a story. And then we invited others, and it all came together.

It was hard. Im an English teacher, so I would have been comfortable writing the stories, but now we had all these different authors. We gave them guidelines, but each one had her own approach. We went over them all. Some people felt good about what they had written and we used their stories as is. Other people asked us to help edit them.

I thought it was going to be easy. Id taught for 30 years. But it turned out to be one of the most difficult things Ive ever done. Youre engaging with each person intensely about the way shes written the story and also about the person shes written about.

Q: Why is it important to preserve these stories?

A: First of all, women have been struggling to get their stories published. They have not seen themselves in print. Everyone should be honored for the work that they do. Everyone should feel the impact of something theyve done in their lives. And when I read the stories in this book, I am humbled by what these women have accomplished. Theyve done amazing things. And now the world will know them better.

Chicana Tributes: Activist Women of the Civil Rights Movement  Stories for the New Generation, edited by Rita Sanchez and Sonia Lopez, Montezuma Publishing, 440 pages.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-2236
One of the most fabled rock concerts and films of all time, 1976s The Last Waltz was the farewell show by The Band. They were joined on stage by Bob Dylan, with whom they had famously toured and recorded, and such fellow legends as Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and a host of others.

That all-star concert was the subject of the Martin Scorsese-directed film The Last Waltz. It will be re-created next Sunday, Nov, 26, at the Belly Up, where San Diegos Mrs. Henry will stand in for The Band.

Their 20 or so guest artists at the three-hour show will include Nena Anderson, the Sure Fire Soul Ensemble horn section, Brian Karscig of Nervous Wreckords and Louis XIV, Pat Beers of Schizophonics, Russell Ramo and Bryan Barbarin of The Routine, and more.

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I was not alive when The Last Waltz happened, acknowledged Mrs. Henry leader Daniel Cervantes, 30.

But I first heard it when I was 11 and my dad played it for me on laser disc. The music is such an inspiration and its been amazing for us to learn all these songs. Were been rehearsing for the Belly Up show twice a week for the past two months. We rehearsed three times last week and have four more to go.

The idea to re-create The Last Waltz was hatched by Belly Up talent buyer Chad Waldorf. He contacted Casbah honcho Tim Mays, who enthusiastically recommended Mrs. Henry.

Chad approached us in July and asked if wed be interested, Cervantes said.

Weve been huge fans of The Band and Dylan for a long time, and our name comes from (the Dylan and The Band song) Please, Mrs. Henry. So when Chad asked us, we were like: Yeah! We gotta do this! Its a great honor. And whats really been cool is seeing all the guest musicians, because a lot of them dont even know each other. Theres a coming together of different friends and scenes from San Diego.

Nena Anderson will sing Emmylou Harris parts on Evangeline, while Anna Zinova of the Oceanside band Taken By Canadians will perform Joni Mitchells Coyote.

Is it deliberate or coincidental that the classic by Mitchell, a proud Canadian, is being done by the member of a band whose name invokes Canada?

Coincidental, Cervantes said, laughing. Youre the first person to bring that up; I had not thought about that.

In addition to good music, next Sundays concert at the Belly Up will also support a good cause. A dollar from each ticket sold for the Belly Up show will be given to the nonprofit Rollin From The Heart, which aids at-risk youths.

For good measure, Oceansides Bagby Beer is creating a special brew for the Belly Up concert, The Last Maltz.

The Last Waltz, with Mrs. Henry & Friends: 7 p.m. next Sunday, Nov. 26. Belly Up, 143 South Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. $13-$15 (must be 21 or older to attend). (858) 481-8140 or bellyup.com

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga
More than 2,200 people are participating in Susan G. Komen San Diegos 3-Day walk this year, and most of them are moving their feet as an act of remembrance.

Theyre making the 60-mile trek, which ended Sunday afternoon, to remember a mother, a sister, maybe even a husband or brother, who lost a life to breast cancer, a disease that the American Cancer Society predicts will kill 41,000 people this year. Others are walking to share their own memories of a cancer diagnosis survived, a victory to be celebrated during the work of raising millions to support cancer research.

But a few like Gwynne Martin of Mechanicsburg, Pa., walked during their cancer fight.

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On Saturday at lunchtime, at the midpoint of the pilgrimage, she sat on the grass at Bonita Cove, embedded in a circle of friends and family members 29 strong and calling themselves Gwynnes Friends. They came to San Diego from five states, working to raise more than $75,000 toward cancer research.

With a diagnosis of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer that has recently spread to her liver, some might wonder why Martin wasnt home in bed rather than out in the sun, thousands of miles from home, walking mile after mile.

Though she said it can be tough to see the memorials that many of her fellow walkers carry in tribute to loved ones who have died from breast cancer, Martin said she finds comfort in doing as much as she can, as long as she can, even while undergoing chemotherapy.

Im in pain all of the time, but I take Motrin, and I keep on walking, Martin said.

There are two options, added her husband, Paul Martin. You keep pushing forward or you give up. The second ones not a great alternative, so you keep pushing.

Its a sentiment that many on this trail express. Even those such as Anne Burns of Serra Mesa, who has not been diagnosed with breast cancer, say they know they need to be just as relentless as the disease they hope their fundraising efforts will someday cure. Burns said she lost her grandmother and many other family members to breast cancer and is determined to do what she can to push back.

Its all for the future. I dont want my nieces to have to watch people die from breast cancer, Burns said.

On Sunday, Komen announced that this years 3-Day raised more than $6.5 million, slightly less than the $7.9 million brought in last year but more than the $5.9 million collected in 2015. Over the past 14 years, Komens 3-Day walks, which are occurring in seven American cities this year, have gathered more than $820 million for breast cancer research and support of those struggling with the disease.

The walk is not just about raising money. The experience of being together for 72 hours and staying in a special camp after the walking is done for the day is an equally important reason why the event draws thousands year after year.

Sandy Schuler of Sacramento, who walked for her first time in San Diego this year, said she battled breast cancer in 2003. Hearing the stories of so many others who went through what she went through, she said, has been its own kind of therapy.

Im a little more of an introvert, and hearing so many stories makes me want to open up about things that Ive had a tendency to keep in, Schuler said.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the last name of Anne Burns. We apologize.

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The Argentine navy has detected what appeared to be seven satellite messages sent from a missing submarine, but communication with the vessel was never established, and its whereabouts in the south Atlantic remained a mystery late Saturday.

The 44-crew submarine, the subject of an intensive search involving eight nations, had been out of contact since Wednesday morning. The first indication of leads to its whereabouts came Saturday night when Defense Minister Oscar Aguad said over Twitter that the Argentine military had detected what he called communication attempts.

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Later, the Argentine navy tweeted that it appeared that the crew of the ARA San Juan had attempted to establish contact but was unable to do so. The seven satellite messages lasted from 4 to 36 seconds. The first occurred at 10:52 a.m. and the last at 3:42 p.m., the navy said.

The navy was still working to establish whether the messages did indeed come from the submarine. It also was unclear whether the vessel was at the surface or underwater.

The submarine had participated in naval exercises off southern Argentina before departing Monday from the city of Ushuaia for a naval base in Mar de Plata. The last contact was made after the northbound vessel passed the Valdes Peninsula about 270 miles off Argentinas coast.

NASA joined the search effort on Saturday with a P-3 Orion propeller-driven patrol airplane, equipped with magnetometers, infrared cameras and other sensors that can detect a submerged submarine. The aircraft, which can also measure ice thickness, is temporarily based in Ushuaia to take part in a NASA survey of Antarctica.

Argentine naval officials said they received no distress signals from the vessel, a German-built TR-1700 model, before losing contact. Vessels from Chile, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, South Africa and the United Kingdom are also assisting in the search.

Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, said in a statement issued by the Vatican earlier Saturday that he was praying for the safe return of the submarine and its crew, and for spiritual serenity and Christian hope for Argentina. He said he felt especially close to family members in these difficult moments.

Anguished family members of the crew have gathered at the Mar de Plata base awaiting news.

Its agonizing the passing of the hours, a mixture of horrible feelings and silence, said Marcela Moyano, wife of submarine machinist Hernan Rodriguez, in an interview at the base with TodoNoticias TV channel before Aguads announcement. Its a situation of desperation and fear. But were still hopeful they are returning.

Of the 44 crew members, one is a woman: Lt. Eliana Maria Krawczyk, 34, the subs operations chief. Her father, Eduardo, said in a TV interview Thursday that he last talked to his daughter two weeks ago.

She told me that after arriving at Tierra del Fuego, that the [female] governor of the state came aboard the submarine and congratulated her because a woman was on the crew, Eduardo Krawczyk said. He added that he is praying for his daughters safe return and that their union will be like being born again.

Psychologists and a Roman Catholic bishop have arrived at the naval base to counsel family members. Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said the fleet was not discarding any hypothesis on what might have happened to the sub.

We are going to suppose the submarine had problems of communications, that there might have been a blackout, or power failure, and that it is now adrift, Balbi said. From [projected] movement after going adrift, we can estimate the search area.

One of three submarines in the Argentine fleet, the diesel-powered sub measures 220 feet long and has a range of 13,000 miles. It underwent a major overhaul and reconditioning in 2008 that officials here say qualified it for 30 years more of use.

But weather in the search area has turned rough, with strong winds and waves as high as 20 feet, complicating the rescue operation, Balbi said.

Remember that the part of the submarine that is above surface is very small, just a third of its length. The color of the vessel doesnt help either because it mimics that of the ocean, Balbi told reporters.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri said in a message Friday over Twitter that the government is using all resources at its disposal to search for the submarine. Officials are in contact with the crews family members to keep them informed, he said.

We share your worries and those of all Argentines, Macri wrote.

Four Argentine ships, various helicopters and 500 marines are participating in the search. Aguad, the defense minister, said the country is accepting all offers of international assistance. The United Kingdom has lent assets including a Hercules C-130 military aircraft based in the Falkland Islands, over which the U.K. and Argentina fought a war in 1982.

Special correspondents DAlessandro and Kraul reported from Buenos Aires and Bogota, Colombia, respectively.

UPDATES:

8:25 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the communication attempts.

5:30 p.m.: This article was updated to report the crew of the missing submarine has attempted to communicate.

This article was originally posted at 2:55 p.m.
Lebanons embattled prime minister, Saad Hariri, met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday and insisted he would return to Beirut on Wednesday, marking a new chapter in the odd political drama that has thrust Lebanon into the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The visit, equal parts diplomacy and political theater, was meant to dispel speculation that Hariri was being held hostage in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from where he declared his surprise resignation as prime minister two weeks ago.

Since then, both allies and opponents of Hariri have demanded his return to the Lebanese capital so that he can formalize or back down from his resignation in person.

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I will attend  the Independence Day celebrations in Lebanon. All of my political positions will be launched from there, after seeing the president of the republic, he said in a short televised news conference from the Elysee Palace after meeting with Macron. You know that I have tendered my resignation and  in Lebanon we will speak about this.

Lebanon marks its independence on Nov. 22.

Hariri arrived in France with his wife for what was billed as a lunch meeting with Macron, who warmly embraced the Lebanese leader on the steps of the Elysee Palace and patted him on the back before they turned to greet the crowd. Hariri seemed relaxed, the smile on his face extinguished only when he turned to enter the building.

Later, French media broadcast footage of Macron and Hariri and some of their family members awkwardly sitting around a table, with Hariri grimacing at the camera as he speaks to a poker-faced Macron.

Even Hariris closest confidants were reportedly blindsided on Nov. 4, when he announced his resignation on a Saudi-owned news channel. They pinned the blame on Iranian meddling in Lebanese affairs.

Hariri also excoriated Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite political party whose armed wing is criticized as being an instrument of Tehrans foreign policy, and which had been a member of the Lebanese coalition government formed last year that installed Hariri as prime minister.

Hezbollah has worked against Saudi-supported opposition groups in Syria, while Riyadh accuses the groups operatives of working with anti-Saudi forces in Yemen and Bahrain.

Many, including Hezbollahs leadership, considered Hariri a hostage who was obeying a dictate by Saudi Arabia, where Hariri is a citizen and whose leaders bankrolled the Hariri familys rise to power in Lebanon.

Feverish speculation has dogged his every appearance since then, with commentators poring over tweets and trying to discern clues from Hariris body language to determine whether he and his family were being held against their will.

His older son, local media outlets reported, came from London for the lunch on Saturday. Hariris two other children remained in Saudi Arabia for exams, said the Lebanese Annahar daily.

Others wondered whether Hariris resignation had more to do with an anti-corruption drive (or power play, critics say) led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, following the shuttering of Hariris family company, Saudi Oger.

Meanwhile, Beirut ramped up diplomatic initiatives, with France leading efforts to allow Hariri to leave, despite his insisting that he was fine and that any claims he was being held in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave were a lie.

The news of Hariris impending arrival in Beirut was welcomed by politicians at home. But, Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri told local media outlets Friday that, though it marks the end of Hariris personal crisis, a political crisis has now begun.

Lebanon, a fragile state composed of 18 squabbling sects, has a power-sharing government that reserves the prime ministers position for a Sunni Muslim. However, if Hariri were to confirm his resignation, it is unclear who would take his place.

The crisis has also heralded a resurgence for Frances role in the region (an ironic development in the run-up to Lebanon celebrating its independence from France next week.)

Hariri lauded Macron for his support, saying that he had shown an infallible friendship and I will never forget this.

France has once again demonstrated its great role in the world and the region, he said.

Not all were pleased with Macrons high-profile diplomacy in the region. Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Irans supreme leader, rebuked comments from the French foreign minister on Thursday in which he criticized Irans ballistic program, its intervention in regional crisis and hegemonic intentions.

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, said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Friday, according to Agence France-Presse.

Ignoring regional realities and echoing baseless concerns that have been pulled out of the air by deluded, warmongering Saudi officials and are aggressive toward Iran do not contribute towards settling the crises in the region in which Saudi Arabia clearly plays a destructive role, Ghasemi said.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @nabihbulos
One person was found dead off the coast of La Jolla and another was sent to a hospital after an apparent attempt by up to seven people to enter the United States by boat, authorities said Sunday.

Lifeguards were called to the area just north of Tourmaline Beach about 11 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of a person yelling from the water, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.

A rescue boat crew found a man swimming and hauled him up, Munoz said. The man told lifeguards there were others in the water.

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The San Diego Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard were notified, Munoz said.

Border Patrol Agent Tekae Michael said lifeguards requested assistance after spotting a boat carrying seven people off the coast, and agents arrived at Sea Ridge Drive in La Jolla about midnight.

The man found by lifeguards was taken to a hospital where he was treated for hypothermia, Michael said. Agents determined the man to be a 32-year-old Mexican national.

Just before 1 a.m., lifeguards found a man, who appeared to be unresponsive, in the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Michael said.

Authorities were unable to locate four other people believed to have been on the boat. The driver of the vessel is believed to have returned to Mexico, Michael said.

City News Service contributed to this report.
San Diego police were able to talk a man down from a roof at Westfield Horton Plaza mall Sunday morning after he threatened to jump.

Officers closed off traffic on Fourth Avenue near F Street in the Gaslamp Quarter to keep cars and crowds away during the negotiations, which began Saturday night and lasted several hours.

Police got reports about 9:30 p.m. Saturday that a man was climbing onto a ledge at the multi-level shopping center, Officer Robert Heims said.

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Officers were able to find the man, who was yelling at them.

Eventually, police were able to get onto the roof and encourage the man to get down. By about 5:45 a.m., the man was in police custody, officers said.

He was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital.

City News Service contributed to this report

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard

UPDATES:

7 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

The article was originally published Nov. 18 at 10:30 p.m.
A 37-year-old man was beaten Saturday night and had his cellphone stolen by a group of assailants at the Westfield Horton Plaza shopping mall, San Diego police said.

The man was walking through the mall in the Gaslamp Quarter, looking at his cellphone about 8:30 p.m., when he was hit in the head from behind, said Officer Robert Heims.

A group of five people began beating up the man, who lost consciousness. He was taken to a hospital with injuries, including facial fractures, that were not considered life threatening.

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Police said the suspects were described as follows:

A black male adult with a heavy build who was wearing a light purple shirt, khaki shorts, purple and white shoes and a black knit cap.

A black male wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black skinny jeans.

A black male wearing a black hooded sweater and large white writing.

A black female with long wavy hair, gray long-sleeved shirt and black shoes.

A black female wearing a black tank top and black pants.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
With a creak and groan, the heavy steel gate on the fence between the U.S and Mexico at Border Field State Park slowly swung open on its rusty hinges just after noon on Saturday.

A trio of Border Patrol agents pulled it open wider, revealing a tightly packed crowd of Mexican citizens and media with cameras peering north.

For much of the next hour family members from the U.S. side walked partly through the gate  into the waiting arms of family members and relatives in Mexico.

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For three minutes, each family hugged, cried, tussled hair of children or grandchildren some were seeing for the first time, then bid a tearful goodbye.

And this time there was a first: a wedding.

It was the sixth time that the gate  known as the Door of Hope  had opened since 2013. The gate is inside Friendship Park, a small strip of land where families from both sides can meet and exchange greetings  but not touch  through the heavy screen of the fence.

Brian Houston of San Diego, dressed in a light gray suit, embraced Evelia Reyes, who was in full bridal regalia of white dress with train and veil. They signed a few documents from the Tijuana municipal authorities, posed for pictures, embraced  and became husband and wife.

Houston is a U.S. resident who said he could not go into Tijuana, but declined to elaborate. His new wife cant enter the U.S. legally, so the two decided they would try to get married on this day when the gates opened.

He said they worked with Enrique Morones, the executive director of the Border Angels group that organizes the event, to arrange the brief ceremony.

He said the choice was purposely done to communicate a larger message.

Its a statement that love has no borders, he said. Even though we are divided by a giant fence here, we can still love each other on both sides of the fence.

He said the two speak by phone daily. They have an immigration attorney who is working on getting her a green card to join him in the U.S., which could take more than a year.

They were the last of the groups of families to meet inside the gate.

Morones said that Border Angels fields many requests from families each time a gate opening is scheduled. Those names are forwarded to the Border Patrol which makes the final decision on who will be allowed to reunite, after conducting a thorough check.

Most groups had tears in their eyes as they met and hurriedly exchanged a few words, or clung to each other in impassioned group hugs.

The event took place about 15 miles west of where the eight prototypes for President Donald Trumps wall have been built on a dusty patch of the border on Otay Mesa.

The 30-foot tall barriers made of concrete and other construction materials are the most visible symbol of Trumps promise to crack down on immigration and further fortify the border with Mexico. None of the prototypes have a gate or door included in the design.

The contrast was not lost on Morones, a longtime immigration advocate.

While some people want to build walls, we want to open doors, he said after the event was over.

He said the organization hoped to have more gate openings next year.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
By PTI: importing elephants trophies

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Wildlife SOS, an NGO based in India, has petitioned US Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke against President Donald Trumps proposed move of lifting a 2014 ban on import of elephants trophies from two African nations.

On Thursday, the Trump administration had reversed an Obama-era ban to issue permits for elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe, which environmental groups said would lead to more poaching.

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However, after facing criticism from animal rights activists, Trump had yesterday put on hold the decision to import elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe into the US to "review all conservation facts".

Co-founder of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan said, "The argument has no scientific justification.AAs an organisation based in IndiaAwhere the government permits no such trophy, we can attest there are many other scientific ways to help wild populations without the need to hunt them."

There is a need to not remove the existing protection measures that are in place for them, he said in a statement.

Nikki Sharp of the NGO, stationed in the US, said, "The announcement came as a shock to all of us. Its an insult to everyone working to protect and conserve elephants, in particular in light of this supposed reasoning behind the decision ? that hunting of these animals will enhance the survival of the species in the wild."

"It is a massive step backward that will have direct and lethal effects on elephants," Sharp said.

The number of elephants in the wild plummeted 30 per cent overall between 2007 and 2014, despite large scale conservation efforts. In some places it has dropped more than 75 per cent due to ivory poaching.

In 2016, there were just over 3,50,000 elephants still alive in the wild, down from millions in the early 20th century. PTI TDS CPB NSD

--- ENDS ---
President Trump will pardon two Minnesota turkeys who arent friends or family and have no connections to the Mueller investigation.

The 244 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year werent so lucky.

Raised in crowded sheds permeated with toxic fumes, beaks and toes clipped to prevent stress-induced aggression, and at 16 weeks young, trucked to slaughterhouses where workers cut their throats and dump them in boiling water to remove feathers.

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Consumers pay a heavy price: Turkey flesh, laced with cholesterol and saturated fats, elevates risk of chronic killer diseases. Only intense prolonged cooking destroys deadly pathogens lurking within.

The good news: Per capita consumption of turkeys is down 34 percent; one-third of our population is reducing meat consumption; supermarkets carry a variety of convenient, delicious, healthful plant-based meat products, including oven-ready roasts.

This Thanksgiving, why not give thanks for life and good fortune and skip the gratuitous violence? Pardon an innocent animal.

Mark Smith

San Diego

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UGC had ordered the audit of 10 central universities in April, 2017 and had set up five committees for this purpose.

By India Today Web Desk, Ashutosh Mishra: University Grants commission (UGC) has asked Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to do away with separate colleges for male and female students. It has also recommended the university to merge Shia and Sunni departments and do away with the Vice Chancellor quota in admission.

UGC had audited the university in April this year. A committee was constituted on the directions of the HRD ministry. The committee had professors from IIT and other educational institutions.

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The report suggested that the approach of the university is not helpful in free exchange of ideas.

"In-breeding is rife in AMU and this consequently has affected the quality and cross-pollination and cross-fertilization of ideas..a 5-year gap may be introduced before taking up a teaching assignment," the report said.

The report, obtained by India Today, suggests changes in the syllabus of the university to better suit the diverse background of the students as the feudal past of the University does not quite make for excellence in thinking.

UGC had ordered the audit of 10 central universities in April, 2017 and had set up five committees for this purpose.

Other universities that were up for audit this year were : Banaras Hindu University, Pondicherry University, Allahabad University, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand, Central University of Jharkhand, Central University of Rajasthan, Central University of Jammu, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha, University of Tripura and Hari Singh Gour University in Madhya Pradesh.

The audit of these universities was carried out by the UGC to check academic, research, financial and infrastructure facilities and to find irregularities, if any.

Earlier the UGC panel had suggested that the words 'Hindu' and 'Muslim' should be dropped from the names of Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University' respectively. The panel felt that the words didn't conform to the secular nature of the country and suggested that the universities be simply called 'Banaras University' and 'Aligarh University'.

The report suggests scrapping of the Vice chancellor's quota in admissions along with suggestion that the appointment of the VC done through a search-cum-selection committee and not through election. For this, necessary amendments will need to be made in the AMU act.

UGC has also told AMU to rationalise entrance test and carry out standard national level tests.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Bhubaneswar, Nov 19 (PTI) The Odisha government today issued a notice warning of disciplinary action against 108 doctors, who have remained absent from their places of duty for a long period, if they fail to reply within a month.

The state government had issued notices several times to the said doctors, who remained absent in an unauthorised manner, directing them to join duty at their respective places of posting but they never responded, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena.

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These absentee doctors are yet to report for duty though their postings were made 3 to 5 years ago, he said adding, these doctors have remained incommunicado, flouting the official orders.

Therefore, this is the final notice issued by the government and if they fail to submit replies within the stipulated time period of one month, action would be taken against them as per law, the minister said.

A senior official said these doctors have either deserted their place of duty wilfully for a long period or failed to report for duty.

Attempts have been made to ascertain their addresses to communicate with them but their whereabouts could not be known as they have not intimated their present address either to their immediate authorities or to the Director of Health Services or Director, Medical Education and Training, he said.

The final notice, which was also published in newspapers, has an e-mail ID and asked the absentee doctors to submit their representations along with supporting documents within a month, failing which disciplinary proceedings would be taken against them.

The government move came following allegations that many doctors posted in remote areas and peripheral health centres remained absent from the place of their posting as they are engaged in private practice and not inclined to serve in far-flung regions, said an official. PTI SKN JM

--- ENDS ---
After travelling for some distance, the hospital staffers accompanying the 19-year-old allegedly tried to rape her, resisting which she jumped out of the van.

By Manogya Loiwal : In a bone-chilling incident reported from Odisha's Angul district, a 19-year-old jumped off a moving ambulance on Saturday evening in bid to escape sexual assault by the staff.

The teen was returning after admitting her elder sister in a private hospital in Cuttack- when she took a ride in the ambulance.

After travelling for some distance, the hospital staffers accompanying the 19-year-old allegedly tired to rape her, resisting which she jumped out of the van.

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The locals found the grievously injured girl lying near Phulapada Square and rushed her to the district headquarter hospital. The speeding ambulance was also intercepted near Cheliapada Square.

Irate mob then vandalised the ambulance and staged a roadblock at the Cheliapada Square, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

Speaking to India Today, the victim said, "I panicked when the driver started staring at me and on the way back they consumed alcohol and touched me inappropriately."

The teenager is currently undergoing medical treatment.

With inputs from Suffain

--- ENDS ---
FLORENCE, S.C.  Tim Fisher says participating in Boy Scouts helps to build self-confidence, and his passion for the organization has motivated him to volunteer for 40 years with Boy Scout Troop 477 at First Presbyterian Church.

Its rewarding, Fisher said. For example, they learn first aid and how to save someones life, and when they actually use it to save someones life, thats truly rewarding to see.

While Fisher now finds Boy Scouts rewarding, he started his scouting journey as an unimpressed 11-year-old. Not knowing anyone else in the room was an intimidating thought, but Fishers father urged him to go back.

It took the first camping trip that I went on, and I fell in love with it, Fisher said. I never missed a camping trip for the next 20 years.

As a youth, Fisher went on Boy Scout-affiliated trips locally, nationally and internationally. Shaping experiences included trips to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and the World Jamboree in Japan.

We had all these great adventures as a kid, so thats one of the reasons I volunteered for so long, Fisher said. I had a great scouting experience, and I had some great Scout leaders who dedicated their time so I could go have a good experience, go camping and do some things I never did before.

Fisher now gets to lead trips and see students build confidence as they learn to ski or set up a camp site. He said this opportunity is a privilege.

When students hike 50 miles on the Appalachian Trail while carrying supplies, Fisher said, it boosts their confidence, and they begin to believe they can do things that they once thought unachievable.

Fisher became an assistant scoutmaster at 18 while studying business and math at Francis Marion College. He became a scoutmaster at 21, the earliest age possible.

During his time with Troop 477, 87 students have been awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, and Fisher mentored more than 100 additional Scouts on their trail to receive the rank of Eagle Scout.

A few Eagle Scouts are what Fisher calls Grand Eagle Scouts. Their fathers were Eagle Scouts in Troop 477, and now the sons have earned the rank.

Thats rewarding to see Scouts from 30 years ago bring their sons back and present their sons their Eagle Scout too, Fisher said. Thats another advantage of being around so long.

Fisher said he could not do what he does without other dedicated leaders, several of whom have helped with the troop for more than 30 years.

I have never considered myself a Scout leader with a dynamic personality like many others I know, but I have been fortunate to have surrounded myself with many good assistant leaders, Fisher said.

Fisher uses his creativity to make balloon shapes at local events. Twisting balloons to make octopi, rainbows, elaborate hats and more, Fisher donates his time and balloons at about 15 events per year.

Thats just part of my community service, Fisher said.

Fisher said community service is emphasized in scouting. He also volunteers with Cub Scouts, drives a church bus for Central United Methodist Church, serves as club treasurer for the Florence Golden K Kiwanis Club and is the program coordinator for the DuPont retirees club.
By PTI: By M Zulqernain

Lahore, Nov 19 (PTI) Over 100 Hindu pilgrims from India arrived here today to take part in a festival at a temple in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

The pilgrims were greeted at the Wagah Border by the Evacuee Trust Property Boards chairman Siddiqul Farooq and other officials, boards spokesman Amir Hashmi told PTI.

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"Some 104 Hindus arrived here by train to participate in annual festivities in connection with Shadani mela (festival) at Shadhani Temple in Hayat Pitafi, Mirpur Mathelo, Sindh," Hashmi said.

During their 10-day stay, the the pilgrims will also visit Sadhu Mandar in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kanpur in Sindh.

The main event of the festival will be held on November 25 in which the local Hindus will also participate, Hashmi said, adding that the visiting Hindus will return to India on November 28.

Speaking on the occasion, Farooq said the people of Pakistan and India wanted peace between the two countries.

"The two south Asian countries should address outstanding issues between them through dialogue," he said.

"We have brought a message of peace, love and harmony from India. We want both the governments to resolve the issues through peaceful dialogue," said Yogester Lal, the head of the delegation.

Over 2,300 Sikh pilgrims left for India from Pakistan by special trains on November 11 after attending the 549th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in the Punjab province. PTI MZ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
Press Release

November 18, 2017 De Lima to Ragos: Listen to your conscience; don't lie anymore Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed suspicion at the Department of Justice's (DOJ) move to exclude her co-accused, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos, from the illegal drug trading case against her. De Lima, who has always maintained her innocence from all the politically-motivated drug charges against her, called on Ragos and other co-accused, Ronnie Dayan, to resist pressures to falsely testify against her. "It's suspicious and fishy. By turning Ragos into a witness for the prosecution, it looks like there's a done deal already, a deal for more lies." De Lima said at the sidelines of her trial at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 last November 16. "Alam ko na alam nila (Ragos and Dayan) na inosente ako, at gawa-gawa lang ang mga kaso laban sa akin. Pakinggan sana nila ang kanilang konsensya. Magpakatotoo sila. Magpakalalaki sila. Huwag na silang magsinungaling. Huwag silang magpagamit sa mga kampon ni Duterte," she added. The case for illegal drug trading lodged at Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 originated from four separate complaints filed by the Volunteers against Crime and Corruption (VACC), represented by Dante Jimenez; Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala; the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); and Jaybee Sebastian before the DOJ. The Information filed before the Muntinlupa RTC in February 2017 - which made use of perjured testimonies of convicted felons and also Ragos during the Congressional hearing - focused on illegal drug trading allegedly committed from November 2012 to March 2013, while De Lima served as DOJ Secretary. The prosecutors, however, filed a Motion to Amend Information, changing the original accusation from drug trading to conspiracy to trade illegal drugs, and limiting the relevant period to only two months, November and December 2012. The DOJ is also attempting to drop Ragos as a co-accused, apparently in order to use him as a witness against De Lima. In his earlier affidavit, Ragos who served as officer-in-charge of BuCor for four months, claimed he personally delivered money allegedly from convicts to De Lima's residence on two occasions in 2012, 5 million pesos each. Ragos and the drug convicts claim that the money delivered to then Justice Secretary De Lima in 2012 were for her senatorial bid. However, it may be noted that, at the time, the 2016 elections were still several years and two elections away. De Lima did not run, or even consider running for office, during the 2013 elections. "Pilit na pilit ang pagtatahi-tahi ng mga kasinungalingan ng mga 'testigo' kuno laban sa akin. These claims are as incredible and as clearly false as this administration's attempts to deny the existence of EJKs. "They are absolute lies, pure inventions. For the nth time, I declare I have not received, and I will never receive, even a single centavo, from an illegal source, let alone drug money. I'm not involved in, and I have not benefitted in any manner from, the drug trade. "It's very evident that these claims are pure concoctions and afterthoughts. Inimbento para lamang patahimikin at sirain ako, bilang ganti sa pag-bangga ko noon at ngayon sa Pangulo at mga kaalyado nito," De Lima said. De Lima believes that Dayan and Ragos were either pressured or threatened by Duterte's operators to testify against her - Ragos during the House inquiry on the Bilibid drug trade and Dayan during the Senate inquiry on Kerwin Espinosa's alleged drug links. "Naiintindihan ko rin sila, dahil malamang, tinatakot at ginigipit din sila at ang pamilya nila," she noted. "Pinagdarasal ko rin sila," De Lima added. De Lima drew the President's ire after she initiated a Senate probe into the unabated spate of extrajudicial and summary killings in the government's all-out war on drugs barely two weeks since she became a senator in 2016. Her scheduled arraignment last November 16 at Branch 204 of the Muntinlupa City RTC was rescheduled to January 24, 2018. To date, she awaits the result of her motion seeking for the inhibition of Judge Juanita Guerrero of the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 due to obvious partiality and questionable independence to hear the case brought against her.
By India Today Web Desk: Haryana BJP Chief Media Coordinator Suraj Pal Amu has promised a reward of Rs 10 crore for anyone who beheads Padmavati producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and pledged to take care of his or her family, ANI reported.

He congratulated the Chatriya Samaj member who recently announced a Rs 5 crore reward for such a deed.

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What's more, Amu had this message for Ranveer Singh, who said Saturday he stood "200 per cent" with the film:

"If you don't take back your words, we will break your legs and hand them to you."

Agar tune apne shabd wapas nahin liye to teri taango ko todke tere haath mein de denge: Suraj Pal Amu, Haryana's BJP Chief Media Coordinator on Ranveer Singh #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/mMON1Kk38x- ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Amu asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. See for yourself.

#WATCH:Haryana BJP Chief Media Coordinator SP Amu says will quit BJP if needed,asks PM to exercise his powers to strike down film #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/h2x76mdAKb- ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Meanwhile, members of the Akhand Rashtrawadi Party in Lucknow claim they've filed a petition against Padmavati in the Delhi High Court.

The screening has been deferred by a few days, we will also wait for a few days and see: Karni Sena President Lokendra Singh Kalvi on calls for a shutdown on 1st December #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/msliWbwCnV- ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

Protests, threats, insults and actual physical attacks have been legion in the run-up to the release date, which has now been postponed. The Rajput group Karni Sena has often been involved.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia has urged Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to make sure the film isn't released without necessary cuts.

Raje also said the Censor Board should consider all possible results before certifying the film - a day after the Board sent the film back to its makers because the application for the certification was "incomplete".

WATCH | Mewar royal Vishvaraj Singh: Based on what's been released, we can expect inaccuracies in Padmavati

--- ENDS ---
Koko gives kudos to PNP for ASEAN Summit security

Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Saturday lauded the Philippine National Police (PNP) for its security operations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held this month in Manila.

The summit, held from November 13 to 15, involved 19,000 police officers and noncommissioned officers drawn from Metro Manila and other regions.

"The PNP did a great job in securing the delegates to the summit. Our guests experienced Filipino hospitality at its finest, thanks in no small part to the safety afforded by our dedicated policeman and policewomen", said Pimentel.

Pimentel also expressed his appreciation for the hardships that police officers deployed from the regions had to go through.

The Senate President said, "It is not a joke to still do your job after being billeted in makeshift quarters that have few creature comforts. The fact that you still did very well shows your competence and dedication to your duty."

Pimentel also commended the leadership of the PNP for its achievement.

He said, "The leadership of the PNP deserves recognition for the preparation, planning, and excellent implementation of security arrangements. This summit can serve as a good template for similar events in the future."

Pimentel also had a message for his countrymen in the conclusion of the summit.

He said, "We sacrificed a lot for the success of the ASEAN summit. We had to contend with traffic, disruptions in our business schedules, and deal with the inconveniences brought about by security preparations. Thank you for your patience. The success of this summit was made possible by your cooperation."
Press Release

November 18, 2017 TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW WITH SEN. JOEL VILLANUEVA

Event: Teach for the Philippines Week

Venue: City of Malolos Integrated School, Atlag, Malolos City, Bulacan

Date: November 17, 2017 ON TEACH FOR THE PHILIPPINES Question: Why did you decide to join Teach for the Philippines? Sen. Joel Villanueva: It is such a great honor and privilege for me to be here and just to have this fellowship with our future leaders of this nation. We always say that they are not only the hope of our nation but they are also the owners of our future. And so it's such a great and honor and privilege, especially to talk about something dear to my heart which is what I'm doing right now as a Senator of the Republic and what I used to be being a member of the House of Representatives. Q: Is this your first time to teach? SJV: I love teaching. I thought I've been teaching for quite some time but iyong set up na inside the classroom with grade school students I think this is my first time. Q: What was your feeling while teaching the students? SJV: I have to say I got a little pressured by the little kids kasi I was not expecting much from them and when they talked about and opened up their ideas nagugulat din ako na at the early stage of their lives alam na nila the importance of our work in Congress, why we should be doing a better job in legislation and ensuring that our people, our young people most especially are protected and that there will be a better future for them. Q: How important is education for you? SJV: It is very important. As I have been saying and preaching all of my life, this is the key for success. If you want to be successful in life you have to have that thirst for knowledge and that is why it is important to put our acts together. We are deliberating on the budget right now in the Senate, we have been pushing for higher budget allocation. I was one of those guys who proposed free tuition for tertiary education. I have been pushing for Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) to ensure that we will have quality education at par with other countries of the world especially in the ASEAN region. I think it is important to note that it's not only the financial side na pagtuunan natin ng pansin kundi yung sa industry, yung partnerships, what is happening globally, yung emergence of artificial intelligence, yung emergence ng pagsulpot ng mga robots. We have Alexa right now that we can talk to. Sooner or later pag di tayo nag improve papalitan tayo lahat ng robots. Q: How do you think will the education system be improved? SJV: Definitely ito yung ginagawa natin as Vice Chair of the Committee on Education in the Senate. We have been pushing for PQF, we have been pushing for quality education at par with other countries especially in the region. We have been engaging our industries not only inside the coutry but also outside the country. Kaya yung trans education is very important, we are also pushing that. It is important to note that the government must be on the right side when we talk about quality education , yung pagsabay natin sa quality education sa iba't ibang bansa para naman sa gayon yung gumraduate sa atin na engineer ay engineer din sa ibang bansa, yung gumagraduate ng doktor sa atin, doktor din sila hindi mas mababa - yung doktor nagiging nurse, yung nurse nagiging caregiver so it's about time that we upgrade our education system and we benchmark it with other countries. Just recently in Malaysja nagkaroon ng Quality Assurance Conference and I laud the efforts of DepEd, CHED, and DOLE to really look into it and somehow bencmarkk our curriculum and our standards. Q: Why do you think education should be eveyone's priority? SJV: Kung saan natin gustong dalhin ang bansa natin ito ay nakasalalay sa kalidad ng edukasyon na maibibigay natin sa ating kabataan. And as I mentioned a while ago ang mga kabataan di lamang pag-asa ng bayan kundi sila rin ang tunay na may-ari ng ating kinabukasan and the more we engage them in education, the more they realize that it is important for them to be part of nation building especially when we talk about education being the owners of our future, I think it will give a very positive impact in the way we look at the education sector, if not the most important aspect of our governance. ON ASEAN SUMMIT, 6.9% ECONOMIC GROWTH Q: Reaction on ASEAN summit SJV: Pinakalamalaki siguro sa akin bilang chairman ng Committee on Labor yung pagpirma nila sa migration concensus na nag poprotekta sa ating OFWs. Yung sa trabaho, pagprotekta sa kanila against sexual harrassment, yung pag protekta di lamang habang sila ay nagtatrabaho maging sa pagpunta nila doon. Malaking bagay po ito sa atin. I also had a dinner with the Premier of China. Yung binanggit nila by the end of the year we will be enjoying at least a million tourists from China. And all the pronouncements and commitments made by different Asean members na ibibigay na grants sa atin without compromising our position on the West Philippine Sea Q: On effects of the Asean summit SJV: We have yet to see yung effects nito. Maaga pa to state na sulit yan. Para sa akin di ganun kadali i-quantify yung magnitude that we will be getting as far as the Asean summit is concerned but i believe lasting ito, malaki ito at para sa akin yung for us to showcase yung ganda ng Pilipinas, yung hospitality ng Pilipinas, at higit sa lahat yung kakayanan ng Pilipinas bilang isang bansa. I laud our economic managers sa nakaraang resulta ng ating GDP. Isa sa pinakamataas ito 6.9 percent and I hope it will continue considering na kakatapos lang ng Asean summit at marami tayong problemang kailangang solusyonan maraming challenges but we are showing the entire world that we are capable of solving these issues and we are on the right track Q: How would you rate our hosting of Asean summit? SJV: Pasado naman Q: Yung sa hearing on impeachment sa House kay CJ Sereno nasa probable cause na sya. Ano ang gagawin niyo sa Senado? SJV: We will be ready. That I think is the only proper thing to say because if it reaches the Senate, I will be part of the jury meaning isa po ako sa magiging hurado. I don't want anything to be tainted right now and we don't want to make unnecessary comments on this particular issue. ON AEGIS JURIS CHAT MESSAGES Q: Is there a conflict on the rule of privacy on Facebook with regard to the conversations of Aegis Juris members revealed during the hearing? SJV: When we talk about privacy even the Supreme Court made some decisions already. Now, when it's of national interest, hindi pwede kunwari magkapitbhay tayo bibirit ako alas dos o alas tres ng umaga tapos gigisingin ko lahat ng kapitbahay at sasabihin ko this is my right to express myself. They also have the right to sleep during that time. Mas matimbang po ang interes ng nasyonal kaya para sa akin malinaw na dapat maging admissible ito sa court proceedings.
Press Release

November 19, 2017 De Lima warns vs revolutionary gov't under Duterte Senator Leila M. de Lima has alerted the public about the possibility of a military takeover should President Duterte push through with his threat to declare a revolutionary government purportedly to quell destabilization plans by some quarters. De Lima, a staunch defender of democracy and freedom, warned that Duterte can be forcibly removed from his office if he insists on declaring a revolutionary government to crush communists and those whom he perceived to be "enemies of the state." "Those asking for a so-called RevGov or revolutionary government under Duterte should be careful what they wish for," she said in a Dispatch from Crame No. 194. "A revolutionary government means the abrogation of the Constitution, the only thing that is keeping Duterte president of the country. Without the Constitution, there is no longer any legal basis for keeping Duterte in power," she added. Last October, Duterte threatened to set up a revolutionary government and declare all positions in government vacant if the supposed attempt to destabilize his administration worsen. In the absence of Duterte's constitutional mandate with the abolition of the Constitution, De Lima explained the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which is possibly the only government institution that will survive without the constitution, is likely to grab power for itself since it is no longer bound to recognize Duterte as president. According to De Lima, the APF - who can lead the country through a military council or junta led by its chosen generals - "does not have any reason" to tolerate a civilian leader like Duterte, who is tagged as China's lackey. "As far as I am concerned, the military has no particular reason why it should want to keep Duterte as President in the absence of the 1987 Constitution. His record in kowtowing to China and selling out the Spratlys is notorious among the generals and junior officers. The AFP has never felt any affinity to the number one external security threat to the Philippines," she said. "In the absence of Duterte's constitutional mandate with the abolition of the Constitution, the AFP's generals and junior officers have no reason whatsoever to continue tolerating a civilian leader who has not shown any resolve in asserting PH's hard-fought victory before the Arbitral Tribunal at the Hague, hence, weakening the AFP's external defense position in the country's territories in the West Philippine Sea," she added. The Senator from Bicol further stated that Duterte's looming threat for a revolutionary government is now the most immediate domestic threat to the country "The sooner the AFP realizes this, the better it can respond to this adventurist threat, if it does not choose first to grab power for itself. Who needs Duterte and his kakistocracy of the worst and banal of public officials, if the military has so much more talent to offer from its ranks than Duterte's dysfunctional lot of 'the best and brightest'?" she asked. "We should never welcome a military takeover. But because of this infantile call for Duterte to declare a revolutionary government, that is exactly what we might end up with, and Duterte's head at the end of a stake," she added.
For the first time since protests broke out against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, the Karni Sena has made a truce offer - live on India Today TV. Read on to learn more.

By Ankit Tyagi: The Karni Sena made Padmavati producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali an unprecedented truce offer on Sunday, live on India Today TV.

Here's the gist of what Karni Sena leader Karan Singh Rathore said: Let the Mewar Royals watch a preview, and we'll rethink our protest'if they don't object.

Opponents of Padmavati say or suspect that it distorts history, and there has been speculation that it contains a dream sequence featuring Rani Padmini (Deepika Padukone) and the Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). Bhansali has denied this - twice.

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Protests, threats, insults and actual physical attacks have been legion in the run-up to the release date, which has now been postponed.

Arvind Singh Mewar, the custodian of the Mewar dynasty, recently told India Today's Preeti Choudhry he was ready to mediate in the dispute.

On Saturday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia urged Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to make sure the film isn't released without necessary cuts.

Raje also said the Censor Board should consider all possible results before certifying the film - a day after the Board sent the film back to its makers because the application for the certification was "incomplete".

WATCH | Padmavati row: Let the Mewar royals watch a preview, and we'll rethink our protest, says Karni Sena leader Karan Singh

--- ENDS ---
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When last months deadly wildfires chased Jonathan Umholtz and his family from their Sonoma County home for 16 days, the disruption seemed endless. It turns out, that was just the beginning.

Umholtz, his wife and two kids were told a week after they returned home that they needed to leave again, this time for at least four months. A badly burned hillside above their three-bedroom house was on the verge of breaking loose, with the mud and all manner of debris threatening to come barreling down.

It was like, what else can possibly happen? said Umholtz, who as a supervising ranger for Sonoma County Regional Parks lives in park housing beneath Hood Mountain near Kenwood, and is now staying with generous friends. It was heartbreaking.

With hundreds of square miles littered with trees and stripped of vegetation in the wake of the Northern California fires, mudslides are a near certainty as winter rains arrive. What makes the situation in the North Bay particularly dire is the large number of roads, buildings and even neighborhoods that sit in the potential path of the looming dirt and debris.

A huge effort among federal, state and local agencies is working to tame the threat. It includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is fast-tracking a new North Bay radar system to help detect slide-inducing storms. The U.S. Geological Survey has mapped areas where damaging flows are most likely to strike. And hundreds of workers, donning rain suits and armed with shovels and straw bales, are hustling to secure the slopes before they unravel.

Just pay attention, advised Cordel Stillman, an engineer and director of programs for Sonoma Clean Power, who is coordinating much of the work in the fire-ravaged watersheds. Things may get worse than we thought.

Crews appeared to stay in front of last weeks storms, the biggest since the fires ignited Oct. 8. Santa Rosas Fountaingrove neighborhood had a small scare when a sinkhole opened up, the result of a melted underground drain that left the surface unstable. Residents there and in a few other hilly areas have been told to plan for evacuations, should soils continue to subside as is common in the aftermath of a wildfire.

Last winter, storms forced the closure of much of Big Sur when vast tracts of mountains washed out after the Soberanes Fire. The prior year, small but steady landslides threatened the rural Lake County communities that burned in the Valley Fire. But the worst damage has been in Southern California, where the toll after big blazes includes dozens of homes besieged by mudslides following the 2009 Station Fire in La Canada Flintridge (Los Angeles County).

New computer models by the Geological Survey suggest that most burned parts of Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties face less slide risk than scorched spots in other regions, mostly because theyre less mountainous and rugged.

The terrain is not as steep or as high relief, said Dennis Staley, a research scientist with the Geological Survey, who mapped the likelihood of mud and debris flows across Northern California after the fires. But, that being said, there are places within each of the burn areas that have high hazard levels.

Among the most vulnerable spots are Sonoma Countys Mark West Creek area, the ridge between Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, particularly Mount Veeder, Hogback Mountain and Hood Mountain, and parts of Napa County around Atlas Peak and Mount George.

Some of these places face an 80-to-100-percent chance of a mud or debris flow with just a short, intense burst of rain, defined as about a quarter inch in 15 minutes, according to the Geological Survey.

While mudslides can manifest in different ways after wildfires, the problem starts with a loss of protective vegetation to soak up water and stabilize a slope, coupled with soil that is both less porous and less cohesive after burning. In the most severely charred spots, the soil can develop a slick coating near its surface as a result of gases given off during the fire, making it impenetrable to water.

When the rain comes, the ground is ripe for erosion, with the potential for runoff to snowball as it picks up dirt, branches and other debris. Slides can occur long after the rain, too, when a saturated chunk of hill collapses under its own weight.

On a recent weekday afternoon, Cal Fire Capt. Jim Mahoney worked with the Eel River Camp inmate fire crew from southern Humboldt County to clear trees with chain saws in Hood Mountain Regional Park to reduce damage should a landslide occur.

Without these measures, all these trees could end up in the road, he said, pointing to a hillside of burned oaks and firs.

Amid the hum of saws and the heavy breathing that comes with lugging large branches, Mahoney said the work was nothing compared with the crews last task: digging trenches for wattles, the straw rolls that are designed to soak up water and are now ubiquitous across Sonoma County.

Not far from the park, NOAA scientists and the Sonoma County Water Agency are looking to install new weather radar to help foresee flooding and mudslides. The equipment is part of a $19 million X-band radar system that eventually will ring the Bay Area with the aim of providing more localized forecasts.

Equipment for the top of Sonoma Mountain wasnt scheduled to be in place for at least several months, but federal officials moved the launch to January in light of the fires.

That part of Sonoma County is in a real radar hole, said Rob Cifelli, an NOAA meteorologist and team leader at the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. We want to get something in there sooner than later to help emergency managers and the National Weather Service.

Long-term outlooks for this winter have offered little clue to whether the coming months will be wetter or drier than usual.

Umholtz, the ranger driven from his home, is hoping for fewer soakers this rain season, at least in the canyon behind his house.

When he recently stopped by the place, he said he was nervous about the hillside coming down in the midst of his visit. He still hasnt removed all of his familys belongings, just priority items like their dog, cat, two rabbits and two parakeets.

Its almost the same feeling when we were evacuated from the fire, he said. Theres imminent danger, and you dont know how long you have.

While Umholtz said he and his family are lucky to still have a house, with so many others burned in the fires, he cant help thinking about the prospect of losing it after 12 years there.

The hardest part is not knowing, he said. Are we going to have a home to come back to?

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Matier & Ross/San Francisco Public Works

San Francisco Public Works is celebrating World Toilet Day with the rollout of its new Painted Ladies-style, two-in-one portable toilets  modeled after the city landmark homes that are a draw for tourists from around the world.

The colorful, disabled-accessible loos  one rolling structure divided into two restrooms  are the latest addition to the citys Pit Stop fleet of public toilets. They move about with attendants on site to ensure theyre kept clean and safe.
Who is Tom Steyer, the guy showing up on your TV screen every 20 minutes calling for the impeachment of President Trump?

Hes a 60-year-old, retired billionaire hedge fund manager who loves Elmore Leonard novels, does the Chronicle crossword and Sudoku puzzles daily, and  when not trying to save the world from ecological or political self-destruction  is working at climbing all 15 peaks in California that are above 14,000 feet tall. So far, hes scaled nine.

I like to stay active, said Steyer, whose $20 million, self-financed ad campaign is doing some climbing of its own  up the political charts.

Steyer is not new to the TV screen. In recent years, he and the NextGen grassroots organization he founded have spent tens of millions of dollars on ads fighting tobacco and big oil in California.

But nothing has brought Steyer the publicity that his 60-second impeachment spots have generated.

I got a call from my brother in New York, asking me to write a paragraph for a friends daughter who is doing a school assignment on me, Steyer said. An elementary schooler doing a paper on me. I was freaked out.

The ad that got everyone talking was shot in the living room of Steyers home in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco. As the camera slowly zooms in, Steyer, wearing an open-collar denim shirt and sitting in front of his fireplace, somberly warns that a mentally unstable Trump has brought the U.S. to the brink of nuclear war.

Steyer tells us he went out of his way not to make the ad hyper-partisan. He did, however, make a point of placing it on Trumps favorite morning show, Fox & Friends, to get maximum reaction.

Mission accomplished. Trump soon tweeted, Wacky & totally unhinged Tom Steyer, who has been fighting me and my Make America Great Again agenda from beginning, never wins elections!

I cant say that exactly hurt us, Steyer said.

The Democratic Party leadership, however, wasnt much more enthusiastic about Steyers crusade. Sources tell us that House Democratic leader and fellow San Franciscan Nancy Pelosi told her caucus that impeachment talk was a distraction that could backfire on Democrats in the midterm elections next year in states where Trump is still popular.

Steyer makes no apologies.

What we said about impeachment was the absolute truth, but it was widely held that somehow talking about it was considered impolitic, Steyer said. And even though both Republicans and Democrats agreed with what we said, it somehow wasnt a topic for polite conversation.

Steyer released a new ad last week slamming Trump and congressional Republicans for their tax plans. That ad was shot in his cattle ranch in Pescadero near the San Mateo County coast.

Its a little different  I shot it seminude, Steyer joked. But seriously, this plan is really going to hurt middle-class Americans.

Steyers media emergence has many Democratic insiders predicting the man on the screen is gearing up to run for office himself, possibly challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein next year.

Ill give you the proverbial, I havent decided, Steyer said.

Right now, Im busy working with a group of people that is trying to get us back on a positive course, he said. Its not about me. I am not doing this to have a great resume.

On the other hand, it doesnt hurt.

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.

Flush with pride: San Francisco Public Works is celebrating World Toilet Day with the rollout of its new Painted Ladies-style, two-in-one portable toilets  modeled after the city landmark homes that are a draw for tourists from around the world.

The colorful, disabled-accessible loos  one rolling structure divided into two restrooms  are the latest addition to the citys Pit Stop fleet of public toilets. They move about with attendants on site to ensure theyre kept clean and safe.

We are testing innovative designs that are inviting and encourage people to use them, said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru.

Matier & Ross/San Francisco Public Works

Public Works began the Pit Stop program in 2014, sending industrial-looking toilets into the Tenderloin in the hope of keeping the sidewalks clean. The program now operates at 17 locations around the city. Collectively, the toilets account for more than 300,000 flushes a year.

For the design of the Painted Ladies model, Public Works collaborated with San Francisco entrepreneur Nick Bovis and his Tiny Potties company. The new model will be installed one day after Sundays World Toilet Day, a U.N.-designated day to raise awareness for global sanitation.

It will be placed at the corner of Haight Street and Buena Vista Avenue  a mere 10 blocks from the real Painted Ladies.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross
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Nhu Miller responded to last weeks item about the San Francisco police officer who answered a plea that he help a man sprawled on the sidewalk with Oh, theyre all over the city.

In Berlin, where her sister Mai Linh has lived since 1984, a citizen who sees a person lying in the street, sleeping or unconscious and doesnt help or report it to the police is fined. The term for this is unterlassene Hilfeleistung, which more or less means failure to render assistance, and it is a crime under the German criminal code.

In September, a court in Essen fined three defendants for failing to assist a man who was unconscious in a bank foyer. A security camera had captured the mans collapse and then the defendants stepping around him. According to a story that was in the New York Times, they were fined between $2,900 and $4,300 for not doing anything to help.

A defense lawyer said that his client had thought the person was homeless and simply sleeping. I dont care if it was a homeless man or someone else, said the citizen who had arrived after the others and called for assistance. I call an ambulance when someone is lying on the ground and needs help.

From 5 to 9:30, every night until the end of November, Ben Woods video animation, Windows of History: The Haas-Lilienthal Family, is being projected on the front windows of the family house at 2007 Franklin St. The artist created the 15-minute video with photographs and film obtained from the family, with help from San Francisco Heritage staffers and funds from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and David Wessel.

Now Playing: A video projection by Ben Wood is seen on the windows of the Haas-Lilienthal house. From 5 to 9:30, every night until the end of November, Ben Woods video animation, Windows of History: The Haas-Lilienthal Family, is being projected on the front windows of the family house at 2007 Franklin St. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

P.S. As to the repurposing of national parks, Derek Freyberg thinks we would be missing an opportunity if we left out the names of the Trump administration officials responsible. So, for example, he suggests, Zinke Death Valley Mining and Mineral Reserves.

Meanwhile, the whole idea may be a two-way street. Stephen Hochheiser suggests selling the park names to use on products: Hidden Death Valley Ranch Dressing, Marlboro Great Smoky Mountains, Everglade Room Freshener, Yellowstone Cold Creamery.

The little people:

Upon learning of the administrations decision to allow the import of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia, Tim Curleys third-graders at El Verano School in Sonoma took pens in hand to write to President Trump: We think its an awful idea to kill elephants, they said. Elephants are not furniture. (Giving credit where its due, that last observation was from Jimena Calvario.) The letter had more than 25 signatures, including that of the teacher, when it was mailed out. Maybe this will help make the delay permanent.

Janet Ghent, who lives in Palo Alto, received an emailed ad for Kiddicare, in England, with a picture of a smiling child in a stroller, labeled Pimp My Pushchair. OK, a pushchair is what we call a stroller. The companys pushchair accessories include a buggy footmuff ... pushchair raincover ... and pushchair toys. But Pimp? Apparently this comes from the use of the word as in pimped out, meaning dressed up. I consulted London marketing expert Camilla Leach, who called it an absolutely terrible advert.

Because a parent of a Tamalpais High School student founded Whil, a digital mindfulness and stress-reduction program/app, free access has been offered to parents and caregivers at the school. The program is described in a letter as a way to fight the global stress epidemic, which I guess even includes serene Mill Valley. This is how awesome it is to live in Marin, said the parent who forwarded this news.

Stephen Metzger, whos on the faculty at Butte College in Oroville (Butte County), forwards this line from a freshman essay: He had the handshake of your prom dates dad.

Revving up for the holidays:

Spy Emerson , the artist behind the Hook-Up Truck, a mobile meeting room advocating safe sexual adventuring and exercising sexual freedom as a human right, is offering a holiday special from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1, in front of the Feelmore Adult Gallery in Oakland during First Friday festivities. Seven Minutes in Heaven comes with the standard accoutrements: mouthwash and condoms. This shorter version of the standard 30-minute $30 rental costs only $10, giving a couple the option of forgetting about foreplay and buying themselves some fries and a Coke instead.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

Dude! No offense, but if you tell me that youre upleveling your vibrational field for the coming 11/11 portal, yes, I will tell you what a complete and total idiot you sound like.

Woman to woman, overheard shortly before Nov. 11 at Whole Foods Market

in Berkeley by Tosha Silver
Surprises are so much harder to find in cinema, with previews and social media and marketing demands  and a willingness to break down elements of a film that no one has seen.

The recent Thor: Ragnarok movie was built around a surprise appearance by the Hulk, which was spoiled dozens of times per day before the film was released  on every other TV commercial, movie poster, toy aisle and bus shelter in existence.

So what a joy to watch Coco, filmmaking that actively sandbags the viewer, with the emotions of a starving artist and the mind of a pool hustler. Pixars new Dia de los Muertos-themed animated movie crams the first sequences with exposition, and then takes a colorful yet light spin through the Land of the Dead. But everything is leading up to a powerhouse finish.

The success of this final act, and the way it transforms the entire film, is remarkable. Its less a twist than a series of puzzle pieces coming together, each one designed by director Lee Unkrich and the story team to make you feel a little more. The end credits sequence becomes a necessary respite. There you sit, composing yourself from an ugly end-of-movie crying jag, wondering what hit you 

Coco doesnt always seem headed in that direction. Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) is the 12-year-old son of Mexican shoemakers who refuse to let him play music, a setup that feels like Ratatouille, with dead music star Ernesto de la Cruz as a spirit guide instead of dead chef Auguste Gusteau. The beginning includes such a breezy onslaught of history and new characters and context, the writers finally make a joke about how much information they just threw at you.

At first, Miguels arrival in the skeleton-filled realm of the dead seems to confirm that this is just a good movie, not a great one. A goofball character is introduced  bumbling grifter Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal)  in a film that already met its goofball character quota when it introduced Dante the street dog.

But as Unkrich showed in Toy Story 3, the filmmaker is prone to sudden detours into dark places, expanding his artistic playing field, while trusting that the risks will lead to reward. Miguels mostly consequence-free adventures develop real stakes, and the traditions of the Day of the Dead develop weight and meaning.

(Cool added benefit of this movie, and Raina Telgemeiers 2016 best-selling graphic novel Ghosts: Idiot adults who think Latino community Dia de los Muertos celebrations are simply an excuse to drink to excess should fall into a shame spiral that lasts until at least 2027.)

The film also fulfills a promise that Pixars artists have repeatedly made, that hasnt necessarily been conveyed in the sunny advertising for Coco: These movies are being conceived to amuse and move adults, not children. Thats great news or a warning, depending on your cinematic entourage; as much as the 45-year-olds were turning into puddles of exposed emotions, there were scared 3-year-olds at my screening who had a steady eye for the exit.

Coco is the best-looking Pixar movie since the tonally uneven The Good Dinosaur. The colorful afterlife is the centerpiece, but excellence is found in unexpected places. Miguels animated fingers are actually playing the correct notes on his guitar. Youll note the knockoff Buzz Lightyear and Woody pinatas in the background of a marketplace scene, and wonder why an animated film has never won a production design Academy Award.

But the greatest impact is in the written word. Look at the scene with Hectors lonely friend Chicharron, voiced by Edward James Olmos, who exists on borrowed time. What seems like another comic detour turns into a lesson in savoring every moment, then knowing when to let go.

The effect of this scene, and the ones that follow, is like taking a slow climb up a roller coaster track, before you start whipping around random corners and through pitch-black tunnels. Except imagine all of the above happening without your realizing youre on the ride, until youve started barreling down that first hill.

This is the element of surprise that makes Pixar Pixar, even as the studio may be investing in too many sequels, and has now produced a movie or three that you didnt love.

The dopiest character in Inside Out (RIP Bing Bong) finishes the film with the most beautiful arc. You dont realize until after the movie that Finding Dory was a stealth allegory about not defining individuals by their disabilities, and embracing their own special skills.

And as the last moments of Coco play out, characters without an ounce of flesh on their bodies seem more real than the protagonists of most live-action movies.

The cartoons on the screen may remain in the Land of the Dead, but everyone in the real world feels a little more alive.

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub

Coco

Animated comedy/drama. Starring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt and Gael Garcia Bernal. (PG. 109 minutes.)
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The man who shot five people to death on a rampage through a small town in the northern Central Valley couldnt buy guns legally. But by building his own untraceable weapons, he was able to amass an illegal arsenal.

Kevin Janson Neal used at least two homebuilt semiautomatic rifles to massacre his wife and four other residents of Rancho Tehama Reserve in Tehama County, authorities who seized the weapons said.

Such ghost guns are slipping through a loophole in Californias tough firearms laws, according to gun control proponents. One manufacturer of the technology that makes such weapons easy to build says the states tough-on-guns stance has created a demand for workarounds that is making him rich.

Anyone buying a gun in California must undergo a background check, and semiautomatic rifles are highly regulated under the states assault weapons ban. But state law does not regulate firearms kits and individual parts as strictly. So with only rudimentary mechanical skills and a few tools, amateur gunsmiths can build their own firearms  and get away with not registering them and leaving off serial numbers that would make them traceable.

Homemade firearms are going to be a bigger problem in the future as the popularity of these do-it-yourself kits increases, said Ari Freilich, an attorney with the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco. Criminals that would not pass a background check are attracted to this source of weaponry.

Opponents of gun control counter that its California gun laws themselves  among the strictest in the nation  that are producing more do-it-yourself gunsmiths like Neal and spreading ghost guns around the state.

Neal, 43, was shot to death by sheriffs deputies Tuesday after terrorizing the unincorporated town of 1,500 for nearly half an hour. Authorities say that in addition to the people he killed, Neal wounded nine others before he was taken down. He fired into an elementary school building, and only quick-thinking staffers who locked down classrooms as they heard the approaching gunfire kept Neal from slaughtering schoolchildren, authorities said.

When they searched his rundown home on a dirt road called Bobcat Lane, sheriffs deputies found the body of Neals wife stuffed beneath the floorboards. They suspect Neal killed her the day before his rampage.

During his killing spree, Neal used two semiautomatic rifles that had been built in an illegal manner, said Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston.

He did not say when authorities believe Neal assembled the rifles or what made them illegal. But Neal was barred from having any firearms because of a criminal protective order and separate restraining order that had been imposed on him after he allegedly attacked his neighbors in January.

Rifles with detachable magazines, and fixed magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds, are illegal in California. During the January incident, Neal stabbed and beat two neighbors he held at gunpoint with an illegal Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle, Tehama County prosecutors said. He was charged with several crimes, including assault with a deadly weapon and possession of an assault weapon, and was out on $160,000 bail when he shot up the town Tuesday.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

Before the January episode, Neal had no criminal convictions and was not restricted from buying firearms, District Attorney Gregg Cohen said. Neal had relinquished one of his handguns to authorities on Feb. 22 after his neighbors obtained a restraining order against him, court papers show.

That restraining order would have shown up in background checks required under state law for gun purchasers, barring Neal from being able to buy firearms legally. However, any guns he built himself  before or after the restraining order was issued  wouldnt have been known to law enforcement.

The front yard at Neals home was littered with various tools and several decaying cars he had been working on. He apparently had the mechanical know-how and tools to build guns as well.

You can get parts through a variety of sources, Johnston said, adding that the more restrictive the laws are on guns, the more criminal elements build their own.

At the heart of do-it-yourself kits is the guns lower receiver, or frame  the part that the federal government defines as a firearm.

Other gun parts dont have serial numbers and can be bought and sold freely. But the receiver  a small piece that the handle, trigger, barrel and other parts connect to  is treated as a complete gun and is subject to state and federal regulations such as background checks for buyers.

To get around such laws, companies have created workarounds, including selling partially completed receivers  known as 80 percent receivers  that are not legally defined as firearms. They require only that a do-it-yourself gunmaker make a few cutouts and drill a couple of holes to assemble a working weapon.

Once the buyer finishes the receiver, other parts can be added, turning it into an untraceable firearm with no serial number. Lower receivers can also be made in a 3-D printer or machined with increasingly low-cost countertop mills, among other emerging technologies.

One such machine is sold by Defense Distributed of Austin, Texas, under the name Ghost Gunner 2. It mills lower receivers out of hunks of aluminum and is sold online for $1,675.

Another company, American Weapons Components in Oceanside (San Diego County), sells more than 75,000 do-it-yourself kits online every year, said David Fry, president of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Company representatives did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment.

Some companies that sell gun kits host build parties where experienced hands show first-timers how to put together the parts and tweak the partially built receivers.

Gun-control proponents in California say the Tehama County massacre shows that inventive gun-part merchants are steps ahead of legislators in circumventing state gun laws, and that regulations need to be shored up.

Freilich wants such gun assembly kits to be sold and treated as firearms and be made subject to state gun laws. Its time to revisit the policy and see if we can make progress on it, he said.

But some efforts to restrict homemade guns have failed in California. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed AB1673, a bill supported by Freilichs group that would have extended the definition of firearm to included unfinished frames or receivers.

In his veto message, Brown said the wording of the bill was unduly vague and could have far-reaching and unintended consequences.

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In September 2014, Brown vetoed a bill that would have required all gun parts to have serial numbers and their buyers to go through background checks.

That isnt to say Brown has a laissez-faire policy on guns. Even as he vetoed AB1673, the governor signed six gun-control bills, including one requiring background checks for ammunition purchasers.

Brown later signed AB857, requiring anyone who builds a homemade firearm to apply for a serial number with the state Justice Department and affix it to the weapon. The law takes effect July 1, 2018.

Gun-control opponents say such laws create incentives for weapons makers to find workarounds such as the build-it-yourself kits.

Cody Wilson, managing director and co-founder of Defense Distributed, which makes the Ghost Gunner 2, says hes intentionally seeking to undermine laws such as Californias.

What we do is a way of negating the American gun control effort  especially Californias efforts, he said.

A third of his business is in California, Wilson said. The states gun laws, he added, have made him a millionaire.

The 80 percent culture is fostered because of Californias gun laws, Wilson said, referring to partially completed receivers. Theres more homemade guns there. Theres more of a home-build culture there.

Californians are some of the most savvy gun owners in the country, and many pride themselves on their detailed knowledge of the laws, Wilson said.

Its like people in California enjoy when they pass a ban because they have an enthusiasm for making a contraption to work around the law, he said. I dont think thats noble. I wish people ignored gun laws completely.

Chronicle staff writer

Steve Rubenstein contributed

to this report.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSeronffsky
By PTI: highways

By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 18 (PTI) Pakistani authorities today deferred by 24 hours the operation against protesters led by hardline clerics blocking two busy highways in the capital, as the earlier deadline for them to disperse peacefully or face a crackdown came to an end this morning.

About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) for about two weeks have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connect Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

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Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government has decided to give talks one last chance and convince the protesters to disperse peacefully instead of resorting to force.

"The government is trying to deal with the situation. We will wait for the outcome of the talks with leaders of protesters," he said.

Iqbal said Senator Raja Zafarul Haq will head the negotiating team and expressed hope that he would succeed.

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 (Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of the Prophethood) 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 on Thursday 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 yesterday ordered the city administration to clear the roads and issued a 24-hour deadline for protesters to disperse. Hundreds of security personnel in riot gear were deployed to take action against the protesters.

The protesters, however, refused to call off the demonstration and demanded that Law Minister Hamid be removed for allegedly orchestrating the changes in the electoral oath. PTI SH KIS KIS

--- ENDS ---
Big Hero 6 The Series premieres on Disney XD with a one-hour show at 8 p.m. The series is based on the hit film, and San Francisco native Jamie Chung reprises her role as Go Go. She also co-stars in the Fox show The Gifted.

HBO airs the documentary Baltimore Rising, directed by The Wire cast member Sonja Sohn, at 8 p.m. The film explores the struggles in various sectors of Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray in 2015. Sohn follows activists, police officers, community leaders and others as the homicide rate hits record levels and divisiveness deepens.

TCM is honoring the heroes of the Black List this month by airing films such as Salt of the Earth, at 8 p.m. The 1954 release was filmed by Will Geer, producer Paul Jarrico, writer Michael Wilson and director Herbert J. Biberman, either forgoing credit or using pseudonyms. The film is about wives of striking mine workers fighting to keep the union going.

David Letterman accepts the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in previously recorded ceremonies at the Kennedy Center to air at 8 p.m. today on KQED.

Kevin Can Wait isnt waiting for Thanksgiving. The CBS show finds Kevin (Kevin James) crowing that he will cook a full Thanksgiving dinner and quickly finding hes out of his depth, prompting him to ask his neighbor, Wendy (Florencia Lozano) for a helping hand. The show airs at 8 p.m.

Thanks for Nothing is the title of the Superior Donuts episode at 9 p.m. on CBS, in which Franco (Jermaine Fowler) urges Arthur (Judd Hirsch) to invite his estranged daughter to Thanksgiving, but Arthur will do that only if Franco invites his dad (Cedric the Entertainer) as well.

A&E continues its Elizabeth Smart programming with the special, Elizabeth Smart: Ask Me Anything, at 10 p.m.

The Trials of Superman is the title and focus of this weeks episode of AMC Visionaries: Robert Kirkmans Secret History of Comics at 10 p.m. on AMC.

The 13th season of Fast N Loud and the first season of The Halcyon come to a close on the Discovery Channel and Ovation, respectively.

Acorn TV adds the exclusive U.S. premiere of Love, Lies & Records, a drama written by Bafta winner Kay Mellor and starring Ashley Jensen as Registrar Kate Dickenson, who has to balance her personal life with the drama of births, deaths and marriages she deals with in her professional life. The show co-stars Adrian Bower, Kenny Doughty, Rebecca Front and Mark Stanley.

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.

Acorn also adds the Australian drama East West 101 to its growing roster of shows today. Based on the experiences of actual detectives, series follows the Major Crime Squad in metropolitan Sydney and stars Don Hany and Susie Porter. Three seasons are now available at www.acorn.tv.

Bruce Dern saddles up to host seven days of great Westerns on HDNET Movies, including Dern in Posse, Paul Newman in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Charles Bronson and Jack Palance in Chatos Land, and Sam Peckinpahs Ride the High Country. Fifteen films comprise Bruce Derns Cowboy Collection, with Dern talking about the films and their stars from the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. The series kicks off at 4 p.m. today with Chatos Land, followed by The Kentuckian at 5:45 p.m. and an encore screening of Chatos Land at 7:30 p.m. For a full schedule of the Westerns and other films, go to www.hdnetmovies.com.

Amy Sedaris, Greta Gerwig and Jessie Reyez guest on Late Night With Seth Meyers at 12:35 a.m. Tuesday on NBC.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV
In the Bay Area and across the country, many students and faculty members are calling on their universities to bar speakers who express hateful messages. At a packed forum on the UC Berkeley campus in September, several urged Chancellor Carol Christ to keep speakers such as Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter and Steve Bannon from speaking on campus. At many universities, there have been calls to ban white supremacist Richard Spencer from appearing.

Those who seek to exclude these speakers are acting from laudable motives: The presence of hateful speakers disrupts campus activities, imposes significant financial costs in ensuring safety and, most of all, causes great distress and interferes with the studies and work of those who have been traditionally underrepresented in universities.

Yet, the law is clear. Hate speech is protected by the First Amendment, and public universities violate the Constitution if they exclude speakers based on the views expressed, even if it is a viewpoint that is hateful and deeply offends others.

On many occasions, the courts have struck down government efforts to restrict hateful speech. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, every court to consider the issue held that the Nazi Party had the right to march through Skokie, Ill., a predominantly Jewish suburb of Chicago. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously declared unconstitutional a St. Paul, Minn., ordinance that prohibited burning a cross or painting a swastika in a manner likely to anger, alarm or cause resentment. In 2003, the court held that there is a First Amendment right to burn a cross, even though it is a vile symbol of hate.

This is not the first time that there have been efforts to stop hateful speech on campuses. In the early 1990s, more than 350 colleges and universities adopted hate-speech codes. Every one to be considered by a court was declared unconstitutional. Earlier this year, a federal court ruled that Auburn University in Alabama acted unconstitutionally when it tried to exclude Spencer from speaking.

Why this protection of hate speech and the rejection of powerful pleas from many students and faculty to allow restrictions? After all, almost every European nation has a law prohibiting hate speech. In part, the problem is the inability to define hate speech in a manner that is not unduly vague or overbroad. Under the First Amendment, any law or rule regulating speech must be clear about what is prohibited and what is allowed. But campus hate-speech codes typically prohibited speech that stigmatizes or demeans on the basis of race or sex or religion or sexual orientation. The law in Germany prohibits speech that attacks the human dignity of others by insulting, maliciously maligning or defaming segments of the population. Words like stigmatizes, demeans or insults are too vague to meet First Amendment scrutiny.

Most of all, though, hateful speech is protected by the First Amendment because it expresses a viewpoint, albeit a very offensive one.

This does not mean that campuses are powerless to deal with speech that causes significant harms. The Supreme Court has held that speech that incites illegal activity is not protected by the First Amendment  but it must pose a substantial risk of imminent illegal activity, and the speaker must be intending to cause immediate violations of the law.

Also, speech that constitutes a true threat is not constitutionally protected. Although the Supreme Court still has not clearly defined this phrase, the idea is that there is no First Amendment right to use speech to cause a person reasonably to fear imminent harm to his or her physical safety.

Speech that rises to the level of harassment also can be prohibited and punished. In the workplace, for example, an employer can be held liable for creating a hostile work environment. The law is unclear as to when speech on campus constitutes harassment, but generally it must be directed at a person or be so pervasive as to materially interfere with educational opportunities based on race, sex, religion or sexual orientation.

Additionally, universities can have time, place and manner restrictions with regard to speech to prevent disruption of campus activities and to ensure public safety so long as there are adequate alternative places for speech. UC Berkeley, for example, required that controversial speaker Ben Shapiro appear in an auditorium where safety could best be ensured.

Perhaps most important, campus officials can engage in their own speech, denouncing the expression of hate and using such occasions for explaining why it is inconsistent with the campus principles of community. Long ago, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said that the best remedy for the speech we dont like is more speech. More speech cannot cure the pain of hateful speech, but it can go a long way to bringing a campus together when an ugly incident occurs.

What, though, can we say to students and faculty who are not convinced by all of this? I point to the dangers of censorship, such as during the McCarthy era when faculty were fired and students expelled just for being suspected of supporting communism. I simply dont trust campus officials to have the power to decide what speech should be allowed and what should be prohibited. The only way that our speech will be protected is to safeguard the speech that we detest.

Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, is co-author with Howard Gillman of Free Speech on Campus (Yale University Press, 2017). To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.
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It was telling that former White House adviser Steve Bannon dismissed the allegations of sexual harassment against GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama because they came from the Bezos-Amazon Washington Post.

Blaming a tech company taps into a growing populist  and bipartisan  resentment against what Bannon describes as the lords of Silicon Valley. While people may love their iPhones, and the publics opinion of Google and Facebook remains high, those on the losing end of the nations growing income gap are finding a new villain to blame: the people making big money in tech.

In Bannons opinion, those people arent the disrupters they portray themselves as, but part of the political establishment  along with lobbyists, consultants, and corporatists and globalist elites who are ruining the country for the working class.

The valley is getting heat from the left, too, particularly over its slow reaction to Russias use of social media outlets to meddle in last years elections. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein scolded Facebook, Google and Twitter representatives for the vague answers she heard at a recent Senate Intelligence Committee meeting.

I must say, I dont think you get it, Feinstein told tech company lawyers. (The CEOs declined to attend.) You bear this responsibility. You created these platforms, and they are being misused. And you have to be the ones to do something about it  or we will.

Signs of tech resentment that have been boiling for a few years in San Francisco are now popping up elsewhere.

They can be seen in concerns about gentrification in downtown San Jose, as Google moves to develop up to 8 million square feet of office space to accommodate 20,000 of its well-paid workers.

And they can be seen in concerns about self-driving vehicles, which are being developed by Tesla and Google as well as traditional auto manufacturers. There is a growing fear that the more than 3.2 million truck and delivery drivers  people earning solid middle-income wages  will be replaced by those vehicles. Union organizers feel their fear.

Everywhere I go I hear that the robot car apocalypse is coming, said Doug Bloch, political director for the Teamsters Joint Council 7, which represents 100,000 workers in Northern California and Nevada.Why are we acting like its inevitable? Why cant we actually come up with a different vision of the future?

But tech leaders are starting to listen, to hear that resentment and fear. And there are small signs theyre changing their ways.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, who represents part of Silicon Valley, is dubious about Bannons sincerity when it comes to anti-tech populism, considering that Bannon used to work for Wall Street titan Goldman-Sachs and the Hong Kong online gaming company IGE.

But after spending part of his first term touring Rust Belt communities in Ohio and Kentucky to learn more about how to help all sectors of the economy, Khanna heard the same anti-tech sentiment expressed there and understands it.

While people in struggling communities associate tech with prosperity and the future, what theyre frustrated with it is that they dont have any access to it, Khanna said. Their communities have been hard hit economically. Factories have been offshored. Theyre seeing all of this technological progress, and newly minted millionaires and billionaires, and their sense is, How is that working for us?

Khanna is working on ideas to entice companies to  in the language of the valley  network their prosperity to less prosperous areas.

As a sign tech companies are listening, he cited Google CEO Sundar Pichais announcement last month of $1 billion in grants to nonprofits to help people adjust to the rapidly evolving workplace. For example, $10 million of that will go to Goodwill, which created the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator to help people in various parts of the country upgrade their digital skills.

Bloch, the Teamsters organizer, said tech companies seem to be getting the message that they need to share some of the largesse. The Teamsters are working on a deal with San Francisco tech company Marble to test a delivery robot that could be made and operated by union workers.

A theme of the annual Friends of OReilly tech gathering held this month in San Francisco  hosted by 4-decade-old technology publisher and conference host OReilly Media  was that Silicon Valley needs to share its prosperity with the rest of the country. Some say that growing realization came last year when, for the first time, the top five U.S. companies in market capitalization were from the tech world (Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook).

There is a fear that the blowback is very serious, and this is something that tech has not faced before  a hostile public, said Peter Leyden, founder of Reinvent, a media company that focuses on how technology can improve the world. Over the past six months, Leyden said, hes seen a growing sense of responsibility in tech.

This has only recently dawned on the tech community that theyre the adults in the room. Theyre the people on the top of the heap, said Leyden, who has spent two decades working to connect the tech and political worlds Theyre no longer the upstarts disrupting stuff.

Leyden said he is convinced that these tech titans are not like the Wall Street titans, the big oil titans, the Gilded Age titans. Theyre not in it to squeeze the juice out of everybody. But, he said, one of the problems with this form of capitalism is the gargantuan level of wealth that goes to founders.

That means there is an enormous concentration of political and economic power in the hands of a few people in technology, in particular the leaders of Facebook, Google and Amazon, said Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute, a think tank concerned with the monopolistic power of corporations.

The Russian meddling, Stoller said, is an artifact of these companies being too big for anyone to manage effectively. There is no way to run a network of 2 billion people without serious and destructive consequences.

As the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, shared some of Feinsteins frustrations with the tech companies. Theyve grown so fast, Schiff told The Chronicle, that the recognition (of) the harms that have happened has lagged behind.

I think we need to figure this out, Schiff said. And its a question that goes beyond the purview of the Intelligence Committee. It goes to the country as a whole.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Stunned that a White House request for $44 billion in disaster relief funds didnt include a penny for fire victims in Northern California, two North Bay congressmen delivered a strong rebuke to President Trump on Saturday.

These are Americans in a time of need, and the administration is supposed to be helping, not playing political games, said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.

He and a fellow Democrat, Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael, are increasing the pressure on the White House to set aside the $7.4 billion that Gov. Jerry Brown is seeking for wildfire victims.

We were sure hoping it would be in this package, Thompson said, adding that Brown requested the $7.4 billion far enough back that (the administration) had ample time to get it.

Huffman said he is surprised by the conspicuous absence of wildfire relief funding in the appropriations bill that the White House asked for Friday, which designated money for victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Both congressmen noted, however, that their districts had received help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency.

But when it comes to reimbursing us money, we just havent been able to get it, Thompson said.

On Saturday, Thompson met with Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona (Riverside County), and officials from Santa Rosa and Sonoma counties, who are leading the recovery effort for the most destructive firestorm in state history.

Thompson is looking to Calvert, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, for help securing the money he said is owed to North Bay residents.

The White House Friday asked Congress for $44 billion to help with hurricane relief, but also called on lawmakers to offset the cost of that aid by cutting budgets for rural economic development programs, state highways and the Army Corps of Engineers, among other services.

The request, which immediately set off controversy in Congress, came a day after the House passed a sweeping tax bill that would take away taxpayers ability to write off losses because of fires such as those in California.

Added to the elimination of middle-class tax deductions for interest on mortgages above $500,000, that amounted to a big black eye for California  a state where wildfires rage every year and real estate prices are high, Huffman said.

Theyre going to raise Californians taxes, and now, unless we get this (disaster relief) thing turned around, theyre going to leave us high and dry on disaster costs, he said.

California members of Congress have until mid-December  when the current government funding agreement expires  to secure the wildfire relief money. The clock is ticking, Huffman said, and he and other Democrats are still trying to rally support among their Republican colleagues.

While delegations in Texas and Florida started a bipartisan effort to help repair the hurricane damage in their states, California Republicans have largely been silent on the effort to rebuild in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Rep. Ed Royce of Fullerton (Orange County) was the only one of the states 13 Republican members of Congress to sign Browns letter with the $7.4 billion request.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
Grocery chain Trader Joes announced Saturday that it has recalled several packaged salads after a supplier found shards of glass and hard plastic inside.

The company announced on its website that containers of its white meat chicken salad, curried white chicken deli salad and turkey cranberry apple salad may be contaminated if they expire on any date from Nov. 10 through 21 and are labeled with the U.S. Department of Agricultures inspected code P-40299.
Bill Hutchinson / The Chronicle

Deputies continued to search Sunday for suspects in the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old man the day before outside a San Leandro gas station.

Officers received reports about 1:15 p.m. Saturday of a shooting at a 76 station at 159th Avenue and East 14th Street, said Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriffs Office.
Mark Wineman / Getty Images

A Daly City police officer was injured while chasing two males Sunday on a freeway when their vehicles collided in San Francisco, authorities said.

The crash occurred around noon on northbound Interstate 280 near Alemany Boulevard, said Officer Vu Williams of the California Highway Patrol.
By PTI: Act

By Neelabh Srivastava

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Stepping up probe into the Panama Papers, the Income Tax Department has slapped criminal charges under the new anti-black money Act and launched fresh assessment of stashed offshore income against over half-a- dozen Indian entities in the list, official sources said.

They said the department has detected undisclosed assets and stashed funds located in foreign countries in case of seven individuals and entities named in the leaks and the taxman has begun investigations against them under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.

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Sources privy to the probe said the tax department has ordered fresh assessment and also re-assessment of the income of these entities and will soon launch criminal prosecution against all of them as the entities had allegedly not disclosed offshore properties to Indian tax and banking authorities in the past.

These are the first set of cases of undisclosed foreign assets which are being probed under the new anti-black money Act, that has criminal sections for prosecution under the law.

Under the new anti-black money law cases of overseas illegal assets, which till recently were probed under the regular and civil Income Tax Act of 1961, attract a steep 120 per cent tax and penalty on undisclosed foreign assets and income besides carrying a jail term of up to 10 years.

Prosecution of these seven entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) would also be initiated in the coming days, as the anti-black money Act of 2015 qualifies to be a predicate offence for money laundering investigations, they said.

The sources refused to divulge the identities of the seven entities citing the overriding global tax information exchange secrecy clauses between various countries.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has recently said that investigations in the Panama Papers leak cases till now have resulted in the I-T Department detecting undisclosed wealth of Rs 792 crore so far and the probe in these cases is on in "full swing".

Over a year after the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) made the documents public, the CBDT said it has found 147 of the total 426 cases "actionable".

The department also conducted searches in 35 cases and surveys in 11, the CBDT had said.

"The Income Tax Department conducted enquiries in all 426 cases, inter alia, through making 395 references to 28 foreign jurisdictions.

"Based on analysis of the information obtained and investigation conducted, the outcome so far indicates 147 actionable cases and 279 non-actionable cases (non-residents/ or no irregularities)," it said in the first week of this month.

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The CBDT said the Panama Papers contained brief particulars of about 426 persons, prima facie, Indians or persons of Indian origin.

The government had constituted a multi-agency group (MAG) of investigative agencies in April last year to probe these instances.

The MAG has so far submitted seven reports to the government.

The CBDT had said the taxmans investigation in these cases is "in progress". PTI NES DV

--- ENDS ---
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  A smiling Roy Moore stood shoulder to shoulder with his fiercest religious allies.

Flanked by a sign for Moores Senate campaign, one supporter railed against the LGBT mafia and homosexualist gay terrorism. Another warned that homosexual sodomy destroys those who participate in it and the nations that allow it. Still another described same-sex marriage as a mirage because its phony and fake.

Thursdays news conference was designed to send a powerful message to the political world that religious conservatives across America remain committed to Moore, a Christian conservative and former judge whose Alabama Senate campaign has been rocked by mounting allegations of sexual misconduct. The event also revealed an aggressive strain of homophobia rarely seen in mainstream politics  in recent years, at least.

In the days since, religious liberals have stepped forward to express their opposition to Moore. An anti-Moore rally at a Birmingham church Saturday drew more than 100 people, some of whom carried signs decrying his opposition to gay rights.

But in a Senate campaign suddenly focused on Moores relationships with teenage girls decades ago, Moores hardline stance on gay rights and other LGBT issues has become little more than an afterthought for many voters as election day approaches.

Moore first caught the attention of many in the LGBT community after describing homosexual conduct as an inherent evil against which children must be protected in a 2002 child custody case involving a lesbian mother. In a 2005 television interview, Moore said homosexual conduct should be illegal. He also said theres no difference between gay sex and sex with a cow, horse or dog.

Moores stand  combined with the fiery comments from his supporters  unnerved some in Birminghams relatively small LGBT community.

It made me extremely angry, said Mackenzie Gray, a 37-year-old who came out as transgender in 2010. She said most people in her life dont know she was born a man.

My fear with the religious leaders and the hateful rhetoric were hearing is that its going to start escalating into something even larger, Gray said. Its dangerous.

The state has been slow to embrace gay rights: 81 percent of voters supported a ban on same-sex marriage in 2006. Only neighboring Mississippi, with 86 percent, scored higher.

Patricia Todd, the states first openly gay state representative, said she has faced at least four death threats in recent years. One woman called Todds cell phone and pledged to kill her and her family, she said, noting that local LGBT leaders meet quarterly at the FBI office in Birmingham to help identify potential hate crimes.

Its been brutal, but its gotten to the point where I just laugh at them, Todd said.

In contrast to many conservative politicians with national ambitions, Moore has made little attempt to change his tone on LGBT issues as equal rights for the gay community has earned increasing acceptance among mainstream America.

Steve Peoples is an Associated Press writer.
The state of Nevada is refusing pharmaceutical company Pfizers demand to return a drug it manufactured and not use it in a planned lethal injection execution, a prison official said.

Nevada received a letter Oct. 4 similar to one received by officials in Nebraska and reported by the Omaha World-Herald, Nevada Department of Corrections spokeswoman Brooke Keast said.

The Nevada letter, obtained Friday by the Associated Press, seeks the return from the prisons pharmacy of the sedative diazepam or the opioid painkiller fentanyl made by Pfizer if they are intended for what the company calls misuse in an execution.

Pfizer strongly objects to the use of its products as lethal injections for capital punishment, company executive Robert Jones said in the Oct. 4 letter, which promised to reimburse the state for the returned drug.

Pfizer announced in May 2016 it would block distribution of its products and those of its affiliate, Hospira, for executions in the 31 states in the U.S. with the death penalty. Company spokesman Steven Danehy in New York confirmed the authenticity of Jones letter, but declined to comment about it.

Plans for Nevadas first execution in more than a decade  using a never-before-tried combination of diazepam, fentanyl and the muscle paralytic cisatracurium  were put on hold last week pending review by the state Supreme Court.

Diazepam is commonly known as Valium. Keast said the supply that Nevada received for the planned execution of twice-convicted murderer Scott Raymond Dozier was manufactured by Pfizer.

Invoice records show the drugs were obtained in late May from Cardinal Health, a company that Keast called the usual state prisons pharmacy supplier, at a combined cost of less than $500. Cardinal Health has not said if the company knew the intended use of the drugs.

We are under no obligation, once weve made a purchase, to return it, Keast said.

In Nebraska, the Omaha World-Herald reported a similar Oct. 4 letter was among several documents released by the state Department of Corrections in response to public records requests from the newspaper and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.

Ken Ritter is an Associated Press writer.
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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.
By PTI: By Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Nov 19 (PTI) Nepals former prime minister and Maoist chief Prachandas only son Prakash Dahal died today due to sudden cardiac arrest. He was 36.

Prakash was rushed to the Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital early this morning, where he was pronounced dead.

Addressing a press conference, Dr JP Jaiswal of Norvic Hospital said Prakash was dead around three hours before he was admitted to the hospital at 5:50 am this morning.

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"His eyes were unresponsive and there was no pulse when he was brought to the hospital," said Jaiswal.

"In 90 per cent of such cases, patient suffers a severe cardiac arrest," he added.

Prakash was secretary to his father Prachanda and also central member of CPN (Maoist-Centre).

Prachanda arrived at the hospital in Kathmandu from Jhapa, where he was attending election campaign for the upcoming elections.

President Vidya Devi Bhandari reached Prachandas house in Baluwatar to express condolences on the demise of his son.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML chairman K P Oli and other senior leaders have also expressed condolences.

The news of Prakashs death comes two weeks before the first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections.

Prakashs wife Bina Dahal is contesting election for the Parliament from Kanchanpur district.

Prachanda had one son and three daughters. One of his daughters died four years ago. She was suffering from breast cancer. PTI SBP ZH

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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
Rahul Gandhi's so-called 'transformation' currently remains a subject of great political debate. So how did 'Pappu' get 'Pidi' to compel twitterati and the increasing young voters to sit up and take note?

By Sweta dutta: Far from the metamorphosis of his grandmother and former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, who went from being tagged 'goongi gudiya' to the 'only man in the cabinet', Congress president-in-waiting Rahul Gandhi's so-called 'transformation' currently remains a subject of debate on new India's fledgling game-changer: social media.

Punchy tweets, essaying cogent speeches, interactive sessions at international platforms to drive home the point that 'Pappu' can finally speak, has given Congressmen much hope for its revival at a time when the Opposition space faces a looming void.

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So how did 'Pappu' get 'Pidi' to compel twitterati and by extension, the increasing young voters to sit up and take note, if not be entirely convinced? Is it a new team mentoring or tutoring Rahul? The answer is a vehement 'no' from all Congress leaders.

"How much can you tutor someone? If he did not have it in him, he would never be able to learn" is the senior leadership's refrain. They insist Rahul is 'erudite', 'reads a lot', 'curious', and has a 'sharp sense of humour' - traits he always exhibited but was never acknowledged.

"It is the same Rahul Gandhi, who had coined 'suit boot ki sarkar' and 'fair and lovely scheme'. The person is same, the perception has changed. None of us see any change in him. He was always open, transparent, down to earth," argued Ajay Maken, Delhi Congress chief and a close aide of Rahul.

Rahul during a recent election rally in Gujarat

"The perception artificially created by thousands sitting behind computers did not let him be viewed the way he was. That artificial smokescreen created by the BJP is gradually fading and simply because of (Narendra) Modi's failure to deliver," Maken added.

'HAS COME A LONG WAY'

Several senior bureaucrats recall UPA II's last few years in power that saw Rahul review projects and schemes on power, highways, social sector schemes and his 'short attention span' during power point presentations.

Some party leaders remember him as the flippant, reluctant leader losing the thread of the conversation during serious meetings over organisational strengthening exercises.

"He seems to have come a long way. He is more involved and interested in what he is doing today. Let's face it, he knows that he has to buckle up and it is high time he does so," said a senior party leader requesting anonymity.

"As for the image makeover, the truth is that the timing is right for us. More than Rahul Gandhi's fortunes going up, it is about Modi's image taking a beating. None of us were as hopeful as we are today. Eight months back, none of us thought we would be in the reckoning for 2019 (parliamentary polls). We had almost given Modi a ten-year tenure. Things have clearly changed today."

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TWITTER, US TRIP TURNING POINTS?

Even as the 'makeover' is denied, sources close to Rahul do attribute his new social media posturing and his recent visit to the United States as the turning point to being 'taken seriously.'

A new social media team helmed by actress-turned-politician Divya Spandana, popularly known as Ramya, quietly set up shop away from the prying eyes at the All India Congress Committee headquarters on 24, Akbar Road, at a location where casual visitors are unwelcome.

Long before the International Journal of Communication in the United States laboured over Modi's 9000-odd tweets to find his success mantra, Rahul's team discovered the key- use of political irony and sarcasm.

While the party insists most of Rahul's tweets are his own, highly placed sources say some of them are drafted by Spandana and her team, who at times prevail over Rahul even if he is himself unconvinced.

Some of the couplets, satirical cartoons and digs at Modi are products of research by the team.

But Spandana deliberately dodges media attention, in an effort to not take away Rahul's moment of glory and Rahul in turn silently takes the brickbats when some of his tweets, like the one on Pidi backfired.

Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I'm coming clean..it's me..Pidi..I'm way ?? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat! pic.twitter.com/fkQwye94a5- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 29, 2017

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"The ideas and concept emanate from the top. A team can only supplement the efforts. Whether it is Berkeley or Baroda, the issues he raised are important and that is why they get traction," maintained Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, who is also known to be Rahul's close friend.

Rahul Gandhi believes in collective leadership and free flowing discussions on all issues. So I am sure he will like to see the credit of the successes go to the party, to the team and his colleagues too," Pilot added.

'LUXURY OF OPPOSITION'

However, senior party leaders point out 'it is the luxury of the Opposition to use political satire'.

"Today we can do what Modi did back then. He could poke fun at us. He could use all the humour and sarcasm from the Opposition's podium. It is far more difficult for the ruling party to make its point or highlight its achievements using sarcasm. Also the BJP now realises that governance is not a cakewalk," said a senior party functionary.

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Rahul's recent trip to the United States, where he found his voice at a free-wheeling conversation with scholars at the University of California, Berkeley, was facilitated by the Gandhi family's long-time friend Sam Pitroda.

Party colleagues feel that his interactions with scholars and the entire board of Washington Post, New York Times and Reuters during the trip gave him a 'neutral audience for the first time.'

Despite Pitroda's hand-holding and a decent run during his speech, Rahul slipped on a question on dynastic politics as he said, "Don't get after me... because that is how India is run" drawing much flak from his political opponents back home.

In the run-up to the 2019 parliamentary polls while there is Left veteran Sitaram Yechury, who still looks at Congress president Sonia Gandhi to keep the Opposition together, NCP chief Sharad Pawar bats for a 'transformed Rahul.'

For the Congress that has been battling questions of survival, being in the reckoning is all that matters. "Who is seen as the Opposition leader today? Rahul Gandhi has earned this position by his hardwork and adapting himself to the challenges," said AICC general secretary CP Joshi while Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam added, "Be it the Shiv Sena or Sharad Pawar, it is heartening to see them accept Rahul."

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Indian Railways is not looking at more funds in the upcoming Union Budget for 2018-19 as it is focussed on monetising assets within, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said.

The Budget that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents on February 1 next year will be the second after the railway and Union budgets were merged in a break with the colonial-era tradition.

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"Frankly, I dont need any funds from the Union Budget. The Railways is looking at innovative ways to finance its expenditure," he told PTI here.

He was replying to a question on what the focus area of the funds that the Railways would seek from the Union Budget.

"We are looking at a much faster and efficient delivery of service to passengers and to our customers for freight," he said.

Goyal, who after transforming the power sector took over the railway portfolio in September, said the Asias oldest railway network will not be constrained of funds at all.

"To my mind, there are many opportunities in the Railways to monetise assets within the Railways. So frankly, I will not be constrained for funds at all," he said.

The Budget that Jaitley presented on February 1 this year broke the tradition since 1924 of having a separate railway budget.

In it, he announced the largest-ever allocation of Rs 1.3 lakh crore to the Indian Railways, with a gross budgetary support of Rs 55,000 crore.

Also, it was announced that the national carrier will focus on four major areas of passenger safety, capital and development works, cleanliness and finance and accounting reforms.

"We have enough funding for all our safety-related projects, for all our growth plans... for whatever is the investments required, we will be able to raise a large part of that fund internally within the Railways," he said further.

He also said the Budget for 2018-19 can allocate more funds for public welfare.

"So, Finance Minister Mr Jaitley can provide more funds for public welfare to health and education out of the funds which he will save from the Railways," he said.

Asked if a fare hike is ruled out, Goyal said, "I believe we need to do an efficiency hike more than a fare hike." PTI JD ANZ GSN ARD

--- ENDS ---
According to the pamphlet, Muslim youth are out on a 'Love Jihad' mission and mentions the ways in which Muslims lure girls into converting to Islam.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: The Rajasthan government has asked students of government and private schools to visit a 'Spiritual Fair' being held in Jaipur. The organisers of the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair, a five-day fair which began on November 16, are contacting schools to send students to the fair.

However, what is being dished out at the fair is raising eyebrows.

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Several pamphlets being distributed at the fair spew venom against Muslims and accuse them of trying to woo Hindu girls with an agenda of converting them to Islam.

The pamphlets being distributed by fringe groups lists out ways of how Muslim men indulge in Love Jihad and also ways to prevent it.

According to the pamphlet titled Jihad and Love Jihad: Hindu girls beware, Muslim men are out on a 'Love Jihad' mission and mentions the ways in which they lure girls into converting to Islam.

The pamphlets further mention that Muslim boys gain entry into Hindu households, chat with girls in separate room, proclaim themselves as Hindus, tie red thread on their hands (kalava), run around doing their chores, indulge in intimate talks with girls.

The pamphlet further says that the girl elopes against her famiy's wishes to marry the Muslim guy.

The Assistant District Education Officer (ADEO) Deepak Shukla, while speaking to India Today, mentioned, "Orders were given by (Education minister) Vasudev Devnani asking students to visit the fair. Students of both private and government schools have been asked to visit."

One of the sections in the pamphlet being distributed gives instructions on "how to save your daughter/sister from Love Jihad". The pamphlet goes on to say that actors like Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan marry Hindu girls, ensnare them and then desert them. It further says that Muslim men, generally, sell girls and kill them in some cases.

According to the pamphlet, one of the ways we can know if a girl is falling prey to Love Jihad is by checking her notebooks, phones.

"Check your daughter's mobile phone, who does she call, whose numbers are saved in the mobile, what and who do they text, checking all this will give you a lot of information," reads the pamphlet.

The pamphlet also goes on to say that celebrating Hindu festivals with all rituals will also help prevent Hindu girls from falling for Muslim men. It further lists the money a Muslim man receives on converting a Hindu woman to Islam.

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Former HRD Minister Shashi Tharoor speaking on students being made to attend the fair said that "it shouldn't be made compulsory". "

There is nothing wrong in attending the spiritual fair, but using such material isn't fair. Love Jihad has been blown out of proportion and action should be taken against spreading hate", Tharoor added.

(With inputs from Supriya Bhardwaj)

--- ENDS ---
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You may have noticed that when you Google certain questions, a suggested answer is highlighted at the top of the page.

The format, sometimes called an instant answer, is popular, digital marketing firms say  people like not having to click through to another site for an answer to their questions  but it also pulls answers from some questionable sources, and Google is scaling back instant answers on fraught topics like religion and politics as a result, the company told the Wall Street Journal this week.

Instant answers have attracted criticism for years. In 2014, Google results highlighted a Breitbart story saying Barack Obama was the king of America, and the next year, Google got flak for providing an excerpt from a creationist website saying dinosaurs were tools of indoctrination in response to the question, "What happened to dinosaurs?"

Conspiracy-mongering instant answers drew attention in March after the website Search Engine Land pointed out that Googling "Is Obama planning a coup?" displayed an answer from a website called SECRETS OF THE FED saying Obama was indeed planning a coup with the help of "the communist Chinese."

Google announced in April that it would make it easier to flag highlighted hoaxes and offensive content.

Many of the questionable results have been highlighted by Google's own public liaison for search, Danny Sullivan, who pointed out that Google Home erroneously told him five presidents were members of the Ku Klux Klan and informed him Republicans are Nazis.

Most of the bad answers that have been flagged by the media have since been fixed, but others live on.

Click through the gallery above for examples of instant answers gone wrong

In the case of the question, "Why are komodo dragons endangered?" (note: Komodo dragons are not endangered) the search engine still pulls an excerpt from a 1999 report written by a Canadian elementary schooler named Jonathon on a site with a Geocities aesthetic and a background of pensive gorillas.

"Komodo dragon look like magical fairy tale dragons but they don't breath (sic) fire," Jonathon wrote.

"Humans put Komodo Dragons endangered (sic) by poaching their deer and destroying their habitat.

"They live for 20 years and have been here ever since 25 to 40 million years b (sic) I think we should preserve for future generation," he added.

Me too, Jonathon.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter
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Kevin Durant has been absolutely merciless on Instagram of late.

A week after someone noticed that he has been trolling Warriors rookie Chris Boucher for months, Durant posted a video to Instagram of him critiquing a game of one-on-one between Zaza Pachulia's children.

"That's a travel," Durant told the kids. "Such a travel. Same thing your pops do."

Ouch.

Durant added "Yo @zazapachulia at some point you have to teach the boys how to play off the bounce."

ALSO: Kevon Looney impresses despite Warriors not picking up his option

The Warriors will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday and the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday as part of a four-game road trip.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) Mining baron Anil Agarwal today said the credit rating upgrade by Moodys strengthens Indias attractiveness as an investment destination and it is a result of a slew of reforms initiated by the government.

The US-based Moodys yesterday upgraded Indias sovereign credit rating by a notch to Baa2 from Baa3 with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.

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"It is a proud moment for India. The slew of reforms by the government are finally taking shape," the chairman of Vedanta Resources said.

The upgrade further strengthens Indias attractiveness as an investment destination, he said. He further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is spearheading a revolution and these systemic changes will revitalise growth and have a tremendous impact such as a recovery in investment cycle, more jobs, a broader tax net and sustained, long-term GDP growth rate.

One of the triggers for the ratings upgrade, he said, is the recapitalisation of the banking system.

However, the move would increase the governments debt burden modestly. This can be adequately offset by promoting domestic exploration and production of metals and minerals.

"Despite abundant deposits, India imports much of its resources, thereby leading to outflow of precious forex. A comprehensive energy and resources policy that encourages private sector participation in exploration and production would boost Indias resources security, save billions of dollars for the country and above all create millions of jobs," he added.

Moodys had last upgraded Indias rating to Baa3 in 2004, and this latest rating upgrade comes after a gap of 13 years.

In a statement, Moodys had said: "The decision to upgrade the ratings is underpinned by Moodys 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 over the medium term." PTI ABI MKJ

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BEIRUT  Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday said he will return to Lebanon to clarify his political position after abruptly resigning two weeks ago  while he was in Saudi Arabia  setting off fears of wider instability and raising questions about whether he had willingly quit.

Hariri spoke from Paris where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron after arriving on a plane from the Saudi capital of Riyadh early Saturday.

Lebanese officials had accused Saudi authorities of holding Hariri, a onetime political ally, hostage as part of an attempt to destabilize Lebanon. Macron quickly stepped in to mediate the crisis, inviting the embattled premier to France for an official visit and paving the way for his exit from Saudi Arabia.

Hariri plans to travel to Beirut this week for independence day celebrations and meetings with Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

I will be going to Beirut in the next few days. I will participate in the celebration of our independence day. From there, I will announce my position on all matters after meeting with President Aoun, he said from the French presidential palace in Paris.

You know that I submitted my resignation, and we will talk about this issue in Lebanon, he said.

The trip would mark an end to his mysterious self-exile since he suddenly stepped down Nov. 4, citing Iranian influence and the military power of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite political movement and his partner in government. Hariri is a Sunni Muslim.

Lebanon was shocked by his resignation and pointed to the harsh language of his statement as evidence he only stepped down under pressure.

Saudi officials are keen to squeeze Hezbollah as Irans most powerful proxy in the region. Saudi Arabias Sunni monarchy and Shiite-majority Iran are in a battle for influence across a battered Middle East  a rivalry that has helped kill tens of thousands in places such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Many Lebanese feared their tiny but diverse nation  which boasts Sunnis, Shiites, Christians and other sects  could easily be plunged into political or sectarian turmoil. The government is run on a national power-sharing pact that divides political authority among Lebanons three major religious groups. The agreement calls for a Sunni prime minister, a Christian president and a Shiite speaker of parliament.

Erin Cunningham and James McAuley are Washington Post writers.
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Azzedine Alaia, one of the greatest and most uncompromising designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, died Saturday in Paris. He was 82.

His company said the cause was a heart attack.

Known as a sculptor of the female form, and worn by women from Michelle Obama to Lady Gaga, Mr. Alaia was equally famous for his rejection of the fashion system and his belief that it had corrupted the creative power of what could be an art form. He rarely hewed to the official show calendar, preferring to reveal his work when he deemed it ready, as opposed to when retailers or press demanded it.

Instead he built his own system, and family of supporters, and since the turn of the millennium had become an increasingly important voice for the value of striving to perfect and explore a single proprietary aesthetic, and against giving in to the relentless pressure to produce collections.

His kitchen, where he was famous for holding free-flowing lunch and dinner gatherings, for which he often cooked, was his soapbox. There he would regale guests  who could include designers, Kardashians, artist Julian Schnabel, architect Peter Marino and seamstresses from his ateliers  long into the night with opinions, stories and exhortations.

Short  at least compared to supermodels like Naomi Campbell, who called him Papa, and Farida Khelfa  he was always attired in a uniform of black Chinese cotton pajamas. He was famous for working long hours alone, bent over patterns and pieces of fabric, with National Geographic programs playing on the wide screen TV nearby.

He was also mischievous: He often lied about his age, once told a journalist that his mother was a Swedish model, and liked to hide from his staff members and then startle them by jumping out with a whistle. Prone to hold grudges, he could also be extraordinarily generous.

Mr. Alaia dedicated his life to the belief that fashion was more than just garments; to him, they were as much an element in the empowerment of women and of a broader cultural conversation.

An exhibit of his work in 2015 at the Villa Borghese in Rome, where his gowns held their own among the Caravaggios and Berninis, suggested that he had achieved that goal.

Azzedine Alaia was born in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 26, 1935 (though some biographical sources list his birth year as 1939 or 1940). His father ran a wheat farm outside the city.

Mr. Alaia became interested in art and design at a young age.

I was helping Madame Pinot, a midwife that helped in giving birth to my whole family, he recalled in an interview with the fashion magazine the Ground in 2011. I told her that I liked to draw. She gave me books, pamphlets to art exhibitions, and my first book of Picasso.

Soon she registered him at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis, he said, against my fathers will.

He also found a job in a small dress shop. The owner was looking for someone to finish up the dresses, he said. My sister had learned sewing with the nuns, and she had a notebook with all the basics. That was my first real experience with fashion, and while I was in the shop, I improved dramatically.

He added: Close to the boutique, there was a beautiful palace where two wealthy girls spent their days looking out the balcony. They saw me going in and out of the shop with cartons and fabrics, and finally, one day after school, they came up to question me about my work and invited me to their house that same night.

There Mr. Alaia met a cousin of the girls who wore Christian Dior and Balmain dresses, and through her he found work with a dressmaker who made copies of Balmain clothing.

From there, with help from a well-connected friend of the cousins, he went to Paris, to work for Dior, in 1957. Living in the chambre de bonne of Comtesse Nicole de Blegiers, he paid his rent by making clothes for her and babysitting her children.

Word spread, and he became an inside secret of the great and good of French society; clients included writer Louise de Vilmorin, Cecile and Marie-Helene de Rothschild, of the banking family, and actress Arletty. He opened his own maison in 1979.

Mr. Alaia introduced his first ready-to-wear collection in 1980 and was soon hailed as the king of cling  though his garments were much more than that: He used leather and knits to shape and support the body, transforming it into the best version of itself.

Though his aesthetic fell out of fashion with the advent of deconstructed minimalism in the 1990s, Mr. Alaia never allowed himself to be distracted by the trends of others, and by the year 2000 acolytes began returning to his atelier, a complex of buildings on Rue de Moussy in the Fourth Arrondissement, where he lived, worked and cooked.

In 2007, Compagnie Financiere Richemont bought a majority stake in the business, allowing it to expand at its own pace. A perfume was introduced and store expansion planned, and by last year Mr. Alaia had more than 300 points of sale globally. His closest collaborator was Carla Sozzani, owner of the influential boutique 10 Corso Como.

Beyond the runway, Mr. Alaia created work for the ballet and the opera, began holding art exhibitions in 2004 in the space that also houses his showroom (regular programming began in 2015 with an exhibition by Syrian poet Adonis) and was planning a bookstore.

Mr. Alaia returned to the couture calendar in July after six years. In the audience were Jack Lang, former French minister of culture; Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, former first lady of France (and one-time Alaia model); Isabelle Huppert, the actress; Marc Newson, the industrial designer; and Fabrice Hergott, director of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

Mr. Alaia had become the equivalent of a national treasure, and everyone was there to honor him.

He is survived by his partner, painter Christoph von Weyhe; and nieces and nephews.

Venessa Friedman is a New York Times writer.
MADRID  The ousted mayor of Caracas pledged to spread his protest against Venezuelas socialist government across the world as he arrived in Spain on Saturday, a day after escaping from house arrest and slipping past Venezuelan security forces into Colombia.

Antonio Ledezmas flight from Bogota landed at Barajas airport in Spains capital, Madrid. With a Venezuelan flag draped over his shoulder, he hugged his wife and two daughters and said he would fight Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from exile
HARARE, Zimbabwe  Giddy with joy and finally free to speak out, vast throngs of demonstrators turned Zimbabwes capital into a carnival ground on Saturday in a peaceful outpouring of disdain for President Robert Mugabe and calls for him to quit immediately.

Still clinging to his now-powerless post, the longtime leader was to discuss his expected exit with the military command that put him under house arrest.

People in Harare clambered onto tanks and other military vehicles moving slowly through the crowds, danced around soldiers walking in city streets and surged in the thousands toward the building where Mugabe held official functions, a symbol of the rule of the 93-year-old man who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980. There, in a situation that could have become tense, the protesters instead showed deference to the small number of soldiers blocking their way and eventually dispersed.

It was a historic day when the old Zimbabwe, a once-promising African nation with a disintegrating economy and a mood of fear about the consequences of challenging Mugabe, became something new, with a population united, at least temporarily, in its fervor for change and a joyful openness that would have seemed fanciful even a few days ago.

The euphoria, however, will eventually subside, and much depends on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering to get Mugabe to officially resign, jumpstart a new leadership that could seek to be inclusive and reduce perceptions that the military staged a coup against Mugabe.

The common enemy is Robert Mugabe. Thats for starters, said 37-year-old Talent Mudzamiri, an opposition supporter who was born soon after Zimbabwes independence.

He had a warning for whoever takes over Zimbabwe: If the next leader does the same, we are going to come out again.

Many Zimbabweans believe the most likely candidate will be Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former vice president with close military ties whose dismissal by Mugabe triggered the intervention of the armed forces, which sent troops and tanks into the streets this week, effectively taking over the country. The increasing presidential ambitions of Mugabes wife Grace, a polarizing figure who denounced Mnangagwa amid a factional battle within the ruling ZANU-PF party, alarmed those who feared a dynastic succession.

The president, who is believed to be staying at his private home in Harare, a well-guarded compound known as the Blue Roof, is reported to have asked for more time in office. He has been deserted by most of his allies, with others arrested.

Christopher Torchia and Farai Mutsaka are Associated Press writers.
1 Blazing meteorite: A fireball lit up the dark skies of Arctic Finland for five seconds, giving off what scientists said was the glow of 100 full moons and igniting hurried attempts to find the reported meteorite. Finnish experts were scrambling to calculate its trajectory and find where it landed, according to Tomas Kohout of the University of Helsinkis physics department, who said Thursday nights fireball seems to have been one of the brightest ones. It produced a blast wave that felt like an explosion about 6:40 p.m. and could also be seen in northern Norway and in Russias Kola peninsula, he said Saturday. It might have weighed about 220 pounds, according to Nikolai Kruglikov of Yekaterinburgs Urals Federal University.

2 Yemen fighting: International aid group Doctors Without Borders says it has not been able to deliver lifesaving medical and humanitarian assistance to the people in dire need in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa because of a blockade by a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemens Shiite rebels. The group said in a statement Saturday it hasnt received authorization from the coalition to fly from Djibouti to Sanaa. The U.S.-backed coalition imposed a land, sea and air blockade Nov. 6 after a missile attack by rebels on the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia said Monday the coalition would lift the blockade.
UNITED NATIONS  Russia has again vetoed a U.N. resolution that would extend the mandate of the expert body charged with determining responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria, dooming its operation and making it exceedingly difficult to hold anyone accountable for the deaths of hundreds of civilian victims.

It was Russias second veto in 24 hours of a resolution to keep the Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM, in operation. And it was Russias 11th veto of a Security Council resolution dealing with Syria, its close ally.

Russia cast its latest veto Friday night on a last-ditch resolution by Japan to extend the mandate for 30 days for further discussions. It was supported by 12 of the 15 council members with Bolivia joining Russia in voting no and China abstaining.

The first Russian veto on a U.S.-sponsored resolution, and Russias failure to get the minimum nine yes votes on its rival resolution during a highly contentious three-hour council meeting Thursday, reflected the deterioration of U.S.-Russian relations.

At the heart of the dispute is the demand by Russia for major changes in the way the JIM operates, and the United States insistence that the current mandate be extended and the JIMs independence be preserved.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council after the vote the veto shows us that Russia has no interest in finding common 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. Its as simple and sinful as that.

Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia shot back that the JIM for two years has rubber-stamped baseless accusations against Syria, stressing that the failure to eradicate its fundamental flaws brought about its downfall.

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 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.

The JIM has also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas in 2015 and again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.

Edith M. Lederer is an Associated Press writer.
By PTI: Bengaluru, Nov 18 (PTI) The revenue collected under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in October was Rs 95,131 crore and average revenue shortfall of states has come down to 17.6 per cent, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said today.

The government had collected Rs 93,141 crore revenue under the GST in September.

Modi, who heads the Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST Network, said the average revenue shortfall of all states for August was 28.4 per cent and it has come down to 17.6 per cent in October.

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"This is a good indication. It shows the system is slowly stabilising," he told reporters here after a meeting of the GoM.

In rupee terms, the revenue shortfall of all states has come down from Rs 12,208 crore in August to Rs 7,560 crore in October, he said. PTI BDN BN ABM

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These efforts are being made so that every expecting women can demand a Manyata standard of care for herself.

By Vidya : The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) in partnership with MSD for Mothers, MacArthur Foundation and Jhpiego (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University), today, launched Manyata--a nationwide movement urging the need for quality-care for mothers during and immediately after childbirth, when risks of life-threatening complications are the highest.

The function held at an upmarket hotel was marked by the presence of Pankaj Munde, Women and Child Welfare department Minister from Maharashtra, yesteryear actress Poonam Dhillon and actor Shilpa Shetty. Talking on the occasion, while explaining the issue, Shetty said, "Especially in rural areas, the mortality rate of mothers is very high. 46,000 women die during childbirth in a year. It's like an aeroplane crashes every day and 200 women die in it."

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Also Read: Women may find it harder than men to quit smoking, says study

For the campaign, the stake-holders have begun educating, and building capacities of private maternity providers (where 40 percent of women in India choose to go for their deliveries) on grounds to adopt and adhere to FOGSI's carefully-selected set of evidence-based, criteria-based World Health Organisation's guidelines.

Among other things, these include clinical procedures of managing care during labour, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. Based on rigorous assessment, the prestigious Manyata certification will be awarded to those facilities that meet these standards. Currently available to providers in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the initiative will be rolled out nationally, over time. These efforts are being made so that every expecting women can demand a Manyata standard of care for herself.

Also Read: Women who are obese or underweight are likely to suffer from depression

Having associated herself with the movement, Shetty said, "I too am a mother, and that is why this issue is closer to my heart. In India, the mother is not given as much importance as much as the child, so we have to teach the women to take good care. Pre and post-natal care is very important, and we have to teach women about it, so that they take good care of themselves. An awareness has to be created."

She added, "I am glad I can use my celebrity status for an issue like this. Amitabh bachchan had picked up the issue of polio. And in India, now it is eradicated. I just hope this is what happens about women mortality too. I hope it is reduced, if not eradicated."

Minister Munde also welcomed the initiative hoping that this will help many mothers at their time of need.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today condoled the death of Prakash Dahal, son of former Nepalese Prime Minister and leader of Communist Party of Nepal Prachanda.

"We are sorry to know about the sudden demise of Prakash Dahal, son of Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, former prime minister of Nepal. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," Swaraj said.

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Prachandas only son, Prakash Dahal, died today due to heart failure.

Prakash, who was in his mid-thirties, was rushed to the Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital early this morning, where he was pronounced dead. PTI MPB ENM ASK ASK

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 69-year-old man allegedly stole a wallet from a female at ShopRite in New Dorp, according to authorities.

Mark Preston, 69, of Sand Lane in South Beach, allegedly admitted to committing the theft that occurred at the supermarket at 2424 Hylan Blvd. on Oct. 27 at about 4:30 p.m., according to police and the criminal complaint.

"Yes, I took the wallet and there was some cash in it and, yes, I took the cash, but I did not take the credit cards," Preston allegedly told police.

Preston allegedly picked up the wallet after a female dropped it on the floor at the store, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

Preston, who was arrested on Wednesday morning in the 122nd Precinct station house in New Dorp, was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny, according to the criminal complaint.
By PTI: Shillong, Nov 19 (PTI) Security forces have arrested the finance secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) from a rented house here, police said today.

Acting on a tip-off, a special team of the state police and the Assam Riffles commandos raided the hideout at Saw Furlong area last night and apprehended three persons, including a woman, East Khasi Hills district SP Davis Marak told PTI.

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They were identified as Inovi Asumi, who holds charge as finance secretary of the NSCN-K, his wife and brother-in-law, he said.

Following identification, Asumi was arrested while the other two were released as they were not involved with him, he said.

The NSCN-K, an armed militant organisation based in Nagaland, had earlier signed a ceasefire pact which it violated in 2015.

Although its presence in the neighbouring states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is widely acknowledged, the arrest of its top functionary from here is being investigated, the SP said.

The group has been designated a terrorist organisation in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. PTI JOP JM AAR

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) today claimed to have busted an alleged trafficking racket in East Delhi and rescued three minors with the help of police.

A statement by the DCW said the commissions helpline received a call from a group of parents from Jharkhand who were searching for their children missing since three years.

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The parents were accompanied by a minor girl who was trafficked along with other children earlier but had managed to flee.

The girl said she was getting calls from an alleged woman trafficker, who ran a placement agency in East Delhi, and was luring her to return to the national capital. The girl was earlier working in Bangalore where she was not paid for over two years, it said.

After receiving this information, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal set up a team and a trap was laid. The trafficker was called to meet the girl at the Akshardham Metro Station.

When the woman and her accomplice met the girl, they tried to take her with them and were caught with help of local police.

During interrogation, details emerged about two minor girls. They were subsequently rescued by womens panel and local police, the release said.

Girls aged 12 and 13 years were rescued from Janakpuri and Pitampura. The younger girl is alleged to be pregnant. Separate FIRs were filed against the employers in these two cases.

One minor boy was also rescued from Haryanas Hisar.

The commission learnt that the arrested placement agency owner and the alleged trafficker were running their business from a very long time and earlier too, several minors were rescued and many cases were filed against them.

The minors were not paid for their work for years and on the papers seized their monthly salaries were fixed between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500. They were not allowed to go out of their employers houses or even to contact their parents, it said.

Yesterday, Maliwal visited Mandawali Police Station and met with the childrens parents. She called the SDM concerned on the spot and they jointly reviewed the seized documents. She urged the police to add sections of bonded labor in the FIR, the statement said. PTI PLB AAR

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Aujard's trustee, Norman Jones, was not keen to shed any light on his battles with Aujard, although the NPII documents reveal his grounds for extending the discharge from bankruptcy include "after the date of bankruptcy, the bankrupt deliberately provided false or misleading information to the trustee". There is also the "failure to disclose any particulars of income" and failure to "pay mandatory contributions". Aujard, who currently works as a humble pharmacist at Pharmacy Neo, has the right to appeal, which he has done successfully on a prior occasion. Like a Virgin The ASX wasted no time sending a speeding ticket to John Massimo Borghetti's Virgin Australia on Friday afternoon, after its stock rocketed some 24 per cent since lunch.

Virgin Australia chief John Borghetti. Credit:AAP Nothing to report, said Virgin, within hours of the missive. But it did finger our favourite do-gooder fundie, Geoff Wilson, who was at the Sohn Hearts & Minds investment conference at the Opera House and obviously wowed the audience with a virtuoso performance, singing the praises of our corporate Virgin. "They're doing what Qantas was doing 2 to three years ago," he said of Virgin's cost-cutting and other aspects, which means the stock is ready for takeoff. And here we were thinking Massimo was the great casanova.

Virgin reported that Wilson's aria was sung to his loving audience around noon. "The company notes that price and volume increased after midday." Not drowning Wavish Bill Wavish, the former Woolies exec who was also the architect of the ill-fated float of Dick Smith Electronics, has obviously had a lot more time on his hands now that everyone has finished raking through the coals of that abomination of an IPO. Bill Wavish is renovating again. Credit:Josh Robenstone

It was so bad, it took everyone's minds off the fact that he was chairman at Myer as private equity greased the skids on that massive dud of a float. But that's all behind him, so Wavish has obviously had time to indulge the great Australian pastime of renovating his shack. More renos, in his case, of his Kurraba Point pile to be exact. It is a stone's throw from Kirribilli with "spectacular views" of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, according to some rather gushing press a few years back. The hard graft has already been done. He acquired the original property in 2007, and then added the mirror-image house next door, and then melded the two into one spectacularly expensive pile with a lavish architectural budget.

"The two houses are now fused seamlessly, with structural pillars where the dividing wall used to be. In a project that lasted more than a year and required tons of creativity," said Vogue Living in 2015. "The house was planned to be a gallery for the art they had collected over the years, which was a challenge for [architect] Greg Natale. The good news is that the neighbours don't have to worry about too much upheaval this time around. According to the plans submitted to council, Wavish is looking to install a new carport. Mind you, if CBD was one of the tradies, we'd make sure Wavish didn't get too creative with his funding of this latest erection  especially if that magic word "rebates" is mentioned. "There seems to be a view rebates are bad. Rebates are good. Retailers cannot survive without rebates and for most companies like Dick Smith and Woolworths rebates exceed profit. You don't try to avoid maximising rebates," he told the NSW Supreme Court last year during the public examination into the Dick Smith collapse.
New technology will provide free power to King Island as it aims to prove low-cost energy generation claims.

Wave Swell Energy, a group developing ocean wave energy generation technology, is carrying out commercial validation trials off Tasmania's King Island ahead of a potential listing.

The units are installed at depths of around 10 metres.

The group has built what Wave Swell chief executive Tom Denniss described as "big concrete caverns", which use the constant back and forth flow of the ocean to generate energy.

"As waves pass into the inside of the cavern the water level rises, this causes pressure on the air, which blows open valves at the top of the unit and turns a uni-directional turbine; as the water recedes it causes negative pressure which closes the valves, creating a cyclical process."
Facebook isn't in the business of listing and selling cars. Yet.

But it is already allowing consumers to test-drive cars from their couch via its apps.

Facebook's Thomais Zaremba. Credit:Cole Bennetts

As the world's most popular social media network  it now has 2.07 billion monthly active users worldwide  attracts more people to engage with the world via its apps, it becomes another marketplace where car makers and dealers want to be.

In 2017 Facebook added car listings from automobile dealers to its Marketplace tab.
The NSW government allegedly owes Australian writers, photographers and illustrators millions of dollars for the hundreds of millions of copies of their work public servants have made without paying fair compensation, a lawsuit against the state government alleges.

In a suit filed before the federal Copyright Tribunal on Friday, The Copyright Agency will allege its members are owed millions in back pay for an estimated 200 million photocopies and other reproductions of newspaper, magazine and journal articles and photos by state public servants.

Adam Suckling, the CEO of the Copytight Agency, says that the NSW government is the only in Australia not to pay fair compensation. Credit:Tim Levy

Writers, illustrators, journalists, academics and other holders of copyright join the agency which returns fees to them when their work has been reproduced or photocopied by institutions such as libraries and government agencies.

"For five years we have attempted to get the NSW Government to recognise the value in tens of millions of pages of author, publisher, researcher, photographer, cartoonist and journalist content," said Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling.
Since completing the Higher School Certificate this year, Tori Tucker has found it difficult to get a job in her chosen field as a cook because she did not study hospitality as a vocational education subject.

The NSW Business Chamber has called for an overhaul of the school education system in response to employer concerns that students are not being prepared well enough to tackle the modern workplace.

Tori Tucker said prospective employers have questioned why she did not study hospitality if she wanted a job as a cook. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Chief executive Stephen Cartwright said his organisation's member businesses are concerned a significant proportion of young people leaving school need to be better equipped to avoid being left behind.

He said there were "serious signs" that "we must act now to transform and modernise our school education system".
Malcolm Turnbull found a way forward on same-sex marriage. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Every change has its time. It just wouldn't have happened in the 1970s or 1980s. Parliament can move ahead of public opinion, but not by much. The facts are that for all Labor's talk, nothing, absolutely nothing, happened in the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd years: 2007 to 2013. The near 40 per cent "no" vote is not inconsequential but it does not tell us that the 40 per cent are either far-right conservatives or religious people. I know people who voted no who are not in any way religious, far right or homophobes. They, in each case, voted no for different reasons. Surprisingly, at an over-the-counter chat in my bookshop a gay man revealed he very nearly voted no. Everyone is entitled to their view. Penny Wong is a passionate supporter but her voting record doesn't demonstrate that. Ditto buckets of Labor members. Some of the no vote may just be where those Labor members were a few years ago.

Tony Abbott did everything he could to stop it. When Malcolm Turnbull tried to implement the Abbott imposed policy of a referendum it was rejected in the Senate. Labor opposed you having your say. Conservatives, wedded to a plebiscite, nonetheless found the postal survey compromise, allowing Turnbull to push ahead. Labor was less helpful and opposed it again. Instead of working constructively to get gay marriage, through the government of the day, Labor chose to attack Turnbull for not being able to make all his party agree. They don't all agree and it would be stupidity to deny it. Those differences are in the community. Acknowledging differences is the Liberal Party's greatest strength. Sadly it is often portrayed by opponents as a weakness. Even the Equality campaign fought against the postal survey. You have to ask why. The allegations of just how nasty Australia was and how horrible the campaign would be were insulting and proved, with a few exceptions on both sides, incorrect.

Turnbull was prepared to keep at it. With a swamp of different opinions around and despite the straitjacket in which Abbott had tied the Liberal Party, Turnbull stuck with it. We've had the debate and the survey. We've got a clear result and Parliament now has to do it. With such a huge response and a clear majority in both numbers and seats, how could they not? That's all been achieved with not support, but opposition from Labor. Plenty of members who were going to vote no in Parliament will now vote yes, respecting Australia's wishes. At the announcement I couldn't help but be genuinely moved. There are few moments when a nation gets, and takes, the chance to speak so clearly about the direction in which they want to go. Penny Wong's emotion and relief was understandable. From the media coverage you might think Wong was the hero in all this. Excuse me? What about Dean Smith, Tim Wilson, Trent Zimmerman and Warren Entsch? They, and others, are the people that got their government to get this up. No doubt Wong and others wish they had. Could have, would have, should have  Didn't.
Royal commissions are usually only appointed by governments as a last resort for they are slow, costly and can merely make recommendations, not laws. The greatest risk associated with them is that while they can be cathartic, they are not guaranteed to generate sufficient change.

The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory was unusual in that it was called by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull almost immediately after evidence  which had long been known to, but furtively ignored by NT governments - of atrocities at Darwin's Don Dale youth detention centre sparked national distress and disgust when it was the subject of a report by the ABC's Four Corners program.

Dylan Voller being restrained at Don Dale. Credit:ABC

Mr Turnbull may have been hasty but he had reason to act, as the final report, released on Friday after a 15-month investigation, makes abundantly clear. But, whether or not the exercise leads to appropriate change will depend on the extent to which the NT government, backed morally and financially by the federal government, implements the more than 200 recommendations in the six-volume, 2000-page report.

The report is, above all, a terrible indictment of the treatment and plight of Indigenous Australians. As many as 94 per cent of minors in detention in the NT are Aborigines. Yet, around the time Mr Turnbull announced the judicial inquiry, his Indigenous Affairs Minister, Nigel Scullion, made the astounding statement that the situation ``had not piqued his interest". The report calls for the closure and replacement of Don Dale, and says it has long been cruelly unfit for purpose.
By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Nov 19 (PTI) Britains schools watchdog today announced that its inspectors will question primary schoolchildren on the decision to wear garments of faith like the hijab.

The move follows concerns that girls as young as four are being forced to wear the Muslim headscarf to school.

Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman fears that schools may be in breach of equality laws if young girls were required to wear religious garments while boys were not, The Sunday Times reported.

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"In seeking to address these concerns, inspectors will talk to girls who wear such garments to ascertain why they do so in the school," Spielman said.

Spielman has also called on parents and the public to complain to head-teachers if they think schools are not treating girls and boys equally. If the school does not take the complaint seriously, the complainants should go directly to Ofsted, she says.

A Sunday Times survey revealed that nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of 800 state primary schools in 11 regions of England list the hijab as part of their uniform policy, mostly as an optional item.

One of the countrys top state primary schools, St. Stephens School in east London, revealed it had banned the hijab for girls under eight last year, despite protests by parents and intends to ban it for girls under 11 from September 2018.

"There is no requirement for girls to wear the hijab until puberty. It is not appropriate in a primary school," said Neena Lall, head-teacher of the school where most pupils are from Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds.

The Ofsted chief announced plans to evaluate the hijab policy in schools after meeting British Muslim women and secular campaigners who are calling for a ban on the wearing of hijabs in primary schools. Some fear the rise of the classroom hijab is a sign of Islamic conservatism asserting itself in the UK.

"Covering of young girls is often the first sign of young people being treated unequally. This often leads to girls being pulled out of swimming lessons, dance classes or other creative lessons," said Amina Lone, a former Labour party parliamentary candidate who was among those at the recent Oftsed meeting.

The UKs Department for Education said that it was up to schools to set their own uniform policies. PTI AK AMS

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Providing a $1 billion loan to underwrite Adani's proposed mega coal mine in Queensland would have "serious negative impacts" for Australia's international reputation and "unpick the progress" of the Paris climate agreement, according to Christiana Figueres, a former United Nations climate chief.

Ms Figueres has written to the Turnbull government's Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), which is considering a concessional loan for a rail link from the mine to the coast.

The former executive secretary of the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change

sought to highlight that under the NAIF's own enabling legislation, it "must not act in a way that is likely to cause damage to the Commonwealth government's reputation, or that of a relevant State or Territory".

Ms Figueres warned the expected total lifetime carbon emissions from burning coal from the proposed Carmichael in the Galilee basin would be 4.64 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide, according to details of the letter obtained by Fairfax Media.
British General Hubert Gough's plan for the Battle of Bullecourt in 1917 had Australian 4th Division soldiers advancing behind a dozen tanks across no man's land towards the Germans' heavily-fortified Hindenburg Line.

Rather than wait until he had sufficient artillery resources he chose tanks to lead the troops through the enemy's barbed-wire.

Troops billeted in a sunken road near Bullecourt on May 19, 1917 Credit:AWM E02021

It was a hastily-prepared attack, planned as a diversion for the British Army's offensive at nearby Arras.

In fact, the reality of the attack in northern France was an embarrassing disaster and a heartbreaking result for the Australians.
The City of Sydney has been forced to pull down a page on its website promoting an anti-vaccination event, with lord mayor Clover Moore intervening amid a social media backlash on Sunday afternoon.

The event, hosted by Dr Judy Wilyman and titled Let's talk about Vaccines, will be held at a secret location in Sydney on Monday night. Would-be attendees will be told of the location via SMS or email just three hours before the event.

City of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore personally intervened to have the vaccination event removed from the city's website. Credit:Christopher Pearce

Dr Wilyman, who has a PhD from the University of Wollongong, has previously attracted controversy for her views on vaccinations that medical professionals say amount to "conspiracy theories".

Dr Wilyman was billed on the page as "Australia's top vaccine expert", a title dismissed by Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon.
In Chinese culture, red is the most propitious of the colours.

It's forbidden at funerals. It symbolises happiness, joy and good fortune.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten and Kristina Keneally react after arriving for Labor's Bennelong campaign launch at Ryde on Sunday. Credit:AAP

And so Sunday was a particularly auspicious day for a red-themed campaign launch for Kristina Keneally's run for the Bennelong by-election in more way than one.

Ms Keneally is not only recently surging in the polls, but her campaign had already knocked on 3000 doors, an extraordinary figure for one launched just five days go.
A personal and poignant account of the actions of Anzac legend Simpson the Donkey man have turned up amongst Gallipoli papers and medals to be auctioned in Sydney on Friday.

The document is among personal items that belonged to surgeon Horatio Conrick, who received the Distinguished Service Order and was mentioned in dispatches.

Horatio Conrick, field physician in Field Ambulance at Gallipoli who knew Simpson the Donkey Man.

He wrote: "Simpson was a very game man and in fact, he laughed at danger. At all times he was cheerful and a great favourite with his mates of the 3rd Field Ambulance."

Conrick was recognised for his bravery surrounding events on the evening of May 6, 1917, at Noreuil when a wagon containing explosives was hit by enemy fire and a huge explosion took place. Some 100 men were feared dead or wounded.
The partner of a NSW sheep farmer, whose body was found three months ago, will remain in custody charged with his murder after a brief court appearance.

Natasha Crossman, 42, was arrested in Walcha, on the state's northern tablelands, on Saturday morning.

Walcha sheep grazier Mathew Dunbar with partner Natasha Crossman, who has been charged with his murder.

Homicide detectives had been investigating the suspicious death of her partner Mathew Dunbar, also 42, after he was found dead on his property "Pandora" on the town's outskirts early on August 2, police said.

After about 12 hours of questioning, Crossman was charged with murder and refused bail.
On Friday night, the Merrylands backyard was the scene of a shooting of the feared bodyguard of Sydney nightclub boss John Ibrahim.

Less than 24 hours later, it hosted the wedding of Ibrahim's nephew Sam Sayour to Aisha Mehajer, the sister of Salim Mehajer, the controversial former deputy mayor of Auburn Council.

Photos of the happy couple signing their wedding certificate were posted to social media by the bride's sister, Kat Sakalaki, late on Saturday night.

The wedding itself was a notably low-key affair for the Mehajer family. Two years ago, Salim Mehajer married his wife Aisha in a glitzy affair involving hundreds of guests, four helicopters, a fighter jet flyover and a sea plane  estimated to have cost at least $200,000.
More than a dozen schoolies have been charged overnight as the first weekend of the yearly celebration draws to a close on the Gold Coast.

Police charged 41 people in the party precinct across the weekend as the class of 2017 showed a significant improvement in behaviour from last year's revellers.

Following a similar pattern to previous years, more than half of those charged were non-schoolies, commonly referred to as toolies.

Paramedics treated almost 100 people on Sunday but only two were hospitalised.
London: A respected Australian scientist has been barred from overseeing Britain's nuclear weapons program because Australia isn't a nuclear power, the UK's Sunday Times has reported.

The Pentagon refused to share nuclear information with Hugh Durrant-Whyte, a robotics expert from Sydney University, the newspaper said.

Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte Credit:Michele Mossop

Mr Durrant-Whyte, who has both UK and Australian nationality, was appointed the UK's Ministry of Defence chief scientific adviser in April, on a salary of 140,000 ($244,000) a year.

The MoD was forced to transfer about a third of his job to the Foreign Office, to satisfy the US, which, like the UK, is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Rohingya: Bangladesh is in negotiations with Myanmar over a deal to repatriate displaced Rohingya, according to Bangladesh's foreign ministry.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State.

"Bangladesh and Myanmar are in the process of negotiation for a bilateral agreement for repatriation of displaced people and expect to form a Joint Working Group to facilitate the repatriation," Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali said a statement on Sunday.

A senior aide to Mr Ali said he would leave for Myanmar late on Sunday to attend an Asia-Europe meeting on Monday and Tuesday and would stay on another couple of days for bilateral talks on the Rohingya.
By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Nov 19 (PTI) Britains Queen Elizabeth II today marked her 70th wedding anniversary with the release of a new portrait of herself with husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The royal couples platinum anniversary falls tomorrow, when they have planned a private dinner with family and friends at Windsor Castle while the bells of Westminster Abbey in London, where they married on November 20, 1947, will toll to mark the occasion.

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In the commemorative portrait, the 91-year-old Queen is wearing a cream day dress designed by Angela Kelly, her personal assistant and dressmaker since 2002.

She also wears a "Scarab" brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, designed by Andrew Grima and given to the Queen as a gift in 1966.

Prince Philip, 96, is seen standing by her side in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in the photograph taken earlier this month and distributed by the Camera Press agency.

The photograph by celebrity photographer Matt Holyoak shows the smiling couple flanked by artist Thomas Gainsboroughs paintings of King George III and Queen Charlotte from 1781.

The release of the new portrait is accompanied by the issue of a new set of six postage stamps by Royal Mail to mark the milestone for the longest-serving monarch and the longest-living consort in British history. PTI AK MRJ

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Robert Mugabe met military generals in Harare on Sunday to negotiate his exit. Credit:AP 'Africa's last great liberation hero' Mugabe's slow-motion downfall  planned for months by the military  is a story of his own hubris and arrogance, and his conviction that he was Africa's last great liberation hero. For decades he chipped away at democracy and crafted the militaristic state that kept him in power, but he forgot that he was there at the military's whim, not the other way around. It was grand opera crossed with The Sopranos, full of scandal and treacherous turns, entertaining and dangerous. Accusations flew of poisoning, plotting, CIA espionage, military desertion and the theft of $US15 billion in diamonds. Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was recently sacked as vice-president, has replaced Mugabe as the leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party. Credit:AP

As the economy shrivelled without foreign investment and a hard currency crisis sent prices of staples soaring 30 per cent in a single week, many in the rank-and-file government felt hopeless at the prospect of going into elections in 2018 led by a president who could hardly stay awake in public meetings. As Mugabe grew frail, he turned to promoting and protecting his wife, repeatedly warning the generals to stay out of politics, even as armed forces leaders were beginning to talk darkly of intervention. Zimbabwe's Army General Moyo. Credit:Ben Curtis The first hints of palace intrigue came last year, when higher education minister Jonathan Moyo  manipulative, arrogant, ambitious and a prolific tweeter with the handle @ProfJNMoyo  handed Grace Mugabe a report accusing armed forces chief Constantino Chiwenga, air force commander Perence Shiri and presidential guard Anselem Sanyatwe of plotting against Mugabe. In mid-2016, the President summoned the three men, who furiously denied the charges.

Zimbabweans celebrated Mugabe's demise at a Christian peace and prayer rally in Harare on Sunday. Credit:AP The accusation blew over, but it released its slow poison. Shiri retaliated on July 9, calling Moyo a liberation war deserter and collaborator. Greed, power and excess Mugabe has spent his life cleverly playing one subordinate against another. But as his wife grew more ambitious, her poor judgment seemed to influence him. He embraced Moyo but lost the deft skill of juggling favour among sycophants. A protester demanding Robert Mugabe's resignation carries a placard referencing the excesses of Mugabe's wife, Grace. Credit:AP

He doled out benefits, handing out jobs and farms to loyalists, but took many farms for his own family. When he turned against a minister or party official, he drummed up provincial branch party support to swiftly purge them. In August, Mnangagwa fell seriously ill at a ZANU-PF rally eating ice-cream from the massive Gushungo dairy farm owned by Grace Mugabe. He was airlifted to South Africa, where doctors found traces of poison. "Why should I kill Mnangagwa?" Grace Mugabe insisted furiously last month. "Who is Mnangagwa on this Earth? Killing someone who was given a job by my husband? That is nonsensical." At a November 4 ZANU-PF rally in the southern city of Bulawayo, waiters handed out ice-cream to all the VIPs  but pointedly excluded Mnangagwa and his wife. At the same event, ZANU-PF supporters heckled and booed Grace Mugabe. "Bring guns, soldiers and shoot me. I don't care. I am the first lady, and I will stand for the truth," she retorted.

The jeers outraged the President, who blamed Mnangagwa. Three men later were charged with insulting the dignity of the President. Mugabe chose his moment for Mnangagwa's dismissal carefully  a day after the booing. Chiwenga had been sent to China on a week-long mission. National army Chief of Staff Trust Mugoba was dispatched on a mission to the African Union in Ethiopia. But the President failed to appreciate how a year of confrontation with the generals had destroyed his iron throne. The military takes action The growing crisis was not just political but economic. Mugabe was isolated on the international stage; it was increasingly apparent that until the aging leader and his brood left office, Zimbabwe would be starved of investment and international support. Mnangagwa, in many eyes, was the only one who might be able to repair the situation.

"For us, we knew the trigger would be the day that he touched the vice president," the ZANU-PF lawmaker said. "We could have had a coup in Zimbabwe some time back. It was only a matter of a trigger." Knowing he would be arrested, Mnangagwa immediately fled by road to Mozambique but was detained by police at the border. There was a tense standoff when a group of soldiers confronted police and took him under their protection. They sped away to a military airbase, where he was whisked out of the country. Chiwenga knew that with his ally Mnangagwa narrowly escaping arrest, he likely faced the same fate. He considered flying back from China to Mozambique, but opted for confrontation. A group of military special forces, many in plain clothes, was at the airport when he arrived from China on November 11, according to a ZANU-PF source. When police tried to arrest Chiwenga, they were overwhelmed. On Monday, when Robert Mugabe received his weekly security briefings from the police, intelligence and military chiefs, Chiwenga sent a replacement. He spent the day meeting with officers before delivering a statement at their headquarters, warning that the military planned to take matters into its own hands. Flanked by 90 officers, Chiwenga delivered a message of stunning military unanimity. As the Cabinet met on Tuesday, troops rolled into Harare from Inkomo Barracks outside the city. ZANU-PF issued a statement in the late evening accusing Chiwenga of treason, but it was a belated, hollow gesture. There was no way for police still loyal to Mugabe to arrest the head of the armed forces, with military forces already on the move.

The army seized control of state television, the police headquarters and other key facilities. The presidential guard led by Sanyatwe, whose job is to protect Mugabe, abandoned the President. The deputy director of the Central Intelligence Organisation, Albert Ngulube, had left Mugabe's mansion in the upscale Borrowdale neighbourhood in the early hours of the morning when he came across vehicles moving toward the presidential residence and tried to stop them. The military beat him up, demanded his ID and arrested him, according a ZANU-PF source. At 4am, Major General Sibusiso Moyo read a statement announcing that the military had taken over in order to arrest "criminals" around Mugabe and restore order. The truth of what had happened hit home for many when state-owned television began playing a joyful song called Pemberai ("Celebration") by iconic Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo, a staunch Mugabe critic who had fled into exile in the US in the 1990s because of state harassment. A political downfall

Grace Mugabe has been stripped of her power and denied access to the negotiations between Mugabe and the military over his exit. Her only path to safety on offer is for her husband to give up power, say sources familiar with the discussions. Otherwise, she stands not only to lose all her property, but also could face charges ranging from corruption and embezzlement to possibly even attempted murder, should authorities pursue the poisoning accusation. Arrest and asset seizures also would potentially affect her children, particularly if she were convicted of fraud and a new government demanded the return of stolen assets in South Africa. One of the ironies of the drama is the extent to which the army now confronting Mugabe has been one of the his chief weapons of terror over the years. The military carried out massacres in Matabeleland in the 1980s on Robert Mugabe's orders to eliminate opposition. Roughly 20,000 people were reportedly killed. The army and war veterans evicted white farmers from their land soon after 2000 and got farms in return. Mugabe used the military to violently crush the opposition in successive elections and in Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, when up to a million people were displaced in opposition areas, their homes bulldozed.

Mugabe, say those who know him best, has always had an instinctive manipulative cunning and an acute understanding of how to wield force to break an opponent. When he saw a threat, he either crushed it or consumed it whole. But as he aged, he grew more remote, stubborn and out of touch, and was loath to trust or consult his generals. "He forgot the nature of the state that he himself helped to create, which is a militaristic, securocratic state," said opposition figure Tendai Biti, a former finance minister. "He forgot that the militaristic state could just dump him when he stopped serving their interests. He could be fired, like anyone." Independent analyst Earnest Mudzengi said the closed, oppressive state Mugabe created likely will outlast him.
Harare: Zimbabwe's ruling party fired Robert Mugabe as its leader on Sunday and gave the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to force a peaceful end to his 37 years in power after a de facto coup.

Reports on Sunday evening (local time) suggested Mugabe was working with military officials on a resignation statement and state broadcaster ZBC confirmed the President would address the nation in a televised speech.

Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced as ZANU-PF leader by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked earlier this month.
Spain's attorney general, Jose Manuel Maza, who was leading the prosecution of the separatist Catalan leaders, died on Saturday while in Argentina to attend an international law conference.

Maza, 66, died in a Buenos Aires hospital, shortly after saying he felt unwell. His death was confirmed by Spain's justice minister, Rafael Catala, and attributed to a kidney infection.

Former Spanish Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza Credit:EFE News Agency / Alamy Stock Photo

The sudden death of Maza deprives Spain of its top prosecutor as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is working to halt a secessionist movement in Catalonia and to get Spain's judiciary to prosecute separatist leaders for illegally declaring the region's independence.

Late last month, Maza began the prosecution of 20 Catalan politicians, including the region's former leader, Carles Puigdemont. Maza said that they should stand trial for rebellion and sedition, as well as the misuse of public funds to organise an independence referendum.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds Adityanaths rallies in Agra, Mathura)

Aligarh, Nov 19 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said that his government was committed to establishing the rule of law and claimed that there were "no communal clashes" in the state in the past eight months.

Under previous state governments, there were "riots every week" and they also failed to nab the rioters, the chief minister said addressing a public meeting here ahead of the local body polls.

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"In the past eight months, there have been no communal clashes in the state. When the BJP came to power, there was anarchy and gunda raj in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

"Today, there are no Kairana-like incidents happening in the state. The exodus of people, especially traders, from Kairana started after threats from criminals and mafia. No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands. No one today can dare to threaten a trader or abduct anyone," he said.

The chief minister was referring to the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana that made headlines last year when local BJP MP Hukum Singh released a list of more than 300 families who, he claimed, fled following extortion threats and violent attacks.

"The toughness we had adopted, has shown good results. Investors from India and abroad are willing to invest in the state. Investments will create jobs, and it will increase possibilities of development. Traders who had left the state are now returning," Adityanath said.

He alleged that the "previous government" used to "eulogise" elements engaged in communal violence.

"No one today has the audacity to give shelter to any rioter. People know that the right place for rioters and criminals... (is in jail). After the BJP government came to power, criminals have been sent behind bars and those who tried to confront the law have been killed in encounters," the chief minister said.

He also claimed that his government had given a boost to Aligarhs traditional lock industry.

"One of the first decisions of the government was to promote the locks made in Aligarh. In this regard, it was decided that locks will be put on illegal abattoirs in the state... This will definitely help in rejuvenating the lock industry," the chief minister said in a lighter vein.

At another rally in Agra, he blamed previous governments of the state for obstructing development. "Past governments could not build 29,000 houses, while in just eight months we have constructed 11 lakh houses," he said.

He said his government has cleared Rs 370 crore for "a rubber check dam downstream of the Taj Mahal".

Agra is a major destination for international tourists and is visited daily by nearly 50,000 people. It is home to three world heritage monuments.

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Adityanath said the UP government has approved funds for a civil airport and for improving water supply in the Taj city. He said a detailed project report for the Agra Metro has also been cleared.

"Steps would be taken to promote Agras Petha and Mathuras Peda nationally and internationally," he said.

In Mathura, he said the state government has introduced a new policy for vendors to bring them under the organised sector.

He said the state government would set up goshalas under 16 civic bodies. He said Mathuras other pilgrim centres such as Goverdhan, Gokul, Nandgaon, Baldeo would be developed to attract more tourists. PTI CORR NAV ANB ADS ABH

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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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The following headlines and articles appeared in the Stamford Advocate decades ago on Nov. 20.

10 years ago

Tony Pia, Stamford native, to be inducted in hall of fame

When World War II veteran and Stamford native Tony Pia died nearly four years ago at 80, he left a legacy of patriotism, advocacy and inspiration.

Today, Pia will be honored when he joins the Class of 2007 in the state Veterans Hall of Fame in Hartford.

Each year, 10 veterans are inducted into the shrine started two years ago by Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Veterans are chosen for their service in the military and in their communities.

20 years ago

Memorial service to honor slain Haitian activist

People in Stamfords Haitian community will continue to mourn the loss of a popular local activist this week.

A memorial service for Jean Francois Azima, 41, will be held at St. Johns Catholic Church at 5 p.m. tomorrow. Azima, who was killed Nov. 9 in Haiti, was buried in his homeland Sunday.

He came to the United States in 1972 and became a naturalized citizen. He studied computer programming at Norwalk Technical College.

30 years ago

School fire safety to cost millions

The Stamford school system plans to spend almost $21 million by 1995 to correct hundreds of fire code violations that have existed in schools since 1981.

The violations range from maintenance problems, such as flammable art materials being stored in hallways or under stairs, to structural problems such as the lack of a fire exit from Westhill High Schools 500-seat auditorium balcony. The balcony is closed until an exit is installed.
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."

Handout

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 last November.

Goodman, 33, abruptly resigned this week after state legislative leaders learned of what the House speaker called "inappropriate behavior related to his state office." Local media outlets have reported the behavior involved a consensual sexual encounter with a male visitor in his legislative office.

Emails and documents show a small circle of people discussed the complaints about Goodman before he went on to later misconduct at the statehouse.

In Ohio, supporters of Goodman's 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. That's what you do. That's how you hold society together," said Thomas 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.

Perkins' CNP raised money for Goodman at an Oct. 18 event that brought in donations from GOP stalwarts like former attorney general Edwin Meese and Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the antiabortion Susan B. Anthony List, according to Goodman's campaign finance reports.

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 women lawmakers have pushed to reform a system heavily weighted toward protecting members accused of harassment, and the effort gained more steam this week with a new allegation against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. The GOP is facing allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, now accused of inappropriate advances on teenage women 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 if he took such action.

The Post reached out to six CNP donors who contributed to Goodman's 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 Obama's agenda, including the Affordable Care Act.

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 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 didn't 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 Goodman's 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 CNP's inner circle.

In email correspondence, J. Keet Lewis, a member of CNP's 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 return emails or telephone calls seeking comment.

Eight weeks later, Perkins officially suspended Goodman from the CNP, expressing "disappointment" 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 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.

- - -

The Washington Post's Robert Costa contributed to this report.

- - -

The Washington Post is examining sexual assault and harassment in politics. To contact a reporter, please email kimberly.kindy@washpost.com, elise.viebeck@washpost.com or michelle.lee@washpost.com.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds details) AA

Sabarimala (Ker), Nov 19 (PTI) A 31-year-old woman today made a vain attempt to enter the famous Lord Ayyappa Temple here, where female devotees in the 10-50 age group are not permitted.

The woman, a resident of West Godavari district in Telangana, was picked up from sannidhanam, the temple complex, police sources told PTI.

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She was questioned and her statement recorded, they said.

According to the tradition of the temple, the entry of women in the 10-50 age group is restricted in the hillock shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, considered the Naishtika Brahmachari or the perennial celibate.

The woman, Parvathy, was not carrying the traditional "irumudi", a small bundle containing coconut, ghee, turmeric and sandal paste which is offered to the deity. And, she took a different path to reach the sannidhanam, the police said. Normally, devotees climb the pathinettam padi, the sacred 18 steps leading to the temple complex.

The woman, who was accompanied by her husband, two children and 11 other people from her village, told police that she was unaware of the restrictions with regard to women of the banned age group at the shrine.

On suspicion, police checked her identity card which showed she was only 31 years old.

The entry of women is strictly monitored by police at Pampa before they begin to trek Sabarimala to reach the shrine.

Temple sources were clueless on how the woman managed to reach near the shrine defying the police monitoring and stringent checks.

Marking the beginning of the pilgrimage season, the Sabarimala temple opened on November 15 for the three-month annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival. Thousands of people across the country are visiting the hillock shrine every day to catch a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa and offer prayers.

The ban on the issue of entry of women in the age group has been challenged in the Supreme Court, which had on October 13 referred it to a constitution bench.

Bhumata Brigade leader and woman activist Trupti Desai had said she would enter Sabarimala defying restrictions on the entry of women of the banned age group. PTI LGK UD APR GVS

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Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by ending his address on national television without announcing his resignation.

By AP: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by ending his address on national television without announcing his resignation.

The ruling party's Central Committee just hours earlier told him to resign as president by noon Monday or face impeachment proceedings the following day.

Zimbabweans gathered in expectation of a celebration. Instead, Mugabe appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party, which has expelled him as its leader, by trying to stay on.

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Mugabe made a reference to presiding over a party congress next month. "The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public."

Officials close to the talks between Mugabe and the military had said Mugabe was resigning.

Earlier today, there were speculations that Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is resigning after nearly four decades in power, according to an official close to the talks on his departure.

The news came hours after the ruling party's Central Committee on Sunday fired Mugabe as party leader and said if he didn't resign as the country's president by noon Monday it would start impeachment proceedings.

I'm confident that from tonight our whole nation at all levels gets refocused? Let us all move forward,?? Zimbabwes embattled President Mugabe says after calls for him to resign or get impeached https://t.co/N65CMLzk2j pic.twitter.com/2bi53FtyKf- CBS News (@CBSNews) November 19, 2017

The 93-year-old Mugabe has been under house arrest since the military moved in Tuesday, angered by his firing of his longtime deputy and the positioning of unpopular first lady Grace Mugabe to succeed him.

Mugabe tried to buy time in negotiations with the military on a dignified exit but quickly found himself isolated.

Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of the capital Saturday to demand that Mugabe, one of Africa's last remaining liberation leaders, step aside after overseeing the once-prosperous country's economic collapse.

Clinging to his virtually powerless post, Mugabe earlier on Sunday discussed his exit with the army commander who put him under house arrest, in a second round of negotiations.

Meanwhile, members of the ZANU-PF party's Central Committee stood, cheered and sang as Mugabe was recalled. Meeting chair Obert Mpofu referred to him as "outgoing president" and called it a "sad day" for Mugabe after his decades in power.

"He has been our leader for a long time and we have all learned a great deal from him," Mpofu said. But Mugabe "surrounded himself with a wicked cabal" that brought him down.

The meeting replaced Mugabe as party chief with Mnangagwa and recalled the first lady as head of the women's league. The Central Committee accused the first lady of "preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office." The committee's decisions will be formalized at a special party congress next month.

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The Central Committee also expelled several high-level members close to the first lady, including minister of higher education Jonathan Moyo, finance minister Ignatious Chombo, Mugabe's nephew Patrick Zhuwao, local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, foreign affairs minister Walter Mzembi and several others.

Zimbabwean officials never revealed details of Mugabe's talks with the military on his exit, but the military appeared to favour a voluntary resignation to maintain a veneer of legality in the political transition. Mugabe, in turn, likely was using whatever leverage he had left to try to preserve his legacy or even protect himself and his family from possible prosecution.

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the country's liberation war veterans, vowed to "bring back the crowd" if the president didn't step aside but said he was concerned that the military would end up opening fire to protect Mugabe from protesters.

"We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people, trying to defend him," Mutsvangwa said. "The choice is his."

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On Saturday, most of Harare's population of 1.6 million poured into the streets in an anti-Mugabe demonstration that just days ago would have brought a police crackdown.

They clambered onto tanks moving slowly through the crowds, took selfies with soldiers and surged in the thousands toward the State House building.

The euphoria came after years of watching the once-prosperous African nation fall into decay, with a collapsing economy, repression of free speech, disputed elections and international sanctions.

Even as concerns remained about who next would be in charge, people revelled in the rare chance to express themselves freely.

WATCH VIDEO | PM Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump meet in Manila

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Julia Child fixed her family Thanksgiving feast by shaping two boneless turkey breasts and bread stuffing into a vast sandwich that when basted with butter became a golden, burnished roast that cooked in two hours and sliced like a dream.

Emeril Lagasse fixes three turkeys for his family feast (brined, traditional and smoked) and serves it with three different kinds of stuffingPortuguese style, Southern cornbread and of course, New Orleans stuffing with oyster dressing.

Gordon Ramsay roasts his Thanksgiving turkey separately, cooking the breast with a citrus, herb-scented butter and the legs on a bed of vegetables with a touch of red wine.

Famous chefs prepare the finest feasts, for sure, but what would happen if the Thanksgiving bird was left to a 4-year-old?

The Star-Exponent wanted to know, so we asked the preschoolers in Kimberly Hills class at the Culpeper Baptist Child Development Center, How would you fix up a Thanksgiving turkey? The children had some interesting responses that were more hilarious than tasty.

Answering first, away from the rest of his class to avoid duplicative answers, Eli said, he would, simply, Fry it in a pan with eggs and serve it on a plate with some bacon.

Nice touch.

Class mate Ellie had a lot to say on the topic of preparing a Thanksgiving turkey, replying, I would fix it with some bread and chips and I had my birthday and they had cake. I want to make a really tasty cake with my turkey and put it on top. Before I can serve it, I have to sing my Thanksgiving song to my mom and dad.

She was feeling musical.

Lexi said she would fix her familys turkey, with hot dogs and cheese and hot chocolate. I want to eat his beak, she added, and I want to serve the turkey with his head, his mouth and his hair.

And on the side? We will have his hands and his heart, said the 4-year-old.

Sounds like Lexi likes giblets.

Asked if he was excited for Thanksgiving, preschooler Hank replied, Not much. He said he was going to fix his familys turkey with tools  a drill, my daddys. He went on, And then Im going to cook it on the stove for four minutes, and serve it with peppers.

Spicy!

Four-year-old Andrew had a sweeter take.

Im going mix it with pie and my daddy needs to cook it inside, he said.

Is there anything one should do before cooking said turkey inside?

First you cut it in half in pieces and serve it with stuffing and cranberry sauce, Andrew replied, adding, My grandma and pop pop are going to eat it.

Of course.

Classmate Adrianna said she was going to fix, A whole giant turkey, before launching into a whole story that may have included references to Jolly Old Saint Nick.

Im going to put it in the oven and then on the roof, down the chimney and then on my bed in my bedroom and then Santa will eat it and he will say, oh, delicious! Then Im going to go on a ladder and jump on the roof, she said.

Adrianna said she was going to eat the turkeys feet with its eyes and share the rest with grandma, poppy, Jackson, mommy, daddy, Daisy and Milo after she cooked it for five minutes.

Speedy!

Oliver presented a tasty culinary idea for his familys Thanksgiving feast  at first.

Im going to fry it with potatoes and eat it with my parents, he said, before adding, I like the face the best.

Impressive!

Saving the best for last, perhaps, 4-year-old Abby took a realistic approach to fixing her familys Thanksgiving turkey.

Im going to kill it, and eat the feathers. Its going to be yummy. The beak is, too, she said. Feeling silly, Adriana added, Im going to eat it with my stinky foot. Pee-Ew!

Lets hope everyones Thanksgiving feast tastesand smellsdelicious.
WASHINGTON  U.S. agricultural exports totaled $140.5 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2017, climbing nearly $10.9 billion from the previous year to the third-highest level on record, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced recently. As it has done for well over 50 years, the U.S. agricultural sector once again posted an annual trade surplus, which reached $21.3 billion, up almost 30 percent from last years $16.6 billion.

U.S. agriculture depends on trade. It is great to see an increase in exports and we hope to open additional markets to build on this success, Perdue said. Im a grow-it-and-sell-it kind of guy. If American agricultural producers keep growing it, USDA will keep helping to sell it around the world.

China finished the fiscal year as the United States largest export customer, with shipments valued at $22 billion, followed closely by Canada at $20.4 billion. U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico reached $18.6 billion, a six-percent gain from last year, while exports to Japan grew 12 percent, to $11.8 billion. Rounding out the top 10 markets were the European Union ($11.6 billion), South Korea ($6.9 billion), Hong Kong ($4 billion), Taiwan ($3.4 billion), Indonesia ($3 billion) and the Philippines ($2.6 billion).

U.S. bulk commodity exports set a volume record at 159 million metric tons, up 11 percent from FY 2016, while their value rose 16 percent to $51.4 billion. The surge was led by soybean exports, which reached a record 60 million metric tons, valued at $24 billion. Exports of corn, wheat and cotton all grew as well, with the value of cotton exports climbing 70 percent, to $5.9 billion, wheat exports up 21 percent, to $6.2 billion, and corn exports up six percent, to $9.7 billion.

A number of other products saw significant export increases as well. U.S. dairy exports grew 17 percent to $5.3 billion, beef exports were up 16 percent to $7.1 billion, and pork exports rose 14 percent to $6.4 billion. Overall, horticultural product exports increased three percent to nearly $33.9 billion, largely driven by an eight-percent increase in exports of tree nuts, which reached $8.1 billion, the second-highest total on record. Processed food and beverage exports rose two percent to $39.2 billion.

Exports are responsible for 20 percent of U.S. farm income, also driving rural economic activity and supporting more than one million American jobs both on and off the farm. USDA continues to work to boost export opportunities for U.S. agricultural products by opening new markets, pursuing new trade agreements, enforcing existing agreements, and breaking down barriers to trade.

Complete FY 2017 (Oct. 2016-Sept. 2017) agricultural export data are available from the Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) database: https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will release rooster pheasants at 14 wildlife management areas in time for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The 14 areas are: Oak Valley (Madison County), Wilkinson (Platte County), Sherman Reservoir (Sherman County), Pressey (Custer County), Branched Oak (Lancaster County), Yankee Hill (Lancaster County), Twin Oaks (Johnson County), Hickory Ridge (Johnson County), Cornhusker (Hall County), Peru Bottoms (Nemaha County), Kirkpatrick Basin North (York County), Schilling (Cass County), Arrowhead (Gage County), and George Syas (Platte County). Kirkpatrick Basin North, Schilling, Wilkinson and Peru Bottoms are non-toxic shot only, but otherwise all normal regulations apply.

The pheasants will be released to increase hunting opportunities over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The pheasant season runs through Jan. 31, 2018. Permits, including the nonresident two-day hunt permit, may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org.

Archery on tap at Platte River

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will hold a day of free archery Dec. 2 at Archery on Fire at Platte River State Park.

All ages and experience levels are welcome for this event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex. Equipment and instruction will be provided.

Archery, 3-D archery, crossbows and tomahawk throwing will be available. There also will be campground games, kids crafts and a pellet gun shooting gallery. All activities are offered at no cost.

A park entry permit is required.

Christmas in the Woods at Ponca

Ponca State Park will hold weekly seasonal activities as part of its Christmas in the Woods celebration.

Christmas in the Woods will take place Nov. 25, Dec. 2, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, and give people a chance to do seasonal crafts, attend an outdoor program or ride on a decorated and lighted hayrack.

The park will also hold its annual snowman building contest from Nov. 25 through March 19. The top three entries will win prizes.

Contact the park for more information about activities or discount lodging packages at 402-755-2284 or ngpc.ponca@nebraska.gov.

New option for Iowa hunters

Iowa hunters will have a new option this fall while hunting deer during the youth season, disabled hunter season and both shotgun seasons  rifles that are capable of shooting straight walled cartridges.

The law was enacted to allow for a lower recoil option for older and younger hunters, but is available to all hunters in those four seasons.

The law allows for straight wall ammunition that was previously approved for pistol hunting to be used in rifles.

The new law requires individuals caught with a rifle capable of shooting ammunition not on the approved list while hunting deer to have their hunting privileges suspended for two years and receive a $250 fine.

Iowa deer harvest down

The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running slightly behind the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 21,825 deer have been reported, compared to 21,947 for the same period last year.

The bulk of Iowas deer harvest occurs during the two shotgun seasons in December.

Calendar

SUNDAY

 Fort Robinson longhorn and buffalo sale, Crawford

 Citizen Science in the Classroom Educator Workshop, Hastings Museum, Hastings
Minister of National Education, Liviu Marian Pop, on Saturday told a press conference in Iasi that Education will receive the highest budget of the last 10 years in 2018.

While in Iasi for the National Rectors Council (CNR), the Minister stated that the budget for Education will be the highest of the last 10 years in 2018 and all the promised salary rises will happen."We have a maximal budget, if I can say it like this. The largest of the last 10 years. And I believe it is important to spend more efficiently in the university area too, to ensure that all salaries are paid. As you well know, when we had the budget rectification we earmarked a part to comply with the court decisions and cover all salary increases. And next year we will have a more substantial budget that we are going to use more efficiently. All the other things that were highlighted by the National Rectors Council were assumed by the Ministry and we will do everything together, especially in the university area," Minister Liviu Marian Pop told the media.Asked how much larger next year's budget will be, he said he couldn't say the exact figures, but it depended a lot on the European projects that he submitted."We are about to sign the financing agreements. We also have the big projects, the virtual school library, the electronic catalogue with the students record, Internet in all school units. The projects account for another 100 million euros," stated Minister Pop.According to his statements, within three weeks at the most the Minister will have "clear data" about the 2018 budget.The President of the National Rectors Council (CNR), Sorin Cimpeanu, who also attended the conference, stated that for 2018 universities asked a 40 per cent increase in the basic financing and by 50 per cent in investments compared with the current year."I am certain about the commitment regarding the funds for Education being honored. There are four annual increases of 11 per cent taken into consideration, in order to reach to 6 per cent of the GDP in 2020. I am sure that Education will score an annual growth higher than 11 per cent. Unfortunately, despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Research, its budget won't increase in the same way. In 2018 and in the following years it should reach up to 1 per cent, although we see that the budget is actually dropping in the Research area. There is an opinion among universities that the Research too would have eyed a positive trend if it were to be considered as a package with Education," Sorin Cimpeanu, President of the CNR said. AGERPRES
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

By Reuters: President Robert Mugabe was dismissed as leader of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party on Sunday in a move to force a peaceful end to his 37 years in power following a de facto military coup.

He was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month, sources at a special ZANU-PF meeting to decide Mugabe's fate told Reuters.

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"He has been expelled," one of the delegates said. "Mnangagwa is our new leader."

Mugabe's wife Grace, who had harbored ambitions of succeeding Mugabe, was also expelled from the party.

Speaking before the meeting, war veterans' leader Chris Mutsvangwa said the 93-year-old Mugabe was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.

"He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit," he said.

Mutsvangwa followed up with threat to call for street protests if Mugabe refused to go, telling reporters: "We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business."

Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as "The Crocodile," is now in line to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilizing an economy in freefall.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall in just four days is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to quit.

SUPPORT EVAPORATING

Men, women and children ran alongside the armored cars and troops who stepped in this week to oust the man who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980.

Under house arrest in his lavish 'Blue Roof' compound, Mugabe has refused to stand down even as he has watched his support from party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.

His nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Mugabe and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimize what he described as a coup.

But on Harare's streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a "second liberation" for the former British colony and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

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"These are tears of joy," said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. "I've been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last."

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would entail a diplomatic backlash.

Despite the euphoria, some Mugabe opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat with another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

"The real danger of the current situation is that having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills," former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a long-time Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighboring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

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I have already seen political commercials for the primary election for governor in Illinois. In some of them, Gov. Bruce Rauner just seems to blame Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan for all the problems that are going on. While Madigan may be part of the problem, Rauner is hardly blameless.

I don't know how Rauner thinks that he's stood up to Madigan. Is that what he thinks he did? Rauner simply wouldn't work with the party in charge by not even attempting to compromise on any positions. This is standing up to him? It's more of a spoiled kid getting upset over something not going his way.

Rauner can play the blame game as long as he wants to. But he is responsible for a lot of our state's problems.

Adam Decker  Chester, Ill.
Horton Hospital

THOSE fighting to retain services at Banburys Horton Hospital will see their legal challenge reach the High Court next month.

Stratford District Council, along with Cherwell District Council, South Northamptonshire Council and Banbury Town Council, are pursuing a legal case against the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) over the way it conducted its consultation into the proposed changes.

The case will appear at the High Court on 7 and 8 December.

Earlier this year the councils were granted a judicial review into how the consultation was carried out.

Among the changes proposed at the hospital are downgrading maternity services to a midwife-led unit, and creating a single obstetrics unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford instead.

Critical care would also be downgraded and a number of beds would be permanently removed from the hospital.

The OCCG have already agreed the changes, but a judge ruled back in September that no final outcome on the hospitals future can be reach until the hearing takes place at the High Court.

The changes are significant for South Warwickshire as for many residents the Horton will be their nearest hospital.

Keith Stratngewood, chairman of the campaign group Keep the Horton General, said: As everyone in the area is aware, the future of our Horton General Hospital is paramount. We would like to ensure that our case receives maximum publicity both locally and nationally.
Pakistan and the United States are in the process of resetting their relationship against the backdrop of geopolitical shifts that have transformed the global and regional environment.

Speaking at a discussion at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in New York, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Maleeha Lodhi said that an improved Islamabad-Washington relationship is important for global and regional peace and stability.

Maleeha Lodhi said the new US strategy in Afghanistan relies overly on military force which has proved to be elusive for the past decade and half.

She said neither Kabul and the Coalition, nor the Afghan Taliban, can impose a military solution on each other.

The Ambassador said we therefore feel the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan need to actively work towards a peace process.

She said that Pakistan has successfully reversed the tide of terrorism by clearing its tribal and border areas of all militant groups.

Maleeha Lodhi further said the marked improvement in the country's security environment has accompanied the revival of economic growth.

She said economic growth will receive a major impetus from projects of the China-Pakistani Economic Corridor (CPEC) the pivot of Beijing's One Belt One Road initiative.

Reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to fight terrorism and extremism, Ambassador Lodhi said defeating terrorist violence is vital to realize our overriding priority of rapid economic and social development.
The disbandment of United Future earlier this week signalled the end of an era for a party that once challenged New Zealand First for the coveted role of kingmaker in New Zealand politics.

Tauranga city councillor Larry Baldock was among the seven list MPs leader Peter Dunne brought to parliament after the partys phenomenally successful 2002 election.

Back then, the party took advantage of electoral dissatisfaction with National, and picked up 6.69 per cent of the nationwide part vote.

Some 15 years later, the party recorded a pitiful 0.07 per cent in the 2017 election  lagging behind the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and Ban 1080, among others.

Larry says the partys demise was inevitable.

I think post-2008, when it became only Peter Dunne again, it was only a matter of time, says Larry. There was no real constituency for the party. It was just Peter being an electorate MP and calling himself a party leader.

After the 2002 election, United Future chose to support the incumbent Labour government in a confidence and supply agreement.

We got a lot of policy gains, but sadly with Peter leading as a liberal rather than a conservative, ultimately the conservative base that voted us in abandoned us.

We dealt with some controversial legislation during that first term. We had the prostitution law reform and civil union bill, and whilst we voted against those things, our constituents saw us as supporting the Labour government, and that eroded our support base.

He says Peters support for the anti-smacking bill in 2007 was anathema to voters who initially supported United Future on the basis it was a party for families.

I initially joined Future New Zealand, and prior to the 2002 election we were approached to form a coalition with Peter. He presented himself as wanting to form a family-oriented party, and it worked very well in 2002. But his definition of family turned out to be different to that of many of our voters.

Larry did not return as a list MP in the 2005 election, and he soon left to lead the newly-formed Kiwi Party. Later, he joined Colin Craigs Conservative Party, standing as the partys candidate in Tauranga.

He believes there has always been an opportunity for a conservative, family-based party in New Zealand politics, but previous attempts have been fraught with problems.

The Conservatives could have been it, he says, :but Colin blew it out of the water. I dont know who could put it together now.

Its become evident its almost impossible for a new party to get through to five per cent. You need an electorate accommodation with either Labour or National.

As for Larry, theres no indication hell be taking another tilt at parliament any time soon.

Im just enjoying being a councillor.

UNITED FUTURE IN TAURANGA

In Tauranga, United Future did well in the 2002 election, winning 9.56 per cent of the party vote, while the partys electorate candidate Larry Baldock placed fourth with 1647 votes.

It was the partys third-best party vote result in a single electorate that year, after Ohariu-Belmont (13.01 per cent) and East Coast Bays (9.62 per cent).

However, this was to be United Futures high-water mark in the traditionally safe National seat.

In 2005, the party vote in Tauranga fell to 4.47 per cent, and Larry, previously a list MP, did not make it back to parliament. In 2008 he stood unsuccessfully again as leader of the short-lived Kiwi Party, while United Futures party vote collapsed to 0.68 per cent in the city.

Support continued to decline, until United Future had its worst result in Tauranga in 2017, receiving only 40 party votes, or 0.09 per cent  less than half the votes received by the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.
The FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) Legal Advisory Group Meeting will take place on 28 November 2017 at the Palace of Westminster in London. The theme of the meeting is

. The event is hosted by The Right Honourable Earl of Erroll and will have Dai Davis, Kieron Sharp, and Eleonora Rosati as speakers. It will consider the criminalization of copyright law, illicit streaming and the legal implications for makers and users of Kodi boxes. More information,

.

. The Faculty of Law of the

is looking for an Adjunct Lecturer in International Law of IP/IT and Data Protection for the LL.M. in the International Business Law program. The position involves two teaching periods and thesis supervision. Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in Law and demonstrate outstanding teaching competency through relevant working experience and publications. Apply before

1 December 2017

by sending a cover letter and CV to the Academic Coordinator of the program (

). More information,

.
Zespri employees in Mount Maunganui left their desks this week to serve smoothies and science, cook porridge and play games alongside students from Arataki School.

Their efforts were part of a five-day health promotion and type 2 diabetes prevention programme that focused largely on the schools 91-pupil bilingual Kopukairoa unit.

The programme was created and funded by the global kiwifruit marketing company after two Zespri employees decided to tackle statistics showing Maori children are 50 per cent more likely than their European schoolmates to develop preventable diabetes.

One of those employees, nutrition scientist Juliet Ansell, visited Arataki School on Monday to teach students how to ward off the disease.

The kids are loving it, Kopukairoa lead teacher Tania Solomona said after the scientists visit. Theyre so engaged and so excited.

By day two, children were talking about the need to set aside fizzy drinks in favour of water and understood what food they should consume more often. The week also included dance lessons and a community games day to reinforce the need for exercise.

Whanau were encouraged to attend the healthy smoothie and porridge breakfast on world diabetes day (November 14), when rows of eager children sat at long tables in the school hall to be served by Zespri staff.

Food was donated by Fonterra, Harroways and Dole. Mrs Solomona and others demonstrated the effects of food on blood sugar by taking finger-prick blood tests before and after they ate.

She hoped students would share what they had learned with their families.

I think information is power, she said. If we can empower these kids with this knowledge, theyre not going to be in that 50 per cent who get the disease.

The school had previously spoken with the children about litter-free lunchboxes and what a nutritious lunch looks like. Staff will continue to reinforce this weeks messages during the rest of the term.

Introducing the children to role models such as the visiting nutrition doctor and scientist had additional benefits, offering them possible career choices.

Its putting it in real life context, because they see these adults and they are seeing that with hard work and determination and goal setting, they could do all these things one day.

Its about lifestyle choices, about reinforcing the power they have over their health.

The week ended with the creation of a bilingual book on diabetes, penned by local writer Debbie McCauley and illustrated by the children. Once published, the school will receive copies of the book.
Ricardo Criado can't catch the train at his nearest station, which is Carvajal, a district in Fuengirola. There are 119 steps up to the platform and Ricardo, who uses an electric wheelchair, can't get up them. Nor is he the only person affected. You only have to climb the stairs once to realise that they pose a problem for all but the fittest passengers.

The station platform at Carvajal, like the one at Torreblanca, is not accessible to everybody. Exactly one year ago complaints from residents led the Ciudadanos spokesman in Fuengirola, Javier Toro, to present a motion to ask the Ministry of Public Works to solve this problem. However, even though all the political parties on the council voted in favour, the Spanish government appears to be ignoring a situation which affects at least 2,000 people who live in the area.

The law says the main entrance to a railway station has to be accessible, says Ricardo. There is another access, higher up, but he can't use that one either. I can't get up there or down again in a wheelchair. This is affecting my life and it isn't right, not only for me but for people with prams, for example, or tourists who arrive from the airport with a suitcase, he says.

The president of the local residents' association, Eladia Pabon, says very few people can climb the 119 stairs without difficulty, especially if they are carrying something. And also if it is windy or raining, it's not only difficult but dangerous as well, she insists.

People in the area have been complaining about this for years, because the accesses just aren't acceptable. In addition, the lighting is inadequate and the pavement is falling to pieces, says Javier Toro about the stations, which he describes asa complete failure in terms of accessibility.

Over a year ago we presented a motion to demand that the Ministry of Public Works, Adif and Renfe take urgent action to ensure that these stations are accessible to everybody, he explains.

He points out that the fact that the motion was supported by all the groups on the council and approved unanimously shows how serious the problem is.

Over a year later, he is critical of the lack of action. Torreblanca and Carvajal are urban areas with a large population now and they need proper station facilities which have been adapted for those with disabilities, like the ones in other parts of Fuengirola: Los Boliches, for example, he says.

Raised in parliament

The frustration about the lack of action is so great that the Ciudadanos and PSOE parties on Fuengirola council decided that the matter should be raised with the Spanish parliament. Malaga MP Miguel Angel Heredia was due to ask the Minister for Public Works this week why the accesses to the stations are so inadequate, what measures are being taken to rectify the situation, when they would be carried out and how much they would cost.




We appreciate Onondaga County Sheriff Eugene Conway's candor in discussing the kid-glove treatment one of his deputies received after allegedly sideswiping another driver on a rural two-lane highway, leaving the scene of the accident and damaging the lawn and mailbox at a Tully residence. He dealt firmly with the deputies involved, who acted seemingly without fear of discovery or consequence.



Now Conway must follow through on disciplining the deputies in a way that shows citizens he has zero tolerance for this behavior.



Conway said he believed Deputy Kevin Drumm had been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Drumm was not given a Breathalyzer test to determine if he was intoxicated. Conway is trying to fire Drumm and says he will discipline Sgt. Bernard B. Podsiedlik, a supervisor in the Sheriff's Department who failed to properly supervise the way deputies handled and investigated the incident.



"We didn't handle this the way we would have if it had been a civilian," Conway told Syracuse.com in an interview. "That is something that more than disappoints me."



More than disappointing, such conduct further undermines the public's trust in police to enforce the law with fairness and impartiality. Anyone else behind the wheel would not have gotten off so easily - a double standard that is unacceptable. Conway's discipline ought to be severe enough to discourage this from happening again, and the public ought to be told what the punishment was.



Credit also goes to the citizens and witnesses who shared their accounts and photos with Syracuse.com's Elizabeth Doran, making it impossible for the incident to be swept under the rug.



In the future, it would be best if the sheriff's office - or any other police agency - bring in an outside investigator in cases involving its own personnel. No matter how a department handles such an investigation, it can't help but appear tainted.





Cuomo has another shot at strengthening FOIL



The state Legislature ended its session months ago but crunch time is fast approaching for the bills that made it through both the Senate and Assembly. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has until the end of the year to either sign or veto them.



One such bill making its way to the governor's desk would award attorney's fees to people who had to sue the government for public records that are available under the state's Freedom of Information Law. A court would have to determine that the agency had no "reasonable basis" for denying access.



People shouldn't have to sue for public information in the first place, but if government agencies are recalcitrant, they may have no other option. This bill would remove legal costs as a barrier to suing. It also might discourage government officials from frivolously, unlawfully withholding information that belongs out in the open.



Cuomo has previously vetoed this bill because he objects to the fact that the state Legislature is exempt from some FOIL provisions. That's a poor reason to deny citizens a tool to compel all levels of government to comply with the law.







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NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York woman says in a federal lawsuit that she was sexually harassed by a state employee, and the governor knew and did nothing to stop it, allegations the governor's office denies.

Lisa Marie Cater, of Buffalo, says that former Empire State Development Corp. regional president William "Sam" Hoyt helped her get a job at the department of motor vehicles, and then used that as an excuse to harass and assault her starting in 2015.

Sam Hoyt

She says he would call, text and email her inappropriately. She says he sent her a nude image and groped her.

She said she tried to report the abuse. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said it launched investigations after the office received allegations in October 2016.

Hoyt resigned Oct. 30. His lawyer told the New York Post that his client denied the allegations.
Had enough of spending the day after every Thanksgiving rushing around stores and waiting in line? New York State has an alternative suggestion: Spend the day at one of its famous State Parks.

Yesterday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced free admission to all New York State Parks on Friday, Nov. 24 to encourage New Yorker's to get outdoors. While many State Parks are free already during the off season, the announcement will mean free admission to popular spots like Niagara Falls, the Walkway over the Hudson, Minnewaska Preserve and others.

The governor's office also encourages families to take part in events like Buy Nothing Day and the Thanksgiving Walk Off at state parks all weekend long. A full list of events and activities can be found here.

"On Black Friday this year I urge New Yorkers to get outside and to take advantage of the world-class parks in every corner of this state," Governor Cuomo said. "By offering free admission, we encourage families, nature-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike to enjoy the unparalleled natural beauty right in their backyards."

New York State is home to more than 250 parks, including more than 335,000 acres of state-owned land, that are visited by 69 million people every year.
Authorities in Arizona confirmed cases of rabies in the Superstition Mountain area. In The United States, cases of rabies have dramatically changed.

Confirmed Rabies Cases In Arizona

Authorities recently confirmed two cases of rabid animals in the Superstition Mountain area which includes popular hiking and camping areas such as Lost Dutchman State Park, Tonto National Forest, and First Water Trail. According to authorities, hikers have been reporting an increase in rabid wild animals in the area of late wherein two of the reported cases have been confirmed. Further, park officials have been seeing dead animals and aggressive animals along the trails.

In Arizona, bats are the most common hosts of rabies, but skunks, foxes, and bobcats are also carriers. This year alone, there are 134 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in the state of Arizona including 18 skunks and 61 bats. Approximately 30 people are exposed to rabies from rabid animals each year in the state, which often happens when people touch or handle sick or dead bats that fall from the sky.

Rabies In The United States

Before 1960, most of the cases of rabies were domestic animal cases, but today over 90 percent of animal cases are of wild animals. The number of rabies-related human deaths in the country has drastically dropped from over a hundred to just one or two a year since the 1990's. This reduction in number is primarily due to the success of modern-day prophylaxis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the only well-documented case of human to human rabies transmission is that of eight cornea transplant recipients and three solid organ transplant recipients. Although bite and non-bite human to human rabies transmissions are theoretically possible, no cases have been documented.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease among mammals that is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. The virus infects the central nervous system and often leads to death. In its early stages, the symptoms are more similar to those of other diseases such as fever, discomfort, and headache, but more specific symptoms develop as it progresses. These include more severe symptoms such as anxiety, partial paralysis, excitation, hallucination, insomnia, hypersalivation, and hydrophobia. Unfortunately, death often occurs within days after these symptoms begin to show.

Wounds from suspected rabid animal bites must be thoroughly washed with soap and water immediately. A post-exposure prophylaxis over a 14-day period is often the course of action after rabid animal exposure, but it also depends on the type of exposure.

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Facing a projected $17 million shortfall when the year started, the East Baton Rouge Parish school system managed to come out roughly even financially at the end of 2016-17, this despite a disastrous flood and a big decline in student enrollment.

Thats the conclusion of the annual audit of Louisianas second largest public school district for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which ended June 30. It was prepared by the firm Postlethwaite & Netterville.

The parish School Board debated the audit on Nov. 2 and then approved it without discussion on Thursday.

You basically broke even for the year, which is better than you budgeted, Freddy Smith, an auditor with Postlethwaite & Netterville, told the School Board on Nov. 2.

The school system ended the 2016-17 fiscal year with $61.5 million in the bank available for emergencies. That's almost $10 million more than it was predicting back in April, and its $2.3 million more than the amount the school system had at the end of the prior fiscal year.

+2 East Baton Rouge schools' financial cushion takes big hit after costly flood repairs, audit shows The East Baton Rouge Parish school system had a decent financial cushion prior to the August floods, but the millions its costing to repair f

Those reserves likely will likely come in handy in the near future.

At least five charter schools are set to open in August, all approved by the parish School Board, likely educating more than 2,000 children in that first year and more in the future. Most of those students are expected to come from other public schools in Baton Rouge, furthering reducing state funding to the school system. Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts.

At the same time, the school system is spending money on a range of new magnet programs, as well as a new career center, to combat the competition from charter and private schools.

'Magnet Mania': East Baton Rouge magnet schools open up for new applicants School shopping has begun for families interested in landing a spot in one of East Baton Rouge Parishs magnet programs.

The flood and its aftermath has also taxed school resources. As of late October, the school system had obligated more than $41 million for repairs and reconstruction, less than half the $83 million its expected to spend. Yet it had taken in only $17.4 million through flood insurance and FEMA reimbursement.

Since 2010, the school system has cut its budget annually because of a mix of tight state funding, a variety of expenses and growing competition from charter schools that have drawn money and students from the parish system. That budget-tightening, plus conservative revenue forecasting has allowed the system to maintain its financial reserves.

During the 2016-17 fiscal year, the school system overall took in $616 million and spent $610 million. The general fund, which accounts for 70 percent of spending, followed a similar pattern with revenue slightly outpacing expenses. The general fund is the system's primary source of unrestricted money to pay for operating expenses, finance new initiatives and cover emergencies like the recent flooding.

At the beginning of the fiscal year, the picture was far less rosy. The school system estimated it would spend $17 million more than it took into its general fund, drawing down reserves. A windfall of post-flood sales tax money, as well increased property tax collections, more than offset decline in state funding due to declining enrollment.

Meanwhile, spending for general operations came in 4 percent less than predicted. Spending grew in spots. For instance, traditional classroom spending, or regular education, which had come down in the past few years, increased by more than 5 percent in 2016-17, despite the enrollment decline.

East Baton Rouge school district draws on reserves as its readies to approve $450 million budget Food service workers in Baton Rouge public schools won a 50-cent per hour pay raise Thursday, but a union-backed group is pressing for a much 

The current fiscal year, which began July 1, is beginning in a similar fashion. Expected spending is outpacing anticipated revenue by $19 million, which means a projected deficit that is even higher than a year earlier.

As part of his new contract, Superintendent Warren Drake has a new set of performance goals. One calls for him to submit to the board a balanced budget, one where spending matches revenue.

To get there, Drake has tapped Chief Budget Operations Officer James Crochet to lead in-house committee looking into zero-based budgeting. Thats a budget method where you start with zero and consider item by item every expense to see if its justified. Drake said he expects that committee will conclude its work by January.

The school system is cutting its expenses in other areas. In September, after four months of negotiations, it struck a deal with Philadelphia-based Aramark to handle school maintenance and other support work for $5.3 million less per year than the company did previously.

Aramark agrees to cut price by $5.3 million a year after negotiations on EBR school contract After four months of negotiations, the East Baton Rouge Parish school system has struck a deal with Philadelphia-based Aramark to handle schoo

The audit did cite some problem areas. For the second year in a rule, auditors questioned the accuracy of student graduation records. The firm flagged this issue in its 2015-16 annual audit. And in 2014, it conducted an extensive review of graduation records in the wake of an investigation by the Louisiana Department of Education. The investigation occurred after a student was allowed to graduate despite being short a required course credit.

Smith said the school system has improved its record-keeping but its still not up to par.

I will say that documentation improved, he said.

Despite that repeated finding, the auditors have issued an "unmodified opinion" saying the school system's basic financial statements are sound. The school system's finance office this year again received a certificate for excellence in financial reporting from the Chicago-based Government Finance Officers Association.
Its easy to dismiss Jane Ellison.

Shes an 84-year-old who retired from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture in 2004 and lives on a state pension of $1,972 per month.

This is not Asia or Latin America with traditions of filial piety. In the youth-centric United States, old folks are on their own.

Miss Jane is fine with that. Her time has passed, so shes content keeping her little corner tidy.

As a senior citizen, she is not in the right demographic, at least for insurance purposes, so her task is often messy. And if President Donald Trumps tax cut package passes, itll get a lot more complex.

Over this past month, Ellison had a taste of the coming chaos when the state Office of Group Benefits announced that her monthly payments for a $25,000 term life insurance policy would go up from $13 to $113. The higher premium eats up about 8 percent of the $1,200 she has available after paying $466 for her modest Baton Rouge townhouse, $175 for taxes, and $106 for health insurance. The extra $100 to keep the life insurance would cut into how much Ellison can spend on food, electricity, phone, pharmaceuticals and medical deductibles.

I dont know where I can find the money, she said. I could get a job; my mind is still sharp, if my body would let me. Im 84, I have health issues.

True, its only a life insurance policy. But that policy is about the only money the 30-year state civil servant can leave her children when she dies.

Basically, said Frank L. Jobert Jr., with Retired State Employees Association of Louisiana, their decision is whether they want to use the money themselves while theyre alive or to spend that money to help their families pay for their burial. Its that type of choice.

Miss Jane and 40,000 other elderly state pensioners called just everyone they could when the increase was announced in mid-October. The state is trying  though House Appropriations balked Friday on approving a new contract  to the limit the monthly premium hike in 2018 to a little more than double rather than an 800 percent increase that the insurer initially wanted.

Louisiana state retirees insurance could go up but not as high as thought Louisiana legislators will be asked Friday morning to approve doubling the cost of life insurance, starting Jan. 1, for most retired state workers.

The reason for the increase is because of the way private insurance companies calculate the rates they charge on all the policies they offer.

Companies generally cover their costs by selling more policies to customers less likely to use the insurance than to those who do, explained Tommy Teague, the chief executive officer of Louisianas Office of Group Benefits, which oversees insurance for state employees and retirees. About twice as many elderly retirees had signed up for a life insurance policy as had younger workers, leaving the private insurer, Prudential Finance, losing about $4 million a year, he said. Private insurance companies simply, understandably, wouldnt renew the contract for 2018 at the flat rate state workers had paid for years, even though the bulk of the policyholders were on limited fixed incomes.

We had no choice, Teague said.

This was life insurance. But that same private market calculus is used  and will have far greater consequences to older people all across the country  when applied to health insurance.

The bills being forwarded in Congress to cut taxes by $1.5 trillion include language that impacts who will sign up for health insurance policies.

Under the U.S. House plan approved Thursday on a 227-205 vote, middle class taxpayers would see an almost immediate tax cut.

But, the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation projects that taxes would increase dramatically on Americans earning less than $30,000 by 2021 and on taxpayers earning less than $75,000 by 2027. Thats largely because a U.S. Senate version of the Trump tax plan repeals the requirement  called the individual mandate  that nearly everyone either purchase health care insurance or pay a fine.

Its a twofer for Republicans. They can undermine the federal Affordable Care Act while at the same time raise money to cover part of the proposed increase in the Child Tax Credit.

But that comes at a cost, primarily to old people on fixed incomes. Medicare doesnt cover everything.

The Congressional Budget Office calculates that with the younger, healthier people freed from mandates, theyll simply stop buying health insurance. Older Americans, who already pay three times more for a healthcare policy than the young, will see their premiums rise by 10 percent.

The open market may very well be best for younger Americans, Republicans argue. But it puts a strain on the elderly living on fixed incomes.

Thats the irony, Jobert said. The ones that cost the most, the ones that need the coverage the most, and can afford it the least, have to pay more because the ones that dont need it wont sign up.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy is mighty upset that people he doesn't deem good parents are having kids. He said so in a Washington Examiner op-ed, which ran last week and raised quite a stir.

"For the life of me, I dont know why anyone who is an addict would decide to become a parent and bring an innocent child into his or her sick drug den. My only conclusion is that some parents figure someone else will raise their children while they do drugs, drink, party, commit crimes," Kennedy wrote. "Too many people treat parenting like it's the 20th item on their to-do list. Their social life, drug habit, and sleep schedule matter more to them than their children do."

But here's the good news. As a senator, there's something Kennedy can do about the problem. He can champion policies that make it easier to access drug treatment, and that help people who aren't ready or able to raise children prevent pregnancy.

Here are just a few ways.

A senator can defend the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's signature health care law, against efforts by President Donald Trump and the Republican congressional majority to repeal it.

The law requires that health care plans cover substance abuse treatment, so it directly helps parents like the ones Kennedy describes. It has also greatly increased insurance coverage in general, particularly in states such as Louisiana that have expanded Medicaid, which again means more treatment available to more people.

It also mandates that birth control be covered at no cost to the patient, a provision that has coincided with a statistical drop not only in unplanned pregnancies but also in abortions, which is something an anti-abortion politician such as Kennedy should champion. Not only does this provision keep the full financial burden of preventing pregnancy from falling only on one of two necessary players, it has allowed more women to access pricier but more effective methods such as IUDs.

And there's more. From the Senate, Kennedy could push back against Trump's executive order expanding the universe of employers who can refuse to offer birth control coverage. Religious employers were already exempt, but Trump's order extends the exemption to others who profess moral qualms. That not only cuts off access for those employees, it also effectively forces women to follow their boss's conscience on a deeply personal matter, rather than their own.

And he could fight the ongoing effort to defund Planned Parenthood. The federal government does not fund abortions through Planned Parenthood, but Medicaid does cover all sorts of other treatment that's not always readily available elsewhere. Honestly, the group's mission is right there in its name, and is exactly in line with what Kennedy says he supports.

So what does Kennedy actually propose to do about the problem he so colorfully identified?

Well, to judge by his column, nothing. He offers no policy prescription, just a wagging finger.

"Treat your children like the blessings they are or dont have them at all," he concludes. "Our foster care system and jails already are at capacity. Theres no more room at the inn."

To judge by his record in his brief time in the Senate and the rhetoric that he employed to get there, again, nothing. Kennedy ran on a claim that he'd rather drink weed killer than support Obamacare, and has voted that way. He hasn't lifted a finger to protect Planned Parenthood or to argue against Trump's contraception order.

Scan the press releases on his web site, and the most on-point idea listed is his pledge to keep his fellow Republicans from stripping the adoption tax credit as they try to overhaul the tax code. Preserving this break would help families who adopt children whose birth parents decide to give them up, which could well include people like those Kennedy describes. But it's hardly enough.

But maybe he's got some other idea up his sleeve, one that's more in line with his conservative politics than what I've suggested. Perhaps even something that could attract support across the aisle. After reading his op-ed, I for one can't wait to hear it.

So, Sen. Kennedy, it's your move.

Unless demonizing struggling people is the only move you've got.
One person died and three other people were seriously injured after their boat struck a barge near Bayou Segnette early Sunday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard launched a helicopter crew from New Orleans to the scene. (Photo via U.S. Coast Guard)
When U.S. Department of Justice investigators released a damning report about the New Orleans Police Department in 2011, they said the closest its Training Academy came to hands-on instruction was screening the movie Crash as part of a diversity lesson.

On Thursday, as federal monitors and police commanders hailed progress at the revamped academy during a court hearing, two officers showed the federal judge overseeing NOPD reforms the right way to handcuff a suspect.

U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan watched as Officer Randall Knight cuffed Sgt. David Duplantier in her courtroom. Knight said a technique by which a suspects thumbs are turned upward can prevent him from reaching for a hidden gun.

With Duplantier safely in custody, Morgan issued an order.

You can release him now, she said, to laughter from the audience.

The point of the demonstration was to show how deeply the academy has been transformed under the Police Departments 2012 reform agreement with the federal government, known as a consent decree.

Thursdays hearing was the latest in a series of regular updates on progress under the reform plan. Court-appointed monitors gave the new academy high marks, though they stopped short of claiming that it has come into full compliance with the requirements of the consent decree.

Only a few months ago, the watchdogs said that as of late 2016, progress at the academy was "slow."

But the quality of teachers, the depth of instruction and even class scheduling have all undergone accelerating transformations over the past year, according to Jonathan Aronie, the monitor appointed by Morgan to oversee the reform agreement.

Instructors  who have received additional training of their own  now use hands-on scenarios like the handcuffing demonstration or simulations of high-speed pursuits to indoctrinate recruits and refresh veterans.

Aronie and other officials also praised the opening this year of a renovated and expanded academy building on Paris Avenue. The structure was refurbished at a cost of $3 million.

'End is near' for NOPD consent decree, chief says; Here's what still stands in the way Five years after the city signed an agreement with the federal government to clean up its troubled police force, there could be light at the e

As recently as late 2016, many classes at the academy lacked approved lesson plans. Over the past year, the monitors have worked closely with academy teachers to finalize a full slate of teaching plans, Morgan said.

Aronie said the academy has been the subject of dramatic improvements.

While there is yet work to be done, the energy I have seen over the last 12 months gives me great confidence the academy will continue on its current path, he said.

Aronies pronouncement is good news for Police Superintendent Michael Harrison, who has set a goal of coming into full compliance with the federal consent decree by May, when Mayor Mitch Landrieu's term ends and Harrison could be replaced. The upgrading of the Training Academy is one of the major hurdles left to fulfilling the reform agreement.

However, there are still dozens of areas big and small where the force needs to prove to the judge that it has mended its ways.

Jonas Geissler, a U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division attorney, said it was premature to declare that the academy had met its goals.

One group that does seem to be offering support for the changes at the academy is NOPD officers themselves. When the DOJ released its 2011 investigation, it said that nearly 80 percent of officers believed training for recruits needed to be improved, and only 24 percent said they had enough opportunities for training.

Now officers make unsolicited comments to federal monitors during ride-alongs that the academy has changed for the better. One officer wrote an email to Training Academy Cmdr. Chris Goodly last month thanking him for the changes.

Veteran officer Charles Hoffacker said he was expecting a letdown when he attended his most recent in-service training.

+2 New Orleans residents -- and criminals -- starting to have a rosier view of NOPD, survey finds Recent surveys of New Orleans residents and police officers  as well as the people whom police put in jail  show that increasing numbers in 

In truth most officers, including myself, tend to think of in-service as a negative and a distraction from our day-to-day duties as investigators, he said. I was wrong, and it quickly became apparent that there was a tremendous difference between this years in-service than in previous years.

Morgan did not make any larger pronouncements about the NOPD's compliance with the consent decree. However, she smiled throughout much of the hearing.

Its obvious to me that the New Orleans Police Department and the city of New Orleans have shown that they value the academy, she said.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Emily Stokes woke up one day unable to move.

She had come down with a mysterious rash the day before, but there were no other warning signs of her debilitating condition.

Emily Stokes, pictured with her four-week-old daughter, Charlie Lang, has a rare autoimmune disease and has been successfully treated by new Canberra clinical genomics centre. Credit:Karleen Minney

"Some mornings I can't talk, I can't eat," she said.

"I couldn't do anything for myself, you don't realise how much you need your hands until you can't use them."
Almost three weeks after the death of Anthony Caristo, who died after being Tasered by police at his Waramanga home, ACT Police are seeking information into the weeks before the incident.

Mr Caristo died during a critical incident on November 1, when police found him covered in blood and holding a large knife. At the time, police said his finger had been severed and arms cut. When he struck his leg with the knife, officers Tasered him once to prevent him harming himself further, police said.

A recent photo of Anthony Caristo (pictured on left next to his mother) supplied by the Caristo family.

After being subdued and handcuffed, Mr Caristo was found to be unresponsive and could not be revived.

The criminal investigations and AFP professional standards units who are investigating the critical incident are reviewing the last few weeks of Mr Caristo's life. They believe Mr Caristo had recently sold items on Gumtree.
The Reserve Bank is warning banks they risk facing further regulation if they fail to address retailers' concerns over the mounting cost to merchants from tap-and-go payments made on debit cards.

As consumers embrace contactless payments, the retail industry estimates its costs from processing purchases made on debit cards have risen by hundreds of millions of dollars.

That is because when Visa or Mastercard debit cards are used to make a contactless payment, the transaction is automatically sent through the card scheme system run by the international giants.

Before tap-and-go payments took off, most of these debit card transactions would have instead been through the lower-cost eftpos network.
Seven weeks, but who's counting?

Forty-nine senators will return to their lawmaking duties Jan. 3 for a 60-day short session. Last week they got previews of the issues their colleagues have been working on.

They learned about funding for schools, 315,542 students across the state that cost $12,856 apiece in the 2015-16 school year, according to Education Chairman Mike Groene.

The state paid $973 million in direct school aid that year. But in adding up other money given to the Department of Education, and for property tax relief to landowners, adult basic education, special education and a list of other requirements, the state spent more like $1.7 billion, he said.

They heard from Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Merv Riepe about child welfare, Heritage Health-managed care for 229,008 Medicaid and children's health insurance recipients, and the state's efforts to combat the opioid abuse crisis, including prescription drug monitoring.

And they digested facts about Nebraska's population trends and the coming needs of the state from the Planning Committee, headed by Sen. Paul Schumacher:

* The state's population is becoming more concentrated in its most populous counties. In 2016, Lancaster, Douglas and Sarpy counties had 55 percent of the state's population.

* The population is getting older and will continue to age.

* Nebraskans are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Between 2010 and 2016, the state population grew 4.4 percent, but its minority population grew 20 percent. The fastest-growing group  Asian-Americans  increased 42 percent. And the Latino population increased 21.5 percent, while whites increased only 1.1 percent.

Senators learned that adjustments to the $8.9 billion state budget will need to be made. Revenue is projected to fall $173 million short.

And the Department of Correctional Services' continued needs for prison workers and solutions to problems will also take up senators' time in the 2018 session.

Senators will have 10 days at the start of the session to introduce new bills.

And lawmakers will again have an opportunity to make changes in the rules that govern them, which last session caused major disruption when it took 30 legislative days  one third of the long session  to debate proposed changes to filibusters and open voting on leadership positions.

Senators have been served notice they can suggest rule changes until the first day of the session, Speaker Jim Scheer said, and the Rules Committee will have a hearing on those proposals on the second day. Debate on the committee's recommendations will begin on Day 4.

"Could it end up being the same type of mess? I suppose it could," Scheer said.

But his hope is that senators realize that if their pet rules weren't successful last session, they probably won't be this time. And with fewer days in a short session to get something done, they will decide to hold off on pushing their agendas.

With 100 or so priority bills that could surface, time is tight, Scheer said.

"It will be a pretty full session, I suspect," he said.

Scheer says he plans to continue his practice of allowing controversial bills to have three hours of debate on first round to see if they have enough votes to go to the next level. If they don't, they won't come back until the sponsor can say she or he has the votes. That avoids long hours of filibusters that go nowhere.

Last session there were 12 to 14 bills that could have gone the distance to six hours, he said, and still would not have succeeded.

"It served, to me, a valuable purpose. It allowed us to move forward and not get bound up in things that were not going to be successful. But it gave every bill (that made it to first round) at least three hours of time," he said.

And it allowed for pertinent, intellectual discussion that wasn't focused on just how to burn time, he said.

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers has often been at the center of extended debate. But Scheer said Chambers was fairly on target in his discussions last year.

"He didn't waste a lot of time," he said. "From my vantage point, it was a pretty decent session last year, that we had really meaningful discussion."

Scheer downplayed the presence of partisanship in the 2017 session, chalking up differences among senators more to differences in philosophies and ideologies.

In looking at many of the bills, he said, you'll always find Republicans voting for Democrats' bills, and vice versa.

"The more-contentious ones that people keep saying, 'That's partisan,' well, maybe so. But it's more ideological," he said.

The medical marijuana bill two years ago, for example, had as many Republican votes as Democratic votes, he said. It wasn't partisan, but it was a pretty ugly debate.

"I view that as philosophical. And those philosophies aren't necessarily unique to a party," he said.

Scheer said Gov. Pete Ricketts has influence, but so do lobbyists and others.

"Those that you may find that vote closely with the governor's recommendations probably ... pretty closely mirror the governor's viewpoints," he said. "If we're going to be honest, I think a number of the senators do very closely align philosophically with the governor."
Put water safety first I write to you in my capacity as the CEO of Royal Life Saving Society  Australia, to ask all readers to take the greatest of care when children are in or around water. Royal Life Saving's latest campaign  "Keep Watch"  urges all parents not to be complacent about their child's safety around water. Our research shows 461 children under the age of five have died in Australia over the past 15 years due to drowning. Of these, half the drownings were in home pools or spas. In 100 per cent of child drowning cases in home swimming pools, active adult supervision had either lapsed or was entirely absent.

Water is only safe when you are watching. An average of 31 children drown every year. For every toddler drowning death, approximately 10 children are admitted to hospital as a result of non-fatal drowning. Drowning is preventable. We ask all readers to follow the four Keep Watch key actions to prevent toddler drowning; always actively supervise all children around water, regularly check and maintain your pool fence and gate, teach children water awareness, and learn CPR. One recent study showed that in 62 per cent of cases, the child had gained access to the pool area through a faulty fence or gate or through a gate that had been deliberately propped open. We stress the importance of regularly checking and maintaining pool fences and gates to ensure they are in working order. We ask all parents to take every precaution when it comes to their child's safety around water.

Justin Scarr, CEO, Royal Life Saving Society  Australia Health benefits Self-driving cars and buses using complex algorithms and in-time sensing of other traffic within their proximity will substantially reduce collision risk with vulnerable and exposed pedestrians and cyclists who make do without the shield of an outer carapace. This safety gain is reassuring even if preliminary trials demonstrate more accidents with careless human drivers. Pedestrians and cyclists will be subjected to reduced risk of severe injury and death in impacts with automated vehicles that have been programmed to be overly cautious.

Driver error, road rage, impatience and anger will be minimised as automated vehicles replace badly behaved and impatient drivers. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate accident risk, drivers who become passengers will no longer need to face the daily stresses of behind the steering wheel commuting. Surely this will translate into community level public health benefits. Adjunct Associate Professor Joseph Ting, Queensland University of Technology. Trucking life Paul Wayper, of Cook, (Letters, November 17) had an issue with road rage.

He went on to say: "Next time, consider a semi-trailer doing this to you and see how you like that scenario." I take offence to that comment. My husband is a truck driver who has a perfect driving record and who does stupid hours as per union and government regulations. But like everything else there are bad car drivers, bad motorcyclists, bad cyclists and bad truck drivers. Next time this happens to you, hang back let Mr/Mrs Idiot get ahead of you so you don't get stressed and get caught up in an accident, because you are more vulnerable than in a car. Get their rego plate and report it.

You never know, something might happen. V. Harris, Yass Dogged daze Dogs with diplomatic immunity? What will those cunning Americans come up with next? Let's just hope they don't want wedding cakes and, God forbid, aren't dual citizens. Barnaby Joyce come back, Canberra needs you. M. Moore, Bonython

Vote came earlier Tony Judge (Letters, November 17) says the 1967 referendum gave Indigenous Australians the vote. This is not correct. Indigenous voting rights were enshrined in law by the Menzies government five years earlier in 1962 when the Commonwealth Electoral Act was amended. There was no referendum required to do this. The 1967 referendum, under the Holt government, removed discrimination against Indigenous people from our Constitution by giving the Commonwealth the power to include them in future law making (rather than leaving it to individual, inconsistent and often discriminatory state law) and to count them in the Australian Census.

The first  an administrative device to commence the long road towards equality. The second  to regard Indigenous people as citizens worthy to be counted. Approximately 10 per cent of voters said "no" to these. Maria Pellegrino, Gungahlin The train in Spain Only a few weeks ago Labor was decrying the demise of the car manufacturing industry when the last Holden rolled off the assembly line, blaming the Liberal party for lack of support. Yet here's our Labor party having "our" trams built in Spain. If Melbourne can boast about the construction of its new fleet in Melbourne  ie "made in Melbourne for Melbourne" adorns the side of each new tram  why did we have to go to Spain for "ours"?

Peter Toscan, Amaroo Cool - but is it optimal? It is admirable Yvette Berry supports the upgrading to the cooling systems of Canberra schools ("Schools get cool for summer", canberratimes. com.au, November 8) and, as she correctly states, "They weren't built for the environment we have today". So, what would we build today? If the example of a west-oriented development application on a RZ2 block in west Belconnen is anything to go by ... we'd end up doing just the same. And how do we come to this conclusion?

The aforementioned application is for four new public housing dwellings on a 1000 square metre block to face west. Contrary to the Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Environment and Energy (2017) publication Your Home  Australia's guide to environmentally sustainable homes, which states "The most economical time to achieve good passive design in a home is when initially designing and building it". Further, the ACT Home Energy Advice Team publication Eaves in Canberra states "Windows should be used sparingly on the eastern and western faces of a dwelling". The opportunity to heed the vast amount of information available on building solar passive dwellings is clearly not being grasped in the ACT's public housing replenishment. The ACT Public Housing Renewal Taskforce, who should be co-ordinating with the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate to only endorse solar passive housing developments, have decided to go with Ms Berry's assertion, in her response to my concerns, that "It is not unusual for a development to be east/west facing". Not unusual, but is it optimal? Anne-Marie Wilkes, Macgregor

Heart of stone The conditions in Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's Manus Island prison are getting worse. Refugees have no food, no water, no power. It won't be long before disease leads to deaths. People-smugglers  eat your heart out. Peter Dutton has you hornswoggled.

Peter Dutton is a man of many talents. But sadly his heart is made of stone. This explains why he can't laugh or smile. Dutton is stone personified. Graham Macafee, Latham General eligibility Don Sephton (Letters, November 17) calls into question the eligibility of retired General Jim Molan under Section 44 (iv) of the Constitution and the fact that he would be drawing a Defence pension.

Perhaps Mr Sephton should have gone on to read the next paragraph which clearly states "But sub-section iv does not apply to ... .a pension by any person as an officer of the Queen's navy or army ...". While there might might some interesting debate as to former Royal Australian Air Force officers, Jim Molan's eligibility is pretty clear. It would appear that the drafters of the Constitution had the foresight to recognise that retired military officers might make a valuable contribution to our Parliament  in Jim Molan's case, they were entirely correct  he would make an excellent senator and bring a new level of intelligence, common-sense and real-world experience to the chamber. Kym MacMillan, O'Malley Serve the people

According to media reports, Western Australian MP Andrew Hastie will abstain on the SSM vote in parliament despite 60 per cent voting "Yes" in his electorate. I would have thought that this RMC Duntroon trained former army officer would serve the best interest of his "troops" in his electorate instead of being a religious bigot. Perhaps he attended too many church parades. Voters can get rid of Hastie at the next election and elect someone who will serve the electorate rather than an imaginary God. A.Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

Moral compass broken I am utterly appalled by Canberra Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse calling "for hardline laws to allow businesses and individuals to refuse service for same-sex weddings because of religious and moral objections" ("Church wants law to protect religious freedom", November 16, p8). The Catholic Church in particular lost any moral authority it might have had within the Australian and world community when it effectively turned a blind eye to the actions of pedophile priests within its ranks. Instead of caring for the flock, elements within its ranks have preyed upon the flock. Its moral compass is well and truly broken.

Frank Bergersen, Kambah No mandate for change Chief Minister Andrew Barr is reported ("Canberrans top the land in their support for equality", November 16, p3) as saying that the overwhelming same-sex marriage result gave the ACT government "further ammunition" to roll out more social inclusion measures across Canberra. Chief Minister, you have no mandate for such a stance. The survey was about one thing  and one thing alone  and that was whether the law should be changed to legalise same-sex marriage. The survey was not about "social equality", whatever that means.

If you go to the next ACT election with a platform of enhancing social equality, and win that election  which is problematic  then you may be able to claim a mandate to roll out more social inclusion measures, but not before. Don Sephton, Greenway What's in a name? Given that every kilometre of light rail costs more than $100 million and that the former ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher adopted such a high cost/low benefit form of public transport for partisan political purposes (to secure Greens' support to hang on to government), the decision can properly be described (consistently with the findings of the Auditor-General) as more reckless than wise. With construction of stage one well underway, I suggest that giving the stations and trams frivolous names, instead of boringly (and belatedly) wise ones, would be more consistent with the true nature of the government's light rail decision-making processes.

So in that vein my suggested tram names are "Developer's Delight", "CFMEU Choo Choo", "Tammany McTram" and "Juicy Jam" and "Sweet Snarl" (to reflect the likely impact of light rail on peak period traffic flows on Northbourne Avenue). I also strongly support the previously suggested, "Rattenbury's Rattler". Bruce Taggart, Aranda TO THE POINT DIPLOMATIC WAG, SURELY

Re: "Dog from embassy linked to attacks", November 17, I was amazed to hear that dogs responsible for a number of attacks on people in the Canberra suburb of Stirling may be protected by diplomatic immunity. Crazy. How can animals be included in diplomatic immunity? I do hope that they entered the country via correct quarantine procedures. If not, the owners need to surrender the dogs so they can be put down.

Robert Davis, Windsor, Vic DISBAND VETTING Mr Turnbull believes that a disclosure of genealogy by candidates will suffice to avoid a repeat of the current crisis of ineligibility. The government could save a lot of time and money if it applied the same standard to security clearances and completely disbanded the Government Security Vetting Agency. After all, if we cannot trust those who are to handle the nation's most dangerous secrets, then who can we trust?

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor MUGABE'S NADIR The low point of Robert Mugabe's leadership of Zimbabwe was perhaps the Matabeleland massacre in 1983-84 when his forces killed thousands of Ndebele people. Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic THANKS, ANDREW

Many thanks to Chief Minister Andrew Barr for adorning Canberra with rainbows after the announcement of the SSM vote. It reminded me of Genesis 9:16  "Whenever the rainbow appears, I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth." Andrew if not for you  I might have forgotten His is the glory. Good on you mate! J. Powers, Casey CONGRATS TO NZ PM

Finally help for those entrapped on Manus Island ("Thaw in refugee deal", November 17). Congratulations to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, but not Australia's who has preferred no help. Perhaps a ship of the New Zealand Navy might evacuate them  unilaterally. It succeeded at Dunkirk. Saving lives to start new lives. That's the proper treatment of all refugees.

Peter Graves, Curtin LOOK AT RACE As far as potential amendments to the proposed legislation to enable same-sex marriage are concerned, the best and easiest test anyone need apply regarding their legal and moral justification is whether the same so-called rights to effectively discriminate would be acceptable, let alone legal, if they were applied in relation to someone's race. I'm guessing that the answer to most would be "no". David Jenkins, Casey
Graeme Lee, Fitzroy Turning protest into parties The victory of Lidia Thorpe has implications, not only for the Labor government of Victoria, but for democracy in this country. The balkanisation of the left is demonstrated by this result. The same process is splintering the right. Upper houses around the country have seats occupied by left and right splinter groups and "independents". Governing has become extraordinarily difficult. Each necessary decision is met with protest by aggrieved parties whether it is opposition to building a level crossing or not instantaneously creating the Great Forest National Park. Nonetheless the business of governing must go on. The question is how a democratic government can function in the face of democracy turning protest movements into political parties. Ken Rivett, Ferntree Gully

Parachute malfunction; Labor falls to Earth Given the unexpectedly large swing away from Labor in Northcote, perhaps the power-brokers at Labor HQ should consider candidates with better community credentials. Parachuting in one of their own is not a good look. Rex Niven, Eltham Factional bloodletting is a killer Congratulations are due to the Greens for winning Northcote. The Labor Party has been denied the seat and must now be a hot mess of anger, sorrow and recrimination. I was struck by the sense of outrage just last week when that same Labor Party was seen to be indulging in old-school factional thuggery in excluding a qualified and experienced candidate in Jane Garrett from preselection.

It is no secret that the voting public loathe factional nastiness. I trust that in the postmortem to be held, quickly, to examine the Northcote loss, the Labor Party casts a critical eye over the effect on Labor support of the seeming inability of the party to free itself from the negativity of fatuous factional bloodletting. Ian McKendry, Kew East FORUM Now to Pemulwuy I am so heartened that "Mungo Man" has finally returned home, I was moved to tears. I congratulate everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. Repatriation of Indigenous remains is of fundamental importance to the dignity of culture, and concretely demonstrates a respect that words of acknowledgement to Elders past and present  so easily breezed by as lip-service  can never show.

The next step is finding the head of Pemulwuy, the lead resistance fighter against the first colonial invasion in Sydney, which sits somewhere in an institution in Britain. This proud cleverman was the bane of the English expansionist regime for 12 long years, a story I can hardly believe I was never taught in school. The indignity of his decapitation will never be put aright, but we have responsibility to show the respect that our nascent growing awareness enables us to. Pemulwuy must come home to Eora country. Michael Puck, Kallista Business of bigotry What used to be called discrimination is now dressed up as "religious freedom". Bigoted businesses foolish enough to refuse to cater for same-sex nuptials will deserve all the negative publicity that they will receive.

Adele Homburg, Elsternwick One-off result I cannot agree with the conclusion drawn in your editorial ('Survey reveals real centre to politicians', 18/11). I don't believe this was a general shift to the left or to more progressive attitudes, but rather a one-off result that showed the fine Australian values of fair-go and tolerance. People were saying, this debate has gone on too long, so let's make a gesture towards that section of the population who would like official recognition of their sexual orientation. Above all, they were saying, let's get the debate over with. Rob Siedle, Hawthorn Belief hierarchy

Why the obsession by the anti-marriage lobby for specific exemptions for religious people to discriminate after those having, participating or supporting a gay marriage? Can an atheist baker who believes that religious indoctrination of children is intellectual oppression and a form of child abuse refuse to bake a "Congratulations on your confirmation" or "Happy Bar Mitzvah" cake? Do you have to be religious to have your beliefs protected? Why should the so-called morality or ethical standpoint of a person of faith be valued higher than someone who deeply holds secular-based beliefs? Shaun Brown, Docklands Care and love first Jan Wilkins (Letters, 18/11) asked whether a birth mother would "have the right" to nominate the genders of her child's parents. I'm sure that the simple wish of most women, who are compelled to make this agonising decision, is that their children are cared for and loved. Shauna Tansey, Berwick

Sensible father I always remember my father's statement more than 60 years ago that there was no need for all the different types of icon religions, that there was really only one necessary tenet, treat others as you would want to be treated. How simple (and inexpensive) is that? Ailene Strudwick, Mornington Not acceptable I cannot believe that in a supposedly civilised society it is considered acceptable to cook animals alive. There are even standards to freeze lobsters before cooking. Currently Victorians are debating assisted dying for humans to end suffering  how would it be if one of the options was to dump the elderly in a huge boiling vat? For God's sake (and if you don't believe in God, for pity's sake) do something to end this treatment now.

Vicki Jordan, Lower Plenty Tarnished jewel British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's comment is most surprising ('A chance for the jewel of Africa to sparkle again', The Age, 18/11). After more than a century of white rule, Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980 under majority black rule and Robert Mugabe became its president. Before independence, 110000 white Europeans ruled over 11million blacks. The blacks had no equity in the nation's wealth; they had neither voting rights nor human rights. Six thousand whites owned 80 per cent of the arable land; most of the blacks were herded into tribal areas with no hope of a better life. Is this the jewel of Africa that sparkled according to Johnson? Bill Mathew, Parkville Voters, look closer

I believe voters of Northcote should have looked more closely at who they were voting for. What kind of so-called progressive party votes more for the Liberals than Labor. In an Age article in February, columnist Farrah Tomazin says that in their 10 years in Parliament the Greens have achieved very little. On substantive issues during the Andrews government they had voted more than 50 per cent of the time with the Liberals, and on all issues, two-thirds with the Liberals. Tomazin compares their performance with the Sex Party (as it was then), and how Fiona Patten has achieved far more by working constructively, and negotiating with the government and not acting as a hostile opposition. Northcote voters should have examined more closely how the Greens act, and not what they say. By their allies shall we know them. Max Ogden, Fitzroy North Do the maths For their own sake, I hope the "no" campaigners don't adopt John Christiansen's suggestion (Letters, 18/11) that an "only" 49per cent "yes" vote in the marriage survey (61.6 per cent "yes" vote x 79.5 per cent voter turnout) apparently potentially delegitimises the result. As a happy "yes" voter with basic mathematical skills, I can just as easily see that the "no" vote (on Mr Christiansen's figures, 38.4 per cent x 79.5 per cent voter turnout) equates to a sub-representative figure of 30.5 per cent.

Linda Skinner, Mooroolbark Little campaign effect It's been interesting to hear "no" case proponents theorising that the "yes" campaign was somehow more effective in persuading the populace to vote so overwhelmingly for same-sex marriage. (And implying that its methods were in some way deceitful or dishonest.) I question that proposition. Neither campaign changed many people's minds at all. I believe most people already had a position on the issue, and that did not change, despite the material offered.

Advertising may well have the capacity to persuade people to buy a packet of potato crisps or a toothbrush, but when it comes to fundamental social issues and strongly held moral or cultural beliefs I doubt that it has little, if any, effect. (I say that as an ad man with more than 30 years' experience.) If you doubt me, it's worth noting that the roughly 60/40 "yes/no" breakdown was the same as the well-known results of polls conducted long before the postal survey. Monty Arnhold, Port Melbourne Myanmar? Who cares?

It's become crystal clear now that regarding the atrocities being committed in Myanmar, nobody cares. What will it take for someone to say, "Enough is enough"? We marched into Afghanistan and Iraq on a whim. We've "assisted" in Syria. Malcolm Turnbull even assured his new best friend Donald that "we are with you all the way" with regard to North Korea. Why is it so hard to do something about the organised mass killing of people of a particular ethnic group? Equally glaring is what is going on in Cambodia, the Philippines, West Papua etc. What we need is for someone to discover oil in Myanmar, or for a Burmese pilot to crash a plane into a building. The Australian government, and by default its politicians, likes to think that it's a big player on the world stage, given that recently Australia got a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council. This government is weak and our Foreign Minister is clearly too busy grandstanding, and going to the races. I think we should all digest that as we go about our relatively safe, mundane and comfortable lives. David Legat, South Morang

Australia indictment Lindsay Murdoch's report ('Children targeted', The Age, 18/11) on atrocities perpetrated against Rohingas in Myanmar is an indictment of Australia's continuing equivocal response, watering down a UN Human Rights Council resolution on the gravity of these abuses. Joe Wilder, Caulfield North Shorten's own goal It says much about the political leanings of The Age when a front-page story about former NSW premier Kristina Keneally does not not once mention disgraced former Labor MPs Eddie Obeid and his cronies Joe Tripodi and Ian Macdonald and the role they played in installing Keneally as premier. Rather than a coup by Bill Shorten, Keneally's candidacy in the Bennelong byelection is likely to revive memories of the dysfunctional government she led and the corrupt acts of some of NSW Labor's key players.

Rather than a coup, Keneally's candidacy may prove an own goal for Shorten. Harry Kinread, Brighton The wrong stuff I was horrified to see a photo in the media recently of a boy in kindergarten and the way he held his pen. The pen should point towards the shoulder,which is the healthy and proper way. If you held a pen that way in Europe you would be labelled as a wood chopper. John Mark, Kew

AND ANOTHER THING Surveys and freedoms When voting, should MPs follow their conscience, their party or the decision of the majority in their electorate? Andrew Fawcett, Warrnambool.

I've searched my Bible and cannot anywhere find a prohibition on the sale of flowers for gay weddings. Roger Boyce, Yarraville Two can play the statistics game, John Christiansen (Letters, 18/11). A mere 30 per cent of eligible voters opposed marriage equality. Steve Melzer, Hughesdale The way some "no" voters on same-sex marriage are carrying on you would think it was going to be made compulsory.

Leo Gamble, Mentone Can Parliament find a balance between freedom of religion and freedom from religion? Wendy Knight, Little River Australians are given the opportunity to have their say, deliver an unequivocal instruction to their representatives, and are yet again relegated to their usual role of spectator as the internal battles resume. Gary Sayer, Warrnambool

Gone from the silent majority to the persecuted minority, all in one day? Really Senator Canavan? Dawn Richards, Huntingdale Other matters We have shown that we are a progressive state so let's say yes to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill. For those who are eligible, let's allow them the option to die with less pain and more dignity. Jan Ogle, Mount Waverley

So there may be action on the dodgy dealings of our banks. Just think how much the money wasted on the same-sex marriage survey could have been used to sort out the banks. Doris Leroy, Altona Regarding Donald Trump's turnaround on bringing elephant trophies into the US, the elephant in the room is Donald Trump. Francis Bainbridge, Fitzroy North Cory Bernardi believes in the conservative issues of yesterday and has his own agenda. Is his continual criticism of the handling of today's, worthy of debate?
Email is integral to the way that many of us work. Yet there is no universally accepted standard for its use, which leaves many of us struggling to find strategies that will help us work effectively without also overstressing or causing email fatigue.

There is no shortage of self-help books and time management gurus who argue that email zen is possible. But with so much research being conducted in different fields there is a risk that populist volumes and consultants simply cherry-pick the data and findings to fit their point of view  that is, if their recommendations are even evidence-based at all.

Reports are that workers like the flexibility that email can afford. Credit:iStock

We were commissioned by UK workplace experts ACAS to produce a systematic literature review across the fields of psychology, human-computer interaction and management of the strategies people use to try and deal with the torrent of work email.

What did we find? It became apparent that there is no one-size-fits-all set of strategies that improve both peoples productivity and well-being across job roles and industries.
Pauline Hanson has suspended campaigning on the Queensland election trail to attend the birth of her fifth grandchild.

The One Nation leader left far north Queensland on Sunday morning following the news her daughter had gone into labour.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson with her party's "Battler Bus" in Brisbane. Credit:AAP

Senator Hanson was supposed to join the party's "Battler Bus" in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, on Monday but said she wouldn't miss the happy event for anything.

"I've always said we need to return to family values and this is a moment in every mother's life where you want to be a part of your own daughter's monumental day," she said in a statement on Sunday.
Federal Labor is maintaining its opposition to the government's plan for further cuts to company tax after the treasurer called on CEOs to take up the fight for tax cuts on its behalf.

Treasurer Scott Morrison has written to hundreds of corporate leaders asking for their support.

Scott Morrison has urged companies to support his government's tax cuts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says his party won't budge on the government's proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate to 25 per cent over the next decade.

"We are not going to give multinationals a reduction in their tax. We don't think that's the way to go," Mr Shorten told the Nine Network on Monday.
Wealthy families are turning away from elite private schools, new figures show.

In 2006, just over 40 per cent of students from high-income families were enrolled in government schools. Enrolments in government schools have increased proportionally by almost 7 per cent since then, equivalent to tens of thousands of families, according to figures obtained for Fairfax Media by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

In Victoria, there are now proportionally 12 per cent fewer children in independent schools compared to a decade ago, with an extra 4 per cent of families heading to the Catholic sector, and 8 per cent to government schools.

In NSW, 50 per cent of all families earning over $156,000 a year are now sending their kids to public schools, compared to 43.6 per cent a decade ago. While 27.8 per cent now attend Catholic schools and 22 per cent go to private schools, down from 29 per cent in 2006.
There are fears Australians have become complacent about sun protection, with new research revealing 2.7 million adults are getting sunburnt on weekends because many aren't slipping on a shirt.

The latest Cancer Council National Sun Protection Survey shows that overall the proportion of adults wearing clothing to protect themselves from the sun has decreased from 19 per cent to 17 per cent in the last three years.

Alarmingly, the number of adults getting sunburnt on weekends has steadily increased over the past seven years. The rate of weekend adult sunburn rose from 13 per cent in 2010-11 to 17 per cent in 2016-17.

The state or territory with the highest proportion of adult weekend sunburn was the Northern Territory at 25 per cent, followed by Tasmania (21 per cent) and the ACT (19 per cent).
Melbourne Express, 20, November 20, 2017

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It's a long way from Nowa Nowa to Northcote, but that's where Australia's newest Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's political journey began, in a fight to preserve the natural environment at Boggy Creek Gorge in the East Gippsland scrub.

Ms Thorpe told The Age during the campaign that her career as a grass-roots activist was launched in her early 20s, in the successful bid to stop the Eastern Gas Pipeline being built across the gorge near the Aboriginal community of Lake Tyers.

These days the 800-kilometre pipeline between Longford and Sydney takes a short detour around the gorge.

In that sense Ms Thorpe is a classic Greens politician, in the tradition of party founder Bob Brown, who birthed the party in his campaign against damming Tasmania's Franklin River.
Fentanyl  a synthetic opioid that has caused spates of fatal overdoses across the United States  isn't just a transient drug being trafficked through Nebraska on its way to other states, investigators say.

Illicit versions of the powerful painkiller are showing up on local streets and causing overdoses across Nebraska, proving a game-changer for law enforcement trying to prevent this state from experiencing the epidemic levels of abuse seen in the eastern U.S., authorities said.

"This is not someone else's problem," said Nebraska State Patrol Lt. Jason Scott, who oversees investigations for the Omaha troop area.

Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times the strength of fellow opioid morphine.

Mexican cartels import the drug from Asia, primarily China, and add it to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs in hopes of increasing addiction and boosting their illicit business, federal and state investigators said.

In Lincoln, three men died with fentanyl in their systems during the past two years. Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly says one of those deaths was directly attributed to the drug.

And across the state in Crawford, a state trooper recently overheard a medical call about an unresponsive person at a hotel, went on the call and revived them using an antidote called Narcan to revive someone who had overdosed on fentanyl.

Fentanyl's emergence has slowed testing procedures at Nebraska's crime laboratories, as the drug's potency creates a unique hazard. Those labs saw a threefold increase in cases involving fentanyl and fentanyl variants during the first nine months of 2017, compared with all of last year, the state reported last month.

While other illegal drugs like meth and heroin are bad for human health, they are not hazardous to work with, Scott said. Fentanyl requires investigators to use protective clothing when handling any white powders that might contain traces of the drug.

In Ohio in May, an officer brushed a white powder off his uniform with his bare hand and overdosed at the police station an hour later.

"The days of us cutting into kilos on the side of the road are over," said Scott, who's been involved in drug investigations for 15 of his 19 years as a trooper.

And at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory in Lincoln, the staff keeps Narcan on hand, just in case.

Fentanyl turned up in Nebraska quicker than Scott expected after he saw a nationwide drug alert from an East Cost law enforcement agency two years ago.

A week later, his investigators found fentanyl during an interdiction stop on the interstate.

This state's efforts to combat prescription drug abuse might already be contributing to an increase in fentanyl addiction and overdoses  an unintentional side effect as people replace one high with another. Still, officials hope they can adjust and learn from other states, much like a decade ago when Nebraska took aim at homecooked meth.

"Weve been lucky being a state that doesnt necessarily see these things first," said Pam Zilly, director of the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory.

Celeste Laird, who manages the laboratory's forensic chemistry area, said her team hasn't had any close calls with fentanyl.

But the drug has changed their testing procedures, she said: They now screen tiny amounts of suspicious white substances and forgo weighing suspected fentanyl to prevent even the smallest particles from becoming airborne.

"It cant be just business as normal, Laird said.

Recently, in a sample from a drug seizure, scientists there detected a mixture of caffeine and carfentanil, a synthetic derivative of fentanyl said to be 10,000 times the strength of morphine. It is generally used to tranquilize elephants.

Special Agent Matthew Barden of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Omaha said when drug dealers cut heroin with fentanyl, using amounts equal to a few grains of salt, even those border on lethal dosages.

Meanwhile, the price per kilogram of fentanyl has dropped from as much as $20,000 to around $3,500, he said. Dealers add granular amounts to heroin and other drugs for more lucrative profits.

What shocks the 25-year-veteran drug investigator is that dealers are warning customers to keep a bucket of ice water nearby when they get high, in case someone overdoses, Barden said.

"That is about as inhumane as a human being can be."

Other drugs are being cut with fentanyl too, say DEA agents and other law enforcement in the region. For example, Scott said investigators with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office recently seized marijuana laced with fentanyl.

Law enforcement officials worry the drug market will try to outmaneuver state and federal laws by tweaking the chemical makeup of fentanyl, similar to what has happened with K2 and other forms of so-called synthetic marijuana.

"They would just move a molecule, and all of the sudden they're outside the statute," Scott said.

Last week, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the DEA would schedule all fentanyl analogues and fentanyl-related substances on an emergency basis, speeding up the process outlawing possession, manufacturing and distribution to address this problem.

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office has drafted legislation to update the state's drug laws in a similar way, which lawmakers are expected to consider next year.

While Lincoln hasn't seen the large numbers of overdoses experienced in other communities, that doesn't mean the city is immune, said Kelly, the Lancaster County attorney.

At Lincoln Treatment Center, a woman began treatment there two years ago after a near-fatal overdose: She was addicted to heroin, but didn't know her hit had been laced with fentanyl, said clinic supervisor Mindy Mousel.

And most patients who are trying to subdue their other opioid addictions are encountering the temptation of fentanyl patches being sold illicitly on the street, Mousel said.

Efforts to combat prescription drug abuse could send more addicts to heroin and fentanyl, Kelly said.

But he points to the state's experience in the years after 2005, when lawmakers restricted the sale of the decongestant pseudoephedrine with the goal of crippling meth production at clandestine labs across the state.

Since then, large homegrown meth operations have been largely rooted out, Kelly said.

Officials hope the state's prescription drug monitoring program will have similar effects: reducing illegal diversion of fentanyl and other opioids from medicine cabinets throughout Nebraska, so drug investigators can focus on stopping the importation of drugs from elsewhere.

"It kind of puts it on one front for us rather than battling on multiple angles," said Scott, the State Patrol investigator.

Awareness and vigilance remain key, he and Barden agreed, and Barden said law enforcement can't do enough to warn people about fentanyl and the dangers of illicit use.

"Drugs are bad," he said, "and theyre worse than theyve ever been."
Two men have been shot in Melbourne after a heated argument at a birthday party, police say.

The pair, 19 and 21, had been celebrating a birthday with friends at the Hampton Park Tavern before an argument erupted in the car park, said police spokeswoman Creina O'Grady.

Police are investigating a shooting after a birthday party. Credit:Jason South

Both men were shot when the dispute escalated on early Sunday morning and were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, she said.

No one has been charged over the outer south-eastern suburbs shooting at this time, but police believe the two injured men knew the shooter.
"I have lived here all my life and I've never seen so much destruction."

Kalgoorlie Mayor John Bowler is describing the trail of devastation left by storms that battered the Goldfields region overnight.

Trees fell on homes, cars and powerlines. Credit:ABC Goldfields

You get big storms come through each year, but not like this. It is quite amazing,"

More than 16,000 Kalgoorlie homes and businesses, including Mr Bowler's residence, were left without power after some of the worst weather the town has ever experienced.
Mar del Plata: Hopes that 44 crew members of a missing Argentine navy submarine may be alive rose when the defense ministry said the vessel likely tried to communicate via satellite on Saturday as a search mission was underway in the stormy South Atlantic.

The ministry said seven failed "satellite calls" that it believes came from the ARA San Juan submarine were detected in a likely sign the crew was trying to reestablish contact.

The signals, in the late morning and early afternoon, lasted between four and 36 seconds, the ministry said. Argentina is working on tracing the location with an unnamed company specialising in satellite communications, the ministry said.

It was not immediately clear what type of calls the vessel may have tried to make but submarines that are stricken underwater can float a location beacon known as an EPIRB to the surface that can then emit emergency signals via satellite.
Newark: Democrat Senator Robert Menendez, declared himself back from the political dead, after his months-long bribery trial ended in a mistrial that could spell long-term difficulties for the federal government's ability to pursue corruption cases.

Mr Menendez, a senior lawmaker who has spent years fighting the charges, broke down crying as he addressed cheering supporters outside the courthouse.

Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, speaks to members of the media outside federal court in Newark, New Jersey. Credit:Bloomberg

"Today is Resurrection Day,'' he said. "Anyone who knows me knows I never seek a fight, but I never shy away from one either. This was not a fair fight.''

Now, Mr Menendez said, "I'm going back to Washington to fight for the people of New Jersey.'' And he added an ominous warning: "For those who were digging my political grave so they could jump into my seat, I know who you are and I won't forget it.''
Colombo Sri Lankan police arrested 19 people after a clash between "extremists" from the majority Buddhist and minority Muslim communities in which four people were injured, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Tension has been growing between the two communities this year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.

A house stands vandalized in racial violence. Sri Lankan police said Saturday that more than a dozen people were arrested following racial violence in the country's south that started over a dispute between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims. Credit:AP

Some Buddhists nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of asylum seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.

Police said the late Friday violence in the southern coastal town of Ginthota was triggered by rumours and fake messages on social media.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrives to make his first public appearance, at a graduation ceremony on Friday, since the military put him under house arrest last week. Credit:AP Huge protests followed, and it seemed by Sunday evening that events would finally bring about Mugabe's resignation. The state broadcaster announced that he would address the nation. Emmerson Mnangagwa greets party supporters at the ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare in 2016. Credit:AP Zimbabweans gathered by their televisions. Some news outlets reported that he was about to resign. People discussed how they would celebrate the beginning of a new era.

But Mugabe did not resign. He spoke obliquely about the country's economic challenges and said people could not "ride roughshod over party rules and procedures". He said those matters would be "settled and discussed" at next month's party congress. He said he was aware of a "whole range of concerns", including the economy, which was going through "a difficult patch". Mugabe said his nation resolved differences peacefully and he was happy the pillars of the state remained functional during the military's takeover. He ended his speech saying: "I thank you and good night" without announcing his resignation after 37 years in power.

The army commander who put Mugabe under house arrest just days ago helped the President to turn the pages of his speech. It was a speech that prompted the same questions about Mugabe that Zimbabweans have asked for years. Was he showing signs of senility? Or was he displaying the same shrewd, stubborn ability to defy his critics that has kept him afloat for decades? It was "proof of his psychotic obsession with power", said Fadzayi Mahere, a lawyer and politician. "We must never put ourselves in this place as a nation ever again." Now, Mugabe's critics are trying to sort out another way to unseat him. While the party's vote against him is a sign of its opposition, it does not have any immediate effect on Mugabe's position as President.

The party leaders have control only over their ranks and cannot influence the composition of Zimbabwe's government. Impeachment proceedings in Parliament appear the most likely way forward, but they could take weeks, according to Zimbabwean legal experts, and would leave the country with a power vacuum in the interim. "This is not instant coffee," said Tendai Biti, a lawyer and opposition member. "We can't sacrifice our constitution to get what we want." The chief whip of the ruling party, Lovemore Matuke, said impeachment proceedings would start on Tuesday. After 37 years in power, Mugabe is now technically a leader without a party, his closest allies having been detained by the military.

It is possible that the military will now move to oust Mugabe by force, but so far its commanders have gone out of their way to accommodate him, still referring to him as their commander-in-chief. In a picture taken on Sunday and released by the state-owned newspaper, a general saluted Mugabe while the president stood behind his desk, one of many signs that Zimbabwe was hardly undergoing a textbook coup. The military commanders have appeared intent on giving the public impression that they are not conducting a coup - likely to preserve the veneer of legitimacy that would sustain their relationship with the international community. In its bylaws, the regional bloc of southern African nations includes strong language against coups. Even though Mugabe's rule for years was above the law, many members of Zimbabwe's opposition have shown enormous respect for the country's constitution.

"If the military had run roughshod, it would have lost the support of the people," Mahere said. During Sunday's meeting, the central committee of ZANU-PF, the ruling party, voted to replace Mugabe with former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa and expelled Mugabe's once-powerful wife, Grace, from its ranks. The committee was composed of Mugabe's rivals, some of whom had been forced from ZANU-PF months or years ago. Until Sunday, Zimbabweans had united behind the military's actions, an unpredictable turn of events in a country where security forces have for years cracked down on political dissent. "Zimbabwe's army is the voice of the people," one popular sign read.
Shireen Ibrahim thumbs through the photos on her cellphone until the dark eyes and furrowed brow of the man who sold her into slavery stare back.

She looks away as she pushes the phone across the table, retreating inward from the harrowing memories Abu Ali can conjure.

I never want to see his face, she says, her voice rising in pitch, but I keep it so I can show it to others.

Ibrahim, 31, was freed from captivity two and a half years ago, along with buses full of Yazidis, mostly elderly women and children, even as the so-called Islamic States self-proclaimed caliphate was near the height of its power across Iraq and Syria.

Now living in Lincoln as a refugee, along with approximately 3,000 other Yazidis who have escaped a series of conflicts and genocides in the Middle East to settle in Nebraska, Ibrahim hoped time and distance would be a buffer, helping her forget the torture and abuse she suffered at the hands of the man others in the death cult referred to as emir.

But then Abu Alis face appeared on social media, a screenshot from a news report on civilians fleeing the city of Tel Afar as Iraqi security forces prepared to liberate the ISIS stronghold in August.

A Yazidi woman living in Germany recognized Ali as the man who had sold her multiple times. Others identified him as their tormentor, not as the internally displaced Iraqi he claimed to be.

As soon as I saw his picture, Ibrahim recalled, her story translated from her native Kurdish dialect into English by Gulie Khalaf, I recognized him as the person who caused all my pain.

Alis picture, his thinning hair and broad nose, a dark stare fixed just beyond the camera, is now a testimony to Ibrahims story and to that of thousands of Yazidis who remain in captivity or missing.

Its also a reminder that the justice sought by Yazidis for the atrocities committed against them, including the thousands living in the Capital City, remains elusive, as former fighters of the Islamic State dissipate into the populations they once subjugated, Ibrahim said.

I dont want the truth to disappear.

'It Was a Beautiful Day'

The day before Ibrahim was taken by ISIS was picture perfect, a time for celebration to mark the end of a 40-day fast observed by the most devoted adherents of the Yazidi faith.

Largely based on oral tradition, the Yazidis monotheistic religion predates Judaism and Christianity, and has been practiced on the Nineveh plains of Iraq for thousands of years.

In early August 2014, the Yazidis were preparing for the Ieda Chile Havine, or Feast of the Forty Days of Summer, a day full of fellowship between families and among neighbors, topped by elaborate meals and candies and sweets for children.

It was a very beautiful day, Ibrahim said, telling how she traveled with her brothers and sisters from their sheep and vegetable farm near the town of Rambusi into the city of Sinjar to call on an uncle for the holiday.

As they celebrated, however, ISIS was planning an offensive into the Sinjar district of Iraq, expanding its territories to the areas west of Mosul, after the extremist group had conquered the countrys second-largest city earlier in June.

Ibrahim said like many Yazidis clustered into hamlets and towns surrounding Sinjar, she believed ISIS would simply pass them by.

Yazidis had lived peacefully among Muslims and minority Christians for centuries, and the Kurdish military forces, the Peshmerga, had established a network of checkpoints to help maintain stability throughout the region.

But ISIS had in fact set the Yazidis in its sight, reviving an old, incorrect translation that the faith was a religion of devil worshippers who ought to convert to their brand of Islam or be killed.

The day of the feast celebrating the summer holiday -- Aug. 2, 2014 -- was the last day Ibrahim would be together with family.

The next morning, ISIS attacked the Peshmerga outposts in the Sinjar district, quickly sweeping northward toward an unaware Yazidi population and forcing the Kurdish military to retreat.

Yazidis from the surrounding villages, including Ibrahims uncle, Aato, took up the few weapons available in the early morning hours of Aug. 3 to defend the region, believing the Peshmerga would return with a larger force to rout the Islamists.

The help they waited for would never come. Ibrahim said she was awake on that Sunday morning baking bread when a cellphone rang.

It was a little before 7 a.m. when we got the call from my uncle in one of the other villages saying the forces of Peshmerga had left and that daesh (a derogatory term for ISIS) had entered the village and began killing people, Ibrahim said.

Uncle Aato, who sought to buy time for his family at Girzerik, a village 15 miles away, issued crystal clear directions, Ibrahim said: Get in your cars, lock your doors, and get out.

Grabbing the bread she had baked, along with vegetables and yogurt, Ibrahim left with her sisters, fleeing with another uncle, Khudeda, northward through the city of Sinjar toward the mountain range where the Yazidi people had long sought refuge.

The Sinjar Mountains had been a place for Yazidis to retreat in the face of genocide, its caves among the wooded slopes providing shelter and its wells providing water in the previous 73 genocides against their people dating back to the 13th century.

Ibrahim thought joining the exodus of Yazidis would be temporary, avoiding danger until ISIS either moved on or was pushed back by the Kurdish military.

I was thinking I should grab my parents pictures and take them with us, but my brother said no, we would be coming back quickly after the fighting stops, she lamented. We were thinking the Peshmerga was going to be coming back.

As they fled through the foothills, the pickup Ibrahim was riding in with her sisters broke down along the dusty, winding road, forcing them to walk.

Before they could get much further, three vehicles approached from the opposite direction, blocking the road and forcing them to halt at gunpoint. Islamic fighters ordered the Yazidis to throw out their weapons and turn over their cellphones.

I wasnt sure what to think because I was sure they did not come for the Yazidis, but as it turns out, we were the ones they had come to target, Ibrahim said.

Khudeda, the only one in the family who spoke Arabic, tried to talk to the militants, Ibrahim said, asking for their release before he was silenced by the threat of a gun to his head. ISIS militants ordered the Yazidis into the vehicles and drove them back to Sinjar.

The Spoils of War

The return to Sinjar revealed a different city than the day before. Neighborhoods that had been full of holiday cheer were replaced by ISIS patrols moving between houses to capture Yazidis, herding them into makeshift processing centers, or executing them if they refused.

They were now "sabaya" -- the "spoils of war."

Ibrahim and her family were taken to a wedding hall in Sinjar, a familiar venue full of fond memories, where the men were locked away on the second floor, and the women were pushed into a lush courtyard area in full view of the mountains, the teasing safe haven now out of reach.

Eventually ISIS moved the women to Sinjars civil records office for holding until they could be moved deeper within ISIS territory to more secure locations.

When night fell on the first day, they came and started taking away the girls who were young or pretty, Ibrahim said. My sister Zhara was taken that day, they said to be taught the Quran.

The next two days were full of heartbreak and terror, as extremists pulled apart families, singling out unmarried women to be sold as sex slaves, or children to be forced to learn ISISs warped ideology.

Ibrahim held tight to her nephew Dilhad, 3, the only child of her younger brother Hadi, who had also been captured on the mountain road. The father and son became separated from Dilhad's mother during the family's hurried escape.

As ISIS compiled the names of Yazidis into a registry, Ibrahim and other women claimed younger siblings or nieces and nephews as their own.

At that time, if you were a married woman and part of a family, they would not take you away, she said. When they came, my nephew was sitting on my lap. I began to cry 'This is my child! so they left me alone for a while, but that changed.

In the Prison of Badoush

At dusk the next day, the Yazidis being held at the government office were pushed onto buses with curtains drawn over the windows bound for an unknown destination.

After a few hours, the bus arrived at the prison of Badoush, northwest of Mosul, the site of a massacre of 600 inmates in June 2014 when those who practiced Shia Islam, whose faith contradicts with the theology practiced by ISIS adherents, were executed alongside Kurdish and Yazidi prisoners and pushed into a nearby ravine.

Signs of violence were everywhere inside the prison, Ibrahim said, even though she had never heard of the detention center 70 miles from her home.

It was this dark, dusty place with burned bed bunks and blood all over the place, she said.

More than a thousand Yazidi women are estimated to have been held at the prison, where they were given contaminated water and stale bread.

Sometimes a day or two would pass without food, Ibrahim said, adding several children fell ill from drinking the water.

Dilhad, who had been injured before arriving at the prison, remained under Ibrahim's care, she said. Growing suspicious, ISIS began subjecting women they believed were lying to them about having children to a gynecological examination, according to a United Nations Human Rights Council report.

The extremist group may have intended to keep the Yazidis at Badoush longer, but a barrage of coalition airstrikes rocked the prison walls and shattered its windows, Ibrahim said.

The airstrikes were originally targeted to open up escape routes for Yazidis trapped on Sinjar Mountain, but their scope had expanded in the following days, forcing ISIS to abandon the prison of Badoush.

Reunited with Family, Briefly

The walls of the prison disappeared in the dark as the bus left Badoush, driving westward to Tel Afar, one of the first cities in Iraq to fall under complete control of ISIS earlier that summer.

Tel Afar, a city of roughly 200,000 people, most of them Sunni Muslims, was home to many of ISISs top leaders, including Abu Ali, the man responsible for selling hundreds of Yazidis, including Ibrahim.

Now deep inside ISIS-controlled territory, some 4,000 Yazidi women and children were put into a crowded school. Food and water were scarce, creating a sense of panic, and seemingly at random, militants would carry away Yazidi women.

Two of Ibrahims female cousins were taken by ISIS militants in Tel Afar, causing her to break down crying. The outburst drew the attention of her captors, who beat her mercilessly, breaking a bone in her hand and leaving her unable to walk.

Shortly after the separation, Ibrahim reunited with two other relatives: A brother, Hadi, and a cousin, Khairy, both of whom had convinced ISIS they were married to women being held in the school.

Ibrahim and Khairy maintained the subterfuge that they were a married couple, while Hadi and another of Ibrahims cousins, Nirgas, also tricked ISIS with the scheme.

Reunited, they were moved to another village on the outskirts of Tel Afar named Kasir Almihran, where they were confined to a house, fed dirty rice and salt water and forced to convert to Islam.

For the next month, ISIS would gather the men during the day and put them to work building a mosque, or to teach them to pray in the Islamic way, while the women remained out of sight.

Anyone who tried to escape was executed, Ibrahim said, and the militants "would make sure everyone was aware of it so it became a lesson.

ISIS conducted regular checks of the individual houses in order to record which Yazidis were there, trying to detect which of their captives were trying to deceive them. Chaos and confusion abounded.

Every day we woke up and the men were still among us felt like a rebirth, Ibrahim said. We just never knew how all this would end up and if someone was coming to our rescue.

Despair among Yazidis in the village grew with each passing day. Ibrahim asked her cousin, Khairy, to tattoo her name across her left arm, using milk and ashes as a dye, when the women learned they would be separated from the men once more.

In crude handwriting, he scrawled SHEREN down her forearm.

If they ended up doing something to me and I ended up dying, at least they would recognize my body and know this is me, she said.

Soon after, the Yazidis living in Kasir Almihran were loaded onto dirty dump trucks for the bumpy, nauseating ride to Mosul.

The Slave Market in Mosul

ISIS used another government building in Mosul, which it conquered the same day as Badoush prison in June 2014, as a temporary holding station for the Yazidis, recording the names and relationships of their prisoners one last time.

This time, Khairy was unable to convince the militants that Ibrahim was his wife.

Khairy was begging him, kissing his shoe, pleading with him please leave us alone, Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim was separated from her cousin and nephew, Dilhad, moved to a nearby jail with 13 other women and locked inside a room with windows that had been painted over, keeping them in the dark.

Abu Ali appeared and threw the long black robes worn by Muslim women -- known as abaya -- at the group, ordering them to cover their faces and hands in preparation for a sale.

One of the women being held at the jail had already been traded between militants and quietly explained to the other Yazidi women they were now in a slave market to be sold to fighters across the Middle East, casting a deep depression over the group.

When the Yazidi women were dressed, ISIS militants came to purchase them from Ali, with 11 of the 14 chosen on the first day, Ibrahim said. According to the Human Rights Council's June 2016 brief of the genocide, compiled from interviews with 45 Yazidis, fighters were buying Yazidi women for as much as $1,500.

Ibrahim remained behind along with two other women, including the one who had been previously bought and sold, and another injured in a recent airstrike who had already been purchased and was waiting to be collected.

The ongoing trauma caused Ibrahim to collapse from exhaustion and anxiety. A man ISIS claimed was a doctor diagnosed her as having a stroke.

Ibrahim said in those moments she had resigned herself to death.

I fell down and from that point on decided I was not going to talk, that I was going to be an invalid, she said.

But she also held out a small bit of hope and human dignity.

If I were to die, I would still be among ISIS instead of near my own family. For the sake of my brothers and my family, I wanted to continue living.

Several days went by without anyone coming to purchase Ibrahim, so Ali claimed her as his own.

For four excruciating days, Ali would torment Ibrahim, beating her when she refused to speak or walk, and subjecting her to sexual abuse.

He kept her in a jail cell with a Christian woman also purchased by Ali, who screamed day and night and refused the little food she was given, pouring it over herself instead, Ibrahim said.

Ali had had enough of Ibrahim, who was bruised and bloodied for refusing to speak. He drove her out of the city and through the desert plains of northern Iraq to an outpost near the town of Baaj and traded her to another militant, Haji Mehdi, for a gun.

'We'll Do This Until You Die'

Mehdi sold Ibrahim again shortly after buying her, this time to a Syrian militant named Abu Adil, who took her to Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISISs self-proclaimed caliphate.

Already free to indulge his sadistic streak inside the Raqqa city limits, Adil grew increasingly infuriated by Ibrahims refusal to respond to him or others.

When she refused to eat, daesh fighters would beat her and force her to drink a green, oily liquid -- likely antifreeze -- which continues to upset her stomach and ruin her appetite.

He also ordered Ibrahim to be rolled in blankets and thrown into an alley where ISIS fighters took turns firing their weapons over her body and near her head, an act she said was to intimidate her into breaking her silence.

At that moment, I was for sure they were going to kill me, that I was going to be done with all of this, she said. I felt relief that it was going to be over, but it wasnt. The shots ring in my ears.

A doctor working for ISIS in Raqqa suggested Ibrahim had a cancer preventing her from speaking.

Each day for about a month, Adil would ferry her between his home, where he lived with an Arabic-speaking woman and another Yazidi slave, and the hospital in a black Jeep, where men she was told were doctors would poke and prod her.

As a sinister treatment for the imagined disease, Adil's gang carried Ibrahim into a room in the hospital full of equipment she did not recognize and laid her down, taping wires behind her ears, just below her collarbones, and to her fingertips.

Adil threw a switch and an electric current began to pulse through her body, forcing her vision to go blurry and ripping her in and out of consciousness.

Well do this until you speak or die, he told her in between shocks.

At the end of what Ibrahim believes was a 15-minute period -- it could have been longer, she admits -- she remembers Adil proclaiming his Yazidi slave was dead.

The electricity stopped, but the pain endures.

I am always in pain, Ibrahim says, wiping a tear from her eye. The family I am staying with always asks me to go for walks, but I cant do it.

The Doctor of Mosul

Unable to break her will with electric shocks, Adil grew tired of Ibrahim, selling her to Abu Saleh near the beginning of November 2014. Saleh returned to Mosul with Ibrahim, imprisoning her once more alongside the Christian woman.

At the insistence of another member of ISIS who said he could cure Ibrahim of her maladies, Abu Omar, Saleh rented her away.

Omar brought Ibrahim to his home in Mosul, where the black flag of ISIS hung over the door. She spent 10 days laying on her back. Omar and his wife would feed her intravenously.

Omar tried to convince her to talk, telling her that if she spoke, he could get her to his cousin in Kirkuk who could secure her release to a Yazidi militia near Sinjar, but Ibrahim refused.

The refusal angered Omar and his wife, who drove her to a local hospital, determined to finally cure her of whatever illness was causing her to be mute.

She was wheeled into an operating room filled with strange men as a needle plunged into her arm, causing her to lose consciousness.

Sometime later -- Ibrahim is unsure how much time passed -- she awoke in a darkened room smelling of anesthetic. A sharp pain tore through her stomach, which was now wrapped in a damp mesh of bandages.

Omar, who represented himself as a surgeon, had opened her abdomen with a vertical 6-inch incision below her belly button. A second incision cut horizontally across the first, leaving a ghastly cross-shaped wound.

No one was present to explain what procedure the doctor had performed.

To this day, I have no idea what it is they did or why they did it, she said. I never complained of pain or any kind of illness.

The Long Road to Freedom

Estimating just how long Ibrahim was held in Raqqa and Mosul is an exercise in extrapolating the time spent between periods of torture and unconsciousness.

After the unnecessary surgery and through early spring 2015, she remained under the control of Omar and his family.

Omar grew increasingly paranoid, with hints of an approaching U.S-led offensive to retake Mosul, after American warplanes scattered leaflets across the city's neighborhoods warning civilians to flee ahead of the battle.

"He told me if I started walking and talking, they might be able to get me back to my family," Ibrahim said.

Yazidis who either escaped ISIS or had their freedom purchased by their families reported to the Human Rights Council their captors had been willing to sell the women for amounts ranging between $10,000 and $40,000.

Not knowing the status of her family, Ibrahim was unsure of Omar's intentions, or how he planned to collect a ransom. At one point, she said, he seemed to indicate a plan to turn her over to Kasim Scheso, a Yazidi general who had stopped ISIS's advance in the Sinjar Mountains.

When they left Mosul, however, Omar took Ibrahim north toward Turkey in an apparent attempt to escape, until a well-timed phone call alerted him to coalition forces patrolling the border.

Omar turned around and headed back south, presumably to the cousin in Kirkuk, a journey lasting several days on dusty back roads winding through Iraq.

But coalition forces were also advancing from the south, culminating in a withering deluge of airstrikes by the U.S. and a ground offensive by the Iraqi army in late March that liberated the city of Tikrit.

In abandoning the city, ISIS removed more than 200 Yazidi prisoners in poor health, mostly elderly women and children, to be traded to a Kurdish military commander.

By chance, Omar came upon the bus of Yazidis near the village of Rashidi and released Ibrahim to them as he continued his effort to escape capture by coalition forces.

Ibrahim had spent more than eight months in ISIS captivity, trafficked between Iraq and Syria in the heart of the caliphate.

Now -- along with 215 other Yazidis -- she was free.

A Longer Road to Recovery

The Yazidi prisoners were turned over to Peshmerga forces southwest of Kirkuk on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.

A photographer captured an image of Ibrahim that day, still dressed in a long, dark robe, a hand pressed against her forehead, her expression reflecting the atrocities she experienced.

While some of the Yazidis were immediately released to family in the city about 180 miles north of Baghdad, most were taken to the Kurdish capital of Erbil for medical examinations, including Ibrahim.

The Yazidis were later taken to Lalish, a sacred shrine and pilgrimage destination for the Yazidi faithful about 35 miles northeast of Mosul.

It was at the Yazidis' holiest place Ibrahim was reunited with her youngest brother, Qahtan, who had escaped ISIS with the family's herd of sheep the previous August.

"Any time Yazidis would be released from captivity, they were taken to the holy site and my brother Qahtan would be there," she said, waiting to see if family members were among the freed.

Together with her brother, Ibrahim traveled to Dohuk, a Kurdish city in northern Iraq about the size of Lincoln at the hub of a series of refugee camps for those escaping ISIS and the Syrian civil war.

She was now one of the nearly 15,000 people living in the Bajid Kandala refugee camp along the Tigris River, a collection of buildings and tents thousands of Yazidis who fled the Sinjar region were now calling home.

Ibrahim slowly recovered from her physical injuries over the next 14 months inside the camp, revealing her part of the greater tragedy touching all Yazidis piece by piece.

Captivated by her story, and with the help of Yazda, a U.S.-based relief organization for Yazidis, Ibrahim was provided with a humanitarian visa by the United Nations to share her harrowing tale.

Ibrahim now works with UN Goodwill Ambassador Nadia Murad and other Yazidi women to spread awareness of the ongoing genocide against their people.

Her media appearances reached Lincoln, where the largest concentration of Yazidis living in the U.S. saw one of their own needing help and a new community.

"A couple of my sisters invited her to come to our house here in Lincoln after hearing her story on TV," said Khalaf Hesso, a Yazidi who lives in Lincoln and runs his own interpreting service.

Ibrahim has integrated into Nebraska's Yazidi community, particularly among those living in the intimate neighborhood surrounding West Lincoln Elementary, where several large families have settled.

About two months ago, Ibrahim began attending the Grandma Project, a program coordinated by Gulie Khalaf to teach Yazidi women English and help them live independently.

Ibrahim plans to seek asylum status in the U.S., and through the Grandma Project, pick up enough English to earn a driver's license.

Wounds That Won't Heal

A doctor in Dohuk speculated ISIS may have stolen one of Ibrahims kidneys to sell on the black market, but a second opinion determined all of her organs remain intact.

Its just another unanswered question in a long series of question marks Ibrahim and other Yazidis, now spread out across Europe and North America, have grappled with since Aug. 3, 2014.

I would like to find out what happened to me, she said. We need to know why all this happened.

Just as bad as the lingering physical pain is the mental anguish Ibrahim lives with despite the stoic face she puts on every day, echoes from the months of beatings and torture and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of several men practicing a corrupted theology.

Ibrahim swallows tears once more, explaining her greatest grief is the unknown status of so many members of her family.

Her brother, Hadi, remains missing, as does her cousin, Khairy, who pretended to be her husband to fool ISIS. The whereabouts of nearly 20 other relatives are also unknown.

Then there are the free ones who are not living any kind of life either, she adds.

Following his release to a refugee camp in March, Dilhad, once a spoiled and happy little boy, is now a frightened and confused 6-year-old who regularly lashes out against his mother.

Qahtan, her youngest brother, often calls from the Bajid Kandala camp. Each conversation is underwritten with anxiety as he describes how four of their female relatives await word from their husbands who were taken by ISIS three years ago.

Sometimes, he calls me crying, saying there is no news. I just dont know what to do, Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said while the coalition forces shattering the caliphate ISIS sought to establish should be welcome news, the justice sought by so many unnamed and forgotten Yazidis against men like Ali, Mehdi, Adil, Saleh and Omar is unfulfilled.

She hopes that in telling her story, the truth of what happened to the Yazidis won't disappear.

"Even if daesh is finished off, it doesn't matter as long as those who committed the crimes are not held accountable," Ibrahim said. "I want justice for my brothers, my uncles, everyone who is in captivity.

"That's what keeps me going."
Love old or unusual movies but never know when they're on? Here are several I recommend:

Rififi (1955): Jules Dassin was one of Hollywood's most talented directors when he was drummed out of the business by the infamous blacklist around 1950. So he set up shop in Paris and made one of the slickest and most memorable caper thrillers ever delivered, Rififi. The plot is straight out of the film noir tradition Dassin had employed so successfully back in America -- an angry ex-con puts together a motley group of experts to plan a heist on a jewelry store. The robbery is a jewel in itself: it takes 30 minutes of the movie, and every excruciating detail is performed without a word of dialog. The robbery was so well-planned, in fact, that the movie was banned in some countries because it was seen as a virtual "how-to" manual for would-be robbers. This film, like Dassin's later classic Topkapi, is one of those movies that gets copied over and over. Watch and enjoy the original.

Turner Classic Movies, 1 a.m. Tuesday

Thunder Bay (1953): One of James Stewart's lesser-known efforts from the '50s is this Louisiana tale of oilmen vs. shrimpers. Stewart plays a man whose offshore oil drilling platform riles up the local fishermen. Since it's a movie, further complications between the two groups ensue because of a budding romance between Steward and the daughter of a shrimper (Joanne Dru). Lots of location filming in Morgan City and New Orleans give this melodrama a nice feeling of authenticity.

Turner Classic Movies, 8:15 a.m. Wednesday

Where The Day Takes You (1991): There's a lot of talent on display in Mark Rocco's epic about runaway teens in Hollywood. They come from such bad-news homes that a life of homeless panhandling and drug addiction seems preferable to what they're escaping. King (Dermot Mulroney) is their sort-of leader, and one of the only ones who stays away from the drugs. The other survivors include Sean Astin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Balthazar Getty, Ricki Lake, Will Smith and others. The flashy cast does a lot with very tough material.

Now streaming on Netflix.

Airplane II: The Sequel (1982): While it didn't have the same genius creative team that the original had, I still think this is a funny follow-up to Airplane! Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty are back, but this time the stakes are higher: We're not on an airplane, we're on a passenger space shuttle. Now, I'd be lying if I didn't say I have an extra soft spot in my heart for this movie because my friend Elisa Goodman is in it (she's the psychiatric nurse wearing the "I Heart Sanity" T-shirt). But trust me, the movie is a barrel of laughs,

Now available on Amazon Prime Video.

Trivia Question #712: Which of this week's performers' father was kidnapped when he was 16 years old?

Answer to Trivia Question #710: Oscar-winner Kim Hunter played Zira, a chimpanzee scientist in the first three Planet of the Apes movies.

Bryan native Ray Ivey is a writer and movie fan in Hollywood, Calif. He would love to hear from you at rayivey@ca.rr.com. You can also visit his blog at www.starkravingray.com.
The principal at Henderson Elementary learned just how fast she can sprint when she was notified that one of her teachers had collapsed.

"Our secretary told me someone came to get the defibrillator, so I just ran," said principal Danielle Legg.

Minutes before on the morning of Oct. 13, the school nurse, Meredith Armagost, had hustled to Alex Bryant's classroom, the farthest room from the front office. She was told Bryant had fainted while her kids were at recess, but when she arrived, she knew instantly something was seriously wrong.

"I could tell right away I needed help," she said of seeing Bryant facedown on the floor.

Her breathing was erratic, and soon she lost her pulse.

Road to recovery

Bryant's family later found out that she had a stroke sometime between a 10:30 a.m. text Bryant's mother sent her and the 11:20 a.m. call she got explaining that her daughter was going to be life-flighted to Houston.

Bryant spent more than two weeks in an intensive care unit, and a month after the traumatic event, Bryant's family says she is able to speak clearly and is undergoing physical and speech therapy in Houston. In Bryan, the close-knit Henderson community is still coping with nearly losing a colleague and friend.

Phyllis Nordstrom, her mother, said it is hard to tell when her daughter will be fully recovered -- it could be weeks, months or a year -- but doctors are generally positive about the speed of her recovery.

"Alex is just responding by working hard and being enthusiastic about all she has to do to get well," she said.

In the meantime, staff at Henderson have started pinning blue ribbons to their shirts in honor of Bryant and her favorite color. Armagost and some teachers gather from time to time to pray for Bryant as well.

"We've had a lot of outpouring, Legg said. "When you suffer a traumatic event, you just want to do something to help."

One student was adamant that he wear a tie for an entire week as a kind of tribute to his teacher and students from Bryant's class have sent letters, says Nordstrom, who has been staying with her daughter at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston.

Nordstrom said these hand-written notes have meant the most to Bryant.

"Alex was so devoted to her students," she said. "She always wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl. I used to love hearing her talk about her students. She loved to talk about her students."

Legg and Armagost say the regular updates Nordstrom has texted out have helped them cope with the shock and fear that followed Bryant's stroke.

"You get up like it's a normal day," she said. "Then it's not."

Nordstrom said she sent these updates to Legg and others two to three times each day her daughter was in the intensive care unit. She says that as things got a little easier, she started texting a little less. She said she sends an update once or twice a week now.

"I was sending out updates frequently, because I know how much they care about Alex and they wanted to know," she said. "I realized later how much it helped me...to work through emotional issues by being in constant communication with people who were so supportive."

Nurse of the Month

The district gave a special Nurse of the Month award to Armagost, whose fast response is part of the reason Bryant is still alive today.

Focusing on her prewritten speech to stop herself from tearing up, Legg presented the award to her before the school board this month.

"She saved her life," she said. "Meredith is just a very special person. She just -- the way she greets kids and staff, she's just such a blessing."

Wearing her own blue ribbon this week, Armagost said she's just glad she was able to help. She said decades of experience kicked in at the time. But once she passed Bryant off to the medical responders, she, like the rest of campus, went through a kind of grief.

"I look at my nursing as a ministry, so I was really at peace," Armagost said of taking care of Bryant. "Afterward, I was shook up -- I was really grateful when 911 came."

She said campus still really misses Bryant, especially her students.

"I look forward to seeing her on campus," Armagost said. "It might not be for work, but I look forward to it."

It's not clear when this will be, but Legg is encouraged by every update.

"Her recovery helps us recover," said principal.
The Texas A&M University System's RELLIS Campus is set to take a big step this week toward its inaugural semester next fall with the first information session for one of its forthcoming academic programs.

The first of what are expected to be several announced programs to come, the business department at Blinn College will offer associate of science degrees in business and accounting, which are designed to provide a smooth transition into the bachelor of business administration degree program offered by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Blinn and A&M-Corpus Christi will offer information sessions Monday for the programs.

Max Hibbs, dean of mathematics, business, engineering and technology at Blinn, said working with A&M-Corpus Christi has been am an overwhelmingly positive experience.

"It's very gratifying that Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has bought so strongly into the program," Hibbs said. "They're really anxious and they see it as a great opportunity for them, for our students, for everybody involved. It's just a great situation They've bought in wholly."

A&M University-Corpus Christi College of Business Dean John Gamble said the university is "excited to be part of the collaborative effort."

Gamble said Blinn's "fine reputation" and large student population provide a strong opportunity to bring the business and accounting programs at A&M-Corpus Christi to a new group of people it may not have reached otherwise.

Even taking a step back to the larger picture of the campus, Gamble said he and his colleagues are "excited about the whole RELLIS concept."

"It's a brand new consortium campus based upon the RELLIS values, which our programs really reflect," Gamble said. "We have courses like our social entrepreneurship in our accounting program where we do volunteer tax preparation services The RELLIS values, we embrace them here in Corpus Christi, and we felt like it was just a natural fit to be at the RELLIS Campus."

By working together, Hibbs said the offerings of both Blinn and A&M-Corpus Christi are designed to provide a "seamless" experience for students so that there are no lost or repeated credits in the pursuit of a bachelor's degree.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for students to get a four-year degree without having to leave the area," Hibbs said.

Gamble said he is also excited to see a blend of faculty members teaching on the campus, with some bringing academic expertise and others bringing practical experience.

He said as the program grows they will be "wanting to draw upon the intellectual resources of the Bryan-College Station area to have people with significant [practical] experience be able to teach courses" alongside the academic and research-focused faculty members.

James K. Nelson, assistant vice chancellor and director of Special Academic Initiatives at the RELLIS Campus, said Monday's information sessions are important as a concrete, public-facing step toward the academic future of the campus.

"The academic offerings on the RELLIS Campus are something that are real," Nelson said. "To this point, there has been a lot of talking going on, a lot of planning that's been going on [and] with this announcement coming out, with the information sessions that A&M-Corpus Christi and Blinn are hosting together here in Bryan-College Station, it is really saying this is real. We've told you it was coming and it's here."

The 2,000-acre RELLIS Campus was first announced in May 2016 by A&M System Chancellor John Sharp as a high-tech multi-institutional research, education, testing and workforce development hub. Formerly known as the Riverside Campus, it is located off Texas 21 and Texas 47 within Bryan's extraterritorial jurisdiction in west Brazos County.

Blinn will provide the lower-level courses to students studying at RELLIS while four-year A&M System institutions -- including A&M-Corpus Christi Texas A&M International University, Prairie View A&M University, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University-Central Texas and Texas A&M University-Texarkana -- provide the upper-level courses.

According to A&M officials, any funding collected through semester credit hours taken at the RELLIS Campus will be received by the institutions that offer the degrees and enroll students.

Once enrolled in one of the participating A&M System institutions, students studying on the campus will be able to take courses from that university and any of the others as well -- the credit for which would then be transferred to count toward their chosen degree program.

Academic facilities available to students studying on the campus will include the 83,000-square-foot Blinn education center -- set to open with the arrival of students next fall -- and the A&M-System's 112,460-square-foot Gateway Education Center complex, which is set to break ground in fall 2018 with completion expected for the fall 2020 semester.

For the students who choose to be the first to study on the RELLIS Campus, Nelson said he hopes it will be an opportunity to have experiences in their education that they may not have otherwise been able to have elsewhere.

Nelson said just getting students on the new campus is an exciting milestone he is looking forward to seeing.

"I've been in higher education a long time and having students show up to pursue something that looks good to them is just really exciting," he said.

The RELLIS campus academic programs are pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The program information sessions will be on the Blinn campus in Bryan from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in room D-139 and 1:30-2:30 p.m. in room F-224.

For more information or to sign up, email busi@blinn.edu.
The four Texas A&M students who made up the Full Immersion team at this weekend's Aggies Invent competition may have just met, but they were already working to come up with a solution to a real-world problem.

Working with virtual reality, the three undergraduates and one graduate student created a virtual showroom where potential car buyers could figuratively kick the tires without ever leaving their home -- something that could help car dealerships spur sales.

"I liked that this problem statement had to do with cars," said team member Anthony Vazhapilly, a senior studying aerospace engineering. "Cars are very visual, so this is perfect for virtual or augmented reality apps."

Aggies Invent, which kicked off Friday and will wrap up today, features 10 teams of four to six A&M students who are provided with supplies from the department of engineering and software, work stations and virtual reality headsets. They have only had from Friday night till early this afternoon to create a prototype, organize a presentation and film a marketing video for their creation -- which could potentially be patentened or picked up by major companies.

Professionals from businesses, universities, medical practices and nonprofits mentor small teams of students as they are provided with the tools to establish a project in less than three days. Advisers from computer technology giant Dell and Accenture, Nvidia, Intel and Unity are also on site to answer questions and offer advice as teams selected need statement prompts and formed their ideas.

"These are real needs provided by industries that Dell wants to implement in [virtual and] augmented reality," said Stephanie Courtright, program specialist for Engineering Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M.

Full Immersion's idea would allow customers to put on a virtual reality headset and view vehicles in a virtual setting. They could interact with the car or truck, opening and closing doors and hatches and view the automobile from all angles, inside and out.

Team Member Justin McGinnity, a junior mechanical engineering student, explained that he and Cody Piercey, a junior industrial distribution engineering student, were busy designing the marketing plan for the project, while Vazhapilly and graduate student Ninad Sapate worked with developing the user interface on Saturday afternoon.

The prize for winning the competition today, which will be judged by Dell and Accenture staff, as well as an A&M professor, will be either free laptops or hundreds of dollars in cash, based on the degree of victory. But for Full Immersion, the goodies received wouldn't be the real takeaway.

"I really want to focus more on making an impact on the judges, rather than just winning the contest," Sapate said.

A team known as BioViz focused not on cars but on medical science. The six undergraduate students on the team looked at the problem of disorganized patient information at clinics and hospitals, hoping to use augmented reality to streamline chart reading and the diagnostic process. They hope to develop an application that allows doctors, nurses and hospital staff to visualize a patient's wounds and symptoms without the patient even being present, and have patient chart information available by simply glancing at that individual.

"I think this has a huge field of application," said team member Evon Looper, a senior biomedical engineering major. "There are many things we can focus on, and if we're successful, this can have big implications, maybe not so much even in the AR sphere, but just for patient data collection"

Over the course of the weekend, the team is learning how to work together toward a common goal.

"Eventually we'll be banging out Nobel Prize-winning ideas and award-winning technology," joked team member Alejandro Arroyo, a junior studying multidisciplinary engineering technology.

Though Arroyo joked, it's possible that BioViz's project -- or any creations from teams participating this weekend -- could be picked up and patented by a major company. Aggies Invent has a close relationship with the university's career center, and the achievements that come from Aggies Invent often don't go unnoticed by the outside world, said Courtright.

"We've actually had students get hired for internships during Aggies Invent," she noted.

Students' projects will be evaluated early this evening, and results announced soon after. To follow the competition, follow Engineering and Entrepreneurship on Twitter at twitter.com/EEP_TAMU, or follow the 'Aggies Invent' channel on YouTube as they live stream.
Patsy "Pat" Waring October 25, 1926 - November 12, 2017 Our sweet mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Patsy "Pat" Jane Waring, of College Station, Texas, passed away on November 12, 2017. A Memorial Service celebrating Pat's life will be held December 3, 2017 at A&M United Methodist Church at 1:30 pm. Pat was born October 15, 1926 to Simon and Mozelle Pecht in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in Houston. She attended Texas State College of Women and worked as a stenographer. On August 30, 1947, she married Henry (Hank) Clay Waring, who was attending Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine at the time. After Hank graduated, he and Pat, lived in Galveston for a year. Then they moved to Houston and set up Greens Bayou Animal Clinic. They lived in Houston 54 years. After the death of her dear husband in November 2001, Pat moved to College Station. Pat was an active member of A&M United Methodist Church where she volunteered. She also volunteered for The Wesley Foundation and The George Bush Library. She is survived by her sons and their spouses, Carolyn and Mike Waring of Vicksburg, Mississippi and Sonia Kjos and Steve Waring of Two Harbors, Minnesota; her daughters and their spouses, Marianne and Ray James of College Station, Texas and Liz and Bill Gray of Cypress, Texas; 9 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The family would like to thank the families and staff of A&M United Methodist Church for their support, the staff of Bluebonnet Place and Compassionate Care Hospice for their care and support and Dr. Barry Solcher, Orthopedic Surgeon. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to A&M United Methodist Church, H. C. Waring, DVM '45 Endowed Scholarship, # 0433570, or A&M Corp of Cadets. Share condolences at CallawayJones.com
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In Amazon reviews accompanying a listing for a workhorse kitchen knife sold by Wusthof, an overwhelming majority of some 275 buyers had raves for the blade  save for one anonymous individual who gave it a one-star rating last February after carping about what arrived in the mail.

Righteous feedback, or an ulterior motive at play? In Norwalk these days, a fast-growing company is helping companies large and small discover just that.

Under founders Fred Dimyan and David Veber, Potoo Marketing is helping product manufacturers keep tabs on the swelling ranks of third-party businesses and individuals selling their products on Amazon and other websites, with the goal of ensuring their reputation stays intact despite multitudes of rogue resellers operating outside the bounds of their control.

Potoo eyes not just standard business issues like how many vendors are selling a certain product and by extension their pricing, promotion and performance fulfilling orders; but also situations more malicious in nature, such as identifying Amazon sellers who purchase products from rival vendors in order to smear them on Amazon reviews.

Integral to the ecosystem

Potoo  the first syllable is pronounced like pot  takes its name for an Amazonian bird that blends in with its surroundings to be virtually invisible to the naked eye, and which is integral to the rain forests ecosystem. The company says it serves the same purpose for online selling channels like Amazon.

The company came about as a result of Veber calling up his former PepsiCo colleague Fred Dimyan for advice on how to increase Amazon sales for a Long Island company where Veber was a senior executive, which at the time was underperforming on Amazon. In the course of the conversation, Dimyan and Veber came to realize a viable business model could be built by vetting Amazon sellers for brand companies, in exchange for a small percentage of any gains in sales as a result of their intercession.

He said, Well, would you do it for a percentage? Dimyan recalled Veber saying. And a lightbulb went off in my head.

In three years, Potoo has grown to 25 employees in a Norwalk with space sufficient to triple that number by the arrival of the 2018 holiday season. Dimyan said the company will likely seek venture capital financing to help it expand.

For manufacturers, Potoo can help brands gain better control over the merchants who are selling their products on Amazon, and the legitimacy of the suppliers they are using. In any such instances of bad behavior Potoo discovers, it reports the infraction to Amazon, which then can act on it, asking them to change their practices or booting them from its websites if they do not.

The companys role as an Amazon traffic cop generates resistance from third-party sellers whose actions Potoo discovers, Veber acknowledged.

Were calling out their bad behavior, Veber said. Theyve never had anybody shine the light on what theyre doing and they want to be left alone. (Our) guys are getting messages all day long ... (including) Im not responding to you.

A privilege

More than 400 million distinct products are listed for sale on Amazon today  by comparison Walmart.com has less than 150,000  with Dimyan estimating the website adds a thousand sellers daily. Dimyan said Potoo today analyzes transactions approaching $1 billion in sales annually on Amazon and other websites.

Dimyan said Potoo provides services today for seven of the 10 largest brands sold on Amazon. Dimyan and Veber declined to provide identities of its customers, but has previously revealed Wusthof as a client, the German cutlery maker that has a distribution center in South Norwalk.

And the company has a significant presence in another well-known business contingent  startups featured on the ABC show Shark Tank, with Potoo having helped more than five dozen increase their sales. The sales channel came about after the founder of The Smart Baker turned to Potoo for help selling the apron he developed imprinted with a cooks measurement conversion chart. After sales jumped sevenfold with Potoos help, he alerted others to his experience with Potoo on a social media page for Shark Tank participants.

Selling on Amazons not a right  its a privilege, Dimyan said. All we do is give enough substantiating information to Amazon to act on that seller.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
STRATFORD  Protecting Long Island Sound isnt just a shoreline concern  it is an effort that extends from the coast of Connecticut to the tip of New Hampshire.

That is the extent of the Long Island Sound watershed. The nitrogen in a bag of fertilizer spread on a lawn in White River Junction, Vt., will eventually find its way into the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound.

That is why the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation late last week announced $1.2 million in grants that will fund mostly small-scale projects throughout the vast New England watershed.

The money was matched by another $1 million-plus from the various agencies and foundations that will receive the grants.

The check-passing ceremony took place on Stratford Point in the clubhouse of what used to be the Remington Arms Gun Club until the mid-1980s. Now the building is operated by the Connecticut chapter of the National Audubon Society  and it is where Sacred Heart University is operating an ongoing effort to improve beach habitat.

Were trying to understand this body of water and the changes that are taking place in it because of climate change, said Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert Klee. Its happening  its showing up in the 30 years of data that we have.

Klee said species found in the Sound today make Long Island Sound look more like a mid-Atlantic fishery rather than a New England fishery. He said ocean levels are expected to rise by about 2 feet by 2050, just 32 years from now.

The flooding events will have a more significant impact, he said. And our new normal is significant rain events  which is why we have to invest in ways to control stormwater runoff.

The projects funded in Thursdays announcement range from building stormwater runoff basins to creating pollinator habitats in inner-city schools. The grants are part of the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, a project of NFWF, EPA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, all of which has invested more than $15.4 million in the Sound since 2005.

There are 20 of the projects in the latest batch of NWFW/EPA grants. The smallest is a $20,000 grant to the Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven to teach people in the inner city about the impact of storm runoff; the largest is a $369,000 award to fund stormwater runoff infrastructure in 12 south-central Connecticut communities from Bethany to Milford.

The others will be seen in scores of other towns and cities throughout the region, including Greenwich, Stratford, West Haven and Westport.

Theres multiple sources of nitrogen throughout New England and one of the biggest issues were facing in nutrient pollution  both nitrogen and phosphorus, said Deborah Szaro, acting regional administrator of the EPAs New England Region. It comes from waste treatment plants, fertilizer runoff  the list goes on. This is why the Futures Fund is so important, because it funds education both for kids and for adults.

jburgeson@ctpost.com
Lawmakers hadnt yet finished voting on the long-delayed, $41.3-billion state budget last week, when the spending package sprung another leak: a projected $178-million shortfall in the first year of the biennium.

But after dealing with three consecutive years of below-expected tax collections, topped by a massive, $5 billion deficit that delayed a bipartisan budget compromise more than four months into the fiscal year, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and lawmakers agreed they would likely deal with the latest deficit sometime in early 2018, possibly after the General Assembly gathers again in February.

They said that with the huge deficit handled through close, bipartisan cooperation, the smaller, budding deficit can be handled easier.

Therere only 60 days until we start in February, said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. Well get a better handle on some of the revenue pictures after the December and January reports come in.

Duff said that $100 million of the deficit is anticipated federal funding, which has not arrived.

Were a prisoner, held hostage by whats happening in Washington right now, especially since were so tied into Wall Street, he said. I think we have to let the budget play itself out over the next few months and see what happens.

Obviously we have to be ready to react when it becomes necessary, said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven. Were already into November. If it becomes necessary, potentially we could perhaps do something in January, if the need is evident at that point.

Republican Senate Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said he is particularly concerned about last weeks revenue forecast that showed a $34-million shortfall in projections on those filing withholding taxes.

That leads me to be believe there has been a decrease in wages paid, or those who left the state were the higher income folks, said Fasano. If we have a deficit, we need to come in right away ... If you wait and you wait and you wait, you get in deeper and deeper.

Peter Gioia, chief economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said last week that if Connecticut could fill the 25,000-to-30,000 skilled, good-paying jobs that are vacant right now, the additional tax revenue would help the states budget picture and spark the stagnant economy.

The challenge that we have is that weve been seeing now, for about three years, disappointments in revenue collections, he said, stressing that it might take a couple more years before the structural changes recently approved by the General Assembly to start paying dividends. We still have the migration of high-wealth individuals. People dont decide to move to Florida in a week. They plan for years.

The good news for business, he said, is that legislative leaders proved they can work together and tackle a massive budget deficit with no major tax increases.

Malloy on Friday angered legislative leaders by announcing more than $880 million in so-called lapses and holdbacks: funding cuts that the new budget shifts to his responsibility.

These holdbacks represent real, difficult decisions that the bipartisan budget agreement requires state government to make, said Ben Barnes, secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. But they're also necessary in order to give taxpayers, businesses, and bondholders the stability they need and deserve.

Weve got to meet some extraordinary lapses that were just added on to yesterday, Malloy told reporters Thursday, the day after the House put the finishing touches on the two-year spending plan. To meet those lapsed targets were going to meet some holdbacks on the expenditure sides. Were done a lot of work over the last seven years to address the problems that prior legislatures and prior governors set up and put the state in. It doesnt make you popular to clean up the mess, but it is necessary.
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NORWALK  Officials from Norwalk and four other Fairfield County communities are eager to showcase their communities to New York City businesses interested in relocating.

The costs are lower here in every way you look at it, said Elizabeth Stocker, Norwalks director of economic development. And we have what they need to conduct business here in terms of an infrastructure. That is our goal: to attract some businesses from New York.

Chief-elected officials from Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport and Fairfield pitched their communities during a Fairfield County Five event at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan on Nov. 2. Stocker and Mayor Harry Rilling represented Norwalk at the event.

The goal is to generate interest in Norwalk and the other four communities in Fairfield County to show that what we have to offer is more affordable and easily accessible, Rilling said. With the information that was presented we got a lot of comments from people saying, I didnt know that. I think theyre interested. We whet their appetites, we planted the seed and well see what grows.

The five communities will learn next month if their pitch was successful. Theyve tentatively set Dec. 8 as the date to give interested companies, or their bidders, a tour of sites within their respective communities.

We will go ahead and bring anyone who does contact us, Stocker said. We expect that the people that were there (Nov. 2) for this presentation will then go back to their folks and talk.

Stocker said about 60 people attended the presentation and luncheon in Manhattan, including attorneys, representatives of a start-up company, and site finders that help companies find new homes.

Presenters included Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith, Rilling from Norwalk, Stamford Mayor David Martin, Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe, Fairfield First Selectman Michael Tetreau and C. Yvonne Hickey, general manager of the Public Sector of Excellence at Xerox.

They cited cost, connectivity, human and financial capital, community and culture as five reasons for companies now based in New York City to pull up their stakes and move to Fairfield County.

The overall cost of living in Fairfield County is 40 percent less than that in Manhattan and Boston. The average asking rent for office space in the five towns is almost half that of Manhattan ($40 versus $73 per square foot), according to Fairfield County Five.

Fairfield County offers easy access to New York City with express train trips as short as 40 minutes. Connecticut is ranked No. 1 nationally for its educated workforce, near the top for employee productivity, and is home to the worlds largest hedge funds, including Bridgewater. The five towns are ranked among the safest in the United States, have a diverse housing stock, a mix urban and suburban living, and offer their residents parks, hiking trails, live theater and music, according to Fairfield County Five.

The chief-elected officials brought their respective economic development directors to the Nov. 2 event.

Stamford Director of Economic Development Thomas Madden cited Sema4  a spinoff company of Mount Sinai Health System  as one of the most recent companies to relocate to Stamford. He hopes more will follow. The city has developed a new economic development website (www.choosestamford.com) aimed at site selectors, commercial real estate agents, human resources managers and companies looking to learn more about Stamford and how their company fits into the city, he said.

At the same time, Madden noted that Stamford is working as part of a team with the four other communities.

The Fairfield Five is one of the events that we are using as a regional approach to economic development, Madden said.

In recent years, Fairfield County has made gains but also suffered losses landing or keeping major employers.

Charter Communications, which moved from St. Louis to Stamford in 2012, recently announced that it would stay in Stamford by relocating its headquarters from 400 Atlantic St. to the downtown Gateway Harbor Point complex. The move would double the companys Connecticut contingent by adding 1,100 jobs.

Last year, General Electric relocated its senior executives to Boston from its Fairfield headquarters, but moved many staff to its Norwalk location.

Fairfield County Five will not give up on its recruiting effort if there are no takers for the December tours. That means more trips to New York City and additional tour dates in Fairfield County, according to Stocker.

At this point were looking at a more likely date of being in April when we do another event, Stocker said. Right now, the five of us and the state are continuing to talk and were meeting on pretty regular basis.

Paul Schott and Alex Soule contributed to this story.
NORWALK  The Registrar of Voters Office will lead a hand count of ballots cast at Fox Run Elementary School during Norwalks municipal elections Nov. 7.

The school, which is the polling place for District E3, was among 34 precincts statewide selected randomly by the Connecticut Secretary of the States Office to verify the integrity of local election results.

Stuart Wells, Norwalks Democratic registrar of voters, said the recount will take place Monday, Nov. 27, starting at 10 a.m., at City Hall, 125 East Ave.

Were just checking that the tabulator worked correctly, so we pick the ballots that ran through the tabulator and count them by hand and see that it matches up with the tabulator, Wells said. Theres always a few close cases where the oval wasnt filled in.

He said the recount will entail hand-counting 1,514 ballots that went through the tabulator at Fox Run Elementary School. Three races will be checked.

It will take most of the day because youve got to do one race, then the next race, then the next race, Wells said.

On Tuesday, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill joined students from Wethersfield High School to randomly select the voting precincts that will have election results audited after the Nov. 7 municipal elections.

Under state law, five percent of the polling places in the election using optical scan voting machines are subject to an audit. Six hundred seventy-seven precincts used optical scan voting machines in the recent election, and 34 precincts were chosen to have their results audited, according to Merrills office.
Beginning in 1788, Congress was empowered to establish post offices and post roads. As communities developed, one of the first signs was a post office opening. As each settlement began, a handful of individuals became responsible in many roles since there were frequently few qualified candidates available.

Omahas first postmaster was just that sort of man with multiple talents.

Alfred D. Jones was born in 1814 in Philadelphia and by the 1850s had settled in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he performed the citys initial survey. As the prospect of legally settling across the Missouri River in what would become the Nebraska Territory beckoned, Jones was among the many who staked out land there.

In November 1853, Jones, along with Thomas and William Allen, contractors working for the Council Bluffs & Nebraska Ferry Co., borrowed a leaky scow. "While one rowed, one steered and the other bailed, they crossed the river, landing south of what later would be Omaha City.

Although U.S. Indian Agent George Hepner told them they could not legally claim land until the Indian title had been extinguished, Jones staked out about 40 acres near the ultimate site of Herman Kountzes home.

In an apparent move to cement his land claim, Jones applied for a post office in the spring of 1854. At about the same time and before a claim club had formed, a man named Veuneau settled on Jones claim. Jones then hired Cam Reeves of Council Bluffs to physically remove Veuneau, which he accomplished, albeit with some bloodshed.

In July 1864, Jones was elected judge in the quickly formed claim club, which resulted in several years of strongly debated legal cases, often resulting in physical contact.

With the help of Iowa congressman Bernhart Henn, Jones was appointed Omaha Citys first postmaster by President Franklin Pierce on May 4, 1854, although the exact date is a floating target. The first letter received in the city was reportedly one addressed to Jones regarding a postal route to and through the city.

The Omaha Arrow then announced that Jones would distribute mail at Mr. Clancys provision establishment every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evening shortly after the arrival of the stage. There was so little mail that Jones later contended that he carried on post office business from his hat though there is no evidence of its actually occurring.

Jones also contended that he erected the first post office near Kountzes land at his home at Park Wild, from which he would walk to Council Bluffs and bring back the mail. Other reports show the first post office building was a house on 13th Street behind the Douglas House Hotel, where the first four post office boxes were an ax-box  nailed to the wall. David Lindley, manager of the hotel, would dispense mail in Joness absence. Although Joness appointment also allowed him to hire a carrier to be paid from postal receipts, Lindley received no payment because only $81.20 was received during 1854.

With little time consumed as postmaster, Jones completed the survey and the 320-square-block plat of Omaha City, which was celebrated with a picnic held on July 4 near the crest of the hill near Capitol Avenue/Davenport Street. That November, Jones built what has been called the fifth or sixth house in the city on his claim south-east of the town site which was also the first recorded land transaction on city records.

Jones served as an alderman on Omaha Citys first city council, introducing the first city ordinance to establish ward boundaries. The following year he became a member of the council or upper house of the territorial legislature. He spoke in vigorous opposition to a banking bill, saying he would ultimately be proven right. He suggested his tombstone declare here lies an honest man  he voted against wildcat banks in Nebraska.

Jones also was admitted to the Douglas County Bar in 1855 though he never practiced law in Nebraska.

In 1859, as secretary of the Old Settlers Association, he summed up his experiences as postmaster as having faithfully served the government, accommodated the people, boarded myself, furnished my own clothes, purchased my own shoe leather, traveled the route of the postman, performed the duties of postmaster, hunted up the people to whom the mail belonged and tried to satisfy their wants, for all of which I received no money from the government, no thanks from the people.

Jones  also on the Omaha School Board in 1859; an early member of the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias; mayor of Council Bluffs and speaker of Iowa's House of Representatives  died on Aug. 30, 1902, and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
ELBA  Rho States Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International met Oct. 19 in Elba.

Group 2 members Kayleen Lukasiewicz, Theda VanHorn and Charlotte Rasmussen provided a luncheon of creamed chicken on biscuits, salad and dessert. The group was then taken on an informative tour of the historic Dannevirke Danish Lutheran Church near Elba. The Church is a hallmark of the unincorporated village of Dannevirke in Howard County.

President Charlotte Rasmussen opened a brief meeting that followed the tour. Updates were given on new, as well as ailing members.

On Nov. 1 Kappa members gathered at the Central City Public Library to make 225 holiday cards. The cards will be delivered to the Grand Island Veterans Home and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, as well as Congressman Adrian Smiths office for state distribution. Member Nora Lindner hosted the workers for a soup luncheon.

Kappa's latest meeting wasThursday, Nov. 16, in Central City, when Group 6 will host the Founders Day noon luncheon.
Grand Island KOA earns top awards

The Grand Island KOA Journey Campground, owned and operated by Wayne and Susan Bates, has been awarded the 2018 KOA Presidents Award and KOA Founders Award by Kampgrounds of America Inc., the worlds largest system of family-friendly campgrounds.

The awards were presented Friday at KOAs annual International Convention in Phoenix.

The KOA Founders Award is given to those KOA campground owners and managers who attained the top scores in both customer service and the KOA Quality Review. KOA surveys hundreds of thousands of campers each year regarding their KOA camping experience.

The recipients of these awards do a wonderful job of taking care of our guests, and thats why we include guest feedback as a major factor when selecting campgrounds for these awards, said KOA President and CEO Pat Hittmeier. KOA Founders Award and KOA Presidents Award recipients are the best of the best in camping.

VCHS among top 25 percent of rural hospitals

ORD  Valley County Health System has been recognized in the top 25 percent of all rural acute care hospitals in the nation for Excellence in Quality by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) and The Chartis Center for Rural Health/iVantage Health Analytics.

Hospitals were ranked according to the Hospital Strength Index, which includes data aggregated from more than 50 performance metrics for all rural and critical access hospitals. In partnership with NOSORH, iVantage Health Analytics developed a data-driven program to identify excellence in hospital performance and patient care.

Our entire health care team is dedicated to providing top-quality patient care, and we are pleased to be recognized for the accomplishment, VCHS CEO Nancy Glaubke said.

Online marketing workshop set in Wood River

WOOD RIVER  Small business owners can learn about online marketing tools in an interactive setting during Online Marketing Strategies, a free workshop organized by the Center for Rural Affairs Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) Womens Business Center in collaboration with the Wood River Vision Business Association.

This session is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Wood River Community Center, 108 W. 10th St. The workshop will focus on building online relationships using websites, email marketing, and social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

Many small business owners get caught up trying to use social media, but then forget the basic necessity of having a broader online presence, said Monica Braun, REAP Womens Business Center director. Eighty-one percent of shoppers conduct online searches before buying. This session will help potential clients see only the best of your business in those searches.

Diane Siefkes, owner of dkSolutions and an online marketing consultant from Lincoln, will present the course. Siefkes specializes in demystifying social media and email marketing for small business owners.

A brisket sandwich meal will be available for $10, if requested with advance registration by Nov. 28.

To register, contact Sara Arnett at (308) 583-2262, ext. 17, or arnettsa@bankonheritage.com.

Gordmans in G.I. donating to Humane Society

Gordmans is supporting more than 50 nonprofits for #GivingTuesday through its gThanks events in its 58 stores.

On Nov. 28, the off-price apparel and home decor retailer will donate 10 percent of each stores sales from 5 p.m. to closing to local nonprofit organizations.

As part of Gordmans commitment to the Grand Island area, the Central Nebraska Humane Society is its Grand Island gThanks nonprofit beneficiary. The Grand Island store is located at 1111 Allen Drive.

Gordmans will serve light refreshments during the event and will offer gift card giveaways.
Fasbender joins Archer Credit Union staff

Kirstin Kiki Fasbender has begun work as public relations and human resource coordinator for the Archer Cooperative Credit Union, which has offices in Central City, Archer and Dannebrog.

Fasbenders duties include oversight of public relations, coordination of special events, employee benefit implementation and compliance, as well as assistance with marketing and social media.

She most recently served as the executive director of the Central City Area Chamber of Commerce, president of Bryan Merrick Medical Center Foundation Board, the Merrick County Development Corp., and is serving on the Merrick County Child Development Center Board.

Fasbender and her husband, Chris, have three children.

Ahlman top Hy-Vee floral designer

For the second year in a row, Shannon Ahlman from the Grand Island Hy-Vee was the floral design champion in the companys annual Extreme Cake and Floral Challenge finals.

Ahlman won $2,000 for finishing first in the floral design competition.

Twenty-five of Hy-Vees best cake and floral designers advanced to the finals.

Greenwood added to Associated Staffing staff

Amy Greenwood has been hired as an accounting clerk for Associated Staffing in Grand Island.

Greenwood has more than 10 years of customer service experience, as well as prior work in financial lending, office management and payroll processing.

She studied mass communications at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont and journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Greenwood lives in Grand Island. She has volunteered at the Nebraska State Fair and for Goodwill at the annual Platte River Charity Shoot.

Isley, Mulder attend association conference

Heidi Isley, director of operations, and Sarah Mulder, marketing manager, of Associated Staffing attended the annual American Staffing Association Staffing World conference Oct. 24-26 in Chicago.

Staffing World is the largest convention in the recruiting, staffing and workforce solutions industry. Isley and Mulder learned cutting-edge strategies and best practices for the staffing industry.

Isley, of Grand Island, joined Associated Staffing in 2005. Mulder, of Kearney, joined Associated Staffing in 2014.

Associated Staffing has locations in Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, Columbus and Omaha and offers temporary and permanent staffing and recruiting services.
Hundreds of shoppers will flock to big box stores to take advantage of Black Friday deals this weekend, but small, local businesses say do not forget about them.

About 15 area local businesses will be participating in Small Business Saturday this upcoming Saturday. Small Business Saturday is a yearly event sponsored by American Express that aims to promote shopping at small businesses after Black Friday.

Cindy Johnson, director of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, said Small Business Saturday is about supporting the businesses that support the community.

It is bringing an awareness to those businesses in our community that invest in our kids, our schools, our special initiatives and any project that the community has on its plate, she said.

Johnson added: Our larger businesses  or what some would refer to as big box stores  are not rooted in Grand Island. While they may have a commitment, it is often not at the same level as those small businesses that send their kids to school with their shoppers, go to the same church and social events. It is a different level of investment in the community.

Johnson emphasized she does not have anything against big box stores, but they may not offer the same shopping experience as small, local businesses. She said small businesses provide an intimate shopping experience as they know their shoppers by name and remember the types of products their customers are interested in.

That doesnt usually happen in a big box store, Johnson said. It happens at small businesses at a very personal level.

While she did not have a firm number on the number of small businesses in Grand Island, Johnson said the majority  60 to 70 percent  of the Chambers business partners are small businesses. She added the Chamber has around 800 business partners.

One business that will be participating in Small Business Saturday is Sunheat at 3724 Arch Ave. Josh Rookstool, director of sales, said Sunheat has participated in Small Business Saturday since 2011. He said on Black Friday, people will be rushing in for a product and getting trampled, only to end up with a lower-quality product.

We know that firsthand, Rookstool said. Weve got 10 heaters that are opened up from different brands that we have out on display where we can show consumers the difference between what we make and what they make. I think it is the same with every small business. When you go in, youre able to talk to somebody and they know what they are talking about, I think that is important for a small business.

Rookstool added Sunheat offers quality products, as well as products that are not offered by any other retailer. These products include a patio heater with built-in speakers, a mist fan with mosquito repellent and propane heaters. He said Sunheat also provides a level of service not offered at larger retail stores.

What I think it comes down to is you are able to talk to somebody  either me or somebody else that can help you, Rookstool said. Small businesses are able to help you out and answer questions that you may not be able to get at a big box store.

During Small Business Saturday, Rookstool said he will have specials on its products such as ultrasonic mist fans, outdoor patio heaters, infrared saunas and massage chairs. He added Sunheat will also provide activities for kids on Saturday.

We have snacks for the kids, donuts, coffee and cookies, Rookstool said. We are doing a coloring contest too for the kids, so they should watch for that. The kids draw it, they send it in, get a juice pack and get their face painted if they want. They turn it in and hope they win.

South Beach Tanning Co. at 2104 Lawrence Lane, will also be participating in Small Business Saturday. Owner Tanya Stephens said the goal of her business is to attract people the entire weekend, not just on Small Business Saturday, as people tend to shop all weekend.

When asked about the products and services South Beach Tanning Co. has to offer, Stephens said it offers five levels of ultraviolet tanning, as well as sunless spray tanning. She added more people are coming to South Beach Tanning Co. this time of year to take advantage of its tanning services as it tends to be overcast, with not a lot of sun.

This area of the country is really lacking vitamin D, Stephens said. There are a lot of things that vitamin D benefits. Vitamin D is good for many things, such as depression, acne, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, eczema, etc. Ultraviolet (UV) B produces vitamin D in the body. We have referrals coming from counselors. A lot of people are coming in to tan because they say it makes them feel better. That is really a good reason for the increase this time of year.

In addition to tanning, Stephens said South Beach Tanning Co. also offers Devoted Creations lotions and after-care products, as well as DaVinci teeth whitening.

DaVinci teeth whitening can be used for anybody, Stephens said. It is an all-natural, plant-based teeth whitening service that is a fraction of the cost of a dentist. It is not harmful to your teeth. For people that are getting family pictures this time of year, it is a great time to whiten and brighten your smile, and feel more confident.

As noted in a flier Stephens provided to The Independent, South Beach will offer specials all next weekend. These specials include $1 lotion bottles with a purchase at regular price, $1 session packages with a purchase at regular price, $1 membership enrollments and $55 in upgrades for $1 with a purchase at regular price.

Stephens said she and South Beach Tanning Co. aim to promote shopping locally and spending money at locally owned businesses.

We know that money is going to stay here in the community, she said. We donate back to our local organizations, so we have always been a big proponent of trying to encourage people to spend their money locally and at businesses that are locally-owned.

Stephens said some of the non-profit organizations her business helps support include Boys Town, Choice Family Healthcare and Hope Harbor. She added it has also donated to numerous after-prom parties and various benefit events. For Stephens, it is all about giving back to a community that supports her business.

There are probably a dozen organizations that we donate to, she said. We get our name out there and let people know what we do. Weve found that when we give, we get out customers to return. It works out for everybody.

Rookstool said people should shop local on Small Business Saturday, and every day, because of the impact these small businesses have on the community.

A lot of people that run these small businesses work long hours, work hard and are spending money in our community, he said. It just keeps money in the community. The idea is, if we can get anybody to buy one product or item that they would have bought from a big box store, locally, it can be big for our small businesses.
The Grand Island school district has established an incentive program to try to get substitute teachers to work for GIPS instead of other school districts whenever considering work offers from two or more school districts for the same day.

Wayne Stelk, GIPS executive director of human resources, said the incentive program went into effect retroactively to Nov. 1, although people on the GIPS list of substitute teachers were not informed until well after the start of November about the possibility of getting incentive pay. Not enough time has passed yet for school officials to judge whether the incentive offer is effective.

Stelk told Grand Island school board members about the new incentive plan during the Nov. 9 board meeting.

Teachers will get $150 of incentive pay on top of their regular substitute pay if they work a minimum number of days each month, Stelk said. Because of holidays, semester breaks, parent-teacher conferences and other factors, the number of days that students are in class varies each month. Consequently, the number of days needed to qualify for the incentive also will vary each month.

Stelk said substitute teachers must work 14 days in November, 12 days in December, 17 days in January, 14 days in February, 13 days in March, 18 days in April and 12 days in May to qualify for each months incentive.

He said substitute teachers either get the full $150 in incentive pay if they work the required number of days, or they receive no incentive pay for that month. There is no sliding scale to compensate a substitute who just misses working the number of mandatory days for a month.

Stelk said that people who get a long-term substitute assignment  such as substituting for a teacher who is on maternity leave  will automatically qualify for the incentive pay. But in the absence of a long-term assignment, most substitute teachers will have to be more intentional in accepting offers from GIPS to do substitute teaching.

The incentive pay program is expected to cost Grand Island Public Schools about an additional $26,000 during this school year.

During the school boards October meeting, Stelk discussed the reason it has become more difficult to find substitute teachers.

Our numbers seem to be holding about the same as far as the number of subs in our pool, but it seems that theyre also taking jobs in other school districts, he said. Oftentimes, we find that the subs we have registered with us have accepted jobs in other school districts and theyre not available to substitute with us.

Stelk also pointed out that there are many times during the school year when numerous Central Nebraska school districts must employ substitute teachers on the same day. He said such times might include district and state competitions in sports, and events such as the All State music competition, which removes both music teachers and music students from school.

Teachers from multiple school districts also may need to be absent on the same days whenever they travel with their students to events such as mock trial competition, or perhaps district and state one-act play competition.

In an effort to maintain an adequate supply of substitute teachers, the Grand Island district typically raises the rate of pay for substitutes prior to the start of the new school year.

For the 2017-18 school year, substitute teacher pay is $130 per day for a local certificate teacher doing short-term substitute work and $140 per day for a local certificate teacher doing long-term substitute work; $137 per day for a teacher with a full certificate doing short-term substitute work and $174 per day for a teacher with a full certificate doing long-term substitute work; $145 per day for a retired teacher doing short-term substitute work and $184 per day for a retired teacher doing long-term substitute work.

A substitute teacher who is fully certified in Nebraska would receive $137 per day from GIPS. If that teacher worked 14 days in November to qualify for the incentive pay, he or she would receive $1,918, plus $150 in incentive pay for total compensation of $2,068 for the month.
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 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 Hariris announcement from Riyadh that he was quitting as Lebanons prime minister. Hariris resignation, which Lebanese sources told me came under pressure from MBS, risked causing instability in Lebanon that would have enhanced Hezbollahs 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.

Hariris resignation and seeming house arrest made him a hero in Lebanon and a symbol of the countrys yearning for sovereignty. This may give him some new leverage when he returns to Beirut. Lebanese sources told me Thursday that Hariris supporters may urge Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Yemen as a gesture of solidarity. Hariri will also campaign anew for international support for Lebanons 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 [kings] 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 isnt as fragile as it may look. One of MBS 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.
Here we are. Its the middle of November, just about the end of the year.

This is one of my favorite times of the year because retailers, various newspapers and magazines, and social sites such as Goodreads release their Best Books of the Year lists.

Almost everyone knows the biggest and latest bestsellers of the year from authors like James Patterson, Danielle Steel and Stephen King. But with thousands of books being published every year, it can be easy for many great titles to slip by. Here are a few best books that, if they havent made it to your to-read list yet, I highly suggest that they should. Best of all, they are available at the library.

In Magpie Murders, British author Anthony Horowitz creates a wonderful mystery by intertwining a classic whodunit with a modern-day tale of suspense. When editor Susan Ryeland receives the manuscript for Alan Conways latest Atticus Pund novel (a classic detective similar to Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot) shes sure it will be an instant hit. However, the further along she gets in the manuscript, the more convinced she is there are clues hidden in it with details about the reclusive authors personal life. As the mystery in the manuscript unfolds, so do the real-life details of jealousy, greed and ambition in Conways life.

Released over the summer, The Breakdown by B.A. Paris is an excellent tale of nail-biting suspense. When Cass experiences a breakdown in the middle of a downpour, she sees a woman walking along the road. At the time she thinks nothing of it, but when the woman later turns up murdered, Cass initially thinks it was just an unfortunate coincidence she encountered the victim  or was it? Slowly, things in Cass life begin to unravel she begins forgetting things, experiencing nagging guilt and always has the feeling someone is watching her. The more unhinged she becomes, the more she doubts she can trust anyone, including herself.

If fiction isnt your thing, there were some great non-fiction tales released this year, too. One of those titles was The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of Americas Shining Women, by Kate Moore. Its the 1910s and Madame Curies discovery of radium lights up the otherwise dark years leading up to World War I. From body lotions to spa treatments, everyone wanted some of this magical new element. But radium also served a practical purpose: it was added to paint to create luminous watch dials.

During the height of the war, many women went to the factories to hand-paint these dials. Slowly, women at factories across the United States began developing the mysterious and gruesome symptoms of what we now know is radiation poisoning. Initially dismissed, these women became embattled in one of the biggest scandals of the 20th century and part of a groundbreaking case for workers rights.

In From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death, mortician, YouTube vlogger and death-positive advocate Caitlin Doughty brings us face-to-face with different death customs and rituals from around the world and, at the same time, shows us not to be afraid of the inevitable. Full of anecdotes, just the right amount of humor and an obvious passion for her work, Doughty brings us along to share her experiences. From the manene festival of Indonesia to the increasingly popular natural, no-frills green burial, she shows that Americans and others accustomed to the traditional Western funeral can learn a lot about others and themselves by how they care for their dead.

I hope youll be inspired to pick up a new title, explore the authors and subjects that dont always get all the hype and expand your reading horizons.

Shaun Klee serves as the adult and technical services librarian for the Grand Island Public Library. Email him at shaunk@gilibrary.org.
The Nebraska Attorney General and Lancaster County Attorney, as well as law enforcement agencies throughout Nebraska, are compelled to set the record straight on mandatory minimum sentencing.

A recurring narrative perpetuated by proponents of Sen. Ernie Chambers legislation, LB447, is that nonviolent drug addicts should not receive mandatory minimum prison sentences. We cannot agree with this narrative because Nebraska law actually does not allow for mandatory minimum prison sentences for simple drug possession.

Nebraska law, rightly, reserves mandatory minimum sentences to those convicted of either making or dealing substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

Mandatory minimum sentences do not apply to mere possession of these or any other drugs. They apply only to dangerous drug manufacturers and dealers who put these poisons in the hands of Nebraska's unassuming children, deal them in its school zones and prey upon the vulnerabilities of the downtrodden living in our communities in the name of personal financial gain.

This is why, according to recent Nebraska Department of Correctional Services data, less than 2 percent -- 1.64 percent, to be exact -- of the total prison population is serving a mandatory minimum sentence for drug offenses. We contend that these drug traffickers are precisely those for whom the certainty of incarceration is required.

Doing away with mandatory minimums for these offenses would constitute ill-conceived public policy, particularly in light of the ever-increasing growth in heroin trafficking locally and its epidemic growth now spreading across our country from east to west.

It is also misleading to assert that removing mandatory minimum sentences for drug trafficking has anything to do with meaningful prison reform.

As has been repeatedly pointed out, the sentencing reform plan, effectuated by LB605 in 2015, was based on the comprehensive analysis of the Council for State Governments' Justice Center. At no time prior to or after passage of LB605 has CSG included any recommendation to repeal or even modify mandatory minimum sentencing for any applicable offense  including drug trafficking offenses.

The reality is that removing mandatory minimum sentences for drug trafficking offenses has been an effort of Sen. Chambers and allied entities for years  well before the 2015 sentencing reforms.

Contending that eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for drug traffickers (who, again, make up less than 2 percent of the state prison population) is a panacea for overcrowding is a narrative of convenience, one that is willfully ignorant of the facts and disappointingly dismissive of legitimate policy for ensuring public safety. Any legislation to eliminate mandatory minimums for dangerous drug dealers threatens public safety and should not advance.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, November 19, 2017 08:08 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29bbaf6 1 Science & Tech DailySocial,media Free

Mugi Rekso Abadi (MRA) Group and DailySocial.id have forged a strategic cooperation on digital media production with the aim to reach a tech-savvy public.

The joint effort of MRA, which holds a number of media and lifestyle companies, and website DailySocial.id began in October with a focus on producing content that appeals to users of technology, industry players and the general public in Indonesia.

[RA::The 2017 Indonesian startup

popular sector forecast::http://www.thejakartapost.com/longform/2017/03/03/the-2017-indonesian-startup-popular-sector-forecast.html]

"As a company that is progressive and adaptive to global digital developments, the synergy between MRA Media and DailySocial.id [makes us proud]," MRA Group CEO Maulana Indraguna Sutowo said, as quoted in a statement.

Established in 2008, DailySocial.id began as a tech blog and now focuses on reporting on technology-related businesses and lifestyle. The website adheres to three main objectives, namely education, information and innovation to realize its vision of connecting the technology industry with the public.

"The cooperation with MRA is a strategic step to reach the next level on the path to realizing [our] vision," DailySocial.id founder and CEO Rama Muaya said. (liz/asw)

Topics : DailySocial media
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Linkedin Patrick GALEY (Agence France-Presse) Madrid, Spain  Sun, November 19, 2017 16:06 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29c621b 2 Art & Culture Pablo-Picasso,Guernica,art,art-and-culture Free

Spray-painted in murals, wielded on anti-war banners, and even once hung as a tapestry at the United Nations, Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" might be the world's most famous political artwork.

Now organizers of a new initiative are inviting art lovers to revisit the iconic black-and-white painting, using the latest imaging technology and releasing a trove of previously unseen documents to chart its turbulent history.

"Guernica is a source of never-ending artistic material and it's a privilege to be with as an art historian," says Rosario Peiro, head of collections at Madrid's Reina Sofia modern art museum.

She is part of the team behind "Rethinking Guernica", an interactive exhibition launched this week about the work.

"Putting all of this together allows you to rethink the history of the painting," Peiro told AFP.

"Guernica", conceived in the depths of Spain's devastating civil war, shows the bombing of a Basque town on April 26, 1937 by German and Italian air forces under the orders of future Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

Hundreds died in an aerial attack on civilians that shocked the world and set a precedent repeated often by German and allied forces in World War II.

Picasso, then living in France, was commissioned by the struggling Spanish Republican government to produce a work depicting the bombing for the 1937 World Fair in Paris.

- Storied history -

That commission and hundreds of other documents concerning "Guernica" are now available online for the first time.

They tell the story of a hugely well-travelled work, with stops in Scandinavia, Britain and the United States, where it spent decades on loan at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

There are papers relating to its trip to Venezuela in 1948 that was cut short due to a coup d'etat, and a frantic telegram sent by MoMA collections director Alfred H. Barr Jr informing the artist that his works were safe after a fire tore through the museum in 1958.

Read also: Can a new domain finally bring the art world into the 21st century?

"Clearly it is a political painting because it was requested by the government for a propaganda purpose," says Peiro.

"The truth is during all these years of travel and being in different places, the work was depoliticized."

Researchers took thousands of images using visible and ultraviolent light as well as infrared reflectography and high-definition x-rays to create a "Gigapixel" rendering that allows users to browse a 436-gigabyte composite of the work.

Details of its restoration, individual paint strokes and even rogue hairs from Picasso's brushes can be seen still stuck to the original canvas. Residue from a 1974 act of vandalism is visible in the form of barely perceptible reddish discolouration across central areas.

"For me what is interesting to see is the geography of the painting, its surface, as if it's a kind of history map," says Peiro.

- New perspectives -

The Reina Sofia currently displays dozens of black-and-white war images alongside "Guernica", many captured by legendary Catalan conflict photographer Agusti Centelles.

Some critics credit the photos for Picasso's decision to eschew his usual vivid colours in the piece.

As Catalonia's independence crisis exposes Spain to its deepest political turbulence since returning to democracy in 1978, Peiro however insists the current installation isn't about politics.

"We do show a lot of Barcelona photographs but that's because the best Spanish photojournalist of the time was Catalan," she said.

Peiro hopes the new project will provide new perspectives on one of the 20th-century's defining images.

"'Guernica' is the most important work, physically and symbolically, for the museum so we have to keep on working on it," she says.

"It's the least we can do."
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Linkedin (AFP) Dhaka, Bangladesh  Sun, November 19, 2017 08:55 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29bc72a 2 Politics China,Rohingya-people,Bangladesh,Myanmar,genocide Free

China has offered to help defuse the Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh said Saturday, following meetings with Beijing's top diplomat that Dhaka hopes will apply pressure on Myanmar take back hundreds of thousands of refugees.

More than 600,000 Rohingya are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in late August.

The UN says the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in northern Rakhine state, amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Bangladesh, which already hosted some 250,000 Rohingya before the current exodus, wants the latest arrivals to return swiftly and is keen to enlist help from China, a staunch ally of Myanmar.

Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali held talks in Dhaka on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over the issue.

"When the issue of exodus of displaced Myanmar nationals was raised, the Chinese Foreign Minister stated that as a friend China will help resolve the issue and will not be partial to any side," Bangladesh foreign ministry said in a statement after the talks.

The statement added Wang stressed the "importance of continued consultations and dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the issue."

No details were given on what concrete steps Beijing might take.

Myanmar has faced growing international anger over its treatment of the Rohingya but China has helped shield the country from censure.

Earlier this month the UN Security Council dropped plans to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the violence in Myanmar in the face of strong opposition from China.

According to Bangladesh's private news agency UNB, Wang held a briefing for a small number of local media at China's embassy in Dhaka where he said Beijing supports "a proper solution of the problems through bilateral channels".

But he warned against further moves at the UN to criticise or punish Myanmar.

Wang is the first of a host of foreign ministers from Asia and Europe who are visiting Bangladesh for talks on a refugee crisis that has left the impoverished nation reeling.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister 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 on 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.

The ministers will also meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are still tussling over the details.

Yet on Thursday Myanmar's powerful army chief distanced himself from any suggestion of a quick return. The Rohingya, he said, could only return if Buddhist citizens accepted them -- a highly unlikely scenario given that the minority are so widely loathed and ostracised inside Myanmar.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, November 19, 2017 15:13 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29c4331 1 Business Budi-Karya-Sumadi,medium-speed-train,new-tracks,Japan,proposal Free

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said Japan has proposed to construct new tracks for the medium-speed Jakarta-Surabaya railway connection, a project to be funded mainly by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

There would be three tracks. In addition to the existing ones, there [would be] tracks for medium-speed trains, Budi said after speaking at an event in Jakarta on Friday, as reported by tempo.co, adding that his ministry was still studying the Japanese proposal.

If the proposal was agreed, it should not burden the government too much, he said.

He said JICA was arguing that if the project was going to be built around the old tracks, train operations on those tracks would be disrupted by the construction work. Laying new tracks would also avoid the overlapping use of tacks by the old slow trains and the new medium-speed ones.

The Japanese proposal comes after the Indonesian government recently announced its decision to use the old tracks to curb costs. Budi previously said that using the existing lines would help cap the construction cost at about Rp 60 trillion (US$4.44 billion), compared to the previous scenario of Rp 80 trillion using new tracks.

He said the cost was a major consideration, therefore, he would pay serious attention to the proposed budget for the project.

The minister said he would talk to the relevant parties to discuss the issue, because the government really wanted to keep the construction cost low. I want the construction cost to be about Rp 60 trillion, he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin (AFP) Barcelona, Spain  Sun, November 19, 2017 08:02 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29bb970 2 World Spain,police,shooting Free

Police in Spain shot and injured an unarmed Frenchman on Saturday at a toll station near the French border, who officers said was shouting 'Allahu akbar'.

The officers mistakenly suspected he had a weapon, a police statement said, adding that they do not expect to open a terrorism investigation.

The man, of Moroccan origin, was traveling with a woman in a vehicle registered in France and approached the toll by the border town of La Jonquera in the north of the country in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police said a Guardia Civil patrol was alerted because the man had a "strange" attitude and "seemed to be manipulating something inside the vehicle".

"The police asked him to get out. He finally got out with something in his hands and he moved towards the officers," said a spokesperson for the Catalan police.

The spokesperson said that, according to the policemen present, the man "shouted 'Allahu akbar'(God is greatest)".

"The police officers repeatedly asked him to stop, shot in the air to intimidate him but as he continued to move forward, they shot him in the hip," he said.

The man "then undressed" and "appeared to suffer from mental problems".

According to the Guardia Civil his life "is not in danger" and he is being cared for in a hospital in Gerone.

Police say an investigation is underway to establish the facts about what happened.

Topics : Spain police shooting
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Linkedin (AFP) Kiev  Sun, November 19, 2017 08:34 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29bc6a5 2 World forbes,murder,Russia Free

Ukraine's security agency said Saturday it has arrested a Russian man wanted by Interpol over the 2004 murder of American journalist Paul Khlebnikov.

The suspect, originally from Chechnya, was arrested in Kiev.

"According to Interpol, the foreigner participated in a series of sponsored murders, in particular that of Forbes' editor-in-chief, the US citizen Paul Khlebnikov," as well as a Chechnyan government official, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement.

Khlebnikov, aged 41, was head of the Russian edition of Forbes when he was shot dead in Moscow in July 2004.

He had been working for the magazine for almost 15 years, in which time he had published multiple investigations in to Russian businessman and controversial privatisations in the country.

According to the SBU, the suspect had fled Russia and belonged to a criminal group in Ukraine that extorted funds from entrepreneurs.

Topics : forbes murder Russia
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Linkedin (AFP) Phnom Penh  Sun, November 19, 2017 08:11 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29bbde1 2 SE Asia Cambodia,journalistic-code-ethics,spy,US Free

Two Cambodian journalists were charged on Saturday with spying over news reports they allegedly filed to US-based Radio Free Asia, amid a sweeping government crackdown on dissent that has tipped the country's democracy into crisis.

The reporters were detained on Tuesday night, days before Cambodia's main opposition party was dissolved over accusations it conspired with the US in a treason plot.

That case was blasted by Washington as baseless and decried by rights groups as hastening the country's descent into a de facto one-party state led by authoritarian premier Hun Sen.

The ruling capped a protracted clampdown aimed at silencing Hun Sen's political rivals, outspoken NGOS and independent media before an election in 2018. Radio Free Asia was forced to shut its bureau in September after 20 years due to a series of legal threats.

The former RFA journalists -- Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin -- now face up to 15 years in jail for allegedly running an illegal media studio from a guesthouse in the capital, according to police.

After seeing "enough grounds, the prosecutor at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court decided to charge them with providing a foreign state information that is destructive to the national defense", said court spokesman Ly Sophana.

The US-funded RFA, a crucial source of independent Khmer-language broadcasting, slammed the arrests as part of Hun Sen's "cynical campaign of persecution".

Spokesman Rohit Mahajan said the reporters have not had any relationship with RFA since the station closed its Phnom Penh bureau in September.

"Therefore the charges brought in court today have absolutely no basis in reality," he told AFP by email.

Hun Sen, a firebrand ultra-nationalist in power since 1985, has been leaning heavily on anti-American rhetoric to justify the unprecedented clampdown.

That has rattled relations with Washington, which on Friday demanded the immediate reversal of the ruling against the opposition party -- saying it had stripped the 2018 poll of any legitimacy.

A spokesman for Hun Sen's ruling party said the country would be fine without American backing.

The widening rift is the latest chapter in a complex history between the two nations.

After pounding Cambodia with bombs during the Vietnam War, the US went on to become one of its biggest donors as the kingdom rebuilt from the ashes of the brutal Khmer Rouge era of 1975-79.

But America's influence has waned significantly in recent years as China muscles into Southeast Asia, propping up authoritarian leaders like Hun Sen with aid and investment free of pressure on human rights.

Critics say Beijing's backing has given Hun Sen the confidence to drop even the facade of respecting a free press and other democratic institutions.
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sun, November 19, 2017 11:31 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29c0910 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,angklung Free

The city of Bandung is celebrating the World Angklung Day on Nov. 19. The festivity is being held at the Gedung Sate and hosted by Indonesia University of Educations Keluarga Besar Bumi Siliwangi.

A total of 6,000 angklung players consisting of students from 150 schools in West Java, are set to perform in the event which celebrates the seventh year since angklung was declared by the UNESCO as a world heritage item on Nov. 16, 2010.

Back in the day, angklung was an important part in several traditional ceremonies, especially during harvest season, explained Tourism Ministry's head of Cultural Promotion, Wawan Gunawan. Legend has it that the sound of angklung will catch the attention of Dewi Sri (Nyi Sri Pohaci), goddess of rice and fertility.

Bandung culture and tourism department head Kenny Dewi Kaniasri said that the main theme of this angklung party is The Real Work of Unifying the Nation. She hoped that by inviting students to participate, they will help preserve the culture. (asw)
BURLINGTON  LDV, formerly Lynch Diversified Vehicles, has been building large, specialty trucks for many different purposes since about 1975.

But within the past five years, LDV, 180 Industrial Drive, has been focusing more of its attention and resources on building special trucks for the health care industry.

LDV, currently an employer of 240 people, has just finished an approximately 40,000-square-foot expansion, nearly doubling its size.

The growing company manufactures special vehicles that include bookmobiles, mobile command centers for law enforcement, Snap-On tool trucks, mobile medical and dental clinics, mammography vans, mobile labs for crime scene processing, haz-mat equipment trucks and explosive-ordnance-disposal trucks.

One example includes the Racine Police Departments mobile command vehicle that is used during special events and for emergency situations.

Developing the finished product

LDV starts with a rugged chassis and plain, empty body and then a small crew converts it into a fully finished product, a process that can take anywhere from two days to six months.

The medical vehicles are usually 36 or 40 feet long but can be up to 45 feet, typically 13 feet tall from the ground, and 8 feet wide.

New medical vehicles can range in price from $250,000 to more than $1 million.

Or, you can get a used one for $85,000, said Mary Lynch, LDVs director of marketing and business development.

So far, said LDVs Cory Weithaus, who does the medical-vehicle sales, the company has built more than 20 medical vehicles.

The recent trend from the past 16 months, from the medical side, has been a demand for mobile mammography and mobile dental and then, obviously, mobile medical which we would call general medical, Weithaus said. There are also audiology, or hearing, vehicles and bloodmobiles.

According to Mobile Health Map, a collaborative research community whose goal is to evaluate and demonstrate the impact of mobile clinics, they are playing a vital role in the U.S. health care system. These programs achieve good patient outcomes, boast impressive returns on investment, and reach underserved communities that otherwise experience barriers to accessing health care.

Competing on quality

Many other companies compete with LDV in manufacturing medical vehicles, Lynch said.

Our reputation, in my opinion, Weithaus said, is in building a superior product. Were typically the second build for an organization that bought strictly on price the first time around.

The educated buyer comes back the second time and makes a much different choice, Lynch added. And I would say that we have secured that choice because we have been doing this for a very long time, and weve done it in a number of industries. And were not the low-cost provider, but we provide an incredible product and incredible service.

Medical vehicles comprise about 10 percent of LDVs overall business, Lynch said. Both she and Weithaus think the company can increase that percentage.

The market is there, Weithaus said.

Mobile clinics are used in both urban and rural settings, and perhaps 60 percent are crossover vehicles used in both, Lynch said.

Meeting community needs

In the Chicago market where LDV is strong, Their method of delivery (of health care) is schools, Weithaus said.  The kids, the people that come on board dont normally get the treatment.

Youre reaching people that otherwise would never set foot into a clinic, Lynch said. Theres so much of it that is truly reaching the underserved.

As an example, with dental vehicles, more than 40 percent of the children who are seen have cavities, she said. These are kids that are not getting dental care.

For mammography vehicles, the average woman who is seen has not had a mammogram in five years, Lynch added.

Now the flip side of that is: Your hospital system is probably acquiring that patient, Lynch said. But its not a money thing, because typically these people are uninsured or on Medicare or Medicaid.

Weithaus said some health care providers will send a mobile clinic to a corporation to provide service to the employees. That ensures the employees will receive the health and wellness.

Some hospitals have two or three medical vehicles, Weithaus said; they may have medical, mammography and dental, for example.

In all cases, theres a lot of sophisticated technology on board a medical vehicle and an incredible amount of careful calculating involved in building such a vehicle. LDV has three degreed electrical engineers, five mechanical engineers and a computer-aided-design staff of four.

Were an integrator, Lynch said. Theres a lot of factors at play when you put expensive equipment in things. And thats what were really good at.
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sun, November 19, 2017 15:35 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29c5598 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Papua-New-Guinea Free

Indonesian reggae ambassador Ras Muhammad recently performed in front of 1,823 tourists from Papua New Guinea and 3,000 locals who live around PLBN (cross-border post) Skouw, Papua on Nov. 16.

The concert started at 05:00 p.m. and Ras performed a total of 11 songs such as No Woman No Cry, Peace in Liberia, and Live Upright. In the middle of his performance, he was joined by Dutch reggae musician, Toke.

Other than Ras Muhammad, renowned local reggae bands such as Dave Solution and Vanimo Natives from Papua New Guinea also performed there.

Tourism Ministry's nature tourism department head Hendry Noviardi said that the number of tourists from Papua New Guinea who came to the concert was beyond expectation. They initially set the goal of 1,500 people and ended up welcoming 1,823 people.

The head of PLBN, Skouw Yan Numberi added that people from Papua New Guinea love to shop at Skouw market that opens every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The profit earned by sellers are good. One Kina, Papua New Guinea's currency, is equal to four thousand rupiahs ($0.30), Yan said.

This is the third event from Tourism Ministry, during the previous two events my average income was 1.2 million rupiahs and in this event, my income is around 2.5 million rupiahs, said a seller named Mamah Karai who sells beverages. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sun, November 19, 2017 16:29 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29c69f7 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Purbalingga,Central-Java,Airport Free

State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II) together with Central Java Provincial Administration recently signed an MoU agreement to develop Panglima Jenderal Soedirman Airport in Wirasaba Village, Bukateja District, Purbalingga Regency to become a commercial airport. The signing was conducted at the Airport Hotel, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang.

The groundbreaking is slated for mid-December this year and we are expecting [the development] to be completed by December 2018, said Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

The airport will provide easy access for not only the residents of Purbalingga to travel to other cities but people who live in regencies close to the area as well such as Banyumas, Banjarnegara, Wonosobo, Temanggung and Kebumen regencies.

Several regencies in the pantura (northern coastal region) area will reap the benefit too like Pekalongan, Pemalang,Tegal and Brebes. The tourism sector is definitely going to flourish and the economy will improve, added Ganjar.

AP II president director Muhammad Awaluddin said that the company is going to provide a total budget of 320 billion rupiahs for the airport development.

The development includes runway expansion from the previous 850 m x 50 m to 2,000 m x 45 m and construction of 2,000 meter-square airport terminal that can accommodate Bombardier and Boeing 737 airplanes and serve 200,000 passengers annually. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sun, November 19, 2017 18:27 1823 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29c8753 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia Free

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) will focus on helping to speed up the development of four destinations from the Tourism Ministrys 10 New Balis list.

We are now focusing on Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur, Joglosemar, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, explained PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono. The development includes accommodation, attraction and access in these four places. For Lake Toba, one of the problems is in land development. We were asked [by the President] to do the mapping first, Basuki added. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya believed that the target of welcoming 20 million overseas tourists will be achieved.

The development strategy uses the formula of 3As (Attraction, Access and Accommodation). For Attraction, there are natural, cultural and man-made attractions. On the other hand, Access need to be developed quickly including sea, land and air transportations, Arief said.

The third A is Accommodation that includes hotel and resort, Accommodation is the responsibility of private companies, the government handles regulation and public facilities such as road, water, electricity and telecommunication, he added. (asw)
A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) focusing on the theme 'Governments Communication Management in the Digital Era' was held on Nov. 17 at Aston Inn Hotel in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

One of the speakers at the event was Tourism Minister Arief Yahya who talked about Wonderful Indonesia Go Digital.

We need to realize that digitalization will become a part of the peoples lives. The strategies that Im thinking of need to be implemented quickly in all regions, Arief said.

We need to publish data from primary resources that are recognized by the global standard, dont use personal opinions without being backed by supporting data, he added.

Arief also talked about the Indonesia Charms Generation (GenPI), a community of young people who promote Indonesia tourism through social media.

These are volunteers who continuously promote Indonesia tourism on social media. Keep promoting the countrys tourist destinations, events and tourism policies, he said.

During his Mataram visit, the minister made a stop at Setanggor Tourist Village in Central Lombok Regency, located five kilometers from Lombok International Airport. The tourist village promotes religious tourism and has 14 tourist attractions. (asw)
Claire and Jamie face superstitions and secret marriages in this weeks instalment of Outlander.

After last weeks nephew-napping, Jamie and Claire attempt to track down Young Ian. Jamie has conveniently forgotten to tell Jenny and Ian whats happened to their son, solidifying his status as the worlds worst uncle.

The couple discover that Young Ian was kidnapped by a Portuguese vessel thats headed for Jamaica, and hes at risk of being sold into slavery. The Frasers board The Artemis a ship headed for the West Indies, alongside Fergus, Yi Tien Cho, and a few of Jamies old smuggling friends.

Claire learns a little about Scottish sailing customs, including the fact that her gender and Jamies red hair mark them out as unlucky. Just as they begin to set sail, Fergus reveals to his quasi-adoptive parents that hes married Marsali, Jamies step-daughter. Unsurprisingly, Jamies not a fan of this development.

After failing to talk them out of the union, Jamie splits the newly-weds up so they cant consummate their union. Claire now has to bunk with Marsali, who clearly resents Claire for usurping Laoghaires position in her step-fathers life. What a happy voyage the family will have.

Claire stitches up a sailor after an accident, and surprisingly shes met by no resistance from the men. The incident does, however, prompt the superstitious crew to speculate whether or not someone aboard The Artemis forgot to touch the ships lucky horseshoe as they passed by.

Having impressed him with her Shakespearean knowledge, Claire finds herself at the dining table of Captain Raines. Raines reminds Claire that however illogical she may find the crews superstitions, they let the sailors believe they control their own destinies.

As the weeks elapse, tensions on The Artemis begin to rise. After losing the wind and the water going bad, the ships crew become more and more concerned that someone aboard is bringing them bad luck. Before too long, the sailors identify Hayes, a friend of Jamies, as the Jonah that they must be rid of.

Hayes, not content to be thrown into the sea, drinks himself into a stupor and climbs the ships rigging. Between the alcohol, the altitude, and the angry mob below, Hayes decides hed rather commit suicide than become the victim of a mob.

Jamie climbs up to Hayes to talk him down, barely catching him when he slips and falls from the ships mast. With the crew still baying for blood, Yi Tien Cho quickly concocts a story to distract the sailors. Whilst the men listen intently, he tells them how he rejected the offer of an empress who would have given him a position in her household, but with the caveat that he was castrated.

His lamentations culminate in Yi Tien Cho hurling his newly scribed life story into the sea, which coincides with a resurgence in the wind. Yi Tien Cho later admits to Claire and Jamie that he knew the rain would return, based on how low a bird was flying. All in all, the scene is pretty damn weird.

An unfortunate issue with many period dramas that are primarily focused on white people is that they fail to do justice to characters of colour. With the series headed to Jamaica, representation is about to become a primary issue for the show.

Yi Tien Cho is a welcome addition to Outlander, as is actor Gary Young, but theres still a lot to be done going forward. His associations with mysticism and acupuncture are somewhat stereotypical, although it's arguable that through his tale of castration and conflict, Yi Tien Cho manipulates Orientalist narratives of exoticism and spirituality.

In The Doldrums, the focus on Yi Tien Chos storytelling works as part of an overall focus on superstition and belief. Yet given the relatively limited screen-time of Joe Abernathy, the shows only other character of colour so far, more nuance is needed in coming episodes. Hopefully, the themes of this week wont eclipse his entire character and reduce him to a stereotype.

With the ship back on course, Jamie and Claire grab a chance for a quickie and maintain their romance despite last weeks Laoghaire revelation. Although Claire insists that shes not sure she belongs with Jamie anymore, the couple spend a lot of time staring up at the moon together or talking about how dreamy they both are.

If The Doldrums preaches anything, its that strength of belief, be it in love or in bad omens, has an intense hold over people. Storytellers like Yi Tien Cho who have the ability to manipulate this belief are very powerful indeed. Sadly, the pretence that Claire and Jamies relationship is under threat lacks this same power.

Thank god, then, that the arrival of British naval vessel The Porpoise promises some more compelling drama. Acting Captain Leonard boards The Artemis and requests Claires surgical skills, as the crew of the British man-of-war have been infected with typhoid.

Having been vaccinated, Claire isnt afraid of heading over to the other ship, but its not disease she should be worrying about. As soon as she prescribes her treatment to the men, Captain Leonard orders the ship should sail for Jamaica. Claire is effectively held hostage and is once again separated from Jamie.

For Outlander, the dynamic of Claire and Jamie versus the world is a successful one. With Claire now abducted like Young Ian was last week, the series moves into classic Outlander territory even whilst introducing an entirely new setting in Jamaica.

Personally, I cant wait for Jamie and Claire to be facing new challenges in the Caribbean. Hopefully, their relationship dramas will play an increasingly small role, and the showrunners will pay heed to Yi Tien Chos words about the power of storytelling.
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Walking through the Artists Gallery, visitors can discover a wide variety of original works of art, created in media ranging from watercolor and oil paints to ceramics, photography, glass, wood, precious metals, polymer and more.

What they might not see at first glance, though, is the dedication that the exhibiting artists have to the Downtown Racine gallery located at 401 Main St.

Founded in 1998, the Artists Gallery is an artists' cooperative which has been run and managed by its members for nearly 20 years. In addition to being able to exhibit and sell their artwork in the beautifully refurbished, historic space, members each work their share of hours (six a month) in the gallery  greeting visitors, helping hang items for shows and doing other administrative duties.

And, for members like Deedee Dumont, such responsibilities are both a plus for her as an artist and one of the keys to the gallery's success as a business.

We work together and support each other, and because it's a co-op we have a feeling of ownership, said Dumont, a mixed-media artist who joined the gallery about two years ago. You get more out of it.

Belonging to the gallery not only gives members the chance to have their work shown publicly year-round, but to meet other artists and learn about their work, she said.

You learn things from each other and it creates a good camaraderie, Dumont said. It's a great group of artists, and this is more than a business to us.

Sixth Street start

Dumont, who lives in Racine, is one of 27 current members of the Artists Gallery. Others include several of the gallery's founding members, such as painter and ceramist Lyle Peters.

Peters  who taught art in Racine's public schools for nearly 40 years  said the original idea for the cooperative gallery came from the late Emile Mathis, who owned a fine art gallery and frame shop on Main Street for many years. Mathis met with Peters and other founding members, including Harold Solberg and Doug and Susan Sorenson, and shared his expertise in gallery management, Peters said.

We had several meetings with Emile and he gave us the nuts and bolts for running the business, he said.

That group of artists opened the original Artists Gallery on Sixth Street, where it had two locations before moving to the Main Street address in 2009. Through the years, membership has grown as high as 40 artists and the gallery is always open to new members, said glass artist Nicholas Omdahl, who joined about five years ago.

Omdahl, a retired physician who also exhibits his work in Chicago, was looking for somewhere local to show his art, which includes both stained glass and fused glass pieces. And he said he was impressed with how the Artists Gallery was managed and how long it had been in business.

Wearable Arts show

Omdahl said he also appreciates the opportunity the gallery provides for the community to come and learn about what area artists are doing. During Downtown events such as First Fridays and Party on the Pavement, AG members often give demonstrations of their techniques, and a member is always on site to answer questions.

Places like the Artists Gallery are important to our city, Peters said, because they highlight the creative aspects of our community.

While some gallery members, including Peters and Omdahl, are Racine- and Kenosha-based artists, others live and work as far away as Milwaukee and Chicago. And many visitors to the gallery come from out of town, and even out of state, Omdahl said. To be considered for membership, artists must have their work juried, and once they are members they pay an annual membership fee (details at www.artistsgalleryinracine.com/Want-to-become-a-member-.html).

Gallery exhibits change quarterly, and the work of non-member artists is also featured in some exhibitions. The AG's annual Wearable Arts and Domestic Designs show opens this week and runs through December, featuring everything from hand-woven scarves and table runners to wooden trivets and rolling pins, as well as a wide range of fine art jewelry and other items.

You can find a lot of great gift ideas, with boutique pricing, Dumont said.

Regular hours at the Artists Gallery are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Hours on special event days (First Fridays etc.) are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, go to www.artistsgalleryinracine.com.
Journal Times staff

RACINE  Merchants in Downtown Racines shopping district will join thousands of others around the country in celebrating Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25.

Founded in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday encourages people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, in between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

What started as a single day has grown into a powerful, annual movement, involving businesses in all 50 states. It aims to not only bring more people into small businesses, but to help them realize the impact of those businesses on the community.

When you shop small at independent, locally owned businesses, 52 percent of what you spend stays right in your community supporting local organizations and services, according to Downtown Racine Corp.

On Saturday, Nov. 25, many retailers throughout Racine County will feature sales and other incentives to encourage shoppers to shop locally.

The DRC encourages those who shop in Downtown on Small Business Saturday or any time during the holidays to take selfies in local shops and spread their shopping experience with including the #ShopSmall hashtag and tagging @racinedowntown.

For more about the national SBS movement, go to www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/.
Perhaps, the long-term endgame for LP/UP---and now this recent ruling by the Supreme Court--is to drag out the legal proceedings so that the runoff or rerun elections take place long after President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf leaves office on January 18, 2018.



We are happy with the recent Court's ruling and let the NEC keep dragging its feet by prolonging the hearings and refusing to turn over to UP/LP pertinent documents that would validate their claims of fraud and vote-rigging.



With a reported over 50 cases pending before the NEC, the NEC has yet to complete one case since November 7. Obviously, UP/LP then will have 7 days after a case is finalized by NEC to appeal to the Supreme Court for final adjudication.



I told you before that this legal battle may not be over to allow new elections or runoff elections by January 18, 2018. And if UP/LP win their case of fraud against NEC, then of course the Supreme Court of Liberia will have to set a date and impose new conditions on the NEC to avoid a repeat of the mistakes that marred the October 10 elections.



Mostly likely, the Court may say 60 days or 90 days for elections, and demand the printing of new ballots with "serial numbers", publishing the new voter registration roster/roll two weeks in advance before voting day for proper vetting, etc. Some of these mentioned above, including a new voter registration, will make sense to recue Liberia from Ellens shenanigan.



If this is after January 18, 2018, UP/LP may then ask the new Acting Head of State or Acting President--most likely the Senate Pro Temp-- to dissolve the corrupt NEC and appoint new NEC Commissioners. The new commissioners will then have to face Senate confirmation hearings.



Once there is a new "Acting President," he may then want to put his own stamp on the elections. He may say his administration will need six months to conduct the elections and that the government doesn't have the money to hold free, fair and transparent elections.



In addition, he may very well then ask our "international partners"--the United States and the European Union--for new funding for the elections, thus erasing any influence "former" President Ellen Johnson may have had on the old corrupt former and disgraced Jerome Korkoryah-led NEC commissioners.



With all that is unfolding, and lame duck President Sirleaf running out of time and options, my confidential sources both in Washington and in Monrovia told me Ellen wants to play the role of the Biblical Nicodemus, using backdoor channels in seeking to mend fences with Vice President Joseph Boakai, her most likely successor.



Ellen, my sources confided in me, wants to do a Charles Walker Brumskine on George Weah; to dump Weah as the UP/LP legal battle with the NEC is sapping away any momentum Weah and his CDC had from the corruption-tinted October 10 elections.



Ellen has also realized now that she does not have the backing of Liberia's international partners in her scheme to "monko-monko" the elections in favor of her anointed successor George Manneh Weah who are bitterly opposed to the political marriage of the CDC to Charles Taylor and his NPFL-NPP remnants.



Thus, Ellen's dream of "retirement" on January 18 with the pomp and pageantry she has been dreaming of, and turning over power to George Weah may simply be a dream only; derailed by the reality that the road to the Liberian presidency passes through Washington, DC, USA. But time will tell.





About the Author: Jerry Wehtee Wion is a journalist and political commentator, Washington, DC, USA

What is your take? Please post your comments below:


The Draupadi Dream Trust founded and chaired by Neera Misra of Kampilya-Panchalis birthplace organised the first Indraprastha Festival in November 2016 to highlight the need for recovering and showcasing evidence of this millennia old city. Besides a performance of the Indonesian Wayang Kulit depicting how Indraprastha was built according to the legend in Bali, an international conference was held covering a variety of topics centred on Indraprastha. As many as 23 of these papers have been published in this large format volume along with a host of sketches and plates that make it an important book for anyone interested in the heritage of ancient India.

There are several papers by eminent archaeologists led by their doyen Dr BB Lal who was the first to locate and excavate both Hastinapur (in Meerut district) and Indraprastha (in Purana Quila) 60 years back. Unfortunately, since then only desultory digging has taken place. So far nothing earlier than Painted Grey Ware pottery (around 1000 BCE) has been found at sites associated with the Mahabharata.

However, JN Ravis extremely valuable study of Balaramas pilgrimage along the Sarasvati reveals the links that must have existed between Harappan culture along this river (like Rakhigarhi, Bhirrana about 3000 to 2000 BCE) and Hastinapur on the Yamuna and Indraprastha on the Ganga. That is why it is puzzling why no excavation has been carried out at Kurukshetra, the site of the bloodiest of all carnages where 11 armies were decimated.

At least some metal artefacts ought to turn up if there is any historical basis to the itihasa. Ravis paper unaccountably omits the tirthas named after the Vriddhakanya (old woman) who attained Swarga only after marrying and the kanya who went to heaven remaining a virgin all through. The latter half of his paper is an excursion in Euhemerism with Yayatis sons migrating to become Danaans and the Irish (Danavas), Avestans as Daityas, only missing out on linking Ila with Elam in ancient Iran! Acharya Chatursen had done a much better job in his novel, Vayam Rakshamah. Archaeo-astronomy is a new term coined by those dating the Mahabharata war by using astronomical data from the text.

This book exposes the mutually contradictory dates arrived at. Narhari Achar fixes it in 3067 BCE, along with precise dates for Draupadis birth, marriage and the lacquer house episode. As the editors have not provided the bibliography for his paper, the references are not known. AK Bhatnagar decides upon 14 October 1793 BCE for the start of the war, besides fixing dates for Varanavat, Krishnas embassy, the deaths of Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Duryodhan.

Besides interpreting that data differently, Koenraad Elst favours post-1900 BCE because the Sarasvati must have (?) dried up around that time and as Dwarka is dated to 1700- 1500 BCE by SR Rao. Sita Nath Pradhan fixed the war as occurring in 1150 BCE. This is a fruitless area of exploration. AD Mathur draws only upon the Shanti Parva for the principles of governance instead of linking it to what is found elsewhere, like the Machiavellian advice Kunika tenders to Dhritarashtra for getting rid of the Pandavas. Come Carpentier skips all over comparative mythology, compares Indraprastha to Angkor and can come to no conclusion about the historicity of the city.

In asserting the existence of copper weapons for the war he is mistaken as no such weapons have been found in any site of that antiquity in this region. Shashi Tiwaris account of Kaliyuga dynasties with reference to Indraprastha is disappointing as it merely paraphrases Pargiters research instead of looking at the different findings of Sita Nath Pradhan in his Chronology of Ancient India (1927). She even misattributes a list of puranas to the Mahabharata. She assigns the last date for them to seventh century AD whereas the Bhavishya Purana includes references to the British, the Brahmavaivarta Purana is of the 16th century, the Linga and Shiva Puranas are 10th to 11th century. The most flagrant error is her assertion that Yudhishthiras line ruled in Indraprastha whereas Arjunas dynasty ruled in Hastinapura while Krishnas great grandson Vajra (and his descendants?) ruled in Indraprastha.

There is an important paper by Chahan and Pachauri on the role NGOs and citizens can play in preserving and promoting our cultural heritage. Renu Khanna contributes an architects vision with pictures on showcasing Indraprastha as a tourist destination. She refers to having studied the detailed English illustration of the Mahabharata which does not exist.

The editors should have corrected this to translation and provided the reference. Swapna Liddles paper is a valuable presentation of how local builders introduced traditional Hindu motifs even while constructing Muslim edifices, like the Kirtimukha, the lotus, the water pot but did not adopt the true arch till 1280 (Balbans tomb). The Qutub Minar even has an invocation to Vishvakarma and the name of the Hindu architect. Unfortunately, these fascinating aspects are not highlighted in the ASI plaques. Sudha Satyawadi contributes an illuminating paper on art and architecture in the Janapada period while Arundhati Dasgupta summarises how modern art depicts the Mahabharata.

Rupali Yadav describes the dice-game scene in a mural of the Chattar Mahal of Kota Palace, Rajasthan. Unfortunately, the plate shows the full mural with no separate picture showing the detail of Duryodhana consulting an astrologer. The editors should have ensured this. Somnath Chakraverty writes on the ethnography of the epic. He draws upon BS Upadhyaya and HD Sankalia without citing the references, asserting that names of nagas are drawn from Assyrian kings and so they came from that region. He asserts without any evidence that the Yadavas were from Western Asia and Iran. He also says that there are enormous evidences from Indus towns of serpent worship, again without supporting reference. It is disconcerting to find him claiming that rock art at Bhimbetka and elsewhere records mass genocide and battle, replicated throughout India. He states that these belong at least to the Gupta period if not earlier.

Rock art is dated much earlier (10,000 BCE at Bhimbetka). Major General GD Bakshis paper on the geopolitics of that time is a superb analysis showing that the autocratic royalty banded together to crush the nascent democratic (more oligarchic) government of Yadavas. Krishna kept the Yadavas out of the war so that when the field was swept clear, they could take over Indraprastha under Krishnas great grandson Vajra. Kritavarmas son with the Bhojas was given Marttikavat and Satyakis son was settled on the banks of the Sarasvati, both nearby. KTS Saraos interesting paper describes little known data from Buddhist sources regarding Indraprastha, like Buddhas razor and needle being deposited there and its ruler being Dhananjaya Koravya of the Yudhitthila gotra. Several of the contributors make the common error  not expected from Indologists  of asserting that initially the Mahabharata consisted of only 8,800 verses.

This is the number of riddling, knotty slokas Vyasa composed to gain time to compose more while Ganesh scratched his head trying to understand them. The Jaya version was 24,000 slokas without ancillary tales, which Vyasa expanded to several lakhs of which one lakh verses were recited to Janamejaya by Vaishampayana in his gurus presence during the sacrifice of snakes in Takshasila. Neera Misras paper presents an overview of the archaeological and other data on the subject, most of which has already been featured in individual papers. Hers is a fervent plea for opening up the Purana Quila site for displaying the excavations, which ought to be taken further and making it a tourist destination.

The large number of colour plates and sketches of archaeological finds, maps and paintings make this volume a collectors item. The editors should have added a line or two about each contributor instead of merely providing their email addresses.

(The reviewer retired as additional chief secretary, West Bengal, and specialises in the Mahabharata)
Hillary Clinton should have refrained. Refrained from running for President. Refrained from trying to restore her image by analysing why she lost. Refrained from exposing so much about whats wrong with US politics.

Refrained from badmouthing Russia and President Putin. Losing gracefully is not just about smiling bravely before cameras or at the investiture ceremony of the next President of the US. Obviously, she couldnt have said magnanimously that the best man won, especially when that man is Donald Trump. But she could have refrained from taking the world down the campaign trail again, pointing out ad nauseam how well she got on with her supporters, or how much she worries about the state of the nation. Politicians tend to sound the same when expressing their desire to improve the lot of the disadvantaged while becoming richer themselves. Just one of the stories she tells over almost 500 pages stands out. It is so memorable because this is what the American dream is for millions of people across the world  that hard work and tenacity can take you right to the top. And it is not about Hillary, it is about her mother.

The story goes like this. Dorothy Howell was three or four when her parents would leave her in their fifth storey apartment in Chicago to go to work (of course, thats against the law now). When she got hungry, she had to bundle herself up, walk down all those stairs, go to a nearby restaurant, produce a meal voucher, eat and then walk all the way home. Alone. When the Howells decided to divorce, she was eight years old. She and her three-year-old sister were sent on a four-day journey by train to California, unescorted, to live with their grandparents. There, they were subjected to strict Victorian rules.

When my mother dared to go trickor-treating one Halloween, the punishment was confinement to her bedroom for one whole year, coming out only to go to school, writes Clinton. Today, of course, most of these acts have been regarded as child abuse. Dorothy escaped from this hell at 14 by becoming a live-in help for a family, which thankfully treated her with kindness and allowed her to continue her education. Her mother called her back, but the teenagers heart broke when she realised her mother only wanted a housekeeper.

However, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and bear with this new situation. Once she became an adult, she found an office job, moved into an apartment, and fortunately married a good man, Hugh Rodham, with whom she had three children and built a happy home. Clinton writes, How did she hold on to that self-respect in the face of all that disregard?

The most important people in her life told her that she was nothing. How did she know that wasnt true? Her mothers story is more about survival skills, upward mobility and the tenacity of the human spirit than Hillarys own story. It is gratifying to know that Dorothy Rodham did not end up alone in an assisted living facility. She stayed with the Clintons for the last five years of her life. She lived to see her daughter as First Lady and Secretary of State.

One would love to see a filmmaker tackle this story. Hillary Clinton too has many achievements to her credit, but they predate the 2016 Presidential election, and there was no rags-to-riches story to tell. It is astonishing to read that she realised during the Presidential campaign that people hated her. That though it was high time the US elected its first woman President, she was aware of the common feeling that the country was unlikely to give a third term to the Democrats, a phenomenon we in India call anti-incumbency.

There seems to be something desperate about her campaign and though ambition is a well-accepted quality in a politician, her actions bring to mind the word overweening when we wonder why she did not take the more graceful course of supporting another woman candidate to be that historic achiever, whether in this election or the next. Would not people find it odd that having lived in the White House already  and survived the ignominy of the Oval Office scandal  she could still put herself out there to run for President. Hopefully, the whole fiasco will not cast a long shadow over other womens bid to run for the highest post in the land.

The most informative chapter, one that is inspirational for aspiring women politicians across the world, could have been On Being a Woman in Politics. Unfortunately, this too exposes the dark underbelly of misogynism and sexism that has recently been blown open by the Harvey Weinstein disclosures. We think Asia is in the Dark Ages in these matters, but Clinton tells us that the US in the 21st century is no better, which would explain why no woman has yet become President.

If were too tough, we become unlikeable. If were too soft, were not cut out for the big leagues. If we work too hard, were neglecting our families. If we put family first, were not serious about the work. She quotes Sheryl Sandberg, chief executive officer of Facebook, telling her that the more successful a man is the more people like him, whereas the opposite applies to women. While this kind of social prejudice is real, one hopes that Clinton has overstated the case because the world looks up to the US as a progressive state. Perhaps she lost not because she is a woman or because people didnt like her, but because the time was not right for her candidature. She brings it down too much to gender and personalities, but there were larger forces at work that brought Trump to power.

His idiosyncracies remind one of Ronald Reagan but Trump is a successful businessman and Reagan was a mere actor. The military industrial complex clearly conspires to put such men at the top. The book is an exercise in self-flagellation that does not endear Clinton to the reader, although the opposite must have been intended. One can understand the publishing industrys interest in her story, but not the authors own participation in this excoriation. On top of that, she might end up making the reader in distant lands a bit sceptical about the institutions of democracy. The way she depicts the media as unleashing a torrent of misinformation about her emails, or the Clinton Foundations activities, one gets the impression that media is a monster that can devour a candidate if it so wishes.

But then what was the point of all the mass contact programmes she attends, criss-crossing the country to acquaint voters with her priorities, if in the end the media is to carry the message? And if it is true that the Russians were the ones injecting the poison, what does that say for Americas superpower status? She even alleges a collaboration between WikiLeaks and Russian intelligence services.

The book gives only glimpses of the two charismatic men in her life ~ Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The first black President seems to encourage her, and the husband to stay in the background, a sounding board and a sage advisor. No revelations here. Still, in the book, Clinton continues to make all the right noises, as if she is still on the campaign trail.

Her concluding remarks would strike a chord in India, where the rise of polarising politicians like Modi is a cause for despair. She writes, We need to get better at explaining to all Americans why a more inclusive society with broadly shared growth will be better and more prosperous for everyone. Democrats must make the case that expanding economic opportunities and expanding the rights and dignity of all people can never be either/or, but always go hand in hand.

She promises to support future candidates, but perhaps, as in the writing of this book, she should refrain, lest that do more harm than good.

(The reviewer is the author of In Search of Ram Rajya and Thats News to Me)
The West Bengal Police has seized fake Indian currency notes of close to Rs 6 lakh face value from Ranibagan area of Baharampur in West Bengals Murshidabad district, police said on Saturday.

Three persons have been arrested in this connection.

The seized currency included 298 notes of Rs 2,000 denomination each.

Investigation is on to find whether more people were associated with the racket.

Police suspect the currency were brought to Murshidabad from Bangladesh via Malda.
Actor Ben Affleck has said that he admires the tenacity of Rose McGowan, who was one of the first women to speak out against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

In the aftermath of the allegations against Weinstein that surfaced after the exposes by the New York Times and the New Yorker, McGowan had called Ben Affleck a liar on Twitter and suggested the actor knew about Weinsteins conduct.

The Justice League star appeared on the US Today show, where he asked about McGowan.

I dont really want to get into other peoples individual stories because I feel like those are their stories and they are entitled to tell as much or as little of those as they want I believe Rose, I support her, I really like and admire her tenacity and wish her the best.

Affleck,45, also said that he knew Weinstein was sleazy and kind of a bully but was not aware of the sexual harassment allegations.

I knew (Weinstein) was sleazy and kind of a bully, but unfortunately that wasnt that uncommon. I was brand new to Hollywood I was 24 years old, I never made a movie and didnt know much of anything really.

To now look back on it and think gosh some other people were going through something really ugly and disturbing and difficult and terrible and terrifyingthe only thing I could think to do is to give my residuals from my Harvey movies to a couple of organisations that I think are making a difference and try to reconcile that, he said.
In recent years, women have made significant progress towards equality in a number of areas such as education and health, with the Nordic countries leading the fray. But the global trend now seems to have made a Uturn, especially in workplaces, where full gender equality is not expected to materialise until 2234, WEF said in a report.

A decade of slow but steady progress on improving parity between the sexes came to a halt in 2017, with the global gender gap widening for the first time since the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Report was first published in 2006, it said.

The Geneva-based organisations annual report tracks the disparities between the sexes in four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment. A year ago WEF estimated that it would take 83 years to close the remaining gap. But since then womens steady advances in the areas of education, health and political representation have plateaued, and for the fourth year running, equality in the workplace has slipped further from view. Thursdays report said that at the current rate of progress, it would now take a full 100 years on average to achieve overall gender equality.

The estimated time needed to ensure full equality in the workplace meanwhile has jumped from 80 years in 2014 to 170 years last year to 217 years now, according to the report. In 2017, we should not be seeing progress towards gender parity shift into reverse, Saadia Zahidi, WEF head of education, gender and work, said in a statement. Even more than in the workplace, political participation stubbornly lagged behind, with women still accounting for just 23 per cent of the worlds decision makers, according to the report. But political representation is also the area where women have made the most advances in recent years, the report said, estimating it will take 99 years to fully rectify the situation.

The picture is not all bleak: the march towards gender equality in education could reach the finish line within a mere 13 years, it said. And the situation varies greatly in different countries and regions. For instance, while Western European countries could close their gender gaps within 61 years, countries in the Middle East and North Africa will take 157 years, the report estimated. Overall, the Nordic countries once again dominated the top of the table: men and women were most equal in Iceland, followed by Norway and Finland. Rwanda came in fourth, with another Nordic country, Sweden, in fifth place.

They were joined by Nicaragua, Slovenia, Ireland, New Zealand and the Philippines in the top 10, with Syria, Pakistan and finally Yemen at the bottom of the rankings. Among the worlds 20 leading economies, France fared the best, taking 11th place overall, up from 17th place last year and 70th place in 2006.

Frances rise is largely thanks to increasing numbers of women in politics, including complete parity among government ministers. The United States meanwhile dropped four spots to 49th place due to womens dwindling political representation, with a significant decrease in gender parity in ministerial level positions, the report said.

A century behind

GENDER inequality is so pervasive that it will take a century to close the global gender gap at the current rate of change. This sobering piece of information, according to new research by the World Economic Forum, points to regression in global gender parity at work and in politics. The widening gap is attributed to deeply ingrained gender stereotypes halting progress for half the worlds talent pool. The Global Gender Gap Report, the WEFs annual benchmarking exercise, states it will be another 217 years before women achieve economic parity  more than the 170 years calculated in last years report.

The reality that women are underrepresented and underpaid from the start of their careers, and that the gender gap is even wider in senior positions, is very evident in countries such as Pakistan. Measuring progress on the basis of economic, health, education and political indices in 144 countries, the gender gap index lists Pakistan at 143. Given that Pakistans position on the index has remained constant for two years, this shows increasing levels of discrimination against women. The report is a shameful reminder that women are second-class citizens because myopic policymakers have failed to eliminate the forces behind gender inequality; a plethora of anti-women practices limit societys expectations of what women can or should do.

Depriving women of a voice, of their right to vote, of equal wages, of safe workplaces, etc has had detrimental socio-political and economic repercussions. Because gender imbalance has a vast bearing on growth and future economic readiness, policymakers should realise that the countrys economic engine is hugely dependent on womens input.

The closure of gender gaps should be linked to national policies addressing the lack of education and skills, cultural stereotypes, discrimination at work and the effects of unpaid care and family responsibilities. Also when women have a political voice, there are more chances of a just society with fewer human rights abuses.

For instance, even in the more conservatives societies of Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, innovative peace education ventures led by women have helped build social cohesion in some areas. Key to closing the gender gap is increasing female leadership because, as studies show, women hire and mentor female talent  more so than male bosses.

If more young women advance to the top  despite the usual resistance  earning the same money and respect as men, then, theres a chance that the playing field will become level for everyone.

(Dawn/ANN)
Defending his assertion for internal autonomy to both parts of divided Kashmir without obliterating the Line of Control (LoC), National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said if India wants to get Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK), let it move towards the LoC with guns.

If India wants to liberate the PoK, let it move towards the LoC with guns, Abdullah told a party meeting in winter capital Jammu, adding that wars were no solution as these bring only death and destruction.

Abdullah also reiterated his demand for grant of regional autonomy to different regions in Jammu and Kashmir to assuage the aspirations of people.

J&K is a unique state and needs special dispensation in terms of regional autonomy to satiate the urges of various regions, he said.

Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he lambasted the alleged overt and covert attempts being made to weaken Article 370 and said demand of autonomy was within the framework of the Constitution.

He said the NC would not allow the attempts of repealing Article 35-A to succeed. He said its fallout would be more disastrous for Jammu than other two regions of the state.

People will come here to take your land, he said accusing the BJP of raising the issue to make electoral gains and divide the people.

He questioned the ruling Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for advocating self-rule for Jammu and Kashmir, saying the PDP could not safeguard the states special status and surrendered fiscal autonomy over GST.

What could have been our own prerogative over tax structure rests with the central GST Council now, he said.

He also hit hard at the coalition government for abandoning the border residents, who stand exposed to harsher winter due to lack of shelter.

He referred to his recent visit to various parts of the LoC in north Kashmir including Teetwal and Machil and said the border dwellers were facing lots of problems due to failure of the government to provide better roads, communication and electricity facilities to them.

The PDP-BJP alliance will have to pay for all its wrongs, he said, adding that the people were suffering due to non-governance, development deficit and lack of accountability.

He alleged that survivors, widows and the families of soldiers, who laid down their lives for the country, were being neglected in the state.

Abdullah referred to his visit to the bereaved family of Sohanlal Bhagat, the soldier killed in Manipur, and said the family was totally shattered and devastated.

He lamented that none of the ministers in Jammu and Kashmir Government had time to visit the family.

This is how soldiers and their families are treated, he said and mentioned the state funeral accorded by Himachal Pradesh to the soldier killed along with Sohanlal Bhagat in Manipur.

He sought constitution of a commission to look into the plight of war widows and families of the killed soldiers.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat must work for this and formulate a report on the condition of war widows to be tabled in Parliament, the NC chief said while assailing those indulging in war mongering.

Referring to over-reaction on his recent statement on PoK, Abdullah invoked then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee saying that the sanctity of LoC could not be trampled by crossing over during Kargil incursion.

He also referred to the return of the strategically crucial Haji Peer picket in north Kashmir to Pakistan after India conquered it in 1965.

NC had not advocated this, but the Indian nation as such took this decision, he said.
If the ever-burgeoning concrete of Kolkata has made one miss the greener parts of the city, then they should head right away to the rooftop WhatsUp! cafe on Southern Avenue. The terrace gives one a spectacular birds eye view of a wide vista of trees and the serpentine road below with cars flitting past.

The neon-lit interior looks out to the city skyline through netted screens making the scenery outside appear cloudy and mysterious even on a sunny day. The seats with newspaper prints from around the world and the ambient music add to the cafe mood. Whats Up! has introduced their new food and cocktail menu, which comprises an array of unique dishes under a section called In a class of its own. Foodies can expect exotic international dishes including some very unusual egg based preparations. The anda ghotala, which is a rich stuffing of egg wrapped in croissants coupled with sliced bell papers and potatoes was beautifully garnished, looking vibrant and colourful. The tangy stuffing felt mouth-watering.

The Georgian khachapuri, which is an otherwise plain pizza, turned heavenly with a twist of poached egg topping paired with tomato and capsicum slices. The taste of egg in a pizza is indeed a new experience.

We added a new section of eggs. Often non-vegetarians do not consider egg as an option, instead opting for mutton, chicken or fish. But egg comes with a variety and that too at very reasonable prices, said Anamika Sengupta, partner of the cafe. The Taiwanese bekti fried fish with peanut sauce was another unique item on the menu.

The naturally tender quality of the fish together with the sauce felt as light as air inside the mouth! The taste reaches another level altogether when had with garlic bread and butter. There was another Taiwanese dish of noodles with lime, which had a sharp and spicy taste. The flavour of lime in noodles was a brand new addition. Bringing a perfect ending to the multi cuisine palate was the creamy fruit trifle. It had the taste of pudding rich with fruit slices. The cafe has also started a newly section of mutton comprising exciting dishes like Keema Noodles, Mutton Goulash, Shepherds Pie and much more.

We serve a wide range of platters like Oriental, Thai, Mexican, Continental, Indian Tandoor, Chinese and more. The authentic continental cuisine doesnt always appeal to us as sometimes it fails to match with the Indian palette. Keeping that in mind, we present international menus with an Indian touch. For example we have desi pizza in which we have used paneer to give it an Indian twist. Our chefs who are involved with the international dishes have spent a lot of time in countries like Australia or Germany. We travel a lot and explore international food. The items that appeals to us, we think of introducing them at our cafe. People nowadays in this digitally advanced era are continuously getting exposure to foreign food and culture, and wish to try them, said Sengupta.

FACT FILE

Address: 122A Southern Avenue, Kolkata 700029

Meal for two: Rs 1200 (approx) plus taxes

Contact: 08013333189

Timing: Noon to Midnight
Jean Paul Renaud, a tall, gaunt Haitian, fidgeted uneasily in his chair and looked sideways out of the window rather than at me. I couldnt help feeling there was something else behind his story. It was quite a story. In 1994 a military junta was running Haiti and hunting its enemies, the activist supporters of President Aristide whom it had ousted in a coup. The US offered to grant asylum to potential victims and accept them as refugees.

I came to Haiti to run the programme. In summer Renaud had applied for refuge, telling our interviewer in Port au Prince that he had been a peasant activist and had received death threats from the juntas local thugs called Attaches. He feared for his life and that of his wife. When he came for the interview from his native place, Les Cayes, he was accompanied by his friend Michel Beauviel, who too had applied and was interviewed.

Beauviel turned up two weeks later to know the outcome and was told that his application was not approved, as the story of his activism in the villages did not tally with the known facts. He then produced a note from his fellow resident in Les Cayes, Renaud, requesting that any letter for Renaud should be handed over to Beauviel to be carried to him, as Renauds work would not let him travel to the capital for a while. He got the letter for Renaud.

Four months later Renaud was now sitting in my office telling me a strange story. Beauviel had opened the letter meant for Renaud and found that Renaud had been approved for refugee status and needed to proceed immediately to get his passport and medical clearance. He acted quickly. He erased his name from the rejection letter he had received, inserted Renauds name and delivered it to Renaud with great commiseration for his misfortune.

He added that he had to go to another town, Mirebalais, for some work and would not be back in Les Cayes for several days. He did not of course go to Mirebalais. He went to a good source for false identification papers, obtained a passport in the name of Renaud and the requisite medical certificate.

On the fifth day he was on a plane for Chicago as an international refugee. When Beauviel hadnt returned to Les Cayes for months, and Renaud heard a rumour that he may have gone abroad, he was curious and came to check. I told him that, according to our records, a man of his name had left for the US. From the official photos, Renaud easily identified the impersonator as Beauviel. I would naturally have to act on the fraud and revoke the impersonators status. But I felt there was still some angle I had missed. Tell me, I asked, why did you trust Renaud so much? After all, you authorised him to collect your official papers.

He was a close friend. We helped each other. He did the major part in concocting the detailed stories about our activism and political action in the villages. So even his own story, which received approval, was a concoction! I was dumbfounded even before came the remarkable non-sequitur, Poor chap, I even married his girlfriend.

(The writer is a Washington-based international development advisor and had worked with the World Bank. He can be reached at [email protected])
Anti-terror probe agency NIA could be empowered to investigate cases of human trafficking, in what seems to be a breakthrough in the nearly year-long consultations among various stakeholders, including the home ministry and the ministry of women and child development.

Sources say the additional responsibility for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be part of the proposed anti-human trafficking law unveiled by Maneka Gandhi last year.

The move will also require amending the law that gave birth to the counter-terrorism agency  the National Investigation Act, 2008.

The Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016, proposed setting up a National Bureau on Trafficking in Person for prevention, investigation of the trafficking of persons cases and protection of the victims of trafficking  a role which could be performed by the NIA, sources said.

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) wanted NIA to investigate trafficking and we have agreed to that. MHA has also given its approval for the draft Bill. After we get a green flag from Prime Ministers Office, a Cabinet note will be circulated, according to a top official of the ministry of women and child development.

Another official said that a cell within NIA could be probing human trafficking cases.

After the Union Cabinet gives its approval, the draft bill will be tabled before Parliament.

Traffickers enjoy immunity because local police agencies are not able to probe inter-state or cross-border crimes. We require a nodal agency as 80-90 per cent of trafficking cases span across various states, said President of NGO Shakti Vahini, Ravi Kant, explaining why activists have been seeking a central body to probe human trade.

Government officials say that in order to empower the NIA to investigate trafficking cases the National Investigation Act, 2008, will have to be amended.

The NIA was set up by the previous UPA government in 2009 to probe terrorist activities in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.

As per the National Investigation Act, the anti-terror body is empowered to probe offences under eight specified laws, including the Atomic Energy Act 1962, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, and the Anti-Hijacking Act 1982.

The proposed anti-human trafficking legislation will be independent of the existing law on trafficking in relation to prostitution  Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956  while a section of the civil society has sought an umbrella law.

The draft law divides offences into trafficking and aggravated trafficking.

The punishment for offences in the former category is rigorous imprisonment between 7 and 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh, while aggravated forms of trafficking will invite a jail term of between 10 years and life imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs 5 lakh.

Aggravated trafficking will include trafficking of children, transgenders, differently-abled, pregnant women and those which involve use of drugs and alcohol.

There is also a provision for a national committee as well as a central fund for the relief and rehabilitation services for the victims.
The US trade policy has taken such a drastic turn that it may well affect trade with Latin America, said Sebastian Herreros, the representative for economic affairs of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Herreros told Xinhua news agency in an interview that, according to ECLAC, around 24.9 per cent of the total US exports head to Latin America and the Caribbean while imports from the region account for 19.2 per cent of the total.

Clearly, the emphasis that was on multilateralism and commitment to free trade and historic precepts of the US trade policy, are now being questioned, he noted.

There is a new focus that is far more centered on reducing trade deficits, on bilateralism, and in certain cases, far more protectionist attitudes.

Among US President Donald Trumps first measures after taking office was to remove the country from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

A very obvious proof was the U.S. exit from the TPP, the suspension of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU and the questions being directed at the World Trade Organization, he noted.

However, in the region, preoccupation has been centered around the current renegotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The renegotiation of NAFTA falls under the same logic. It has not been going very well until now and many of the proposals made by the US are really very radical, very difficult for Canada and Mexico to accept, explained Herreros.

There is a very strong uncertainty on whether the negotiations will finish safe and sound, and if they do not, what will happen next, he indicated.

The US has said that if the new agreement is not satisfactory, it will exit, which would certainly have strong consequences for Mexico and Canada.

However, Trumps threats are not limited to North America and has made it clear that other trade deals signed with other countries in the region such as Chile, Colombia and Peru will feel the impact.

According to ECLAC, around 70 per cent of the US imports from Latin America come from Mexico and cover 4,808 products.

The renegotiation of NAFTA and other potential changes to US trade policy could negatively affect trade in the region, ECLAC said.
But the tribe has a long way to go
A BJP officebearer from Haryana offered Rs 10 crore for the heads of actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bansali, both of whom are associated with the upcoming movie Padmavati, reports emerged on Sunday.

Reportedly, BJP media coordinator Surajpal Amu made these comments in an incendiary chief.

Earlier, a fringe group targeted actress Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone "burning her alive".

Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone, who plays legendary Rajput queen Padmavati in the movie, and Bhansali at Damodar Swarup park and shouted slogans against them.

They also took out a march to the collectorate office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding a ban on the release of the movie.

ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. Any person burning her alive will be given Rs 1 crore. We demand that office- bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."

Padmavati has been facing protests over the alleged "distortion of historical facts" in the film.

Earlier this year, Bhansali was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

Padukone and Bhansali have also received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai police.

Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.
A day after musician Ed Sheeran landed in Mumbai for a concert on Sunday, photos of him partying at an event hosted by Farah Khan surfaced on social media.

The highlight of the video was his Bollywood dance movies with actor Nakuul Mehta and television host Maniesh Paul.

When @farahkhankunder teaches you, @manieshpaul & this cool kid (Also sings a bit) some legit Bollywood moves. #Sheeran #ShapeOfYou A post shared by Nakuul Mehta (@nakuulmehta) on Nov 18, 2017 at 5:37pm PST

Were the moves cringeworthy? No. Did he pull it off? Yes.

Come on now, follow my lead

I may be crazy, don't mind me 

Thank you @TheFarahKhan for being the perfect host that you always are & for a rocking party last night. The hangover still continues. I can see the Shape of you with @edsheeran  pic.twitter.com/v7foPaTC8T  Raj Nayak (@rajcheerfull) November 19, 2017

But Twitter couldn't help poke fun at the expression on Ed Sheeran's face, as photos surfaced.
RACINE  While the men are away, the women will  shop.

At least that was part of the family tradition for many out attending area craft shows on Saturday  the same day that Wisconsins deer hunting season began.

For Jean Mantey, 84, shopping on opening day weekend has been a tradition for more than 40 years. She started the tradition when her daughter Sharon Mantey was 12.

Sharon, a third-grade teacher at Julian Thomas Elementary School, is now 54. And since the tradition started, they have had a new shopper join them: Jeans daughter-in-law Diane Mantey, who lives in Burlington and works at Aurora Memorial Hospital. Diane joined the annual shopping excursion after she and her husband got engaged in 1994.

Its a bonding weekend, said Jean, who lives in Muskego. The guys are up north  We bond, craft and shop.

For the three Mantey ladies, its a three-day tradition. On Friday night they started shopping in Muskego and went out for dinner and cocktails. On Saturday they started their day shopping online, then headed out to make their rounds, which included the Horlick High School holiday craft show. On Sunday they planned to hit the Milaegers Farmers Market.

While the three-day tradition continues, things have toned down a bit. In the past they had coordinated shirts they wore over the weekend. One day they had sweatshirts with three Christmas trees on the front. The next day they wore sweatshirts adorned with glittery ornaments.

Through all the years, they can only remember one year they missed the tradition because of health reasons.

Shopping since birth

Its a similar story for Lisa Erickson, 54, and her daughter Brittany OConnor, 31, both of Sturtevant. OConnor has been going shopping with her mom on opening day weekend since she was a baby.

OConnors mom used to strap her into a carrier and bring her along for the ride, and through the years it was something OConnor has always looked forward to doing with her mom.

The tradition used to include OConnors grandmother and aunt. Although they have since died, the tradition is still alive and well.

Its fun to do before Christmas, Erickson said. To get in the spirit.

And the fun doesnt stop this weekend. The YMCA Camp MacLeans 24th annual Crafts in the Woods Arts and Crafts show will be held Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its an event where crafters exhibit in the lodge and cabins throughout the property.

In addition to the Horlick and Parkside craft shows that were both Saturday, the Camp MacLean craft show is one of their favorites because of the fun environment. But more than anything, its about the tradition of spending time together.
Naveen Patnaik is known for his quiet ways. For a leader who has scripted a remarkable saga of success in Indian politics, the Odisha chief minister is low-profile and media shy, and a study in contrast when compared with his legendary father, Biju Patnaik, whose political legacy he carries forward. Patnaik named his party, the Biju Janata Dal, after his father, and initially leveraged the goodwill he had enjoyed in the state. Later, however, he started making his own success story.

Seen as a reluctant beginner and attacked by his critics for not knowing the ground realities of Odisha, Patnaik is into his fourth successive term as chief minister. He is clean and honest, and is regarded as an able administrator. While his critics pan him for being overly populist, Patnaik says the concerns of the common man are at the centre of his governance mechanism. He has formulated a success mantra that focuses on pro-poor policies.

Patnaik, who addressed THE WEEKs annual conference in Bhubaneswar on November 10, emphasised that his government had always focused on the development and welfare of the common man. In the last 17 years, Odisha has made some sweeping changes in its administration to make it dynamic, responsible and sensitive to the issues of the common man, he said.

His popular pro-poor schemes include 25 kilo of rice at one rupee per month, construction of one million pukka houses, programmes for women and girls, and creation of a social security net for the workforce in the unorganised sector. Patnaik defended the populist measures and ruled out the concerns on fiscal prudence. When we came to office in 2000, the states finances were in such a terrible state, he said. Now we have an excellent economy which has a number of anti-poverty programmes running successfully.

The BJD, which initially was a part of the National Democratic Alliance, broke off the alliance with the BJP in 2009. The party won two assembly elections on its own after that, and Patnaik, 71, has established himself as the tallest leader in the state. As he enters the last leg of his current term, with assembly elections due in 2019, he faces a stiff challenge from his erstwhile ally. The BJP, which has been making aggressive moves, held its national executive meeting in Bhubaneswar in April. It increased its tally significantly in the local body polls earlier this year. Also, there is speculation that the BJP might try to poach leaders from the BJD.

Patnaik, however, said he did not see a tremendous growth for the BJP in eastern India and played down speculation about the saffron party attempting to poach his leaders. I think the party is going to remain intact, he said. Excerpts from an interaction with THE WEEK:

Memorable event: Malayala Manorama Chief Editor Mammen Mathew presenting a memento to Naveen Patnaik. Editor Philip Mathew (left) and Senior Assistant Editor and Director Riyad Mathew are also seen | Salil Bera

When you took over, poverty in the state was at 59 per cent. Now it is somewhere around 34 per cent. How did you manage it?

We have taken more than eight million people from below the poverty line to above the poverty line. We have taken a number of steps as far as food security is concerned. Now, poor people get 25 kilo rice per month at one rupee; that looks after their food security. Also, we have built more than a million pukka houses, and shortly we will be completing another million pukka houses, which means that Odisha has no need of kuccha houses anymore. There are a number of other steps, like when we came to office in 2000, the states finances were in such a terrible state. We couldnt even pay the salaries of the government servants. Now, we have an excellent economy which has a number of anti-poverty programmes running successfully.

With the BJP moving aggressively in eastern India, how do you see the role of regional parties in the coming years? Also, in 2014, the Modi government came to power with the slogan of cooperative federalism. Has it stood true to the slogan?

Cooperative federalism is very important. But after removing the Planning Commission, we find that the budget allocations from the Centre to Odisha are even less. So this has to be rectified. And, as far as regionalism is concerned, Biju Janata Dal is a regional party, and our priorities are all for the states interests. I dont see tremendous growth for the Bharatiya Janata Party in eastern India.

Odisha has been at the forefront of reaching out to Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka from ancient times. Now in the present policy context, what role do you see for Odisha in Indias Act East Policy?

As far as the far east is concerned, because of our coastline and our ports, we have a natural advantage. And, now we have international flights as well to places like Kuala Lumpur.

You are one of the most powerful chief ministers in India, and you have been in power for the past 17 years. Do you see yourself as a prime minister probable?

My interest is focused only on Odisha. My concern is to keep working for the development and welfare of this state.

Do you find the Central governments measures in fighting Naxalism effective?

I dont think the Centres policy as far as Naxalism is concerned has been very successful. As far as the state government is concerned, we have tackled it, and from several districts affected by Naxalism, it is down to only two now.

How do you manage the low density of population in Odisha?

It has always been a fact that we have had a low population, and that continues. And we have a successful family planning programme as well. Also, infant mortality, for which we had the worst reputation in the country, is now above the national level, as is maternal mortality.

Do you apprehend any kind of poaching ahead of the 2019 assembly elections?

If you mean poaching in political parties, I dont think thats going to be very effective. I think the party is going to remain intact.

Odisha has plenty of natural resources and ports. Is your dream to make Odisha the Gujarat of the east?

I think Odisha has been doing very well 2000 onwards. We are no longer a BIMARU state. We are in the middle level as far as the states are concerned. And it has a very good recent history of development and welfare.

Demonetisation and GST have met with very strong criticism. Do you agree with the assessment that they have had a damaging impact on the countrys economy?

We supported demonetisation, if it was there for transparency, anti-corruption. But the process and procedure have been unsuccessful, as we have seen. And in GST, we still have to wait for what happens. But there are several flaws in that as well.

What are your memories of Jammu and Kashmir? Given your experience as a national leader, what would you recommend for the greater national integration of the state?

I have always had very fond memories of Jammu and Kashmir. My mother was from there. But I havent visited it for the last ten years when times had been more turbulent. I think the concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be treated very sympathetically. And more of an effort should be made for national integration.

How do you see the emergence of young leaders like Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani?

Those young leaders are certainly having an effect, particularly in Gujarat. And the effect will certainly be felt in the rest of India.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was your close friend. After her death, there has been political instability in the state. Do you feel we need strong regional satraps?

Jayalalithaaji was certainly a very powerful and a very popular regional leader in that state. As far as all parties are concerned, regional or national, they always require strong leadership.

What do you think of the political situation in Kerala?

Kerala has always had a history of several parties, and a group of them come up election after election. It is a very beautiful state. It is a highly educated state, the most educated state in the country. And a very successful state.
THIS STORY WAS narrated by Metropolitan Emeritus Philipose Mar Chrysostom of the Mar Thoma Church. Three young men once turned up at the bishops house seeking financial help for their friend who had renal failure. They asked for a sum, a hefty one in those days. The bishop told them that he could give them part of the amount; they would have to find the rest from elsewhere. Dejected, one of them bowled this yorker of a question at him: You are letting our friend die. So, what is the difference between you and a thief who stabs someone for money? Shaken, the bishop gave them the money. The incident moved him deeply, prompting him to share the experience widely.

As editor, I often come across appeals seeking financial help for medical care. Sometimes it is a familys sole breadwinner, and sometimes a little darling who has just begun life. The background stories are often heartbreaking. We run quite a few of these appeals in the Malayala Manorama newspaper. The large-hearted contribute, and lives are quite often snatched from the brink. So, it comes down to thatto putting a price tag on a life. In a recent podcast, Dr Devi Shetty said that in the next decade India might disassociate healthcare from affluence. A fine choice of words, I must say.

This issue is THE WEEKs annual special on best hospitals in the country. The fine suite of stories is bolstered by THE WEEK-Nielsen survey which ranks hospitals countrywide. The thrust this year is about the governments responsibility in making health care affordable. While individual states have projects covering specific needs of certain segments of the population, India lacks a policy that offers umbrella cover. Families dip into their savings to ensure quality medical care. And, care ends when their mug scrapes the bottom of the bucket. This has to change. The right to decent life is fundamental, and health care is an integral part of that right.

As this letter goes to print, the district medical officer in Idukki, Kerala, has suspended a staffer at the district hospital for her high-handedness. The staffer had refused to issue tokens to those in queue, and was quite rude when confronted. In AIIMS Patna, Rambalak was in queue at the out-patient registration desk. By the time the farmhand had got the paperwork right, his feverish daughter had died in her mothers arms. Only the hard-pressed go to government hospitals these days. And, there, these things happen to the most helpless of our brethren.

The Mahatma called for antyodaya. It is high time we had antyodaya in health care.
WIND POINT  When a jawbone was unearthed at a Wind Point home on Sept. 7, it wasnt the first time human remains were found on the property.

Almost exactly 28 years earlier, on Sept. 12, 1989, a human skull, pelvis and other bones were found at the same address. The story of how they got there reveals a somewhat dark story in Racine County history.

Earlier this year, workers at John Chapmans home in the 5300 block of Wind Point Road were digging by hand in preparation to widen his brick driveway. During the course of the work, one of the men ran up to Chapman with something in his hand.

He said, Mr. Chapman, I think you should see this,  Chapman said.

It looked like a human jawbone with some teeth attached. After speculating with the worker about what animal the bone might have come from, Chapman decided to call the authorities. Soon, deputies from the Racine County Sheriffs Office arrived and Chapmans yard was abuzz with activity.

As officers continued to work and dig, they found more bones. According to Chad Schulman, lieutenant of criminal investigations with the Sheriffs Office, in addition to the jawbone, they found multiple whole and fractured ribs, an arm bone as well as small pieces that couldnt be identified.

Schulman said that, from the beginning, he believed the bones were brought in with fill material.

They seemed to be broken up into gravel and spread out kind of randomly, he said. You could tell there wasnt a body that was buried there.

It was only on the second day of the investigation, after State Crime Lab employees had arrived, that Schulman and his colleagues learned about the connection between these bones and ones found there in the past.

Arlene Capes story

In the late afternoon of Sept. 8, Arlene Cape arrived at her former home on Wind Point Road, where the investigation was underway. She had read a story about the discovery of human remains in The Journal Times, and she had some information for investigators.

On Sept. 12, 1989, Cape and her husband were in the process of building their home in Wind Point. Some fill had been brought to the site from the area of the Racine Wastewater Treatment plant at 2101 Wisconsin Ave., where a road was under construction. And in a pile of rock that came with the fill, Cape spotted a human skull.

According to a Journal Times story published Sept. 14, 1989, police connected the skull and other bones found at the property to Evergreen Cemetery, which had been located in the same approximate area as the wastewater treatment plant. They believed that the bones had traveled to the property with the fill dirt. Unfortunately, as record-keeping at the Sheriffs Office has changed since the 1980s, current investigators were unable to locate files from the original incident.

But when investigators asked Cape to show them where she found the skull, she pointed exactly where theyd been digging. At that point, officers stopped their excavation efforts.

An unfortunate history

Evergreen was a private cemetery, originally organized in 1851, according to news articles on file at the Racine Heritage Museum. Its first burial took place the following year.

Lake erosion soon made the cemetery an unfavorable place to bury the deceased. It was located just south of Racine College, right along the shore, according to multiple news articles and an 1878 map published in the Historical Atlas of Wisconsin.

According to a Racine Daily Journal article published Nov. 12, 1886: The lake commenced making sad inroads on the old Evergreen Cemetery, and it is alleged that often, the ends of coffins and bones of the departed could be seen protruding from the hillside.

It was estimated in a Racine Journal News article published May 28, 1921, that during the prior 50 years, 600 feet of cemetery land had been washed into the lake at an average of 12 feet per year.

The southern two-thirds of the cemetery land was sold in May 1869, according to a Racine Review article published June 7, 1928. Its authors speculated that a few bodies might have remained there.

A Racine Daily Journal article from Nov. 12, 1886, corroborated the sale of the southern portion of the land and said the bodies were moved prior to the sale. Hundreds of bodies were reportedly buried there.

City Sexton Yance was engaged to exhume and remove what bodies could be found, the trustees signing an agreement to hold him harmless for so doing, the article said. Some seventy-six bodies were taken up and removed to Mound Cemetery, but a large number were not found.

Although multiple sources say the bodies were moved, none provide a date that this action took place.

At least some family members of the deceased were uninformed about the relocation of their loved ones remains. According to the 1886 Daily Journal article, John McNally, a wealthy farmer from Kewaunee County, arrived to search for the bodies of his in-laws with the intent of reburying them near his home. Even after hiring a surveyor to find the plots where his family members were interred at Evergreen Cemetery, McNally found no trace of them.

I was surprised to find that the burying ground, or a part of it had been sold and converted into a farm, and that the records containing names and lots had been burned during the great fire a few years ago, McNally said in the 1886 article. I further found that a large number of bodies had been taken up and removed to Mound Cemetery, but no record was made of the lots where they were taken from or where buried again.

At the time, McNally planned to file a lawsuit against the cemetery trustees.

E.W. Leach, the author of a Racine Journal News article published May 28, 1921, lamented the deterioration of the cemetery.

In its heyday, the cemetery was a delightful spot, Leach wrote. Rows of stately and beautiful evergreen trees practically surrounded it and many were scattered throughout its grounds, which with the flowering shrubbery set out along the drives, made it peculiarly attractive.

Leach wrote that he had visited the site that week and that little trace of it remained: It was once a beautiful place for the dead. It is now a dead place  neglected, unbeautiful, desolate.

All that was left were three slotted bases for slab gravestones scattered among wild shrubbery, he wrote:  those and a few deep depressions, here and there that speak graphically of violated graves, are all that remain to suggest its once honorable estate.

The current investigation

Officials with the Racine County Medical Examiners office have already determined that the bones most recently found on Wind Point Road are very old. However, the next step in the investigation is to send the bones to a forensic anthropologist to determine a more exact age.

Theres no way at this point to identify the bones, Schulman said, and its possible that they came from more than one person.

Its unfortunate, because thats somebodys ancestor, he said. It seems like there just wasnt a lot of care in moving those bodies.

Schulman said he had not heard any other reports of remains found near the wastewater treatment plant or in connection to fill from the former cemetery.

Schulman speculated that there are probably still human remains on the Wind Point property, as well as other places where fill dirt taken from near the wastewater treatment plant was used. Schulman said his team couldnt find records of where else the fill had been taken.
EasyJet is expected to report a trading boost from the woes of rivals this week as its boss Carolyn McCall bows out.

In recent months Ryanair has cancelled thousands of flights following a mix-up over pilots' rosters  and Monarch Airlines collapsed last month.

The full-year results of easyJet are set to suffer from a 100million currency hit following the Brexit vote. But the airline is expected to report on Tuesday that revenue rose 7 per cent to 5billion.

EasyJet is expected to report on Tuesday that revenue rose 7 per cent to 5billion

City analysts have forecast profits of 403million, down from 495million last year.

McCall is moving to head up ITV. She will be replaced by former TUI deputy chief executive Johan Lundgren early next month.

Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Nicholas Hyett said: 'EasyJet is clearly sticking with its growth plans despite the capacity squeeze taking other airlines out of the skies. Recent passenger statistics suggest that may be paying off.'

Earlier this month easyJet reported a 10 per cent annual growth in passenger numbers.

It has struck a 40million deal to buy part of Air Berlin's operations after the German firm filed for insolvency. It has also offered to buy part of Italy's Alitalia airline.
KENOSHA  Wisconsins experts in dementia, Azura Memory Care, is about to reopen one of its homes, completely and newly remodeled, to residents.

Wisconsin-based Azura, which has 14 memory care homes in the state, will reopen its extensively remodeled home at 4600 52nd Ave. here on Dec. 5. The home is one of two Azura Memory Care homes on the site and one of three Azura homes in Kenosha, the other at 7135 Green Bay Road.

After several months of remodeling, the home looks and feels newly constructed. We took it down to studs throughout, remarked Paula Gibson, Azuras regional director of communications and engagement.

The project reconfigured 20 suites into 16. Some have expanded, and eight have their own private bathrooms.

The two Azura homes on the site are connected by a large, fenced park in back where residents are free to roam, rake leaves, water plants or play bocce ball.

Azura is dually licensed for both the frail elderly and people with a dementia diagnosis.

That dual license allows us to help those with different cognitive levels, Gibson said. Often we help couples where one spouse has dementia and the other one doesnt; this special licensure allows them to still live here together.

What sets Azura apart in the memory care industry?

We are the dementia experts and known for our specialization throughout the state of Wisconsin, Gibson said. We provide really specialized care for those who have memory loss.

What I like to say is, if you have cancer, you would want someone caring for you and treating you that understood cancer.

Amazingly, Gibson continued, In the state of Wisconsin anyone can put memory care on their sign. Theres no additional training required.

However, Azura has developed and provides enhanced memory care training for its staff members: more than 90 hours in the first year. MOSAIC as its called includes both hands-on and online training including a virtual dementia tour that makes the person feel as though they have dementia, Gibson said.

And, even before staffers are hired, they are offered the chance to do four hours of job shadowing, helping to see if they really understand who we care for, Gibson said. Because were known as the experts in Wisconsin, we do help some people that others just cant, or wont, help.

Household Model

The resident-caregiver ratio at Azura is six to one, a very high staffing ratio for this line of work, Gibson said. To help those caregivers know the residents, each resident has an enhanced quality of life profile that tells caregivers everything from the residents favorite color, their bedtime routine and ways for caregivers to engage with them on a personal level.

Azura uses the Household Model. Gibson explained, This is their home, we have the honor and privilege to work in it. Our goal is to engage them to do what they did at home and what brings them joy!

That includes the food, which Gibson called amazing. We try to make everything home-cooked. And meals are based on what our residents like.

The new Azura home has numerous purposeful destinations, Gibson pointed out. One is a spot in a hallway with a large, framed, black-and-white photo of a young Elizabeth Taylor. On the opposite wall hang womens hats, scarves and purses, so the ladies can dress-up for dinner if they like.

Another similar spot for men with, old-car art on the wall, has items for them to handle such as paintbrushes, a level and an oil can.

Everything in our home has a purpose, Gibson said. The purposeful destinations are designed to evoke a memory, start a conversation or make a smile happen.

Azura has an external quality-of-life program that includes outings to the south Azura home for activities there, to concerts, shopping, the Jelly Belly Candy Co. and the like.

Azura also partners with other organizations to provide hospice care when it becomes necessary. Gibson said, Our motto is: Once they come to Azura, theyre part of our family. Were going to do everything we can to ensure that they can stay with us.

For more information about Azura Memory Care, call 262-220-2720 or visit www.azuramemory.com.


MBABANE  Another day, another leak showing how big companies, the rich and the famous make use of tax havens.



These leaks have become a common place in recent years. The latest and the largest yet, are the Paradise Papers, the 13.4 million documents released a fortnight ago exposing clients of the Bermuda- based law firm, Appelby which has offices in other tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands, the Isle of Man and Guernsey.



According to the latest estimates of the Tax Justice Network, governments are losing E9.1 trillion (US$700 billion) a year in tax jurisdictions-the tax havens.

The release of the Paradise Papers follows shortly after the Panama Papers. The Panama Papers are an unprecedented leak of 11.5 million files from the database of the worlds fourth biggest offshore law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The records were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ then shared them with a large network of international partners, including the Guardian and the BBC.



The documents show the myriad ways in which the rich can exploit secretive offshore tax regimes. Of the list of people, about 10 Swazis or Swazi-based businesspeople were also listed. Their names are known to the Times SUNDAY but are deliberately withheld.



Using offshore structures is entirely legal. There are many legitimate reasons for doing so. Businesspeople in countries such as Russia and Ukraine typically put their assets offshore to defend them from raids by criminals, and to get around hard currency restrictions. Others use offshore for reasons of inheritance and estate planning. But most persistent than the leaks themselves are concerted efforts at global tax reforms , especially by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which South Africa and other nations have begun to implement in earnest.

The OECDs Common Reporting Standards have taken effect, which requires countries to obtain information from their financial institutions and automatically exchange it (the scope of which is pre-agreed) with other countries every year. The agreement is based on reciprocity and those who do not provide quality information will be excluded.

As of August this year, there were 95 signatories to it, including South Africa and Seychelles. But the initiative has been criticised for not accommodating the needs of developing countries, many of which have not signed up including Swaziland.



Despite that Swaziland needs information sharing regarding tax matters to curb the scourge of tax erosion through tax haven, the Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA) Commissioner General Dumisani Masilela confirmed that the country is not a signatory of OECD.

Speaking to the Times SUNDAY yesterday, the commissioner general said the reason Swaziland is not part of OECD which is aimed at preventing tax avoidance by big companies and the rich is because its membership is predominantly the western countries.



However, he noted that it is starting to open due to the emergence of the leaks detailing how governments are losing billions of Emalangeni through the shifting of money to the tax havens. Masilela said some individuals are structuring their companies so that they could shift their profits to the tax havens hence organisations including OECD are starting to be more accommodative.



As things stand, Masilela said Swaziland does not seem to be eligible in his view despite its important role. Against this backdrop, Masilela told this publication that Swaziland is collaborating with OECD through the Africa Tax Administration Forum. To be signatory to the OECD, the taxman said they are in a process of joining the Global Tax Forum which is supposed to be processed by the Ministry of Finance through Cabinet.

As Swaziland we are processing to join the Global Forum which will assist us to manage these tax erosion issues and share information with other tax administrations. We have the appetite to join global forums to share tax matters, Masilela said.



OECDs base Erosion and Profit Shifting action plan, which is being implemented over the next few years, will also go some way towards stopping companies from abusing complex mechanisms to limit tax liability in countries where their economic activities took place.








Sir,



With the African continent and the world at large, still reeling from the shocking news of the fall of the worlds longest ruling political leader, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, to those who closely follow the Bible prophecy, such news shouldnt come as a surprise.



Gods infallible word tells us about how He raises and brings down kingdoms. Daniel 2:21 narrates: He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning...



Robert Mugabes stranglehold and ruthless grip on power for an unbelievable 37 years, was bound to end in disgrace - sooner or later, in the long run

Like all dictators - past and present - Mugabe, with pomposity, believed himself as invincible and that his coming into power was through his own might and wisdom, forgetting that there is a Lofty and Mighty One, who controls and directs the affairs of men, for His own divine purpose.



Since the dawn of creation, many ruthless, repressive and brutal dictators have met their end in disgrace. Some have met a gruesome ending at the hands of the very people they have ruled with an iron hand for years.

History is blotted with the records of the fall of numerous tyrants who ruled their countries with an iron fist and used hard-line tactics to muzzle voices clamouring for democratic dispensation, but sadly came to a bitter ending.

I can mention a long list of brutal rulers who believed themselves beyond criticism, were pompous and brutally crushed any dissenting voices. Hitler of Nazi Germany, Mobutu Seseko of Congo, and Saddam Hussein of Iraq - the list is endless.



We still have the Zumas, the Kim Jung-uns, the Bashar-al-Assads of this world, who still believe themselves beyond reproach and critique, but sadly fail to heed historys lessons that God eventually responds to a nations people cry for help.

God used King Cyprus of the Persian Empire to bring to an end the brutal exile of His children - the Israelites in Babylon, who were in exile for 70 years. Centuries before, He dramatically ended ancient king Pharaohs repressive rule of His children in Egyptian slavery.



These biblical records were written as a warning to rulers that God eventually acts when the sins of a nation and its rulers finally reaches up to the corridors of heaven.

Sadly, political leaders never learn.



Millions of Zimbabweans have fled their country of birth because of the iron fisted rule of Mugabe. Many have died while illegally trying to gain entry in to neighbouring countries.

Women and children have been violated, raped and met their deaths at the hands of human predators while trying to flee from hunger in Zimbabwe. White farmers, who contributed in making Zimbabwe the former breadbasket of Africa, had their land confiscated by Mugabe and his bloodthirsty ZANU-PF followers.



Was the loving God supposed to turn a blind eye and deaf ear forever to the cry for intervention of His people?

May all remaining dictators in the world take a leaf out of tyrannical Mugabes sad ending? May they know that whatever is impossible with men is possible with God?



I and millions of others around the world do not feel a shred of sympathy for Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his Jezebel wife, the Dis-Graceful Grace.

He must thank the very God he has been spiteful of that this was a bloodless takeover.

For the worlds remaining oppressors, beware: God has had enough. Your kingdoms have been weighted and found wanting.



Alex Lucky Nxumalo

+26876058449
MBABANE  While Lomati Gold Mines operations remain uncertain and Senators recently raised concerns over its corporate governance, information has emerged that the entity sold 1kg pure gold in Dubai.

Although the exact price at which the gold was sold remains unknown, the precious stone was valued at around E600 000.



The sale of the gold involved Prince Gcina, the last born child of King Sobhuza II who is Swazilands Ambassador to Dubai.

He was in the company of another member of the royal family, Mihla Dlamini, who is Managing Director of Lomati Gold Mine (also known as Lufafa).

This latest information follows last weeks Times SUNDAY article that Nigerian billionaire Chief Benjamin Aghalieaku Arenzes company, Aghalieaku Airways, shipped the gold to Dubai and charged Lomati E63 840 for services rendered.



The gold dore bar that was shipped to Dubai had a purity of 24 karat, which signified that it was pure gold or 100 per cent gold.

The gold was destined for Al Etihad Gold LCC, which is one of the largest and fastest growing gold and silver refineries in the Arab region.

The documents on the golds shipment to Dubai was the first evidence to be exposed to the public confirming that gold of the purest form was being produced by Lomati Mine and exported to the international market.

The involvement of Mihla and Prince Gcina in the golds sale has been confirmed by Commissioner of Mines Sam Ntshalintshali.



The ministry assigned His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland in Dubai to oversee the consignment including processing at the refinery, sale and transmission of the sale proceeds to the respective authorised recipients. His Excellency was in regular communication contact with the Honourable minister for Natural Resources and Energy and the commissioner of mines, the commissioner said.

The gold left Swaziland through the King Mswati III International Airport and reached Dubai via the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.



Mihla, as confirmed by Ntshalintshali, was a passenger in the aircraft when the gold was shipped from KMIII International Airport.

On the golds arrival in Dubai, as reported by this publication last week, it was to be handed over to a Mr. M. Dlamini, presumably Mihla, and this has also been confirmed by the commissioner.

The cargo was received by the managing director and His Excellency the ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland in Dubai, said Ntshalintshali.



He stated that after it had been processed, the gold was sold to the open markets based on the London Bullion Market (LBM) prices.

The London Bullion Market Association is the pre-eminent standard-setting body for the global wholesale market for precious metals, with some 150 members based in over 30 countries.

The LBMs mission is to add value to the global precious metals industry by setting standards, developing market services and thereby ensuring the highest levels of integrity, transparency and quality.

Gold, silver, platinum and palladium price auctions take place in London on a daily basis.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Two people were transported to the hospital late Friday after a vehicle was involved in a serious crash and ended up wrapped around a tree.

Police believe alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash.

On Friday, at 10:56 p.m., the Mount Pleasant Police Department responded with the South Shore Fire Department to the 1400 block of Oakes Road following a report of a vehicle crashed into a tree, according to a Mount Pleasant Police Department release issued Saturday morning.

The front-seat passenger, identified as Mary F. Pagano, 34, of Mount Pleasant, was trapped in the vehicle and had shallow breathing and was unresponsive.

Mount Pleasant officers cut her from her seat belt and assisted her until South Shore Fire Department paramedics could render advanced aid.

South Shore firefighters had to cut apart the vehicle and remove her.

Upon removal, she was transported to the emergency room at Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine. She was in stable condition as of early Saturday morning.

Upon further Investigation, police determined that the driver, Nicholas B. Putz, 35 of Elm Grove, had a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from him.

He also had a laceration to his head and was transported to the Ascension All Saints Hospital for minor injuries.

The Wisconsin State Patrol was contacted to respond to the scene and they conducted a reconstruction investigation of the crash scene along with Mount Pleasant officers.

The incident remains under investigation by Mount Pleasant Police and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
Harare  Protesters in Zimbabwe have headed towards the office of President Robert Mugabe to urge him to step down.



The march came on a day of widespread jubilation in the capital Harare and other cities following the armys takeover on Wednesday.

Soldiers at State House gently pushed protesters away in scenes resembling a party, says the BBCs Andrew Harding.



The army intervened after Mr Mugabe sacked his deputy, signalling that he favoured his wife Grace as a successor. Mugabe, 93, has led Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.

The military has kept him confined to his residence and says it is engaging with him and will advise the public on the outcome of talks as soon as possible. Yesterdays rally is supported by the army and members of the ruling Zanu-PF party.



Veterans of Zimbabwes war for independence - who until last year were loyal to the president, the best-known among them - are also saying Mugabe should quit.

The leader of the organisation urged people to head towards Mugabes private residence, too.

Outside State House, some people staged a sit-down protest in front of a line of troops, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai addressed the crowd, to cheers.

The BBCs Andrew Harding in Harare said this is a watershed moment and there can be no return to power for Mugabe.



A correspondent said the situation may appear to be getting out of Zanu-PFs control and there could be a broad push to introduce a transitional government that includes the opposition.

The influential war veterans association leader Christopher Mutsvangwa had called for a huge turnout, saying: We want to restore our pride.



In the ruling Zanu-PF at least eight out of 10 regional branches voted on Friday for Mugabe to resign as president and party secretary. Several regional leaders appeared on TV saying he should step down, Grace Mugabe should resign from the party and Mr Mnangagwa should be reinstated to the central committee.
SARATOGA SPRINGS  A worker hired as part of a group painting a city home is accused of swiping jewelry worth more than $13,000, city police said Friday.

Police said the painter -- whose name is James M. Brush -- is charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, police said. The arrest stemmed from a Nov. 11 call from an Echo Ridge Drive resident who said jewelry was missing. Brush, 42, of Saratoga Springs was arrested Thursday.
This list is not comprehensive. Municipalities are listed as they appear on the criminal complaint. Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. To see mugshots of the accused, visit www.journaltimes.com/gallery. Additional information about the complaints can be found at: journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts.

Adrianna J. Albarran, 5000 block of 19th Ave., Kenosha, assault by prisoners, and disorderly conduct.

Charles D. Anderson, 2500 block of Northwestern Ave., Racine, bail jumping.

Nicholas J. Behl, 2800 block of Anthony Drive, Racine, retail theft, and bail jumping.

Maricella H Chairez, 1300 block of Grand Ave., Racine, assault by prisoners, and disorderly conduct.

Jerrison D. Dixon, 900 block of Superior St., Racine, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse assessments, and bail jumping.

Kelly B. Dunn, 3400 block of Ivy Lane, Racine, retail theft.

Monia R. Fuentes, 800 block of College Ave., Racine, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

Malik DeGroot, 1900 block of N. Main St., Racine, battery by prisoners, and disorderly conduct.

Roman A. Espinoza, 1800 block of Green St., Racine, possession with intent to deliver or manufacture marijuana, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school, and dangerous weapons on school premises.

Akeem W. First, 1200 block of Buchanan St., Racine, armed robbery, intimidation of a victim, and obstructing an officer.

Philip L. Ford, 800 block of Low Ave., Waukegan, Ill., battery, and disorderly conduct.

Jeremy L. Harris, 1700 block of Skyline Drive, Racine, battery, domestic abuse assessments, disorderly conduct, and obstructing an officer.

John D. Hinze, 1000 block of Cedar Creek St., Racine, theft, forgery, entry into a locked vehicle, and bail jumping.

Deona M. Jackson, 1000 block of Grand Ave., Racine, obstructing an officer.

Travon A. James, 1000 block of Hamilton St., Racine, theft, criminal damage to property, domestic abuse assessments, and disorderly conduct.

Malik T Kentle, 1500 block of LaSalle St., Racine, possession of marijuana.

Dontrell D. King, 1100 block of Metron Court, Racine, discharging a firearm from a vehicle toward a building or vehicle, recklessly endangering safety, and use of a dangerous weapon.

Felix M. Leal Sr., 800 block of Yout St., Racine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession with intent to deliver or manufacture marijuana, possession with intent to deliver other schedule I controlled substances, and maintaining a drug trafficking place.

Kirk R. Lock, 200 block of Howland Ave., Racine, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct.

Ouida P. Lock, 7900 block of N. 60th St., Milwaukee, operating a motor vehicle without owners consent.

Sean M. Manthy, 3300 block of Turnberry Oak Drive, Waukesha, burglary of a building or dwelling, and theft of movable property.

Blaine E. Nash, 2000 block of 57th St., Kenosha, retail theft.

Dale C. Olson, 32200 block of 45th St., Burlington, recklessly endangering safety, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct.

Bessie A. Ortega, 1200 block of S. 30th St., Milwaukee, operating a motor vehicle without owners consent, theft, and uttering a forgery.

Lawrence J. Otto Jr., 3200 block of 14th Ave., Kenosha, burglary of a building or dwelling, and theft of movable property.

Donald L. Pannell, 5100 block of Taylor Ave., Racine, obstructing an officer, and bail jumping.

Charles J. Phillips, 2200 block of Geneva St., Racine, retail theft, and obstructing an officer.

Max H. Richter, 800 block of Oceola Drive, Algonquin, Ill., possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.

Devin M. Robinson, 1500 block of Howe St., Racine, battery, and disorderly conduct.

Anthony T. Rush, 200 block of Ohio St., Racine, obstructing an officer.

Michael T. Sherrill, 200 block of S. Newman Road, Mount Pleasant, bail jumping, disorderly conduct, and domestic abuse assessments.

Mario D. Tapia Martinez, 800 block of Washington Ave., Racine, battery, obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Averion B. Thomas, 4000 block of Erie St., Racine, resisting an officer, and disorderly conduct.

Junior A. Trejo Mayta, 1900 block of 30th St., Kenosha, bail jumping.

April L. Varner-Chattman, 1200 block of Racine St., Racine, bail jumping, and operate motor vehicle while revoked.

Donny D. Williams, 2300 block of Loni Lane, Racine, disorderly conduct, and bail jumping.

Hiram T. Wilson, 4800 block of N. 39th St., Milwaukee, substantial battery, domestic abuse assessments, and disorderly conduct.

Andrew S. Wojak-Hanson, 3400 block of S. 32nd St., Milwaukee, retail theft.
New York

Many Americans have a blind spot when it comes to retirement planning: long-term care costs. Even though the majority of Americans will need long-term care, few are planning for it. Many underestimate the costs and mistakenly believe health insurance can help cover it.

"It is something we will all face in our lives," said Bruce Chernof, president and CEO of the SCAN Foundation, which researches care for older adults. "If we don't need it ourselves, it is likely that our spouses, our significant other or our parents will. One way or another, it will touch the lives of every single American."

The U.S. government estimates that 70 percent of people age 65 today will require some form of long-term care during their lives. Most of the time, that type of assistance is non-medical, including help with daily tasks such as bathing. The need can arise after a major illness or suffering an injury from a fall.

The costs of such care can easily outstrip retirement savings: A 65-year-old today can expect to incur $138,000 in long-term care costs over their lifetime, according to a 2017 Bipartisan Policy Center report. Two-thirds of Americans age 40 and older say they've done little or no planning for their long-term care needs, according to a poll conducted this year by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, with funding from the SCAN Foundation.

Here is some guidance on how you can get a jump-start on planning.

Realitic picture of costs

This is something people can do easily and early. AARP has a long-term care calculator that lets people find the average costs for different types of services by state and metropolitan region, based on research by Genworth Financial. The most expensive option  a nursing home costs an average $97,000 a year, according to Genworth's 2017 survey of long-term care costs. Assisted living facilities  for those who can't live independently but don't require skilled nursing care  cost $45,000. For those seeking to remain at home, hiring a home health aide or homemaker services will cost more than $20 an hour. Other options include adult day health centers, which charge an average of $70 a day.

Learn about financing

Many mistakenly believe Medicare or private health insurance will help pay for long-term care. Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they plan to rely on Medicare should they ever need ongoing living assistance, according to the poll. But Medicare does not cover extended nursing home stays or non-skilled living assistance, which make up the majority of ongoing care needs.

More than 50 percent of Americans end up paying for long-term care out-of-pocket, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center report. That figure rises to nearly 70 percent for those receiving long-term care at home. Many Americans with severe long-term care needs quickly burn through their savings and end up turning to Medicaid, which is projected to account for 40 percent of national spending on long-term care services by 2030.

So it's a good idea to take the time to research Medicaid rules, particularly what sorts of assets you might have to spend down to qualify. Research how other long-term care financing plans can affect your Medicaid eligibility. Keep in mind that Medicaid regulations vary widely by state  and could change over time.

Long-term care insurance

Only 11 percent of older Americans have private long-term care insurance, according to the Bipartisan Policy Council, and with good reason.

Premiums are too expensive for most people. Some estimates put average rates at up to $2,400 annually. Rates have increased significantly since long-term care insurance plans first came on the market about 30 years ago, largely because insurance companies saw fewer voluntary lapses than expected and made other mistaken price assumptions.

Consider hiring a financial expert to help you pick the right policy.

Growing in popularity are "hybrid" insurance products that combine death benefits or annuities with long-term care benefits. People like them because if the long-term care benefits are never used, heirs still receive the death or annuity payouts.

Talk to your family

Chances are high that relatives will be involved with long-term care. Experts recommend having family discussions about long-term care preferences before a crisis occurs. For instance, you might be determined to care for a parent or spouse at home. But would that person feel comfortable with a home health aide or an adult day care center while you are at work?

Where you live matters when planning for long-term care, especially if relatives live far away. Check out the condition of your home and if it can be modified to accommodate disabilities.
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Bonn, Germany

As the first glimmer of dawn appeared across the Rhine River, delegates stumbled out of an all-night negotiating session at this year's global climate talks, expressing satisfaction Saturday at the progress made toward creating a comprehensive rule book for fighting global warming.

The two-week meeting in Bonn was billed as a "blue-collar" event designed to hammer out the technical details of the 2015 Paris climate accord. But fears had loomed large beforehand that the administration of President Donald Trump, who rejects the Paris agreement, would seek to block any advances seen as counter to American interests.

In the end, most agreed that U.S. diplomats had engaged constructively, while delegations from several American states, cities and businesses were praised for committing themselves to the goals of the Paris agreement.

The role of spoiler fell to Saudi Arabia, which held up a final agreement for several hours over objections to a phrase it feared might allow for future levies on fossil fuels like oil.

"There has been positive momentum all around us," said Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who presided over the meeting and swung the gavel to close it about 7 a.m.

"We leave Bonn having notched up some notable achievements," Bainimarama said, citing agreements on agriculture, ocean protection, indigenous people's rights and the launch of a new system to help people in poor countries get insurance against the effects of climate change.

Many countries are already feeling the heat that is enveloping the globe, with dramatic floods, hurricanes and droughts across the world in recent months adding a sense of urgency to the talks.

Environmental groups expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the negotiations, while noting there's much still to do and little time left to ensure the Paris accord's goal of keeping global warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius is met.

Experts say worldwide average temperatures have already risen 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times, largely due to carbon emissions from the United States and Europe over the past century.

"The conference gets a grade of 'meets expectations,'" said Andrew Deutz of The Nature Conservancy, an environmental group. "We are still headed in the right direction, but since the U.S. took its foot off the accelerator, the risk of global climate action slowing down has increased."

U.S. diplomat Judith Garber, speaking at the talks Thursday, reiterated Trump's position that the United States will leave the Paris accord but added that "we remain open to the possibility of rejoining at a later date under terms more favorable to the American people."
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Albany left off list of Sperling's Best Places

Sperling's Best Places has dissed the Capital Region as a candidate to land Amazon's HQ2 project.

The compiler of lists ranging from the best and worst cities for crime to the best cities in which to retire has a new city ranking: where Amazon is most likely to build its second headquarters, bringing 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars in spending.

Not surprisingly, Atlanta tops the list, followed by Boston and Chicago.

Less probably, Sperling's puts both Syracuse and Rochester in the running. Rochester placed a respectable 28th, while Syracuse was ranked 50th out of the 64 locations Sperling's ranked.

We discovered Albany wasn't even considered.

CEO touts benefits of Capital Region

Speaking of Amazon's HQ2, the Capital Region earlier managed to attract GlobalFoundries, which has turned into a $15 billion investment in Malta. The semiconductor manufacturer's officials have often credited the buildout of SUNY Poly's nanotechnology research facilities for its decision to locate here.

So what are state officials doing to build on this industrial cluster?

Apparently, suggesting that semiconductor companies look west to Buffalo.

"I can be in Chicago faster or Atlanta faster than I can get to Buffalo. It's not the same region," said Rick Whitney, CEO of Albany-based M+W U.S., who was quoted in the Albany Business Review. "You could try to build another cluster out there, but you're not going to add to the cluster that's existing here."

While state officials tout all the cheap power available in western New York, Whitney, whose company designs and builds semiconductor plants and other high-tech projects, said that the research and higher education assets are here.

"We've already invested in Saratoga County, we've already invested in Albany," he said.

A local connection to Dutch firm's ranking

The Capital Region can take comfort in contributing to Dutch firm DSM's recent ranking on Fortune's "Change the World" list. The list of companies that have a positive global social impact through their core businesses placed DSM in the No. 2 spot, behind top-ranked JPMorgan Chase.

Apple came in third.

DSM is the parent firm of Schenectady-based Fortitech, which provides nutritional supplements to cereals and other food products.

DSM was cited by Fortune for a project to produce fortified cereal made from locally grown grains in East Africa.

DSM acquired Fortitech in 2012 for $634 million.
BOB'S BURGERS: "THANKS-HOARDING"

FOX, 7:30 p.m.

When Teddy's family unexpectedly announces that they're coming for Thanksgiving, the Belchers reluctantly agree to pitch in. But the preparations prove to be much more challenging when they discover that Teddy is a secret hoarder.

2017 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

ABC, 8 p.m. Live

This year's celebration features performances by Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, Pink, Imagine Dragons, Khalid, Niall Horan and others, plus a rare appearance by music legend Diana Ross, and Christina Aguilera paying tribute to Whitney Houston and the music from "The Bodyguard."

AIR DISASTERS: "STEEP IMPACT"

Smithsonian Channel, 8 p.m.

When the crash of a commuter plane in Georgia killed a NASA astronaut, a four-term U.S. senator and 21 others, the disaster grabbed headlines around the world. Investigators soon came up with a theory to explain the accident. There was just one problem  the manufacturer said it was impossible.

WISDOM OF THE CROWD: "DENIAL OF SERVICE"

CBS, 8:30 p.m.

In the new episode, the team is assisting the San Francisco Police Department on a tech-based murder case when a cyber-criminal attacks Sophe and cripples the platform.

THE WALKING DEAD: "THE BIG SCARY U"

AMC, 9 p.m.

With war raging all around him, we get a better look at Negan (Jeffrey Dead Morgan) and the lives of the Saviors during the conflict, through a familiar set of eyes.

FAMILY GUY: "PETEY IV"

FOX, 9 p.m.

Guest star alert! Kristen Bell ("The Good Place," "A Bad Moms Christmas"), Jeff Probst ("Survivor") and Iwan Rheon ("Game of Thrones") guest-voice when, on Thanksgiving weekend, Peter discovers an alternate ending in the Russian version of one of his favorite films and writes to Vladimir Putin, who comes to Quahog.

THE ROOT 100 2017

Fusion TV, 9 p.m.

This special pays tribute to the black innovators, leaders and change agents recognized on the Root 100, an annual list of the most influential African-Americans, ages 25 to 45. Included on the list are such notable names as Jordan Peele, Solange Knowles and Ava DuVernay.

A BRAMBLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9 p.m.

Original film! While settling his father's estate, Finn Conrad (David Haydn-Jones) becomes suspicious of a $50,000 gift his dad left for his nurse, Willa (Autumn Reeser). He goes undercover and discovers she's the single mother of a sick boy, and his generous father paid for the boy's operation and financed Willa's dream of running the Bramble House B&B. Romance sparks between Willa and Finn until she discovers his true identity and the reason for him being there.

NCIS: LOS ANGELES: "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"

CBS, 9:30 p.m.

In the new episode, the NCIS team must locate a group of unknown assailants who illegally crossed the border and attacked California Highway Patrol officers.

SEARCH PARTY

TBS, 10 p.m.

Season premiere! Chantal's been found. Keith's been (oopsie!) murdered. So how are Dory (Alia Shawkat) and the gang dealing with the aftermath? And is a new mystery afoot? Find out when TBS' smart and snarky millennial dramedy returns for a second season.

Brought to you by the publishers of TV Guide.  TV Guide 2017
Bennington, Vt.

Lina Grover was anxious about returning home from the hospital with her husband, Raymond, after his heart attack four years ago.

Raymond, now 80, had been in and out of the emergency room a few years before. He'd get short of breath and Lina would rush him from their home in Arlington, Vt., to Southern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, where he'd be fine  until the time it was so bad that Lina called 911, and Grover was transported to Albany Medical Center to have a pacemaker put in.

So Lina was worried how he'd fare after the heart attack in 2013. It was a relief when SVMC nurse Barbara Richardson offered to come to the Grovers' home. She visited regularly for a couple of months, training Lina on how to manage Raymond's medications and help him stay well. She answered questions, or got answers from doctors after she left.

"We live a half-hour from the hospital, which can be an eternity," said Lina, now 62. "Just knowing that there's somebody there, that you can lean on, it gives you more confidence coming home."

The Grovers were among the first to benefit from an SVMC experiment that has become the hospital's standard of care for patients at risk of returning to the hospital after discharge. Transitional-care nurses, assigned to patients for up to three months after a hospital visit, help residents comply with doctors' orders and make sure they follow through on appointments with primary-care doctors.

Richardson and other nurses take advantage of 21st-century technology, accessing patients' medical records from tablets, and messaging doctors with information. But much of their innovative work rests on old-fashioned nursing values: they consider patients' needs and figure out how to meet them. They bring pharmacists to patients who need help managing multiple medications. They accompany patients to follow-up doctors' appointments, asking questions the patients might forget. They look for nonmedical obstacles to patients' ability to maintaining good health  if people are hungry, for instance, they connect them with Meals on Wheels.

It's all in service of a goal that seems counter to SVMC's survival: keeping people out of the hospital. In fact, the program's achievements  reduced hospital readmissions and emergency department visits  reduce payments to the hospital even as SVMC has made an undisclosed investment "in the seven figures" in transitional nursing, according to Chief Executive Tom Dee. Hospital officials say the short-term hit is worth the long-term aim of improving the community's health, reducing overall medical costs and positioning the hospital for emerging payment methods intended to reward the quality of care rather than the quantity of patients treated.

Health industry experts say it's a program other health systems should copy.

"The review panel believed that this model is something that could be just as applicable in New York City or Los Angeles as it is in rural Vermont," said Jeff Doucette, a vice president at the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which bestowed its prestigious Magnet Prize on SVMC last month.

The transitional-care nursing program was conceived six years ago to solve a problem. The trend toward providing medical services out of the hospital was taking a hit on SVMC's bottom line. Carol Conroy, then the hospital's chief nursing officer, worried SVMC would lose its most experienced nurses  a handful with master's degrees who held management positions but were at risk of being let go because they no longer provided direct patient care.

Conroy and colleague Billie Lynn Allard set the nurses themselves to the task of figuring out how to use their skills to benefit the community in a new health care environment. Allard, SVMC's administrative director of care management, transitional care and ambulatory services, took the nurses on a daylong retreat at a historic bed-and-breakfast in North Bennington. In the bucolic setting, Allard scattered news stories about health reform on tables, with blank sheets of paper for brainstorming. She played relaxing music and led the group in visualization exercises. The nurses responded with nervous laughter and raised eyebrows.

Still, they got talking. They were veterans who missed the days when nurses spent more time with patients. They were aware that patients' conditions declined after leaving the hospital. And they had been caregivers to their own parents. Despite thorough discharge instructions, or perhaps because of their complexity, they saw their mothers and fathers with what Conroy called the "bag o' meds"  an unorganized, zipper-locked plastic bag filled with prescription drugs  in the middle of their kitchen tables.

From that discussion, the seeds of the transitional-care nursing program emerged.

Shortly afterward, Conroy got an email from Rick Anair, the practice manager at what was then Village Primary Care in Hoosick Falls (it's now part of Twin Rivers Medical). The rural Rensselaer County medical office was one of 500 practices around the country selected to participate in a federal pilot program aimed at reducing Medicare costs. Village Primary Care would receive a set fee for each Medicare patient and have to figure out how to provide all the services that patients needed within that budget. The primary care practice was looking for ways to reduce hospital admissions in order to make it work.

Anair and Conroy quickly realized their goals meshed. Village Primary Care became the first practice to participate in the SVMC transitional-care nursing program. Richardson, who had a New York nursing license, was assigned to high-risk patients in the practice. The team targeted patients not otherwise eligible to receive home-care services.

And then, for the first time in the veteran nurses' careers, they began, as Allard called it, "walking the path of our patients."

Richardson and then others were surprised by what they learned. Patients' struggles went beyond their health. Their need for food, clean water and safer homes impeded their ability to follow doctors' orders after hospital stays. Some lived alone because their grown children had moved elsewhere, while the spouses or companions of others were not always able to help. That path the nurses followed then on, from hospital to home to doctors' visits, was often strewn with overwhelming and contradictory information that ultimately got ignored.

"These discharge plans we were so proud of were not in play at the patients' homes," said Conroy, who retired last month. "We were giving good care, but it was fragmented."

Step by step, the transitional-care model developed. Nurses reached out for help according to patients' needs, seeking assistance from housing agencies and pharmacists, among others. The hospital developed community care teams with specialists in mental health, job placement and social services to figure out the root causes of patients' repeated visits to the emergency room, for instance. When they discovered that readmissions from long-term care facilities remained high, the team identified a project to improve care for nursing home residents after hospital stays. After they learned patients with diabetes did not make it to community classes, an educator was integrated into primary-care offices. To deal with a high rate of infants born with exposure to heroin and other opioids, they developed a program to support and educate pregnant drug users.

The results, after four years, have been impressive, even if the community's numbers are small. Among nearly 800 hospital patients involved in the transitional-care nursing program, there has been a 52 percent reduction in hospitalizations and a 17 percent reduction in emergency room visits. The rate of readmission from SVMC affiliate nursing homes dropped 87 percent.

The innovations impressed the Magnet Prize committee, which reviewed over 100 applications this year, Doucette said.

"This organization figured out how to move beyond the hospital walls," he said.

Where growing pains remain is in the transitional-care nursing program's impact on finances. The hospital's seven-figure investment is offset by state grants and a reduction in expenses that come with treating fewer people in a high-cost setting. But it's not breaking even.

Dee, the CEO, described the medical center's approach as "having feet in two canoes"  one canoe keeping the hospital afloat now, and the other expected to help downstream. The first canoe represents fee-for-service  payments for each bed filled and each procedure performed. Put another way, hospitals make more money the more care they provide.

By design, the transitional-care nursing program limits high-cost services. So the program results in a loss to the hospital under fee-for-service. But it might be profitable under so-called value-based payment systems  that's the second canoe  in which medical practitioners provide all of patients' care for a set fee. Those systems, intended to rein in rising medical costs overall, have been experimented with since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, through programs like the Medicare pilot that Village Primary Care participated in. But they're not the way most hospitals are paid yet.

Dee sees it as the future, nonetheless.

"We still believe it's the better way to care for patients," he said. "And if we know we're going to go down the road eventually, let's start it now."

It's not clear when or whether value-based systems will arrive. The Trump administration has proposed canceling or shrinking Medicare experiments in value-based care and has exempted doctors from full participation in new payment methods intended to reward them for value over volume.

Some health experts say value-based payments will get here one way or another because they fit with what is dubbed the Triple Aim in health care: improving patient satisfaction, improving the community's health and reducing costs.

"Regardless of what side of the aisle you're on, our health care costs are unsustainable," said Trissa Torres, chief operations and North America programs officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, Mass. "The path that we're on in terms of new payment models is a path that is heading us in (a sustainable) direction."

Torres called SVMC's transitional-care nursing program innovative, though not unique. It has followed a pattern IHI has seen in other communities, she said, where financial stress prompts health systems to come up with new ways to treat high-cost patients, gets good results, then spreads the effort across a wider group.

These are the efforts, Torres said, that have a shot at improving the way medicine is practiced in America.

"These innovations are what's going to drive us toward better outcomes for the communities we serve," she said.

chughes@timesunion.com  518-454-5417  @hughesclaire
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Albany

As we wait for another ball of sleaze to be accused of sexual harassment, I thought it would be a good time to answer reader questions that would be real if only readers had cared enough about my opinion to actually ask them.

They didn't, sadly. Details, details.

Let's get to the questions!

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

What was Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan doing on the Tucker Carlson show Thursday night?

 Roy L. Payne, South Delmar

Excellent question, Roy. I'm glad you didn't ask.

I would never go on Carlson's show, because I would lose my concentration and start giggling the second he hit me with his patented confused face.

Also, he tends to tear his guests to shreds.

But Sheehan held her own as she debated Carlson on sanctuary cities, allowing the Fox News host who used to wear bow ties to land only one nasty zinger. "It's hard to take a lecture from you about the Constitution," he said.

But to answer your question, Roy, it could be that Sheehan simply wanted to defend the liberal view on sanctuary cities. Or maybe she's trying to boost her national profile ahead of that rumored run for Congress.

Or perhaps every other mayor in the country refused to go on.

Does Albany have a chance to land the new Amazon headquarters?

 Joe King, East Albany

Ha-ha! Good one, Joe.

Oh, wait. You were serious? Well, let me put it this way: Is Donald Trump a candidate for Mount Rushmore?

Was Kirsten Gillibrand courageous to say Bill Clinton should have resigned during the Monica Lewinsky scandal?

 Buck Nekkid, Ballston River

It might have been courageous if she had said it in 2006, when Bill Clinton endorsed Gillibrand's congressional candidacy and even came to Colonie to campaign for her.

Or 10 years later, in 2016, when Gillibrand again stood with Clinton in Colonie as both campaigned for Hillary ahead of the state primary.

But to say it now, when the Clinton Political Complex is in ruins? No courage required.

Which doesn't mean that Gillibrand isn't right, however belatedly, or that the scandals and accusations of the Clinton presidency don't deserve a harsh reassessment from Democrats who glossed over his many sins.

Why is everybody so mean to Andrew Cuomo?

 Lucy Guci, Halfmoon Park

It's a real head-scratcher, Lucy, given that Cuomo is such a lovable muffin. But something about our governor's warmth and humility seems to rub haters the wrong way.

The latest example came Thursday, when New York's Republican members of Congress reacted with anger to one of Cuomo's adorable little mistruths.

"I never believed I'd be living in a state with an outright liar as governor," said Rep. Tom Reed of Corning, upon learning that Cuomo had claimed to have spoken with all of the "treasonous" New York Republicans who had voted for the tax bill.

Reed and others said they had never spoken with the cuddly Democrat.

"It's just an outright lie by a liar in the governor's mansion," Reed told the New York Times. "To me, that is very troublesome. For a man who is trying to run for president of the United States to stoop to that moral character is troublesome, to say the least."

Not to worry, Tom. This country would never stand for low moral character in the White House.

If Troy is the new Brooklyn and Cohoes is the new Queens, does that make Albany the new Manhattan and Schenectady the new Staten Island?

 Don Drumpf, Mohawk Falls

If mice are the new cats and cats are the new rabbits, then dogs are certainly the new elephants and giraffes are the new unicorns. Got it?

Last year, just after Hillary's loss, I got into a huge fight with my Trump-loving relatives on Thanksgiving, and Uncle Earl stormed out of the house with the turkey. Will it be safe to talk politics this year?

 Louise Jefferson, Lathamville

I am happy to say that the era of division is over and, yes, it is finally safe to talk politics on Thanksgiving, so long as you stay away from a few of the more controversial buzzwords and topics. Here's a handy list:

Republicans, Democrats, independents, the NFL, Trump, Hillary, statues, politicians who look for dates at the mall, Russians, guns, Obamacare, dossiers, Columbus Day, comedians who starred on Saturday Night Live before being elected to the Senate, Keurigs, groping, Frankenstein, Eminem, the American flag, Hollywood, emails, Gregg Popovich, Al Gore, uranium, Robert E. Lee, things that are crooked, Alabama, spray tans, global warming, the FBI, Twitter, the mainstream media, enemies of the people, Crazy Mika, taxes, Pocahontas, Jimmy Kimmel, Kid Rock, Taylor Swift and the color orange.

Hope that helps! Should be easy, right?

Whew. Those were some tough questions. Thank you to everybody who didn't send one of the ones I answered.

As always, I welcome real comments and questions. Send them to me at cchurchill@timesunion.com.
Numerous ethics boards tasked with monitoring the conduct of elected officials and public employees have not met in years, do not document their meetings and provide little information on their websites about how to file an ethics complaint.

A two-month examination of the practices of nearly two dozen Capital Region ethics boards revealed many of the panels meet only "as needed" and do not update their codes or proactively conduct investigations  throwing them into a state of dormancy that can last years. Many localities also leave ethics board positions unfilled, leaving the bodies without enough members for a quorum.

The towns of Clifton Park, Colonie, Glenville, Malta, North Greenbush and Rotterdam, as well Schenectady County, could provide little to no record of their ethics boards meeting in the last five years. Officials with the town of Niskayuna acknowledged it is supposed to have an ethics board according to town code. Niskayuna's attorney said the town would take steps to appoint one.

Critics of the patchwork system say the state Legislature has failed to provide guidance on how local municipal ethics boards should operate. There is a need for such oversight, they said, because conflicts of interest are often an issue in small communities where nepotism can run rampant in government hiring. In addition, elected officials are often close with those who have local monied interests, said Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

"You need someone to stand in the shoes of the public to make sure taxpayer dollars are being used appropriately," Horner said.

In absence of a state law, many municipalities over the years have mandated the creation of ethics boards with their own codes and bylaws. But they don't always follow their own rules, including meeting regularly or documenting their work. In addition, many municipal boards prohibit conducting independent investigations or accepting anonymous complaints. By requiring they act only on signed complaints, government employees or members of the public can be reluctant to step forward out of fear of retribution, according to critics.

Albany County passed legislation requiring the creation of an ethics commission in 2011. But county officials didn't appoint members until last year, after Legislative Majority Leader Frank Commisso Sr. was criticized on the issue by a breakaway group of fellow Democrats during the 2015 election.

When the Times Union requested records of meeting agendas and minutes from Schenectady County, as it did for 20 other local municipalities that have ethics boards, it provided only one brief agenda from 2013. Geoffrey Hall, clerk of the County Legislature, said the board has vacancies and hasn't met since at least 2015. He said the board has received no complaints since 2012.

"I guess I'm still on the board. I've never been notified that I haven't been," said Frank Ranucci, a former Schenectady County legislator who is listed as a member of the Schenectady County ethics board on its website. "It has been a very long time since we've met."

Ranucci, who was a Conservative when in the legislature, said the ethics board chairman left years ago, followed by other board members. Democratic county leaders never replaced them. He said he misses the board's work, which when he started six years ago was to review the county's ethics policies. Hall, the legislature's clerk, wrote the Times Union in an email that "the county is currently evaluating potential appointees to the board in order to establish a more regular meeting schedule."

"There may be a loss of oversight of certain aspects of government," Ranucci said about his board's stagnation. "You have to have checks and balances. That's the whole purpose of our government."

Other municipalities, like Glenville, say they appoint an ethics board at the organizational meeting every year. But the board only meets if there is a complaint filed or an employee or government official requests an advisory opinion. Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle, a Republican, said there hasn't been a request or complaint filed in at least eight years.

"I think the best policy is an open and transparent Town Board, and that's what we strive for here," Koetzle said. "And we haven't had any issues."

In some instances ethics boards have had complaints or advisory opinions to investigate, but there are no records on file of any business conducted.

In Malta, the ethics committee met repeatedly in 2013 and 2014 to investigate a complaint filed against then-town clerk Flo Sickels, who was accused of making a deputy clerk campaign for Sickels and do other work for the Malta Republican Committee. The ethics committee ruled the allegations were valid, and the Town Board recommended Sickels undergo ethics training. But when the Times Union recently requested records related to the ethics committee's work since 2012, the town said it had nothing to provide.

The city of Schenectady admitted it created minutes of ethics board meetings after the Times Union requested them. Schenectady Corporation Counsel Carl Falotico said the board only meets briefly once a year to go over employees' financial disclosure statements, and they didn't record minutes at the time "because there wasn't anything to put on them," Falotico said. "It wasn't purposeful to withhold any information. ... It will be done right in the future." Others ignored, or declined, requests to provide ethics board records. Saratoga County Attorney Stephen Dorsey, for example, did not respond to repeated requests for information on elemental aspects of the county's ethics board, including who its members are and how often it meets.

The town of Halfmoon revised its ethics code in 2013, the same year then-Supervisor Melinda Wormuth, a Republican, was under investigation by the FBI. Wormuth later pleaded guilty to taking cash bribes and stealing thousands of dollars from a campaign account for personal use. The Town Board's liaison to its ethics committee, John Wasielewski, told the Times Union that its meetings are "uneventful" and "brief," but said the minutes from them should be available.

However, Halfmoon's town attorney, Lyn Murphy, declined to provide any ethics board records. Murphy said all of the board's votes take place in executive sessions and therefore it does not have to comply with the state Freedom of Information Law. The state Committee on Open Government has said that while part, or all, of ethics board investigations into complaints can be blacked out or kept confidential, meeting records still must be made public. Some municipalities, like Bethlehem, Cohoes and Saratoga Springs, post ethics meeting minutes on their websites.

Joe Christopher, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran twice for the Halfmoon Town Board, noted that Murphy single-handedly cleared the town of any ethical issues in June after the highway department dumped fill from a town project at the farm of highway foreman William Suchocki, who supervised much of the project, and his sister Katherine, a Halfmoon town justice. Considering Murphy also handles ethics committee affairs, Christopher said, "It's the fox watching the hen house."

There is also often no way for the public to know how to file a complaint with their local ethics board.

Eight municipalities the Times Union examined had no information on their websites about how to contact the ethics board. Yet those boards require a formal complaint be filed, with the name of the complainant listed, to start an investigation.

Rensselaer County Attorney Stephen Pechenik said someone could go to the county clerk, county legislature or his office to inquire about how to file a complaint. Meanwhile, there is not even a mention that the county has an ethics board on its website,

The Rensselaer County ethics board handled complaints and advisory opinions in 2014, 2015 and 2016  including a May 2014 opinion requested by former County Legislature Chairman Republican Martin Reid, who wanted to work for the county-funded Commission on Economic Opportunity while remaining on the legislature. The ethics board ruled against him. Two years later, Reid pleaded guilty in an unrelated criminal case to fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits while collecting a legislator's salary. Despite the breadth of work, Rensselaer County says it has no ethics board agendas or minutes for those years.

Clifton Park's ethics board had the same chairman, William Pomeroy Jr., for 28 years before his death in February. Brian Glick, who was appointed the new chairman in April, said he will work to get more detailed information posted on the town's website. After the Times Union contacted the town with questions about its ethics board, Glick's name and an address for sending inquiries were posted to the website. "I'm still getting my feet wet," Glick said. But, "in this day and age, it should be easy to find that stuff out."

In addition to the dysfunction and dormancy of some local ethics boards, there are concerns facing active ones as well, including requirements that prohibit the panels from taking action without a written, signed complaint.

And while some include standards for who is appointed, such as requiring members be from different political parties, there can be questions about possible conflicts of interest facing the ethics board members themselves. Marc Goldstein, director of real estate for Columbia Development Cos. and BBL Construction Services, served on the Clifton Park ethics board for about 17 years. The companies have been involved in numerous projects in town.

When asked about his role on the ethics board, Goldstein left a message with the Times Union that said he has recently retired from both Columbia and his ethics board position. "So unfortunately," he said, "there's no story there." In addition to being ethics board chairman, Glick is also the chairman of the Clifton Park planning board's environmental conservation commission. However, he said he doesn't see a conflict in serving on two town committees.

Mark Davies, the former executive director of the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board and an expert on New York state ethics, said the Capital Region has a high number of local ethics boards likely because the push for reform at the state Capitol has trickled down to municipalities.

Davies was on the temporary state commission on local government ethics in the early 1990s, which proposed legislation mandating local ethics boards and dictating how they would operate. But that and other attempts to require greater local government oversight have failed, he said. Even one of the state's singular attempts to put a watchdog agency over its own legislators, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, is continually described by critics as toothless and prone to political influence.

"An active ethics board is very much the exception in New York state," Davies said. "In defense of municipalities, there is no state legislation. There is no state guidance. There is no state oversight. They are on their own."

lstanforth@timesunion.com  518-454-5697
Washington

An FBI report on the rise of black "extremists" is stirring fears of a return to practices used during the civil rights movement, when the bureau spied on activist groups without evidence they had broken any laws.

The FBI said it doesn't target specific groups, and the report is one of many its intelligence analysts produce to make law enforcement aware of what they see as emerging trends. A similar bulletin on white supremacists, for example, came out about the same time.

The 12-page report, issued in August, says "black identity extremists" are increasingly targeting law enforcement after police killings of black men, especially since the shooting of Michael Brown roiled Ferguson, Mo., in 2014. The report describes cases in which "extremists" had "acted in retaliation for perceived past police brutality incidents." It warned that such violence was likely to continue.

Black leaders and activists were outraged after Foreign Policy revealed the existence of the report last month. The Congressional Black Caucus, in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, said the report "conflates black political activists with dangerous domestic terrorist organizations" and would further erode the frayed relationship between police and minority communities.

"I have never met a black extremist. I don't know what the FBI is talking about," said Chris Phillips, a filmmaker in Ferguson.

Before the Trump administration, the report might not have caused such alarm. The FBI noted it issued a similar bulletin warning of retaliatory violence by "black separatist extremists" in March 2016, when the country had a black president, Barack Obama, and black attorney general, Loretta Lynch.

But black voters overwhelmingly opposed Donald Trump. And they are suspicious of his administration, which has been criticized as insensitive on racial issues, including when Trump was slow to condemn white nationalist protesters following a deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama senator whose career has been dogged by questions about race and his commitment to civil rights, did not ease lawmakers' concerns when he was unable to answer questions about the report or its origins during a congressional hearing this past week.

Sessions said he was aware of "groups that do have an extraordinary commitment to their racial identity, and some have transformed themselves even into violent activists." He struggled to answer the same question about white extremists.

It wouldn't be unusual for an attorney general not to have seen such an FBI assessment, which the FBI creates on its own to circulate internally among law enforcement agencies. But the exchange with Rep. Karen Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat, presented an uncomfortable moment.

"What worries me about this terribly is that it is a flashback to the past," Bass said after the hearing. She said she was especially concerned after receiving complaints from members of Black Lives Matter, who said they were being monitored and harassed by police in her district.

The group rallies after racially charged encounters with police, but it is not mentioned in the FBI's intelligence assessment. Even so, Bass said she worried the report will send a message to police that it's OK to crack down on groups critical of law enforcement.

The FBI does not comment on its intelligence bulletins, which usually are not public. In a statement, the FBI said it cannot and will not open an investigation based solely on a person's race or exercise of free speech rights.

"Our focus is not on membership in particular groups but on individuals who commit violence and other criminal acts," the FBI said. "Furthermore, the FBI does not and will not police ideology. When an individual takes violent action based on belief or ideology and breaks the law, the FBI will enforce the rule of law."

The assessments are designed to help law enforcement agencies stay ahead of emerging problems and should not be seen as a sign of a broader enforcement strategy, said Jeffrey Ringel, a former FBI agent and Joint Terrorism Task force member who now works for the Soufan Group, a private security firm. Agencies can decide for themselves whether the assessment reflects a real problem, he said.

Still, some veterans of the black and Latino civil rights movement said the FBI assessment reminded them of the bureau's now-defunct COINTELPRO, a covert and often illegal operation under Director J. Edgar Hoover in the 1950s and 1960s. Agents were assigned to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, or otherwise neutralize the activities of black nationalists," Hoover said in a once-classified memo to field agents.

David Correia, an American Studies professor at the University of New Mexico, said the new memo carries a similar message.

"It's part of their playbook," he said. "They try to characterize legitimate concerns about something like police violence as somehow a danger so they can disrupt protests." The FBI used a similar tactic to try to cause confusion among New Mexico Hispanic land grant activists in the 1960s, he said.

The cases listed in the new bulletin include that of a sniper who said he was upset about police treatment of minorities before killing five officers during a protest in Dallas, and a man who wrote of the need to inflict violence on "bad cops" before killing three in Baton Rouge, La.
Harare, Zimbabwe

Giddy with joy and finally free to speak out, vast throngs of demonstrators turned Zimbabwe's capital into a carnival ground on Saturday in a peaceful outpouring of disdain for President Robert Mugabe and calls for him to quit immediately. Still clinging to his now-powerless post, the longtime leader was scheduled on Sunday to discuss his expected exit with the military command that put him under house arrest.

People in Harare clambered onto tanks and other military vehicles moving slowly through the crowds, danced around soldiers walking in city streets and surged in the thousands toward the building where Mugabe held official functions, a symbol of the rule of the 93-year-old man who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980. There, in a situation that could have become tense, the protesters instead showed deference to the small number of soldiers blocking their way and eventually dispersed.

It was a historic day when the old Zimbabwe, a once-promising African nation with a disintegrating economy and a mood of fear about the consequences of challenging Mugabe, became something new, with a population united, at least temporarily, in its fervor for change and a joyful openness that would have seemed fanciful even a few days ago.

The euphoria, however, will eventually subside, and much depends on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering to get Mugabe to officially resign, jumpstart a new leadership that could seek to be inclusive and reduce perceptions that the military staged a coup against Mugabe. The president was to meet military commanders on Sunday in a second round of talks, state broadcaster ZBC reported.

"The common enemy is Robert Mugabe. That's for starters," said 37-year-old Talent Mudzamiri, an opposition supporter who was born soon after Zimbabwe's independence.
[November 19, 2017] Really Simple Systems Moves its Production Database to Google Cloud Platform

PETERSFIELD, England, November 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud CRM vendor, Really Simple Systems is moving its production database to Google's cloud platform infrastructure. The move, which commenced on 13 November, aims to bring numerous benefits to both the company's customers and its internal operations. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/542735/RSS_Logo.jpg ) Having previously held the production infrastructure on their own servers, the move to Google Cloud Platform means Really Simple Systems CRM will offer customers greater performance, scalability, reliability and data security. At the same time, it will free up the organisation's technical team to concentrate on developing the system instead of maintaining servers. Planning for increased demand Since launching the company's new CRM Version 5 earlier this year, Really Simple Systems has experienced rapid growth in new customers and in data usage. This has triggered the need to scale up the production database and plan for future demand. Really Simple Systems CEO, John Paterson, commented "As our customer base continues to grow exponentially, we were reaching the limits of scalability and needed a new architecture to cope with the forecast increase in data size and access. After evaluating Amazon's AWS and Microsoft's Azure services, we choose Google Cloud. The main criteria for this decision was based on reliability, performance and GDPR compliance."



Although Google Cloud has its own built-in failover designed to provide 100% uptime, Really Simple Systems is taking further measures to eliminate the risks associated with a single point of failure. Paterson explains "We will be running our own real-time failover servers in our existing UK data centres, should Google's internal failover systems themselves fail." GDPR Compliance

Paterson goes on to expand on one of the key selection criteria in evaluating the options; GDPR compliance. "With Google Cloud we can choose where the data is hosted, which is Belgium with failover to Germany. This means Really Simple Systems continues to be GDPR compliant with all data remaining within the EU." Really Simple Systems customers' CRM systems are being migrated to the new platform one by one over the next few days, as the processes is monitored. https://www.reallysimplesystems.com/press-releases/google-cloud-platform/ About Really Simple Systems Established in 2006, Really Simple Systems provides cloud-based CRM systems for small and mid-sized businesses operating B2B. With over 21,000 customers Really Simple Systems is one of the world's largest providers of Cloud CRM systems. Customers range from single users to 100 user systems and include the Red Cross, the Royal Academy of Arts and IBM, as well as thousands of small and medium sized companies. Contact

Helen Armour, Marketing Manager

+44(0)1730-823300

[email protected]





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The meeting between the delegations of the EU and Turkey on the discussion of energy projects, which was to be held on November 20 in Brussels, was canceled, Haber 7 reported on November 19.

The meeting, which was important in terms of intensifying the EU's relations with Turkey, was canceled "because of certain difficulties."

There is no information about the new date of the meeting is not reported.
OLATHE, Kan. - A black man wearing a mask breaks into an Olathe apartment early Sunday morning, assaults the resident, steals items and flees. Police were called to the 16600 block of West 139th Street just before 3:30 a.m. The male resident told officers that a black man forced himself in, struck the resident with a weapon, stole items and fled.
"I have heard several theories about why white evangelicals have largely stuck with Trump -- and many are sticking with (Roy) Moore. The one that makes the most sense to me is this: They see a Republican Senate and a Trump presidency as the most certain way to create a U.S. Supreme Court that will overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion.





"That decision, in fact, has been at the center of our culture wars for decades. Add to that the more recent court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in every state, and you find a large number of voters who are willing to ignore the moral cesspool that Trump represents to retain the prospect, via a Republican Senate, of Supreme Court appointments who will overturn those and other decisions they find appalling.





"But that's like fighting a war against crime by enlisting criminals to be your generals and admirals."

Alabama Senate Candidateis embroiled in a sexual misconduct controversy and now faces allegations from a half a dozen women over the course of nearly half a century.Closer to home Kansas City's top faith blogger takes on the #MeToo politics of the day and a crisis of faith.Checkit:Money line:You decide . . .
Does KC Mayor Sly James have a successor in mind? His arc may bend toward Justus

OUR KICK-ASS BLOG COMMUNITY CALLED OUT THIS MAYORAL ALLIANCE BETWIXT MAYOR SLY AND COUNCIL LADY JOLIE JUSTUS MONTHS AGO!!!

"Jolie was worthless in Jeff City, and even more worthless on the City Council!!! She has done nothing but parrot Sly, and has no interest in the taxpayers or neighborhoods!!"

Among the guilty souls who still read the newspaper on Sunday, there's the hope that "journalism" (lulz) is going to save the KCMO daily newspaper despite the fact that people are way more interested in spying on women via Fakebook than anything resembling research . . .And so, here's yet another fact check for that notion . . .Today's civic revelation . . .Personally, the idea of Mayor Sly bending anything in the direction of Council Lady Jolie is kinda gross . . .But more importantly . . .You decide . . .
The Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) will host a workshop for listed Saudi companies at its headquarters in Riyadh on November 22, which covers crisis preparedness and its impact on shareholder value.



It will be presented by Robert McAllister, global crisis management expert at Instinctif Partners; a leading international business communications consultancy, with the support of the Middle East Investor Relations Association (Meira), and the Saudi Chapter.



Mohammed Al Rumaih, chief of Sales & Marketing at Tadawul, said: Driving forward IR capabilities in the Kingdom is crucial to diversify our economy. In this context, we are committed to continuing our IR awareness efforts through holding a series of IR workshops across Saudi listed companies.



Through such workshops, we aim to further promote transparency in the Saudi market, fostering a culture of improved corporate governance and effective communication between listed companies, the exchange, regulators, advisers and all market members in the Saudi Capital Market, Al Rumaih added.



Samantha Bartel Al Khalaf, managing partner, Instinctif Partners Middle East, said: When a crisis hits a business, whether a natural disaster, an operational issue or a major governance problem, it can directly impact shareholder value. Our workshop will examine how businesses that are prepared for a crisis, and which react quickly and effectively, recover their shareholder value most efficiently.



The net result of improved crisis preparedness and response will be an institutionally stronger group of leading listed corporates, which will directly support the diversification and growth of Saudi Arabias economy, concluded Bartel Al Khalaf.



Alex MacDonald-Vitale, Meira chairman, said:"Following the inauguration of Meiras Saudi Chapter in April 2017, we are delighted to start offering our members specialist events of interest and relevance to their professional needs. This workshop will deliver some of the key tools required for handling a crisis, from PR and communications to internal governance, risk management and cultural awareness, all designed to help delegates develop a dynamic and resilient response.



Under the Saudi Chapter, the special series of Investor Relations (IR) workshops have been designed to resonate with Saudi Vision 2030, and will act as a knowledge hub where IR professionals can come together to network and learn from international leaders in crisis preparedness.  TradeArabia News Service
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a leading industry chamber in India with over 112 years of history, has opened its first international office in Bahrain to promote bilateral trade between India and the entire GCC region.

PHD Chamber president Anil Khaitan said: We have selected Bahrain as the location of our first international office after careful consideration as we will be able to cover all GCC countries from here. Our activities as a chamber are driven by the business DNA and acumen which is within our membership. So we have mobilised tie-ups with a network of 90 worldwide chambers of commerce for allowing a one-to-one interaction between the industry and government peers across borders.

Our concept behind the chambers office in Bahrain is to promote direct business to business opportunities for our members, he added.

The chambers has assigned the representational office duties to be managed by Al Hilal Group, one of the GCCs leading media houses. Under an MoU between PHD Chambers and Al Hilal Group, the office will represent and promote the business interests of PHD members on a request basis across the GCC.

Anwar Abdulrahman, chairman of Al Hilal Group, said: Our company is committed to promote the Kingdom of Bahrain wherever possible through our media and exhibitions. We are honoured by the faith placed in Bahrain and Al

Hilal by the PHD Board for their first formal foot-hold in the region. Our partnership with PHD Chambers is a unique platform that brings to Bahrain business opportunities between the business communities of Bahrain and India.

Commenting on the choice of Bahrain, Khaitan said: PHD Chamber and Al Hilal have been in direct working contact for the last four years. Al Hilal have been self-less in their support to encourage business opportunities in the GCC and Bahrain for our members through their media products and their first-class exhibitions.

Bahrain offers for us an excellent gateway to the rest of the GCC. We are excited to be able to utilise the business development skills and mindset of the Al Hilal team with the potential for our members from the excellent business location that Bahrain provides, he said.

The agreement follows the success of the Bahrain-India Business Partnership event in New Delhi, which was organised by the PHD Chamber. The event was a follow-up to the successful Indian Business Partnership Summit hosted by the Al Hilal Group in February during the Gulf Industry Fair in Manama.

The MoU will be signed by Anwar Abdulrahman and Anil Khaitan on behalf of the two organisations.  TradeArabia News Service
Cristal Group, a top business and leisure hotel operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia has entered into a management agreement with Bayat Company for Hotel Services to operate Bayat Suites by Cristal in Saudi Arabia.



The 47-keys property is located in the city of Muhayil in Asir Region that lies in the southwest of the country. Expected to open in December 2017, the fully-furnished serviced apartments will offer guests a choice of two- and three-bedroom units equipped with outstanding facilities.



Kamal Fakhoury, CEO of Cristal Group, stated, We are very excited to expand our footprint in Saudi Arabia and to diversify our portfolio in the Kingdom. We are glad to partner with a reputable organization like Bayat Company for Hotel Services and truly grateful to them for having given us this wonderful opportunity. With its excellent location near Hospital Muhayil Al Ahli on King Abdul Aziz Road, Bayat Suites by Cristal will be well placed to meet the needs of modern travellers who want convenient, fuss-free, affordable accommodation. The hotel will offer its guests everything they need and more when it matters most.



Mutasim Al-Rumayh, general manager of Bayat Company for Hotel Services, said, Muhayil is growing as a destination pushing the demand for quality accommodations. We believe with its strong track record in the region and in-depth understanding of the needs of local travellers, Cristal Group brings a fresh option for travellers to the town.



We look forward to building a fruitful collaboration with the Cristal Group and are confident that Bayat Suites by Cristal, with its fabulous facilities, will be a popular choice among both the travellers and residents of the city.



Once ready, Bayat Suites by Cristal will offer guests fully-furnished, self-contained two and three-bedroom apartments equipped with all the necessary facilities and amenities. The spacious units will range between 62 and 121 sq m. in size and are being developed to provide guests all the comforts of a home at a budget-friendly price.

Targeting short and long-staying guests, each apartment will feature beds with luxurious pillow top mattress, a fully fitted kitchen, HD TVs, working desks in every room, Wi-Fi, dining table with six chairs, baby crib and bathroom amenities. Some apartments will also offer the facility of a maid room with an attached bathroom. To assist guests will be a reception, concierge desk and lobby cafe.  TradeArabia News Service




Attacks on leaders continue unchecked

Violence has reared its ugly head once again, more than a decade after the end of the Maoist war during which violent activities had become the order of the day, with candidates for the upcoming elections and their poll rallies being targeted almost every day.
Budhi Gandaki hydro to compensate landowners in 2nd phase soon

Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project is all set to start the second phase of programme to provide compensation to residents of Dhading and Gorkha districts affected by the 1,200-megawatt project.
London, November 19

A Sikh MP in the UK has been abused and targeted with threats of violence from furious trolls who think he was not speaking enough on issues related to the community, according to a media report.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who became Labour's MP for Slough in June, was accused of ignoring the plight of a British Sikh man who was arrested during his visit to India.

But the Parliamentarian  who is better known as Tan Dhesi  vowed to continue working for the whole public "regardless of background, colour or creed" rather than focusing on just one community, The Sun reported.

The abuse came after Dhesi won the right to speak at Prime Minister's Questions and used the slot to ask about a rail link in his local area.

Trolls said he should have asked about Jagtar Singh, a Scottish activist who has been arrested in India, the report said.

READ

One troll wrote to the MP saying: "A Sikh British citizen is being tortured in Punjab and you're worried about rail. You have no response to that. You need a slap upside your head you fake Sikh!"

Dhesi reacted with fury and pointed out that he has repeatedly worked on Johal's case.

"It's hard enough serving as an MP without having to face constant abuse from various quarters (whether that's the far- right/extremists/others who feel that I'm only interested in 'my community's issues', or those from within my 'own' community who feel I don't do enough)," he wrote on Facebook.

"When people resort to abuse, they are actually doing a disservice to their own cause. I will do what I genuinely feel is right, rather than be forced by anybody to follow their priorities or way of thinking.

"I am not merely a Sikh MP/representative speaking solely on Sikh issues," Dhesi added. PTI
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 18

Six Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba, including the son of Abdul Rehman Makki, the second-in-command of Jamat ud Dawah, and nephew of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who is believed to have masterminded the Mumbai terror attacks, were killed in a fierce gunfight in north Kashmirs Bandipore district today. A Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was killed too and and another soldier injured.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Six Pakistani Lashkar terrorists have been eliminated. One of them, named Owaid alias Osama, is son of Zakir Rehman Maki and nephew of Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, state Director-General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid said. He said Owais had been active in the area since last year.

He identified the other killed militants as Zargam and Mehmood. The latter, the police said, was involved in the killing of BSF constable Mohommad Ramzan Parrey alias Rameez on September 27 as well as of two Garud commandos.

The gunfight at Chandrageer Hajin, 32 km from Srinagar, erupted when joint teams of the police, Army and CRPF cordoned a sparsely populated locality following reports that militants had taken refuge there.

As soon as the search operation was launched, militants hiding in various houses opened fire to break the cordon. In the gunfight, six of them were killed, Srinagar-based Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Khalia said. " An Air Force Garud commando was martyred and one soldier injured," he added.

Hajin, once known as the epicentre of pro-government militant group Ikhwan, had of late turned Lashkar headquarters with Hajin witnessing frequent gunfights between militants and forces in recent months. Last month, two IAF Garud commandos were killed in an encounter in which two militants, one of them a local, were eliminated too.

Owaid is Lashkar chief Lakhvi's third close relative to have been killed in Kashmir. In 2007, Lakhvis son Mohammad Qasim,20, was killed in Bandipore's Gamroo village. In January this year, his nephew Abu Musaib was shot dead in a gunfight. Recently, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Hafiz Sayeed's nephew was killed in a gunfight in Pulwama, south Kashmir.
TNS & Agencies

Jaipur/Bengaluru, Nov 15

The protests against Bollywood movie Padmavati spread to the south as Rajput community members today staged a demonstration and held a rally in Bengaluru, alleging that the film distorted history.

Members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) turned up at the Town Hall and marched in a procession to the Freedom Park protesting against the period film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. They called for Bharat bandh on December 1, the day the movie is scheduled for release.

The protesters claimed 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. They alleged that the film starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone ignored the religious sentiments of the people of Rajasthan.

Since all communities have openly come against the movie release, PM Narendra Modi should intervene before December 1, said SRKS patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi.

SRKS national president Sukhdev Singh said the movie should either be banned or screened after removing the controversial portions. We want the film to be screened first. It should be released only after we approve it. What we have learnt is that there is lot of distortion of historical facts. Till our objections are addressed, we will not let the movie to be screened anywhere, he said.

A section of pro-Kannada organisations too came in support of the Karni Sena. The protests against Padmavati had till now been confined to the northern and western parts of the country. 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 earlier this year.  PTI

Security for Bhansali
United Nations, November 19

The UK is trying to misuse its UN Security Council membership by pushing for a joint conference mechanism, which was last used 96 years ago, in the election to the last seat in the World Court tomorrow in which Indias Dalveer Bhandari is a front-runner, diplomatic sources said.

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Bhandari and Britains Christopher Greenwood are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the ICJ.

One-third of the courts 15-member bench 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.

Britain is aggressively pushing in the UN Security Council for resorting to the joint conference mechanism which was last used some 96 years ago and against which there exists an unequivocal legal opinion, the diplomatic sources said.

The dirty politics being played by Indias former colonial ruler, as one UN insider put it, has sent a sense of uneasiness among other members of the powerful UN Security Council, many of whom are aware of the long-term implications of a move to ignore the voice of the majority of the United Nations General Assembly.

In all previous incidents, the candidate getting majority in the General Assembly has eventually been elected a judge of The Hague-based International Court of Justice.

Bhandari, 70, has support of nearly two-thirds of 193 UN members. Greenwood, who has already served one nine-year term in ICJ, is trailing behind more than 50 votes in the General Assembly. However, he received nine against five for Bhandari in the Security Council.

To win ICJ election a candidate needs to get majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, which has not been the case in the 11 rounds of voting so far.

Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have convened separate meetings at the UN headquarters tomorrow (3 p.m. local time) to hold the 12th round of voting.

At a reception for Bhandari at the UN headquarters here on Friday, representatives of 160-member countries were present reflecting the overwhelming majority India enjoys in the General Assembly.

Sensing that majority is not on its side, almost at the same time, the United Kingdom went to the Security Council for an informal consultation with other 14 members.

Observing that there is a deadlock situation on the ICJ election, Britain is learnt to have proposed that voting in the Security Council be stopped after first round tomorrow and they go for joint conference mechanism. It is understood that this was opposed by some members of the Security Council.

However, the British diplomats on Friday appeared confident to push its agenda through on Monday.

Britain needs nine votes for the voting be stopped.

Their calculation is based on the fact that in multiple rounds of the elections in UNSC, Britain has been getting nine votes for its candidate. But it is yet to be seen if the same countries support such an undemocratic move to stop voting.

The British proposal is against all legal advices, which basically says that this option has never been used in the entire history of seven decades of the ICJ, the sources said.

The only time it was used was prior to the establishment of the UN in 1921, when Deputy Judges for the Permanent Court of International Justice were selected, they said.

A point in this regard was made by Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, at the ICJ reception at the UN headquarters.

He had strongly opposed the joint conference mechanism.

Those who talk of bringing the UN and updating it to the 21st Century world cannot look back to the toolkit of 100 years ago and try to take out a tool which has never been used in the history of the UN and perhaps for valid reasons, he had told the diplomats from more than 160 countries.

Because it opens a can of worms. We will forget about the electoral process and go after a can of worms? You are diplomats, you are sagacious people. Diplomacy is the solution. Voting is the way that diplomats resolve their differences, rather than through convoluted, cabalistic solutions of a bygone era, Akbaruddin had said.

Legal opinions also point out that there have been several instances of deadlocks between the General Assembly and the Security Council during ICJ elections.

On these occasions, the balloting took place in many more rounds than what has been completed this time.

On each such occasion, the candidate who was consistently leading in the General Assembly, was elected ultimately.

In fact, there exists an unequivocal legal opinion provided in the 1984 UN Juridical Yearbook that argues against the resorting to the Joint Conference mechanism.

Under this, three members each from the General Assembly and Security Council would be formed to come out with a name, which would again have to be voted through both the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Britain, informed sources said, is now suggesting something which has never been tried and no one knows what its implications are.

Its move raises a series of question, as to what happens if the three representatives of the General Assembly stick to the voice of the majority, or if it does not provide any names or every time says that it does not agree with the names being proposed by the Security Council, they said.

There is unease among several countries on the move to stop voting, an informed source said.

These countries feel that such a move would unnecessarily pitch Security Council against the General Assembly.

No one is certain how it will play out, sources said.

Once Security Council stops voting, the General Assembly has to comply. This is because under the ICJ election rules the candidate needs to get majority in General Assembly and Security Council.

This is their hope to stall the trend which is moving against them, informed UN sources said.

The British fear that as the voting goes into multiple rounds tomorrow, it might snowball into India getting more than two-thirds of the votes, which could be humiliating for them and would become morally difficult for the UN Security Council to stop voting. PTI
Beijing, November 19

Indias new ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale arrived here on Sunday to take up his position.

Bambawale, a seasoned diplomat who till recently served as high commissioner to Pakistan and earlier as envoy to Bhutan, will take charge tomorrow.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bambawale succeeded Vijay Gokhale who took over as Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

A deft hand on Sino-India relations, Bambawale earlier handled the China desk at the MEA which also included relations with Japan, China, South Korea, Mongolia and North Korea.

A Mandarin speaker, he has also served as the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier.

His arrival here comes at a time when India and China are trying to put behind the Dokalam standoff, and work on a forward-looking approach in their ties.

For the first time after the 73-day standoff, the two countries held their border consultation and coordination mechanism meeting here two days ago during which they reviewed the situation in all sectors of their border and exchanged views on confidence building measures and military contacts.

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on November 17.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is taking charge ahead of plans by both countries to begin a high-level dialogue next month, which will be the first after the Dokalam standoff as well as commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping.

Xi began his second term in office following the endorsement by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here last month.

Officials say Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi in the second week of next month to take part in the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue mechanism during which he was also expected to hold talks his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and meet the top Indian leadership.

It will be followed by the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also to be held in New Delhi.

Both Doval and Yang are designated as Special Representatives who are also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.  PTI
New Delhi, November 19

India and China have to live side by side whether they like it or not, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Sunday said and asserted that the two countries can together work towards making a more compassionate world.

The 82-year-old Buddhist monk also said Tibetans are not seeking independence or separation from China but meaningful autonomy, and added that he admired the European Union spirit.

The Tibetan spiritual leader appreciated the idea of the Union of India. Citing his recent visit to Manipur where he learnt that some politicians wanted independence for the state, he said they needed to think broadly, more holistically.

He said India and China are more than two billions of people together and though they have differences, Nalanda thoughts are not alien to them.

Nalanda University, the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, attracted scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, among other countries. These scholars have left records about the ambience, architecture and learning of this unique university.

India and China can do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said.

And then India and China, at a practical level also, neither one has the ability to destroy others. Whether you like it or not, you have to live side by side, he told reporters when asked about the strain in bilateral ties over the Dokalam issue.

Earlier during an interaction with children at an event here organised by the Smile Foundation, the Dalai Lama said many Chinese people appreciate Tibetan scholars knowledge of Nalanda.

He said the Nalanda school of thought, a shared heritage of India, China and Tibet, can help resolve the Tibetan crisis.

Many Chinese Buddhists are very very eager to learn from Tibetan masters. And, we are not seeking separation from China... I really admire the European, the EU spirit... of national sovereignty, he said.

Amid all the linguistic and cultural diversity in India, it is a country that is the most stable, more peaceful of the Asian nations, he said.

Here you have east India, north India and west India and south India ... different India, different scripts, different languages, but spirit of one India, which is wonderful, the Dalai Lama said.

At a meeting, someone told me that some Maipur politicians want independence (for the state). I think they need to think broadly, more holistically. Union is important. Of course, I have no right to criticise, he said.

Making a veiled reference to the Catalan movement, he said, In Spain, I think it was too short-sighted. It was time to think of one Europe. And, here (in India), you already have one nation... time to think long-sighted, about the wonderful Union of India, he said.  PTI
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, November 19

Navi Mumbai Police claim to have achieved a major breakthrough in last weekend's Bank of Baroda robbery case following the arrest of the suspected mastermind and three of his accomplices on late Saturday evening.

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Sources said the four persons were arrested after going through the CCTV footage in the bank premises and surrounding areas. They were picked up from Dhule district, where they had been hiding for the past few days. Their interrogation have provided some clues as to the where Genu Bacchan Prasad, the alleged mastermind behind the heist, was hiding since the robbery, police said.



According to officials, Prasad is being questioned to see if he was acting on behalf of anyone.



Following their arrest on Saturday, the police have begun to scrutinise the call records of the mobile phones of the four suspects, sources said.



The police have also seized the getaway car in which the robbers had escaped after the heist.



Prasad had rented a shop a few doors away from the bank in May this year. Last weekend, 30 of the bank's 225 lockers were found broken open and their contents stolen. A tunnel that opened into the locker room led to the store from where the robbers had made their getaway, police said.



Cash and jewellery worth around Rs 3 crore are believed to have been stolen from the lockers, according to police.
New Delhi, November 19

Anti-terror probe agency NIA could be empowered to investigate cases of human trafficking, in what seems to be a breakthrough in the nearly year-long consultations among various stakeholders, including the Home Ministry and the ministry of women and child development.

Sources say the additional responsibility for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be part of the proposed anti-human trafficking law unveiled by Maneka Gandhi last year.

The move will also require amending the law that gave birth to the counter-terrorism agency  the National Investigation Act, 2008.

The Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016, proposed setting up a National Bureau on Trafficking in Person for prevention, investigation of the trafficking of persons cases and protection of the victims of traffickinga role which could be performed by the NIA, sources said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) wanted NIA to investigate trafficking and we have agreed to that. MHA has also given its approval for the draft Bill. After we get a green flag from Prime Ministers Office, a Cabinet note will be circulated, according to a top official of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Another official said that a cell within NIA could be probing human trafficking cases.

After the Union Cabinet gives its approval, the draft Bill will be tabled before Parliament.

Traffickers enjoy immunity because local police agencies are not able to probe inter-state or cross-border crimes. We require a nodal agency as 80-90 per cent of trafficking cases span across various states, said president of NGO Shakti Vahini, Ravi Kant, explaining why activists have been seeking a Central body to probe human trade.

Government officials say that in order to empower NIA to investigate trafficking cases, the National Investigation Act, 2008, will have to be amended.

NIA was set up by the previous UPA government in 2009 to probe terrorist activities in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.

As per the National Investigation Act, the anti-terror body is empowered to probe offences under eight specified laws, including the Atomic Energy Act 1962, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, and the Anti-Hijacking Act 1982.

The proposed anti-human trafficking legislation will be independent of the existing law on trafficking in relation to prostitution  Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956  while a section of the civil society has sought an umbrella law.

The draft law divides offences into trafficking and aggravated trafficking.

The punishment for offences in the former category is rigorous imprisonment between 7 and 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh, while aggravated forms of trafficking will invite a jail term of between 10 years and life imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs 5 lakh.

Aggravated trafficking will include trafficking of children, transgenders, differently-abled, pregnant women and those which involve use of drugs and alcohol.

There is also a provision for a national committee as well as a central fund for the relief and rehabilitation services for the victims. PTI
Kathmandu, November 19

Nepals former prime minister and CPN (Maoist-Centre) chief Prachandas only son Prakash Dahal died on Sunday due to heart failure, according to hospital sources.

Prakash, who was in his mid-thirties, was rushed to the Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital early this morning, where he was pronounced dead, hospital sources said.

He died due to heart failure, they said.

The sources close to the Maoist party chief also confirmed Prakashs death.

Prakash was secretary to his father Prachanda and also central member of CPN (Maoist-Centre).

Prachanda has left for Kathmandu from Jhapa, where he was attending election campaign for the upcoming elections.

The news of Prakashs death comes two weeks before the first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections.

Prakashs wife Bina Dahal is also contesting election for the Parliament from Kanchanpur district.

Besides Prakash, Prachanda has three daughters. PTI
Paris, November 19

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he will return to Lebanon for Wednesdays 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.

Hariris announcement follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after his surprise decision to step down on November 4.

His failure to return to Lebanon since then 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.

Hariris 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, Macrons office said the president will continue to take all necessary initiatives for Lebanons stability.

We are helping to ease tensions in the region, the Elysee Palace added, without saying if Hariri had confirmed his resignation to Macron.

The French president 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.

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.

Hariris mysterious decision to step downwhich Aoun has refused to accept while Hariri remains abroadhas raised fears over Lebanons fragile democracy.

Hariris 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, a dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadhs backing, resigned saying he feared for his life.

He accused Saudi Arabias arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country.

Hariris 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.

In another development, Riyadh yesterday recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germanys 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.

Germanys foreign ministry had yet to comment on the row, but in a statement it welcomed Hariris imminent return to Lebanon.

Ahead of Hariris departure, Aounan ally of Hezbollahwelcomed 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.

Frances intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Hariris Sunni bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

Haririwhose father, ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollahtook over last year as head of a shaky national unity government which includes the powerful Shiite movement.

Saudi Arabias 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.

Hariris 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.  AFP
Candidates fund themselves for campaigns, mostly

With the first phase of elections a week away, candidates have expedited their campaigns. Pamphlets, motor rallies, mass meetings and even feasts are common sights in the constituencies though their intensity varies from party to party and candidate to candidate.
Kathmandu, November 19

Nepal's former Prime Minister and Maoist chief Prachanda's only son Prakash Dahal died of cardiac arrest today. He was 36. Prakash was taken to the Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital early this morning, where he was pronounced dead.

Addressing a press conference, Dr JP Jaiswal of Norvic Hospital said Prakash died around three hours before he was admitted to the hospital at 5.50 am this morning.

His eyes were unresponsive and there was no pulse when he was brought to the hospital, said Jaiswal.

In 90 per cent of such cases, patient suffers a severe cardiac arrest, he added. Prakash was secretary to his father Prachanda and also central member of CPN (Maoist-Centre).

Prachanda arrived at the hospital in Kathmandu from Jhapa, where he was attending election campaign for the upcoming elections.

President Vidya Devi Bhandari reached Prachandas house in Baluwatar to express condolences on the demise of his son.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: We are sorry to know about the sudden demise of Prakash Dahal, son of Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, former prime minister of Nepal.  PTI
Buenos Aires, November 19

The Argentinian Navy has detected seven satellite calls made to different bases from a missing submarine which disappeared on November 15 in the South Atlantic with 44 crew members on board, officials said.

According to a statement released on Saturday by the Argentine Ministry of Defence, the calls did not link up with the Navy bases, but could indicate that the crew on board the ARA San Juan was trying to re-establish contact, reports Efe news.

With the collaboration of a US company specializing in satellite communication, we are now working to determine the precise location of the transmitter of the signals, given the presumption that it could be the submarine carrying 44 crew members on board, the statement said.

The calls were made between 10.52 a.m. and 3.42 p.m., on November 15 and now the government was working to determine their exact location.

The communication attempts lasted between four and 36 seconds.

The last known position of the ARA San Juan was in the area of the San Jorge Gulf in southern Patagonia and some 432 km from the coast, the ministry said.

The German built, diesel powered submarine had left the southern port of Ushuaia on November 13 and was heading back to his base in Mar del Plata, near Buenos Aires.

The search and rescue operation, which is led by the Argentine Navy, is aided by an US NASA P-3 anti-submarine aircraft, as well as numerous Navy ships with helicopters on board.

All terrestrial communications stations along the Argentine coast were ordered to search for communications and listen to all possible frequencies of transmission of the submarine in order to make a contact.

President Mauricio Macri said on Saturday that the government was committed to using all national and international resources to locate as soon as possible the 44 crew members of the ship. IANS
Just when the Oklahoma Legislature thought its interminable eight-week special session was over, Gov. Mary Fallin informed lawmakers differently.

Fallins veto late Friday of most of a cuts and cash solution to a $215 million revenue shortfall means lawmakers will be back in session, probably within the next few days.

Fallin said House Bill 1019 relied too much on non-recurring revenue and reserves and did not do enough to address long-term budget problems.

House Bill 1019 ordered $60 million in spending cuts while using a little over $100 million in cash and just under $50 million in revenue from an adjustment to the gross production tax.

Here are some questions and answers about the special session, which started on Sept. 25:

Why did the governor veto HB 1019?

Fallin actually vetoed only part of the bill, which is allowed under the Oklahoma Constitution. She left in place five sections that provide short-term funding for the departments of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and Human Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and funding for the Health Department through the end of the fiscal year.

In all, Fallin vetoed 165 of 170 sections, including those reducing appropriations to state agencies and accessing revolving funds and reserves. Fallin said the state will need that money because it is entering the budget-making cycle for fiscal year 2019 with $600 million less in general revenue than it had this year.

Which agencies would have been cut most under HB 1019?

Most agencies would have been cut about 2.5 percent on an annualized basis. That would have been about 4 percent over the remaining seven months of the fiscal year. In terms of dollars, the largest cuts were to higher education ($17 million) and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority ($15 million). In addition, $30 million was to be taken from the County Improvement Roads and Bridges fund.

Does this mean another special session?

The governors office says yes. It was not immediately clear when the session will start.

What happened to House Bill 1054, the proposal that included a $3,000 teacher raise, a $1,000 state employee raise and tax increases for motor fuel, cigarettes and gross production?

It received 71 votes in the House of Representatives, but it needed 76 for passage. Identical language passed the Senate with the necessary three-fourths majority.

The measure came closest to addressing the governors agenda set when the session began. But it was defeated by a combination of Republicans who wanted no tax increases and Democrats who wanted a higher gross production tax on new horizontal wells.

There were 48 Republicans and 23 Democrats who voted for the bill. For a look at how they voted, go to tulsaworld.com/hb1054vote.

Could HB 1054 be reconsidered during the second special session?

The same language could be considered, but it would probably be in a new bill.

Will a teacher raise be considered during the second special session?

Possibly, but legislative votes of the first session raise questions about how committed lawmakers really are to improving teacher pay. Without revenue reform  basically new taxes  its hard to see where the money for raises can be found.
Congress condemns attack on Poudel

The Nepali Congress has condemned an attack on its senior leader and candidate for Tanahu-1 Ram Chandra Poudel.
President Franklin D. Roosevelts 1939 Thanksgiving proclamation was a turkey.

Roosevelt was trying to give retail merchants an extra week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but by tinkering with the tradition, the president unleashed a storm of controversy and confusion.

The day set aside to thank almighty God for the blessings we have received became an almighty mess.

Like this year, the November 1939 calendar had five Thursdays. Traditionally, the holiday was observed on the last Thursday of the month because that was the day President Abraham Lincoln chose when he declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

Some states went along with Roosevelts decision moving the holiday to Nov. 23 instead of Nov. 30, which gave stores an extra week to advertise and sell merchandise before Christmas. Other states balked at the idea and retained the traditional last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. And two states  Colorado and Texas  celebrated both.

Taking a swipe at Roosevelt, some people called it Franksgiving.

Two Thanksgivings

Gov. Leon C. Phillips said Oklahoma would stick to the customary Thanksgiving date:

It will be the last Thursday in 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942. After that, I dont care what they do about it. (Phillips would no longer be governor.)

As it turned out, many Oklahomans got two Thanksgiving holidays in 1939.

Tulsa city attorney H.O. Bland advised Mayor Truman A. Penney that both days must be observed, citing Oklahoma statutes that every day appointed by the president of the United States or the governor of the state is hereby set aside as a legal holiday.

This means that the presidents Thanksgiving, Nov. 23 is a legal holiday and that Nov. 30, decreed as Thanksgiving day by Gov. Phillips, also is a legal holiday, Bland said.

The Tulsa post office sided with the governor and remained open on Nov. 23, closing on Nov. 30. Rural mail was delivered on Nov. 30, but not on Nov. 23.

Tulsa city, county and federal offices (except the postal department) took double holidays. Libraries were closed both days but schools observed the traditional holiday. Quail hunters got an extra holiday.

Some oil companies also observed both holidays, because federal wage-and-hour laws require them to pay time-and-a-half for legal holidays.

In 1940, the holiday confusion continued and some Tulsa businesses complained that the attempt to increase holiday sales had backfired.

It gave us two bad days last year and two bad days this year, instead of just one a year, one retailer said. Chief achievement of the shakeup to date is injury to the last two weeks business in November.

To end the controversy, Congress established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving, and President Roosevelt signed the resolution on Dec. 26, 1941.

Hallelujah and football

A Tulsa World story from 1940 gives a glimpse of the citys traditional Thanksgiving observances before World War II:

 On Thanksgiving Eve, eight blocks of downtown were set aglow by Christmas lights. The lights would be turned on from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. each night. Decorations included 400 fir trees and 7,000 yards of fir roping.

 The University of Tulsas Golden Hurricane was hosting the University of Arkansas Razorbacks at 2 p.m. at Skelly Stadium.

 Protestant churches in the east, west, north and downtown sections of town were holding joint services in which various denominations came together on Thanksgiving morning. For instance, members of downtown churches gathered at First Methodist, where a 100-voice choir from First Christian, First Methodist, First Lutheran and Boston Avenue Methodist sang The Hallelujah Chorus from Handels Messiah.

 Tulsa County Jail prisoners feasted on 100 pounds of turkey. Each man will get about one-half pound of turkey, in addition to generous helpings of the trimmins, said the chief jailer. The trimmins included oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, celery, mashed potatoes, gravy, hot rolls, coffee and pumpkin pie.

 The Sand Springs Home was expecting about 300 people to attend the annual reunion of the orphans and widows colony. They would share a turkey dinner along with a band concert, singing by the children and guests and a devotional service.

President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation.

Washington directed that Sept. 26, 1789, be observed as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to recognize the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Last February, when the Legislature convened its regular session, lawmakers faced an $878 million budget hole.

Thats the difference between how much money the state could reasonably expect to get in spendable revenue and the amount the Legislature appropriated the previous year. In other words, just to stay even with already inadequate levels of state funding for things like schools, prisons and mental health, the state had to come up with $878 million, roughly 12 percent of the state budget.

Dealing with budget holes has become an annual crisis for the state. In 2016, the budget hole was even more daunting, $1.3 billion.

Legislators met the $878 million challenge with money from a new $1.50-a-pack cigarette fee, reductions in state spending and a lot of one-time money, state revenue that we cant count on being available next year. That use of one-time money ensures that  failing a sudden burst of prosperity in Oklahoma  legislators will have another big budget hole to deal with next February when they return to the Capitol.

Then the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared the cigarette fee unconstitutional, creating a mid-year budget hole of $215 million.

Legislators tried, in part, to deal with that problem the right way. They considered higher taxes on fuel, cigarettes and petroleum production that would provide sustainable funding to the state. Those options wouldnt rule out future budget holes, but they certainly would be a step in the right direction.

The proposal, House Bill 1054, failed by five votes in the state House, leading to the so-called cash alternative that made its way through the legislative process last week.

That proposal would have spent a bunch of one-time money and made more cuts in appropriations.

It was an unassisted triple play of bad government. In the process of reducing funding to state services, the Legislature was almost certainly increasing the size of next years budget hole and spending the money it needed to fill it.

Nothing about the so-called cash solution to the budget hole was right, and it would have played out in an even bigger fiscal crisis next year.

When she called the Legislature into special session to deal with the budget hole, Gov. Mary Fallin told lawmakers to look for long-term solutions to the continuing budget shortfalls. In that effort, they failed.

Fallin vetoed the Legislatures budget Friday evening. Its time for legislators to come back and do it again right.
Slight panic in the airport out in Texas. Waiting to check a bag, pull out my billfold, no drivers license. Check pockets, briefcase. Credit cards, no license. The brain flutters. Hotel? Taxi? Pickpocket? A teen terrorist from Izvestistan perhaps, trying to persuade TSA he is 75 and from Anoka, Minnesota?

How about dementia? Loss of license today, tomorrow cant conjugate lay and say, next day my wifes name is missing along with the three branches of government.

OK. License found. In jacket pocket. I head for TSA, resuming my life as a Midwestern author, husband, father. Never mind that I checked that very pocket three times thoroughly. Im OK. OK?

Life is precarious. So much depends on a small card with a grim picture of me on it. Lose it and I become flotsam, a fugitive, stateless, displaced. Sobering.

So I got on a plane to New York and when I disembarked my faithful iPhone was dead and wouldnt recharge and suddenly it was olden times again when you look around for a payphone and newsboys shout the headlines on the street corner and you get on an elevator and an attractive woman asks you for a light. And when a meteorite is headed straight for Metropolis, Clark Kent steps into a phone booth to change into his Superman outfit and deflect the thing into Long Island Sound.

I spent a whole day with no cellphone and it gave me the feeling of being in a foreign country, out of touch, friendless, so I walked over to Grand Central Station and there, under the great starry ceiling, I found an Apple store and made an appointment to see someone at their genius desk who could restore my connection to the world.

I had an hour to kill and I did it in style, in the Oyster Bar, the restaurant that time has not changed. I sat down and the waitress came by, said hello, handed me a menu. She didnt ask how I was doing today  she was a classic New York waitress, a big healthy woman, all business. Came back a few minutes later, said, Ready? I ordered black coffee and a half-dozen Chincoteagues and the grilled halibut. She did not say, Oh, thats one of my favorites, as millennial waiters in the Midwest do. She brought the coffee, and I amused myself by writing a limerick:

There was an old waitress of Queens

Who cautioned me not to eat beans,

Lest I spill on my clothes

Or stick beans up my nose

And never find out what life means.

After she brought the food, she did not come back to say, Hows everything tasting? No need  its the Oyster Bar, the food is good. Nor did she come back later to ask, You still working on that? She was a minimalist. Waiting on tables is a service; it isnt the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

It dawned on me that, here in the Oyster Bar, I was in a time warp and that, if I decided to not get an iPhone, it would be 1961 outside and my hero A.J. Liebling would be alive and still writing his gorgeous stuff, and Id walk up 44th Street and see Eudora Welty, as I once did years ago, standing in front of the Algonquin Hotel, looking for a taxi, and Id be 19 again, walking around with a pack of Luckies in my pocket, writing sorrowful poems about an owl with a broken wing flying home through a moonless night. So I tipped the waitress 50 percent for the memories and went over to Apple. The old phone was dead for good, and I bought a new one.

The thought of going back to 1961 was unbearable. Id have to relive the 1963 assassination and stay in grad school to dodge the draft and hear Richard Nixon say that he had a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam. My precious daughters would disappear into the ether and my dear wife would be 4 years old.

Its good to be old. Every day is an adventure. The Apple guy was very nice. I didnt understand much of what he said but he sold me the new phone, and I appreciate this gizmo more than the average 19-year-old would because I am old enough to remember the wooden phone on the farmhouse wall with the crank that you turned to get the operator who would connect you to whoever you wanted. This phone is a God-given miracle. With this and my drivers license, I can go anywhere.

Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality.
For many, including me, it will be difficult to find a whole lot to be thankful for Thursday. In many ways, it was a pretty bleak year.

Although the economy seems to be percolating along, there are some troubling things. North Korea is threatening us again; the state Legislature cant seem to find the wherewithal to get the state out of a big budget hole; Congress simply does very little at all; Alabama might be about the elect a senator who is accused of being a child molester; our president praises the likes of Vladimir Putin, who its pretty clear influenced our presidential election, and the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte who decided to confront his countrys drug problem by executing thousands of addicts and dealers without a trial.

Oh, yeah, the lid could blow off Yellowstone National Park at any time, and there is still a renegade asteroid out there somewhere that has Earth in its sights.

But, lets not allow those problems to dampen our Thanksgiving Day. So, lets all find some things for which to be thankful.

 For my age, Im relatively healthy, and I hope you are as well.

 My house, which has been being worked on for ALMOST TWO YEARS, might be finished by the end of the month. But I no longer count the days.

 I still have some very good friends and family, who also are relatively healthy.

 Im still able to work at a job I enjoy.

 Im still playing golf.

 My old dog (14, I think) still loves me (I think).

OK, thats about it. Like I said, its been a difficult year. I hope your list is much longer.

As Ive said before, even in these trying times, Thanksgiving remains my favorite holiday. I dont have to worry about how to address people. Its simply, Happy Thanksgiving. No concerns about Merry or Holidays. It will be a very small gathering this year. I have the same food each Thanksgiving. I do not deviate from the menu, although this year I will have to force myself to not make as much as usual. There will be only two, not counting the old dog, for dinner. A couple of friends might drop by. My son is now happily living in New Orleans, where they probably make weird dressing. My dressing (not stuffing) has remained the same from my great-grandmother to me. Cornbread dressing. Not the sweet kind. If I want cake, Ill put icing on it. He will be missed.

We all can be thankful that on Nov. 22, 1963, that we had a country strong enough to withstand the assassination of one of its most beloved presidents. I was 14 (same as my old dog) when President Kennedy was killed in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald. I was in woodshop, the first class after lunch, where the instructor almost always had a radio on in his office. We listened to the broadcast and learned around 1 p.m., that the president had died.

The rest of the day and following days are pretty much a blur. I remember walking down the halls. I remember some people crying, even teachers. But I cant for the life of me remember exactly how I felt. Numb, I guess.

The Kennedy-Nixon race was the first presidential election that I really followed. I remember President Eisenhower and the conventions of the 1950s (Mr. Chairman, the great state of Oklahoma, home of Will Rogers ...). But I was old enough during the Kennedy campaign to understand what was going on. And I, like most my age, was sold on Kennedy ( Cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes). And he was handsome, young and his wife was beautiful and young.

But that Thanksgiving was different. There was the same food on the Thanksgiving menu. There were the same people, my family, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. But six days earlier the president had been killed. We were already living under the threat of having a nuclear bomb dropped on us at anytime, and then the assassination. On that day, the president, Lyndon Johnson of Texas, addressed the nation. He announced that the NASA Launch Operation Center in Florida would be renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center, and he asked the public to remain determined that from this midnight of tragedy we shall move toward a new American greatness.

Its something that I have thought about every Thanksgiving since 1963. And I believe that we shall move toward a new American greatness. This country finds strength in adversity. It survives. Thats something we all need to remember, and be thankful for.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
CPN (MC) Chair Dahals son Prakash Dahal passes away

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahals son Prakash Dahal passed away on Sunday. The hospital is preparing to hold a press conference to make an official announcement.
Dahal arrives in Norvic Hospital following son's death

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has arrived at Norvic Hospital in Thapathali following the death of his son on Sunday morning.
Dahal died of cardiac arrest, hospital says

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's son Prakash Dahal died of sudden cardiac arrest, Norvic Hospital said in a press meet on Sunday.
Despite higher population size women voters are less than men

Women make up 51 percent of the total population of the country, according to the 2011 census, but when it comes to registered voters, their number is less than that of male voters.
Left alliance will rule for next 40-50 years: Dahal

CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have claimed that the left alliance would rule the country for the next 40-50 years.
Amber Tamblyn at Vulture Festival L.A. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Vulture Festival

Speaking before a packed room during Vulture Festival L.A.s Feminist AF panel, Amber Tamblyn minced no words when an audience member asked about what it means to be a feminist during the current wave of sexual misconduct accusations: She has no patience for people who want to save the careers of harassers and assaulters.

Women need a space to tell their stories and be believed, whether that person is someone we know and like a lot or is a friend of ours, the writer-poet-actor told the crowd. You see people come forward and someone says, Well, lets make a tiny exception. No. The exceptions are over. The consequences go across the board. They go from trying to stick your tongue down someones throat all the way up to rape and worse. And the consequence for all those things, in my opinion, is you lose your career and you go away for a while. I dont think theres a sliding scale. Its unanimously, You have to go, youre done.

Its especially disorienting for cis white men, Tamblyn went on. Theyre very confused because never in their entire lives have they had consequences that were not served by themselves to each other. And now its not them deciding the fates of their lives, its women. And thats a scary feeling for them. She said being a feminist now means not making exceptions for I know him, hes really nice. These exceptions have to go, they really have to go.

In closing, Tamblyn offered a rallying cry of sorts. The important message for me is to say, Believe first, question later, she said. We have to stand as a unified front. You have to look left and right and behind you and see whos not being supported. Who can you bring with you? Because an army is not strong enough if were not holding each others stories as strongly as we can.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

No one can issue an apology quite like Lena Dunham  a skill that comes from years and years and years of practice. While her preferred platform for apologizing has seemed to be Instagram, she took to Twitter last night to say that she is so sorry for defending Murray Miller, the Girls writer who actress Aurora Perrineau accused of raping her when she was 17.

In May 2016, Dunham wrote a personal essay for LinkedIn  shes an official LinkedIn influencer!  titled Sorry, Not Sorry: My Apology Addiction, acknowledging that sorry is an oft-used word in her vocabulary. While womens tendency to overapologize is nothing to trivialize, Dunham frequently says bafflingly ignorant things for which she should feel deeply remorseful. Here are some of her greatest hits.

When she said she was sad about never having had an abortion.

On her podcast, Women of the Hour, Dunham wanted to have a meaningful conversation about the stigma surrounding abortion. To prove that she is totally okay with the procedure, she said, I still havent had an abortion, but I wish I had. She later apologized, blaming this dumbfounding statement on the delusional girl persona [she] often [inhabits], and donated money to abortion funds.

When she got pissed that Odell Beckham Jr. didnt want to have sex with her.

In her feminist newsletter Lenny, Lena Dunham published an interview with comedian Amy Schumer, in which she expressed how she was deeply offended that Odell Beckham Jr. did not seem DTF at the Met Gala.

I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards, Dunham said. She later took to Instagram to say, The fact is I dont know about his state of mind (I dont know a lot of things) and I shouldnt have acted like I did.

When she compared Gawker to an abusive husband.

In a podcast interview between Kara Swisher and Dunham from September 2015, Dunham confirmed that she was done reading Twitter and media outlets that were mean to her. She touched specifically on Gawker (R.I.P.), about which she said, Its literally if I read it, its like going back to a husband who beat me in the face. It just doesnt make any sense. She later explained via a now-deleted Instagram post that she does not think domestic violence is a joke.

When she compared Bill Cosbys criminal behavior to the Holocaust.

In January 2015, Dunham landed on the perfect analogy for Bill Cosbys alleged sex crimes: the Holocaust. Discussing movie director Judd Apatows obsession with Cosby with Time Out New York, Dunham said, Its sort of like saying someones obsessed with the Holocaust. She later acknowledged that comparing Bill Cosby to the Holocaust wasnt [her] best analogy.
Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Vulture Festival

The Good Place creator Mike Schur says he chose to speak out on social media about Louis C.K., a regular guest star on the Schur-produced Parks & Recreation, because he felt its time that people in Hollywood start seriously talking about sexual harassment  including those like himself who had inklings about celebrity misconduct.The biggest problem is the weird, creepy, awful behavior, but one of the contributing problems is that no one ever talks about it, said Schur during a Vulture Festival conversation with The Leftovers showrunner Damon Lindelof. In my own reckoning of my own behavior, my own past, I thought, Well, I didnt say anything. I am complicit, just like anyone else is. So I felt that sucked, and I wanted to say something.

These people are out there, Schur continued. If you think everybody knew about Louie, everybody knew about Kevin Spacey. I was on Saturday Night Live [as a writer] from 98 to 2004  and I remember very distinctly when he was hitting on the [network] pages, and hes hitting on the young men in the talent department. You talk about an open secret  it was the most open secret thats ever existed. I didnt know the extent to which the behavior was predatory, certainly, but no one didnt know  anyone who ever worked with that guy knew that.

Lindelof has also spent some time reflecting on the industry culture. He recounted a situation on The Leftovers in which Justin Therouxs genitals appeared in sharp outline during a scene in which he wore sweatpants, noticeable enough to became a talking point in Therouxs many interviews and talk-show appearances to promote the series. Theroux laughed it off on-camera, and Lindelof made further jokes about it in the press and on social media, not realizing he was calling attention to an uncomfortable situation for the actor.

I never asked, Justin, is this cool? said Lindelof, who subsequently apologized to the actor when he realized the commentary had gone too far. Start with the premise that you are part of the problem.

Lindelof also offered a first step for showrunners like himself. Build a culture through representation, he said. Dont have a writers room thats dominated by white dudes. Create parity  Youll start to build a culture where that shit is not going to happen anymore.
Mindy Kaling as Mindy Lahiri in the series finale of The Mindy Project. Photo: Jordin Althaus/NBC Universal Television/Hulu

Thats the funny thing about people changing, Mindy Lahiri says as The Mindy Project winds down for good. It happens so slowly. Our heroine stands at a wedding, thinking about a dude, same as six years ago. Only nothings the same. Not the characters, or the world outside, where whats funny about change is how fast it happens, not how slow. Where you can be the first at something and dated before you know it.

The first Indian-American to run a show, Kaling has to know the cruelty of the speed of change more than most. But in classic Indian-American fashion, shes adept at responding to it, an A student, as she once told NPR. Im addicted to feedback, and I want to please people. Today, the teachers are different than they once were; now they live on Twitter, where the only thing you can take for granted about the primacy of white dudes is that someone will challenge it. Whereas Kaling came of age when they were prime, the only woman writer on staff at The Office, a 24-year-old in 2004. For years after, she seemed uneasy with the costs of being the only one, even as her character on The Mindy Project reveled in that position. In that same NPR interview, Kaling pointed out the inefficiencies for others in the business, calling the role insidious. That is, to be spending more of your time reflecting and talking  in smart ways about your otherness, rather than doing the hard work of your job.

The Mindy Project in turn often seemed to value the benefits of life as a white man over the costs of being other  whether by way of Lahiris dating life, which skewed exclusively white male; the writing (or writing out) of other women on the show; an absence of people of color. These choices got heat, and over the shows six-season run, they changed, taking into account the new school of thought, in which men arent funny, to quote Lindy Wests framing of the outing of Louis C.K.s abuse inside the arc of the end of man. A world once defined by The Office, now anchored by Insecure and Atlanta.

In the penultimate season of TMP, Mindy Lahiri explicitly changes her mind in keeping with those bigger changes, waking one morning as a white man, a surreal setup that isnt so out there for a character once described by a colleague as so much like a white guy, he forgets she isnt one. In her white male form, Lahiri walks through the world with ease (partly due to stronger core muscles). Sexual pleasure comes swiftly; work camaraderie without asking; a job, too, arrives in her lap, one previously denied her for reasons based on gender. Only the job should rightly go to Irene Lee, a talented nerd of a doctor whose otherness turned Lahiri off back when that was her lot too. Lest the white dudes in charge think were in some little Asian clique, Lahiri says in an early scene, she wards off Lees chumminess in the hospital lobby, ahead of interviews. Penance comes to her fictional self sure as a male orgasm: turned off by the ease of success for a white man, Lahiri argues that Lee should get the job. When she finally wakes in her original body, she is changed, happy to be interesting (a euphemism any second-gen person might recognize; what an  interesting name, the checker at a Vermont store once said to my license, her face scrunched as if smelling something bad). I like being an Indian woman, Lahiri concludes.

Its funny about otherness: It traps you whether you like it or not. Kaling was an other to fellow others before Lahiri acknowledged that otherness onscreen. Her shows finale fell on the night of the red-carpet premiere for The Problem With Apu, a documentary built on the anger of Kalings co-others toward the Indian power player before her: a cartoon voiced by a white guy. Thats Apu from The Simpsons, the head-bobbing, bug-eyed gas station clerk so parodic his surname feels too long to type. The comic Hari Kondabolu created the doc out of a bit of his that went viral after first airing on TV a few days before the The Mindy Project premiere. Kaling inspired it, as did Apu. Theres now enough Indian people where I dont need to like you just because youre Indian, Kondabolu says in the bit, Kalings face on screen beside him. Because growing up, I had no choice but to like this. Cut to Apu.

Kaling led the charge away from Apu partly by performing white maleness well enough to claim its authority, setting her in the trap of the first. Pioneers inevitably disappoint: not as radical as their followers, or else they couldnt have cleared the path. Kalings love of feedback  and social media  helps her keep up. Lahiris princessy apartment now holds paintings by Maria Qamar, a.k.a. Hatecopy, the Pakistani Canadian artist whose work young brown people know by sight. Self-aware nods written into the script reflect the present and future without totally rewriting the past. The universe sure does love white men, Lahiri says in an episode in season five, and after a beat, as if describing someone else, Who am I kidding? So do I. In the same season, she frets shes not Indian enough. As her brother, Rishi, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar (whose hatred of Apu vibrates in the Kondabolu doc), puts it in the coconut episode: You think youre white, and I think Im black. We skipped over all that steez.

Its easy to confuse Kaling for Lahiri, their evolutions for each others, though Kalings gone on record asking we dont. Lahiris materialism links to the bling of Kalings Instagram account, which carries the wink of her Office-era blog, Things I Bought That I Love. Her mockery in 2014 of the use of the word brave to describe her body echoes Lahiris mix of food and skinny jokes, a blend of self-love and deprecation debuted by Kelly Kapoor, Kalings character on The Office. I found conflation in the desi women I polled ahead of the finale, between Lahiri and Kaling, flaws and strength. Tanvi Misra, a writer with the Atlantic Media Group, originally from Delhi, wrote to me of feeling a conflict of interest: the shows clumsiness on matters of race and gender eventually outweighed her pull toward an imperfect Indian woman in the drivers seat. No one brown girl will ever be able to tell a universal story for all brown girls, wrote Sujata Day, a screenwriter and actress on Insecure, adding that she feels indebted to Kaling for paving her own way. India-born Iva Dixit, who helps run social media at The New Yorker, saw value in a brown woman as fuck-up enough to push through misgivings that made her stop around season three (she can quote chunks of script up until then), fuck-up-dom being a luxury typically denied those in America not male and white. All while promoting a fantasy that Id hitherto seen afforded only to the Jennifer Garners and Carrie Bradshaws of the world, Dixit wrote.

For me, this is the root of Kalings appeal, how she and her fictional self push buttons by wanting the best for themselves. Her otherness matters, in this context. Her position outside the bounds of a classic heroine makes her self-love provocative. I think of Indian girls back home in Texas, at turns scary and dazzling. The ones with full makeup and 4.0s, whose princess act felt part of their drive to succeed, and thus radical, in line with Dixits reasoning: to be solipsistic is to expect a lot from the world. To do so when the world offers less than a full plate to you is a political act. Theres something so Indian about Kalings ultra-American posturing, so immigrant in her hunger for more. (Though few Indians actually admit to their internalized materialism or racism  thats her comics instinct.) She reminded me a lot of my cousin, a childhood friend a few generations below me wrote of Lahiri. This friend also thinks like a white dude  dates them, and works in the sciences, competing with them; she loves the Mindy Lahiri Is a White Man episode. The qualities she recalls in her cousin align with my own sense of Lahiris type: hilarious and extra and dramatic. Even Kalings A-student mentality hums with the rhythm of a South-Asian household. Kaling might agree with the lesson my mom told me, so many times, its bruteness once a sign to me of a lack of imagination, where today I see insight: If the teacher says the crow is white, you nod.

Lahiri might wonder if shes Indian enough, but Kaling only had to want it. When her fictional self bikes out of the finales wedding, replaying the shows first episode ever, shes not supposed to be the same: not drunk this time, chasing a guy who cant handle her self-worth. Six years ago she rode to Bad Girls by MIA, a tune and artist white people recognize. Now she pedals to a song by Jai Wolf, a brown musician not quite there yet. I see you Mindy Kaling, Wolf tweeted afterward. Because shes an A-student, and the teachers have changed.
New direction

In these elections, for the first time in the countrys history, development agenda tops
China Spring FFA Ag Issues Team recentlywon first place in the Waco District Leadership Development contest, and is competing at the Area 8 contest this weekend in Robinson.

The Ag Issues team presents both pros and cons of a particular agricultural issue, as well as educational material about that issue, as part of its competition routine. The team includes junior Will Howe (from left) (junior), senior Kyla Seale (senior), senior Landon McCartney (senior), senior Kayla Seale (senior), senior Jacob Barnett (senior) and instructor Chelsea Fewell (in foreground).
Alleging McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna cannot handle the truth, Dallas lawyer Clint Broden argued Saturday that a hearing and testimony from several prosecutors should go ahead Monday as scheduled.

In a filing late Friday, Reyna and prosecutors Michael Jarrett, Amanda Dillon, Sterling Harmon and Heather Nering argue the pretrial hearing in the case of Twin Peaks defendant Matthew Clendennen is an attempt to conduct depositions and that it falls outside the limited discovery allowed in criminal cases.

Reyna recused himself from Clendennens case last month after he was served with a subpoena to testify. In his request to be recused, Reyna stated his decision came because he had previously testified in a pretrial hearing for Clendennen, not because of the new subpoena.

Clendennen, of Hewitt, is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity in the May 17, 2015, shootout at the former Twin Peaks restaurant that left nine dead.

Brodens motion Saturday states allegations that Reyna has made several prosecutorial decisions based on political motivations are relevant to Clendennens case.

Any evidence that would support Mr. Clendennens belief that Reyna acted with political opportunism is relevant to his case, according to the motion.

Broden declined comment Saturday, citing a gag order in Clendennens case. Reyna did not return a voicemail Saturday.

The apparent purpose of the subpoenaed testimony is to explore in a public forum alleged previous bad acts of the district attorney having no connection to the criminal case at hand, Reynas motion states.

Broden previously filed a sworn affidavit from Reynas former first assistant, Greg Davis, in which Davis states Reyna had valid criminal cases dismissed for political gain. In the affidavit, Davis also states he met with an FBI agent in August 2014 and believes the FBI has an investigation of Reyna open.

Senior Judge Doug Shaver, of Houston, was appointed to oversee Clendennens case after 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson recused himself. Three Houston-area private attorneys have been appointed to prosecute the case.

It remains unclear when Clendennen could go to trial. The first trial resulting from the Twin Peaks shootout ended in a mistrial Nov. 10 after the jury was unable to return a verdict on any of the three counts against Jacob Carrizal.
Two weeks ago: R.D. Cotten faced the Battle of the Bulge, was hospitalized with frostbite, and had just crossed the Rhine River over the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.

They are called the greatest generation, and their numbers are dwindling by the hundreds every day. R.D. Joe Cotten, a World War II veteran, is well aware of this. The Robinson resident is one of only two men remaining from the 47th Tank Battalions company in which he served during World War II.

Cotten, 95, served in two companies during the war, first A, then D Company, with the 14th Armored Division. He also would go on to serve three times in Korea and during the Cold War before he retired from the U.S. Army.

He was drafted in 1942, and by the spring of 1945, he had been in the Battle of the Bulge, was hospitalized with frostbite, and had just crossed the Rhine River over the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.

It had been a long, arduous trip through France and Belgium, punctuated by combative skirmishes, freezing temperatures and often, fatigue. Along the way, Cotten and the 14th became part of the famed Liberators who freed thousands of people imprisoned in labor/concentration camps.

After the crossing, the division looped around, sweeping through Mannheim, Darmstadt, Lohr and Hammelburg, the last of which was the site of a German Nazi camp for Allied prisoners, among others.

As we approached with several tanks, they dropped their weapons  he said. By then, people inside were cheering; they were glad to see us.

Research from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum revealed the Nazis had some 42,000 camps/ghettoes between 1933-45, including forced labor, prisoner-of-war and extermination camps, among others. Cotten thought it might be a labor camp they freed, but wasnt sure.

He met one man  not American  who was unable to walk and very thin; he was lying on cot springs without a mattress and had swollen, black knees that possibly signaled malnourishment, he added.

It was very poor food conditions and no medical facilities. It was pitiful, he said. They handed over their C-Rations and moved on, leaving another unit to sort things out.

Cottens journey under Pattons 3rd Army, which had absorbed the 14th, continued through Neustadt, turned around and went back to Bayreuth and then to Nurnberg.

Meanwhile, Germans in France were fleeing home when they encountered the 47th and got into battle. Cotten, a platoon leader, said one person was killed and several from his company were captured. These people were moving at night and they captured a bunch of our people  and killed one in our company (D), he said.

Afterward, the 14th split off and went on to Ingolstadt, and then rejoined the others in Moosburg, where there was another prison camp with more than 100,000 allied prisoners, including Americans. Six of them were ours  from my company, Cotten said, including one he had inadvertently reported killed in action, for which he still feels bad about today.

Cottens division was eventually deactivated; those who there the longest were sent home, and the rest prepared for the invasion of Japan. Cotten went to Linz, Austria, where he and others went by railroad in boxcars with no beds, seats or any way to cook their meal rations each had received.

We thought we were flying home, he laughed, recalling.

The trip took four days to get to La Havre, before they could board a ship Cotten said the men called a Kaiser tin can bound for home. It had bare minimum facilities, and the men slept in canvas bunks that were five to a row.

If anyone got sick  which many people did  it was usually someone from the top bunk, Cotten said, laughing. The ship broke down about half-way to the States and could only go in circles, and many people got sick.

It went in circle for days before a repair crew came out, he said.

Finally, they arrived in Boston. Cotten recalls there was no homecoming no dancing girls or spraying water, as they came in from an unexpected northerly route. The troops were hauled off to Camp Devens, New York, where he had his first memorable meal since he left the States: steak, sweet milk and ice cream.

The train trip back to Texas and Fort Sam Houston for separation took five days, and Cotten was charged with commanding the troops on the train, including coordinating meal times and keeping track of men. He lost two along the way, who got off at their home towns, but fortunately they turned up at Fort Sam on time.

By now, he was a first sergeant, about to take his three-month leave, and the recruiters were there in full force, Cotten said. He had a decision to make  stay in the military or go?
Doris Willmann Minnix

Jan. 11, 1930 - Oct. 20, 2017

Doris Willmann Minnix of Round Rock, TX died October 20, 2017. A Memorial service will be held at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Waco, TX, 2 p.m., November 24, with a visitation following the service.

Doris was born on January 11, 1930 in the Prairie Chapel Community of McLennan County to the late Ernest and Anita (Loesch) Willmann. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.

She graduated from Waco High in 1947. Doris worked at American Life Insurance in the Alico Building until 1955. Later, Doris worked in the bakery at Skaggs and retired in 1992.

On July 17, 1950, she married J.D. Minnix and they resided in Waco for 56 years until his death on October 6, 2006. In 2009, Doris moved to the Austin area to be near her daughter. She enjoyed planting flowers on her deck, reading, playing games, and laughing with her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; and a sister, Loda Reed of Waco.

She is survived by her daughter, Marsha McConaughy and husband, Mark, of Austin; a brother, Clarence Willmann and wife, Bonnie, of Valley Mills; a granddaughter, Christa McConaughy of Tucson, AZ; a grandson, Craig McConaughy of Denver, CO; and several nieces and nephews.
Louis Rochelle

Feb. 19, 1932 - Nov. 12, 2017

Louis Rochelle, 85, passed away in Prescott, Arizona, November 12, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Lou was born February 19, 1932 in Marlin, Texas to Lewis Rochelle and Kella Tacker Rochelle.

Lou started playing the steele guitar in high school and, so began, a long career in Western Swing music. While in the Air Force he traveled with a special services band and entertained the troops. One of his sergeants introduced Lou to his daughter, Barbara (Bobbie) Moore. They fell in love and married in 1956. After he and Bobbie returned to Waco, he became part of Johnny Gimble's "Home Folk's Show" on KWTX, then later played with Clyde "Barefoot" Chesser and the Texas Village Boys.

Lou went on to play with many bands in Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and Arizona over the years, making life-long friends along the way. He also wrote and co-wrote numerous country songs, the most well-known being "Still A Lot of Love in San Antone", which he co-wrote with A.L. "Doodle" Owens. Lou worked 12 years with Waco Meat Service, made beautiful cabinets and other wood items, and was always up for a practical joke.

In his later years he was inducted into five Western Swing Hall of Fames around the country as well as the Texas Steele Guitar Hall of Fame.

Lou was predeceased by his parents; daughter, Holly in 1999; and grandson, Jared.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Bobbie, of Prescott, AZ; daughter, Mitzi Hammes (Dan) of Prescott, AZ; son, Larry Rochelle (Yvonne) of Hewitt, TX; eight grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his three sisters, Tomsy Burnett, Polly Branch and Lynn Madsen.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: Connally-Compton Funeral Home, 4400 W. Waco Dr., Waco, TX. Viewing from 5-7 p.m., Friday, December 1. Memorial Service will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, December 2. Graveside to follow at Waco Memorial Park, 6623 I-35 S, Robinson, TX.
If Saudi Arabia didnt already have enough worries in a fast-changing Middle East, yet another crisis has hit home for the once-stable desert kingdom: the sweeping arrests of 11 princes and former ministers. The move ordered by King Salman and carried out by his impulsive son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known increasingly as MBS, could well mark the beginning of the end for this increasingly uncertain U.S. ally.

Given the 82-year-old monarchs declining health, the obvious question looms: Will the king abdicate the throne to his son before death calls? Most analysts agree that the 32-year-old crown prince made a fatal mistake by firing at least one prince  the pivotal head of the Saudi Arabian National Guard. From my perspective, MBSs brash, so-called anti-corruption crusade is not aimed at ridding the kingdom of corruption. Rather, its aimed at removing potential rivals for the throne, paving the way to absolute power. As to opening Saudi Arabia to more transparency and freedom  the princes supposed reason for these arrests  its nonsense.

So whats the next move for royal members who have been effectively sidelined? More than ever, the campaign of arrests and detentions is already coalescing into a major political storm and significantly increases the risk of instability  and not only within the kingdom but across the greater, strife-torn Middle East.

This turn of events comes on the heels of shocking news. Londons Guardian credits claims by an anonymous Saudi prince who states that two letters have circulated among senior members of the royal family encouraging them to stage a coup against King Salman. The rationale: The king and his powerful son have been implementing dangerous policies that are leading the kingdom to political, economic and military ruin. Mere disclosure of these memos raises serious concerns. Will we witness a repeat of the assassination of King Faisal in 1975? Quite possibly!

Undoubtedly, MBS has amassed more power the past two years than any member of the House of Saud, including its kings. Apparently, the crown prince is on a power trip to the point of disregarding protocols vis-a-vis royal succession. Yet MBS has neither held positions of genuine, proven long-term significance within the Saudi government (unless you count furthering a questionable war with neighboring Yemen) nor the experience to lead. I find it perplexing how MBS, by royal decree, is in charge of the kingdoms primary source of wealth, Saudi Aramco.

Make no mistake: With royal infighting erupting and revealing itself to the outside world, it marks the beginning of the end for Saudi Arabia as we know it. Far-reaching consequences will resound not only economically and politically but religiously and geopolitically, only ensuring further chaos across the region.

What the crown prince does not want to accept is that the kingdom, since its creation in 1932, has been ruled by generally thoughtful and conservative consensus. He believes that he can change that through the whim of a few arrests and intimidation. Alas, its typical of Arab/Muslim leaders (give or take very few) who think theyre given some divine right to rule with an iron fist. One doesnt wonder why the Muslim/Arab world lags behind so many other global powers in the world.

While dozens of leading businessmen (including those heading up media, airline and telecom companies) and princes have been arrested, two men stood out in terms of their potential to threaten MBSs ascension to the throne: Prince Mansour bin Muqrin, who died in a helicopter crash near war-torn Yemen this month, and Prince Mitaib bin Abdullah, who has been removed as head of Saudi Arabias National Guard. The National Guard is a potent force within Saudi Arabia and one of many potential pools of discontent.

MBSs sudden change of decades of rule by consensus and consultation in favor of determined autocracy has undoubtedly made him enemies of hundreds, if not thousands, of wealthy and influential princes and businessmen. These princes and businessmen are unlikely to wait for their royal invitation to the Ritz Carlton.

Where from here? In the Middle East, anything is possible, even likely, but the time may be at hand to take Saudi out of Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is sure to experience major political instability, a gloomy economic outlook given the drop in oil prices, regional and global isolation because of its ongoing atrocities in Yemen and now royal succession issues. Looks to me like a kingdom in fast decline.
Second Amendment advocates who regularly stress the need to enforce existing gun laws rather than forging new laws should welcome Republican Sen. John Cornyns Fix NICS Act, which proposes to do just that. Crafted in the wake of the Nov. 5 Sutherland Springs massacre that claimed the lives of 26 people, coldly struck down as they worshipped in church, this bill would bolster efforts to see federal and state authorities comply with existing laws and accurately report criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Its about time. Americans have endured years of shooting massacres without much in the way of attempted solutions from Congress. Thoughts and prayers from politicians are fine, but theyre no balm when those whom God endows with intelligence and ability fail to take action to protect the innocent. And while the Trib can think of more aggressive, common-sense gun-control measures, Cornyns bill at least makes an attempt to address what gun-rights advocates advise: Enforce laws already on the books. Make sure we keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers and the mentally ill.

The tragedy of Sutherland Springs offers a perfect example of the problem: Devin P. Kelley, 26, perpetrator of the crime, was discharged from the Air Force in 2013 for bad conduct after being convicted of two counts of domestic violence and serving eight months in prison  good enough, under the law, to preclude his being sold a firearm. However, the Air Force failed to enter his conviction into the national database. Result: He passed federal background checks when purchasing two firearms here in Texas, one in 2016, one in 2017.

Sen. Cornyn tells us the Fix NICS Act would require federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans on uploading all information to the background-check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law, including measures to verify accuracy of records. It would hold federal agencies accountable for any failures, including prohibitions of bonus pay for political appointees. It would encourage prompt and efficient compliance by the states, rewarding those that excel with federal-grant preferences. It also directs more federal funding toward accurate reporting of domestic violence records.

Were encouraged by bipartisan work on this bill. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, a strong advocate for gun control since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 children and six adults in his home state of Connecticut, is among those working across the aisle with Cornyn and other Republicans. Its no secret that I believe much more needs to be done, Murphy said. But this bill will make sure 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. Perhaps recognizing things are getting out of hand, even the NRA endorses this legislation. We only regret such initiative wasnt shown much sooner.
Civility, please

I was just reading a weekly market commentary from one of my most respected money managers and he was urging caution. Yet one of my other most-respected managers recently published an article citing numerous reasons why the markets wont decline anytime soon.

Earlier this morning, one of my more liberal Facebook friends shared how he had severed a friendship with his best friend and college roommate (from 30 years ago) because he could not understand how someone could ever vote for Trump one year ago with the information we knew then. I am equally certain that many of my right-leaning friends cant fathom how someone could have not voted for Trump.

It dawned on me that the key concept in both of these examples is with the information we knew then. Few Americans actively seek information on both sides of most issues. Instead, we call each other ignorant (one of the nicer names I can repeat here) and conflate disagreement with hatred, friendship with unlimited approval.

One of the brightest professors I had in college was David L. Boren  Yale graduate, Rhodes Scholar, governor and U.S. senator from Oklahoma and currently president of the University of Oklahoma. While he was a state representative, he also taught political science at my alma mater.

One day during class, Boren and one of my fellow students debated an issue. After the debate, Boren asked us if we had changed our minds. Being a typical I-know-more-than-you student, I vigorously shook my head. To my surprise, my classmate admitted that Borens arguments had convinced him to change his mind! My aim since that day has been to listen to more than one opinion.

As we approach the upcoming holidays, I pray that Americans will take some time over the next few weeks to increase their level of tolerance for those with whom they disagree and to be more committed to polite discourse.

Steve Sappington, Co-Founder & Registered Principal, Trinity Wealth Management, Waco

Political backlash

In response to Ms. Cases Nov. 1 letter, she is horribly off base. The amount of land thats colored red on an electoral map does not mean that candidate won any sort of fair, democratic vote. Donald Trump did not win any popular vote.

In most countries, Clinton would have been president. However, due to an archaic and outdated system, we unfortunately received a person whose combination of offensiveness and incompetence has not been seen in any developed country in centuries. Ms. Case may be annoyed by the constant bashing of Trump, but I and many more were disgusted by the GOPs dog-whistle racism that continued for two terms. President Obama clearly received political backlash because he was African-American. President Trump now receives it because he is vile.

Jim Ernst, Waco
No solution yet for 8,500 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal

As the decade-long third country resettlement programme of the Bhutanese refugees living in eastern Nepal draws to a close, the fate of the those still in the camps hangs in the balance.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has reversed his own administration's decision to start allowing hunters to import trophies of elephants that were killed in two African countries, pending a further review.

His Twitter message on Friday evening reversed a decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service over Zimbabwe that was announced this week and promoted as recently as Friday afternoon by the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

US President Donald Trump has reversed his own administration's decision to start allowing hunters to import trophies of elephants that were killed in two African countries. Credit:Bloomberg

Ryan Zinke, the interior secretary, said in a statement later on Friday night that the decision applied to two African countries, though it did not name them.
Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan says he is committed to bringing on a powerful commission of inquiry into the banking sector, predicting up to four MPs in the House of Representatives could cross the floor and support his bill.

Warning Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to "sit up and take note" if the Parliament backs the measure in defiance of the government, Senator O'Sullivan said the government's adoption of a conscience vote on same-sex marriage had opened up a new tactic for Coalition MPs who support taking on the nation's banks.

"The introduction of [Senator Dean Smith's bill to legalise same-sex marriage] into the Senate showed a new pathway for backbenchers to be able to pursue matters of importance to them and I'm just simply following along in his footsteps," Senator O'Sullivan told ABC radio on Monday morning.

"If both houses of the Parliament think this is a good thing to do and that is the decision, I think the Prime Minister has to sort of sit up and take note and support the parliamentary decision," he said.
It was the talk of Melbourne Cup Day, when Myer guest Paris Jackson, daughter of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, refused to wear a custom-made dress by the department store's top designer, Alex Perry.

Fairfax Media initially broke the story, which Myer tried to dampen, while a Jackson handler wanted the story pulled.

But the man behind the debacle Alex Perry explained to Fairfax Media at his induction into the Australian Fashion Walk of Style at Jackie's Cafe in The Intersection Paddington this week that an Alex Perry dress would not have suited the 19-year-old anyway, even though she wore one of his gowns for a pre-racing magazine cover shoot.

"If I had dressed her I think it would have been terrible and not right for who she is and what she stands for ... She is younger, boho, the Morrison [dress] that she wore was perfect for her," he said.
Police seize 17kg smuggled gold

Police seized 17kg smuggled gold from the Rasuwagadhi border point, the only trade route currently in operation between Nepal and China, in Rasuwa on Saturday.
There will soon be a generation of style watchers who don't care for Dior's New Look or Yves Saint Laurent's Le Smoking tux  instead the word "Virgil" scribbled on their sneakers in pen will be how they spend hundreds and thousands of dollars.

On a particular empty street in Sydney's east, on a particularly nothing day last week, hundreds of teenagers, some still in their Cranbrook and other elite school uniforms, lined up for hours to meet their idol, Virgil Abloh, the introverted Chicago native who is, according to supermodel Naomi Campbell, "the future".

One of "The Ten" Nike sneakers designed by Virgil Abloh. Credit:Nike

The hype was for 10 types of sneakers he has re-imagined for Nike, including words in quotations (such as "Swoosh" on Chuck Taylor-style sneakers; "shoe laces" printed on...shoe laces; and "air" on the air-filled sole). The hype for his limited edition range was so enormous Nike had to stagger sales by digital raffles throughout November. The latest release then had to be cancelled after "technical issues caused overwhelming demand". Some of the buyers who lined up in Sydney had spent about $1000 per pair for Abloh's take on Air Jordans and and Air Max 90 styles.

In between collaborating with Nike, he also heads up the Milan-based fashion brand, Off-White, where his collections since 2013 have combined casual wear with a luxury price tag (think $700 silk organza hoodie jumpers). Abloh is also known as DJ Flat White where he uses his sets to mix tracks by some of his celebrity comrades including Drake, A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott and Rihanna. Something he did after being honoured at this year's GQ Australia Men of the Year Awards before quietly slipping out of the formal dinner to man the decks with a Sydney creative group at an underground nightclub.
My career as a masseuse came about fortuitously, in my mid-30s, after I'd trained to be a naturopath. Despite being physically exhausting, I did it for 14 years; it was my favourite job and unlike any other I'd had.

Beset by unfortunate erections, indecent proposals, embarrassing body sounds and the scars accrued through life, it's a career as revealing of humanity as any John Steinbeck novel. In a world where touch between strangers is taboo, we stroke embattled bodies in dark rooms, reaching intimate places no sane person would go: dandruff-infested crowns, between the toes, over acne.

Photo: Getty Images.

Massage therapists witness the human body in all its variety and form. Fungus, boils, lipomas, hair in weird places, webbed toes  we've seen it all. Unless you're under the age of 10, most of you have imperfect bodies. So get over it. I've massaged giants, dwarfs, the dying and those so obese they drape over the table.

Among our occupational dilemmas are how to deal with sweaty hikers, carpet backs, saggy skin, skeletal frames, peeling sunburn, women in the hijab and shoulders like concrete. Fetid body odours are a significant challenge (we might slyly use an aromatherapy oil).
Every now and again, when someone is stuck for an idea for a column (who, me?), they write about the world's most important inventions. The nice thing about this as a topic is that it is constantly being updated because we are such a clever species. Recent inclusions might be artificial intelligence, solar voltaic house paint, driverless cars and facial-recognition software. All of which will, no doubt, change our lives.

Looking back a little further, we hear a lot about the internal combustion engine, nuclear fission and the internet, all of which reshaped our world. What puzzles me, however, is how the two things that really revolutionised modern times  the contraceptive pill and the humble tampon  rarely rate a mention.

Despite the progress made, female reproduction remains touchy. Credit:Stocksy

Frankly, I can't imagine what my life would have been like without either of them. Think about it: both freed half the human race (at least in the West) to participate in public life in ways never seen before. The women's revolution, as it is sometimes called, was, like all revolutions, triggered by technology.

Without the power to control our reproductive systems, women were severely constrained and our freedom very limited. The influx of women into the workplace, education and the corridors of power as a result of the tampon and the Pill has disrupted everything. In fact, you can judge the power of the change by the force of the backlash against it.
Jason Stevenson has had 55 rounds of surgery  and counting  to clear the warts that fill his throat and threaten to choke him. They are the legacy of an up-to-now incurable and potentially lethal childhood disease.

But now, a potential cure has arrived from a surprising source, and could save his grandchildren from suffering the same illness.

Jason Stevenson and daughter Jody.

In an unexpected side effect, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine being given to schoolchildren around Australia has almost eradicated cases of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).

Scientists believe it is possible the disease could soon be wiped out in Australia.
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.
Washington: The top US nuclear commander says he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an "illegal" launch of nuclear weapons.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the US Strategic Command (known as STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order.

"I think some people think we're stupid," General Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario.

"We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"
Poor airport infra to put brakes on fleet expansion

There is bad news for new companies planning to enter the domestic aviation market and old players mulling over increasing fleet size, as a study has found that existing infrastructure of the countrys domestic airports will not be able to accommodate more aircraft for at least two years.
Prakash Dahal to be cremated after 4 pm today

Deceased Prakash Dahal will be cremated after 4 pm Sunday at Pashupati Aryaghat, party spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said.
ViWinTech could begin demolition of the old Residential Care Center in the next few days
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Pushpa Kamal Dahals son Prakash cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat [In Photos]

The mortal remains of Prakash Dahal, son of CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who passed away Sunday morning, were consigned to flames at Pashupati Aryaghat in Kathmandu.
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Voter education materials looted

A group unruly youths looted voter education materials at Nisikhola in Baglung district on Saturday. The assailants whisked away the voter education materials from volunteer Radhika Sharma.
Its already that time again, when we think of turkeys (not anyone in particular), and being thankful for something. This year Im giving personal thanks for stem cell, first as brief a summary of a developing frontier of medical biology in surprisingly diverse areas, then as a personal note of thanks.

The simple definition of a stem cell is one that has the genes to differentiate into all varieties of tissues or organs. As they live and divide, they generate either new stem cells or start changing into bone, skin, gut, heart, liver, etc. In the earliest stages of embryo growth there are embryonic stem cells, which can literally become any specialized tissue. The controversy surrounding their harvest for use in research and medical diseases is complicated. The other broad category of stem cells comes from adult sources, currently from bone marrow or fat. (Theres gold in those rolls!, from bakery to body).

The embryonic stem cells are called pluripotential, meaning they can turn into any specialized cell type. The adult stem cells have become slightly more differentiated or specialized and are labeled multipotent. Another line of possible stem cells come from the amniotic fluid that surrounds a fetus in utero and the inner lining of the birth sac, the amnion. These have no cell marker differentiation, and have been tried as stem cells, with so-so results to date. Here the source is not controversial. Stem cells likely exist in all tissues to repair injury to it. Im really oversimplifying the entire subject, trust me.

A headline in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Science and Health section, 10/29/2017 from the University of Miamis Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, said, Stem cell infusions could help frail elderly (That hit home at my age.). It involved 15 folks over 78 years old, who got stem cells IV. (It didnt specify stem cell source). They all showed physical improvement at three and six months. The next phase is to treat 120 patients.

From the Mayo Clinic Alumni magazine which I receive, there were several articles about liver regeneration with stem cells using various techniques from the Mayo Center For Regenerative Medicine. One involved injecting an unusable defective donor liver, with a detergent (not dish soap) to kill all the cells, then infusing the remaining structures with a patients own stem cells to create a whole new organ, tailor made liver. Wow. It isnt here yet for people, just animals.

Another article briefly described Mayos Immune, Progenitor, and Cell Therapeutics (IMPACT) lab using mesenchymal cells, likely from fat and bone marrow, to develop cellular injectable treatments for ALS/Lou Gehrigs disease, Crohns disease skin fistulas, degenerative spinal disc disease, knee arthritis, etc., etc.

Another world of stem cells is the wild west of private stem cell clinics, institutes, and businesses. These have blossomed since around the year 2000. They all pretty much extract either fat or bone marrow from hip bone under local anesthetic, spin it down to concentrate it, and inject it into the diseased or injured tissue or organ. The theory is that, once the stem cells are in a different cell environment, they will receive enough signals from the normal cells to learn how to become that tissue.

As of this writing I learned this procedure is quite popular among athletes to help them recover and get back into play. Some that use fat stem cells, add what has been tried alone as platelet rich plasma (PRP). One individual clinic adds amnion cells to bone marrow. The results claimed cannot always be substantiated. However, some, not all, people have had good results. The techniques for extraction are safe. The majority of anatomical places injected are pretty safe, like knees, shoulders, etc. However, two articles in the New England Journal of Medicine cited three cases from a Florida clinic where women had their eyes injected with fat stem cells, and became blind. Ya pays yer money, and takes yer chances.

My personal note of Thanksgiving is that I was one who had my bone marrow plus amnion cells injected into a hopelessly degenerated Achilles tendon. Surgery (which commonly fails) seemed like my only choice. I asked my orthopedist about doing stem cell injection. He said the only thing Id lose would be my money. I could still have the surgery if it didnt help. It was out-of-pocket (less inheritance, kids). But the tendon regenerated by six months and is now functionally healed. One success story in the line of many failures. Ill take it.

Between the stem cell developing treatments, single molecular gene defect replacement, and 3-D printing of organs, perhaps well be entering the Mr. Spock era of medicine in the next generation. If you dont like how your liver or whatever doesnt work, you can order up a new one, just your size and color.
The Winona Art Walk and Tour provides a chance for local artists to showcase their work in front of fresh eyes.

Their commitment to their crafts comes after years of honing their skills to create something truly unique.

At Schumaker Pottery, 676 W. Fifth St., owner Teresa Schumaker proudly showcased her pottery, a craft shes been practicing for decades.

With pottery, you have something that you can hold in your hand that youve done, Schumaker said.

She graduated with a degree in elementary education from St. Teresas, but found herself driven to pursue her own work instead of going through the motions with others. She took the initiative to form a studio with other artists, and now produces a variety of bowls, cups and other household items.

Another crafter, Joni Lynch, chose to put her skills toward the practical but challenging purpose of staying warm in Minnesota.

Her collection of mittens each have their own unique design and layers of material that comfortably keep the wearers hands safe from the biting chill of winter.

The idea came while she was walking a dog and realized her mittens werent warm enough for the job. She then began to think back to when her aunt made doll clothes out old rags. Inspired, she cut an old wool sweater into mittens, and thats how her trade began.

She makes her mittens with a little pocket on the back, which got the dog to behave better if there was a treat in it.

Its just a good way to reuse something that would otherwise go to waste, Lynch said. People drop things off at my front door sometimes.

One pair could have four different sweaters sewn in, and scraps from all sorts of material are assembled to create a mitten unlike any other.

After eight years, Lynch has developed some regular customers.

The art is in these mittens is in the design of them, Lynch said. No two pair have ever been made the same. Youll never find somebody else making exactly the same mitten.

Susan Mundy has painted for the National Eagle Center in the past, but her work expands far beyond that.

She uses art to educate people on the environment eagles live in, capturing every detail to replicate what exists naturally.

When its in murals, if I do my job well, youre able to feel like youre in the environment, Mundy said.

She creates an intimate representation of what the landscape features, from flower petals to the critters running in the fields of grass.

Her paintings looks alive, blending art and biology to instill the tranquil feeling people get when they are treated to a view in the great outdoors.

Mundy graduated from Winona State University with a degree in fine and commercial art.

When youre a small town artist, youre asked to do many different things, Mundy said.
A hard but necessary lesson

In the wake of the Minnesota Supreme Courts ruling on Gov. Daytons use of his line-item veto power, I sincerely hope that our state legislators of both parties come away having learned an important lesson about playing partisan and gotcha politics.

After much negotiation last spring, Republican lawmakers sent a budget bill to the governors desk that included last-minute additions that were not negotiated in good faith. The thinking was that Gov. Dayton wouldnt have the guts to veto it. It was a gotcha! move. Well, now that the dust has settled, who got whom? Suffice to say that the legislative branch got the short end of the stick. Daytons move to de-fund the legislature truly sets a terrible precedent for state politics, but it was undeniably a very savvy move. More importantly, lawmakers tried to pull a fast one and got their noses bloodied.

Now Republican lawmakers say they are shocked at the ruling! Come on  it was painfully clear where the Supreme Court was heading when they first ordered both sides to mediation. They didnt want the judicial branch to determine the power dynamic in the state, nor should they have to. Mediation didnt work and they were left with no choice but to rule.

So what exactly is the lesson? Simply this: it is time to drop partisan brinkmanship. It does not work. The task of governing requires negotiation in good faith and compromise by both sides. The voters of Minnesota elected you to get work done, so stop with the whining and the blame game and do your jobs!

Ed Hahn, Winona
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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Lucienne Croteau receives a certificate of recognition from Amandine Lebas, deputy consul general of France, for her uncles contribution to the war.
A teenager of the United States named Giselle put her body up for auction because she wanted to be able to pay her college tuition.

The 19-year-old part-time model said that she was shocked that a man from the United Arab Emirates paid $3 million to take her virginity.

Giselle put herself up for auction on the Cinderella Escorts website, which is based in Germany.

Her profile stated that she weighs 120 pounds and is 5 foot tall.

Giselle has natural breasts, brown hair, and blue eyes.

She does not have any tattoos on her body.

When the auction for Giselles virginity closed, the Abu Dhabi businessman bid $3 million.

The second highest bid of $2.8 came from a Hollywood actor living in Los Angeles while the third highest bid was from a politician in Russia at $2.1 million.

Giselle was very happy with the astronomical amount.

She plans to use the money to pay for college, buy a new house, and to travel around the world.

Giselle slammed her critics, saying that it is her body and she can do whatever she wants with it.

She also pointed out that most girls regret with whom they first had sex with.

Cinderella Escorts is owned and operated by 27-year-old Jan Zakobielski.

The company took 20% of the final bid or $600,000.

Giselle said that this is a dream come true and she will now fly to Germany, where he will have sex with the man.
A man who was looking forward to spending his retirement with his son was killed just two months after arriving in the United States.

74-year-old Ruxin Wang was shot dead while taking the garbage out of his house.

His wife of 48 years was the one who discovered his body.

Witnesses reported seeing four teens wearing hoodies running from the scene.

So far, police in Tennessee have arrested two out of the four suspects who are accused of killing Wang.

The suspects in custody were identified as a 15-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.

Wang moved to the United States two months ago after retiring from work at the Chinese Ministry of Education.

Wang moved with his wife from China to Nashville in search of a better life and to be close to his son, Wang Yun, who moved to the United States in 2000.

Yun was a devoted son and he traveled with his parents around the world. He is devastated by the loss of his father.

You look at the Las Vegas shooting and you look at the Orlando shooting, and you think it is so far away from you, but itas not, Yun said. I couldnat imagine it could happen to our family, but it did, he added.

People in China expressed shock and are upset over the senseless death of the beloved man.

What a tragedy, this man spent his whole life educating Chinese children and teaching them morality just to move to the U.S. and get shot by American children, one person wrote on social media.
JINNAE BEZEMER/ Eisenhower High School Jeff LaFrance observes the tracking skills of his two-year-old German Shepherd, Nova. A former show dog, Nova was being tested to see if he had the enthusiasm and drive to be a Search and Rescue canine.
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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is warning self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) trustees and retirees about the risks found in some emerging retirement planning arrangements designed to help people avoid tax.

James OHalloran, the ATOs deputy commissioner of superannuation, said the ATO acknowledges that most people do the right thing and save hard for their retirement. However, if taxpayers become involved in any illegal activities, even by accident, they may incur severe penalties that would jeopardise their retirement savings. They could also risk losing their rights as trustees to manage their own funds.

To educate taxpayers and their advisers about schemes designed solely for tax avoidance, the ATO has introduced its Super Scheme Smart program. Included in the program are case studies and information packs to ensure taxpayers and their advisers are well-informed about illegal arrangements.

We are working hard to shut down illegal arrangements quickly, but the best defence for taxpayers and their advisers is to be aware, OHalloran said. Promoters of the arrangements may overtly target SMSF trustees and self-funded retirees, including small business owners and those involved in property development with significant assets.

The arrangements may be cleverly disguised to look legitimate, involve a lot of paper shuffling and framed as being designed to give a taxpayer a minimal or zero amount of tax or even a tax refund or concession.

Just because an arrangement is structured in a way which appears to satisfy certain regulatory rules does not mean it is legal. Such arrangements can put SMSFs at significant risk of breaching the superannuation regulatory rules as well as the taxation law.

If you have information about these arrangements or would like to make a voluntary disclosure, please call 1800 060 062 or email reportataxscheme@ato.gov.au.

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Latest News

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson: "On behalf of the United States government, I congratulate the people of Latvia on the 99th anniversary of your independence.

"The relationship between the United States and Latvia is strong. This strength is anchored in our shared commitment to upholding democratic values and the unity of our transatlantic community. Latvia is a valuable partner and a vital NATO Ally. In 2017, our two countries shared many successes, including two meetings between Vice President Pence and Latvian President Vejonis. Vice President Pence underscored the United States ironclad commitment to NATO and collective defense under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. Our relationship is strong across many fields, including security and defense, trade, entrepreneurship and innovation, and cultural and academic exchanges, and will continue to broaden through the deep connections between our people.

"As you begin to light your candles in Riga and across Latvia to celebrate 99 years of independence, I also want to wish you a great start to your centennial independence celebrations in the New Year. The United States is looking forward to celebrating with you in 2018 as you mark your 100th anniversary."
Beijing: A devastating fire ripped through a house in Beijing's southern Daxing district, leaving at least 19 people dead and eight others injured, the state media said on Sunday.

The inferno was reported around 6.15 pm (local time) yesterday from the house in Xinjian village, prompting authorities to rush fire tenders to the spot.

The fire was extinguished around 9 pm (local time), the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Nineteen people were killed and eight others were injured in the fire, it said.

The injured were taken to hospital for treatment.

According to local authorities, the city will set up a team to investigate the accident. The suspects are under police control, the report said.
Rameswaram (TN): Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested early on Sunday by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in Palk Strait off Katchatheevu.

The fishermen from this island town and Mandapam were arrested by the Lankan Naval personnel while they were fishing near Katchatheevu and taken to Kaarainagar in the island nation, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Mandapam, Gopinath said.

Two boats were also seized, the official said adding fishing nets of 50 boats that had ventured from here were snapped by the island nation's authorities.

Ten fishermen from Thideer Kuppam village in Nagapattinam district were on November 17 arrested by the Lankan Navy when they were allegedly fishing near Neduntheevu in the island nation waters.

So far 117 fishermen have been arrested in the last three months.
Colombo: Sri Lankan troops patrolled a coastal town Sunday where nearly 90 homes were damaged and cars set alight in violence between the island`s Sinhalese and Muslim communities.

A brawl over a traffic accident on Gintota, about 110 kilometres (68 miles) south of the capital Colombo, on Thursday descended into clashes between mobs from the majority Sinhalese and minority Muslim minorities.

The army and navy were deployed to reinforce local police as the situation spiralled over the weekend with at least five people hospitalised and close to 90 buildings damaged in the rioting.

The town remained tense and under lockdown throughout Saturday evening, but at dawn a curfew imposed on previous days was lifted.

"We have called for a complete report about damages and all the victims will be compensated by the state," Home Minister Vajira Abeywardena told reporters.

Security forces and police would remain in place until law and order had been restored, he added.

Muslims account for about 10 percent of Sri Lanka`s 21 million people, the second-largest minority group after Tamils.

Sinhalese -- a largely-Buddhist ethnic group -- make up more than 70 percent of the population.

Police said 19 people have been arrested in connection with the weekend riots and the authorities were looking for more suspects.

In June 2014, there were religious riots between the majority Buddhists and minority Muslim leaving four dead and many injured.

That violence was instigated by a Buddhist extremist group whose leaders are on trial accused of spurring religious conflict.
Shanghai: Olympic champion Chen Long delighted the home crowd as he defeated world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark to win the China Open for a fourth time on Sunday.

The sixth-seeded Chinese emerged from a see-saw battle 21-16, 14-21, 21-13 in Fuzhou, getting the better of the world champion and top seed in 72 engrossing minutes.

The 23-year-old Axelsen has had a superb year, winning the world title and becoming the leading figure in the men`s game.

But Sunday's defeat extends his poor run against the more experienced Chen, 28, who has now won eight of their nine meetings.

It was Chen's first China Open crown since 2013.

There was to be no Chinese fairytale however in the women's decider.

Japan's Akane Yamaguchi beat Chinese qualifier Gao Fangjie to win her first Superseries title of the year.

Fifth seed Yamaguchi had been the favourite against the 19-year-old Gao, who miraculously reached the final having never previously won a Superseries main-draw match.

It all proved too much for the teenager on the day, even with the backing of the noisy home crowd, with the 20-year-old Yamaguchi coming through 21-13, 21-15 in 41 minutes.
DARBHANGA: Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital authorities allegedly fined 54 girl students Rs 25000 each for ragging juniors.

According to reports, the action was taken after the college Anti-Ragging Committee found the members of girls hostel guilty of ragging first-year student.

"The victim complained that she was abused, beaten and mentally tortured. She alleged in her written complaint that the seniors put pressure on her for one work or another," a college official told IANS.

The incident report was filed with the Medical Council of India or MCI on November 11. The MCI directed the DMCH to take action on the complaint on November 16.

The fine was imposed by college principal RK Sinha. The students have been directed to pay the penalty amount by November 25, the official added. Failure to pay fine will invite stern action, the college authorities said. The guardians of the 54 students have been informed.

Last week in a similar incident, the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College administration in Bhagalpur had imposed Rs. 25,000 fine each on 33 second-year students for ragging their juniors. Principal Arjun Singh imposed the fine of Rs. 8.25 lakh on the 33 students of the 2016 batch for ragging the 2017-batch students earlier in November.

With agency inputs
Mumbai: The makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavati, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor have postponed the release of the film following nation wide protests by several Rajput groups.

"Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind 'Padmavati', has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1, 2017," the company spokesperson said in a statement.



The film has been in news for all wrong reasons since its inception. Rajput groups feel that Bhansali may have misrepresented historical facts to suit his film's narrative. However, the ace director and people associated with the film have time and again clarified that the film doesn't distort history.



Some Hindu groups have been protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.



The makers have also not got a clearance yet from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which said the application from the makers was "incomplete".



A new release date will be announced once the "requisite clearances" are in place.



"We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the CBFC.



"We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film.



"We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course," the statement added.



On Saturday, CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi had expressed disappointment over the film being screened for some journalists, who said there was nothing in it to hurt anyone's sentiments.



The makers have described "Padmavati" as "a beautiful cinematic masterpiece that captures Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory".



"The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country's storytelling prowess across the globe," the spokesperson added.

Here is the statement released by Viacom18 Motion Pictures:

'Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind 'Padmavati' has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1st, 2017. Along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, amongst the most gifted film makers of his generation, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in 'Padmavati' that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our countrys story-telling prowess across the globe. We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification. We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Queen, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and many more.'

Viacom18 company spokesperson (Viacom18 Motion Pictures is a division of Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd)

(With IANS inputs)
Jaipur: Amidst growing protest over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming movie Padmavati, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday wrote to the Centre seeking "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that "sentiments of any community are not hurt".

In a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, the Chief Minister said: "A committee of eminent historians, film personalities and members from the aggrieved community should be formed, who would watch the film and discuss it in detail.

"After that, necessary changes should be made to the movie so that the sentiments of any community are not affected."

In the letter, she also requested that the Central Board of Film Certification should consider all possible outcomes and effects before certifying the film.
Mumbai: The cast and crew of Padmavati  starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh  wouldnt have fathomed the kind of flak their film would draw ahead of release owing to its historical content. And filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who addressed protestors through a video message to put all speculations to rest, a few days back, is still a recipient of the wrath of several Rajput organisations.

What is the hullabaloo all about?

Soon after the film went on floors last year, there were reports suggesting that the film has a dream sequence featuring Ranveer Singh (who plays Alauddin Khilji) and Deepika Padukone( who essays Rani Padmavati). Rajput organisations believe that Bhansali has distorted/misrepresented historical facts to suit his narrative. Protestors fear that Bhansali might have portrayed Rajput ruler Maharawal Ratan Singh (played by Shahid Kapoor) as a weak personality, reports suggest.

Angry mob vandalises film sets/ destroys rangoli inspired by film poster and stages protests

Angry mob vandalised the sets of the film on a couple of occasions in the past and even destroyed an artistes Rangoli inspired by the film poster at a mall in Gujarat a few days back. Protests against the film have spread to different parts of the country now.

Films fate hangs on a tightrope

There are reports suggesting that Bhansali has given in to the pressure exerted by Rajput groups and agreed to screen the film for them. However, a number of groups, including Karni Sena and Jai Rajputana Sangh have threatened to stall films release if it isnt shown to representatives of their community.

What have real-life royals said about the film?

Heena Singh Judeo, daughter-in-law of Dilip Singh Judeo of Chhattisgarh's erstwhile royal family said: "Our only demand is that the filmmaker should show us what the movie is, because it is related to the history."

"History has witnessed that none of the Rajput maharanis has ever danced in front of anyone, and they cannot play with history," she said, indicating the Ghoomar song which features the film's lead actress Deepika Padukone.

The royal said filmmakers must respect Rani Padmavati "who did Jauhar (self-immolation) with 16,000 ladies, and who gave her life for Rajputana and Hindutva, but they are showing it in another way.

"We are just saying that we should know what they have given in the movie exactly," Heena said, stressing that Rani Padmavati was like a "mentor to Rajputana ladies".

Baijiraj Trivikrama Kumari Jamwal, daughter of Mahendra Singh Mewar -- the 76th Maharana of the Mewar dynasty and a former Lok Sabha member, said, The sad part is that the film is getting free pre-release publicity, and that a commercial and inauthentic venture like this is using my family's name. It's not just a question of incorrect portrayal, which is established from the trailer and the 'Ghoomar' song itself, but also the fact that you're using my family's name for the commercial pre-release publicity of your film, free of cost... And the national media is talking about it. That's my problem.

Bollywood extends support to Bhansali

"The entire film industry should boycott the IFFI next month in Goa in protest against the threats issued to Padmavati, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone," veteran actor Shabana Azmi said.

Salman Khan, who has worked with Bhansali thrice, extended support to him. He said, I want to say that you have Censor Board, they will take a decision. Sanjay (Leela Bhansali) makes very beautiful and excellent films.

Besides Salman, the main Padmavati cast  Ranveer, Shahid and Deepika have stood by the side of their director through thick and thin. A number of the actors have come out in support of SLB.

The Indian Film and TV Directors' Association too had called for a meeting to condemn protests and show solidarity with Bhansali.

Film release might be delayed

Padmavati, slated to hit the silverscreen on December 1 will not release as per schedule. The release of the film has been postponed and the makers haven't yet announced the new release date.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: The government on Sunday said that it has taken up with authorities in South Africa the case of armed robbery at the Indian Consul General's residence in the city of Durban.



"Ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad, and their families is a matter of highest priority for us," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a response to queries.



He said that "we have taken up the matter with relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing".



In a shocking case of security lapse, the home of Consul General Shashank Vikram was on Thursday robbed by eight armed men who held his five-year-old son at gunpoint.



According to the Independent Online, the envoy's residence, India House, in the Morningside area of the city, was breached on Thursday afternoon despite protection offered by the South African Police Services' VIP Unit, a private guard company and armed response provider.



Armed response officers, who arrived 15 minutes after the alarm was activated, took away surveillance camera footage.



The robbers burst into the home around 4 p.m. after overpowering and attacking a guard who had gone down to the driveway gate after apparently being summoned.



"Vikram's wife, Megha Singh, and the couple's two young children were home at the time and were subjected to a terrifying 10-minute ordeal during which their five-year-old son was held hostage as the robbers demanded money and gold," it said.



"The little boy, who had been studying in the reception room with a tutor, was carried at gunpoint and ordered to deactivate the alarm that had been set off by the family's domestic helper, who was beaten for her courageous act."



The intruders ransacked the building, smashing open a thick, solid door with crowbars, the report said.



One grabbed the five-year-old and hauled him upstairs, where Singh and her 10-year-old son were watching television.



The envoy's wife slammed the retractable security gate on the upstairs landing shut to call for help but the intruders forced open the gate with a crowbar all the while demanding jewellery and access to a non-existent safe.



Singh and her elder son ran to the main bedroom where she pressed the alarm and called her husband who was in a meeting at the town of uMhlanga north of Durban.



According to the report, Vikram rushed home before the security officers could reach the spot.



The robbers then fled taking a cellphone and a few small items, the Independent Online report said.



Durban is home to around 800,000 people of Indian origin.



Kumar said on Sunday that the intruders were expected to be arrested soon.



External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has also spoken to Vikram and inquired about his family.


Sanya: India's Manushi Chhillar on Saturday won the coveted "Miss World 2017" title at a glittering event here, ending 16 years of drought for India at the international pageant.

Manushi is the sixth Indian to win the title and the first since Priyanka Chopra won the crown in 2000.

"The feeling is still sinking in and I am very excited to make India proud too. I'm also looking forward to the year ahead," Manushi said in a statement after the win.

All of 21, Manushi was born to doctor parents in Haryana, which once ranked the worst among all states in sex ratio in India.

"My parents have always been my pillar of support and having them here tonight by my side has only brought me more strength and joy.

"My final answer also came to me by having them here with me in front of me," said Manushi, whose family members, including a brother and a sister, were present at the gala.

In the question-and-answer round after she was shortlisted among the top five, Manushi was asked: "Which profession deserves the highest salary and why?"

She said a mother deserves it most.

Manushi was ecstatic and emotional when she was announced the winner from among contestants from 108 countries. She was crowned by Miss World 2016 winner, Puerto Rico's Stephanie Del Valle.

Miss Mexico Andrea Meza was announced the first runner up, while Miss England Stephanie Hill was declared the second runner up at the event, held at Sanya City Area.

Apart from the main title, Manushi also won the "Beauty with Purpose" award.

Soon after, congratulatory messages poured in.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar congratulated Manushi, saying: "Manushi, 'the daughter of Haryana', has made the country and the state proud."

Priyanka was joyous about having a "successor".

"And we have a successor! Congratulations Manushi Chhillar on becoming Miss World 2017. Cherish and learn, and most importantly enjoy it. Bravo," she tweeted.

Former Miss World Sushmita Sen wrote: "India wins Miss World 2017! Congratulations Manushi Chhillar. Yipeeeee, about time! Super proud! Jai Hind."

Neha Dhupia, a former beauty queen and who mentored India's Miss India pageant contestants this year, tweeted: "Congratulations Manushi Chhillar. We knew you had all the qualities to conquer the world ever since we met you for the first time! You go girl!"

Manushi did her schooling in the national capital Delhi and became a student of medicine in Sonepat.

In an interview during her grooming, she said: "The only thing I believe is certain in life is uncertainty, and this is what is amazing about the pageant."

She was always confident about winning the crown.

The first Miss World crown was won for India by Reita Faria in 1943, followed which Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000).
Ahmedabad: Disgruntled BJP workers on Sunday held a protest at the party's state unit headquarters in Gandhinagar over the BJP's choice of candidates for the next month's Gujarat polls.

The BJP has so far announced 106 candidates out of a total of 182 seats by releasing two lists.

While some workers were angry over renomination of sitting MLAs, others demanded that the newly announced candidates be replaced if the party wanted to avoid "defeat" in the polls, scheduled to be held in two phases next month.

BJP MP from Patan threatened to resign if his son is not given ticket to contest.

Hundreds of party workers from Nandod (ST), Nikol, Naroda, Kheralu and Anklav seats reached the BJP headquarters "Kamalam" to "warn" the BJP of consequences if their demands were not accommodated.

Workers from Narmada district opposed renomination of sitting Nandod (ST) MLA Shabdsharan Tadvi, saying his "popularity has gone down over years".

"The party's decision to renominate Tadvi could cost dearly in the polls as his popularity has hit rock bottom in the last five years," claimed Narmada district BJP secretary Karansinh Parmar.

He accused Tadvi of not bringing development to the constituency in the last five years.

"As a sitting MLA, Tadvi neither visited villages nor did he bring any developmental work (to the constituency). Despite he lacking any ground connect, the party has decided to repeat him," Parmar told reporters outside "Kamalam".

"We all have come here to warn the party leaders that if he is going to contest, the BJP will be eliminated from Narmada district this time," he said.

Parmar said the BJP workers wanted to replace Tadvi with a "capable" candidate to avoid defeat.

BJP workers and leaders from Kheralu seat in Mehasana, Nikol and Naroda seats in Ahmedabad and from Anklav in Anand district also gathered at the party headquarters.

Some of them even raised slogans against the candidates selected by the BJP and demanded their replacement.

BJP has renominated Bharatsinh Dabhi and Jagdish Panchal, sitting MLAs for Kheralu and Nikol seats respectively, for the polls. Panchal also heads the Ahmedabad city BJP unit.

The BJP has selected Balram Thavani for the Naroda seat, overlooking the claims of sitting BJP MLA and Gujarat minister Nirmala Wadhvani.

The party has fielded Hansakuvarba Raj, a woman, from Anklav seat, currently represented by Congress MLA Amit Chavda.

Angered over Jagdish Panchal's renomination for Nikol, a Patel-dominated area, several party workers rushed to "Kamalam" with banners demanding his removal.

"Panchal is known for his dictatorial style of working. Though we had made several representations to the party leaders about Panchal, he is given ticket once again. If he is going to contest, the BJP will definitely bite the dust from Nikol," a BJP worker said.

Youth BJP workers are unhappy with the selection of Balram Thavani, a Sindhi, from Naroda seat currently held by Nirmala Wadhwani, who also belongs to the Sindhi community.

"Though Naroda is a Hindu-dominated seat, the BJP has been giving tickets only to Sindhis since long. Though we have urged the party to give ticket to a Hindu this time, our demand is not met. Youth BJP workers may refrain from election if Thavani is not changed," a party leader from Naroda said.

Opposing Hansakuvarba Raj's candidature from Anklav seat, a BJP leader said she is not known to any party workers in the constituency.

"Hansakuvarba Raj is a school teacher and she is not known to any of the party worker of Anklav, which is held by a strong Congress MLA at present. The BJP should have refrained from allotting ticket to such a weak candidate. If she is not replaced, the party workers will not campaign in Anklav," he said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani exuded confidence that BJP workers will start working for the party after venting their anger.

"Though they are protesting against ticket allocation at present, they will get back to work once they are done with venting their anger," Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar.

BJP's election campaign committee chief Kaushik Patel, also exuded confidence that the issues will be sorted soon.

"Some party workers have come here to make a representation. We have listened to them. BJP's campaign is going in full swing. With the support of party workers and people, we will win over 150 seats," Patel told reporters at the party headquarters.

In Bhuj in Kutch district, several supporters of Gandhidham (SC) MLA Ramesh Maheshwari held protests against selection of his relative Maltiben Maheshwari, as a result of which the party office was closed.

As many as 22 BJP councillors of the Gandhidham municipality rushed to Bhuj and tendered their resignation from the party's primary membership in support of Ramesh Maheshwari.

BJP's Patan MP Liladhar Vaghela said he would resign if his son is not given ticket for Deesa seat in Banaskantha, currently held by Congress MLA Gova Rabari.

"I had made an appeal to my party that my son Dilip should be given ticket for Deesa seat. I am confident that my appeal will be accepted. But, if they do not give ticket to my son, I will give my resignation," Vaghela told reporters in Patan today.
AHMEDABAD: The Congress on Sunday released the first list of its 77 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections with senior leaders from the state Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia getting tickets.

This is our 1st Candidate list of 77 Candidates for #GujaratElection2017.



Congratulations & Best wishes to all the 77 Candidates.   ,   ! #NavsarjanGujarat pic.twitter.com/C8OCsbTavR  Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 19, 2017

The announcement comes after the Gujarat Congress and the Hardik Patel led-Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday said that they had reached an agreement over the issue of granting reservation to Patels, if the Congress is voted to power in the state Assembly election.

Hardik Patel was not present at the meeting.

"Earlier, we had asked the Congress to clarify how they would grant Patidars a constitutionally valid reservation. Today, we held a crucial meeting on that issue and finally reached a consensus on various options offered by the party to us. Official announcement of this agreement will be made by Hardik on Monday in Rajkot," PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the meeting on the issue, as per PTI.

The Congress is locked in a bitter contest with the BJP, which has been in power in the state since 1995.

On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already released a list of 106-candidates which includes incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

The CM will take on Congress' Indranil Rajyaguru in Rajkot West.

State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani had said on Saturday, "We have declared 36 names (in the second list), so the total candidates declared by us so far is 106. Out of these, 60 candidates are for the first phase of polls to be held on December 9, while the remaining are of the second phase to be held on December 14."

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.

(With Agency inputs)
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress and the Hardik Patel led-Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday said that they have reached an agreement over the issue of granting reservation to Patels, if the Congress is voted to power in the state Assembly election.

"Earlier, we had asked the Congress to clarify how they would grant Patidars a constitutionally valid reservation. Today, we held a crucial meeting on that issue and finally reached a consensus on various options offered by the party to us. The official announcement of this agreement will be made by Hardik tomorrow in Rajkot," PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the meeting on the issue.

He is a key aide of Hardik Patel. Hardik was not present at the meeting.

I can say that we are in agreement with the Congress about their formula of granting reservation. We have not talked anything about giving tickets to PAAS. Hardik would announce tomorrow whether PAAS would support the Congress during the polls or not," he said, PTI reported.

The meeting with PAAS leaders was attended by Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and senior Congress leaders Siddharth Patel and Babubhai Mangukia.

Solanki claimed the meeting yielded a "positive outcome".

"The meeting was successful and yielded a positive outcome. We both agreed to implement this agreement in coming days," he said.

Hardik Patel had earlier set a condition that he would support the Congress in the Assembly polls, due next month, only if the party committed itself to allotting reservation in education and government jobs to his community.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Sunday released the first list of its 77 candidates for the elections with senior leaders from the state Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia getting tickets.

The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.

(With PTI inputs)
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is all set to go to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle between the ruling BJP and Congress.

Dabhoi in Vadodara district is one of the 182 constituencies in the state.

The constituency will have 256 polling stations.

In 2012 assembly polls, Congress candidate Bhil Dhirubhai Chunilal won the seat with 80579 votes.

The first phase will be held in 89 of the 182 seats and will cover 19 of 33 districts. The notification for the second phase will be issued on November 20 for the remaining 93 assembly seats in 14 districts.

The votes will be counted on December 18, the same day as Himachal Pradesh, where elections were held on November 9.

A total of 50.25 lakh electorate, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders, will decide the fate of candidates. The poll process in the state started on November 14 with the issue of the gazette notification for the first phase.
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is all set to go to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle between the ruling BJP and Congress.

Bharuch in Bharuch district is one of the 182 constituencies in the state.

The constituency will have 229 polling stations.

In 2012 assembly polls, BJP candidate Arunsinh Ajitsinh Rana won the seat with 68512 votes.

The first phase will be held in 89 of the 182 seats and will cover 19 of 33 districts. The notification for the second phase will be issued on November 20 for the remaining 93 assembly seats in 14 districts.

The votes will be counted on December 18, the same day as Himachal Pradesh, where elections were held on November 9.

A total of 50.25 lakh electorate, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders, will decide the fate of candidates. The poll process in the state started on November 14 with the issue of the gazette notification for the first phase.
New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Sunday said it will urge the Haryana Police to take against state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu.

The tweet posted by NCW reads, "NCW India strongly condemn this statement and will write to Gurgaon police to take action against Ammu."

Earlier on Sunday, Amu had passed derogatory remarks against 'Padmavati' filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh.

He had even threatened Singh of dire consequences for lending support to Bhansali.

"Want to congratulate Meerut youth for announcing Rs five crore bounty for beheading Deepika, Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their family's needs," Amu had said.

A Meerut-based 'Thakur' leader has offered Rs five crore to anyone who beheads Bhansali and Padukone.

Thakur Abhishek Som is said to be the national president of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Yuva Mahasabha.

Meanwhile, the proposed release date of 'Padmavati' has been deferred.

(With ANI inputs)
NEW DELHI: LIC agent Anand Chauhan, an accused chargesheeted in a money laundering case allegedly involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, has moved a special court here seeking interim bail.

The application filed by Chauhan has sought permission to attend the wedding of his niece.

Advocate Tarannum Cheema, who moved the plea on behalf of Chauhan, has sought the interim bail for her client from November 25 to December 10.

Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh on July 9 last year under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer.

Advocate N K Matta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, had alleged before the court that during Chauhan's interrogation, it was found that as an LIC agent he had entered into a modus operandi to launder disproportionate assets by investing in LIC policies.

The agency had alleged that Singh "while serving as a Union minister, invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his own name and that of his family members through Chauhan".

"Virbhadra Singh, while functioning as a Union minister during the period from May 28, 2009, to June 26, 2012, acquired assets, disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs 6,03,70,782 and further tried to justify the same in the form of agricultural income.

"Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, Chauhan, with whom Virbhadra Singh had signed the alleged MoU for managing his apple orchard and Chunni Lal Chauhan, proprietor of M/s Universal Apple Associates, who purportedly showed purchase of apples from Shrikhand Orchard, have facilitated in justifying the disproportionate assets of Virbhadra Singh and thereby abetted the offence," the ED had alleged.

Chauhan is also chargesheeted, along with 82-year old Singh, his wife and others, in a separate case filed by the CBI in the matter.

Singh and the other accused have denied all allegations made against them by the CBI and ED.
Srinagar: Six top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday in an encounter in which a Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was also killed. Among those killed include Obaid, nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and the son of Jamat-ud-Dawa second-in-command Abdul Rehman Makki.

The encounter is now finished and was a success. Total of 6 LeT terrorists eliminated. Weapons and ammunition recovered.



One of the terrorist named Owaid is son of Zakir Rehman Maki and nephew of Zakir Rehman Lakhbi (mastermind of Mumbai terror attacks). https://t.co/jAnLp896ZQ  Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) November 18, 2017

Security forces cordoned off and launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

A Garud commando of the Indian Air Force laid down his life in the line of duty, while another soldier was injured during the encounter.

Arms and ammunition including Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers, AK-47s. 10 hand grenades were recovered after Hajin encounter yesterday.

The slain terrorists included Zargam and Mehmood, the most wanted militant commanders. Mehmood was the main accused in the killing of BSF constable Mohommad Ramzan Parrey alias Rameez on September 27 and killing of two Garud Commandos on October 11.

Defence Ministry Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said troopers of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) surrounded Chandergair village in Hajin area of Bandipora district, following information about the presence of militants,.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF.

With agency inputs
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday lashed out at local terrorists, questioning their ethics.

"It's easy to call yourself Mujahideen. But are you a Mujahideen or Pakistan's proxy," questioned General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu while addressing a conference on Bandipora encounter in which six LeT terrorists were killed. Among those killed include Obaid, nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and the son of Jamat-ud-Dawa second-in-command Abdul Rehman Makki.

"Local terrorists should have the wisdom to realise you are not the proxy of Pakistan," said Sandhu while asking them to work towards peace in the Kashmir Valley. "We leave it to local terrorists. If they come back, we will accept them with honour."

Speaking of yesterday's encounter, the Army shared intel on how the Pakistan commanders were tracked. "Yesterday's killed terrorists were holed up inside a house for two to three days and that's how we found them," they said. Arms and ammunition including Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers, AK-47s. 10 hand grenades were recovered after the encounter.

"Based on specific information, the joint operation was launched by CRPF, Army, J&K Police in which six terrorists were eliminated, all were foreign terrorists. Commend all agencies who worked to ensure the success of the operation," he added.

"We have killed about 190 terrorists as on date, in 2017. Out of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the LC while infiltrating," said Sandhu.

"What we find this year is that we have killed approximately 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley. This has resulted in a remarkable change in the situation," he further added.

While refuting the presence of ISIS that claimed responsibility of Zakura encounter in Srinagar, J&K DGP SP Vaid said, "I don't think ISIS has any imprints here."

"Kashmir valley needs to be free from violence, terror, guns and drugs. Commendable joint effort by our agencies, jawans. Wish very soon we can see Kashmir free of violence," he added.



With ANI inputs
New Delhi: The Congress working committee is scheduled to meet on Monday and is likely to approve the schedule for the party president's election, as per media reports.

Party sources said the CWC will meet at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence at 10:30 am on November 20.

The CWC will approve the schedule for the Congress president's election, they said.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said, PTI had reported.

On the last day of filing the nomination, if no other contestant files his/her nomination against Gandhi, then he will be declared president unopposed.

The party has time until December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and submit the report to the Election Commission.

The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by October-end.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Gold smugglers are now shifting their focus to European nations from traditional Gulf countries, a preferred route for illegal ferrying of the yellow metal, to avoid suspicion of Indian customs authorities, officials said.

Recent cases of gold seizure show that smugglers are opting for the European route and newer modus operandi, they said.

There is a strict vigil on the passengers coming from Gulf countries to check any attempt of gold smuggling. However, flights coming from European countries do not see such strict checks.

"There are cases of gold smuggling involving passengers coming from European sector. It means that the smugglers are now opting for this route to bring gold. It is a new trend witnessed by us," a senior customs official said.

A senior citizen couple -- man (67) and woman (65) ? were arrested by the customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country 995 grams of gold valued at Rs 25.54 lakh on November 10. They had come from Frankfurt.

In another case, a male passenger, who had come from London, was arrested on November 2, for allegedly smuggling over one kilogram gold, 400 grams of which were concealed in rectum. The gold valuing about Rs 30 lakh was seized and the person was arrested.

Last month too, a male passenger was arrested for illegally carrying over two kilogram gold (valuing Rs 66 lakh). He had come from Paris.

Another case of gold smuggling was registered last month in which the accused had come from Italy and was arrested for allegedly smuggling over 1.5 kg of gold, worth Rs 45.23 lakh.

Not only Delhi, some other international airports of the country are also witnessing such trends, the official said.

The demand of gold has been traditionally high in the country as people prefer to invest in it for better returns.

At least 110 kg of gold, valued at Rs 37 crore, has been seized from smugglers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here from January till October this year, according to the customs officials.

In 2016, 110 cases were registered by the customs in which a whopping 188 kg gold, valued at Rs 48 crore, was seized, they said.

The customs officials maintain high vigil at the Delhi airport as it is one of the entry points in the country which registers maximum number of cases of gold smuggling.
NEW DELHI: The Dalai Lama has a new proposition for neighbour nations India and China.

Whether we like it or not, India and China have to live side by side and if they work together there is huge potential. Imagine more than 2 billion people working together, said the Tibetan spiritual leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

Most Chinese follow the Nalanda thought of Buddhism, he further added.

Nalanda, 90 kilometers away from Bihar's capital city Patna, was the centre of a large Buddhist monastery.

The spiritual leader, who fled Tibet during the 1959 uprising, currently lives in exile in India.

China considers him a dangerous separatist and doesn't approve of foreign diplomats visiting the Dalai Lama and vice versa.

The Dalai Lama is expected to reach Bodh Gaya, the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment, in December for a 50-day-long tour.

"The Dalai Lama will arrive in Bodh Gaya on December 26. His tour will be 50-day-long. During his stay, the Dalai Lama will be offering discourses at the Kalchakra Maidan on January 5-7 and again on January 14-16", Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee member Arvind Kumar Singh said.

"The Dalai Lama is also expected to receive a number of heads of state from ASEAN countries who are likely to visit Delhi for attending the Republic Day celebrations and then fly to Bodh Gaya to seek the blessings of the revered spiritual leader", he said.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday remembered her dadi and former prime minister Indira Gandhi on the latters 100th birth anniversary. Taking to Twitter, the Gandhi scion referred to Indira Gandhi as his mentor and guide.

I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength, Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 19, 2017

On Sunday morning, the Congress vice president, along with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former president Pranab Mukherjee, visited Shakti Sthal, the memorial site of Indira Gandhi, to pay tributes to her.

A glimpse of this morning at Shakti Sthal, with former PM Manmohan Singh, former President @CitiznMukherjee and CVP Rahul Gandhi, as they paid tribute and fondly recalled memories of Indira Gandhi. #Indira100 pic.twitter.com/MOuUble2l2  Congress (@INCIndia) November 19, 2017

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to pay tributes to the Congress leader.

Nation remembers former Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 19, 2017

Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2017

Former president Pranab Mukherjee, who was a close aide of Indira Gandhi during her tenure in office, also paid tributes to the former PM, saying, Her steely determination, clarity of thought & decisive actions made her a towering personality.

He termed Indira as Indias iron lady, adding that his career as a parliamentarian was mentored by the former prime minister. He further said, She never hesitated to call a spade a spade.

Remembering Smt. #IndiraGandhi on her Birth Centenary. Her steely determination, clarity of thought & decisive actions made her a towering personality. Undoubtedly and rightfully India's #IronLady. pic.twitter.com/oY5TLVz5tW  Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) November 19, 2017

Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of India, was born on this day in 1917 in Allahabad. Though her tenure as the prime minister of India has been in the line of fire because of the Emergency (1975-1977), there has been little doubt over her mettle as a strong leader. She was the first and, till date, the only female Prime Minister of India. She was assassinated by her bodyguards at her Safdarjung residence in New Delhi on October 31, 1984.
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress president is likely to happen before the Gujarat polls, scheduled to held be on December 9 and 14.

The Congress Working Committee or CWC will hold a meeting in this regard on Monday, November 20.

The committee, which will meet at current Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence at 10:30 am on November 20, is likely to approve the schedule for the party president's election.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray for the party chief's post. On the last day of filing the nomination, if no other contestant files his/her nomination against Gandhi, then he will be declared president unopposed.

The party has time until December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and submit the report to the Election Commission.

The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by October-end.

"The schedule for the elections will be approved and according to that, the process will start. The date for which will be announced on Monday," Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi told ANI.

"The Congress working committee approves the schedule for the Congress president elections separately," he added.

With Agency inputs
SRINAGAR: A slain terrorist's body was wrapped in an ISIS flag at his funeral even as thousands attended the event amid a high-pitched anti-India sloganeering.

Mugees Ahmad Mir was killed on Friday in a shootout with the police in Zakura area of Srinagar. Sub-inspector Imran Tak was also killed in the shootout.

Police said Mugees, who originally operated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had lately joined the Al-Qaeda affiliated group, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, headed by Zakir Musa.

Witnesses said on Saturday mourners reached Parimpora despite strict restrictions placed by the authorities. Women mourners were also seen.

The restrictions were imposed in several areas in Srinagar to maintain law and order.

In a precautionary measure, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested and the authorities shifted him to Srinagar central jail, in addition to placing Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest.

However, people from different parts of the city reached Parimpora area where the slain militant`s funeral was held.
NEW DELHI: A 10-year-old girl in Bhopal was allegedly raped for more than three months by three men which included a 65-year-old watchman.

Identified as Nanhu Lal, 65, Gokul Panwala, 45, and Gyanendra Pandit, 36, the accused were arrested on Thursday.

They have reportedly been sent to judicial custody till November 29.

"The victim, a Class V student, was last raped on November 12.Her mother noticed that she was looking sad and unusually quiet from the last few days. When she asked if anything was wrong, the girl initially did not speak, but later narrated her ordeal to her mother. She registered a complaint with the police," Jehangirabad Police Station Inspector Preetam Singh Thakur told PTI.

"The accused were thrashed by angry locals when they were taken to their houses to gather evidence as part of police investigation," Thakur added.

The accused who lived in the same area had threatened the girl and asked her not to reveal the matter to anyone.

They have been charged under sections 376D (gangrape) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) of IPC.
BHOPAL: Policemen in Madhya Pradesh were seen dancing and celebrating at a police station after the SHO allegedly managed to stop his transfer order.

The incident took place at MP's Deepnakheda Police Station. The SHO was identified as Yogendra Parmar.

#WATCH: Cops dance at Deepnakheda Police Station,celebrate after SHO Yogendra Parmar allegedly managed to stop his transfer order #MP(17.11) pic.twitter.com/5HBnyp8JKu  ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

The celebration happened in front of the police station and it was captured in a video posted by news agency ANI on Sunday.

The 39-second video showed that there were lights and loud music arrangements.
Itanagar: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said he hoped Arunachal Pradesh will become a driver of India's trade and economic relations with the Asean countries under the 'Act East Policy' of the central government.



"Being a border state, Arunachal Pradesh offers a unique opportunity for trade with neighbouring countries," he told legislators at a special session of the Arunachal assembly.



The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising of 10 Southeast Asian states.



Kovind also urged legislators to remember they had been elected to meet the aspirations of the state's people and to render public service.



"After elections, you represented all citizens of your respective constituencies, including those who may not have voted for you. As legislators, you are the guardians of public interest and trust. It is your responsibility to make laws to improve the lives of people and to resolve issues of public concern," he told the legislators.



He said that diversity was one of the strengths of India and united its citizens, adding that there are many ethnic and religious communities in Arunachal Pradesh, but they live together in harmony. "This is an ideal for all Indians."


CHENNAI: In a shocking incident, a Class X student was found pregnant after she fainted inside school premises. After investigations, the police has arrested the minor's neighbour  27-year-old construction worker  on charges of raping a minor.

The incident took place on Friday in a private school in Chennai. The minor, who fainted in school, was rushed to a private hospital. She was later found pregnant.

Following this, the girl's mother took her to a government hospital where doctors confirmed the pregnancy. She alerted the police and took the victim back to the hospital.

The cops immediately rushed to the hospital and brought the mother-daughter duo to the police station.

The girl lives with her family in rented accommodation in a north Chennai neighbourhood. Her father is a coolie.

During questioning, the girl confessed in love with a construction worker who lives next door, reported Times of India. The two knew each other for over three years and would meet after she came back from school and the man returned from work.

The court has sent the accused to jail while the case was transferred to an all-woman police station and a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
Mumbai: Bandgi Kalras PDA with Puneesh Sharma has not just irked everyone in the house of Bigg Boss 11 and superstar host Salman Khan but even her family members, reports suggest.

If the latest buzz is anything to go by, Bandgis father, who is extremely affected by his daughters behaviour on national TV suffered high BP and was rushed to a hospital.

According to a report in tellychakkar.com, Bandgi, who has already been asked to vacate her apartment in Mumbai by her landlord owing to her PDA with Puneesh, has drawn flak for her behaviour from various quarters.

Bandgi hails from a small town of Punjab called Jalalabad. Belonging to a well-to-do family, her relatives are immensely unhappy with what she has been doing inside the Bigg Boss 11 house. Owing to such rumours and gossip against her reputation, Bandgis father was recently rushed to the hospital because of high blood pressure issues, the report quoted a source as saying.

In fact, Bandgi had said that her family wouldnt accept her after seeing her PDA, during a conversation with her lover Puneesh a few days back. In fact, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who hosts the popular yet controversial reality show, had even warned the couple to refrain from getting intimate on national TV. But Bandgi and Puneesh havent yet paid heed to his warning.

One would have expected Salman to pull up Bandgi and Puneesh for the dirty talks on Saturday during the weekend ka vaar episode. But surprisingly, the Dabangg star chose to ignore their PDA act.

Will Bandgi and Puneesh understand the gravity of the situation and handle their love affair in a matured way? Only time will tell.
LUCKNOW: Around eight men were arrested under suspicious circumstances near the Ram Janmabhoomi check-post in Ayodhya on Friday night.

According to the police, the eight youths - residents of Khalilnagar Basni village in Nagaur district of Rajasthan - were travelling in a car when they were stopped around 2 am. They claimed to be on a pilgrimage since November 15 and were on their way to Kichaucha Sharif in UP's Ambedkar Nagar district.

The police questioned the youths for over 16 hours, who were later taken to magistrate where they were sent for judicial custody.

An Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team, led by Additional SP Rajesh Sahni, came from Lucknow to question the youths, read a statement released by the ATS.

According to the statement, Nagaur police said the eight youths have no criminal record but the matter was being investigated from all angles.

Ayodhya has been in the news after Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar expressed his desire to mediate between various stakeholders in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmaboomi dispute.

The Supreme Court will begin its final hearing in the case on December 5.
NEW DELHI: A Noida man on Friday allegedly killed his 18-year-old daughter and then called up the police to inform them about the killing.

The incident took place in the Challera village of Sector 44, Noida. The accused was later identified as Bijendra Chauhan, 47.

According to the police, Chauhan allegedly strangled his daughter with a dupatta. The victim was a student of Class XII of the Moolchand Chandan Public School, Sector 44. She lived with her father, brother Himanshu, who is pursuing MBA, and his wife. The couple was also in the house when the incident took place.

"We got a call at around 10.30 pm. Chauhan informed us that he had killed his daughter inside their home. The police reached the spot and arrested him. The victim had strangulation marks on her neck. We have recovered a dupatta from the spot," said Avnish Dixit, Station House Officer, Sector 39 police station, Gautam Budh Nagar.

The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

According to a senior police officer, Chauhan told them that he had been warning her to stay away from a boy and focus on her studies.

"The man said he often found her talking on the phone and never listened to him. Her mother had passed away in 2016. Chauhan suspected the girl of having a relationship with someone from another caste. On Friday night, she was talking to someone on the phone when he approached her. An argument broke out between the two and he lost his temper," a senior police officer said.

The police have sent the body for post-mortem and reports are awaited. Chauhan under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(With DNA inputs)
PARIS: Saad al-Hariri, who resigned as Lebanon`s prime minister this month while in Saudi Arabia, said on Saturday he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut next week.

Hariri`s resignation on Nov. 4 threw Lebanon into political crisis and put it centre-stage in the Middle East`s overarching rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and its allies and a bloc led by Shi`ite Iran.

"With regard to the political situation in Lebanon, I will go to Beirut in the coming days, I will participate in the independence celebrations, and it is there that I will make known my position on these subjects after meeting President (Michel) Aoun," Hariri said after holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Hariri declined to take questions, but is set to return to Beirut by Wednesday when Lebanon celebrates its independence day. He thanked Macron, who has been mediating as part of French efforts to try to ease tensions across the region, for his help.

Macron had leveraged France`s close relations with both Lebanon and Saudi Arabia to secure a deal that saw Hariri travel to Paris and open the door to a resolution of the crisis.

Hariri, who arrived at his residence in Paris in the early hours of the morning, told Aoun in a phone call from Paris that he would be in Lebanon on Wednesday for the celebrations, the Lebanese president said on Twitter.

"Lebanon is being shaken so it`s important Hariri comes to Paris for us to work with him on the best way out of the crisis," said a senior French diplomat.

"We`re trying to create the conditions for a de-escalation in the region. We want to avoid a proliferation of crises that could get out of control."

Hariri`s abrupt resignation and continued stay in Saudi Arabia has caused fears for Lebanon`s stability.

Okab Saqr, a member of parliament for Hariri`s Future Movement, said after Hariri`s visit to France he would have "a small Arab tour" before traveling to Beirut.

A French presidential source said Macron had reiterated that Paris wanted Hariri to return to Lebanon to ensure the country`s political system continued to function and that it was imperative it remained "disassociated" from regional crises.

The source said Macron would continue to be active on the dossier in the coming days and that France was considering whether to host a meeting of the International Lebanon Support Group to discuss the political crisis.

IRAN TAKES AIM AT MACRON

The crisis has thrust Lebanon into the regional rivalry pitting Saudi Arabia and its allies against a bloc led by Iran, which includes the heavily armed Lebanese Shi`ite Hezbollah group.

Aoun 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.

Lebanon maintains a delicate sectarian balance after Sunnis, Shi`ites, Christians and Druze fought a civil war between 1975 and 1990, with factions often backed by regional rivals.

Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, is a long-time ally of Saudi Arabia. Aoun, a Christian, is a political ally of Hezbollah. Hariri`s government, a power-sharing coalition formed last year, includes Hezbollah.

France, which controlled Lebanon between the world wars, has sought to play a key role in defusing tension with Macron personally getting involved and putting him at the heart of a regional power struggle that will test his diplomatic skills.

That was evident since the outbreak of the Lebanese crisis over the last week with a surprise visit to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, followed by a flurry of calls, sending his foreign minister to Saudi Arabia and then the invitation to Hariri, which caught many diplomats unawares.

While undoubtedly a diplomatic coup for Macron, some regional and French diplomats have cautioned that his strategy to try to appease all sides in the region may backfire.

On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Macron about the situation in Lebanon and Syria. The White House said the leaders agreed on the need to work with allies to counter Hezbollah`s and Iran`s destabilizing activities in the region.

Paris has intensified its rhetoric over Iran`s regional activities. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking alongside his Saudi counterpart, denounced Tehran`s "hegemonic temptations". Iran responded by accusing France of taking sides and Macron on Friday said Iran should clarify its ballistic missile programme. That was met by a rebuke in Tehran.

On Saturday, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran`s supreme leader, said Macron should stay out of its affairs.
Ankara: Turkish capital Ankara has banned all events by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights groups to protect "public security", governor`s office said.

According to British online news website, the restrictions came into effect on Saturday and will last for an "indefinite" period. They would also apply to all LGBT film screenings, theatres, panels and exhibitions.

According to media reports, the governor`s office has claimed that such events may cause hostility between different groups and endanger "health and morality".

Authorities warned that some groups may take action against people participating in LGBT events due to "certain social sensitivities".

Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey and numerous LGBT associations are legally registered with the state, but there have been widely reported incidents where LGBT people experience discrimination, harassment and even violence in recent years.
Buenos Aires: The Argentinian Navy has detected seven satellite calls made to different bases from a missing submarine which disappeared on November 15 in the South Atlantic with 44 crew members on board, officials said.



According to a statement released on Saturday by the Argentine Ministry of Defence, the calls did not link up with the Navy bases, but could indicate that the crew on board the ARA San Juan was trying to re-establish contact, reports Efe news.

"With the collaboration of a US company specializing in satellite communication, we are now working to determine the precise location of the transmitter of the signals, given the presumption that it could be the submarine carrying 44 crew members on board," the statement said.

The calls were made between 10.52 a.m. and 3.42 p.m., on November 15 and now the government was working to determine their exact location.

The communication attempts lasted between four and 36 seconds.

The last known position of the ARA San Juan was in the area of the San Jorge Gulf in southern Patagonia and some 432 km from the coast, the ministry said.

The German built, diesel powered submarine had left the southern port of Ushuaia on November 13 and was heading back to his base in Mar del Plata, near Buenos Aires.

The search and rescue operation, which is led by the Argentine Navy, is aided by an US NASA P-3 anti-submarine aircraft, as well as numerous Navy ships with helicopters on board.

All terrestrial communications stations along the Argentine coast were ordered to search for communications and listen to all possible frequencies of transmission of the submarine in order to make a contact.

President Mauricio Macri said on Saturday that the government was committed to using "all national and international resources" to locate "as soon as possible" the 44 crew members of the ship.
OKLAHOMA: A US school teacher has been arrested here while she was planning a 'candle-light sex' with one of her male students.

The incident apparently came to light after the boy's parents found some nude photos and text messages of the teacher on his mobile phone.

After the revelation, Hunter Day was arrested from her house on Wednesday.

She was found sitting on the floor with the lights off and the candles lit.

The 22-year-old old admitted to having a sexual relationship with the boy.

She was charged with rape in the second degree, possession of child pornography and soliciting sex from a minor using technology.

"This is a classic case of a serious breach of public trust," Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said in the statement posted on Facebook.

"School teachers are entrusted to protect and educate our children, not to engage in an unlawful sexual relationship with them," it said.

Meanwhile, the boy's parents have asked investigators to conduct a forensic test of his phone.

The Yukon Public School said that it conducts background checks on the staff before hiring them but nothing alerted them of her alleged behavior.
November 15, 2017

Without directly naming the kingdom, Irans President Hassan Rouhani slammed Saudi Arabia for its reported role in recent developments in Lebanon.

At a Cabinet meeting Nov. 15, Rouhani said that direct intervention in the internal affairs of an independent country such as Lebanon and asking a person to resign and be replaced by someone else is unprecedented. Rouhani was referring to the recent resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Saudi Arabia.

At the Cabinet meeting, Rouhani then addressed Saudi Arabia, without naming the country, saying, "Who are you, what power are you relying on in doing such things? How much do you think money can do?"

He added, That a Muslim country in the region asks and begs the Zionist regime to bomb the Lebanese people is very shameful and embarrassing. We havent seen an Islamic country do such [a thing] in history, and this indicates that inexperienced figures have come [to power] in these countries.

Mentioning the Saudi-led war in Yemen, Rouhani said, Why does a country that is Muslim and knows itself as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques pressure the innocent and Muslim people of Yemen, and why doesnt it express regret and sorrow? Why does it continue to commit its crimes?"

He continued, The United Nations has kept its silence in the face of these crimes and has taken no decisive and binding position, and the Western powers support these crimes.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's foreign policy adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, responded to Hariri's remarks about his and Hariri's meeting in Beirut in the days prior to Hariri's departure and subsequent resignation in Riyadh.

In an interview with al-Mustaqbal TV on Nov. 12, Hariri claimed he had told Velayati that Iran shouldnt meddle in Lebanons internal affairs.

Velayati met with Hariri on Nov. 3. Following Hariris resignation in Riyadh on Nov. 4, various reports linked Hariri's quitting to Velayati.

In a press conference Nov. 14, Velayati said, He [Hariri] pointed at an issue that stems from being inspired by the Saudis. Mr. Hariri said that in the meeting he had with me, he had told me not to meddle in Lebanons internal affairs. But he didnt say such a thing, and our talk wasnt harsh, tough or threatening at all.

Referring to the various reports about the details of his meeting with Hariri, Velayati added, I didnt threaten Mr. Hariri, and we discussed the ongoing developments in the region.

Velayati said, He was seeking in a way to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and I emphasized that we dont have any problem with Saudi Arabia. But the Saudis have been bombing the people of Yemen for two years and have surrounded the country, and 700,000 [Yemenis] have caught cholera." He said the Saudis "should negotiate with Yemenis on humanitarian matters."

Mentioning Hariris interview, Velayati continued, Mr. Hariri said, 'Velayati didnt threaten me.' Yes, there was no reason to threaten him. We welcome the unity of the March 14 Alliance and March 8 Alliance ... [which] have succeeded in placing Lebanon among the safe countries due to the understanding of the people and the Islamic resistance.

Velayati said he hopes Hariri will return to his job, adding, We dont have any problem with negotiating with the Saudis, but negotiating doesnt mean the endorsement of the oppression of Saudi Arabia in some Islamic countries and their support for takfiris. We seek to live alongside each other based on good neighborliness, but we are against any illegal and un-Islamic action.
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.
Businesses beginning to fill gaps left when grads don't have workforce skills



Nadya Murdasova, a 4th year apprentice at Blum, works as a process technician. (Photo courtesy of Blum, Inc.)

"When we hire people who have five or 10 years' experience, we end up training them for up to two years to get all of these bad habits out of their systems."



Christian Ramsumair, also a 4th year apprentice, has become a tool and die technician at Blum. (Photo courtesy of Blum, Inc.)

"I believe that we've said to people, 'If you're in the 70 percent or more of people in this country who don't have a college degree, then you're not as worthy.'"

"I was home talking to him and he said, 'I don't want to go to college, but I don't want you, and mom, and daddy to be ashamed of me.'"

"That got my attention."

"Most apprentices who graduate here end up as top students in college because they've been exposed to the technologies all the time."

"The most important thing is they will never be late. They will do exactly as they say. They will be reliable - because this is how business works."

RALEIGH - Blum Inc. had a problem.In the 1990s, the international company's North Carolina operation was running short of workers. Machinists. Technicians. Most of all, the company needed young employees who could expand the business and its bottom line.So Blum opened an apprenticeship program.Andreas Thurner, Blum's apprenticeship manager, told Carolina Journal.Thurner went on to help found Apprenticeship 2000 , a Charlotte-based organization that recruits apprentices for a number of businesses in the area.In a country with a growing "skills gap," Blum's story is all too familiar. Universities are struggling to keep up with changing technologies, Thurner said. The lag means college graduates are unprepared for manufacturing and engineering jobs.If companies can't find skilled workers, Thurner said, there's just one solution. Recruit and train them yourself.That means investing in apprenticeships.Unlike the unpaid internships often required of college students, apprenticeships generally target high schoolers. Employers recruit, train, and mentor students. The apprentices collect a paycheck and enjoy fully paid tuition at community colleges. Often, the company guarantees apprentices a job when they've completed the program.Such hands-on training could be one way to close the skills gap. More than 6 million U.S. jobs are unfilled - 350,000 of them in manufacturing, the White House announced earlier this year. The U.S. Department of Labor's National Apprenticeship Week , Nov. 13-19, is focused on helping businesses fill that void.In June, President Trump signed an executive order to expand apprenticeships. His plan streamlines some regulations and rips out red tape. It also doubles federal spending for apprenticeships.Apprenticeships should be the responsibility of employers, not the government, said Kent Misegades, vice president at Reitz Fan & Blower Inc., and a founder of the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program The approach is popular in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, but many U.S. companies haven't warmed to it. Apprenticeships are costly, a deterrent for most, Thurner said.But companies should consider apprenticeships for their potential return on investment, he said. Thurner mentors 17 students, overseeing their work and schooling.High-schoolers generally haven't developed bad work habits. That makes training efficient, he added.Most apprenticeships in North Carolina are pathways to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, Thurner said.In 2015, apprenticeship programs enrolled 456,989 U.S. students. That number grew to 505,371 in 2016.North Carolina is home to 536 apprenticeship programs, with 4,781 apprentices . In 2016, about 963 students completed their apprenticeships.Technical education and apprenticeships are valuable, but they shouldn't replace a college degree, UNC President Margaret Spellings has said repeatedly. A university education is the best way for low-income students to rise from poverty, she said Oct. 30 during a speech on higher education The UNC system must collaborate with businesses to fill the skills gap.That gap is far from closing.In 2016, 2,312 students across the UNC system graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering. The system enrolls nearly 255,000 students.The N.C. Department of Commerce houses an Apprenticeship and Training Bureau. That office will soon move under the umbrella of the N.C. Community College System."Traditional college education" is a thing of the past, said U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th District. Foxx, who holds several degrees - including a doctorate in teaching and higher education - served as president of Mayland Community College from 1987 to 1994.In Congress, she chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.Apprenticeships were the original "higher education," she said. But over the past several decades, college degrees have come to define success.We've got to change that perspective, she said.A baccalaureate degree is not the only valid form of education, and society often stigmatizes people who don't go to college, Foxx said.That's just not true, she said. Foxx in 1969 helped form a carpentry apprenticeship for her younger brother, Butch.When her brother completed his apprenticeship, he had both a certificate and a career.Apprentices often complete their work programs, then choose to pursue bachelor's or master's degrees, Thurner said.People usually need some education beyond high school. It could be a college degree, apprenticeship, or other certificate program. But lawmakers, business owners, and families should care less about the path, and more about the goal, concluded Foxx.
President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate a ninth wave of United States Attorneys and third wave of United States Marshals. The United States Attorney serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer within his or her Federal judicial district. The United States Marshal performs the essential functions of protecting the Federal judiciary, apprehending fugitives, transporting prisoners, and protecting witnesses. These candidates share the President's vision for "Making America Safe Again." Accordingly, the President today announced his intent to nominate these individuals to serve their respective jurisdictions:Mr. Kelly is currently serving his second term as the Lancaster County Attorney. Prior to that position, he served as the chief deputy Lancaster County Attorney for 10 years and as deputy Lancaster County Attorney for more than 10 years. Mr. Kelly has prosecuted a wide variety of crimes including homicide, robbery, sexual assault and white collar. He was an associate with Berniger, Berg and Diver PC in Colorado Springs, Colorado from 1987 to 1990. Mr. Kelly received his B.A. from the University of Nebraska and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law.Mr. Murray is currently the Merrimack County Attorney, serving his fourth consecutive 2-year term in that office. From 1983 to 2011, Mr. Murray served as the chief prosecutor for the City of Concord, New Hampshire. Mr. Murray received his B.A. and M.P.A from the University of New Hampshire and his J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center.Mr. Weiss is currently the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware. He previously served as the interim United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, and, starting in 2007, served as the First Assistant United States Attorney. Mr. Weiss also served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1986 to 1989, prosecuting violent crimes and white collar offenses. In between his stints at the United States Attorney's Office, Mr. Weiss was a commercial litigation associate and then partner, at Duane Morris LLP and was an executive at a financial services firm. Mr. Weiss clerked for the Honorable Andrew D. Christie of the Delaware Supreme Court. He received his B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis and his J.D. from Widener University School of Law.Since February 2016, Mr. Williams has served as the court-appointed United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. He has worked at the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon since 2000, where he has served as the First Assistant, Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, and as the Tribal Liaison. Prior to joining the United States Attorney's Office, Mr. Williams served as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. He received his B.A. from Washington State University, and his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law.Dr. Harris is currently an assistant special agent in charge with the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Previously, Dr. Harris served as a senior special agent and assistant director for criminal investigations at the United States Government Accountability Office. From 2000 to 2006, Dr. Harris served in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and from 1999 to 2000, in the New York State Office of Inspector General. Dr. Harris began his Federal law enforcement career in 1997 with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. He has also been an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Salt Lake Community College since 2003. Dr. Harris holds a doctorate in business administration from Northcentral University, a Master of Public Administration from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor of Science in public administration and criminal justice from Kutztown University.Mr. Kamatchus recently retired as Sheriff of Marshall County, Iowa, after serving in that role for 29 years. He began his law enforcement career in 1977 as a police officer in Le Center, Minnesota, and went on to serve in police departments in Waterville and Saint Peter, Minnesota, as well as Marshalltown, Iowa. Mr. Kamatchus served as President of the National Sheriffs' Association from 2006 to 2007, and President of the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association from 2000 to 2001.Mr. McClain is currently the Sheriff of Scott County, Indiana. Mr. McClain served in the U.S. Navy from 1982 to 1995, during which time he served on SEAL Teams Four and Six, and later as a SEAL Instructor at the Naval Special Warfare Center. Following his service in the Navy, he went on to provide security consulting services from 2004 to 2009 in support of the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of State during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Center for Anti-Terrorism and Naval Security Forces in Jacksonville, Florida. He was elected Sheriff of Scott County in 2011.Mr. Weaver is currently the District I County Commissioner for Douglas County, Colorado, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to his election to the Board of County Commissioners, Mr. Weaver served as Sheriff of Douglas County for two terms, from 2005 to 2014. He served all 33 years of his law enforcement career with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Mr. Weaver is a graduate of the Southwest Command College, the Colorado Sheriffs' Institute, the National Sheriffs' Institute, and the FBI National Academy.White House 
So, we now have not merely a credible allegation of sexual harassment, but an evidenced one, this one by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN): KABC radio host Leanne Tweeden released a picture of Franken apparently attempting to grab her breasts while she slept while both were on a USO tour; she also accuses Franken of forcibly ramming his tongue into her mouth during a rehearsal for a skit on that tour. Franken has apologized - well, sort of - and said that he respects women.Have Democrats reacted with the same kind of ardor and alacrity to the Franken accusations to which they reacted to the Roy Moore allegations of underage sexual abuse? To read the headlines, you might think so: many Democrats are calling for a Senate ethics investigation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated, "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." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also called for an ethics probe, as did Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), among others.Wow, you might say. Those Democrats - they sure take sexual harassment allegations seriously, unlike those mean, nasty Republicans!Yeah, no.Here's what you need to know about ethics investigations: they never go anywhere. Don't believe me? Between 2007 and 2016, the Senate Ethics Committee imposed zero sanctions against anyone. Zero. Nada. Zip. Zilch. That despite 613 allegations, and 75 preliminary investigations. Here's the USA Today report:The committee's activity reports indicate that in nearly every case, allegations are dismissed because there are not enough facts to prove wrongdoing (13 of 55 cases last year) or there is no Senate rule governing the alleged activity (36 of 55 cases). In seven cases last year, the Ethics Committee carried out "preliminary inquiries;" five of those were dismissed as inadvertent or minor technical violations. None of those cases was made public by the committee.The House Ethics Committee is far more active:By comparison, from January 2013 through December 2014, the House Ethics Committee launched 53 investigations, created four subcommittees to probe specific matters and issued 19 "publicly disclosed resolutions" as well as 43 resolutions that were confidential, according to an activities report it issued a year ago.So a Senate ethics investigation is where allegations go to die.Which is why Franken himself has called for an ethics investigation . . . against himself. Yes, seriously. "I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate," Franken stated.Of course.This is a far cry from Republican calls for Roy Moore to step away from his campaign, or their threats to refuse him a Senate seat altogether. This is a way for Democrats to kick the can down the road, to pretend that they're standing foursquare against harassment while actually winking and nodding at their friends.
Spoiler: it's Flesh Jenga. Wes Goodman, a Republican representative in the Ohio state house who championed anti-gay causes, quit Friday after being caught having sex with another man in his office. Moreover, he reportedly was known for making unwelcome advances toward younger men, reports Cleveland.com.

Another conservative with Ohio ties told cleveland.com that Goodman engaged in predatory behavior toward younger men after leaving Jordan's office, sending inappropriate material and propositioning them via text message and Facebook messenger. The conservative operative said he'd target college kids who wanted to have him as a mentor and were scared to report his sexual advances because they didn't want to damage their own careers. A former co-worker shared screenshots of messages Goodman sent him that the operative likened to the lewd texts that derailed the congressional career of New York's Anthony Weiner.

There's a lot of laughter being aimed at this creep, but it's important to remember this sort of self-hatred isn't just directed inward. The consequences are always felt by family, friends, and their powerless victims.
Eighteen years after fleeing the war in Kosovo, Bea Rexhepi met the leader of the country she left behind in the place that first took her in.

Rexhepi and her family were among 5,000 Kosovar refugees who arrived in Canada in 1999. Like so many, their introduction to their new home was CFB Halifax.

It's where the family was met by military personnel before moving to temporary housing, and where, nearly two decades later, they met Kosovo President Hashim Thaci.

"I'm so happy, and I'm so proud of you coming and visiting us and seeing where we live, so thank you," Rexhepi told Thaci on Saturday.

From Macedonia to Halifax

The Rexhepi family came to Canada somewhat on a whim.

They had spent six long weeks at a refugee camp in Macedonia  some of that time without a tent, which meant they slept in the rain.

When the kids got sick, Rexhepi's husband Zeqirja made an application to come to Canada, a move that worried his wife at first because she didn't want to move so far from home.

Memories of those first days in Canada are still vivid for Arber Rexhepi, who was 11 at the time. He remembers watching Disney movies with the other kids and eating lots and lots of food.

"I always remember Nanaimo bars," he said with a laugh. "I had Nanaimo bars there and for some reason I couldn't remember the name because I didn't really read the labels, and it took me a good like 18 years to figure out what they were."

Independent at last

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, and Canada was one of the first to recognize it as its own country.

Thaci, who is in Nova Scotia this weekend for the Halifax International Security Forum, said he wanted to visit the base to say thank you for what Canada did. His own country, he added, has changed a great deal since the late '90s.

"[It is] a free, independent country, a multi-ethnic society, equal society," Thaci told reporters through a translator. "It has come a long way."

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Thaci said he's proud of those like the Rexhepis who've made new lives for themselves.

"The emotions we felt here were both painful but also emotions of pride and happiness to see that they have been integrated successfully in society and they live in pride, both for being Canadians but also for seeing Kosovo free and equal," he said.

'Haven't forgotten us'

The president is using his visit to Nova Scotia to meet with more members of the city's Albanian-Kosovar community.

A special gala has been planned for Saturday night at the Lord Nelson.

Ardian Hasanaj, president of the Albanian Canadian Association of Halifax, said the Kosovar community in the city is small, but mighty.

They get together often to celebrate, and the association runs a school on Saturdays to teach children the Albanian culture and language.

"We all live here but we haven't forgotten our first country," said Hasanaj. "We feel great when they acknowledge us still, and they haven't forgotten for us."
Alberta artist Terry McCue was so moved the first time he heard about the REDress movement, he was inspired to come up with his own tribute to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

A year and a half later, the Ojibway painter has a series of 16 works, making up the exhibit Ripples of Loss, on display at the Art Gallery of St. Albert.

"This is the most important work in my career," said McCue, 72.

The REDress Project was based on Metis artist Jaime Black's response to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Black's idea was to collect 600 red dresses and install them in public spaces across Canada, including at the University of Alberta in 2012.

Edmonton photographer Mufty Mathewson later started the REDress Photography Project. Mathewson and other photographers set out to take striking photos of red dresses in unexpected places in honour of each of Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Touched by the impact of the REDress movement, McCue created paintings depicting women wearing red dresses.

But there's a sinister feel to each piece, because the women are portrayed as ghostly skeletons.

The paintings represent the overwhelming sense of loss that ripples through Indigenous families and communities.

"This is what we lost," explained McCue. "These are all about interrupted stories  stories that will never be told because someone stopped it, someone killed them, murdered them in a painful, horrible way."

Artist hopes work keeps issue on people's minds

McCue said inspiration came to him after he met Mathewson at an art show.

"I spoke with her for a few minutes and then I got up and started to go home," he said. "Walking to my car I saw the show, I saw the skeletons walking in the red dresses."

The women in the paintings are not taken from actual cases but from McCue's imagination. He chose to depict his subjects as women who were on their way to promising careers before their dreams were taken away.

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When the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls held hearings in Edmonton recently, McCue attended.

"They had the hearings here for the missing and murdered women last week, so that conversation is happening. This is my part of that, this is what I can do," he said.

Nobody from McCue's family has gone missing or been murdered but after losing his sister, two brothers and both parents to drinking, loss has been a part of his life.

His show is his own creative plea to try to focus attention on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

"I have a lot of friends that I care very deeply about and I would never want this to happen to them so it has to be stopped," he said.

Originally from Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario, McCue now makes his home near Devon, Alta., where he crafted his series of paintings in his home studio.

Self-taught, he only started painting at the age of 48. He has since made a name for himself painting animals in their natural habitats.

He's never done a project like Ripples of Loss but felt a calling to take it on.

The exhibit, which opened Nov 2, is already proving to be popular for the gallery.

"People are really relating to the images and the figures in the images and the individual stories of each painting," said director and curator Jenny Willson-McGrath. "We've had people coming in and spending two hours in the gallery space."

The powerful messages in the exhibit are leading people to ask more questions and look for more information, said Willson-McGrath.

School groups in St. Albert and Edmonton have been struck by McCue's work, she said, adding art can help people understand things in ways no other medium can.

"We've had people that are deeply saddened and we've also had people who have felt ignited by the issue," she said.

Ripples of Loss is at the Art Gallery of St. Albert until Dec. 2.
Canada's top general is forcefully rejecting the notion that Canada's new peacekeeping commitment isn't in line with the Liberal government's initial promise.

Gen. Jonathan Vance, Canada's Chief of Defence Staff, argues that the plan outlined days ago by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Vancouver is consistent with what was first discussed 14 months ago, when the government committed to providing up to 600 troops and 150 police officers for United Nations operations.

The plan unveiled on Wednesday called for up to 200 ground troops, transport and armed helicopters, cargo planes and military trainers for future United Nations peacekeeping operations.

"There was a tendency to grasp at the number 200: 'Well, they said 600, now it's really 200.' That's not true, that's one smart pledge," Vance told CBC Radio's The House from the Halifax International Security Forum.

Trudeau has said he wants Canada to make "smart pledges" around peacekeeping.

"A mythology was created that had never been part of what we said, had never been a part of a mission description," Vance added.

The government's plan presented this week includes providing equipment, training, and a rapid-response unit of Canadian troops that would be called upon by the United Nations to fill gaps on certain missions.

Liberals criticized for falling short

"We are making these pledges today, because we believe in the United Nations and we believe in peacekeeping," Trudeau said. "What we will do is step up and make the contributions we are uniquely able to provide.".

The government was criticized for seemingly falling short of their initial promise.

Following the announcement, the NDP's foreign affairs critic Helene Laverdiere told The House that the Liberals had not lived up to their word.

"One has to wonder what they've been doing for the past year," she said.

Her Conservative counterpart Erin O'Toole was also critical.

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The plan "was a shameful display of trying to hide a broken promise," he said.

Not so, Vance argues.

He explained that as he was looking at options to present to the government, one of the criteria he was asked to consider was the desire to improve UN performance.

Looked at Mali, but it was not a commitment

"You don't improve UN performance by sending a 600 block of Canadians to one spot and operate there. You'll certainly improve the situation in that area, but Canada has an aspiration to improve the institution across multiple missions," he told host Chris Hall.

Vance also rejected the popular notion that was circulating prior to the announcement that Canadian troops were going to deployed to the West African nation of Mali.

He says the military did carry out research on a variety of options and locations, and that created a lot of noise in the media.

But the country's top general says that once you factor in the various quick-response deployments and training missions, Canada's new peacekeeping blueprint will live up to what the Liberals first put on the table.

"There will be 600 very likely 600 troops deployed doing that," he said.
Thousands of people are attending a celebration of life to commemorate fallen police Const. John Davidson in Abbotsford, B.C., following a procession that began earlier today.

"We want to make sure we do it right for John," said Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird.

"We just want to make sure that we remember John and who he stood for and make sure we carry on his legacy."

About 12,000 people  including 8,000 first responders  are attending the procession and full regimental funeral for Davidson, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Nov. 6.

The celebration is taking place at the Abbotsford Centre. The 8,000 seat venue is at capacity.

"We are overwhelmed with the response. We are grateful for everyone taking the time to come here and honour John," Bird said.

A police pipe band, motorcycles and a riderless horse were part of the procession earlier in the day.

First responders, government employees and officers dressed in uniforms of blue and red paraded along the procession route with the hearse carrying Davidson's remains.

The riderless horse, a symbol of a fallen officer, followed the hearse.

Several hundred members of the public lined the procession route in the pouring rain to pay tribute to Davidson.

Barb Hunter said she came to support the police.

"Because we never know when they're going to be laying their life down for us. So I just want to thank them and show my appreciation by being here."

Davidson, 53, had served as a police officer for 24 years when he died responding to reports of a stolen vehicle.

A suspect, Alberta resident Oscar Arfmann, 65, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Davidson's death.

Davidson began his career with the Northumbria police in the United Kingdom in 1993. He moved to British Columbia in 2006.

The veteran officer's partners from Northumbria marched with about 230 members of the Abbotsford Police Department in a procession to a local arena.

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Police officers from across Canada and the United States also took part in the procession.

Fellow officers say Davidson was known for his many contributions to the community including getting drunk drivers off the road, working with high school students and raising money for cancer research.

Members of the public say the "fallen hero" was kind and compassionate, even when he was handing out tickets.

Davidson leaves behind a wife and three children.

"We're not used to this level of violence in Canada," Bird said, referring to officers falling in the line of duty. "This was a shock to Abbotsford and our whole nation."

Bird said all the 2,000 blue memorial ribbons created to assist Davidson's family and set up a memorial sold out in two days.

Full CBC coverage

Tune in to CBC Radio One for special coverage with host Stephen Quinn, beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT. You can listen at 88.1 FM or online by clicking this link.

Remembering Constable John Davidson will begin with host Anita Bathe on CBC Television at 1 p.m. PT. CBC reporter Farrah Merali will also be following the service.

With files from Farrah Merali, Pierreluc Gagnon and The Canadian Press.
A P.E.I. man's request for some letters while in the hospital has become a runaway success.

Garfield MacLean has been in the intensive care unit at Prince County Hospital since September, recovering from a serious lung infection.

He still has no discharge date and wanted something to help brighten up his room.

So when MacLean made a request for some cards to decorate it, his wife Lori Ann set up a post office box that day and made an appeal for mail on Facebook.

Mail from around the world

Since then, MacLean has received more than 500 pieces of mail, including cards, letters, pictures and gifts from all around the world.

"It's amazing. One of the last cards we got just a couple of days ago was from Botswana. I certainly don't know anyone in Botswana," MacLean said. "We didn't really expect much of it."

He's received mail from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Europe, 20 U.S. states and all the Canadian provinces, plus one territory.

'Reinforces your faith in human nature'

The project far exceeded his expectations but MacLean said he's grateful for everything that's been sent his way.

"It kind of reinforces your faith in human nature because a large part of them are from perfect strangers," he said. "It definitely helped my spirit and that helps your healing."

Entire classrooms, day cares and senior centres have written to MacLean.

He's even heard from celebrities such as Boy George and Henry Winkler over social media.

"Every one of them just shocks me," he said.

'It's been just wonderful'

For MacLean's family, the mail has been a reminder to stay positive.

"It shows there's still people that care, that don't know you and want to send joy and put a smile on your face," said his wife Lori Ann MacLean. "We read each one of them. We look at the stamps, we look at who they're from...it's been just wonderful."

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The majority of the mail is at MacLean's home because he isn't actually allowed to cover the walls of his hospital room.

They've only been able to decorate the door of his hospital room, because of the building's fire code, but Lori Ann said she plans on making a scrap book to compile all the mail.

The couple also has ambitions to respond to the letters that have included return addresses and they're hoping for even more mail with the upcoming holiday season.

- MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. DIY: How to make your own Christmas wreath

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Doctors and nurses work at a health care checkpoint in Madagascar in an attempt to educate travelers and potentially detect cases of pneumonic plague. (Photo: Getty Images)

An outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plagues in Madagascar has the potential to spread further from an unlikely cause: fear of needles.

Plague patients are fleeing hospitals in the country because theyre afraid of getting their shots. This has health officials in the country scrambling, because the disease is highly contagious. Everyone who comes into contact with an infected person has to be treated.

At least one patient escaped and made it all the way home before being forced back into an ambulance by authorities and taken back to the hospital.

An infected patient must be given a steady drip of antibiotics for up to five days.

People here are not used to the hospital, explains deputy representative of UNICEF Jean Benoit Manhes to the Irish Times. The problem of plague is not just a medical response. You can have hospitals but if people dont come it isnt enough.

The World Health Organization has announced the death toll has reached 171 in the country and another 2,119 are infected.

Surrounding nations have been told to anticipate the possibility of the outbreak spreading. The disease, which returns to Madagascar every year and infects an average 600 people each season, is transmitted by coughing and sneezing.

Pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Symptoms can include weakness, fever, coughing, and chest pains. If gone untreated, it can be fatal within 36 hours of symptoms appearing.

What may be making matters even worse in Madagascar is an ancient tradition called Famadihana, which translates to turning of the bones, in which bodies of deceased relatives are dug up by their loved ones and are cleaned, shrouded, and reburied.

Efforts to safely bury the bodies of those who die from the plague have met with resistance. Health officials want to bury those who die from the disease in sealed body bags, but they run into trouble from families seeking traditional burials.

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, explains Willy Randriamarotia, the Madagascan health ministrys chief of staff, in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Story continues

Health officials have noticed that the plagues usual season  July to October  coincides with the traditional time of year for Famadihana ceremonies.

The surrounding nations of South Africa, La Reunion, Seychelles, Mauritius, Tanzania, Comoros, Kenya, Mozambique, and Ethiopia have been told by the WHO to prepare in case the disease spreads.

The risk of the disease spreading, or worse, mutating to resist antibiotics, goes up with every outbreak.

In addition to the problem of Famadihana, misinformation about the disease has spread throughout the population on social media. As a result, some who are presumably infected stay home despite having symptoms. False rumors combined with poor education and infrastructure makes Madagascar an ideal breeding ground for infectious disease.

UNICEF has formed a team to combat the rumors and to encourage infected people to go to a hospital. But success is proving hard to achieve. Some believe the plague is a deliberate ploy by the government to collect donations before an election and that those who check themselves into hospitals will never check back out.

Making matters worse is the grinding poverty found in the country. Madagascar is among the poorest nations in the world, with 92 percent of the population living on less than $2 a day.

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Stephen M. Flatow, an attorney in New Jersey, is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995.

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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..JNS.org..16 November '17..Nine members of Congress have introduced a bill to prevent U.S. aid to Israel from being used to arrest Palestinian terrorists who are under the age of 18.The bill, sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), characterizes young terrorists merely as Palestinian children and contends that their arrest by the Israeli army constitutes abuse.Its worth recalling a few examples of the behavior for which Palestinian children have been detained by the Israeli military in recent years.On Jan. 17, 2016, a Palestinian child named Morad Abdullah Adais broke into the home of Dafna Meir, in the town of Otniel, armed with an 8-inch knife. Adais, who was 16, later described proudly what he did next:I plunged the knife into her so deeply that most of it was inside her body. She started screaming, the children saw me and also started screaming, then I stabbed her in her upper body another three or four times. She tried to fight me and tried to take the knife from me. The two children who were there were still screaming, but she continued to resist, so I pushed her, and overpowered her.Asked what he would have done if he was able to pull the knife from Meirs body, the Palestinian teenager said, I would have continued stabbing her, and if I saw another Jew I would stab and murder him.Meir left behind six children, ages 4-17. Theyre also minors. But Rep. McCollum is not concerned about them. Her focus is on Palestinian minors such as Adais. According to the McCollum bill, the armys arrest of Adais would be considered illegal and abusive.
Waltz of the Water Puppets (excerpt, musical bed)

BILLY BANG - Vietnam: Reflections - 2005, Justin Time

How to Grow Evil Flowers (instrumental)

HEADROOM - Head in the Clouds - 2017, Trouble in Mind - Head in the Clouds -

the Shine in Your Crown

the NO MEN - Songs of Steve Treatment - 2017, Topplers - Songs of Steve Treatment -

the Ridge

SARAH NEUFELD - the Ridge - 2015, Paper Bag - the Ridge -

Rockstar

BEARDED LADY - 7-inch A-side - 1975, Young Blood International

Kind Words

the LEGENDARY HOUSE CATS - Greatest Blips, Vol. 1 - 2017, Used Bin Pop Music Group - Greatest Blips, Vol. 1 -

a Kid

KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH - the Kid - 2017, Western Vinyl - the Kid -

Waltz of the Water Puppets (excerpt, musical bed)

BILLY BANG - Vietnam: Reflections - 2005, Justin Time

Josephine

MICHAEL HEAD & the RED ELASTIC BAND - Adios Senor Pussycat - 2017, Violette - Adios Senor Pussycat -

Sleep with Me/Version

MARK LANEGAN BAND - Here Comes That Weird Chill - 2003, Beggar's Banquet

Yesteryear

the PSYCHIC ALLIANCE - the Psychic Alliance - 2017, NoiseAgonyMayhem - the Psychic Alliance -

Dig a Hole

METZ - Strange Peace - 2017, Royal Mountain - Strange Peace -

French Safe

SHOOTING GUNS - Flavour Country - 2017, Riding Easy - Flavour Country -

Hymn to Hathor

MOTHS & LOCUSTS - Intro/Outro - 2017, Cardinal Fuzz/NoiseAgonyMayhem - Intro/Outro -

la Arana

los NERVIOSOS - Otra Vez Fantasmas - 2008, Discos Aplasta Tus Gafas de Pasta

Rock On

DAVID ESSEX - Rock On - 1973, Columbia

Waltz of the Water Puppets (excerpt, musical bed)

BILLY BANG - Vietnam: Reflections - 2005, Justin Time

Backstage at the Ballroom

the GRANITE SHORE - Once More Over the Top - 2015, Occultation

Spoon

GORD DOWNIE - Introduce Yourself - 2017, Arts & Crafts - Introduce Yourself -

Blue Cheese

COURTNEY BARNETT and KURT VILE - Lotta Sea Lice - 2017, Matador - Lotta Sea Lice -

Time for Bed

DENNIS WILSON - Bambu (the Caribou Sessions) - 2017, Columbia Legacy, recorded but not released in 1978

Otokorashiitte Wakaruklai (I Shall be Released) (Bob Dylan cover)

the DYLAN II - V.A.: Even a Tree Can Shed Tears - Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973 - 2017, Light in the Attic, originally on the LP Kinou No Omoide Ni Wakare Wo Tsugerundamono, 1971, URC Japan

Slow Train (rehearsal)

BOB DYLAN - V.A.: True Faith (CD with MOJO Magazine December 2017) - 2017, MOJO, recorded in 1979, from the forthcoming Bootleg 13 box set

la Prenombre (instrumental)

ESMERINE - Mechanics of Dominion - 2017, Constellation - Mechanics of Dominion -

Waltz of the Water Puppets (excerpt, musical bed)

BILLY BANG - Vietnam: Reflections - 2005, Justin Time

Any Other Way

JACKIE SHANE - Any Other Way - 2017, Numero, originally a 7-inch B-side on Underground Records in 196? - Any Other Way -

Everybody Needs Good Lovin', Parts 1 and 2

BUNNY SIGLER - 7-inch A and B sides - 1971, The Sound of Philadelphia

Superfly (Curtis Mayfield cover)

the CECIL HOLMES SOULFUL SOUNDS - the Black Motion Picture Experience - 1973, Buddah
IT WAS COLD outside the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility on the morning of November 15, where some two dozen people formed a circle in the parking lot. They had traveled to Lucasville from various parts of the state, wearing heavy jackets and carrying handmade signs. A large banner read: We remember the victims  BUT NOT WITH MORE KILLING.





Inside the prison, officials were getting ready to kill 69-year-old Alva Campbell, convicted of murder in 1997. His execution was scheduled for 10 a.m. For weeks, Campbells lawyers had fought for a reprieve, warning that his severe health problems posed serious risks to carrying out lethal injection. Campbell had been diagnosed with an array of chronic illnesses in recent years, from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He used a walker and an external colostomy bag and relied on oxygen treatments four times a day. During a recent examination at the prison hospital, medical staff found he could not breathe lying down.





Of particularly grave concern were Campbells veins, which his attorneys repeatedly said were not viable for inserting an IV.





As the execution approached, the state never explained how it planned to get around this problem. But officials did agree to provide Campbell a wedge-shaped pillow that would prop him up on the gurney so that he could breathe  at least until the state stopped his breath for good.





The execution had been delayed for nearly an hour that morning as staff reportedly examined Campbells arms and legs one last time. Then, just before 11 a.m., the protesters got word that witnesses were being led to the death chamber. The execution would soon be underway. One by one, they struck a large homemade bell, brought by Abraham Bonowitz, head of Death Penalty Action. Bonowitz constructed the bell from a retired gas canister. Its sound was startlingly loud by design. After the last execution in Lucasville, relatives of the condemned man had said they could hear the bell inside the prison  it was comforting to know someone cared.





The protesters were solemnly waiting their turn to toll the bell when they saw people leaving the death house. It was 11:27 a.m. The execution appeared to be over. But moments later, a Columbus Dispatch staffer posted a tweet from inside the prison. Media and pool are back, he wrote. Alva Campbell has not been executed. Apparently a vein could not be found.





Hes alive, Bonowitz said cautiously. It was not clear what would come next. But before long, a flurry of phone calls and tweets confirmed what people were hoping: the execution had been called off.





In the parking lot, there were hugs and relieved laughter. Some looked pained, unsure what to feel. Whatever had happened was surely traumatic for Campbell and prison staff alike. As people got in their cars and headed home, state troopers began pulling away from the prison as well. Just before noon, the prison gates opened and a black hearse drove past the parking lot where the remaining protesters stood. There was no body inside.





"In 2007, Ohios execution team took so long to find a vein to kill 37-year-old Christopher Newton, he was given a bathroom break."





Campbells attorney, David Stebbins, approached the parking lot just before 1 p.m. We had a difficult morning, he said. He had watched as his client was stuck with needles four times in different parts of his body, the last time in his right shin. Stebbins and other witnesses could not hear the sounds from the execution chamber, but he saw his client throw his head back and cry out in pain. After some 25 minutes, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction head Gary Mohr halted the execution with the approval of Governor John Kasich, who denied clemency to Campbell just a week before. Thats the only way they can stop it, Stebbins said.





Stebbins only had a few minutes with Campbell before he was transported back to his death row cell at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, just north of Lucasville. He did say its a day hell never forget, Stebbins said. I dont think Ill forget it either. He did not know how long the reprieve would last. We simply havent been told.





But by that evening, Ohio Governor John Kasich had answered the question. Campbells new execution had already been set, for June 5, 2019.





The failed execution of Alva Campbell was historic  it was the third time a person has survived an execution in the United States since 1946. Yet it was the second time a man has left the gurney alive in Ohio in less than 10 years.





The same thing happened at the Lucasville prison in 2009 after the attempted execution of Romell Broom. For two hours on September 15, 2009, execution team members tried and failed to find a vein in order to carry out his lethal injection. At one point, they took a 45-minute break, then tried again. It was only after 18 failed attempts to insert the IV lines that Governor Ted Strickland stopped the execution.





A prison spokesperson would later praise Broom for being extremely cooperative and respectful during the ordeal. He actually attempted to help the team find an access point, she said.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

The Intercept, Liliana Segura, November 19, 2017
Over the past few years, the global community has dealt severe, even debilitating defeats to some of the most high-profile terrorist organizations around the globe. Nonetheless, terrorism still poses an existential threat to many states around the world.

One of the lesser-known, but nonetheless effective tools against radicalization and terrorism is foreign aid. Its not just about delivery of direct or humanitarian aid. Supporting global democracy and civil rights, stabilizing post-conflict areas and post-disaster areas, and helping the displaced return to their homes are all effective means of countering terrorism.

And this is where the United States Agency for International Development comes in. Our development initiatives address conditions, which left unchecked, can lead to the kind of frustration and despair that transnational criminal organizations and terrorist groups, often try to exploit, said USAID Administrator Mark Greene in recent testimony before a House Appropriations Subcommittee.

USAID works to ease the life of displaced families and the communities that host them, countering the conditions that often drive mass migration, said Administrator Green.

We also work to repair the fabric of countries and communities torn apart by conflict and war, in ways that will hopefully solidify military success. In particular, we know helping the most vulnerable, and the most targeted has to be a big part of this strategy, he said

USAID cooperates with other agencies and international partners to resolve more complex problems. For example, the Agency supports the U.S. Department of Defense in its efforts to stabilize Raqqa so its citizens can return to their homes. And the Department of Defense, in return, supports USAIDs disaster relief response teams as they work to aid the victims of hurricanes, earthquakes or other natural disasters.

USAID plays a key role in the interagency international strategy to prevent and mitigate the threat of infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics, and anti-microbial resistance under the global health security agendaWe help counter illicit activities from trafficking in persons to trafficking in wildlife, which criminal and terrorist organizations often leverage to fund their operations. said Administrator Green. Because responding to the growing number of humanitarian crises is a core partof American global leadership, we are working to elevate and refine our humanitarian assistance efforts.
French President Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic efforts regarding the Middle East continued after his meeting with Saad Hariri, Lebanons prime minister who unexpectedly announced his resignation more than a week ago.

Macron talked with U.S. President Donald Trump on telephone and they discussed the Middle East on Saturday.

While the French side said the two sides discussed "ways to stabilize the region and establish peace", the White House announced the two presidents "agreed on the need to work with allies to counter Hezbollahs and Irans destabilizing activities in the region.

Macron also spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a presidential statement said Saturday.

Macron criticized Irans policies in the region twice in the past 8 days and has asked Tehran to be transparent in its missile development program.

This solicited harsh reactions from Tehran, where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenis top advisor in an interview said Macron should not interfere in Irans problems.

But the Elysee Palace in a statement on Saturday insisted that diplomatic channels remain open with Iran. "We speak freely to Iran" the statement said and there had been "no interruption" in contacts with Tehran, with which a "firm and demanding dialogue" must be had.

With reporting by RFI and Washington Post
Dolatebahar, a Telegram channel run by supporters of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has circulated video clips allegedly showing plainclothesmen attacking three of his top allies who have taken refuge in Shah Abdul-Azim, a Shia sanctuary south of Tehran since Wednesday, November 15.

The latest round of tensions began when Ahmadinejads deputy for executive affairsand his former vice president, Hamid Baghaei declared on Wednesday that he has once again been summoned to court but, he is going to ignore the summons.

Baghaei, along with two other allies of the former president, Ali Akbar Javanfekr and Habibollah Khorasani used the old tactic of bast neshini or taking refuge in a sanctuary to protest what they described as judiciarys politically motivated decisions against them.

A day later, Ahmadinejad met the trio and delivered a vitriolic speech against the Islamic Republics judiciary.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, November 18, pro-Ahmadinejad Dolatebahars (government of spring) Telegram channel claimed that an unknown number of plainclothesmen attacked the trio and their supporters at the sanctuary, battering some and stealing their cellphones.

In one of the clips circulated, an alleged attacker is seen preventing one of Ahmadinejads supporters from filming the incident.

The authenticity of the video clips has yet to be independently verified.

However, in one of the clips, Baghaei is seen shouting at the a group of men, You are after me, why are you beating these guys?

While the reported clashes took place, the Telegram channel claimed that, contrary to the previous days, there were no police forces seen around the sanctuary.

The plainclothesmen attacked the sanctuary while minutes earlier Ahmadinejad had left the place after a short stay among his supporters, the Telegram channel asserted.

Earlier, in an unprecedented acerbic speech on Thursday at Shah Abdol-Azims shrine, Ahmadinejad had explicitly declared, We are against Larijani brothers, adding Is it a crime to oppose somebody?

Furthermore, addressing judiciary top officials, he had insisted, You are either not Iranians or you do not know Iran.

Ahmadinejad was referring to five Larijani brothers who have always served in high position in the Islamic Republic.

Three Larijani brothers, all born in Iraq to an Iranian ayatollah, currently 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.

Ahmadinejad, renowned for not mincing his words, reiterated, We cannot let these [brothers] dominate the country and place people under pressure to the point that they submit to foreigners.

Moreover, he warned, Over my dead body you may convict Baghaei.

In the meantime, Telegram channels supporting Ahmadinejad have reported that his official website and other website promoting his positions, including dolatebahar.com have been blocked. Nevertheless, it appears that these websites are still accessible.

Mizan, a news website close to the judiciary compared Ahmadinejads supporters to the so-called anti-revolutionary forces, including Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, MKO, and Marxist Fedayeen Khalq. This shows a new level of tension between Irans judiciary and the former president.

Calling Ahmadinejad and his supporters, munafiq, a term meaning hypocrite and generally used by Irans officials to describe MKO members, Mizan reported on Saturday, November 18, They search for crowded places of the cities to use them as a location for their showoff, a tactic explicitly copied from the hypocrites.

Moreover, referring to a basket full of documents Baghaei had brought to one his court hearings, Mizan has derided Ahmadinejads supporters as Basket cult.
A top official in Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office has stepped in to defend the controversial Mehr (affection) housing project in full force.

The November 11 earthquake that hit western Iran, devastated state built apartment buildings leading to attacks against former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who initiated the project.

Critics, among them President Hassan Rouhani and his allies, have maintained that the residential units built on free plots granted by the state were so fragile that most of them easily collapsed in the earthquake, killing hundreds.

However, the Supreme Leaders top aide, who usually keeps away from the spotlights, Vahid Haqqanian has dismissed the criticism and branded it as panic mongering.

Based on audio and video clips widely circulated in social media, Haqqanian, an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, IRGC commander and reportedly the right hand of the Supreme Leader, has lambasted Rouhani and his first deputy for unfair comments on affordable Mehr housing units mostly built during Ahmadinejads presidency.

May God damn [Vice President] Jahangiri who initiated the politically motivated criticism of Mehr buildings.

A day after the earthquake hit Kermanshah province, Rouhanis first deputy, Ishaq Jahangiri bitterly declared that most of the buildings which collapsed in the earthquake belong to the Mehr housing project and most of the victims have been residents of these units.

The project had no oversight, whatsoever, Jahangiri said.

Furthermore, Rouhani also personally stepped in and attacked the state-built housing projects, describing them as a scheme deeply mired in corruption.

The dangerous 7.3 earthquake that hit the Iran-Iraq border region, was relatively close to the surface, but Iran suffered a heavier casualty rate, which many blamed on the collapse of many state built housing projects.

Nonetheless, Haqqanian has insisted that the Mehr housing units are quite safe and comments on their fragility is merely panic mongering that could lead to fear among twelve million people living in the state built apartments.

Meanwhile, deputy for construction affairs of Kermanshah Province, Mojtaba Nik Kerdar announced on Saturday, November 18, [During the earthquake] two Mehr bulildings in city of Sarpol-e Zahab completely collapsed and 100 of the residents were killed.

The head of Irans engineering supervisory board, Hassan Ghorbankhani also reiterated that his institution has never had any supervision over Mehr housing project.

The fact that state built units have collapsed but privately built ones are still standing reveals that corruption has been involved in building Mehr units, Rouhani had insisted, adding It proves that governments are not good in building houses and people do much better in that sense.

Mehr Housing project was an ambitious scheme initiated by then President Ahmadinejad in 2011.

When I wrap-up my second term of presidency, Ahmadinejad proudly declared in 2011, The problem of housing in Iran will be rooted out.

The promise was never fulfilled. Ahmadinejad wrapped-up his presidency with about two million Mehr units built all over Iran, leaving the rest of the project for his successor, Rouhani.

Nevertheless, Rouhani from the first days of his presidency did not shy away from saying that the Mehr project is an unbearable responsibility for the government.

On October 30, 2013, Rouhanis minister of housing, Abbas Akhoundi announced We discontinue Mehr Housing Project, but we will finish only the incomplete buildings, adding that the government will come up with another social housing plan.

Rouhani and his close allies have always insisted that units built under the Mehr Project have no sewage and water purifying systems and they are built in locations devoid of necessary infrastructure.

But in a meeting with Rouhani and his cabinet members in 2014, ayatollah Khamenei explicitly ordered them to seriously carry on the project for Millions of people are waiting for the completion of the project.

In a reversal, Rouhani obediently declared that his government will not abandon the project.

Before Haqqanians comments in defense of the Mehr Housing Project, Ahmadinejad and his allies had also forcefully defended their record.

Ahmadinejad adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr reiterated, "Heavy waves of propaganda against Mehr are aimed at covering up the weakness and inefficiency of the (Rouhani) administration in helping quake-hit people."
A large bi-partisan group of U.S. lawmakers have written to the Trump administration voicing their concern about Irans growing influence in Syria.

Forty-three members of Congress who signed a letter, are also asking the administration to tell Congress how it is planning to prevent Iran from establishing a foothold in Syria.

The lawmakers, who visited the region recently, say in their letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that Israel is concerned about Iranian operations in Syria, particularly since the signing of a ceasefire last July.

They voice concern that in addition to substantial assistance Iran is providing the Syrian regime, it has deployed regular army troops to Syria, which would mark a significant departure from a historical policy of keeping regular army forces within Irans borders.

Iran is also directing Hezbollah and other Shiite militias in Syria. The lawmakers point out that these forces have gained experience and closely coordinate with the Syrian army and the Russian air force.

Should Iran be allowed to maintain a permanent military presence in Syria, it would pose a significant threat to Israel, Jordan and United States interests, says the letter., adding, Any agreement or policy that allows Iran to station forces on or near Israel and Jordans border does not serve US interests.

Israel has not been happy with deals the Trump administration has been making with Russia regarding Syria. Israel insists that Iranian directed forces should stay at least 30 miles from Israels borders, but Russia rejects that. It is not clear what the U.S. position is on the matter.

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have warned that permanent Iranian bases in Syria will not be tolerated and Israel will act to protect itself.

The Washington Free Beacon says that the letter comes at a time when many in Congress have become concerned about what they see is the Trump administrations failure to effectively prevent Irans growing military presence in the Middle east, especially in Syria.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Nigar Guliyeva- Trend:

Azerbaijan looks forward to a bright partnership with the United States, long into the future, Novruz Mammadov, the assistant to the president of Azerbaijan for foreign policy, said in his article published on the Washington Times Nov.19.

Mammadov reminded that Azerbaijan has long been a partner of the United States.

In the 26 years since we gained our independence, Azerbaijan has sought friendly relations with the United States, he wrote. Our relationship has continued - and indeed strengthened - over the years; guided by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the American administrations of the 2000s.

Mammadov noted that the backbone of the bilateral relations has been fortified around several key areas of mutual benefit and respect.

Azerbaijan has been a significant partner in the American-led efforts to eradicate terrorism from the world, he said.

Azerbaijan is also among the chief financial contributors to NATOs Trust Fund for Afghanistan, and the countrys peacekeeping contingent has provided boots-on-the-ground support to NATO-led missions in Afghanistan for more than a decade. As the Trump administration prepares its final push to purge al Qaeda from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan stands alongside both the United States and Afghanistan, he said.

Mammadov emphasized that Azerbaijan is a vital partner in the global oil and gas market, having emerged as a major player after the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipelines came online in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Today, Azerbaijans oil and gas exports play a critical role in Western energy security. Not only does Azerbaijani oil flow to our shared European allies, it reaches refineries as far West as Philadelphia. We appreciate the support of the United States for the Southern Gas Corridor, which, when it comes online, will ensure a long-term natural gas supply to our shared European & NATO partners, he said.

Mammadov added that Azerbaijan conducts foreign policy with predictable and trustworthy pragmatism. It has made us a standout partner for the United States as it pursues its own policy in - and cooperation with  the region. Our country is continually progressing toward modernization and consolidating its strong partnership with the United States, he said.

The top official noted that Azerbaijans favorable position at the crossroads of the East-West allows the country to facilitate international and regional transportation and trade.

The top official further highlighted the tolerance traditions in Azerbaijan.

With the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, Azerbaijan has emerged as a bold protector of democratic values, including secularism and voting rights for women in the region. Our country stands ready to defend the common values and interests shared between Azerbaijan and the United States and looks forward to a bright partnership, long into the future, he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

Trend:

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov arrived in Baku for an official visit on Sunday, diplomatic source told Trend.

Lavrov will be on a visit to Baku from November 19 to 20.

Lavrov is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and other high-ranking officials within the framework of the visit.

Following the meeting, a joint press conference with the participation of both ministers will be held.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

Russia, as a member of the trio of co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, is interested in helping in every possible way to seek solutions and ensure the movement towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Lavrov made the remark at a meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

"I fully share your assessment of our political dialogue. You have recently , on Nov.1, met once again with the President of the Russian Federation in Tehran. He extends you the warmest greetings, and with pleasure remembers your meetings. We are committed to realizing agreements reached between Vladimir Vladimirovich and you. I also would like to note with satisfaction that the trade turnover, according to our statistics, in the first 9 months of 2017 increased at least by more than 60 percent. This is a very serious step for preventing the decline trend in the trade turnover recorded two years ago, and as you have said, for boosting temps in increasing the investments. I should note the successful holding of an interregional forum this year in Stavropol. A meeting of the interparliamentary commission was held in Baku. My colleague and I exchanged visits on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations. An exhibition of archival documents was held in Moscow. Tomorrow we will hold an additional event dedicated to this date. I would like to thank the Diplomatic Academy of Azerbaijan for the invitation to make a speech, which I will do with pleasure tomorrow," Lavrov said.

The foreign minister further added that a lot of connections tie Russia and Azerbaijan.

" One good example: most recently in Moscow, the 100th anniversary of Kerim Kerimov, one of the founders of our space program, the chairman of the USSR State Commission for Manned Flight, was celebrated. I believe that such periods of our history should continue to unite us and set the bar for new bilateral relationship," he said.

"Surely, with my colleague, we will talk about our interaction in international organizations. This activity develops progressively. We, as a member of the trio of co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, are interested in helping in every possible way to seek solutions and ensure the movement towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Here we absolutely agree with you that active efforts should be made in this direction. Thank you again for this reception." he concluded.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 19

By Diana Aliyeva Trend:

The Russian Export Center and the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of Uzbekistan signed an agreement on cooperation.

The agreement was signed by head of the Russian Export Center Petr Fradkov and chairman of the banks board Sukhrob Kholmuradov.

The document formalizes agreements on setting up a credit limit for operations with the bank in the amount of $100 million related to the financing for the supply of Russian-made products to Uzbekistan, the Russian Export Center said.

The Russian Export Center has a positive experience in insurance of export loans and investments from business and political risks.

The trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Russia in the supply of high-tech goods and Russian production services is constantly increasing.

The conclusion of the agreement will further increase the export cooperation between the countries.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 19

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Turkmenistan conducts practical work on the implementation of a new international project on electricity exports within the framework of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP) project, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

The implementation of the project will mean the actual transformation of Afghanistan from the recipient of electricity into a country which transits electricity, according to the report.

It was earlier reported that at the initial stage, the first investments of TUTAP project could be directed to the unification of the energy systems of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The TUTAP project is included in the Action Plan for the Energy Sector of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.

The issue of building a 500-kV air power line is being studied in order to export Turkmen electricity to Pakistan. Turkmenistan already supplies electricity at a discounted price to the neighboring Afghanistan.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the meeting with Chairman and CEO of Calik Holding A.S. Ahmet Calik proposed to present developments on the construction of power transmission lines along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, which is being built.

The construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI pipeline began in December 2015, and preparatory work is underway in the Afghan and Pakistani sections.

Turkmenistan plans to produce electricity up to 27.4 billion kilowatt hours by 2020 and to increase this volume up to 35.5 billion kilowatt hours by 2030.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 19

By Diana Aliyeva Trend:

The gross output of agriculture, forestry and fishery in current prices reached 46,194.3 trillion soums in Uzbekistan in January-September 2017, the countrys State Statistics Committee said in a message.

According to the message, the growth rate in agriculture, forestry and fishery amounted to 3.5 percent, the share in the gross value added - 16.9 percent.

The livestock production increased by 5.6 percent (share in the total gross output - 37.8 percent).

Moreover, 1,674.2 million tons of meat in live weight (an increase of 6.2 percent), as well as 7,327.9 million tons of milk (an increase of 6.2 percent), 4,917.8 billion eggs (an increase of 8.5 percent), 30,100 tons of wool (an increase of 1.3 percent), 1.700 million pieces of karakul sheeps pelts (an increase of 2.4 percent) were produced in the reporting period.

The crop production increased by 2 percent and a share in the total gross output was 60.4 percent.

Moreover, 2,357.4 million tons of potatoes (an increase of 3.9 percent), 8,695.2 million tons of vegetables (an increase of 5.8 percent), 1,569.9 million tons of melons and gourds (an increase of 6.9 percent), 2.146 million tons of fruits and berries (an increase of 5.3 percent), 1,270.7 million tons of grapes (an increase of 4.5 percent) were harvested in January-September 2017.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

Iran has recently exported another crude oil shipment from the oil layer of South Pars, bringing the overall volume of the exports to 4.3 million barrels since the country started tapping the layer in March 21.

The Islamic Republic has recently started production of 25,000 barrels per day of crude oil from offshore South Pars gas fields oil layer (SPOL) and started talks with foreign investors including Maersk for second phase of the layer development project, in order to increase the output level to 54,000 b/d.

The first phase of the project was developed by Iranians, meanwhile Tehran needs to offer the second phase of the layer development project to foreigners, because domestic companies lack the necessary technology for development of the next phases.

Development of SPOL needs use of modern technologies, including the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods.

Based on long-term plan, Iran targets to extract 200,000 barrels of crude oil from the South Pars oil layer in next 20 years. At least 300 wells will be drilled in this regard.

Fardin Asadi, operator of SPOL's development project said, that oil export from the layer is carried out each 20-25 days, when the extracted oil reach the ceiling of 550,000 barrels.

Asadi told ISNA Nov. 19 that Iran will continue to keep the daily oil extraction from the field at 25,000 barrels till January 2018.

Afterwards, a new extraction ceiling will be determined based on the production conditions of the wells as well as the output of the reservoir models, he said.

Drilling injection wells, in order to inject 30,000 barrels of water per day into the reservoir is on the agenda, in order to maintain its pressure, Asadi added.

He further said that Iran has so far exported eight shipments of crude oil from the layer.

The SPOL is estimated to contain over 6 billion barrels of crude oil with an API of 21 and recovery rate of 10 percent, which can be increased to 35 percent by adopting EOR and IOR techniques for oil recovery.

South Pars gas field is divided into 24 development phases and contains 40 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.

It covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers are situated in Qatar's territorial waters.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

Irans foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the useful achievements of Astana meeting for confronting the terrorism and restoration of stability in Syria is followed up by Tehran, Moscow and Ankara.

Zarif made the remarks following a trilateral meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts on Syria crisis in Antalya, Turkey on Nov. 19.

The top Iranian diplomat told reporters that the foreign ministers exchanged viewpoints and discussed the issues regarding the upcoming meeting of the three countries presidents, scheduled to be held on Nov. 22 in Sochi, Russia.

He further said that if other regional countries such as Saudi Arabia to follow up cooperation rather than wrong policies, successful outcomes will be achieved.

Zarif accused the Saudi Arabia of seeking dispersion and discord, saying that if Riyadh reverses its policies, it can contribute to regional peace instead of waging war.

Following the trilateral meeting Zarif also wrote on his Twitter page that is working with Turkish and Russian counterparts to build on ceasefire, the parties achieved in Syria and preparing for inclusive dialog among Syrians.

Irony is KSA accuses Iran of destabilization, while itself fuels terrorists, wages war on Yemen, blockades Qatar & foments crisis in Lebanon, the top Iranian diplomat argued.
Terrorists shelled a flour mill in the Syrian city of Homs, Sputnik reported.

"Twelve people have been killed and 27 suffered wounds, according to the preliminary data," the police said.

The number of casualties may grow, according to the police.

Nevertheless, the residents of the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Homs continue to return to their homes, having been freed from the terrorists.

Syria's civil war between government forces and multiple opposition groups and terrorists has been ongoing since 2011. Various forces have been fighting terrorism in the Middle Eastern country.
About 600 migrants from Africa have been rescued near the Spanish coast in the last two days, according to a sea rescue patrol, Sputnik reported.

On Friday and Saturday morning alone, 431 people in 41 boats were found near Cartagena, in the southeast of Spain, and nearly ten more boats were found throughout Saturday.

According to the UN Migration Agency (IOM), 17,687 people have arrived in Spain in the period between January 1 and November 15 of this year. In the period between January 1 and September 9 of last year, the number of arrivals in Spain was 5,445.

Europe is currently looking for ways to tackle a major migrant crisis as thousands of people are traveling across the Mediterranean Sea from conflict-torn countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia, to reach European shores.

Many blame this unprecedented exodus on major European powers, saying that their policies have sparked a surge in terrorism and war in conflict-ridden regions, forcing more people to flee their homes and seek asylum abroad.

Sixteen EU member states say they are ready to accept 34,000 refugees from North Africa and the Middle East after the UN accused Brussels of helping Libyan authorities intercept Europe-bound refugees, Press TV reported.

The offer to admit more refugees meets the European Commission's stated goal of letting in at least 50,000 refugees over the next two years in a bid to discourage them from making the risky Mediterranean crossing.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

Trend:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday called the President of Turkey to once again apologize for the case during the alliance exercises held in Norway, Turkish media reported.

Earlier, 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 was 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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

Trend:

The meeting between the delegations of the EU and Turkey on the discussion of energy projects, which was to be held on November 20 in Brussels, was canceled, Haber 7 reported Nov. 19.

The meeting, which was important in terms of intensifying the EU's relations with Turkey, was canceled "because of certain difficulties."

There is no information about the new date of the meeting is not reported.
The Turkish military continues to dispatch troops to Syrias Idlib province to establish observation posts to monitor the cease-fire as part of the Astana Peace process, Anadolu reported.

During the recent peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, the three guarantor countries, Turkey, Iran and Russia, agreed to establish de-escalation zones in Idlib and in parts of the Aleppo, Latakia and Hama provinces.

A military convoy arrived late Saturday to a new observation area in the western rural side of Haleppo, which lies within the Idlib de-escalation zone.

The convoy was deployed to an observation point after it proceeded along the Idlib-Afrin zone.

The Turkish Armed Force elements are also being deployed in Afrin, a Haleppo district near Turkey-Syria border, which is under siege by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization.

The dispatches will continue along the border of Idlib-Afrin under the rules of engagement agreed to in May among the guarantor countries.

On Oct. 12, the Turkish military started to cross into the region to establish observation points to monitor the cease-fire regime in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Mauritius today the shivers of Jai Shri Ram started filling in the Bhojpuri Conference. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Giriraj Singh are on a three-day trip to Mauritius, to attracted Business investors investing in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the media reports, as soon as Yogi Adityanath came to take part in the Bhojpuri Pravasi Sammelan, people used the slogans of Yogi Yogi. Yogi Adityanath's visit to Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Mathura and Varanasi and Agra were highly appreciated during this time. After this conference, on the tweet of CM, it was told that CM Yogi also invited the people of Mauritius to visit these tourist destinations. Through another tweet that Mauritius is a vibrant, democratic, multicultural and multi-ethnic nation like India, thanks to the accustomed Indian workers.

In addition, CM Yogi while addressing the immigrants in the conference said that the Ganga and ancient sites are equally important for Mauritius as well as for the holy Indians as the Ganga.

In order to attract the Mauritians to the investment, the Chief Minister Yogi said that many policy decisions have been taken while making investment process in Uttar Pradesh easy and attractive. Describing Uttar Pradesh as the country's biggest market due to area and population, it said that the state is also rich in tourism terms. Yogi Adityanath addressed the 183rd Abroad Day program in Maori. This tour is being considered as important for investment business.

CM Yogi Adityanath, Mauritius, NRIs investment, CM Yogi, Uttar Pradesh, Youth Advisor, New Delhi, Visit to Mauritius Visit, Jay Shri Ram
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(In Nov 9 story, corrects paragraph 11 to remove phrase at end to show Spiegelhalter did NOT say the possible association with AML was "not a concern".)

* Study looked at tens of thousands of agricultural workers

* Finds no significant link between glyphosate and cancer

* Monsanto says findings are definitive

* EU vote on glyphosate licence due by the end of year

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A large long-term study on the use of the big-selling weedkiller glyphosate by agricultural workers in the United States has found no firm link between exposure to the pesticide and cancer, scientists said on Thursday.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), the study found there was no association between glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's popular herbicide RoundUp, "and any solid tumors or lymphoid malignancies overall, including non-Hogkin Lymphoma (NHL) and its subtypes".

It said there was "some evidence of increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) among the highest exposed group", but added this association was "not statistically significant".

The findings are likely to impact legal proceedings in the United States against Monsanto, in which more than 180 plaintiffs are claiming exposure to RoundUp gave them cancer - allegations that Monsanto denies.

The findings may also influence a crucial decision due by the end of the year on whether glyphosate should be re-licensed for sale across the European Union.

EU countries had been due to vote on the issue on Thursday, but again failed to agree to a proposal for a five-year extension.

The EU decision has been delayed for more than a year after the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed glyphosate in 2015 and concluded it was "probably carcinogenic" to humans. Other bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority, have concluded glyphosate is safe to use.

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The research is part of a large and important project known as the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), which has been tracking the health of tens of thousands of agricultural workers, farmers and their families in Iowa and North Carolina.

Since the early 1990s, it has gathered and analysed detailed information on the health of participants and their families, and their use of pesticides, including glyphosate.

David Spiegelhalter, a professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at Britain's Cambridge University who has no link to the research, said Thursday's findings were from a "large and careful study" and showed "no significant relationship between glyphosate use and any cancer".

He added that the possible association with AML "is no more than one would expect by chance".

Reuters reported in June how an influential scientist was aware of new AHS data while he was chairing a panel of experts reviewing evidence on glyphosate for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in early 2015.

But since it had not at that time been published, he did not tell the expert panel about it and IARC's review did not take it into account.

The publication of the study on Thursday comes more than four years since drafts based on the AHS data on glyphosate and other pesticides were circulating in February and March 2013.

In a summary of the results, the researchers, led by Laura Beane Freeman, principal investigator of the AHS at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, said that among 54,251 (pesticide) applicators studied, 44,932, or 82.9 percent, used glyphosate.

"Glyphosate was not statistically significantly associated with cancer at any site," the summary said.

Scott Partridge, Monsanto's vice president of strategy, said the study results clearly showed the weedkiller was safe.

"This is the largest study of agricultural workers in history, over the longest period of time," he told Reuters. "It is the gold standard,... and it definitively demonstrates in a real-world environment that glyphosate doesn't cause cancer."

(Reporting by Kate Kelland, Editing by Gareth Jones)
Metals and mining stocks were thrown off gear after prices of metals crashed from their peaks in 2011 and brought the global commodity markets to a grinding halt. Now mining stocks are showing signs of life. Prices of key base metals such as iron ore, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, and aluminum are on fire, fueling investors' optimism that the worst is behind the mining industry.

The excitement is evident in the stock market: Some of the world's largest metals and mining stocks, including Vale, Glencore, and Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX), have clocked triple-digit percentage gains in a couple of years, while shares of mining giants such as BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP), Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO), and Southern Copper have gained double-digit percentages during the period. Precious-metal stocks haven't disappointed, either, with leading gold miner Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) and streaming and royalty giant Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE: WPM) logging 60%-80% returns since the beginning of 2016.

The verdict is clear: Now could be a great time to consider some metals and mining stocks. However, given the recent rally in most mining stocks, it's important that you pick your stocks carefully and go for miners that can make the most of a commodity up cycle. Three stocks look particularly compelling right now -- diversified mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, and gold and silver play Wheaton Precious Metals.

One mining stock, exposure to many metals

BHP Billiton is hiring.

This news alone should drive investor interest in the mining stock, given how layoffs had become a new normal in the mining industry. Though 120 is a small number, BHP is looking to hire that many workers at its primary mine, Olympic Dam in Australia.

A person holds chunks of coal in his hands.

With metal markets improving, it's time to consider buying metals and mining stocks. Image source: Getty Images.

Copper's usage in battery-operated electric vehicles is sending the metal's demand and prices through the roof. Freeport McMoran, the world's second largest copper producer, even foresees deficit in the copper market in the long run, as there are few new greenfield projects and the existing ones have lead times as long as seven to 10 years.

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Olympic Dam is among the world's largest deposits of copper and uranium. BHP aims to scale up copper production from the mine to 230 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) by fiscal 2021 from 166 ktpa in fiscal 2017. The company has the capacity to scale up to 450-500 ktpa in the long run.

But owning BHP doesn't mean investing in just copper. BHP is one of the most diversified metals and mining companies, with exposure to iron ore, metallurgical coal (used in steel), copper, nickel, and zinc, among other metals. What's more, BHP also owns potash assets and derived 20% of its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) from oil and gas in fiscal 2017. The miner is currently rejigging its oil business to exit U.S. onshore oil and gas assets and focuson conventional operations, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and Australia.

Financially, BHP is on its best footing since 2012, having generated free cash flow worth $12.2 billion in the trailing 12 months and bringing its debt-to-equity ratio down to a manageable 50%. Management is also targeting a "minimum" payout ratio of 50%, which should boost BHP's allure as a dividend stock. Overall, a leaner product portfolio and a cleaner balance sheet make BHP an interesting metals and mining play.

This stock's investing in hot metals like lithium

Much like BHP, Rio Tinto's primary product is iron ore, but the mining stock stands out for three big reasons: diversion away from coal, exposure to aluminum, and growing interest in hot metals like lithium. Here's what Rio's portfolio for the first half of the year looks like by commodity and geography.

Pie charts showing Rio Tinto's revenue by commodity and geography.

Image source: Rip Tinto.

Rio Tinto's boldest move, perhaps, is exiting nearly all its coal business. Instead, the metals and mining giant is renewing focus on red-hot metals such as nickel and lithium, both of which have taken off lately thanks to a pickup in demand for electric-vehicle batteries. For instance, Rio just joined the race for fertilizer manufacturer PotashCorp's 32% stake in the world's largest lithium manufacturer, Chile's Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile, which could be worth $4 billion.

Meanwhile, Rio is also expanding its base metal production. Two of its high-potential projects, Amrun alumina and Oyu Tolgoi copper mines, are on track to start commercial production within a couple of years and are expected to generate internal rate of returns over20%.

Another encouraging point about Rio is its focus on costs. After slashing its unit costs by almost 40% in the past five years, Rio is aiming for additional cost savings of $2 billion by fiscal 2019. By 2021, Rio expects its cost-reduction initiatives to generate an additional $5 billion of cumulative free cash flow. The miner has been solidly FCF positive since 2013.

Add it all up, and Rio looks well poised to take advantage of recovering commodity markets.

Get exposure to precious metals with a non-mining stock

Wheaton Precious Metals isn't a traditional gold and silver miner, yet it offers investors the same exposure to gold and silver as any mining company.

Wheaton finances mining companies up front to support their growth projects, and in return, it bags the right to buy streams of precious metals, usually, over the life of mine, at discounted prices. So Wheaton can not only avoid the huge mining costs but also procure metals at significantly low costs. For perspective, Wheaton's cost price for gold and silver has averaged $400 and $4 per ounce, and its operating margin was 35% for the trailing 12 months. For mining investors, this makes Wheaton a relatively safer way to bet on precious metals.

Gold and silver bars.

Wheaton Precious Metals offers strong exposure to both, gold and silver prices.Image source: Getty Images.

From its original focus on silver, Wheaton is on its way to becoming a 55% silver and 45% gold company, thanks to its agreement with Vale, which entitles it to 75% of the gold produced from its Salobo mine.

As of now, Wheaton has streaming agreements with 20 operating and eight developing mines, with leading gold mining companies including Barrick. During the recent third-quarter earnings call, President and CEO Randy Smallwood revealed that the company is pursuing several "high-quality accretive opportunities." Any new deal should act as a positive trigger for Wheaton Precious Metals stock, which is already the leader in the precious metals streaming and royalty space and has the strongest cash-flow track record among its peers.

The bottom line: Whether it's base metals, minerals, or precious metals, it's time to pay attention to metals and mining stocks.

More From The Motley Fool

Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
An artists conception shows what the interstellar asteroid Oumuamua might look like. (ESO Illustration / M. Kornmesser)

Update: Scientists say the interstellar asteroid known as Oumuamua is like nothing thats been seen in the solar system before, with an extreme oblong shape thats as much as 10 times as long as it is wide. The details are laid out in a paper published today by the journal Nature.

Natures authors say Oumuamua is relatively dense, possibly with high metal content, lacks significant amounts of water or ice, and shows no signs of dust. They estimate its length to be at least 1,300 feet (400 meters), which is longer than previous estimates.

The size estimate is based on how the light reflected by the object varied over the course of a roughly 7.3-hour rotation period. No direct observations of Oumuamuas shape could be made, but one can only imagine what conspiracy theorists might come up with.

Previously: An interstellar asteroid has received a name thats fitting to its status: Oumuamua (Oh-moo-ah-moo-ah), a Hawaiian word meaning a messenger from afar arriving first.

The first-of-its-kind object forced the International Astronomical Union to come up with a new system for designating small bodies that apparently come from beyond the solar system. Such objects will be given numerical names that contain an I for interstellar. Oumuamuas designation is 1I/2017 U1.

Oumuamua was discovered Oct. 19 using the Pan-STARRS telescope, which is operated near the summit of Mauis Haleakala volcano by the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii. The Hawaiian connection adds to the aptness of its name.

The dim object was spotted as it traveled through the inner solar system, at a distance of about 19 million miles from Earth, but an analysis of its trajectory suggests that it came in from a place far beyond the solar system, somewhere in the constellation Lyra. Its now heading in the direction of the constellation Pegasus.

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This is the most extreme orbit I have ever seen, Davide Farnocchia, a scientist at NASAs Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a NASA news release. It is going extremely fast, and on such a trajectory that we can say with confidence that this object is on its way out of the solar system and not coming back.

Oumuamua appears to be a rotating, pinkish object measuring roughly 100 by 100 by 600 feet (30 by 30 by 180 meters). In a news release, the Institute for Astronomys David Jewitt noted that the proportions are similar to the proportions of a fire extinguisher  although U1 is not as red as that. Jewett is the principal author of a research paper on Oumuamua submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Its unusual for an asteroid to be so highly elongated, sparking speculation that Oumuamua may actually be two less elongated objects in a mutual orbit.

Astronomers are continuing to track Oumuamuas highly eccentric path in hopes of identifying the planetary system that it may have come from, and perhaps matching its composition to the chemical signature of that potential source.

They dont expect Oumuamua to remain the only object with an I. Still more interstellar interlopers are expected to be discovered, particularly when next-generation observatories such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope come online.

We have long suspected that these objects should exist, because during the process of planet formation a lot of material should be ejected from planetary systems, said the Institute for Astronomys Karen Meech. Whats most surprising is that weve never seen interstellar objects pass through before.

Meech is the principal author of the paper published in Nature, titled Discovery and Characterization of the First Known Interstellar Object. Sixteen other authors contributed to the paper.

This report was initially published at 11:41 a.m. PT Nov. 17.

More from GeekWire:
FILE PHOTO: A man stands in front of CITIC bank's branch in Beijing, China, March 23, 2016.REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

BEIJING (Reuters) - China Citic Bank Corp and search engine giant Baidu Inc (BIDU.O) launched on Saturday a direct banking joint venture, dubbed AiBank, to capitalize on China's rapidly growing fintech sector.

AiBank is one among several tie-ups between an internet firm and a lender in China's booming online finance market where technology gurus like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N) and Tencent Holdings Ltd have already set up their own finance arms to offer a range of financial products including payment, wealth management and micro loans.

A direct bank offers services over the internet instead of through physical branches.

AiBank will focus on lending to individuals and small businesses while leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to build new risk control models, Li Rudong, president of the new bank said at a launch event in Beijing.

Li said 60 percent of the new bank's employees will be technology staff.

"AiBank is the future of intelligent finance...It is an institution that understands customers best and understands finance best," said Baidu Chief Operating Officer Lu Qi.

Mid-tier lender Citic Bank owns 70 percent of the joint venture, while Baidu controls the remaining 30 percent. The direct bank has a registered capital of 2 billion yuan.

China's banking regulator approved the establishment of AiBank earlier this year.

(Reporting by Shu Zhang and Elias Glenn; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Shares of the off-price retailer TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) initially declined after third quarter results for its current fiscal year failed to live up to investor hopes. This has been a tough year for the industry, and even though TJX has enjoyed success with its treasure hunt shopping experience, that hasn't saved the stock from suffering a similar fate to that of its peers.

TJX Chart

Data by YCharts.

Q3 by the numbers

Metric Q3 2017 Increase (Decrease) Over Last Year Revenue $8.76 billion 5.7% Earnings per Share $1.00 20.5% Comparable Store Sales 0% N/A Total Number of Stores 4,052 7.1%

Chart by author. Data source: TJX Companies quarterly report.

Home Goods posted positive 3% comparable sales, Canada was up 4%, and Europe and Australia were up 1%. However, comparable sales at TJ Maxx and Marshalls in the U.S. -- where the bulk of the company's revenue is derived -- fell by 1%. That left comps flat for the quarter, with a 5.7% gain in total revenue coming from new store openings.

The flat comps were disappointing as investors have grown accustomed to positive foot traffic for years. The third quarter of 2015 and 2016 both notched a 5% increase in comps for the company.

Nevertheless, the bottom line still grew by double digits. Contributing to the increase were lower merchandise costs, lower interest expense from paying off debt, and the company purchasing 2.8% of its outstanding shares since the same quarter last year. The $1.00 earnings per share was at the high end of guidance given during the second quarter report.

The outside of a TJ Maxx at an intersection in an urban setting. People and cars are passing by in the foreground.

Image source: TJX Companies.

A busy quarter ahead

Retail this year has grappled with disruption from the internet and heavy discounting among brick-and-mortar competitors fighting over shrinking foot traffic. The TJX family has been largely immune to those trends until this year, with year-to-date comparable sales mustering only 1% growth.

The company's strategy over the years has revolved around sourcing overstock merchandise at steep discounts and offering it to shoppers as bargain bin inventory. However, with other brick-and-mortar retailers willing to squeeze profit margins to win over patrons, the steady growth TJX has enjoyed the last few years could start to slow.

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The busy holiday shopping season is upon us, though, and management thinks full-year comparable sales could still end up as much as 2% higher than 2016. Full-year earnings per share are expected to be up as much as 14%.

Time to stock up?

None of this means that TJX Companies' run is over. The retailer is still finding ways to grow with new store openings overseas and the expansion of its Home Goods concept stateside offsetting weaker traffic.

This year's share price decline and rising profitsA have left TJX with a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 19 times and a forward multiple of 16. That implies continued bottom line growth. More importantly, though, is free cash flow -- or money left over after basic operations are funded. That metric has flattened out recently, but price to free cash flow over the last 12-month stretch is at 18.

TJX Price to Free Cash Flow (TTM) Chart

Data by YCharts.

TJX Companies stock itself appears to be approaching discount prices. Company management thinks so too, as it expects to purchase another $250 to $550 million of shares during the final quarter of the year. With the company still on the up-and-up, this recent pullback looks like a great time to buy.

More From The Motley Fool

Nicholas Rossolillo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends The TJX Companies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Hess Corporation HES recently provided a sneak peek into its business strategies, including a stock buyback plan and debt-reduction initiatives.

At the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Global Energy Conference, the upstream energy player announced its intention to buy back up to $500 million shares within 2018. With this, the company will be able to return significant cash to its shareholders.

Hess is also planning to strengthen its balance sheet by lowering debts by $500 million. On top of that, the company will likely increase the rig count from four to six for the development of the Bakken play. In the play, Hess has prospective drilling areas that will boost the companys production over the long haul.

During 2018, Hess is expected to prefund lucrative crude projects at the Stabroek Block, located off the coast of Guyana. The company estimated the gross recoverable resources from the block at 2.25-2.75 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Investors should know that the company is planning to utilize the proceeds from asset divestment programs for financing these developments. During 2017, Hess will likely gain as much as $3.4 billion from divesting mature, non-core and less profitable properties.

New York-based Hess is among the leading producers of crude in the Bakken oil shale play in North Dakota. The company has interests in the best areas of the plays. With crude prices trading above $50-a-barrel mark, we believe that the Bakken play will contribute to production growth in the long run.

However, Hess stock has underperformed the industry year to date. During the aforesaid period, the stock has lost 29.3%, underperforming the industrys 10.3% decline.

Presently, Hess carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), signifying that the stock will perform in line with the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months.

A few better-ranked players in the energy space are ExxonMobil Corp. XOM, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. SNP and Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. NOG. All the stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Story continues

Headquartered in Irving, TX, ExxonMobil is the largest publicly traded energy firm. The company managed to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters, the average positive earnings surprise being 8.81%.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out at a US trial in which he has been implicated in a multi-billion-dollar gold-for-oil scheme (AFP Photo/Emmanuel DUNAND)

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.

Story continues

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."
By Tim Hepher and Alexander Cornwell

DUBAI (Reuters) - Emirates and flydubai have laid the groundwork for the next phase of Dubai's aviation project with orders for $40 billion (30 billion) of jets that will narrow a gap between regional and global networks connecting travellers from Sarajevo to Sydney.

The two government-of-Dubai-owned airlines have largely pursued separate strategies until recently being steered towards closer commercial ties by their sole shareholder.

"I would say the first step that we took is paying off. As of the first week we could see the progress and how positive it is," Emirates and flydubai chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum told Reuters in an interview.

"I expect that this will grow and give the opportunity for both airlines to benefit from each others' connections."

Emirates and flydubai said in July they would forge closer commercial ties and that both would benefit from a combined fleet of 380 jets flying to as many as 240 destinations by 2022.

This week, the Middle East's largest airline and its medium-haul cousin announced Dubai Airshow deals for over 200 jets,

giving each carrier the capacity to pursue its own growth over the next decade but also potentially bridging a size gap between their fleets.

Emirates placed a preliminary order for 40 Boeing 787-10s, designed to carry 280-230 passengers, and flydubai signed up for 175 more Boeing 737 MAX including over 50 of a new 200-seat-plus model.

"When people said Emirates don't have small aircraft, now they have smaller aircraft, and ... flydubai have the big aircraft too," Sheikh Ahmed said of their co-operation pact.

The 787s will be the smallest jets in Emirates' all wide-body long-haul fleet, currently split between the Boeing 777 mini-jumbo and the Airbus A380, the world's largest airliner.The new order extends a spectrum of options as Emirates aims to adjust capacity to each route and to take advantage of its commercial power as one of the world's major super-connectors.

Story continues

That could build on July's initial agreement to add dozens of code shares and start joint network planning.

However, Sheikh Ahmed stressed the airlines would remain independently managed even as they develop parallel strategies.

Asked if they could merge under the same group, he told Reuters, "No, no, no, we will always keep them at arm's length."

How far the relationship will go has not been laid out publicly, but may include swapping routes to maximise profit.

"We will always do what is best for Dubai, and best for both airlines," flydubai Chief Executive Ghaith al-Ghaith told Reuters separately.

BRAND CONVERGENCE

The growing alliance is the latest development in Dubai's aviation project which began more than 30 years ago, linking east-to-west passenger traffic through what is now the world's busiest airport for international passengers.

Less clear is to what extent the identities of the two airlines - with Emirates' brand built on luxury and frills that include onboard showers in the A380, and flydubai's reputation built on discount tickets - will converge.

Emirates unveiled new economy-class seats on Sunday that feature a blue colour scheme similar to flydubai's. Management said it was a coincidence.

"I don't think passengers care so much about what is outside (the aircraft); it is inside where you show your brand," Sheikh Ahmed said.

Flydubai has pivoted from the low-cost airline it launched as eight years ago, and at the Dubai Airshow showed off its own new cabins which have fully lie-flat business class seats.

"It is closer now to the product of Emirates," Sheikh Ahmed said.

Emirates insists its flagship remains the A380, despite uncertainty over the superjumbo's future following the collapse of a deal to buy more of the double-decker jets this week. It usually carries about 500 people but is certified for up to 868.

Asked if flydubai could eventually make use of the A380, whose early models are due to start leaving the Emirates fleet from 2022, Sheikh Ahmed said, "Why not? If it can be done, (if) we have the aircraft and they can be used, yes."

(Reporting by Tim Hepher and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Adrian Croft)
[caption id="attachment_11865" align="aligncenter" width="620"]

Daniel Webb, director of Legal Advocacy for the Human Rights Law Centre.[/caption] The United States and other Western countries in recent years have taken a tougher approach to a worldwide refugee crisis that has grown to affect 65 million people, the greatest number displaced from their homelands since the wake of World War II. Australias experience is one notable example. President Donald Trump has said that the United States would cap the number of refugees it accepts to 45,000less than half of those accepted during the last two years of the Obama administrationbut is accepting dozens of refugees that Australia has kept in offshore detention centers, a deal cut under President Barack Obama that made headlines at the start of the Trump administration when it was the subject of a famously acrimonious phone call between the new president and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. In Australia, both major parties of the right and left each support a hard-line approach on refugees seeking asylum in the country. The consensus has consisted of barring thousands of refugees from entering the country and diverting them to offshore processing centers on the island nation of Nauru or on Manus Island, which is part of Papua New Guinea and has been referred to as Australias Guantanamo Bay. The situation has created a crisis moment, not only for refugeeswho have suffered psychological and physical abusebut for Australias own democratic institutions, said Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy for the Human Rights Law Centre. The organization is waging a two-pronged fight to protect refugees rights while also educating the public on the conditions that refugees face at the processing centers. What weve seen from both sides of politics on this issue is a mentality that anything goes, Webb said. And once you cross those lines, and once your start abandoning those basic and long-held standard of democracy and the rule of law and international human rights law, that sets a really dangerous precedent in a country like ours. In 2013, the Australian government put control of the asylum program in the hands of the military, which patrols the waters around Australia and intercepts refugee boats. If the refugees make it to Australia, there is a mandate to ship them to the processing centers. Government officials say that the policies are needed to curb the flow of refugees into the country, a supply chain that some say fattens the pockets of smugglers. The United Nations, which has raised alarm about the conditions of the detention centers, recently called on Australia to bring the refugees on Manus and Nauru into its borders In fighting for refugees rights, Webb said, his organization has been met with vehement opposition from the Australian government. For example, Webb said, the law center filed petitions on behalf of refugees arguing that Australian law does not allow funding of detention centers in foreign countries. In 2015, while the court was still considering the arguments, the Australian Parliament passed a law retroactively allowing the government to pay for detention centers, back to 2012. But Webb said that, for leaders in Australia and other Western countries, there exists a great political incentive to whip up fears about outsiders arriving at their borders and in turn exacerbating the crisis. If every country just focuses on repelling them, on frightening them away, then theyll have nowhere to go, Webb said. Webb recently sat down with the Law Journal while in New York City to visit the United Nations to discuss the legal issues surrounding the refugee crisis in his home country and what steps his organization is taking to help. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. What is your organization doing to address the refugee crisis in Australia? Legal work as well as advocacy work. Our legal work focuses on preventing people who have been evacuated from Australias offshore detention centers who have been evacuated for medical care from being sent back there. We have a series of cases in the high court of Australia that seeks to prevent 400 peoplewomen who have been sexually assaulted on Nauru, men who have been shot at and beaten on Manus Island, children who have been so traumatized by offshore detention that theyve needed urgent psychiatric care. We have cases on foot to prevent them from being sent back to danger. Our advocacy workyou get policies like this when issues have been politicized. And for the last 20 years in Australia this issue has been poisoned by toxic rhetoric about borders and boats and smugglers and sovereignty. Actually its about people, its people who are being imprisoned in these island camps, and so a key focus of our advocacy is exposing the human face of these policies. What are the biggest challenges for your organization to influence public opinion on the refugee issue? Our advocacy challenge is to reinsert humanity, and when we do, we win. But the challenge is in doing so. There are legal and practical barriers to the flow of information. Whistleblowers face the risk of prison (Australia's Border Force Act gives the power to jail employees and contractors who speak out about the conditions in the camps for up to two years) and the ever-present threat of very public and very aggressive retaliation from the government. The [immigration minister] has attacked lawyers defending the rights of refugees as un-Australian. The [Australian] Human Rights Commission has been ruthlessly attacked for daring to suggest that the mandatory and indefinite detention of children is harmful. Save the Children workers from Nauru were kicked off the island when they spoke out publicly about child abuse. People who speak out are attacked. Have other segments of the legal community stepped up to assist you in your efforts? Yes. I see a lot of awful things in the work that I do, huge tragedy and injustice. But the good part about my job is I walk away from all of those interactions feeling empowered that theres something we can do. The source of that empowerment is the support from the private legal profession in Australia. We work with the biggest and best commercial law firms and barristers right around Australia to protect the rights of people seeking asylum. I think the interesting thing about lawyers is that they understand the need for a rules-based system. They understand that, whatever the political issue, there are standards you must meet, and lines you must cross, and a right to access justice. And what we see in the refugee context is those standards being breached and those rules being broken. I think that affronts lawyers, especially. [Theyre providing] pro bono legal assistance. We are a small nongovernmental organization with charitable status and we pack a punch. But running hundreds of cases in the highest court in our country is a lot of work and we couldnt do that without the phenomenal, principled support of private lawyers around the country, whose engagement is not with politics, its with people.
FILE PHOTO: People pass the U.S. defense company Raytheon stand at an international military fair in Kielce, Poland September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo

By Mike Stone

(Reuters) - The U.S. State Department approved a possible $10.5 billion (7.95 billion) sale of Raytheon Co's (RTN.N) Patriot missile defence system to Poland, the Pentagon said on Friday.

NATO member Poland has sped up efforts to overhaul its military following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 and in response to Moscow's 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 defence system by the end of the year.

Patriot missile defence interceptors are designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and short-range or tactical ballistic missiles.

The proposed sale includes 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-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 programme cost of up to $10.5 billion.

A Raytheon representative said "it is Raytheon's experience that the estimated cost notified could be larger than the final negotiated contract amount," signalling that the final price could be lower as negotiations on a final amount proceed. Raytheon added that is "will work closely with the U.S. and Polish governments to ensure Poland is able to procure Patriot at a mutually agreeable price."

The Pentagon said the sale will take place in two phases.

If a deal is finalised, it would allow Poland to conduct air and missile defence operations with NATO allies the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Greece, which currently have the Patriot system, a U.S. State Department official said.

The contract still requires approval from the U.S. Congress, because it involves a purchase of advanced military technology for which special permission must be obtained.

Story continues

Poland, which had said it was planning to spend around $7.6 billion on the whole project, said the negotiations are not over.

"This does not mean that this amount ($10.5 billion) is the final value of the LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance)," the Polish Defence Ministry said in a statement, adding it has a "good track record" in negotiating similar offers.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which implements foreign arms sales, said it had delivered notification to Congress on Tuesday.

U.S. lawmakers have 30 days to block the sale, but that rarely happens.

In addition to Raytheon, the prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Northrop Grumman (NOC.N).

(Writing by by Mike Stone; Additional reporting in Warsaw by Lidia Kelly; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler)
Owning a private jet could become much cheaper if Republicans pass their tax bill: Getty Images

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.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 9, 2017 / Miranda Gold Corp. ("Miranda" or the "Company") (TSX-V: MAD, OTC PINK: MRDDF, FSE: MRG) announces the resignation of Mr. Ken Cunningham as the Company's chairperson and from Miranda's Board of Directors.

Mr. Ken Cunningham has previously served as Miranda's President and CEO, from 2003 to 2016, and has served on the Board of Directors of Miranda since 2003.

Joseph Hebert comments: "Ken has been an integral part of Miranda for the past 14 years, and we wish him the very best as he embarks upon a new chapter in his life. The Board and management wish to thank Ken for his dedication and hard work, and appreciate all he has done for Miranda over the years."

About Miranda

Miranda is a gold Prospect Generator active in Colombia, with a production joint venture in Alaska. Our emphasis is on acquiring gold exploration projects with world-class discovery potential. Miranda performs its own grass roots exploration and then employs a joint venture business model on its projects to maximize investor exposure to discovery and minimize financial risk. Miranda has ongoing relationships with Gold Torrent, Inc. and IAMGOLD Corporation.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joseph Hebert, Chief Executive Officer

+1-775-340-0450

Email: joseph.hebert75@gmail.com

www.mirandagold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Miranda Gold Corp.
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."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.As for threats from within the kingdom, Croft said bin Salman has moved so forcefully, there are few who would stand up to him. Further, bin Salman has generated goodwill among the nation's large youth population, and anyone who moved against him would have to convince the public that his reforms would continue."I think what we don't appreciate here is how impactful his social reforms have been and how he has been able to make the lives of Saudi young people better," she said.Those improvements range from a greater sense of economic opportunity, to the simple freedom to attend concerts and play music in restaurants, she said.While some say bin Salman is reforming Saudi Arabia, it could also be argued that he's creating a "kingdom of fear," said Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and energy policy program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.People will now be cautious of how and with whom they can safely do business, he said."For the moment, it would seem that despite everything, Mohammed bin Salman is considered a good thing, but for this judgment to be sustained, he needs to show positive results for what he's doing and show that he's got popular support within the kingdom," Henderson told CNBCThe clearest test of that, he said, will be the appetite for foreign investors to continue doing business in Saudi Arabia. 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. "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. As for threats from within the kingdom, Croft said bin Salman has moved so forcefully, there are few who would stand up to him. Further, bin Salman has generated goodwill among the nation's large youth population, and anyone who moved against him would have to convince the public that his reforms would continue. "I think what we don't appreciate here is how impactful his social reforms have been and how he has been able to make the lives of Saudi young people better," she said. Those improvements range from a greater sense of economic opportunity, to the simple freedom to attend concerts and play music in restaurants, she said. While some say bin Salman is reforming Saudi Arabia, it could also be argued that he's creating a "kingdom of fear," said Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and energy policy program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. People will now be cautious of how and with whom they can safely do business, he said. "For the moment, it would seem that despite everything, Mohammed bin Salman is considered a good thing, but for this judgment to be sustained, he needs to show positive results for what he's doing and show that he's got popular support within the kingdom," Henderson told CNBC The clearest test of that, he said, will be the appetite for foreign investors to continue doing business in Saudi Arabia.



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Here are four stocks with buy rank and strong income characteristics for investors to consider today, November 17th:

Western Union Company (WU): This payment services provider has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings advancing 5.2% over the last 60 days.

Western Union Company (The) Price and Consensus

Western Union Company (The) Price and Consensus

Western Union Company (The) price-consensus-chart | Western Union Company (The) Quote

This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company has a dividend yield of 3.57%, compared with the industry average of 0.00%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 3.17%.

Western Union Company (The) Dividend Yield (TTM)

Western Union Company (The) Dividend Yield (TTM)

Western Union Company (The) dividend-yield-ttm | Western Union Company (The) Quote

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (ABR): This specialized real estate finance company has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 8.7% over the last 60 days.

Arbor Realty Trust Price and Consensus

Arbor Realty Trust Price and Consensus

Arbor Realty Trust price-consensus-chart | Arbor Realty Trust Quote

This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company has a dividend yield of 9.26%, compared with the industry average of 3.99%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 7.97%.

Arbor Realty Trust Dividend Yield (TTM)

Arbor Realty Trust Dividend Yield (TTM)

Arbor Realty Trust dividend-yield-ttm | Arbor Realty Trust Quote

Vector Group Ltd. (VGR): This manufacturer and seller cigarettes has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings advancing 3.1% over the last 60 days.

Vector Group Ltd. Price and Consensus

Vector Group Ltd. Price and Consensus

Vector Group Ltd. price-consensus-chart | Vector Group Ltd. Quote

This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company has a dividend yield of 7.36%, compared with the industry average of 2.14%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 7.95%.

Vector Group Ltd. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Vector Group Ltd. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Vector Group Ltd. dividend-yield-ttm | Vector Group Ltd. Quote

PBF Energy Inc. (PBF): This petroleum refiner and supplier, which carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 59% over the last 60 days.

Story continues

PBF Energy Inc. Price and Consensus

PBF Energy Inc. Price and Consensus

PBF Energy Inc. price-consensus-chart | PBF Energy Inc. Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company has a dividend yield of 3.75%, compared with the industry average of 1.73%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 4.16%.

PBF Energy Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

PBF Energy Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

PBF Energy Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | PBF Energy Inc. Quote

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By Karen Freifeld and Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has begun paying his own legal bills related to the Russia investigation and will no longer cover the costs using political donations to his reelection campaign or the Republican Party, his attorneys confirmed on Friday. Trump defense lawyer John Dowd said that following payments by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party "even." The expenses cover personal lawyers representing Trump before special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in last year's election, and whether Trump may have obstructed justice by firing Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, among other actions. Moscow has denied meddling in the election, and Trump has denied any collusion or obstruction. The RNC confirmed they are no longer paying Trump's legal bills have not done so since September. The administration is also working with others to establish a fund for current and former staffers, Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said. Dowd said Don McGahn, the White House counsel, and campaign lawyer Ben Ginsberg of Jones Day are working to structure that fund, which would be subject to rules that prohibit staff from receiving gifts or pro bono legal service. The president is exempt from those rules, Dowd said. "The geniuses are working on it," Dowd said. If it passes muster with the tax lawyers and accountants, then it has to pass muster with the Office of Government Ethics." He added, "The president is worried about staffers who have good lawyers and they cant afford them." During former President Bill Clinton's administration, private funds were raised to cover his legal expenses related to the Whitewater investigation. Under former President George W. Bush, a legal fund was set up to help former staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby, only after he had left White House employment. In August, Reuters first reported that the RNC was paying Trump's legal bills, which amounted to more than $230,000 that month. The payments were made to Trump's outside legal team, which includes Dowd and Jay Sekulow. Additionally, Trump's reelection campaign paid more than $300,000 this year in bills to lawyers representing his son Donald Trump Jr., according to public disclosures filed by the campaign. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment whether it will continue to pay for Trump Jr's legal expenses. The U.S. Federal Election Commission allows use of private campaign funds to pay legal bills arising from being a candidate or elected official. While previous presidential campaigns have used these funds to pay for routine legal matters such as ballot access disputes and compliance requirements, Trump was the first president in the modern campaign finance era to use such funds on the costs of responding to a criminal probe, said election law experts. (Editing by David Gregorio)
Budget director says were OK with dropping provision of Republican tax reform that would also repeal healthcare mandate, if it becomes roadblock



Mick Mulvaney: If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, were OK with taking it out. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

The White House is willing to sacrifice Republicans latest attempt to dismantle Obamas Affordable Care Act if thats necessary to pass a series of sweeping tax cuts, the Office of Management and Budget director, Mick Mulvaney, said on Sunday.

Republicans current tax reform legislation would slash corporate tax rates and benefit wealthy Americans. Last week, after the president tweeted that he wanted legislation to include a repeal of a key healthcare mandate, Senate Republicans announced they would include the healthcare measure in their tax bill.



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

If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then were OK with taking it out, Mulvaney told CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday. Its up to the Senate and the House to hammer out those details.

I dont actually think its an impediment now, Mulvaney added.

If we can repeal part of Obamacare as part of a tax bill, and we have a tax bill that is still a good tax bill that can pass, thats great.

A non-partisan analysis concluded that if the Senate tax bill became law, Americans who earned $30,000 or less each year would begin to pay higher taxes starting in 2021.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Mulvaney about this statistic and whether it was appropriate that low-income families would see their taxes go up as people in the highest-income levels get thousands or even millions of dollars of tax relief.

Story continues

Every time I come on your network, we have a discussion about how the proposed tax bill is going to lower taxes on the rich, Mulvaney said, saying that he had to smile at the question.

Asked why the corporate tax cuts in the bill are permanent, while ones for individual Americans will sunset by 2025, Mulvaney said that  this is where Washington really does speak a different language and that the sunsetting provisions were necessary to work within the rules of the Senate and simply trying to essentially manipulate the numbers and game the system so that you can fall into this square peg.

Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said on Sunday the tax legislation was terrible, and must be defeated, arguing that it could pave the way for major cuts to social services in the future.

When they run up a $1.5tn deficit, as they will in this legislation, theyre going to come back  and thats what Paul Ryan is saying  theyre going to come back with massive cuts to social security, Medicare and Medicaid, because they say, oh, my goodness, the deficit and the national debt are too high, Sanders said.

When the middle class is shrinking, when our infrastructure is falling apart, when young people cant afford to go to college, are leaving school deeply in debt, when 28 million people have no health insurance, does anyone really think that the major crisis facing this country is the need to give hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to the very richest people in this country?

Republicans have made repealing Obamas Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, a political priority for years. But repeal legislation has repeatedly foundered, with key Republicans withholding support from voting for a repeal that analysts say would leave tens of millions more Americans without health insurance.

On Tuesday, Senate Republicans announced their tax legislation would include a repeal of Obamacares individual mandate, the requirement that most Americans have health insurance.

I personally think that it complicates tax reform, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, one of the critical Republican votes against a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, said earlier in the week.

On Sunday she told CNN: I think we need to distinguish between taking away insurance from people who already have it, which is what the healthcare bill we considered earlier this year would have done, versus removing a fine on people who choose not to have insurance.

Asked if the tax bill benefits the rich more than those in the middle class, she said: It benefits people of all tax brackets. But what I want to do is to skew more that relates to middle- and low-income families.
Afghan officials say more than two dozen people were rescued in a raid against a Taliban prison in the southern province of Helmand.

Army and provincial officials said on November 19 that those rescued in the overnight raid by Afghan and foreign special forces included four children under the age of 12 and two police officers.

Afghan military spokesman Abdul Qadir Bahadurzai said 20 of those released from the prison in Nawzad district had been arrested by the Taliban in connection with helping the government or were family members of the Afghan Army and police.

Mohammad Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, put the number of those rescued at 27.

Zwak said that an investigation is under way to identify the prisoners.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said in a statement that the people rescued were all criminals accused of murder, robbery, kidnapping, and other crimes.

Also on November 19, officials in the western province of Farah said that at least six police officers were killed and eight others were wounded in Taliban attacks on three checkpoints.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said that the assaults were repelled with eight militants killed and six others wounded in the fighting.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come as the Western-backed government in Kabul is struggling to beat back insurgents in the wake of the exit of most NATO forces in 2014.

Earlier this month, the alliance announced that it would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan from the current 13,000 to 16,000 to aid the government in its fight against the Taliban and other militant groups.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the extra troops would not be involved in combat missions but would be part of the alliance's Resolute Support mission whose aim is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government forces.

The declared increase follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in August of a new South Asia strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Pentagon said on November 16 that approximately 3,000 additional American troops had been deployed to Afghanistan under Trump's revised strategy for the war-torn country,

With reporting by Reuters, AP and dpa
Authorities in Pakistan say they have found the bodies of five more Pakistanis who were apparently planning to cross into Iran on their way to Europe.

A spokesman for the Balochistan government said the bodies were found on November 18 in Turbat district, 1,000 kilometers southwest of the city of Quetta.

The spokesman, Anwarul Haq Kakar, said the men apparently were part of a group that included 15 men from Punjab Province who were killed earlier this week by a separatist group.

The discovery comes a day after the Pakistani Army said troops had killed a Baloch separatist commander involved in the slaying of 15 men from Punjab in Balochistan, where separatist groups have waged a low-level insurgency.

Based on reporting by AP and Samaa TV
Latvian English

Joint stock company LATVIJAS KUGNIECIBA with the unified registration number: 40003021108 and legal address: 1 Elizabetes Street, Riga, LV-1010, Latvia (hereinafter  the Company) hereby informs that the Company plans to increase the share capital from EUR 60 000 000 (sixty million euro) up to EUR 180 000 000 (one hundred eighty million euro), by issuing 400 000 000 (four hundred million) new B category registered shares in paper form with the nominal value of EUR 0.30 (thirty cents) per share. Each newly issued B category registered share in paper form grants 1 (one) vote at the Companys Shareholders Meeting, as well as grants right to a liquidation quota and a reduced dividend. In order to determine the amount of dividend to be paid for each B category share of the Company, the total amount of Companys profit to be distributed as dividends shall be divided by the total number of A category shares and B category shares of the Company and result of such division shall be multiplied by 0.9 (zero point nine).

The sales price of each newly issued B category registered share in paper form is EUR 0.71 (seventy-one cent), which consists of nominal value EUR 0.30 (thirty cents) and share premium in the amount of EUR 0.41 (forty-one cent) and is fully payable in cash simultaneously with subscription.

Shareholders can exercise their pre-emption rights to newly issued shares within 15 (fifteen) days starting from the date when this notification is published on the official publisher Latvijas Vestnesis, i.e., from November 16, 2017 till November 30, 2017 (inclusive).

Terms of Share Capital Increase as well as the Issue Prospectus is available on the on website of joint stock company LATVIJAS KUGNIECIBA: www.lk.lv, as well as at the Companys legal address: 1 Elizabetes Street, Riga, LV-1010, Latvia.

Management Board of joint stock company "LATVIJAS KUGNIECIBA"

Additional information:

Elina Dobulane,

Communications Consultant

JSC Latvian Shipping Company

Phone: +371-25959447

Email: EDobulane@golin.com

Web: http://www.lk.lv/en/
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
nganle08 wrote:

That the new managing editor rose from the publications soft news sections to a leadership position is more of a landmark in the industry than her being a woman .



A. her being a woman

B. being a woman is

C. her womanhood

D. that she was a woman

E. that she is a woman



Pls could someone tell me what the answer is and explain why.

Thanks

That ..... is more of a landmark is parallel with than that she is a woman.D is wrong because it uses was where as the non underlined part uses is.
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Iranian regime has adopted a sectarian policy and empowered itself with the nuclear deal [signed in 2015 between Tehran and several world powers], said Aboul Gheit during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo convened after a request made last week by Saudi Arabia.

Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed Cairos rejection of any kind of foreign intervention or attempts to destabilise the safety of Arab countries.

The Egyptian FM also called for strong and clear actions to defuse tensions in the region.

Egypt rejects any form of foreign presence on Arab soil, whether in the form of military bases, local parties with foreign loyalties, or support for terrorist organisations, Shoukry added.

Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that his country will not stand idle or hesitate in defending its people and national security.

Any leniency in dealing with [Tehrans] policies would only encourage Iran towards more aggressions, so we must stand together, Jubeir said.

Irans aggressive policies have pushed the international community to classify it as the number one sponsor of terrorism in the world, the Saudi foreign minister added.

Al-Jubier also called on all Arab countries to adopt firm stances to preserve Arab national security, safety and prosperity.

The Arab League meeting comes amid rising tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran over accusations that Tehran interferes in the internal affairs of some Arab countries.

On 4 November, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri resigned while in Riyadh over what he described as Iranian interference in his country and direct threats to his life.

Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has accused Iran of direct military aggression against the kingdom by supplying the Yemeni rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Saudi Arabia has also accused Hezbollah involvement in the attack on Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
In a construction-defect matter filed by a homeowners association (HOA) against several developers, an attorney for the HOA previously represented one of the developers. The developers moved to disqualify that attorney under Rules 1.9 and 1.10 of the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct. The trial court denied the motion, without what the Colorado Supreme Court described as meaningfully analyzing for purposes of Rule 1.9 whether this case was substantially related to the prior matters in which the attorney represented the developer. Instead, the Court found the trial court relied on issue preclusion, and found that in this situation, the attorney was not disqualified to represent the developer. The Supreme Court concluded the trial court erred by not analyzing the facts of this case under Rule 1.9, and therefore vacated the denial of the developers motion, and remanded for further proceedings.
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International scientists think the amount of carbon dioxide emissions released into Earths atmosphere will rise by two percent in 2017.

The number represents the first increase in worldwide carbon emissions in three years. The amount produced was unchanged from 2014 to 2016.

Carbon dioxide, known by the chemical expression CO2, is a colorless gas found in nature. Many scientists believe that it and other gases released by factories, vehicles and other human activities are responsible for a general warming on our planet. They believe these gases trap the suns heat in the atmosphere. This effect is known as global warming.

Last week, scientists with the Global Carbon Project reported that China, the worlds largest producer of CO2, is the main reason for the increase in emissions. Chinas emissions are predicted to rise by over three percent this year.

As a result, the scientists warn that emission goals set by the Paris Agreement on climate change will be more difficult to reach.

Corinne Le Quere is the lead researcher for the Global Carbon Project. In a statement, she said, With global CO2 emissions from all human activities estimated at 41 billion tonnes for 2017, time is running out on our ability to keep warming well below 2 Celsius (C), let alone 1.5C.

The groups report came as representatives from more than 190 countries met in Germany to discuss details of the climate agreement.

Scientists: Paris Agreement goals harder to reach

The Paris Agreement on climate change is an international deal meant to keep the Earths atmosphere from warming too much.

Governments agreed in 2015 on a long-term goal of keeping the global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels.

The United Nations website for Paris Agreement issues notes that 170 parties have approved the deal.

The United States signed the Paris Agreement in 2016, but President Donald Trump has announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the deal. He said it does not treat all parties equally and could hurt Americas economic growth.

In 2017, U.S. carbon emissions are predicted to decrease by 0.4 percent from the year before. American emissions have been falling for several years, although the decrease is expected to slow in 2017.

The Global Carbon Project report blames the increased use of coal for Chinas increased emissions and slowing declines in the United States.

Little U.S. presence at climate change conference

The scientists released their findings in the Global Carbon Budget as the U.N. was holding a conference on climate change in Bonn, Germany. The international gathering was the first of its kind since the U.S. said it plans to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

However, U.S. State Department officials attended the Bonn conference. So did some U.S. lawmakers and the governor of California, Jerry Brown.

The conference is part of a 1994 U.N. convention that sets goals for reducing carbon emissions. The idea of the U.N. effort is to limit temperature increases in the Earths atmosphere and the risks tied to climate change.

Many of the delegates in Bonn were negotiating details of the Paris Agreement. These include emissions targets for countries that have signed and approved the deal.

The agreement, however, is non-binding, meaning it does not have the force of law.

Developing nations want rich ones to pay for some of the effects of climate change. Many poor countries have added little to carbon emissions but say they face high costs linked to environmental and pollution controls.

Crop loss, drought, floods and rising sea levels are a few of the costly problems tied to climate change.

Rich countries say they are already paying billions of dollars to help developing nations with useful technologies, such as renewable energy.

Other reports describe possible changes to climate

Earlier this month, the U.S. government released its own report on climate research.

The study was overseen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It found that the average temperature worldwide increased by one degree Celsius over the past 115 years.

The government report said: It is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.

The report warned of risks linked to rising temperatures, such as shrinking arctic ice cover and rising sea levels.

It noted that, on average, sea levels have risen between 16 and 21 centimeters since 1900. About seven centimeters of that increase has taken place since 1993. That is the first year that satellites were used to measure sea levels.

Im Mario Ritter.

Mario Ritter reported this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on stories from VOANews.com, Reuters and the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Quiz

Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz.

Quiz - Scientists: CO2 levels to increase by 2 Percent in 2017 Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

emissions  n. a material that is given off or released

party  n. a person, group of country taking one side of an issue or dispute

decline  v. to go down, to be reduced in number or amount

convention  n. a formal agreement between two or more groups

greenhouse gases  n. a group of gasses that trap heat and are linked to increased temperatures in the atmosphere including carbon dioxide and methane

dominant  adj. more important, the most common

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Slowly, North Korea is entering the online world.

Thanks to technology, North Korean doctors can talk to patients through online video conferencing. Speeches given at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, the capital, can be seen at faraway factories. North Koreans send text messages to each other on their smartphones. People are even buying products and doing their banking online.

Yet North Korea is still among the least internet-friendly countries on Earth. For most citizens, having a connection to the World Wide Web is unimaginable. Hardly anyone has a personal computer or an email address that is not shared.

But for Kim Jong Un, the countrys first leader to grow up in the internet age, the idea of a more wired North Korea is also appealing. It comes with the promise of new forms of social and political control, and the possibility of cyber-attacks on the West.

The North Korean governments solution is a two-level system where the upper class can use the internet more freely while others use a national intranet. The intranet system is cut off from the outside world and closely watched by the government.

Using the intranet in North Korea

Pak Sung Jin is a 30-year-old postgraduate student in chemistry. He goes to the Sci-Tech Complex, on Ssuk Island, to do his school work. The large building, a science and technology center, houses North Koreas largest e-library. It has more than 3,000 computers where people can do research or study subjects.

Pak has some experience with the internet, but on a supervised, need-only basis. If he needs anything from the World Wide Web, university officials will find it for him.

One recent day, Pak used North Koreas national intranet called Kwangmyong. An official at the Sci-Tech Complex said the intranet has 168 sites. Pak also uses a browser called Naenara, which means my country in Korean. It is like a version of FireFox, except only North Koreans can use it.

North Koreas national intranet is unusual, even compared to other countries with internet restrictions. Countries like China and Iran, for example, control what their citizens see online, but through censorship and blocking, not complete separation.

A protected system

Most North Korean computers use the Red Star operating system, developed from Linux open-source coding.

Red Star 3.0 has the usual software like the Naenara browser, email, and even kPhoto. Many of the programs look like Apple products.

Any attempt to change its operations or remove virus checkers results in the computer restarting. Files downloaded from USBs are marked so that officials can identify criminal activity. This prevents the spread of information from other countries.

Red Star also takes screenshots of what is being shown on computer screens. The images cannot be removed and are only available to trained government officials.

Nat Kretchun is with the U.S. government-financed Open Technology Fund. He says the software in Red Star and the mobile operating systems of phones and tablets show a new way for the North Korean government to control information.

In the past, information in North Korea was mainly controlled through government agents, such as the State Security Ministrys thought police. But in the internet age, North Korean officials have learned to use online devices as another tool for gathering information.

North Korean smartphones

The most common online experience for North Koreans is on a smartphone.

Ten years ago, only a small number of military officials had such devices. Now, the main phone provider says there are 2.5 to 3 million mobile phones in North Korea, a country of 25 million people.

The spread of mobile phones is one of the biggest success stories during the rule of Kim Jong Un. It began in 2008 under former leader Kim Jong Il, and has risen quickly over the past five years.

It is easy for North Koreans to buy telephones, but the phones must be registered and approved. With local phones, North Koreans are able to call, text, play games, go on the national intranet, and use other services.

But they cannot receive or make calls to numbers outside that network. Wi-fi use is also banned for North Koreans.

Foreigners in North Korea must use a different system and cannot make calls to, or receive calls from, local numbers. They can buy local phones if they want, but the apps and normal software will be removed. It will also be coded so that the apps cannot be added later.

Internet access for cyber-attacks

While blocking most North Koreans from the internet, the government gives access to a small group of people, including North Korean leaders and the upper-class.

There is strong evidence that the government gives people involved in cyber-attacks the access they need.

U.S. officials say the North launched the WannaCry attack, which infected hundreds of thousands of computers in May and damaged parts of Britains National Health Service.

North Korean hackers have been linked to attacks on the Bangladeshi central bank last year and on South Korean banks going back to 2013. There was also the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures over the release of the Interview, a film dealing with a plot to kill Kim Jong Un.

The North Korean government has denied hacking accusations.

Beau Woods of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council warned that a more cyber-active North Korea could be very dangerous.

Eric Talmadge reported this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

What is internet access like in your country? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

censorship  n. the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, or new reports that are considered politically unacceptable or a threat to security.

code  v. to write a computer program

basis  n. something on which something else is based

cyber  adj. relating to the culture of computers and information technology

e-learning  n. learning through electronic media, usually on the Internet

intranet  n. a local or restricted communications system, especially a private network created using World Wide Web software

Linux  n. an open-source operating system

online  adj. controlled by or connected to another computer or to a network

feature  n. a part or the appearance of something
Accusations of sexual wrongdoing by film producer Harvey Weinstein and other famous people are having an effect on American businesses.

What is being called the Weinstein Effect has men in powerful positions facing similar accusations. It is also increasing understanding about the difference between friendly exchanges and criminal acts.

American Tyler Phillips has worked in the service industry since he was 15 years old. He now makes coffee and other drinks for a living.

Phillips has witnessed the power imbalance in places where he worked. He says he has seen wealthy customers making unkind comments or taking unwanted actions toward younger, low-wage workers.

"Sexism, racism -- is endemic to this industry," he says.

But Phillips also admits that he, like many others in the service industry, has no guidance from his employers on how to intervene in these situations.

So he joined several other people after work for a class on sexual harassment at The Potter's House.

The 57-year-old store has made a name for itself in Washington, D.C. area. Locals like to go to The Potters House because, unlike many coffee shops, it offers safe spaces for discussion and creative expression. Its business model is almost unheard of in the industry. It is a non-profit business, asking customers to "pay what you can" for a cup of coffee.

Discrimination training in demand

Melissa Yeo and another volunteer set up the training from a group called Collective Action for Safe Spaces. It started eight years ago with a goal of ending sexual harassment and abuse in the DC area.

The demand for the classes increased last month after Harvey Weinstein and other influential men were accused of sexual harassment.

Yeo notes that many people are unwilling to step in and stop harassment. For them, she says, it is "often not knowing if it will work, not knowing exactly what to do, or thinking its none of their business."

On a recent day, the coffee workers attending the class were from all over the DC area. They shared personal stories, which prove how common the problem. Some explained what they did to stop the abuse. They started by saying their first name and what gender they identify with.

Sam's story

"My name is Sam," said one man, as he began telling what he witnessed. He says a customer made a co-worker so uneasy with comments about her body that she left the area. Sam spoke to the man and asked that he stop from making comments on the appearance of people who work in this space. Instead of stopping, the customer argued that he was raised in the 1950's.

"That's no excuse," said the leader of the class.

The exercise continued until all the workers shared their experiences. The group decided how severe the discrimination was and rated it with markings on the wall in the front of the room.

Then Yeo added four more actions, including Misgendering and Following. Each of the four was written on a piece of paper, and added to the wall.

The two-hour class ended with students role-playing. Each person took on the behavior of someone else as part of a training exercise.

Future coffee classes

Mike Balderrama, one of the students, is the acting general manager of The Potter's House. He says the subject of intervening and stopping discrimination is "very near and dear to our heart."

Balderrama said the next training program for coffee shop employees is expected to deal with mental health and first aid. So The Potter's House will once again create the place for exploration of those issues.

Im Lucija Millonig.

Carolyn Presutti reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted her report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

endemic  adj. existing or growing in a place or area; common in a subject or field

harassment  n. oppression or repression

customer  n. someone who purchases a product or service

gender  n. the behavior or qualities usually related to one sex

excuse  n. a reason or explanation

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
Cities  particularly in Europe  are increasingly taking steps against tourists.

Venice, Italy, for example, is planning to bar some large passenger ships. Barcelona, Spain, has placed restrictions on apartment rentals. The problem these cities say they are dealing with is "overtourism" -- too many tourists visiting at once.

Debate over tourism

Jonathan Keates is the chairman of the Venice In Peril Fund, an aid and activist group. He said too many people are crowding the walkways and canals of Venice, interfering in what he calls a still living city.

Taleb Rifai is the secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He spoke recently to tourism ministers at London's World Travel Market. He said the rise of slogans, such as "tourists go home" and "tourists are terrorists," was "a wake-up call."

Anger about tourism could continue to grow as more people travel every year. The UNWTO estimates tourists will take 1.8 billion trips by 2030, up from 1.2 billion in 2016.

Low-cost airline tickets are helping fuel the growth in tourism numbers, along with increasing travel from China.

Yet many places depend on tourism for jobs and wealth. Around 10 percent of the world's gross domestic product, or GDP, comes from tourism.

Taleb Rifai said that growth is not "the enemy." But, he said tourism must be made "sustainable and responsible" to help local communities.

What are countries and cities doing to limit tourism?

Ecuador permits only 100,000 visitors to the Galapagos Islands each year. The Croatian city of Dubrovnik is considering permitting only 4,000 visitors daily. Visitors have flooded the Adriatic Sea town since it was used as a setting for the television series Game of Thrones.

Other cities are urging tourists to visit less famous parts of town. Prague, for example, has an "off the beaten track" tourist program. London is promoting neighborhoods such as Greenwich and Richmond.

Barcelona has cracked down on unofficial housing rentals and established a tourism council that includes residents, businesses, and unions.

Is there a solution?

Gloria Guevara is the president and CEO of the London-based World Travel & Tourism Council. There is no one solution for all. Every destination is different, she said.

Tim Fairhurst leads planning and policy at the European Tourism Association. He said businesses do not want to put their customers in places where they are treated as unwelcome. He said simple measures can make a difference, such as changing opening hours or increasing parking space.

There are lots of ways in which we use our cities inefficiently, he said, We could do better.

I'm John Russell.

Pan Pylas wrote this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

tourist  n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

rental  n. chiefly US : something that can be rented

slogan  n. a word or phrase that is easy to remember and is used by a group or business to attract attention

off the beaten track  expression in or to a place that is not close to the places where people usually go

promote  v. to help (something) happen, develop, or increase

destination  n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

inefficiently  adv. not capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy: not efficient
Delek US Holdings, Inc. engages in the integrated downstream energy business in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Logistics, and Retail. The Refining segment processes crude oil and other feedstock for the manufacture of various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, asphalt, and other petroleum-based products that are distributed through owned and third-party product terminal. It owns and operates four independent refineries located in Tyler, Texas; El Dorado, Arkansas; Big Spring, Texas; and Krotz Springs, Louisiana, as well as three biodiesel facilities in Crossett, Arkansas, Cleburne, Texas, and New Albany. The Logistics segment gathers, transports, and stores crude oil, intermediate, and refined products; and markets, distributes, transports, and stores refined products for third parties. It owns or leases capacity on approximately 400 miles of crude oil transportation pipelines, approximately 450 miles of refined product pipelines, an approximately 900-mile crude oil gathering system, and associated crude oil storage tanks with an aggregate of approximately 10.2 million barrels of active shell capacity; and owns and operates ten light product distribution terminals, as well as markets light products using third-party terminals. The Retail segment owns and leases 248 convenience store sites located primarily in West Texas and New Mexico. Its convenience stores offer various grades of gasoline and diesel under the DK or Alon brand; and food products and service, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise, as well as money orders to the public primarily under the 7-Eleven and DK or Alon brand names. It serves oil companies, independent refiners and marketers, jobbers, distributors, utility and transportation companies, the U.S. government, and independent retail fuel operators. Delek US Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
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Rentokil Initial plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and internationally. It offers a range of pest control services for rodents, and flying and crawling insects, as well as other forms of wildlife management for commercial and residential customers. The company also provides hygiene services, including the provision and maintenance of products, such as soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, hand dryers, air care and purification, cubicle and surface sanitizers, feminine hygiene units, toilet paper dispensers, and floor protection mats. In addition, it engages in the supply and laundering of workwear, uniforms, cleanroom uniforms, and protective equipment. Further, the company installs and services interior and exterior plant displays, flowers, replica foliage, Christmas decorations, and ambient scenting for commercial businesses; offers property care services consisting of damp proofing, property conservation, and woodworm and wood rot treatment; and provides a range of specialist cleaning services, such as graffiti removal deep cleaning of kitchens and washrooms, trauma cleaning, and flood or fire damage cleaning, as well as specialist industrial cleaning and disinfection services, including the professional and discreet disinfection of areas that have been exposed to bio-hazardous situations, such as crime and trauma scenes, prison cells, void properties, emergency vehicles, and healthcare establishments. Additionally, it offers a range of healthcare waste management services comprising the collection, disposal, and recycling of hazardous and offensive waste produced by businesses and organizations associated with the provision of healthcare; and color-coded sharps disposal bins to deal with various types of waste. Rentokil Initial plc was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Crawley, the United Kingdom.
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.
Ducommun Incorporated provides engineering and manufacturing products and services primarily to the aerospace and defense, industrial, medical, and other industries in the United States. It operates through two segments, Electronic Systems and Structural Systems. The Electronic Systems segment provides cable assemblies and interconnect systems; printed circuit board assemblies; higher-level electronic, electromechanical, and mechanical components and assemblies, as well as lightning diversion systems; and radar enclosures, aircraft avionics racks, shipboard communications and control enclosures, shipboard communications and control enclosures, printed circuit board assemblies, cable assemblies, wire harnesses, interconnect systems, lightning diversion strips, surge suppressors, conformal shields, and other assemblies. It also supplies engineered products, including illuminated pushbutton switches and panels for aviation and test systems; microwave and millimeter switches and filters for radio frequency systems and test instrumentation; and motors and resolvers for motion control. In addition, this segment provides engineering expertise for aerospace system design, development, integration, and testing. The Structural Systems segment designs, engineers, and manufactures contoured aluminum, titanium, and Inconel aero structure components; structural assembly products, such as winglets, engine components, and fuselage structural panels; and metal and composite bonded structures and assemblies comprising aircraft wing spoilers, large fuselage skins, rotor blades on rotary-wing aircraft and components, flight control surfaces, engine components, ammunition handling systems, and magnetic seals. It serves commercial aircraft, military fixed-wing aircraft, military and commercial rotary-wing aircraft, and space programs, as well as industrial, medical, and other end-use markets. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.
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.
Morgan Stanley is the 6th largest financial institution in the US. The company is ranked 61st on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 39th largest bank in the world. A financial holding company, Morgan Stanley provides a full range of financial services to clients around the world.

Morgan Stanley was formed in 1935 as a result of the Glass-Steagall Act. Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking in a way that forced the then-largest bank J.P. Morgan & Co to split into two groups. J.P. Morgan & Co. chose to retain the commercial side of the business while partners Henry S. Morga, grandson of J.P., and Harold Stanley took the investment end. In its first year, Morgan Stanley did 24% of the IPO business and maintains a lions share of the market to this day.

The original company existed and grew through acquisitions until 1987 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co. The new Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co existed for 14 years until 2001 when the name was shortened back to Morgan Stanley.

The bank is credited in part with both beginning and ending the financial crisis of 2007/2008. The Process Driven Trading unit lost $300 million in one day due to a short-squeeze that popped the bubble in the housing market. After teetering on the brink of failure Morgan Stanley agreed to become a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve, a key factor in the original decision to split from parent J.P. Morgan & Co. Ironically when given the chance, present-day J.P. Morgan refused to buy Morgan Stanley but that was for the better.

Today, Morgan Stanley operates through three segments via offices in 41 countries and employs more than 75,000 people. Revenue in 2021 topped $49 billion and total assets topped $1.15 trillion.

The operating segments are Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment is by far the largest and most profitable. It offers a range of services and products for businesses, institutions, and entities that include capital raising, strategic advisory, underwriting, advice on M&A, restructuring, and real estate. The Wealth Management segment provides brokerage and investment advisory services for individuals and employers. The services include brokerage, financial planning, company stock-plan administration, insurance, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and retirement planning. The Investment Management segment provides investment products to a range of institutions, organizations, corporations, and governments.
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.
Gerry Adams, the divisive politician known around the world as the face of the Irish republican movement as it shifted from violence to peace, announced Saturday that he was stepping down as leader of Sinn Fein next year after heading the party for over 30 years.

The 69-year-old veteran politician  who has been president of Northern Irelands second-largest party since 1983  told the partys annual conference in Dublin he would not run in the next Irish parliamentary elections.

Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now, he said, adding the move was part of an ongoing process of leadership transition within the party.

A divisive figure, some have denounced Adams as a terrorist while others hail him as a peacemaker.

He was a key figure in Irelands republican movement, which seeks to take Northern Ireland out of the U.K. and unite it with the Republic of Ireland.

The dominant faction of the movements armed wing, the Provisional IRA, killed nearly 1,800 people during a failed 1970-1997 campaign to force Northern Ireland out of the U.K. It renounced violence and surrendered its weapons in 2005.

Although many identify Adams as a member of the IRA since 1966 and a commander for decades, Adams has long insisted he was never a member.

Adams was key in the peace process that saw the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the formation of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

Many believe Sinn Feins popularity among voters is hampered by the presence of leaders from Irelands era of Troubles.

The party is expected to elect a successor next year. Current deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald was seen as a favorite to succeed Adams. Sylvia Hui, London, AP
An economic boom thats reverberated across Southeast Asia has finally crossed over to Thailand.

The economy, which has lagged its neighbors this decade, is projected to have grown at the fastest pace in more than four years last quarter even as the baht surged. Theres reason to be optimistic as exports post double-digit percentage gains and the end of a yearlong mourning period for King Bhumibol Adulyadej bolsters the outlook for consumption.

Were becoming more and more optimistic as the recovery in exports is more enduring than we expected, said Eugenia Victorino, an economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. Theres still a lot of challenges, particularly the inability of the government to crowd in private investment. That would really re-energize the economy.

Gross domestic product probably grew 3.8 percent in the third quarter from a year ago, according to the median estimate of nine economists surveyed by Bloomberg. That would be the quickest pace since the first quarter of 2013, according to the data. The government will release official figures on Nov. 20.

Southeast Asian economies are enjoying a growth resurgence with expansion in Vietnam and the Philippines quickening. Malaysias economy grew at the fastest pace in more than three years in the third quarter, data showed on Friday.

Thailands exports are coping with the strength of the baht, posting gains of more than 10 percent in each of the five months through September. The baht has advanced more than 8 percent in 2017, among the best performers in Asia.

The broad-based rise in exports has continued despite a strong baht, said Tim Leelahaphan, Bangkok-based economist at Standard Chartered Bank. The baht has been driven by healthy macroeconomic fundamentals rather than portfolio inflows, and these should continue to support the currency for the rest of this year and in 2018.Suttinee Yuvejwattana, Bloomberg
Palestinian Airlines is making its return in the skies of the Middle East once more after its first flight from Amman in Jordan to EL-Arish in Egypt was completed. It was the first flight of the airline since it was grounded in 2005.

The company operated four airplanes under its possession but they have been reserved to the airports hangar due to the conditions imposed by Israel. The runaways of the airport were bombed in 2001 and torn by Israeli forces to make it inadaptable neither for landing nor takeoff. It also imposed restrictions on the airport thereby forcing the airline to suspend all its operations in Gaza. The airport, Yasser Arafat International Airport, is named after the 1st President of the Palestinian National Authority, chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and the leader of the Fatah political party, the late Yasser Arafat.

Palestinian Airlines, founded in 1995, is the countrys national carrier. It flew to several destinations in the Middle East from Gaza international airport before 2005. It is now hoping to build on it again.

After its first flight to Egypt, destinations such as Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates will soon start according to the airlines director general, Zayed Albad. He also added that the operations of the airline will ease the travel burden on the Palestinian population because the nearest airport is an average journey of 400-500 kilometres.

Of their fleet, two Fokker airplanes are now active with two flights a week to El-Arish. Plans are also being made to serve pilgrims as the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia is approaching.
The dispute over Western Sahara took a new turn when Rabat withdrew its confidence from United Nations envoy, Christopher Ross. He was sent as the UN Secretary Generals personal envoy to mediate between the two sides and help in finding a sound solution.

In an official government statement, Christopher Ross was accused of being biased and having an unbalanced guidance in his decisions. He was also criticized for going against the conditions and guidelines for a neutral negotiation set at the UNs Security Council. Due to these reasons, Morocco has decided to withdraw its confidence in the personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for the Sahara, the statement mentioned.

A UN report released last month about the dispute didnt escape criticism too. Moroccos Foreign Minister told Ban Ki Moon earlier last week that its contents were worrying. The official government statement went on further to insist that the abuses identified in the latest report of the U.N Secretary General on the Sahara, the worn out process of negotiations which still offers no prospects or opportunities for progress and finally paradoxes raised in the actions of the Secretary Generals personal envoy Christopher Ross . The UN report accused Morocco of implementing strategies that undermined efforts of the UN to report on events in the Sahara. The UN stood firm beside Christopher Ross saying that the Secretary General has complete confidence in Christopher Ross.

Annexed by Morocco after the departure of the Spanish in 1975, the territory has witnessed conflicts between Morocco and the Polisario Front, whom are fighting for independence. In a move to settle their differences, the Kingdom has decided to give the Sahara an autonomy status under Moroccos sovereignty. The Polisario Front and Algeria have rejected the proposal while it is gaining more support worldwide.
France has renewed its backing to Moroccos plan to grant autonomy status to Western Sahara in a bid to resolve the decades-old territorial dispute opposing the North African Kingdom to Polisario front.

Morocco has offered to make Western Sahara largely autonomous while keeping it under its sovereignty but the Polisario, which is supported by Algeria, has rejected the proposal.

Paris firm stand on this issue was voiced by French development minister, Pascal Canfin at a joint press conference held in Rabat.

French position has not changed, said Mr. Canfin. We support Moroccos autonomy plan which remains for us the only realistic proposal on the negotiating table, added the French official during his trip to Morocco. He also said that his country backs efforts seeking a political solution to the Western Sahara conflict within the frame of the United Nations and relevant resolutions.

The same view was expressed lately by former French foreign minister Alain Juppe and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, describing Moroccos plan as serious, credible and realistic. But the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which is fighting for independence for Western Sahara, continues to turn down the Moroccan offer, putting UN-brokered talks on this issue in a deadlock.
In a report released by the United Nations, the lack of necessary infrastructure in water, health, education and sanitation will make the Gaza Strip not to be a liveable place by 2020 if required actions are not implemented. The population is also set to past the 2 million mark in the same year as it stands at 1.6 million presently, according to estimates.

The report also warned that Gaza is being affected by a housing shortage. It also needs twice the number of schools in eight years. However, its unique source of fresh water, the coastal aquifer, might become unusable as early as 2016.

The reported claimed that the blockade of Gaza as a major contributor to the situation. UN officials point to the difficulty of improving the situation given the closure of the Gaza Strip, violent conflict, and the pressing need for Palestinian reconciliation. Israel tightened a blockade on Gaza after the Islamist movement Hamas came to power in the territory in 2007 saying it will help limit weapons reaching Hamas. The blockade is in collaboration with Egypt.

UNs humanitarian chief in Gaza, Maxwell Gaylard, said an urban area cannot survive without being connected, and Gaza has neither sea nor air ports. Its economy relies heavily on outside funding and smuggling through tunnels under the Egyptian border but the recent assault on the Egyptian army in the Sinai region has brought a halt to such activities.

Even though Gaza has experienced some economic growth in recent years, the report says it does not seem to be sustainable and finds that population is worse off now than in the 1990s.
(HealthDay)Force-sensing bipolar forceps and force analysis may help differentiate surgeon skill level, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in JAMA Surgery.

Taku Sugiyama, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Calgary in Canada, and colleagues compared force variables among 16 neurosurgeons with different skill levels (novice, intermediate, and experienced) to evaluate whether a force-based metric can differentiate skill level. Strain gauge sensors were used to develop a force-sensing bipolar forceps. The neurosurgeons performed surgery on 26 patients with various conditions.

The researchers found that the force strengths exerted by novice surgeons were significantly higher than those of experienced surgeons. Force variability decreased from novice to intermediate to experienced surgeons, although these differences varied among surgical tasks. The rate of high force error and force variability error was inversely correlated with surgeon level of experience. The rate of low force error significantly increased among intermediate and novice surgeons versus experienced surgeons. Combined use of these error rates could accurately discriminate the groups (87.5 percent).

"Force-sensing bipolar forceps and force analysis may help distinguish surgeon skill level, which is particularly important as surgical education shifts to a competency-based paradigm," conclude the authors.

All of the study authors were involved in the development of the SmartForceps and are working toward its commercialization.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay)Among Asians, individuals with mild and moderate diabetic retinopathy (DR) are more likely to have fallen, and greater perceived barriers to diabetes self-management (DSM) are associated with the severity of DR, according to two studies published online Nov. 16 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Preeti Gupta, Ph.D., from Singapore National Eye Centre, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional post hoc analysis of the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study; they included 9,481 participants in the analysis. The researchers found that 13.2 percent of patients without diabetes, 16.3 percent with no DR, 14.2 percent with minimal DR, 26.2 percent with mild DR, 27.2 percent with moderate DR, and 19.9 percent with vision-threatening DR had a history of falls. Compared to those without diabetes, individuals with DR were more likely to have fallen (odds ratio, 1.31). Individuals with mild or moderate nonproliferative DR were more likely to have fallen compared to those with diabetes but without DR (odds ratios, 1.81 and 1.89, respectively).

Ryan Eyn Kidd Man, Ph.D., from the Singapore National Eye Centre, and colleagues examined the correlation between perceived barriers to DSM and the severity of DR in a population of 361 Asian patients with type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that a greater magnitude of perceived barriers to DSM was correlated with increased odds of having any DR, mild to moderate DR, and severe DR (odds ratios, 1.32, 1.3, and 1.36, respectively). The correlation was independent of diabetes control, presenting visual acuity, and socioeconomic indicators.

"These results suggest that greater perceived barriers to DSM are independently associated with severity of DR," Man and colleagues write.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Netflix has revealed its ISP Speed Index for October, with Cool Ideas retaining the top spot.

South Africas ISPs achieved an overall average speed of 2.5Mbps, maintaining the countrys rank of 50 out of 59 countries.

The index is a measure of prime-time Netflix performance on particular ISPs, and not a measure of overall performance on the networks.

Netflix said it calculates the average bitrate of Netflix content, in Mbps, streamed by its members per ISP.

We measure the speed via all available end-user devices. For a small number of devices, we cannot calculate the exact bitrates, and streaming via cellular networks is exempted from our measurements, said Netflix.

Netflix recommends a 5Mbps connection for full HD streaming, which may explain why the average speeds are all below the 5Mbps mark.

The top 10 ISPs for prime-time streaming are listed below.

October 2017 Rank ISP Speed Previous Speed Change 1 Cool Ideas 3.75 Mbps 3.8 Mbps  2 Vodacom 3.17 Mbps 3.19 Mbps  3 Vox 3.14 Mbps 3.19 Mbps  4 MTN 3.11 Mbps 3.18 Mbps  5 Cell C 2.94 Mbps 3.08 Mbps  6 Telkom 2.48 Mbps 2.44 Mbps  7 Cybersmart 2.47 Mbps 2.44 Mbps +1 8 Afrihost 2.43 Mbps 2.41 Mbps -1 9 MWEB 2.11 Mbps 2.11 Mbps  10 Neotel 1.66 Mbps 1.65 Mbps 

Now read: Netflix wants movies and shows from South Africa
Cell Cs empowerment partner CellSaf has called Blue Label Telecoms recapitalisation deal with Cell C the most blatant attempt at corporate hijacking in recent history.

Blue Label completed the recapitalisation of Cell C in August, making it a 45% shareholder of the operator through subsidiary The Prepaid Company.

The recapitalisation reduced Cell Cs net borrowings to under R6 billion.

It announced the deal in 2015, with a plan to buy a 35% stake in Cell C for R4 billion. In 2016, Blue Label announced it would take a 45% stake.

Blue Label would then hold 45% in Cell C, 3C Telecommunications 30%, Net1 15%, and Cell C management and staff 10%.

The 30% share of 3C Telecommunications is in turn held as 29.4% by the Employee Believe Trust, 45.6% by Oger Telecoms, and 25% by CellSaf.

The ownership of the company by South African shareholders has increased from 25% to over 86%, and the participation of historically-disadvantaged persons in Cell C increases from around 25% to over 30%, said the company.

Court battle

CellSaf is not happy with the deal, however, and has taken the matter to the high court, the Competition Commission, and ICASA.

CellSafs Zwelakhe Mankazana told the City Press that the transaction is not a genuine recapitalisation of Cell C.

Our view is that a number of organisations will find themselves exposed to commercial and legal jeopardy by the time the deal unravels, said Mankazana.

He alleged that Oger entered into a clandestine agreement in 2014 to sell shares in Cell C to Blue Label in exchange for cash advances for airtime.

He also bemoaned that CellSaf will be loaded with R2.25 billion in additional debt, on top of an accumulated R4 billion in current debt, which 3C owes Oger Telecoms.

Mankazana said CellSaf will not back down from its position.

Cell C denied the allegations and said CellSaf has presented the same baseless allegations on many media forums.

Now read: CellSaf continues fight against Cell C
The City Press reported that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe has been called up to serve as a colonel in the army.

According to the report, Molefe started in August and is being paid R57,000 a month.

The City Press added that Molefe has no military experience, which caused anger among soldiers in the army.

Siphiwe Dlamini, spokesperson for the Defence Force, told the City Press that Molefe was part of a pool of specialists who help the army with auditing queries.

Defence Force personnel said Molefe has no experience in their financial systems and auditing processes.

Molefe at Eskom

Molefe was appointed as Eskom CEO in September 2015, but left the company on 1 January 2017 following the Public Protectors State of Capture report.

Molefe featured in the report as a Gupta family ally and was found to have had 58 telephone interactions with Ajay Gupta between 2015 and 2016.

Molefe was then sworn in as an ANC member of Parliament in February, and was expected to replace Pravin Gordhan as finance minister.

In May, he returned to Eskom as CEO after the companys board rescinded Molefes R30-million golden handshake.

This did not last long, and in early June Eskom announced that Molefe was no longer leading the company.

Now read: Former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe facing criminal charges
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
ruthie was actually talented lol



meghan isn't going to find a better acting job than being married to a prince

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MTE, other than Suits I know her from some Hallmark movie.

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and it was truly one of the worst ones.

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oop lmfao

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LMAO nnnnnnn

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wtv, people have made millions on cw with much less talent than she has

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Lol end post this was perfect

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she sounds old and bitter

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Edited at 2017-11-19 01:14 am (UTC)

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She feels Meghan is a talented actress





Edited at 2017-11-19 01:13 am (UTC)

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LMAO!





And one of my favorite scenes of the entire show. Annalise around normal people is always fun

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This makes me want to watch HTGAWM, but I'm not falling for it.

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https://youtu.be/JPZSzps3I9I This scene is cute & on YouTube and still good without context of the show at large -

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I need more of these scenes

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lol

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lmao the hate for Meghan is so OTT at times (i know why it is). but sis was doing straight to VOD movies before harry came along. hopefully it's true love etc etc.



but apparently they haven't even lived together yet so maybe they should chill on the marriage talk

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ew, really? i forgot they have really old practises. i thought william and kate lived together.

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It is a thing but it would be more problematic for Meghan considering her visa etc. Kate is British so there was no issue there but with Meghan it would probably save people a lot of hassle if they just got married straight out the gate

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Wait! not me! I dont know why!. I dont follow this royal business so I only Know Markle from pictures. gimmie the tea lol

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i don't understand why she'd have to quit working to be with him in the first place

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Because she'd be expected to be a working royal. Like full time doing appearances at charities and doing dedications and traveling to various countries as representatives for the throne and whatnot. When Charles takes over he wants the list of working royals to be just himself, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and Harry's future wife.

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If they marry she'd need to fulfill her "duties" as a royal I suppose acting would get in the way of that.

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She is an actress in Canada, can't raise a family if working on different continents.

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If she kept working, it would be seen as a royal endorsement of whatever she was working on. Not working at all is the best way to avoid controversy over giving a certain company an unfair advantage.

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Because the royal family is an archaic, dying institution, tbh.

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Mix of the expectations to be a working royal and also avoiding PR problems. With other royals that's meant avoiding business conflicts of interest but for an actor it would limit what roles they could or couldn't take. Can't go joining anything controversial or too racy

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Tha only shitty thing is all the rules and micro-managing she'll be under with the royal fam.



She needs more time to get used to "the firm" as I think William, or someone, called the family with all their rules & what not. Kate had like 8 years to get used to the idea.

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i'd love it if they cancelled the monarchy after the queen kicks it



I would LIVE for that drama. I can already see Wills and Kate shilling overpriced organic goop-style baby products on Instagram

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lmaooo

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I dunno. We've seen how these Windsors age. Give it 5 years and you're at Terrifyingly British levels of ug.

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lol have u seen harry lately? he's already there

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I'm still not convinced he's Charles' son :P But anyway, I think George VI wasn't SO bad looking so someone has to get a little lucky eventually.

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Oh shit worth the scroll

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only good reason for meghan to leave her steady job is if she's secured the bag, which i'm sure she has. she and harry are already engaged IMO.

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did someone ask her?

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people are going to make it seem like she's being bitter/jealous but it seems like she's just speaking as someone who has been there before.

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yeah thats how i read it. i assume she was prob asked about it as well and wasn't just like 'let me talk about meghan'.

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I'm not understanding where people are getting she's bitter from. Lmao She was probably asked the question and just gave her thoughts

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Right? Jesus christ I went in here expecting most of the people will be fangirling over her Fantine lo

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Never even occurred to me she'd be bitter/jealous, but I don't know anything about her. Honestly marrying a royal doesn't seem like a good idea unless you're power hungry, even Grace Kelly was rumored to have been miserable.

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I agree, tbh I think it's kind of gross how people spin it to make her look bitter/jealous. But we just always have to put women up against one another, don't we?

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She's been there with another person, but she's popping off about a relationship between two people she doesn't really know. It's not like she's had a conversation with either of them. She know about as much as we know.

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Ruthie's career actually went somewhere and she actually has talent though.

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She was THE BEST Fantine. 

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yes!! I will always get emotional over her fantine performance

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I'm still like...shocked that Kendall Jenner/Ted Cruz/Bella Hadid are considered the "supermodels" of today.



I don't even understand how social media is even a factor because their audience can't afford high fashion brands, can they?

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their audiences are sooo huge, a lot prob would /splurge to buy what their favs are wearing

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wait who?

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this comment is killing me

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Hold up, the Zodiac?!

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lOOooooL

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lmfao

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lmaaao fucking hell 

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Don't these high end brands make bank from us normies through "reasonable" priced things like perfume, sunglasses, small accessories? Consumers aren't purchasing couture gowns or runway pieces but they're more likely to buy Gucci Guilty perfume for the name alone.

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it's the endorsements not the high end brand stuff.

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i think bella hadid is so beautiful (although i've never watched/seen her model and don't care) but i am CACKLING @ this entire comment

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bella hadid is so basic looking, even all those surgeries did not help her, it blows my mind she's a thing, i could never remember her face

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eww. her nose is a mess

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I really like that she looks like an adult. Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez are examples of very young looking girls, and I do think they are insaaaanely gorgeous for sure, but there is nothing quite like mature-looking(?) features.

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okay but at least they're pretty, unlike niall horan. he looks like a potato goblin.

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LOL, now I need to know who you're calling Ted Cruz.



Edited at 2017-11-19 07:31 pm (UTC)

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niall is so not cute lol



he looks like jamie oliver and gordon ramsay's love child

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I see it

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Lmao that gif. Kris can really polish any turd.

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this is why having Kris Jenner alongside Rita Ora's sister/manager as my managers will ensure my future success in Pop.



after several Rita Ora-like delays my charity single and debut "Toys for Thots" will debut in late November.



buy and stream my single soon!

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bopping already

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Well get you that #1 single!

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already pre ordered it!

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Can I get physical copies to put in everyone's x-mas stockings too?



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I know Victoria's Secrets films their show twice so I can't even imagine what the fuck did she do at the end of the catwalk on the first tapping that made them think that shot in the gif. was the best they got.

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Hahaha that's a good point. It may not have been that bad though, it could've been something small like she forgot to pair such a vibrant piece with a smile.

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lmao right? All the editing magic in the world couldn't help her.

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So Gigi isn't walking in the VSFS? lol



I doubt Neil is any better then Kendall, then again it's not actually hard to be better than her

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She was banned from entering China. (I think it might be a lifetime ban, too?)

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Literally everyone is a fucking model nowadays

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That "one hit wonder" tag doesn't apply to Niall, OP.

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because the two hit wonder tag isn't available yet. so it'll have to do. plus i'm juuuuust teasin'.

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It is too soon to do that. He is only 3 singles into his solo career. You can't make these 1/2 hit wonder distinctions against him until the end of the 2nd album-era.

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Leave my Neil alone! Lol

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Im always a little shocked at Nialls mediocre success. I mean when people had to name off 1d it was always Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis...and the blonde one

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really. Louis before even Niall? that's surprising.



i'm not doubting you i just didn't follow them closely during their peak. just occasionally read a post here and there.



and somehow obtained a Lime icon during those early days. idk i thought his "i haven't got insurance" bit was adorable at the time. still do.



Edited at 2017-11-19 08:49 am (UTC)

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i think ppl knew louis bc of the whole larry thing but lbr niall's mediocre ass >>> louis

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lol if I had to name off 1d I'd probably be like "Zayn, Harry, Kyle? and two other boys"

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I wasn't a 1D fan but I did a bit of research after getting into Harry's music recently and before that I always confused Liam and Louis. Before Liam cut his hair that is.



Niall was always easy because blonde and Irish didn't really apply to anyone else. And Harry and Zayn because they were the most talked about so I could remember their names.

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I think most knew him as the blonde Irish one if you weren't into 1D. Harry and Zayn were the 2 most could name.

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iirc from my 1D stanning days (eugh), Niall was the most popular after Harry amongst lil American white girls.

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Kendall is honestly so bad, and I don't say that because I hate her family, I see pictures of her and I just can't believe she is considered a top tier model. She is a pretty girl but just not photogenic at all as a model.

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Yeah, ia. It wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't replacing other models who could perhaps use the money and/or promotion for a lot of the work she gets.

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Lawd that gif... Wtf is she doing lmao

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smizing

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She is such a terrible model

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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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thats such a bttm reaction

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"there's only one Irish model"



how dare you.



howyou.

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mte

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god, her beauty is unreal

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thank you, lord

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His guitar is pretty

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oh come on this is a prime example of jealous and insecure fangirls who hate every woman who is close to their idol.



it's not like they hate Kendall for her modeling abilities they hate her for being pretty and female.



Edited at 2017-11-19 09:38 am (UTC)

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Yup lol

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Chancellor Angela Merkel was left battling for political survival Monday after high-stakes talks to form a new government collapsed, plunging Germany into a crisis that could trigger fresh elections. Europe's biggest economy now faces weeks, if not months of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action. And with no other viable coalition in sight, Germany may be forced to hold new elections that risk being as inconclusive as September's polls. Merkel had been forced to seek an alliance with an unlikely group of parties after the ballot left her without a majority. But following more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel's conservative alliance CDU-CSU and ecologist Greens. "It is better not to govern than to govern badly," he said, adding that the parties did not share "a common vision on modernising" Germany. Voicing regret for the FDP's decision, Merkel vowed to steer Germany through the crisis. "As chancellor... I will do everything to ensure that this country comes out well through this difficult time," she said. The Greens' leaders also deplored the collapse of talks, saying they had believed a deal could be done despite the differences. The euro fell following the news, although analysts said the longer-term implications for the currency were not yet clear. - 'Failure in the air' - The negotiations, which turned increasingly acrimonious, had stumbled on a series of issues including immigration policy. Merkel's liberal refugee policy that let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 had also pushed some voters to the far-right AfD, which in September campaigned on an Islamophobic and anti-immigration platform. The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised the need to protect industry and jobs. Party chiefs had initially set a deadline of 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Sunday, but that passed without a breakthrough -- after already missing a previous target on Thursday. But signs that talks were going badly began emerging and Bild daily said on its website that "failure is in the air" as the parties dug in their heels on key sticking points. - Chancellor in danger - Merkel could now try to convince the Social Democratic Party, which has been the junior coalition partner in her government since 2013, to return to the fold. But after suffering a humiliating loss at the polls, the party's top brass has repeatedly said the SDP's place was now in the opposition. Merkel, who has been in power for 12 years, could also lead a minority government although she had signalled that she was not in favour of such instability. Germany could therefore likely be forced to hold new elections. But that is not without peril for Merkel, who would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to lead them into a new electoral campaign. Top-selling Bild daily said earlier Sunday that a failure to forge a tie-up -- dubbed a "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag -- puts "her chancellorship in danger". A poll by Welt online also found that 61.4 percent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 percent thought otherwise. As coalition talks dragged out without a breakthrough, Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a warning to parties in the talks. "All sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters," he said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag. Sueddeutsche daily noted that Steinmeier's warning came because he sees in new elections "the risk that even a bigger coalition or a Jamaica coalition would no longer have a majority". "Then the loss would have been greater than the failure of forging a government," it said.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen attends the celebration marking the 64th anniversary of the country's independence from France, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Samrang Pring/Files (Reuters)

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen challenged the United States on Sunday to cut all aid after it announced it was ending funding for a general election next year in response to the dissolution of the main opposition party, media reported.

Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in an increasingly tense run-up to a 2018 election that has included a crackdown on critics, rights groups and independent media.

The United States announced on Friday it was ending funding for the election, and promised more "concrete steps", after the Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at the request of the government, on the grounds it was plotting to seize power.

The party denied the accusation.

The pro-government Fresh News website reported that Hun Sen said in a speech to garment workers that he welcomed the U.S. aid cut and urged it cut it all.

"Samdech Techo Hun Sen confirmed that cutting U.S. aid won't kill the government but will only kill a group of people who serve American policies," Fresh News reported, using Hun Sen's official title.

It did not identify the people suspected of serving U.S. policies but added:

"Hun Sen ... welcomes and encourages the U.S. to cut all aid."

The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to a request for comment.

In April, the U.S. embassy announced a $1.8 million grant to assist local elections this year and next year's general election.

CHINESE SUPPORT

The U.S. State Department said on its website that U.S. assistance to Cambodia for programmes in health, education, governance, economic growth and clearing unexploded ordnance was worth more than $77.6 million in 2014.

However, Chinese support for big ticket projects has allowed Hun Sen to brush off Western criticism of his crackdown on dissent.

China vastly outspends the United States in a country once destroyed by Cold War superpower rivalry, and its money goes on highly visible infrastructure projects and with no demands for political reform.

Story continues

In September, authorities arrested the CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, and charged him with treason over what they said was a plot to take power with U.S. help. He denied any such plot.

The U.S. State Department called on Friday for Cambodia to release him and reverse the decision to ban his party. The court also banned 118 party members from politics for five years.

Police have begun to take down CNRP signs from their offices across the country.

Mu Sochua, a senior CNRP member who moved abroad shortly before the party was banned, said Hun Sen was jeopardizing foreign investment.

"Foreign investors serious about investing in Cambodia won't be coming and are, or will be, looking at an exit if they can't compete with China's monopoly in Cambodia because Hun Sen needs to pay back favours to China," she said.

Western countries, which for decades supported Cambodia's emergence from war and isolation, have shown little appetite for sanctions in response to the crackdown, but the European Union has raised the possibility of Cambodia losing trade preferences.

Tariff-free access to Europe for Cambodian garments - and similar trade preferences in the United States - have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low-cost labour. EU and U.S. buyers take some 60 percent of Cambodia's exports.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Robert Birsel)
The latest Pew Research Center survey revealed 52 percent of Americans believe stores will probably be fully automated in the next 20 years. But 13 percent said it will definitely happen, bringing the total number who see automation having an impact in the segment to almost two-thirds or 65 percent.

The Pew survey looked at how Americans view automation and the spread of the technology over the next two decades across several industries. Small businesses in the retail sector, including those that rely on deliveries, will be affected, according to the survey.

The Pew Research Center survey was carried out from May 1 to May 15, 2017 with 4,135 US adults participating. Participants are part of the American Trends Panel, which was created by Pew Research Center. It includes a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults who participate in self-administered web surveys every month.

Retail Automation Expectations

Store Automation

Responding to the question whether most stores will be fully automated and involve little human interaction, 2 percent said definitely not, 32 percent said probably not, 52 percent said probably so, and 13 percent said definitely so.

Small businesses can now access a range of automation solutions for their physical and digital stores to improve their operations. Everything from monthly deliveries to POS software, marketing, customer engagement and accounting can now be automated.

If you choose the right technology for your particular industry, you can introduce new levels of efficiency to your business. This will leave your human employees to deliver the best-personalized customer service possible.

Deliveries

Amazon has already announced intention to use drones for deliveries, and there may now be additional types of robots in the market able to accomplish something similar. Earlier this year, Virginia became the first state to legalize delivery robots.

Regarding deliveries, the Pew survey wanted to know how many believe deliveries in cities will be made by robots or drones instead of humans. Four percent of respondents think this innovation definitely wont happen, 31 percent believe it probably wont, 53 percent believe it probably will happen and 12 percent believe it definitely will happen.

Restaurants and other businesses relying on making deliveries may soon use drones, robots or other automated technologies as part of their operations. As the price point comes down and the technology becomes more reliable, use of such delivery tools will likely become more common.

Will Automation Impact Your Small Business?

According to a McKinsey Global Report, physical activities in highly structured and predictable environments, and data collection and processing will be the most susceptible jobs to automation. In the US, the activities the report mentions account for 51 percent of the economy, which is responsible for close to $2.7 trillion in wages.

The McKinsey report explains this will not happen overnight. But early implementation of automation, robotics, drones, 3D printing and other technologies allows your small business to compete and stay relevant.

If you are worried machines will have all the jobs, the McKinsey report says, Our analysis shows that humans will still be needed in the workforce: the total productivity gains we estimate will only come about if people work alongside machines. That, in turn, will fundamentally alter the workplace, requiring a new degree of cooperation between workers and technology.

The Pew Research Center survey is a must read if you want to know how Americans feel about these technologies. You can take a look at it here.
Ready for snow and ice? Here are some tips that will make your winter trip to the Slovak mountains the coolest yet.

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1. Skiing and snowboarding

Slovakia is a mountainous country with a bevy of opportunities for skiers and snowboarders. In the High Tatras, you can ski in three big centres  Tatranska Lomnica, Stary Smokovec and Strbske Pleso. In the Low Tatras, the biggest ski resort is Jasna. If you wish to do more than just ski, you may choose from these other activities.

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Slovak mountains offer all types of slopes. Firstly, there are easy blue slopes for beginners where you can learn how to ski by yourself or with the help of experienced instructors. There are also red slopes with nice views and steep, black slopes in places like Lomnicke Sedlo (2,189 metres above sea level). The price for a one day ticket starts at 25.

Ski tows, chairlifts and cable cars will bring you to the peaks. Be prepared for lots of fun and exercise on the beautifully white slopes that have a total length of up to 75 km.

Read also:

Read also: Tasting Slovak snow (Spectacular Slovakia - travel guide) Read more

2. Dog sledding with huskies

If you love snow and dogs, you should not miss out on this experience in Slovakia.

Private husky tours in Slovakia are bookable with an instructor who will teach you how to drive the sleigh, how to turn left and right, and how to communicate with the Siberian huskies. Afterwards, you will become a brave musher with the ability to drive a 1 km long circuit.

It is also possible to drive a shorter distance with two dogs. If youre more daring, you can try canicross- a sport that involves running with a husky tied to you via leash.

3. Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing connects fun, sport and tradition. Snowshoes were the first piece of equipment people used in alpine climates to walk safely. Now, they are also used in sport.

Once you decide to give snowshoeing a try, get ready for a workout. If you chose to go with a guide you will be instructed on how to walk and use your snowshoes and poles efficiently, allowing you to find a nice rhythm while conserving energy.

Moreover, you will see all beauties of the winter national parks in Slovakia. You will even find new trails and the untouched parts of nature that are unreachable with normal trekking boots due to the dangerous terrain.

However, the success of snowshoeing depends on the quality of snow and weather conditions. You can find contact details here or visit the ski and snowshoe rental and go to one of the designated areas in the High or Low Tatras.

4. Horse sleigh ride

This attraction is available in the marvelous little village of Zdiar. Zdiar lies east of High Tatras, hence offering great views on top of the snowy peaks along with many stories of traditional folklore.

When there is snow in the Slovak mountains, there is tons of it! If you want to experience the magic of the mountains on a horse-drawn sleigh and are not afraid of the woods and horses, come and enjoy! Families and couples are welcome. Listening to jingle bells, catching snowflakes and watching trotting horses will provide you with the perfect, Christmas-like atmosphere. The best time for sleigh rides is in the evening when you will get to take a little walk in the woods and enjoy a bonfire, tea, wine and traditional Goral music.

Erik Sevcik is the director and owner of Adventoura, a provider of tours and adventure experiences in Slovakia.
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 Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking segments. The company offers personal deposits, such as checking, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
The following companies are subsidiares of Lloyds Banking Group: A G Finance Ltd, A.C.L. Ltd, ACL Autolease Holdings Ltd, ADF No.1 Pty Ltd, Addison Social Housing Holdings Ltd, Alex Lawrie Factors Ltd, Alex. Lawrie Receivables Financing Ltd, Amberdate Ltd, Anglo Scottish Utilities Partnership 1, Aquilus Ltd, Automobile Association Personal Finance Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services 2 Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 2) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 3) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland)) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 2 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 3 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 4 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 5 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 6 plc, BOS (USA) Fund Investments Inc., BOS (USA) Inc., BOS Edinburgh No 1 Ltd, BOS Mistral Ltd, BOS Personal Lending Ltd, BOSSAF Rail Ltd, Bank of Scotland (B G S) Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland (Stanlife) London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Branch Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Central Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Equipment Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Foundation, Bank of Scotland LNG Leasing (No 1) Ltd, Bank of Scotland London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Nominees (Unit Trusts) Ltd, Bank of Scotland P.E.P. Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Structured Asset Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Transport Finance 1 Ltd, Bank of Scotland plc, Bank of Wales Ltd, Barents Leasing Ltd, Barnwood Mortgages Ltd, Birchcrown Finance Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Financial Services Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Land Development Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Mortgage Services Ltd, Black Horse (TRF) Ltd, Black Horse Executive Mortgages Ltd, Black Horse Finance Holdings Ltd, Black Horse Finance Management Ltd, Black Horse Group Ltd, Black Horse Ltd, Black Horse Offshore Ltd, Black Horse Property Services Ltd, Boltro Nominees Ltd, British Linen Leasing (London) Ltd, British Linen Leasing Ltd, British Linen Shipping Ltd, C.T.S.B. Leasing Ltd, CBRail S.A.R.L., CF Asset Finance Ltd, CF1 Ltd, CM Venture Investments Ltd, Cancara Asset Securitisation Ltd, Capital 1945 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 12 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 3 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 5 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 9 Ltd, Capital Bank Property Investments (3) Ltd, Capital Personal Finance Ltd, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2018-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2019-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Cardnet Merchant Services Ltd, Cashfriday Ltd, Cashpoint Ltd, Caveminster Ltd, Cedar Holdings Ltd, Celsius European Lux 2 S.A.R.L., Central Mortgage Finance Ltd, Chariot Finance Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester plc, Cheltenham II Securities 2020 DAC, Cheltenham Securities 2017 Ltd, Chepstow Blue Holdings Ltd, Chepstow Blue plc, Chester Asset Options No.2 Ltd, Chester Asset Options No.3 Ltd, Chester Asset Receivables Dealings Issuer Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings No.2 Ltd, Chiswell Stockbrokers Ltd, Clerical Medical Finance plc, Clerical Medical Financial Services Ltd, Clerical Medical International Holdings B.V., Clerical Medical Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Clerical Medical Managed Funds Ltd, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Spanish Prop Co SL, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Prop Co SA, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Property Company S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Funding S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Investments S.A.R.L., Conquest Securities Ltd, Corbiere Asset Investments Ltd, Create Services Ltd, Credit Card Securitisation Europe Ltd, Dalkeith Corporation, Deva Financing Holdings Ltd, Deva Financing plc, Deva One Ltd, Deva Three Ltd, Deva Two Ltd, Dunstan Investments (UK) Ltd, Edgbaston RMBS 2010-1 plc, Edgbaston RMBS Holdings Ltd, Elland RMBS 2018 plc, Elland RMBS Holdings Ltd, Eurolead Services Holdings Ltd, First Retail Finance (Chester) Ltd, Fontwell Securities 2016 Ltd, Forthright Finance Ltd, France Industrial Premises Holding Company, General Leasing (No. 12) Ltd, General Reversionary and Investment Company, Gresham Nominee 1 Ltd, Gresham Nominee 2 Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 1) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 10) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 11) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 12) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 13) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 14) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 15) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 16) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 19) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 20) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 21) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 22) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 23) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 24) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 25) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 26) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 27) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 28) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 29) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 3) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 30) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 31) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 32) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 33) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 34) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 35) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 36) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 37) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 38) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 39) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 40) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 41) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 44) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 45) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 46) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 47) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 48) UK Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No 3) Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No.11) UK Ltd, HBOS Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS Final Salary Trust Ltd, HBOS Financial Services Ltd, HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Ltd, HBOS International Financial Services Holdings Ltd, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Ltd, HBOS Social Housing Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS UK Ltd, HBOS plc, HSDL Nominees Ltd, HVF Ltd, Halifax Credit Card Ltd, Halifax Financial Brokers Ltd, Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Halifax Financial Services Ltd, Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd, Halifax Group Ltd, Halifax Investment Services Ltd, Halifax Leasing (June) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (March No.2) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (September) Ltd, Halifax Life Ltd, Halifax Loans Ltd, Halifax Ltd, Halifax Mortgage Services Ltd, Halifax Nominees Ltd, Halifax Pension Nominees Ltd, Halifax Premises Ltd, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Halifax Vehicle Leasing (1998) Ltd, Heidi Finance Holdings (UK) Ltd, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, Hill Samuel Finance Ltd, Hill Samuel Leasing Co. Ltd, Home Shopping Personal Finance Ltd, Horizon Capital 2000 Ltd, Housing Association Risk Transfer 2019 DAC, Housing Growth Partnership GP LLP, Housing Growth Partnership LP, Housing Growth Partnership Ltd, Housing Growth Partnership Manager Ltd, Hyundai Car Finance Ltd, IBOS Finance Ltd, ICC Enterprise Partners Ltd, ICC Equity Partners Ltd, ICC Holdings Unlimited Company, Inchcape Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Software Ltd, International Motors Finance Ltd, Kanaalstraat Funding C.V., Katrine Leasing Ltd, LB Healthcare Trustee Ltd, LB Motorent Ltd, LB Quest Ltd, LB Share Schemes Trustees Ltd, LBCF Ltd, LBG Brasil Administracao LTDA, LBG Capital Holdings Ltd, LBG Equity Investments Ltd, LBI Leasing Ltd, LDC (General Partner) Ltd, LDC (Managers) Ltd, LDC (Nominees) Ltd, LDC GP LLP, LDC I LP, LDC II LP, LDC III LP, LDC IV LP, LDC Parallel (Nominees) Ltd, LDC V LP, LDC VI LP, LDC VII LP, LDC VIII LP, LTGP Limited Partnership Incorporated, Legacy Renewal Company Ltd, Leicester Securities 2014 Ltd, Lex Autolease (CH) Ltd, Lex Autolease (VC) Ltd, Lex Autolease Carselect Ltd, Lex Autolease Ltd, Lex Vehicle Finance 2 Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing (Holdings) Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing Ltd, Lime Street (Funding) Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I Holdings Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I plc, Lloyds (Gresham) Ltd, Lloyds (Gresham) No. 1 Ltd, Lloyds (Nimrod) Specialist Finance Ltd, Lloyds America Securities Corporation1, Lloyds Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Branches) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Colonial & Foreign) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (I.D.) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (International Services) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Stock Exchange Branch) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Scotland Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (HP) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.4) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Wertpapierhandelsbank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (LM) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 7) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 9) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Holdings Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 11) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 20) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 5) Ltd, Lloyds Bank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Hill Samuel Holding Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank International Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 6) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 8) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank MTCH Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 10) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 13) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No.16) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Offshore Pension Trust Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 1) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 2) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pensions Property (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Properties Ltd, Lloyds Bank Property Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank S.F. Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Subsidiaries Ltd, Lloyds Bank Trustee Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd, Lloyds Capital GP Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Properties Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Property Investments Ltd, Lloyds Corporate Services (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Engine Capital (No.1) U.S LLC, Lloyds Far East S.A.R.L., Lloyds General Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Group Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Hypotheken B.V., Lloyds Industrial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds International Pty Ltd, Lloyds Investment Bonds Ltd, Lloyds Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Lloyds Investment Securities No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Leasing (North Sea Transport) Ltd1, Lloyds Leasing Developments Ltd, Lloyds Nominees (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Offshore Global Services Private Ltd, Lloyds Plant Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Portfolio Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Premises Investments Ltd, Lloyds Project Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 3 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 4 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Secretaries Ltd, Lloyds Securities Inc., Lloyds TSB Pacific Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Rentals Ltd, Lloyds UDT Hiring Ltd, Lloyds UDT Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Ltd, Lloyds Your Tomorrow Trustee Ltd, Loans.co.uk Ltd, London Taxi Finance Ltd, London Uberior (L.A.S. Group) Nominees Ltd, Lotus Finance Ltd, MBNA, MBNA Direct Ltd, MBNA Europe Finance Ltd, MBNA Europe Holdings Ltd, MBNA General Foundation, MBNA Global Services Ltd, MBNA Indian Services Private Ltd, MBNA Ltd, MBNA R & L S.A.R.L., MBNA Receivables Ltd, Mainsearch Company Ltd, Maritime Leasing (No. 19) Ltd, Membership Services Finance Ltd, Mitre Street Funding S.A.R.L., Molineux RMBS 2016-1 plc, Molineux RMBS Holdings Ltd, Moor Lane Holdings Ltd, NFU Mutual Finance Ltd, NWS Trust Ltd, Nominees (Jersey) Ltd, Nordic Leasing Ltd, Ocean Leasing (July) Ltd, Oystercatcher Nominees Ltd, Oystercatcher Residential Ltd, PIPS Asset Investments Ltd, Pacific Leasing Ltd, Penarth Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Penarth Funding 1 Ltd, Penarth Funding 2 Ltd, Penarth Master Issuer plc, Penarth Receivables Trustee Ltd, Pensions Management (S.W.F.) Ltd, Peony Eastern Leasing Ltd, Peony Leasing Ltd, Peony Western Leasing Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 1) Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 2) Ltd, Permanent Holdings Ltd, Permanent Master Issuer plc, Permanent Mortgages Trustee Ltd, Permanent PECOH Holdings Ltd, Permanent PECOH Ltd, Perry Nominees Ltd, Prestonfield Investments Ltd, Proton Finance Ltd, R.F. Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley  Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley  Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business.

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Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, Offshore, Canadian Manufacturing, U.S. Manufacturing, and Retail segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen and heavy oil in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. This segments Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Sunrise, and Tucker oil sands projects, as well as Lloydminster thermal and conventional heavy oil assets The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, Clearwater, and Rainbow Lake operating in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as interests in various natural gas processing facilities. The offshore segment engages in the exploration and development activities. The Canadian Manufacturing segment includes the owned and operated Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, which upgrades heavy oil and bitumen into synthetic crude oil, diesel fuel, asphalt, and other ancillary products, as well as owns and operates the Bruderheim crude-by-rail terminal and two ethanol plants. The U.S. Manufacturing segment comprises the refining of crude oil to produce diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, and other products. The Retail segment consists of marketing of its own and third-party refined petroleum products through retail, commercial, and bulk petroleum outlets, as well as wholesale channels. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Although the day is officially marked on Monday, young students in the southern Vietnamese city have already spent their free time at school creating colorful paintings and greeting cards showing respect for their beloved mentors.

The gifts feature a variety of drawings and decorative patterns dedicated to teachers and students, as well as other school-related activities.

Some students wrote their wishes, letters, and even poems to express sincere appreciation for their teachers.

A painting created by students from Cao Ba Quat Elementary School to mark National Teachers Day

In Vietnam, National Teachers Day is an annual celebration held on November 20, aimed at honoring all educators.

Students often take part in a series of activities to celebrate the day, including gifting their teachers flowers and greeting cards, preparing musical performances, and creating poems and writings about the noble profession.

Several drawings prepared by the students

Alumni often take the occasion to return to their old schools and visit their former mentors.

National Teachers Day represents a tradition in Vietnamese culture, which is showing complete respect for the people who teach and instruct others.

A creative greeting card made by the fourth graders

First-grade students at Cao Ba Quat color their drawings.

Wishes written by the young students for their teachers

A greeting card made by a third grader

Students at Kim Dong Middle School in District 5 make greeting cards for their educators.

Alongside colorful decorations, the students also add poems to show their appreciation.

A greeting card made by students at Kim Dong Middle School

A greeting card made by students at Kim Dong Middle School

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Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Dien, vice-president of the University of Economics and Law in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, became the first Vietnamese member of the Academy of Overseas Sciences headquartered in Paris, France on Friday.

As the first Vietnamese to be admitted to the academy, I hope to help make Vietnam known as a place to nourish and promote the common values of humanity in the field of law science via academic activities, Associate Professor Dr. Dien told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday after the admission ceremony.

To become an official member of the academy and attend the ceremony in Paris is a privilege not only for Associate Professor Dr. Dien, but for Vietnam and our university, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, president of the University of Economics and Law.

Dr. Dien is the only Asian to be an official member of the Academy of Overseas Sciences, Associate Professor Dr. Dung added.

Associate Professor Nguyen Ngoc Dien (second right) is seen in a photo taken in France.

Associate Professor Dien is also a member of the board of directors of the Francophone University Agency and the chairman of the Association of Francophone Universities in Asia-Pacific.

Born in 1959, Dr. Dien joined the University of Economics and Law in 2008.

He is now in charge of law education, scientific research, and international cooperation at the university.

The French Academy of Overseas Sciences was established in 1922 and has been known as a highly academic organization in the field of social sciences.

The membership of the academy consists of two groups: official and free members.

The official members comprise 41 people, including well-known figures in different countries.

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Vietnam has logged several plane hijackings since 1975, when the country was reunified following the end of the American war.

It turns out real-life skyjackings in Vietnam are equally as dramatic and action-packed as their silver screen counterparts.

One page from the 1973-1977 pilot training graduation class yearbook stands out from the rest.

The nearly-blank page is dedicated to Nguyen Dac Hoa, a soldier killed at the age of 23 in a tragic event that became known as the first skyjacking in Vietnams post-war history.

Tension in the air

At 6:30 am on October 29, 1977, pilot Nguyen Van Bay departed from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on DC3 plane #509 carrying nearly 40 passengers.

The aircraft was bound for Rach Gia City, where it would let off and pick up passengers before heading to Phu Quoc and eventually return to Tan Son Nhat.

Fifteen minutes into the 45-minute flight, hijackers stormed the cockpit.

They made their way straight to the cockpit and shot Hoa and Nguyen without saying a word. Bay and his co-pilot La were kept alive, said Pham Duc Nam, a former flight management official at Da Nang Airport in the central namesake city.

Nguyen was a motorized infantry officer and mid-air mechanic, while Hoa was a co-piloting and navigation intern.

Until that point, civil aviation in Vietnam had been a relatively uneventful sector. A lack of prior security breaches meant flight crews felt comfortable leaving the cockpit door open at all times as a sign of reassurance for weary passengers.

The civil aviation sector had no reason to believe in any imminent threat. Thus, scanning devices and measures to detect weapons being carried by passengers had yet to be introduced to Vietnams aviation sector.

Lax security meant it was only a matter of time until danger presented itself.

I was scheduled to be on that flight but instead I took the DC6 to Hanoi. They killed Nguyen and Hoa out of fear that they might fight back, Nam added.

After April 30, 1975, DC3 was one of the Air Vietnam, a carrier active under the former Saigon regime, utilized as a passenger plane by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

The hijackers held the captain and co-pilot at gunpoint, forcing them to divert the flight to Singapore.

The crew had no choice but to follow their captors orders in the hope that they might be able to save their passengers lives.

Bay and La then suggested that they stop at Utapao International Airport in Thailand to refuel before heading to Singapore.

We dont have enough fuel to make it to Singapore. If the plane runs out of petrol halfway, well all die, Bay appealed.

Following a brief discussion, the hijackers allowed Bay to divert the plane to Utapao.

Do not try and fool us. We know all the air routes in the region. If you try to fly us back to Vietnam, we will shoot, a young hijacker threatened.

Few pilots at the time, only those who had previously worked under the former Saigon regime, were able to speak English. Captain Bay, who had never flown abroad, was not one of the few.

Co-pilot La, a former pilot of Air Vietnam, South Vietnams commercial airline in operation from 1951 to 1975, would have to help communicate with Thai air traffic controllers to be granted landing permission.

During the refueling, the skyjackers ordered that the plane doors be kept closed and that all passengers stay put. The pilots were also ordered to request that local authorities provide fuel and food.

It took slightly more than an hour to fly on from Thailand to Singapore, where authorities denied landing permission at Changi Airport and requested that the pilots land at a small military airport instead.

Upon landing, the hijackers dropped their weapons and surrendered before handing over the plane, crew, and two bodies to authorities. They were seeking political asylum.

Two days later, Vietnam sent a plane to Singapore to retrieve the hijacked plane, crew and passengers.

As Vietnam and Singapore had yet to establish diplomatic ties, a direct route between the two countries was not in place and a detour had to be taken instead, Nguyen Van Huong, currently a pilot with low-cost carrier VietJet Air, shared.

Second Lieutenant Nguyen Dac Hoa (left), killed during the October 29, 1977 skyjacking, poses with Nguyen Van Huong in the only photo that his compatriot still has. Courtesy of Nguyen Van Huong

The Singaporean government, in this instance, granted permission for a direct flight from Vietnam.

Nguyens and Hoas bodies were transported back to Vietnam on a separate flight.

The whole ordeal, only hours long, seemed like an eternity to Bay. Though overwhelmed with apprehension, he managed to keep his composure for the sake of his passengers.

Forty years later, Huong still has distinct memories of Hoa  the deceased intern, compatriot, and best friend.

Hoa and I were the same age and height. We both learned to maneuver Mig21s [a Soviet Union-made supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft] together, Huong recalled.

Upon the countrys reunification in 1975, planes left over by U.S. troops at Tan Son Nhat Airport were admitted to Vietnams civil aviation fleet, including the Boeing 707 and propeller-driven planes such as the DC6, DC3, and DC4.

Hoa was the first from our cohort of eight learners to die in the line of duty, he said sadly.

Second Lieutenant Hoa was posthumously promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant.

His relatives buried him in Ho Chi Minh City due to the high cost of transporting the body back to his hometown.

Security tightened

Following the tragic hijacking, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam directed that each cockpit member be armed with a handgun, and that cockpit doors be reinforced and kept closed all the time.

Flight attendants are expected to use their special signals when offering food and drinks to pilots.

Twenty soldiers under Regiment 144, previously tasked with ensuring safety for the Central Committee of the Communist Party, State and Ministry of National Defense agencies, were transferred to the civil aviation administration to escort non-military flights, each armed with a pistol.

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MEXICO CITY, Nov 18 -- Negotiations in Mexico to update NAFTA have not made much progress on tough U.S. demands that could sink the 1994 trade pact, but the current round of talks are progressing with civility, some participants said on Saturday.

Officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico are meeting in Mexico City for the fifth of seven planned rounds to update the North American Free Trade Agreement, from which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw.

Time is running short to seal a deal by the deadline of end-March 2018. Officials say next year's Mexican presidential election means talks after that date will not be possible.

The U.S. administration has made demands that the other members say are unacceptable, such as a five-year "sunset" clause and tightening so-called rules of origin to boost the North American content of autos.

"It is very slow moving but there are no fireworks," said a Canadian source with knowledge of the talks, adding there had "not been much conversation at all" on the more contentious U.S. proposals.

Within hours of the latest round of talks formally starting on Friday, Canada was complaining about inflexibility by the United States.

Officials have so far discussed other issues such as labor, gender, intellectual property, energy and telecommunications but it is too soon to say whether there will be any breakthroughs this round, added a source familiar with the talks.

"The work is moving forward," Mexican deputy economy minister Juan Carlos Baker told reporters, adding that the three countries had prioritized technical work in Mexico City.

But he said negotiators were aware that much work lay ahead and "we have to double our efforts."

"The atmosphere is good, the atmosphere is one of work," Baker added.

The mood was calmer than the tense scenes during last month's round in Arlington, Virginia, where tough U.S. demands were revealed. Still, the negotiations have passed the halfway point of an initial schedule with few clear signs of process.

Mexican officials hope chapters on telecommunications and e-commerce will be concluded by the end of business on Tuesday, but there has been no indication of this yet.

Although negotiators are scheduled to discuss rules of origin every day, the source said detailed talks on boosting North American content would not be held before the end of the round on Tuesday.

Canada and Mexico say the new rules of origin are unworkable and would damage the highly-integrated auto industry.

"I hope the United States understands there are things ... that Mexico won't accept, and (I hope) the negotiating process becomes more rational," Moises Kalach, head of the international negotiating arm of Mexico's CCE business lobby, told Reuters.

On Friday, the U.S. Trade Representative's office revised its official objectives to conform to its current demands.

The move prompted U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, to remove a "hold" he had put in place to block confirmation of two Trump administration nominees for deputy USTR positions, a Wyden aide said.

Wyden had complained the trade office was keeping members of Congress "in the dark".
Ho Chi Minh City has joined hands with military-run mobile network operator Viettel to turn the southern metropolis into a smart city.

The municipal Peoples Committee on Friday evening signed a cooperative agreement with the telecoms group regarding the establishment of a smart city in 2017-20, with a vision toward 2025.

Viettel executives underlined several obstacles the southern hub has been facing in its development, including traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and limited infrastructural development resources.

The military-run firm asserted the necessity of creating a centralized monitoring center to resolve the issues.

The center will consist of several units in charge of different tasks, namely supervising traffic and fighting crime, receiving and analyzing emergency information such as firefighting and search and rescue missions, monitoring and ensuring information safety, managing media information, and answering citizens inquiries regarding public services.

The centralized facility will access data from local camera systems to manage traffic situations and ensure order and security.

Regarding emergency requests, a unit will operate in a manner similar to the 911 service in the United States, with the ability to locate callers, access surveillance camera footage, and send rescue teams in a prompt manner.

Press and media information will also be monitored closely to prevent an information crisis.

According to Tong Viet Trung, deputy general director of Viettel, the centralized monitoring center will be helpful for local authorities thanks to its sufficient and accurate database.

All information kept at the center will be protected with maximum security measures, Trung added.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City administration Nguyen Thanh Phong stated that the smart city project had been approved by the municipal Party Committee and Peoples Council.

A meeting will be convened on November 25 to discuss a detailed plan, Chairman Phong continued.

The official considered the handshake between the city and Viettel a significant millstone, which will play an important part in achieving sustainable development.

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Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont gestures before delivering a speech to Catalan mayors in Brussels, Belgium, November 7, 2017. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

Thomson Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian judge made no ruling on the European arrest warrant issued by Spain for ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers, after a court hearing in Brussels on Friday, his lawyer said.

While the Belgian prosecutor demanded the arrest warrant to be exercised, the lawyers of Puigdemont and his associates will make their case at a hearing on December 4.

Puigdemont went to Belgium after his government was fired by Madrid for unilaterally declaring Catalonia independent, though he has since stated he might consider a solution that did not involve secession.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)

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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 Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A Cambodian court on Saturday charged two journalists with espionage for filing news reports to a U.S.-funded radio station, which can carry a prison term of up to 15 years.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in an increasingly tense run-up to a 2018 election and a crackdown on critics, rights groups and independent media.

The United States announced it was ending funding for the election, and promised more "concrete steps", after the Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on Thursday at the request of the government on the grounds it was plotting to seize power.

The party denied the accusation.

The two journalists, Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, had in the past worked for the Washington-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) which broadcast in the Khmer language until it shut down in September.

The two were charged with "providing information that is destructive to national defense to a foreign state", when they were caught filing stories to RFA, said Ly Sophana, a spokesman at Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

"They will be sent to investigating judge for further procedures," Ly Sophana told Reuters.

RFA has said it has no ties to the two journalists.

"We are watching the situation as it unfolds with great concern," Rohit Mahajan, RFA' spokesman, said in an email to Reuters before the charges were brought.

Mahajan did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment on the charges.

A lawyer for the two said the charges were too serious and they had merely been doing their jobs as journalists.

"This is not dangerous to the country," said the lawyer, Keo Vanny.

The charges carried up to 15 years in prison if the men were convicted, he said.

Hun Sen has been fighting a deepening war of words with the U.S. embassy and State Department over his government's crackdown on the opposition.

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CNRP leader Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with treason for an alleged plot to take power with U.S. help. He denied any such pot.

The U.S. State Department called on Friday on Cambodia to release him and reverse the decision to ban his party.

Western countries, that for decades supported Cambodia's emergence from war and isolation, have shown little appetite for sanctions in response to the government's crackdown, but the European Union has raised the possibility of Cambodia losing vital trade preferences.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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By Felipe Iturrieta and Dave Sherwood

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chileans voted for a successor to President Michelle Bachelet on Sunday, with billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera leading in preliminary results, though he will almost certainly face a December runoff against a left-of-center candidate.

With around 70 percent of votes counted, Pinera, who was president between 2010 and 2014 and leads the Chile Vamos bloc, had won 37 percent of support, electoral agency Servel said.

Pinera needs 50 percent for an outright win.

The early results showed weaker-than-expected support for Pinera, whom pollster CEP forecast receiving 42 percent of votes late last month.

"We have a lead which is good, and we're going to have a very competitive second round," Pinera's campaign chief Andres Chadwick told journalists as the results came in.

Former TV anchorman, Senator Alejandro Guillier, the flagbearer for Bachelet's fractured center-left Nueva Mayoria coalition, was coming in second with 23 percent.

Leftist Beatriz Sanchez was snapping at his heels with 20 percent, closer than opinions polls had suggested.

The election is the latest in South America to pit left-leaning politicians against the conservatives increasingly taking their places.

Pinera has pitched himself as a vote for a brighter future, tapping into widespread discontent with Bachelet's government, which coincided with an economic downturn in the top copper exporter.

"Today we're going to make a decision that will impact our lives for many decades," Pinera told journalists after voting at a school in Santiago on Sunday. "I know we're going to pick the right path, the one that takes us to better times."

The vote is a turning point for Chile's coalition of center-left parties, previously known as the Concertacion. The pact, which for decades has dominated Chilean politics, fissured under Bachelet, riven by disagreements over policies such as loosening Chile's strict abortion laws and strengthening unions.

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Bachelet, who is barred from running in this election by term limits, will step down with approval ratings near 30 percent and the legacy of her social and economic policies uncertain.

Many Chileans view the election as a referendum on her second term, which focussed on reducing inequality by expanding access to free education and overhauling the tax code.

Pinera, the market favourite, has campaigned on a platform of scaling back and "perfecting" her tax and labour laws, seen by many in the business community as having crimped investment at a time when slumping copper prices were already driving down economic growth.

"Pinera's the best candidate. Plus, he already governed. We know who he is," said Fresia Jara, a 73-year-old retiree as she left a polling station in the capital Santiago.

Pinera garnered international attention and domestic praise for his handling of the dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners during his prior term in 2010, and is seen as a safe pair of hands by investors.

But his administration was marred by massive student protests seeking an education overhaul. His responses were often seen as out of touch and grassroots groups still oppose him.

Guillier, who is ideologically aligned with Bachelet, has promised to deepen her reforms and has tapped support from Chileans who view Pinera as a setback for gains made for students, women and workers.

"I voted for Guillier because I think we have to continue to provide free education. It's a social right," said unemployed voter Mario Giannetti, 53.

Sanchez had criticized Guillier on the campaign as too similar to Pinera, and proposed a deeper departure from the country's business-friendly policies, including much higher taxes on mining companies.

Sanchez, who represents the leftist Frente Amplio party, sought to tap the energy of student and protest groups who seek better health and education and are frustrated with Chile's longstanding free-market model.

Juan Pablo Maldonado, a 30-year old electrical engineer from Santiago, said he'd planned to vote for Sanchez because her coalition represented a break from business as usual.

(Reporting by Dave Sherwood, Felipe Iturrieta and Antonio de la Jara, writing by Mitra Taj; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Grant McCool)
The German government isn't just banning some children's smartwatches  its telling people to "destroy" the gadgets already circulating around the country.

On Friday, Germany's telecom regulator the Federal Network Agency announced that a number of these devices, designed for ages 5 to 12, can allow someone to remotely tap into the watch's microphone and clandestinely spy from remote locations (just like a wiretap). The regulator isn't just concerned about the potential of people spying on children  it's concerned the devices can be used to spy on anyone.

SEE ALSO: People think Facebook is listening to them. Here's how they're fighting back.

And in Germany, it's illegal to record private conversations without permission.

"According to our investigations, parents were using the watches, for example, to listen in on teachers during class," said Federal Network Agency President Jochen Homann in a statement.

Smartwatches that make phone calls, like the Apple Watch, are legal in Germany. The problem with many of the children's smartwatches, however, is the devices have a classic snooping function, similar to a baby monitor, which can be easily activated just by using an app.

"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 unauthorized transmitting system," said Homann.

The German regulator is so serious about destroying these devices, it's asking citizens to literally document the watches' destruction and to file evidence online. Once the watches are destroyed, the regulator will provide a "certificate of destruction," confirming the deed was done.

This isn't the first time the Federal Network Agency told German citizens to destroy a consumer device. In February, the regulator prohibited the doll "My Friend Cayla" and labeled it as an "espionage device." Apparently, the dolls were fitted with radio transmission technology that could allow children to be spied on.

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Beware consumer tech manufacturers: The German government won't just ban devices that facilitate spying, they'll demand the devices be smashed with hammer (or whatever means of destruction one prefers)  even if they're dolls.
SWNS

<p>Two children and a woman have been seriously injured following a horror crash involving two cars and a school bus.</p><p>Emergency services were called to Campden Road, in Clifford Chambers, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks., following the smash at 8.13am today (Tue).</p><p>Paramedics found a double decker bus carrying school children which had been involved in a collision with two cars. </p><p>Two boys and a woman from inside one car were found trapped with serious injuries and were freed from the wreckage with the help of fire crews. </p><p>The boys were airlifted to Birmingham Childrens Hospital for treatment at a major trauma centre while the woman was taken to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire by ambulance. </p><p>The bus driver and 30 school children managed to get off the bus and three children were described as 'walking wounded' with minor injuries</p><p>West Midland Ambulance Service said two ambulances, two paramedic officers, the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Midlands Air Ambulance attended the scene.</p><p>A spokeswoman said: When ambulance staff arrived, they found a double decker bus and two cars which had been involved in a serious collision.</p><p>Three occupants from one car, two boys and a woman, were trapped and upon assessment by ambulance staff were found to have sustained serious injuries. </p><p>"The team of medics worked closely with fire colleagues to carefully extricate all three patients from the vehicle. </p><p>"Each patient received trauma care to stabilise their conditions on scene before the two boys were airlifted to Birmingham Childrens Hospital. </p><p>"The woman was taken by land ambulance on blue lights to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.</p><p>The driver of the second car, a woman, was assessed on scene and found with minor injuries which didnt require hospital treatment. </p><p>The bus driver and 30 school children were off the bus and safe and well seeking shelter in a nearby building. </p><p>"Three children were described as walking wounded with minor injuries and were assessed by ambulance staff before being discharged on scene.</p>
FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack pumps oil in a field near Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 21, 2014. REUTERS/Todd Korol/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

By Nia Williams and Kevin O'Hanlon

CALGARY, Alberta/LINCOLN, Nebraska (Reuters) - Canadian heavy crude prices and TransCanada Corp shares slid on Friday, the day after the Keystone pipeline spilled 5,000 barrels of oil in South Dakota as officials in Nebraska mulled whether to approve another pipeline proposed by the company.

It was unclear when exports could resume on Keystone, and the leak gave ammunition to environmental groups and other U.S. opponents of another pipeline proposed by TransCanada, the long-delayed Keystone XL.

The leak on Keystone, which carries 590,000 barrels per day of crude from Alberta's oil sands to markets in the United States, came four days before the state of Nebraska was set to decide whether to approve Keystone XL.

Calgary-based TransCanada said on Thursday it had contained the leak in the town of Amherst, South Dakota, and was investigating the cause. It said the pipeline will be shut until it gets approval to restart from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In Nebraska, Keystone XL opponents seized on the spill as an example of its environmental risks.

"Pipelines are basically plumbing; and plumbing leaks. It comes as no surprise," said Tom Genung, who lives near the proposed Keystone XL route in Holt County, Nebraska.

Art Tanderup's family farm in Neligh, Nebraska lies in the path of the 830,000 bpd Keystone XL project, another link between the oil sands and U.S. refineries. He said he hoped the spill in South Dakota will help sway any of the five Nebraska commissioners who may be on the fence about whether to issue a permit to TransCanada.

"I hope it sends a message to those five people making that decision on Monday," said Tanderup. He said the proposed XL pipeline would be built over huge swaths of porous, sand-like soil atop the Ogallala aquifer, putting farmers and ranchers at risk of water contamination if a spill occurs.

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"If that happened on our farm we would have so much crud and chemicals in the Ogallala aquifer that we could never clean up, he said.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission, or PSC, is scheduled to announce a decision on Monday on whether Keystone XL is in the best interests of the state. Its decision focuses narrowly on whether the pipeline is in the public interest, not environmental questions.

TransCanada shares fell 2 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange to C$61.87 at midday on Friday.

The discount on Canadian heavy crude to U.S. crude widened as traders awaited news on how long Keystone would be shut down.

"PHMSA has deployed four technical experts to the site of the spill. The line has been shut in and our investigation is ongoing, said Darius Kirkwood, a spokesman for the U.S. agency.

At an estimated 5,000 barrels, it is the largest crude oil pipeline spill in the United States in 2017, tied with Januarys spill from the Seaway pipeline near Trenton, Texas, according to U.S. data.

The last time the Keystone pipeline recorded a spill was in April 2016, when about 400 barrels of oil spilled in Hutchinson County, South Dakota.

Western Canada Select for January delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, widened to $16.00 per barrel below the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, according to Shorcan Energy brokers. On Thursday January barrels settled at $15.50 per barrel below the U.S. benchmark.

Export pipeline shutdowns tend to deepen the discount on Canadian crude because barrels get bottlenecked in Alberta, leading to a glut in storage hubs like Hardisty and Edmonton.

TransCanada spokesman Terry Cunha said the company is assisting with the storage of crude in Hardisty, Alberta, where Keystone originates, and that it regrets the impact caused to customers.

Trading volumes were thin as Thursday was the last day of the monthly Canadian crude trading window. There was no trade in barrels for December delivery, according to Shorcan.

(Additional reporting by Ethan Lou in Calgary, Valerie Volcovici in Washington and Kevin O'Hanlon; Editing by David Gregorio)

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The UK financial watchdog has pushed back the final deadline for bank customers to make a new complaint about payment protection insurance (PPI) misselling to 29 August 2019, with banks having so far paid out around 26bn of compensation.

Two years ago, the Financial Conduct Authority had planned to set a 2018 deadline for payment protection insurance, but faced complaints from consumer bodies that this was ill-judged.

But on Thursday, confirming it was drawing a line under the financial industrys costliest mis-selling scandal, the City regulator said it will launch a two-year consumer communications campaign beginning in August to encourage consumers to decide whether to act about PPI before the 2019 deadline.

Consumers may be able to raise claims for refunds on commission paid on PPI even if they have had their cases dismissed, the FCA said, under the so-called Plevin rule that takes precedent from a Supreme Court judgment case.

This could lead to banks setting even more money for potential compensation.

Putting in place a deadline and campaign will mean people who were potentially mis-sold PPI will be prompted to take action rather than put it off," said the FCA chief executive Andrew Bailey, adding that two years was a reasonable time for consumers to decide whether they wish to make a complaint.

We have carefully considered the feedback we received and we still believe that introducing a deadline for PPI complaints and a communications campaign warning of the deadline will benefit consumers.

The new deadline could have both bullish and bearish connotations for UK banks, said analysts, with the largest scandal of its kind in UK history running longer than the industry had been hoped.

"Lloyds in particular, as the holder of the largest mortgage book in the UK, could see a significant increase in the amount of claimants coming forward," said analyst Henry Croft at Accendo Markets.

"The bank was assumed to have dealt with the majority of its claims already at a cost of 17bn - roughly half of the overall hit to the industry, as Q4 results saw no additional provisions to deal with claims being put aside for the first time in years.

But he said the final decision by the FCA marks a line in the sand for UK retail banks, after results have continually been blighted by the constant need for increasing provisions to cover the cost of misselling.

"With the sector having already paid out an estimated 26bn since 2011, the idea of an absolute end point for the saga could see a collective sigh of relief from executives  the nightmare finally coming to an end.

"The only thing left to be seen is whether we see a significant amount of PPI claimants coming out of the woodwork, having put off investing the time and effort into making a claim thus far, and whether the commission payments unknowingly made by consumers happened on a similar scale to the mis-selling of PPI in the first place.
HCM City, November 18 (VNA) - Vietnamese leather and footwear exporters must comply with the EU-Vietnam free trade agreements rules of origin and be prepared to deal with EU barriers and anti-dumping measures, speakers said at a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 17.



The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the European Trade Policy and Investment Support Project (EU-Mutrap), was held to help exporters take advantage of the EV-FTA when it takes effect in 2019.



Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, vice chairwoman and general secretary of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso), said the EV-FTA would increase exports because of lower tariffs and contribute to eliminating other trade barriers.



However, Vietnamese leather and footwear manufacturers and exporters will confront challenges as well. To meet EU requirements, Vietnamese businesses will have to improve technologies and manufacturing processes to ensure high quality.



Because most leather and footwear manufacturers in the country are foreign-invested, locally-owned enterprises will have to enhance competitiveness to increase market share.



Vuong Duc Anh, deputy head of the origin of goods division under the Ministry of Industry and Trades Export-Import Department, said that exporters should comply with EV-FTAs rules of origin in order to make the most of EV-FTA.



Exporters will not be able to enjoy tariff cuts to zero percent unless they meet EV-FTAs rules of origin, Anh said.



Professor Sanggeeta Khorana, an expert from EU-Mutrap, said Vietnamese businesses subjected to EU barriers and anti-dumping measures should be able to prove that they do not receive subsidies.



An anti-dumping investigation can be initiated whenever the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission decides that information is sufficient to launch an official investigation.



Vietnam earned 13.1 billion USD from leather and footwear exports in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 11.4 percent over the same period last year.



Last year Vietnam ranked as the third-largest footwear manufacturer in the world, after China and India, according to Lefaso.



The EV-FTA will come into force in 2019, connecting Vietnam - one of ASEANs most dynamic manufacturing hubs with the EU  one of the world biggest markets with GDP of over 18 trillion USD, accounting for 22 percent of the worlds total GDP and a population of over 500 million.



Once the EV-FTA agreement goes into effect, the EU will eliminate import duties on 85.6 percent of its tariffs lines on Vietnamese products. After seven years, 99 percent of EU tariffs will be removed for Vietnamese products.



Vietnamese textiles, footwear and seafood products (except for canned tuna and fish balls) will incur no import duties within seven years after the agreement takes effect.



As of the end of last year, Vietnams leather and footwear exports to the EU reached nearly 5 billion USD, making the EU the second-largest leather and footwear importer of Vietnam after the US.



This comes two years after Vietnam enjoyed the EUs generalised system of preferences (GSP) with tariffs reduced from 13-14 percent to 3-4 percent.



In recent years, Vietnam has become one of the most active players in negotiating and implementing free trade agreements.



The EU is Vietnams second-biggest export market, while Vietnam is the EUs 11th biggest source of imports.



About 900 European enterprises have invested in Vietnam, which has the largest European business community in Southeast Asia.

VNA/VNP
The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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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.
A faded amber program trumpets the 1917 opening of the Temple of St. Francis and the Martyrs/The New Museum of Santa Fe beneath a familiar image of its towers overlooking the Santa Fe Plaza.

Its now known as the New Mexico Museum of Art; the longer title dissipated as this repository of some of the finest art in the state became known as the Art Gallery of the Museum of New Mexico. This linchpin of Santa Fe style is celebrating its 100th anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 25. The festivities will include the opening of three exhibitions, a major face-lift and a community birthday party scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, as well as a yearlong series of public programs.

Dubbed New Mexicos Cathedral of the Desert by a local newspaper, the building at Lincoln and Palace avenues was the culmination of a dream spawned by the state pavilion at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego.

At the time, Santa Fe was still the Wild West, isolated from the rest of the country.

Santa Fe was at a point where it was contemplating what its future was going to be, museum Director Mary Kershaw said. The community came together and decided to give the artists a place to exhibit their works in a view to make Santa Fe a world-class art destination.

Colorado architects Isaac and William Rapp had designed the original New Mexico building in a hybrid of mission church and pueblo design, inadvertently creating a unique architectural style that came to be known as territorial revival. The New Mexico Legislature approved $30,000 for the project. Private donors provided an additional $30,000.

Picture yourself in 1915-16 on the Plaza looking around, Kershaw said from her spacious second-floor office. The buildings were all low except for the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It basically mirrored the cathedral, so it was a really important statement on the role of culture in Santa Fe.

The archaeologist Edgar Lee Hewett, critical to the formation of Bandelier National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park, was its first director.

Hewett also encouraged the great San Ildefonso Pueblo potter Maria Martinez to reproduce the historic black-on-black ware discovered in archaeological digs. The results would reignite pueblo pottery making for decades.

Probably more than any other person, Edgar Lee Hewett was responsible for what Santa Fe became, Kershaw said. His ashes are in the wall of our courtyard.

At the time, the great New York artist Robert Henri  leader of the Ashcan School of American realism  was spending his summers in Santa Fe. Henri urged Hewett to adopt an open-door policy allowing any New Mexico artist to exhibit at the museum.

It was basically anti-academy thinking, Kershaw said.

The museum didnt begin jurying artists until 1951.

Henri believed art critics had become a barrier between artists and the public.

He also persuaded fellow artists George Bellows, Leon Kroll, John Sloan and Randall Davey to come to Santa Fe.

In 1918, he was elected an associate member of the Taos Society of Artists.

The inaugural exhibition boasted works by Henri and fellow Ashcan School artist Bellows, as well as Gerald Cassidy, William Penhallow Henderson, E. Martin Hennings, Joseph Henry Sharp, Oscar Berninghaus, E. Irving Couse, Ernest Blumenschein, W. Herbert Dutton, Victor Higgins, Bert Phillips and Walter Ufer.

The museums genesis contrasted with most, such as New Yorks Whitney Museum of American Art or the Guggenheim art museum.

Most were built around a major collection, Kershaw said. This museum never had a founding collection. When it was built, it was for aesthetic purposes to show the art made here.

Eventually, many of the artists began donating work to the fledgling institution. These donors included Cassidy, Henri, Sloan, Sharp, Blumenschein, Gustave Baumann, Joseph Bakos and the Georgia OKeeffe estate, as well as more contemporary artists such as Fritz Scholder, Judy Chicago, Laura Gilpin, Eliot Porter and Miguel Gandert.

It was of its time, Kershaw said. Some of it was kind of controversial. So this building was extremely contemporary, and the art was extremely contemporary. And now through the confluence of time, the collection is historic.
Horizons spans the fiber of the New Mexico Museum of Art, braiding its 20th century stars with the community surrounding it.

To celebrate the museums 100th anniversary, organizers have hung a collection of more than 100 of some of the greatest artists who lived and worked in New Mexico across the last century. The gold-plated names include Georgia OKeeffe, Robert Henri, Marsden Hartley, John Sloan, Bert Phillips, Victor Higgins, Maria Martinez, Fritz Scholder, Cady Wells, Andrew Dasburg, Luis Tapia and Gustave Baumann, among many others.

Despite appearances, the yearlong exhibition wasnt designed as a New Mexican top 10 list, curator Christian Waugespack said.

Major themes such as the museums founding fathers (and mothers), its Native arts, a Baumann spotlight and its 20th century luminaries showcase the institution as a nexus of New Mexico creativity.

Museum founding director Edgar Lee Hewett instituted an open door policy at the urging of the world-renowned artist Robert Henri, the founder of New Yorks Ashcan School of painting, a group of independent artists who painted social commentary and street scenes.

Henri spent the summers of 1916, 1917 and 1922 in Santa Fe.

Our museum was started as a place for contemporary art, Waugespack said.

Luckily, Santa Fe already hosted a thriving arts community of both permanent residents and regular visitors who covered the museums walls with their work.

All of these people were connected to each other, Waugespack added.

Despite mistaken credit sometimes given to the Smithsonian Institution, the New Mexico Museum of Art was the first in the nation to exhibit pueblo pottery next to the paintings of world-renowned artists, he said.

Maria and Julian Martinez invented black-on-matte pottery at a time when anthropologists routinely rejected innovation by Native artists. Santa Fes modernist art community understood the couples newly invented style as art rather than anthropology.

A section dedicated to Baumann will feature a rotating selection of his famous prints and marionettes, as well as his lesser-known abstract-meets-surrealist oils.

The Santa Fe Plaza stars in paintings by both Shuster and Sloan, who depicted a Roaring 20s party there. Much later, Luis Tapia created a Zozobra (the giant Shuster-invented puppet burned at the Santa Fe Fiestas known as Old Man Gloom) sculpted from carved and painted wood.

These artists connections crossed borders as well as styles. Mexican muralist Diego Rivera will be represented by a portrait of Dasburgs wife. The museum is borrowing the work from a private New York collector, Waugespack said.

Everybody in the modernist circles were equally involved in the international modernist discourse, he said.

The decorative arts will represented by pueblo revival style furniture designed by archaeologist Jesse Nusbaum and the artist William Penhallow Henderson.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is lending a traditional wooden chair by Vern Lucero. The artist covered it in tinwork in an updated merger of Spanish Colonial traditions.

It is a taste of everything, Waugespack said. I purposely didnt set it out to be the best hits of New Mexico because I wanted to focus on the interrelationships of the artists and the community. Its (about) the interconnectedness of people coming here.
Its the time of year for the Young at Heart Choirs annual holiday show.

And, as in previous years, the choir is bringing along some friends for the show.

The Colorado-based Bar D Wranglers will join the choir for a concert at Heights First Church of the Nazerene.

The Bar D Wranglers have been entertaining audiences for 40 years. The quartet has performed overseas, as well as at Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry.

While youre at the church, visit the Victorian village, where Christmas carols will be heard.

Organizers said there will be unique shops, a silent auction, crafters from all over the Southwest, great food, childrens activities and prizes.

There will also be drawings for gifts under the Christmas tree.

The choir will celebrate 30 years of music and traveling from coast to coast as ambassadors of New Mexico.

The average age is 73 and they have produced eight CDs.

The choir, under the direction of Connie Atkinson, represents 23 denominations and does about 60 concerts each year.

This is a blessing for those seniors who like to continue making a contribution in their golden years, Atkinson said in a news release.
SEOUL, South Korea  Surgeons treating a North Korean soldier who was severely wounded by gunfire while escaping to South Korea have removed dozens of parasites from his body, including presumed roundworms as long as 27 centimeters (11 inches), hospital officials said.

The soldier, whose name and rank have not been disclosed, defected to South Korea last Monday by driving a military jeep near a line that divides the Koreas and then rushing across it under a barrage of bullets. Hospital officials said Saturday that it was too early to tell whether he will make a recovery.

While treating the wounds, surgeons found the large parasites, which may be reflective of poor nutrition and health in North Koreas military, the hospital said. Doctors measured the soldier as being 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) tall, but weighing just 60 kilograms (132 pounds).

I spent more than 20 years of experience as a surgeon, but I have not found parasites this big in the intestines of South Koreans, Lee Cook-jong, who leads the soldiers medical team, told reporters last week.

Lee is a famous trauma specialist who was hailed as a hero in 2011 after conducting life-saving surgeries on the captain of a South Korean freighter ship who was shot during a rescue mission after being held by Somali pirates.

While the North Korean soldiers vital signs were stabilizing on Saturday, he continued to remain unconscious and relying on a breathing machine. After consecutive surgeries to repair internal organ damage and other injuries, no further surgeries are planned as of yet, said Shin Mi-jeong, an official at the Ajou University Medical Center near Seoul.

South Koreas military said four North Korean soldiers used handguns and AK rifles to fire about 40 rounds at their former comrade, who was hit at least five times. He was found beneath a pile of leaves on the southern side of the Joint Security Area, and South Korean troops crawled there to recover him. A United Nations Command helicopter later transported him to the Ajou hospital.

It remains unclear whether the North Koreans chasing the soldier fired at him even after he crossed into the southern side of the border, which would be a violation of an armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. The U.N. Command, which is investigating the incident, postponed a plan to release video footage of the soldiers escape on Thursday.

The Joint Security Area is jointly overseen by the American-led U.N. Command and by North Korea, with South Korean and North Korean border guards facing each other only meters (feet) apart. It is located inside the 4-kilometer (2 1/2-mile) -wide Demilitarized Zone, which forms the de facto border between the Koreas since the Korean War.
WASHINGTON  Its been nearly six years since the Senate Ethics Committee conducted a major investigation of a sitting senator. Next year, the panel could be working nonstop, deciding the fate of up to three lawmakers, including two facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior.

The typically secretive committee of three Republicans and three Democrats said late Thursday it plans to resume its preliminary inquiry into alleged misconduct by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., whose federal bribery trial ended in a mistrial. The panel had begun an investigation in 2012, but deferred to the Justice Department for its probe.

Delving into the onslaught of allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful figures, the ethics panel is expected to investigate Minnesota Sen. Al Franken after a woman accused him of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour. Franken, a Democrat, has said he welcomes the probe.

The Senate is likely to enter uncharted territory on the case of Alabamas Roy Moore, a Republican who faces multiple complaints from women who said he pursued them when they were teens and he was in his 30s. If Moore wins the Dec. 12 special election, the top Senate Republican says he would immediately face a formal ethics complaint.

He would be sworn in and be asked to testify under oath and it would be a rather unusual beginning, probably an unprecedented beginning, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said this week at a Wall Street Journal event.

The flurry of activity is unusual for the panel, which until Thursday had not issued a press release since hiring a new staff director in 2014. The panels last major investigation focused on John Ensign, a Nevada Republican who resigned in 2011 after revelations that he had an affair with the wife of a top staffer.

Disclosure of the affair and Ensigns actions to keep it quiet, including accusations that he helped the staffer find work as a lobbyist, resulted in investigations by the FBI, Federal Election Commission and the Senate. Ensign resigned as the two-year ethics investigation intensified.

The members of the committee have changed since then. The panel is chaired by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., is vice chairman. Other members are Republican Sens. Pat Roberts of Kansas and Jim Risch of Idaho, along with Democrats Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.

Robert L. Walker, a former chief counsel for the ethics panel, said senators who serve on the committee typically are respected by their peers. McConnell served on it, overseeing the investigation of Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood.

I dont think its an assignment anyone relishes. No one relishes being in a position to pass judgment on others, especially one of their peers, Walker said. But they understand the importance and ultimate seriousness of this assignment.

Among the committees responsibilities are dealing with Senate offices on gifts, travel, compliance with rules and potential conflicts of interests. Major investigations such as the Ensign or Packwood probes can take years to complete.

In 2008, the ethics panel admonished then-Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, saying he acted improperly in connection with a mens room sex sting and brought discredit on the Senate.

In a letter to the Republican senator, the ethics panel said Craigs attempt to withdraw his guilty plea after his 2007 arrest at a Minneapolis airport was an effort to evade legal consequences of his own actions. Craig initially announced he would resign his Senate seat, then reneged and served out his term.

More than a decade earlier, the ethics panel found itself in the midst of another sex scandal involving Packwood. In a report delivered by then-ethics chairman McConnell, the committee described Packwoods physical coercion of women and a habitual pattern of aggressive, blatantly sexual advances, mostly directed at members of his own staff.

The veteran Republican resigned in 1995 under threat of expulsion after a nearly three-year investigation of sexual harassment claims.

The ethics committee typically gets dozens of complaints each year alleging violations of Senate rules, but the vast majority dont amount to a violation of Senate rules or there is too little evidence to take action.

The committee said in an annual report that it received 63 complaints. Of that amount, 43 were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, 14 were dismissed because they didnt provide sufficient facts to follow and three were dismissed as minor or technical. Also, the staff undertook a preliminary investigation in three cases that originated that year and found no major violation.

If the committee finds a violation occurred, it may take a series of actions, including issuing a public or private letter of admonition or recommending disciplinary action by the full Senate, up to and including expulsion on a two-thirds vote. Since 1789, the Senate has expelled just 15 members, including 14 who were charged with support of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Opioid addiction  deemed a national public health emergency  is tied to some of Albuquerques most pressing issues, including soaring crime rates and homelessness.

Now, Bernalillo County hopes to help those battling the addiction, and, in turn, the community, through a new program.

The county is joining only a handful of jails in the country that allow inmates with opioid addictions to start a methadone program while behind bars.

Recovery Services of New Mexico has been providing medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, with methadone since 2005 for inmates who are already enrolled in a program when they enter the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Inducting new patients is a new, and groundbreaking, concept for the jail.

Although we are very experienced at doing methadone inductions in the community, this is an altogether different scenario, said Evan Baldwin, CEO of Recovery Services of New Mexico.

Of the nations 5,100 jails and prisons, fewer than 30 offer opioid users medication-assisted treatment, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance.

In any given month, around 365 inmates at MDC detox off opioids while at the jail without MAT.

Detoxed prisoners are eight times more likely to die of a drug overdose in the first week of release, according to a study done by the Maryland Department of Health.

The new induction program begins Wednesday, exactly 12 years  to the day  after the first dose of methadone was given to an inmate at the jail.

The initiative was made possible through a partnership between Recovery Services, the Metropolitan Detention Center, state Health and Human Services Department, and includes assistance from the Behavioral Health Initiative and the countys Addiction Treatment Advisory Board.

Baldwin said plans are to start the pilot project at a slow pace, while Recovery Services identifies any potential obstacles and liabilities. That way, the county, patients, MDC staff and anybody else involved are working in an appropriate manner.

Furthermore, we are reducing the human suffering within the jail because we are avoiding what we deem to be unnecessary withdrawals, when really its an opportunity for treatment, he said. Theres no shortage of potential positive benefits.

Supporters of the program hope this will address a multitude of issues, both in and out of jail, including recidivism, crime rates and community wellness, among others.

A University of New Mexico study conducted in 2013 found that inmates with substance abuse disorders who are treated with methadone are less likely to be re-booked into jail, have longer periods between bookings, are less likely to go back to illicit drug use and are more likely to continue treatment after release.

Bill Wiese, former co-chair of the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, said these changes can reduce crime rates at a time when Albuquerque is seeing a spike in property crimes like burglary, theft and larceny.

The majority of that kind of crime is driven by exactly the need to get money to pay for drugs, he said.

And fewer people in jail means lower incarceration costs  which can amount to over $60 a day in savings per inmate  not to mention costs associated with police, courts and judges.

The addition of induction will come with no added cost to Bernalillo County. It will be included in the $10,000-a-month the county is already paying for maintenance at the jail.

It makes no sense from an economic point of view not to be doing this, let alone the human point of view, Wiese said.

Wiese applauded the efforts of the county and, in particular, Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins  calling Stebbins a humble, but determined, force behind many opioid treatment advances.

If you dont have a champion lawmaker in your corner, its nearly impossible to make progress, he said.

Stebbins helped launch the countys Opioid Accountability Initiative and has highlighted the need for a coordinated system of care throughout the years.

Wiese said induction at MDC represents one piece of that puzzle.

Getting on methadone is just a step, he said. Ultimately, we have to pull this together as a system.

Inmates often have underlying needs that require attention once in treatment, Wiese said, such as mental health, housing, education and employment.

There are going to be people that are going to relapse for a whole bunch of reasons, that comes with the package, he said. The gain is huge for those who do succeed.

Success story

Often that road to success is not smooth, but for Christine Imperial it was well worth it.

Thirty years of addiction and look at where Im at, the 57-year-old woman said, as she approaches four years of sobriety for the first time since her 20s.

Im living proof that this works, she said.

A mother of five and grandmother of 12, Imperial has spent much of her life behind bars for shoplifting, forgery and countless other crimes to feed her addiction. Throughout the years, she experienced overdoses, relapses and the treatment of methadone.

It helps you live a normal life, it helps you get a job, it helps you maintain, she said. You dont think like that addict anymore.

Imperial cautions against viewing methadone as a crutch, but rather as more of a stepping-stone to be used in conjunction with therapy.

What I think, my personal opinion, instead of incarceration they should put more into rehabilitation, she said.

It took Imperial losing her brother, mother, father, sister and partner  all while in jail  before she said enough is enough.

I didnt want to get high anymore, she said. I was done.

Now, Imperial credits methadone with saving a close relative she says had slipped into the same pattern of substance abuse.

She added, I dont want that for my kids. You do not have to follow in my footsteps.

Imperial said she plans to open a business doing what she used to love before drug addiction: breeding and raising dogs.

Everything is falling into place, she said. You dont have to change the person that you are, you just change those habits.
Not to worry you or anything during whats supposed to be the happy holiday season, but be aware that this time of year is also a happy one for scammers.

The holiday shopping season is one of the most dangerous times for consumers to fall victim to scams, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas said. Many people ramp up their spending this time of year, and making sure that gifts arrive on time can put pressure on shoppers to leap into expenses before looking into whether businesses and their products are legitimate.

So if youre gearing up for the annual shopping extravaganza, whether it be an online or bricks-and-mortar approach, here are some tips to keep the scammers from celebrating  at your expense.

Online shopping

 The first order of business is to make sure your identity is secure so its not stolen. Shop only on protected websites that have an HTTPS designation at the front of the address. (The s stands for secure and means the transaction is encrypted as protection against hackers.)

 With data breaches much in the news, consider simplifying things during the holiday season by designating one low-limit credit card for all online purchases. It would be easier to monitor new transactions on just one account as you watch for any unusual activity.

 Be wary of unsolicited email blasts offering deals. Never click on links in these kind of emails, or on popups, regardless of how enticing a particular deal sounds. Internet `trolls and `bots who lift your personal financial information from pop-up ads can be common on online shopping sites, the AGs Office says.

 Fake retail websites, easily created by scammers to mimic the real thing, should be of special concern this time of year. One way to tell if a site is legitimate is to check the address bar of your browser. Often, imposters will tinker with a character or two to slightly change a legitimate adress. Grammar and spelling mistakes are another dead giveaway.

 Research a particular website at ResellerRatings.com. This database of merchants and vendors lists business details and consumer reviews, showing whether a merchant delivers on time, what customer service is like and other information. If the website youre checking out isnt listed, that could mean its not legitimate. Or it could mean it hasnt been in existence long, in which case, keep reading.

 How to check whether a website was thrown up just yesterday to snare seasonal shoppers: In the address bar, type site: in front of the name youre checking. For the Macys website, for example, you would type site:macys.com. This will bring up all of the pages (usually hundreds or thousands) that Google has indexed, according to the A Secure Life website. Next, click on the tools or search tools button at the top. This will bring up an Any Time button just below. When you click on that, go to the custom range option in the scrolldown menu. You can search a range of dates, continuing to go back in time, to determine how long the site has been in existence. Again, if it was created recently, this is a giant clue that its main purpose is to hit on shoppers during the holiday season.

 Make sure your computer is always up to date with the newest upgrades of your anti-virus software provider, according to Scam Detector.

Bricks and mortar shopping

 Take note of who might be watching when youre using your credit card or PIN number at the register. If someone is crowding your personal space, they might be trying to steal your passwords. Cover your phone screen when youre entering passwords.

Last but not least  and not just when it comes to shopping:

 An oldie but goodie when it comes to protection from all kinds of scams: If a deal is too good to be true, run in the opposite direction.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Walgreens is accused of violating the state Human Rights Act after a store pharmacist refused to provide medication prescribed to a teen in preparation for a birth control insertion procedure, according to a lawsuit.

Citing his personal beliefs, a pharmacist at the drugstore chains store at Coors and Montano told the teens mother that he would not provide the in-stock medication and that she would have to go to another store, the lawsuit filed in state District Court earlier this month alleges.

The medication at issue, Misoprostol, has several gynecological uses. It can be used to prepare the cervix for IUD insertion (as in this case), to induce labor, and to terminate an early pregnancy, according to the lawsuit. But it is also regularly prescribed to men and women to help reduce the risk of gastric ulcers.

Had (she) been a man with a valid prescription for the same medication, the prescription would have been filled.  the suit alleges. It argues that forcing a woman to seek an alternate pharmacy for validly prescribed and in-stock reproductive health medication imposes an unlawful discriminatory burden on the basis of sex.

Access to these medications enable women to make decisions that affect their health, family, education and employment, said Erin Armstrong, one attorney for the plaintiffs. It is imperative that they are able to access this care without experiencing shame, stigma, or discrimination.

Jim Cohn, a spokesman for Walgreens, said in a statement that company policy allows pharmacists to step away from completing a transaction to which they may have a moral objection. When that happens, he said, the customer should be referred to another employee who can meet the customers needs.

New Mexico law, he said, supports that store policy and gives health care providers the right to make decisions based on their personal beliefs.

As an employer, we strive to balance supporting our pharmacists rights with meeting our patients need, Cohn said.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages and are asking the court to require Walgreens to change its policy to ensure that women customers will have their prescriptions filled without experiencing discrimination.

The teen and her mother, who are not named in the lawsuit, are represented by four attorneys, including one from the American Civil Liberties Union and one from the Southwest Womens Law Center.

In 2012, an Albuquerque woman said she had a similar experience in which a Walgreens pharmacist refused to fill her prescription for birth control pills. She was forced to fill the prescription at another location. In response to those allegations, a spokesman said at that time that store policy requires a pharmacist who refuses to fill a prescription to arrange to have it filled at a nearby location or at a time when another pharmacist is available.

Months later, the ACLU announced that Walgreens agreed to take steps to ensure that women receive appropriate care regardless of the individual beliefs of its employees. Walgreens also said it conducted follow-up training with employees on corporate policies.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico could leapfrog into a dramatic new way of placing people under legal guardianships and conservatorships under recently unveiled national reforms.

The model reforms, crafted by the national Uniform Law Commission for states to adopt around the country, are being considered by a New Mexico guardianship task force and a state legislative committee.

If enacted by the Legislature as is, the reforms would add more openness to New Mexicos closed guardian/conservator system.

Law professor David English, of the University of Missouri at Columbia, has spent 30 years studying guardianship reform and spearheaded the drafting of new model guardianship laws for the Chicago-based Uniform Law Commission.

Last week, he traveled to Albuquerque to present the 2017 revision, which stemmed from two years of national study of guardianship issues. He spoke before a New Mexico probate lawyers group and the state Supreme Court commission studying guardianship reform.

What struck me when I first looked at New Mexico, I was very surprised as a general matter that guardianship proceedings were not open to the public. Thats not consistent with how most other states address the issue, he told the guardianship commission on Friday.

In New Mexico, guardianship proceedings are sequestered and closed to the public. The only publicly available record is a court docket sheet identifying the parties involved and a general list of the actions and filings in the case.

But, in Missouri, where English lives, the public can attend hearings in which judges decide whether a guardian should be appointed for an incapacitated person. Typically, those placed under guardianship or conservatorships are elderly, those with dementia or Alzheimers or others who need help with their decision-making or finances.

He said the intent of the new reform laws would be to open guardianship proceedings to the public, unless the person for whom the guardianship is being considered asks for a closed hearing or a judge decides otherwise.

Its very important that the public have some access to whats going on in guardianship cases, English told the guardianship commission. At least be able to attend the hearing.

Access to court filings that include financial and health information would still be confidential, but family members of those under guardianship could get access to annual reports and other filings required of guardians and conservators.

The theory is you want greater disclosure to, not to the whole world, but to the people who have a high level of interest in the welfare of the person under guardianship so they can get copies of the reports and accounts and raise issues with the judge, English said.

Visitation

If adopted, the new Uniform Law Commission guardianship law would provide more eyes and ears  and thereby more accountability  to New Mexicos system, English told the Journal.

Over the past year, family members have complained to the New Mexico guardianship commission and the Journal about being barred from seeing their loved ones for weeks or months once a professional guardian is appointed. Some professional guardians restrict visitation or have allowed only monitored meetings, contending that certain relatives upset the person under guardianship.

Visitation has long been an issue in guardianships, English told the state commission on Friday. But its gotten a lot of added attention in the last few years.

He said there are guardians who in some cases will prohibit all visitation. I think its a matter of convenience (for the guardian) and thats not good.

But allowing unlimited visitation or outside contact could subject the person under guardianship to those who might financially exploit or abuse the person, English said. Its always a balancing test. Under the new uniform law, a guardian wouldnt be allowed to restrict visitation except by court order.

An individual should be able to interact with family and others the same as if they were not under a guardianship, English said.

The list of people entitled to advanced notice about a potential guardianship appointment would also be expanded and they would be entitled to subsequent notice of hearings in the case.

A blunt solution

Gov. Susana Martinezs spokesman said recently that the governor hadnt decided whether to place guardianship reform on the call for the 30-day session in January, which is typically limited to budgetary issues.

Regardless, the Legislatures Courts, Corrections and Justice interim committee has been discussing a version of the new uniform laws.

English said the new model laws highlight the need for alternatives to guardianships and conservatorship by allowing single legal transactions, such as when someone needs the authority to admit a person to a nursing home or to sell a vacant house.

Guardianship can be a really blunt solution compared to something less sweeping, English said. For instance, there are cases in which a court can issue an order and solve the problem without subjecting the person to the rest of their lifetime being in a guardianship or conservatorship, he said.

A key provision would require guardians and conservators to present a plan, including their projected fees, within 60 days to the court.

One of the problems is that conservators would come to court and sometimes their fees come as a big surprise, he said. English cited a case in Virginia in which a very honest attorney was charging $250 an hour to perform tasks in a guardianship case when a secretary could have done the work for a fraction of the cost. Typically, fees paid to conservators and guardians are deducted from the assets of the protected person.

The new uniform laws would permit bonds to be required of conservators  a protection already proposed by the New Mexico guardianship commission and recently put into place by district judges in Albuquerque.

Given human nature, theres a certain percentage of conservators who will steal, sometimes they are lay people, sometimes professionals, English said. Studies have found about 10 percent of cases involve criminal activity by conservators, he added.

In response, some states have hired auditors, a remedy proposed by the Supreme Courts guardianship commission. In Minnesota, English said, a former police detective is the chief auditor who scrutinizes financial accountings filed by court-appointed conservators.

Extensive changes

The proposed Uniform Law Commission revision, if adopted in New Mexico, could increase the workload of attorneys who petition the courts to place someone under a guardianship. Judges might also have to spend more time reviewing aspects of the care and finances of the incapacitated person, and inquiring into what other alternatives to a proposed guardianship or conservatorship have been attempted.

English said the Uniform Law Commission has overhauled its model guardianship laws at least three times since 1969. The last change in the law in New Mexico was 1997.

This is such a leapfrog for us as far as the changes being so extensive, said Albuquerque attorney Gaelle D. McConnell, a Supreme Court commission member. Is it because New Mexico hasnt kept up with previous uniform acts?

Thats probably a lot of it, English responded.
So what do CEOs and other power players around the country think of New Mexico?

Most of them just dont think much about New Mexico at all. Most of them have never been here, says Pat Collawn, chairman and CEO of PNM Resources and the person appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez to chair the New Mexico Partnership  the states economic development marketing arm.

Some years ago, we had a group of bankers out here for a meeting and they were stunned, Collawn said. Like wow, its beautiful. You have space. You can get a good-sized house. Youve got all this great stuff.

Pushing economic development in New Mexico has always been an uphill slog, but some hope that landing Facebooks massive data storage project in Los Lunas could change that.

The governor, then-Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela, Collawn and others worked hard on the project, with PNM playing a key role because Facebook wanted green power and PNM will provide it. Lawmakers and regulators also moved quickly to make the deal happen.

I think its a big deal because it has put us on the radar screen of people that wouldnt look at us before, Collawn said. We are seeing a lot of inquiries because of Facebook.

The Partnership is a legislative creation that tries to drum up interest in projects statewide that fit different locales  from Albuquerque to Taos to Clayton.

Everybody wants the 2,000-person, $150,000-a-year job manufacturing plant but you have to be practical about where thats going to go, she said.

I think sometimes as a state we are divided about whether we really want growth, she says. We have a mentality of scarcity rather than a mentality of abundance and in my opinion we need to grow the pie. We want to grow the state. We want more tax revenue. We want more customers. We want more people instead of saying this is all we have so lets figure out how to divide it up.

Bringing those businesses does require incentives, she says.

The success with Facebook, she says, proves we are up to the challenge.

To me it shows that when people have a common goal to get something done in this state, we can get it done.
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 WWI, Vladimir Lenin advocated revolutionary defeatism. The idea was that winning the war was pointless since 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 blacks.

This is the world Putin grew up in. He was a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years. He has 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.

Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. Email goldbergcolumn@gmail.com, Twitter @JonahNRO. Copyright, Tribune Media Services Inc.
The revelation that Jessica Kelley could have, and should have, been in prison at the time she allegedly committed one of the most horrific murders here in recent years is shocking enough.

But just as important, her case is symptomatic of the implosion of the criminal justice system in Bernalillo County in the final years under then-District Attorney Kari Brandenburg, who left office at the end of 2016. Granted, the meltdown cant be laid entirely at her feet. There were mitigating factors that included a huge backlog of court cases, strained relationships between the DA and the Albuquerque Police Department, and a Case Management Order from the state Supreme Court that imposed tough new time limits on prosecutors and police.

But in a nutshell, the prosecutors office under Brandenburg simply wasnt able to cope with the situation and undertake the important reforms now being pushed by her successor, Raul Torrez, who is working with the city and other partners to develop a data-driven approach to focus on serious repeat offenders.

Jessica Kelley fits that category.

To review, Kelley is one of three people charged in the August 2016 rape, murder and dismemberment of 10-year-old Victoria Martens at a West Side apartment. Victorias mother, Michelle, and boyfriend Fabian Gonzales, who is also Jessica Kelleys cousin, also face murder and sexual assault charges.

As reported by Journal investigative reporter Colleen Heild in the Nov. 10 Journal, Jessica Kelley was busted Sept. 11, 2015, by her probation officer for having strips of the drug Suboxone and baggies in her purse  an indication of drug trafficking. At the time, Kelley was also on parole for an earlier conviction for conspiracy to commit criminal sexual penetration. The discovery of drugs in her purse was enough for the state Parole Board to revoke her parole and it convinced an Albuquerque judge to find she violated her probation. Kelley was sent back to prison to complete the final 233 days of her sentence.

Acting on the state probation officers discovery, APD brought a new drug trafficking charge against Kelley. But Brandenburgs office voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice a week later, stating the case would be re-filed after drug testing and additional discovery. APD sent the test results to the DAs office on Dec. 16, 2015, but the case wasnt re-filed for more than eight months  after Kelley had been charged in the Martens murder.

Because the charge had not been re-filed by the time Kelley walked out of the womens prison in Grants on Aug. 15, 2016, (and announced her release on Facebook), Kelley was free and without supervision of any kind because she had completed her sentence behind bars.

She has since quietly pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing in the Suboxone case while her trial in the Victoria Martens murder case is pending.

DA Torrez, upon taking office Jan. 1, was faced with thousands of criminal cases that had been dismissed, with files in cardboard boxes stacked everywhere in the office. His office has moved to have Kelley sentenced as a repeat offender in the drug case.

One of Kelleys co-defendants, Fabian Gonzales, also benefited from the justice system meltdown. A year before the Martens murder, he was facing charges of felony child abuse and battery against a household member. But he was allowed to plead no contest to misdemeanor child abandonment in February 2015. The plea occurred just weeks after the Case Management Order took effect and prosecutors were scrambling to meet new deadlines. He was sentenced to two years supervised probation but there was no follow-up on the probation order. Like Kelley, Fabian Gonzales was free as a bird.

Victoria was murdered eight days after Jessica Kelley was released from prison.

Sadly, these cases are hardly an anomaly. Statistics provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts show some 802 cases were dismissed without prejudice in Bernalillo County in the first 10 months after the Case Management Order took effect. Many, if not most of them, were dismissed voluntarily by Brandenburgs office  which had had two years to prepare for the CMO  just as Jessica Kelleys was, with the option of re-filing. They included cases against accused murderers, drug traffickers and sex offenders. How many were ever re-filed is unknown. And things would be even worse had the feds not taken hundreds of defendants off the street through various prosecutions.

But the important takeaway is how to go forward.

First and foremost, Torrez needs to continue his push for smart, data-driven prosecution, and legislators need to step up with enough money for that system to work. The new administration at City Hall needs to continue with important data work done under the Bloomberg grant obtained by the Richard Berry administration, and with programs like ALeRT that give prosecutors and judges timely information about serious repeat offenders.

Finally, in light of these efforts, the Supreme Court needs to revisit the Case Management Order and its harsh deadlines. The court had good reason to act when it did  the case backlog had grown to an unacceptable level, and prosecutors and trial judges were simply unwilling or unable to fix the problem without a mandate.

But its time for the rule to be lifted or significantly modified  in conjunction with a new, data-driven prosecution effort and other programs.

Because, at the end of the day, the public has every right to expect a criminal justice system that functions as it should. And so did Victoria Martens.

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.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Lawmakers grilled a New Mexico Public Education Department official for three hours Thursday about the states standardized test for U.S. history this year that omits questions about such hot-button topics as Rosa Parks, Roe v. Wade, and the atomic bomb attacks on Japan that ended World War II.

Some members of the Legislative Education Study Committee and the public called the omissions an attempt by PED to whitewash or sanitize history.

Matt Montano, PEDs deputy secretary for teaching and learning, responded that history teachers themselves omitted items from the states lengthy history standards to reduce test times and respond to teachers requests for more information about the tests.

Emotions ran especially high in regard to the decision to omit questions about civil rights leaders and events.

Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque, told Montano that the courageous action of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955, is the reason I can sit here as a black woman and question you about what has been redacted.

About 40 people in the Roundhouse hearing room applauded the House majority leaders comment.

Is it a done deal, and is there any opportunity for change as we go forward? Stapleton asked. Montano said he would weigh the comments of legislators and the public. He also said that PED could restore the deleted items, but made no promise to do so.

Several lawmakers remarked that questions about the history exam arose shortly after PED announced proposed science standards that contained changes, omissions and deletions from the nationwide Next Generation Science Standards, promptting an outcry from scientists and educators.

Education Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski announced Oct. 25 that New Mexico will adopt the Next Generation Science Standards as written, with the addition of six state-specific standards.

Sen. William P. Soules said that PEDs proposed science standards led to heightened concern that PED is trying to sanitize teaching standards for political and ideological reasons.

It seems to me this is a subtle way of changing what will be taught, Soules, a Las Cruces teacher and Democrat, said of the U.S. history exam. If its not going to be assessed, its not going to be taught.

The deletions appeared in an end-of-course exam blueprint posted recently on the PED website. The exam blueprint is based on the states social studies standards for high school students. Lined-out material indicates which portions of the standards will not be included on the test.

The deleted topics include: trusts and trust-busting; strike-breakers; populists and William Jennings Bryan; McCarthyism and the House UnAmerican Activities Committee; military bases and the national laboratories; dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan; the impeachment process; the demise of slavery; and racial and ethnic conflict resulting from the growth of cities.

Montano cited a variety reasons for the deletions, including the need to keep tests to a manageable length, and eliminate redundant questions included in other end-of-course exams. As an example, he said two questions about New Mexicos role in the development of the atomic bomb are included in the New Mexico history exam, and one in the physics exam.

Montano responded that the states history and social studies standards remain unchanged, and that teachers are responsible for teaching all the material in those standards. Montano noted that he was raised in a Hispanic community in Bernalillo, and defended the standardized tests as way of ensuring that students of all backgrounds are getting access to high-quality curriculum.

This is not sanitizing our standards, he said. That is not what I intended. We were asked by teachers to give greater clarity and specificity about questions students will be asked on standardized tests, he said. The omissions were selected by teachers recruited by PED, by email and at conferences, who worked with a PED-hired consultant.

Our standards are very broad, he told lawmakers. You cannot test every word in the state standards.

Rep. G. Andres Romero, D-Albuquerque, a U.S. history teacher at Atrisco Heritage Academy High School in Albuquerque, responded that a New Mexico history course would deal differently with the atomic bomb attacks on Japan than a U.S. history course.

They dont seem like arbitrary strike-throughs, Romero said of the deleted material. They seem pretty pointed.

Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero called the omissions part of a larger concerted attempt on a national level to erase and rewrite the history of civil rights and social movements.

Do not rewrite our history, said Roybal Caballero, who said she participated as a youth in civil rights protests. This is our history, and we have been willing to put our lives on the line for it.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Ever since 9/11, as a fifth-grader in Beatrice, Neb., Devin Ratigan wanted to be an Army Ranger.

He joined up right after high school in 2009 and served six tours of duty in Afghanistan.

I thought it was the right thing to do, he said.

Ratigan quickly found himself disillusioned, depressed and anxious.

During his time in the military, he became heavily reliant on drugs: marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, psychedelics.

I just realized theres never really, ever, a time for war, he said. I was the bad guy instead of the good guy, as I was led to believe.

Things didnt improve after his January 2015 honorable discharge.

His July 2014 marriage lasted just over a year; they divorced in December 2015.

In early May of this year, his old battalion mate and Santa Fe native Jesse Gould reached out to him and suggested he try something different: ayahuasca therapy.

Ayahuasca (eye-uh-WHA-skuh) is a traditional, psychedelic drink used for centuries by Amazonian tribes in religious ceremonies.

Gould had taken it in February and found it had greatly alleviated his intense anxiety and depression.

Afterwards, my mind was much more peaceful, connected and efficient than it had been before, he said.

Ayahuasca is made up of the ayahuasca vine and chacruna, a shrub that contains the hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, an illegal, Schedule I drug here in the U.S.

The brew causes feelings of deep introspection and often causes vivid hallucinations.

After ingestion, users generally experience a purge through vomiting or diarrhea.

In June, Gould sent Ratigan and four other veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses to a retreat in Peru, where he drank ayahuasca during several ceremonies.

The ayahuasca experience is difficult for Ratigan and Gould to describe, and they find its aftereffects easier to put into words.

I kind of have a new outlook on life, Ratigan said. Everythings going to be OK.

Since the experience, Ratigan said he has gotten his drug use and emotions under control.

Hes studying philosophy at a community college in Westminster, Colo.

Goulds nonprofit organization, the Heroic Hearts Project, seeks to send more struggling veterans to ayahuasca therapy.

Gould said it costs around $3,000 to send someone to the therapy.

A fundraiser held in Santa Fe in September raised around $3,200, Gould said.

He hopes to use that money to sponsor a trip for New Mexico veterans.

The potential healing effects of ayahuasca have little research behind them, since the drug is illegal here and in many other countries.

Dr. Charles Grob, professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles, said consistency is another hurdle to research, since the ayahuasca brew doesnt exactly have a formula.

Its potency may vary depending on the time of year the plant was harvested or other climatic conditions.

In addition, Grob said, drug research generally focuses on one specific chemical; ayahuasca is a compound containing several.

Grob extensively studied the psychological effects of ayahuasca in Brazil in the 1990s, focusing on the UniAo Do Vegetal church, which uses ayahuasca on a regular basis as part of its worship.

Part of his research involved psychological assessments of 15 long-term members of the UDV.

Over the years of their involvement, they had impressive improvement of their overall psychological functions, Grob said.

He said it has also shown promise in treating alcoholism.

A study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs in September found ayahuasca could be used to treat eating disorders.

Using ayahuasca is not without risk, though.

Grob said it can exacerbate existing psychosis or cause the onset of a manic episode in those with bipolar disorder. It can interact poorly with medications, too.

Its also important to enter the experience with an intention and to take it seriously, he said.

Especially for treating veterans with PTSD, Grob said it would be important to have experienced facilitators overseeing the experience.

There have also been reports of deaths associated with ayahuasca.

In September 2015, 24-year-old Matthew Dawson-Clarke of New Zealand died after consuming a tobacco tea in preparation for the ceremony.

In December of that year, a Canadian man was arrested after allegedly stabbing another man to death during a bad trip.

With the growing interest in ayahuasca, Grob hopes to see more research on the compound soon.

I think theres a lot of promise, but were still at the very early stages of exploring its range of effects, he said.

If people are respectful toward the process and responsible, they will get some answers to questions they have.
The town of Silver City and its police department failed to stop a police captain from stalking his ex-girlfriend despite a number of complaints, and his violent behavior eventually led to her death, according to a lawsuit in federal court.

Authorities say Mark Contreras killed Nikki Bascom, then shot and killed himself in 2016.

In the lawsuit, which was moved this week to U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, Bascoms family alleges that the police department hired Contreras despite his history of violence. After Contreras joined the police force, court documents say, the agency did little to stop his physical abuse of Bascom, 31, and eventually promoted him to captain.

According to court documents, Contreras continued to harass Bascom after the couple broke up and accused her of having an affair with her boss. He also threatened her boss and tried to bait him into a gunfight, the lawsuit said.

On multiple occasions, Contreras threatened to kill Nikki if she ever took their daughter, A.C., away from him, if she ever got a restraining order, or if she ever caused him to lose his job, the lawsuit said.

After each episode, Bascom contacted Silver City police but Contreras remained on the job.

On the day of Bascoms death, Contreras, armed with his gun, came to her home in uniform and in his police vehicle and blocked her from leaving her driveway, the lawsuit said. He then reached into her car and ripped her cellphone from her hand, court documents say.

The lawsuit say Bascom informed Chief Ed Reynolds of the incident, but police did little to protect her. Bascom fled to a domestic violence center where Contreras allegedly banged on the door of the shelter, the lawsuit said.

Moments before Bascom was killed in April 2016, the lawsuit says, a Grant County sheriffs sergeant spotted Contreras driving through Bascoms bosss neighborhood but didnt pull him over.

Authorities say Contreras shot and killed himself moments after he killed Bascom in her friends driveway.

The town, its police department, Reynolds and Grant County are named in the lawsuit.

Reynolds and Cody Rogers, an attorney for Silver City, did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

Jonlyn Martinez, a lawyer for Grant County, also did not immediately return an email.

The family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

Joseph Kennedy, an attorney for Bascoms mother, said Bascoms two children live with their grandmother out of state.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  Unions that represent Navajo workers in New Mexico say tribal members are being passed over for jobs at a power plant on the reservation in violation of Navajo labor laws.

Workers at the coal-fired Four Corners Power Plant are installing equipment to cut down on haze-causing nitrogen oxide emissions. The $635 million project requires nearly 1,500 temporary workers through July.

Arizona Public Service Co. leases the land from the Navajo Nation and runs the power plant. APS spokesman Robert Charles says contractors and subcontractors must abide by the Navajo Preference in Employment Act, which means qualified Navajos would be considered before other applicants.

A regional carpenters union and a New Mexico group that represents 15 labor unions say theyre concerned thats not happening. In an area where unemployment hovers around 50 percent and jobs are scarce, they say the law is vital for protecting Navajo workers.

If we do get the first priority or they go by the Navajo Preference in Employment Act, that would give a lot of these Navajo families and the Navajo people here who have the qualifications  good, steady work to be near home with their families, said Chris Frank, a Navajo member of the Southwest Carpenters Local 407.

Los Angeles-based AECOM, which is overseeing the installation of the pollution controls, declined to comment.

The Navajo Nation enacted the preference law in 1985 to keep Navajos working on the reservation. APS is exempt from it under its lease but has a separate preference plan for hiring Native Americans.

The first step in bringing forth alleged violations is the Office of Navajo Labor Relations. The complaints can be pursued further through the tribes Labor Commission. APS spokesman Robert Charles says anyone concerned about hiring practices should seek help there.

Weslie Begay, a Navajo insulator from Beclabito, N.M., said he heard about the contract jobs at the power plant over the radio and inquired. He didnt hear back from one company but later got hired by another. He said he emailed the prior tribal administration asking that someone ensure Navajos are being hired for the jobs, but the only response he received simply thanked him for his thoughts.

You see a lot more people there now, but at the same time, youre seeing more from out of state, Begay said. Just after work, youre leaving the parking lot, and you see license plates from all over  Texas and Louisiana.

Franks petitioned the Labor Relations office to investigate and alerted the tribal presidents office. But he said his concerns and those of 15 to 20 others were dismissed. He was given the option to sue  one of several options through Labor Relations  but Frank said he doesnt have the resources.

Wenona Benally, who oversees the Labor Relations office, declined to comment. Navajo Nation spokesman Mihio Manus says the tribe is looking into the matter and declined further comment.

Efforts to sue might be futile since the Labor Commission is waiting appointment of members, and hearings through November have been rescheduled. The Labor Relations office recently was hit with $200,000 in budget cuts, leading to fewer staff members and the shutdown of at least one office.

Navajo workers and union leaders also say theyre hesitant to approach Labor Relations because its time-consuming, contracts often wrap up before action can be taken, or they get no response.

In the past, the Navajo Nation took the preference law seriously, said Brian Condit, president of the New Mexico Building Trades Association. In the past few years, its quite the contrary.

Frank, the carpenters union member, was fired by a subcontractor of the power plant in July for repeated tardiness and absences, though he says he had doctors notes. He believes he was retaliated against for trying to recruit more Navajos, emphasize safety and ensure tribal members are paid proper wages.

I was the one mostly speaking out for everyone in the Navajo Nation, said the 39-year-old Red Valley resident, who now works for another contractor.

Under federal law, tribes and tribally owned businesses can restrict employment to their own members. Hundreds of leases on the Navajo Nation have included language giving preference to Navajo job applicants, former Navajo Chief Justice Raymond Austin wrote in a paper on the law.

Navajo law is a powerful influence on employees wellbeing and employers business decisions, he wrote, but it also can be adversarial for employers and their workers.
April 30, 2017

On April 28, Iranians tuned into state televisions Channel 1 to watch the first round of presidential debates  a forum that greatly shapes voter sentiments.

Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, a former minister of industries and mines, are the candidates of the Reformist-moderate camp. On the other side of the political spectrum, the conservatives are represented by Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the holy shrine of the eighth Shiite imam, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Mostafa Mirsalim, a former minister of culture and Islamic guidance.

The first televised debate was supposed to be about social issues, but quickly turned into a highly political battle over the economy. The clash began when Rouhani was to make his address, and Ghalibaf  who was defeated by Rouhani in the 2013 presidential elections  claimed that the incumbent had previously promised that he would create 4 million jobs. Rouhani quickly denied this and interrupted Ghalibaf by saying, I do not want this lie to continue and do not want Mr. Ghalibafs sins to increase.

During the debate, Iranian news sites and channels on the popular smartphone app Telegram were highly active, and engaging in real-time fact-checking. As such, the moment Ghalibaf spoke of Rouhanis alleged promise, the statement in question was quickly circulated, showing that Rouhani had before the 2013 elections said that 4 million jobs could be created  if the countrys tourism industry boomed and 10 million tourists could be attracted to Iran.

This wasnt the only time in which Rouhani and Ghalibaf tensely traded barbs during the debate. Another important showdown was when Ghalibaf accused Rouhani of deceiving people through the candidacy of Jahangiri, who is widely assumed to have signed up to run to aid Rouhani during the debates and then withdraw in favor of the incumbent.

Ghalibaf seemingly did not expect Jahangiri to counter him seriously. Instead, the Tehran mayor found himself coming under fire by the vice president, with Jahangiri saying that the man behind the attack on the Saudi Embassy in January 2016, which led to the severing of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, is seemingly working for Ghalibaf.

Which people were behind the attack on Saudi Arabias Embassy?  We [Rouhani administration] did not attack the embassy and put peoples interests at risk. For which candidate are those who attacked the embassy working for? Who gave the money [for the embassy attack] and supported them? Jahangiri unexpectedly thundered during the debate.

Jahangiris charge did not stop Ghalibaf from launching further attacks on the Rouhani administration. In the last minutes of the debate, the Tehran mayor curiously appeared to both imitate former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-13) and the latters Reformist rival in the 2009 elections, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has been under house arrest since 2011.

During the controversial presidential debates in 2009, Ahmadinejad famously brought up a document on the air, claiming that Mousavis wife, academic Zahra Rahnavard, held two illegal degrees  a claim that was later denied by the Inspection Organization. In direct response to Ahmadinejad, Mousavi minutes later addressed the Iranian people on TV, saying, We are facing a phenomenon who stares in your eyes and lies.

Eight years later, in the April 28 presidential debate, Ghalibaf seemingly imitated Ahmadinejads tactic to discredit Rouhani by showing a printed screenshot of the presidents remarks published on his website about creating 4 million jobs, and seemingly repeated Mousavis aforementioned famous statement to attract some of the Reformists supporters. However, this does not appear to have worked out very well as many slammed Ghalibaf for repeating Ahmadinejads behavior. Indeed, soon after the end of the debate, many users on social media uploaded pictures of Ghalibaf and Ahmadinejad next to each other, each holding up a printed document at respective debates, and accusing the Tehran mayor of hypocrisy for stealing Mousavis statement.

Following the debate, four of the candidates  Rouhani, Ghalibaf, Mirsalim and Raisi  lodged protests with the Election Campaign Monitoring Committee. Rouhani's cultural adviser, Hesamoddin Ashna, said the president filed a complaint with the committee over Ghalibafs accusations and because state TV did not give him the opportunity to respond the Tehran mayors claims.

Another significant aspect of the debate was Raisis apparent decision not to get entangled in Ghalibafs clash with Rouhani and Jahangiri. Some hinted that Raisi feared a direct clash with Rouhani, who is a skilled speaker.

The big highlight seemed to be that Jahangiri's allegations about the embassy attack helped him gain traction with voters, according to online surveys after the debate.

Ghalibafs harsh attacks had not been expected. Some believe the Tehran mayors real aim was to portray himself as the only conservative candidate. Indeed, following the debate, his supporters slammed Raisi for his inabilities, lack of courage and inaction in the face of the heated battle between Ghalibaf and Rouhani and Jahangiri.

On the other hand, Ghalibafs actions were criticized by Raisis supporters, who surmised that the Tehran mayors direct clash with Rouhani was planned in order to portray Ghalibaf as effective and get him the upper hand vis-a-vis Raisi in opinion polls.

By accusing Rouhani and the people behind him as belonging to the 4%  an apparent adaptation of the Occupy Wall Street movements reference to the 1%  who are violating the rights of the 96%, Ghalibaf apparently imitated US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and was seeking to attract the votes of the middle class.

Saeed Leylaz, a prominent Reformist analyst, said April 29, Mr. Ghalibaf definitely cannot portray himself as the representative of the poor classes, or as he himself said, the 96%. Leylaz added, This gesture doesnt match with Ghalibafs background, referring to the various corruption scandals rocking the Tehran municipality in recent years.

Candidates are scheduled to take part in two more televised debates ahead of the May 19 vote.
April 27, 2017

As Iran's presidential campaigns kick off, some headlines in Tehran and abroad have increasingly zeroed in on a recurring theme: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has a preferred candidate. However, while Khamenei's conservative political proclivities are well-known, they do not always mean him tipping the electoral scales in favor of hard-line contenders. In fact, a different trend is emerging during this election cycle, much like it did in 2013: Underdogs trying to use the idea of being Khamenei's preferred candidate to their benefit while vying for victory at the ballot box.

In the run-up to Irans 2013 election, there was much talk in Western media regarding the supreme leader's supposed preferred candidate, Saeed Jalili. Some pundits called him "the anointed one." Numerous US government officials asked me about Jalili's "frontrunner status" as a result of "Khameneis support." This year, a similar dynamic is emerging around the candidacy of Ebrahim Raisi. This begs the question: How do relatively unknown bureaucrats with no national profile and no executive experience inside Iran manage to cultivate this reputation outside the country during the short campaign season?

Rather than Khamenei or the political establishment selecting a favorite among the 2013 contenders, it was Jalili who used Western media to portray himself as the supreme leader's preferred candidate. Indeed, Jalili announced his candidacy during a CNN interview in Istanbul. Moreover, on the same day that he was approved to run, Jalili gave an interview to the Christian Science Monitor in which he was declared the frontrunner. Western media and pundits ran with Jalili's self-serving depiction as Khamenei's man, which was reported back into Iran via hard-line media as fact  citing Western news coverage as evidence.

But seeking to avoid a repeat of Iran's 2009 presidential election and the ensuing instability, Khamenei seemingly stayed above the fray in 2013. Perhaps pushing back against Jalili's efforts to appropriate his image and sell it to voters, Khamenei bluntly stated in a speech, "I do not favor anybody. From this moment onward, foreign media will say with ulterior motives that I favor a particular candidate. This is a lie. I do not favor anybody."

Contrary to Jalili's depiction, Khamenei emphasized the correlation between voter turnout and legitimacy of the political establishment by saying, "My first and foremost recommendation is participation through the ballot box. This is more important than everything else. It is possible that some people do not want to support the Islamic Republic for any reason, but in any way they would like to support their country. Therefore, these people should go to ballot boxes as well." In the end, Jalili lost  receiving only 11.8% of the vote.

Fast-forward one week into the 2017 campaign, and Raisi is in the initial stages of utilizing Jalili's 2013 playbook. The primary drivers of his campaign thus far are Western and hard-line media outlets, as well as Western pundits who call him "Khamenei's pick to safeguard the Republic of Virtue." All of this begs a second question: Why is Raisi following the same failed strategy that Jalili pursued four years ago?

Like Jalili before him, Raisi does not have an independent base of support. With Khamenei once again pushing for high turnout and claiming he doesn't favor any candidate, this makes it even more challenging for Raisi to cobble together enough votes to win. Thus, portraying himself as Khamenei's preferred candidate is his most probable path toward securing a viable support base from which to grow his candidacy. But will that alone be enough to win? If past is prologue, the answer is likely no.

It's nearly impossible to predict whether voters will mobilize on election day, but it's reasonable to assume that turnout will reach 65-75%  beating the 62.8% in 2005, and remaining under the 79.9% in 1997. Rouhani's 18.6 million votes in 2013 came with a 76.2% voter turnout, likely requiring this year's winner at the polls to garner 17-19 million votes for a first round victory.

It is an uphill climb for conservative presidential candidates when turnout approaches 70%  and according to a recent poll, approximately 45% of Iranians don't know who Raisi is. He is almost certainly aware of all this, which may explain what appears to be the second part of his strategy.

Knowing that Khamenei-centric voters alone are unlikely to secure victory, Raisi has started to build off that group by also utilizing former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's base: ultraconservative, economically disillusioned and anti-establishment voters. To that end, many similarities are emerging between Raisi's campaign and Ahmadinejads presidency  from advisers and supporters, to populist policies and rhetoric.

It's too early to know if this gamble will work, and it could produce a variety of outcomes  enlarge Raisi's voting bloc, destroy his support among Khamenei-centric voters, mobilize voters to cast anti-Raisi ballots for Rouhani, or a combination of the latter two scenarios. If Raisi is the only hard-liner left in the race on election day, it is less likely that his association with Ahmadinejad's cohort will damage his depiction as the supreme leader's preferred candidate.

Between now and May 19, Raisi will likely bank on his self-serving portrayal as Khamenei's man, receiving a boost from American "hard-liners" by virtue of their disposition: Only the supreme leader's ballot counts, and the other 55 million eligible voters in Iran do not matter. That's why Iranian hard-liners intentionally target their American counterparts  their only bet is to have the "true believers" come out in droves for "Khamenei's preferred candidate"  and for others to stay home. Short of that, it will be difficult for hard-liners to produce a candidate who can surpass Rouhani's 18.6 million votes in 2013.

Trying to predict Iranian politics can be a humbling experience. Many presidential elections in the past produced surprises and upsets: 1997 (Mohammad Khatami), 2005 (Ahmadinejad), 2009 (pandemonium) and 2013 (Rouhani). Anything can happen, and Khamenei may very well prefer Raisi to be president  even though there is no definitive evidence so far to prove that assertion. Unless that changes, it is more instructive to focus on how and why Raisi is posturing to fit that description.
November 17, 2017

BASRA, Iraq  Shiites around the world celebrated the Arbaeen holiday Nov. 9. This year, Christians in Iraq participated in the Shiite ritual to attest to the coexistence and social interaction between the Christian minority and the Shiite majority in central and southern Iraq.

Youssef Touma Elias, an Iraqi Christian, took part in the celebrations and served the Shiite pilgrims who marched to the sacred shrine of Imam Hussein in the city of Karbala. However, this positive step by the members of the Christian minority conceals their deep fear and mistrust of the majority, who failed to protect them from the threats of extremists over recent years.

Basra has been a great historical example of cultural coexistence and harmony among its various religious components. However, it could now lose its rich religious diversity amid threats to its non-Muslim minorities. To preserve their religion and culture, Christian communities in Iraq have been isolating themselves.

On Sept. 19, a statue of the Virgin Mary was removed from the Abbasiya district in central Basra, as requested by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Basra Habib Hermes. Hermes described the idea of placing this statue as an exploitation of a Christian religious symbol.

In his letter to the local authorities, Hermes pointed out that erecting the statue may lead to undesirable consequences." He added, "If a malicious person tried to harm this statue, the relationship between the different spectrums of the people of Basra would be destabilized.

About 90% of Basra's Christians have left Iraq since 2003, and only 350 families remain, he said, pointing to the declining number of the Iraqi Christian minority.

Hermes fear over the few remaining Christians in the city and his pessimism about any positive outcome ensuing from initiatives  similar to the Christian participation in the Arbaeen holiday  seem to be justified in light of the fragile security situation in Basra, which recently turned into an arena for tribal conflicts.

Armenian activist Tony Sarkisian, the head of the Basra Armenians Organization for Relief and Development, came up with the idea of placing the Virgin Mary statue in central Basra. He was surprised by the position of the authorities. He told Al-Monitor, The message conveyed by acts of solidarity  such as the idea of placing the statue  symbolizes national unity and coexistence among Muslims and Christians.

He added, The donations collected for the project of placing the statue were mostly from Muslims, and the project workers were mostly from Muslims hailing from Basra. The statue itself was sculpted by a Muslim sculptor.

Novak Aram Bedrosian, a member representing Christians on the Basra Province Council, told Al-Monitor, Acts of solidarity, such as participation in rituals or the erection of a statue [of Virgin Mary] did not win the approval of political representatives of Christians.

Bassam al-Alwachi, the head of LARSA, an organization for the preservation of religious heritage, told Al-Monitor. Placing the statue of the Virgin Mary in a public square could annoy fanatical religious parties or individuals and may be exploited to ignite an unwanted sectarian crisis, as some may try to harm or destroy this statue."

Although Alwachi did not mention the identity of the fanatical religious parties, it is clear he was referring to some political Islam parties that have an interest in turning Basra into a city with a pure religious or sectarian identity.

In turn, Hermes said it would be better to move the statue of the Virgin Mary inside the walls of a church, a monastery or a cemetery to protect it from those who seek to tamper with the security of Basra or people with weak souls.

Alwachi added, The churches in Basra are open to all Muslims and Christians who wish to visit the statue of the Virgin Mary at any time and get its blessings. This is something Muslim women always do. He also pointed out that the statue will be moved with the approval and participation of Christian clerics.

On his Facebook page, Hermes explained the conditions that must be met for erecting a statue of the Virgin Mary, saying, The erection of such a monument must be subject to conditions. Every sculptor in Europe takes the opinion of the church before sculpting a statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue in Basra does not resemble the Virgin Mary, especially the facial features, length and width measurements. I wish the sculptor had referred to us for help. Sculpting and erecting a statue of the Virgin Mary should involve a high sense of Christian spirituality because this is the Mother of the Lord Jesus. Such a step should be coupled with a specific prayer and church ritual including the performance of the Holy Rosary.

Sheikh Abbas al-Fadli, the head of the Basra Tribes and Components Committee, tried to contain the fears that erupted within the scope of the controversy around the Virgin Mary statue. He noted that Basra is a city historically known for its pluralism and tolerance, and Christians are an essential component of this city. The Muslims of Basra  like its Christians  sanctify the Virgin Mary, who is venerated in Islam, he told Al-Monitor.
November 16, 2017

CAIRO  With more than 18,000 icons, carved stones, frescoes and manuscripts in its 27 halls, Cairos Coptic Museum boasts one of the largest collections of Coptic artifacts in the world. Yet the lack of a sophisticated security system and an adequate budget makes it difficult to preserve and protect this heritage, let alone carry out an assertive marketing campaign to draw more tourists.

Through manuscripts, frescoes and early Bibles, the museum, in Masr al-Qadima district, displays the history of Christianity in Egypt since the Roman persecution of Christians and later the recognition of Christianity by the Roman Empire. The museum also has an extensive collection Coptic art.

Atef Naguib, the general manager of the Coptic Museum, spoke to Al-Monitor about the history of the museum. According to Naguib, some of the artifacts in the museum had been collected by Gaston Maspero, a French Egyptologist. Maspero, the director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service in the 1880s, then created a room devoted to Coptic art at the Egyptian Museum, also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

"As the number of Coptic pieces in this section increased, the idea to build a special Coptic Museum began to shape up. In 1910, the Coptic Museum was founded by Marcus Simaika Pasha using the pieces collected from Egyptian and foreign artifacts collectors, said Naguib. He added that both Pope Kyrillos V and King Fuad I encouraged the idea of building a museum for Coptic artifacts, and they became patrons of the museum.

The museum was under the church administration until 1931 and then under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. "In 1947, a new department was built to include other artifacts, and the museum kept expanding, Naguib said, explaining that it has grown from a single hall near the Hanging Church in Masr al-Qadima district in Cairo to its current 27 halls built in the Coptic style.

The 1992 Cairo earthquake took its toll on the museum, and it was finally closed for repairs in 2001. It did not open until June 26, 2006, when the museum was completely restored and refurbished at a cost of 30 million Egyptian pounds ($5.4 million at the time) under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Today, the museum has a total of 18,319 artifacts, Naguib noted.

Yet the museum faces many challenges in terms of budget and security. Naguib said the museum needs an expansion to accommodate the new artifacts and antiquities that were acquired, but it has a very limited budget, which makes further construction, modernization and even maintenance impossible.

The other problem, Naguib continued, is the lack of touristic marketing for the museum. Foreign tourists visit historical churches in Masr al-Qadima, but they do not visit the museum despite its historic significance. This museum is not marketed enough, neither in Egypt nor abroad.

On April 18, 2016, former French President Francois Hollande visited the Coptic Museum during his visit to Egypt and commended the museum as well as the Coptic history of Egypt.

Ilham Salah, the head of the ministrys Museums Sector, told Al-Monitor, The Coptic Museum is the largest collection of Egyptian Coptic artifacts in the country and possibly in the world, but despite its significance, it is still relatively little known by tourists due to poor marketing.

Salah also stressed that the security system needs improvement and maintenance as the closed-circuit TV security cameras and electronic gates have not been changed since its reopening in 2006.

On Sept. 14, a security guard from the Coptic Museum security staff was arrested while trying to leave with artifacts from the museum. He had chopped off a piece from a wooden door panel that had once belonged to the fifth-century church of St. Barbara in Old Cairo.

During prosecution investigations, the security guard said that he was encouraged because he knew the cameras were not recording at all.

There is a development and maintenance plan for the security system. The reasons behind the burglary are the weak monitoring technologies, and the staff are neither well-selected nor well-trained and well-supervised, Salah said.

Salah also confirmed the inadequacy of the museum budget allocated by the Ministry of Antiquities, which is also in debt and going through a financial crisis. [These] take their toll on museums such as the Coptic Museum, he added.

Bahgat Fanous, the former director of the Coptic Museum, told Al-Monitor, The Coptic Museum needs the attention of the Ministry of Tourism and tourism companies because the museum is falling off the marketing map of historical locations in Egypt."

The historic significance of the museum qualifies it to be among the historical tourist attractions, as the museum is located in an area full of historical churches such as the Hanging Church. Although the area attracts tourists, the museum cannot be put in its right place on the map unless its problems are solved, Fanous added.
November 17, 2017

CAIRO  In early November, the Together with you for the sake of Egypt campaign  which launched Oct. 10  inaugurated its offices in Giza and Alexandria with the goal of publicizing the advantages of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's rule. Mohammed Arabi, a founder of the campaign, told the press that once the campaigns legal documents are ready, offices in other governorates also will be opened, to shed light on national projects introduced under Sisi's rule.

Members of parliament of the Support Egypt bloc, Free Egyptian Party and the Nations Future Party took part in the To build it social media campaign, designed to collect signatures promoting Sisis candidacy in the 2018 presidential election, which can be held in May at the latest.

In addition, a series of measures are being taken by parliamentarians to postpone the discussion or approval of draft laws that would have a negative impact on Sisi's candidacy, at both popular and economic levels. Most recently among these measures is the decision to put off the discussion of the rent draft law, parliament member Moataz Mahmoud, who proposed the bill, told Al-Monitor.

The rent draft law aims to liberalize the relationship between the apartments owners and the roughly 3 million tenants who benefit from rent control, provided that the rental prices are in line with the prevailing current market price.

Mahmoud, who is also the chairman of the parliamentary Housing Committee, said the discussion of the draft law was postponed to the next legislative session, starting in October 2018. This is because more hearings need to be held, and because the Egyptians are currently preoccupied with the presidential election. He said the discussion was postponed during the current legislative session he presides over, which started in October, to prevent some from taking advantage of the draft law to provoke public opinion.

According to Mahmoud's proposal, the bill seek to increase the rental value on rent controlled properties by 10% annually and to reach market value in 10 years.

It was also decided at the end of the previous legislative session to postpone to an unspecified date the discussion of a draft law on merging the formal and informal economic sectors at the tax level, member of parliament Fayka Fahim, who introduced the draft law, told Al-Monitor. Parliamentarian Amr Ghalab, the chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee and member of the Support Egypt bloc, told the press in July that the committee decided to postpone the bill that was presented during the last legislative session, as it needs a full strategy and a public dialogue, and is not a draft law that can be easily approved.

Amr al-Gohary told Al-Monitor such a law would negatively affect small enterprises and trades, and would lead to an increase in unemployment rates. He said it would be difficult to adopt in the current legislative session.

Also, the Support Egypt bloc backed down on the idea of amending the constitution, which was set to be a part of the parliament's agenda early in the current legislative session (October 2017-June 2018). This was postponed until after the presidential elections. A source in the parliament's General Secretariat told Al-Monitor that the secretariat that is supposed to receive bills or proposals to amend the constitution refused to take any proposals, after people in high places recommended that this subject not be tackled before the upcoming presidential elections, because of its possible negative effect on Sisi's expected bid for re-election.

In contrast, the issuance of a local administration regulation, which is to be followed by local elections across Egypt, is expected to be postponed. Hence, local council elections would likely take place after the presidential elections. Mohamed Fouad, member of parliament for the Wafd Party, told Al-Monitor that postponing the issuance of the local administration law may be related to voter fatigue.

He said a high voter turnout is anticipated in the presidential election, if it is held first. He said local elections will be held for 55,000 posts in the Egyptian governorates, which means that a large-scale mobilization of voters is expected by up to 150,000 candidates. In case local elections are held prior to the presidential elections, the voter turnout in the presidential elections could be negatively affected, given that the voters may feel uninterested in voting for a second time.

As part of the moves to provide Sisi with more popular support in the Egyptian street, a number of members of parliament, headed by the heads of parliamentary bodies, signed the To build it petition, in favor of Sisis candidacy for a second presidential term. At least 120 members of parliament had signed it by mid-October.

Article 142 of the constitution stipulates, To be accepted as a candidate for the presidency, candidates must receive the recommendation of at least 20 elected members of the House of Representatives, or endorsements from at least 25,000 citizens who have the right to vote, in at least 15 governorates, with a minimum of 1,000 endorsements from each governorate. In all cases, no one can endorse more than one candidate.

The "To build it" campaign published a copy of the petition calling for Sisi's candidacy. A number of parliamentarians, media figures and celebrities signed it as a first step, followed by other Egyptians' signatures in the various governorates. The members of parliament sought to print thousands of copies of the petition, and they opened electoral and service offices to receive citizens wishing to sign the petition.

Mohammad Rashwan, a member of the Support Egypt blocs political bureau, told Al-Monitor that the coalition, which has a parliamentary majority, is now working on accelerating the issuance of a number of laws that serve the interest of the state, and through which Sisi could be supported on the street and politically, including the consumer protection law, unified building law and criminal proceedings law.
November 17, 2017

We are in the Middle East and in the Middle Ages, said Firas Abdullah, 24, a photographer and media activist from the Ghouta Media Center in Douma, rural Damascus. People take the wood from trees directly to warm up next to the fire, and they dont have enough food to feed themselves. We eat what we find. In October, Abdullah started a media campaign to inform the international community about the four-year siege on Eastern Ghouta, which has led to death and starvation. Children especially were the most vulnerable victims of the cruel siege. Douma and the neighboring villages are continuously subjected to bombs and missiles from the government forces.

Its a wonder that the 350,000 residents of Eastern Ghouta have managed to survive during the past four years.

At the beginning  in 2013 and 2014  many people were still cultivating the lands, Beyan Rehan, 31, a member of the local council in Douma told Al-Monitor in a Skype conversation. My uncle is still cultivating outside Douma, in the countryside. But even agriculture became expensive, and over time most of the people were not able to sustain it. In 2015, Rehan, a former geography student, became the first woman elected to the local council, where she was re-elected last month. Among the 310 members, only two women won seats. Rehan became the coordinator of the womens affairs office, working in collaboration with other womens organizations. Throughout liberated areas all over Syria, local councils have tried to be a substitute for the absent government, providing municipal services, medical and humanitarian aid in the form of food and shelter, as well as media services and education when possible.

We try to keep the agricultural fields in the southern part of Eastern Ghouta. But it is expensive. So we always need to rely on the only crossing available, which is the Wafideen crossing controlled by [President Bashar al-] Assads forces and which is the gate for the traders, Rehan said.

She added, But the prices are uncontrollable. A basic good of 200 Syrian pounds [roughly $0.40] in Damascus, becomes 5,000 Syrian pounds [$9.70] passing that gate. Sugar is at 10,000 Syrian pounds [$19.40]. Many people sold their houses to be able to buy food and eat or receive money from Syrians now living in Germany, Sweden, Turkey.

Syrian refugees originally from Eastern Ghouta who now live in the Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan are able to send money to Damascus through Western Union and then to Douma. In Zaatari camp, people call our shops mahallat al-Ghouta [shops of Ghouta] selling foodstuffs, Khaled al-Qazq, a resident of Zaatari camp, told Al-Monitor. Its from this street and this business here we are able to send money to our parents, sisters, brothers, sons in Ghouta to let them buy the expensive food and survive.

Abdullah also captured with his pictures the many people who in the beginning of the siege cultivated vegetables on their rooftops. But with the water shortage, most of them had to stop. On rooftops, as in the agricultural fields, the lack of an irrigation system providing clean water caused the end of this semi-autonomous way of surviving the siege. The shops in Douma are all the same. You dont find any products, just the few foodstuffs that have to pass to the regime checkpoint and then to the militia groups, he said. The two opposition armed groups  Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) and Failaq al-Rahman (Corps of Mercy)  militarily control the area under siege, and they often interfere in the public and private affairs of Ghoutas population.

Another source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor that the two armed groups are also responsible for worsening the conditions of Assads unlawful crimes against the poor population. According to that source, humanitarian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide food, clothes and medicines denounced the armed groups, which allowed the entrance of aid only after taking a hefty percentage of the donations.

The Italian-based Nour Committee has sent donations to the people of Ghouta on a regular basis since 2014. The last time they relied on Kids Paradise, a Syrian NGO in Turkey, to deliver the funds. The founders of Kids Paradise have strong connections with farmers, artisans and bakers; so we tried to support, for example, local bakers to make their bread. But most of the food comes from the black market anyway, Lisanna Genuardi, the president of the Nour Committee, told Al-Monitor. Some of the donors asked me if it was ethically correct to let the food arrive through the black market that fuels Assads forces as well as armed groups. But in the past four years, Ghouta has been left alone and the only alternative was to let them die of starvation.

In a recently published report Surrender or Starve, Amnesty International denounced the siege, which has led not only to starvation and misery in densely populated areas, but also to forced displacement of thousands of residents from six besieged areas (Daraya, eastern Aleppo city, al-Waer, Madaya, Kefraya and Foua) under the so-called reconciliation agreements.

Before the city of Madaya in Western Ghouta returned to Assads control in April, the Nour Committee sent seeds to local populations under the project Seeds of Hope. They had to end the project. Agricultural fields where our beneficiaries were trying to cultivate were constantly attacked by groups loyal to Assads regime  like Hezbollah taking siege of Madaya. After months we decided that it was just better to send money or foods, because seeds could not grow, Genuardi said. Also the water was polluted and contaminated by bombs, and so the agriculture could not benefit.

Humanitarian aid entered Douma on Nov. 12, reaching 21,000 people, three months after the besieged city was blocked from food and basic needs. The aid is never enough for such areas. Schools are often the gathering points to distribute sandwiches and clothes, but after a few days, the crisis starts again. After a smaller delivery of aid on Oct. 30, people in Douma protested, demanding an end to the blockade instead of temporary assistance.

Before the siege, Ghouta was famous for its camel meat, but nowadays nobody can afford it anymore, Abdullah said.

Rehan said, The only solution is to end the bombings and the siege, let the people come in and go out, and not living under the smuggling business to eat."

I wish to travel to Idlib to know personally my future husband. Many of us got engaged by Skype during the siege. But if the government forces retake Douma, we will have to leave Syria  and this time forever, she added.
November 17, 2017

Something dramatic is occurring in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which might soon impact the Israeli-Palestinian negotiation renewal. While most pundits are trying to figure out the consequences of the latest events there, they missed the shift in the kingdoms traditional policy. Saudi Arabia has moved away from its role as a behind-the-scenes player to the position of a forefront leader. But as it is an extremely closed system, with little media transparency, it is difficult to assess the full significance of the internal purge that the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has undertaken.

In fact, in parallel with the purging campaign, Mohammed had expressed very strong positions against Iran and its proxy Hezbollahs terror activities both in Yemen and Lebanon. And so, the crown prince is clearly preparing for both domestic reforms and for realizing Saudi Arabias regional ambitions. He wants Saudi Arabia to fulfill the role of a leader in the Islamic world, perceiving Iran as its greatest ideological and strategic foe. The prince knows that positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional leader goes hand in hand with a US-Saudi rapprochement and also with taking more visible steps on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And it seems that he is ready to advance on both these fronts.

A senior Gulf diplomat stationed in London told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the new crown prince is planning a relatively smooth transfer of power once he takes over for his father. He is known to be very pro-American, is close to President Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and was the central force behind the economic and defense deals that were signed during Trumps visit to Riyadh in May, as well as the presidents Riyadh Declaration. The Gulf diplomat said that the US administration fully backs the crown princes path to regional power and to a more modern Saudi Arabia. He has launched the plan for Saudi Arabia 2030, with accelerated high-tech development. Saudi Arabia must prepare for the post-oil era.

While pushing forward modernization, Saudi Arabia has made other moves of broader regional repercussions. The country is fighting the Houthis in Yemen, which are backed by Iran and Hezbollah. Lebanon is another place the Saudis would like to curtail Iranian influence. The resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri is an indication of this.

The Gulf diplomat said Saudi Arabia is interested in a close relationship with the Trump administration and in some degree of cooperation on the technology and intelligence fronts with Israel.

The diplomat said that the way Riyadh sees it, advancing ties with the Trump administration and also with Israel, at some levels, requires progress on the Palestinian issue. This may very well be the background to the efforts by the Trump administration for a renewal of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, under broad guidelines that should be acceptable to Israel, the Palestinians, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In any case, pushing forward the Palestinian cause was the reason behind Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visit to Riyadh on Nov. 7.

A senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Jerusalem is aware of the domestic changes in Riyadh and is encouraged by the close relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, as reported by Kushner to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Kushners visit to Riyadh in the beginning of November. While this would lead to a stronger Saudi military, it also opens the possibility for Israel for security cooperation with the pragmatic axis in the Gulf together with Egypt and Jordan, he said.

Indeed, a first public sign for such a development was displayed Nov. 15 when the London-based Elaph Saudi news site published a rare interview with Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. In the interview, Eizenkot spoke about full agreement about Irans intentions between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and he even expressed Israels willingness to share intelligence about the Iranian threat with pragmatic Arab countries .

Referring to the American Mideast initiative, the Israeli official did not rule out that the eventual proposals by Trump are linked to the new American honeymoon with Saudi Arabia.

The senior Gulf diplomat confirmed the Saudi interest in renewing the peace process in the region following the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement. According to the diplomat, the Saudis insist on certain points in their talks with the US administration. They have told the Americans that Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt and the Arab League believe that it is an opportune time to embark on US-led negotiations for a two-state solution. For them, both the Saudi peace plan of 2002 and the Riyadh Declaration of 2017 should constitute the basis for such a peace and security process. One more point they insisted on was that Saudi Arabia is interested in regional cooperation with the United States to fight radical terror and curb Iranian regional expansionist ambitions, including in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. More generally speaking, Saudi Arabia is willing to enhance its economic and security cooperation with the Trump administration.

And so, it seems the Saudi role in the region might be shifting from being an observer with great economic clout to being a more active player. Saudi Arabia wants to balance Iran's influence, to create closer relations with the United States and most of all to modernize its economy. And for that to happen, it intends to become involved in pushing Israeli-Palestinian talks.
November 19, 2017

Hariris transformative journey: Unable to convince anybody

I am unable to convince anybody that you aren't a prisoner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that you're not a hostage, that you're not under house arrest even though we are in your own house," said Paula Yacoubian in her interview with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri last week. Even I myself am being accused of being part of this theater.

During the interview, conducted on his own Future TV, Hariri assured Yacoubian that all was fine and that he was not a captive in the kingdom, all the while drinking perhaps a quart of water and looking tired and at times on the verge of tears, saying at one point, I have to think about my family, too.  You know what I went through when my father died."

As one of the Marx Brothers once said, Who are you gonna believe, me or your own eyes? Not a single cab driver in Beirut or Cairo is buying Hariris assurances that he has been acting of his own free will or that his visit to the kingdom was simply in the context of his special and brotherly relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Also not buying it are French President Emmanuel Macron, whose intervention led to Hariris release, due to the good offices of United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed; German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who criticized Saudi interference in Lebanese affairs, prompting a crisis in German-Saudi relations; Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who said that he considered Hariri to be held and detained, contrary to the Vienna Convention; Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who called out Saudi Arabia for irresponsibility and a reckless leadership in the region that is just trying to bully countries into submission.

With regard to what has been seen with our own eyes, Hariri arrived in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 3, per a summons to meet King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. He was received without the normal protocol at the airport, and soon presented his resignation speech, in which he declared the need to "cut off the hands that wickedly extend to it," referring to Iranian and Hezbollah influence in Lebanese affairs, and that his life was in danger. Macron came to the kingdom Nov. 9 to address the crisis, and undertook a diplomatic effort to get Hariri and his family out of Riyadh. The interview with Yacoubian on Future TV, which is owned by Hariri, was such a fiasco that Lebanese state television stations will no longer run it. Hariri landed in France on Nov. 18, but with two of his children left behind in Saudi Arabia, fueling further speculation that his freedom of action remains constrained.

All this has the potential to upend Lebanese and regional politics, and for no good reason, other than the impulse of Mohammed bin Salman, who has arrested and confiscated the assets of hundreds of Saudi royals and business leaders. The crown prince's disastrous intervention in Yemen has killed thousands and brought the country to the brink of famine (see below), his decision to isolate Qatar has undermined Gulf Cooperation Council unity to Irans benefit and his frustration with Hariris inability to confront Hezbollah in Lebanon is well-known.

All eyes are therefore on Hariris return to Lebanon and the Nov. 22 meeting with Aoun. The Lebanese president has stood by Hariri, working closely with France and others to secure his release and safe return. Although Hariri and Aoun may differ on many issues, Aoun took on Hariris cause in the name of Lebanese sovereignty.

Hariri is expected to announce his resignation and seek to rally a more formidable opposition to Hezbollah. But the March 14 coalition has been fragmenting for years on Hariris watch. How can it be rebuilt on the shell, or even corpse, of his credibility, if he continues to keep his own counsel on what he has suffered the past few weeks?

And what will be the price for those Lebanese politicians who might be inclined to support such an effort, pretending they are not privy to the open secret that the foundation of the new coalition is built on a house of cards, and a game of silence, originating in Riyadh? The theater of Hariris journey is the staple of conversation in cabs and in coffee houses and other gathering places throughout Lebanon and the region. The Lebanese people, in the Marx Brothers terminology, are believing their eyes. Lebanese politicians place their credibility on the line by pretending to go along with the charade, given the immense risks for the country with more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon and confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.

The present crisis is not without parallel to the challenges faced by Hariris father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who managed Lebanons affairs so artfully until his murder by political enemies in 2005. The elder Hariri was lionized for putting Lebanon first, despite the pressures of regional powers. When he was killed, the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon began a hunt for witnesses.

In this case, Saad Hariri is his own witness in a court of conscience, not an international tribunal. It is fitting that he returns to Lebanon on its independence day. The open secret of Hairis transformative journey has sparked a commendable popular outrage against such blatant and malign interference in Lebanese affairs. Although his political capital is in free fall, Hariris next steps may nonetheless be consequential as to whether the country keeps to its present and fragile course of stability and sovereignty, or whether it reverts to a regional battleground.

No earthquake diplomacy this time

In December 2003, a massive earthquake struck southeastern Iran, killing over 26,000 people, and injuring over 30,000. The Bam earthquake came at a low point in US-Iran relations, almost two years after US President George W. Bush labeled Iran a member of the "axis of evil." Nonetheless, the Bush administration offered, and Iran accepted, relief aid from the United States, and the United States lifted some US sanctions to allow humanitarian assistance. The Iranian government, however, rejected an offer by the White House to send a delegation led by North Carolina Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a former president of the American Red Cross, to help oversee the relief effort.

On Nov. 12, an earthquake in Kermanshah province in Iran, home to many Kurdish citizens, killed over 500 and injured thousands. While the US Treasury has allowed donations to Iran via approved charities, there has been no sanctions relief, or gesture of assistance, as there was in 2003. The Department of State released a two-line statement expressing "condolences" for those affected by the earthquake. US President Donald Trump has said nothing about the earthquake.

Ali Hashem reports from Eslamabad-e Gharb, in Kermanshah province: In the center of the city, the scenes of destruction were more obvious. Entire neighborhoods had been wiped out. Some people wandered among the rubble, searching for their belongings, mostly valuable items like jewelry, electronics and rugs. While accompanying a family to their home, Al-Monitor heard a woman shouting, There might be someone alive here! Soldiers and members of the Red Crescent rushed to the scene: a three-story building turned to rubble. A rescue dog was brought to the scene to check for signs of life, while others searched among the rubble for documents that might provide residents' phone numbers or identification. Scattered certificates and papers revealed that a 25-year-old woman named Fatemeh lived there, but no phone number was found.

While the 2003 earthquake was much more destructive than the one last week, the contrast in the response from Washington is telling. US-Iran relations have sunk back to, or below, the axis of evil days. Yemen is a case in point, and victim, of this grim reality. As Jack Detsch reports, the United States has more than doubled US refueling support for the Saudi-led mission in Yemen over the past year  despite mounting public and congressional concerns about the operation. A statement by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations earlier this month called out Iran for its complete disregard for its international obligations for being the possible source of a missile fired into Riyadh by Yemeni rebels. No comparable outrage is expressed for the Saudi-led blockade that is contributing to a famine, as well as the spread of cholera and diphtheria, in the regions poorest country.

As we wrote here last week, Absent some clear red lines, the Trump administration may find itself on a slippery slope toward confrontation with Iran or unrest in Lebanon because of decisions made in Riyadh, not Washington. The United States might consider some conditions on the blank check that seems to spur Saudi action in the region, including Yemen, whose people are paying a terrible price in this war.
November 17, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The Womens Technical Affairs Committee (WATC) issued a press statement Oct. 29 saying that the European Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat (HR/IHL Secretariat) decided to entirely defund the organization on the grounds of incitement to violence against Israel.

The HR/IHL Secretariat is a joint donor program sponsored by four European governments, namely Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and is dedicated to supporting Palestinian and Israeli nongovernmental organizations in bringing about real and sustainable societal change while applying human rights based approaches.

Al-Monitor attempted to contact the HR-IHL Secretariat representatives in the Palestinian territories to no avail. No official statements have been issued regarding the decision to defund the WATC organization.

Samia Bamya, the chairperson of WATC, told Al-Monitor that the secretariat recently decided to defund her organization because of the organizations participation in the May 15 establishment of a women's center named after Palestinian Dalal Mughrabi. The center for culture and community was established to serve the people of the town of Burqa in Nablus, north of the West Bank.

The center was established by the village council of Burqa and funded by the Norwegian government through the Palestinian Central Elections Commission and the UN-affiliated Commission on the Status of Women, which supports the participation of Palestinian women in the elections.

At 20 years old, Mughrabi led a 1978 attack to hijack an Israeli bus. The attack killed more than 30 Israelis, while Mughrabi, among other fighters, were also killed. The operation came as a shock for Israel, which is still withholding Mughrabis body to date.

Bamya said, The HR/IHL Secretariat asked the WATC organization to take a stance against the name, and when we decided to respect the choice of the people of the Burqa town to name their center after [Mughrabi], the secretariat used our position as a pretext to defund our organization.

Established in 1992, the WATC is headquartered in Ramallah, in the center of the West Bank. It has a branch in the Gaza Strip and implements many projects and programs aimed at the development of the conditions of Palestinian women in the West Bank and Gaza. Its projects include Women and Work, Violence Against Women, Political Participation and Empowerment of Women's Frameworks, as enumerated by WATC Director General Srida Hussein. According to Hussein, the HR/IHL Secretariat's decision to defund the WATC organization will affect all these programs and projects.

The funding suspension will mainly affect about 200 individuals working on the implementation of projects and programs aimed at developing the skills and abilities of about 2,500 Palestinian women annually, she added.

For Bamya, cutting off $160,000 in yearly support would disrupt the progress of the institutions projects and programs and would affect its work in fulfilling its mission to develop women's conditions in all aspects of life. Despite the damage resulting from the cessation of funding, we will never make concessions as far as our principles and national and community role are concerned for the sake of receiving conditional funding, she noted.

Bamya denounced the decision of the HR/IHL Secretariat member states to suspend funding despite their commitment to human rights and international humanitarian law and said the decision resulted from the glorification of the name of a Palestinian militant who symbolizes Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation. Meanwhile, Israel continues to occupy our Palestinian territories as those states stand idly by, she added.

She accused the Israeli government of launching an incitement campaign against both its organization and the Dalal Mughrabi Center, which led to the suspension of European funding for both of them. She also denounced the donor countries compliance with the campaign.

On May 28, the government of Norway, one of the supporters of the WATC establishment, denounced the naming of the center after Mughrabi and called upon the Palestinian Authority to remove the country's name from the centers building. It also asked that the funds that Norway paid for the construction of the center be returned. Meanwhile, the United Nations decided to defund the center and deemed its name as a glorification of terrorism.

On May 29, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Norwegian position and said his country has put pressure on donor countries and will continue to do so.

Amira Haroun, the undersecretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Womens Affairs, told Al-Monitor she denounced the decision of the HR-IHL Secretariat to defund the WATC and deemed it as a political decision to support Israel in its ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories.

She said, All of the women institutions working in the Palestinian territories are acting in accordance with Palestinian national strategies that support the Palestinian cause and preserve the history of our struggling people. Therefore, any foreign funding that does not go in tandem with these objectives is refused."

Meanwhile, she hailed the WATCs refusal of conditional funding and said, Claims whereby reviving the names of our fighters by naming Palestinian centers, squares and streets after them fall under the category of incitement to violence. They are false claims and a distortion of the truth. Israel is the one inciting countries against us and killing our people continuously.

Asked whether the Palestinian Ministry of Womens Affairs will provide any support for the institution to help it weather the crisis, Haroun said, The ministry does not provide financial support to women's institutions and projects. Its mission is to secure international support for these institutions through grant programs offered to third world countries.

Bamya hopes that the HR-IHL Secretariat would reconsider its decision given the harm inflicted on women who benefit from the institutions projects and programs with the aim of developing their skills and empowering them economically, politically and socially.

It may seem to many that the Palestinians do not have the right to feel enraged at the injustice of the defunding of Palestinian institutions named after people who have carried out armed operations against Israel. However, this Palestinian feeling certainly stems from a belief that such policies are not applied to Israel, which glorifies the names of several Israelis accused of committing massacres against Palestinians. It named the Israeli settlement Ariel in the northern West Bank after former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, accused by the Palestinians of being behind many of the massacres that led to the deaths of hundreds of them.
November 16, 2017

The Iraqi government, headed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, is seeking to penalize people for the hate speech prevalent in Iraqi society by arresting anyone who expresses such ideas or promotes slogans that insult former or current religious and social figures.

Each year around this time, millions of Shiite Muslims make the pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala for the festival of Arbaeen. People observing Arbaeen sometimes raise banners and shout slogans insulting Sunni figures. In the past, these people were met with public indignation  but not legal measures.

Wahab al-Tai, the interior minister's media adviser, told Al-Monitor in an interview, Up until Nov. 8, the ministry had arrested 76 people who were caught promoting sectarianism. Out of the 76 arrested, 25 were in Karbala and 51 in Babil [province]. Most were Iraqis, but some foreigners were arrested as well.

The Interior Ministry was reacting to a video that has been circulating. The video, taken in Karbala during the festival, shows a group of followers of Shiite Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi  a group known for promoting hateful speech toward important Sunni religious figures. The video shows a young man with a loudspeaker cursing Umar ibn al-Khattab, a senior companion of the Prophet Muhammad considered sacred by Sunnis. Despite all the arrests, that man is still on the loose.

Only two days after appearing in the first video, the same man appeared in another video saying that he was only expressing his opinion.

The ministrys measures against promoters of sectarianism received both political and public support. Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi, the representative of Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in Najaf, applauded the move in his Friday sermon in Karbala on Nov. 10.

However, Sunni scholar Abdul Hakim al-Saadi strongly doubts the effectiveness of the measures. He told Al-Monitor, This move is misleading and only blinds us when  in reality  Iraqi politics are grounded in sectarianism and apportionment.

The slogans raised in Karbala were not only religious but also political. Some people took advantage of the visit to write political messages in Farsi on the walls around the streets of the province, attacking Saudi Arabia and the United States.

By writing such slogans on street walls, some Iranian visitors were trying to earn Iraqis friendship and share their anger at Saudi Arabia, which represents the regional Arab-Sunni axis. Yet the Iraqi public rejected this move.

Activist Ebrahym al-Fraty told Al-Monitor, The slogans raised against the Sahaba [companions of the prophet], the United States and Saudi Arabia were solely meant to push Iraq to issues that would worsen its crises and benefit other countries.

The Interior Ministry is trying to deal seriously with instigators of sectarianism, according to its spokesman, Brig. Gen. Saad Maan. This spiteful and extremist discourse is only the start of instability and wars. From now on, the ministry will not be passive toward anyone who tries to stir tensions," Maan told Al-Monitor.

The ministrys new inclination might put it at odds with some extremist Shiite religious leaders who have popularized insults against Sunni figures.

Shiite religious figure Taha al-Batata said there is no systematic approach among Shiites to insult the Sahaba and their symbols, and during an interview with Al-Monitor he praised the Interior Ministrys measures.

The Iraqi Penal Code calls for harsh punishment against those who libel or defame others. The penalty for such actions ranges from a fine to imprisonment, depending on the violation's magnitude. But though offenders are being charged under the existing code, Iraqi legislation doesn't explicitly refer to hate speech or provoking strife. Thus, many people see a need for specific legislation, in compliance with national and international human rights procedures, that defines what qualifies as socially disruptive without infringing on freedom of expression.

Iraqi parliament member Ali al-Bedeiri insists on the need to pass a law making a criminal of anyone capable of dividing the Iraqi people and creating sectarian conflict through traditional and social media or any other platform. Bedeiri told Al-Monitor, The absence of a law that criminalizes such actions [obstructs] the capacity of the authorities to punish and pursue the culprits" in a consistent manner.

Although some human rights organizations have tried for years to get the Iraqi parliament to draft a law that criminalizes hate speech, the attempt has been unsuccessful because many in the legislature aren't exactly motivated to pass such a law. The political blocs in parliament own dozens of media outlets promoting hate speech and sectarianism, and they assign people from their parties to manage the outlets. For this reason, politicians aren't eager to hold those outlets accountable.
A Gionee-made smartphone bearing the model number GN5006 appeared in the database of Chinese telecommunications regulator TENAA earlier this week, having received the mandatory certification for its commercial launch in the Far Eastern country. The handset appears to be related to the Gionee GN5007 that was spotted online several days back, with the data found in its certificates suggesting that its a somewhat downgraded version of the previously sighted device. A virtually identical smartphone already passed through TENAA in early November, identified as the Gionee GN5006L, with some industry insiders speculating that the said product was the upcoming Gionee Steel 3.

According to the newly uncovered listing, the Gionee GN5006 is equipped with a 5.5-inch HD+ panel featuring a resolution of 1,440 by 720 pixels amounting to an aspect ratio of 18:9, or 2:1. While this taller image format gained significant traction in the mobile industry over the course of this year and trickled down to some mid-range devices with FHD+ (2,160 x 1,080) displays, the Gionee GN5006 appears to be sporting the lowest-resolution 18:9 screen out of all Android handsets to date, though it does share that title with some other models like the BLUBOO S8. The TENAA-issued certificate also reveals that the smartphone is powered by an unspecified octa-core SoC with a maximum operating frequency of 1.4GHz, possibly the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 (MSM8940) that the Chinese original equipment manufacturer already used in the Gionee M7 Power released earlier this month. Two variants of the device appear to be heading to the market, with the more affordable one having 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal flash memory and the other model featuring twice the storage space and 3GB of RAM. A microSD card with support for up to 256GB of additional memory is also part of the package, as is a presumably reskinned version of Android 7.1.1 Nougat, according to the same source.

The Gionee GN5006 was listed by TENAA as featuring a 4,000mAh non-removable battery and an 8-megapixel main camera supported by an unspecified LED flash, as well as an 8-megapixel front-facing sensor. The handsets images published by the Chinese regulator that can be seen below reveal a largely bezel-free design that doesnt have a physical Home button. Unlike the previously sighted Gionee GN5007, the GN5006 also doesnt seem to feature a fingerprint scanner on its rear plate or anywhere else on its body, which was also the case with the GN5006L. The handset was certified as weighing 170g and measuring 144.7 x 69.8 x 8.5mm in size, with industry rumors pointing to three colors set to be available on release  Black, Indigo, and Gold. No specific availability windows have yet been rumored, though new additions to Gionees Steel series or whatever the GN500X devices end up being are likely to launch by the end of the year.
The Google Assistant was recently updated with some basic troubleshooting capabilities that appear to be exclusive to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL for the time being, according to numerous user reports that emerged online in recent days. Its currently unclear whether the newly discovered features were available as soon as the Pixel 2 flagships hit the market in October, though that may not be the case seeing how Google only recently updated its support pages to reflect the existence of the functionalities. While initial reports suggested that the service is only available on devices running the first developer preview of Android 8.1 Oreo, Android Headlines managed to confirm that at least some Pixel 2 XL units on 8.0 can also access the feature. For the time being, owners of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL can ask the Google Assistant for help with resolving issues related to battery drain, charging, Bluetooth, and the default Camera app found on Googles new flagships.

The digital companion can respond to queries ranging from somewhat specifics ones like my phone wont charge over 90 percent to extremely vague statements such as Im having a Bluetooth issue. The newly discovered method for troubleshooting connectivity features of the Pixel 2 devices appears to be limited to Bluetooth, whereas Wi-Fi, GPS, and NFC still arent part of this voice-enabled software support package. The service itself is essentially just a reworked method of accessing Googles existing knowledge base of verified product issues and their resolutions, though the artificial intelligence companion can also talk you through investigating some general problems, as evidenced by the screenshot below.

The newly uncovered platform appears to be the most effective way of troubleshooting some aspects of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to date seeing how activating the Google Assistant and telling it youre having battery issues is quicker and consequently easier than searching the World Wide Web for advice from the Alphabet-owned tech giant and other sources. Its currently unclear whether the troubleshooting mechanisms are only available to Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners in the United States seeing how no sightings have yet been reported in other countries and Google has yet to provide more details on the availability of the feature in an official capacity.
AMG

Sharing the MRA platform with the W213 E-Class and carrying the same wheelbase as the mid-size sedan, the CLS features wider tracks front and rear for a more hunkered-down stance. From the teaser photo shared on Facebook, you would think the CLS is more slippery than the E-Class. Spoiler alert: at 0.26 Cd compared to 0.23 for the W213, the CLS isnt.But what you lose in aerodynamics you gain in design, with the newcomer boasting muscular shoulders and an integrated trunk lid lip spoiler developed to keep the rear axle glued to the road at higher speeds. Speaking of the rear, the U.S-spec Mercedes-Benz CLS will feature a different rear bumper from the Euro-spec model.The lineup, meanwhile, will start with the CLS 450, which features the 48-volt hybridized M256 . The 3.0-liter inline-six engine features a turbocharger and an electric supercharger, translating to 367 horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque, and zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in five seconds flat. As if it wasnt obvious enough, the M256 is shared with the S 450.An-badged take on the M256 will be added to the lineup in the guise of the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 , which will thrust to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds thanks to 430 horsepower. The CLS350 with the M264 four-cylinder is confirmed for Europe with 300 horsepower on tap, as is the OM656 inline-six turbo diesel with 286 horsepower and 443 pound-feet.In terms of ride comfort, the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS will get no less than three suspension systems: standard steel springs, adaptive, and air suspension. The Air Body Control is the multi-chamber system from the E-Class, though Mercedes tuned it to suit the sportier nature of the CLS.After it debuts in L.A. at the end of the month, the CLS is scheduled to arrive at dealers in Germany in March. The United States will get its first taste of the coupe-ified sedan no later than July.
19 November 2017 10:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Pakistan intends to purchase 150,000 tons of coal per year from Uzbekistan as soon as the modernization of the Uzbek Shargunkumir JSC finishes, Shargunkumir JSC Director for Future Development, Investment and Capital Construction Sattor Saidov told Trend.

He added that currently the company is not able to provide Pakistan with demanded quantity of coal because the process of modernization was delayed by the Chinese consortium of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Corp. and China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd. However, the work on the modernization project is already on and the company will start the export of coal to Pakistan in 2020 after the mines are completely modernized.

Shargunkumir's currently operating mines are expected to raise the level of coal production from 150,000 tons to 200,000 tons by the end of 2017.

The company intends to increase the output to 700,000 tons per year in 2019 and to 900,000 tons per year in 2020.

Previously, the director of the company, during an interview with Trend, announced that the modernization of the company within the cooperation with China will have its influence on total coal exports of Uzbekistan.

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19 November 2017 11:16 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The meeting between the delegations of the EU and Turkey on the discussion of energy projects, which was to be held on November 20 in Brussels, was canceled, Haber 7 reported on November 19.

The meeting, which was important in terms of intensifying the EU's relations with Turkey, was canceled "because of certain difficulties."

There is no information about the new date of the meeting is not reported.

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19 November 2017 18:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Irans foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the useful achievements of Astana meeting for confronting the terrorism and restoration of stability in Syria is followed up by Tehran, Moscow and Ankara.

Zarif made the remarks following a trilateral meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts on Syria crisis in Antalya, Turkey on November 19.

The top Iranian diplomat told reporters that the foreign ministers exchanged viewpoints and discussed the issues regarding the upcoming meeting of the three countries presidents, scheduled to be held on Nov. 22 in Sochi, Russia.

He further said that if other regional countries such as Saudi Arabia to follow up cooperation rather than wrong policies, successful outcomes will be achieved.

Zarif accused the Saudi Arabia of seeking dispersion and discord, saying that if Riyadh reverses its policies, it can contribute to regional peace instead of waging war.

Following the trilateral meeting Zarif also wrote on his Twitter page that is working with Turkish and Russian counterparts to build on ceasefire, the parties achieved in Syria and preparing for inclusive dialog among Syrians.

Irony is KSA accuses Iran of destabilization, while itself fuels terrorists, wages war on Yemen, blockades Qatar & foments crisis in Lebanon, the top Iranian diplomat argued.

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A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
In a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report, researchers examined poll results from Americans on their view of new healthcare plans, including Medicare-for-all.

The plans are similar: universal coverage for all Americans, but use different phrases to describe the concept. KFF took a poll of reactions to the various descriptions for universal healthcare between Nov. 8 and Nov. 11. Here are the results:

1. Medicare for all:

 Very positive: 34 percent

 Somewhat positive: 28 percent

 Somewhat negative: 14 percent

 Very negative: 19 percent

2. Universal health coverage:

 Very positive: 24 percent

 Somewhat positive: 27 percent

 Somewhat negative: 13 percent

 Very negative: 20 percent

3. National health plan:

 Very positive: 27 percent

 Somewhat positive: 29 percent

 Somewhat negative: 14 percent

 Very negative: 20 percent

4. Single-payer health insurance:

 Very positive: 18 percent

 Somewhat positive: 30 percent

 Somewhat negative: 17 percent

 Very negative: 15 percent

5. Socialized medicine:

 Very positive: 18 percent

 Somewhat positive: 26 percent

 Somewhat negative: 17 percent

 Very negative: 26 percent

Broken down by political affiliation, 82 percent of Democrats found Medicare-for-all a positive term, compared to 33 percent of Republicans. At the same time, 59 percent of Democrats found "single-payer health insurance system" a positive descriptor while 27 percent of Republicans said the same.
On June 12, attorney Amy Magnano presented a case defending Johnny B. Delashaw, MD, against nurse allegations of improper conduct, The Seattle Times reports.

Here are seven insights:

1. Nurses at Seattle-based Swedish Neuroscience Institute on the Cherry Hill campus alleged Dr. Delashaw created a hostile environment, sending coworkers into submission as they were too afraid to ask questions that impacted patient care.

2. On March 1, Johnny B. Delashaw, MD, resigned from his post as chair of the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, amid a state health regulatory investigation into complaints filed against him, The Seattle Times reported.

3. The investigation came to fruition after The Seattle Times published an investigative report in February into the spine and neurosurgery services at Providence Health & Services Swedish-Cherry Hill hospital. The invasive brain and spine procedures generated around $500 million in net operating revenue in 2015 as well as saw higher Medicare reimbursement per inpatient visit than any other hospital of its size.

4. Ms. Magnano argued against the allegations in front of a state Medical Quality Assurance Commission panel. The three-member panel will determine whether Dr. Delashaw's license will remain suspended. State regulators suspended his license in May, citing "an immediate threat to public health and safety," in commission documents.





5. Ms. Magnano argued the majority of nurse allegations referenced 2015 events, so Dr. Delashaw is not an immediate threat to safety in 2017. She further alleged the nurses were pushing a "personal agenda."

6. Assistant Attorney General Tracy Bahm said the nurse allegations should uphold Dr. Delashaw's license suspension.

7. The Medical Quality Assurance Commission panel will likely share a decision within a few days.
Gerry Adams has said he understands how victims of IRA violence feel, as he prepares to step aside after 34 years as leader of Sinn Fein.

Mr Adams, who will be 70 next year, said on Sunday that those killed during the Troubles cannot be brought back, but that it is possible to ensure history is not repeated.

He said he and the late Martin McGuinness helped to bring about political change and that there is no reason for anyone else to die because of political conflict on the island of Ireland.

Mr Adams was speaking just hours after he told a Sinn Fein Ard Fheis that he will step down as party president next year and will not contest the next general election in Ireland.

As he announced his departure from frontline politics on Saturday night he received a standing ovation from over 2,500 delegates who gathered in Dublin's RDS to hear his plans for the future.

It was noted by some critics that he did not mention any victims of IRA violence during his speech.

Commenting on the criticism, he said: "There have been many victims. I have a particular affinity with those who were victims of the IRA because obviously throughout my political life I have defended the IRA. But I understand how people feel."

Speaking on RTE's The Week In Politics, he added: "The war is over. One of the great achievements - and that will not bring back the dead - but one of the great achievements in Irish history - John Hume was there, others were there, but I and Martin McGuinness were there - was to bring about a peace process. We have to go forward."

Mr Adams said he lost family members during the Troubles, that he himself had been shot and that his neighbours in Ballymurphy in West Belfast are still waiting for an inquest more than four decades after the Ballymurphy massacre.

"We can't bring those folks back but what we can do is to ensure it never ever happens again," Mr Adams said.

He added: "One of our second achievements has been to bring about democratic, peaceful means, bringing about political change that didn't exist before so there is never ever going to be any reason, and it is my firm hope that hopefully no one else will die because of political conflict on this island."

Mr Adams said the next Sinn Fein president will be appointed through a democratic process at the Ard Fheis next year.

The TD for Co Louth, who has been party president since 1983, told the annual conference on Saturday night: " Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now."

Mr Adams said the move was part of the ongoing process of leadership transition within the party.

The plan, formulated along with Martin McGuinness before his death earlier this year, has already seen Michelle O'Neill, 40, take the role of Sinn Fein's leader at Stormont.

The Ard Fheis also saw the party faithful debate its position on abortion.

Delegates voted to partially liberalise the party's stance, setting its position ahead of next year's referendum in the Irish Republic on the clause of the state's constitution that frames its strict laws on terminations.

The conference was the first held since Mr McGuinness died in March. His widow Bernie attended as tributes were paid to the former IRA commander turned Stormont deputy first minister.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in celebration of their platinum wedding anniversary (Camera Press/PA)

The Queen has presented the Duke of Edinburgh with a rare honour as a special anniversary present as they celebrate 70 years of marriage.

As the royal couple reached their milestone platinum wedding anniversary, Elizabeth II appointed Philip a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) for services to the sovereign.

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The touching gesture will be seen as the Queens recognition of the devotion Philip has shown through the decades, supporting her publicly and privately.

Philip, 96, retired from his public role in the summer after years of royal duty alongside the monarch.

He is the longest serving royal consort in British history, and the Queen, the nations longest reigning monarch, is the first to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary.

Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen and bestowed independently of Downing Street.

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The monarch presented Philip with the honour at Windsor Castle, where they are marking their anniversary privately.

They are celebrating with close family and friends at a special dinner at the Berkshire residence on Monday evening.

Elizabeth II was a 21-year-old princess when she married her consort Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

The fairy-tale royal wedding was a morale booster in the tough years that followed the Second World War and millions of people tuned in to listen to the ceremony on the wireless.

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The young princess wore a Norman Hartnell dress made of duchesse ivory silk-satin which was hand-embroidered with more than 10,000 pearls and crystals.

Wartime leader Winston Churchill summed up the occasion as a flash of colour on the hard road we travel.

Less than five years after the royal wedding, the Princess became Queen on the death of her father George VI.

Bells at the historic Abbey in central London have rung out in tribute on Monday, with a full celebratory peal lasting around three hours and 20 minutes.

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The Queen and Philip attended thanksgiving services at the Abbey to commemorate their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries, but this occasion is not being marked which such a service.

Prime Minister Theresa May sent her congratulations to couple on their special anniversary, while other messages came from the Womens Institute, of which the Queen has been a member longer than she has been married to the Duke, joining the Sandringham branch as a princess in 1943.

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In 2007 on their 60th anniversary, the Queen bestowed the Royal Victorian Chain upon the Duke as a sign of her affection.

A series of portraits of the Queen and Philip taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak was released to mark the platinum anniversary.

The portraits show the monarch wearing a yellow gold, ruby and diamond scarab brooch, given as a personal gift from Philip to the Queen in 1966.
A British sailor who died after being swept overboard was a popular and sensible man, said Clipper Round The World Yacht Race co-founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Simon Speirs, from Bristol, was taking part in the 11th edition of the biennial event as it crossed from South Africa to Australia during leg three of the race.

The 60-year-old retired solicitor was racing on board the Great Britain yacht, and had been on the foredeck of the 70ft vessel to help change a sail, when the incident happened.

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Describing Mr Speirs as a popular chap who was very sensible, he said the sailor who had more than 40 years dinghy experience was washed off the deck in gale force winds.

Mr Speirs then became separated from the boat which was in the Southern Ocean, in what were rough seas with 20 knots of wind and gusts at 40.

It is absolutely tragic to lose someone like this, Sir Robin told the Press Association.

He was clipped on with the safety tether, he had done additional training, he was an experienced sailor and he was one of the safety committee on the boat, he said.

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Pressed on what that might mean for the rest of the race, he said the tether in question needs to be examined by the Clipper team and safety professionals.

Once it has been looked at, Sir Robin said in conjunction with specialists, a judgment and joint-decision will then be made on how to proceed.

He said a full independent investigation alongside the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau is being undertaken, which is a normal process following such incidents.

The tether was state-of-the-art  it was new for this race, it is top of the range, it has got type approval by everyone, Sir Robin added.

All we know is that he was tethered on and that something has gone wrong. Whether it is a type failure or a one-off failure  we wont know that until it has been examined.

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The competitors still racing have since been instructed to use both clips on their tethers as an extra precaution until it can be established what has happened.

Sir Robin said the crew and the medical team on board did everything they could to save him, and revealed his heart dropped when he received the call to say a sailor had gone overboard.

We train hard to get people back if they go over, and indeed they did a brilliant job  getting him back in 36 minutes, which in those conditions is very, very good indeed, he added.

It shows the training really did cut in properly and the crew did a very good job.

There were three medics on board, a surgeon, a doctor and a paramedic  really that boat was strong from a medical standpoint.

They all worked for nearly an hour to resuscitate him, but he never regained consciousness. If it was possible to bring him around, that was the team to do it.

They seemed to have handled it incredibly well. There was a very good ethos of safety on that boat  it was a safe boat.

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Mr Speirs, who at the time was clipped on, was wearing a lifejacket packed with an AIS (automatic identification system) beacon and approved waterproof ocean oilskins, was given a Christian burial at sea on Sunday.

Sir Robin said his and the thoughts of all the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race team are with Mr Speirs family and his crew who have had a very tough thing to get through.

I just feel for his family. Here he was fulfilling his dream and then it has turned into a nightmare for them, he added.

The death of Mr Speirs is the third in the 21-year history of the Clipper race.

During the last Clipper race, Andrew Ashman, 49, from Kent, suffered a fatal neck injury in September 2015 during that editions first leg. His death was the first in the races history.

It was followed in April last year by the death of Sarah Young, 40, from London, who was un-tethered and washed off the deck of the IchorCoal during the Pacific leg of the race.

Sir Robin said earlier this year that both deaths were tragic, unnecessary and upsetting for everyone, and that safety was emphasised continuously throughout training and during the race.
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By Marie Dunn-Harris 95

When Logan Riley entered Bowling Green State Universitys aviation program as a freshman in August, he had something that most of his classmates did not. He was already a licensed pilot.

Riley obtained his pilots license through an aerospace engineering program at his high school in Perry, Ohio.

The program was called Project Lead the Way and I was able to take pre-engineering classes that went toward my degree, he said.

Riley started training in the fall of his senior year in high school. He attended flight school at Akron Fulton International Airport and was certified by the FAA in May.

It took a lot longer because of the bad weather in Ohio, he said.

Since Riley already has his pilots license, he was able to skip the first year of flight training at BGSU and go right into working on his instrument rating, which is a rating that is added to a private or commercial pilots license and will allow him to fly in clouds.

Riley chose BGSU because of the reputation of the aviation program. BGSU is only one of two universities in the nation that has its airport located on campus. Its also fully accredited by The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering.

All of the instructors and staff are top notch, he said. The planes are excellent and brand new. I was used to flying a 1960 plane at my old flight school, so they are impressive.

Riley doesnt have a career plan yet, but whatever it is, it will involve flying  whether its as a flight instructor or flying commercially.

He also has a passion for helping children with disabilities. Back home, he works for an Akron rotary camp for kids with special needs and even considered education as a major. But aviation is where he finds his passion.

Ive tossed around the idea of starting a non-profit for kids with disabilities and fly them to the hospitals they need to go to, he said.

Believe it or not, Riley is afraid of heights.

Whenever Im flying, I usually stay focused, he said. I dont like stairs or roller coasters, but Im OK with planes.

He also thinks flying a plane is easier than driving a car.

The hard part is getting your certificate with all the training, but the actual flying a plane is pretty easy, Riley said.
Indias first comprehensive entrepreneurship platform, Elevate100 moves into mission mode as Government of Karnataka awards grant for selected start-ups.

ELEVATE100, Indias first comprehensive entrepreneurship platform, moved into fast lane recently, with the Government of Karnataka earmarking Rs 20.03 crore to fund startups who were selected after 4 rigorous rounds in a 2-month long grueling contest.

The final list of Elevate100 Startups covers the entire gamut of the startup ecosystem in Karnataka. In all, 38 IT/ITES startups were sanctioned a grant of Rs 5.50 crores, 27 MedTech startups were sanctioned Rs 4.30 crores, 17 ESDM startups were allotted Rs 3.6 crores, 12 BT startups got Rs 2.80 crores, Rs 1.33 crore was earmarked for 6 AVGC startups, 4 Agriculture startups were sanctioned Rs 1 crore, Rs 40 lakh for 3 Clean Tech startups and 4 startups working in the field of Aerospace & Aviation were sanctioned Rs 1.10Crore.

Ideas transform cultures and ecosystems, and it's incredible to be a part of that, said Priyank Kharge, Karnataka minister for IT, BT & Tourism.

The efforts of Karnataka government dont stop at elevating these chosen 100. We see ELEVATE 100 as a continuing process where the best ideas from the state gets the support and guidance it deserves, the minister said.

The incredible journey of Elevate100 through the length and breadth of the state also changed my perspective on the quality of talent we have here. Even the smallest lanes of an interior town in Karnataka has something offer which can truly change the world. Elevate100 shines night on our incredible social capital, Kharge said.

Im fond of this quote by Leo Tolstoy  Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves. People are connected, informed, empowered and demand a more responsive governance. Elevate100 sets the stage for a new era of governance thats more human, purposeful and adaptive, the minister said.

ELEVATE 100 programme, an initiative of the Department of Information Technology and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, traversed the length and breadth of the state in a rigorous hunt to pick the top 100 startups and help them turn their ideas into successful businesses. The Pitching Sessions were held in Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Hubballi and Bengaluru, where around 1,700 startups pitched to elevate their ideas to successful ventures. The initiative also attracted 350 women entrepreneurs and 400 applicants from the rural areas. The selected startups will have access to Karnataka Governments INR 400 crore start-up fund besides access to Government VC funds, pilots, private VC funds, world class accelerators and mentors.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/11/2017 (1823 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A reservist from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment was killed during a training exercise at CFB Shilo on Saturday.

In a statement, the Department of National Defence (DND) said at approximately 7 p.m., infantryman Cpl. Nolan Caribou was found deceased at CFB Shilo while participating in an army reserve training exercise, which focused on basic defensive routines, patrolling and raids.

The death took place on DND property and no live ammunition was used during the exercise.

Cpl. Nolan Caribou, an infrantryman with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, was found dead at CFB Shilo Saturday night while participating in an Army reserve training exercise. (Submitted)

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is investigating the death. The DND says until the investigation is complete, no further details will be provided.

On behalf of the members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, I would like to relay our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Corporal Nolan Caribou, Lt.-Col. Sean Moran, commanding officer of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, said in a statement.

We are saddened by the loss of this soldier, who was a valued member of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.

Caribou served with the unit for five years and had not been deployed operationally as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

CFB Shilo has a training area approximately 15 km by 30 km in size and is home to the First Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and Second Battalion Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry.

This is the third time this year a soldier has been killed during a training accident on a Canadian base.

In April, Sgt. Robert Dynerowicz died and three other soldiers were injured in a vehicle accident during a training exercise at the Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

Master Cpl. Alfred Barr died in March when his parachute malfunctioned during training in Saskatchewan.

The last time a reservist died at CFB Shilo during a training exercise was in 2015, when a reserve soldier from the Rocky Mountain Rangers in British Columbia collapsed while learning how to build a trench.

 mlee@brandonsun.com, with files from the Canadian Press

 Twitter: @mtaylorlee
Westpac business banking chief David Lindberg has dismissed a call for a government-owned bank to help small businesses access credit, maintaining lending to small firms is booming.

Banks have recently been accused of depriving smaller firms of reasonably priced credit, with small business ombudsman Kate Carnell suggesting a taxpayer-backed bank, and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten flagging small business access to finance as a key concern.

David Lindberg, chief executive of Westpac's business banking division. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Reserve Bank deputy governor Guy Debelle also last week said it was "extraordinary" that some successful small to medium enterprises could not access finance needed for growth from banks or venture capital funds.

Mr Lindberg said there could be a case for greater taxpayer support to help smaller start-ups access equity capital, but he said the bank's data did not support claims that small business lending was being held back.
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."
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 worlds 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 worlds 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.

Land that has been cleared of trees in Queensland's brigalow belt.

But the latest snapshot, Queenslands Department of Science report on land cover change published last month, showed a staggering 395,000ha of clearing for 2015-16: a 133 per cent 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.
Want to make a microbiologist's eyes roll? Just whisper the words "kills 99.9 per cent of household germs".

This marketing mantra of the cleaning products industry might inspire confidence in consumers but it can also create a false sense of security, says Professor Liz Harry, director of the ithree institute (infection, immunology and innovation) at the University of Technology Sydney.

Warm, soapy water beats antibacterial soap 99 per cent of the time. Credit:Stocksy

"It's not the percentage of germs that matters but the absolute numbers  if there are billions of germs and you kill 99.9 per cent of them, the remaining one per cent can still represent a lot of germs  and you don't know whether they're harmful or not," she says.

If it were up to Harry, we wouldn't be cleaning our homes or our hands with so many antibacterial products at all  at least not if we want to avoid a backflip to life without antibiotics. We might think that widespread use of antibiotics and antibacterial products gives us the power to eradicate harmful germs but in fact we're empowering them to outsmart us.
More than a few Canberrans exercising around Lake Burley Griffin should have felt uncomfortable at revelations contained in the Paradise Papers, showing the extent of tax avoidance by the world's biggest companies.

Putting on Nike running gear or listening to music on a new Apple device, millions of Australians have the right to expect profits earned here by some of the best performing multinational companies will attract appropriate tax in Australia.

The revelations showed anything but.

Documents showed Apple reacted to criticism of its business arrangements in Ireland by secretly moving some of its subsidiaries to take advantage of ultra-low tax rates in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
Yass Valley Council will consider letting landowners build on smaller lot sizes in a planned buffer zone near the ACT-NSW border after they raised fears a rezone would devalue their properties.

Property owners hope the council will allow light, rural-residential development instead of imposing a 40-hectare minimum for lot sizes in the area as it rethinks land use south of its population centres.

The Yass council's proposed 5km buffer north of the ACT's border.

The council's planning director Chris Berry said it would canvas changing the minimum on land within 5km of the border, but still preferred its proposed figure over any cuts.

Opponents to the plan, which would create a "buffer" on development between the ACT and NSW, are pushing for a cut to the minimum lot size to as low as 2.5 hectares.
At the 1916 Battle of Pozieres, Albert Jacka won the Military Cross for recapturing a section of trench, freeing a group of recently-captured Australians and forcing 50 Germans to surrender.

Australia's official historian Charles Bean called it "the most dramatic and effective act of individual audacity in the history of the AIF."

Captain Albert Jacka of the 14th Battalion. Credit:AWM A02868

Ian Gray's biography of the inspirational timber cutter from Winchelsea in Victoria said "his unparalleled courage and quick thinking in battle became legendary."

Bert Jacka was the first Australian Victoria Cross winner at Gallipoli in May 1915 when he attacked seven Turks single-handed and killed them all.
Chaos or stability - that is the choice Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pitched to the party faithful, as the fight to win the election hits its final week.

Labor officially launched its Queensland election campaign in a crowded room at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in the very safe LNP-held seat of Surfers Paradise.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk takes to the stage to officially launch the Labor election campaign. Credit:Tracey Nearmy

A video featuring scenes of joy from Labor's election win in 2015 was played, followed by a list of achievements in areas such as jobs, education, health and tourism, before the words, "And she's not done yet", flooded the stage.

WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn, who defeated Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao earlier this year, took to the stage to introduce the Premier.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said frustrated Queenslanders were crying out for leadership and promised to deliver a commonsense government.

The LNP campaign launch was held at The Triffid at Newstead on Sunday morning, where Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced the state's Opposition Leader.

Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls and his wife Mary at the LNP campaign launch on Sunday. Credit:Darren England

Mr Turnbull said only the LNP had the vision, the plan and the team to get Queensland moving again.

"When Tim Nicholls is the Premier of Queensland you will have once again a federal coalition government, a Queensland LNP government working together delivering the investment, ensuring the jobs, the growth, the infrastructure that Queensland needs," he said.
Google has set out to make its mark on the headphone world with Pixel Buds, wireless headphones that can control your phone and claim to translate conversations in real time. But how do they stack up?

The most important thing you should know about Pixel Buds is that their full features only work with Google's newest smartphone, the Pixel 2. While they'll function with other phones, you must have the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL to access the Pixel Buds' marquee feature: real-time translation.

Google's Pixel Buds have adjustable loops to keep them in your ears, rather than a selection of differently-sized tips.

To be honest, it's not exactly real-time. You call up the feature by tapping on your right earbud and asking Google Assistant to "help me speak" one of 40 languages. The phone will then open the Google Translate app. From there, the phone will translate what it hears into the language of your choice, and you'll hear it in your ear. So, if you're speaking to someone and they say "Ou est la bibliotheque?" you will then hear "Where is the library?" in your ear. Then, when it's your turn to speak, tap and hold the right earbud to have what you say translated and broadcast out of your phone.

The translation feature is promising but not perfect, as translation doesn't happen at conversational speed. This is not Star Trek's universal translator or Douglas Adams's Babel fish. Still, it is much better than a phrase book. While human translators need not fear that they may be without a job, it could be good for travellers or others who want to have a simple, if somewhat halting, chat in another language.
Harare: In the end, it will be all about the money. How much one of Africa's richest and greediest women will get to keep of her dubiously acquired gains now rests on the embittered enemies who plotted the spectacular downfall of Grace Mugabe, still, just, Zimbabwe's first lady.

As the generals behind Zimbabwe's coup negotiated Robert Mugabe's enforced departure, immunity from prosecution for the first couple and just how much cash the president gets to keep to sustain his wife's lavish lifestyle will be high on the agenda.

Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe, centre smiles as she addresses members of different church denominations at Rufaro Stadium in Harare. Credit:AP

For a woman whose arrogance was as legendary as her temper, Grace Mugabe's downfall was every bit as humiliating as her husband's but even more complete.

In the capital Harare, the central committee of Zanu-PF, the ruling party that once indulged every whim of the Mugabes, met to extract their revenge against a woman as hated in the echelons of power as she was on the streets of Zimbabwe.
Berlin: Angela Merkel's political future is hanging in the balance after political parties failed to meet a self-imposed deadline to form a new government.

Talks ended on Sunday after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) walked out after hours of negotiations, citing irreconcilable differences and throwing open the question of what comes next.

Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader, pauses during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Credit:Bloomberg

Mrs Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and sister Bavarian-only Christian Social Union (CSU) had sat down for gruelling talks with the FDP and the left-leaning Greens throughout the weekend in the hope of forming a new government, which is dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag.

After September's election, Mrs Merkel has been left without a majority, as voters angered by her liberal refugee policy turned to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Her decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 has become a stumbling block as she seeks an unlikely alliance spanning left and right of the political spectrum.
Here's all the news you need to start your Monday:

We're expecting a sunny top of 25 degrees in the capital today, after an overnight low of 8.

Good morning Canberra and welcome to another working week.

One day, without warning, Emily Stokes woke up unable to move.

After having a mysterious rash the day before, she had no warning signs of the coming debilitating condition.

Daniella White reports that Canberra scientists at the Centre for Personalised Immunology were able to fully sequence her genome.

Now 20, Ms Stokes was diagnosed with the incredibly rare Yao syndrome, an autoinflammatory disease of which there are fewer than 100 documented cases in the world.
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Man accidentally shoots himself and his wife during a church session about gun violence inside the house of God

A man accidentally shoots himself and his wife during a church group discussion about gun violence inside the house of God. The incident occurred in Tennessee last Thursday (Nov. 16). Both the man, 81, and his wife, 80, sustained minor injuries and are going to make full recovery.

The accidental shooting took place in the First United Methodist Church in the town of Tellico Plains in Tennessee. A group of elders were exchanging their opinions about guns and gun violence inside the church.

During the session, the man decided to show his gun to everyone as an example. Before distributing the weapon to the other members, the man managed to remove the magazine for safety. Once the gun was handed back to him, he immediately put the magazine back and secured the weapon into his holster.

However, one man asked to see the gun. In the middle of pulling the gun out of his pocket, the man accidentally pulled the trigger resulting to the firing of one round.

The man accidentally shot himself in the hand and his wife's abdomen. The couple quickly received medical treatment and are now in stable condition.

Before the shooting went down, it was confirmed that the group was discussing the tragic mass shooting in early November at a rural church in Texas. On Nov. 5, a man unloaded his weapon inside the First Baptist Church in Sutherlands Springs. A total of 26 people were killed in the shooting and it was considered as the deadliest mass shooting at a house of worship. Among the 26 victims was an unborn child.

President of the United States Donald Trump released a statement through Twitter after the horrifying incident. Trump wrote " May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan."
Robert Mugabe defies army and vows to stay on

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Sunday defied his own ZANU-PF party and hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding his resignation by pledging in a television address to preside over the party's next congress in December.

Two sources - one a senior member of the government, the other familiar with talks with leaders of the military - had told Reuters Mugabe would use the address to announce his resignation after ZANU-PF earlier sacked him as its leader in a step precipitated by an army takeover four days earlier.

But in the speech from his official residence, sitting alongside a row of generals, Mugabe acknowledged criticisms from ZANU-PF, the military and the public, but made no mention of his own position, instead pledging to preside over the ZANU-PF congress scheduled for next month.

ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old, who led his country to indepndence in 1980, less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto military coup.

The leader of Zimbabwe's liberation war veterans said plans to impeach Mugabe would now go ahead.

Chris Mutsvangwa, who has been leading a campaign to oust Mugabe, told Reuters in a text message moments after Mugabe finished his speech that people would take to the streets of Harare on Wednesday.

ZANU-PF's central committee had earlier named Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new leader. It was Mugabe's sacking of Mnangagwa as his vice-president, to pave the way for his wife Grace to succeed him, that triggered the army's intervention.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands took to the streets of the capital Harare to celebrate Mugabe's downfall and hail a new era for their country.
Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro (2018) release date news: Samsung listing confirms dual-SIM variant; J2 Prime (2018) specs also revealed

A new leak inadvertently confirmed the existence of a handset bearing the model number SM-J250F/DS that is believed to be the Galaxy J2 Pro 2018. This comes from Samsung itself after its South African division launched a support page for the upcoming device ahead of its unveiling.

According to reports, the page does not have much to offer, but it does confirm that the handset will have a dual-SIM variant slated to be sold in select markets.

J2 Pro's international version was also spotted in the database of mobile benchmarking tool Geekbench this week. According to the listing, the device runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by a midrange 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, coupled with 2 GB of random access memory (RAM). The handset scored 656 on the single-core test and recorded 1852 on the multi-core test.

Apart from the J2 Pro, there was also a sighting of a device with the model number SM-G571, which is said to be the Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime (2018). The specs cited on the listing include a 4.8-inch HD display with 1280  720 screen resolution, Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and a 1.4 GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos 7570 processor with a Mali-T720 graphics processing unit (GPU).

Memory-wise, the new version of J2 Prime boasts 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It features an 8-megapixel selfie snapper and 12-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, face detection, and LED flash.

Samsung has yet to formally announce the launch and availability of the new Galaxy J series 2018. However, if the company sticks to last year's timetable of releases, then the launch for both devices is near. It can be announced in a couple of weeks and hit the shelves sometime early 2018.

As for the pricing details, the handsets will likely be similar to that of their predecessors, priced in the budget category.The Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro is currently sold for Rs. 8,372 ($129), while the J2 Prime costs Rs. 11,999 ($185).
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches..

Tonight

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
'Teen Mom 2' news: Celebrity doctor draws flak after saying Jenelle Evans should be 'contained'

Fans of 'Teen Mom 2's" Jenelle Evans came out in legions and droves after Dr. David Drew Pinsky, addiction medicine specialist and media personality, implied on his show that the young mother needed to be controlled. Some were not even fans but were just disgusted by the Doctor's remark.

In an interview with Jenelle's mother, Barbara, Dr. Drew and she discussed the alarming situation of Jenelle and her current husband, David Eason. Apparently, Jenelle did not want to appear on the show along with her mother, as she was upset due to their custody war with one of her children named Jace, who now belongs to Barbara. Barbara went on to say that out of all of Jenelle's boyfriends, David was the worst and most controlling.

To this, Dr. Drew responded, "To be fair to David, Jenelle needs containment, right? That's been one of her problems. She couldn't be contained." Barbara then said, "They're like two peas in a pod."

Afterwards, viewers of the show took to Twitter to immediately criticize and lash out at Dr. Drew for the statement about Jenelle on his show. A lot of them even questioned Dr. Drew's authenticity and credentials and went on to say that the Doctor implying that Jenelle was some kind of animal which needed to be subdued was sickening.

It can be remembered that the problem couple previously stormed out of the very same show during the reunion special. At that time, David convinced Jenelle to walk out of Dr. Drew's show after the doctor pointed out that Jenelle has a history of being attracted to aggressive men. David then took this as Dr. Drew trying to make Jenelle sad. Jenelle, on the other hand, has stated that that is not something even her therapist says to her.

Dr. Drew has yet to comment on the issue since then.
Articles about Americas high levels of child poverty are a media evergreen. Heres a typical entry, courtesy of the New York Timess Eduardo Porter: The percentage of children who are poor is more than three times as high in the United States as it is in Norway or the Netherlands. America has a larger proportion of poor children than Russia. Thats right: Russia.

Outrageous as they seem, the assertions are trueat least in the sense that they line up with official statistics from government agencies and reputable nongovernmental organizations like the OECD and UNICEF. International comparisons of the sort that Porter makes, though, should be accompanied by a forest of asterisks. Data limitations, varying definitions of poverty, and other wonky problems are rampant in these discussions.

The lousy child-poverty numbers should come with another qualifying asterisk, pointing to a very American reality. Before Europes recent migration crisis, the United States was the only developed country consistently to import millions of very poor, low-skilled families, from some of the most destitute places on earthespecially from undeveloped areas of Latin Americainto its communities, schools, and hospitals. Lets just say that Russia doesnt care to do thisand, until recently, Norway and the Netherlands didnt, either. Both policymakers and pundits prefer silence on the relationship between Americas immigration system and poverty, and its easy to see why. The subject pushes us headlong into the sort of wrenching trade-offs that politicians and advocates prefer to avoid. Heres the problem in a nutshell: you can allow mass low-skilled immigration, which many on the left and the rightand probably most poverty mavensconsider humane and quintessentially American. But if you do, pursuing the equally humane goal of substantially reducing child poverty becomes a lot harder.

In 1964, the federal government settled on a standard definition of poverty: an income less than three times the value of a hypothetical basic food basket. (That approach has its flaws, but its the measure used in the United States, so well stick with it.) Back then, close to 23 percent of American kids were poor. With the important exception of the years between 1999 and 2007following the introduction of welfare reform in 1996when it declined to 16 percent, child poverty has bounced within three points of 20 percent since 1980. Currently, about 18 percent of kids are below the poverty line, amounting to 13,250,000 children. Other Anglo countries have lower child-poverty rates: the OECD puts Canadas at 15 percent, with the United Kingdom and Australia lower still, between 11 percent and 13 percent. The lowest levels of allunder 10 percentare found in the Nordic countries: Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland.

How does immigration affect those post-1964 American child-poverty figures? Until 1980, it didnt. The 1924 Immigration Act sharply reduced the number of immigrants from poorer Eastern European and southern countries, and it altogether banned Asians. (Mexicans, who had come to the U.S. as temporary agricultural workers and generally returned to their home country, werent imagined as potential citizens and thus were not subject to restrictive quotas.) The relatively small number of immigrants settling in the U.S. tended to be from affluent nations and had commensurate skills. According to the Migration Policy Institute, in 1970, immigrant children were less likely to be poor than were the children of native-born Americans.

By 1980, chiefly because of the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act, the situation had reversed: immigrant kids were now poorer than native-born ones. That 1965 law, overturning the 1924 restrictions, made family preference a cornerstone of immigration policyand, as it turned out, that meant a growing number of new Americans hailing from less-developed countries and lacking skills. The income gap between immigrant and native children widened. As of 1990, immigrant kids had poverty rates 50 percent higher than their native counterparts. At the turn of the millennium, more than one-fifth of immigrant children, compared with just 9 percent of non-Hispanic white kids, were classified as poor. Today, according to Center for Immigration Studies estimates, 31.1 percent of the poor under 18 are either immigrants or the American-born kids of immigrant parents.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable truth about these figures, and surely one reason they dont often show up in media accounts, is that a large majority of Americas poor immigrant childrenand, at this point, a large fraction of all its poor childrenare Hispanic (see chart below). The U.S. started collecting separate poverty data on Hispanics in 1972. That year, 22.8 percent of those originally from Spanish-language countries of Latin America were poor. The percentage hasnt risen that dramatically since then; its now at 25.6 percent. But because the Hispanic population in America quintupled during those years, these immigrants substantially expanded the nations poverty rolls. Hispanics are now the largest U.S. immigrant group by farand the lowest-skilled. Pew estimates that Hispanics accounted for more than half the 22-million-person rise in the official poverty numbers between 1972 and 2012. Robert Samuelson of the Washington Post found that, between 1990 and 2016, Hispanics drove nearly three-quarters of the increase in the nations poverty population from 33.6 million to 40.6 million.

Ironically, then, at the same time that Americas War on Poverty was putting a spotlight on poor children, the new immigration system was steadily making the problem worse. In 1980, only 9 percent of American children were Hispanic. By 2009, that number had climbed to 22 percent. Almost two-thirds of these children were first- or second-generation immigrants, most of whose parents were needy. Nowadays, 31 percent of the countrys Hispanic children are in poverty. That percentage remains somewhat lower than the 36 percent of black children who are poor, true; but because the raw number of poor Hispanic kids5.1 millionis so much higher (poor black children number 3.7 million), they make up by far the largest group in the child-poverty statistics. As of 2016, Hispanic children account for more than one-third of Americas poor children. Between 1999 and 2008 alone, the U.S. added 1.8 million children to the poverty rolls; the Center for Immigration Studies reports that immigrants accounted for 45 percent of them.

Lets be clear: Hispanic immigration isnt the only reason that the U.S. has such troubling child-poverty rates. Other immigrant groups, such as North Africans and Laotians, add to the ranks of the under-18 poor. And American Indians have the highest rates of child poverty of all ethnic and racial groups. These are relatively small populations, however; combine Indians and Laotians, and you get fewer than a half-million poor childrena small chunk of the 14-plus million total.

Even if we were following the immigration quotas set in 1924, the U.S. would be something of a child-poverty outlier. The nations biggest embarrassment is the alarming percentage of black children living in impoverished homes. Unsurprisingly, before the civil rights movement, the numbers were higher; in 1966, almost 42 percent of black kids were poor. But those percentages started to improve in the later 1960s and in the 1970s. Then they soared again. By the 1980s and early 1990s, black child poverty was hovering miserably between 42 percent and almost 47 percent. Researchers attribute the lack of progress to the explosion in single-parent black families and welfare use. The current percentage of black kids living with a single mother66 percentfar surpasses that of any other demographic group. The 1996 welfare-reform bill and a strong economy helped bring black child poverty below 40 percent, a public-policy successbut the numbers remain far too high.

Policymakers and pundits prefer silence on the relationship between Americas immigration system and poverty.

Immigrant poverty, though usually lumped within a single child-poverty number, belongs in a different category from black or Native American poverty. After all, immigrants voluntarily came to the United States, usually seeking opportunity. And immigrants of the past often found it. The reality of American upward mobility helps explain why, despite real hardships, poor immigrant childhood became such a powerful theme in American life and literature. Think of classic coming-of-age novels like Betty Smiths A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (about Irish immigrants), Henry Roths Call It Sleep (Jewish immigrants), and Paule Marshalls Brown Girl, Brownstones (West Indians), all set in the first decades of the twentieth century. With low pay, miserable work conditions, and unreliable hours, the immigrant groups that such novels depicted so realistically were as poor asand arguably more openly discriminated against thantodays Mexicans or Bangladeshis.

Their children, though, didnt need a ton of education to leave the hard-knocks life behind. While schools of that era were doubtless more committed to assimilating young newcomers than are todays diversity-celebrating institutions, sky-high dropout rates limited their impact. At the turn of the twentieth century, only 5 percent of the total population graduated from high school; the rate among immigrants would have been even lower. That doesnt mean that education brought no advantages. Though economist George Borjas notes that endemic truancy and interrupted studies had ripple effects on incomes into following generations, the preWorld War II industrial economy offered a range of blue collar opportunities for immigrant children, as sociologists Roger Waldinger and Joel Perlman observe, and it required only modest educations to move a notch or two above their parents. It may have taken more than one generation, but most immigrant families could expect, if not Horatio Algerstyle ascents, at least middle-class stability over time.

Americas economy has transformed in ways that have blocked many of the avenues to upward mobility available to the immigrant families of the past. The kind of middle-skilled jobs that once fed the aspirations of low-income strivers are withering. Modest educations will no longer raise poor immigrant children above their parents station. Drop out of high school, and youll be lucky to be making sandwiches at a local deli or cleaning rooms at a Motel 6. Even a high school diploma can be a dead end, unless supplemented by the right kind of technical training. Get a college degree, however, and it is a different, happier, story.

Yes, some immigrant groups known for their obsessional devotion to their childrens educational attainment (Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants come to mind) still have a good shot at middle-class stability, even though the parents typically arrive in America with little skill or education and, working in low-wage occupations, add to poverty numbers in the short term. But researchers have followed several generations of Hispanicsagain, by far the largest immigrant groupand what theyve found is much less encouraging. Hispanic immigrants start off okay. Raised in the U.S., the second generation graduates high school and goes to college at higher rates than its parents, and it also earns more, though it continues to lag significantly behind native-born and other immigrant groups in these outcomes. Unfortunately, the third generation either stalls, or worse, takes what the Urban Institute calls a U-turn. Between the second and third generation, Hispanic high school dropout rates go up and college-going declines. The third generation is more often disconnectedthat is, neither attending school nor employed. Its income declines; its health, including obesity levels, looks worse. Most disturbing, as we look to the future, a third-generation Hispanic is more likely to be born to a single mother than were his first- or second-generation predecessors. The children of single mothers not only have high poverty rates, regardless of ethnic or racial background; theyre also less likely to experience upward mobility, as a mountain of data shows.

The Hispanic U-turn probably has many causes. Like most parents these days, Hispanics say that they believe that education is essential for their childrens success. Cultural norms that prize family and tradition over achievement and independence often stand in the way. According to a study in the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Hispanic parents dont talk and read to their young children as much as typical middle-class parents, who tend to applaud their childrens attempts at self-expression, do; differences in verbal ability show up as early as age two. Hispanic parents of low-achieving students, most of whom also voiced high academic hopes for their kids, were still happy with their childrens test scores even when the children performed poorly. Their children tended to be similarly satisfied. Unlike many other aspiring parents, Hispanics are more reluctant to see their children travel to magnet schools and to college. They also become parents at younger ages. Though Hispanic teen birthrates have fallenas they have for all groups, apart from American Indiansthey remain the highest in the nation.

The sheer size of the Hispanic population hinders the assimilation that might moderate some of these preferences. Immigrants have always moved into ethnic enclaves in the United States when they could, but schools and workplaces and street life inevitably meant mixing with other kinds, even when they couldnt speak the same language. In many parts of the country, though, Hispanics are easily able to stick to their own. In fact, Generations of Exclusion, a longitudinal study of several generations of Mexican-Americans, found that a majority of fourth-generation Mexican-Americans live in Hispanic neighborhoods and marry other Hispanics.

Other affluent countries have lots of immigrants struggling to make it in a postindustrial economy. Those countries have lower child-poverty rates than we dosome much lower. But the background of the immigrants they accept is very different. Canada, New Zealand, and Australia are probably the best points of comparison. Like the United States, they are part of the Anglosphere and historically multicultural, with large numbers of foreign-born residents. However, unlike the U.S., they all use a points system that considers education levels and English ability, among other skills, to determine who gets immigration visas. The Brookings Institutions Hamilton Project calculates that, while 30 percent of American immigrants have a low level of educationmeaning less than a high school diplomaand 35 percent have a college degree or higher, only 22 percent of Canadian immigrants lack a high school diploma, while more than 46 percent have gone to college. (Canada tightened its points system after a government study found that a rise in poverty and inequality during the 1980s and 1990s could be almost entirely attributed to an influx of poorer immigrants.) Australia and New Zealand also have a considerably more favorable ratio of college-educated immigrants than does the United States. The same goes for the U.K.

The immigration ecosystem of the famously egalitarian Nordic countries also differs from the U.S.s in ways that have kept their poverty numbers low. Historically, the Nordics didnt welcome large numbers of greenhorns. As of 1940, for instance, only 1 percent of Swedens population was foreign-born, compared with almost 8.8 percent of Americans. After World War II, Nordic immigration numbers began rising, with most of the newcomers arriving from developed countries, as was the case in the U.S. until 1965. In Finland and Iceland, for instance, the plurality of immigrants today is Swedish and Polish, respectively. In Norway, the majority of immigrants come from Poland and Lithuania. Note that these groups have low poverty rates in the U.S., too.

Sweden presents the most interesting case, since it has been the most welcoming of the Nordic countriesand it has one of the most generous welfare states, providing numerous benefits for its immigrants. For a long time, the large majority of Swedens immigrants were from Finland, a country with a similar culture and economy. By the 1990s, the immigrant population began to change, though, as refugees arrived from the former Yugoslavia, Iran, and Iraqpopulations with little in common culturally with Sweden and far more likely to be unskilled than immigrants from the European Union. By 2011, Sweden, like other European countries, was seeing an explosion in the number of asylum applicants from Syria, Afghanistan, and Africa; in 2015 and 2016, there was another spike. Swedens percentage of foreign-born has swelled to 17 percenthigher than the approximately 13 percent in the United States.

How has Sweden handled its growing diversity? We dont have much reliable data from the most recent surge, but numbers from earlier this decade suggest the limits of relying on copious state benefits to acclimate cultural outsiders. In the U.S., immigrants are still more likely to be employed than are the native-born. In Sweden, the opposite holds. More than 26 percent of Swedish newcomers have remained unemployed long-term (for more than a year). Immigrants tend to be poorer than natives and more likely to fall back into poverty if they do surmount it. In fact, Sweden has one of the highest poverty rates among immigrants relative to native-born in the European Union. Most strikingly, a majority of children living in Sweden classified as poor in 2010 were immigrants.

Despite its resolute antipoverty efforts, Sweden has, if anything, been less successful than the U.S. at bringing its second-generation immigrants up to speed. According to the OECDs Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, Sweden has declined over the past decade [between 2005 and 2015] from around average to significantly below average . . . . No other country taking part in PISA has seen a steeper fall. The Swedish Education Agency reports that immigrant kids were responsible for 85 percent of a decline in school performance.

Outcomes like these suggest that immigration optimists have underestimated the difficulty of integrating the less-educated from undeveloped countries, and their children, into advanced economies. A more honest accounting raises tough questions. Should the United States, as the Trump administration is proposing, and as is already the case in Canada and Australia, pursue a policy favoring higher-skilled immigration? Or do we accept higher levels of child poverty and lower social mobility as a cost of giving refuge and opportunity to people with none? If we accept such costs, does it even make sense to compare our child-poverty numbers with those of countries like Denmark or Sweden, which have only recently begun to take in large numbers of low-skilled immigrants?

Recent events in Denmark and Sweden put another question in stark relief. How many newcomersespecially from very different culturescan a country successfully absorb, and on what timetable? A surge of asylum seekers beginning in 2015 forced both countries to introduce controls at their borders and limits to asylum acceptances. Their existing social services proved unable to cope with the swelling ranks of the needy; there was not enough housing, and, well, citizens werent always as welcoming as political leaders might have wished. The growing power of anti-immigrant political parties has shocked these legendarily tolerant cultures.

And yet one more question: How long can generous welfare policies survive large-scale low-skilled immigration? The beneficent Nordic countries are not the only ones that need to wonder. The National Academies of Sciences finds that immigration to America has an overall positive impact on the fiscal health of the federal government, but not so for the states and localities that must pay for education, libraries, some social services, and a good chunk of Medicaid. Fifty-five percent of Californias immigrant families use some kind of means-tested benefits; for natives, its 30 percent. The centrist Hamilton Project observes that high-immigrant statesCalifornia, New York, New Jersey, among othersmay be burdened with costs that will only be recouped over a number of years, or, if children move elsewhere within the United States, may never fully be recovered.

In short, confronting honestly the question of child-poverty rates in the United Statesand, increasingly, such rates in other advanced countriesmeans acknowledging the reality that a newcomers background plays a vital role in immigrant success. Alternatively, of course, one can always fall back on damning worries about our current immigration system as evidence of racism. Remember November 8, 2016, if you want to know how that will play out.

A young girl eats at a Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner in Santa Ana, California. (ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES)
Last week, Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" became the most expensive work of art ever sold, going for $450 million at Christie's.

Auctioned off to an unknown buyer on the phone after a protracted, 19 minute bidding war, the masterpiece's road to fetching nearly half a billion dollars actually began in 1958  when it originally sold for less than $200, an art dealer who once owned the piece told CNBC.

After the 1950's, "Salvator Mundi's" trail went cold until around 2005, when art dealers Alex Parish and Robert Simon bought it an estate sale in New Orleans for $10,000.

At the time, Simon, who runs Robert Simon Fine Arts on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, thought the painting was a diamond in the rough. That said, he had no inkling it was an actual da Vinci.

"It appeared to be a damaged, but worthy Renaissance-era work," Simon told CNBC last week.

"I thought it was beautiful but battered, and greatly overpainted. In my wildest imagination I would never have thought it was a da Vinci," he added. "Perhaps, if we were very, very lucky, it would be attributable to one of his peers."

Simon and Parish enlisted noted New York University paintings conservator Dianne Dwyer Modestini to work on the restoration. A few years into a laborious process, Simon had a moment of revelation.

"Once the layer ancient paint were scraped down and the original work started to emerge, this magical feeling took hold. I knew this was the real deal" Simon exclaimed. "Seconds later, those thoughts turned to fear! I mean, now I have a bona fide da Vinci on my hands, how the heck do I keep it safe?"
AUBURN  Judge Kevin Wallace sentenced 10 people for criminal offenses during hearings in DeKalb Superior Court I Wednesday and Thursday.

Chad Kooienga of the 6900 block of Bridle Creek Road, Hudsonville, Michigan, received a one-year suspended sentence and one year of probation for nonsupport, a Class A misdemeanor. He was fined $1.

Anthony Shibler of the 0020 block of C.R. 23-A, Ashley, received two 180-day sentences for theft, a Level 6 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. The sentences will be served at the same time, and he received credit for time served since Aug. 6. He was fined $1.

Cassey Jones of the 5600 block of C.R. 327, Garrett, received a conditional discharge for possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor. If she successfully completes one year of probation, the charge will be dismissed.

Bridget Campbell of the 3900 block of S.R. 127, Angola, received a one-year suspended sentence, one year of probation, and was fined $1 for possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor. In a separate case, she was sentenced to one year of incarceration, all suspended except 180 days, for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury, a Class A misdemeanor. The sentence may be served on community corrections and is consecutive to the sentence in the other case. She was placed on probation for 185 days and was fined $1.

Sandra Johnson of the 2900 block of Stanford Avenue, Fort Wayne, was fined $75 for driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor.

Kyle Knott of the 100 block of North Alley Street, LaOtto, received a 60-day suspended sentence and one year of probation for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor. He was fined $100, and his driving license was suspended for 60 days.

Kolten Rodman of the 400 block of Cowen Street, Garrett, received a 90-day suspended sentence and one year of probation for battery, a Class A misdemeanor. He was fined $1.

Jacob Johnston of the 300 block of South Randolph Street, Garrett, was sentenced to 10 days in jail and fined $1 for possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.

Robert Hendricks III of the 200 block of Walnut Street, Butler, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all suspended except 20 days, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor. He received one year of probation and was fined $100. His driving license was suspended for 90 days.

Michael Stoy of the 200 block of Iwo Street, Auburn, was sentenced to 1 1/2 years of incarceration, all suspended except 180 days, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated having a previous conviction, a Level 6 felony. The sentence may be served on community corrections. He was placed on probation through May 16, 2019, and was fined $100. His driving license was suspended for 180 days.
"Chicago fits the unique balance of fashion and sophistication and blue collar," said Shapiro. "It's about the work and it's about the craft."

Smartly dressed with a pair of his own State frames in gray, Shapiro said the company set up in Chicago to tell an authentic brand story. The brand heavily promotes the city's iconography, and features the Chicago skyline on its presentation boxes.

"We thought the market was different than it was 20 years ago, not because of patriotism, but because of craft culture and the craft movement," CEO Shapiro told CNBC.

State Optical, co-founded by Scott Shapiro, Jerry Wolowicz, Marc Franchi and Jason Stanley, launched in early 2016 to tap into what they saw as a growing demand for domestic products.

A Chicago start-up wants to ride the trendy eye-wear movement  with luxury spectacles designed and assembled in the U.S.A.

Indeed, frame designs are all named after streets in Chicago, such as Armitage and Ravenswood. Each frame has 21 precision drilled holes set in the temples, a homage to Illinois being the 21st state of America.

The frames, which retail for $320 to $420, bear a "Made in the USA" stamp on the inside.

While some of the materials are still sourced from overseas (Italian acetate and hinges from Germany), all the manufacturing is done in the U.S.

According to Shapiro, that created some difficulties: Many American craftsmen had not seen a frame being made before. "Fundamentally it's going to be more difficult and expensive to manufacture in the U.S.," said Shapiro. "The cost of labor is higher even now between the U.S. and China."

Still, Shapiro insisted domestic manufacturing gives State an advantage in the quality of its eyewear. By producing the frames in the U.S., Shapiro said, the company can spot quality or production issues and correct them early.

The stakes are high in the fiercely competitive eyewear market, which is expected to grow to nearly $130 billion worldwide as demand increases for prescription eyeglasses. The U.S. market is dominated by Essilor and Luxottica with 19 percent and 13 percent, respectively, according to data from Euromonitor. Earlier this year, the companies announced a merger to consolidate every part of their eyewear manufacturing businesses.

Being an upstart also means needing to develop brand awareness very quickly, experts say, especially if the company hopes to become relevant overseas.

"There are local companies that have large market shares already," said Ayako Homma, senior analyst at Euromonitor International.

Homma said Warby Parker jump-started awareness of its own U.S.-based brand through convenience by letting customers choose several frames online and shipping them to their homes to try before buying.

Shapiro, however, remained optimistic about State.

"We know that most people don't associate 'Made in the U.S.A.' with luxury," said Shapiro. "When [the customers] put that frame on, that almost likely will be the first time they will try on a frame made in the United States."

Correction: An earlier version had an incorrect retail price for the top of the range. It's $420.
might send a powerful political message to the Fed," according to analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

 leadership changes at the Comptroller of the Currency Office and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as approved changes to the Dodd-Frank reforms

watch now

President Donald Trump promised fewer regulations for business in general, and banks specifically  and events over the past week have pushed that intention closer to reality. The president didn't have a major direct hand in any of the moves, but each nudges the business climate closer to the environment he envisioned while campaigning. Consider the following: Richard Cordray announced he is leaving as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, opening up a change in leadership and management for an agency Trump loathes, with the exit of a director many thought Trump would one day fire;

Joseph Otting was confirmed as the new comptroller of the currency, the overseer of the big Wall Street banks, in a move seen as friendly to the financial industry.

A Senate panel has agreed to key modifications to the Dodd-Frank reforms, most specifically raising the asset threshold for more intense regulations and easing rules for smaller banks. Those three moves come on top of the president's recent nomination of Jerome Powell to head the Federal Reserve. Also, the Fed's newest member, Trump appointee Randal Quarles, advocated in his first public remarks that the central bank take a top-to-bottom look at regulation, supervision and enforcement. In all, it's been a definite lurch forward for one of the three prongs in Trump economic's plan of lower taxes, less regulation and more infrastructure spending. "It's hard to know what the effects of many of these things will be," said Doug Landy, a financial services regulation attorney and partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York. However, "they're moving certainly in the direction they said they would."

Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Pete Marovich | Getty Images

A new face at the CFPB

Trump has long criticized the CFPB for its aggressiveness in going after banks, so Cordray's departure represents a major opportunity. The president and congressional Republicans want to decentralize decision making, taking more of a commission approach rather than the top-down executive structure. In the immediate future, Trump is said to be interested in putting budget director Mick Mulvaney at the helm, and charging him to put together a committee to run the bureau. While Democrats and financial industry watchdogs bemoaned Cordray's departure and expressed worry over the future of consumer protection, industry advocates cheered the potential for a new direction. "The Trump Administration and Congress should use this opportunity to improve the CFPB by adding a bipartisan board so key decisions are made in a bipartisan and transparent manner with more than just one person involved," Tim Pawlenty, head of the Financial Services Roundtable, said in a statement. Rob Nichols, the American Bankers Association president and CEO, also endorsed a five-member commission, joining numerous other agencies in urging a regulatory balance of "consumer protection against access to credit."

Donald Trump Joshua Roberts | Reuters

Changes at comptroller

Confirmed by the Senate along party lines Thursday, Joseph Otting is an interesting choice for the new Comptroller as he takes over for Keith Noreika, who was appointed interim head in May. Otting comes to the job from OneWest Bank, where he worked with current Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The bank has been criticized for its aggressiveness in foreclosures. His primary task as Comptroller will be to work with banks on compliance with the Dodd-Frank reforms instituted following the financial crisis. Banks have long complained about the measures, particularly in regards to transparency and the requirements of annual stress tests. Otting "will reflect the administration's desire to reduce burdens on banks and deregulate in a certain manner," Landy said. "They will be looking at where they feel the regulatory burden is in excess of the benefit it provides. How one views that depends on where one sits on the political landscape." While Trump once had threatened a full repeal of Dodd-Frank, that now appears unlikely. Instead, Congress appears set to work with the new regulators, in order to find ways to tailor the omnibus legislation to maintain the banking industry's safety  all while not gumming up the economy's primary growth engine.

One big move down, many more to go
Defining Greitens Gauge

Not Yet Rated

Every promise begins at this level and retains this rating until we see evidence of progress  or evidence that the promise has stalled.

In the works

This indicates the promise has been proposed or is being considered.

Stalled

There is no movement on the promise, perhaps because of limitations on money, opposition from lawmakers or a shift in priorities.

Compromise

Promises earn this rating when they accomplish substantially less than the officials original statement but when there is still a significant accomplishment that is consistent with the goal of his original promise.

Promise Kept

Promises earn this rating when the original promise is mostly or completely fulfilled.

Promise Broken

The promise has not been fulfilled. This could occur because of inaction by the executive or lack of support from the legislative branch or other group that was critical for the promise to be fulfilled. A Promise Broken rating does not necessarily mean that the executive failed to advocate for the policy.

Promise ratings change whenever the circumstances change. For some promises, it's possible that the status could initially go to In the works, but then move back to Stalled if we decide the proposal has hit a lull and then go back to In the works.
Sources

Greitens' public safety director has message for police, first responders: 'We will have your back,' St. Louis Public Radio, Jan. 2, 2017

House Bill 57, Missouri House of Representatives

House Bill 302, Missouri House of Representatives

Lawmakers consider bills to boost protection for law enforcement officers, Columbia Missourian, Jan. 18, 2017

Real ID legislation one step away from becoming law, Columbia Missourian, May 11, 2017

Governor Greitens officially signs 'Blue Alert' bill into law, FOX 10, May 19, 2017

Greitens commits to having support for firefighters, KRCG 13, April 5, 2017

Governor Eric Greitens Rolls Out Plan to Address Violence in St. Louis, Office of Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, July 10, 2017

What I believe, Greitens for Governor

The Missouri Budget Fiscal year 2018 Summary, Missouri Office of Administration

Fiscal Year 2018 Department of Public Safety Financial Summary, Missouri Office of Administration

The Missouri Budget Fiscal Year 2018, Missouri Office of Administration

Appropriation Bills Fiscal Year 2018, House Bill 8 Totals, Missouri Office of Administration

A look at how Missouri will spend $27.8 billion, should Gov. Greitens approve, St. Louis Public Radio, May 5, 2017
Sources

American Federation for Children, Missouri House Passes Charter School Expansion, Oct. 25, 2017.

Missouri House of Representatives, House Bill No. 634, Oct. 20, 2017.

Associated Press, Missouri Senate Passes School Choice, Transfer Proposal, Oct. 23, 2017.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Charter Schools Program Office, Oct. 23, 2017.

Missouri House of Representatives, HB 634, Oct. 25, 2017.

Arizona State University, Missouri Charter School Law Overview, Oct. 25, 2017.

Ed Choice, What is School Choice?, Oct. 23, 2017.

Washington Post, What school choice means in the era of Trump and DeVos, Oct. 23, 2017.

Budget of the U.S. Government, A New Foundation for American Greatness, Oct. 25, 2017.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Charter school expansion plan heads to Missouri Senate, Oct. 23, 2017.

Missouri Charter Public School Association, News and Events, Oct. 25, 2017.

Email interview, Dylan Robinson, legislative assistant for Rep. Rebecca Roeber, Oct. 26, 2017.

YouTube, A Mission to Move Missouri Forward (19:08), Oct. 20, 2017.

Michigan News, Charter school practices in Michigan similar to public schools, Oct. 23, 2017.

The New York Times, Michigan Gambled on Charter Schools. Its Children Lost, Oct. 29, 2017.

The New York Times, How Successful Are Charter Schools? Oct. 29, 2017.

U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education Awards $253 Million in Grants to Expand Charter Schools, Oct. 29, 2017.

Kansas City Star, Missouri and Kansas charter school laws rank low compared with other states, Oct. 29, 2017.

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Measuring Up the to Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws, Oct. 29, 2017.

U.S. News and World Report, National Rankings Best High Schools, Oct. 29, 2017.

Washington Post, Americas Most Challenging High Schools, Oct. 29, 2017.

Kansas City Star, Failing test scores could one of KCs oldest charter schools to close, Oct. 31, 2017.
Mary Jo Wilbur opened The RootinCrown LLC consignment shop in late October in Suite C at 2919 East Ave., in part of the former Hostess Brands bakery outlet building, behind Clason Buick GMC on the South Side of La Crosse.

Were a consignment store that benefits nonprofit organizations, said Wilbur, who is inviting area nonprofits to register with the store. The RootinCrown is open to the public and sells donated items. The donor selects the registered nonprofit organization that is to receive half of the proceeds from the sale of their donated item.

Wilbur said shes seeking more gently-used, clean donated items for her 5,000-square-foot store. They can be dropped off at the store, but pick-up service also is available.

Some of the items already for sale in The RootinCrown include apparel, housewares, furniture, fitness equipment and home decor.

The RootinCrown also is looking for more local nonprofit organizations  such as churches and schools, and even families under stress because of something like a fire or serious illness  that might be interested in registering. Nonprofits that already are registered include the De Soto school eighth-grade class trip to Washington, D.C., Comfort Blankets, area chapter of the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin; HorseSense for Special Riders, Myrick Park Community and Western Wisconsin Wheels chapter of AMBUCS.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

For more information call 608-519-9500 or visit the stores Facebook page.

The DnA Vintners winery tasting room will open Dec. 2 at its new location at 1223 Caledonia St. in La Crosse.

Winery owner Diana Hobson said it will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through December, and will be closed for remodeling in January. She hopes to reopen it by the weekend before Valentines Day, which is Feb. 14.

The tasting room will be in the former location of Daybreaks Pet Legacies & More, which has moved to rural Houston, Minn. The new tasting room location is much more visible than the previous one, and will have regular hours for the first time.

Hobson, who is best known for her cranberry wines, started her business in 2006. Since 2015, her winery has been in a cement block building at 1229 Caledonia St.  but that building fronts on an alley thats west of and parallel to Caledonia Street, and some people dont know its there. Hobson has had wine tastings there by appointment.

This will mainly be for tastings, Hobson said of the new tasting room, although bottles of her wine will be available for purchase there. DnA will continue to be mainly a wholesaler, whose wines are sold by retailers, she said.

For more information, visit www.dnavintners.com or its Facebook page.

CR Solutions and Ironcore Inc., both at 548 Lester Ave. in Onalaska, are consolidating their operations under the Ironcore Inc. name. The consolidation began early in 2017 and will be completed by December, said Pat Peterson, Ironcore Inc. vice president.

Ironcore provides information technology services throughout the nation, while CR Solutions service area has traditionally been within 100 miles of La Crosse. The consolidation under the Ironcore name allows for a singular customer experience that encompasses all of our products and services, regardless of customer location, Peterson said.

The consolidated company provides hosted and managed information technology services and products for financial institutions, government agencies, and businesses of all types and sizes. CR Solutions has historically provided traditional onsite and remote information technology support services, as well as information technology hardware and software procurement, Peterson said. Ironcores service focus has been secure private hosted servers and fully managed information technology services, he said.

For more information, visit www.ironcore-inc.com or the companys Facebook page.

Production began Nov. 6 at the new Mill Haven Foods dry dairy powder blending facility at 2001 Haven Drive on the South Side of Tomah.

Its the second production facility for the company, which began in 2010 in New Lisbon, Wis. Mill Haven Foods does custom blending and packaging of dry dairy powders for the food and beverage industry.

The new Tomah facility has about 10 employees. That number is expected to increase to about 20 when a second production shift begins in January. The $6.5 million plant has about 77,000 square feet of space and theres room for future expansion.

For more information, visit www.millhavenfoods.com or the companys Facebook page.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Ontarios Liberal government passed back to work legislation on Sunday, Nov. 19.

The strike between the College Employers Council (CEC) and the union representing college faculty workers the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has been ongoing since Oct. 16 and has left 500, 000 college students in Ontario out of class.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne introduced back to work legislation on Thursday, Nov. 16 after both sides reached an impasse in negotiations and refused to seek binding arbitration.

Under the proposed legislation that were introducing today, all outstanding issues would be referred to binding mediation-arbitration, the Premier said in a written statement on Thursday.

Wynne had hoped to pass the legislation sooner, but was blocked due to lack of unanimous support in the legislature, particularly from the NDP who refused to allow the bill to be rushed through.

With the bills passage on Sunday, St. Lawrence College President Glenn Vollebregt announced on Twitter that all St. Lawrence College faculty would be back to work on Monday, Nov. 20 with their students following them the next day.
Following an audit, a Louisiana woman was accused of allegedly stealing more than $10,000 from a credit union where she was employed, while an alert credit union employee in Florida helped police catch a woman running a fraudulent car loan scheme.

Alyse Jones, 22, a former member service officer for the $269 million Carter Federal Credit Union in Springhill, La., was accused of stealing $10,670 from her cash drawer and from the credit unions vault, according to Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator.

Police said Jones attempted to cover up the theft by manipulating data on the credit unions IT system to show that members withdrew the funds. But an audit uncovered the alleged crime and the credit union contacted police. Following an investigation, Jones was charged with felony theft.
WARRENSRenovating and transforming the former Bog restaurant site into Lost at Donna Ks Bar and Grill has been a challenge.

But the end is in site, and the restaurant is tentatively expected to open Wednesday, Nov. 15 pending a state health inspection.

Chuck Bowers, owner of Donna Ks, said there were more problems with the building than expected.

This was a long road, he said. This building was very distressed, run into the ground. The previous owner did good when he was here, but as the end came they let things go.

There was a lot to fix, Danielle Laehn of Donna Ks, said.

There were more troubles here than we thought as far as plumbing and electricity; there was a lot of remodeling, she said.

It all turned out well in the end, Bowers said.

We went in and reconditioned the entire building, he said. It looks different  calmer and homey.

This is not Bowers first restaurant; he has another Donna Ks in Black River Falls. He used to own another restaurant in Black River Falls; however, it burned down and he owned four other restaurants in Madison but sold those about two years ago to focus on the Black River and Warrens sites.

Bowers said his restaurants are for the communities they are in, including Warrens.

Were happy to be serving the Warrens community, he said. Tomah and Warrens need something like this ... Our hopes for the future is to have more Donna Ks .... to put more into the communities that need a restaurant, need something reasonably priced, and we put our hearts and souls into it. Its not about money to us. We want to make a living, but its more about serving the community, to give something back to the community.

Laehn said the food at Donna Ks can be described as home-cooked.

Its all home-cooked meals ... from scratch, and Chuck puts his own twist on recipes in terms of seasoning, she said.

The food is inspired by Bowers mother. Bowers said she is the reason he pursued a restaurant career.

A passion of hers was always the food industry, he said. We owned a couple restaurants and bars, and she got me into it. She was the one who taught me how to cook.

Bowers mother was also the inspiration for the restaurants name. He renamed the restaurants Donna Ks in remembrance of his mother, who died four months ago.

Bowers is anxious to open the business.

Im very excited for the opening. I wish it was a month ago, two months ago, he said. Im excited. I want to bring what we have to the community.
Mendaiwan was accused along with another woman when after a feast a man got ill and died. Men accused and tortured them with heated bush knives and steel rods, demanding to know where the women had put the dead mans heart.

I have witnessed or been closely associated with many cases of accusations of sanguma in the PNG Highlands. Let me give examples of just three of the many and the reader can decide whether they are studies of good or evil and how real they are.

MADANG - Some people in Papua New Guinea are questioning whether sanguma is real. I would argue that the sanguma creature in itself may be as real as Santa Klaus or Harry Potter, but that the evil of sanguma is as real as torture and death are real.

One woman died from the assault, but Mendaiwan managed to escape during the night.

The next morning, she was able to alert a relative who took her to a mission hospital in another province. She was eight months pregnant and the baby was born dead the next day  having died from burns suffered while in the mothers uterus.

Mendaiwan was discharged from hospital several months afterwards, still professing her innocence.

Lapowan was accused of sanguma after a young man fell unconscious. She was stripped naked and tied to a piece of machinery and tortured with hot irons to every part of her body.

Despite the torture and demands that she confess that she is a sanguma, she maintained her innocence. She managed to escape and to get to a mission hospital where the sisters treated her for over a month.

The young man, whose heart she was supposed to have taken and eaten, recovered, and her assailants claim that the torture must have forced her to put the heart back. She continues to profess her innocence, but wherever she goes people point to her and hide their children lest she eat them. She lives in fear of being accused again.

Tepowan is six years old. She is the daughter of Angeline Kepari Leniata who was accused of sanguma and tortured and burned alive before a crowd in Mt Hagen in 2013. Just last week, one of Tepowans young playmates got sick and someone blamed it on young Tepowan accusing her of sanguma inherited from her mother.

Men heated bush knives in the fire and applied them to the childs body trying to get her to confess that she is a sanguma. Fortunately, she was rescued and is now recovering in a mission hospital.

Was she really a sanguma? I dont think so. The men regarded the child as possessed by evil, but surely the reality of evil in that case lies in the beliefs and actions of her male accusers.

I could give many other examples, but I trust this is sufficient to raise serious questions about the reality of sanguma in terms of a creature or evil spirit possessing women who then kill and eat people.

Yes, from a magical worldview people can fly, and twenty toea coins can come from someones knee. I personally have seen magicians supposedly removing stones from the belly of a sick person.

I am happy to hear if someone can be healed through such magic but the reality of sanguma in the Highlands is not healing, but quite the contrary  fear, pain and death.

I believe in God and I believe in the spirit of evil too. But my experience leads me to understand that the spirit of evil is not in the innocent women who are being accused by some glassman.

I am aware that some accused do confess under the pain of torture, but I question the truth of such confessions under torture and I maintain that the reality of the evil of sanguma is in the pain of torture and death and betrayal as a result of false accusation.

In parts of the Highlands this is a reality facing our mothers sisters and daughters when the hysteria of sanguma breaks out in a community, all good sense is lost, and innocent people get accused.

All of us, men and women must work together to do everything possible to eliminate that very real evil that is destroying the peace and security of our communities.

Fr Philip Gibbs has been an SVD priest in Papua New Guinea for 45 years, mostly in the Highlands
Lice. They can make your scalp itchy just thinking about them.

With children in school and hats coming out, lice arent far behind. Also, in an age where children are often crowded around smartphones and other electronic devices, they are more likely to touch heads.

Then add selfies to the equation.

There are many ways to combat the scourge, with new, chemical-free options popping up. Patty Ziegler offers one such method.

Zieglers daughter was in third grade when she came home from school with lice.

I was panic stricken because she was one of the asymptomatic kids. Only 40 percent itch or react to them, so 60 percent of the population that has lice really doesnt react. They dont itch, they dont get a rash.

It was a scary time for Ziegler, who quickly started looking for something other than the over-the-counter treatments. So Im looking for an alternative, because Im reading, even five years ago, about chemical resistance, neurological reactions.

She ended up driving to the Twin Cities, where she found a company that uses an FDA-approved medical device called AirAlle (Air-a-lay). The machine uses heated air to dehydrate and kill head lice in one 30-minute treatment. It kills all stages of lice, including lice eggs called nits.

Ziegler got both her children treated, because she discovered her son had them, too. You would think with short hair that he wouldnt have it, but he did. Because they like each other, and when theyre little, they touch heads.

The nine-hour round-trip drive was worth it, Ziegler said, for the utter relief it provided. On the way home, her children suggested she buy a similar machine and help people in Wisconsin.

Her family is entrepreneurial, after all. She, her husband and her parents own Antiques Mall of Madison on Cottage Grove Road, and she and her brother started Picassos Pizza on Verona Road.

Now, she uses her own AirAlle at The Bright Side, her lice treatment center at 600 W. Main St., in Sun Prairie. Like the Minneapolis business, shes part of Lice Clinics of America. Zieglers territory is Dane County, and she has the only franchise in the area.

A nuisance

Lice are most commonly found in elementary-aged and preschool children and those who live in the same household as infested children. Although theres no reliable data, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are 6 million to 12 million cases each year in the United States among children 3 to 11.

Ziegler sometimes goes into schools to do checks, particularly private schools. The staffs get worn out looking through hair, she said.

But over the past five years the Madison schools have taken a hands-off policy on lice, no longer routinely checking for lice or sending notes home that it has been found on someone in the class.

What they are saying is true. Lice isnt a health hazard, lice is a nuisance, Ziegler said. And they get that from the CDC. The Center for Disease Control came out with the report, and thats exactly what they said. Madison schools took that and they ran with it and they eliminated their lice policies and they let kids stay at school with a head full of bugs.

Sally Zirbel-Donisch, the Madison School District health services coordinator and a registered nurse, indeed calls it a nuisance disease.

It really doesnt have any serious health ramifications. Its just that its bothersome to those that get it, she said.

Schools are following the guidance of the CDC, the National Association of School Nurses and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Those guidelines say that children should stay in school until the end of the school day and then be sent home with recommended treatments. They should be treated at home, and can then come to school the next day.

The switch was made because often the teacher and the school are unaware that a child has lice, and that child may be in the classroom for two weeks or a month before the lice are discovered, Zirbel-Donisch said.

Also, its not a disease in the sense that other kids are going to get seriously sick from it, she said.

There are some children who have repeated or chronic cases, and those students would be missing a lot of school, she added.

Strand by strand

Deena Garcia, a nurses assistant at Lowell Elementary School, runs a service called D-Lice, where she comes into homes, and by using a bright light and lots of patience, she gets rid of lice, one bug or nit at a time.

Each case is different. Shes cleaned anywhere from three bugs to 30. It depends how long the person has had the problem, Garcia said.

An adult louse is about the size of uncooked rice, while the nits are smaller  about the size of a sesame seed, she said.

There are a lot of different treatments and products  chemicals or natural remedies, but no matter what you try, you have to still comb and pick. Just be really diligent and thorough. I go strand by strand, Garcia said.

Even after Ziegler uses her heating machine at The Bright Side, she still goes through and combs and picks, which takes an additional half hour. The treatment costs $175 per head.

D-Lice is $25 for an initial assessment and then $80 per hour, with most treatments taking about an hour.

How long a treatment takes depends on the case. Included in the cost is a return visit a week later to make sure the lice and nits are gone.

Garcia treats two or three families a month as a side job. For Ziegler, its full-time, and she generally treats about 100 children per month. In the busy season  mid-July to mid-November  she averages closer to 130 per month.

Reducing stigma

While Ziegler is critical of MMSDs hands-off policy, Garcia agrees with it and said she hasnt seen an increase in lice cases since it went into effect.

In the past, when a letter went home, it tended to stir up a panic, Garcia said. In the 10 years shes been at Lowell, shes never had to check whole classrooms, but she can imagine how humiliating it would be for a child if lice are discovered.

Not checking or sending letters home provides more confidentiality and minimizes bullying, she said.

Before, when schools were required to be nit free, even one egg on a child meant they were sent home, and that led to parents having to miss work and students missing instruction time, Garcia said.

Now, even if a parent contacts the classroom teacher to report a child with head lice, the school doesnt send a letter home to the other families. That stopped about two years ago.

Instead, nurses are encouraged to get information out about lice, and classroom teachers are instructed to discuss lice in their weekly newsletters when a case develops in a classroom, said the districts Zirbel-Donisch.

Children can be sent to the nurses office to be checked if a teacher sees them itching a lot, she said.

Also, if a parent calls to report that their child has lice, the school will often check the childs close contacts, siblings at the school or friends, Zirbel-Donisch said. But Garcia said thats not often done at Lowell because it can be too stigmatizing.

If there are several cases in a classroom, the other parents will be notified, Zirbel-Donisch said.

Over-the-counter treatments

Dr. Laura Houser, a pediatrician at UW Health East Clinic, who has a daughter in first grade in the Madison school district, agrees with how schools are handling lice.

Schools still need to make sure students are getting the appropriate treatment and arent spreading the lice to other kids, she said.

Houser, who probably gets one or two calls about lice per day, tries to avoid having patients come to the clinic if its pretty clear they have them. Nurses end up giving recommendations over the phone instead.

Often over-the-counter treatments like Nix or Rid are all people end up needing, she said. Those products cost about $20 per treatment.

Most of the time, if the family does use them correctly and follows all the directions, washing clothes and putting clothes in a bag for a few days, that can take care of it, Houser said.

When she gets repeated phone calls from families, its either because the treatment wasnt done correctly or the lice were resistant, Houser said.

Some lice, she notes, can be immune to even the prescription treatments.

Houser understands why some people dont want to use chemicals on their children, but said that can get tricky because almost anything is a chemical.

There are certain products she wouldnt use on very young children because of risks, but she said the ones she recommends are safe if used property.

Some families may turn to alternative treatments because of the fear of chemicals and the stress of repeated treatments. They might be interested in paying the higher amounts of money for those other treatments, Houser said.

Shes had patients use the heat treatment successfully and said its a valid treatment method. The biggest drawback for some families is the cost.

One and done

Christa Papke didnt really flinch at the cost after getting her children treated at The Bright Side. She was just glad to be one and done, as Ziegler describes her heat treatment.

Papke is a fifth-grade teacher in Rockton, Illinois, who recently had to postpone an evening of parent-teacher conferences at the last minute to make a trip to see Ziegler.

Papke had treated her 7-year-old daughter the night before with an over-the-counter product and she still had lice in the morning. That same day, her 9-year-old sons school nurse called to say he had them, too.

It was the third time since the end of August that they both have had it. This is ridiculous, she said.

Papke learned about The Bright Side from her schools nurse, and said the cost and the hour-long drive each way was worth it.

I had to take care of this because this is driving me nuts and apparently the lice or the nits are becoming immune to the over-the-counter treatments, she said.

Papke was impressed by how kid-friendly and welcoming Zieglers office was, with electronic tablets for the children, snacks and drinks.

The next day, her children went back to school, and were found to be lice- and nit-free.

I would go back again, Papke said about The Bright Side. Hopefully, I wont have to.
Provident Financial Services, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Provident Bank that provides various banking products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. The company's deposit products include savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, money market deposit, and certificate of deposit accounts, as well as IRA products. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans that are secured by properties, such as multi-family apartment buildings, office buildings, and retail and industrial properties; commercial business loans; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans collateralized by one- to four-family residential real estate properties; commercial construction loans; and consumer loans consisting of home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, marine loans, personal loans and unsecured lines of credit, and auto and recreational vehicle loans. The company also offers cash management, remote deposit capture, payroll origination, escrow account management, and online and mobile banking services; and business credit cards. In addition, it provides wealth management services comprising investment management, trust and estate administration, financial planning, tax compliance and planning, and private banking. Further, the company sells insurance and investment products, including annuities; operates as a real estate investment trust for acquiring mortgage loans and other real estate related assets; and manages and sells real estate properties acquired through foreclosure. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 96 full-service branch offices in northern and central New Jersey, as well as in Pennsylvania and New York counties. The company was founded in 1839 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Maximus, Inc. provides business process services (BPS) to government health and human services programs. It operates through three segments: U.S. Services, U.S. Federal Services, and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers various BPS solutions, such as program administration, appeals and assessments, and related consulting works for U.S. state and local government programs, including the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, child support programs, Preadmission Screening and Resident Reviews, and Independent Developmental Disability assessments. This segment also provides program eligibility support and enrollment; centralized multilingual customer contact centers, multichannel, and digital self-service options for enrollment; application assistance and independent health plan choice counseling; beneficiary outreach, education, eligibility, enrollment, and redeterminations; person-centered independent disability, long-term sick, and other health assessments; and specialized consulting services. The U.S. Federal Services segment offers centralized citizen engagement centers and support services; document and record management; case management, citizen support, and consumer education; independent medical reviews and worker's compensation benefit appeals; Medicare and Medicaid appeals; and federal marketplace eligibility appeals. This segment also provides modernization of systems and information technology infrastructure; infrastructure operations and support services; software development, operations, and management services; and data analytics services. The Outside the U.S. segment offers BPS solutions for governments and commercial clients outside the United States, including health and disability assessments, program administration for employment services, and other job seeker-related services. The company was incorporated in 1975 and is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia.
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. 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Sexual assault is gaining attention on the national stage as more and more people call out celebrities, politicians and those in power.

But the issue is more than just the #MeToo social media hashtag: It hits home for a shocking number of La Crosse County teens, as more than 1 in 8 high school females reported being sexually assaulted in 2017.

The numbers come from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a tool used by the Centers for Disease Control to assess the behaviors of high school students.

Along with questions about sex, dating violence and sexual assault, the survey also looks at topics such as healthy eating, bullying, substance abuse and healthy relationships with adults.

The survey asks two questions about sexual assault. The first asks students whether they had been coerced either verbally or physically to participate in sexual activity in the past 12 months. The second asks students whether they had been forced to do sexual things they did not want to do by a dating partner in the past 12 months.

In 2017, more than 12 percent of the 1,587 female students who responded, almost 200, responded yes to the first question. More than 206 female students, or 13 percent of those asked, responded yes to the second question. The 2015 survey produced similar numbers.

Individual districts results were similar to the countywide data, with the exception of Bangor High School. More than 22 percent of female students reported being forced to participate in sexual activity and more than 20 percent of female students reported being sexually assaulted by a dating partner.

Seventy-two female students took the survey in 2017. Bangor students did not take the survey in 2015, district staff said.

People dont know how many kids are affected and how significant this issue is, Gundersen Health System clinical social worker and sexual abuse counselor Rhonda Bryhn said. It is an enormous problem.

Despite laws requiring reporting and investigation of incidents of sexual assault and rape among minors, educators and health professionals say it is still a tricky subject to tackle. Due to cultural perceptions and myths about rape, students can feel uncomfortable about reporting incidents of sexual assault.

Adults and school staff could also do more to create an environment in which students feel comfortable confiding in them, as well as a culture in which healthy relationships, consent and bodily autonomy are better respected.

If we really want to lessen the problem, we need to be honest with ourselves about it, Brynh said. For this to be effective, education has to start young and has to be frequent and integrated in the childs world. We need to teach them what is OK, what is not OK and that they should go for help if they feel uncomfortable.

Broken trust

Jodi, a sophomore at a La Crosse County high school, was only 11 the first time she was sexually assaulted. Jodi is not this teens real name and personal details have been obscured to protect her identity.

Jodis cousin touched her in a sexual manner, and some nights she woke up to him doing things to her. The abuse happened over many days and progressed to forced penetration, or rape.

When she told her parents about what happened to her, they confronted the cousin and got her help and counseling through Gundersens sexual abuse counseling and support program. She was making progress, until a few years later, when she was in eighth grade, and her father started abusing her.

He touched her inappropriately, Jodi said, and the assault left her shocked and reeling. While she was angry at her cousin for what he did, she said she felt shocked and overwhelmed that her father, someone she trusted, would do this to her.

The incident came to light when she told one of her counselors at the middle school, who then reported the incident to the police. She was interviewed about the assault at the Family and Children Centers Stepping Stones facility.

She said it was weird going there, and it was hard being worried about her siblings and mom and what was happening to them. It was difficult to tell her story to strangers, and it was annoying that different people kept asking her the same questions over and over again about the abuse.

It was also hard to relive the assaults by answering the questions. Some days after the assault she had a lot of energy. Other days she felt drained.

I had good days and bad days, she said. I still have them. I felt like I had to start my life all over again.

After she was abused, Jodi said, she suffered from depression and cut herself. She never thought of suicide, but she said she felt like she would never be able to feel better.

I wanted to bottle it all up, she said. I didnt want to talk about it.

But being able to talk about it has helped her move on. A few trusted friends know about the abuse, she said, as well as her boyfriend, and they all know how to listen and be supportive on days when she is struggling or sad.

Working through things with her counselor at Gundersen has been helpful, too. Her therapist has been able to help her process, reflect and begin moving on and looking forward.

Joining theater and dance club at school has helped her process as well. Acting lets her take on another personality and think through things from a different perspective. Staying active, using relaxation techniques and listening to music help take the edge off and reduce stress.

Her mom has been supportive as well by doing what she can to make Jodi feel safe. Her mom always wants to know where she is going and who she will be with, something other teens may balk at but which Jodi said she really appreciates.

Having a parent looking out for you is a big help, she said. She asks if I am OK and if I ever need anything.

Helping those who have been abused

Brynh said that most of the teens she sees are abused by family members or very close family friends. The perpetrator is typically a partner of a parent, someone trusted and close to the child.

Closer to college age, she sees a lot of sexual assault by dating partners, friends or classmates. It is usually someone the person might trust to walk home with or a friend at a party.

It is usually someone they thought was a good friend, she said.

Bryhn encouraged teens who have been sexually assault to call a 24-hour information and crisis line at 608-775-5950 for a person who can offer information and provide emotional support.

Victims who come into Gundersens emergency room wee sexual assault nurse examiners who checking for and collect physical evidence of sexual assault. They can connect a victims with advocates who are willing to help navigate the legal system and provide emotional support.

Mental health professionals can help victims who are dealing with the effects of assault. Most victims of sexual assault in the week after the incident experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

The symptoms disappear in about a third of victims. Others can develop chronic PTSD.

Those symptoms can include sadness, fear and hopelessness. Some will contemplate suicide or self harm. Other symptoms include social withdrawal, eating changes, sleep disruption or concentration problems.

Victims can become afraid of being in a crowd or being in certain places. They might withdraw from friends and family, or their grades might plummet. Physical symptoms can include headaches, nausea and fatigue, as well as increased anxiety.

Over the long term, victims who do not get help or treatment are more prone to develop PTSD or depression. They are more likely to develop alcohol or drug problems or have an unintended pregnancy.

Victims of chronic sexual assault can fall behind their peers in academic and social development.

Having a supportive, believing and non-judgmental person in a childs life is the most important factor, Bryhn said. That person can offer protection and help a victim recover. Social supports can make all the difference, Bryhn said.

That is what is vital, she said. If a child doesnt have that, the picture is much darker in the present and the future.

Challenging myths and culture

Many of the women calling out abusers such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and others are doing so years and decades after the incidents. Fear, shame and intimidation are some of the many reasons they have cited for their reluctance.

Reporting an assault is no less scary for a teenager whose world has just been turned upside down and who may not know whom to confide in. All school staff are mandated by law to report a suspected incident of sexual abuse, but counseling staff at local high schools say the number of reports the school gets is a fraction of the actual number of assaults.

Students may be afraid of their classmates finding out, counselors said, or what their parents might do or think. If drugs or alcohol are involved, students might be afraid of getting in trouble or worry that the incident was their fault.

Even if a student has a trusted relationship with an adult, it can be a hard thing to report, Central High School social worker Tatiana Wolf said. We probably arent hearing about it as often as it is happening.

The Tribune asked all La Crosse County public school districts how many reports of sexual assault they received and reported to authorities during the 2016-17 school year. West Salem reported one, compared with the more than 10 female students who reported being assaulted in 2017. Bangor has received only one report of sexual assault in the past two years.

Staff at Holmen said they had no reported sexual assaults in 2016-17 or 2017-18. Staff at Onalaska and La Crosse said all incidents are reported to authorities according to state law but did not keep a tally of their frequency.

While the La Crosse County Health and Human Services Department handles more than 1,300 reports each year of abuse or neglect involving minors, and while the majority of those reports come from school districts, the agency didnt have an estimate on how many involve sexual assault or abuse.

When a report does come in, school counselors said they work with the student or the parent to provide needed resources. That might include referrals to outside counseling or creating a safety plan for the student.

If the assault involves a classmate, staff can work with teachers to rearrange lunch periods, lockers or even class schedules to help a victim avoid a perpetrator in the halls. Counselors also work with teachers so students struggling with the trauma can get extra time or help with homework or tests.

Every students needs are a little different, Wolf said. The most important thing to us is that students feel safe and mentally in a good place.

Schools also work to educate students about healthy relationships, boundaries and consent. This work begins in elementary school, with curriculum that shows what friendships between kids should look like. At the middle school and high school level, those lessons continue but also delve into dating and sexual assault.

Teachers and staff also promote bystander intervention and speaking up. They will reach out to administrators, the student or parents if they see behaviors or conduct that is troubling.

Ive made these calls myself to parents, Onalaska High School Principal Jared Schaffner said. Ive encouraged them to talk to their son or daughter about the incident.

More work to be done

There is still more that could be done to change a culture in which these incidents remain too common, Bryhn said.

2 La Crosse teens charged in gang rape of 2 girls inside South Side garage Prosecutors Wednesday charged two La Crosse teens in a gang rape of two girls inside a South

Offenders commonly look for victims who will be vulnerable, and many people still unhealthy views on relationships. People can be coerced into having sex, and Bryhn sees that in adult and teen relationships. Not all teens and society recognize these behaviors as sexual assault.

People dont always know they can say no, she said. Or if they do, and the sex continues, that it is against the law.

More education is important, she said, and more can be done to teach children and adults to respect peoples bodies. It is also important to make sure society is holding perpetrators accountable and providing treatment for the offenders.

Bryan says there has been some progress, as the stats on sexual assault are beginning to go down. She said people are becoming more informed on how to be supportive and help victims heal.

Jodi said she also experienced problems in reporting and working with adults when she was assaulted. She agreed that people arent doing enough to educate others on the issue.

When she learned about the numbers on the YRBS survey, Jodi said she was shocked. She didnt think it would be that high.

People shouldnt have to be scared that this might happen to them or their child, she said.

She said counselors and school staff have more to learn. Her middle school counselor didnt know what to do, what to say or how to ask the right questions. She asked simple questions like where were you? or other questions that really didnt have much to do with the incident. People need to be more supportive, Jodi said and they need to reassure victims that they can get through the assault. They need to make teens who come forward feel listened to.

It can be hard for these adults to relate, she said. Thats a problem, and it makes it harder to talk and confide in them.

When she got to high school, Jodi said, the counselor she worked with was much easier to work with and talk to. The new counselor knew the right questions to ask and support to provide and was a big help in her moving forward. She looking at her future more, beginning to think about college and career.

Despite all she has gone through the past few years, Jodi said she is looking forward to the future, a contrast to when getting through just one day felt long and tiring. Now she is focused on making each day better.

I filled out my first job application this week, she said. That is a big step forward for me.
Tyson Foods, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Beef, Pork, Chicken, and Prepared Foods. The company processes live fed cattle and live market hogs; fabricates dressed beef and pork carcasses into primal and sub-primal meat cuts, as well as case ready beef and pork, and fully cooked meats; raises and processes chickens into fresh, frozen, and value-added chicken products; and supplies poultry breeding stock; sells specialty products, such as hides and meats. It also manufactures and markets frozen and refrigerated food products, including ready-to-eat sandwiches, flame-grilled hamburgers, Philly steaks, pepperoni, bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, flour and corn tortilla products, appetizers, snacks, prepared meals, ethnic foods, side dishes, meat dishes, breadsticks, and processed meats under the Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, State Fair, Aidells, and Gallo Salame brands. The company also offers its products under Tyson and ibp brands. It sells its products through its sales staff to grocery retailers, grocery wholesalers, meat distributors, warehouse club stores, military commissaries, industrial food processing companies, chain restaurants or their distributors, live markets, international export companies, and domestic distributors who serve restaurants and food service operations, such as plant and school cafeterias, convenience stores, hospitals, and other vendors, as well as through independent brokers and trading companies. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas.
DE SOTO  It was the first time Bob Again had set hoof on the ASAP ranch, and yet it was a homecoming of sorts for the statuesque Standardbred, whose path took a devastating detour just weeks ago.

Bob Again was 10 years old when he joined the American Standardbred Adoption Program in 2009, donated by owner Dirk Simpson after a four-year, 27-race career that culminated in 2003.

ASAP was founded in 1993 by Sue Wellman, a special education teacher who lives on a 50-acre farm in De Soto, in an effort to match former race horses with healthy, happy retirement homes. Racehorse owners from across the country donate their horses to the program in exchange for a tax credit, and from there the horses are placed in foster homes in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio and Illinois. The program is sustained entirely through donations and adoption fees, and staffed by community volunteers.

Since 2014, ASAP has placed more than 1,000 equines from across the country with carefully screened owners, for an adoption fee of around $400. Adopters must provide references and sign a contract stipulating the adopted horse can never be sold, given away or transferred, other than back to ASAP.

But with Bob Again, that contract was broken.

On Oct. 6, Wellman was stunned to receive a call from Amanda Keyes, a woman in Massachusetts who is one of thousands of equine lovers who spend hours scouring through the Bastrop Louisiana Ship Pen Facebook page, determined to save the some 100,000 horses headed to slaughter each year. Bob Again was in a kill lot in Bastrop, days from being transported to Mexico for butchering, when Keyes spotted him online Oct. 5.

(Wellman) was completely shocked after thinking she had placed him in a forever home, said Keyes, who is a volunteer with SOSS Save Our Standardbreds from Slaughter, a watchdog group that records the freeze brand numbers on horses posted by Bastrop and tracks them back to their original owners through the United States Trotting Association Database. So far this year we have saved a little over 400 horses from the kill pen. There are times where we have grateful owners that take back these horses after thinking that they placed them in a great retirement home.

Wellman was under the assumption Bob Again was still living in Missouri with the woman who adopted him in 2010. She had last heard from the owner, whose name ASAPs attorney at Hale Skemp Law Office has advised against releasing while they pursue replevin action, in 2014, when she was considering returning the horse but quickly changed her mind.

Where hes been since 2014, I have no idea, said Wellman, who said ASAP had never been in this situation before and postulates the owner sold Bob Again, unaware he was destined for slaughter.

Bastrop sells horses to Canada and Mexico for kill before the meat is shipped to countries including Japan and France, and charges $950 to reclaim a horse  an amount that exceeds the proceeds from slaughter, making for a lucrative business.

Moneymaker, isnt it? Wellman said. They like to get their hands on as many Standardbreds as they can.

Horse retirement/rescue operation reels from flooding DE SOTO  The extensive flooding that caused two deaths and left millions in damages in its 

Wellman immediately started soliciting donations to pay for Bob Agains release from Bastrop, collecting nearly $1,000 within a month, and then raised another $800 for his quarantine in Shreveport, La., where spouses Grayson and Melody Daniels have been taking in rescues for the past 18 months. The couple house up to 10 horses at a time, and Bob Again was their fourth kill lot rescue.

Sometimes the horses are stolen, neglected, or sometimes people dont want them anymore ... and they end up in that situation, Grayson said. In Mexico, (the slaughter) is a pretty brutal process.

The Danielses had Bob Again, who was underweight from stress but very gentle, screened by a vet and monitored for communicable diseases for four weeks. Once cleared, Grayson personally drove him to De Soto, pulling up to ASAP at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday evening to a crowd of neighbors, volunteers and an antsy Wellman.

Theres a lot of satisfaction once you get there ... someones always anxious to see them, Grayson said. The (horse) is coming from a bad environment, and you dont know what to expect. (Bob Again) came out excited, a little anxious, but excited to be there. He got in his stall and he just looked like he belonged.

I thought I was going to be extremely emotional when he got out of the trailer, but having all the people who care about him here ... it was more joyful, said Wellman, who never met Bob Again before he was placed in his initial foster home in Madison, and relieved, knowing he was just a few days away (from death).

Wellman says she is hesitant to place Bob Again up for adoption and would only consider a local family. For now, the friendly, curious and energetic horse is content to frolic among the other 22 horses on her property, dining on premium senior food until he reaches a healthy weight.

While Keyes will likely never meet Bob Again, she is contented to have played a role in his rescue.

I am part of a amazing team that puts in endless hours to save these horses, Keyes said. Its truly a amazing feeling ... we wouldnt be able to do it without our wonderful supporters that help week after week to help save these sweet, tired horses.

For more information on ASAP, or to volunteer, visit www.4thehorses.com.
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.
The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Limited, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AFD.TECH, AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, AIG Shared Services Business Processing Inc, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co. Ltd., Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Accenture (UK) Limited, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Agencia Interativa Ltda, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture B.V., Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BPS Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A., Accenture Canada Holdings Inc, Accenture Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Limited, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co. Ltd, Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Pty Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SASU, Accenture Customer Services Ltd, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Delivery Poland S.p. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance II Limited, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services S.r.l., Accenture Financial Advanced Solution & Technology S.r.l., Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Global Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Global Engagements Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Limited, Accenture Global Services Limited, Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc, Accenture Holding Brasil Ltda, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SASU, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services B.V., Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture International B.V., Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea B.V., Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Lithuania UAB, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Marketing Services LLC, Accenture Marketing Services Limited, Accenture Middle East B.V., Accenture Minority I B.V., Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi Pty Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations GmbH, Accenture Operations S.p. z o.o., Accenture Operations Services Private Limited, Accenture Operations Services Sdn Bhd, Accenture Outsourcing S.r.l., Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations B.V., Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru SRL, Accenture Post Trade Processing SASU, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture Qiyun Technology (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture S.p. z o.o., Accenture S.p.A., Accenture SASU, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sdn Bhd, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services and Technology S.r.l., Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Single Member S.A. Organization Information Technology & Business Development, Accenture Solutions Co. Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions S.p. z o.o, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc, Accenture Sub III Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions S.r.l., Accenture Technology Solutions SASU, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures B.V., Accenture Technology Ventures SPRL, Accenture Tecnologia Consultoria y Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co. Limited, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Ltda, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Advoco, Agilex Technologies Inc., Alfa Consulting, Allen International, AlphaBeta Advisors, Altevie Technologies S.r.l., Altima, Altima (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Altima Asia Ltd, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Altius Consulting Limited, Altius Data Solutions Private Limited, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Apis Group Pty Ltd, Appaloosa Technology SASU, AppsPro, AppsPro, Arca, Arca Ingenieros y Consultoria S.L., Arca Telecom S.L., Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Artio People (Payroll) Pty Ltd, Artio People Pty Ltd, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Automation Partners Pty Ltd, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc, Avanade Consulting Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Limited, Avanade Europe Services Limited, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SASU, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade Inc, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy S.r.l., Avanade Japan KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Middle East Limited, Avanade Netherlands B.V., Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain S.L., Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Limited, Avanade do Brasil Ltda , Avanade Osterreich GmbH, Avenai, Avieco, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCS Consulting, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BENEXT, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, BRIDGEi2i, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing Zhidao Future Consulting Co. Ltd, Benext, Berico Technologies LLC, Bionic, Bionic Solution LLC, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Bow & Arrow, Bow & Arrow Limited, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, Byte Prophecy Private Limited, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CS Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, CS Technology (UK) Limited, CS Technology Group LLC, CS Technology LLC, CadenceQuest Inc., Callisto Integration Europe B.V., Callisto Integration Europe Limited, Callisto Integration LLC, Callisto Integration Ltd, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc, Certus Solutions Consulting Services Limited, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, ClearEdge Partners, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Limited, DI Futures Corporation, Data Essential SARL, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings LLC, Decora Marketplace LLC, Decorado Marketplace Ltda-EPP, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digital Results Group LLC, Double Digit Limitada, Double Digit Pty SA, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Limited, Duck Creek Technologies, ESR Labs, ESR Labs AG, EdenOne Solutions Limited, Edenhouse ERP Holdings Limited, Edenhouse Solutions Limited, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting LP, End to End Analytics LLC, End-to-End Analytics, Endorphin Medici (M) Sdn Bhd, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Limited, EnergyQuote JHA, Enimbos, Enimbos Global Services S.L., Enkitec, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions LLC, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V., Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enthusian Pty Ltd, Entropia, Entropia (M) Sdn Bhd, Entropia Holdings Pte Ltd, Entropia Intercraft Sdn Bhd, Epylon, Ergo, Espedia S.r.l., Ethica Consulting Group, Ethica Consulting S.p.A., Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Experity, Exton Consulting, Exton Consulting Spain Strategy&Management S.L., Exton Germany GmbH, Exton International SAS, Exton Italia S.r.l., Exton SAS, FGM LLC, Fairway Technologies Inc, Farah BidCo Limited, Farah MidCo Limited, Farah Topco Limited, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Formicary, Founders Intelligence, Fruendo S.r.l., FusionX, Future State Consulting LLC, FutureMove (Beijing) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., FutureMove Automotive, FutureMove Automotive Co. Ltd., GRA Supply Chain Pty Ltd, Gagel Group S de R.L. de C.V., Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gevity, Gren utvikling AS, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hahntel Ltda, Halo Partners LLC, Hamilton Holding Company S.A, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Happen GP Limited, Happen Limited, Headspring, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl A/S, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn Bhd, IBB Consulting, ICM.S S.r.l., IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INSITUM, IQSP Consulting LLC, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Icon Integration (NZ) Limited, Icon Integration Pty Ltd, Imagine Broadband (USA) Limited, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Imaginea Technologies LLC, Industrie IT (Hong Kong) Ltd, Industrie IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Industrie IT Group Pty Ltd, Industrie IT Pty Ltd, Industrie&Co, Infinity Works Consulting Limited, Infinity Works Holdings Limited, Infinity Works Management Limited, Infinity Works Midco Limited, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Innotec International EAD, Innotec International S.p. z.o.o., Innotec Marketing GmbH, Innotec Marketing International Ireland Limited, Innotec- Marketing Spain S.L, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., International Biometric Group LLC, International Biometric Group UK Limited, Intrepid, Intrepid Futureworks Sdn Bhd, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, King James Group, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. Ltd., Link By Net SAS, Link By Net SRL, Link By Net Vietnam Company Limited, Linkbynet East Asia Ltd, Linkbynet Singapore Pte Ltd., Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, Lumenup S.A., MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision LLC, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations  Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., N3 Brazil Consultoria em Marketing Ltda, N3 Germany GmbH, N3 LLC, N3 North America LLC, N3 Results Australia Pty Ltd, N3 Results Ireland Limited, N3 Results Japan G.K., N3 Results Limited, N3 Results Malaysia Sdn Bhd, N3 Results Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., N3 Results S.A.S., N3 Results Singapore Pte Ltd, N3 Results Unipessoal Lda, NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., Nell'Armonia Israel Ltd, Nell'Armonia SAS, Nell'Participation SAS, NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda, New Energy Group, News Imaging LLC, NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage Pte Ltd, Northstream, Novetta Holdings LLC, Novetta LLC, Novetta Solutions LLC, Novetta Topco LLC, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Olikka Pty Ltd, Olympus Systems Corporation, Openmind, Openmind S.r..l., Openminded, Openminded SAS, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium AG, Orbium Consulting Limited, Orbium Inc., Orbium Ltd, Orbium Pte Ltd, Orbium Pty Ltd, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PLM Systems S.r.l, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, PacificLink Group, Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production A/S, Pegasus Production K/S, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pollux Automation Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pollux Canada Inc, Pollux S.A.S., Pollux USA LLC, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Limited, Pramati Technologies Europe Limited, Pramati Technologies Private Limited, Presence of IT Workforce Management North America LLC, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Limited, Procurian Inc., Prof. Homburg GmbH, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co. Ltd., RBCP Fund 1-A Vapor Blocker LLC, RBCP Platform Vapor Blocker I LLC, REPL Consulting LLC, REPL Consulting Limited, REPL Digital Limited, REPL Group K.K., REPL Group Pty Ltd, REPL Group Worldwide Limited, REPL Pte Ltd, REPL Software Limited, REPL Technology Limited, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Root LLC, Rothco, Rothco Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Salt Solutions, Sandbox Studio LLC, Sapling Bidco Limited, Sapling Midco Limited, Sapling Topco Limited, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Search Technologies BPO Inc, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Securiview SAS, Sentelis, Sentor Managed Secuirty Services AB, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Seven Seas Business Ventures LLC, Shackleton, Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton S.L.U., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, T.A. Cook, TXF LLC, Tambourine, TargetST8, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Ltd, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Tquila, Trivadis, Trivadis AG, Trivadis Austria GmbH, Trivadis Denmark AS, Trivadis Germany GmbH, Trivadis Holding AG, Trivadis Partner AG, Trivadis Services AG, Trivadis Services SRL, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Vector Acquisition Company LLC, Vector Topco LLC, Verax Solutions, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd, Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, WaveStrike LLC, White Cliffs Consulting LLC, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wise Partners SAS, Wolox, Wolox Colombia S.A.S, Wolox LLC, Wolox Mexico S.R.L de C.V., Wolox S.A., Wolox SpA, Workforce Insight, Workforce Insight LLC, Yesler, Yesler LLC, Yesler Limited, Yesler Singapore Pte Ltd, Zag, Zag Australia Pty Ltd, Zag Limited, Zag USA LLC, Zebra Worldwide Australia Pty Ltd, Zebra Worldwide Group Limited, Zebra Worldwide Media Pty Ltd, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines Inc, Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc, Zestgroup, Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), an S&P 500<sup></sup> urban office real estate investment trust ("REIT"), is the first, longest-tenured, and pioneering owner, operator, and developer uniquely focused on collaborative life science, technology, and agtech campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $31.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, and an asset base in North America of 49.7 million square feet ("SF"). The asset base in North America includes 31.9 million RSF of operating properties and 3.3 million RSF of Class A properties undergoing construction, 7.1 million RSF of near-term and intermediate-term development and redevelopment projects, and 7.4 million SF of future development projects. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science, technology, and agtech campuses that provide our innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity, and success. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, technology, and agtech companies through our venture capital platform. We believe our unique business model and diligent underwriting ensure a high-quality and diverse tenant base that results in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value.
Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. provides home and security products for residential home repair, remodeling, new construction, and security applications. It operates in three segments: Plumbing, Outdoors & Security, and Cabinets. The Plumbing segment manufactures, assembles, and sells faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks, and waste disposals under the Moen, ROHL, Riobel, Victoria+Albert, Perrin & Rowe, and Shaws brands in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America directly through its own sales force, as well as through independent manufacturers' representatives to wholesalers, home centers, mass merchandisers, and industrial distributors. The Outdoors & Security segment offers fiberglass and steel entry door systems under the Therma-Tru brand; storm, screen, and security doors under the Larson brand; composite decking and railing under the Fiberon brand; and urethane millwork under the Fypon brand. This segment also manufactures, sources, and distributes locks, safety and security devices, and electronic security products under the Master Lock and American Lock brands; and fire resistant safes, security containers, and commercial cabinets under the SentrySafe brand. It serves home centers, hardware and other retailers, millwork building products and wholesale distributors, specialty dealers, and remodeling and renovation markets, as well as locksmiths, industrial and institutional users, and original equipment manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, Japan, and Australia. The Cabinets segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and custom cabinetry, as well as vanities for the kitchen, bath, and other parts of the home directly to kitchen and bath dealers, home centers, wholesalers, and builders in North America under the AOK, Diamond Brands, Homecrest, Kitchen Craft, Omega, and EVE brands. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
It was late Friday afternoon, and the service counter at Kohnert and Scheppke in Melrose, Wis., was a busy place.

That was not unusual on payday at the general mercantile store that sold everything from groceries to hardware, but this was no ordinary Friday. It was Nov. 19, 1976, the day before the annual gun deer hunt opener in Wisconsin.

I tried to be patient as I stood in line with my brother Kevin and my dad, but I was too excited. We were waiting to buy our licenses for the next day. It was my first deer hunt. I could hardly wait.

I was less than a month shy of my 13th birthday. Two of my cousins who filled out the trio known in the family circles as the Terrible Three of 63 were born earlier that year and were able to hunt in 1975 because they were already 12. I was extremely jealous that I was forced to wait another year.

It would not be my first time in the woods. I had sat with my dad and my grandfather in their stands at times, and we all helped with deer drives. But it would be the first time that I could shoot my own deer.

Finally the line moved and we stepped to the counter. The three of us completed our license information. We were issued our back tags and the corresponding numbered metal tags used when registering.

Blaze-orange clothing wasnt required in those days; that didnt come until 1980. Dad had a red-and-black hunter-plaid coat that he wore. The requirement to wear red was instituted in 1945 in Wisconsin.

I didnt get a buck my first year, but Dad did, joining the 69,510 hunters who were successful in killing an antlered deer in 1976. But I was hooked on hunting. The next year Dad, Kevin, Grandpa and I applied for a party permit so between the four of us we could harvest a doe. I felt privileged to be able to wear the special blue armband.

This weekend will be my 42nd season of deer hunting. Im a novice compared with the 68th season for Dad. He was mentored by his father and started hunting in the days when deer were scarce on our farm. Most deer hunting was on public land in the eastern Jackson County.

Times have certainly changed. Deer are plentiful now. No more standing in line at the store. This past week I bought my deer license online, although you can still buy them from retailers.

Back tags and metal tags are history. So is the process of tagging and registration. Hunters no longer need to physically tag the deer. Instead they can go online to register their deer by 5 p.m. the day after harvest. All hunters need to carry in the woods is a paper copy of the license, a drivers license if used when buying the license or a digital copy. Yep, the license can be kept on a phone.

All of this would have been handy the year Dad couldnt find his license and needed to go to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources office to get a duplicate. That didnt sit well with Dad, who said: No jury in Jackson County is going to convict a man for hunting on his own land as he headed out the door.

He was probably right, but he got his duplicate license.

An enormous positive change in hunting is safety. In 1914  when there were only 155,000 licenses sold for deer hunting  there were 24 hunters killed and 26 hunters injured during the gun season. In 2016 there were 598,867 licenses sold and five non-fatal injuries.

Thanks to requirements like gun hunter safety  which began in 1967 and became mandatory in 1973  and blaze orange or fluorescent pink, fatalities and injuries are rare even with many more hunters in the woods.

What hasnt changed is the tradition. While Grandpa and some other family members are no longer with us, they are remembered and join us in spirit.

And Im still excited about opening day, just like that 12-year-old those many years ago.

Have a safe and memorable hunting season.

Photos: 2017 deer hunting season
Walker & Dunlop, Inc., through its subsidiaries, originates, sells, and services a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products and services for owners and developers of real estate in the United States. The company offers first mortgage, second trust, supplemental, construction, mezzanine, preferred equity, small-balance, and bridge/interim loans. It also provides multifamily finance for manufactured housing communities, student housing, affordable housing, and senior housing properties under the Fannie Mae's DUS program; and construction and permanent loans to developers and owners of multifamily housing, affordable housing, senior housing, and healthcare facilities. In addition, the company acts as an intermediary in the placement of commercial real estate debt between institutional sources of capital, including life insurance companies, investment banks, commercial banks, pension funds, CMBS conduits, and other institutional investors, as well as owners of various types of commercial real estate. Further, it advises on capital structure; develops the financing package; facilitates negotiations between its client and institutional sources of capital; coordinates due diligence; and assists in closing the transaction. Additionally, the company offers property sales brokerage, underwriting and risk management, and servicing and asset management services. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.
All it takes is a little bit of water and sunlight to power Elliott de Boer and Dugen Pippingers car.

The two Onalaska High School sophomores built their hydrogen-powered vehicle as one of their projects in teacher Ben Heisers principles of engineering course. The class, which makes use of the high schools new fab lab, gives students a brief overview of the different kinds of engineering disciplines available from mechanical to electrical to structural.

Students learn the basics of gears and motors, Heiser said, as well as hooking up a circuit or designing a structure to bear a load. All of these concepts are tied together through the many hands-on projects where students can forge their own path in solving a problem or meeting a need.

It gives these kids an opportunity to interact and explore, Heiser said. It lets them explore a number of career paths and see what they like and dont like.

Dugen and de Boer built their vehicle using one of the schools six kits from VEX Robotics. The $3,500 kits are shared amongst the student groups and allowed them to design their vehicle with different types of wheels, gears and other design elements.

Powering the vehicle, which is about the size of a shoe box, is a hydrogen fuel cell. Using a solar panel, distilled water in the cell is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical process called electrolysis.

That energy is then converted back into water, as well as powering the motor that turns the cars wheels. The only byproduct of the reaction is water, the two students said, meaning the system has no emissions.

It was fun being able to create electricity using only the sun and distilled water, Dugen said. The process creates a battery with the hydrogen.

The hydrogen cells could be a little finicky, de Boer said, and the group actually had to custom-build a part of their vehicle to make it work. Their original plan called for large tires, but those created too much friction, meaning the vehicle wouldnt move.

Instead, the two designed their own wheels and cut them out of plywood using a laser printer. Having the fab lab and its assortment of 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC robots, meant students could go their own way on their projects instead of just following a plan or a kit.

We could have done a standard kit, but where is the fun in that, said Dugen, who hopes to be an aerospace engineer someday. We went our own way on this project.

That is one of the great things about having the fab lab and the engineering class, Heiser said. These hands-on projects let students explore the why behind the concepts they learn in science and math classes as well as explore alternative ideas or ways to try and solve a problem.

One of the earlier projects in the class gave the students even more leeway as all they were given was a motor and a problem to solve: create a tow system that can lift a 200-pound person up a ski hill. In order to make their machine, the students had to 3D print, design and test all their ideas to scale.

Kids learn all this information in school, Heiser said. But it can be hard to picture and to apply. I love to see the light bulb go off in their heads as they make these connections.
Best Buy Co., Inc. retails technology products in the United States and Canada. The company operates in two segments, Domestic and International. Its stores provide computing products, such as desktops, notebooks, and peripherals; mobile phones comprising related mobile network carrier commissions; networking products; tablets covering e-readers; smartwatches; and consumer electronics consisting of digital imaging, health and fitness, home theater, portable audio comprising headphones and portable speakers, and smart home products. The company's stores also offer appliances, such as dishwashers, laundry, ovens, refrigerators, blenders, coffee makers, and vacuums; entertainment products consisting of drones, peripherals, movies, music, and toys, as well as gaming hardware and software, and virtual reality and other software products; and other products, such as baby, food and beverage, luggage, outdoor living, and sporting goods. In addition, it provides consultation, delivery, design, health-related, installation, memberships, repair, set-up, technical support, and warranty-related services. The company offers its products through stores and websites under the Best Buy, Best Buy Ads, Best Buy Business, Best Buy Health, CST, Current Health, Geek Squad, Lively, Magnolia, Best Buy Mobile, Pacific Kitchen, Home, and Yardbird, as well as domain names bestbuy.com, currenthealth.com, lively.com, yardbird.com, and bestbuy.ca. As of January 30, 2022, it had 1,144 stores. The company was formerly known as Sound of Music, Inc. The company was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said on Sunday that she does not believe Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore's denials of the sexual allegations against him and hopes the state's voters do not send him to Washington.

"I did not find his denials to be convincing at all," Collins said on CNN's "State of the Union."

The Washington Post published a report earlier this month based on interviews with more than 30 people that said Moore pursued relationships with teenagers while he was in his 30s. One woman alleged she was 14 years old when Moore initiated sexual contact with her. Alabama's legal age of consent, then and now, is 16.

Since the Post's report, another woman has come forward and accused Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was 16.

Moore has continued to deny the allegations and he says he will not drop out of the race.

Collins noted she was against Moore before the "terrible allegations" came out against him, citing his conduct as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, as well as his anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments. But she declined to say whether the Senate should move to expel Moore if he wins the December 12 election.

"These allegations are extremely disturbing, but under the Constitution, the test on whether or not you seat someone is whether they satisfy the age and residency requirement," Collins said. "We would have to seat him, but I hope we don't get there. ... I hope that the voters of Alabama choose not to elect him."

White House on Moore

President Donald Trump has not remarked publicly on the allegations against Moore. He initially supported appointed Republican Sen. Luther Strange in the election, but endorsed Moore after he won the primary.

White House legislative director Marc Short, speaking Sunday on ABC's "This Week," said the White House is "uncomfortable" with Moore's explanations so far, but said Trump is leaving the matter up to the voters of Alabama.

"We have serious concerns about the allegations that have been made," Short said. "The people of Alabama know best what to do."

Asked if Trump believed the women accusing Moore, Short said, "If he did not believe that the women's accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore. He has not done that.

"But he's also concerned that these accusations are 38 years old," Short said.

Although Trump has yet to make comments on the matter, he took to Twitter on Thursday to slam Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken about allegations that he forcibly kissed a woman and groped her while she slept.

Franken has apologized for his behavior and said he welcomed an ethics probe into his conduct.

The unfolding situation has also drawn attention to Trump, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than a dozen women.

Collins, in her interview Sunday, said part of the reason she opposed Trump's bid for the presidency was because of allegations about his treatment of women.

"I did not support President Trump," Collins said. "He was not my candidate for President, and part of the reason why were allegations about how he treated women."

Collins said she made her decision on Trump before the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape came out last October, in which he bragged about being able to grope women because of his "star" status.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products, and services. The Intelligent Devices segment offers drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products. The Software & Control segment provides control and visualization software and hardware, information software, digital twin and simulation software, and network and security infrastructure solutions. The Lifecycle Services segment provides consulting, professional services and solutions, and connected and maintenance services. The company sells its solutions primarily through independent distributors in relation with its direct sales force. It serves discrete end markets, including automotive, semiconductor, warehousing and logistics, and other discrete markets, as well as general industries comprising printing and publishing, marine, glass, fiber and textiles, airports, and aerospace; hybrid end markets, such as food and beverage, life sciences, household and personal care, and tire, as well as eco industrial, including water/wastewater, waste management, mass transit, and renewable energy; and process end markets comprising oil and gas, mining, metals, chemicals, pulp and paper, and others. Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Caleres, Inc. engages in the retail and wholesale of footwear in the United States, Canada, China, and Guam. It operates through Famous Footwear and Brand Portfolio segments. The company offers licensed, branded, and private-label athletic, casual, and dress footwear products to women, men, and children. Its retail shoe stores provide brand name athletic, casual, and dress shoes, including Nike, Skechers, adidas, Vans, Converse, Crocs, Puma, Birkenstock, New Balance, Asics, New Balance, Under Armour, Bearpaw, Timberland, Sperry, and Dr. Martens, as well as company-owned and licensed brands, such as Dr. Scholl's Shoes, Blowfish Malibu, LifeStride, Naturalizer, Zodiac, Circus by Sam Edelman, Franco Sarto, and Ryka. The company also operates naturalizer.com, naturalizer.ca, vionicshoes.com, samedelman.com, allenedmonds.com, drschollsshoes.com, lifestride.com, francosarto.com, ryka.com, bzees.com, and zodiacshoes.com, as well as Vince.com, blowfishshoes.com, and veronicabeard.com websites. In addition, it designs, sources, manufactures, and markets footwear to retail stores, such as national chains, online retailers, department stores, mass merchandisers, independent retailers, and catalogs. Further, the company wholesales men's apparel, leather goods, and accessories under the Allen Edmonds brand; footwear for women under LifeStride brand; Italian footwear Franco Sarto brand; athletic footwear for women under the Ryka brand; women's shoe collection under the Vince brand; and women's footwear under the Bzees brand; other footwear under Zodiac brand; and women's footwear collection under Veronica Beard brand, as well as Via Spiga brand. It operates approximately 980 retail stores. The company was formerly known as Brown Shoe Company, Inc. Caleres, Inc. was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
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.
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. provides automotive replacement parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items for domestic and imported cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and light and heavy duty trucks. The company offers battery accessories; belts and hoses; brakes and brake pads; chassis and climate control parts; clutches and drive shafts; engines and engine parts; exhaust systems and parts; hub assemblies; ignition components and wires; radiators and cooling parts; starters and alternators; and steering and alignment parts. It also offers air conditioning chemicals and accessories; air fresheners; antifreeze and washer fluids; electrical wires and fuses; electronics; floor mats, seat covers, and interior accessories; hand and specialty tools; lighting products; performance parts; sealants, adhesives and compounds; tire repair accessories; vent shades, mirrors and exterior accessories; washes, waxes and cleaning supplies; and wiper blades. In addition, the company offers air filters; fuel and oil additives; fuel filters; grease and lubricants; motor oils; oil filters, part cleaners and treatments; and transmission fluids for engine maintenance. Further, it offers battery and wiper installation; engine light scanning and checking; electrical system testing; video clinic; oil and battery recycling; and loaner tool program services. Additionally, the company sells its products through its website. It serves professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. The company operates stores under the Advance Auto Parts, Autopart International, and Carquest brands, as well as branches under the Worldpac name. As of April 23, 2022, it operated 4,687 stores and 311 branches in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada; and served 1,318 independently owned Carquest branded stores in Mexico, Grand Cayman, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. operates bookstores for college and university campuses, and K-12 institutions in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale, and Digital Student Solutions. The company sells and rents new and used print textbooks, digital textbooks, and publisher hosted digital courseware through physical and virtual bookstores, as well as directly to students through Textbooks.com. It also offers First Day and First Day Complete access programs; BNC OER+, a turnkey solution for colleges and universities, that offers digital content, such as videos, activities, and auto-graded practice assessments; and general merchandise, including collegiate and athletic apparel, school spirit products, lifestyle products, technology products, supplies, graduation products, and convenience items. In addition, the company sources, sells, and distributes new and used textbooks; and sells hardware and a software suite of applications that provides inventory management and point-of-sale solutions to approximately 350 college bookstores. Further, it offers direct-to-student subscription-based writing services; and bartleby, a direct-to-student subscription-based offering that includes textbook solutions, expert questions and answers, and writing and tutoring services. The company operates 805 physical college and university bookstores; 622 virtual bookstores; 8 True Spirit e-commerce websites; pop-up retail locations; 73 customized cafes and 11 stand-alone convenience stores; and a media channel for brands targeting the college demographic. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
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.
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. The company operates through two segments, Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group. The Sally Beauty Supply segment offers beauty products, including hair color and care products, skin and nail care products, styling tools, and other beauty products for retail customers, salons, and salon professionals. This segment also provides products under third-party brands, such as Wella, Clairol, OPI, Conair, and L'Oreal, as well as exclusive-label brand merchandise. The Beauty Systems Group segment offers professional beauty products, such as hair color and care products, skin and nail care products, styling tools, and other beauty items directly to salons and salon professionals through its professional-only stores, e-commerce platforms, and sales force, as well as through franchised stores under the Armstrong McCall store name. This segment also sells products under third-party brands, such as Paul Mitchell, Wella, Matrix, Schwarzkopf, Kenra, Goldwell, Joico, and Olaplex. As of September 30, 2021, the company operated 4,777 stores, including 134 franchised units in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. It also distributes its products through full-service/exclusive distributors, open-line distributors, direct sales, and mega-salon stores. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Denton, Texas.
A group born out of the first Women's March in Seneca Falls is planning another that will be held on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The newly formed per-SISTERS for Women's Equality will hold a rally at 10 a.m. Jan. 20, 2018 at the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls.

While the rally is similar in terms of style, the substance has changed. For the first Women's March, many who participated had concerns about what Trump would do as president. Now that they have seen him lead the country for the last 10 months, organizers believe their fears have been confirmed.

"We have seen the rollback of immigration laws. We have seen the rollback of (environmental) policies," said Leah Ntuala, a member of the per-SISTERS. "We've seen continued violence against women, the stripping of reproductive health rights. We have seen systemic racism in action with the calling out of some and the not naming of others."

Former Auburn Mayor Melina Carnicelli added, "We have now actually seen concrete evidence of rollbacks and injustices in many of those areas on which we're focused."

The first march in Seneca Falls, which was held one day after Trump's inauguration, was one of nearly 700 rallies held throughout the world. An estimated 4.9 million people participated in the events, according to the Women's March website.

The national Women's March organization was founded with the goal of harnessing "the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative change," according to its website. The main march in Washington drew hundreds of thousands of people, including a group from Auburn.

A larger than expected crowd showed up in Seneca Falls. When they first started planning for the 2017 march in the birthplace of women's rights, organizers said they thought it might draw 300 or 400 people. When they filled out a permit application for the Women's Rights National Historical Park, they were told that space had a larger capacity. They planned for 800 people.

And then the RSVPs began to stream in and the crowd estimate grew. A few days before the march, the group believed that 6,000 people would show up in Seneca Falls.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, an estimated 10,000 people attended the march. Traffic was backed up on the Thruway. There were visitors from other states, including California and Connecticut, and even other countries.

Since the marches in January, women's groups have persisted. Nationally, the Women's March organization held The Women's Convention in Detroit. The event, which was held in October, featured several speakers, including U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

But a second Women's March in Washington doesn't appear to be in the works. Those behind the Seneca Falls march hope they can motivate others to once again march in Washington and other locations across the world.

"To be persisters is much more apt about who we are and what we're about," Carnicelli said. "We are about equality and justice, period, for women in this country. And that is what our focus is and what we're leading on. And frankly, we are more motivated now than ever to persist because we've had concrete evidence of injustice."

Sandy Shutter, another member of per-SISTERS who is helping plan the rally, interjected.

"And we're not going to give up," she said.
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.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. manufactures and sells motorcycles. The company operates in two segments, Motorcycles and Related Products and Financial Services. The Motorcycles and Related Products segment designs, manufactures, and sells Harley-Davidson motorcycles, including cruiser, touring, standard, sportbike, and dual models, as well as motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and related services. This segment sells its products to retail customers through a network of independent dealers, as well as e-commerce channels in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The Financial Services segment provides wholesale financing services, such as floorplan and open account financing of motorcycles, and parts and accessories; and retail financing services, including installment lending for the purchase of new and used Harley-Davidson motorcycles, as well as point-of-sale protection products comprising motorcycle insurance, extended service contracts, and motorcycle maintenance protection. This segment also licenses third-party financial institutions that issue credit cards bearing the Harley-Davidson brand. Harley-Davidson, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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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Cantel Medical Corp. provides infection prevention and control products and services for the healthcare market. The company's Medical segment offers automated endoscope reprocessing systems; disinfectants and sterilants; detergents; leak testing and manual cleaning products; storage cabinets and transport systems; manual cleaning products; endoscope process tracking products; other consumables, accessories, and supplies for use in disinfect rigid endoscopes, flexible endoscopes, and other instrumentation; and technical maintenance services. Its Life Sciences segment provides dialysis water purification and bicarbonate mixing systems; hollow fiber filters, and other filtration and separation products; liquid disinfectants and cold sterilization products; dry fog products; room temperature sterilization equipment and services; and clean-room certification and decontamination services for the dialysis and other healthcare, research laboratories, food and beverage, and commercial industrial customers, as well as microbiological testing services. The company's Dental segment offers hand and powered dental instruments, instrument reprocessing and sterility assurance products, towels, bibs, tray liners, sponges, nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation equipment and related single-use disposable nasal masks, face masks, and shields. It also provides hand sanitizers, germicidal wipes, disinfectants, surface disinfectants, waterline treatment products, saliva ejectors, evacuator tips, plastic cups, prophy angles, and prophy paste. The company's Dialysis segment provides hemodialysis concentrates and other ancillary supplies; medical device reprocessing systems; and sterilants and disinfectants. The company sells its products through its direct distribution network in the United States; and directly or under various third-party distribution agreements internationally. Cantel Medical Corp. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Little Falls, New Jersey.
The word has gone forth that a reckoning is due. Democrats are preparing to come to terms with Bill Clintons sexual transgressions. Sort of. Depending on what you mean by reckoning.

In a recent conversation with a male Democratic consultant about the extraordinary wave of sexual harassment allegations  or, more accurately, the reaction to those allegations  shaking American culture, it seemed as if some sort of grappling with the sordid side of Clintons history was inevitable. Clinton is 71 years old. His wife has run her last race. There is nothing he can do for Democrats now in return for their continued silence about a sleazy past.

Some ambitious Democratic politician, we agreed, might even perceive long-term benefit in lambasting the former president for his sins. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, for example, seized the opportunity this week, saying Clinton should have resigned from the presidency.

Just about everyone seems to recognize that at least some of the allegations leveled against Clinton over the decades were too credible to be dismissed. Paula Jones was cynically manipulated by right-wing operatives. But, cmon, something mustve happened in that hotel room where she said Clinton exposed himself.

In The New York Times, liberal columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote a column last week titled I believe Juanita, referring to Juanita Broaddrick, a woman who accused Clinton of rape. In the Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg denounced moral sickness in the service of partisanship. She was referring specifically to the partisan hacks  shout-out to Ann Coulter!  justifying Roy Moores Senate campaign in Alabama. But she meant the Democrats who explained away Clintons behavior as well.

Younger liberal men such as MSNBC host Chris Hayes and Vox writer Matthew Yglesias were on board with the Kill Bill vibe, too. It seemed like a consensus was in the works to disinter Clintons presidency, let out a collective hiss and then bury it all over again with an ugly new epitaph.

But if the conversations I had this week with a few Democratic women in their 50s and 60s are any indication, not everyones ready for the funeral.

These are women who worked for sexual equality and abortion rights. Women who in the 1990s or since had worked in powerful positions in Democratic politics and government. None was willing to talk on the record. None was ready to cut Clinton loose from the party that they had given decades of their lives to. Each was ambivalent in her own way.

In the most striking conversation, an extraordinarily accomplished professional recalled Clinton as a philanderer. She sighed over Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky. But she had completely, conveniently, forgotten the non-consensual parts of the Clinton saga.

Another woman of forceful opinions, forcefully expressed, hemmed and hawed uncharacteristically. She spoke of her anger at the awkward, impossible position in which Clinton had placed his liberal supporters during the Lewinsky scandal. And she talked about forgiveness  not reckoning.

Another circled around the chessboard without ever landing on a square. This is going to churn for a while, she said. I dont know that there will be a spotlight moment on Bill Clinton. But I do believe the portrait of him will change.

That seems like a good guess. But watching devoted Democrats rationalize the past does put the sight of Alabama Republicans rationalizing the present in context. White Christians in Alabama are busy triangulating the basis of their vote for skeevy Roy Moore, just as last year they rationalized their support for skeevy Donald Trump. No doubt they would prefer an honest senator who didnt molest teenagers. But theyre going to the culture war with the candidate theyve got, not the candidate they wish they had.

Democrats in the 1990s did the same, albeit with a man, unlike Moore, who had intellectual and political gifts that paid dividends for the whole nation. Democrats are now responding to far less serious accusations against Senator Al Franken by pushing him into the equivalent of purgatory  an ethics committee investigation. If things work out, and no other credible accusations are made, he may very well keep his seat.

In New York, Jonathan Chait wrote of Moores candidacy: Its easy to feel superior about this when opposition to grotesque treatment of teenage girls lines up neatly with your own partys well-being.

The awkward truth is that the nations politics are balanced on a needle right now. Otherwise decent people will tolerate the intolerable, the indecent, even the criminal for the chance to nudge the world ever so slightly in their direction.

In one sense, with Harvey Weinsteins on the way down, women are on the rise. Surely thats the pulse of the moment, and the long-term trend. But with a groping sexist in the White House, and Republican men running Congress, women are also vulnerable in the short term.

A Clinton reckoning  whatever that means  will likely come in some form. But it may have to wait until the world shifts further toward the more equitable balance that Clinton himself, for all his grim faults, sought to bring forth.
What do Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Bob Corker, R-Tenn.; and former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama all have in common? The members of this unlikely chorus have recently raised their voices, warning that we are in grave danger as a democracy, and in danger of losing the very values necessary for continuing as a free, self-governing people.

It can happen.

The generation that fought World War II to defeat fascism and preserve our so-called free world has not entirely passed, and already we see Europe facing a resurgence of neo-Nazi resentment and racism.

In the Philippines, Turkey, Venezuela, China and Kenya, we see human rights and freedoms in retreat as dictators consolidate their power.

Meanwhile our own president hails such dictators as strong leaders, white supremacists march across a university campus in Charlottesville, Va., brandishing clubs and swastikas, and Steve Bannon is crisscrossing the nation to convince us that the litmus test for Republicans must now be loyalty to (falling in lock step with) President Donald Trump.

Its time we heed the warnings and recognize the danger in that kind of divisive either/or, us-versus-them rhetoric.

The tragic story of Adolph Hitlers rise to power is, after all, a story that began with a movement like todays "alt-right," with lies, racism and the placing of blind loyalty in one misguided leader.

Its time we review that history before we have to repeat it.

Dan Henderson, Holmen
Our celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is focused on Martin Luthers 95 Theses and the message of Holy Scripture. I am grateful for the excellent devotional Pastor Chris Christianson submitted last week that clearly spelled out the power of Gods Word to continually transform our hearts and lives through the salvation won for us in Christ Jesus.

Motivated by this truth, Martin Luther was determined to place the Bible into the hands of ordinary Christians. Five years after he nailed his 95 Theses to the door in Wittenberg, Luther finished translating the New Testament from Latin into German, making Gods word available in the language of the people he was serving as pastor. The fact that he eventually translated both the Old and New Testaments is one of Luthers greatest accomplishments.

Today there are many translations of the Bible available for Christians to read and study Gods word. One of the most popular new translations is The Message, Eugene Petersons translation of the New Testament in contemporary English. The Message is the version of the Bible that I downloaded onto my IPad when I led 18 followers of Jesus Christ on a 12 day journey in the Holy Land from Nov. 2 to Nov. 13. The purpose of our trip was to visit the places where Jesus walked, and to meet with people living in the land called Holy, today.

When we visited the Church of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee, we read the opening teachings from Jesus sermon on the mount, a reading my congregation back home had just heard on All Saints Sunday (Nov. 5).

When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: Youre blessed when youre at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5:1-3 (The Message)

In our travels our group was richly blessed to have Ranya Hallac as our tour guide. A Palestinian Christian, Ranya used a translation of the Bible that used the word fortunate instead of blessed, or happy. Certainly people are fortunate to be blessed or happy. Certainly I was fortunate to hear Gods Word read in the places where Jesus walked. But how do Palestinian Christians living in the Holy Land, many at the end of their rope after 50 years of living under Israels military occupation, feel fortunate, or blessed by the beatitudes of Jesus?

Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Arab citizen of Israel and recently retired Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Galilee- knows Aramaic, the language of Jesus. In his book We Belong to the Land, Chacour writes that in the beatitudes, the word for Blessed in Aramaic was ashray from the verb yashar.

Ashray means to set yourself on the right way for the right goal; to turn around, repent; to become straight or righteous. Understanding Jesus words in the Aramaic, Archbishop Chacour translates the beatitudes like this: Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for you shall be satisfied. Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you peacemakers, for you shall be called children of God.

For Archbishop Chacour, Christianity is not passive but active, energetic, alive, going beyond despair. He hears Jesus beatitudes as saying Get your hands dirty to build a human society for human beings; otherwise, others will torture and murder the poor, the voiceless, and the powerless.

Then and now, Jesus says to his followers, Get up, go ahead, do something, move. Then and now, Jesus says, Ill be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.(Matthew 28:20)

May Gods Word be a lamp unto your feet wherever you go!
Business-to-business firms view increased online activity as an effective way to boost their growth, according to a new report fromCloudCraze.

Eighty-nine percent of the 400-plus B2B decision makers CloudCraze surveyed in the United States and Europe expected digital commerce would help their businesses grow.

Other findings:

Forty-eight percent already offered their full line of products online;

Eighty-eight percent expected to sell products primarily online in the next five years;

Fifty-six percent believed the greatest value of digital commerce was customer retention; and

Fifty-four percent said the major value of digital commerce was customer acquisition.

The stats are within range, said Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research.

Constellation forecasts that by 2020, online B2B sales will account for about 65 percent of the total, averaged out between North America and [Europe, the Middle East and Africa], he told the E-Commerce Times.

Learning from B2C Companies

It behooves all B2B companies to take a page from the B2C playbook and make it easier for customers to buy  if they wish  without human interaction, suggested Rebecca Wettemann, VP of research at Nucleus Research.

New tools have been emerging to enable B2B firms make the transition, such as a fully configurable white label mobile app from InsiteCommerce.

Customer expectations are higher now, noted Cindy Zhou, a principal analyst at Constellation Research.

Every B2B buyer is also a consumer in their personal life. They expect the ease of use for product automation and shopping to be similar, she told the E-Commerce Times.

On Getting and Keeping Customers

Among the surveys other findings:

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they could acquire new customers more easily online;

Fifty-two percent believed their customers were eager to adopt new technologies and processes;

Fifty-one percent said digital commerce let them upsell/cross-sell with current customers more easily;

Fifty-one percent said their customers could serve themselves more easily online; and

Thirty-nine percent said an automated ordering system gave them more recurring orders.

A Fortune 500 aviation products manufacturer, one of Zhous clients, moved to an e-commerce platform to give its customers a consumer-like experience, and it has seen a 300-plus percent stock price growth over the past three years, she said.

Sales New Role

E-commerce has altered the role of sales teams, the CloudCraze survey suggests. Among the notable changes:

Forty-two percent of respondents said the sales professionals role had morphed into the role of strategic trusted adviser;

Thirty-nine percent said sales teams had shifted their offers to marketing or other departments; and

Thirteen percent said sales teams had refocused on high-volume customers.

As more and more B2B buyers look online for product information, comparisons and other information, and [use] tools for intelligent buying. like AI-driven configurators and the like, the role of the transactional sales person  just an order taker  is shrinking, Nucleus Researchs Wettemann told the E-Commerce Times.

Service With a Smile

The roles of service teams also have been shifting:

Forty-two percent of respondents said the service team had become more involved in commerce experiences;

Twenty-two percent said the service team was spending less time servicing high-volume customers; and

Twelve percent said the service team could better service customers through enhanced customer care.

Far more interactions happen between customer service and customers than between sales and customers, Wettemann noted.

Service is in more of a position of value, because theyre resolving a problem or challenge a customer faces, she observed. Smart companies will make more of service agents ability to sell in the moment, when theyre solving customers problems.

With cross-selling and upselling, service will evolve from a cost center to a profit center, Constellations Wang said.

The walls between sales, marketing and service will come down, Constellations Zhou predicted. The collaboration between the three departments is critical to future B2B sales success.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates privacy in the United States, and under the FTC rules, a website need not have a privacy policy at all. However, a website must comply with and not violate its policy if it has one.

LifeLock learned that lesson the hard way when the FTC sued it for failing to abide by its privacy policy.

How do other countries privacy laws apply to U.S. businesses? Time will tell, as the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation goes into effect in May of next year.

What Happens Next May?

Beginning in May 2018, a significant legal change to individual privacy rights will come into force. The EU GDPR replaces the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC, also known as the EU Data Directive. It is designed to standardize European data privacy laws and ensure EU citizens data privacy rights.

The EU regulations are based on the idea that privacy is a fundamental right of the individual and not something to be bought and sold by corporations.

Many U.S.-based organizations either have not heard of the GDPR or believe it applies only to organizations based in the EU. The GDPR, however, applies to all organizations that offer goods or services to, or monitor the behavior of, EU data subjects, regardless of the companys location.

If an organization offers goods or services to or processes data of EU citizens, it likely will be subject to these regulations.

There are two main concerns for U.S. businesses: applicability and enforcement. It is clear that large multinational enterprises will have to comply, but what about the small to medium company that is unsure whether its customers are EU residents?

Presumably, if the small to medium company does not actively offer goods or services to, or monitor the behaviour of, EU data subjects it will have no need to comply with the GDPR.

The question, though, is whether the cost-benefit analysis shows it best to comply with the potentially very costly GDPR just in case, or accept the risk.

What About the Cloud?

Cloud service providers, which may have data stored anywhere across the globe, are not exempt from GDPR enforcement. So it is important for all businesses to contemplate how GDPR could affect them.

What about enforcement? After applicability, the most frequently asked questions relate to enforcement. How will the EU enforce the GDPR against U.S. companies?

Again, for multinationals with a presence in the EU, enforcement actions can be brought against company assets held there. However, the EU will not have the same enforcement mechanism for small to medium businesses that have no real presence in the region.

Under the current EU Data Directive, which the GDPR will replace, there has been little to no enforcement against anything but large multinational entities with a physical presence in the EU.

To address the physical presence issues, the GDPR requires organizations subject to the regulation to designate a representative established in the EU who can ensure compliance.

EU Right to Access

The right to access affords data subjects the ability to determine whether a data controller has their personal data, why it has their data, and what the data processor will do with their data. The scope of personal data is broader than many organizations outside the EU may realize. It includesany information related to a natural person or Data Subject that can be used to directly or indirectly identify the person.That means any organization that holds or processes any of this expansive list of personal identifiers must be ready to accept and address requests for access.

Additionally, after determining that a data controller has data on the subject, the subject has the right to request the lifetime of the storage, the recipients of the data, and the removal of the data. This last option is referred to generally as the right to be forgotten.

EU Right to Be Forgotten

The right to be forgotten gives individuals (or data subjects) the right to request that their personal data be removed from a data controller, and it gives the controller the obligation to erase such data without undue delay.

This right is not unlimited, however. The GDPR does balance this right with the rights of expression, legal obligation and public interest (e.g., public health). For many data processors, though, such exclusions will not apply.

Conclusion: Better Get Ready

Failure to comply with the GDPR could be very costly.

While the penalties are a tiered structure based on the extent of the infringement, organizations can be fined up to the greater of 4 percent of annual revenue or 20 million euros for failing to protect the rights and data of data subjects.
The face of Pakistan, who repeatedly resorted to lies against India, has once again been exposed in front of the world. Twitter has given a go-ahead to Pakistan to run propaganda against terrorism and hideaway terrorism posting Pakistan. Twitter has deleted the Pakistan Defence account on sharing fake pictures of an Indian girl.

Twitter said that Pakistans Defence Handle has been suspended for violating the rules. Pakistan has long been propaganda against India with its Twitter handle. He was constantly tweeting against India and was sharing fake pictures. This Twitter was a serious violation of the rules and suspended Pakistans Twitter account.

This Pakistani handbook of Pakistani Defence was falsely shared by an Indian girl, in which she has been shown holding the play card in her hand. The comment card has been written against India in this playcard. This photo is fake and it has been made through a photoshop. Pakistan had posted this fake picture to spread hatred against India. Therefore, Twitter, strictly on violation of the rules, deported Pakistans Defence Handle.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Centuries of study have yielded many theories about how the brain gives rise to human intelligence. Some neuroscientists think intelligence springs from a single region or neural network. Others argue that metabolism or the efficiency with which brain cells make use of essential resources are key.

A new theory, published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, makes the case that the brain's dynamic properties - how it is wired but also how that wiring shifts in response to changing intellectual demands - are the best predictors of intelligence in the human brain.

"When we say that someone is smart, we understand intuitively what that means," said University of Illinois psychology professor Aron Barbey, the author of the new paper. "Usually, we're referring to how good they are at making decisions and solving particular types of problems. But recently in neuroscience, there's been a focus on understanding in biological terms how general intelligence arises." That requires studying the structural and functional characteristics of the brain.

Scientists have long understood that the brain is modular, with different regions supporting specific abilities, Barbey said.

"For example, brain regions within the occipital lobe at the back of the brain are known to processes visual information," he said. But interpreting what one sees requires the integration of information from other brain modules.

"To identify an object, we also must classify it. That doesn't depend only on vision. It also requires conceptual knowledge and other aspects of information processing, which are supported by other brain regions," he said. "And as the number of modules increases, the type of information represented in the brain becomes increasingly abstract and general."

Scientists have struggled to understand how the brain organizes itself and have tried to identify a structure or region that performs that function.

"The prefrontal cortex, a structure at the front of the brain, for example, has expanded dramatically over the course of human evolution," Barbey said. Because this brain region is known to support several higher-order functions such as planning and organizing one's behavior, scientists have suggested that the prefrontal cortex drives general intelligence.

"But really, the entire brain - its global architecture and the interactions among lower- and higher-level mechanisms - is required for general intelligence," Barbey said.

Brain modules provide the basic building blocks from which larger, "intrinsic connectivity networks" are constructed, Barbey said. Each network includes multiple brain structures that are activated together when a person engages a particular cognitive skill.

"For example, the frontoparietal network is activated when attention is focused on external cues, the salience network is engaged when attention is directed to relevant events, and the default mode network is recruited when attention is focused internally," he said.

Neural networks are made up of two types of connections that are believed to support two types of information processing, Barbey said.

"There are the pathways that encode prior knowledge and experience, which we call 'crystallized intelligence.' And there are adaptive reasoning and problem-solving skills that are quite flexible, called 'fluid intelligence,'" he said.

Crystallized intelligence involves robust connections, the result of months or years of neural traffic on well-worn pathways. Fluid intelligence involves weaker, more transient pathways and connections that are formed when the brain tackles unique or unusual problems.

"Rather than forming permanent connections, we are constantly updating our prior knowledge, and this involves forming new connections," Barbey said. The more readily the brain forms and reforms its connectivity in response to changing needs, the better it works, he said.

Although researchers have known that flexibility is an important characteristic of human brain function, only recently has the idea emerged that flexibility provides the basis for human intelligence, he said.

"General intelligence requires both the ability to flexibly reach nearby, easy-to-access states - to support crystallized intelligence - but also the ability to adapt and reach difficult-to-access states - to support fluid intelligence," Barbey said. "What my colleagues and I have come to realize is that general intelligence does not originate from a single brain region or network. Emerging neuroscience evidence instead suggests that intelligence reflects the ability to flexibly transition between network states."

###

Barbey directs the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and is affiliated with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, both at the U. of I.

Editor's notes:

To reach Aron Barbey, call 217-244-2551; email barbey@illinois.edu.

The paper "Network neuroscience theory of human intelligence" is available from the U. of I. News Bureau.
On-line journal

iMex. Mexico Interdisciplinario / Interdisciplinary Mexico

Call for Papers

Spectral Mexico. Ghosts and the Talking Dead in Contemporary Mexican Culture

The persistence of death and its figurative representations is a recognizable commonplace in the visual and narrative discourses of Mexican culture. Underworlds like Mictlan and Xibalba, the Catrina skull, the Santa Muerte, ghosts, dancing skeletons, post-mortem narrators, are recognizable figures in Mexican folklore, religion, arts, literature, and cinema. The journal iMex. Mexico Interdisciplinario / Interdisciplinary Mexico is accepting new contributions interrogating the transformation and trajectory of these themes in the contemporary artistic, literary, and audiovisual genres. We are looking for articles that examine discourses and representations of death, ghostliness, and haunting with a solid theoretical background and/or from an interdisciplinary perspective. Some suggested topics, for example: the transformations of the Gothic and fantasy genres; representations of historical trauma, postmemory, or absence; veneration of the dead, Santa Muerte, and other forms of popular religiosity; representations of spectrality in indigenous cultures today; spectrality and ghostliness as metaphors of the drug wars, forced disapperances, and people trafficking; ghosts in natural catastrophes or environmental disasters

The articles, written in Spanish or in English, can be submitted from now on to June 30th, 2018, via email, in Microsoft Word 97-2004 format (Times New Roman, 12pts., double-spaced), following MLA style (8th edition), to the following email addresses:

Prof. Dr. Alberto Ribas-Casasayas: aribascasasayas@scu.edu

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Yasmin Temelli: yasmin.temelli@rub.de

The articles should be original, unpublished, and not under consideration at another venue. Manuscripts must have an extension of 15 to 18 pages (notes and bibliography included), approximately 5,000 to 6,000 words. They must be accompanied by a 200-word abstract as well as a 10-line bio including academic appointment, research areas, recent publications, and 5 keywords to identify the article.

This special issue of iMex is edited by Alberto Ribas-Casasayas. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University and is currently a professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies at Santa Clara University, California. Prof. Ribas-Casasayas has co-edited the academic collection Espectros. Ghostly Hauntings in Contemporary Transhispanic Literatures with Bucknell University Press and published articles about contemporary literature and cinema in prestigious peer-reviewed venues.

iMex is edited by: Prof. Dr. Vittoria Borso, Prof. Dr. Frank Leinen, Prof. Dr. Guido Rings, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Yasmin Temelli
by Anthony Cervino | 49ers Correspondent | Sun, Nov 19th 6:16am EST

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting the Buffalo Bills remain "optimistic" that WR Jordan Matthews (knee) can play with a knee injury in Week 11. (Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

Although the Bills are "optimistic" that Matthews will play Sunday against the Chargers, he remains up in the air. However, he is not viewed as a trustworthy fantasy option even if he is active. Barring an instant rapport with Nathan Peterman, avoid Matthews moving forward.
The Westby Area High School National Honor Society sponsored a BloodCenter of Wisconsin blood drive in the high schools multipurpose room, on Monday, Nov. 6. The blood drive produced 44 donors, with 38 successful units collected, which will help to save up to 114 lives.

A second blood drive will be held in the spring with the American Red Cross. Appointments are encouraged. Friends and family are welcome.

Call the high school office at 634-3101 for more information.
The free range egg industry has showed its disappointment with the Government's reluctance to change the way in which it deals with bird flu outbreaks in backyard flocks.

Six of the 13 H5N8 outbreaks in the United Kingdom last winter were in backyard flocks. Yet, although only 150 birds in all were involved, they caused significant losses for commercial producers caught up in restriction zones imposed as a result of the outbreaks.

The poultry sector has been pressing the Government to agree to reduce restriction areas when just a small numbers of birds are involved in an outbreak and so reduce the impact on poultry businesses.

At the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference (EPIC) in Wales chief executive of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) Robert Gooch asked chief vet Nigel Gibbens whether he was prepared to change the Government's approach.

Mr Gooch said that the Dutch authorities operated a more sympathetic approach that reduced the effect on industry.

Nigel Gibbens said that he was supportive of such a change but did not think the UK authorities could introduce it at the moment. "I personally would like to see it change. You can't argue that it presents the same level of risk."

However, he said that all four administrations in the UK would find it hard to step out of line with the way that European Union law was currently interpreted in this county.

Mr Gooch expressed disappointment at the chief vet's response. "I am disappointed that the Government is not adopting the interpretation of the regulations used by the Dutch.

"My understanding is that in the Netherlands bird flu restrictions are treated differently when just a few birds are involved. That doesn't have the same impact on commercial flocks. It is the same EU law. Why can't our Government use the same interpretation as the Dutch?"

"We had six outbreaks in backyard flocks last year and they all had an effect on commercial producers. We would like to see Defra taking a more sympathetic interpretation," said Mr Gooch.

'Disproportionate'

The chairman of the Poultry Health and Welfare Group (PHWG), Duncan Priestner, who is also chairman of the NFU Poultry Board, has previously written to Nigel Gibbens on behalf of the PHWG asking for a change.

We feel that putting in place movement restrictions around a backyard infected premise is disproportionate to the risk posed and only serves to penalise the commercial sector," he said in the letter.

We feel that a different approach to zones is necessary to help movement and to avoid trade impact, without compromising the ability to stamp out the disease, he said in the letter.

The poultry industry cannot sustain this prolonged loss of trade and we fear for those companies whose income depends heavily on exports outside the EU. The impact the loss of that market has on the whole supply chain cannot be underestimated."

During the EPIC event Gary Ford, chief poultry adviser with the NFU said the industry was trying to get the message across to backyard keepers about the threat to poultry from AI.

"We are all aware of backyard flocks and the challenge they pose - the disproportionate impact they have on the poultry sector. We are working in partnership with Defra to get the message out to backyard flock keepers."

Backyard licence

Backyard flocks have become a growing concern amongst commercial egg producers. Questions about backyard keepers were repeatedly raised during EPIC. One delegate suggested to Nigel Gibbens that it might be time to require backyard keepers to be licensed.

"One of the problems we had last year was reaching backyard keepers in terms of messaging during the avian influenza outbreak around housing. I am just wondering whether we are approaching a time when we should consider licensing of some sort for animal keeping? We then know where keepers are and can reach them and, if necessary, and they don't comply with the legislation, we can prosecute."

The chief vet said he agreed with a licensing system. "This is not Government policy; this is my view. Yes. People who keep farm livestock, and there is a body of legislation that has nationwide impact, do have responsibilities immediately they make that purchase.

"It's not clear to me that that purchase is made with their eyes open and some sort of requirement for understanding what they are entering into, I think, would be valuable, including backyard flocks, although that would probably be the most sensitive one to deliver because of our tradition of one or two chickens that we have had for such a long time. But I think your proposition is sound. But that's the CVO's view; it's not Government policy."

Risk based

The Poultry Health and Welfare Group is calling for a new risk-based response framework to be put in place to deal with disease in backyard flocks and for the Great Britain Poultry Register threshold to be reviewed so that anything under that threshold should not be subject to the usual AI restrictions.

Many people in the industry have expressed concerns about the impact of backyard flocks on the commercial poultry sector.

A housing order was enforced across the UK and other parts of Europe during the winter's AI outbreaks to try to contain the spread of the virus, but some farmers expressed frustration at what they saw as some keepers of backyard poultry failing to house their birds.

Even as the housing orders were being lifted across the UK, cases of bird flu continued to arise in small flocks during May and June. On May 4 Defra confirmed H5N8 in a small flock of chickens on a farm near Thornton in Lancashire.

On May 6 AI was found in a flock of nine birds in the same region. And on June 3 H5N8 was confirmed in a small flock of chickens and geese at a premises near Diss, South Norfolk. Just 35 birds were involved.
Kabul Investigates Reports of Taliban Using Russian-made Night Vision Equipment

By Noor Zahid November 17, 2017

Afghan defense authorities acknowledged this week that Taliban militants have obtained night-vision equipment but fell short of confirming media reports that allege Russia had provided Taliban with the goggles.

The officials said Tuesday they would investigate whether the high-tech equipment that Taliban insurgents were allegedly seen using actually was provided by Russia.

"We don't rule out that the Taliban possess night (vision) goggles," but they don't have many of them, General Dawlat Waziri, the spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, told VOA. "They have used them in Farah [province], Helmand [province] and some other places."

The New York Times on Monday reported that Taliban militants using sophisticated night-vision goggles killed eight Afghan police officers at a checkpoint near Farah, capital of the province of the same name in western Afghanistan.

High-tech gear

Night-vision goggles allow users to see in low-light conditions and effectively zero-in on a target without being seen. The equipment is widely used by U.S. forces as well as the U.S.-trained Afghan Special Operation Forces in their fight against Taliban and Islamic State militants in the country.

That Taliban have access to high-tech weapons has been reported in the media for a while. But the recent allegations of Taliban receiving Russian-made equipment prompted the Afghan government to investigate how the militant group is able to get the technology.

Russian embassy officials in Kabul denied that Moscow has been providing military or financial assistance to Taliban, saying the allegations are baseless.

A U.N. report published last year also highlighted that Taliban have access to highly specialized foreign military equipment.

"Several high-ranking officials of the government of Afghanistan highlighted the fact that, during the ongoing fighting season, an increasing amount of highly specialized, modern equipment such as sniper rifles, laser sights and night-vision goggles had been seized from Taliban fighters," according to the U.N. report submitted to the Security Council.

Analysts charge that Taliban's access to sophisticated weapons will further intensify the ongoing fight and could further strengthen Taliban against the Afghan security forces.

"This device [goggles] would be installed on rifles. It can prove very dangerous, because it enables its user to see a person at night like a person at daylight. They also have accuracy and precision. Hence, its danger is immense," Atiqullah Amerkhail, a retired Afghan army general, told VOA.

Defense ministry spokesperson, Waziri, however, downplayed the potential threat to Afghan security forces.

Numerous media reports allege the night-vision goggles used by Taliban bear Russian manufacturers' markings, which has led Afghan authorities to investigate whether Russia is giving the equipment to the Taliban.

"It is easy to label something. They mark some weapons to create sensitivities against other countries and damage Afghan relations with other countries," Waziri said. "The Afghan government will investigate to know whether they [goggles] are Russian-made."

Russia, which fought a war in Afghanistan from 1979-1989, has recently come under increasing criticism by Afghan and U.S officials for allegedly establishing ties with the Afghan Taliban.

Moscow has acknowledged it has been in contact with Taliban leaders, but maintained it wants to restart the stalled peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

US perspective

In April, General John Nicholson, commander of the U.S.-led NATO Resolute Support Mission, seemed to confirm that Taliban are receiving weapons from Russia.

"We continue to get reports of this assistance. We support anyone who wants to help us advance the reconciliation process, but anyone who arms belligerents who perpetuate attacks like the one we saw two days ago in Mazar-e Sharif is not the best way forward to a peaceful reconciliation," Nicholson said, referring to a deadly and sophisticated Taliban attack on a military base in northern Afghanistan that left many Afghan soldiers dead.

Without naming Russia, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, during his first official visit to Afghanistan, earlier this year, warned that any flow of weapons from a foreign country to Afghanistan through means other than the Afghan government would be a violation of the international law.

However, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, claims the weapons and military hardware the insurgents have been using have been captured from the Afghan military on the battlefield.

Wahid Muzhda, a Kabul-based Taliban expert, told VOA the militants obtain military equipment from NATO supply convoys that fall into Taliban hands.

The Afghan government, however, has denied the Taliban claim.

Waziri, of the Afghan defense ministry, said that Taliban might have acquired the equipment from arms markets outside of Afghanistan that sell sophisticated weapons and army equipment.

Experts say trafficked arms and military hardware are easily available in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, including the thriving market for knockoff weapons and optics in the towns of Bara and Dara Adamkhail of the Federally Administered Tribal Region (FATA) in Pakistan.

Chinese versions of knockoff brands of U.S. military hardware are also sold in the region.

'Bush Bazaar'

The "Bush Bazaar" in capital Kabul, which took its name from the former U.S. President George W. Bush, has been famous for pilfered and discarded military gear from the U.S. and NATO military bases in the country.

Besides being crammed with Kraft cheese, Campbell's soup, Gatorade, toiletries and electronics, the shops in Bush bazaar also sell sensitive military equipment such as sniper sights, night-vision goggles, boots and military uniforms.

"Until recent years, one could buy army goggles for 500 to 600 U.S. dollars in Bagram and Kabul," Muzhda told VOA. A similar market existed outside the main U.S. military base in Bagram, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Kabul.

Rahim Gul Sarwan contributed to this report from Kabul.

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U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon to Support Argentina Search for Submarine

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171118-02

Release Date: 11/18/2017 9:13:00 AM

From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) directed the U.S. Navy to deploy a P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft to Bahia Blanca, Argentina, Nov. 18 to support the South American nation's ongoing search for the submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the waters of the Southern Atlantic.

The aircraft and its 21-person crew will depart El Salvador's Comalapa Air Base, where it was supporting counter-illicit trafficking maritime patrol operations. Once in Bahia Blanca, they will join the ongoing international search for the Argentinean Navy vessel and its crew, as requested by the government of Argentina.

The P-8A Poseidon is the Navy's newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and is configured with state-of-the-art sensors and communications equipment, allowing it to support a wide range of missions over large bodies of water, including sub-surface search-and-rescue operations. It can reach an airspeed of 564 mph, has a ceiling of 41,000 feet and a range of 1,200 nautical miles with four hours on station, allowing it to loiter over search areas.

In April, SOUTHCOM deployed a P-8A Poseidon to Galeo Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it took part in an internationally-supported search for The Republic of Korea ship, Stella Daisy, which tragically sank in the Southern Atlantic, off the western coast of Africa.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducted overflight assessment missions, capturing images of conditions on the ground in Dominica to support U.S. foreign disaster assistance operations led by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

SOUTHCOM is one of the nation's six geographically-focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

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7 killed as police attack pro-independence fighters in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 04:15PM

Fierce clashes between Indian security forces and a group of pro-independence fighters in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir have left at least seven people dead.

According to army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia, the shootout occurred on Saturday when soldiers cordoned off a district in the northern area of Hajin after receiving a tip-off that armed pro-independence fighters were holing up there.

Six fighters were killed in the standoff he said, adding that one India Air Force soldier was also killed and another army soldier was injured.

The deadly incident came just a day after a pro-independence fighter and a police officer were killed on the outskirts of the main city of Srinagar during a brief shootout.

India labels people fighting against its rule in Kashmir as militants, saying they are being dispatched to the volatile region by Pakistan. Islamabad denies that allegation. Most of the people in the Muslim-dominated region want independence or a merger with Pakistan. Tens of thousands have been killed in decades of violence in Kashmir as India continues to deploy hundreds of thousands of troops to secure the region and to crack down on dissent.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided into two sections, separately administered by India and Pakistan, since partition in 1947. The two have fought three wars over the territory. The pair finally reached a ceasefire in Kashmir in 2003. The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has been monitoring the border for decades. However, violence erupts from time to time.

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PM Hariri says will clarify stance on Lebanon after returning home

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 03:24PM

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he will announce his position with regard to the ongoing crisis in the country after he returns to Lebanon in the coming days.

"With regard to the political situation in Lebanon, I will go to Beirut in the coming days, I will participate in the independence celebrations, and it is there that I will make known my position on these subjects after meeting President [Michel] Aoun," Hariri said after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday.

Hariri stunned Lebanon and the region by announcing his resignation in a live television broadcast from Saudi Arabia on November 4.

Senior sources close to Hariri and top Lebanese political and security officials said Saudi Arabia had coerced Hariri into stepping down and had put him under house arrest.

After days of confusion about Hariri's situation in Saudi Arabia, the Lebanese premier and his wife arrived in the French capital, Paris, on Saturday, but two of his children have stayed behind in Riyadh.

In Paris, Hariri held talks with Macron, who had invited the Lebanese politician to the European country in an attempt to lower the tensions that erupted after his abrupt resignation.

Separately on Saturday, Hariri called the Lebanese president and said he would be in Lebanon for the country's Independence Day on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as part of the fallout of Hariri's resignation, Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Germany for consultations following remarks by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

During a news conference with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil this week, the German foreign minister slammed interference in Lebanon's domestic affairs. He reportedly added: "Another trouble spot is the last thing that people in the Middle East need now."

According to the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Arabia also plans to hand over a protest note to Germany's ambassador to Riyadh.

Germany's Foreign Ministry did not comment directly on the development Saturday, but it issued a statement, saying, "We are very concerned about the stability of the region and call on all sides to reduce tensions."

Aoun, an ally of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, had stressed earlier that Hariri was living in "mysterious circumstances" in Riyadh, with his freedom being restricted in violation of international human rights regulations. Aoun also refused to accept Hariri's resignation, saying he had to return to Lebanon first and convince the president that his resignation had been voluntarily offered.

While reading his resignation statement, Hariri said the premiership was no longer tenable for him due to what he called intervention by Hezbollah and Iran.

Both Iran and Hezbollah have categorically denied the allegations, calling it a scenario by Zionists, Saudis and the US to create new tensions in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Hariri also said that he sensed a plot being hatched against his life. Lebanese intelligence and security authorities have denied there was any plot to assassinate Hariri.

Analysts say Hariri was targeted by Saudi Arabia as he refused to adopt a confrontational approach against Hezbollah, a powerful political party which is part of the Hariri-led coalition government.

According to informed sources, Saudi officials have given Saad Hariri two options: One: return to Beirut, but take a constant aggressive stance against Hezbollah and any government Hezbollah partakes in. Two: go to exile to anywhere in Europe, keep silent and leave politics for good.

Reports also say the Saudis are trying to put Saad Hariri's brother, Bahaa, as the leader of the Future Movement in Lebanon and the new "man of Saudi Arabia" in the country.

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Security Council-appointed panel says no missiles sent to Houthis, refuting Saudi Arabia claim

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 08:36AM

A United Nations Security Council-appointed panel has said in a confidential memo that it has seen no evidence to support Saudi Arabia's claims that missiles have been transferred to Yemen's Houthis fighters by external sources.

The panel made the conclusion in a confidential assessment sent to Security Council diplomats on November 10, The Intercept, a US-based investigative website, reported on Friday.

On November 4, a missile attack from Yemen targeted the King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) near the Saudi capital, Riyadh. It was the first missile from Yemen to have reached deep inside Saudi territory.

The Houthi movement, which has been fighting back a Saudi-led coalition with allied Yemeni army troops and tribal fighters, said it had fired the missile, which the Saudis said they had intercepted mid-air.

However, the Riyadh regime quickly blamed the Islamic Republic for the incident.

Heating up rhetoric against Iran, and then being proven wrong

In a November 7 letter to the Security Council, Saudi UN Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi claimed that the debris of the missiles fired by the Houthis on July 22 and November 4 confirmed Iran's role "in manufacturing these missiles."

Following the attack, the Saudi-led coalition tightened a blockade that had already been imposed on Yemen in a bid to prevent "the smuggling of weapons, ammunitions, missile parts and cash that are regularly being supplied by Iran" to the Houthis.

It invoked Paragraph 14 of Security Council Resolution 2216, which was passed in April 2015, calling for measures to prevent the supply, sale, or transfer of military goods to Houthi fighters.

The coalition said the missile's firing was "a blatant act of military aggression" by the Iranian government.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said it had been "a direct military aggression" by Iran against Saudi Arabia, while Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stressed that his country reserved the right to "respond in the appropriate manner at the appropriate time."

The belligerent Saudi posture toward Iran worked to significantly rise tensions.

Iran rejected the allegations as "provocative and baseless," saying Yemenis had shown an "independent" reaction to the Saudi bombing campaign on their country.

Iran also said that it could not transfer any weapons to Yemen because of the Saudi-led blockade.

The Security Council-appointed panel said in its confidential assessment that it had seen no evidence to back up the Saudi claims that short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) had been transferred to Yemeni fighters in violation of the Resolution 2216.

It said the tightening of the blockade by the Saudi-led coalition and its invoking of Resolution 2216 had been an attempt to merely "obstruct" the delivery of civilian aid.

"The panel finds that imposition of access restrictions is another attempt by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition to use paragraph 14 of resolution 2216 as justification for obstructing the delivery of commodities that are essentially civilian in nature," the assessment read.

Touching on the July 22 attack, it said, "The supporting evidence provided... is far below that required to attribute this attack to a Qiam-1 SRBM."

Yemen has witnessed a deadly Saudi-led war since March 2015. The protracted Saudi offensive, which has been accompanied by the, land, naval, and aerial blockade on Yemen, has so far killed over 12,000 people and led to a humanitarian crisis.

The UN has listed Yemen as the world's number one humanitarian crisis, with 17 million Yemenis in need of food and a cholera epidemic causing over 2,200 deaths so far.

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Armenian Parliament Extends Amnesty-For-Cash For Draft Dodgers

Ruzanna Stepanian November 18, 2017

Armenian lawmakers on November 17 approved legislation to provide young men who have illegally evaded compulsory military service an opportunity for amnesty if they pay a hefty sum.

The 105-seat National Assembly voted unanimously for the offer as an amendment to an existing amnesty law, in a move that is expected to enable hundreds of young men, who must have turned 27 by December 1, to avoid criminal prosecution and legally return to Armenia.

To qualify for the amnesty, they will have to pay 200,000 drams, or $410, for each conscription period they illegally missed, to a maximum of 3.6 million drams, or some $7,400, for all draft periods.

Ruling Republican Party lawmaker Karine Achemian, who presented the bill in parliament, said the amnesty provision will be in force until December 31, 2019.

The original amnesty law adopted in 2004 has so far been extended eight times, enabling thousands of citizens to return to Armenia. The previous term of the legislation expired in May 2015.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry suggested that the parliament provide such an opportunity for the last time and also raise the cost for taking advantage of the amnesty to at least 9 million drams (approximately $19,000).

But that initiative was rebuffed by the parliamentary committee on defense and security, where it was criticized by committee Chairman Koryun Nahapetian and several other lawmakers affiliated with the Republican Party.

Achemian said the Defense Ministry proposal would have restricted lawmakers' constitutional right to come up with bills.

Nahapetian said last week that 700 to 800 draft dodgers have been granted amnesty each year since 2004. He also revealed that almost 9,500 men remain on the run on draft evasion charges.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armanian-parliament-extends-amnesty- cash-program-for-draft-dodgers/28860992.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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Erdogan Rejects NATO Apology For Appearing on Bloc's 'Enemy Poster'

Sputnik News

16:45 18.11.2017(updated 16:54 18.11.2017)

The Turkish president has reacted to the apology over an incident during drills in Norway made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg a day earlier.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday rejected the NATO apology after his name appeared on an "enemy poster" at the alliance's drills in Norway.

"You have seen disrespectful behavior at the NATO drill yesterday. There are some mistakes that are done not by fools but only by base people," Erdogan said in a speech on television.

"This matter cannot be covered over with a simple apology," he added.

The incident occurred earlier this week, after the names of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as well as the late Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were included in an enemy list on a poster at the drills.

Following the incident, Erdogan announced that he had ordered 40 Turkish troops to be removed from the exercise, saying that he saw such an act as offensive.

While media reports have suggested that a technician and an officer, responsible for the incident were fired, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refuted this saying that the responsible individual was not an employee of NATO.

Turkey, which is a key NATO partner, joined the bloc in 1952, three years after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty.

 Sputnik

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Chile, UK, US Offer Argentina Help in Hunt for Missing Submarine

Sputnik News

06:14 18.11.2017(updated 08:44 18.11.2017)

Chilean, UK and US authorities have offered Argentina their assistance in the search for a missing submarine that went off the radar three days ago, the Argentinian Foreign Ministry has said.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik)  Communications with the San Juan submarine, which carried a crew of 44, were lost Wednesday when it was on its way from the port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. Planes and vessels have been scouring the area where it was last detected.

"The governments of Chile, the United States and the United Kingdom have offered logistical assistance and exchange of information in these humanitarian searches," the Argentinian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

According to Argentine naval spokesman Enrique Balbi, the submarine may have suffered a communications error.

"We are investigating the reasons for the lack of communication," Balbi told reporters. "If there was a communication problem, the boat would have to come to the surface."

According to the newspaper Clarin, the submarine could have experieced a fire or a technical failure.

"The latest official and reliable information is that the submarine has not yet been found. It's not that it's lost: to be lost you'd have to look for it  and not find it," Balbi said.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata base, said the submarine had sufficient food and oxygen, so the current situation is not an emergency.

According to national Argentine newspaper La Nacion, the submarine, which is 66 meters long, has a diesel-electric vessel that underwent a complex repair and engineering work in 2008, was constructed in Germany in 1985 and joined the Argentine Navy a year later.

 Sputnik

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Afghan Officials: Islamic State Fighters Finding Sanctuary in Afghanistan

By Jeff Seldin November 18, 2017

Battered and beaten in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State terror group is surging fighters into Afghanistan, rebuilding its presence and perhaps setting up a new base for attacks on both the West and Russia.

Afghan officials tell Voice of America that Islamic State may now have as many as 3,000 foreign fighters in the country, many of them coming from Pakistan and Uzbekistan. They also fear those numbers are only likely to increase as IS fighters from Iraq and Syria leave those countries as part of an effort to regroup.

"A large number of Daesh fighters are foreign fighters," said Afghan Ambassador Hamdullah Mohib, using an Arabic acronym for the terror group.

Those numbers have been further bolstered by "a small number of Afghans within," Mohib said in Washington this week. "The Taliban, some of the factions  some of the irreconcilable elements that are much more extreme  are also joining Daesh."

The latest Afghan assessment on Islamic State in Afghanistan, also known as IS-Khorasan province, runs counter to much of what U.S. and coalition officials have long been saying. Those officials, while careful not to minimize concerns, have depicted a terror group in retreat.

Targeting IS in Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis himself characterized the fight against IS in Afghanistan as going "in the right direction" this past July, following an airstrike in Kunar province that killed then-IS-Khorasan leader Abu Sayed.

"Every time you kill a leader of one of these groups, it sets them back," Mattis said at the time.

The July strike followed an operation in April that led to the death of the previous emir, Abdul Hasib, following what U.S. officials described as a brutal, three-hour firefight in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.

And just two weeks before that, on April 13, the U.S. targeted an extensive IS tunnel-and-cave complex in Nangarhar with the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal, a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb.

As a result of the sustained efforts, U.S. officials estimated the terror group's ranks in Afghanistan had been cut from a peak of about 3,000 fighters to about 600, believing most of them to be disgruntled former Taliban fighters.

But if the new estimates from Afghan officials are to be believed, IS has not only rebuilt its presence in the country in a span of about four months, but they have replaced them with new fighters, not worn down after losing the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

It would also seem to indicate that the terror group is capable of doing more than just leveraging local insurgencies to keep its brand alive.

IS in Afghanistan's north

One area of particular concern is Afghanistan's northern Jowzjan province, a remote area where IS has been relocating fighters, many aligned with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, as well as their families.

"They're establishing a military presence. They're implementing social control," said Caitlin Forrest, with the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). "They're collecting taxes."

According to Forrest and ISW's Jennifer Cafarella, some IS supporters and fighters are flocking to the region from Central Asia, places like Tajikistan and Chechnya, while others have come from as far away as France and Sudan.

"It's a sign of what's to come," Cafarella said. "This kind of consolidation of foreign fighters in one place is a signature of an external operations node."

And without much pushback from local or national Afghan forces, IS fighters have also been free to recruit both men and children from towns and villages, seemingly undeterred by the fall of the physical caliphate.

"ISIS is still cashing in on the image of itself as the defender of the weak," Cafarella said, using an acronym for the militant group. She said the group is still able to sell the idea that it alone is willing to stand up to the West or to defend Sunni Muslims from Shi'ite forces controlled by Iran.

IS threatening West, Russia

There are also concerns that Afghanistan may not be the only area in which IS has managed to secure new footholds, and based on the type of propaganda, some counterterror analysts believe many of these IS nodes are bent on finding ways to strike the West and Russia as well.

"The long wind-up to the fall of Raqqa and Mosul gave ISIS the window to prepare for its future in the so-called post-caliphate era," said Katherine Zimmerman with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project.

"ISIS began planning attacks in Europe from Libya, and all indicators point to ISIS strengthening in Libya," Zimmerman said, adding, "ISIS will continue to cultivate its branches in the Sahara and Nigeria."

Some analysts also argue that even the presence of a small number of foreign fighters in certain areas has allowed IS to grow.

But top U.S. military officials argue that will be difficult.

"I think they had aspirational views of going to other places," Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told Pentagon reporters Thursday. "But I would tell you, because of the global coalition that we've assembled and the ability of those nations in these disparate areas of the world to operate effectively against ISIS when it arises, that plan has not been terribly successful for them."

As for Afghanistan, officials there worry Islamic State will find a way to persist and strengthen, co-opting other extremists along the way.

"The brutality will continue to increase, which is why we need to address it so rapidly," said Afghan Ambassador Mohib. "The more time it takes, the more radical some of these groups become and their ideologies start to sync with each other."

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Sources: Mugabe's Ruling Party to Meet Sunday to Discuss His Ouster

By VOA Zimbabwe Service November 18, 2017

Officials of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's own ZANU-PF party said Saturday that they would meet Sunday to discuss dismissing the longtime ruler.

Two unnamed party sources told Reuters they would reinstate Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe fired last week, and would dismiss Mugabe's wife  Mugabe's choice to succeed him  from her position as leader of the ZANU-PF Women's League.

One of two party officials who confirmed Sunday's meeting with AFP said they would "endorse the decisions of the nine [party] provinces" to call for Mugabe to resign as president and party leader.

Shortly after the sources disclosed the meeting, a motorcade departed Mugabe's official residence in Harare amid boos and jeers from protesters. A security official said Mugabe was not inside any of the vehicles.

The meeting was scheduled as thousands of exuberant Zimbabwean demonstrators flooded the streets of Harare, some of whom marched toward the official residence of Mugabe amid nationwide protests calling for the his resignation.

The protesters  some carrying signs that said "Mugabe must go!" and "Not coup but cool"  came within 200 meters of the gates to the complex and staged a sit-down protest after being halted by national troops.

The State House is where Mugabe is under official house arrest and where negotiations for Mugabe's departure have taken place.

"This is not fair. Why are soldiers preventing us to march to the State House," said Rutendo Maisiri, 26. "It is wrong. We will stay put."

Mugabe's nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters on Saturday that his uncle and his uncle's wife were "ready to die for what is correct." Speaking from an undisclosed location in South Africa, Zhuwao said Mugabe had no plans to resign in order to validate what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao said his 93-year-old uncle's health was "good," although he has gotten little sleep since the military seized control Wednesday.

The military has stopped such demonstrations in the capital in the past, but is now supporting the protests, directing demonstrators to the Zimbabwe Grounds, where speeches are being made by activists, politicians and former freedom fighters calling for the president to resign.

The Zimbabwe Grounds is a symbolic location. It is where Zimbabweans welcomed Mugabe's return from exile in 1980 after the liberation war from white minority rule.

Demonstrations in other cities around the country were also calling for an end to Mugabe's 37-year rule.

Mugabe is reported to be resisting demands to step down from the army, members of his ZANU-PF party and political activists.

The Zimbabwe Defense Forces seized key state institutions Wednesday, confined Mugabe to house arrest and clamped down on those 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.

The detainees, who were 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. Robert Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from the position on November 5.

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.

Demands intensify

Members of opposition groups are expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations over Mugabe's political future.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association, told journalists that Saturday's protests were designed to push the president out of office.

Jacob Ngarivhume of opposition group Transform Zimbabwe said hopes of Mugabe leaving office were slowly dissipating.

"There is no way he should be allowed to continue holding power," Ngarivhume told VOA's 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 that it was time for the southern African country to return to civilian rule.

"Zimbabwe 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."

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 Zimbabwe's economy, which has struggled for years, suffered a new downturn over the past 12 months. Last December, ZANU-PF 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.

Mnangagwa's current whereabouts were uncertain, though he was widely believed to be in South Africa.

As for the president, the Zimbabwe Defense Forces said Friday that it was "currently engaging with the commander-in-chief, President Mugabe, on the way forward and will advise the nation as soon as possible."

Wayne Lee, Fern Robinson, Gibbs Dube, Dan Joseph and Anita Powell contributed to this report.

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Hariri Says He'll Return to Lebanon in Coming Days, Announce His Position

By Lisa Bryant November 18, 2017

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said Saturday at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris that he would return to Beirut in the coming days and announce his position on the crisis in his country after holding talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

"With regard to the political situation in Lebanon, I will go to Beirut in the coming days, I will participate in the independence celebrations, and it is there that I will make known my position on these subjects after meeting President Aoun," Hariri said after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Hariri had talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who 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.

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.

Hariri was welcomed "as prime minister" of Lebanon in France, 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 it's hugely uncertain now about what is happening behind the scenes," said Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "What [Hariri's] plans are after this, and the nature of this deal is hugely questionable."

Hariri's departure from Saudi Arabia caps two tumultuous weeks since he announced his resignation as Lebanon's 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 Shi'ite 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 Hariri's departure for Paris, predicting a "door will open to more stability."

Hariri's 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.

"It's certainly an achievement for Macron," Barnes-Dacey said of Hariri's 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.

"It's a nice diplomatic coup for France," Middle East analyst Karim Emile Bitar told French radio, describing France's 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 was also 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. Macron 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 Macron's ability to secure Hariri's visit. "It's 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.

"There's 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, who's keen to be an activist president and punch French weight globally."

"You can see that with Lebanon," he added.

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ARA Santa Cruz SSK - TR-1700

By 2017 the Argentine navys three submarines had reportedly spent so few days at sea that an analysis by Janes Sentinel Security Assessment-South America argued that Argentina had effectively lost its subsurface capability.

In 1977 Argentina signed an agreement with Thyssen Nordseewerke of Germany to supply six submarines, two TR-1700s built in Germany, two in Argentina and two smaller TR-1400s also to be built in Argentina. This agreement was modified in 1982 to six TR-1700s. The first two submarines, the Santa Cruz and San Juan, were delivered on schedule in 1984-85. These 2,300-ton submarine are 68.6 meters long and 8 meters in diameter, the largest submarines built in Germany since World War II.

These submarines, which were originally manufactured in the Thyssen shipyards in Germany, can reach a speed of 14 knots. The hull is made with HY-80 steal, an alloy that provides the strength necessary to support the elevated pressures in the deep sea, but which demands greater precision in the welding.

It was expected that this TR-1700-class submarine will be suitable for use in case of armed conflict, but also to protect the marine resources threatened by fishing vessels that operate illegally.

The remaining four were suspended during the Argentinian economic crisis of the 1980s. The Santa Fe submarine was at least 52% finished (70% according to El Argentino website) when work on it stopped in 1994. It was since cannibalized to provide spare-parts for the Santa Cruz and San Juan. By 2010 Argentina was planning to finish building the Santa Fe. Reportedly the TR-1700 could incorporate a nuclear reactor before 2020.

Recovered by the State in 2007, the shipyard Tandanor repaired the San Juan submarine. The shipyard Tandanor delivered the San Juan submarine to the Argentine Navy, after the mid-life repair works that took about five years. The handover became effective in an official presentation, where the minister of Defense, Agustin Rossi, took part. The next step will be transferring the submarine to Mar del Platas naval base, where the sea trials would be carried out, because the Rio de La Plata is not deep enough for the immersion tests. The journey would not be underwater, and reaching the destination will take three days. Its 36-person crew was eager to start the voyage.

Santa Cruz - Mid-life Repair

The submarine Santa Cruz arrived to Tandanor in 2007, and the repair works started the following year. To carry them out, it was necessary to cut the submarines hull in half to be able to remove elements that could not pass through the only two hatches the submarine has, which are 80 cm in diameter. Among other elements, four 1200 kW diesel engines connected to four 4000 ampere alternators were removed, as well as the submarines 6400 kW electric motor and its 960 batteries.

This maneuver had to be performed with extreme precision, because the welding needed to rejoin the parts had to bear the pressure at an immersion depth of 300 meters, the maximum pressure recommended for this submarine: 30 kilograms per square centimeter, that is, an elephants weight in every rectangle of 10 by 20 centimeters. For this reason, the preparations for the cut took a month, and the final welding, a month of continuous work in 24-hour working days.

Piping, wiring and the navigation radar were also changed; all the parts of the submarine were cleaned, and there were changes performed to the primary computer, which manages the target precision calculator and the telemetry, among other things.

The handover signaled the recovery of Tandanor, which was privatized in 1991, went bankrupt in 1999, and, from then on, resisted because of the 150 workers who did not want to abandon the shipyard. In 2007 it was re-nationalized and it started to recover its capacities. It was much cheaper that the mid-life repairs to the Santa Cruz submarine, which were carried out in 2001 in Brazil, because we did not have the capacity to do them in Argentina, states doctor Mario Fadel, Tandanors president.

To start the works, it was necessary to look for and hire the workers who had been in the shipyard for the submarines construction project in the late sixties, and who had the necessary knowledge to do the job and to train young people to carry on with the task. Thanks to this new generation of young workers and the regained capacities, the arrival of the Santa Cruz submarine was expected, for general repair and maintenance works. There is also the goal to continue building the Santa Fe submarine, which was abandoned after Tandanors privatization, when it was still under construction.

San Juan - Mid-life Repair

In 2008 the San Juan began a mid-life repair, starting with two years of engineering work in the Argentine Naval Industrial Complex [CINAR]. In order to replace the engines, it was necessary to the cut hull of the boat in half with oxy-cetelene torches and seperate it into two halves. In addition, four MTU 16-cylinder V-powered and 1,200 kW-rated MTU diesel engines were replaced by 4,000-amp alternators.

The electric motors responsible for the movement of the propeller received an integral maintenance - complete disarming, cleaning, measurement, calibration and subsequent reassembly - with a replacement of the assemblies that dampen the vibration. The integral repair of each one of the 960 batteries that make the submarine work and the valves and other mechanisms were repaired.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner participated in the afternoon of 27 September 2011, the festivities to finalize the half-life repair of Submarino ARA S42 San Juan, the chief of the General Staff of the Argentine Navy, Admiral Jorge Omar Godoy welcomed the president. The ceremony took place at the facilities of the Complejo Industrial Naval Argentino (CINAR), made up of TANDANOR and Almirante Storni (formerly Domecq shipyard), specially built for the production of the TR1700 submarines, located in Costanera Sur, in the City of Buenos Aires.

"Today we are finishing what is called the major tasks for the" half-life repair "of the submarine ARA S42 San Juan, which was launched in 1983, and begins the preparation stage," President Fernandez de Kirchner explained during the ceremony. She also mentioned in her speech the intention, in the immediate future, of assembling the ARA Santa Fe submarine, which had been paralyzed since the end of the 1980s.

The President said that "a sector that was considered totally lost is being launched"; and affirmed that "Argentina has begun to play a role that should never have been abandoned", while praising "the work of technicians, scientists, workers and engineers". The president indicated that the major work of the submarine ARA San Juan was carried out entirely by Argentine technicians, in contrast to what had happened years ago when a twin vessel "had to be repaired in Brazil" because "the naval industry had been dismantled".

Once completed its maintenance, which included the incorporation of a portable navigation radar, communications equipment and a plotter, the ARA San Juan returned to sea. In the report of the works described by the shipyard Tandanor it was indicated that "the repair of half life of a submarine is one of the most difficult and complex works in the naval industry". The main difficulty was in cutting the hull to be enable the replacement of the engines. Once that task was completed, motors, batteries were replaced and part of the equipment was renewed so that by the end of 2011 they would "re-attach" the hull segments. The work was definitively concluded in 2014, which allowed the San Juan to resume its maritime patrol activities thereafter. Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi blamed the delay on the lack of funds and qualified labor.

Further Units

The shipyard planned to take up the building of the Santa Fe submarine, abandoned in the nineties. Two further units were laid-up unfinished (Santa-Fe at 52/70 % and Santiago Del Estero at 30%). The Argentine Navy is planning to complete the Santa-Fe (the most advanced of the two hull), or even modify and convert it into nuclear submarine. But the cost of such work, its (relative) small size and more especially the age of the uncompleted hull are, in all cases, this project seems doubtful.

# Name launched notes S-41 ARA Santa Cruz 28 Sep 1982 S-42 ARA San Juan 20 Jun 1983 S-43 ARA Santa-Fe laid up 52/70 % complete S-44 ARA Santiago Del Estero laid up 30 % complete S-45 ARA S-46 ARA

Displacement Surface 2116 Tn Displacement Immersion 2264 Tn Dimensions Length 65 Mts. Diameter 7 Mts Propulsion 4 motors Diesel MTU 16 V 6720 HP. 4 alternators 4.4 Mw VARTA batteries (960 items) Electric Propulsion Motor (MEP) 6.6 Mw. Armament 6 bow torpedo tubes Torpedoes SST-4

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China to Launch Four More Fengyun Satellites in Next Four Years

Sputnik News

07:20 18.11.2017(updated 13:57 18.11.2017)

China will launch four Fengyun satellites from 2018 to 2021, the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has told Xinhua News Agency.

At that point, the four satellites will establish a complete network with comprehensive observation ability, said Zhou Xubin, deputy director of the 509th Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.

According to him, global observation will be carried out every four hours, and the update interval of the satellite observation data will also be shortened from six hours to four.

In addition, the efficiency of meteorological disaster monitoring will be doubled, increasing the forecast accuracy by 3 percent. As a result, it will be easier to forecast short-term and severe weather conditions such as storms and strong convection weather.

This article was originally published at the Global Times.

 Sputnik

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N. Korea Refuses to Negotiate Because of US-S. Korea Drills

By VOA News ovember 17, 2017

North Korea said Friday that it would not hold talks with the United States and South Korea on its nuclear weapons program as long as the two countries continued to hold joint military exercises.

"This is the deterrent, the nuclear deterrent to cope with the nuclear threat from America," North Korean U.N. Ambassador Han Tae Song told Reuters on Friday in an exclusive interview in Geneva.

"There are continued military exercises using nuclear assets as well as aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers ... raising such kinds of military exercises against my country," Han said.

On November 11, the U.S. and South Korea began four days of joint naval drills in waters off South Korea's eastern coast in what the South Korean military described as a clear warning to North Korea.

In Washington, State Department officials pushed back, saying U.S. joint military exercises with Asian allies were "lawful," "long-standing" and "defense-oriented," unlike North Korea's "unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs and testing."

Display of will, readiness

The joint exercises were designed to display "strong will and firm military readiness to defeat any provocation by North Korea with dominant force in the event of a crisis," Seoul's military said in a statement last week.

U.S. and Japanese naval forces, meanwhile, began their annual bilateral military training exercise Thursday in the waters surrounding Okinawa. It was also meant to send a strong signal to Pyongyang of America's capability to rapidly mobilize a potent military force.

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.

'No moral equivalency'

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Friday played down the difference, saying Xi recognized a nuclear North Korea was a grave threat.

"A lot of countries like to talk about this idea for a freeze for freeze, but that's just not going to work," Nauert said during the briefing.

"There's no moral equivalency between the actions on the part" of North Korea and "our legal, justified activities," Nauert said, comparing Pyongyang's missile launches and advanced nuclear tests with U.S. joint military exercises with its Asian allies.

North Korea's Han, when 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, "If they accept such things, then we will think what we do in the future."

Han dismissed new sanctions the Trump administration has said it is preparing and the possible addition of North Korea to the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Global pressure

North Korea is under heavy global pressure to stop its nuclear and missile development programs, which are in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. The country conducted its last ballistic missile test two months ago, and Han told Reuters he did not know when North Korea might test again.

"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 their nuclear threat and blackmail," he said.

The North Korean official added: "Our country plans ultimate completion of the nuclear force."

South Korea and the U.S. agreed Friday to keep seeking a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear crisis, but a U.S. envoy said the two countries received "no signal" about Pyongyang's intentions.

Chinese visit

China, meanwhile, was preparing Friday to send a representative to North Korea in an effort to improve relations.

Chinese state media reported that special envoy Song Tao  the highest-level envoy to be sent to Pyongyang in two years  would report the results of China's ruling Communist Party congress held last month and visit North Korean counterparts.

China did not provide additional information about the envoy's itinerary, including whether he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Nike Ching at the State Department contributed to this report.

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China, N Korea must work to deepen bilateral ties: Beijing envoy

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 08:07AM

China has hailed the "traditional friendship" with North Korea as "valuable wealth" for both nations, emphasizing the need to further promote bilateral relations as Beijing's envoy visits Pyongyang amid tensions over the North's military program.

Song Tao, who heads the ruling Chinese Communist Party's International Department, made the comments after arriving in Pyongyang on Friday and visiting North Korean official, Choe Ryong Hae.

The department said in a statement that Song briefed Choe on the outcome of the recently concluded Communist Party Congress in China, and then the two senior figures talked about ties between their parties and countries.

"They said that the traditional friendship between China and North Korea was founded and cultivated by both countries former old leaders, and is valuable wealth for the two peoples," the department said.

"Both sides must work hard together to promote the further development of relations between the two parties and two countries to benefit their two peoples," it added.

The department made no mention of North Korea's nuclear or missile programs, which are strongly opposed by China.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed the report of meeting between the two officials, saying that Song informed Choe about China's 19th National Congress "in detail," and stressed China's stance to "develop the traditional friendly relations between the two parties and countries."

The visit, whose length and content have not been specified in reports, is the first by a high-ranking Chinese official to North Korea in more than a year.

The trip comes about a week after US President Donald Trump held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing as part of his 5-nation tour of Asia and said they agreed to "increase economic pressure until North Korea abandons its reckless and dangerous path."

Washington has repeatedly called on Beijing, which accounts for 90 percent of Pyongyang's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the nuclear-armed North Korea.

China has previously pushed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis over North Korea; however, Pyongyang has so far ignored Beijing's calls to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and return to the negotiating table.

North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on September 3 and launched a ballistic missile on September 15, firing it over Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

Tensions have been building on the peninsula following a series of nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang as well as threats of war and personal insults traded between Trump and the North Korean leader.

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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'Deterring' N Korea: US Reportedly Weighing Up Missile-Firing Drones, Cyber Arms

Sputnik News

10:31 18.11.2017

Worried that the existing US missile defense system might fail to deter a possible North Korean missile strike, Washington is looking for other ways to confront Pyongyang, like cyber weapons and armed drones, The New York Times has reported.

Last week the Trump administration requested $4 billion from Congress for the increased use of cyber weapons to jam North Korean control systems and prevent the launch of missiles, for fleets of missile-firing drones and fighter planes to shoot them down moments after liftoff.

Pentagon officials, top scientists and lawmakers see these measures as a response to Pyongyang's fast-developing ballistic missile capability, which poses a serious risk to US security.

Using cyber weapons to disrupt missile launches is not an easy matter though as it requires substantial knowledge of missile building and launch control and guidance systems of a country like North Korea with its very limited use of the internet and few connections to the outside world, the newspaper wrote.

With the wide range of radar and electronic interference operations the US has been using since 2014 to hamper the testing of North Korea's Musudan intermediate-range missiles showing mixed results, Washington is now contemplating a boost-phase option of having armed drones patrolling the skies over the Sea of Japan and fire heat-sensing rockets to shoot down rising North Korean ICBMs.

According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Theodore A. Postol, fleets of missile-firing drones patrolling near the North Korean border would be extremely intimidating and create new diplomatic leverage.

"We need it now. My concern is that we get something out there quickly that will pressure North Korea to negotiate," Postol told The NYT.

North Korea has in recent years been investing heavily in the development of long-range ballistic missiles. In July 2017, it tested the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, likely capable of reaching the continental United States, for the first time.

In the most recent case on September 15, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which flew over northern Japan before plunging into the Pacific.

The launch came just days after the UN Security Council approved sanctions against Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear program.

On September 3, Pyongyang conducted its most powerful ever nuclear test, which many believe to be an H-bomb.

North Korea's ballistic missile program was one of the primary motives behind the decision to develop and deploy the US Ground-based Midcourse Defense system to protect the US homeland.

 Sputnik

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Indian Army's Mega Purchase: Surveillance UAVs for Tactical Battle Areas

Sputnik News

13:28 18.11.2017

The $670 million contract is intended for local industry. However, a lack of technology and short delivery deadline may force Indian firms to forge partnerships with foreign manufacturers.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The Indian Army has formally kicked off a $670 million mega purchase plan of short-range UAVs for deployment in the difficult Himalayan terrain to keep tabs on the slightest of movement by foreign forces.

The UAVs will send real-time inputs in the form of imagery and electronic data with a range of 200 kilometers. These UAVs would be able to fly with an altitude of up to 15,000 feet and can send inputs to fighting formations during operations for at least 10 hours and operates either day or night.

The system can be equipped with different kinds of surveillance payloads like electro-optical and infrared with laser designators, electronic intelligence, communication payloads, synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar, radio relay, identification of friend or foe, and traffic collision avoidance systems.

The formal tender is expected to be issued by January 2018. "Total quantities required is approximately 60 short-range remotely piloted aircraft system along with associated payloads and ground support equipment," the request for information issued on Thursday reads. The army plans to induct 24 platforms by 2022 while the rest will have to be delivered by 2027 by the manufacturer.

The purchase plan was approved by India's defense ministry in June of this year. Though the RFI has been exclusively issued to Indian manufacturers, the short deadline and unavailability of indigenous technology may force private firms to import technology from the global drone makers.

"A five-year timeline is reasonable provided the initial process of procurement is drawn up correctly and there are no changes made during the acquisition process," Rahul Bhonsle, retired Indian Armybrigadier, and defense analyst told Sputnik.

Given the joint ventures established by private front-runner Indian firms like Alpha Design Technology and Dynamatic Technology with Israel's Elbit Security Systems (ESS) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) respectively, the Israeli drone makers are likely to edge out others in this capital procurement.

 Sputnik

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'Flying Radar': Russian A-100 AWACS Aircraft Makes Maiden Flight

Sputnik News

16:55 18.11.2017(updated 16:56 18.11.2017)

The newest Russian AWACS aircraft can detect up to 300 targets.

Russia's A-100, the most advanced airborne early warning and control aircraft (or AWACS), made its maiden flight, the press service of the Vega concern, which creates equipment for the "flying radar" has announced.

The A-100 first flight test was aimed at checking its aerodynamic characteristics, the performance of avionics and part of the equipment of the radio engineering complex.

The Beriev A-100 aircraft, which was constructed on the base of the Il-76MD-90A (Il-476) transport aircraft, is expected that A-100 will replace the Beriev A-50 Mainstay AWACS aircraft, which is currently in service of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The newest Russian AWACS aircraft can detect and track targets, as well as participate in operating fighter jets and bombers with guidance on air, land and sea targets. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the A-100 is superior to foreign analogues as its advanced reconnaissance and control capabilities would enable it to detect new classes of targets and to improve combat management.

Serial deliveries of the state-of-the-art AWACS aircraft to the Russian Aerospace Forces is expected to begin in 2020.

 Sputnik

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US won't be constrained by UN Security Council in Syria: Haley

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 03:00PM

The United States does not consider itself constrained by the UN Security Council and may seek "justice" in Syria on its own terms, says the US representative to the UN, Nikki Haley.

Haley said on Friday that with or without unity of the council, Washington "will continue to fight for justice and accountability in Syria."

She made the remarks after Russia vetoed a UN resolution that sought to extend the mandate of the international investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria.

The mandate for the US-drafted resolution, known as Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), expired on Friday. This was the third time in a month Russia vetoed attempts at the UN to extend the inquiry.

The council's permanent member, Russia agreed to the creation of the investigation two years ago, but it has consistently questioned its work and conclusions. It has repeatedly cited flaws in the work on instigators.

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday that the investigation could only be extended if "fundamental flaws in its work" were fixed. He said that for the past two years the investigators had "rubber-stamped baseless accusations against Syria."

They accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of using chemical weapons against his own people. Syria, however, has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Haley further said that Russia has in recent weeks been trying "to delay, to distract and ultimately to defeat the effort to secure accountability for chemical weapons attacks in Syria."

"Russia is wasting our time," she argued.

Her remarks provoked an angry response from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who accused her of having engaged in a "fake diplomacy."

"It seems we are witnessing a new phenomenon in international relations, as now, apart from fake news, there is also fake diplomacy," Lavrov said.

The US has long history of taking actions in Middle Eastern countries with no mandate from the United Nations. Back in August 2014, Washington along with some of its allies launched a campaign of airstrikes against what are said to be Daesh positions inside Iraq.

The coalition expanded its campaign to Syria in 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis claimed on Monday that "the UN said that basically we can go after ISIS (Daesh). And we're there to take them out."

Lavrov, however, rejected his remarks on Thursday, saying the US presence in Syria "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 that there was no Security Council resolution that allowed US troops on the Syrian territory.

The US airstrikes have on many occasions--both in Iraq and Syria-- resulted in civilian casualties and failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism.

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Russia vetoes Japan-drafted resolution on chemical attacks in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 02:35AM

Russia has cast a second veto in the United Nations Security Council to block a resolution that sought the renewal of an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The Japan-drafted resolution, which would have extended the so-called Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for 30 days to allow time for talks on a wider compromise, was rejected by Russia using its veto power on Friday after 12 members of the world body voted in favor of the joint inquiry, while China abstained and Bolivia voted no.

The mandate for the joint inquiry by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which was unanimously formed by the 15-member of the UNSC in 2015, ended on Friday.

On April 4, dozens of people were killed in a chemical attack in the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhun in the northwestern province of Idlib. The US and its allies were quick to accuse Syrian government forces of carrying out the attack.

This is while the Syrian government handed over its entire chemical stockpile under a deal negotiated by Russia and the US back in 2013. The OPCW oversaw the operation.

The incident, which was yet to be investigated thoroughly and properly, prompted Washington to hit a Syrian air base with 59 cruise missiles a few days later, inflicting heavy damage to the Syrian air force, which is combating the foreign-backed militancy in the Arab country.

The Japan-drafted resolution came after Moscow on Thursday vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have allowed the expert investigators to keep on their work for a year.

"Any extension of the JIM's mandate for us is possible only provided fundamental flaws in its work are rectified," said Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, accusing the JIM's leadership of having "disgraced itself with its fictitious investigation" of the sarin gas attack on the Syrian town.

The Russian envoy added that the panel had "signed its name on baseless accusations against Syria."

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, criticized Moscow's stance on the issue, saying, "Russia will not agree to any mechanism that might shine a spotlight on the use of chemical weapons by its ally, the Syrian regime."

A separate Russian draft resolution, calling for changes to the JIM, failed to obtain enough votes for adoption, with just four votes cast in favor.

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Russia Again Vetoes Chemical Weapons Resolutions on Syria

By VOA News November 18, 2017

Russia has again vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have extended an international probe into chemical weapons use in Syria, one day after it rejected a similar resolution.

Japan had put forward a resolution that would have extended the investigation to identify who is behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria by 30 days to allow time for negotiations on a wider compromise.

On Thursday, the United States sponsored a similar resolution with a yearlong extension that was also vetoed by Russia.

Russian proposal fails

A separate Russian draft resolution Thursday that called for changes to the international investigation failed to get enough votes to pass, with just four countries supporting it. The Russian proposal included changes to the mandate that the United States opposed.

Without passage of any extension, the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) expired Thursday at midnight.

Friday's veto by Russia was the 11th time Russia vetoed a resolution on Syria.

After Friday's vote, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council: "Russia has no interest in finding common 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. It's as simple and shameful as that."

Haley offered "sincere apologies" to the "families of the victims of chemical weapons in Syria and the Syrian children, women and men who may be victims of future attacks."

She added: "Know that the United States, along with the rest of this council, will not give up on seeking justice for your lost loved ones and protection for your families. Know that Russia can obstruct this council, but it cannot obstruct the truth."

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the inquiry could only be extended if "fundamental flaws in its work" were fixed.

Series of attacks

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 caused agony to hundreds.

The U.N. investigators have blamed the Syrian government for using the banned nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack and for several times using chlorine as a weapon. It blamed Islamic State militants for using mustard gas.

Syria's government says terrorists, its word for the opposition, are responsible for all the attacks.

Russia, which is Syria's most powerful ally, has supported investigations into chemical weapons but criticized the reports as being unfair to the Syrian government.

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EU reduces Turkey's pre-accession funds in 2018 budget amid strained ties

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 02:32PM

The European Union has reduced some of the money earmarked in its 2018 budget deal for Turkey to join the 28-member politico-economic bloc in a clear sign of increasingly sour relations between the union and the Ankara government.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and member states agreed on Saturday to slash the "pre-accession funds" by 105 million euros ($123.795 million), and froze an additional 70 million euros ($82.53 million) of previously announced spending.

The decision was made over doubts about Ankara's commitment to democracy and human rights.

"We consider the deteriorating situation in relation to democracy, rule of law and human rights worrying," the legislators said in a statement.

"We have sent a clear message that the money that the EU provides cannot come without strings attached," said Romanian MEP Siegfried Muresan, the lead rapporteur for the budget.

The EU had initially pledged 4.45 billion euros ($5.24 billion) in pre-accession spending for Turkey from 2014 to 2020. Only 360 million euros ($424.44 million) has, however, been allocated so far.

European leaders reached an agreement on October 19 to explore cuts in EU funds to Turkey.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for the measure in response to what she described as Turkey's "unacceptable" violation of human rights.

"We have asked the Commission to make recommendations on changing and reducing the pre-accession aid," Merkel told reporters at the time.

Turkey has been trying to become an EU member since the 1960s. Formal EU accession talks began in 2005, but the process has been plagued by problems.

The EU has opened 16 out of the 35 chapters required for Turkey to join the 28-nation bloc, but only one of them has so far been concluded.

Turkey and the EU sealed a deal in March 2016 to stem the flow of refugees to Europe in return for financial and political rewards for Ankara.

Some European countries argue that aid meant to help Turkey reform politically now makes no sense as Turkish officials are pressing ahead with a heavy-handed crackdown and repressive measures in the wake of the July 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists, have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.

Turkey was set to receive almost 500 million euros next year for the EU's common budget.

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EU gives UK PM Theresa May new Brexit ultimatum

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:03AM

European Union President Donald Tusk has warned Britain that it has two weeks to make "much more progress" on Brexit negotiations in order to begin talks by the end of the year about a future trade deal after the UK's planned withdraw from the bloc.

Tusk announced the deadline on Friday after talks with UK 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 EU chief's warning reflects Brussels' growing impatience with London over its exit bill, EU citizens' rights and the Irish border. The EU has for months demanded that Britain make "sufficient progress" on these issues.

"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 EU summit in the Swedish 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.

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.

The EU chief was sarcastic when asked about comments by Britain's Brexit Minister David Davis that London had already made compromises, saying, "I really appreciate Mr. Davis's English sense of humor."

May, whose government has been pressing the EU to move on to post-Brexit trade talks while resisting 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.

May is reportedly ready to double Britain's 20 billion euro ($24 billion) offer on the divorce bill in a bid to clear what has been the most difficult obstacle in talks so far. The EU says the exit bill is around 60 billion euros (S$96 billion).

The Irish border issue has also become particularly sensitive. On Friday, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar threatened to block progress on Brexit without a "written" guarantee from the UK that there will be no "hard border" with British-ruled Northern Ireland.

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US to arm Ukraine with anti-missile tanks: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 06:25PM

Senior advisers to US President Donald Trump have decided to present him with a new plan to finance and sell more weapons to Ukraine, in an attempt to counter what they call Russian aggression in the region, a report says.

Citing a US State Department official, ABC News reported on Friday that White House National Security Council (NSC) decided during a meeting on Tuesday to approve the presentation of a $47 million grant package that would supply Ukraine with high-tech weaponry.

"We have no announcement at this time," ABC quoted the sources as saying.

Both the president and Congress must approve such a sale to the government in Kiev.

A former adviser to Trump, however, told ABC that arming Ukraine would not only inflame tensions in the region, but worsen ties between Washington and Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly warned Washington against supplying Kiev with such weapons, arguing that the move could seriously affect the balance of power in the region.

The Ukrainian government has been engaged in an armed conflict with pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine. It has repeatedly requested more advanced weaponry from the US.

The administration of former US President Barack Obama had refused to supply it with lethal weaponry and instead provided Kiev with $600 million in military assistance, including training, equipment, and advice.

In September 2016, the US House approved legislation to allow the supply of lethal "defensive" arms to Kiev. But iIt still needs to be approved by the US Senate and signed by the US president.

Defense Secretary James Mattis also pledged, in a visit to Ukraine in August, to review US military aid to the country.

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US nuclear commander: I'd resist Trump's 'illegal' nuke strike order

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 07:18PM

A top nuclear commander in the United States says he would resist an "illegal" nuclear attack order from President Donald Trump.

The head of US Strategic Command, General John Hyten, told an audience at a security forum on Saturday that he would tell Trump he couldn't carry out an illegal strike, CBS News reported.

"I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," Hyten said. "And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.'"

"And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come [with] up options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated," he explained.

Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the US nuclear arsenal, said that running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order is standard practice.

"If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life," he added.

The commander's remarks follow a series of threats made by Trump against North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

During a visit to South Korea earlier this month, Trump addressed the county's National Assembly, where he portrayed his administration as much more willing than former US administrations to resort to military action against North Korea.

"We will not allow American cities to be threatened with destruction. We will not be intimidated," Trump said.

In a reaction to Trump's rhetoric, the North reiterated that it "will further bolster our nuclear, treasured sword of justice and defend our sovereignty and justice with nuclear weapons."

Back in August, Trump threatened Pyongyang with "fire and the fury like the world has never seen," and later renewed the threat at the United Nations General Assembly, saying, "The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea."

Hyten further called for the president "to create the conditions that the international community can reach out in different ways where we can work with the Republic of Korea, where we can work with our neighbors in the region."

He said Trump "by himself can't change the behavior of [North Korea's leader] Kim Jong-un.

Pyongyang has been under harsh international sanctions since 2006 over its multiple missile launches and nuclear tests. The United Nations Security Council, in September, tightened those bans even further after North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test involving a hydrogen bomb.

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Haiti - Politics : The development of Les Cayes goes through opening to foreign capital dixit Mayor Fortune





Last weekend, the Mayor of Les Cayes Jean Gabriel Fortune took part in several working sessions in the Dominican Republic. According to Mayor Fortune, these working sessions made it possible to explore ways to consider cooperation between certain Dominican municipalities and the city of Les Cayes. In this perspective, he took the opportunity to sign documents related to the process of twinning with two Dominican cities (Mayaguate and San Cristobal) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22718-haiti-politic-twinning-between-les-cayes-and-2-dominican-cities.html



He took the opportunity to invite Dominican businessmen to come explore the investment opportunities offered by the South of the country. During the month of December, a first group of entrepreneurs will meet their counterparts in Les Cayes to lay the foundations for this partnership that Mayor Fortune is trying to build.



For the Mayor, "The development of Les Cayes goes through opening to foreign capital". Dominican investments in the future will, among other things, allow universities and vocational schools in the department to align with Caribbean standards, as is the case in the neighboring Republic.



The implementation of this cooperation reinforces the requirement of upgrading from a qualitative point of view of local political institutions. The institutional constraints, social problems and economic challenges facing the city of Les Cayes and its periphery require an exceptional and inclusive mechanism of ownership and treatment. Also, the Estates General of the commune of Les Cayes, which will be held from December 23, 2017 to January 6, 2018 will allow the municipality to demonstrate its leadership in relation to development issues at the regional level.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22718-haiti-politic-twinning-between-les-cayes-and-2-dominican-cities.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ...

football
Killer Mike is back with another unapologetic take.

In a pair of Instagram posts, the routinely outspoken rapper provided a few solutions addressed toward the African-American community when it comes to government oppression. In a video accompanied by a lengthy caption, he explained that self-sufficiency was the answer, adding that instead of complaining of a lack of food, Black communities should learn how to grow their own crops, and hunt for their meat. If Black communities are tired of crime and lack of gun control, they should apply their 2nd amendment right to bear arms and train themselves to use firearms.

Do not ask your oppressors or a government that supports white supremacy to protect your black ass. Im sorry it just dont work that way, he typed out in a portion of his caption.

This clip arrived on the tail of a previous post that spoke out against the Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act, formally referred to as H.R. 4268. Headed up by Texas Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, the measure proposes a waiting period of one week before a semiautomatic firearm, a silencer, armor piercing ammunition, or a large capacity ammunition magazine may be purchased or transferred ownership. According to Lee, this is a way to prevent mentally unstable individuals from harming others as it allows them a period in which they can have time to think it over before making any hasty and dangerous decisions.

Pro [2nd Amendment] black men and Women stop letting these Dems push their partys agenda via your reps, Mike wrote in contest of the proposal. Tell black law makers to shut up or get voted out. I cannot and will not trust this or any government with my right to bear arms.

The Run the Jewels emcees remarks come in the midst of an ever-growing debate surrounding gun control in the United States following an onslaught of mass shootings at places that include music festivals and churches, causing many anti-gun advocates to reason that no place is safe because of what is perceived to be too easy a process in obtaining firearms, specifically semiautomatic weapons.

Embrace your [2nd Amendment] right and shoot and train often. Join any org NAAGA, NRA, any group I dont care so long as u Keep your rights and stay up. Love and Respect u all.

Killer
The holiday season has officially kicked into high gear. One of those indications is the arrival of the annual Victorias Secret Fashion Show, set to be staged in Shanghai this year. As that day approaches, the show has announced the special musical guests who will joining the angels onstage with Miguel, Harry Styles, Leslie Odom Jr., and Chinese pop star Jane Zhang adorning the bill this time around.

We started booking our musical guests months ago when Harry Styles, international superstar, signed on, Ed Razek, executive producer of the show, told People. Also appearing are Grammy award-winning artist Miguel, Tony award-winning star of Hamilton Leslie Odom Jr., and Chinese sensation Jane Zhang. We are incredibly thrilled to have them with us.

Previously, rumors circulated around a reported lineup that included Styles, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift. However, with this set of talent now confirmed, the shows organizers have one more thing to check off their list of issues. Previously, reports alleged that the show was facing a few snags in the road after Katy Perry and four Ukrainian and Russian models were allegedly denied visas to enter China while production companies were facing difficult restrictions when it comes to filming in or around the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

Its just a nightmare for all the media trying to cover [the show], a source told Page Six. These TV companies are spending a fortune on it, and they dont even know what they can shoot when they get there. The show airs on November 28, 2017 on CBS.

VSFS
Gerry Adams has announced his intention to step down as Sinn Fein president in 2018.

The 69-year-old republican veteran told the annual Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Dublin it would be his last as leader, and a special meeting of the party would be called next year to elect a successor.

The TD for Co Louth, who has been party president since 1983, also told delegates he would not run in the next election in the Irish Republic.

"Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now," he told the annual conference in the RDS arena in Dublin.

Mr Adams said the move was part of the ongoing process of leadership transition within the party.

The plan, formulated along with Martin McGuinness before his death earlier this year, has already seen Michelle O'Neill, 40, take the role of Sinn Fein's leader at Stormont.

Mr Adams has gone before the Ard Fheis to seek re-election every year since 1983 and that formality was repeated on Saturday night.

But in his leader's speech, he told republican faithful it would be the last time he would put himself forward for the role.

"I want to thank everyone who has welcomed me into their homes and communities and have made me part of countless campaigns, countless elections and countless negotiations," he said.

Amid rapturous applause and a standing ovation, Mr Adams told delegates: "We are going to continue to go forward."

He paid special tribute to his wife Collette and son Gearoid.

The long-standing MP for west Belfast switched his focus to the Dublin parliament in 2011, becoming a TD for Co Louth.

Sinn Fein has made steady gains in the Irish Republic in recent polls but many believe the prospects of further growth is limited due to the presence of Troubles era figures.

Current deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, 48, will be a clear favourite to succeed Mr Adams.

The Ard Fheis also saw the party faithful debate its position on abortion.

Delegates voted to partially liberalise the party's stance, setting its position ahead of next year's referendum in the Irish Republic on the clause of the state's constitution that frames its strict laws on terminations.

The conference was also the first since Mr McGuinness died in March. His widow Bernie attended as tributes were paid to the former IRA commander turned Stormont deputy first minister.

In a reflective address, Mr Adams said one of the party's greatest achievements during his time as president was forging with peace process along with SDLP leader John Hume.

He added: "We have also recast Sinn Fein into an effective all-Ireland republican party, with clear policy and political objectives, and the means to achieve them through democratic and peaceful forms of struggle where none existed before.

"Republicanism has never been stronger.

"This is our time. We will grow even stronger in the future."
AIB managing director of wholesale, institutional and corporate banking Colin Hunt said the deal "demonstrated the bank's commitment to deploying its capital and expertise in support of leading enterprises such as TransferMate" Stock image

AIB has invested 30m in TransferMate in exchange for a small minority equity stake in the Kilkenny-based fintech company, the Sunday Independent has learned. The investment values the rapidly-growing international payments company at 250m to 300m, according to a source.

TransferMate - part of businessman Terry Clune's Taxback Group - enables companies to transfer money internationally more quickly and for substantially lower fees than standard bank transfers. The two have also agreed a strategic partnership focused on providing Irish businesses access to the global payments technology platform. TransferMate has already transferred over 10bn to more than 100 countries since 2010 and secured a worldwide network of valuable regulatory licenses.

TransferMate chief executive Clune said the deal, which is subject to Central Bank approval, was "a great example of how a leading bank and a fintech company can work together".

"Cross-border business- to-business payments can be complex, time-consuming and expensive," said Clune. "We aim to provide the most convenient and cost-effective way for businesses to move money around the globe. Business-to-business payments represent 98pc of the $138trn of currencies traded annually cross-border."

Clune said the investment would allow TransferMate to "expand our commercial teams across the US, Canada, Australia and Europe, whilst growing our head office, commercial and technology functions in Ireland".

TransferMate co-founder and chief financial officer Sinead Fitzmaurice said that they had "spent a significant amount of time and our own capital building our unique technology, infrastructure and global regulatory footprint". They were "immensely proud to announce our first banking collaboration in our home market," she said.

AIB managing director of wholesale, institutional and corporate banking Colin Hunt said the deal "demonstrated the bank's commitment to deploying its capital and expertise in support of leading enterprises such as TransferMate". "The investment is in line with AIB's strategic priority to increase the pace of innovation to serve changing customer needs by working with both dedicated internal teams and with external partners and startups," he said.

"We will work with TransferMate and other digitally innovative partners to continue to ensure AIB Business customers have access to some of the best digital banking capabilities in the world."
New Bank of Ireland boss Francesca McDonagh is a breath of fresh air at the big lender. But just weeks in the job, she has already had a torrid time.

Soon after she took over the reins, she found herself being dragged into a meeting with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to explain why the bank was so slow at owning up to and sorting out the tracker overcharging mess.

The bank, under old boss Richie Boucher, had been steadfastly holding out on giving trackers back to 2,000 of its own staff.

This was one of the key issues discussed when, days later, McDonagh met senior officials from the Central Bank. It shows just how rotten things at the bank are that within days of the two meetings Ms McDonagh did a U-turn and conceded that the bank had an extra 6,000 tracker cases it was now prepared to concede, including the staff mortgages.

It now has 10,300 tracker-denial cases, the highest of any lender.

McDonagh has now promised a more customer-centric approach from Bank of Ireland, and she is showing early signs of delivering on this. What a change from the approach of her predecessor.

Boucher was unique in that he survived in a senior role in Irish banking despite the collapse of the sector.

He did not take prisoners. He was adamant that his bank was not cutting its variable mortgage rate, one of the highest in the market. Instead, he offered customers who wanted better value low fixed rates, in an attempt to lock them in and stop them switching.

The bank often adopted an uncooperative approach to media queries, even after the economic crash.

But it is now clear his approach has not been good for the bank.

He had only provisioned for 20m to cover the cost of tracker restoration and the refunds. Bank of Ireland has now said the total cost of putting customers back on low tracker rates, refunding them for overcharged interest payments, and compensating them at a rate of 10pc of the refunds, will cost the bank up to 200m.

This is up from 26m previously set aside by the bank.

Banking analyst at Merrion Stockbrokers Darren McKinley questioned the honesty of the bank, and said it may not be able to pay a dividend.

What a mess McDonagh now has to clean up. Just why were Boucher and others embroiled in the industry-wide tracker scandal allowed to carry on the way they did?

All of this raises uncomfortable questions for the Central Bank.
Oisin Fanning faces the wrath of British hedge fund manager Martin Hughes, nicknamed The Rottweiler, as San Leon Energy fights a winding-up order following a wrangle with Dutch partner Avobone over a loan to cover a share of drilling. Stock image

Investing in oil and gas explorers isn't for the faint-hearted. Good results can deliver big rewards - bad results can mean you lose all your money.

British hedge fund manager Martin Hughes is certainly not in the faint-hearted category - his nickname in the City is 'The Rottweiler'.

Hughes's Toscafund is the majority shareholder in San Leon Energy, the oil and gas explorer run by Irish businessman Oisin Fanning.

San Leon is on the brink - with a creditor having just filed a petition in Dublin's High Court seeking to have it wound up. Toscafund's investment is small fry in the overall scheme of the funds it manages (over $4bn) - but the Rottweiler is probably snarling at the situation San Leon finds itself in.

The proximate cause of the difficulty is a long-running financial dispute with Avobone - a Dutch company which had partnered with San Leon on an asset in Poland. The main problem was a loan Avobone gave San Leon to meet Avobone's share of drilling. San Leon said the loan should only have been repayable "had Avobone exited after the field had generated sufficient cashflow to repay the loan".

"As of the timing of Avobone's exit in early 2013, the field had yet to generate cashflow."

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The row made its way through various arbitration and court hearings before ultimately being settled this time last year. San Leon agreed to pay 23.3m plus interest to Avobone.

It wasn't as simple as all that, however, and a few months later, the companies agreed a revised payment schedule as San Leon had had trouble generating the cash. Another revised schedule was agreed at the beginning of this month.

Then came the bombshell news on Friday that Avobone was seeking a winding-up order. San Leon said its rival was looking to change the terms of the latest agreement, looking for further security for the sums owed.

"These additional requested terms are totally unacceptable ... [San Leon] has already provided security of payment and shall robustly defend the application," the company added. "San Leon can see no reason for Avobone's actions given the imminent payment expected to Avobone of all outstanding sums."

The matter is due back before the courts next month and it may spell the end for a business that just last year was boasting about a "transformational" deal that would see it take a stake in a producing field in Nigeria. The stake was acquired via a complex arrangement that saw San Leon become the beneficial owner of around $175m of loan notes.

But cash flow from that project has been slow - as of April 1 2017, it was due $58m but had only received $5m.

The project also contributed to problems in filing accounts. San Leon missed the stock-market-imposed deadline - and said this was due to the complexity of the Nigerian venture.

"The delay in publication of the accounts has been for procedural reasons," San Leon said, adding that it needed to incorporate "the consolidated financial statements" of a particular entity related to the Nigerian asset using the equity method of accounting - a process for dealing with the financial effects of an investee company in which the core company has a significant influence.

"The consolidation process involves several jurisdictions, and has taken longer than expected for what is the first such consolidation and equity accounted investment in Nigeria for San Leon. When this process is completed, it will be followed by a number of normal audit confirmatory and technical review matters, which when completed will then put the company in a position to finalise and publish its financial statements."

Eventually, the accounts were published three months late, and contained a note of warning from the company's auditors that there were "material uncertainties which may cast significant doubt" about the company's ability to continue. There was, the company recognised, a need for further funding.

Ultimately, the way out for Fanning might be to sell the business.

San Leon told the market in the summer that a Chinese company has been sniffing around and even made an indicative takeover offer valuing the company at 67-76p a share. That was a substantial premium to the share price at the time (around 30p). A formal offer was contingent on the completion of due diligence - with the Chinese expecting to be able to make a their move within 45 days according to San Leon. That period of time elapsed and no offer was forthcoming.

San Leon then said it was still in dialogue with the company, China Great United, which had said the reason for the delay in due diligence was that it was now talking to a potential partner who could add value to the Nigerian project.

Another option that has been mooted is a merger with Midwestern - a partner in the Nigerian project. "San Leon remains in discussions with Midwestern, which are at a very early stage and broad-ranging, regarding a potential corporate transaction, which could include an offer by Midwestern for San Leon or an offer by San Leon for certain assets of Midwestern," the company said on foot of media speculation. Shares are now suspended from trading on foot of this.

If a deal can be pulled off it would represent a great escape by Fanning who has been through some rough times in business before.

He was a founder of collapsed stockbroking firm MMI Stockbrokers, and chief executive from 1993 before stepping down in 1998, the year the company got into serious difficulty. He also founded Smart Telecom which went into examinership three years after Fanning's departure as chief executive in 2006.

Life at San Leon has been eventful too. Leaving aside the current imbroglio with Avobone and the various takeover possibilities, the company last year found itself making headlines when it was excluded from the Norwegian state pension fund's 'investment universe' over its activities in the Western Sahara, a sparsely populated disputed territory.

The dispute is between Morocco and a group of the region's indigenous population.

The fund's ethics council said San Leon "contributes to serious violations of fundamental ethical norms through its onshore hydrocarbon exploration in Western Sahara on behalf of Moroccan authorities".

An activist in the region told the Sunday Independent at the time: "Morocco has no right to explore for oil in Western Sahara without the consent of the people of Western Sahara and if the people of Western Sahara are not to benefit from it. Morocco has no right to look for the oil; San Leon is doing it, so therefore they're kicked out [of the investment fund]."

In response, San Leon said that it had satisfied local interests following dialogue with local elected representatives and that it was in the company's own interest - and that of Morocco - that any revenue from oil or gas would benefit the local community.

San Leon has had interests in the Irish offshore too but sold many of them to John McKeon's Ardilaun Energy which has recently been seeking to raise money from investors. Lamborghini enthusiast McKeon set up Circle Oil which went bust early this year. McKeon had left the board in 2008.

San Leon retains a 4.5pc net profit interest on the Barryroe prospect, majority owned by Providence Resources. Barryroe is Providence's flagship asset and is due to be drilled next year, Finding a heavyweight partner to help get oil out of the ground on a commercial basis has been a long-running saga. Though the upcoming drilling campaign might help, Barryroe isn't going to help San Leon anytime soon.

Fanning is well remunerated. In 2016, his package including share-based compensation came to more than 1.7m, according to San Leon's last annual report. In 2015, his package was almost 1.3m.

On the company's website, his strengths are listed. "Oisin is both visionary and deeply practical in pursuing business goals on behalf of stakeholders. He recognises the importance of finding and developing talented people to achieve a clear set of objectives". If San Leon makes it through the court case, and payments from Nigeria remain slow, he'll need to draw on all his strengths to get the business on track.
'We come in peace." So said Google UK's managing director Ronan Harris at the Society of Editors conference in Cambridge last week. He was refuting claims that Google and Facebook are 'ruthlessly stealing' the advertising revenue that publishers hoped to acquire through online editions.

Harris argued that Google's main revenue comes from search ads, and this is an area where publishers aren't active. He also pointed out that Google doesn't directly monetise the news content on its Google News platform and that the search giant supplies ad tech and a host of search traffic to newspaper websites. "Every year we share billions of pounds in revenue with publishers globally," he said. "We also drove more than 10 billion clicks a month to publisher websites for free, from Google Search and Google News."

That's Google's PR spin, anyway.

But really, it's academic whether Google, or Facebook, are ruthlessly stealing revenue from anyone. The fact is that the so-called Duopoly is hoovering up overall digital advertising revenue. According to eMarketer, by the end of this year Facebook and Google will account for 63pc of the $83bn online advertising market in the US. By the end of 2019 they will make up 68pc of a $105bn online advertising market. The other large players, in case you're interested, are the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo and Snapchat.

The closest thing to a media company on the list is Oath; the brand that AOL and Yahoo spawned, which includes Huffpost and techcrunch. eMarketer estimates Oath will account for 4pc of the ad market by 2019.

This isn't just an American trend. It's global. According to Zenith's Top Thirty Global Media Owners, which ranks the world's top media companies in terms of advertising revenue, Facebook and Google captured 64pc of all the growth in global adspend between 2012 and 2016.

In 2016, Google earned $79.4bn in advertising revenue. Facebook reached $26.9bn.

In the UK, news publishers have seen their share of advertising revenue dwindle from 5bn to 2.3bn from 2005 to 2016. In the same period Google's takings grew from 1bn to over 6bn.

So Google telling publishers that it comes in peace is like cars telling horses they come in peace in the early 20th century. Publishers can be forgiven for feeling skittish.

And the plight of publishers at the hands of Google and Facebook has been noticed by other areas of the media sector, namely TV, which is preparing to take on the Duopoly. How? By ganging together.

Earlier this week Channel 4 announced that it was investing in a new international digital ad sales partnership called European Broadcaster Exchange, or EBX for short. EBX is a evenly owned by Channel 4 in the UK, ProSiebenSat.1 from Germany, France's TF1, France and Mediaset from Italy.

The broadcasters will pool the ad inventory from their video-on-demand platforms, offering media buyers international audience of 310 million consumers. All this and a brand-safe environment. This is a pop at the troubles Google faced earlier this year when numerous brands pulled advertising from YouTube for fears that their ads would appear alongside unsavoury content like hate speech, or incitement to violence.

"The demand for multi-territory digital ad campaigns in brand safe and transparent environments is increasing as the programmatic video ad market continues to grow exponentially across Europe," said Jonathan Lewis, Head of Digital & Partnership Innovation at Channel 4. "Our investment allows Channel 4 to cater for this demand exclusively in the UK market and forge closer strategic and commercially successful partnerships with key broadcasters in European markets which will, in turn, generate new digital revenues for Channel 4 to reinvest back into the UK creative sector."

TV has remained relatively unscathed while other media sectors have struggled to find their feet in the online era. Now traditional television ad sales are coming under pressure, and the launch of EBX reflects broadcasters' proactive approach to getting on top of real time ads at scale and having a relationship with global brands at a larger than national level.

They still face a considerable battle. But successful joint ventures like EBX - and others such as OpenAP, a joint effort in the US from Turner, Fox and Viacom - are important to ensure TV advertising isn't captured by a small number of global players that can take advantage of strong demand by controlling supply, if allowed. They come in peace, but they play for keeps.
Much has been made recently about a certain job interview during which a certain interviewer asked a certain interviewee a certain inappropriate question.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, don't worry about it. Instead, no matter if you may be giving or receiving the questions, why don't we all take a moment for an effective interview refresher course?

I'm writing to you this week from New York, where I'm moderating a two-day UNICEF event at the United Nations.

I just returned to my hotel room after spending four hours running through the planned programme with my client.

Together, we examined our information about the various speakers and their presentation themes, refined the questions I may be asking, and collectively clarified goals for the event's outcome.

This is part of an active preparation for any communications event. The strategies are the same that you would apply to an interview.

1 Research the business

Lord almighty, this one is so obvious, but I'm constantly shocked by how few people make time to do it properly.

If you're the candidate, I don't mean take two seconds to ask Google Maps for directions to the company where your interview is or to just research which side the visitors parking lot is located. I mean really do some digging.

Obviously, you should have knowledge about the industry sector you are seeking to work in. So, get more focused. Look up the prospective organisation's website and don't stop at the home page. Go deeper. Explore their "About" page. What's their history? You might be surprised what you discover.

For instance, an executive at Cook Medical in Limerick was once interested in having me work with him and his team but he said he might have difficulty getting approval for an outside consultant who didn't have a specific background in medical devices.

Before putting together my proposal, I researched the firm and learned it is a private company headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana.

Bloomington happens to also be the headquarters for Indiana University. My alma mater. I played up my Indiana roots as part of my proposal and got the job.

2 Research the people

Next, get personal. Read about the company's officers. Who's their managing director? Who's the head of the department you may be working in? If you're being interviewed by someone in HR, look up the folks in that department too.

Then cross reference them on LinkedIn or Twitter. Take notes. What do they like? Do you share interests with someone? That can make for professional rapport building during an interview.

On the other side of the desk, you need to research too. If you will be conducting the interview and you have the candidate's CV, don't just read it five minutes before they arrive. Go online well beforehand and investigate their social profile.

You have a responsibility to be prepared as much as the candidate. After all, as the representative of the employer, you are acting as a brand ambassador.

How you behave during the interview is a critical, and potentially legally liable, reflection of the organisation.

3 List questions and answers

If you're the candidate, take 30 minutes and write out expected questions and your positive responses. Try to incorporate real-life examples of how you added value in a previous job or how you overcame a conflict or managed a team or whatever.

If you're stuck for ideas, you can go online and find a myriad of expert interview Q&As. Select the ones that seem right for you and the company you are aiming for. Don't be caught off-guard and stumble through an answer.

Likewise, if you're the interviewer, you should write down the specific questions that are most relevant for the job your organisation is attempting to fill.

These will help you organise your thoughts and add structure to the meeting. It's not fair to a candidate who spent hours in preparation to sit across from an aimless interviewer who clearly hasn't prepared.

Your candidate should feel safe and guided through a process with you at the helm.

4 Practice speaking aloud

Once you've written your questions (and answers if you're the candidate), practice hearing yourself speak them aloud. It's not enough to read silently to yourself. It helps your muscle memory and eliminates fillers like "ahem" and "you-know" when you actually sit up, look forward and deliver with feeling.

If, at any point, you as a candidate are asked a question you feel is inappropriate or makes you feel uncomfortable, my first recommendation is to answer their question with a question which gives your interviewer an opportunity to correct the situation.

"I'm sorry, could you clarify that please?" is a first-round response if you feel the interviewer made an innocent mistake asking about age, religion, marital status or any number of inappropriate or possibly illegal questions.

"That's not an issue as to how I'd perform this job" is another response you can use to handle an off-limits inquiry. Obviously, if the interviewer is completely out of line, you can always politely end the interview and leave. You wouldn't want to work there anyway.

But if you do want the job, I strongly urge you to prepare, prepare, prepare.

How was your last interview? A dream or a nightmare? Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie
Q I manage a small team in an accountancy firm. As you can imagine, this is a busy time of the year for us, but it is the time when people end up going off sick, with flu and other illnesses. It can be devastating to a small team, especially when someone phones in sick in the morning. Can you give me advice on getting cover at short notice and on how to plan for this in the future?

A Absence can be disruptive at work, particularly when a team is already stretched. It is important to consider both the solutions and the underlying causes in the short, medium and long term, from a tactical and strategic perspective.

1 Analyse the data

While it comes naturally to you to analyse data in your day-to-day role, perhaps you have not done the same regarding this issue. Based on the attendance data for last year, it may be possible to identify days when absences are most likely. For example, is there an increased level of absence on certain days of the week, or following particularly busy periods? Having access to this information may allow you to take a more strategic approach to your contingency worker solutions.

2 Improve reporting

At a tactical level, it may be useful to review the process by which employees notify you of an absence. The sooner you are aware of an issue, the better equipped you are to deal with the gap. Requesting employees to contact HR or their manager prior to the commencement of the working day is unlikely to have a negative impact upon the ill employee but can provide you with additional time to source a temporary replacement or distribute the employee's work schedule for that day.

3 Cross-train your employees

Cross-training your employees and ensuring that work can be easily redistributed among the team can provide short-term relief when deadlines are tight. While it is often necessary to have specialists in each area, colleagues should be able to provide brief updates, access relevant information, and prevent the breakdown of a task or project in the case of an absence. This allows employees an insight into the overall work of the team, as well as providing a more varied and interesting workload.

4 Engage a contingency recruitment provider

It may be necessary at times to outsource the provision of temporary contract workers when required at very short notice. Specialist organisations, including Collins McNicholas Recruitment and HR Services Group, can provide suitably screened candidates with appropriate skills and experience at short notice.

Short-term work can be of interest to employees who are hoping to build their experience, are phasing their return to the workplace, or enjoy a high level of flexibility in their work. The recruitment solution provider will often provide payroll and contract management solutions, as well as access to a skilled workforce.

5 Identify the underlying causes

While you mention seasonal illness as a key cause of absence, it may be of interest to investigate the underlying causes more deeply. For example, conducting an engagement survey within your team or the organisation may reveal more complex reasons underlying the absences. Employees who are unengaged or actively disengaged are more likely to have a high level of absenteeism than those who report that they are committed to their organisation's goals and values.

6 Develop an employee wellness programme

Providing a programme may improve their engagement levels, and their overall physical and emotional resilience. Many organisations are now providing a structured approach to mental and physical health. From your question, it appears that absence increases as work demands become higher and stress levels rise. Providing your team with coping skills such as mindfulness and meditation may help them to prevent stress-related illnesses. Eating well, taking regular breaks, and exercise are also essential to developing a good work-life balance and warding off sickness.

Caroline Ward is HR services manager at Collins McNicholas Recruitment and HR Services Group, which has six offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Sligo, Athlone and Limerick.
If you are a motor dealer, you need to keep your used car stock turning over. If the ideal selling time is inside 30 days, anything over 90 days means you're close to losing money. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

There are countless uncertainties about Brexit that leave us all confused and impatient. But there is one outcome that we know already. Sterling has dropped 15pc since the Brexit vote. Markets commentator Peter Brown predicts that due to the mess of Brexit, sterling could weaken by another 5pc in the medium term.

Living in the eurozone, we can get value when we buy in sterling. Some of the more obvious examples are when buying branded goods online. But let the buyer beware as there is more to buying across borders than meets the eye. My retail clients here in this country warn of hidden costs. If you should want to return your purchase, the costs can be onerous.

The other common example is with used cars. I know friends who have saved thousands of euro by importing directly from Britain or Northern Ireland. The Society for the Irish Motor Industry figures show that second-hand imports are actually up 40pc.

But here's the 'watch out' message  there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that up to 20pc of these imports are 'clocked' (meaning the mileage reading has been tampered with). The VRT office has surprised some purchasers with higher than expected tax - and there are questions around emissions.

That all leads to a risk/reward question and how willing you are to take the chance. The alternative is to have peace of mind that you get from buying locally through a registered dealer.

One of the top two car brands in Ireland, Toyota has been a major player in the Irish market since 1975. Tim Mahony, the founder, was a leading light for the marque, even globally. Senior executives from Japan would call him up on a regular basis, seeking his advice on all sorts of global challenges.

Now his eldest grandson Paddy Ward has led the launch of Toyota Plus to bring rigour and security to the used Toyota market.

Recent Challenges

If you are a motor dealer, you need to keep your used car stock turning over. If the ideal selling time is inside 30 days, anything over 90 days means you're close to losing money. That slow moving vehicle is tying up capital and real estate in the lot. When it sells, that money is reinvested and the space is freed up for more stock, so the quicker the better.

In order to compete effectively with imports, Toyota Plus has been developed to give reassurance to both the dealers and the consumers. There is a 100-point check with each car, one-year guarantee, full service history, database check for mileage accuracy and financing, road side assist among other things.

However, it's a nationwide initiative that needs the support of all dealers to have impact and consistency and Paddy Ward is nearly there. But, there is an added cost to the dealer for each car. The challenge for Paddy and his team was to engage the dealers. He needed to change their thinking and the way they sold in the past.

Change Tips

Change is a challenge for many. In my programmes, I encourage following the tried and tested steps originally defined by Harvard professor Dr John Kotter. These are the main points.

Get Ready

1 Have a solid reason for the change that is tangible, relevant and easy to communicate.

If the burning platform of growth in used car imports wasn't an issue, then why would dealers engage?

2 Create a cross-functional team, and develop a clear vision of what you are trying to achieve.

Focus on the end before you start. Paddy collaborated and brought a team of people together to design the initial concept. This included a number of dealers to represent the customer base. It also included some of the internal Toyota team, as they were also facing change.

3 Build a detailed plan of action and take account of all obstacles in advance.

This requires a level of honesty and openness. In such circumstances, you need to be non-defensive and willing to listen. You may hear challenges and ideas that are completely at odds with your past way of doing things. But with reasoned debate, you will collectively agree.

4 Communicate more than you think you need to.

It is often said that people resist change. In my experience that's not always the case. People do resist coercion. If managers keep this in mind and treat people with respect, they will find that most people are reasonable. They may not necessarily like the change but if the context, the case for change and the plan is outlined in relevant detail, most will go along with it.

5 Celebrate and communicate successes at milestones along the way.

Don't stop

6 When the change is bedding in, don't revert to old ways.

This is where real leadership is needed. Leaders need to support, embrace and role-model the change consistently - even though the change may be difficult for them too. Remember, behaviours are caught, not taught.

Summary

The motor industry is going through multi-level change. Dealerships are now sophisticated businesses run by very professional managers. Strategic in their thinking and closely aligned with their distributor, they are independent nevertheless and make their own decisions.

Collaboration was the key to success in this instance. Toyota Plus is up and running. The level of participation is high and the feedback from dealers and customers is already very positive.

Alan O'Neill is a change consultant and non-executive director. For 25-plus years he has been supporting global and iconic brands through change. Alan-oneill.com. Business advice questions for Alan can be sent to sundaybusiness@independent.ie

In association with RGON, specialists in Employee Engagement Surveys www.rgon.ie
Ireland has emerged as one of the world's top five medical technology hubs over the last 20 years. Stock photo

"Ireland - a small country with a strong economy where collaboration and values matter," said Pierre Chauvineau, vice-president at Boston Scientific, speaking at the 12th annual Med in Ireland event last month. As many speakers noted at the key medical technologies event opened by Minister Pat Breen, the latest statistics show that the sector is in full health in Ireland.

Ireland has emerged as one of the world's top five medical technology hubs over the last 20 years. Thirteen of the top 15 global medtech companies have bases here, demonstrating that the country has become internationally recognised as a location of choice for the development and manufacture of high-tech medical products.

The sector has over 350 medical technology companies, of which 152 are indigenous and generate over 600m in sales and 400m in exports, employing over 6,500 people.

With significant growth year-on-year since 2012, Ireland is the second-largest exporter of high-tech medical products in the EU. The objective of Med in Ireland is to support further growth by enabling companies based in Ireland to build partnerships with the 300 buyers from 42 countries that attended this year. An impressive 1,000 company-buyer meetings and over 200 buyer-to-exhibitor site visits took place over three days.

A number of announcements illustrated the potential. Meditec Medical announced that it has successfully tendered for a contract with the international Boston Children's Hospital to manufacture and supply Mediflex pressure relief mattresses to its entire hospital.

Kastus, an Irish technology company, announced the launch of an antimicrobial solution which can be used on devices, door handles and sanitary fittings in hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacture to prevent the spread of micro-organisms such as MRSA and E. Coli.

Seabrook Technology Group, the Irish-owned manufacturing software specialist, announced a partnership with Toolroom Technology to provide an end-to-end offering for orthopaedic manufacturers, which is expected to generate 3m in revenue over the next two years.

Ireland's medtech advantage is supported by investments in research, development and innovation. Some 60pc of medtech companies in Ireland are engaged in R&D and in 2015 companies spent over 205m on such activities. Enterprise Ireland is introducing a range of innovation supports to aid the development of medical technologies, help clients to win more research funding through the EU's 80bn Horizon 2020 fund, and encourage knowledge and intellectual property-sharing.

Technology Gateways leverage industry-focused expertise in Institutions of Technologies across the regions. Health Innovation Hub Ireland partners clinicians, academics, and entrepreneurs that work together to accelerate commercialisation. BioInnovate Ireland is a technology training programme in which academia, clinicians and industry collaborate to develop novel medical technologies.

Shortly before Med in Ireland, Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald announced the launch of another such initiative, the BioExcel Medtech Accelerator Programme at NUI Galway, to support our pipeline of innovative startups.

The announcements at this year's Med in Ireland demonstrate the potential of these initiatives. Ireland's innovation advantage is driving global market penetration for exporters and supporting partnerships with institutions, including Northwell Healthcare.

Med in Ireland showcased companies that are taking advantage of these opportunities, building partnerships that secure business wins on a global scale. Medtech companies in Ireland are not only growing sales in traditional export markets but diversifying into new, higher-growth markets. Notwithstanding our medtech competitiveness, firms face uncertainty generated by Brexit.

To support them, we must continually innovate and showcase Irish innovation across the world.

Deirdre Glenn is manager of Lifesciences Sector at Enterprise Ireland
VideoDoc founder and chief executive Mary OBrien said the company was likely to pursue its funding outside Ireland. Photo: Naoise Culhane

VideoDoc, an Irish telehealth startup, is seeking to raise up to 20m as it targets European and US expansion.

The company, which recently closed a 2.8m funding round valuing it at 17m, has signed a deal with the British Armed Forces for videolink health services.

Its chief executive and founder, Mary O'Brien, says that it is already planning a new Series A funding round, targeted at between 10m and 20m and valuing the company considerably higher than its present level

"We're looking to expand more into the UK and possibly into the US," said O'Brien. "To do that with a consumer-facing product takes a significant amount of capital."

She said that the company is likely to pursue its funding outside Ireland, because of the more mature venture climate in Europe, the US and Asia. The company's most recent round was led by a UK-based Asian investor. It has now outgrown its Sandyford premises and is set to move to a larger facility in the Dublin suburb of Foxrock.

VideoDoc offers online video consultations with Irish doctors, dividing the work between in-house clinicians at its Dublin offices and GPs working from their own premises.

The process also offers access to prescriptions, sick notes and referrals. In Ireland, it is integrated into Clanwilliam's IT system, which has a 90pc market share among Irish GPs. It is also used in Dublin's Beaumont Hospital by clinicians to see their own outpatients.

Patients can use their own phones, tablets or laptops for the video-link consultation, while GPs and in-house doctors are given special equipment to maximise technical quality. While telehealth is a competitive market in the US and UK, O'Brien said that VideoDoc can progress through specialist services such as dermatology and dementia.

"We don't want to be a quick prescriptions service," said O'Brien.

"We see ourselves as more of a clinical solution. Most people still want to see and interact with a real doctor for their consultation."

In the US, regulations require telehealth operators to maintain doctors within each state.

The company currently supplies video-health services to VHI, which rebadges the services under a 'white label' agreement.

"They're now integrating us fully into their app," said O'Brien, who said VHI is currently its biggest corporate client.

VideoDoc is also targeting corporate health plans.

O'Brien said that VideoDoc was not yet ready to consider mental health consultations because of how pricing dynamics work in that market.

"Typically, those are for longer consultations of 30 or 45 minutes," she said. "However, some of our fixed costs remain the same, meaning it's harder to see a business model for it."

O'Brien said that while tech giant such as Apple are linking products such as smartwatches to health services, VideoDoc is not currently targeting alliances with such companies.

She also said that the company did not see itself in competition with videolink e-health products that rely on everyday communication channels such as Skype or Facetime. "Ours is a dedicated telehealth platform, not something like Skype, where there are no proper records kept. With our platform, there's consent, security, medical certainty and legal certainty, rather than ad hoc FaceTime or video conferencing systems."

O'Brien said that VideoDoc is increasingly popular with experienced doctors who are approaching retirement or are working part-time.

"These are doctors with a lot of experience but who might want more flexibility in their lives," she said.
Wells Fargo has fired Franklin Codel, its head of consumer lending, over a conversation he had with a former employee in which he disparaged US regulators, a person familiar with the matter said. Photo: Getty Images

Wells Fargo has fired Franklin Codel, its head of consumer lending, over a conversation he had with a former employee in which he disparaged US regulators, a person familiar with the matter said.

Codel's abrupt departure comes as the bank grapples with the fallout from a sales scandal in which thousands of employees enrolled perhaps millions of customers in products they did not want or need.

Wells Fargo is now subject to tighter regulatory oversight and faces ongoing probes and lawsuits due to the scandal. As a result, once top Wells Fargo executives became aware of Codel's comments, they felt they needed to take action, the source said

After being promoted as part of a broader management shake-up last year, Codel had become a key executive in the bank's effort to make things right with customers.

The conversation that led to Codel's departure was with a former employee about his payout, which regulators had to approve, three people with the matter told Reuters. They requested anonymity to discuss sensitive non-public information.

During the conversation, which took place in recent weeks, Codel said something negative about regulators, one of the people said.

The ex-employee alerted management to the comments, and Codel was swiftly fired. Wells Fargo said it dismissed Codel because his behaviour "was contrary to the company's policies and expectations of its senior leaders during a communication he had with a former team member".

Reuters
With dramatic twists and a vast cast of characters worthy of a Tolstoy novel, the 2nd Marquess of Sligo lived a life every bit as compelling as his contemporaries Napoleon, Byron and Nelson.

Historian Anne Chambers' latest biography has more characters flitting in and out than a Tolstoy novel, sending the reader repeatedly thumbing backwards to remind themselves who's who. Happily, the exercise is worth the effort, and one lightened by the fact that many of the featured players are famous characters from a turbulent time in world history.

The full title is The Great Leviathan: The Life of Howe Peter Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo 1788-1845, and the aristocrat from Connacht proves to be as compelling a figure as Napoleon Bonaparte, Lord Byron, Admiral Nelson or any of the other giants who populate this life story packed with endless twists and turns.

As Chambers tells us early on (deep breath): "His relatively short lifespan of 56 years was crammed with a diverse and extensive range of activities as a Regency buck, an embattled Irish landlord, a peer of the realm, a West Indian plantation owner, Lord Lieutenant of County Mayo, Knight of Saint Patrick, militia colonel, Governor General of Jamaica, legislator, intrepid traveller, favoured guest at the court of successive Kings of England, as well as in the courts of Napoleon's family, founder and steward of the Irish Turf Club, spy, sailor and jailbird, as well as the father of 15 children." (And I had to substantially trim that author's list for reasons of space.)

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Howe Peter Browne was born into vast wealth, the son of the Earl of Altamont, who owned 200,000 acres in Mayo and Galway, plantations in Jamaica and a stately home on Dublin's Sackville (O'Connell) Street. From Gaelic nobility and English planter stock, the family's forebears included the pirate queen Granuaile.

Transplanted to England by his mid-teens, Browne embraced the hedonistic lifestyle of a privileged libertine. He forged close friendships with the debauched bisexual poet Lord Byron, and the "notorious alcoholic and drug addict" Thomas De Quincey, who would go on to pen the bestselling Confessions of an English Opium-Eater.

A hopeless spendthrift, Browne would splash enormous sums on wagers. On one occasion, "for a bet of one thousand guineas, he accepted a challenge to determine the quickest route from London to Holyhead". He apparently succeeded, too, covering the 270 miles in a record 35 hours despite suffering a breakdown of his carriage.

On another occasion he won 100 on a shrewd bet that the Dublin-born Duke of Wellington would put an end to Napoleon's reign.

Browne's numerous affairs as a young man were the stuff of scandal. One brief but passionate fling was with Pauline 'Cherie' Pacquot.

Chambers writes: "[She] was, ostensibly, a French ballerina but, as Byron more shrewdly observed 'to my certain knowledge was actually educated from her birth for her profession' as a courtesan.

"Educated in the art of seduction and possessing a certain exoticism to judge from her surviving letters, Pauline was actually well-versed in emotional blackmail. Like most wealthy patrons, Sligo provided her (and her mother) with a house, as well as paying her regular maintenance. However, as he later found out, he was not the only 'client' of his Cherie."

She gave birth to a son and claimed Sligo as the father. Despite raising doubts about his paternity, he supported mother and child to the handsome tune of 1,000 annually for years after. Betrayed by, and split from, perhaps the true love of his life, he found himself a suitable wife who, he told his mother, bore "the most remarkable likeness to Pauline that I ever saw".

Video of the Day

But the Marquess might not have been around to see the birth of Pauline's son or got the chance to marry her doppelganger had his sensational trial at the Old Bailey had a different outcome.

The charge - "of enticing and persuading (a seaman) to desert" - was tantamount to treason, which carried a death sentence. Indeed, the cases immediately before and after his appearance did end up with trips to the gallows.

Chambers writes: "Because of his youth, status and family connections, as well as the nature of the crime, it was the trial of the century. The courtroom was packed with many society celebrities, including the Duke of Clarence, brother of the Prince Regent, as well as members of the press anxious to report the novelty of a public trial of a peer of the realm."

Found guilty, Sligo stood in the dock to learn his sentence, aware that his life hung in the balance. He escaped relatively lightly, with a 5,000 fine and four months in Newgate prison, described as "an emblem of Hell itself". Infested with rats and lice, Newgate overflowed with the mad, the bad and the diseased. Dysentery killed more prisoners than the gallows, but it was a two-tier system and the Marquess belonged firmly in the top tier.

Chambers says Newgate was divided into "a 'commons' area for destitute prisoners and a 'state' area which housed those able to afford the 'luxuries' which made life more tolerable. Concessions ranged from a private cell with the services of a cleaning woman, lighter or no manacles, food and drink, to the services of a prostitute - all could be obtained for a price."

Browne's widowed mother was in court for the sentencing, and the oddest thing happened - she fell for the judge. The author writes: "Impressed by the judge's remarks, she asked to be introduced and a relationship that was to set society talking blossomed." He was more than 20 years her senior and the marriage was on the rocks within a year.

Having listed Sligo's 57 varieties of life choices, the author notes "each role seemed to warrant a biographical treatment in its own right". Instead she's admirably crammed the lot into 400 pages, which examine, among other things, his possible role as a go-between in arranging Napoleon's escape from Elba, his place in Caribbean history as "emancipator of the slaves" and his reputation in Ireland - after he'd mended his ways - as "the poor man's friend".
Lee Child famously decided to write a bestseller when he was made redundant from Granada Television in 1995.

Two years later, The Killing Floor, written by pencil on a yellow legal pad, now generally referred to as Jack Reacher #1, was published. It became an instant success, winning two major crime-writing awards that year. The Midnight Line is the 22nd novel in the series.

Having struck the literary equivalent of an oilfield gusher at his first attempt, Child has never seen the need to change a winning formula. Reacher adventures have always started with staccato sentences - "I was arrested in Enzo's diner." (Reacher #1)... "Nathan Rubin died because he got brave"... right down to the current offering, which begins: "Jack Reacher and Michelle Yang spent three days in Milwaukee. On the fourth morning she was gone."

Reacher does what he always does in situations like this. He moves on, taking the first bus out of town, whatever its destination. On a stop-over he goes for a walk. In a pawnshop window he spots a West Point class ring. It is small so he knows it belongs to a female army officer. Such rings are precious to their owners, so how did this end up in a pawnshop in rural Midwest America? Is the owner in trouble? Does she need help?

Intrigued and not a little troubled, Reacher buys the ring and sets out to trace the owner. As is often the case when Reacher's curiosity is aroused, it leads him into a major confrontation, this time with a tough biker gang. When Reacher has clinically dealt with them, the last man standing points him towards a crook called Arthur Scorpio in Rapid City in South Dakota. Scorpio, who turns out to be a person of interest to the DEA, points him towards a little town called Mule Crossing in a remote part of Wyoming. Reacher sticks out his thumb and hitches there.

By now, using his contacts in the army from when he had been a major in the Military Police, Reacher knows he is searching for Major Rose Sanderson, a decorated veteran of five tours in Afghanistan. By accident he bumps into Rose Sanderson's twin sister, who has enlisted private detective Terrence Bramall, a former FBI agent. The three soon discover that Rose has inadvertently fallen foul of a highly organised drug cartel that it dealing in stolen legal, but highly addictive, opioids, the drug du jour of rural America. The scene is set for a final violent confrontation as Reacher attempts to find a just solution for a troubled fellow former soldier.

The Midnight Line is solid Reacher fare, perhaps a little slower-moving than some previous adventures in the series, but Child is right on message in this examination of this new pervasive and debilitating drug crisis in rural America.
Fear of Extinction Pushes Basra's Assyrians to Isolation

An Iraqi Assyrian woman prays at the Chaldean church in the southern city of Basra, Iraq, Jan. 1, 2016. ( Haidar Mohammed Ali/AFP/Getty Images) BASRA, Iraq -- Shiites around the world celebrated the Arbaeen holiday Nov. 9. This year, Christians in Iraq participated in the Shiite ritual to attest to the coexistence and social interaction between the Christian minority and the Shiite majority in central and southern Iraq.

Youssef Touma Elias, an Iraqi Christian, took part in the celebrations and served the Shiite pilgrims who marched to the sacred shrine of Imam Hussein in the city of Karbala. However, this positive step by the members of the Christian minority conceals their deep fear and mistrust of the majority, who failed to protect them from the threats of extremists over recent years. Basra has been a great historical example of cultural coexistence and harmony among its various religious components. However, it could now lose its rich religious diversity amid threats to its non-Muslim minorities. To preserve their religion and culture, Christian communities in Iraq have been isolating themselves. Read the full story here
Several representatives of organizations that promote social justice and diversity have voiced concern with the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office following an incident in the town of Owasco.

The incident occurred on Sunday, Nov. 5, when sheriff's deputies said an Owasco man harassed a family over a "landlord-tenant dispute" on North Road.

According to a press release, at around 10:50 p.m., deputies responded to the home of Jeffrey Richardson and Lisa Bachman after two males parked a tractor in their driveway and posted a large sign in their front yard. The sign  a cut-out of a black bear  said "Get Out."

After pounding the sign into the ground, deputies said an adult male fired a shotgun in the air before leaving in a vehicle. Then, after a short pursuit, the vehicle crashed in a ditch on Town Hall Road.

Eric Simmons, 50, of Baptist Corners Road, was arrested and ultimately charged with seven counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a class D felony, for illegally possessing several handguns. He was also charged with second-degree menacing with a weapon, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and endangering the welfare of a child, all class A misdemeanors.

Guest column: Owasco menacing case is deeply troubling We write to you today as representatives of the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace,

The sheriff's office said Simmons is a friend of the landlord who had the dispute with the North Road tenants. The second male was a 14-year-old boy who has been identified as Simmons' son.

After the incident, Richardson posted about it on Facebook. "All because I'm black living in a white neighborhood is what it comes down to," he wrote.

Richardson, who is black, later told The Citizen he viewed it as a hate crime.

The sheriff's office said there was no indication that race was a factor in the case. But now, several local organizations are asking the sheriff's office to reconsider that determination.

In a letter sent to The Citizen last week, representatives from the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace, Harriet Tubman Boosters and Celebrate! Diverse Auburn asked the sheriff's office to investigate the possibility that a hate crime had been committed.

"We are deeply concerned about how this incident and the way it is handled by our law enforcement and justice departments reflect on our community," the letter said. "It is our hope that the law enforcement and judicial systems understand the severity of this matter and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law."

In response, Sheriff David Gould said that is just what his office has done.

Under New York State Penal Law, a person commits a hate crime when he or she commits a specified offense and either intentionally selects the victim or intentionally commits a crime "in whole or substantial part" based on race, color or other bias.

Gould and Sgt. Frederick Cornelius said the sheriff's office investigated the incident as a possible hate crime, but could not prove that the motivation behind the offense was largely based on race.

"There is nothing to determine that this is a bias-related crime or a hate crime according to New York State Penal Law," Gould said in a phone interview Friday. "If we determined that was something fitting the state statutes, we certainly would have charged it, but at this time we have no evidence that it is a hate crime related incident."

"If we were able to prove that the crime was committed in whole or substantial part, not just some random thought ... then we would be able to charge the menacing as a hate crime," Cornelius added, noting that menacing as a hate crime would have raised the charge from a class A misdemeanor to a class E felony.

At this time, the sheriff's office said the incident resulted over a rent payment, as Simmons is a friend of Richardson's landlord. However, Gould stressed that his office would continue to investigate the incident if new information became available.

"I am in constant communication with the NAACP and (Auburn) Human Rights Commission and we will certainly listen to anything they have to say," Gould said. "We have a great relationship with the minority community and we expect to continue that."

The diversity groups also encouraged officials to consult with the New York State Police Hate Crimes Unit as well as colleagues in Ithaca and Oswego where recent incidents warranted hate crime investigations.

Gould said he would reach out to the state police unit for assistance if his office determined it was a hate crime.

"If we needed their expertise and this rose to a hate crime we would certainly reach out to them for help," he said.

The Citizen reached out to Richardson and NAACP President Eli Hernandez Friday, but neither could be reached for comment.
Sinead Desmond and Mark Cagney at TV3's Autumn 2016 launch at The National Concert Hall, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Sinead Desmond has reportedly quit her role as co-anchor on TV3's Ireland AM.

The popular broadcaster, who has hosted the weekday breakfast show since 2006, left the role six weeks ago.

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Her departure reportedly comes after discussions over pay with TV3 bosses in the wake of the gender pay gap highlighted at State broadcaster RTE and the BBC in the UK.

A statement issued by TV3 reads, "Sinead Desmond has decided to leave Ireland AM after 11 years working on the show. We would like to thank Sinead and wish her well for the future."

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Desmond (43) took over the role from Maura Derrane and hosted Ireland AM for three hours Monday to Friday alongside Anna Daly, and male hosts Mark Cagney, Alan Hughes, and Aidan Cooney.

Mark Cagney and Alan Hughes have been at TV3 for 17 and 15 years respectively.

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In recent weeks she has been replaced by Ireland AM reporter Ciara Doherty.

At RTE a pay review was recently carried out after it was revealed that Sharon Ni Bheolain earned up to 80,000 less than her RTE Six One news co-anchor Brian Dobson.

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Key figures such as Ms Ni Bheolain, Martina Fitzgerald and Emma O'Kelly all spoke out over the issue.

The pay review revealed the RTE pay gap to be below the national average with a pay disparity of 4% in favour of men.

Independent.ie has reached out to Sinead Desmond for comment.
War on drugs: Gardai a at an industrial storage unit at Muckerstown, Co Meath where a multmillion euro stash of cocaine and cannabis was discovered this week. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Despite gardai mounting dozens of operations against the deadly Kinahan cartel this year, the crime gang remains the main importer of cocaine into the capital in an industry which is valued at 100m per year in Ireland.

Just this week, gardai investigating the Kinahans seized a "significant" quantity of drugs in Co Meath and made arrests as part of a major international operation.

Gardai say that they are constantly undermining the cartel's ability to operate but the international crime gang leading the deadly feud with the Hutch mob remains the "most significant criminal grouping in the country", according to a senior source.

However, a number of other separate dangerous crime groupings continue to make vast profits from the illicit cocaine industry.

On Dublin's northside, a gang whose centre of control is in the Coolock area continues to be a main player - this crew is led by a feared criminal nicknamed 'Mr Big'.

In the west of the city a loose group of criminals known as 'The Family' have linked together in the Clondalkin, Lucan and Ballyfermot areas to form a cocaine and heroin dealing enterprise that has been operating for decades.

Gardai suspect the gang has been importing millions of euro worth of drugs every month into the capital in second-hand cars imported from England.

Sources say that heroin, cocaine and firearms are then distributed from a west Dublin car dealership to middle-ranking dealers who sell the product across the capital.

It is estimated that this detailed drugs operation has been ongoing for over two decades and has involved 'The Family' sourcing 'product' in the Liverpool and Manchester areas of north-west England. 'The Family' gang has been the subject of numerous significant garda raids over the past year.

As the economic situation in the capital continues to improve, gardai have noticed an increase in cocaine use by people from the middle classes, who now have more disposable income for socialising. This has meant a bigger demand for cocaine, with a gram of the deadly drug generally being sold for between 70 and 100 to recreational users.

While gardai point out that the quality of cocaine is often of a "far poorer quality" than what can be bought in continental Europe and the United States, there are still hundreds of cocaine addicts in this country.

Gardai have consistently warned about how recreational drug use fuels the profits of the dangerous drug dealing gangs.

Just last week a new campaign to highlight the role that recreational drug use plays in drug debt intimidation was launched by the Safer Blanchardstown organisation. Backed by gardai and the PSNI in Northern Ireland, the all-island 'Think Before You Buy' campaign is now a nationwide enterprise.

Speaking at the launch, Garda Inspector Tony Twomey said it was "a very good" campaign in its particular focus on recreational users.

"Often people who engage with recreational drug use do not see the link with organised crime and intimidation, and its contribution to what's happening on the bigger scene at the moment, with the major feuds," Inspector Twomey told the launch.

Elaborate smuggling routes

Cocaine is generally smuggled into Ireland through our ports, but the lethal powder that users take here has had a long way to travel.

The cocaine is produced in countries such as Peru and Colombia and then transported via elaborate smuggling routes to Caribbean countries. It is then sent across the Atlantic Ocean either directly to Spain as part of a northern route or to west African countries such as Sierra Leone.

The cocaine that arrives in Africa is then smuggled all the way up the continent before it reaches mainland Europe and is distributed by gangs including the Kinahan cartel.

A major international study funded by the European Commission concluded last year that cocaine is worth 100m here.

The 'Portfolio of Organised Crime in Europe' report stated that the 100m cocaine value was part of a wider sum of 1.7bn which the report said was the value of organised crime in Ireland.

Meanwhile, crack cocaine use remains an increasing problem in many urban areas of the country with local drugs units making significant busts in relation to this drug throughout the year.
Just because an employer is paying you to drive for work, doesnt mean you have no responsibility for your own actions.

The Road Safety Authority's advert on 'Driving for Work' seems to suggest otherwise.

Im batting for the other side here, but I found myself annoyed on behalf of employers after watching it for the first time this week.

"I can't be responsible for them [employees] every minute of the day," one of the actors in the advert says. The tone suggests this is not the attitude a boss should have, but f you're expected to watch employees 24/7, what is the point in having them?

The advert says if a worker is driving on the job, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure they are fully qualified and experienced enough to do so.

And thats fair enough.

But I feel it takes the onus off employees and implies an employer should always be held accountable for the actions of their workers.

Should they ensure their staff are trained and capable to carry out a job? Sure enough.

Should they have a driving for work safety plan in place? Yes.

Should they be held liable when a fully-trained employee does something reckless of their own accord? Not in my opinion.

The ad fails to highlight that employees have a responsibility to drive in a safe manner while on the job too.

Once upon a time, employees in Ireland had very few legal rights, but in trying to strike up a balance, legislators have effectively put an elephant on the seesaw.

Employers have a duty to ensure employees' safety under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, as far as is 'reasonably practicable'. But reasonably practicable is starting to verge on reasonably insane.

I once interviewed a transport company who paid thousands of euro for employees to undergo compulsory health and safety training.

Staff were advised not to climb up on skips when dumping rubbish during the training sessions.

A couple months later, an employee climbed up on a skip, fell off and broke their leg. They proceeded to sue the company and received a large payout - even after doing something they were trained not to do.

Are we expected to stand beside all workers at all times? the employer asked.

When it comes to workers driving on the job, employers are obliged to make sure the vehicles are safe and roadworthy.

They need to ensure their employees arent driving longer than is legally allowed.

But if a worker decides to send a few Snapchats while driving and ends up causing a fatal accident - is an employer supposed to be responsible for that too?

Should they have to tell every employee before they hit the road, Alright Tom, make sure to send no Snapchats while driving today and no creeping on Instagram either, ya hear? Is it at the point now where people need to receive a manual entitled common sense?

Road crashes are a leading cause of worker fatalities and it is an extremely important topic to highlight, but I felt the advert could have been presented in a more balanced manner.

We need to raise awareness about road safety, but creating an environment where an employee thinks they won't end up having to pay the price for careless driving may end up causing more accidents down the line.

If you make mistakes and someone else gets the blame for them, chances are you'll keep making them.

The advert is shown from the employers viewpoint in the aftermath of a collision, involving an employee, while driving for work. The employers express their regret, sorrow and guilt for not having managed employee risk correctly, the RSA said in a statement on their site.

The statement mentions nothing about an employee's responsibility to manage risk.

According to the Health and Safety Authority, "Over 14,000 road collisions between 2008 and 2011 may have been work related. The figures include as many as 4,672 vans, trucks and buses. A further 9,427 collisions involving private cars could also have been work related".

What the statistics dont show is how many of those accidents were down to carelessness on the part of the driver, or how many were down to the employer being at fault.

Employers have a duty of care, but if we keep going the way were going - wrapping employees up in cotton wool - nobody will want to start up a business in Ireland, as by the time they pay for insurance, they wont be able to afford to do so.
An employee of RTE has been charged in the UK with attempting to engage in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl.

The man traveled to Leeds on Saturday where he was confronted by a group of people who had created a fake online profile of a 13-year-old girl.
The Government has been warned that new laws to monitor criminal messaging risk making the country less attractive to technology firms and social media organisations.

A letter from IDA Ireland to senior staff in the Department of Justice cautions that the country risks becoming isolated if it introduces stringent laws surrounding access to data. Companies such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft have already appealed to the Government to modernise these interception laws.

Their concerns surround the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages Bill which would allow gardai to intercept the text messages, emails and social media messages of criminal suspects.

Officials in the Department of Justice have met representatives from some of the world's major providers of such messaging services to discuss the legislative framework of intercepting data.

In a letter seen by the Sunday Independent, IDA Ireland wrote to Peter Mullan, assistant secretary in the Department of Justice, earlier this year advising him of the impact that amendments to the Bill could have on foreign investment.

IDA head of technology Leo Clancy said it was important Ireland considered what other countries were doing with similar legislation.

"IDA is concerned about any unintended consequences of the new legislation that could have a negative impact on Ireland as a location for investment which provides a best in class ecosystem for data," said Mr Clancy.

"This is a space which is changing rapidly and where it can be hard to anticipate difficulties which may arise between jurisdictions. IDA believes that the legislation should have a clear regard to how other countries are approaching interception and to the practicalities for companies in operating any interception scheme in Ireland and between jurisdictions."

Mr Clancy said that while IDA supported the objectives of the Bill and securing the State, careful consideration was needed for the country to retain and attract key business.

Facebook and Google are two of the key players that would be affected by the legislation. Between them they provide almost 10,000 jobs in Dublin.

"In summary, IDA believes that the upcoming legislation needs to be carefully crafted to avoid introducing any negatives for Ireland as a location from which to operate regional or global business. Moving in line with the majority of our peer locations to avoid becoming isolated is important in such policy matters given our increasingly globalised business world," Mr Clancy added.

He said it was important to avoid putting such companies in uncertain positions and to minimise the legal challenges they may face.

Mr Mullan was part of a Department of Justice delegation that met representatives of Facebook in July to discuss the Bill. Meeting notes seen by the Sunday Independent show that they discussed international examples of similar laws before department officials indicated further drafting work was required before the Bill could be published.

This meeting came after the department met with the American Chamber of Commerce and representatives from Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook. Notes from this meeting show the companies flagged that judicial authorisation would add transparency and oversight before stressing a crucial need to modernise Ireland's technology interception laws.

Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner has also called for the laws to be updated. Helen Dixon said reforms were necessary to ensure that the rights of individuals were protected through independent oversight of how these far-reaching surveillance and interception powers are deployed. The Data Protection Commissioner has called for "a thorough modernisation" of legislation to ensure advanced powers for intelligence agencies.
THE body representing auctioneers and estate agents has gone to war with Fianna Fail over the partys claim that fake bids on property are driving up house prices.

The lobby group has written directly to party leader Michael Martin and its housing spokesman Barry Cowen urging them to provide proof.

The party plans to introduce new legislation that targets estate agents who use fake bids to increase prices before sales.

According to the Sunday Independent, the chief executive of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV), Pat Davitt, wrote to Deputies Martin and Cowen stating: If this anecdotal evidence remains un-investigated, it unfairly casts a dark shadow over all the law-abiding auctioneers throughout the country and their reputations.

He told the newspaper the new laws were opportunistic and didnt make sense.

He said: If the market wasnt going well there might be some grounds, but when the market is powering ahead, why would auctioneers want to make fake bids?

The body, which represents more than 1,1000 auctioneers and estate agents, has never expelled a member for lodging fake bids to increase the price of a house before a sale.

IPAV has insisted that current laws are enough to tackle any potential fake bidding.

The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PRSA) deals with such complaints but its chief executive, Maeve Hogan confirmed to the Sunday Independent that the number theyve received is at such a low level that they are not grouped into a distinct and identifiable category.

Fianna Fail housing spokesman Barry Cowen said the current complaints procedure is not fit for purpose.

He told the Sunday Independent: It is rarely used and is not fit for purpose as it is quite a lengthy and time-consuming process. And such is the nature of the problem, by the time a decision has been made, the house has been sold to another buyer.

For more see today's Sunday Independent newspaper.
Michael Grade has said the board of the Gate Theatre received no complaints about Michael Colgan's behaviour toward women during his time as a director.

Grade, a former chairman of the BBC, served on the board of the Gate for eight years up to 2004.

Questions have been asked about what the theatre's board may have known about the behaviour of Colgan, who retired as its artistic director last year. When contacted last week, Grade said through a spokesperson that "nothing remotely of this nature was ever brought to the board during the time he was there, either formally or informally".

The British media figure declined to make any further comment.

The Gate declined to comment when asked whether the current board of directors was aware of complaints against Colgan.

Grace Dyas, a writer and director who was the first to go public with allegations of "abuse of power" against Colgan, said last week that she believed the Gate's board and senior management were aware of his behaviour.

She is one of seven women who rejected the confidential, independent process put in place by the Gate a fortnight ago to examine complaints of abuse of power and inappropriate behaviour against Colgan.

In a statement, the women said their confidence in the impartiality of the current board was undermined, because Colgan served as a member of that board for many years.

Grade is the second former Gate director to state that no complaints reached the board about the behaviour of Colgan.

Tony O'Dalaigh, who was a director of the Gate for 10 years to 2002, previously told the Sunday Independent that he had no knowledge of any such complaints during his time on the board.

However, he did witness Colgan suggest to a young woman that she give him a massage while she was being interviewed for a management role in the Dublin Theatre Festival. The woman, Annette Clancy, now a lecturer at UCD, said she decided to publish her account of the interview, after she read Dyas's account of being verbally abused by Colgan. Several other women followed suit.

Colgan addressed the allegations for the first time last weekend, in an article in the Sunday Independent. He apologised for what he termed was his "misjudged behaviour" and said he was "deeply distressed" at the realisation that he had caused upset to co-workers. He said: "I already knew I was not politically correct", adding that he "often sacrificed proper conduct for a punch line".

However, he said his behaviour "should not be equated with sexual crimes" and "took issue" with many of the press and social media references.

His apology was rejected by some of women, including Dyas, who said it did not tell the whole truth, and Clancy, who dismissed it as "a series of excuses" and "not an apology".

The Gate has appointed Gaye Cunningham, an adjudication officer with the Workplace Relations Commission, to conduct an independent review.

Statements issued on behalf of the Gate's board and management condemned "the issue of sexual harassment and abuse of power in the theatre world" and promised that "it will listen to what people have to say".
On February 27, aged 65, former Fine Gael TD Peter Mathews passed away following a short battle with cancer.

Mr Mathews, who was known as a politician of conviction, said goodbye to his wife Susan and four children, James, John, David and Maria, from his hospital bed in St James's Hospital.

Mr Mathews was a pro-life activist who resigned from Fine Gael over the enacting of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.

On February 28, at 5am in the morning, former Abortion Rights Campaign spokeswoman Janet O'Sullivan or Jan Ni Shuilleabhain, as she seems to go by now, posted a comment on Twitter about the death of Mr Mathews.

Ms O'Sullivan was responding to criticism about a previous comment she made about the death of the Dublin South TD by Kilkenny County Councillor Patrick McKee, who was friends with Mr Mathews during their time in Renua.

Ms Ni Shuilleabhain wrote: "So @cllrPaddyMcKee frankly I'm glad he is dead, same as I was glad he wasn't re elected."

In the context of the controversy surrounding the abusive tweets posted by Fine Gael national executive member Barry Walsh, Ms Ni Shuilleabhain was asked had she ever apologised to the Mathews family for the comment. She posted a far from contrite response: "No I have not. I do not know them, I have zero contact with them, I would not have any reason to believe they have a (sic) read tweet a random stranger months ago."

Mr Walsh, a staunch pro-life activist, is mostly likely a stranger to Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald who he referred to as a bitch on Twitter - he has now resigned from the Fine Gael executive council.

The present Abortion Rights Campaign spokesperson, Linda Kavanagh, confirmed last week that no action was ever taken by the lobby group against Ms Ni Shuilleabhain after tweeting her glee about the death of a politician less than a day after he passed away.

She was not disciplined or suspended. There were no calls from members of the Abortion Rights Campaign for her to resign. No vilification.

"We didn't take action against someone tweeting off their own private account," Ms Kavanagh said before she quickly hung up the phone.

Mr Walsh's comments about female politicians were also from his private account.

Before she suddenly ended the call she said Ms Ni Shuilleabhain is no longer a spokesperson for the group but Ms Kavanagh said this was not related to the tweet.

One of the more heinous comments which has made Mr Walsh a social pariah this week was his reference to comedian Tara Flynn, who has bravely spoken about her experience with abortion in the past.

"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?" Mr Walsh wrote. Ms Flynn has understandably complained to Fine Gael about the comment.

Mr Walsh's online behaviour was brought to the public's attention this week after Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell produced a number of his comments at her party's weekly parliamentary party meeting. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar later called for Mr Walsh to resign.

Mr Walsh, who was a former president of Young Fine Gael, handed in his resignation from the party's national executive on Friday afternoon.

He said in doing so he hoped his resignation would bring about an end to the "trial by media" which he suggested led to his decision to step down. He will face an internal Fine Gael disciplinary committee which will decide whether he should be able to retain his membership.

Mr Walsh was well got in Fine Gael. He was friendly with senior party figures, including the Taoiseach. His pro-life views would have won him plaudits in some sections of the party and he even received a round of applause at last weekend's Fine Gael conference in Cavan when he criticised the party's decision to hold a referendum on removing the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

Nonetheless, pressure was exerted on him from certain factions within the party and his position became untenable because his comments were unbecoming for a person in his position.

Fine Gael South Dublin County Councillor Brian Murphy was recently criticised by his party members over comments he made online about Islam and refugees. The Taoiseach distanced himself from Mr Murphy's comments and he was removed from the Fine Gael group of councillors on the council.

In Britain, online comments last week resulted in the resignation of Gay Times editor Josh Rivers.

The appointment of Mr Rivers as the magazine's first non-white editor was supposed to be time of celebration for diversity in the world of gay publications.

However, weeks into his appointment, online news website Buzzfeed published dozens of racist and anti-Semitic comments Mr Rivers made on social media.

The response from the Gay Times was swift. Mr Rivers was fired the following day and all of his articles were removed from their website.

A publication representing a group which has spent years battling against prejudice and adversity knew there was no room for bigotry at the helm of its organisation.

Publicly shaming Twitter trolls is a welcome development and will hopefully lead to a societal shift in how people use the medium.

Society can only improve if people like Barry Walsh and Josh Rivers are seen to have to pay a price for posting derogatory content on the internet.

The social media companies have shown little or no willingness to address the matter and most operate hands-off policies when it comes to what is published on their websites. So it is up to the media and politicians to highlight the behaviour.

Kate O'Connell was correct to call out Barry Walsh and Gay Times was right to fire Josh Rivers and disassociate the magazine from the editor.

Why the Abortion Rights Campaign would not see it fitting to, at the very least, raise internal concerns about a senior member of their organisation celebrating the death of a politician is troubling.

The organisation will play a central role in the coming weeks and months, and leadership will need to be shown when the debate on repealing the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution gets more divisive.
Professor Alison Murdoch became the first person in Europe to be granted a licence to clone human embryos for research in 2004. "We knew it was going to be a big event, we set up a press office to deal with it, but Reuters leaked it too soon. It was that moment of being in the room and all the phones go off at once. It was a classic media moment. Suddenly you are everywhere, and you think I've done nothing. They've just given me permission to do something. That was all in retrospect a pretty horrible experience."

Notoriety has never been a priority of Murdoch's, who holds one of the most trusted positions in her field. Born in 1950 in Manchester, the daughter of a doctor, she studied medicine at Edinburgh University (her mother is Scottish), and after qualifying decided to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology.

It was not an easy area to get into, however, and very competitive; most trainees at the time were expected to put in 120-hour weeks. Murdoch was already the mother of a young child so she found a "part-time" position requiring 70 hours per week and managed to raise three more children while continuing to grow her expertise.

A chance to take on some research work looking at the hormone condition of polycystic ovary syndrome fired her interest in that area of gynaecology. Then it became clear that there was a need to set up a fertility clinic.

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Pioneering programme

At that time, in the early 90s, there was no service, there was no funding, since infertility was considered to be a social problem rather than a medical one. Already attached to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, England, she went about creating a pioneering programme. "We set it up by doing a bit of lateral thinking," creating a pseudo trial comparing different fertility treatments, the cover under which they smuggled in the actual system itself. So the department of reproductive medicine at Royal Victoria Infirmary in the city in 1991 was founded, starting with just two paying patients a week.

Conditions were basic at best. Their first IVF lab was a converted toilet on the gynaecology ward, the second was a converted sluice room, the third was an abandoned operating theatre, "it was better then the converted sluice", she recalls.

They were out on a limb. "It was a case of doing it and then just dropping a line to the hospital going, by the way I've done this, you don't mind, do you?". Furniture was curated from discarded chairs in wards, resources begged and borrowed. "Eventually I just lost patience entirely and that's why I moved to the Centre for Life. There is a point when you've done that for eight years, it just felt like it was going nowhere," the five-year waiting lists making a particular mockery of a desire to treat those in need.

So the department moved and became the Newcastle Fertility Centre at The International Centre for Life. The Centre for Life is a remarkable place, a science village that boasts a mix of both cutting-edge research as well as temporary and permanent exhibitions, a science theatre, a planetarium and a 4D-motion ride. Its placement at the heart of the city's bustling life normalises it, according to Murdoch. "If you had it out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by barbed wire, you'd create all this suspicion, where it is now, it doesn't make it something to be afraid of. People in Newcastle are quite proud of it."

As soon as the fertility centre was established it was met again with phenomenal, though now private demand, something that was challenging the science as well as the resources. The simple fact is, she says, we still know so little about what happens in early human development. "We are really very different to even our closest mammalian relatives. If you take a baboon, the chance that it will achieve a pregnancy with the first mating is about 80pc, with a human it's about 15pc."

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Thus, the research, particularly spearheaded by others at the centre, including the Professor of Reproductive Biology Mary Herbert, became a vital part of the work, and also where they ran quickly into legislative, as well as moral issues.

"It has not been easy," explains Murdoch from her home in Newcastle, "but we've had a licence to conduct the research right from beginning. And it was for very simple stuff, how do we handle the embryos when you are doing IVF but the more you do it, the more complex you got. The main areas of research is into where embryos go wrong, why we have miscarriages, Down syndrome, all those are things you think are not infertility but it is, but those problems all occur in the early stages of development." The research required working on discarded embryos from IVF procedures, something that required the parents' consent first and foremost.

When they became the first in Europe to be given the go-ahead to clone embryos for research in 2004, it was to go further and potentially look at creating embryonic stem cells, which can be extracted from cloned embryos, as a way of potentially curing some of the most challenging medical conditions, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease and even paralysis.

"The research is about understanding conditions babies are going to have before they are born, so you only put back embryos that don't have the disease, and that takes us to stem cells, and then to mitochondria. All these processes are using the science of IVF, but the fertility side is almost going parallel to that, the research is going on all the time."

Leaving it too late

IVF treatments, Murdoch admits, haven't changed massively since they were first introduced. Improvements in egg collection have helped, but there are greater challenges all the time, and it is mostly that people are leaving it too late. "There isn't that much that we can do about it, except to help people understand the choices they are making. A lot of people we are seeing in their late 30s didn't realise they were making that choice. The family planning system ought to be giving more information about not only how not to get pregnant, but when we do need to get pregnant. The idea that IVF can put it right is not that good. It can help, but for people who have left it that late, IVF is not going to be the solution."

Even if IVF isn't a solution, it can offer something of a solace. "From my perspective, if you can offer someone quickly three treatments, we would expect that over 70pc would have a baby, those who can't get pregnant are usually those people who've really been through the mill. If we've given them the proper support and proper guidance, that in some ways, it helps them to move on. For most people who complete their three treatments, although you've not got a baby for them, you've got some kind of resolution."

"It's not the IVF that's the stressful bit," she continues, "it's the infertility. In terms of life's most stressful events - fertility is up with it. When you are trying to conceive, you've probably got an image in your mind, whether it's going to be a boy or a girl, what it's going to look like; you get the nursery ready, think about what schools they are going to. Then if you can't get pregnant, it's a very real thing that has been taken away from you. If one of your children died, you'd be devastated. That child in your mind has been taken away from you. When you get to the fertility clinic, that is very real. You are only there because there is a problem. It is horrible, really horrible. For people to say it's just a social thing, it isn't."

It is an extremely emotional experience for many too, and she admits to having gotten too close to patients in the past, and realising she was doing them more harm than good. "You have to have a professional bit that allows you to empathise and help your clients but then be able to go home and shut it off, otherwise you'd crack up."

The drive, she says, is the need to offer more hope to potential parents, something certainly furthered in fertility's most-recent breakthrough, the so-called 'Three Person Baby'.

In March this year, the UK government granted Newcastle Fertility Centre permission to use the fertility technique in which babies are created with DNA from three people - the mother, father and a female donor, using mitochondrial replacement therapy, designed to prevent mothers from passing on mutated mitochondrial DNA which can often lead to early or instant death in young babies. The pioneering method replaces the defective mitochondria with healthy ones from the donor while unchanging the DNA makeup of the child, so it still has its defining DNA from both its parents.

"The first time this was suggested was about the year 2000, we were doing stem cell work, doing therapeutic cloning work, so we were a unit that had a good track record of doing ethically-based research. A change in the UK law was required, and sought, and granted in 2015.

"It was important that what was understood was the patient story and that was what its was about," explains Murdoch. There were immediate moral questions, with talk of designer babies, further concerns over the genetic consequences.

A body of experience

Though there hasn't been a baby born in the UK yet with this new treatment, it is only a matter of time. It is not something Murdoch intends to turn into an event. "What the media needs to be aware of is that we are not going to get a blow-by-blow progress report of what's happening.

"There is real concern and effort not to create another Louise Brown (the first IVF baby, who become a focus for much attention). It's not in anybody's interest. We can't say on the basis of one treatment whether it's successful or not successful, you can't make a decision on whether the next one is going to be okay. You need a body of experience because it's a new technique. What's important is that we are allowed to complete that body of experience."

That hasn't stopped others. The first baby with DNA from three parents was born in Mexico in September 2016 to a Jordanian mother with the genetic disorder Leigh syndrome which had already caused her to have four miscarriages as well as the death of two children - one at eight months and the other at six years of age. In January of this year, the second was born in the Ukraine. This, however, was to an infertile couple, not one with a genetic condition, something Murdoch is vehemently against.

"IVF is a big business, but you have to be really careful with these techniques because we don't yet know that it's safe. So using something that has a good chance that it could make things worse, for no good reason, is not ethical."

Given that she is one of just two people with a licence to clone embryos, what are the boundaries? "I would say things like reproductive cloning is a no-no. There is no clinical need that I know of at the moment. Why is a clone going to be of any use to anybody? Because, you can recreate a person's genetic makeup, but you can't recreate them as a person."

She is an advocate of early fertility health checks, and education around the whole area, as well as making IVF as widely available as possible. "If you think logically about the distress that is caused by infertility compared with lots of stuff that is treated routinely then it should be up there, high up there. If I were diagnosed now with a cancer and it would cost me 10,000 to have an extra six months, would I rather have that, or have my children. It's about priorities, what are the priorities?"

With the steady rise in women opting for egg freezing, does Murdoch see this as a viable option for tackling infertility later in life? "In theory I don't have a problem with it. It's not going to benefit a 40 year old, it would just take too long to collect enough eggs. But you have to look at the psychology of it [in younger women], if it is because her boss at Apple said if you have a baby now you can't have a promotion? The solution is not to freeze her eggs, it's to challenge Apple. You need to work through the process and the motivations."

Given that IVF is an option that more and more are going to need to avail of, what is the future down the line? New developments will certainly come, but our attitude to fertility, even more than science is the future challenge.

"There is still a big stigma about infertility," Murdoch states, "the vast majority of people don't talk to anyone about the fact that they are trying to conceive. But if people don't talk, people don't know. You say to people, when are you going to have a family, and they'll say, 'Oh no, we are not ready yet, we are going on holiday', when they might have been trying for two years.

"But until fertility is something that is talked about as part of a normal human event, then we are going to go on denying it."

IVF in Ireland

* First Irish IVF baby: born January 14, 1986

* One in six couples in Ireland now has fertility issues

* The average age of first-time mothers in 2016 was 30.9 years, up 0.2 years from 2015.

* Three percent of all births in Ireland arise out of fertility treatment

*The average cost for a round of IVF is 5,000 rising to 10,000 with donor eggs

* Typically women at 35 are half as fertile as they were at 25. At 40 youre half as fertile as you were at 35
Some of our younger readers might be shocked to learn this, but once upon a time Skoda's were considered rubbish. No, let me correct that: Skodas were rubbish. Rear engined, air-cooled, perambulating contraptions with all the charm of a finger in the eye. What does a Skoda have in common with a bathtub? You can't be seen in public in either of them. Ho ho ho. This and other such gems were all the rage when one of these glorified prams wheeled into a garage forecourt for its biannual rebuild. Sure, they had their fans who claimed the weight distribution was almost Porsche-like and the Estelle Rapid coupe gave you coupe glamour with breadline running costs and yes, there were numerous rallying class wins but Skodas were only preferable to Ladas because Lada had an even worse name.

Then, in a fog of burnt oil and clouds of steam, something amazing happened in the world of Skoda - the Favorit. Taking its name from a long-extinct limousine from the '30s, the new 1987 Favorit was a sea-change for Skoda. For a start, it was front-wheel drive with its engine in the front, just like all those decadent western cars. Secondly, it was styled by the Italian designer Bertone, so it actually looked nice. Thirdly, and this is important, it did not disintegrate into a pile of dust at the mention of rain and the engines, carried over from the old 130 models, were developed to be both reliable and not entirely horrible to use either.

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In classic Soviet Bloc fashion, the Favorit's development was long and drawn out. It was approved by the government of what was then Czechoslovakia in 1982 but development did not actually get rolling until the following year. Then a dispute between Bertone and the government meant the design of the car was not finalised until 1985. Apparently the dispute centred on a four-door saloon version which was never built, although a useful estate version would eventually roll into showrooms.

The Favorit was launched with little fanfare in 1987 but the car quickly won friends including Jeremy Clarkson, who gave it a rave review back when Top Gear was a car programme. The engine was developed by Ricardo engineering who counted diesel engine pioneering, Rolls-Royce aero units and V16 Alfa Romeo racing engines in their CV. They succeed in enlarging the engine to 1.3 litres, up from its original 1000cc configuration. More impressively, they also engineered it to stop drinking oil and to be easier to start when the weather was damp. It was mounted on Porsche-developed engine mounts and sat on a Porsche-engineered front suspension. All very impressive for what was a simple, front-drive Fiesta chaser. A standard five-speed gearbox was a major selling point for the car even if the interior was a bit boxy and brittle with its cheap looking steering wheel and huge clock in place of a rev counter. Still, in 1987 it was slightly smaller than an Escort for the same money as a basic Fiesta.

Oddly, given our love for a bargain, the Favorit did not actually arrive in Ireland until 1993 officially. Now with 68bhp and a competitive 7,250 price tag, the Favorit proved a hit with Irish buyers in the same way that it proved popular with buyers in the UK, Europe and as far afield as Israel, Argentina and Peru. Yugo developed the Sana and Lada had the Samara, which were variations on the theme; front-wheel drive, water-cooled and resembling a Ford Escort/Opel Kadett from a distance. Neither was as thoroughly developed as the Favorit though and even though the Samara did sell well enough, it did so on account of being cheap and less embarrassing than a Riva.

While unashamedly a simple and practical car, it was a huge hit, with more than 50,000 finding buyers in the UK until it was replaced in 1995 by the first Fabia model. However, the Favorit has a much longer lasting legacy than simply being another cheap car.

Following the Velvet Revolution, the Czech government was looking for a partner to acquire Skoda and take it out of state ownership. Volkswagen was encouraged by the success of the Favorit and the willingness of Skoda to compete on more than just low prices. The German company stepped forward in December 1990, taking a 30% share of the company in 1991 and becoming a majority shareholder before the end of the decade. Bear in mind that while Yugo and Lada are still around, the former is basically a Fiat outpost while the latter struggles to sell cars even in Russia. Nowadays Skoda makes a range of modern cars that are not even remotely laughable and it is now one of the most successful members of the VW group and one of Europe's fastest growing makes. Take a bow, Skoda Favorit.
Now is a good time to buy an Alfa Romeo, from now until December 31 2017, the Italian car maker is offering Personal Contract Plan (PCP) finance, with an APR rate of 2.9%, or a Hire Purchase (HP) finance rate from 0%.

At Audi dealerships around the country, the 181 Sales Event has just begun. As part of the event, the A4 SE Edition 50 upgrade package is available for 1,500, a saving of more than 3,200. The A4 is also available with an Audi Scrappage EcoGrant offer of 5,000. For buyers interested in an A6, it is also offered with a number of upgrades such as the Audi A6 SE Comfort Pack, which for a limited time only is available for 1,200, a saving of more than 6,200. The A6 is available with a Scrappage EcoGrant offer of 5,500.

BMW is offering savings of 9% on any of their new models until March 31 2018 or while stocks last. This 'Sterling Sales Event' offer is in addition to the Lower Emissions Allowance announced earlier this year, which gives customers a further 2,000 off any BMW with emissions of 130g/km or less. The offer is open to owners of diesel Euro 4 (EU4) emission standard vehicles or below who can trade-in their vehicle for a new BMW i, BMW iPerformance model or low-CO2 emission models.

The French car maker Citroen is luring potential buyers with low finance and scrappage. Scrappage is offered on every passenger car across the range but the amount available depends on the model. Other offers include three years free servicing on the C4 Picasso Range, low-rate finance starting from 2.9% APR or if you are considering a Grand C4 Picasso, it now comes with an additional 1,600 of extras including half-leather trim, massage front seats, electric power tailgate and electric reclining front leg rests. These extra equipment offerings on Touch and Feel Exclusive come with no additional cost to the customer.

Dacia is offering zero deposit and 4.9% APR on PCPs with Dacia Bank across the range, including the new facelifted Duster, Sandero, Stepway and new Logan MCV Stepway for 181 buyers, while the French car maker DS are offering 4.9% finance and three years free servicing.

Until March, buyers will have the chance to avail of 5.9% APR PCP and HP finance available across the Fiat range. Details will be announced at the end of the month of a scrappage campaign and it is likely up to 3,500 will be available.

Ford has a range of offers as part of their 'Clean Up for 181' campaign, including reductions on a host of models and a low finance offer of zero per cent until the end of December. The deals on offer include reductions of up to 6,000 on the Kuga ST-Line, Grand C-MAX (seven seater), S-MAX Titanium+ and Galaxy Titanium+, 5,500 on the Focus Titanium and 5,305 on the Focus ST-Line. There is also a reduction of up to 4,000 on the New EcoSport and up to 1,000 on the new Fiesta. Also offered is a low PCP and finance offer of 0%.

Continuing with the success of 'High Five' for 172, Honda is reintroducing the offer for 181. The latest generation of CR-V will now be available across the Honda Dealer Network with a choice of five offers for the 181 selling period. You can choose from a 4,000 guaranteed minimum trade-in offer, 3.9% APR PCP finance, complimentary leather upgrade, three years road tax and Platinum service plan or a 1,000 Deal Booster.

Book a new 181 Hyundai before January 31 and avail of either five years, free servicing, an environmental bonus of up to 5,000 or 3.9% finance.

Customers who opt for a Jaguar before March 31 2018 can avail of 2.9% APR PCP finance available or a 4,000 purchase contribution on all new XF and XE models, or 3.9% APR PCP finance OR a 3,000 purchase contribution is offered on the F-Pace models.

Savings can be made across the Jeep model range for 181 with 0% APR HP or 2.9% APR PCP offered with the Renegade while the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee are available with 1.9% APR HP or 3.9% PCP until 31st December 2017.

Kia customers who order a new car before December 22 2017 will receive a free 500 SuperValu voucher, while finance offers include 0% on Sportage, Optima, Niro, Cee'd and Rio and 3.9% APR on all other models.

Land Rover is offering 2.9% APR PCP finance or a 4,000 purchase contribution on all new Discovery Sport and Evoque models registered before March 31 2018.

For 181, Mazda has a range of offers including low-rate PCP finance from 0% APR, upgrades up to 2,000 or three years free servicing. Offered on the Mazda2 and Cx-3 is 0% APR or 750 upgrades or three years free servicing, 3.9% APR or 2,000 upgrades or three years free servicing is offered on both the Mazda3 and 6 while the MX-5 benefits from 5.9% APR or 750 upgrades or three years free servicing. Also, if you have a car that produces more than 130g/km of C02, you will get an Eco Upgrade worth up to 3,500.

Mercedes-Benz is offering a 2,000 changeover bonus towards the purchase of a new model in their range. The offer applies to owners of EU1 to EU4 diesels. The discount, which is offered irrespective of the make or model the customer currently owns, is available on orders placed by December 31 2017.

The MINI 181 Winter Sales Event has savings across the range, such as 4.9% APR and up to 2,000 deposit contribution. A 1,000 purchase contribution towards the MINI 1499 GT is also available now for a limited period. Low-rate finance is available with MINI Select PCP finance with 4.9% A.P.R. This offer is available on models ordered now and registered before March 31 2018.

Mitsubishi's recently launched scrappage scheme means a discount of 2,500 scrappage on all ASX models for vehicles registered by January 31 2018. 3,000 scrappage is offered on Outlander 2WD five-seat models and 4,000 on Outlander 4WD seven-seat models.

Now you can enjoy two new Nissans for the price of one thanks to Nissan's 181 offer. Anyone interested a buying a new Nissan Micra, Pulsar, Juke or Qashqai can exchange it for the equivalent model in 2019 free of charge. If, however, customers decide that the two new cars for the price of one offer isn't for them, Nissan also have a number of other 181 offers to choose from, including, 0% finance, 3.9% PCP available across the Nissan range or customers with older trade-ins can benefit from up to 5,500 scrappage allowance if they upgrade to a new Nissan.

Opel Ireland is offering competitive finance offers of 3.9% PCP and 4.9% HP finance across the range.

Order a new Peugeot before December 31 and avail of one of the 181 Peugeot offers including a 600 equipment upgrade for free, plus 500 deposit contribution or 2,750 scrappage allowance on the 208, a complimentary equipment upgrade worth 870, plus a 500 deposit contribution or 3,250 scrappage allowance on the 2008. The 308 is available with a 500 deposit contribution or 3,500 scrappage allowance and a 3,000 scrappage allowance is available on the 508.

Customers looking to buy a 181 Renault can avail of 3% APR PCP finance, three years servicing and three years road tax on all cars ordered and registered before January 31 2018. With the recent Government Budget announcement on EVs and 0% Benefit-in-Kind (BIK), Renault is matching the zeros by offering 0% HP finance on the zero emissions 100% electric ZOE.

Up to 3,000 scrappage and 1.9% PCP finance is on offer from SEAT dealers around the country. There is a 1,000 scrappage offer available on the new Arona, 2,000 on the Ibiza and up to 3,000 on the Ateca, Leon and Alhambra.

Order a new Skoda before the end of the year and avail of 0% finance on Fabia, Rapid, Octavia & Superb, 3.9% on Citigo and Karoq or 5.9% on Kodiaq.

Toyota buyers have a choice of a trade up bonus of up to 4,500 or three years free servicing on all passenger cars ordered before December 31 2017. There is also an additional diesel scrappage bonus if you're trading in a 10-year or older diesel car. To tempt buyers into their hybrid range, they are offering a 'Hybrid Guarantee', so if you buy a 181 Toyota hybrid and change your mind later they will swap it for the equivalent 182 petrol or diesel model absolutely free.

To lure prospective buyers to showrooms around the country, Volkswagen are offering low-rate PCP finance from 0.9% APR, technology upgrades across the range, purchase contributions of up to 2,000 and an EcoGrant of up to 5,000 available on EU 1-4 diesel cars that are scrapped.

Volvo dealers nationwide are offering customers a 4,000 purchase contribution on the XC40 D4 AWD Momentum Automatic, 2.9% PCP and a free style pack with 500 insurance contribution on the V40, a 4,000 purchase contribution towards the D4 AWD Momentum XC60 and 7,500 off nearly new S90s.
Posters for various events are displayed around this country town, vying for the attention of passers-by. One that caught my eye recently was for a play called Lovers Meeting. For the lack of an apostrophe brought to mind the infamous case of Mary 'Moll' McCarthy, the mother of seven children by, it's said, as many different men, whose murder this month back in 1940 remains unsolved.

The twists and turns of this horrible whodunit seem endless, what with the killer's identity supposedly an open secret among the community at the time, and suspects that included a priest and local gardai. The IRA was also embroiled. Indeed, some claim this is why their former chief, Sean McBride, failed in his defence of Henry 'Harry' Gleeson. Leading to this innocent man being executed for the crime.

Gleeson received the first posthumous pardon in the history of this State only two years ago. Little wonder this not so ancient history still haunts locals, like the woman who lives a short distance from Marlhill, near New Inn, County Tipperary, where the murder occurred. She always thinks of Harry Gleeson whenever she sees a neighbour walking his greyhounds - for Gleeson loved his greyhounds too. Maybe the bachelor was right to favour canine company, given his treatment at human hands in a town where - like Moll McCarthy, who was used and abused by so many of its men - he was a blow-in.

Certainly, Moll's killer guessed correctly that Gleeson (who worked on his uncle's farm next door to Moll) would be the one to find her lying dead in one of the fields, that wintry morning of November 21, with two gunshots wounds to her face. And that then - prompted by civic duty and the dangerous lack of guile of the innocent - he would walk into the trap by calling to the guards to report his grim discovery.

Though how Moll survived as long as she did is itself a miracle.

She had already riled the other women in village by naming her sons after their already married fathers, and her daughters after the fathers' mothers. The women retaliated by repeatedly bringing Moll to court, hoping in the process to get rid of those living reminders of their husbands' infidelity, some of whom likely resembled their own children. But Judge Troy would not condemn her. Their problem was solved when someone got rid of Moll forever. Making it finally possible to visit the sins of the fathers upon her brood, who were sent away and never heard of again.

Until decades later, when an elderly lady grew weepy one night and confided her lamentable life story in a friendly nurse. She explained how she had been locked up in an institution after she witnessed her mother's murder in their home. Before her body was dumped in a field, where another unmarried soul was doomed to discover it.

Harry Gleeson's pardon was announced on April 1 - widely known as April Fools' Day. Which adds a tragic twist to the expression "fool for love".
There are few terms more infuriating to solo travellers than 'single supplement'.

Though the stigma of solo travel is vanishing (as our 21 travel tips this week attest), these supplements remain doggedly common - a penalty on travellers flying solo.

"It's a major gripe," says Geraldine McGlynn of Golden Ireland, an Irish travel website for the over-55s. And it's not just a concern for older travellers.

"We had a lady who travelled by herself recently, as her husband is a farmer and the farm was too busy for him to get away. I understand the necessity of a supplement when hotels are running at full or close to full occupancy, but if a hotel room is lying empty midweek during quieter months, why penalise the solo traveller?"

Part of the trouble is the fact that most holiday accommodation is built for sharing. For a hotel, guesthouse or cruise ship, solos don't just mean empty beds but lost revenue on meals, drinks and activities. In cruise-speak, it's called 'spoilage'.

The good news? Solo-friendly rates are hard to find, but they do exist. Here are the highlights of my digging this week:

Dynamic Donegal

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Arnolds Hotel (above) in Dunfanaghy has several rooms for solos, and doesn't charge single supplements on midweek bookings during winter - it's got two nights' B&B with a 40 dining credit from 120. Elsewhere, the Sandhouse Hotel in Rossnowlagh has B&B with dinner for solo guests from 99. Both are Manor House Hotels (manorhousehotels.com).

Wexford Winner

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Kelly's Resort Hotel & Spa, voted Ireland's Favourite Family-Friendly Stay in our last Reader Travel Awards, charges no single supplements. Half-board midweek rates start from 115 per night with all-inclusive weekend rates from 330, plus 10pc service; kellys.ie.

Northern Lights

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Northern Ireland's Hastings Hotels charge single supplements, but they offer single rates for guests "who wish to avail of a double room for single occupancy". B&B with dinner at the Slieve Donard (top), for example, starts from 120pp; hastingshotels.com.

Cosy Connemara

The Delphi Lodge in Leenane charges 95 for a single B&B (half of its double-occupancy rate). Renvyle Hotel (above) has 10 single rooms; two nights' B&B with two dinners costs from 158pp. See delphilodge.ie; renvyle.com.

Spring Break

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Golden Ireland has a three-day package to Dingle (February 25-28; goldenireland.ie), including meals, 4-star hotels and activities from 365pp, with no single supplement for solo rooms. It also lists solo-friendly hotels on its website.

Solo with kids

Killarney's Gleneagle Hotel recently launched 'Flying Solo' breaks for parents travelling alone with kids - B&B with kids' clubs starts from 85 per night; gleneaglehotel.com.

Best of the rest

Other hotels with single rooms, or solo deals in Ireland, include the Parknasilla Resort in Sneem, Co Kerry (parknasillaresort.com); Mulranny Park Hotel in Co Mayo (mulrannyparkhotel.ie), Castle Hotel in Macroom, Co Cork (castlehotel.ie), and Ireland's Blue book member Rathmullan House in Co Donegal (above, rathmullanhouse.com).

NB: Prices subject to availability and change.

Read more:
Undated Handout Photo of the interior of ATRIO. See PA Feature TRAVEL New York. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Mark Louis Weinberg. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature TRAVEL New York.

Hungry? Ella Walker explores the US city via her stomach, discovering emerging food trends in the Big Apple.

Most people go for the sights: the shimmering upturned ice cream cone of the Chrysler, the razor clam spikiness of the Empire State Building, the cheesecake wedge of the Flatiron.

As you can probably tell, I've come for the food, and New York does not disappoint.

It's the city to live in if you crave Chinese take-out with chopsticks at 3am, if you want to sink your incisors into giant, sloppy burgers, and gnaw on mahogany-coloured pretzels and obscene, orange corn dogs from roadside carts.

Manhattan crams its 22.7 square miles with bagel joints and juice bars, coffee shops and donut stalls, gourmet food halls, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean - the choice is overwhelming.

So how do you decide to what to eat?

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This year, all eyes may be on America's politics, but these emerging food trends will be shaking things up too...

American South

Southern American food is in full-on revival mode, so if you haven't time to take in it's homeland, Louisiana's New Orleans, during your US trip, New York will plug the gap.

Promising 'honest Southern food', Root & Bone in the East Village, is all rustic wood, exposed piping and wire buckets of fried chicken, served alongside golden waffles and molten mac and cheese. The rural American grub is so moreish and earthy, I'm still chewing on the salty, lemony chicken bones when a gooey Mississippi mud pie (below) arrives.

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At Harlem's Red Rooster, the food is more technicolor - think crimson sauces that match the restaurant's frontage and bold portion sizes - but its fare is no less Southern. We sit on plastic red chairs (everything is red) out on the street, people-watching between trying to stuff humongous crispy bird sandwiches (above) in our mouths.

They're massive - filled with half a chicken at least - and dripping with a signature, terracotta-coloured sauce that's tomatoey, without being too sweet. It gets smeared all over your wrists and forearms, no matter how many napkins you grab.

Over near Hudson Square, back in Lower Manhattan, Harold's Meat + Three serves decent fried chicken, but their Southern side dishes eclipse it.

I wolf down three nuggety 'biscuits' (like savoury scones, stuffed with sweetcorn, bacon and spring onions, and slathered in butter), before getting started on grilled asparagus spears and traditional creamy grits.

Root & Bone: rootnbone.com; mains from 19 USD; expect a queue if you don't have a reservation

Red Rooster: redroosterharlem.com; mains from 25 USD; reservations and walk-ins available

Harold's Meat + Three: haroldsmeatandthree.com; mains from 18 USD; walk-ins only

FAMILY STYLE

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Don't like sharing? Family style - where portions are made for divvying out amongst your party - might not be for you, but it's only a matter of time before egalitarian scoffing becomes a 'thing' back home.

On the edge of Madison Square Park, away from the hordes that queue for ShakeShack burgers in the middle of the leafy space, is the cosily understated Black Barn. The mentality here is one of farm-to-table, with little faffing in between - and the portions are absolutely colossal.

We feast on platters of barbecued beef ribs, each one as wide and thick as a hardback book, foraged mushrooms on chunks of toast and a bubbling rum and butterscotch bread pudding that pads out my stomach lining, and presumably my arteries.

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It's hearty, homely fare that makes you feel well fed and well loved, much like at ATRIO (above), at the downtown hotel Conrad New York, where American chef Gerron Douglas, a former sous chef at the Waldorf Astoria NY, serves hunks of halibut on a mattress of lentils, alongside vats of spaghetti Bolognese, because, he says, nothing "makes you feel at home like spaghetti".

He has a point.

Black Barn: blackbarnrestaurant.com; mains from 19 USD; reserve ahead

ATRIO: conradnewyork.com; mains from 22 USD; reserve ahead

Sleep and Eat

Move over hipster pop-ups and standalone restaurants, New York's hotels are upping their game - at a rate that might just make room service defunct.

In midtown, surrounded by chain steakhouses and gaudy diners, sits the Clement Restaurant, within the grandly elegant Peninsula, New York (below).

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If spending the night, it's easy to be bowled over by the rooftop pool and spa, views down 5th Avenue and staff that remember how you took your tea the day before, as well as beds that are crisp with pillowy white bedding.

But don't forget about the food. Dinner here is good - think beautifully seared sea bass and zingy roast apple salad with goat's cheese.

Breakfast is something else! Order the thick, fluffy wedges of French toast crusted in corn flakes, served with individual bottles of maple syrup, or medallions of beef tenderloin (steak for breakfast?!), accompanied by caramel-coloured hash browns that don't hail from the freezer.

Even if you're not staying at the Peninsula, you can still book a table beneath one of the restaurant's stunning art deco-style windows.

Just up the road on Park Avenue is Loews Regency Bar & Grill, where the service is less intuitive but the decor has more swagger - all polished wood, glinting mirrors and parades of flashy glassware.

The hotel itself is ideally located for keen shoppers, and runners who want to explore nearby Central Park. Come dinner time, carve through pink strips of salmon and perfectly cooked rib-eye steak, get tangled up in mounds of watercress and be pleasantly harangued by bold, straightforward flavours.

Clement Restaurant: newyork.peninsula.com; mains from 34 USD (about 27); reserve ahead

Loews Regency Bar & Grill: loewshotels.com/regency-hotel; mains from 38 USD (30); reserve ahead

Starry Modern Influences

For dinner that's not quite so in-yer-face-American, head to the fire escape latticed streets of Tribeca, where vintage clothing and liquor stores huddle up besides the likes of one-Michelin-star-restaurant Batard.

Part of the Myriad Restaurant Group famed for London's Nobu, Batard dishes up 'new French cuisine' in a pared back dining room that hums softly with lunchtime business meetings, and what looks like an old boys' club of former film directors. (Two courses at lunch is 20 USD, cheaper than at dinner.)

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A baton of crumbed, crispy lamb neck on a rich swirl of white beans, leeks and lemony lovage is astounding, but it's the meaty portobello mushrooms cooked with shallots and drizzled in salsa verde that makes my taste buds really somersault happily.

Nearby in the artsy, indie Nolita neighbourhood, The Musket Room - another one star Michelin restaurant - serves up modern New Zealand cuisine while you sit on electric blue leather seats ensconced by rough brick walls. Its a la carte menu reads more like a sparse shopping list than a collection of dishes, but I can confirm that an assortment of quail, blackberry, bread sauce and onion, once on a plate, is pretty ambrosial.

Batard: myriadrestaurantgroup.com/restaurants/batard; two courses 58 USD (about 46); reserve ahead for dinner

The Musket Room: musketroom.com; mains from 29 USD (about 23); reserve ahead

Get there

Ella Walker was a guest of The Peninsula New York (newyork.peninsula.com). Rates from 695USD for a Superior Room per night. Breakfast from 14 USD.

Stay at Loews Regency (loewshotels.com/regency-hotel; +1 212 759 4100) from 343USD per night, including tax. Breakfast from 18USD.

Ella used OpenTable to book meals at Red Rooster, Root & Bone, Batard and The Musket Rooms. The platform has launched a Global Dining Passport, which enables diners to search, discover and make reservations across the globe. Visit opentable.co.uk.

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Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash

We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus.
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Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach

Taoiseach Micheal Martin must drive his advisers mad. Unlike Leo Varadkar or Donald Trump, he never bigs up success stories such as the effect of Level 3 Plus on Covid or his visionary Shared Island project. Last Friday, Tony Holohan and RTE cheerleaders seemed to imply Level 5 was responsible for the improved Covid situation. Not so.
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Gene Kerrigan Opinion Just what our politics needs: Stalin-like applause police in the Dail

In the words of Miriam Lord in the Irish Times: There was much scanning of the Dail chamber after Zelenskys speech to identify the TDs who did not clap. Well, imagine that! The arrival of the remarkable Mr Zelensky in our parliament  albeit a virtual presence  aroused celebrity excitement of the kind not seen since the last time Matt Damon went for a stroll in Dalkey, Co Dublin.
Saoirse Ronan has spoken about the pressure on young people to have sex and the false perceptions that abound.

The 23-year-old two-time Oscar nominee is generating awards buzz for the third time for her latest role as a rebellious teenager in Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird.

Her character is on a mission to lose her virginity before heading off to college, and Saoirse says she feels that pressure is something felt by teenagers the world over.

"I think young people, not just girls, have a lot of pressure put on them and a lot of false perceptions of what sex is and what good sex is. I think it's an issue everywhere, from LA to Ireland," she told the Irish Sun on Sunday.

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"TV, film, the porn that's out there, leads to a lot of false perceptions and there's a lot of pressure put on kids.

"I think it's important for kids to know that it should very much be a connection and a relationship with another person and that that's someone that you trust."

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The Carlow actress also revealed that she has never felt the urge to rebel, as her parents were "really good at parenting" and she got to do what she wanted to do while she was growing up.

"Kids around that agte do it when they're isolated or they ahve to go down a particular route thats' been set for htem by peope who areodler than them and I can understand why they would rebel."

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However, for Saoirse, being surrounded by creative people in the world of acting since she was 12 has meant she didn't feel that need to rebel.

She is very close to her parents, Monica and John, but particularly her mum, who was a huge support to her when she first moved alone to London and felt homesick.

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"I had such a newfound respect for my mom once I left," she said.
Sinead and Connor Desmond on the Red Carpet at The Peter Mark VIP Style Awards 2015 at The Marker Hotel,Dublin. Pictures Brian McEvoy

TV3's Sinead Desmond has opened up about finding love again, saying her other half makes her "very happy".

The Ireland AM presenter (43) went through a painful marriage split in 2012, describing it as "brutal and heart-breaking".

Five years on, she is happily loved-up again with a man she has been dating for the past three years.

She told VIP Magazine she is going public with her relationship as she wants people to see there is "happiness after divorce".

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"We wouldn't be out in Coppers snogging of a Saturday night, for starters. And people are really respectful too.

"I might get a little nod or quiet word of congratulations off people. No one is ever invasive," she said.

They met at a black-tie event in New York and finding love was the last thing on her mind.

"I was just coming out of the mess of separation. I was over the pain and just really happy doing my own thing. And I got chatting to this guy.

"We were the two Irish at the table, kinda thing. I really enjoyed the conversation but didn't really think anything of it," she added.

They kept in touch via email for months before she fell for her "very intelligent" man.

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"He has the sexy brain, which I find wildly attractive. It's all about the brain for me. Of course, you want a sexy ass, handsome man too. Thankfully he has it all going," she said.

"We love the same things. He's very driven, very ambitious. We both love travel and adventure and the outdoors and pushing ourselves physically."

The TV star, who celebrates 10 years on Ireland AM this year, said she hopes her story will inspire others who have experienced similar heartbreak.

"I think it's really important for people to see there is happiness after divorce. It can be so gut-wrenchingly painful, especially where children are involved.

"There really can be new beginnings and happiness beyond it. Because there is a period where you think life will never be good or truly joyful again.

"And you will never be madly in love again. But these things can happen. You get to go again."

l Read the full interview in this month's VIP Magazine.
Miss India Manushi Chhilar (C) smiles as she wins the 67th Miss World contest final next to 2nd runner up Miss Mexico Alma Andrea Meza Carmona (L) and 3rd runner up Miss England Stephanie Jayne Hill (R) in Sanya, on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on November 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURINICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Contestants dance during the 67th Miss World contest final in Sanya, on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on November 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURINICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Contestants pose during the 67th Miss World contest final in Sanya, on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on November 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURINICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Miss India Manushi Chhilar smiles as she wins the 67th Miss World contest final in Sanya, on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on November 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURINICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Miss India Manushi Chhillar is crowned as Miss World next to first runner-up Miss Mexico Andrea Meza and second runner-up Miss England Stephanie Hill at the Miss World pageant in Sanya, Hainan province, China November 18, 2017. Picture taken November 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGES WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.

Miss India Manushi Chhillar is crowned as Miss World next to first runner-up Miss Mexico Andrea Meza and second runner-up Miss England Stephanie Hill at the Miss World pageant in Sanya, Hainan province, China November 18, 2017. Picture taken November 18, 2017. CNS/Luo Yunfei via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.

Winner of Miss World Miss India Manushi Chhillar holds hands with first runner-up Miss Mexico Andrea Meza and second runner-up Miss England Stephanie Hill at the Miss World pageant in Sanya, Hainan province, China November 18, 2017. Picture taken November 18, 2017. CNS/Luo Yunfei via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.

Miss India Manushi Chhillar waves onstage after being crowned Miss World at the Miss World pageant in Sanya, Hainan province, China November 18, 2017. Picture taken November 18, 2017. CNS/Luo Yunfei via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.

Miss India Manushi Chhilar (C) reacts as she wins the 67th Miss World contest final next to France Aurore Andree Raphaelle Kichenin (R) and Miss Kenya Magline Jeruto (L) in Sanya, on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on November 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURINICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Miss India Manushi Chhillar has been crowned Miss World 2017.

It marks the first time in 17 years that the crown has gone to India since Quantico star Priyanka Chopra won in 2000.

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Last year's Miss Puerto Rico, Stephanie Del Valle, presented Miss India with her award at Sanya City Arena in China.

Manushi is a 20-year-old medical student from Haryana, India and she impressed the judges with the answers in the final five question and answer section.

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Whatsapp Miss India Manushi Chhilar (C) smiles as she wins the 67th Miss World contest final next to 2nd runner up Miss Mexico Alma Andrea Meza Carmona (L) and 3rd runner up Miss England Stephanie Jayne Hill (R) in Sanya, on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on November 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURINICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

She was asked which profession she believes deserves the highest salary and, according to Economic Times, she said, "I think a mother deserves the highest respect and when you talk about salary it's not always about cash but I feel it's the love and respect that you give to someone. My mother has always been the biggest inspiration in my life."

She added, "All mothers sacrifice so much for their kids. So, I think it is the job of a mother that deserves the highest salary."

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Miss England, Stephanie Hill, was the first runner up and Miss Mexico Alma Andrea Meza Carmona was second runner up in the pageant which is in its 67th year.

Miss Ireland Lauren McDonagh (18) from Donegal did not place. Lauren, from Donegal was crowned Miss Ireland just seven weeks ago. The Health and Social Care students works part time as a beauty therapist.

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She took to Instagram to say, "And thats the end of an era! I had the most amazing time and met the best bunch of ladies thank you @missworld for the incredible experience, Ill cherish it forever, and my duties as Miss Ireland is only starting, excited to see whats in store for the year ahead."

Rosanna Davison is still the only Irish woman to scoop the Miss World title, back in 2003.

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The nephew of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe claimed yesterday that his uncle has no intention of giving up power.

Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, Patrick Zhuwao said Mugabe and his wife Grace were "ready to die for what is correct". He said they had no intention of stepping down in order to legitimise last week's military coup which saw the dictator placed under house arrest.

Mugabe's nephew said that the 93-year-old had hardly slept in the time since the military seized power last Wednesday but that his health was otherwise "good".
A suspected serial killer who reportedly lured victims to their deaths by trawling Twitter for suicidal posts has confessed to killing nine people, including three high school girls.

Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", allegedly chose victims  nine young people aged 15 to 26 - who used hashtags that indicated they were suicidal or depressed.

The 27-year-olds profile stated: I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime.

The New York Times reported that police found nine dismembered bodies and coolers that contained heads covered in cat litter in the suspected killers apartment in Japan last month.

Japans government has reportedly considered tightening regulations to restrict suicidal posts in the wake of the gruesome discovery.

Shiraishi was apprehended during a police investigation into the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman.

She had reportedly tweeted: Im looking for someone to die with me, prompting the suspected killer to lure her to her death. He reportedly told her he could help her die or even die with her.

News of the gruesome deaths has rocked Japan which has the third-highest suicide rate of the worlds richest countries - but one of the lowest murder rates in the world by contrast.

Twitters CEO, Jack Dorsey told Japan's national public broadcasting network, NHK that he was extremely sad the social network was used to track down vulnerable victims.

He told the network: We need to take on a responsibility to make sure that our tool is being used in positive and healthy ways.

Twitter reportedly changed its policy just four days after Shiraishis arrest but told the LA Times they did not rewrite a section of their guidelines because of the case.

In a statement released to the newspaper, the company said: We did not rewrite the section on suicide and self-harm because of this case, but we would like to avoid these types of cases from happening.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article please contact the Samaritans on 116123 for support or visit the website on www.samaritans.org.

Pieta House can be contacted on 1800 247 247. For more information on Pieta House and its services visit www.pieta.ie.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday urged Bangladesh and Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis through bilateral negotiations instead of an international initiative.

"The international community should not complicate the situation," Mr Wang said at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.

"Actions in the United Nations Security Council must help Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral cooperation to resolve the problem peacefully."

Mr Wang arrived in Bangladesh yesterday for a two-day visit and from there he will go to Myanmar to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting.

"China supports resolving the crisis peacefully, bilaterally with mutual consultation between Bangladesh and Myanmar," he said.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State.

"It is a complex situation and needs a comprehensive solution. Economic development of Rakhine State is needed. China is ready to help," Mr Wang said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Wang also met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence in Dhaka and assured her of China's support in solving the crisis.

"Myanmar will have to take back their nationals ensuring their safety, security and dignity for a durable solution to the crisis," Mrs Hasina's private secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the prime minister as saying.

"We will not allow the land of Bangladesh to be used by any terrorist group to commit any act of insurgency in neighbouring countries," she added, according to Karim.

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told Mr Wang that Bangladesh is trying to resolve the issue both bilaterally and internationally as it could not afford the huge burden of the refugees.

A statement from the Bangladesh foreign ministry said that when the issue of displaced Myanmar nationals was raised, Mr Wang stated that China would help resolve the issue and will not be partial to any side.

He acknowledged that Bangladesh is facing the brunt of a continuing influx of Rohingya refugees, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry statement said.

A delegation of US Congressmen is visiting Bangladesh to study the crisis.

And this week the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will visit, along with foreign ministers from Sweden, Germany and Japan.
Salvatore 'The Beast' Ri'ina, who died last Friday of cancer aged 87 in the maximum security prison at Parma in northern Italy where he had been held in solitary confinement for more than two decades, was the most violent Sicilian Mafia boss in history. He killed at least 40 people personally and is thought to have ordered the deaths of hundreds more.

He was only 5ft 2in tall and yet during the 1980s rose from obscurity to become head of Cosa Nostra (the Sicilian Mafia), after provoking a bloody civil war between the Mafia families of Sicily in 1981-82.

Once Ri'ina became Capo di tutti i capi (Boss of Bosses) he compelled Cosa Nostra - against the wishes of the older Mafia families - to add to the traditional core business of protection and construction, heroin and cocaine trafficking. The sickening violence Cosa Nostra unleashed in the 1980s and 1990s compelled the Italian state to destroy it once and for all.

Salvatore Ri'ina was born on November 16, 1930 in Corleone, a picturesque agricultural town 60km south of Palermo that was immortalised by The Godfather films. He was the second of six siblings - three boys and three girls. His mother Maria Concetta and father Giovanni owned three hectares of land. He left school aged eight to work in the fields.

Salvatore soon began to work for Luciano Leggio, a young local Mafioso, stealing cattle and grain. At 18 he was sworn into the Honoured Society, like so many Sicilians, at a secret initiation ceremony.

But in 1950, aged 19, he shot dead another man in Corleone during a brawl and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for manslaughter. He served six years. On his release, he became engaged to Antonietta Bagarella, who was still only 14 and would go on to graduate from university and become a school teacher. (The couple married in 1974.)

Immediately, Ri'ina took up where he had left off with Leggio, who by now was determined to take over the Corleone Mafia. To do this, Leggio had to kill its undisputed boss, Michele Navarra.

On August 2, 1958, Navarra's car was ambushed by 14 of Leggio's men armed with sub-machine guns who opened fire, killing him and his passenger, a young doctor.

The assassins included Ri'ina, who was 27, and Bernardo Provenzano, who was 25. These two young men would later become the leaders of Cosa Nostra in Sicily during the 1980s and remain so for some 20 years.

The murder of Navarra caused a five-year-long civil war within the Corleone Mafia which was won by Leggio and his more violent faction. In 1963 Ri'ina was once again imprisoned for several years and after his release condemned to house arrest. In 1969, however, he decided to go into hiding.

Being on the run did not hinder him. Far from it. For it was now that he began his bid to take power. He, Leggio and Provenzano formed an alliance with Vito Ciancimino, the Mayor of Palermo, who had like them been born in Corleone.

Together the four Corleonesi subjugated the old Palermo Mafia families. In 1974, when Leggio was eventually arrested and jailed for life for the murder of Navarra, Ri'ina became the boss of the Corleonesi and swiftly escalated the use of violence.

This led to the so-called Second Mafia Civil War of 1981-82, which the Corleonesi won and which crowned Ri'ina Capo di tutti i capi. The carnage left more than 1,000 people dead, mainly Mafiosi, but also General Carlo Dalla Chiesa, who had been sent to Sicily to deal with the Mafia. Ri'ina and his number two Provenzano - both still in hiding - were later given life sentences in absentia for ordering these murders.

In 1984, Tommaso Buscetta became the first senior Mafioso to become a supergrass and break the Mafia code of silence (omerta). His testimony was crucial to the first Mafia Maxi Trial, which took place inside a purpose-built, rocket-proof bunker court house in Palermo in 1986/87.

Cosa Nostra reacted to Buscetta's betrayal of omerta by ordering the bombing of a Florence-Milan train on December 23, 1984; killing seven and wounding 267. The Maxi Trial went ahead regardless and as a result 360 of the 474 Mafiosi put on trial were convicted (many, such as Ri'ina and Provenzano, in absentia) and in January 1992 the convictions were upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court's decision enraged Ri'ina, who immediately ordered the assassination in rapid succession of the Christian Democrat Euro MP Salvatore Lima - the right-hand man in Sicily of seven-times prime minister Giulio Andreotti, he was shot dead - and then two of the two top anti-Mafia judges: Giovanni Falcone, whose wife and three police officers died with him when a bomb hidden under the road was remotely detonated as he and his police escort passed over it; and Paolo Borsellino, plus five police officers, killed by another bomb hidden inside a parked car at the entrance to the Palermo apartment block where his mother lived - this detonated when Borsellino pressed the door bell.

These deaths caused such outrage in Italy that the country's political class united to launch a massive crackdown on the Mafia. Within less than a year, on January 15, 1993, police arrested Ri'ina, thanks, said prosecutors, to a tip-off from another supergrass.

Ri'ina was tried and convicted of more than 100 murders. About 105m worth of his assets were confiscated.

His two sons, Giovanni and Giuseppe, became Mafiosi: Giovanni Francesco, born in 1976, was arrested in 1996 for the murder of four people and sentenced to life. He has been in jail ever since and is held in Terni prison where his father's successor as the boss of Cosa Nostra, Provenzano, was initially held after his own arrest in April 2006; he died in prison in 2016. Ri'ina's youngest son, Giuseppe Salvatore, born in 1977, was jailed for eight years for Mafia association, extortion and money-laundering, released on parole in 2012 and confined to live in Padua in north-east Italy. In a magazine interview in 2012 he said his father loved music, growing vegetables and keeping animals.

Ri'ina's two other children are daughters.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Thousands of protesters demanding President Robert Mugabe stand down gather in front of an army cordon near State House in Harare, Zimbabwe (AP)

Members of the Zanu-PF Central Committee attend a meeting at the party headquarters (AP)

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by making an address on national television without announcing his resignation - setting the stage for him to be impeached.

The Central Committee of ruling party Zanu-PF had hours earlier told him to resign as president by noon on Monday or face impeachment proceedings the following day.

After the speech, its chief whip said: "I don't see us failing to proceed with the impeachment."

Lovemore Matuke said: "The Central Committee decision stands until I am advised otherwise."

He added that "the speech was just surprising".

He said: "It is not in line with what we expected. We had understood that his resignation was coming to avoid the embarrassment of impeachment.

"The army is taking its own route, and as politicians we are taking our own route, but the ultimate goal is to make sure he goes, which he should have done tonight."

Zimbabweans had gathered in expectation of a celebration. Instead, Mugabe appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party, which has expelled him as its leader, by trying to stay on.

He made a reference to presiding over a party congress next month.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

Officials close to the talks between Mugabe and the military had said the president would resign.

Mugabe noted the political turmoil that led to his military house arrest and expulsion as ruling party leader.

"From tonight ... the nation at all levels gets refocused," he said.

He said that "failures of the past" may have triggered anger in some quarters, which he calls "quite understandable".

He also notes that "intergenerational conflict must be resolved", a reference to his apparent positioning of his unpopular 52-year-old wife to succeed him.

Mugabe is 93 and had been backed by fellow veterans of the country's liberation war, until they turned against him.

Zimbabweans have said they feel profoundly disappointed that Mugabe is resisting pressure to step aside.

Victor Matemadanda, secretary general of the country's war veterans association, said he feels betrayed.

He said: "He is playing games with the people of Zimbabwe. He agrees to go and then plays games with us like that at the last minute."

Mr Matemadanda said the war veterans will again rally the people to protest, and "this time the army will let him face the people. ... The army will now choose between shooting the people or protecting Mugabe".

Zimbabweans who gathered at a bar in the capital to celebrate the expected resignation said they are frustrated.

Nyasha said: "I would be happy for him, despite everything he has done, to leave with dignity and just walk away. ... He is so stubborn."

Shengi said: "Mugabe is a dictator and he'll always be a dictator."

AP
King Harald of Norway, who celebrated his 80th birthday in February, has gone in to hospital suffering an infection.

The monarch was taken to a hospital in the country's capital Oslo on Friday and remains in satisfactory condition with his health improving, the royal palace said.

Norway celebrated Harald's 25th anniversary as monarch in January 2016.

Harald, who has a ceremonial role and is not part of the government, became king when his father Olav died on January 17 1991.

AP
Neighbors walk under the rain past a washed out road in Alajuelita on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017 (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

People walk near Tiribi river flooded by heavy rains of Tropical Storm Nate that affects the country in San Jose, Costa Rica October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

Tropical Storm Nate killed at least 22 people in Central America on Thursday as it pummeled the region with heavy rain while heading toward Mexico's Caribbean resorts and the US Gulf Coast, where it could strike as a hurricane this weekend.

In Nicaragua, at least 11 people died, seven others were reported missing and thousands had to evacuate homes because of flooding, said the country's vice president Rosario Murillo.

Emergency officials in Costa Rica reported that at least eight people were killed due to the lashing rain, including two children. Another 17 people were missing, while more than 7,000 had to take refuge from Nate in shelters, authorities said.

Two youths also drowned in Honduras due to the sudden swell in a river, while a man was killed in a mud slide in El Salvador and another person was missing, emergency services said.

"Sometimes we think we think we can cross a river and the hardest thing to understand is that we must wait," Nicaragua's Murillo told state radio, warning people to avoid dangerous waters. "It's better to be late than not to get there at all."

Costa Rica's government declared a state of emergency, closing schools and all other non-essential services.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A men at work sign stands on a washed out road in Alajuelita on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017 (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) Neighbors walk under the rain past a washed out road in Alajuelita on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) A resident walks on the shore of the Masachapa river, flooded by heavy rains by Tropical Storm Nate in the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas People walk on a pedestrian bridge collapsed by heavy rains of Tropical Storm Nate that affects the country in Alajuelita, Costa Rica October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate A resident stands on the shore of the Masachapa river, flooded by heavy rains by Tropical Storm Nate in the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas A resident look at damage caused by heavy rains of Tropical Storm Nate on Masachapa river in outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua October 5,2017.REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas People walk on the main street of the city of San Jose, during heavy rains by Tropical Storm Nate, Costa Rica October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate People walk near Tiribi river flooded by heavy rains of Tropical Storm Nate that affects the country in San Jose, Costa Rica October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate Dogs sit on the shore of the Masachapa river, flooded by heavy rains by Tropical Storm Nate in the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas Dogs stand near on a road partially collapsed by heavy rains of Tropical Storm Nate that affects the country in El Llano de Alajuelita, Costa Rica October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate / Facebook

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Whatsapp A men at work sign stands on a washed out road in Alajuelita on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017 (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Highways in the country were closed due to mudslides and power outages were also reported in parts of country, where authorities deployed more than 3,500 police.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Nate could produce as much as 15 inches (38 cm) in some areas of Nicaragua, where schools were also closed.

Nate is predicted to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by the time it hits the US Gulf Coast on Sunday, NHC spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.

At about 11 pm EDT (03.00 GMT) Nate was some 95 miles (153 km) east-southeast of the Honduran island of Guanaja, moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph), the NHC said.

Blowing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph), Nate was expected to move across eastern Honduras on Thursday and enter the northwestern Caribbean Sea through the night.

The storm will be near hurricane intensity when it approaches Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula late on Friday, where up to 8 inches (20 cm) of rain were possible, the NHC said.

Nate is expected to produce 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm)of rain in southern Honduras, with up to 15 inches (38 cm) in some areas, the NHC said.

The NHC said a hurricane watch was issued from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas.

US officials from Florida to Texas told residents on Thursday to prepare for the storm. A state of emergency was declared for 29 Florida counties and the city of New Orleans.

"The threat of the impact is increasing, so folks along the northern Gulf Coast should be paying attention to this thing," the NHC's Feltgen said.

In Mississippi, the US Environmental Protection Agency plans to release as a precautionary measure 40 million gallons (151 million liters) of acidic water from storage ponds at a Pascagoula waste site.

The release to a drainage bayou is intended to prevent a greater spill during the storm, the EPA said, adding there are no anticipated impacts to the environment.

Major Gulf of Mexico offshore oil producers including Chevron, BP plc, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Statoil were shutting in production or withdrawing personnel from their offshore Gulf platforms, they said.

About 14.6 percent of US Gulf of Mexico oil production and 6.4 percent of natural gas production was offline on Thursday, the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said.
How did paedophilia become part of America's ongoing politico-cultural war? Is this how bitter and degraded the debate has become? If you thought the election of Donald Trump was a measure of how far trust in America's established political system had broken down, you ain't seen nothing yet. A new race - this time the Alabama Senate by-election - reveals that Trump's victory has not soothed the anger of many voters. Far from it.

When a recording was released last year of Trump bragging about sexual assault, some hopeful Democrats thought it might derail his campaign. On the contrary, many of his core voters thought it a perfect example of establishment conspiracy and "politically correct" agenda against which they wanted to rebel.

Trump dismissed the recording as "locker-room banter". But Roy Moore, Republican candidate in Alabama, is now accused of far worse than that - paedophilia. Moore is alleged to have initiated sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32. Women have since come forward with stories of a creepy older lawyer who was always trying to get dates with high-school girls; one alleged he sexually assaulted her when she was 16.

This is ordinarily the part of the story where the disgraced politician quietly bows out of the race. But Moore (70) has not left the race. He is not spending more time with his family, finding God, asking for forgiveness, seeking therapy or entering a rehabilitation facility. When asked about these allegations, his memory fails him.

Campaign representatives have explained away the existence of these women (and his former neighbours and co-workers, who corroborate their stories) with the simple logic that they are liberals who hate Moore, who would, presumably, be willing to fabricate any story to keep him out of office. This argument has found some traction. Polls show that, astonishingly, 29pc of probable voters are more likely to support him because of the allegations.

This is a head-turning figure. Many Americans think paedophiles should face the death penalty. How could anyone prefer to support a candidate accused of such heinous crimes? The answer is they don't believe the allegations. They believe, as Moore has said, that there is a vast political conspiracy against him. Their rage against the political machine trumps their usual outrage at the nature of the allegations against him.

But unless and until he clears his name, Moore's candidacy represents a double betrayal. First, to those women upon whom he allegedly preyed. But secondly, counter-intuitively, to the very supporters - and Trump's wider base - who are now championing him.

Abused women and Trump voters have much in common. Both know the intimate, quiet pain of powerlessness. They know the ache of being ignored in favour of more "polite" conversation. From these shared experiences, they should be allies. By speaking up now, they are a bulwark against the hitherto dependable silence of the vulnerable, upon which the powerful so often depend.

Reflexively defending Moore against such appalling allegations, however, makes the whole Trump revolution seem like the squawkings of deranged gropers, rather than the justifiable complaints of those left behind by globalisation. As a result, those who have only just found a voice could find themselves silenced again.

In my first summer on the Hill, aged 19, a staffer I knew took a shine to me. He let me write floor speeches and took me to briefings. He also told me flatly, one Friday evening, that I should go home with him; when I demurred, he pressed on: "Come on, Molly. That's what interns do." Nearly every woman I know who works in professional politics has a similar story (so do lots of men). There are many rotten apples cloaked in the respectability of Washington's shiny marble corridors.

The Capitol is due for a reckoning over this sort of behaviour, and when it comes, I suspect many will echo the sentiments of one of Moore's neighbours in Alabama: "These stories have been going around this town for 30 years. No one could believe they hadn't come out yet."

Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Image: Subhodeep Sardar/IBNS

Dhiraj and Priti Sen Arora, the owners of Kolkata's upscale boutique tea bar and retail outlet " Karma Kettle ", want to promote a healthy lifestyle through their latest venture. The neatly furnished Swinhoe Street facility offers one the opportunity to taste different kinds of teas. Sudipto Maity catches up with Dhiraj for a brief chat.

If you have to describe Karma Kettle in a sentence...that would be:

A quirky, playful tea company specializing in creating eclectic blended teas & tisanes using premium ingredients sourced from across the globe. Inspired by global travels, Karma Kettle aims to take you on a voyage across the globe with a teacup.



Whose brainchild is Karma Kettle? I'm guessing there's a story behind how you came up with this particular name, if yes, what is it?

It is my idea. The name Karma Kettle & Rhapsody was coined as early as 2005. I wanted to set up a tea room in Singapore serving up authentic Anglo Indian food. Karma Kettle itself was intended to be playful take on a traditional English tea room concept- by adding the word Karma it gave an Eastern touch to this concept.



Is Karma Kettle an extension of Darjeeling Kurseong based Chai Country?

Chai Country was the reason why we needed to set up Karma Kettle. We have visitors who come from all across the globe to stay at our hotel- Cochrane Place. On trying our innovative tea blends- we would get requests from guests to package a blend they particularly liked, so they could go back home and enjoy. This sparked the need for us to revive the tea packaging and Karma Kettle came back!



Tell us briefly about the services offered by this facility.

Our tearoom in Swinhoe Street, Kolkata is the one of a kind Sensory tearoom & Retail store. Up until March 2017, we only had an online presence and the increased demand for our teas warranted the need for us to set up a Sensory tea room & Retail outlet. All visitors who drop by are given free tasting of our teas- as we strongly believe in the need to educate customers on our tea range. We recently launched a High tea menu for two where weve carefully selected the food to pair with our teas and to revive the ritual of Afternoon tea.

Dhiraj, I have been informed that you ditched the acceptance letter to study Chemistry at Cambridge University for a Bachelors degree in Business Administration at Acadia University in Canada, in hindsight, it paid off. Tell me, were you nervous doing so at that particular moment?



Absolutely, at that particular time I was rebelling against my familys wishes and deliberately ditched my acceptance letter. I wasnt particularly nervous because I was sure that Chemistry wasnt in my interest or lifes plan. I did however know that I was a risk taker and loved thinking creatively- that a 9-5 job wasnt for me. In my parents defence, I could image the fear and frustration of my parents, but they supported me in every step of the way and I wouldnt be where I am, if it werent for their faith in me.

What do you make of the Tea business in India?

Its an exciting place to be in right now. There are many tea players who have stepped into the Indian tea industry in the last 2-3 years whove changed the way tea is being packaged and presented to the Indian market. Tea has evolved to so much more than CTC or Masala chai. Indians have woken up to blended tea varietals, detox teas and green teas. There will always be a market for orthodox teas. The established tea companies have realized this and are jazzing up their packaging and tea blends. Having said that its extremely competitive- there is enough space to create your own niche and I believe Karma Kettle has achieved just that. We began with selling loose leaf blends online- in the past 2 years weve introduced Pyramid teabags, offering customized labeling & packaging, set up a Retail store and are set to launch our Staple free Double Chambered tea bags in December this year!



When it comes to selling tea in India, I feel there's no novelty...yet, since you are doing it, there must be something. What new are you offering/ looking to offer through this venture of yours?

Our USP is definitely our Wellness teas- a careful amount of research and studies have gone into determining the right blends for this market. We stay away from all artificial flavoring & colorings. I strongly believe in embodying a healthy lifestyle and through Karma Kettle I aim to do precisely that- however we want to make this interesting & appealing to the customers without boring them.



You offer a wide array of tea, in terms of flavours, if you have to choose three flavours/kinds from here, what would they they be, in terms of preference. Also tell us why are you suggesting those particular flavours/kinds.

Moksha- its a black tea blend with peppermint, vanilla, lotus flower and leaf- a superb detox tea that has a refreshing taste. Lotus flower and leaf are said to speed up the metabolism.

Karakoram- a caffeine free tisane that comprises of Lavender, Seabuckthorn and Nettle. Lavender brings in a beautiful aroma and flavour to this infusion and Seabuckthorn and Nettle aid in common allergies and curing stomach ailments.

Table mountain- another caffeine free blend weve created by blending Rooibos tea with sage, liquorice, fennel and vanilla. The result is a delicious nutty flavored tea with a smooth silky caramel finish.

Myth-busting time! What's the most common myth, misconception about tea in India that you have come across?

The most common claims in favor of drinking green tea are its low caffeine content and high antioxidant value. In reality, some varieties of green teas ( Matcha, Gunpowder tea) have just as much caffeine as other varieties. Green tea possesses more antioxidants than black and Oolongs but Black and Oolong teas also contain anti oxidants. Oolong tea contains a high amount of polyphenol content- which boosts the metabolism and aids in weight loss. Pu-erh tea is an aged and fermented tea which is available in both Black and green variants- they are revered for their health benefits.



Images by Subhodeep Sardar/IBNS
Wikimedia Commons

New Delhi, Nov 19 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.

Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary, the Prime Minister said.

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman and central figure of the Indian National Congress.

She was the first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of India.

Gandhi belonged to the NehruGandhi family and was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian prime minister.

Despite her surname Gandhi, she is not related to the family of Mahatma Gandhi.

She served as Prime Minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father.


Patna, Nov 19 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): RJD president Lalu Prasad on Sunday said the BJP-led NDA would badly lose the next Lok Sabha elections.

Prime Minister Modi is trying to hold the next LS elections in 2018 itself, instead of 2019. But wherever the elections are held, the BJP would badly lose the polls owing to huge resentment among the masses, he said addressing the partys national executive meeting in Patna on Sunday.

Chunao me Modi ka safaya tay hai, he predicted.

He said lurking fear of cow vigilantism had turned the Asias famous Sonepur cattle fair into a fair without cattle.

Earlier people used to fear the lion but now they fear cows out of lurking fear of being killed by cow vigilante groups, he claimed.

He also rejected the significance of Nitish Kumar who heads JD-U and said his main fight would be with communal forces in the next LS polls.

Prasad further charged the chief minister with going it alone in Gujarat elections just to cut into the Patel votes and help the BJP.

JD-U is an ally of the BJP. If it wants to contest elections, it should have done that in alliance with the BJP, the RJD chief said.

He said he was in touch with Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

(thebiharpost.com)
New Delhi, Nov 19 (IBNS): President of India Ram Nath Kovind addressed legislators at a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Itanagar on Sunday.

Addressing the legislators, the President urged them to remember that they had been elected as members of the Legislative Assembly to achieve the aspirations of the people of the State and to render public service.

After election, they represented all citizens of their constituency, including those who may not have voted for them. As legislators, they are guardians of public interest and trust. It is their responsibility to make laws that improve the lives of people and to resolve issues of public concern.



The President said that we are all citizens of a culturally rich and diverse country.

There is such variety in food, clothing, customs and even religious traditions in India.

And yet, this diversity is our strength and unites us. Whether it is Tirupati or Tarnetar or the Buddhist monastery of Tawang, it inspires every Indian and is a matter of pride for each of us.



The President said that Arunachal Pradeshs experience of unity in diversity expresses our country's traditions beautifully. There are many ethnic and religious communities in the state, and they live together in harmony. This is an ideal for all Indians.

The President said that being a border state, Arunachal Pradesh offers a unique opportunity to trade and do business with neighbouring countries. He expressed hope that Arunachal Pradesh would become a driver of Indias trade and economic relations with ASEAN countries under the Act East Policy.

Earlier in the day, the President graced the valedictory function of the completion of 40 years of the Vivekananda Kendra in Itanagar.

Speaking on the occasion, the President praised the Vivekananda Kendra for commendable work in Arunachal Pradesh in the field of education. He was happy to note that the Vivekananda Kendras schools had kept alive the guru-shishya tradition through the Gurukul system. They have maintained Indian culture through yoga, pranayama, meditation, Sanskrit and other legacies of our past.

The President noted that the Vivekananda Kendra schools are a happy synthesis of our traditional knowledge and values and of modern science and technology.


Guwahati, Nov 19 (IBNS): In a major breakthrough for the security forces after the finance secretary of banned outfit NSCN-K was arrested from Meghalayas capital city Shillong on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.

Inovi Avika Achumi, finance secretary of NSCN-K, was arrested in a joint operation carried out by the troops of Assam Rifles and Meghalaya police from Demseiniong area in Shillong.

East Garo Hills district Superintendent of Police Davies R Marak said that following a tip-off, the troops of Assam Rifles and Meghalaya police had jointly launched an operation at Deseiniong area, where Inovi Avika Achumi hiding since couple of days.

We were informed from about Achumis presence in Shillong area and kept surveillance on his movement and activities. Intelligence informed that, Achumi hiding at Deseiniong area and staying at a rented house near NEEPCO office. Finally the troops raided at his hideout on Saturday night and arrested him, East Garo Hills district SP said.

Security personnel also detained Achumis wife and brother-in-law, but later they were released.

The top police official said that, security personnel did not recovered any arms and ammunition in possession from Achumi.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya police has started interrogation him to collect information of NSCN-K.

Achumi is a most wanted militant of National Investigating Agency (NIA).

NSCN-K is active in Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and some parts of Myanmar.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Actor Rajkummar Rao, who has earned appreciations for his acting in films like 'Aligarh', 'Behen Hogi Teri', 'Trapped', and India's Oscar entry 'Newton', plays none other than Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the web series Bose: Dead/Alive. IBNS/TWF correspondent Souvik Ghosh interacts with him during his visit to Kolkata.

How do you feel now after playing the role of Netaji?

I want to thank all people associated with the project for thinking that I could play the role of Bose. I am very fortunate and blessed to get the opportunity to play Netaji onscreen. Not many actors get this opportunity to portray Netaji on screen. This is my most ambitious project till date. I have been part of some wonderful films but playing Netaji was a game changing experience for me. I have learnt so much about the experiences of his life. I have always been his fan and now a bigger one.



How much research work you had to do for the character?

There were a lot of research work needed to play Netaji's life on screen because I never imagined myself to play the character (Netaji's character). So I started to gain weights by having sweets, shaved my head half because we all know that Bose had a particular look.



What are the new things you have learnt in the course of the film?

I loved Bengali language which Patralekha (co-actor) helped me a lot (to learn). For me, as an actor, the internal transformation is more important than the physical ones, so I read lot of books, available biographies and also went to Bose's place just to have that connect with his (Netaji's) belongings.



You said it is the most ambitious project for you. Is Bose: Dead/Alive was the toughest project in your career till date?

In a way yes (most difficult). I think playing Netaji (on screen) was not an easy task for me. But the script was so well researched, I had (developed) the faith in the script. Our team was extremely strong. My duty was to get through the script and to get the authenticity right and make him (on screen Netaji) believable, humane and not filmy to make all feel that they are witnessing what had happened in his (Netaji's) life. So that was the main task.

What are your plans ahead?

I just want to grow as an actor and want people to say with every film that it is my best work.
Kolkata, Nov 19 (IBNS): Popular face of Bengali Tele serials Rita Koyral passed away on Sunday.

She was suffering from cancer, reports said.

She was 58.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mourned her death and tweeted:"Saddened to hear about the passing away of actress Rita Koiral. My condolences to her family, friends and fans. Gone too soon."

Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee said:"Really shocked and extremely upset to hear about the sudden demise of Rita Koyral.Loss for the industry.Such a powerful actress she was."

Koyral had worked in several Bengali movies which included Asukh (1999),Paromitar Ekdin(2008) Dutta Vs Dutta.

Image: Actor Nilanjan Twitter page
Mississauga, Nov 19 (IBNS): Indian origin Deepak Anand, who is living in Mississauga for over 16 years, will fight for the Ontario PC nomination, media reports said.

In a recent interview with a newspaper, Anand even expressed his wish to represent Mississauga-Malton.

Speaking about Mississauga, Anand said: "It is this diversity and unity that made me to take a leap. I have worked with the people of this riding since many years and their strong belief in me and my vision, cemented my decision to be their nominee."

Regarding the campaigning, Anand said on his website: "Our team's campaign is going to be based on three principles, Active, Inspired, Motivated - It will be our personal AIM."

"As a candidate I promise to continue to be Active in the community and ensure to always fight for what is necessary. Secondly, I will make sure to listen to the citizens and learn from those who Inspire me, the good people of Mississauga-Malton. And finally I am Motivated, I have been involved in the community for more than 10 years and I want to continue to serve the people.," he added.

Anand completed his MBA degree from the Schulich School of Business. It is after that he had decided to return something to where he spent his last 16 years.

Anand also believes that Canadian politicians are doing a lot of social services.

He even illustrated the things he would to like to address if gets not nominated. "Upon becoming Member of Provincial Parliament for Ontario, I will like to implement the following series of policies and ideas in Mississauga-Malton. These policies come under something what I call my AIM, it is what I will Act upon, what I am Inspired to do, and the Motivations behind it."



(Reporting by Suman Das)
After CCI penalty, FHRAI writes SEBI to stop OYO IPO The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India has written a letter to SEBI to stop the proceedings of the IPO of OYO, as reported by the Economic Times. This has come after the Co... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 4:03 pm

Markets end the day in Green Indian equity markets had another topsy-turve day today. Markets swung between red and green territory all through the day. Nifty 50 ended, up by 6.25 points. Sensex ended, up by 107.73 po... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 3:40 pm

Passenger vehicle sales may touch 3.8 million units in FY 23, says Tata Motors MD Passenger vehicle sales in India may touch 3.8 million units in FY 23, Tata Motors MD, Shailesh Chandra, said. He also added that a large part of these sales will be because of the pent-up dema... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 3:21 pm

Sai Silks Saree Retailers to launch IPO soon, gets nod from SEBI Sai Silks (Kalamandir) is one of the largest retailers of ethnic apparel. The company has received a nod to float an initial public offer (IPO) in the market to raise funds. As per the Draft Re... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 2:49 pm

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
Since time immemorial, human beings have hunted down animals and messed with the environment for their own ease and comfort. We might consider ourselves the most evolved species on this planet, but we have used our 'superior skills' to satiate our selfish ends, all at the cost of wiping out entire species of animals from the face of the Earth.

Here are 11 species that our future generations will never see because of our selfishness.

1. Great Auk

The great auk ( Pinguinus impennis ) was a flightless coastal bird that lived on rocky islands around the North Atlantic, including in Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the British Isles and Scandinavia.

Up until the late 18th century, they were hunted down in huge numbers. The rare birds soon became a prized specimen for collectors and they were driven to extinction by the mid-1850s. The killing of the last mating pair happened on July 3, 1844, by Sigurour Isleifsson and two other men who had been hired by a merchant to hunt the birds.

2. Dodo

The dodos belonged to the pigeon and dove family and were native to the island of Mauritius. Back in 1598, Dutch travellers were the first to discover this unique species. Dodo's laid only one egg a year and with the onset of human invasion, their survival came under major threat.

The importing of dogs, cats, pigs, rats and crab-eating macaques is what really killed the species. The bird eventually faded into oblivion, so much so that dead as a dodo and to go the way of the dodo are two famous phrases inspired by the death of the species.

3. Elephant Bird

The Elephant Bird, (Aepyornis), was the largest bird that ever lived. At 10-foot-tall, this 1,000-pound behemoth once roamed the island of Madagascar. Related to ostriches and emus, the elephant bird evolved at a time when birds ruled the earth and had existed for 60 million years. But thanks to humans, the bird was hunted into extinction.

4.Thylacines (Tasmanian Tigers)

The Tasmanian Tiger was an incredibly unique species. It had the head of a dog, stripes of a cat and the pouch of a kangaroo. Their killing started after farmers complained about their livestock going missing, and the only way out was to exterminate them on a large scale.

Another reason for their extinction was the Van Diemens Land Company, which hunted it down for its fur. By 1936, the last known thylacine named "Benjamin," died at the Hobart zoo.

5. Muskox

The Muskox inhabited the Arctic for thousands of years, and their long shaggy hair was well adapted to the bitter cold. Over-hunting in the 1900s until the 1930s forced this species off the face of the planet. They were mostly killed for their hides or just to keep as trophies!

6. Mediterranean Monk Seals

This species comes under the worlds most critically endangered marine mammals category. Industrial pollution and rise of concretes jungle is mostly responsible the Mediterranean Monk Seals' extinction. Over-fishing has also played a major role in its death. To keep them from eating fish, they were mercilessly shoot them down.

7. Barbary Lions

Barbary, or Atlas lions once roamed the deserts and mountains of northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt. The largest lion subspecies, they were admired for their size and dark manes. They were also hunted to extinction, but the period remains unclear. One story claims that a hunter shot the last wild Barbary lion in 1942, others say it was as late as 1960.

8. Warrah

Facebook/Rene Pop

A type of wolf, the warrah was the only land mammal found in the Falkland Islands, which was uninhabited by humans until the 1760s. The wolves were safe till then, but after human inhabitation. the numbers began to drop steadily. When settlers arrived, they saw the wolves as a threat to their livestock.

9. Schomburgks Deer

Once found in Thailand, the deer was known to have magic antlers which had the power to cure diseases. Human settlement and agriculture destroyed most of their liveable habitat. . The last wild Schomburgks deer was killed in 1932, and the last domesticated deer died in 1938.

10. Tecopa Pupfish

The Tecopa Pupfish lived in the Mojave Desert in the outflows of water from the South and North Tecopa Hot Springs. The males were bright blue and females were striped. They were small and ate larva.

In the 1950s, bathhouses and spring pools were expanded to accommodate those who came to enjoy a swim. That caused the fish to be pushed downstream. The currents were much swifter and the waters were colder and the Tecopa pupfish became extinct in or around 1970. The last sighting was on February 2, 1970.

11. Sea Mink

Prized for its fur, this tiny creature was vigorously hunted until its extinction in the 1860s. Found in the Falkland Islands, the Sea Mink is the only other terrestrial mammal to have been wiped out from existence.
While the world is busy fighting the rightful battles for women crime and harassment, there are some who are also fighting for the right of men. And yes, there are women included in it too.

Vaastav Foundation, one of the few NGOs in Mumbai that fights for crime and harassment against men, and also helps them get their rights, has now requested the railway authorities in Mumbai to light up the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in blue colour in order to celebrate the contribution of men in the society on International Men's Day on November 19.

CST lit up in Pink on Womens day

Amit Deshpande, heading the foundation for years now said that they are not against women, or even the concept of feminism, contrary to what the people usually assume they are doing. "We believe in gender equality ourselves. However, if the world is all about getting equal rights to both genders, but celebrating only one gender at the same time, is something me and my volunteers feel is unfair," Deshpande tells us.

Deshpande told us that they have requested the railway authorities to light up the CST in blue colour during Women's Day that falls on March 8, "asking for equality is not a crime, but if one is asking for equality for women, it should also be asked for men. Lighting up CST is only a symbol of how much people support us. We men are an equal part of the ecosystem, which we want the people to acknowledge," he said.

the CST was lit in this colour in support of world autism day

So far, Deshpande has not received any answer from the authorities, and he and his team are now waiting for the evening to see if their wish to see their symbol for equal rights is fulfilled. Deshpande's foundation works for men who have been abused at home, or harassed by any kind, "and support them when the society does not. When a woman cries for help, everybody listens and believes her. That, for us men, is a high-end luxury," he said.

It will be recalled that the CST had lit up in blue colour in support of the Autistic on World Autism day that falls on April 2.

Vaastav have even been posting about this and receiving support from Twitter

If pink for women, then BLUE FOR MEN!!! Indian Railways, plz show true GENDER EQUALITY by flashing BLUE lights on CSTM station on MENS DAY on 19th November!!!  Makarand@498A (@Mak_sk195103) November 9, 2017

 Suresh Rao (@sureshrao2008) November 17, 2017
The defence spokesperson said that six terrorists have been gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district in an encounter. According to news agency PTI, a Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been killed.

Security forces cordoned off and launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the terrorists hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Six terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter at Hajin," Srinagar-based Defence
With the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, the UN Childrens Fund (Unicef) has now expressed serious concerns over the condition that the children are living in. From poor to no access to school, malnutrition in Afghanistan, the condition seems to be deteriorating for the kids - both in terms of health and living conditions.

reuters

A challenging issue for children in Afghanistan is malnutrition, said the UNICEF representative. Khodr said there were 600,000 children who were severely malnourished in Afghanistan, describing the situation as severe acute malnutrition. She said the rate of stunting or chronic malnutrition in Afghanistan was 41 per cent; not only does this mean that children are short for their age but more importantly it means that the mental and intellectual capacity of these children once they become adults is stunted too.

We have a very serious concern about the education of children in Afghanistan because there are 3.5 million children who are out of school while they are supposed to be in school, Adele Khodr, Unicefs country representative, told Xinhua news agency. She said 75 per cent of those 3.5 million children out of school were girls, reported IANS.

reuters

Even if the girls go to school, they leave the school earlier when they became an age of 12 or 15 years, the Unicef representative said. Khodr also expressed concern over the quality of teaching for children and their learning levels. The education situation has improved in Afghanistan since the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001. According to Afghan Presidential Palace, less than 1 million children had access to education during Talibans reign. The number has soared to more than 9.5 million children with 40 per cent of them girls attending 15,000 schools across the country in 2016

She noted that Afghanistan was one of the three countries in the world still fighting polio. This year, 10 polio cases were registered in the country. Cross-country access was difficult due to security reasons. According to a report of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released in October, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan had caused 2,480 child casualties including 689 deaths during the first three quarters of this year.
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.
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 Realizing a Dream is Never too Late

Pandora. / Dana Lixenberg

Pandora (b. 1974) is perhaps Myanmars most respected woman poet. She became a professional poet only after completing her higher education, pursuing a career and having a family. She is now editing the first anthology of Burmese womens poetry.

When did you start writing poetry?

My parents ran a book rental shop. As a child, I was allowed to read any book in the shop. My parents also encouraged me to read, recite and write poetry. I started writing some traditional rhyming verses in sixth grade (I was 11 years old). I took part in school poetry competitions and won prizes too.

Later, in university, my father did not ask me for anything, just that I write poetry and send poems to magazines. But I sent my poems only to student magazines and I did not try to become a professional poet. I didnt have the confidence, and was too pragmatic  giving priority to other important matters in life: education, career, having a family. Only in my early thirties did I start to realize my childhood dream, to become a real poet, to be called a poet. Realizing a dream is never too late. I am happy with my life path.

How was your writing affected by living in an unfree society where freedom of speech was not permitted?

During the military dictatorship, I used several metaphors and images just like many other Myanmar poets. I was always wondering how to penetrate the restrictions. From 2007 to 2010, I didnt send my poems to local print media, as these might not be published under censorship.

Unfree society can restrict the people but not the creative spirit in their mind. Some artists and poets were sent to jail for their work.

Unfree society can be paradoxically good for some forms of art as the artists try to find creative ways to express what they want to say. However by saying so, I dont mean to go back under censorship. Indeed, a much bigger and better room for creativity is available in a free society.

And how has politics affected your writing now?

After the recent political changes in Myanmar, my poems appear to be less political and I try to look at my inner self. It is also because of changes in my personal life.

The current status of freedom of speech in Myanmar is significantly much more open now. Not only about politics, we find some poems on controversial and sensitive issues like sex and religion. Of course, they are highly criticized. Along with the openness of internet, we also see the spread of hate speech and cyber bullies. The Burmese are on their way to learn how to make use of responsible freedom  for there can be a negative side effect of freedom if ones freedom has negative impact on the others freedom. In terms of restrictions, I am not sure if government policies are stable now. I would like to refer to blogger Nay Phone Latts words  We are free now but we are not sure whether we are safe.

Tell me about women and poetry in Myanmar.

Traditionally, women in Myanmar are the subjects, rather than the creators of poetry. Female experience and womens poetic reflections on nature, romance, nostalgia and domestic life  let alone politics  have had only a marginal position in the countrys literary tradition.

Most poetry anthologies contain little, if any work by women. The same goes for magazines and journals.

Social norms in Myanmar also pose a challenge to womens ability to write poetry that is innovative and bold. The cultural notion of women as a second sex can create an environment where women are reluctant to write about sexual or erotic subjects, use explicit language, or participate in the traditional male domains of politics and socio-economics.

And of course, historically women were discouraged from achieving more than just functional literacy in our country: education was reserved for men, who would be the breadwinners in their families. So the study of poetry, seen as the property of the wise was out of question for girls.

Our society still has fixed ideas concerning what women should be and how they should behave. And of course, the military ruling system contributed to womens submission by excluding them from having a voice in how their country was governed.

But this is now quickly changing, and there are some young women poets who are writing very daring and very bold things.

And finally, tell me about your poetic biography you attach here.

I wrote Probably some attributes to my poetry for a meta poetry exercise. A meta-poem is a poem about poetry. This poem is not only about my poetry but also reflecting my life experiences. Poets usually do not explain about their poems, right? But I believe that these lines say something true about me.

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 Thukhamein Hlaing Helped Revolutionize Modern Burmese Poetry

Thu Khamein Hlaing. / Dana Lixenberg

Thukhamein Hlaing (b. 1948) is a giant of contemporary Burmese poetry. Along with Aung Cheimt, and several others, he revolutionized modern Burmese poetry by freeing it from the restrictions of traditional rhyme. A modest gentleman, you would never know he is also famous in Myanmar as a songwriter, specializing in writing Burmese lyrics for international pop songs.

When did you start writing poetry?

I started writing poems in 1965. Someone once asked me why I write poetry. I answered: because I want to. I think its a good enough answer. I became convinced  certain inside my heart  that I want to devote myself to writing poetry in 1966. I could no longer resist the pull of poetry and so I quit high school in 1966. Its more like a conviction than a realization, mixed with a pride, when I say I am complete only with poetry. Since then, I just wanted to write poems all the time. I didnt even want to give time to eat, sleep, or take a bath. I wanted to write all the time, so that even the time to write is missing.

I was eighteen years old in 1966. My surroundings and this world were more influential for me, more than love. The Vietnam War, political affairs of my country, money, and power, other world affairs, matters of life and death.

When I was starting out as a poet, I found I could not capture all these influences and feelings well with the traditional four-syllable format of classical Burmese poetry. As for my thoughts, my worries, my feelings about writing poetry, the best answer to these questions is found in my poetry itself.

What are your thoughts on the poets role in society?

I dont want to use the word thought. Rather, I prefer to call it my belief. If everyone knew poetry, nobody would get into any trouble in this world. That is my belief about poetrys place in our society. My remarks are of course colored by Myanmars history. Even before our countrys independence in 1948, even before General Aung San [the founder of modern Myanmar] was assassinated, the prominent politicians of the day had already adopted a political culture of destroying one another  of constant infighting, intrigue and betrayal. In 1975, in my tenth year of being a poet, I chose not to take part in that kind of annihilation politics. Instead, I chose a politics that takes responsibility through poetry.

Again, the answer to this question is best answered by my poetry. For example this two-line poem of mine  that does not even have a title:

Ive come to a world I cant help much

Ive strived as much as I can

Today, the world can see my countrys politics.

Here in this country, we can publish no more than 500 copies of any one book of poetry  no one buys them. How are we even strong enough to survive? This question is also a necessary answer.

In the end, I prefer to answer through poetry. So here is another poem I wrote on the twenty-third of September 2016  and I must emphasize that I wrote it before Bob Dylan got the Nobel Prize for literature.

The Prize

Hey, you poet,

What prize did you get?

Me? I got the world.

Ive got the world that youve got.

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
Microsofts SQL Server Management Studio is a Windows-only product, meaning developers and admins who preferred other operating systems had to find alternate tools until now, with the preview release of SQL Operations Studio.

Microsoft continues its trend of embracing alternate, non-Windows, platforms under chief executive Natya Sadella. While its not news Microsoft has been working to bring its database product SQL Server to Linux since early last year, developers who used Linux or Macintosh hardware running OS X had to resort to remote desktop connections into a Windows machine, or find alternate products such as JetBrains DataGrip, to execute database queries and manage databases directly from their own desktop.

This now changes with Microsofts release in preview of SQL Operations Studio. The name is an interesting choice, omitting Server, suggesting it may, in time, be useful for non-Microsoft database platforms also. For now, SQL Operations Studio exists for Windows, Linux and OS X and is available for download.

Or, if youre keen, you can even build your own version straight from the GitHub repository because its also an open source product, built on top of Visual Studio Code. The licence says Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) grants you a non-exclusive, perpetual,royalty-free right to use, copy, and modify the software code provided by us ("Software Code"). You may not sublicense the Software Code or any use of it (except to your affiliates and to vendors to perform work on your behalf)through distribution, network access, service agreement, lease, rental, or otherwise.

Once installed, its an easy task to connect to Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Azure SQL Server, using the regular connection details  server name, username and password, database name  and perform routine database operations.

Heres where the operations in the name comes in; this isnt simply a query management tool for developers, its also intended for those in infrastructure teams who are not database professionals but yet must perform regular database server administration tasks, providing prescriptive features and version-controlled scripting support whether bash, PowerShell, or something else.
Apple may face another stoush with the US authorities over encryption after it was served with a search warrant by Texas Rangers who are investigating a shooting at a church in the state by a man known as Devin Kelley.

Kelley killed 26 people at a church in Sutherland Springs and then committed suicide.

Apple has said that it offered to help the FBI in the wake of the shootings once the agency said it was unable to unlock Kelley's encrypted smartphone. The fact that the phone was an Apple device was reported in some US newspapers.

Last year, Apple got involved in a major stoush with the FBI over a demand that it break into an iPhone which belonged to one of the attackers involved in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015. That stoush ended with the FBI backing down after it found a third party that was able to break into the iPhone in question.

The San Antonio Express-Newsthat the Texas Rangers had obtained search warrants for files on Kelley's iPhone, a second mobile phone found close to his body and for files in his iCloud archive.

Apple has a policy that material in an iCloud account can be given to law enforcement authorities if they have proper search warrants.

The newspaper said that Kelley had been found with an iPhone SE, and a second phone, an LG 328BG. Investigators are looking to obtain data from the iPhone and the shooter's iCloud account from 1 January 2016 onwards.
Reddit Email 649 Shares

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The Saudi-led coalition is waging total war on Yemen in a bid to defeat the guerrilla group, the Houthis or the Helpers of God. The Houthis took power in Sanaa in fall of 2014 and consolidated it in early 2015. By March-April, Saudi Arabias Muhammad Bin Salman, now the crown prince, had ordered air strikes on the country that have continued to this day. These strikes have been indiscriminate, hitting schools, hospitals, apartment buildings and key civilian infrastructure like ports, bridges and roads. Any one of these strikes is a war crime. In the aggregate they become crimes against humanity.

The Houthi gang is also guilty of war crimes, and of severe human rights violations and cannot be held blameless in the unfolding devastation of Yemen. But the Saudi-led war and the various forms of blockade Riyadh is imposing on Yemen are far worse. The Houthis are a radical group deriving from Zaydi tribes in Saadeh and other towns in rural north Yemen, who as Shiites deeply resent Saudi proselytizing for hard line Salafi Sunnism in Yemen. Houthi leaders have vowed to overthrow the House of Saud and have tried to imitate the rhetorical style of Hizbullah in Lebanon. However, Houthis are a local indigenous protest movement in Yemen, and are not a proxy for Iran. Houthi weaponry is mostly American and Iran does not give them much money or other support. The Saudis try to blame Iran for the Houthi revolt in order to shift blame from their own aggressive policies.

These political considerations should not allow us to forget what is being done to Yemen children.

Save the Children writes,

Severe acute malnutrition is the most extreme and dangerous form of undernutrition. Symptoms include jutting ribs and loose skin with visible wasting of body tissue, or swelling in the ankles, feet and belly as blood vessels leak fluid under the skin.

* 130 children die every day in Yemen from extreme hunger and diseaseone child every 18 minutes. The Saudi blockade on ports such as Hudeida will increase this death toll.

*This year, at least 50,000 children are expected to die as indirect casualties of the war (if food cannot be off-loaded at ports, and bridges are knocked out, children will die of malnutrition).

* Nearly 400,000 children will need to be treated for severe acute malnutrition in Yemen in the next twelve months. Aid organizations are being actively interfered with in this work by the Saudi blockade and bombing strikes.

* As a result of the Saudi blockade, aid organizations like Save the Children will be out of food and medicine stocks in the next two to three months.

* If left untreated some 20 to 30 percent of children with severe acute malnutrition will perish every year.

* It should be remembered that famines usually do not kill people because there is no food at all. What happens is that the food becomes too expensive for the poor to purchase. This situation now obtains in Yemen and obviously the Saudi blockade, by obese princes who are obviously getting three square meals a day, is driving up the price of food for Yemenis.

* A shocking 10,000 children are likely to die in Taiz district and another 10,000 in the Hodeidah district this year.

The aid organization concludes:

Save the Children currently has five shipping containers full of life-saving food for sick and malnourished children stuck in Aden because of road closures. Our staff cannot reach communities to provide life-saving care and much-needed supplies and relief workers cannot enter the country. Essential medicines, fuel and food stocks could start running out in a matter of weeks. Its utterly unacceptable to let children die of neglect and a lack of political will. Without urgent action the future looks bleak.



Related video:

Yemen: Millions of children and families are on the brink of starvation | UNICEF
In your 2013 Africa Progress Report, you shed light on the fact that around $1.36 billion was lost by the Democratic Republic of Congo between 2010 and 2012 in the form of mining rights for copper and cobalt that were sold to firms based on the British Virgin Islands at prices far below their actual value. That would have been enough money to cover Congo's health and education budgets for two years. How is something like that even possible?

Mr. Annan, why is Africa so poor? Kofi Annan: Africa isnt poor. It's a rich continent with many, many poor people. Around $160 billion dollars flow into Africa each year - inflow through transfers made by Africans living outside the continent and in the form of aid assistance. But we lose over $200 billion in the outflow. So, in the end, we are a net transferor of resources out of Africa to the rest of the world.

The problem begins with the contracts governments sign with the multinationals. Some countries are so keen to attract multinationals that they offer indefensible concessions to try and attract them. These companies also exploit that. They will tell you, for example: We need to get our investments back before we begin sharing the profits. Sometimes, as part of the concession, theyre not even required to pay taxes for many years, which is really wrong.

In Congo, we have the classic example of the countrys elites, foreign firms and investors colluding to jointly loot the country. Who is primarily to blame for this?

It takes two to tango. The African officials who are signing away their countrys resources at an almost giveaway rate in the expectation that they will get something are really betraying their people and the trust they have put in them. This has a real and direct impact. It takes development and food away from people. The multinationals and the investors also have to know that they have a certain responsibility and obligation. They dont need a government law or necessarily a strong government in place for them to do what is right  legally, professionally and morally. Sometimes, they even go to the extent of telling you: If we dont pay the bribe, the competitor will pay it - and take the business away from us. This is something I dont accept.

What can be done about it?

The only way to stop this sort of game is to push for transparency. Transparency is a powerful tool. We should get the companies and the governments to publish the contracts that have been signed, what the companies earned and how much they paid to the government in taxes. The public also needs to know what the government did with the money.

Offshore companies in the Caribbean or elsewhere, of the kind that are often operated by these companies, are frequently used to conceal things. Do you think they should be banned?

Some would tell you theres nothing wrong with tax havens and shell companies  and that, sometimes, there are legitimate reasons for using them. But we cannot forget that these instruments can also be used by criminal elements or what I call uncivil society, to do incredible things. It would be wonderful if we had an international regime that revealed who is behind these shell companies and who the beneficiary owner is.

There have already been many initiatives to push for increased transparency, but most have yielded very modest results.

That is true, but here I must say I was encouraged by developments in Europe when the way in which companies like Apple, Starbucks and others are paying only minimal taxes became clear. The citizens got really angry about it, and the politicians realized something must be done.

Still, in many instances, tax avoidance schemes remain legal even today. The companies simply exploit loopholes that have been left for them by politicians.

Exactly, but the companies also have to understand that when you take so much out of a country and you dont put anything back - either in the form of taxes or serious investments - then you are really undermining your own business base. You are helping create failed states 

... which makes it easier for them to loot.

Yes, it makes it easier for them to loot, but only for a while. Because at some point, either the country collapses or the system becomes so chaotic that - if youre a serious and honest company - you dont want to operate there. Youll be competing with the adventurists who dont care about their reputation. And the country naturally also pays a price. So, business leaders have to set a good example.

Do these business leaders listen to you? In your 2013 report, you named international commodities trader Glencore as a player that profits from the weakness of the Zambian state. Did the heads of Glencore ever answer you?

Yes. They read our report and were not particularly happy. They called the director of the Africa Progress Panel and indirectly threatened to sue. I think it was more intimidation tactics, because if they were to sue, they would have to answer lots of questions themselves. They would have to prove that what has been published by us and others is completely untrue. The other thing I tried to do, which didnt really come to pass, was to try and see if we could get the major mining companies to come together. Here, I am talking about reputable companies like Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The idea was for them to sign a code of conduct for their operations in these developing countries. I had several meetings, but we couldnt bring the process to successful closure.

Why not?

Bringing a group like that together with their own corporate interests is not always easy. I have no power or authority to go and tell them they should approach it in certain terms. I gave them an example of what I did with AIDS, for example, when I invited the chairmen of the seven largest pharmaceutical companies to meet with me in Amsterdam, to plead with them to reduce the cost of medications so that the poor could afford them. It was difficult at the beginning but, in the end, the prices came down quite low. Today, millions are on medication. If the will is there, then we can do something.

But voluntary commitments can be reversed at any time. What is needed are binding political and legal frameworks. In recent years, you often referred to the G-8 and G-20 countries as potent levers for instituting a multilateral approach on tax evasion and avoidance. But the topic wasnt high on the agenda at the G-20 summit this summer in Hamburg. Does the international community simply lack the will to tackle this issue?

Quite a lot of the big companies operating around the world come from G-8 or G-20 countries. Thats why these countries have a special responsibility to ensure that their companies operating in the poorer countries also show some responsibility and are not just exploitative. Even if they dont have a global agreement for this, they can begin to look at things at a national level. If people were not paying bribes, there would be no takers.

Generally, though, the money also passes through many hands 

Yes, and thats why the banks also need to be asking: What is the source of this money? With new technology, we should be able to trace all this money. And when it is traced, it should be sent back to the country it was stolen from.

One argument that you often hear in this context is competition. Companies always look for the country that offers the lowest tax rate, and the governments argue that if they raise taxes, the companies would simply go elsewhere. Are politicians justified in their concerns?

Lets take one region, Europe: You have a membership of 28 countries. And these companies are allowed to play one country off against the other. When Brussels woke up to this problem - whether the issue is moving the company to Luxembourg or to Ireland - and started making moves, some of these multinational companies decided themselves that they had to pay more. By using transparency, suddenly everyone wakes up, the companies and the countries. And often with pressure from the people, with people saying: This isnt fair. We pay our way. How come this company making millions or billions in profits is paying so little or nothing at all? I think the competition argument is overdone.

You served for 10 years as the secretary-general of the United Nations. Why cant the UN tackle these problems? Its possible to impose sanctions on supporters of terrorism and on countries that proliferate weapons of mass destruction. Why cant the UN also impose sanctions on those who evade taxes and promote corruption?

Only the Security Council can pass an enforceable resolution, and we also see with other issues how countries get around enforcement and implementation of these resolutions. For the UN to take action, the member governments have to not only agree, but also go home and implement it. I dont see it as a practical option.

What other options are available?

The individual countries need to assume their responsibility and ensure that companies are held accountable. There are also some interesting initiatives on the international level: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, for example, has begun training African tax collectors and customs officials. The program is called Tax Inspectors Without Borders and it is modelled after Doctors Without Borders. I hope they will push it as far as possible.

You made a name for yourself as a mediator in many of the worlds wars and crises. Is it more difficult to tackle issues where big money is involved than civil wars?

With war and peace, either its a civil war or one or two or several countries at war. You can usually get the other countries or actors to come together because they are not directly affected and they can all rally to stop a war. But when it comes to the sort of issue we are talking about, there are so many vested interests that you will not get the traction to get it done.

Your son Kojo was involved in a corruption scandal surrounding the Oil-for-Food program in Iraq. Last year, the Panama Papers also showed that he had been a shareholder and director of several companies in the British Virgin Islands and Samoa. Where do you stand on this?

If something is wrong, its wrong for everybody. You dont excuse relatives or sons. He used a shell company to buy an apartment, which was really unnecessary. I dont see why one should go that route. Its not something I would advise or condone.

Can you imagine a day when development aid will no longer be necessary for Africa because revenues from the countrys wealth of natural resources will flow into the continents development?

I look forward to that day. I think most Africans would want to be able to rely on trade to lift themselves out of poverty rather than live on handouts. Africa has great potential - and a young population. Researchers refer to a demographic dividend, but it can also be a demographic curse, unless we tackle the issues youve raised. We need to create economic development in these countries and we need to create conditions in which young people can make a decent living at home, without giving them any incentive to move elsewhere to greener pastures.

In https://projekte.sueddeutsche.de/paradisepapers/politik/kofi-annan-on-corruption-in-africa-e783888/
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By Peter Lehr | (The Conversation) |  

Even ten years on, the first mental image that comes to mind with regard to Theravada Buddhism is that of Myanmars Saffron Revolution of August-September 2007: thousands of Buddhist monks peacefully demonstrating in the streets of Yangon, Mandalay, Pakokku, Sittwe and other towns against the ruling military junta. These peaceful monks still exist, although many of them went into hiding, or fled abroad. But the Burmese monks in the headlines today are preaching violence instead of peace, and firm action instead of meditation.

Its not just in Myanmar that this militant Buddhism is on the rise: its also surfacing in the other two leading Theravadin countries: Sri Lanka and Thailand. In all three countries, Buddhists make up the vast majority of the population: 70% in Sri Lanka, 88% in Myanmar, and 93% in Thailand. One could be excused for thinking that there is nothing to worry about: with such towering demographic majorities, Buddhists are surely to some extent safe and secure in their respective countries.

This is not how the militant monks see things. They are convinced that Buddhism is under siege, and in grave danger of being wiped out. To explain this, they point out that while Muslims or Hindu Tamils (in the case of Sri Lanka) are in the minority in these countries, they enjoy significant support from beyond their national borders.

In Sri Lanka and Myanmar, the notion that a non-Buddhist minority is the vanguard of an imminent invasion is very strong indeed. It is believed that firm action has to be taken to prevent them from taking over Buddhist lands and eradicating Buddhism. Basically, the militant monks see their communities as targets of a relentless holy war, and see it as their duty, to respond in kind with their own variant of holy war.

Justifying violence

The conviction that Buddhism is under threat also allows these leaders to justify the use of violence. Militant monks usually start their argumentation by pointing out that even the Buddha himself showed some understanding for the wars conducted by his benefactor King Pasenadi instead of condemning them. He did still warn him that killing, you gain your killer, conquering, you gain the one who will conquer you  the message being that violence begets violence. Even for the Buddha, then, nonviolence was not necessarily an absolute value  a point seized on by many of todays militant monks. Although they readily concede that an offensive use of violence should never be allowed, they point out that peaceful and nonviolent Buddhist communities still have the right to defend themselves, especially if and when the survival of the religion as such is at stake.

This point of view is dated. As soon as Buddhist-majority states came into being, the monkhood had to find ways to justify violence, including war, especially that perpetrated by their virtuous sovereign against an opponent. Indeed it was by the monarchs benevolence, and under the law and order he created, that the monastic order was able to survive.

An early example of such a justification comes from the Sinhalese Mahavamsa (the Great Chronicle): After a battle against a Hindu-Tamil army, Buddhist King Dutugamunu felt remorse for all the deaths he had caused, and asked senior monks for advice. They basically told him not to worry since he had caused the deaths of only one and a half persons  one who had just converted to Buddhism, and another who had been a Buddhist lay follower. All the rest had just been unbelievers and men of evil life [], not more to be esteemed than beasts.

This notable verdict implies that killing is excusable as long as the intention behind it is in the defence of the religion. Not surprisingly, this quote still is used to condone the use of violence  most recently by the Sitagu Sayadaw, an esteemed Burmese monastic leader, in order to justify the current persecution of perceived enemies of both state and religion  in this case, the Rohingya.

Sanctioning the violent actions of ones ruler or ones government is one thing; actively inciting lay-followers to commit such acts in defence of the religion is something completely different. Compared to preachers of hate from Abrahamic religions, todays militant monks have a difficult tightrope to walk, since incitement to murder constitutes one of Buddhisms four disrobing offences (parajikas)  offences resulting in the automatic expulsion from the monkhood. In September for example, a Thai monk was forced to disrobe because he had publicly demanded that for each monk killed in Thailands deep south, a mosque should be torched.

Most militant monks are therefore very careful in avoiding open calls to violence  instead, they attend mass rallies and demonstrations to stoke anti-Muslim sentiments and to preach passive resistance or pro-Buddhist affirmative action: not buying from Muslims, not selling to Muslims, not fraternising with Muslims, not allowing ones children to marry Muslims. They leave it to their followers, especially those organised in pro-state vigilante groups or Buddhist militias, to draw the right conclusions.

Although there is anecdotal evidence of armed monks actively taking part in violence, the majority of militant monks shy away from directly becoming involved: again, this would be a grave violation of the monastic code. Ashin Wirathu, a monk and leader of the Burmese anti-Muslim movement, describes this passive role very eloquently: I am only warning people about Muslims. Consider it like if you had a dog, that would bark at strangers coming to your house  it is to warn you. I am like that dog. I bark.

The rise of this strain of militant Theravada Buddhism can be explained in ethnic, social and economic terms, but from the perspective of the militant monks themselves, its about religion. Its not about the control of resources or worldly goods, but a defensive holy war or Dhamma Yudhaya in response to a perceived aggressive jihad against Buddhism that has been waged for centuries, from the destruction of the Buddhist library in Nalanda/Bihar at the end of the 12th century, to the destruction of the famous Bamiyan Buddhas in March 2001.

This somewhat simplistic reading of history, reminiscent of Samuel P. Huntingtons clash of civilizations thesis, reinforces the militant monks belief that now is the time not for peaceful meditation, but for firm action. The Buddhas warning that violence begets violence seems to have fallen on deaf ears for the time being.

Peter Lehr, Lecturer in Terrorism Studies, University of St Andrews

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Sky News: Special Report: The Rohingya refugee crisis
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TeleSur |  

Speculation has mounted that the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz, will step down and pass the throne to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week.

The United Kingdoms Daily Mail quoted a source close to the royal family by saying that the 81-year-old King Salman plans to abdicate and hand power over to his son, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, that has recently taken a de facto leadership role in Saudi Arabia.

The source claims that Salman plans to continue only as a ceremonial figurehead while handing over official leadership of the country to his son.

His son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, commonly referred to as MBS, already holds key positions within the government and has promised to usher in sweeping changes such as granting more rights to women and returning to a moderate Islam.

The source continued to the Daily Mail: Unless something dramatic happens, King Salman will announce the appointment of MBS as King of Saudi Arabia next week. King Salman will play the role of the queen of England. He will only keep the title Custodian of the Holy Shrines.

According to reports, this comes as a reaction to recent events in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and recent turmoil in Lebanon.

MBS is convinced that he has to hit Iran and Hezbollah, the Daily Mail 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.

MBS cannot confront Hezbollah in Lebanon without Israel. Plan B is to fight Hezbollah in Syria, said the source.

Analysts have suggested that Israel is not willing to engage in a costly war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, especially at the behest of Saudi Arabia.

The report by the Daily Mail hinted that King Salman may be suffering from dementia, which would explain a swift exchange in power while attempting to save face by keeping quiet on the matter.

These statements are unconfirmed and have not been corroborated by Saudi officials.

TeleSur

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

WION: Report: Saudi King is planning to step down
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The presidential symposium at this years Annual Meeting of the Child Neurology Society of America in early October in Kansas City raised many eyebrows. The first presentation of this symposium focused on burnout rates among neurologists around the country.

Many of my colleagues felt that this was an inappropriate choice, especially with so many trainees and young child neurologists in the audience. Typically, the presidential symposium at a conference of such eminence addresses an issue of scientific importance. But some other colleagues felt that this discussion was essential and that the elephant in the room cannot be ignored anymore.

As I sat through it, I felt that the presentation was outright depressing, with speakers belting out dismal data about the state of mind of neurologists around the country. The most striking statistic was that about 60 percent of neurologists in the U.S. were experiencing burnout symptoms, including emotional exhaustion or lack of a sense of accomplishment. They also showed signs of depersonalization, which is an impaired perception of self and others that can lead to lack of empathy, including for patients.

I have been taking care of patients for more than two decades since graduating from medical school in 1994. I had not even heard of physician burnout until about four years ago when a lot of data started getting published. However, it is now a subject of discussion among physicians on wards, in clinic and at conferences, as we all realize that it is a menace.

The core that provides care

Unsurprisingly, the rot extends beyond the field of neurology. Several reports recently have highlighted that physician burnout rates across many major specialties in the U.S. have reached epidemic proportions. For example, a survey earlier this year suggested that the physician burnout rate exceeded 50 percent for the fields of emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, internal medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, pediatrics, neurology, urology, cardiology, rheumatology and infectious disease.

This is bad for doctors, and its bad for patients. Physician burnout is a public health hazard, because it is a danger to patient safety and leads to poorer care.

The presidential symposium got me thinking about my own professional life. Was I positive about my career? What made me continue to pursue the practice of neurology? And, did anyone at work inspire me to remain engaged?

As I reflected on these questions about what helps me avoid burnout, an obvious answer came immediately: I knew that I continually looked up to two senior physicians in my division who trained me to be a child neurologist about a decade ago and now happen to be my colleagues.

But then I realized that there were some others who served as my inspiration at a subconscious level.

One of them is a medical social worker who joined us just a few months back. Imposing in stature, with a crop of curly high-top hairdo that makes him appear even taller, he is at ease when interacting with kids and parents alike. The focus of his work is to provide support to families that are overwhelmed with the care of children with chronic neurological illnesses. I can rely on him to come up with solutions to any of my patients problems, whether it is finding mental health support or getting insurance coverage. And he manages to handle an extremely demanding schedule without ever appearing to be hurried. While many of us dread electronic medical record keeping, his notes wondrously manage to not only incorporate precise wordings but also have the most aesthetically pleasing fonts.

The other co-worker who inspires me guards the front desk of our office. He ushers in patients and their families. This may not sound like an important job to laypersons. But he gives a new meaning to the art of making a first impression, the art of putting sick patients and their families at ease. And he does so day in day out with warmth that few can ever manage to radiate.

The four individuals mentioned above have little in common, except that they directly interact with and take good care of patients and their families.

The superstructure

At the same time, I, like most doctors across America, have scores of colleagues who never interact with a patient or directly contribute to the actual care. These include billers, coders, financial counselors, accountants, managers, directors, strategists and so on. They play an increasingly critical role in the complex multi-payer health care setup as it operates today.

Unfortunately, the nurses, the therapists, the physicians, the pharmacists, the social workers  the folks who interact with patients and directly contribute to the provision of care  are arguably becoming smaller in their significance within the health care system of America.

The entire industrys focus seems to have shifted to administration and the business side of medicine. There are data to support this: We spend way more on administrative costs than any other country around the world to deliver care, particularly in the hospital setting. This shift in focus is likely the central cause of burnout.

Can the setup be overhauled or the course be reversed?

My grandfather once risked his life and crossed a flooded river on a horseback to steer a woman in the midst of a complicated labor to safety. He treated the poor free of charge, and he took money from the rich to build a hospital in an area of India where medical care was in short supply. He had nothing much to worry about then, except his conscience.

In 21st-century America, we cant hope to recreate such a utopian scenario. But we can certainly restructure the health care setup enough to help us restore some of the passion. In my opinion, adopting a single-payer health care system will help cut administrative layers. A majority of physicians in the U.S. support moving to a single-payer model, according to a recent survey.

I offer an additional or an alternative solution, one that will require innovative strategies to implement: Any person engaged in the health care industry in an administrative capacity ought to spend at least 20 percent of time and effort in interacting directly with patients. This will put the patients back in the focus and bring passion back into the field of medicine.

Jay Desai is a child neurologist. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Stuff reported:

A group of Manus Island asylum seekers are luring underage girls as young as 10 into sex, an Australian Government intelligence report claims. The Australian Government has confirmed the accuracy of the diplomatic cable, obtained by The Australian Financial Review and Stuff. However, the timing of the leak, and several others in Australian publications, suggests rising levels of frustration within the Australian Government that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was putting undue pressure on a domestic Australian policy issue.

Jacinda has turned this into a real aggravation between the two countries with her inexperience. Diplomacy is about looking for solutions palatable to both countries, that allow both countries to claim a win. Trying to browbeat our closest neighbour and friend to reverse a policy which is deemed fundamental to their border security will achieve nothing except pissing them off.

The report was concerned that male camp residents were travelling into the community to procure sex with underage girls. It states that some residents were renting rooms throughout Lorengau and luring underage girls between 10 and 17 years of age, with money, goods and food. While the report states police were unable to investigate the claims because they had not been reported, the local provincial health authority had written to the provincial police commander expressing concerns about increased interaction between the residents and the young girls from a health perspective, saying they had seen an increase in sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

So Labour wants to reduce the number of skilled immigrants coming to NZ, and reduce the number of foreign student but take 150 people from Manus Island. What a great policy.

According to the cable, Manus Island residents were also unhappy with the stigma attached to the girls who engaged in the activities and the number of children born from the relationships (reported at least 10 at the time of our last visit).

Thats ok. If their Dads move to NZ, theyll be able to come also!

Ardern has been increasingly insistent Australia should let New Zealand take some of the 600 asylum seekers remaining on Manus Island, following the closure of Australias Regional Processing Centre. It is understood the Turnbull Government is furious with what it views as Arderns moral posturing and naivety on the matter.

Yet much of the NZ media are reporting what a diplomatic success the PM is. If this is success, Id hate to see failure.

Australian government sources say they are extremely concerned about the messages Ardern is sending to people smugglers. The smugglers are watching every interaction between governments in the region on this issue and looking for a chance to restart their businesses, one senior Australian Government source said. They observe the statements of new leaders very closely and if they see a sign of policies shifting or changing, they take advantage of that.

Yep. Policies and resolve of Governments matter. 1,200 people drowned during the previous policy.

A spokesman for Ardern said the relationship with Australia is strong.

This belongs to the same category as We were sure we had the numbers, we just didnt want a contested vote for Speaker.

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Q: I need to know the law for kids under 16 for night time. I need to know if it is OK for them to drive to school functions like practices and then straight home. Is it also OK for them to drive with an adult in the front passenger at night also? Thank you for your help.Stephanie

A: Drivers under the age of 16 can only drive a half hour before sunrise and a half an hour after sunrise when driving anywhere except from a school function if they get a restricted school attendance driving permit.

Idaho Code 49-307A (2) reads: The permit, if issued, shall only entitle the minor to drive to and from school, and school sponsored activities occurring at the school where enrolled, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

In case you are wondering how to get this permit, here is how Idaho Code 49-310 reads: When signing for a restricted school attendance driving permit, the person signing the applicants application shall attest that the conditions set forth within section 49-307A, Idaho Code, are met. Each application for a restricted school attendance driving permit shall also be signed by the local county sheriff, the president of the board of trustees of the local school district, and the school principal of the applicants school, verifying that the conditions set forth within section 49-307A, Idaho Code, are met.

As a reminder I need to add Idaho Code 49-310 (4) which partially reads: Any person who has signed the application of a minor for a permit or drivers license shall be liable civilly for the payment of any court penalty imposed because the minor has been found to have committed an infraction violation.

I would add that if your 15-year-old was caught violating their driver restrictions it could also lead to losing that license as well. A 15-year-old can, however, drive at night with a valid licensed passenger who is 21 or older.

Im guessing that your drivers 16th birthday will be a great day for them and you.

Officer down

Please put these officers, killed in the line of duty, and their families in your prayers. They fought the good fight, now may they rest in peace. God bless these heroes:

K9 Jax, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, California

K9 Argo, Normandy Police, Missouri

Have a question for Policemandan? Email your question(s) to policemandan@cableone.net or look for Ask Policemandan on Facebook and click the like button. Mail to: Box 147, Heyburn, Idaho 83336
PRESS RELEASE

Panama Officially Joins the Belt and Road Initiative

Nov. 17, 2017 (EIRNS)In state visit to China, Panamas President Juan Carlos Varela has officially embraced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Today, Panamas Foreign Ministry issued a press release stating that

"reinforcing the role of the Isthmus as the great connection, Panama adheres to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, in which our country plays a key role thanks to the Panama Canal, our logistical and financial platform, and our neutrality."

It adds that in this role, Panama "opens the doors to consolidating us as Chinas entry point into Latin America."

This morning, following an official welcome ceremony, President Varela met with President Xi Jinping, who underscored that the two nations had entered a "new era," and praised Varelas "strategic vision." Establishing ties with China was, he said, "an act of heroism" which will "go down in history." Varela told Xi that his government supports the BRI and that China and Panama can work together to advance this great project in Ibero-America and the Caribbean to improve world connectivity. Key to this will be cooperation in maritime affairs, port development, railways and logistics, he said.

After their private meeting, the two presided over the signing of 19 cooperation accords, many of which are directly linked to the BRI, spanning economics and trade, agriculture, infrastructure investment, transportation, science, and technology and maritime matters. They also laid the groundwork for signing a Free Trade Agreement, which will reinforce Chinas role as the second largest client of the Panama Canal after the United States, and the number-one supplier of goods to the Colon Free Trade Zone.

In commenting on the presidents meeting, Zhao Bentang, head of the Foreign Ministrys Department of Ibero-American and Caribbean Affairs, underscored Panamas importance for China, particularly as it relates to expansion of the Belt and Road, and especially the Maritime Silk Road. "Panama," he said,
The historic probability of having a snowy Thanksgiving, according to data from 6,314 weather stations that have at least 40 years of data. Dark blue shows a low historical probability of snow, and white shows a high historical probability of it.

It's common to hear people "dreaming of a white Christmas," but what about longing for a snowy white Thanksgiving? If you're in the "snowy Thanksgiving" camp, you now have a place to turn: the Twitter account of @Climatologist49.

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, Brian Brettschneider, a climate researcher at University of Alaska Fairbanks, analyzed data from thousands of U.S. and Canadian weather stations from the past 154 years. Brettschneider, who runs theTwitter account, set out to see whether it typically snowed on Thanksgiving Day at different locations.

In most cases, the farther inland and north a state's location was, the greater historical probability it had of receiving at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of snow on Thanksgiving, he found. [10 Surprising Ways Weather Has Changed History]

To make the map, Brettschneider looked at Thanksgiving Day weather data from 6,314 weather stations in the United States and Canada. He included only weather stations that had at least 40 years' worth of Thanksgiving data. The earliest date is from Fort Garland, Colorado, in 1863.

Some weather stations recorded snow on Thanksgiving Day every year, including a station at Old Faithful, Wyoming, which has "a perfect record" of Thanksgiving snow, dating back to 1906 (although not every year has records), Brettschneider said.

Likewise, it snowed on all 69 of the Thanksgiving Day archives logged at Snake River, Wyoming, he said. Fairbanks, Alaska, also had 69 out of 69, another perfect snowy record, Brettschneider said.

The state of Florida has just one record of snow on Thanksgiving. On Nov. 28, 1912, Mount Pleasant, Florida, celebrated a half inch of snow (1.3 cm), Brettschneider tweeted.

See more

This map isn't a weather forecast  you'll have to check the National Weather Service for that  "although, if you're visiting Minneapolis on Thanksgiving in any given year, there's about a 50 percent chance that it will be snowing or have snow on the ground [based on previous records]," Brettschneider said.

Brettschneider also looked at other weather records. In another tweet, he noted that "No station has ever hit 100F[ahrenheit, 37 degrees Celsius] on Thanksgiving. The closest was 97F at the Falcon Lake, TX, RAWS station on Nov. 25, 2010."

See more

To find the hottest and coldest Thanksgivings for the entire United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), Brettschneider took the average daily temperature of every Thanksgiving on record. The warmest Thanksgiving was in 1998, when the national average was 48 degrees F (8.8 degrees C). This warm weather was likely due, in part, to El Nino, a climate cycle that warms the ocean's surface in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.

The coldest Thanksgiving for the United States happened in 1898, but that year isn't well-sampled, Brettschneider tweeted. The next coldest Thanksgiving was in 1993, when the national average was 28 degrees F (minus 2.2 degrees C), he said. [Weirdo Weather: 7 Rare Weather Events]

See more

It's important to note that Thanksgiving doesn't happen on the same day every year. The holiday was celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November from 1863 until 1939. In that year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the third Thursday of the month, in hopes of giving shoppers more time to stimulate the economy between Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to the History Channel. In 1941, Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving back to the fourth Thursday, at the insistence of Congress.

Because of these changes, the holiday has fallen on any one of nine days throughout the years, Brettschneider said.

Even so, it's fun to see what places got snow on Thanksgiving. In this map, Brettschneider shows which weather stations have measured any snow (dark blue) or trace snow (light blue) on turkey day. According to the map, even Harlingen, Texas, a mere 13 miles (20 kilometers) north of the U.S.-Mexico border, has seen snow, with trace amounts falling on Nov. 24, 1938.

See more

"Thanksgiving is a big travel day, so I think snow causes anxiety for people driving, but that notwithstanding, I think people get excited about snow on holidays," Brettschneider said.

He also tweets weather records for other holidays, including Halloween and Christmas, he said.

Original article on Live Science.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 17, 2017

A Democratic lawmaker wants federal agencies to install ad blockers on government computers, unless the online ad industry develops a plan in the next six months to defeat malvertising.

"Although the vast majority of internet advertisements are legitimate, the fact that hostile actors can remotely target and potentially infect the computers of U.S. government employees means that this cyber threat vector can no longer be ignored," Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) says in a letter sent Thursday to Rob Joyce, cybersecurity coordinator at the White House. "Using targeted ads, it is simply far too easy for foreign governments to deliver malicious code directly to the computers of government employees."

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He adds that malware "is increasingly delivered through code embedded in seemingly innocuous advertisements online," and that users can become infected without even clicking on ads.

Wyden specifically asks Joyce to begin talks with the "online ad industry" and direct the industry to develop a plan within six months to prevent foreign governments from delivering malvertising to federal computers.

"After 180 days, if you are not completely confident that the advertising industry will effectively address this cyber threat, direct the Department of Homeland Security to issue a Binding Operational Directive requiring federal agencies to block the delivery to employees' computers of all internet ads containing executable computer code," Wyden writes.

The senator doesn't specify which companies or organizations he wants contacted. The letter does not mention the Trustworthy Accountability Group -- an industry organization created by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Association of National Advertisers and Interactive Advertising Bureau -- that currently works to prevent the spread of malware.

Last year, TAG moved forward with a program that certifies buyers, sellers, and intermediaries in the digital advertising supply chain that have taken steps to combat malware. TAG also recently launched a platform to share malware-related information with other companies and law enforcement agencies.

Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG, calls Wyden's letter "a little bit out of left field."

"I wouldn't expect it to have legs," Zaneis says, referring to Wyden's proposal. "Having the federal government unilaterally block a $70 billion U.S. industry is a short-sighted approach to what has been a long term, very complex problem."

John Montgomery, executive vice president for brand safety at GroupM Global, adds that computers are more likely to become infected with malware through a link in an email, or interactions on sites carrying pirated content, than from ads on legitimate sites -- particularly when the ads aren't clicked on.

"He's making ads the enemy here," Montgomery says of Wyden. "There are many, many ways a government computer could be infected."

Montgomery also points out that ad-blocking technology is imperfect, especially on mobile devices and social networking sites. He suggests that other measures, including malware detection technology, or restricting access to sites with questionable content, would be more effective than installing ad blockers.

TAG's Zaneis adds that even though the industry can make efforts to combat malware, it's impossible to completely prevent infections. "Malware is not a new issue," he says. "The criminals are really dedicated, and they're proficient, and they have a profit motive."
2017 has Rajkummar Rao's name written all over it. One look at his work and you can't help but admire his journey. As the year has come to an end, Rao has decided to end it by shaving his scalp and stepping into the shoes of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Playing Netaji ain't an easy job, getting into the skin of the legend and doing justice to the role requires tons of hard work and transformation both mentally and physically. Since it's first look 'Bose Dead/Alive' has begun making waves.

(c) ALT Balaji

MensXP saw Bose directed by Pulkit just before it airs on the digital platform. The web-series traces the journey of Netaji from being an introverted 14-year-old to a 48-year-old brave nationalist. From bringing into light the story of India's biggest cover-up to showing how it all began, we give you 5 reasons on why Bose is absolutely worth watching!

The Man, The Legend

(c) ALT Balaji

The story of Netaji has always been a jigsaw puzzle for many around. We have read the theories, the myths about him being dead or alive but how many of us actually have an idea of what happened? The series brings various chapters of Netaji's into limelight. Following a non-linear format, this fast-paced thriller not even for a moment lets you lose your concentration. The introductory scene of Rajkummar set in the Presidency College where he beats up the British professor with his shoe is worth applauding. Netaji becoming the mayor of the city and marching the road with thousands of people, is yet another scene that makes you rave about the man. Or be it him forming his own army under the nose of the British, there is nothing you can't love about the story. From snappy cuts to amazing sequences, there is a lot in store for the viewers who would like to see Netaji's story through a new lens.

For Talented Rajukummar Rao

(c) ALT Balaji

When it comes to Rao, there is literally nothing this man can't do. He ain't your conventional hero and that's what makes him extraordinary. When any actor would have easily chosen to opt for a wig and prosthetic, Rao decided to transform himself and be Bose in every sense and manner. There is not a moment in the series when you feel he isn't justifying Netaji. Some might contradict saying he doesn't have that demure. But boy, he has got it all that it takes to play this role. As anticipated by the trailer itself, Rao creates that enigma and makes this conspiracy tale an interesting watch. And full points for getting that Bong style and accent in place!

The Bang On Narration And Music

The soundtrack designed by famous musicians Dr. G and Neil Adhikari are too good to not get noticed. Every moment in 'Bose' gives you a high just because of the music. The electro-rap pumps up the aura and makes you curious enough about the storyline. The beauty is that the music follows in synch with the narration.

(c) ALT Balaji

When most of the story is showcased from the protagonist's point of view, Bose follows a different pattern. The real narrator of this story is Darbari Lal (Naveen Kasturia), who is a hawaldar (constable) for the British Raj and has been appointed to spy on Bose. The way he narrates Netaji's story adds the zeal to it. The scenes between Naveen and Rao are something you just can't miss because both are so natural. You love the fact that you ain't seeing this story through Bose but Darbari, who gives you a glimpse of the revolution led by Netaji.

Quick And To The Point

(c) ALT Balaji

If you are expecting a detailed work on Netaji, then you might be disappointed. Keeping the digital scene in mind, the script is tight and brings the various aspect to you quickly. Yes, at times you might feel that some characters didn't get time to grow, but that's a beauty in itself. The way the story has been set and picturised covers up all these flaws and makes for an engrossing watch. You also have Patralekha Paul as a gentrified Bengali girl who perfectly fits the role. However, Anna Ador who plays Bose's German wife Emilie comes out as the star.

The Mystery

(c) ALT Balaji

The series doesn't directly blame or question anyone for the mystery that revolves around Netaji but very wisely makes its point. Playing it subtle and smart, the makers give you a glimpse of everything in these small episodes. From personal vendetta, political reasonings, conspiracy, to the mystery of Netaji's death, a lot is there for you as a viewer to watch. In fact, there comes a point when Bose questions Congress' intentions as well and you can sense something fishy from their end.

(c) ALT Balaji

It's interesting to see how one man single handedly made the life of the British a living hell and no one could stop him. He was a revolution in himself and you can't help but admire his strength and intelligence.

P.S. Don't miss Nehru's part, who saw Netaji as someone who cannot be tamed!

'Bose Dead/Alive' is set to air on ALT Balaji from 20th November.
As They Came, They Cried And Signed KABA Book Of Condolence
19.11.2017 LISTEN

Abuja based Gospel & Inspirational artiste, Fada Sheyin, has released the video for "Higher" and he features Kennis Music artiste Joe El on the song.

"Higher" is a song of thanksgiving as well as declaration.

Father Sheyin always endeavour to address a wide range of audience judging from his previous releases such as "It is Possible", "Mighty God", "Jolly" and more.

On the song "Higher", Fada Sheyin does likewise personifying those whose dreams, aspirations have been accomplished and those who are looking forward to it.

It is a feel-good song and the colourful settings, mood and demeanour of the characters in the video depict the celebration and joyfulness Fada Sheyin conveys.

His use of slangs, coinages and colloquialism make his diction trendy and familiar.

Shot on location in Lagos State by T.Frizzle for Frizzle & Bizzle Films and produced by Abuja based producer Danny Joe.

Watch video below:



Download video & Audio:

Video: http://ge.tt/9FSQ2Mn2

Audio: http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/4pcvd4uv4y/Higher_-_Fada_Sheyin.mp3
19.11.2017 LISTEN

The Food and Drugs Authority in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders have arrested 16 fake drug peddlers along the Madina Zongo Junction stretch.

The sixteen, all Nigeriens, were arrested on Thursday night by the team for selling unregistered and unauthorized drugs to the public.

Mr James Lartey, Communications Director FDA, said the exercise was to clamp down on people who have taken to the streets of Accra selling unregistered drugs including Tramadol and unapproved aphrodisiacs among others, to the public.

He said the swoop forms part of a five-day workshop organised for members of the security agencies, the Judiciary, the media and the FDA.

Mr Lartey said Tramadol has become a worrying trend to the FDA in recent times because not only are the youth abusing the drug,but the wrong milligrams are being sold to the public hence the need to confiscate all such drugs.

'Tramadol is a pain killer, which the FDA has approved the 50 and 100 milligrams. But we are reliably informed that people are selling the 200 milligrams on the market which is a danger to all.'

'These medicines that are selling have not been registered by the FDA and are not supposed to be sold on the market'

Mr Lartey said the FDA has previously embarked on similar exercises and would continue to do so until they are sure that such products were out of the market and appealed to the public to be watchful of such products.

He said the culprits have been handed over to the police for the necessary action to be taken.

GNA

By Hafsa Obeng/ Joyce Danso, GNA
ALBANY  In this week's New York state government news, lawmakers are looking ahead to the 2018 legislative session and predicting the return of several contentious issues.

Meanwhile, a state Assembly committee plans to review nursing home safety and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces a new state award for public service.

A look at stories making news:

SESSION COMING INTO FOCUS

Lawmakers, lobbyists and advocates are already preparing for the start of the 2018 session in January and predicting the return of several contentious issues.

Advocates of a proposal to allow patients with terminal illnesses to request life-ending medication from a physician say they're hopeful this could be the year New York joins California, Washington D.C. and four other states that have physician-assisted death laws. They point to polls showing growing public support, but they'll still have to contend with deeply skeptical lawmakers who have kept the bill from passing for several years.

Debates over funding for New York City transit are likely to return as well following a summer of delays, breakdowns and construction work. One idea is congestion pricing  or the levying of an additional toll on motorists who enter the most densely populated areas of New York City. Cuomo, a Democrat, has said he's preparing a congestion pricing proposal for lawmakers to consider.

Transit advocates say lawmakers have no choice but to consider new ways to fund the aging, stretched system.

"The consequences of underinvestment in the MTA are clear: delays and breakdowns are up, and ridership is down as New Yorkers look for more reliable ways of getting where they need to be," said Nick Sifuentes, executive director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

A bill loosening the statute of limitations on child molestation so victims can sue their abusers for decades-old abuse will be back. Supporters say they hope recent attention on allegations of sexual misconduct against several big names in Hollywood, media and politics will help overcome opposition in the Senate, which has so far blocked the bill.

Legislators are already predicting tougher-than-usual budget decisions next year, thanks to a projected $4 billion budget deficit and the threat of additional federal spending cuts from Washington.

NURSING HOME SAFETY

The quality of care for nursing home residents will be the focus of a meeting Monday of the Assembly's committees on health and aging.

The hearing in New York City was called to review federal regulations governing nursing homes as well as policies on nursing staff ratios, staff training and oversight.

NEW AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week announced a new award for state employees who demonstrate exceptional service to the public.

Ten executive branch workers will win the Empire Star Public Service Award, which will come with $5,000 the employee can use for professional training or continuing education in their field. One winner will be chosen from each of the state's 10 regions. Winners will be announced next year.
JEROME  American Legion Auxiliary Jerome Unit 46 members Diane Poston, Phyllis Posey, Ann Reasch, and Linda Helms attended the Fourth District American Legion and Auxiliary meeting Nov. 4 at the Wendell Post Building. Members from Gooding, Mountain Home, Wendell, and Jerome discussed activities for the coming year.

The Jerome Auxiliary Unit was presented with an award for having obtained 200,000 volunteer hours for community service. This award has never before been given in Idaho, said a statement from the auxiliary.

One member of Jerome Unit 46 was given an award from the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Idaho for Unit Member of the Year, which was presented at the Veterans Day dinner Nov. 11 at the Jerome American Legion Hall.

At the meeting, it was announced that Auxiliary National President Diane Duscheck was scheduled to be in Twin Falls Nov. 17 and to tour the North Side Military Museum in Jerome.

Auxiliary members save Box Tops for Education for the local schools. The auxiliary chooses local high school, junior class, young ladies to attend Girls State each year. The auxiliary association has school scholarships available. Poppies are distributed to the public around Memorial Day.

Fourth District officers for 2017-2018 are President Linda Blanton and Secretary/Treasurer Carmen Metzer, both of Mountain Home, and Chaplain Phyllis Posey and Historian Linda Helms, both of Jerome.

Information: 208-944-4300.
The Forest Green Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Accra City Hotel has unveiled the Hospitality and Tourism Guide newspaper and the online news portal, 'www.mytourismgh.com'.

The newspaper and the online portal is aimed at selling Ghana to the world and putting Ghana at its rightful place on the world map, Mr Senyo Sumah, the Managing Editor of the Hospitality and Tourism Guide newspaper and online news portal, said.

'The newspaper and online portal will be focusing only on disseminating information on the tourism sector of Ghana, which has been neglected for far too long', he said.

He said the industry deserved far better than it was currently given as the tourism industry was the fourth highest contributor to Ghana's GDP after cocoa, oil and gold.

Mr Sumah said the newspaper would not be sold but, will be distributed free of charge at hotels, ministries and the airports among others.

He said the online portal features a chatroom for users where they could share videos about their experience at tourist sites, profiles on various constituencies and metropolitans across the country, detailed profiles of various cuisines in Ghana and a directory of hotels, Airline schedules, Accommodation and Travel routes, and Tourist Sites.

'The online news portal will also give users the opportunity to search for detailed directions and maps to places of interest to them, including hotels and tourist sites', he added.

Mrs Olivia Opoku Adomah, the Director of Research, Statistics and Information at the Ministry of Tourism, said the tourism industry in Ghana is a very lucrative sector, which provides greater returns to investors and also numerous employments to many Ghanaians.

'It is one industry that provides greater revenue and avenue for people to invest. The industry can boast of many successful investors in the area of transportation, communication, and food and beverages', she said.

Mrs Opoku, called on the media to play its role in enhancing the image of Ghana adding that the Ministry was looking forward to building hotels, casinos, theme parks, beach fronts as its bid of lifting Ghana's tourism sector.

Mr Ben Nsiah, the Marketing Manager of the Ghana Tourism Authority, said it is the expectation of the GTA that within a decade, it would have four times the number of international arrivals.

Togbe Agagbla IV, Chief and custodian of Vogameh in the Volta Region, which has Gbledi where Mount Afajato is located as a sub town, urged tourist and Ghanaians to patronise Mountain Afajato as a tourist site.

He also appealed to government and the Ministry of Tourism to help build good roads and an acceptable health facility to boost the community in its bid to be one of the key hubs of Ghana's tourism industry.

Dr Edward Arkah Nyameke, President of the Accra Hotels Association of Ghana, entreated workers of the Hospitality and Tourism Guide newspaper and online news portal, to publish authentic and factual contents in their media and watch out for grammatical errors in sentences.

He urged the management to maintain the quality of the newspaper they have unveiled today and not grow complacent as the years go by.

GNA

By Mrs Patience Gbeze/ Emmanuel Kwame Donkor, GNA
19.11.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Nov. 18, GNA - Mr Matthew Boadu Adjei, founder of Oasis Capital Ghana Limited, has advised graduates of the University of Ghana, Legon, to be confident, and avoid procrastinating their goals.

He said this on Friday at the graduation ceremony of the University in Accra, where over 1,000 students graduated with masters and degrees in various academic and professional disciplines.

Mr Boadu Adjei urged the graduates to be innovative and ensure that their actions were borne out of conviction and courage to achieve their future aspirations.

'You have everything you need to be successful since your study required of you to be disciplined, curious and persevering, there is the need to explore all the possibilities that exist for entrepreneurship in this global world', he said.

Mr Boadu Adjei said everybody fails at something and many great and influential people experienced failures and yet succeeded at the end adding that those who never failed, never acted.

'Your leadership roles will brand you to be responsible for making decisions that affect many people and also cause people to evaluate your actions, especially the secret or private ones'.

He said despite the challenges faced by the country, the economy was in a much stronger position, explaining that the Gross Domestic Product was more than $42 billion, indicating that, the country was now a lower middle-income-country.

Mr Adjei urged the graduands to strive for success and think outside the box to be relevant in the competitive global market.

Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, urged the graduates to find strategies to navigate around challenges they encounter in life.

He said all the graduates have an inherent power and ability to change thoughts and actions of people and that to impact positively in others, they need to be seen as role models by others.

Prof Owusu said the power to determine what ones' day will become depends on individual decisions, urging them to make right choices in other to be successful in life.

GNA
When strongman Yahya Jammeh left The Gambia for exile after 22 years, new foreign minister Ousainou Darboe pledged the tiny nation would become the "human rights capital of Africa".

His remarks came days after Jammeh's forced departure in January, and followed the release of droves of political prisoners from the country's notorious jails -- the face of years of flagrant rights abuses under the mercurial leader.

But as the first anniversary approaches of the December 1 election that would eventually spell regime change for Banjul, AFP has learnt that a dozen soldiers are currently being held in Gambian detention far beyond the remit of the constitution, in some cases for months.

Three of those detained, Lance Corporal Abdoulie Bojang, Lance Corporal Abba Badjie and another soldier, Lamin Nyassi, were all picked up by the military police in July, according to their wives.

"He is accused of facilitating the escape of a soldier who was wanted in connection with a Whatsapp group chat," Bojang's wife Sunkaru Jarjue told AFP, an account repeated by Nyassi's wife, Banna Jarju.

An official within the military who wished to remain anonymous confirmed to AFP a dozen soldiers were being held.

Although the men appeared before a judge on Friday, they have yet to be formally charged and are only expected to enter a plea of November 27.

The men's prolonged detention is inextricably linked with suspicions of sedition and covert support for Jammeh from a faction of the army and intelligence services, but rights groups say the military figures are not exempt from the constitutional right to be charged within 72 hours.

Mutiny concerns

A coalition of parties fielded standard-bearer Adama Barrow as their candidate in December 2016 elections, who ultimately defeated Jammeh and took over the presidency in late January.

But then, as now, there are concerns about lingering Jammeh supporters in the ranks of the army, evoked back in July by Colonel Magatte Ndiaye, the head of a Senegalese army contingent still deployed to The Gambia by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Gambian President Adama Barrow has played down suggestions of rebels within the army

He told AFP that rebel elements were intent on destabilising the country and working with exiled Jammeh-era top brass, though President Barrow has said such reports are "hugely exaggerated".

The wife of one soldier arrested at the Farafenni army camp in September, nominally for failing to show up for work, believes his family connections ensnared him while maintaining his innocence.

"They asked whether he is still communicating with his uncle (Yahya Jammeh)," Tida Bajinka Jammeh told AFP in mid-November, adding her husband had only just been released.

Gambia Armed Forces Spokesman Captain Lamin Sanyang confirmed the detention of members of the Gambian Armed Forces pending investigation for "mutinous and seditious acts" revealed by audio recordings shared by Whatsapp.

"Some soldiers are arrested in connection with a Whatsapp page they have created to discuss amongst themselves," Sanyang told AFP.

"Investigations are ongoing and once we get the facts, we will share it with members of the public at the appropriate time. They are still under detention pending investigation into the matter," he added.

'Unconstitutional'

Minister of Information and Communication Demba Ali Jawo meanwhile agreed the men had been detained longer than 72 hours but referred to a "drawback clause" that allowed detention to be renewed every 14 days.

That response has not satisfied human rights defenders.

Mr Gaye Sowe, Executive Director of Gambia-based Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, said the cases are "wrong, illegal and unconstitutional."

Yahya Jammeh was forced out as The Gambia's president after 22 years in power

"There is no way a provision of the Gambia Armed Forces Act or any other law can override any provision of the Constitution," which provides a maximum three-day limit for police to charge suspects after arrest.

"This should have been done within 72 hours after they were arrested," Sowe said.

The memories of state-sponsored rights abuses and military purges remain fresh in Gambia, where the NIA carried out torture and forced disappearances on Jammeh's orders, according to rights groups Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

A struggling court case against the so-called "NIA nine", a group of intelligence officials including Gambia's dreaded former spy chief Yankuba Badjie and eight of his subordinates at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), may offer a potential clue to the military arrests.

Lawyers for Badjie, the most feared agent in the dock, have not appeared for the last two hearings, but the case will go ahead without them, the presiding judge said on Thursday.

The former NIA agents are accused of killing opposition activist Solo Sandeng in April 2016, sparking rare protests, but it has run into legal difficulties over what Justice Minister Aboubacarr Tambadou has called "rushed" police work.

Future prosecutions of Jammeh-linked crimes, he said, must be watertight.
By Josephine Naaeke, GNA Correspondent, Bonn, sponsored by Stanley Foundation

Bonn, Nov. 18, GNA - InsuResilience Global Partnership for Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance Solutions An international initiative aimed at providing insurance to 400 million poor and vulnerable people by 2020, has announced the attainment of more funding and partners.

The InsuResilience Global Partnership for Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance Solutions, which was been launched at the 2017 UN Climate Conference in Bonn, now brings together G20 countries in partnership with the V20 nations.

The V20 is a group of 49 of the most vulnerable countries including small islands like Fiji which holds the Presidency of this year's conference: COP23.

Germany has joined forces with its partners, the Ethiopian Chair of the V20, the United Kingdom and the World Bank, in order to launch this Global Partnership.

"The Global Partnership is a practical response to the needs of those who suffer loss because of climate change.

Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and President of COP23said I am very proud that it has happened under Fiji's Presidency of COP at the same time, it is a means of preparing for a more resilient form of development for those who will have to adapt to the great challenge of climate change,"

Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, announced support for the new global partnership of 125 million USD as part of the launch.

This follows the 30 million commitment made by UK Government in July 2017 to the Partnership via its Centre for Global Disaster Protection.

The announcement comes in the wake of a year of damaging and devastating extreme weather events that have hit countries and communities in Asia, the Eastern Caribbean and the Americas with some of the events described by scientists as unprecedented.

The Global Partnership supports data and risk analysis, technical assistance and capacity building according to countries' needs and priorities, solutions' design of concrete risk finance and insurance solutions, smart support for the implementation for such schemes and monitoring and evaluation efforts. This will range from sovereign risk pools in the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean. The insurance schemes focus on the meso and micro level benefitting smallholders, the urban poor and other vulnerable groups.

The InsuResilience Initiative was launched in 2015 by the G7 group of nations under the German Presidency.

Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change secretariat, said: 'People devastated by recent weather events and communities vulnerable to climatic impacts are looking to the nations meeting in Bonn for an answer, for support and hope for the future'.

'This new and higher ambition initiative represents one, shinning, example of what can be delivered when progressive governments, civil society and the private sector join hands with creativity and determination to provide solutions,' she said.

Under the framework of the Global Partnership, key players from developing and industrialised countries, international organisations and development banks, the private sector, civil society and the scientific community will work together to develop concrete and practical solutions that will provide financial protection against climate risks and natural disasters.

Innovative finance and insurance solutions for individual countries, which are tailored to the specific needs and challenges of poor members of the population in particular, are to be developed and implemented through the Global Partnership.

The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), for example, is being supported with the help of InsuResilience.

The most recent example of support was in September 2017, when more than 55 million US dollars were paid out to ten Caribbean countries within just 14 days after hurricanes Irma and Maria had wreaked disaster on the islands.

The money was used in various ways, for example to quickly buy urgently needed medicines and to build emergency shelters for the people affected by the storms.

In Zambia, InsuResilience supports the NWK Agri-Services cotton company, which offers direct weather and life insurance to small contract farmers.

In 2015, some 52,000 farmers decided to buy insurance. Following a major drought in 2016, more than 23,000 farmers received payments.

On the one hand, the Partnership is meant to enable governments to react faster and more specifically following a natural disaster.

On the other hand, the Partnership is meant to support and enhance the future efforts of governments to prepare to meet risks due to climate change and natural disasters, linking these preparations to the use of risk finance and insurance.

GNA
The government had initiated moves for the African Union (AU) Space Centre to be sited in Ghana.

This was announced by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the 20th graduation ceremony of the All Nation University College (ANUC) at Koforidua on Saturday.

The University is the first University in Sub-Saharan Africa to design and build a ground space station that communicates with satellites that crosses the air space of West Africa.

The institution is also the first to design, build and launch the first satellite for Ghana.

The theme for the graduation ceremony was: 'Celebrating Ghana's lead in African's space science research and development'.

The President said Ghana cannot develop without advancing in science, technology and mathematics hence government initiated educational reforms to help expand the science, technology and mathematical base of the country.

Nana Akufo-Addo said to boost research in the country, government has voted one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country into the national research fund and promised to increase it to two per cent in the long term.

He congratulated the university for its efforts in space science and directed the Minister of Education to speed up the work on the granting of the Presidential Charter to the ANUC.

Nana Susubiribi Krobea Asante, Omanhene of Asante Asokore and the guest speaker, said his failing hope in the industrialization of Africa was rekindled with the launching of the first satellite of Ghana by the ANUC.

He said the second issue that rekindled his hope was the announcement by President Akufo-Addo when he was an opposition leader that when voted into office, he will launch the industrialization of the country and with this he won the elections.

Dr Samuel H. Donkor, the President and Founder of ANUC, said both public and private universities exist for the same purpose and are all national assets and the only difference is the mode of funding.

He called for the removal of all state policies and practices that hinder the growth of private universities.

Dr Donkor recalled the achievements of the university in space science and said the ANUC is ready to partner government for the development of the second satellite for Ghana.

He urged the graduates to remain true to the core values of the university as they leave to contribute to the development of their countries and communities.

Daasebre Professor Emeritus Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area and Chacellor of the ANUC, commended government for the introduction of the free Senior High School programme.

He urged government to take a second look at the policy and make deliberate efforts to make all Ghanaians stakeholders in the implementation of the programme and more so give them the opportunity to contribute towards the resolution of many initial challenges facing the programme.

GNA

By Edmund Quaynor, GNA
19.11.2017 LISTEN

Ms Betty Krosby-Mensah, Member of Parliament, Kwahu Afram Plains North Constituency, has commended SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and the Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (CEESD) for providing island communities with mini-grid electrification.

She the SNV Voice for Change (V4C) Partnership Project, which aims at supporting government's effort at establishing renewable energy based mini-grid electrification in island communities in Ghana was a laudable one.

Ms Krosby-Mensah said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, on the sidelines of a Symposium on Mini-Grid Development in Ghana; an event hosted by the Kwahu Afram Plains District Assembly.

The challenges of extending grid power to off-grid communities, especially island and lakeside communities include the lack of infrastructure, high cost of laying underway cables from the nearest grid facilities to these island communities, and the communities not meeting the minimum socio-economic criteria for rural electrification.

She said electricity is the catalyst to development and if some communities within the Afram Plains could not access electricity, it should be a concern to all.

The MP said the Afram Plains has numerous challenges including high rate of teenage pregnancy and poor educational system; adding that 'if children cannot have access to electricity I wonder what they can produce especially when they competing with students in urban areas'.

Ms Krosby-Mensah said the project started in 2016 by the previous government, however, the current administration, through the Ministry of Energy brought the ratification to Parliament for approval.

She said government has been investing in electricity infrastructure and expressed the hope that Ghana would meet its 2020 goal where all communities across the country would have access to electricity.

The MP also called on the Ministry of Energy to assist CEESD and SNV to provide mini-grids to the people of Afram Plains and Ghanaians at large.

Nana Akuamoah Boateng Tano II, Chief of Donkorkrom Number One - Atakora, also in an interview with the Ghana News Agency called on the general public to be conscious in preserving power and cut down the usage of electricity.

He said as Government was working around the clock to generate power and further extend it to other communities, there is the need to conserve its usage.

CEESD is a Ghanaian based non-governmental organisation founded in 2009 to support the dissemination of technologies that promote sustainable development through advocacy, research and development, capacity building and project development in clean energy, environmental friendly technologies and climate change adaption and mitigation in Ghana and Africa.

SNV is an international non-for-profit development organisation, and specializes in supporting the resourcefulness of development actors by developing local capacities, improving performance and services, strengthening governance systems, helping to create access for excluded groups and by making markets work for the poor.

GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA
The Centre for Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development (CEESD), a non- for -profit organization, has provided a One kilowatt (kW) solar power system for Faaso Battor Community School in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District.

The Project which is being funded by the United States Africa Development Foundation (USADF) is expected to increase teaching and learning hours for pupils and also provide power for Information Technology Communication (ICT) training within the community.

Dr Julius Cudjoe Ahiekpor, the Executive Director, CEESD, said the importance of electricity in the development of any country could not be overemphasised, particularly in the educational sector.

He said the project would provide several benefits to the community as pupils would have extended learning hours and teachers could also have enough time to prepare lesson notes, adding that 'they can now use the ICT facilities provided by the Ghana Education Service'.

Dr Ahiekpor said CEESD and USADF would be providing 13kW solar electricity to the entire Faaso Battor Community, however, the presentation of one kW to the school was the first phase of the project.

He said in subsequent phases of the project, the community would benefit from an installation of a two kW solar systems for the community health post and a 10 kW system for households.

Mr Alfred Dickson Bedzina, the Head Teacher, Faaso Battor Community School, on behalf of the Community, thanked CEESD and its partners for their kind gesture and was hopeful that the project would improve the academic performance of the students.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Bedzina said CEESD's project would improve their academic performance as Faaso Battor was a rural community and there was no light for children to learn in their various homes.

Mr Bedzina told the GNA that in that regard, the school would soon organise evening classes for pupils as part of efforts to promote teaching and learning.

'With the availability of electricity, all children can come from their homes and learn for at least an hour or one and half hours,' he stated.

The Head Teacher said there was no portable drinking water in the community and particularly during the dry season children find it difficult to get water.

He appealed to non-governmental organisations and benevolent individuals to help drill bore holes in the community.

GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA
Mrs. Doris Ahiati, the Country Manager, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Ghana, has called on tertiary students to link their career choices to societal needs.

She said students should avoid choosing a career based on pressure from peers or parents, but must first identify their strengths and weaknesses and what they were passionate about; then put all together to solve a particular problem.

Mrs Ahiati said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on the sideline of "Today's Woman", an event organised by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Association of Business Administration Students (ABAS) Women's Commission.

The event, held under the theme: 'Your Purpose, Your Brand and Career Choice', was aimed at motivating and empowering women to accept their social roles as against what our cultural orientation places them.

Mrs Ahiati said tertiary students should note that every human being had a purpose on earth, to address a specific problem and to do this, God has equipped them with the know-how and all it takes to solve that problem.

The Country Managed said linking career choices to societal needs could actually develop their interest to be entrepreneurs, as in the process students would be able to think about what could be done and see every problem as an opportunity to provide solutions.

She said the current graduate unemployment statistics means there are many graduates out there with the intelligence and the capacity to do something but they were not being engaged to do anything.

Mrs Ahiati said at ACCA, they have identified that graduates had the knowledge but were not a perfect fit for industry.

She said they had also identified professional qualification as something that could help bridge the gap.

She said ACCA Ghana was promoting the professional qualification in finance, so that graduates would be ready for the market when they go out there.

She said: "Employers that we work with are always happy to work with people that have the ACCA qualification".

Mr Collins Agyemang Badu, a lecturer at UPSA, also told GNA that it appeared Ghana as a country was on a good course in terms of advocacy for women inclusion; however, at the tertiary level during training we needed to do more.

He said the passion for leadership began at the tertiary level, whereas people begin to groom themselves for these leadership ideals but unfortunately this was very minimal at the tertiary level.

GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA
The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has demanded more commitment from the government in the fight against activities of landguards, political vigilantism and nomadic herdsmen.

According to the Conference, words are no longer enough and called on the government to walk the talk.

Their comments come in the wake of deaths associated with activities of landguards and nomadic herdsmen in some parts of the country.

In a communique issued after its conference in the Volta Regional capital, Ho, the Bishops called on the government to deal with growing insecurity in the country.

Metropolitan Arch Bishop of Accra, Gabriel Palmer-Buckle said, we the Ghana Catholic Bishops cannot ignore the fact that landguards, political vigilante groups and nomadic herdsmen have unleashed violence on Ghanaians for a very long time.

According to him, These groups are employed by Ghanaians to protect their properties but often they terrorise fellow Ghanaians who have varied invariant interests in the same property.

Vigilante groups are creations of some politicians who use them for their political interests. While we commend government for calling on the security agencies to stop the violent activities of landguards, vigilante groups and nomadic herdsmen, we state that we need more action than words, he added.

Gabriel Palmer-Buckle urged that Government must walk the talk. We demand that our security agencies shall disengage these groups once and for all.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says features of the recently launched Ghana Post GPS make it more efficient and robust than what exists in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The system, which digitally identifies all addresses in the country, has received criticism from some Ghanaians including former President, John Mahama, who has questioned the cost and uniqueness of the system.

Addressing a congregation of the University for Development Studies (UDS) at Tamale, Dr Bawumia said the criticisms are misplaced.

For me and I say this very seriously, this national address system that Ghana has implemented is more advanced than the address systems that they have in London or the United States, he said.

Unfortunately, people dont even want to think and believe that we can actually do things that are better than the more advanced countries. People have a mindset that we have to be behind always. I say no, we can move forward and overtake themyou must have the confidence that you can do things that are better than what America can do, the Vice President stressed.

The congregation saw the passing out of 5,000 thousand students into the job market.

Dr. Bawumia pledged government support to complete ongoing projects on the UDS campuses.

You have about 44 uncompleted projects and we are going to pay very serious attention to this and Im sure that some firm commitments will be made along the way when we look at the budgetary envelope so that these projects can be completed, the Vice President pledged.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
SUN VALLEY  The Trailing of the Sheep Festival, held yearly in Sun Valley, just received another national feather in its cap.

At its recent annual convention, the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) announced the winners of the 2017 Phoenix Awards that recognize outstanding conservation and preservation efforts in tourism.

The two Phoenix Awards were presented to the festival and the Shorefast Foundation and Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland, Canada.

Excellence doesnt often come on the first try. It is a process that often involves failing and learning from that failure. Thats what makes these honorees such a source of inspiration: Their passion compels them, and their desire propels them. Thank you for standing up and standing out as examples of excellence, said SATW President Catharine Hamm, also a travel editor for the Los Angeles Times.

The Trailing of the Sheep Festival was nominated for the award by Stan Wawer, a freelance travel journalist from California who came to the Festival a few years ago. It was a no brainer for me to nominate the Trailing of the Sheep Festival for an SATW Phoenix Award. Everything about the festival met the criteria for the award  a contribution to a quality travel experience through conservation and preservation. Congratulations to this community effort that now brings joy to thousands every October.

Comments on the Trailing of the Sheep Festival nomination from the Phoenix Award judges included:

This festival absolutely delights the community and the scope of international tourists who attend it.

This lively festival event showcases the sheep ranching tradition. It presents an earthy, organic culture of the area.

It preserves and enlightens a way of life that has almost entirely disappeared, and it teaches us where wool and meat come from and how they get here.

We are quite honored to receive this national award from such a prestigious travel journalist organization, commented Laura Musbach Drake, executive director of the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. We know that our story is a great travel story  and are thrilled that many others now know that as well. As attendance continues to grow at our Festival, it proves people are interested in seeking out unique cultural travel experiences and the Trailing of the Sheep Festival is certainly one of the best.

Dates for the 2018 Trailing of the Sheep Festival are October 10-14. Information: www.trailingofthesheep.org
A book of condolence has been opened at the Front Desk of the Radio building of The Multimedia Group, in memory of the late Asempa FMs broadcaster, Kwadwo Asare Baffuor Acheampong.

KABA as he was popularly known, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he had been rushed after he suddenly fell sick early Saturday, November 18, 2017.

He was 37 years old.

His colleagues, friends in the media fraternity as well as listeners of his popular afternoon political talk show, Ekosii Sen, have been walking into the Radio building of The Multimedia Group, sign the book and pen down memories they shared with the versatile presenter.

Management of the countrys media giant have also announced, a service in memory of the talented presenter will be held at the forecourt of the Radio building, which houses Joy FM, Adom FM, Asempa FM and Hitz FM.

Staff, as well as loved ones of the talented broadcaster, are expected to be seated by 5.30am and the dress code is black.

News of KABAs sudden death early Saturday at the Kole Bu Teaching Hospital sent shockwaves throughout the country as his listeners who cut across the society, home and abroad, posted messages on various social media platforms to condole with the family.

Kwadwo Asare Baffuor Acheampong officially joined the Multimedia Group in August 2009 as a broadcast journalist. He was then the regular host of daily news bulletin Asempa Today on Asempa FM. He also hosted weekly current affairs programme Kukurantumi on Saturday morning.

He rose through the ranks to become of the countrys most-sought-after political and current affairs talk host. He was recently awarded as the Best Talk Show Host in the 2017 edition of the Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy
19.11.2017 LISTEN

National Patrol Department of the Ghana Police Service has instituted a 'Crime Prevention Unit' to help check crimes in the country.

The Unit which is being operated on pilot basis in Madina, Nima and Airport all in Accra would have police officers visiting, churches, schools, communities and other public places to educate the public on how to identify crime, give information to the police on crime and how to prevent crime.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Akuribah Yaagy, Director-General of the National Patrol Department of the Ghana Police Service made this known when he visited the Western Regional Police Command to educate them on the Community Police Assistants (CPAs) concept.

In all 100 officers and men drawn from the Esiama, Tarkwa, Half Assini, Takoradi and Sekondi divisions were present for the programme.

DCOP Yaagy said the new community policing concept is to ensure that the CPAs are trained in communication and observation skills, intelligence gathering and basic police duties to enable them interact effectively and be accessible to members of their electoral areas.

He said the concept was also to promote a better police image and public relations through community engagements which would bring services up to the standards of the international best practices.

He said the neighbourhood watch dog served useful purposes in the past, but unfortunately they were not well monitored and managed and urged the various District Police Commanders to revive them in their districts to help them in the gathering of intelligence in the communities to help fight crime.

DCOP Yaagy said the core values of the Service was to serve the public well with integrity , respect their Human Rights, be creative, innovative and work as a team to help stem crime as well as ensure peace in the country.

He urged the personnel to endeavour to jealously guard the source of their information so as to protect the interest of the informant and asked them to desist from acts that would further damage the image and integrity of the police service

Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim, Deputy Chief executive Officer (CEO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), commended the Police Service for partnering YEA to ensure peace and security and that about 3,000 CPAs out of a target of 15,000 youth would pass out on December 1 with another batch graduating next year match.

He said the partnership between YEA and the Ghana Police Service on Community Safety and Security Innovation was to address the youth unemployment in the country.

He said the programme was also to ensure total peace in the country to enable the President to achieve his vision of one district one factory and the other intervention, adding 'all the interventions will be meaningless if it is not linked up with peace and security'.

'Investment will not thrive in an environment that is chaotic'

He said the roles of the CPAs were being specifically defined to focus on improved visibility and accessibility of the police at the community level and urged the district police commanders not to sack the CPAs who misconduct themselves but to refer them to the YEA for the necessary action to be taken.

GNA

By Justina Paaga, GNA
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) says the nation has been "a big blow" with the demise of popular Asempa FM broadcaster, Kwadwo Asare Baffuor Acheampong (KABA).

A statement issued Sunday and signed by GJA General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, said the Association is "utterly shocked" to hear the sudden death of the host of popular afternoon political talk show Ekosi Sen on Asempa 94.7 FM.

"Indeed, the death of KABA is a big blow to the Multimedia Group, the GJA and Ghana as a whole. It is in such sense of irredeemable loss that the GJA expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, especially his wife, Valentina Ofori Afriyie and little daughter, Nana Yaa, as well as the entire Multimedia family."

The Association acknowledged KABA's contribution towards the development of the nation through his radio programme, Ekosii Sen , which is widely listened to, both home and abroad.

"There is no doubt that KABA has paid his dues to journalism in Ghana and served his country so well. The GJA believes his death is only divine. And so in this grieving moment, and in utmost solemnity and sobriety, the GJA calls on all friends, families and loved ones to reflect on the good works of KABA in order to take a cue from them, rather than allow the pain of loss to overwhelm their thoughts and utterances."

The statement further pledged the Association's support to the organization of the funeral of KABA in order to give him a befitting burial.

KABA was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he had been rushed after he suddenly fell sick early Saturday, November 18.

He was 37 years old.

A book of condolence has been opened at the Front Desk of the Radio building of The Multimedia Group at Kokomemle, in memory of the late KABA.

Management of the countrys media giant have also announced, a service in memory of the talented presenter will be held at the forecourt of the Radio building, which houses Joy FM, Adom FM, Asempa FM and Hitz FM.

Staff, as well as loved ones of the talented broadcaster, are expected to be seated by 5.30am and the dress code is black.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy
19.11.2017 LISTEN

Part I

Yes indeed, yours truly can say in all certainty that any Christian clergyman who officiates at a marriage involving any woman who, prior to the hour of officiation, had lost her virginity to some manany man other than the one who now stands beside such a defiled woman requesting and desiring to be married to heris simply spiritually incorrect, bereft of holy wisdom, yet to find a holy purpose in life, and therefore sins against Yahuwah Elohiym, his Maker, by his action!!

Also, any man who marries such a woman is only a spiritual buffoon! And yet, such buffoons, many of us men have ignorantly made ourselves to become over many generations past! Sadly, this spiritual buffoonery of yesteryears still lingers on and has become a much popular occurrence and phenomenon in our world today!!

This is all because the world seems ignorant of the fact that Yahuwah Elohiym has placed a perpetual ban on women who have lost their virginity in any sexual union or escapadeother than in a legal marriage when the woman was yet a virginfrom ever being married! And so, any such illegal marriage that is so contracted following this ban of Yahuwah Elohiym, obviously, draws curses and punishment from the Most High One; and this, Im sent to let todays generation know!

It does not matter whether such a woman lost her virginity to a rapist who threatened to murder her in order for her to yield to his demand; or to a pedophile when she was yet an innocent, helpless, and or defenseless child; or to a fun seeking gigolo in a one night fling between consenting adults; or to a beast such as her pet dog; or in a willful act of damage to her own body [hymen] while seeking sexual pleasure with a dildo in secret!!

In all such scenarios leading to a loss in virginity, this ban of Yahuwah Elohiyim stood in full force, nonetheless, and the resulting curses brought upon such banned or ill-contracted marriages, if they continued to be considered as marriages, were and are always sure to come about!

There may not be any visible distinctions in the nature of the curses based on the manner in which the virginity of a woman was broken before such an illegal marriage was contracted since a curse is a curse and how it shows itself to be does not matter!!

Also, the effect of the curses do not always seem to take their toll immediately, but seem to do so subtly and with varying degrees of intensity and or complexities in the resultant problems they draw upon offenders, progressing to become clearly felt, visible, and almost insolvable over time!!

The ban on marriages involving women of broken virginity is clearly stated in the Towrah, the holy Word of Yahuwah Elohiym! And so, Christian clergymen who claim to be representatives of Yahuwah Elohiym in our world today ought to know of this ban and never to act as to ignore it or deliberately violate it, by ever joining the hand of a non-virgin woman to any mans as in the context of marriage today!!

The spiritual cost and consequences to any man who marries a woman who had lost her virginity to someone else are incalculable and do eventually bring a perpetual ruin to such a mans life if he continues to live in this illegal marital relationship! And so, Christian clergymen should not be the ones who trigger off such evil consequences by officiating in marriages involving women of broken virginity, if they indeed work for Yahuwah Elohiym and or for the good and blessing of their followers as they so claim!!

Now, for all men who may want to rush into marrying any woman without being sure of her virginity status, but simply because they think they are head over heels and madly in love with her because she is some beautiful daughter of Khava (Eve??), my suggestion to them is that they must be very careful in their actions and to accept and be cautioned by the fact that the word love is one of the most abused, vague and meaningless English words on Earth today!

Not many years back, I read a news item on the internet which was in fact a lamentation by one Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, a stalwart of the Charismatic Movement in Ghana, putting it out rather bluntly that there were no virgins in [his] Churches!

Well, it is said that Bishop Heward-Mills has to his credit and charge, churches in various locations all over the world and so he may very well have known what he was lamenting about in claiming that no virgins could be found in his churches!!

Now, this must disappoint and also sadden the hearts of many who suppose that church is made up of holy people whose spirits are washed clean from sin and thus saved from ever committing sin thereafter!! Again, many more people are disappointed when they get to know that church people are not, after all, such a holy group of people living in a spiritual union of one body and thus made to forever belong to Yahuwah Elohiym, as they have been misled to suppose!!

But of course, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills may very well have been minded by one same state of affairs prevalent in ALL churches in this universe, and not just one state of affairs that was peculiar or particular to those churches under his charge and watch, in uttering his lamentations or making known his frustrations!

Thus, the Bishop Dag Heward-Mills would have been directly accusing the entire human institution called Church as not being able to produce virgins or chaste and holy young women among its membership and also of being incapable of keeping any women who took membership therein when yet virgins, to continue to be chastetill, for, and unto marriage!!

And this situation, being actually so, that the findings of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills do indeed establish the fact that no virgins can be found in all Christian churches on Earth, then it makes the state of affairs in this spiritual organization or body called church very inglorious and precarious, in a spiritual sense, and thus sure to bring dire consequences to all people who belong to it and to even further affect all non-church people in our entire Earth in due course; as the world is already experiencing!

The calamity that is billed to come upon all inhabitants of the Earth because no virgins exist or are available for procreation must be obvious since Christians who form the majority of the people on Earth claim they are in themselves the salt of the Earth; and yet any such salt they produce in multiplying effects by and in their unholy marriages involving non-virgin women is obviously very toxic to their entire congregations and is also bound to spill over to affect an entire Earth evilly!! How then may church be deemed to be of any use or value to the Creator in His plans if church is itself so unholy??

You may want to read this lamentation of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills that was published in the internet for yourself! If you do want to, then here is the internet link to click on in order to read it: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Virgins-are-no-more-in-churches-Heward-Mills-361365.

For me, many questions came into my thoughts after reading this lamentation of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills.

Firstly, I had to ask myself the question: Do Christian clergymen who conduct ceremonies to join the hands of people in marriage know that many of these women whose weddings they officiate over, had an illicit sexual union with some man other than the one they now sought to be married to??

Secondly, do such clergymen know that physical seals of human flesh known as hymen are purposefully placed by the Most High One Himself as cover or lid to the entrance to the innermost parts [womb] of a woman in order to establish proof of her virginity and thus make her worthy and eligible for marriage ONLY when this hymen remains intact and in situ??

And if they know of this work of the Most High One that is done on and for women to benefit Him and all men, are they able to confirm that such a lid was in place over this entrance into a womans innermost parts, intact and unbroken, before they signed away any women into marriage??

Thirdly, before coming to officiate weddings before the huge congregations of invitees who are often called to be witnesses to these events, did these clergymen indeed have the mandate of Yahuwah Elohiym to join the hand of the woman, who may or may not have proof to her virginity, to a man in marriage, to enable these clergymen to rightly make the claim thus: As a minister of God, I now join you two together as man and wife; and so, my dear groom, you may kiss the bride, as they always do at their ceremonies wherein they join the hands of a couple in marriage??

And if they do not have proof to such a mandate, how truthful are their utterances and how altogether useful are these ceremonies they conduct for mankind? Furthermore, how worthy or beneficial is such a clergymans supposed walk with his Creator to himself or to his followers??

I must say that many more of such questions flooded my mind for which, sadly, I may never find answers to and therefore of no need to state these here in this article!

Part II

Since Christian clergymen who officiate at weddings get to find out through the so-called pre-nuptial counselling services they conduct for those intending to marry in the churches they claim to have charge over, that the women they subsequently hand over to their men suitors were not virgins at the times they did these handovers, they sin against Yahuwah Elohiym and even against themselves by going ahead to conduct these ceremonies anyway!

Yes indeed they sin because by their actions they establish illegal and banned relationships between people, contrary to the Towrah of Yahuwah Elohiym, who they marry off based on the tenets and practices of their churches and not the Towrah!

In fact, such clergymen, by their actions opt to join themselves to the sins of the fathers of these non-virgin women, since it is the spiritual responsibility of the biological father of the woman to hand her over to a man in marriage as a holy virgin with unbroken virginity! And so, what this means is that any father who gives out his non-virgin daughter in marriage, commits a sin whether he knew or never knew that she had lost her virginity before the marriage ceremony!!

Now, before the Most High One will someday accuse and judge Christian clergymen of sin by their self-ordained officiations at marriages, I take it upon myself as a servant of His and in a show of love for such Christian clergymen of my day to make bare to them their sins in this regard, with the hope that some of them may be corrected and thus begin to seek the forgiveness of Yahuwah Elohiym, before the soon-coming day of judgment for all mankind!

And even as Christian clergymen begin to repent of their roles in joining people in illegal and unholy marriages, all of their followers must also do repentance concerning the illegal marriages they live in so that we all may be forgiven of our sins in this regard!!

Let us now go into the scriptures in search of the correction to this evil practice of marrying off non-virgin women to men which has now become a characteristic of almost all marriages involving Christians, if indeed the lamentations of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills are anything to go by!

My first ammunition for this correction is found in Devarim (Deuteronomy??), the chapter twenty-two in the verses thirteen to fourteen, and twenty to twenty-one. I must warn that this is a very tough word of correction! It is as follows:

(13) If a man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her (14) And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid (virgin): . . . (20) . . . if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: (21) Then they shall take out the damsel to the door of her fathers house, and the men of the city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the WHORE in her fathers house: so shall thou put evil away from among you. KJV Bibleword in parenthesis mine; caps mine.

As can clearly be seen from these words of Yahuwah, any woman who marries a man while knowing very well that she had lost her virginity to some other man in some illicit affair, MUST by such a callous and foolish act of hers immediately attract upon herself death by stoning at the hands of all the men of Yisroel in her community!! This was and is still the law of Yahuwah Elohiym and its concordant punishment that kept and keeps Yisroel pure and holy, and will thus give any nation some modicum of spiritual value, if copied or adopted, so as could be considered of any use to Him!

In fact, any copulation between a woman of broken virginity and a husband who refused to witness to her status of lost virginity proven from events of her first night of marriage would definitely bring evil consequences on the entire nation of Yisroel, simply because a sin of unholy union was not punished in order to appease the wrath of Yahuwah!

And so, whenever the wrath of Yahuwah was never appeased, evil both triumphed and ruled until justice was done through the stoning to death of the sinful woman!

The fact is that if the man who married such a woman of broken virginity refused or failed to report on his findings in the matrimonial bed on the first night of marriage, he would definitely have issues with Yahuwah Elohiym which will not permit him to have peace and prosperity in all he does all of his days in the marriage! For, how would anyone do contrarily to the will of Yahuwah Elohiym and yet prosper in life??

But then, which man can stand the wrath of Yahuwah Elohiym? And so, one can surmise that no man in the history of Yisroel dared knowingly to hide the truth of a womans broken virginity that could only be found out by him ALONE through the secret and private affairs of men on the matrimonial bed on the first night of a marital union!

In fact, only a foolish son of Yisroel would attempt to hide this; and so there exists no law in the Towrah to caution a man who would want to keep the important information on his wifes lost virginity status to himself, and thus attempt to shield her from the wrath of all Yisroel and their Elohiym, neither is there any evidence in the Tanakh (Old Testament of Christians??) of men who suffered any punishment for acting in connivance or collusion with a woman of broken virginity!

So then, since women of today who lose their virginity before marriage may not suffer being stoned to death to appease the wrath of Yahuwah Elohiym for violating His Towrah, simply because some man-made laws that disregard the Towrah and some so-called Human Rights activists both now exist to be applied and to step in to defend them, their marriages cannot evade the curses which their actions must attract!

I can confidently say that families are as they are all over the Earth todayvery immoral and lacking behavioral discipline of both their adult parents and growing offspringbecause at the root of all family problems is the galore of illegally contracted marriages to non-virgins we now see everywhere on Earth!!

You see, the one single illicit sexual act that brings about a loss of virginity can lead to the introduction and perpetuation of whoredom in any nation and thus the entire Earthas mankind is warned of and cautioned in the word of Yahuwah Elohiymif unpunished with death by stoning and allowed to taint or defile one single marriage!

Sadly, this ONE sure route to whoredom revealed in the word of Yahuwah Elohiym to take over the spiritual life of any nation is contrary to the views held by many people today as to what leads to or constitutes whoredom! Today, whoredom is thought by many as being a situation ignited by the trading of bodies by both men and women for sexual gratification!!

But of course, this state of whoredom now seen all over Earth, started with one sin of illicit copulation involving a man and a woman that led to the woman breaking her virginitya sin which was later condoned by some other man who married her and thus was never punished by the commandment of Yahuwah Elohiym detailed in His Towrah!

When the word of Yahuwah Elohiym cautions mankind in Vayikra (Leviticus??) 19:29 to never permit the land fall to whoredom and the land become full of wickedness it is in fact a caution to never permit in the land of Yisroel, any marriage to a woman of Yisroel of broken virginity or to any woman who was not of Yisroel or one who was termed a strange woman!!

Well, I can confidently say that the entire Earth has now fallen to whoredom, the very situation the Towrah of Yahuwah Elohiym had sought to avert, by the galore of illegal marriages contracted with women of broken virginity all over the world under the endorsement and blessing of Christian clergymen!

I can say there is yet a more damning effect to a marriage involving a woman of broken virginity if it survived beyond the day by which it ought to have been established by a council of elders of Yisroel that the woman was guilty and thus sentenced to death and killed by stoning!

You see, if maybe through a willful act of collusion of the couple to hide the evidence of broken virginity of the woman in order to allow copulation beyond the first day of honeymoon to continue [forever], then such sexual activity was in the eyes of Yahuwah Elohiym one that involved a dead woman, anytime it happened, since any woman who marries in the state of broken virginity MUST count herself a dead woman when her guilt would have been determined after the first night of her marriage!!

And so, one may shudder at the thought of what evil effects the over 90% of all marriages on Earth today which involve women of broken virginity have on the spirituality of all mankind, particularly, on their husbands and children, if they do get to bear any children at all in their unholy states and union!!

Part III

In fact, all who come into being as children by such an illegal marital union involving a woman of lost virginity MUST be seen as dead people, technically and spiritually speaking, but only physically alive according to the grace of Yahuwah Elohiym!! This is simply so because a woman with broken virginity is simply dead both spiritually and physically too, within a day or two of marriage [and in fact cannot be considered a living soul worthy to be married to anyone] and thus, any being or anything produced in the context of a marriage to her is by induction also spiritually DEAD!

The Towrah of Yahuwah Elohiym demanded and still demands that every first-born child of virgin birth belonged to Him in His service or that he or she be redeemedcf. Bamidbar (Numbers??) 3:12-13.

According to this law, every first born child who was also the first to break the matrix of his mother was deemed holy at conception and thus could be useful in the service to Yahuwah Elohiym since he was begotten of a virgin mother.

However, any birth by a non-virgin mother could never be accepted in the service of Yahuwah since such an illegal birth by a defiled virgin was not even possible in Yisroel, anyway!!

Now, because children begotten by women who were defiled before marriage were never useful to Yahuwah Elohiym in any ways is the reason why such women as Dina of Bereshiyt (Genesis??) 34:1-31 and Tamar of SchmuEl Sheni (Second Samuel??) 13:1-32 and Divrey HaYamin Ekhad (First Chronicles??) 3:9 who lost their virginities in evil ways were never given out by their fathers in marriage to anyone to produce children who would be deemed unacceptable to Yahuwah Elohiym for His needs and purposes!!

And so, every father who gives out a daughter in marriage when she had lost her virginity in any situation, knowingly or unknowingly of her status, commits a sin! In this, all men must begin to search their conscience and to make repentance for the purging of their spirits!

Today, instead of Christian clergymen chanting the No Marriage for non-virgin women or Death to the defiled woman who marries slogan that Yahuwah Elohiym reveals in His word, they instead support and champion the secular laws that are enacted by men to enforce their cliche of No Divorce, No Divorce once a marriage under a so-called Ordinance or "Church" is contracted involving even non-virgin women!!

It is sad to note that, whereas the Kohanim (priests??) of old who ministered at the mizbeakh (a word pronounced as miz bay akh, and said to mean altar by bible translators) of Yahuwah Elohiym were never to marry any woman who had lost her virginity to some man, even in a once-upon-a-time legal and holy marriage to any man other than of the tribe of Levi when she was yet a virgin, todays Christian clergymen are happy in getting themselves married to women of lost virginity who may be so morally deranged as could easily be classified as whores or sex workers!! How then would virgins ever be found in Church; as Bishop Dag Heward-Mills laments??

So then, it now seems obvious that our world is full of illegitimate human beings begotten through illegal marriages that are evil to Yahuwah Elohiym!! As many of these illegitimate human beings are leaders of Christianity who officiate at illegal marriages between their followers, it is no wonder that Christianity is as it is [useless] and must soon go away! For, as sin has become endemic in Church, at the point of begetting babies, how can any virgins ever be found there??

It seems to me that so-called Christian marriage counsellors have no slight idea of how the myriad of problems they identify in almost all of todays marriages came about or originated from! They therefore have no clue whatsoever to the solutions of these marital problems! I can confidently say that the problems in marriages have evolved of these marriages themselves; and are thus endemic and unsolvable in them! How sad!!

Now, just think with me: If no man ever contracted a marriage with a woman of broken virginity, and thus with some woman who had no right to live but to die at the behest of Yahuwah Elohiym through stoning at the hands of men who were truthful to His Towrah, would the wrong kind of people be begotten to create all the problems and wickedness we see or would ever face in our world?? Just think about this!!

When a couple complains of the type of children they have in their homechildren who are disobedient and disrespectful of them, lazy, wasteful of their resources, ungrateful, engage in sexual acts for fun or pleasure even as teenagers who have no idea of or desire to be married, wicked to other people, sickly or physically blemished at birth, etc., etc.,they must know it was their own disobedience to Yahuwah Elohiym against His Towrah instruction not to marry defiled women that had brought them all these problems and pain in order to render that marriage a useless undertaking to them which should never had been contracted in the first place!

If we are to consider what are often termed as generational curses that are found throughout the world and across all generations, we would find that the ONLY ways of origin, perpetuation, and continuous existence of these curses are through marriage, and that they only come about and take effect through marriages that are in themselves cursed by Yahuwah Elohiym at their very inception and which ought not to have been contracted at all!!

It is sad to note that in the lead of such problem-riddled marriages are those that involve non-virgin women! Following such problem-riddled marriages contracted with non-virgin women are those other marriages involving people who are close relatives, and which are thus generally considered incestuous and abhorrent, even according to the very simple sensibilities of most people, not to talk of the fact that Yahuwah Elohiym forbids them since they are recorded as such in His Towrahcf. Vayikra (Leviticus??) 18:1-30!

Now, even though inter-racial marriages may not be as repulsive to the sensibilities of many people as are incestuous marriages involving couples who are close relatives, every inter-racial marriage such as between a Negro and a Caucasian is nonetheless also forbidden under the Towrah, since they lead to the intermingling of the human seed [blood] which Yahuwah Elohiym hatescf. Ezra 10:1-44, NekhemYahu (Nehemiah??) 13:27, Mishle (Proverbs??) 22:14, 23:27, 33!

My dear reader, you may have read from the book of Mishle (Proverbs??) 18:22 in the Bible, thus: Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of Yahuwah (the LORD??), KJV; but please be informed, however, that Yahuwah Elohiym has no non-virgin woman in His mind for Him to make to become a wife to any of his loyal and holy sons!

So then, if you are a man who is married to a non-virgin woman, thinking it was Yahuwah Elohiym who hooked you up with her, then you must begin to repent of that thought and begin to make plans to get out of that weird marriage, in order to have PEACE with Elohiym!!

And now, talking about finding peace with Elohiym, let me proffer some solutions for our world that is foolishly rushing itself toward self-destruction by its massive appetite and penchant to contract marriages with non-virgin women, even though Yahuwah Elohiym has barred people from engaging in them!!

Obviously, the first way and means to solving this problem has to be that no man today should marry a non-virgin woman; for, this is the starting point of trouble in life for every young man and for even any of advanced age!

And so, fathers of non-virgin daughters should stop giving them out in marriage! Christian clergymen should not officiate at such marriages and State Governments should wash their hands off such marriages since it is none of their business to declare a couple as married.

Second, men must immediately begin to divorce the non-virgin women they are married to; and more promptly so, if these wives are yet to bring forth any children through the union!! In so far as non-virgin women who marry are considered by Yahuwah Elohiym to be dead, anyway, why would anyone want to continue to live with someone who is dead in the name of loveor is it not rather lust??

Thirdly, a couple married to each for a very long time before coming to the realization of being guilty in disobeying the instructions of the Towrah of Devarim 22:13-30, may continue to live together even in the same house but must NEVER have any sexual union with each other, any longer, upon judging themselves as guilty of illicit sexual behavior!!

For me, such a couple may continue to live together even under the same roof so that they may be seen in the eyes of the world to be married in order for them to be able, together, to bear the collective responsibility of taking care of any children who were born as a result of the marital union!

But obviously, this is no easy undertaking for any couple living together and yet not supposed to copulate!! Well, is this not the kind of sacrifice and cost anyone who seeks to be holy and acceptable to Yahuwah Elohiym must pay??

However, this may be easier to do where the wife is now past child bearing ability and is in what stage in her life that is termed menopause!! After all, is menopause not in fact a three word command of Yahuwahmen oh pauseshouted out to men to halt from their carnal ways with their wives when these wives may no longer have the ability, energy or the desire to bear children for them and may thus have become frigid to acts of sexual intercourse with their spouses?? Please pause over this!

Part IV

This article should not end without making a case study of the chapter eleven of the book of Shofetim (Judges??) of the Tanakh (Old Testament??) which is an account on the life of a man of valor by name Yiftakh (Jephthah??), who was begotten as the son of Gileadi (Gilead??).

Id like us to examine the whole chapter of Shofetim in this case study! So then, dear reader, do read the entire chapter on your own in order to be familiar with it before coming to continue your reading of this article.

To begin with, it is obvious that Gileadi the father of Yifthakh disobeyed the commandment of Yahuwah Elohiym in having an illicit sexual union [in marriage??] with a woman who was of Goy (Gentile?) descent and also a harlot; who was to become the second wife of Gileadi and, most probably, was found living in a Goy community at the start of their relationship!

I believe this to be so since this woman who eventually gave birth to Yiftakh is also described as a strange woman and could only thus be a stranger to Yisroel; and, in fact, no harlot could ever live in a community of Yisroel, since no such women could evade being stoned to death if found to be so!

It might seem that Yahuwah Elohiym had in mind a more fitting punishment for her and her erring hubby than permitting the death of the woman after their first sexual union gave her up as not being a virgin, as even a woman of broken virginity in the house of Yisroel deserved to die on the first day after having a sexual union with her hubby after their first night of wedding! So, for her, it was surprising that she even lived through pregnancy unto the safe birth of Yiftakh and yet we are not told what punishment she suffered!!

All the accounts surrounding the life of Yiftakhthe discrimination against him by the legitimate children of the other wife of his father which came at a particular time; his flight to live in HaAretz Tov (Land of Tob??) and his life there as captain of an army of vain men; the timing of the children of Ammon to go to war against the children of Gileadi of the house of Yisroel in an unjust war that ought to have been fought some three centuries earlier if it were a just one; the disgraceful plea of the house of Gileadi to have Yiftakh as their head over and above all the legitimate sons of Gileadi his father, the acceptance of which thus caused him to become the legitimate heir and thus enabled him to be the head of his fathers house in the stead of his father, etc.were all to lead him to swear the oath he swore to Yahuwah Elohiym, so that in all of that Yahuwah Elohiym would get to have justice to Himself by avenging the sin of Gileadi who was a head man of the house of Yisroel in his illegal marriage to a strange woman (and harlot)!!

You see, the wrath of Yahuwah that had come upon a leader or head of a clan in Yisroel for defiling His covenant through an illegal marriage to a non-virgin foreign woman had to be avenged and the land thus cleansed of whoredom!

In all of this, Elohiym was patient in His plan and He was not to be understood until the whole plan was fully executed to display His wisdom in His manner of doing things! At the end of it all, Yahuwah Elohiym got for Himself a righteous first born girl child due to Him by right from a righteous father Yiftakh as His rightful and acceptable sacrificial item to be sacrificed to avenge His wrath on the house of Gileadi, forever, and to even establish, in all of this, a yearly memorial to constantly bring to the memory and in warning to all of the house of Gileadi the sin of their father which they were never to think of committing in marrying harlots or non-virgin women!

So then, all people today who have sinned by marrying non-virgin women, and all who facilitated such illegal marriages will have to face the wrath of Yahuwah Elohiym no matter how long it takes Him to avenge these sinsand even if posthumously!! And so let all beware and be thus cautioned so as to be ready for the Judgment Day of Yahuwah Elohiym!!

It seems to me that Christian clergymen who claim to be led by a so-called Holy Ghost/Spirit to do holy things and live holy lives are rather misled by an Evil Ghost to do the most despicable and unholy acts such as conduct marriage seminars and counselling, and weddings, involving non-virgin women who may easily pass as sex workers, harlots and prostitutes, plying their trade in shrines, brothels and hotels all over the Earth, and yet such clergymen claim to do service in the name of the Most High One for the benefit of mankind! How could they??

Methinks the instruction of the Most High One to the first man on Earth to Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: should now be revoked, if to my surprise He has not even already done so yet!!

For, why would He allow Himself to be continually afflicted in His heart by all these [dead on arrival] people who are begotten on Earth by lust-filled and fun seeking sexually hyperactive people who disregard His laws on procreation??

The belief system of Christians is simply bull shit if as it can now be seen that one of its major pillars of faith and functionsthe organizing and blessing of marriages between its adherents according to their so-called holy matrimony doctrineturns out to be for people who are unqualified to marry each other in the first place, according to the Towrah of Yahuwah Elohiym!! And yet they suppose that these marriage ceremonies give to their beneficiaries a cloak of respectability and holiness and so must be patronized so as to be a blessing to their patrons!! Like seriously??

Very soon, and I do pray it indeed be very soon, there will be a fresh start to life on Earth to be led by we the true children of Yisroel after being washed and cleansed from the effects of committing sin and delivered from the power to commit sin in itselfcf. YechezkEl (Ezekiel??) 36:25-27set to happen somewhere on the next Exodus journey back to our promised land from the regions of Africa South of the Sahara, where all true children of Yisroel are temporally living (many of who may not even be conscious of their identity as being the children of Avraham) while awaiting the final events on Earth to purge it of sin, and then to usher in the eternal rule by Melek Dovid (King David) under the power and in the name of HaBen HaElohiym who is eternally called Yahushua, HaMashakhYahu i.e. the Anointed of Yahuwah (or is this functional title Masaya or even the Messiah of Christians??)!!

At the end of that second and last Exodus, the lands of the Earth would have been cleansed from the effects of whoredom, and then holiness would be restored to Earth as was in the beginning; and thereafter shall only virgin women conceive to bear children throughout all generations of mankind to the glory of the Creator, Yahuwah Elohiym!!

My dear Negro kinsmen who are typically identified among all races of people by your unique crop of woolly textured hair on your heads and faces, would you and or your descendants be part of this holy journey that is prepared for us to someday be undertaken according to the will and plan of Yahuwah Elohiym Himself??

For me, this is my ONLY hope and so, I live so as to be part of this homecoming should it happen in my days or that my descendants after me dont fall out of it when it takes place! And so, my task is to prepare them to be part of this holy event on the calendar of Yahuwah Elohiym.

My prayer to Yahuwah Elohiym for your sakes, my dear readers, is that you and or your descendants would be a part of this coming glory for Negro people! Shalawam aleikhem!!

You may want to contact the author with your constructive comments via this email address: [email protected].
Late September, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Embassies accredited to the Russian Federation celebrated the 37th Anniversary of SADC at the Korston hotel in southern Moscow.

SADC is an inter-governmental organisation of the Southern African region comprising the following sixteen countries: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

During the 37th Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government held on 19  20th August 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa, the Republic of South Africa was elected Chair of the SADC for the year 2017/2018.

The Organisations primary goal is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security.

High on the priority list of SADC is the implementation of the SADC Industrial Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063, which recognises the necessity for the structural transformation of the SADC region through industrialisation, modernisation, upgrading, skills development, science and technology, financial strengthening and deeper regional integration.

During the 37th Summit held in Pretoria in August 2017, the SADC Heads of State and Government also noted progress in the implementation of the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap in specifically profiling of value chains in the three priority sectors of agro-processing, mining and pharmaceuticals and further urged member states to keep the momentum in developing and actualising the identified value chains.

In the Russian Federation, ten SADC member countries are prominently represented, namely: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The primary goal of the SADC Embassies in the Russian Federation is to strengthen the historical relations between the Russian Federation and the SADC member countries, bilaterally and as a collective. To this end, the SADC member countries in the Russian Federation have structured bilateral mechanisms designed to deepen bilateral relations with Russia.

SADC member countries are also engaged in efforts to forge bilateral relations between the 85 regions of the Russian Federation and their countrys regions. This is because of the recognition that linkages at the regional levels play a pivotal role in the strengthening of bilateral relations, particularly in the trade and people-to-people spheres.

There are other equally significant aspects of cooperation with the Russian Federation. These include: military cooperation, with several SADC Embassies having Military Attaches; education cooperation, as many students receive tertiary training in the institutions of higher learning of the Russian Federation; people-to-people relations, which involve promotion of different cultures in the Russian Federation, tourism promotion  encouraging Russians to go on holiday to SADC countries and enjoy the variety offered by these countries.

Strengthening trade, investment and economic relations to the mutual benefit of both SADC countries and the Russian Federation remains high on the agenda of all SADC Embassies in the Russian Federation. To this end, on various occasions, Trade and Economic Ministers, and high-powered delegations have visited the Russian Federation; SADC Embassies participate regularly in Russian international investment forums and exhibitions such as SPIEF in St. Petersburg, Forum in Sochi, Far East Economic Forum in Vladivostok, INNOPROM Industrial Exhibition in Ekaterinburg, Moscow World Food Exhibition, Russia Agriculture Golden Autumn Exhibition, to cite here but a few.

In this context, SADC wishes to inform that the region hosts a variety of international exhibitions. SADC, thus, invites Russian business people to explore vast opportunities available in the member countries.

The SADC countries enjoy a strong convergence of principles and positions on multilateral issues with the Russian Federation, especially in championing peaceful resolution of conflicts and the primary role of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the maintenance of global peace and security, human rights, multilateralism, the rule of law in international relations, the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, the democratisation of the global governance system through the United Nations (UN), G20 and the BRICS Forum.

SADC, is one of the five Regional Economic Communities of the African continent, and its member countries in the Russian Federation participate in the activities of the African Group of Ambassadors in the Russian Federation. SADC Embassies are proud that the Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in the Russian Federation is H.E. Ambassador Eloi Maxime Dovo from the Republic of Madagascar  a member country of SADC.

The SADC Embassies, bilaterally and collectively look forward to further strengthening bilateral relations in all spheres to the optimal level with the Russian Federation.

Kester Kenn Klomegah is an independent research writer and a policy consultant on African affairs in the Russian Federation and Eurasian Union. He has won media awards for highlighting economic diplomacy in the region with Africa.
19.11.2017 LISTEN

Modern women of Wisdom International (MWOW), an all female humanitarian organization operating in Ghana and beyond on Sunday, 19th November, 2017 donated building materials to the orphaned children at Cherubs Foundation located at Santasi- Apire in Ashanti region.

According to members of the Organization, the NGO chose to donate building materials to the orphaned children at Cherubs Foundation because the orphanage struggles with one of the worst accommodation systems in the country.

Speaking to the media, the Director of Operations of the group, Ms. Ophelia Samaaba Prempeh- Kessie echoed calls on charity

organizations to take keen interest in the well being of the orphaned in the society.

"Our solution is to systematically motivate caretakers of orphanage homes by providing comprehensive support for orphaned children who face a dismal future without quality shelter and other basic needs" she reiterated.

Ms. Prempeh -Kessie made the call when the NGO presented bags of cement and other building materials to the orphans at Cherubs Foundation at Santasi, a suburb of Kumasi.

Receiving the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, Elder Nicholas Osei Bonsu , the Founder of the orphanage at whose instance the items were donated, expressed gratitude to the NGO for the kind gesture, and called on humanitarian organizations and religious bodies to help needy persons in the country, stressing that If the nation will improve, civil society groups are equally supposed to help the Government by supporting the less privileged.

Again, the orphaned children were treated to a special feast organized by the NGO.

At the end of the feast, the orphaned children were presented with gifts, that were purchased by caring people.

The entourage was led by Ms. Ophelia Samaaba Prempeh -Kessie ,the Director of Operations of the group and supported by Ms.Joyce Amofa and Nana Akosua Takyiaw Aprebi both Executives of the group.
The Ghana catholic Bishops Conference has made an appeal to president Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the government of Ghana to urgently intervene to ensure the safety of Ghanaians along the Ghana-Togo borders.

According to the Bishops in a Communique issued on Friday, November 17 at Ho, We have observed with grave concern the destruction of life and property in our neighboring country, the Republic of Togo, a situation that affects Ghanaian families directly and indirectly.

The Communique signed and read by Most Rev. Philip Naameh and Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, President and Vice of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference(GCBC) respectively at the closing of Annual Plenary Assembly at Ho, encouraged all to treat refugees from Togo with love and warmth

The 12-day Plenary Assembly was on the theme: Integral Pastoral Carefor the Family in the light of Amoris Laetitia.

The Communiquetouched on a range of national issues including Education and Free SHS, Mob Injustice, Incidence of Sexual Abuse, Religious Leadership; Bribery and Corruption, Galamsey Menace, Sanitation and E-waste Management; Traditional Rulers, Values and Customs; Eastern Corridor Road, Nkonya-Alavanyo conflict, and crises in Togo.

On Education, the Bishops commended the government for rolling out the Free SHS programme which seeks to make education accessible for many more graduates from JHS level.

According to the Catholic Bishops, they are aware of the teething challenges of the initiative and urged that as a matter of necessity, all stakeholders should help to ease the challenges of overcrowding in the dormitories, classrooms and dining halls in Schools.

A conducive teaching-learning is crucial for the effective implementation of the Free SHS programme, they added.

The Bishops also condemned the culture of mob lynching of perceived criminals, saying that it is a sign of an impatient society that has no trust and respect for due process, rule of law and dignity of human life.

They recommendeda radical education that acknowledges that every human life in Ghana is sacred and ought to be respected from the moment of conception to natural death.

They added: we further encourage continuous education of every Ghanaian to respect due process which is a basic tenet of our democratic dispensation.

On the Eastern Corridor road, they appealed to Government to speed up the construction that Road which is in a deplorable state affecting the economic activity of the areas concerned.

They stated that the poor state of the road was not only affecting economic activities but had enormous health and development implications, saying that the road posed a great danger to the lives of motorists, traders and tourists.

The Bishops also expressed displeasure about the Nkonya-Alavanyo conflict, saying that various steps towards a peaceful resolution seemed not to bear fruit.The two communities have been fighting over a parcel of land with each of them claiming to be the rightful owners of the land.
Ghanas First Lady Mrs. Rebecca Akufo- Addo is visiting the Peoples Republic of China on Monday, November 20, 2017 to deepen relations between the two countries.

She is being accompanied by the Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kojo Yankah, Dr. Stella Ennim, Director of Crop Research Institute (CSI) , and Millicent Degraft  Johnson from the Ministry of finance.

The First Ladys trip follows the visit of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to China in June and the subsequent visit of the Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Mr. Qian Keming to Ghana in September and will further deepen relations and as well as strengthen economic cooperation between Ghana and China.

During the visit, the First Lady will support the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to open the first Ghana trade and Investment Office in Qingdao in China. In addition, the delegation will travel to Hunan where they will meet provincial officials and visit the laboratory of the father of rice Mr. Yuan Long Pin, investor of the hybrid rice variety to discuss how China could assist Ghana to improve its yield in her rice production.

The First Lady will then proceed to Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province to meet the officials of China National Building Materials (CNBM) who are working with Ghana on her One District One Factory  initiative and also visit Huawei Headquarters to hold discussions with their officials.

On her way to Ghana, Mrs. Akufo-Addo will make a stopover at Hong Kong to meet with the Hong Kong Financial and Investment community.

The visit by the First Lady follows recent high level exchanges between the two countries and is an indication of the importance His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addos government attaches to Ghana  China relations, Ghanas Ambassador to China, Edward Boateng said.

The First Lady is expected to return on November 29, 2017.
TWIN FALLS COUNTY

FELONY SENTENCINGS

Christopher David Pothier, 40, Twin Falls; two charges possession of a controlled substance, $100 DNA, $2,485 restitution, seven years penitentiary, five determinate, two indeterminate, three years supervised probation, 180 days jail.

David Rendon Torres, 25, Twin Falls; driving under the influence  second offense, felony violation within 15 years, $290.50 costs, $1,000 fine, 10 years penitentiary, one determinate, nine indeterminate, one day credited, five years drivers license suspension, sentence to run consecutively to 2009 case.

Robert William Dyer, 38, Twin Falls; unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, $245.50 costs, five years penitentiary, two determinate, three indeterminate, 156 days credited.

Robert William Dyer, 38, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, seven years penitentiary, two determinate, five years indeterminate, 156 days credited, sentence to run concurrently to other 2017 case.

Matthew Wayne Johnston, 20, Twin Falls; drug trafficking in heroin, $285.50 costs, $5000 fine, $100 DNA, $1,160.88 restitution, 10 years penitentiary, two determinate, eight indeterminate, 117 days credited, 100 hours community service.

Samuel Savino Rendon, 37, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $100 DNA, seven years penitentiary, three determinate, four indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction.

Jeffrey Alan Ross, 58, Buhl; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $100 DNA, seven years penitentiary, three determinate, four indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction. driving under the influence second offense within 10 years, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 365 days drivers license suspension upon release, sentence to run concurrent with other offense.

Dylan Edward Montoya, 21, Twin Falls; Domestic violence battery inflicting traumatic injury, 10 years penitentiary, five determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction, sentence to run consecutively to 2015 case. Attempted strangulation, 10 years penitentiary, five determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction, sentence to run consecutively to 2015 case.

Michael Lynn Ray, 45, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $337.50 restitution, seven years determinate penitentiary, sentence to run consecutively to 2006 case and 2011 case.

Dana Charlene Strickland, 45, Twin Falls; aggravated assault battery by use of a deadly weapon or instrument, $245.50 costs, $500 public defender, eight years penitentiary, three determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served. 365 days retained jurisdiction.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SENTENCINGS

Cody Lee Erdmann, 26, Filer; driving under the influence  excessive, $1,000 fine, $600 suspended, $202.50 costs, $50 public defender, 365 days jail, 335 suspended, two days credited, 20 discretionary, 365 days drivers license suspension, 24 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel.

Erica Cortez, 34, Filer; driving under the influence, $1,000 fine, $600 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 167 suspended, two days credited, 10 days discretionary, guilty withheld judgment, eight hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Christina Maye Martinez Rico, 34, Kimberly; driving under the influence, $1,000 fine, $700 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, one day credited, guilty withheld judgment, 16 hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Jessica Marie Boda, 24, Hollister; driving under the influence, $1,000 fine, $700 suspended, $202.50 costs, $50 public defender, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, two days credited, guilty withheld judgment, eight hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Kendell Shawn Rast, 22, Jerome; driving under the influence, $1,00 fine, $600 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, one day credited, guilty withheld judgment, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Colleen Lynn Spencer, 26, Hansen; driving under the influence, $1,000 fine, $700 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, one day credited, guilty withheld judgment, 16 hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Steven E. Pegg, 62, Lockhart, Texas; driving under the influence second offense, $1,000 fine, $500 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 175 suspended, one day credited, 365 days drivers license suspension, 24 months supervised probation.

Timothy William Campbell, 34, Twin Falls; driving under the influence excessive, $1,000 fine, $800 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 170 suspended, one day credited, 40 hours work detail, 365 days drivers license suspension, 12 months unsupervised probation.

Christopher Mendoza Gonzales, 29, Nampa; driving under the influence second offense within 10 years, 365 days jail, 185 days suspended, one day credited, 24 months unsupervised probation.

Zackary Tyler Shaff, 25, Buhl; driving under the influence, $202.50 costs, 120 days jail, 37 credited.

Brent Evan Hilliard, 51, Twin Falls; driving under the influence, $1,000 fine, $700 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, guilty withheld judgment, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Colin Hawkins White, 34, Twin Falls; driving under the influence excessive, $1,000 fine, $1,000 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 175 suspended, one day credited, 10 days discretionary, guilty withheld judgment, 365 days restricted drivers license, one year interlock device, 24 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school. Arrests and seizures resisting or obstructing officers charge dismissed.

Karen Ann Hall, 50, Filer; driving under the influence  excessive, $1,000 fine, $1,000 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 175 suspended, 10 days discretionary, 365 days restricted drivers license, 24 months supervised probation, one year interlock device, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

DIVORCE CIVIL PROCEEDINGS

Scheri Bullock v. Trevor Bullock

Kayla Williams v. Lewis Williams

Timothy Lopez v. Pamela Lopez

Minerva Reyes Avalos v. Fernando Ramos

Robert Miller v. Jayleen Miller

Erin Henson v. Steven Henson

Jessica Ward v. Jarred Ward

Gabriela Magana v. Roberto Magana

Emily Chaparro v. Adrian Chaparro

Vieolet Flemings v. Colter Flemings

Kaylee Watts v. Shantel Watts

Heather Stone v. Travis Stone

Beatrice Mukampereqwa v. Jean Claude Kwigaba

Ethan Byers v. Hailey Byers

Ginger Hanchett v. Thomas Hanchett

Karen Smith v. Steven Smith

Husnara Mohamad v. Rohim Abdulla

Brent Abbot v. Catrina Abbott

Savannah Morgan v. Marc Morgan II

Sierra Waters v. Jay Waters III

Sabrina Stevens v. Michael Stevens
Review of CI.133 will aid in ...
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends much of her time in Asia and is currently working on a book about textile artisans.

A New York state judge last week ruled that use of a StingRay, a surveillance device that mimics legitimate cellular phone towers, constitutes a search and therefore under most circumstances requires a warrant, based on probable cause.

New York joins other states in concluding that a warrant is necessary for police to use such a device. As Ars Technica reports in If NYPD cops want to snoop on your phone, they need a warrant, judge rules, in September, the influential District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals also decided that use of a StingRaysusually requires a warrant (read the decision here). Earlier a federal district judge in California in August of this year also decided use of a StingRay required a warrant, but determined that due to exigent circumstances, a warrant wasnt necessary in that case (read the decision here).

In his recent opinion, New York State Supreme judge Martin Murphy ruled:

By its very nature, then, the use of a cell site simulator intrudes upon an individuals reasonable expectation of privacy, acting as an instrument of eavesdropping and requires a separate warrant supported by probable cause rather than a mere pen register/trap and trace order such as the one obtained in this case by the [New York Police Department] (original emphasis; citations omitted). Therefore, the failure to obtain a proper eavesdropping warrant here prejudiced the defendant since the most useful-and needed information-ie. his location-was procured from the unlimited use of the cell site simulator. As conceded by the People, the police here were only able to gather the needed location information when they began to track the defendants phone on or about April12, 2016 with that enhanced technology and only then. The apprehension of the defendant was therefore accomplished only through the use of the improperly obtained information (original emphasis).

The New York Times reports in Brooklyn Judges Ruling Raises Bar for Covert Cellphone Tracking

New York Police Departments use of cell-site simulators was almost entirely shrouded in secrecy until last year, when documents obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union showed that the department used the devices on 1,016 occasions from 2008 to 2015. They were generally used for the most serious offenses, like murders, rapes, shootings and robberies, and sometimes for lesser crimes.

Judge Murphys decision reins in the use of such technology by the countrys largest police force for now. It comes at a time when law enforcement entities increasingly seek to use technology for surveillance and push the limits of whats tolerated despite US Constitutional requirements.

As Gizmodo reported last week ,in Texas Paid Hundreds of Thousands to Spy on Cellphones With Surveillance Planes:

Last year, military surveillance aircraft in Texas were outfitted with devices designed to spy on cellphones, including their location, numbers dialed, text messages and photos and even the content of their calls, The Texas Observer reports. The newspaper obtained documents between the Texas National Guard, the DEA and a Maryland-based company called Digital Receiver Technology (DRT) outlining a $373,000 contract to install cellphone surveillance software on the planes as part of anti-drug trafficking operations. The money reportedly came from Texas drug asset forfeiture funds. Similar to controversial stingray devices, DRTs systemsnicknamed dirt boxesmimic cellphone towers, connecting to every smartphone within a specific area. Because they connect with all smartphones, its nearly impossible to avoid collecting private data from people who arent suspects, but just happen to be in the target area.

Those that use these devices have steadfastly sought to keep their use secret, as well as other details about the devices capabilities. The New York Civil Liberties Union is not alone in raising concerns about secrecy:

Privacy advocates have long derided cell-site simulators because they operate in secrecy. Authorities have fought hard to withhold information on how much data stingrays collect, even dropping charges rather than revealing information about the technology. The Justice Department, however, has policies for the use of such devices by federal agencies and police departments that partner with them: officials must secure a warrant before using them in criminal investigations and must delete all data on users not targeted within 30 days. The rules do not apply to national security operations.

The Department of Justice was a fairly late convert to the position that use of StingRays should require a warrant, as the Electronic Frontier Foundation reported in Finally! DOJ Reverses Course and Requires Warrants for Stingrays! in September 2015:

At long last, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a slew of much-needed policy changes regarding the use of cell-site simulators. Most importantly, starting today all federal law enforcement agenciesand all state and local agencies working with the federal governmentwill be required to obtain a search warrant supported by probable cause before they are allowed to use cell-site simulators. EFF welcomes these policy changes as long overdue. Colloquially known as Stingrays after Harris Corporations brand name for a common model, cell-site simulators masquerade as legitimate cell phone towers, tricking phones nearby into connecting to them. This allows agents to learn the unique identifying number for each phone in the area of the device and to track a phones location in real time. But Stingrays can get a lot more than just identifying numbers and location databy virtue of the way they work, all mobile traffic (voice, data, and text) from every phone in the area could be routed through the Stingray, giving the operator the option to do anything from recording entire calls and texts, to selectively denying service to particular phones. Until recently, law enforcements use of Stingrays has been shrouded in an inexplicable and indefensible level of secrecy. At the behest of the FBI, state law enforcement agencies have been bound by non-disclosure agreements intended to shield from public scrutiny all details about the technical capabilities and even model numbers of the devices. Law enforcement has gone to extreme lengths to protect even the most basic information about them, even dropping charges rather than answering judges questions about them. Although todays policy changes dont directly affect the non-disclosure agreements already in place, the tone of the announcement, along with a clarification from May, gives us hope that more transparency is on the way.

Unfortunately, I am much less optimistic than the EFF writing in September 2015 was about the prospects for further transparency under a Department of Justice overseen by Attorney General Jeff Sessions is Attorney General (or, for that matter, under any successor that Trump might appoint to that position).

Will These Decisions Stand?

But these recent judicial decisions provide some cause for optimism. The key question of course is will they will be upheld on further review by higher level courts. In this respect the decision by the United State Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is more significant than that rendered last week by Judge Murphy a state court judge.
The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office is asking that anyone having information, please call 735-1911 or Crime Stoppers at 732-5387 where you can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
Jerri-Lynn here: This Real News Network interview with Mike Weisbrot discusses the non-binding resolution the House of Representatives passed last week concerning the unauthorized role of the United States in the war in Yemen. This Saudi war has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, including a cholera epidemic and widespread hunger and starvation. No end to the crisis is in sight.

Weisbrot is Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. and author of the book Failed: What the Experts Got Wrong About the Global Economy (Oxford University Press, 2015), co-author, with Dean Baker, of Social Security: The Phony Crisis (University of Chicago Press, 2000). He writes a column on economic and policy issues that is distributed to over 550 newspapers by the Tribune Content Agency and his opinion pieces have appeared in The Guardian, New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and Brazils largest newspaper, Folha de Sao Paulo. He is also president of Just Foreign Policy.

SHARMINI PERIES: Its The Real News Network. Im Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore. The humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen is getting increasingly dire every day. On Thursday, the directors of the World Health Organization, WHO, the United Nations Childrens Fund, the UNICEF, and the World Food Program issued a joint statement urging Saudi Arabia to lift its blockade on Yemen. Last Monday, the House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution with a vote of 366 to 30 calling attention to the U.S.s unauthorized role in the war in Yemen. The ongoing Saudi war in Yemen has already killed over 10,000 Yemenis. Another 50,000 children could die before the end of the year from starvation according to the organization Save the Children.

Also, about 20 million Yemenis are in the need of humanitarian assistance and over 900,000 have been infected by cholera, the largest such outbreak the world has seen in decades. Joining me now to discuss the U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen is Mark Weisbrot. Mark is the co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research and is the author of Failed What the Experts Got Wrong About the Global Economy. Hes also president of Just Foreign Policy. He joins us today from Washington, D.C. Mark, good to have you back.

MARK WEISBROT: Thanks, Sharmini.

SHARMINI PERIES: Mark, youve been closely following the House resolution on U.S. involvement in Yemen. What exactly does this resolution do to stop the U.S. involvement in Yemen?

MARK WEISBROT: Well, it was intended to do that. However, the sponsors of the resolution were unable to do that because the Republicans were able to use the Rules Committee to block them from doing that, so they ended up as a compromise, a non-binding resolution. It doesnt actually cut off the U.S. role, involvement in the war, which is refueling the Saudi planes and helping them target bombing targets with intelligence and so on. What it did do though was two very important things. One, is that they had a little bit of a debate for the first time in the House, and they had also, they were able to force the U.S. military to admit their role there. Then, the resolution declares that that role is unauthorized.

Those were two really big things, and it was as big step towards cutting off this aid. I think the reason that the Republicans agreed to this  As you mentioned, there was an overwhelming vote, was because they really dont want a full and open debate. They dont want this to become a real political and possibly electoral issue, I mean a big issue. Thats what theyre afraid of because its completely indefensible. Thats very important I think. The details are kind of important for people to know because theres a real chance of stopping this terrible war, the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

SHARMINI PERIES: By adopting this resolution so quickly, which is non-binding from what I understand, this essentially stopped debate and discussion in Congress about this.

MARK WEISBROT: Well, no, because the next step is going to go to the Senate. In the Senate, somebodys going to introduce a companion resolution, and then theyll have another fight over this. This has set the stage for that, and thats very important. The Senate is closer. For example, there was a vote in June on cutting off some of the arms sales through Saudi Arabia and it only failed by a margin of 53 to 47, and there were five Democrats who voted the wrong way. If you could get four of them to switch and you could even pick up, there are Republicans you could pick up like Flake and Corker for example who have been very critical of the Trump administration, extremely vocal. It is possible to have the binding resolution in the Senate.

This is all based on the War Powers Act or the War Powers Resolution as its called, which says that a member of Congress when the U.S. is militarily involved somewhere, a member without authorization from Congress, a member of Congress can demand a for vote and get it on this military involvement; a debate and a for vote. Thats the next step in this Senate.

SHARMINI PERIES: Now, Mark, so we sell arms to Saudi Arabia. We are providing logistical support, which is things like on-air fueling of the airplanes that are bombing Yemen. We also assisting them in terms of targeted bombings and creating this enormous humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Why is this resolution non-binding?

MARK WEISBROT: Well, thats because they didnt have enough power in this last week to force the binding resolution. I mean, theoretically, they could have come back over and over again. I think thats what the Republicans were afraid of, so they reached this compromise in order to get something fast so then they could move on to the Senate. Also, to get it on the record that what the U.S. was really doing there, and that is was unauthorized. You do see some media responses. For example, this week the New York Times had an editorial from its Editorial Board saying that the Saudis were trying to starve Yemen into submission, calling it a war crime and specifying that the U.S. was involved in this war crime. This is something Ive never seen in the New York Times where the New York Times Editorial Board to say, and Im pretty sure its never happened before. That the U.S. was actually involved, militarily involved in the perpetration of wars crimes while its actually happening.

Theres a lot of opposition building. Theres opposition in Congress, and I think this is the way this war is going to end. I emphasize its not just because I care about this a lot, but also because historically this is pretty much the main way that foreign policy has been changed. In 2013, you remember when the Congress wouldnt vote for President Obamas attempt to bomb Syria. You can go back to the 1980s when the Congress cut off aid to the Contras in Nicaragua. These are the times when you can actually change something. This shows, really its amazing, because this is a House of Representatives thats controlled by the Republicans and still they were able to force this vote and force the military through the hearings to admit what they were doing, and then to push it. Now theyre going to push it further in the Senate.

If people contact their members of Congress and especially their senators now, the members of Congress can also and are going to be trying to persuade the senators, so both of them. I think that could really be the beginning of the end of this war. Its really urgent, you know, because as you mentioned the humanitarian groups, the UN are saying that really millions of people are at risk and people are dying there every day.

SHARMINI PERIES: Now, if the United Nations and so many agencies within the United Nations has come out berating Saudi Arabia for this blockade and not allowing humanitarian aid, stopping the landing of aid, cargo from arriving in Yemen, and if members of Congress are so opposed to the U.S. support for Saudi war in Yemen as the vote we discussed reflects, 366 to 30, why not stop it by invoking the War Powers Act, and how could that unfold in Congress?

MARK WEISBROT: Well, I think the next place it could unfold is in the Senate, it will be the same strategy, using the War Powers Resolution to force a debate and vote. Thats a debate where in the Senate its closer as I mentioned. It could be cut off. I think its become much more urgent in the last couple weeks, even more. It was always terribly urgent because as you mentioned, 900,000 people have gotten cholera and now youre  theyre cutting off, in the last two weeks, theyre cutting off supplies again. Hodeida, which is the port that gets something like 80% of the imports is now blockaded by the Saudi-led coalition again with U.S. help. Food is running short, medicine, supplies. Food prices have skyrocketed because of the cut off in supplies. More people are being malnourished and pushed to the brink of starvation. Theres 7 million people according to the UN that are on the brink of famine right now.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. Mark, this issue just begs the question: Why isnt Senate acting more quickly on this? And if they did invoke their powers and act on this, that just means that they will stop providing logistical support, not necessarily stop selling arms to the Saudis. I imagine the military industrial lobby in Congress is pretty heavy, has a lot to do with why this resolution isnt binding, has a lot to do with why Congress isnt invoking the War Powers Act.

MARK WEISBROT: Well, a lot of it is even more than the arms industry. Its the Trump administration and their geostrategic holds in the region. Theyre saying that the people that theyre bombing are the insurgents theyre trying to defeats. The Houthis are aligned with Iran, and they are  so of course theyre getting aid from Iran, so theyre portraying and theyre going to do that when it comes to the Senate as a fight against Iran and Irani interference even thought its an indigenous group. For them, its a power struggle, and for the Saudis too. The Saudis want the U.S. to intervene, to reassert the dominance of Israel and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East against Iran. Thats the real power struggle going on, and thats why there really has to be a negotiated solution. I think if the U.S. does cut off its refueling and targeting aid, the Saudis could be forced to the negotiating table.

SHARMINI PERIES: If it is what you say, which is partly to prop up Saudi Arabia in the region as the region of power as opposed to Iran, does the administration have the right to go about doing that at the cost of this kind of humanitarian disaster?

MARK WEISBROT: Of course, theres no right to do any of this stuff. These are, as the New York Times said, these are actual war crimes. They are literally starving the whole population to force the people that theyre opposing to give in. Of course, its illegal under international law, but its horrific. As I said, its the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and this is one of the ways we can stop it. Unfortunately, it hasnt gotten the attention that it deserves in the U.S., in the media overall internationally, but its getting a lot more. Again, if people, all these groups, you know theres a lot of groups been working on this. The peace groups, the anti-war groups, the humanitarian groups. Groups like Code Pink, Win Without War, the Friends Committee on National Legislation. People can contact any of these groups and in terms of how they influence their members of Congress. This is I think the best hope of putting an end to this war before thousands and potentially hundreds of thousands and millions of people die as a result.

SHARMINI PERIES: Mark, thank you so much for joining us and bringing us this resolution to light for discussion.

MARK WEISBROT: Thank you.

SHARMINI PERIES: Thank you for joining us here The Real News Network.
San Francisco was filled with politics and humor Saturday night as actor and activist Alec Baldwin took the stage at the Curran Theater to promote his new parody book, Donald J. Trump: You Cant Spell America Without Me.

The event titled Political Satire as Deeper Truth  wass described to be an evening filled with discussion of the current political and cultural climates along with audience questions and more.



Fans of the actor and his co-author, Kurt Anderson, had the opportunity to mix and mingle during a pre-stage book signing event.

I loved watching Alec Baldwin on SNL and when I gave him a wave outside of the car, he gave me a head nod, said San Francisco resident, Lauren Chanen.

Unfortunately for fans, Baldwin did not don his Donald Trump costume for the event but he did get into character for a few minutes to read a passage from the new book.

Ive really liked the satire hes done over the last year being Trump, said San Rafael resident Kalei Colridge. Its really lightened the whole political spectrum and made some of these things that have been going on in our country a little easier to handle.

The audience was jam-packed full of fans curious to hear more on Baldwin's opinions of the political climate, "The Democratic Party needs a vibrant Republican Party."

"I don't want Democrats to have all the power, I don't," said Baldwin at the event. "I trust the Democrats about this much more than I trust the Republicans."

During the event, he even explained how he doesn't believe Trump will be removed from office.

"The removal of the President, I mean, you've got to catch him with a crack pipe in one hand a revolver in the other."
Officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are seeking the public's help in locating an inmate who walked away from a corrections camp in Solano County on Saturday.

According to CDCR officials, 27-year-old Rashad Vaca was last seen during the 9 p.m. inmate count at the Delta Conservation Camp, which houses about 120 minimum-security inmates.

During the 11:15 p.m. inmate count, camp staff discovered that Vaca was not in his assigned bunk. Officials immediately searched the camp buildings and grounds, but were unable to locate Vaca.

Vaca is described as a black man, 6 feet tall, 191 pounds with brown eyes, black hair, a mustache and a goatee, CDCR officials said.

Vaca was committed to the CDCR in 2010 to serve a 12-year sentence for second-degree robbery with a firearm and was scheduled to parole in 2020.

He was assigned as a firefighter at a camp in Shasta County, CDCR officials said.

Anyone who sees Vaca is asked to call 911 or law enforcement authorities immediately, or call the California Correctional Center watch commander at (530) 257-2181 ext. 4173.
Turkeys are traditional for Thanksgiving but some folks in the San Francisco Bay Area are praying they'll disappear.

The San Francisco Chronicle says wild turkeys  first introduced into the state for hunting decades ago  are thriving in local suburbs. And while some residents embrace them, others say they're a pest.

"They can get in and do some damage to the landscaping," Tony Blackburn of Martinez said. "They kick things around and they scratch and peck."



A dozen or more wild turkeys are often seen strutting around Martinez. The birds tear up landscaping, rip screen doors and poop everywhere. Sometimes, a 20-pound male will scratch up a car trying to fight its own reflection.

Blackburn noted that turkeys have also swiped grapes from his small vineyard.

Preservationists worry that the turkey explosion will decimate native habitat.

Experts say landowners can try to dissuade the birds with loud noises and stop-motion sprinklers. If that fails, they can seek permission to kill nuisance birds.

NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd contributed to this report.
Three people were arrested Saturday when free speech advocates whose rally on Boston Common last summer drew boisterous counter-protesters regrouped there this weekend and were met again by demonstrators.

The conservative groups Resist Marxism and Boston Free Speech held a midday Saturday event on the Common despite being denied a permit they had sought from the city.

Meanwhile, counter-protesters chanted, "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."

Organizers planned the "Rally for the Republic'' event after angry counter-protesters overwhelmed a similar rally in August.

Boston Police spokesman Lt. Mike McCarthy had previously said authorities would be present. Three arrests were made -- two for disorderly conduct and a third for assaulting a police officer. The names of those charged were not immediately released.

Commissioner Evans praised the professionalism of police who were at the rally.

"From a public safety perspective, today's event on Boston Common couldn't have gone much better," said the commissioner.

Legal observers were dispatched from the ACLU of Massachusetts to monitor the speakers' and protesters' access to the press. The organization said in a statement that it "forcefully condemns racism, white supremacy, white nationalism and all forms of bigotry."



Resist Marxism has denounced white supremacism repeatedly and publicly. But the previous August rally came shortly after deadly violence erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it drew thousands who said they feared white nationalists might show up anyway.

Some clashed with police in that protest, and more than 30 were arrested.
One person is dead and at least nine have been shot and wounded across the city of Chicago so far this weekend.

The first fatality of the weekend occurred on Sunday when a 30-year-old man suffered what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg. According to authorities, the man was shot in the 1600 block of North Mango at approximately 1:46 p.m. Sunday afternoon, and he was pronounced dead at Loyola.

The city's latest shooting took place just before 3 p.m. in the 3900 block of West Van Buren. A 17-year-old boy was standing outside when a person walked up to him and shot him multiple times. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

Earlier Sunday, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest, according to police, and he was taken to Loyola Hospital in serious condition.

The boy was one of three people shot in the first 12 hours of Sunday. The other two victims, a 22-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, were both in stable condition at area hospitals, according to police.

Friday

An 18-year-old was shot in the abdomen while standing on a porch in the 2300 block of South Sacramento at approximately 5:29 p.m. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition, police said.

Saturday

A person in a red sedan fired shots at a woman in the 1300 block of South Albany at approximately 3:29 a.m. She was struck in the back and was taken to Mt. Sinai in stable condition, according to police.

At 4:25 p.m. in the 3900 block of West Hirsch, a 21-year-old man was shot in the buttocks. He was taken to Mt. Sinai in serious condition, police said.

In the 4600 block of South Federal at approximately 5:36 p.m., a 28-year-old man was shot in the abdomen, according to police. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.

A 24-year-old man was shot by a person in a grey Chrysler, police said. The man was a passenger in a car when the shots were fired in the 7500 block of South State at approximately 10:46 p.m. He was taken to Christ Hospital with a gunshot wound to his back.

Sunday:

A 22-year-old man was sitting in a car in the 600 block of North Laramie when he was shot at approximately 9:46 a.m. He was shot twice in the left shoulder and was transferred to Stroger in stable condition, police said.

26-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to his right hand in the 2400 block of West Taylor at approximately 10:09 a.m., police said. He is in stable condition, and a person of interest is in custody according to police.

A 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest in the 2500 block of North Lotus at approximately 11:34 a.m., police said. He is in serious condition at Loyola Hospital.

A 30-year-old man suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg at approximately 1:46 p.m. in the 1600 block of North Mango, according to authorities. The man was taken to Loyola, where he was pronounced dead.

A 17-year-old boy was shot multiple times in the 3900 block of West Van Buren just before 3 p.m. He was standing outside when a person walked up to him and fired several shots at him. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

*All investigations are still pending, and unless otherwise noted no one is in custody.
Former president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared together onstage Friday for the first time since the 2016 presidential election to answer a host of political and personal questions.

The former First Couple was very casual during the hourlong discussion at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

They cracked a few jokes and were very candid on a number of topics  chief among them President Donald Trump, the 2016 election and the way forward for the Democratic Party.

When asked what they would tell Trump if he were seated next to them, Bill Clinton said Trump should, "stop seeking enemies and look for people to work with."

"We're the same age," he added. "What do you want your legacy to be?"

Hillary Clinton said Trump, as president, should do more to unite the country. She also discussed some of her own missteps during the campaign.

"It was the first reality TV campaign. He was the first reality TV candidate and I was the candidate of reality. I was not as entertaining and I admit that," she said.

The former Democratic presidential candidate also urged Trump to fix the Republican tax overhaul and push Congress to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, which she helped establish.

"It's a budget-busting, debt-increasing giveaway. It's not going to deal with our infrastructure problem, not going to provide better education, and it's not going to solve our health care problems," she said. "It's not too late for you [Trump] to demonstrate that you really understand the job, how awesome the responsibility is. You're looking for ways to bring people together and not divide us, so don't let the Republican Congress hurt people."

The pair spent several minutes discussing what happened during the 2016 election. Much of the conversation focused on Russian meddling.

"Vladimir Putin is an internal threat to our democracy and a national security threat. They were sewing discord in America. We were slow to defend ourselves," Hillary Clinton said.

The night ended with the couple being asked what they wanted their legacy to be.

Bill Clinton demurred, saying it all depends on how you keep score.

Despite calls for her to leave politics for good, Hillary Clinton said she's not worried about her legacy, because she is not done fighting for the causes she believes in.

"Anything I can do to bring people together, solve problems, help tackle the challenges we face is what I'm committed to right now," she said. "It's too soon to start thinking about legacy, because I'm not going anywhere."
They call themselves Veterans 4 Puerto Rico and their mission is to bring clean water, communication and comfort to the island.

They represent the Army, Navy Marines Air Force, Coast Guard and the Meriden Fire Department.

They said the skills of preparedness, speed and strategic thinking learned in their respective services have equipped them for the relief mission. The men planned to visit Puerto Rico, travel around the island delivering care packages and other assistance in several towns.

NBC Connecticut first spoke to the five men in October. Since then, member Ray Guasp has made two trips to Puerto Rico, bringing water to hundreds if not thousands of people. But Guasp says there is still work to be done.

"What we saw was massive destruction throughout the island, Guasp said. "The power grid was down. Trees were down. It was total devastation on the ground."



Guasp is Puerto Rican and has family on the island.

Veterans 4 has been crisscrossing Puerto Rico with DIVVY systems, which deliver clean drinkable water to communities that otherwise do not have access. The systems are capable of pumping 250 gallons of potable water per hour.

Several men dedicated to service in Connecticut are using their skills to get clean water and other relief to Puerto Rico.

"As soon as we get in, we started cutting red tape right from the beginning. We asked them where their needs were, where do you need water and how do we get there?" Guasp said.

Back home in Chester on his break between his second and upcoming third trip to the island, the former marine said the dramatic need for the most basic supplies in Puerto Rico still isn't being met, and that's why his team keeps running.

Guasp heads back to Puerto Rico next week. So far, he's raised more than $30,000 to take seven divvy machines to the island, where they'll be given to local communities to generate clean water.

La Marea Ristorante in Old Saybrook is hosting a benefit for Veterans 4 Puerto Rico on Monday December 4. You can learn more about Veterans 4 Puerto Rico at www.veterans4.org.
A Rocky Hill man was arrested after police discovered his one-month-old child dead in the backseat of his car Sunday.

According to state police, Rocky Hill police received a 911 call around 6:23 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 from a mother stating that her one-month-old was not breathing.

She told police that the child was with his father, Divya Patel, 34 of Rocky Hill, in a car parked at the Residence Inn on Cromwell Ave.

When officers arrived, they were unable to locate Patel or the child. They contacted him via cell phone but he was uncooperative and would not tell police his location.

After about 30 minutes, Patel returned to the Residence Inn where officers located the unresponsive child.

The child was taken to Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford and pronounced dead.

During their investigation, police learned that Patel was aware his child had died and did not render aid or seek emergency care.

Patel was arrested and charged with Risk of Injury and tampering with evidence.

Patel is being held on a $1 million bond. He appeared in New Britain Superior court on Monday and is due back in court on Dec. 5. He has a public defender.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.
East Windsor police have arrested a man accused of trying to steal over $3,200-worth of Apple watches from Walmart.

Middletown resident Curtis Belin, 51, was arrested Saturday on larceny charges.

According to police, Belin broke into a storage cabinet behind the counter of the Electronics Department at Walmart and tried to steal the Apple watches by placing them in a shopping cart and covering them with clothing. When Belin realized hed been spotted by an employee, he tried to take off. Police caught up with him at the entrance of the store.

Belin was charged with criminal attempt to commit larceny. Police said he has over 40 prior arrests in Connecticut.

A woman who was with Belin, identified as Debra McCain, 48, of Indian Orchard, Mass., was also arrested when officers found a black and silver BB gun that looked like a real gun in her car. She was charged with weapons in a motor vehicle.

Both Belin and McCain are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 28.
TWIN FALLS  With a $1.6 million donation in hand for agriculture scholarships, the College of Southern Idaho wants to boost the number of students in those programs.

Longtime Reno, Nev.-area rancher Bob Dickenson, who died in 2016, wanted the money to be used specifically for financial assistance for students pursuing agriculture-related degrees.

The CSI Foundation was notified in May it would receive a gift from him, and the money came in October.

CSI officials say the donation will have a huge impact on a large number of students. Now, it wants to boost recruitment efforts, expand certain agriculture-related programs and encourage more students to apply for scholarships.

Until we have the students to distribute the money to, it will be difficult to distribute that much money, said Barry Pate, chairman of the CSI agriculture department.

Dickenson  who owned property near Gooding  didnt want his name on a building and wanted all the money to be spent in 20 years, said Debra Wilson, executive director of the CSI Foundation. His goal is not for us to sit on it.

Dickenson also donated to a similar amount of money to the University of Nevada, Reno, for graduate-level agriculture students.

Whats unusual about this major donation: Dickenson wanted the entire amount of the gift  plus interest  to be spent. With expected interest, thats about $2.5 million  enough for about $128,000 per year in scholarships.

Typically, the principal amount of a major gift is left untouched and just the interest is used.

The CSI Foundation has about $40 million in assets and distributes about $2 million each year in scholarships to students.

CSIs agriculture department includes degree or certificate programs in agribusiness, animal science, aquaculture, food processing technology, horse management, horticulture, veterinary technology and water resource management.

Dickensons donation is for scholarships for students majoring in agriculture, mining or natural resources. CSI doesnt have a mining program.

The funds are also available for students studying in agriculture-related areas such as food processing, horticulture, agriculture diesel and welding.

Wilson said she met Dickenson in 2012 and he was impressed with CSIs agriculture program. He started making donations to the foundation after that for scholarships for agriculture students.

Over several years, CSI distributed about $200,000  mostly, in the form of $1,000 to $2,000 scholarships.

It has served many, many students, Pate said, adding the students have been very appreciative.

CSI students seeking assistance filled out the colleges general online scholarship application. The agriculture department reviewed the applications, Pate said, and tried to give some money to every student who applied.

About once a month, Wilson sent thank you notes from students to Dickenson in the mail. He was really touched, she said.

Now with the new gift from Dickenson, CSI officials are looking to develop a new application process for agriculture scholarships.

Dickenson was really worried about students going into agriculture not having enough funds to pursue their education, Wilson said.

CSI officials want to recruit high-achieving agriculture students, such as those in FFA, to come to the college and earn a scholarship.

It also plans to work with at-risk students  12 starting next year  through the colleges summer Bridge to Success program who are starting in agriculture-related programs.

Another possibility: helping workforce development students in agriculture fields who are gaining additional job training, Wilson said.

Pate said he wants to attract top-notch students to CSI wholl have a big impact in elevating the classroom experience and environment for their peers.

And he wants to grow student numbers in programs such as horticulture, food processing and water resource management.

Here in the Magic Valley, we wouldnt be here without agriculture, Wilson said. But unless students have family members in agriculture, its really hard to start a farm, she said.

The funding allows the college to support students entering the agriculture world  and largely, into professions that support the agriculture industry.

Like the FFA kids say, theres way more to agriculture than cows and plows, Wilson said.

CSI officials plan to focus on recruiting into agriculture programs during the yearly state FFA convention at CSI. Typically, more than 1,000 people  including students, teachers and parents  are on campus.

CSI has more than 200 students currently in its agriculture department. The focus, Pate said, is hands-on learning.

That impressed Dickenson and now, his legacy will live on through two decades worth of students.
A family living on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border for more than 15 years was reunited for a few short minutes Saturday, when U.S. Border Patrol agents open the gates.

It was all part of an event, now in its sixth year, called "Opening the Door for Hope" that allows a select number of families, to embrace their loved ones for three minutes at Friendship Park, an area between two border fences at Border Field State Park near south San Diego. This year 12 families were selected.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) allows families to see each other through a fortified fence at Friendship Park while still remaining firmly in their countries. But for this special event, agents opened the gates that separate them, allowing loved ones to hug, kiss and talk without boundaries.

"There will be families hugging one another that, for one reason or another, can't cross [the border] north or south," said Enrique Morones, director of Border Angels, a nonprofit that supports San Diego's immigrant population.

For families to qualify, the person from the U.S. must have legal documentation.

One at a time, people were allowed to pass through the open gate and embrace loved ones. One couple even took their few minutes to get married. With such a short amount of time, few words were spoken, instead sharing tearful hugs.

"A lot of tears were running down my face too, but out of joy more than anything," said Vicente Saldana, a DACA recipient and recent UC San Diego graduate, who was there with his sister and niece to see his mother for the first time in 10 years.

The day put things into perspective for him.

"We are free to be here in the U.S. but at the same time, were limited in what we can do, where we can travel and who we can be with," Saldana said. "We just try to stay strong and push hard every day and we know that one day we will be able to reunite with her."

Claudia Rocha traveled about 500 miles from San Jose, California, to be one of those families after her husband, Guillermo, worked with Border Angels to apply.

She told Telemundo 20 in San Diego that it's been 15 years since she has seen her parents. She also has a brother whom she hadn't seen since he was a months-old infant.

"I have a little brother who is 15 years old and he's also excited because, well, he doesn't know me -- he only knows me through pictures. And he tells me he wants to meet me," Claudia said ahead of the event. "I want to hug them and not let them go for those few minutes."

Morones says he is not sure how much longer the reunification event will last, because of the Trump administration and stricter immigration policies.

We hope that Congress will do something for us 'Dreamers' at the end of the day," Saldana said. "We're good people and we're here with good intentions."



For now, loved ones are embracing the opportunity to embrace each other, if only for three minutes.
Authorities clearing homeless encampments along a Southern California river have found at least two makeshift underground bunkers, including one that contained more than a thousand bicycles.

Officials in Orange County said the bikes found in the tunnel system under a concrete flood-control channel could suggest a large-scale theft ring, the Orange County Register reported Friday.

The county has spent about a week evicting homeless people from along the Santa Ana River amid concerns about unsanitary conditions and other nuisances.

Authorities also found a half-loaded .357 Magnum that contained three empty shell casings, meaning it had been fired.

The findings posed risks to public safety and indicated crime was rampant in the area, officials said.

"It just backs up the data that we've collected, which says there is a significant criminal element in the homeless encampments," sheriff's Lt. Jeff Puckett told the newspaper.

The sheriff's department provided no evidence linking the gun or bicycles to anyone in the encampments but said it is still investigating.

One underground bunker was a 10-foot-by-10-foot room that had wood-paneled walls and a support beam and was accessible only by a camouflaged hatch.

"We're not sure what (the room) was for  probably some type of living situation," Puckett said. "It's nothing I've ever seen before."

The county gave notice about three weeks ago that it planned to enforce a ban on overnight stays in the area and to close the west side of the river for flood-control maintenance that was put off by the encampment.

Shelters were available, and some people planned to move north to a larger encampment along the river near Angel Stadium that isn't covered by the county orders.

Sheriffs officials have asked residents whove had a bicycle stolen to send an email with the missing bikes description, its serial number and a police report number to lostbike@ocsd.org.


Argentina's Navy detected seven brief satellite calls Saturday that officials believe may have come from a submarine with 44 crew members that hadn't been heard from in three days.

The communication attempts ``indicate that the crew is trying to re-establish contact, so we are working to locate the source of the emissions,'' the Navy said on its Twitter account, adding that the calls lasted between four and 36 seconds.

Argentine authorities clarified that it has not been confirmed the calls came from the submarine, the ARA San Juan, though that is the working hypothesis.

Earlier Saturday, Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the fate of the submarine and its crew grew.

``We are not discounting any hypothesis,'' Balbi said, adding that possibilities to explain the submarine's disappearance include ``a problem with communications'' or with its power system.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built, diesel-electric sub on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use ``all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine.''

Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a NASA scientific aircraft and a Navy plane. Britain was sending a polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which British officials said should arrive Sunday.

The U.S. Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, California to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine. The command includes a remotely operated vehicle and vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata Naval Base, said they are coordinating ``with units from the United Kingdom and the United States.'' Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

``We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return,'' Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

She said she spoke with her husband when the submarine departed and is still sending him WhatsApp messages, though he has not responded.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making ``fervent prayers'' for the crew.

Argentina's Navy detected seven brief satellite calls Saturday that officials believe may have come from a submarine with 44 crew members that hadn't been heard from in three days.

The communication attempts "indicate that the crew is trying to re-establish contact, so we are working to locate the source of the emissions,'' the Navy said on its Twitter account, adding that the calls lasted between four and 36 seconds.

Argentine authorities clarified that it has not been confirmed the calls came from the submarine, the ARA San Juan, though that is the working hypothesis.

Earlier Saturday, Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said the area being searched off the country's southern Atlantic coast has been doubled as concerns about the fate of the submarine and its crew grew.

"We are not discounting any hypothesis,'' Balbi said, adding that possibilities to explain the submarine's disappearance include "a problem with communications'' or with its power system.

Authorities last had contact with the German-built, diesel-electric sub on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use "all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine.''

Pledges of help came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, as well as the United States, which sent a NASA scientific aircraft and a Navy plane. Britain was sending a polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which British officials said should arrive Sunday.

The U.S. Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, California to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine. The command includes a remotely operated vehicle and vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata Naval Base, said they are coordinating "with units from the United Kingdom and the United States.'' Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

"We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return,'' Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

She said she spoke with her husband when the submarine departed and is still sending him WhatsApp messages, though he has not responded.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making "fervent prayers'' for the crew.
A South Florida man was stabbed to death in the Fontainebleau community in Northwest Miami-Dade and now police are on the hunt for his killer.

Miami-Dade homicide detectives were called to the scene at about 1 a.m. Saturday morning near Fontainebleau Blvd. and Northwest 107th Avenue.

Police found the victims body with several stab wounds in the back yard of an apartment complex.

The victims identity has not yet been released.

Police continue to investigate so they can find clues about the killer.

Anyone with information on this crime is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
A storm system will bring rain and powerful winds to the tri-state into Sunday, Storm Team 4 says.

The first showers arrived Saturday afternoon and continued into the evening. The heaviest rain is expected overnight, with steady rain in the forecast until Sunday morning.

But Storm Team 4 warns the gusty winds are the most dangerous part of the system. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts over 40 mph are expected in and around the city, while gusts could top 50 mph on Long Island, Storm Team 4 says.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for New York City from 10 p.m. Saturday until 6 p.m. Sunday. It issued a high wind warning for Suffolk County until Sunday evening.

The strong winds could blow down limbs, trees and power lines. Scattered power outages are also possible.

After the winds subside Sunday evening, temperatures are expected to drop overnight, with highs lingering in the 40s for a blustery Monday.
"Saturday Night Live's" cold open focused on alleged contact between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during the presidential campaign.

Entitled "The Mueller Files," the sketch was an imagining of Trump Jr. (played by Mikey Day) and Assange (played by Kate McKinnon) meeting in a London parking garage.

"As secure as sliding into my DMs is, I thought this would be safer," Days Trump Jr. said.

The skit comes just days after it came to light that the real Trump Jr. had corresponded with WikiLeaks through Twitter.

Eric Trump (played by Alex Moffat) joined them after being "scared" in the car and honking the horn. Played as a dim-witted little brother to Trump Jr., Eric donned a "Despicable Me" minion backpack where the secret files from Assange, hacked DNC emails, were kept.

In return for the dirt on Hillary Clinton, Assange asked to be cleared of all espionage charges. Trump Jr. reassured him that President Donald Trump is "always loyal to his friends."

"What about Chris Christie? And Rudy Giuliani? And mom?" a confused Eric asked his brother.

Meanwhile, Colin Jost and Michael Che kicked off "Weekend Update" with recent sexual assault scandals.

"Thursday is Thanksgiving, and theres so much to be thankful for, unless youre a human woman," Jost said.

Sen. Al Franken, an alumnus of "SNL," was accused of sexual assault by a woman who also had a photo of him with his hands cupped over her breasts while she slept.

"I know this looks bad, but remember: It also is bad," Jost said.

"And sure, this was taken before Franken ran for public office, but it was also taken after he was a sophomore in high school," he continued. "It's pretty hard to be like, 'Oh, come on, he didnt know any better, he was only 55.'"



Kate McKinnon reprised her role as Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make an appearance on "Weekend Update" and discuss testimony the real Sessions gave earlier this week relating to the Russia probe.

"When I say 'do not' you say 'recall,'" McKinnon's Sessions said, revving up the crowd.

"I do not remember [George Papadopoulos] talking about Russia," Sessions told Jost, mocking the real Sessions' repeated answer during the hearing.

"I remember everything," McKinnon then whispered to the crowd.

In a pre-taped sketch, host Chance the Rapper with Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd sang as a '90s R&B boy band and begged former President Barack Obama to resume office.

"Come back Barack," they lamented in the chorus. "Even though its not allowed, we want you back somehow. I need you in my life, like really bad, like world war bad."

First-time host Chance dedicated his opening monologue to Thanksgiving, singing about seeing family members you "normally fear."

Musical guest Eminem performed a medley with Skylar Grey, starting with his new hit "Walk on Water" and sliding into "Stand" and then "Love the Way You Lie." The rapper returned to the small screen after making headlines in October when he released a freestyle rap on the BET Awards slamming President Donald Trump.
Police arrested a man accused of shooting and killing a man inside a New Jersey Applebee's restaurant.

Noel Powell III, 27, of Fountayne Lane, Lawrence Township, was arrested in Trenton, New Jersey around 2:30 p.m. Sunday by members of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Mercer County Prosecutor's Office

Police say Powell shot and killed Devin Smith, 23, of Lawrence Township, inside the Applebee's Grill + Bar restaurant along Brunswick Pike (U.S. Route 1) near the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrenceville, New Jersey around 12:25 a.m. Tuesday. Powell approached Smith, who was seated and alone at the bar and shot him once in the head, according to investigators. Powell fled in a dark-colored SUV and Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.



Family Photos

While Powell is in custody, police have not yet revealed a possible motive in the murder or whether or not he knew the victim.



Tuesday night, Smith's loved ones gathered at the Applebee's to honor him, leaving behind balloons and candles.

"I just lost the father of my child," said Briana Anderson, the mother of Smith's 3-year-old daughter. "I'm trying to be strong for my daughter so she knows she's not alone through this whole process."

Those who knew Smith described him as a man who was the life of the party with countless friends and no known enemies.

"They were just always so happy and lively," said Lisa Trinh, one of Smith's friends. "I don't know who could've done it to him."

Kavon Marshall, another friend of Smith's, arrived at the Applebee's late Tuesday night and delivered balloons, releasing some in the air. He considered Smith his little brother.

"It just don't feel real," Marshall said. "I do miss him. I don't even know what kind of monster would do this."


An event raising money for a missing Chester County mom is set to take place next week as the search for her continues.

The auction, which is raising money for the search for Anna Bronislawa Maciejewska-Gould, will take place Nov. 24 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the St. Anthony's Lodge on 259 Church Street in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

The 43-year-old mother went missing the morning of April 10 and hasnt been seen since. Her husband, Allen Gould, said she was in a panic and she never arrived at her job at Voya Financial in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Maciejewska-Gould was driving her 2011 Navy Blue Audi A4 with the Pennsylvania license plate HTF 2919 at the time of her disappearance.

Pennsylvania State Police

NBC News published a report on her disappearance that included interviews with family members who claimed she abruptly canceled a scheduled trip to her native Poland. The trip is an annual tradition for Maciejewska-Gould who planned on bringing her 4-year-old son with her to visit her father on his 80th birthday, according to her nephew. The family members also said Maciejewska-Gould called out of work the week of April 3, which was unusual for her.

In July, Maciejewska-Goulds family from Poland came to the Malvern area to get the latest on the search and to meet with Pennsylvania State Police and talk to her husband.



"This ongoing period of time that we really don't know what happened is terrible for the family," brother-in-law Leszek Wronski said.



Pennsylvania State Police also confirmed in July that they searched along Hedgegrow Lane in Malvern for clues in Maciejewska-Goulds disappearance. It was the first time state police searched the home, investigators said.

Now months later, Maciejewska-Gould remains missing and no arrests have been made.



Maciejewska-Gould stands 5 foot, 4 inches tall with blue eyes and dark blonde hair and weighs around 160 pounds. If you have any information on her whereabouts, please call Pennsylvania State Police at 610-486-6280, the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (1-800-472-8477), or Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue (GPSAR) at 877-598-5618.



You can also email tips to Findingannam@gmail.com and info@gpsar.org.


A San Diego-based U.S. Navy rescue crew was set to arrive in South America Sunday to assist in the search for a missing Argentine Navy submarine and its 44 crew members.

Navy Sailors with Undersea Rescue Command (URC) departed from Miramar Saturday with a Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and four aircraft, en route to the Southern Atlantic, where the submarine A.R.A. San Juan lost contact with the Argentine Navy Wednesday.

The U.S. Navy deployed its sailors after the government of Argentina asked for international assistance in the search. The Argentine Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the governments of Britain and Chile had also offered "logistical help and an exchange of information for this humanitarian search."

On Saturday, Argentina said it detected seven brief satellite calls that officials believe may have come from the missing submarine, though the origin of the calls could not be confirmed.

#BREAKING: Submarine rescue chamber and other assets being mobilized at @MCASMiramarCA to support search for Argentinean Navy submarine A.R.A. San Juan - https://t.co/svBWeeb1Vw pic.twitter.com/byajmTxYNr  U.S. Navy (@USNavy) November 19, 2017

URC sailors will join the Navys P-8A Poseidon maritime aircrafts 21-person crew and a NASA research aircraft, both already aiding the search off Argentine's southern Atlantic coast.

The Navys submarine rescue vessel is able to reach depths of 850 feet and rescue six people at a time by using advanced technology in submarine rescue scenarios, according to U.S. Navy Southern Command.

Poseidons sensors are equipped to conduct search-and-rescue missions from the sky, as its sensors search below the surface of large bodies of water.

A second rescue system, the Pressurized Rescue Model (PRM) is scheduled to arrive in the Southern Atlantic early next week. The PRM can reach depths of 2,000 feet and is able to rescue 16 people at a time, the U.S. Navy said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A third member of a Valley Center family died Friday as the result of a suspected drunk-driving crash, leaving their 10-year-old daughter the only remaining survivor.

The Latulippe's were wrapping up a vacation in Texas last Saturday, headed to the airport in Austin, when an alleged intoxicated driver crashed into their small rental car head-on.

Nancy Latulippe and her son Jackson died on impact.

Her husband Scott Latulippe was hospitalized in critical condition. He was taken off life support Friday.

The familys youngest member, 10-year-old Kiera is now left coping with the loss of her entire family, but the Valley Center community is rallying around her.

"Always know that you have love all around you," Valley Center resident Angel Robles told NBC 7 in a message to Kiera. "That its going to be a tough, tough challenge but there are a lot of people out there that will always be there for you and will always try for you."

In the neighborhood leading up to Valley Center High School (VCHS), where Scott was a teacher and Jackson was a freshman, white ribbons were tied to mailboxes and light posts. A giant sign read "Valley Center loves Kiera" and "Stay Strong."

A community rally was held VHCS at 9 p.m. Friday for students and community members who wished to hear and share memories of the Latulippe family.

"It's incredible how amazing of a person (Scott) was, and how much of an impact he made in not just my life but in Valley Center's life," former VCHS student Thomas Gillian said.

Kiera was escorted to the field by the captains of the teams during the pre-game Friday night, which began with a moment of silence and a prayer circle. She returned to San Diego Thursday night.

During a phone call with NBC 7, Nancy's father said he wants something good to come out of this loss. He wants everyone to think about the amount of pain they are going through as a family and community and to not drink and drive.

California Highway Patrol officer in San Diego Jim Bettencourt had the message:

"Please dont ever drink and drive. Please support this family," Bettencourt wrote on Twitter with a link to a GoFundMe page established to gather funds for Kiera's future.

The Valley Center Real Estate Professionals have also set up a PayPal account.
TWIN FALLS  The Twin Falls Kiwanis Club will host a buffet lunch and lieutenant-governor candidate forum at 11:45 a.m. Nov. 30 at the Turf Club, 734 Falls Ave., Twin Falls.

Following lunch, Michael Danielson will moderate the forum which will include candidates: Marv Hagedorn, Janice McGeachin, Bob Nonini, Kelley Packer and Steve Yates. A question and answer period and candidate meet-and-greet will occur afterward till 1:15. The audience is encouraged to stay.

The buffet lunch will cost $10. RSVP by Nov. 27 to Linda Wright at 208-420-3955 or lwright11@hotmail.com, or Aaron Wert at 208-539-2842 or aaronlwert@gmail.com.
A neighbor's account indicates that a Northern California shooter who killed five people this week may have targeted an elementary school as part of his long-running feud with neighbors.

Shooter Kevin Neal threatened out loud that he was going to kill Danny Elliott and then go to the elementary school to kill Elliott's 7-year-old son, said Johnny Phommathep, a neighbor who lived about 200 feet away from Neal.

He'd scream to him, "I'ma kill you, boy. I'ma learn you. Once I kill you, I'ma go kill your son at school," Phommathep told the Record Searchlight of Redding.

The Tehama County Sheriff's Office said Neal, 44, killed neighbor Danny Elliott and his mother, Diana Steele, in an apparent act of revenge before he shot randomly into vehicles and at people in this tiny, rural community about 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of Sacramento.

Neal killed five people and wounded at least a dozen adults and children before authorities shot him dead during a rampage on Tuesday.

The gunman rammed a car into the gates of Rancho Tehama Elementary School and shot at its portable classrooms. He tried repeatedly to get into a kindergarten classroom but quick-thinking staff had locked the school down, and he eventually stormed off.

Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston has said he wasn't sure why Neal headed to the school, but Phommathep said Neal probably went there looking for Elliott's son. The school has about 100 students, in kindergarten through fifth grades.

Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen also said through a spokeswoman Friday that he believes Neal targeted the school because of the child.

Authorities found the bullet-riddled body of Neal's wife under the floorboards of their home. They believe her slaying was the start of the rampage.

Barbara Glisan was a North Carolina native who loved adventure, said Lesa Caves, a former college roommate. Caves said they once rode a roller coaster 10 times to get the perfect automated snapshot: Hands in the air, big smiles.

They lost touch over the years but Caves, 37, said that about a year ago, Glisan started getting back in touch with friends from North Carolina.

"She tried to reach out and reconnect with multiple people she had lost contact with," Caves said.

Phommathep's wife and three of her children are among those wounded.

Tiffany Phommathep, 31, was on her way to drop off their children at school when Neal pulled up next to her and sprayed bullets into her pickup. She told reporters from her hospital bed that she was hit four times in the back and shoulder and once in the stomach.

She said she asked four people for help but none did. One woman told her she "couldn't help me because she only had a two-seater and she was late for work," Phommathep said. "That hurt my heart a lot to hear her say that."

Johnston, the assistant sheriff, came across her and helped her, her husband said.

At the time of the assault, Neal was out of custody on bail after being arrested in January and charged with stabbing Elliott's girlfriend. She obtained a restraining order against Neal in February, stating that the household required protection.

David Steele, who is Diana Steele's stepson, said his father Bob is devastated.

"If you have a restraining order on someone like that, he shouldn't even be allowed to live in the area," he said.

The gunman also killed Michelle McFayden, 55 and Joseph McHugh III, 56, both of Rancho Tehama Reserve.

The sheriff's office listed Danny Elliot as deceased but court records show his name was Danny Elliott.
What to Know A preliminary investigation determined that the vehicle had been damaged by an explosive device that resembled a pipe bomb.

Police believe the homeowner, identified by police and neighbors as Bellingham High School Principal Lucas Giguere, was targeted.

Bellingham school district officials say there will be more police at the high school Friday due to the ongoing investigation.

Police said they are investigating a "targeted" incident where a homemade explosive device resembling a pipe bomb damaged a vehicle parked outside a Massachusetts home belonging to a local high school principal.

Police said officers responded to a home on Lakeshore Drive in Blackstone shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday for a report of possible vandalism to a vehicle.

Images: Principal's Jeep Damaged in 'Targeted' Explosion in Blackstone

Upon arrival, the homeowner, identified by police and neighbors as Bellingham High School Principal Lucas Giguere, told officers that he had heard a loud bang that shook his home. He then noticed extensive damage to his vehicle.

A preliminary investigation determined that the vehicle had been damaged by an explosive device that resembled a pipe bomb.

Further investigation by local, state and federal authorities indicated that Giguere was targeted and the incident was not random. Police said the public is not in any danger.

Bellingham Bulletin

"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," Blackstone Police Chief Ross Atstupenas said.

He also said Giguere had not received any threats.

The police chief in Blackstone, Massachusetts provides an update on the explosion that damaged a vehicle outside a home Thursday night.

No one was injured in the explosion.

Giguere's father, Oliver Giguere couldn't believe what he heard or what he saw.

"I ran over and said, 'You alright?' said Oliver Giguere. "He said, 'I'm okay, I'm all set dad.' I said, 'What's up?' He said, 'I think somebody hit me with a pipe bomb.'"

"There was a big hole in the generator," he added. "Juice was running out and I said, 'Wow, this is crazy.' I couldnt believe it."

Neighbor Phyllis Calvey, who said her grandkids go to the school, was in disbelief over the incident.

"I can't even imagine with his personality and the love people have for that man," she said. "I just can't imagine anyone who would target that man."

"I can't even imagine with his personality and the love people have for that man," said neighbor Phyllis Calvey. "I just can't imagine anyone who would target that man."

A police investigation is underway in Blackstone, Massachusetts, after an explosion damaged a vehicle in front of a home Thursday night.

"I know he seems to be a very nice person I wouldn't expect that anyone would do him harm," said neighbor Rosalie Benoit.

The Bellingham School District said there would be additional police presence at the high school on Friday. "The safety of students and staff is our number one priority," the district said in a statement. All classes and activities are proceeding as normal.

"I just hope it doesnt happen again and everyone can stay safe at the school," said Bellingham High School senior Diane Cabral. "And I hope Mr. Giguere is okay, our principal."



Police are investigating an isolated incident in Blackstone, Massachusetts.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area is urged to contact the Blackstone Police Department at 508-883-1212 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 508-876-5TIP.

The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and several other area police departments are assisting in the investigation.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Police say they did collect some evidence from the scene, but so far there have been no arrests.
A convenience store in Dracut, Massachusetts was badly damaged Friday night after a car crashed right through the entrance and drove into the isles.

Surveillance footage captured the moment of the crash when a sedan carrying two people smashed through Dracut Center Convenience on Bridge Street. The car flipped the cashier's table and took out shelves before stopping in the middle of the store.

The cashier was luckily not behind the counter at the time of the crash.

Larkyna Keang lives near Dracut Center Convenience.

"We were watching TV and we heard a noise," she told NBC Boston, "We know where the cashier stand so I thought oh my God...I hope he is not right behind the counter."

According to police, neither of the people inside of the car were injured in the crash.

The store was still in rough shape Saturday. Broken boards and bottles were strewn across the floor. On what would normally have been a busy Saturday night, customers were turned away from the shut down store, unaware of what had happened just 24 hours earlier.

"Its just crazy," said Nalani Keang, "you dont expect these things to happen and they do."
Firefighters are investigating what caused a 3-alarm fire at a commercial building in Millbury, Massachusetts.

The flames broke out around 11 p.m. Saturday at 9 Railroad Avenue.

The Millbury Fire Department was assisted on scene by Sutton, Grafton, Auburn, and Northbridge officials.

Upton and Oxford covered the Millbury station.

Most of the back of the building was destroyed, but the front of the building was mostly saved with just some smoke and water damage.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time and is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Officials boarded up windows Sunday after dozens of students were displaced after a fire at their dorm.

Firefighters responded Saturday night to Southern New Hampshire University in Hooksett for a residential dormitory fire.

Fifty-five students live in Greely Hall, the dorm that caught on fire, and they were all able to make it out okay.

It was an electrical issue that started the fire at 7:45 p.m.

The Manchester Fire Chief says it appears the fire started between the second and third floors in the ceiling.

It took officials an hour to get the fire under control, and firefighters had to use foam to put the flames out.

The dorm that caught fire is the oldest dorm on campus at Southern New Hampshire University. It's one of the original dorms when this school was New Hampshire College.

Some of the students lost everything they have at school, including laptops, books, and clothes.

A spokeswoman for the university says they wll help students get back on their feet.

"We're just trying to do everything that we can to make sure that they're safe and warm, and can finish out the rest of the semester," said Lauren Keane.

Their immediate focus is to help students replace what they lost that they need right away, like linens.

People were also going in to try to recover anything that's salvageable.



The school has put the displaced students up in a hotel for the time being. They say they are mostly graduate students and that they do have enough housing to relocate the students into different housing for the remainder of the year.

The university also says if this had to happen, they lucked out.

"Stuff is replaceable. Buildings are replaceable," Keane said. "We are just really, really thankful that all of our students and safe and accounted for."
An event organized by NBC Boston's Joy Lim Nakrin brought journalists and media professionals together with young Cambodian-Americans interested in careers in media.

The event hosted by the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association in Lowell, Massachusetts, was a lively discussion with members of the NBC Boston and necn family along with other Asian American Journalist Association members.

Many of the young men and women in attendance were from low-income and high-risk neighborhoods. They asked questions and shared their stories with NBC Boston reporter Jonathan Choe, host of necn's The Take Sue O'Connell and many others.

The goal was to expose young people to different careers in media and encourage them to further their educations.
Police are actively looking for a suspect after a stabbing Sunday afternoon in Peabody, Massaschusetts.

The stabbing happened at the Century House Restaurant at 235 Andover St.

The male suspect fled the scene, according to police.

The victim was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

The extent of the victim's injuries is not yet known.

Peabody police say the scene is still active.

No other information was immediately available.
Germany puts blanket ban on smartwatches for kids

Berlin : Germany's telecommunications regulator has announced a blanket ban on smartwatches for children over privacy concerns and asked parents to destroy the ones already purchased.

"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," Jochen Homann, President, Federal Network Agency was quoted as saying by BBC late on Friday.

In a statement, the regulator said it had already taken action against several companies offering such smartwatches on online platforms.

These smartwatches are sold by a large number of vendors in Germany.

They are generally for children between the ages of five and 12 and are equipped with a SIM card and a limited telephony function which can be set up and controlled through an app.

Concerns have been growing over such wearables for kids that have become popular.

In a similar move, European watchdog group, Norwegian Consumer Council also issued a strongly-worded report warning of safety concerns over GPS-enabled devices.

The agency specifically highlighted four kids' smartwatch brands -- Gator 2, Tinitell, Viksfjord and Xplora.
Berkeley University a video of Slaughterbot microdrones. It is a fictional visualization of an autonomous weapons scenario. The technology to achieve what is in the video is close. It would be deployment of drone swarms which DARPA and others are working on.

People will probably get hung up on the details here, but the point is that AI has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost and risk of waging war, and thats a bad thing if you value peace.

Nextbigfuture agrees that the killer drone swarms with facial recognition is achievable in the near term.

President Obama embraced the US drone program, overseeing more strikes in his first year than Bush carried out during his entire presidency. A total of 563 strikes, largely by drones, targeted Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen during Obamas two terms, compared to 57 strikes under Bush. Between 384 and 807 civilians were killed in those countries, according to reports logged by the Bureau.

So the use of larger drones has already happened for over a decade.

You may have noticed that US wars did not become more inexpensive.

Drone targeting was a replacement for CIA assassinations for the US or Mossad assassinations by Israel.

Nextbigfuture has written that where drone assassination would bring new capability and make a difference would be to use sprayed goop instead of explosives. Goop could be sprayed onto the nostrils and mouth while the target is sleeping. The goop would be designed to dissolve after ten to fifteen minutes after the victim had suffocated at night. The purpose of this or other weapons would be to make an assassination look like a heat attack or stroke or some other medical situation.

The CIA or Mossad could have performed this kind of work before, but drones could make more missions successful.

The Slaughterbot video also discussed automated targeted cleansing of a population. Again this is possible now. It is a matter of not having a population vulnerable. There will be various anti-drone weapons and your side will have their own drones.

Background of the technology

In mid-2017, MIT indicated that there were working on bumble bee sized drones with computer chip brains that are 100 times more energy efficient.

Below are non-fictional drone research

Anti-drone techology
KETCHUM  The Sun Valley Gallery Association is hosting its Apres-ski Giving Walk from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at eight member galleries.

Broschofsky Galleries, Frederic Boloix Fine Arts, Friesen Gallery, Gail Severn Gallery, Gilman Contemporary, Kneeland Gallery, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Wood River Fine Arts are all included. The public is invited to enjoy refreshments while engaging with the visual arts. Collection bins will be provided where Giving Walk participants can donate canned or boxed non-perishable food in support of the Hunger Coalitions mission to end hunger in the Wood River community.
Its the off-season politically, not normally a time in which the Idaho parties spar with each other. But during this quiet season, folks on the left are working hard to paint GOP legislators as scheming to sell off public lands and turn them over to so-called pillagers and plunderers. Its a false narrative, or as the current phrase goes, fake news.

This past summer, these groups sent mailings to voters in one local legislative district accusing the incumbent Republican of wanting to despoil Idahos rangelands and forests. They promote such claims to promote an image of robber barons defacing Idahos majestic scenery by blazing trails for ATVers, issuing mining permits, allowing cattle to graze streambanks down to mud and cutting forests to stumpage. Ah yes, the robber baron argument.

So where do Idaho Republicans stand on how to best manage public land in the state? We generally favor multiple use of public lands including recreation while also including regulated livestock grazing, sustained yield timber harvesting, appropriate economic activity such as wind and solar development, and yes, more not less public access. To Idaho Republicans, multiple use also includes those many activities as well as recreation and tourism. Rural economies across the state depend on such wise use and have since statehood. Thats why our state constitution established guidelines more than 120 years ago for state land management and the support of endowments to help fund education, public works and other infrastructure.

Sure, there are differences in opinion under Idahos pretty big GOP tent. Some think state federal lands should be completely turned over to the state rather than in partnership with federal entities. That would require literally a federal act of Congress and isnt likely to happen any time soon. Others think cooperative management between the state and federal lands managers is a better approach.

The latter is the path Idaho is pursuing on several fronts. Working with the U.S. Forest Service, the Idaho Department of Lands has identified a number of forested parcels in north Idaho as good prospects for co-management. The feds retain the title (thats not in dispute), and the state works with them to manage the lands for sustained timber yield, ecological protection of streambanks, as well as improved access and enhanced multiple use for recreation and wildlife enhancement.

The program is expected to identify a number of parcels for co-management in the next few years with an estimated 65 million board feet of timber generating some $13 million for the state lands endowment. The majority of these proceeds would go to helping Idaho schools. You can see the details of the program at www.idl.idaho.gov under News, then to Good Neighbor Authority.

This cooperative approach is also outlined in the states most recent statement of land policy by the 2015 Legislature (Senate Concurrent Resolution 126) which can be seen at www.legislature.idaho.gov, 2015 session. The measure specifically excludes wilderness areas such as the Frank Church, waterways, scenic rivers, parks, and monuments like Craters of the Moon. It states clearly that public access under state managed lands should be expanded: Public access (should) be maintained and, where possible, expanded on lands managed by the state under any state-federal cooperative land management agreement.

I served on the 2014 interim committee which studied state/federal lands issues and our report makes the same point of cooperative management. Theres no proposed transfer of title of land sales to the state by the feds. None. Nothing. Nada. To claim otherwise is false.

With clear language like this, why do some wilderness advocates and their friends in the minority party continue to claim Idaho is seeking some secretive, back-door policies to restrict access and to attempt to use the issue to attempt to sway voters? The answer is  its pure politics.

Almost everyone who spends anytime in the backcountry has encountered closed roads, burned off wildlands and restricted access. Forest and range fires routinely devastate Idahos backcountry due to excessive fuel buildup and failed management practices. A let it burn philosophy allows further degradation when the fires are finally out. These conditions are predominately on federal lands, not state parcels, and often result in further closures while the lands recover. Common-sense practices like post-fire salvage often face lengthy lawsuits. Some on the left politically use these issues with the hue-and-cry of keep public lands public but as noted, thats not an issue with these cooperative agreements. Idahos public lands, both federal and state managed, are public and will remain so. Theres no secret movement to shift or transfer land ownership.

In short, attacks on Idaho lands policy are motivated by political opportunists who seek to paint state policies in a negative light. Dont believe the nay-sayers. Idaho is working ahead on co-management agreements throughout the state. The result will create more access and better multiple use. Those are the facts. Dont let radical groups and their political friends tell you differently.
During the presidents recent encounter with Vladimir Putin in Vietnam, he says he asked Putin whether Russia had meddled in the U.S. elections in 2016. He relates that Putin is very, very strong in the fact that he didnt do it. You have president Putin very strongly, vehemently, says he has nothing to do with that. The president also told reporters that Putin said he absolutely did not meddle in our election and that I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it.

My Vietnam experience was quite a bit different than the presidents. When I was in Vietnam in 1968-69, I represented defendants in about a dozen courts martial. My real job was coordinating artillery fire, but when the defendants learned I was a bono fide lawyer they often requested me as defense counsel. It did not take long to learn that accused individuals often lie about their guilt of wrongdoing.

And, it is not unusual for a guilty person to vehemently deny something. When dealing with an accomplished liar, like Putin, one should exercise great caution in believing anything he says. Remember, President Putin denied having any involvement in the take-over of Crimea, the insurgency in Ukraine, and the downing of the Malaysian airliner over Ukraine. All were gigantic whoppers. This former KGB officer is a master of deceit. Anyone who doubts it should read the meticulously documented book by Karen Dawisha, Putins Kleptocracy. It is hard to fathom the evil and dishonesty of this man.

It is also unwise to trust the protestations of a man who has been bent on challenging U.S. interests at practically every turn. He has worked very hard to break up a number of important western alliances, including NATO and the European Union. Mitt Romney correctly called Putins Russia our number one geopolitical foe. During my Vietnam service, I would not have been much inclined to trust the word of the Viet Cong and there is no reason to trust Putin. And, lets not forget that Russia provided the sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons that shot down John McCain and so many other American pilots.

It is difficult to understand why one would place faith in the word of a known adversary, like Putin, that he did not meddle in our elections when our intelligence people caught him dead to rights. He has also done so in the elections of many of our allies. British Prime Minister Theresa May had the guts to call Putin out for spreading fake news and interfering in that countrys elections. She told Putin that Great Britain would do what is necessary to protect ourselves, and work with our allies to do likewise. Im hoping shell help protect us because it does not appear we are doing much to protect ourselves.

The president says he needs to be nice to Putin to gain his help on various issues. Sucking up with an adversary in hopes of gaining favor is not a winning strategy. It is hard to picture Ronald Reagan meekly telling Gorbachev that, while your Berlin wall is attractive and quite effective in imprisoning millions of East Germans, wouldnt you please consider some slight alterations? Instead, Reagan forcefully said, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. President Reagans strength carried the day and the wall came down. We need that same kind of strength in dealing with Putin. Why ask Putin whether he did something? We have proof that he did. Lets follow the lead of PM May  tell Putin we have the goods on him and that he will rue the day if doesnt bring it to a screeching halt.

Rather than disputing the indisputable, the U.S. should be vigorously building its cyber defenses and developing a tough offensive capability. We are at a juncture in the electronic era much like we found ourselves in during the infancy of the rocket age. The Russians caught our attention with the launch of the Sputnik, demonstrating they had the lead in a technology with military applications. We had to up our game in that arena. Now, the Russians have shown their expertise in the offensive use of cyber systems and it is incumbent on this country to take steps to counter Russian cyber aggression, not to deny it.
After wife, India asks Pakistan to allow Kulbhushan Jadhav meet mother

India

oi-Madhuri

India has refused to send wife of Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav, alone to visit the Indian navy officer in Pakistan, requesting Islamabad to grant travel permit to his mother also.

Pakistan on Saturday said it is "considering" India's request to let Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother meet him, apart from his wife who has already received permission to visit the Indian death row prisoner.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said on Friday that Jadhav would be allowed to meet his wife on Pakistani soil. The move came months after New Delhi requested Islamabad to allow Jadhav's mother to meet him on humanitarian grounds.

In a rare move, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies. Jadhav has filed an appeal with Pakistan Army chief General 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.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 6:20 [IST]
They stay among you to kill you: Ansarul Bangla Team could be Indias biggest threat

Al-Qaeda version 2.0: Now available in Tamil, Bengali

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The al-Qaeda which is making desperate attempts to set its foot print in India has decided to go vernacular. Speeches of its leaders such as Osama Bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki are being translated in multiple languages and circulated.

Speeches of al-Qaeda leaders have been translated in Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali and Hindi. The target audience are the professionals such as doctors, IAS and IPS officers.

In one article that appeared in a Tamil magazine, al-Risalah, professionals are asked to lend their services to the terror group. An elderly man is quoted in one of the articles who speaks about how he fought for the group despite having one eye.

He further says that if he is unable to fight, he would at least help increase the number in the army. I would at least guard your bags while you fight the man is also quoted saying.

Officials say that this is a new ploy by the group. It wants to spread its foot print to various parts of the country. The al-Qaeda had in 2014 launches its operations in the sub-continent. However the group failed to get the desired traction. It has now decided to go the ISIS way where it would focus largely on spreading propaganda.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 8:08 [IST]
Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth?

Blow to BJP: Spate of resignations over dropped leaders in Gujarat poll list

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

A day after the BJP announced its first list of 70 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, voices of dissent surfaced within the party despite its leaders claiming that the choices made were unanimous.

There was a spate of resignations from the primary membership of the party, Vijaysinh Patel, a member of the Bharuch district panchayat, quit the party, protesting against the Ankleshwar assembly seat being given to Ishwarsinh Patel, the sitting MLA from the seat. Vijaysinh and Ishwarsinh are brothers, reports News 18.

On Saturday, supporters of senior party leader IK Jadeja gathered at the party headquarters in Gandhinagar and raised slogans against the BJP for not being given a ticket from Wadhwan constituency in Saurashtra.

Mahuva municipality councillor Bipin Sanghvi quit the BJP saying he has been consistently ignored for candidature. Sanghvi, who has been with the BJP since Jan Sangh days, said, "I have been asking for ticket for the last four terms. But I have been ignored always. The party decided to go with Raghavjibhai Makwana from the seat once again.

In another setback, a prominent leader of the Koli community from Saurashtra and sitting MLA from Kodinar, Jetha Solanki, submitted his resignation from the party.

Alleging that Dalits have been facing "atrocities" under BJP rule, the Dalit leader also said that he was "unhappy" after being told by the party that he will not get a ticket this time, news agency PTI reported.

"I have resigned from the BJP, as an MLA and also as the parliamentary secretary. I have decided to quit as the party has stopped listening to my representations," he was quoted as saying.

However, Solanki's constituency, was not among the 36 tickets that the BJP announced on Saturday in its second wave of candidates.

In Jasdan constituency, Gajendra Ramani quit after he did not find his name as BJP candidate for the seat. The BJP decided to field Bharat Boghra instead of Ramani, who was prompt in telling the media that he will join the Congress.

In tribal-dominated Dang, district BJP general secretary Dashrath Pawar resigned from the post as he was overlooked and the party re-nominated Vijay Patel, who had lost 2012 elections by a thin margin of 2,422 votes.

Meanwhile, the Adivasi Ekta Manch, a front supported by the BJP, has threatened to field as many as ten candidates in tribal dominated seats of south Gujarat.

Voting for Gujarat's 182 assembly seats will held on December 8 and 14. Results will be declared on December 18.

OneIndia News
Soon, one single card for all modes of public transport across the country

Card transactions soar 84 per cent in Sep 2017 to Rs 74,090 cr: Report

India

pti-PTI

Mumbai, Nov 19: The debit and credit card transactions have jumped to Rs 74,090 crore in September this year, up a hefty 84 per cent as compared to the same month last year when it stood at Rs 40,130 crore, thanks to the government push for non-cash payments, says a study.

The transaction volume at all points of sale (POSes) clipped higher by 86 per cent to 378 million in September this year over the same period last year when it stood at 203 million, European payment solutions provider Worldline said in a weekend report quoting the Reserve Bank data. In September 2016 the number stood at 203 million, it added.

"With demonetisation, people were pushed to use non- cash modes of payment for everyday expenses. Even after the cash is back to the pre-demonetisation levels, there is a visible growth in card transactions," Deepak Chandnani, chief executive of Worldline South Asia & Middle East, told PTI. The push to increase cards usage started with the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in August 2014, the survey said.

Total number of cards as of September 2017 stood at 853 million. Of this, 33.3 million were credit cards and 819.8 million were debit cards. There was a marked spurt, especially for debit cards, which shot by 39 per cent in 2015 because of the new Jan Dhan accounts. Post-demonetisation, growth has been averaging at 22 per cent, the survey added.

The growth of credit cards from 2016 to 2017 has been 24 per cent, higher than the average growth but consistent with the trend of the past few years, the study said. Between 2011 and 2016, credit cards have seen a steady 9 per cent increase.

The study further said digital payment companies have seen a substantial jump in business following the government's push towards cashless transactions after the note-ban last November, and the major contributor to this growth was online payments. According to RBI, after the note-ban, digital transactions rose 31 per cent from last November to this September.

Growth rate of the digital payments industry, which was earlier in the range of 20-50 per cent, has accelerated post-demonetisation to over 40 per cent. As of September, the number of transactions on the unified payments interface (UPI) jumped 85 per cent in a month.

The rise in UPI adoption is also facilitated by the rise in smartphone users and increased availability of 3G and 4G data (89 per cent of total mobile data), the survey said.

PTI
Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth?

Gujarat Assembly elections 2017: Congress chief opts out of poll race

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Bharatsinh Solanki, the Gujarat Congress president, has decided not to contest the 2017 state assembly elections, even as he dismissed reports that he was not happy with the party high command over the selection of candidates.

Solanki, who had earlier served as MLA, has decided not to contest these elections.

His announcement assumes significance against the backdrop of the delay on the part of the Congress in releasing its first list of candidates for the assembly polls.

The deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, ends on November 21.

The ruling BJP has already declared names of 106 out of 182 seats by releasing two lists so far.

"I have declared it earlier and I am declaring it today as well that I will not fight Gujarat assembly elections," Solanki said.

On reports that he was not happy with the party top brass over distribution of tickets, Solanki said it is not true. "Some people started the campaign against me that I am not happy with the party high command and had left the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting half way in Delhi (last week) to return to the state," he told reporters.

Stating that he is "not unhappy with the party high command", Solanki said he returned to Gujarat as he had some important work at hand regarding electioneering.

"The party has done so much for me. I have won two Lok Sabha polls and has handled three ministry with independent charge. I was elected as an MLA thrice," he said.

The CEC meeting, chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi, was held in Delhi on November 17.

Solanki said he would help Congress win maximum seats in the polls as he is a loyal soldier of the party.

He said the first list of the Congress candidates is likely to be out tonight.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 19:58 [IST]
This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how

With the number of anonymous rogues from Pak rising, here's how BSF is beating down the drones

India raises issue of Pak troops firing without provocation during DGMO level talks

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Nov 18: Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) held talks Pakistani counterpart over the unprovoked firing by the Pakistani troops along the border.

Lt Gen A K Bhatt told his Pakistani counterpart to take steps to ensure peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt Gen A K Bhatt told the Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza said that there appeared to be a "disconnect" between the Pakistan Army's reiteration about the desire for peace and the action of its troops, PTI quoted official sources as saying.

Citing various incidents, Bhatt said that Pakistani troops resort to heavy firing without provocation, they said. The telephonic conversation between the two DGMOs took place following a request by the Pakistani side.

Exhorting his Pakistani counterpart to resolve this "existent credibility gap", Lt Gen Bhatt said that there appeared to be a "disconnect between the intent at the Pakistani General Headquarters which reiterates its desire for peace and the actions of Pakistani troops along the Line of Control, who resort to heavy firing without provocation," PTI quoted a source as saying.

Bhatt said that Pakistan must take steps to ensure that peace and tranquillity is maintained along the LoC. The Pakistan Army DGMO alleged that Indian security forces have resorted to unproved firing and targeted civilians along the LoC in the Pooch sector. Bhatt, however, made it clear that the Indian Army always maintains impeccable standards of professionalism and does not target civilians in any manner.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 5:58 [IST]
Indira Gandhi never shied away from reality: Pranab Mukherjee

India

pti-PTI

Describing Indira Gandhi as a great statesman and the best prime minister India ever had, former President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said she never shied away from reality.

He was delivering the Indira Gandhi Memorial speech on her 100th birth anniversary day here organised by Bidhan Memorial Trust, Kolkata. The programme was chaired by Congress leader Somen Mitra.

Mukherjee said this was proved in her interaction with a group of British reporters in 1978, three years after the Emergency was imposed in the country.

"In November 1978, she went to London to attend a birthday function in memory of Jawaharlal Nehru and I came to know all big papers in the UK were writing she should not be given importance and was labelled by them as a fascist and dynastic lady," he said.

The former president said as they reached the Heathrow airport, they were asked by the airport personnel to leave by a different exit since a group of hostile looking reporters were waiting to meet Gandhi at the airports main gate. But she refused, he said.

"As we faced them, one of the journalists loudly asked her what did she gain by declaring Emergency," Mukherjee said.

"And Indiraji replied that we have been very comprehensively alienated by all sections of people and all the mediapersons smiled and the ice was broken," he recalled, adding, "she had never shied away from reality".

Talking about the Operation Bluestar in Golden Temple in 1984, Mukherjee said she had never compromised with blind religious faiths or with the social force which was at work to split the country into different parts.

To the words of caution by her well-wishers before the operation against extremists, she had replied I know may be I have to sacrifice my life for this act, he said.

She had also said that as the prime minister of this country her priority was to safeguard the unity and integrity of India and her personal security issue would come later, Mukherjee recalled.

Praising Gandhi for her foresight, Mukherjee referred to the 1974 nuclear explosion at Pokhran.

"Before the Pokhran blast, she had rightly pointed out that while five countries of the world would make nuclear bomb, the rest 189 countries would be deprived of nuclear materials to process electricity," the former president said.

She asked these nuclear nations to drastically reduce their nuke arsenal and told them that India was screwdriver technology away from manufacturing a nuclear bomb but if they drastically reduced their arsenal then India wont do it, he said.

"But as the five nations did not listen, India had to trigger the nuclear bomb explosion at Pokhran in 1974 to show that we can. Twenty-four years later in 1998, India conducted another nuclear bomb explosion (second time) and then prime minister A B Vajpayee rightly said that they followed the path paved by Indira Gandhi," Mukherjee said.

He said Gandhi was instrumental in setting up ISRO. "In todays space science India occupies the third spot. This happened as she had founded ISRO."
Breaking: ISIS claims its first attack in the Kashmir Valley

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Islamic State has claimed its first attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Amaq news agency, the propaganda wing of the ISIS said that it was responsible for the killing of a police man in the Valley and with the wounding of another in Srinagar city.

This is a major development say Intelligence Bureau officials. The ISIS has for long been speaking about commencing operations in the Valley. When the ISIS was launched and Abu Bakr al-Bhagdadi was declared Caliph, he had spoken about a Global Islamic Council in which Kashmir and Gujarat were a part.

Officials say that they are now investigating claims made by the ISIS. We are also checking to find out if the message was just propaganda or was it the Zakir Musa faction which carried out the attack.Musa, it may be recalled had quit the Hizbul Mujahideen and floated his own outfit.

In recent times there has been plenty of ISIS propaganda floating around in the Valley. Flags of the outfit have been raised several times. Moreover an ISIS module from West Bengal had plotted a knife attack at the Dal Lake.

OneIndia News
ELBRIDGE  A couple miles' worth of concerts were featured along Route 5 in Elbridge Saturday afternoon.

Twelve local venues in the area featured different performers and refreshments. Nonperishable food was being collected for the Jordan-Elbridge Ecumenical Food Pantry at the various locations.

Steve's Absolute Audio and Auto featured the musical duo Riverstone, along with cookies and other snacks. Business owner Stephen Holmes said he opted to be a part of the event because he wanted to help support local businesses. Though he feels his store is doing well, he hopes that since he has customers from places like Cortland and Baldwinsville, they might come to his business and then decide to stop off at a local restaurant or other establishment.

Holmes said he understands the importance of local businesses being stable in a community.

"A lot of people don't realize how much small businesses mean to a village or town," Holmes said.

Vern and Jan Richardson sat on chairs as Riverstone played songs like "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and "Mr. Bojangles" by Jerry Jeff Walker. The Richardsons said they were going to try to stop at as many acts and businesses as they could.

Vern, who is the Elbridge town supervisor, said there are different unoccupied buildings in the area and that he wants those walls to be filled with businesses. Jan said she believes events like this could open up businesses to people that that hadn't been there before, as she, for example, said she rarely ventures into auto shops.

Jan said she hopes these types of events will encourage a person to come into town and subsequently decide to set up a business in one of those unused buildings.

"It all helps to get things moving around here," Jan said.

Remodeling company Limitless Surfacing Solutions featured John Wilson playing his guitar. Rhonda Irving, who owns the shop with her husband Bill, said they have "fallen in love" with Elbridge after operating in the area for over a year.

She said she appreciates that people from the area are trying to generate interest in businesses and assist their community.

"We want to be known as the community that helps," Rhonda said.
When radio host Leeann Tweeden accused Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., this week of kissing her against her will when they were on a 2006 USO tour together, many Republicans were no doubt pleased, just as Democrats have been gleeful about the headache Roy Moore is causing the GOP. Thats what happens in politics: Whatever side youre on, when a prominent figure from the other party is caught in a scandal, you cant help but be happy about it.

But theres something else happening on the issue of sexual harassment, and it shows just how radically different the two parties are on this issue at the moment. Anyone who tries to argue that theres no moral difference between how Democrats and Republicans are reacting to these scandals is simply not being honest.

To be clear, Im not arguing that liberal men are any less likely to be sexual harassers than conservative men. It has become more than clear that the abuse and objectification of women happens in every industry, every major institution, every religion, at every socioeconomic level and among people of every political orientation.

But we should all be asking ourselves some very hard questions, not only about the people now in positions of power but about how weve each thought about these issues in the past and what we want to change in the future. Democrats are doing that  perhaps imperfectly and arriving at different answers of varying quality, but at least theyre grappling with it. Republicans, by and large, are doing anything but.

The reaction to the revelation about Franken shows what Im talking about. Despite the fact that he is a widely admired senator some were hoping would run for president, his actions were immediately condemned by many in his own party, including his Senate colleagues. No prominent Democrat is defending what he did.

So please, conservatives (or anyone else for that matter), if your argument that Democrats are being as bad on Franken as Republicans were on accusations against Donald Trump (more on him in a moment) rests on a tweet you saw where @NobodyTroll insulted Leeann Tweeden to his 12 followers, spare me. This is about the reactions of people with significant voices in the public sphere  politicians, writers, media personalities  the ones who have the ability to influence how others understand the issue.

But arent Republicans condemning Roy Moore? Yes, they are. But the accusations against Moore about the pursuit and, in some cases, assault of underage girls are positively monstrous and suggest a different class of pathology. And while I dont doubt that Republicans are sincerely disgusted by Moore, if he were leading by 10 points instead of falling fast in the polls and were on his way to victory, they might be talking very differently about this.

Their desperate attempts to find some solution to the problem Moore presents (such as running a whole new special election) are about making sure the seat stays in GOP hands. And of course, theyre terrified that Moore will be an ongoing PR headache for them if he wins. Thats what suggesting that the Senate expel him is about, since Alabamas governor would appoint a (Republican) replacement. Theyre certainly not so repulsed that theyll just go ahead and say its better to have a Democrat in the seat for two years than an alleged child molester.

Theres something else Democrats are doing that Republicans adamantly resist: looking backward to reflect on whether they were wrong about issues of harassment in the past. Theres now a lively debate happening on the left about how to understand former president Bill Clinton, and whether they defended him in the right way. Even if they all agree that Republicans went on a witch hunt in the 1990s and that impeaching him was ridiculous, theyre asking difficult questions about whether they might have helped excuse inexcusable actions. Some liberal writers and politicians now say Clinton should have resigned when his affair with Monica Lewinsky was revealed. Others are reexamining their own reactions to the case of Juanita Broaddrick, who accused Clinton of raping her. Again, you might or might not agree with their conclusions, but you cant say theyre not earnestly grappling with the issue.

But has any Republican come out and said, Now that I look back, I realize that Anita Hill was probably telling the truth, and Clarence Thomas should never have been put on the Supreme Court? Thats despite the fact that reporting later revealed ample evidence that she was and that there were other women ready to corroborate her testimony. Is there a single prominent Republican who has publicly reckoned with the unfathomably vicious campaign of character assassination their party waged on Hill? Do they have any regrets?

We dont even have to go back that far; we only have to see what happened last October with the release of the Access Hollywood tape, in which Donald Trump bragged that when he sees 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. Grab them by the p. You can do anything.

Perhaps my memory is faulty, but as I recall, while many Republicans condemned Trumps words on the Access Hollywood tape, few treated them as anything but words. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified, said House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis. 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, R-Ky., said Trump needed to take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape. The idea that Trump just needed to demonstrate more respect implicitly accepted his claim that it was nothing more than locker room talk, randy boastfulness that didnt actually reflect his own actions.

Were there any prominent Republicans who demanded an investigation into how often Trump had committed sexual assault, as he bragged he could do with impunity? I dont think there were. And then what happened when one woman after another went public  at great personal risk and without anything to gain  to say that yes, he had done to them just what he said he could do? About those allegations, we heard almost nothing from important Republicans. They essentially pretended those women didnt exist.

But they did exist. And there were not one or two or five, but more than a dozen of them. Here are the names of women who say Trump kissed or groped them against their will: Kristin Anderson, Rachel Crooks, Jessica Drake, Jill Harth, Cathy Heller, Ninni Laaksonen, Jessica Leeds, Mindy McGillivray, Jennifer Murphy, Cassandra Searles, Natasha Stoynoff, Temple Taggart McDowell, Karena Virginia, and Summer Zervos. That doesnt include the contestants at pageantsincluding teenage girls at the Miss Teen USA pageantwho related how Trump burst into their dressing rooms to watch them change clothes, behavior he also bragged about. The official White House position is that every one of those women is a liar. How many Republicans have stood up for them?

Democrats have a long way to go in figuring out how they should understand their own history and how to handle these allegations in the future, not to mention how to change a culture in which sexual harassment and abuse have been taken for granted for so long. But at least theyre starting to try  which is a lot more than you can say for Republicans.
ISIS in Kashmir: The writing was on the wall

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

From designing its own currency to telling its men to record videos of the Kashmir struggle. The ISIS has been sending out signals for long where the Kashmir Valley is concerned. For the first time on Sunday the group claimed its first ever attack in the Valley and this signalled the official entry of another terror group into the troubled Valley of Kashmir.

Recently the National Investigation Agency had filed a chargesheet against an operative known as Sirajuddin.

The investigation conducted by the NIA suggest that Sirajjuddin and his associates had planned on carrying out a series of attacks. There was a two pronged plan. While one was to undertake lone wolf attacks the other was to establish the Caliphate in Kashmir.

If one looks closely at the map designed by the ISIS, it has portions of Gujarat in it and the whole of Jammu and Kashmir. Sirajjudin who makes references to this feels that it is only through Kashmir that they can establish the outfit. He felt that Kashmir must be governed not by India or Pakistan, but the Islamic Caliphate as is the claim of the outfit in Syria.

Interestingly in one of the chats he shares an image of a note in the 20 denomination. The note has the letters, ISIS Welcomes you to Kashmir. This according him should be the official currency of Kashmir.

Sirajuddin in a chat with one UAE operative says that he has managed to gather 300 recruits for the ISIS. This is a claim which the NIA doubts.

He constantly speaks about overcoming the Hindus in India and says that over a period of time, the Constitution should be replaced with the Caliphate. further he seeks out information on how to reach Syria. He felt that he should train for sometime in Syria and then return to India.

A new directive:

Recently the ISIS issued a new directive to its fighters in Kashmir. Two groups supporting the ISIS on Telegram advised the pro-ISIS fighters to organise and assign duties in the Valley.

The ISIS wants its fighters to assess the battlefield in Kashmir. It has advised the fighters to assign duties such as raising funds and also photographing and recording the battle in the Valley.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that this message to the ISIS fighters in the Valley is an indicator that they want to assess the situation and trying building a force. The part where the ISIS says that it wants the battle recorded may be a way of trying to understand the strategy adopted in the Valley.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 9:20 [IST]
ISIS launches Ansar Ghazwat Ul Hind in Kashmir, names media wing Al-Hurr

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In a late night message, the ISIS claimed that it had carried out its first attack in the Kashmir Valley. The ISIS said that it was launching a new movement in Kashmir.

Foundation of new movement of Jihad in Kashmir named- Ansar Ghazwat Ul Hind. Further the message said that the official media of the Ansar would be called Al-Hurr which means free or independent. The group also put out a logo for the same.

The ISIS said that the slain attacker was identified as Mughalais Mir. He belongs to the Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind a group created by terrorist Zakir Musa. It may be recalled that Musa had quit the Hizbul Mujahideen recently and floated his own outfit.

Further the group says that there was a new awakening to Jihad after the killing of Burhan Wani. The Muslim nation of Kashmir has committed to carry the flag of Jihad to repel the aggression of tyrant Indian invaders through Jihad and with the aide of Allah, we will liberate our home land Kashmir, the message also says.

For this goal a new movement of Jihad has been founded by the companions of martyr Burhan Wani under the leadership of Mujahid Musa, the message also read.

OneIndia News
NGO writes to Trump against proposed move of lifting ban on import of elephants trophies

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Nov 19: Wildlife SOS, an NGO based in India, has petitioned US Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke against President Donald Trump's proposed move of lifting a 2014 ban on import of elephants trophies from two African nations.

On Thursday, the Trump administration had reversed an Obama-era ban to issue permits for elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe, which environmental groups said would lead to more poaching. However, after facing criticism from animal rights activists, Trump had yesterday put on hold the decision to import elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe into the US to "review all conservation facts".

Co-founder of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan said, "The argument has no scientific justification. As an organisation based in India where the government permits no such trophy, we can attest there are many other scientific ways to help wild populations without the need to hunt them." There is a need to not remove the existing protection measures that are in place for them, he said in a statement.

Nikki Sharp of the NGO, stationed in the US, said, "The announcement came as a shock to all of us. It's an insult to everyone working to protect and conserve elephants, in particular in light of this supposed reasoning behind the decision  that hunting of these animals will enhance the survival of the species in the wild."

"It is a massive step backward that will have direct and lethal effects on elephants," Sharp said. The number of elephants in the wild plummeted 30 per cent overall between 2007 and 2014, despite large scale conservation efforts. In some places it has dropped more than 75 per cent due to ivory poaching. In 2016, there were just over 3,50,000 elephants still alive in the wild, down from millions in the early 20th century.

PTI
PMLA Case: Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh's LIC agent Chauhan seeks interim bail

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Nov 19: LIC agent Anand Chauhan, an accused chargesheeted in a money laundering case allegedly involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, has moved a special court here seeking interim bail.

The application filed by Chauhan has sought permission to attend the wedding of his niece. Advocate Tarannum Cheema, who moved the plea on behalf of Chauhan, has sought the interim bail for her client from November 25 to December 10. Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh on July 9 last year under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer.

Advocate N K Matta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, had alleged before the court that during Chauhan's interrogation, it was found that as an LIC agent he had entered into a modus operandi to launder disproportionate assets by investing in LIC policies. The agency had alleged that Singh "while serving as a Union minister, invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his own name and that of his family members through Chauhan".

"Virbhadra Singh, while functioning as a Union minister during the period from May 28, 2009, to June 26, 2012, acquired assets, disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs 6,03,70,782 and further tried to justify the same in the form of agricultural income.

"Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, Chauhan, with whom Virbhadra Singh had signed the alleged MoU for managing his apple orchard and Chunni Lal Chauhan, proprietor of M/s Universal Apple Associates, who purportedly showed purchase of apples from Shrikhand Orchard, have facilitated in justifying the disproportionate assets of Virbhadra Singh and thereby abetted the offence," the ED had alleged.

Chauhan is also chargesheeted, along with 82-year old Singh, his wife and others, in a separate case filed by the CBI in the matter. Singh and the other accused have denied all allegations made against them by the CBI and ED.

PTI
If Cong is elected in HP, decision on 1 lakh govt jobs, pension scheme in 1st cabinet meet: Rahul

Shameful that boss is silencing you, says Rahul to Sitharaman on Rafale deal

India

oi-Madhuri

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Rafale deal and said that it was shameful that her boss was silencing her.

He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of bypassing procedure in finalising the purchase of 36 fighter jets with the French.

In a tweet, Rahul asked several questions on the deal,"Please tell us: 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL & gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?"

His tweets comes a day after Sitharaman rubbished all allegations leveled by the Congress party over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, stating that the UPA regime which was previously in power for 10 years could not make a decision on the jets, despite recognising the depleting the combat strength of the Indian Air Force.

The Congress had 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".

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after the Prime Minister announced the proposal during a visit to Paris.

The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September, 2019.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 5:51 [IST]
Now, book upto 24 tickets in a month by linking IRCTC user ID to Aadhaar: Step-by-step Guide

Railways sufferred loss of over Rs 259.44 cr during Agnipath protests; 2,000 trains affected

Man thrown out of moving train in UP: He argued about a water bottle

150 year old British era Carnac Bridge to be demolished in Mumbai: Traffic diversions announced

Train services to remain suspended in Kashmir today

India

oi-Madhuri

Train services to remain suspended for the consecutive day in Kashmir Valley due to security reasons.

A railway official confirmed that the service will remain suspended in the wake of shutdown call issued by the separatists.

Earlier, the separatists had called for a general strike against the killing of militants and Cordoned and Search Operation (CASO). No train will also run from Badgam-Srinagar to Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region.

On Friday, Mugees Ahmad Mir from Parimpora was killed in a gunfight between the police and militants in the outskirts of Srinagar.

Earlier on Saturday, Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew was among six terrorists killed by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Hajin area on.

One personnel from the IAF's Garud force was also killed in the gun battle while two army personnel were injured.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 10:33 [IST]
JEE Main 2023 exam dates to be out soon: Check details

When this mom got a surprise gift, her reaction was 'gold' | Watch

'Poor' no more: 'Moderate' Delhi air to improve further with strong winds

Twitter suspends Pakistan Defence Forum's account for posting morphed photo

India

oi-Madhuri

Micro-blogging website Twitter, on Sunday, suspended the account of Pakistan Defence Forum for posting a morphed photo of a Delhi University's student activist.

It is learnt that the original photo actually belonged to a Kawalpreet Kaur , All India Students' Association (AISA) Delhi University president. It reads, 'I am a citizen of India and I stand with secular values of our constitution. I will write against communal mob lynching of Muslims in our country. #CitizensAgainst Mob Lynching'.

An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. #NotInMyName#ProfileAgainstMobLynching pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7  Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) June 27, 2017

Pakistan Defence, which goes with the twitter handle @defencepk, generally posts content related to Pakistan Army.

Kawalpreet also hit out against Pakistan Defence Forum and said, "The message of the picture shouldn't be lost in these dark times. No nation wants lynchings & killings. Only bigots want hate."

This isn't the first time, Pakistan Defence Forum has also been earlier accused of running malicious campaigns against Pakistani journalists, commentators and activists who have been critical of the powerful military and intelligence agencies.

OneIndia News


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For the most part, I've stopped following the machinations of the DNC. It is true that they purged Bernie supporters from senior leadership positions. If one remembers that a party is but a conduit to deliver a payload, that should not matter as long as we have a large percentage of the grassroots.

Let me preface by saying the following. I am a loyal Bernie Sanders supporter, specifically his real progressive policies. In fact, I was one of his delegates in Philly. Like Bernie, I voted for Hillary Clinton because she was the best choice running and would have been better for the constituents we support. I had intended to hold her feet to the fire the day she took office as one of her voters. We were ready to be the progressive thorn in her side.

2018 must be a big win for progressives. Democratic candidates will get the Democratic vote. But that is not enough to win. That is one reason the DNC's purge was so shortsighted. But it will take two dumb moves to lose 2018. As Max Brooks said on Real Time with Bill Maher, the three Conservative President's we've had, Reagan GHW Bush, and GW Bush were mostly caused by infighting than anything else.

Former Resolutions Committee Chair James Zogby sent out an Our Revolution email every Bernie Sanders supporter must read. I agree wholeheartedly with his approach, and in fact, I have suggested similar engagement many times, on my Politics Done Right radio program. Following is his letter.

I began my service as a member of the Democratic National Committee in 1993, after serving as a deputy campaign manager in Reverend Jesse Jackson's two presidential campaigns. I served on the DNC's Executive Committee since 2001 and from 2006 until the recent meeting in Las Vegas, I was also co-chair of the Resolutions Committee. Because I was a superdelegate for Bernie Sanders and supported Keith Ellison for Chair of the Party, I was deeply disappointed, but not surprised, to be replaced as co-chair of Resolutions and removed from the Executive Committee. What concerns me is that after a hotly contested primary race in 2016 and a close election for DNC chair in 2017, this was the time for Democrats to come together before the important 2018 mid-terms. Instead of seeking unity, the slate nominated by the DNC chair Tom Perez and confirmed by the DNC at the Las Vegas meeting virtually eliminated Sanders and Ellison supporters from the party's major governing bodies. Keith Ellison is the only one of 11 officers who supported Bernie's nomination. There are virtually no Bernie supporters on the Rules and By-laws Committee and Keith is the only Bernie supporter on the new Executive Committee. We should have more representation, and it is fundamentally wrong that we will have such a diminished voice in party affairs when, more than ever, we will need "all hands on deck." At times like this, I remember a lesson Jesse taught me a generation ago: "Don't quit, stick around and fight." And so instead of dropping out, I remain committed to staying engaged and continuing the fight to change the Party. I am encouraged by the number of Our Revolution and other progressives elected to party positions in more than 10 states, including party chairs in several states. And I am hopeful that the Unity Reform Commission, on which I serve as a Sanders appointee, will soon vote on a series of measures to reform both how we, as Democrats, choose our presidential candidates and how we run our party. We are calling for greater budget transparency, accountability, inclusion, and democratic decision-making. When our reform proposals are sent to the entire DNC for a vote, Our Revolution will work to mobilize Democrats across the nation to join our call for real change--because we believe that the reforms we are proposing are necessary for unity. And, we believe that unity is the prerequisite for victory. Our Revolution is the largest national organization demanding party reform in each of the state parties as well as nationally. We believe that we must build strong groups through party building inside and sometimes outside the party, and link to strong candidates working with us on key local, state, and national issues.

Last week I wrote the piece "Hey, progressives: let's prove ourselves by winning the primaries & then the whole thing" to express that same sentiment.

The fracture within the Democratic Party has more to do with the leadership and the grassroots than with Democrats and Progressives in general. There are those who want to hold on to the middle because that is where the "Progressive" wealthy Establishment Democrats reside. Ironically, it is not that far away from where the Conservative wealthy Establishment Republicans live. It is the concept of the left rail and right rail being different but heading in the same direction. The 2016 election proved that American don't just want Left or Right rails. Their current economic and social conditions demand a derailment. A Progressive derailment is much more advantageous to the masses than a Right Wing derailment which would be the virtual enslavement of "the other," people of color, women, the poor, gays, and many others. The election of people of all types, political persuasions, and values is probative. It illustrates that the Progressive movement has the reach most activists knew it had. Progressives do not need to fight what many refer to as the Establishment. They just need to replicate Virginia, New Jersey, Washington state, the elected that was not supposed to be electable, women, and more. Progressives must run for precinct chairs in their Democratic Primaries. Most importantly saturate the primaries with Progressives for local, state, and national offices.

Let's suck it up. Let's think about the people we activated to help. Let's go out there and do what is necessary to give all Americans a better life. 2018 is in our hands. Only we can lose it.


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Phones calls, tweets, texts, and Facebook messages started flying between Houston area activists as they got wind that President Trump's Education Secretary Nancy DeVos was coming to town. She did not visit any of the Harvey Hurricane damaged schools in Houston proper. She went to the flooded upscale Kingwood High School in the Houston suburbs for a photo-op showing her painting the walls.

When Kingwood High School students are allowed into their school after Spring Break, they can chuckle about a few strokes of paint that were applied by our billionaire Education Secretary. It is not immediately clear what image the secretary was attempting to convey.

A small cadre of well-informed protesters greeted Nancy DeVos in Kingwood Texas. They had very little time to prepare a protest as they only found out she was coming a few hours before the photo-op. Those activists who showed up had a lot to say.

Betsy DeVos' Press Secretary Liz Hall said that the purpose of the Secretary's visit was to make it clear that the current administration has not forgotten about flooded areas like the Houston Metro Area. The photo-op was only available for the press, not the public at large.

It is clear why they did not have the event open to the public as DeVos is a magnet for protesters given this administration's policies. It is concerning that she would come to a fairly affluent high school that will open ahead of schedule, while Houston is filled with schools that are in much worse condition pre and post Hurricane Harvey.

A few local politicians like Dan Huberty were in the crowd. Humble Independent School District superintendent Elizabeth Fagan was also present.



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From Smirking Chimp



Trump, Threats, Bomb

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Ever since the Trump administration began a few months ago to threaten a first strike against North Korea over its continued missile tests, the question of whether it is seriously ready to wage war has loomed over other crises in US foreign policy.

The news media have avoided any serious effort to answer that question, for an obvious reason: The administration has an overriding interest in convincing the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un that Trump would indeed order a first strike if the regime continues to test nuclear weapons and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Therefore, most media have shied away from digging too deeply into the distinction between an actual policy of a first strike and a political ruse intended to put pressure on Pyongyang.

The use of military threat for "diplomatic coercion" is such a basic tool of US policy in dealing with weaker adversaries that it is almost taken for granted in Washington. Even diplomats who have been deeply involved in negotiating with North Korea are supportive of using that threat as part of a broader diplomatic strategy. Robert Gallucci, the State Department official who negotiated the "Agreed Framework" with North Korean officials in 1994, noted in an email to Truthout, "We do want the North to understand that their actions could lead the US to a preventive strike -- wise or not."

The linkage between the Trump administration's threat of a "military option" and US diplomatic pressure on North Korea was clear from its first suggestion that it might carry out a first strike. That suggestion came on April 13, immediately upon the completion of the administration's policy review on North Korea, when NBC News reported that "multiple senior intelligence officials" had said that the administration was "prepared to launch a preemptive strike" if officials "became convinced that North Korea is about to follow through with a nuclear weapon test." A story in the Washington Post published the following day offered a slightly different version: The administration was "prepared to respond to another North Korean nuclear test" and had "a range of options at its disposal" but would not "telegraph its response in advance."

However, an unnamed military official told the Associated Press that same day that the policy that had been approved by the National Security Council did not envision the use of force in response to a nuclear or missile test, thus revealing that the leaks involving the threat of a preemptive or retaliatory attack over North Korean testing were part of a clumsy effort at "coercive diplomacy."

Further buttressing that interpretation are revelations that top Pentagon officials are dubious that a first strike against North Korean missile and nuclear sites could be completely successful. In response to a letter from Congressman Ted Lieu (D-California), Rear Admiral Michael J. Dumont, the vice director of Joint Staff, which works under the authority of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a remarkable revelation: The only way to "locate and destroy -- with complete certainty -- all components of North Korea's nuclear programs" is "through ground invasion."

An unidentified senior Pentagon official went even further, telling Harry J. Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, "We don't know where all the nuclear weapons and missiles are. Period." Other Pentagon officials confirmed the same point to Kazianis. Those admissions, which undercut the effort to convince North Korea that a US first strike is not only feasible but is possible if it continues on its present course, make it clear that the top civilian and military leaders at the Pentagon do not support a first strike policy.

The main reason for the Pentagon's open reluctance to embrace such an option, however, is that military leaders are well aware that North Korea could respond to a US first strike on its missile and nuclear targets with a devastating artillery and rocket attack on the South Korean capital, Seoul. According to a Stratfor report, North Korean artillery batteries and 300 mm rocket launchers, burrowed into the side of granite mountains just north of the demilitarized zone, could deliver "roughly the same amount of ordnance dropped by 11 B-52 bombers." And although the US and South Korean air forces would begin immediately to counterattack those batteries and launchers, it would be too late to prevent extremely high civilian casualties.

Despite these clear indications of military opposition to maintaining a US first-strike threat, some Trump administration officials have sought to keep that threat alive. Van Jackson, who was country director for Korea in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2009 to 2014 and now teaches at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, told Truthout that key figures in the Trump administration believe that the United States must do whatever is necessary to stop the North Korean development of a missile capable of reaching the United States with a nuclear weapon. "My sources are telling me that everybody in the administration except Tillerson and Mattis believes that, if North Korea has the capability, they will use it," Jackson said in an interview.

The consensus among North Korea specialists in the Obama administration had been that North Korea was pursuing nuclear weapons as a deterrent to ensure regime survival, according to Jackson. But now, he says, National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster and Matt Pottinger, the national security council director for Asia, have adopted a radically different view. "They say North Korea is not deterrable, so its development of an ICBM must not be allowed," Jackson said.

Jackson agrees that Secretary of Defense James Mattis opposes the option of a US first strike against North Korea, but he fears that McMaster and Pottinger have won Trump over to their argument. That would explain why the Trump administration has adopted the adamant position that it will not negotiate with North Korea except on the premise of complete denuclearization. Most of the national security elite regard such a demand as impossible to attain, especially since the Pentagon doesn't even know where the weapons are.

Even as he was advancing the idea that North Korea wouldn't be deterred once it could reach the United States, however, McMaster was reportedly arguing that the regime can now be deterred from responding to a very precise US attack on its missile sites. Former State Department official Mark Fitzpatrick, now head of the Washington office of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, observed on November 8 that the belligerent line taken by McMaster and the White House was based on "the assumption that North Korea would not respond forcefully" to a US attack on its missile test and launching facilities, "because it would know it would lose everything in the war that would follow." Fitzpatrick noted, however, that a defector from North Korea's embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho, had warned that the North Korean response to any attack, "no matter how small," would be "fierce."

The Trump administration could seek to increase the pressure on North Korea still further by making one or more moves preparing for -- but short of -- war. For example, it could bring more US ground troops into South Korea or Japan. However, the North Korean regime might well interpret that move as a signal that the US intends to attack and invade the North, since that would seem to be precisely the purpose of moving reinforcements into the theater. In fact, according to Jackson, the North Koreans told US diplomats during the 1994 crisis that they had studied carefully the US large-scale troop movements in preparation for the first Gulf War in 1990-91, and warned that they would respond to a move like that one in their region by launching their own preemptive attack.

It isn't yet possible to know definitely whether the Trump administration intends to strike first against North Korea. The official threats of such a strike can be discounted as obviously related to an elaborate -- if somewhat crude -- psychological warfare campaign. But more twists and turns in US policy can be expected in the coming months, and the desperate desire to coerce Pyongyang may also have given rise to wishful thinking on the part of McMaster and, more dangerously, Trump himself, about deterring that regime's response to a US first strike. That in turn could still pose a grave threat of yet another unnecessary and terrible war.
I wish that I could have sent with this post the beautiful/sad picture of USMC veteran Joey Jones who appeared at this WhiteCoatWaste.org site. He is pictured sitting on a couch revealing his two leg prostheses. Even so, a big smile is on his face I imagine because there are also two black dogs sitting with him--one on each side. And he also has a message for the Cleveland VA lab officials -- END THE SHAMEFUL DOG TESTS.

So good to read. Here is a veteran without whole legs and he tells the VA -- stop experimenting on dogs! God bless him, and I hope there are also other veterans who agree with him as well. And certainly many of us non-veterans want to see this carnage stopped.

WCW recently sued the Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

The VA refuses to release details about its deadly taxpayer-funded experiments on dozens of dogs. These dogs were characterized as "friendly," "shy" and "submissive."

They even used hound puppies less than a year old. If this were not bad enough, they also mentioned that there are two other VA facilities still conducting painful experimentations on dogs.

While reading this I was taken back to the '80s and '90s when I worked for the City of Cleveland in the License Division. The health inspectors came in regularly to check on whether anyone who sold food had a food license. So, I often talked with one of them about his work. One time he told me that during one of his inspections at the Cleveland Clinic he saw that a whole floor was devoted to animal experimentation. He knew I would be devastated and crestfallen to find this out, and he was right.

Thankfully, this past summer the House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to defund the Department of Veterans Affairs' most painful and wasteful dog experiments. The internet provides a look at some of these outstanding Waste Warriors in Congress who gave impassioned speeches in support of this legislation.

One of these compassionate legislators pictured was Rep. David Brat of Virginia. God bless him and all the others who spoke against this VA dog cruelty.

I hope and pray that all three of the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have gotten the message loud and clear and will stop using poor defenseless dogs in cruel research.

Today there are many non-animal protocols which can be utilized. I am surprised and disappointed that they haven't clued in on this. There is no excuse for ignorance--especially when it comes to needless dog suffering.

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From Consortium News



WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

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A British court proceeding on a freedom of information request regarding how the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dealt with the case of WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange has revealed that CPS deleted relevant emails from the account of a now-retired CPS lawyer, Paul Close.

However, one email that wasn't destroyed shows the CPS lawyer advising Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny not to interview Assange in London, a decision that has helped keep Assange stuck for more than five years in Ecuador's London embassy where he had been granted asylum. Finally, in late 2016, after Swedish prosecutors did question Assange at the embassy, they dropped sex abuse allegations against him, but he still faces possible arrest in the U.K. as well as potential extradition to the U.S., where officials have denounced him for releasing classified material.

Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi, who has worked on WikiLeaks disclosures as a media partner since 2009, has made freedom of information requests in several countries regarding the Assange case. On Monday, I spoke with Estelle Dehon, a lawyer for Maurizi and Assange.

Dennis Bernstein: You represented Julian Assange and Stefania Maurizi in court today. Give us the background, what got you into court today?

Estelle Dehon: It has to do with access to information. In the United States there is legislation which can allow individuals to have access to official information held by public authorities. We have the same type of system in the United Kingdom.

My client, the extraordinary Italian investigative journalist Stefania Maurizi, made a freedom of information request to the Crown Prosecution Service for information about Julian Assange. In particular, she was asking for copies of correspondence between the Crown Prosecution Service and the Swedish prosecution authorities and any correspondence with the US State Department, the Department of Justice, or the state of Ecuador. Obviously, this all relates to the situation that has occurred with Mr. Assange being arbitrarily detained in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Dennis Bernstein: There were revelations just a week or two ago that some of the key information you are seeking has been destroyed.

Estelle Dehon: Information has been coming out piecemeal. Initially, the Crown Prosecution Service refused to provide anything. As the appeal has been going forward before the tribunal, they started to release information. Just last week we were informed that the email account of the main lawyer in the case who was corresponding with the Swedish Prosecution Authority was deleted when he retired from the Crown Prosecution Service in 2014. One of the things we were asking today was how that could possibly have taken place. We had been told that the extradition matter had come to an end when the Supreme Court in 2012 upheld the arrest warrant for Mr. Assange.

So on the one hand the Crown Prosecution Service is saying that at that point the extradition matter we were dealing with came to an end. But on the other hand, they are saying, as a way of resisting full disclosure, that the extradition matter is ongoing. So which is it? If this is a case that is closed, in which case emails can be deleted then in the public interest, as much information as possible should be released. And if this is a case that is ongoing, then what could the justification possibly be for deleting the email account of one of the key people involved?

Dennis Bernstein: Could you talk a little about the documents that have already been released and what it is you are still looking for?

Estelle Dehon: A number of pieces of correspondence between the Crown Prosecution Service and the Swedish Prosecution Authority have been released, some of them with only slight redaction and some of them very heavily redacted. One of the things they are arguing today at the tribunal is that these redactions should be removed. That correspondence really looks at the flow of information from Sweden to the Crown Prosecution Service and back again. This information revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service had advised the Swedish prosecutor not to travel to the United Kingdom to interview Mr. Assange, despite the fact that that offer had been made. That advice was provided very early on, in January 2011. One of the things we seek through the information request is to understand why that advice was given at that time and why that advice seemed to remain the same, despite the situation arising with the Ecuadorian embassy.

I must explain that we rely quite heavily on the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, who made a determination in December 2015, as the result of a complaint made by Mr. Assange, that they considered Mr. Assange was being arbitrarily detained in the Ecuadorian embassy.

We don't explicitly say as part of our case that the tribunal has to come to the same determination. What we way is that, because this very respected United Nations body came to that conclusion, that is highly relevant to the correspondence and the advice between the Crown Prosecution Service and the Swedish authorities. We still haven't seen any indication that that UN decision changed the way the authorities were dealing with Mr. Assange, with the way they were refusing to come and question him.

One of the revelations from the court case today was that the Crown Prosecution Service certainly did not consider that the determination by the UN panel made any difference to the way in which they were treating Mr. Assange's case. But we are still persisting with the request, to see if any of the information that has been provided can be unredacted.

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See original Here

By Hunter

If you're one of the Americans who will soon be paying more in taxes should Senate Republicans follow the lead of House Republicans in passing their latest version of rich person-centric tax "reform," rest assured that your money won't be going to waste. Why, some of it will be going to the noble White House effort to defend Donald Trump's private for-profit businesses from lawsuits.

"Taxpayers are footing the legal bill for at least 10 Justice Department lawyers and paralegals to work on lawsuits related to President Trump's private businesses. "Neither the White House nor the Justice Department will say how much it is costing taxpayers, but federal payroll records show the salaries of the government lawyers assigned to the cases range from about $133,000 to $185,000."

That's right, everybody. Your tax dollars are now going to an effort by the Justice Department to protect Donald Trump from the fallout of his own refusal to divest from his for-profit companies while serving as "president."

Why can't Donald Trump fork over this money himself? Why can't the businesses he continues to own pay to defend Trump themselves? Because it's f--k you, that's why. Donnie Boy wants his hard-earned bribes and is now in a position to order his own administration's lawyers to defend them.

"In the cases, Justice Department attorneys are not defending policy actions Trump took as president. Instead, the taxpayer-funded lawyers are making the case that it is not unconstitutional for the president's private companies to earn profits from foreign governments and officials while he's in office."

This is a tired trope, at this point, but imagine if you will the response of every last Republican if it was the position of either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton that the president could, for example, open an "Obama International Hotel" a short way from the White House and let it be known that if you were an important international visitor and just happened to need a place to stay that, by golly, here's a place you could pay your cash to.
From Robert Reich Blog

Why are so many women now speaking out about the sexual abuses they've experienced for years? Is there anything unique about the time we're now living through that has encouraged them to end their silence?

I can't help think their decisions are part of something that's happening throughout much of American society right now -- a backlash against what has been the growing domination of America by powerful and wealthy men (and a few women) who came to believe they can do whatever they want to do, to whomever they choose.

"When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the p*ssy," said Donald Trump in the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape.

Sexual assault is one obvious assertion of dominance. Other forms include economic bullying and the stoking of bigotry to gain political power.

Trump epitomizes it all. As a businessman he stiffed contractors, used bankruptcy to avoid paying creditors, and wielded lawsuits to threaten critics. As a politician he gained traction by alleging Obama was born in Africa, Mexicans are rapists and murders, and Muslims must be kept out of America.

But the days of Trump and the bullying he represents are numbered. Soon after the 2016 election, hundreds of thousands of women marched against Trump, and the Resistance was born.

On November 7, Virginia Republican candidate Ed Gillespie's hate-filled Trump-style campaign for governor of Virginia collapsed in a nearly nine-point defeat to Ralph Northam. Democrats swept statewide elections in Virginia, won the New Jersey governor's race, and achieved other victories across the nation.

One of the consequences of Trump's presidency has been a sharp increase in the number of female candidates and winners. More than 20,000 women have declared themselves candidates for public office so far, according to Stephanie Schriock, the president of Emily's List -- an unprecedented number.

This should be the Democrat's hour, especially if they stand up against the bullies of America and stand for the millions who have been humiliated, intimidated, disenfranchised, and disempowered.

Democrats will need to gain 24 seats to take control of the House in 2018. It will be difficult, given the amount of gerrymandering and other forms of voter suppression imposed by Republican legislatures.

Nevertheless, last month Cook Political Report shifted 12 House districts in favor of Democrats, a year ahead of the 2018 midterms. A poll released at the beginning of November showed Democrats with an 11-point lead over Republicans on a generic House ballot. The Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 51 percent of registered voters said they would vote for the Democrat in their district, while 40 percent said they would vote for the Republican.

The revolt against Trump is a backlash against bullying in all its forms. Powerful and wealthy men who have felt free to impose their will on others, regardless of the pain they cause, may be in for a rude awakening.
The Secret Life of Lady Liberty: Goddess in the New World by Robert R. Hieronimus, Ph.D., and Laura E. Cortner is a multifaceted tome exploring the missing piece -- and missing peace -- in American society: the power of the Feminine. Since the last major election cycle, the deadly imbalance in America's toxic patriarchy has become unmistakable.



Secret Life of Lady Liberty by Dr. Bob Hieronimus and Laura Cortner

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The US ranks 104th in women's representation in government. Women and girls currently make up more than half the population in the US, but they're represented by a Congress made up of 80 percent men. This isn't just an issue in terms of equal representation -- the proportion of women in government profoundly affects how all of society views women. --Vox

Annually, four million people are drawn by the iconography of the symbol of the feminine to make the pilgrimage to Liberty Island to pay respects to America's version of the Great Mother. And what inspires such yearning for the Lady with the torch? Can it be this lack of balance in American society and politics?

November 19, 2017 is the 130thanniversary of the death of Emma Lazarus, who is best known for her sonnet, "The New Colossus," immortalized in a bronze plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. The sonnet was written in 1883 when Lazarus was 34 years old, just four years before her death.

"The New Colossus"



Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Emma Lazarus, 1883

Emma Lazarus

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OpEdNews is glad to welcome authors Robert R. Hieronimus, Ph.D., and Laura E. Cortner as our guests.

Robert R. Hieronimus, Ph.D. is an internationally known historian, visual artist, and radio host and has appeared on the History, Discovery, BBC, and National Geographic channels. The host of 21st Century Radio, he lives in Maryland.

Laura E. Cortner has coauthored previous titles with Robert R. Hieronimus including Founding Fathers, Secret Societies ; Inside the Yellow Submarine; and United Symbolism of America. She is the director of the Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center for holistic services in Maryland.



Dr. Bob Hieronimus and Laura Cortner inside the head of the Statue of Liberty

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Meryl Ann Butler: Thanks for visiting with OpEdNews, Laura and Dr. Bob! I really enjoyed your newest book, The Secret Life of Lady Liberty: Goddess in the New World. I was born in NYC, and have many memories of visiting the Statue of Liberty as a child. She has appeared in my artwork many times over the years, most recently as the poster I created to carry in the Women's March.



Author Meryl Ann Butler at the Women's March, Norfolk, VA, Jan. 21, 2017

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall gives readers an important wake up call to the bottom up power that they have to protect their rights, powers, and freedoms. His advice applies to all aspects of life, including politics, economics, journalism, entertainment, and psychology and wellness. Kall's book explains the differences between the top-down leadership approach of dominating, fear based, disconnected authoritarianism and the bottom-up connection consciousness that emphasizes values, justice, fairness, equity, and kindness. This book helps readers see the whole elephant as opposed to the disconnected parts. Kall gives great advice as to intensifying, expanding, prolonging, and deepening connections. With his professional background, Rob Kall is the perfect person to write this book. This is a very well-researched book that includes dozens of insightful interviews with top-notch experts. Kall shows how bottom-up small acts can produce massive results. He emphasizes that since we cant avoid this emerging bottom-up connection revolution, we need to learn how to navigate and embrace it. This bottom-up leadership will result in power to the people. This is a fascinating and insightful book, especially in this new era of digital hunting and gathering."



Larry Atkins, author of Skewed: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Media Bias
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From Gush Shalom

I am furious. And I have good reason to be furious.

I was going to write an article about a subject I have been thinking about for a long time.

This week I opened the New York Times and lo, my yet unwritten article appeared on its opinion pages in full, argument after argument.

How come? I have only one explanation: the author -- I have forgotten the name -- has stolen the ideas from my head by some magical means, which surely must be branded as criminal. A person once tried to kill me for doing the same thing to him.

So I have decided to write this article in spite of everything.

THE SUBJECT is idiocy. Particularly, the role of idiocy in history.

The older I get, the more convinced I am that sheer stupidity plays a major role in the history of nations.

Great Thinkers, compared to whom I am a mere intellectual dwarf, have pursued other factors to explain what has turned history into a mess. Karl Marx blamed the economy. The economy has directed humankind from its earliest beginnings.

Others blame God. Religion has caused awful wars, and still does. Look at the Crusades, which for almost 200 years raged in my country. Look at the 30-year War which devastated Germany. No end in sight.

Some accuse Race. Whites against Red Indians. Aryans against Untermenschen. Nazis against Jews. Terrible.

Or geopolitics. The White Man's Burden. The Drang-nach-Osten.

For many generations, Great Thinkers have been searching for some deep explanation for war. There must be such an explanation. After all, terrible historical events cannot just happen. There must be something profound, something sinister, which is causing all this untold misery. Something that has accompanied the human race from its very beginnings, and that still directs our destiny.

I HAVE adopted most of these theories in my time. Many of them impressed me very much. Great thinkers. Deep thoughts. I have read many thick volumes. But in the end, they left me unsatisfied.

In the end it hit me. There is indeed one factor common to all these historical events: foolishness.

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The seven-million-strong American Muslim community was alarmed at an anti-Islam question included in the Republican Party survey titled as "Listening to America."

The question No. 27 of the 32 question survey asks: "Are you concerned by the potential spread of Sharia Law?"

It may be pointed out that the term 'Sharia' refers to Islamic religious teachings, comparable to Catholic cannon law and Jewish Halacha.

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, Saturday (Nov 18) sent a letter to Republican Party leaders requesting a meeting and the immediate removal of the question.

In the letter to Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote in part:

"Just as it would be widely condemned as extremely inappropriate and indecent for the RNC to ask Americans if they are concerned about the potential spread of Catholic cannon law and Jewish Halacha, posing questions about the religious teachings practiced by American Muslims should be likewise condemned by the Republican Party.

"This GOP survey question about religious principles of American Muslims is comparable to the darker chapters of our nation's history when Catholic and Jewish Americans were vilified and their loyalty to our nation was questioned.

"The Republican Party should not allow its resources to be hijacked by those who would seek to use its stature in American society to fuel the rise of un-American and anti-Muslim bigotry in our country. American Muslims deserve the same opportunities as all Americans -- to build better futures for our families and children. However, just this week, the FBI released its hate crimes report for 2016, which shows American Muslims and Jews were the two most common targets of religiously-motivated hate crimes in the U.S.

"According to the report, there were increases in reported hate crimes across the board compared to 2015. Anti-Muslim hate crimes rose by nearly 20 percent, anti-white by 17 percent, anti-Latino by 15 percent, and anti-Jewish by 3 percent."

Anti-Sharia legislation

The GOP survey question about Sharia echo's a campaign of anti-Islam legislations in several states to ban the non-existent Sharia law.

Researchers and critics fear that right-wing legislators are increasing anti-Muslim sentiment as Islamic law, known as "Sharia", was targeted by some 194 bills between 2010 and 2016, according to a report released in September last by the University of California, Berkeley's Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society.

Of that total, 18 bills were signed into law in 12 different states.

"The anti-Sharia law movement, by way introducing and enacting anti-Sharia law bills across the United States, seeks to legalise the othering of Muslims, as well as to perpetuate a fear of Sharia, Islam and ultimately Muslims," said Basima Sisemore, a researcher and an author of Legalising Othering: The United States of Islamophobia.

Sisemore argued that these bills have a negative effect on Muslims by stoking fear and bigotry at a time when US President Donald Trump is targeting the religious minority.

"The consequences of introducing or enacting anti-Muslim laws extend beyond the conspicuous intent to subvert Muslim Americans' citizenship and civil liberties, as has been demonstrated by the rise of anti-Sharia rallies that swept across the US in June of this year," she told Al Jazeera.

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Given the vastness of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) bureaucracy, there is no guarantee that the members of the School Board knew that Granada Hills Charter High School (GHCHS) had been cited for making unauthorized modifications to their District owned campus that threatened student and staff safety. Therefore, I used my three minutes of public comment at the LAUSD November 14, meeting to make the board members aware of this situation:

What that letter did not state was that this was a Notice of Violation which included the warning that there was "a risk to the health and safety of your students, staff, and other individuals." Nor did it say that the school was accused of violating the law by "failing to obtain necessary review and approval of the plans for the identified alterations from the Division of State Architect (DSA)."

It also stated: "immediately stop all use of the facilities identified in Exhibit A...for the health and safety of students staff and other individuals". Included on that list was a "Lunch Shelter Area that is structurally unstable. It is an immediate safety hazard and must be fenced off until removed or constructed to the District's standards and applicable laws." It further warned that the "Lunch Shelter Area that is structurally unstable" and is in danger of a "partial [or] total collapse.

According to a source within the District, "everything that was red-tagged is still red-tagged and will remain off-limits until the plans are approved by the District, then go through DSA, and the work gets done, inspected, and accepted." However, during a recent visit to the school for a choir concert for my daughter, the lunch area that appears to be the one referenced by the notice was not fenced off and was being used. The last page of the packet has pictures of that area and it is clearly still in use.

The school did remove some sheet metal that they had added to the roof of the structure which was causing extra weight. However, the notice had stated that "the existing beams are sagging and deformed due to the extra load. This area should not be used by students and barricaded immediately until safety measures are completed." It also said that "the columns are no longer plumb, and the whole structure appears to be shifting."

This is clearly a danger. The District informed the school that no one should be using that area. Yet, it appears to be still in use. I'd like to know who is protecting the students?

You should also note that Granada is a conversion charter. That is District property. If something happens after this notice, it is the District who is on the hook. You are going to be responsible not only monetarily but morally for what happens to those children.

You need to look into this.

____________________________________________

Carl Petersen is a parent and special education advocate, elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com.
From Consortium News



Satellite photos of the supposed Syrian nuclear site before and after the Israeli airstrike.

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In September 2007, Israeli warplanes bombed a building in eastern Syria that the Israelis claimed held a covert nuclear reactor that had been built with North Korean assistance. Seven months later, the CIA released an extraordinary 11-minute video and mounted press and Congressional briefings that supported that claim.

But nothing about that alleged reactor in the Syrian desert turns out to be what it appeared at the time. The evidence now available shows that there was no such nuclear reactor, and that the Israelis had misled George W. Bush's administration into believing that it was in order to draw the United States into bombing missile storage sites in Syria. Other evidence now suggests, moreover, that the Syrian government had led the Israelis to believe wrongly that it was a key storage site for Hezbollah missiles and rockets.

The International Atomic Agency's top specialist on North Korean reactors, Egyptian national Yousry Abushady, warned top IAEA officials in 2008 that the published CIA claims about the alleged reactor in the Syrian desert could not possibly have been true. In a series of interviews in Vienna and by phone and e-mail exchanges over several months Abushady detailed the technical evidence that led him to issue that warning and to be even more confident about that judgment later on. And a retired nuclear engineer and research scientist with many years of experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed a crucial element of that technical evidence.

Published revelations by senior Bush administration officials show, moreover, that principal U.S. figures in the story all had their own political motives for supporting the Israeli claim of a Syrian reactor being built with North Korean help.



Vice President Dick Cheney hoped to use the alleged reactor to get President George W. Bush to initiate U.S. airstrikes in Syria in the hope of shaking the Syrian-Iranian alliance. And both Cheney and then CIA Director Michael Hayden also hoped to use the story of a North Korean-built nuclear reactor in Syria to kill a deal that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was negotiating with North Korea on its nuclear weapons program in 2007-08.

Mossad Chief's Dramatic Evidence

In April 2007 the chief of Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency, Meir Dagan, presented Cheney, Hayden and National Security Adviser Steven Hadley with evidence of what he said was a nuclear reactor being constructed in eastern Syria with the help of the North Koreans. Dagan showed them nearly a hundred hand-held photographs of the site revealing what he described as the preparation for the installation of a North Korean reactor and claimed that it was only a few months from being operational.



President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney receive an Oval Office briefing from CIA Director George Tenet. Also present is Chief of Staff Andy Card (on right).

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The Israelis made no secret of their desire to have a U.S. airstrike destroy the alleged nuclear facility. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called President Bush immediately after that briefing and said, "George, I'm asking you to bomb the compound," according to the account in Bush's memoirs.

Cheney, who was known to be a personal friend of Olmert, wanted to go further. At White House meetings in subsequent weeks, Cheney argued forcefully for a U.S. attack not only on the purported reactor building but on Hezbollah weapons storage depots in Syria. Then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who participated in those meetings, recalled in his own memoirs that Cheney, who was also looking for an opportunity to provoke a war with Iran, hoped to "rattle Assad sufficiently so as to end his close relationship with Iran" and "send a powerful warning to the Iranians to abandon their nuclear ambitions."

CIA Director Hayden aligned the agency clearly with Cheney on the issue, not because of Syria or Iran but because of North Korea. In his book, Playing to the Edge, published last year, Hayden recalls that, at a White House meeting to brief President Bush the day after Dagan's visit, he whispered in Cheney's ear, "You were right, Mr. Vice-President."

Hayden was referring to the fierce political struggle within the Bush administration over North Korea policy that had been underway ever since Condoleezza Rice had become Secretary of State in early 2005. Rice had argued that diplomacy was the only realistic way to get Pyongyang to retreat from its nuclear weapons program. But Cheney and his administration allies John Bolton and Robert Joseph (who succeeded Bolton as the key State Department policy maker on North Korea after Bolton become U.N. Ambassador in 2005) were determined to end the diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.

Cheney was still maneuvering to find a way to prevent the successful completion of the negotiations, and he saw the story of a Syrian nuclear reactor built secretly in the desert with help from the North Koreans as bolstering his case. Cheney reveals in his own memoirs that in January 2008, he sought to sandbag Rice's North Korea nuclear deal by getting her to agree that a failure by North Korea to "admit they've proliferating to the Syrians would be a deal killer."

Three months later, the CIA released its unprecedented 11-minute video supporting the entire Israeli case for a North-Korean-style nuclear reactor that was nearly completed. Hayden recalls that his decision to release the video on the alleged Syrian nuclear reactor in April 2008 was "to avoid a North Korean nuclear deal being sold to a Congress and a public ignorant of this very pertinent and very recent episode."

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Saudi Arabia has no business taking on Iran. Crushing Iran is part of the United States' hegemonic plan, and Israel's goal to dominate the region. Mohammed bin Salman is way over his head, a peon in a power game. He will come out as a hero if the United States and Israel succeed in achieving their goals or a fool if they fail.

Saudi Arabia's sole claims to fame are the Prophet and its hydrocarbon reserves. Its population is uneducated and subjected to the will of an archaic religion, Wahhabism. It's a backward country, and will remain so as long as Wahhabism reigns supreme. All Saudi Arabia's recent attempts to influence the course of events in the region failed. The Syrian rebellion has been routed out by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad with the help of Russia and Iran. The war in Yemen triggered a humanitarian crisis of epic proportion. It has been strongly condemned by the United Nations. Salman's decision to kidnap Saad Hariri is laughable and pathetic. What good could come out of it? Coming after his decision to arrest eleven princes makes one wonder whether he has the capacity to run the country. How can he convince foreigners to invest in his pet project, Vision 2030, if, concomitantly, he jailed Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the most successful Saudi investor? Where will he find the competent people he needs?

Must Saad Hariri's abduction be taken seriously? Saudi Arabia cannot take on Iran alone. It needs the United States and Israel. Neither nation can participate in an open confrontation. They would not have a leg to stand on. Iran is abiding by the 2015 nuclear agreement signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China--plus Germany and the European Union. Donald Trump's invectives and Benjamin Netanyahu's admonitions are falling on deaf ears. The pact stands. Iran has no hegemonic view, and never has had in its history. Its main objective is to exploit its oil resources for its sole benefit, as demonstrated by Mohammed Mossadegh's decision to nationalize the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1951 or Mohammad Reza's adhesion to OPEC in 1960.

If a direct participation in an open conflict is not possible, could the United States and Israel be secretly involved? If so, this will be known very quickly. What will Russia do? Vladimir Putin was in Teheran early this month. The two countries are now irrevocably linked by events and interests. Russia will come to Iran's rescue, if it is attacked. Abandoning Iran would mean abandoning Syria and soon facing the United States in Eastern Europe, in Ukraine or in the Suwalki corridor -- an unacceptable series of events.

Neither the United States nor Israel will achieve their respective goal. From his confrontation with Iran, Mohammad bin Salman will come out as a fool in a dangerous and unrealistic game which benefits the industrial military complex, as demonstrated by the $310 millards arms deal, the American oil service industry, and Wall Street with the forthcoming floating of ARAMCO shares on the New York stock exchange. Will the Saudis ever learn their lesson?
Tungsten Market Plan, Supply and Revenue to 2022

https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10013

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Tungsten, also known as Wolfram, is a greyish-white metal having lustrous appearance with a good corrosion resistance properties. Tungsten is widely used in its alloy form because pure tungsten is expensive and even difficult for machining. Its alloy consists of nickel, iron or copper added in tungsten. Tungsten is also available in powder form known as tungsten powder and tungsten carbide powder and its size ranges from 0.40 microns to 17.50 microns and is used in end mills, circuit board drills and nozzles. Fine tungsten carbide powders are used for inserts and cutting tools, whereas ultra-coarse and medium powders are used for wear and die parts, road construction bids. Global tungsten market is anticipated to grow by a decent single digit CAGR in coming future. The global tungsten market has its consumptions in the sector of steel alloys, mill products, cemented carbide, and chemicals. China is a dominant supplier of tungsten having the maximum market share in the global tungsten market in terms of consumption as well as supply.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Growing end use industries such as automotive industries and increase in the demand of wear resistant materials is anticipated to boost the market of cemented carbide and ultimately will drive the global tungsten market. Tungsten has its application in electronic and electrical components such as electron emitters, lead-in wires and electrical contacts and these industries are forecasted to grow, leading to the increase in global tungsten market. The ability of tungsten to withstand arcing and resistant to corrosion makes it suitable to be used in voltage regulators, though demand of these application is minor but it still contributes in the global tungsten market.The global tungsten market can get hampered due to the recent economic slowdown in China, as China has the largest market share in mining of tungsten. Tungsten use is forecasted to decline in the lighting application due to the introduction of fluorescent and LED bulbs that has replaced the incandescent bulbs.On the basis of forms available, global tungsten market can be segmented as follows:-RibbonsSheetsFoilsStripsWireRodTubeOn the basis of end use, global tungsten market can be segmented as follows:-Hard metalsChemicalsMill productsSteelsOthersThe global tungsten market can be divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. The Asia Pacific region is dominating the global tungsten market, China continues to be the leader in the supply and consumption of tungsten in the global tungsten market because of its vast tungsten reserves and support of the Chinese government to the tungsten product industries. India will represent a modest growth rate in global tungsten market due to its expanding manufacturing sectors. North America will contribute in the growing global tungsten market with the increasing construction spending in the region. Latin America will witness an above average growth in the global tungsten market by its rising durable goods sector. The expanding automobile industry in Europe makes it a valuable market in global tungsten market. The Middle East and Africa is at a nascent stage in tungsten market, but is having a bright future prospects in global tungsten market.Some of the manufacturers of tungsten and its alloys are, Buffalo Tungsten Inc., Mahavir Metal Corporation., Federal Carbide Company., H Cross Company., T&D Material Manufacturing., Global Tungsten & Powders Corp., Midwest Tungsten Service.Request TOC of the Report @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.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:
Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management Market to Record Study Growth by 2019

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Transparency Market Research, in a recent report, states that the growing use of automotive wire and cable materials can be attributed to the surging demand for comfortable in-vehicle experience. The boom in the automotive industry, especially in Asia Pacific, has greatly influenced the market for automotive wire and cable materials market, the report - titled Automotive Wire and Cable Materials Market (PVC, XLPE, TPU, PPE and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019.View Report Preview:This 89-page research publication highlights the major factors fueling the global automotive wire and cable materials market and the different economic, social, geo-political, and consumer trends that impact its performance.The automotive wire and cable materials market is segmented on the basis of product into XLPE, PPE, PVC, TPU, and others. XLPE and PVC wire and cable insulation materials hold a majority share in the market owing to their favorable applicability and physical characteristics over a wide range in temperature. However, recyclability issues and toxicity of PVC are expected to hamper its demand and usage over the coming years, paving the way for other insulating materials.Geographically, the global automotive wire and cable materials market is divided into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. In terms of consumption, Asia Pacific leads the worldwide market owing to a flourishing automotive sector. Rising purchasing power and increasing demand for personal and commercial vehicles can be attributed for this growth of the automotive industry. The automotive wire and cable materials market is also fueled by considerable increase in the GDP in countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China.Request to view Sample Report:The presence of strong and large players within the automotive wire and cable materials segment in this region has helped cater to the ever-growing demand for automobiles. North America and Europe follow next in line, with the automotive wire and cable materials market in North America fueled by the revival of the US economy and the market in Europe driven by the fact that leading automobile manufacturers are based in the region.The automotive wire and cable materials market is characterized by the consolidated nature of its competitive landscape. The top five players account for more than 60.0% of the overall market, with large companies based mostly in Asia. The prominent players featured in the report are Delphi Automotive PLC, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Lear Corporation, Draka Holding N.V., Coroplast Fritz Muller GmbH & Co. KG, Leoni AG, Yazaki Corporation, ITC Thermo Cable GmbH, Judd Wire, Inc., Allied Wire & Cable, and Coficab Tunisie SA. These participants are profiled in the automotive wire and cable materials market report based on attributes such as company overview, product portfolio, business strategies, financial overview, recent developments, and SWOT analysis.Request to Buy Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Rear Axle Commodity Market size in terms of volume and value -2020

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Transparency Market Research has published a new report that presents a comprehensive overview of the global real axle commodity market. The report provides insights into the factors driving the global real axle commodity market and the restraints that the market is likely to face in the forthcoming years. The report is titled Rear Axle Commodity Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 and is available on the company website for sale.View Report Preview:Based on in-depth research, the report states that the global real axle market, which stood at US$35.8 bn in 2013, will reach US$45.9 bn in 2020. If the figures estimated in the report hold true, the market will exhibit a moderate yet positive CAGR of 3.7% during 2014-2020. Rear axle commodity affixed to a vehicle is crucial for its functioning, since it bears the entire weight of the vehicle, cargo, as well as passengers.Automotive axles also provide torque to wheels, apart from ensuring stability of the vehicle. Since real axles bear the maximum mechanical wear and tear, manufacturers strive to provide maximum safety, comfort, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in their product offerings.Request to view Sample Report:Presently, manufacturers are focusing on developing more efficient yet lightweight rear axles with enhanced ratios and lesser power loss. This has led to the launch of improved rear axles with enhanced power, which in turn boosts the global market for rear axle commodity.For the purpose of the study, the report segments the rear axle commodity market into lift axle, dead axle, and drive axle. Of these, the drive axle segment accounts for a majority share of the global real axle commodity market. In terms of application, the market is classified into economy vehicles, heavy vehicles, luxury vehicles, SUVs, MUVs, executive vehicles, and railways. Economy vehicles dominate the global rear axle commodity market at present. The use of rear axles is also very significant for railways, since it lends stability to the engine and wagons, particularly under difficult conditions.Request Brochure of the Report:Key regional segments of the global rear axle commodity market include North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. At present, Europe dominates the global market. However, the report cites that the automotive industry in North America and Europe has already reached maturity, hence the rear axle commodity market will not experience much gains from these markets. On the other hand, emerging markets in Asia Pacific exhibits impressive opportunities, making the region the fastest growing market for rear axle commodity. Robust development of the automotive industry in Asia Pacific is anticipated to boost the demand for rear axle commodity in the region.To study the competitive landscape of the market, the report profiles some of the leading players in the market such as ROC Spicer Ltd., GNA Axles Ltd., American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., Talbros Engineering Limited, Meritor, Inc., and Daimler Trucks North America LLC.Request to Buy Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Thermal System Market to observe high growth by 2020

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Transparency Market Research has published a report that presents insights into factors that drive and restrain the global automotive thermal system market. Compiled with the intent of providing a comprehensive overview of the market, the report studies the prevailing market dynamics and provides refined growth forecasts. Based on in-depth surveys, the report pegs the value of the global automotive thermal system market at US$32.2 bn in 2013.View Report Preview:Rising at a positive CAGR of 6.0% between 2014 and 2020, the market is expected to reach US$48.5 bn by 2020. The report is titled Automotive Thermal System Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 and is available on the company website for sale.With the rapid expansion of the automotive industry, demand for automotive thermal systems is anticipated to rise. As vehicles become more sophisticated, deploying advanced automotive heating and ventilation systems becomes increasingly important. Impelled by the growing demand for advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, the market for automotive thermal systems is likely to exhibit robust growth during the reports forecast period. Despite witnessing a growing demand, the high cost of installations inhibits the global automotive thermal systems market to an extent. Furthermore, higher cost of advanced and improved technology also comprises a challenge in front of the market.Request to view Sample Report:For the purpose of the study, the report segments the global automotive thermal system market into HVAC systems, compressors, fluid transport, and powertrain cooling. Of these, the HVAC systems segment led the market, accounting for a share of 54.64% in 2014.Stringent emission norms and pollution guidelines implemented across major economies worldwide are further fuelling demand for HVAC systems, thereby giving impetus to the global market for automotive thermal systems. Escalating demand for thermal systems running on alternative fuels such as P-Series, ethanol, bio-alcohols, and liquid hydrogen propane fuels, according to the report, will boost the market during the forecast period.Request Brochure of the Report:Regionally, Asia Pacific led the market, accounting for 34.40% of the global automotive thermal systems market in 2014. China and India have emerged as the two most lucrative markets for the automotive industry in Asia Pacific. The demand for air conditioning systems for vehicles is very high in Asia Pacific. The HVAC systems segment also witnesses increasing demand from the region. As the per capita income of customers in emerging economies of Asia Pacific increases, the demand for automotive thermal systems will also rise due to the increasing ability of car buyers to spend on luxuries.The report presents a holistic overview of the growth trajectory exhibited by the automotive thermal system market globally. To present a 360-degree snapshot of the market, the report also studies the prevailing vendor landscape. Prominent companies profiled in the report include Denso Corporation, KG, Gentherm, Delphi Automotive Plc, Behr GmbH & Co., Valeo, and Visteon Corp.Request to Buy Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Lighting System Market share will expand till 2021

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Transparency Market Research has published a new report on the global automotive lighting system market. As per the report, the global automotive lighting system market is predicted to progress from US$19.9 bn in 2014 to US$34.1 bn by 2021. The report, titled Automotive Lighting System Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021, states that the global automotive lighting system market is expected to expand at an 8.10% CAGR during the period between 2015 and 2021 due to the increasing production of vehicles and the increasing use of advanced lighting technologies such as HID, LED, and halogen.View Report Preview:The automotive market is one of the fastest developing markets across the globe and is predicted to register significant growth during the period between 2015 and 2021. The development of the automotive market is expected to propel the global automotive lighting system market in the near future. The rising demand for LED, halogen, and HID lighting systems is predicted to contribute to the growth of the global automotive lighting system market in the years to come.The leading players in the global automotive lighting system market are focusing on manufacture and introduction of new auto lighting systems to stay in the competition. Some of the prominent companies operating in the global automotive lighting system market are Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., Stanley Electrics Co. Ltd., Valeo S.A., Hyundai Mobis, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Magneti Marelli S.p.A, Osram Licht AG, and General Electric.Request to view Sample Report:The growing focus of auto manufacturers on customer safety and comfort is predicted to propel the global automotive lighting system market in the next few years. The production of electrical and hybrid vehicles has increased in the recent past. These vehicles are also equipped with high-quality lighting systems that match the changing trends and customer preferences. The increasing production of hybrid vehicles and electrical vehicles is predicted to boost the demand for new lighting systems throughout the forecast period.The global automotive lighting system market is segmented on the basis of vehicle, position, and geography. By vehicle, the global automotive lighting system market is classified into passenger vehicles, SUVs, luxury vehicles, heavy vehicles, and MUVs. The demand for passenger vehicles is increasing from the middle-class population. Considering the growing middle-class population and their growing preference for passenger vehicles, the passenger vehicles segment is expected to hold the leading position in the global automotive lighting system market in the coming years.Request Brochure of the Report:The high cost of LED and HID lighting is predicted to hamper the growth of the global automotive lighting system market. By position, the global automotive lighting system market is divided into side lighting, rear lighting, front lighting, and interior lighting. The front lighting segment is predicted to be the largest segment of the global automotive lighting system market in the coming few years.Based on geography, the global automotive lighting system market is divided into Asia pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Currently, Europe dominates the global automotive lighting system market; however, Asia Pacific is predicted to the fastest growing region in the coming few years.Request to Buy Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Wiring Harness Market to increase rapidly by 2021

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has announced the release of a new report, titled Automotive Wiring Harness Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021. According to the report, the global automotive wiring harness market will expand at an 8.60% CAGR during the forecast period from 2015 to 2021. In 2014, the global automotive wiring harness market was worth US$45.4 bn and by 2021, it is projected to be worth US$80.5 bn.View Report Preview:The research study on the global automotive wiring harness market provides an in-depth evaluation of the drivers of the market from the supply side, demand side, and economic perspective. The key supply side driver of the global automotive wiring harness market is the growing innovation in wiring harness system. The most prominent driver from the demand side for the market is the growth in overall vehicle production. The key economic driver of the global automotive wiring harness market is the reduction in the cost of automotive wiring harnesses. Nevertheless, the global automotive wiring harness market will be suppressed by maintenance issues related to automotive wiring harnesses.By vehicle type, the global automotive wiring harness market is segmented into heavy vehicles and light vehicles, among which the market is dominated by the light vehicles segment. The segment is driven by factors such as the low maintenance needs and better fuel combustion of light vehicles.Request to view Sample Report:Application-wise, the global automotive wiring harness market is divided into speed sensors wiring harnesses, body wiring harnesses, engine wiring harnesses, heat, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) wiring harnesses, and chassis wiring harnesses. In 2014, the global automotive wiring harness market was dominated by the chassis wiring harnesses segment, followed by the HVAC segment. The chassis segment is projected to continue its dominance in the global automotive wiring harness market in the coming few years.On the basis of geography, the global automotive wiring harness market is classified into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. In 2014, the global automotive wiring harness market was led by Europe. The presence of prominent automobile manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi in Europe is driving this regional market and generating an exponential demand for premium passenger cars. These cars are fitted with innovative electronic devices for safety and navigation, which will further drive the European automotive wiring harness market.Request Brochure of the Report:Asia Pacific is projected to be the most attractive market for automotive wiring harnesses during the forecast period. This region will benefit from the rising installation of automotive wiring harnesses in safety and navigation devices. In addition to this, the Asia Pacific automotive wiring harness market will also be driven by the implementation of government regulations for vehicle safety as car instruments require speed sensor wiring harnesses.Players in the global automotive wiring harness market will benefit from the opportunities presented by the growing use of wiring harnesses in alternative energy vehicles and rising demand for automotive Ethernet cables. Some of the key players operating in the global automotive wiring harness market are Furukawa Electric, Delphi Automotive, Lear, Yazaki, Leoni, Nexans Autoelectric, and Minda Automotive, and THB.Request to Buy Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Track Geometry Measurement System Market Size, Share - Global Industry Trend and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Latest industry research report on: Global Track Geometry Measurement System Market | Industry Size, Share, Research, Reviews, Analysis, Strategies, Demand, Growth, Segmentation, Parameters, ForecastsThe 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.Acute Renal Failure Market: Industry Size, Share, Growth, Forecasts.Complete Report Details @Track geometry measurement system is essential parameter of track condition. Track geometry measurement system is used to measure the condition of a railway track in order to avoid any detrimental effects on passengers and freight. The track geometry measurement system (TGMS) provides precise and reliable track data for short-term as well as long-term maintenance scheduling in order to avoid any harmful effects. The inertial-based track geometry measurement system is gaining popularity currently. The inertial-based track geometry measurement system is a compact and lightweight system and provides accurate evaluation of rail track geometry in various operational conditions. The rapid adoption of inertial based rail track geometry measurement systems is boosting the growth of track geometry measurement system.Increasing need for security and safety in railway transportation and the rise in railway networks and metro lines are some factors that are responsible for the significant growth of the global track geometry measurement system market. Numerous mishaps and accidents involving trains have raised concerns worldwide and are prompting governments to digitize the mode of transport in order to ensure a safer journey. Increasing demand for smart technologies in order to maintain operational efficiency of tracks is driving the global track geometry measurement system market. Rapid progress in high speed railways is expected to boost the global track geometry measurement system market. High speed railways are considered a safe mode of transportation. High speed railway projects have been progressing rapidly, thereby creating an opportunity for the track geometry measurement market, worldwide. However, slow infrastructure growth in developing regions is likely to hinder the expansion of the market.Request For Sample Report @The global track geometry measurement system market can be categorized based on operation type, measurement type, railway type, component, and geography. Based on operation type, the track geometry measurement market can be segmented into contact-based and no contact-based system. In terms of measurement type, the track geometry measurement market can be segmented into twist, track gauge, curvature, vertical profile, dipped joints, and other. The gauge segment is expected to expand significantly during the forecast period, as it decides which rolling stock is compatible with a particular track gauge in order to avoid derailment. Based on railway type, the track geometry measurement system can be segmented into high speed railways, heavy haul railways, light railways, and mass transit railways. The high speed railways segment is anticipated to fuel the track geometry measurement systems during the forecast period due to the rapid increase in high speed railway projects. Additionally, in terms of component, the track geometry measurement system can be segmented into sensor, data storage, camera, power supply equipment, and other. Based on geography, the global track geometry measurement system can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. The market in Asia Pacific is estimated to expand rapidly during the forecast period due to the various railway developments in the countries such as China, Australia and India. Rapid expansion in metro rails in various countries such as India and Australia is fueling the track geometry measurement market in the region. The North America track geometry measurement market is also anticipated to expand significantly during the forecast period due to the growing economies. Emerging regions such as Middle East & Africa and South America are also projected to expand at a significant pace during the forecast period.The global track geometry measurement system market includes various players. Some of the key players are MER MEC S.p.A., Ensco Inc., MRX Technologies, Plasser & Theurer, R. Bance & Co. Ltd., Bentley Systems Inc., Goldschmidt Thermit Group, Balfour Beatty, Fugro, and EGIS.Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the 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 UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Parking Management Solution Market: Industry Outlook, Growth Prospects and Key Opportunities

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The frontrunners in the global parking management solution market, according to a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) are Parkeson S.A.S., IPS Group Inc., Ventek International, J.J.Mackay Canada Limited, LocoMobi Inc., Cale Access AB, Parking BOXX, METRIC Group Ltd., Parking Inc., CivicSmart Inc., and POM Inc.In order to maintain their position, top market players are engaged in accentuating their product line and are striving to provide integrated applications for efficient management of parking requirements. Besides this, development of parking management solutions that are cost-effective, customer-friendly, and are more reliable compared to currently available solutions is also what companies in this market are engaged in.Obtain Report Details @The report by TMR estimates that the global parking management solution market is poised to be worth US$614.59 bn by 2025. The market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 9.3% between 2017 and 2025.The report studies the global parking management solution market based on type, installed location, and region. Multi-space parking meters dominate the market in term of type due to their low maintenance cost, ability to pay with multiple forms of payment, and flexible features.North America contributed the leading revenue to the global parking management solution market in 2016, with the U.S. being the home to a large number of players in the market. The deployment of modern advanced parking kiosks is a key trend observed in parking spaces in Europe. These kiosks are expected to help municipalities and private garage operators to keep a record of every parking infringement and provide a comparison against actual citations issued.Obtain Brochure Of Report @Demand for smooth traffic movement to address traffic congestion and other transportation issues is the key factor driving the adoption of parking management solutions across large cities. Growing global population and the subsequent increase in the number of vehicles are the key factors behind traffic congestion.The increasing number of vehicles across the world is intensifying the problem pertaining to the scarcity of parking spaces. This has increased the need for efficient and smart parking systems. Advanced parking management systems that are currently used not only provide a high level of convenience to drivers but also simplify business operations and other functions at parking sites.Get Sample Of Report @The demand for efficient parking management solutions such as multi space and single space parking kiosks and technological developments in parking management solution is contributing to the growth of parking management solution market. Parking management solutions have been deployed across several industry verticals such as academia, transportation, government and municipalities, recreation, corporate and commercial parks, hospitality, retail, BFSI, and others.The information presented in the review is based on the findings of a report by Transparency Market Research, titled Parking Management Solution Market (Type - Parking Meters and Parking Kiosks; Installed Location - Street Parking and Parking Venues) - 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:
Laboratory Water Purifier Market: Quantitative Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends

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The global laboratory water purifier market is fragmented in nature with a host of small and large players competing against one another. This makes the competitive environment quite cutthroat. In order to outsell their rivals, key manufacturers are focusing hard on product differentiation through innovative technologies. Some of the prominent names operating in the market are Merck KGaA, Elga Labwater, Pall Corporation, Sartorious AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Aqua Solutions, Inc., Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Purite Ltd., and Chengdu Ultrapure Technology Co. Ltd.Obtain Report Details @A noticeable trend in the global laboratory water purifier market is the smaller players entering into partnerships with distributors and service providers to grow their market shares. Acquisitions are another means by which companies are growing their shares, especially the large ones. The well-entrenched manufacturers, with their robust distribution networks and strong after-sales service, are constantly striving to expand their outreach and retain their existing consumer base.A report by Transparency Market Research forecasts the global laboratory water purifier market to rise at a robust 11.6% CAGR between 2017 and 2022 to reach a value of US$19.259 bn by 2022 from US$10.060 bn in 2016.Obtain Brochure Of Report @Depending upon the end-use industry, the global laboratory water purifier market can be segmented into food, environment, oil and gas, academic and government, and healthcare. Among them, healthcare is again divided into hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and clinical diagnostics and OEM. At present the segment of healthcare dominates the market for laboratory water purifier. In 2016, the segments share in the market was a substantial 39%.Geographically, the key segments of the global laboratory water purifier market are North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Of them, Asia Pacific is a key region that accounts of maximum share in the market. In 2016 the regions share was about 41.0%. In the upcoming years, the region is also expected to clock maximum growth on the back of significant technological investment in the countries of China and Japan.Get Sample Of Report @On the flip side, the growth in the global laboratory water purifier market is hampered by the dearth of awareness among customers as regards to which type of purification will be required for their application. However, continuous improvement technology is anticipated to present several growth opportunities over the forecast period, adds the lead analyst of the report.The This review is based on the findings of a TMR report, titled, Laboratory Water Purifier Market (Mode of Use - Point of Use, Large Central Systems, and Clinical Analyzers; Type - Type I (Ultrapure), Type II (Pure), and Type III (RO); Application - High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Immunochemistry, Ion Chromatography, Mammalian Cell Culture, and Autoclave; Distribution Channel - Direct Sales, Distributor, and Online; End-use Industry - Environment, Food, Oil and Gas, Academic and Government, and Healthcare)  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2022.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:
Software Defined Perimeter (SDP) Market: Evolving Technology, Trends and Industry Analysis

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The software defined perimeter (SDP) market is competitive due to the high concentration of service providers, says Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new report. In order to stay competitive, vendors have adopted various types of organic and inorganic growth plans such as partnerships and collaborations, new product launches, and mergers and acquisitions to amplify their offerings in the software defined perimeter market.Some of the top players in the software defined perimeter market include Checkpoint Software Technologies Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Symantec Corporation, and Intel Corporation among others.Obtain Report Details @Transparency Market Research estimates the global software defined perimeter market to develop at an outstanding 30.9% CAGR between 2017 and 2025 for the markets valuation to increase from US$1, 129.5 mn in 2016 to US$12,247.9 mn by 2025.In 2016, BFSI held the leading share of almost 24.8% amongst other end-use segments in the software defined perimeter market. In terms of geography, while North America dominates the global software defined perimeter market; however, Asia Pacific is expected to display a higher growth rate over other regional segments during the forecast period.Obtain Brochure Of Report @The growth of the global market for software defined perimeter is driven by the increasing need for security system for protecting dispersed enterprise applications, for growing cloud based services, and for growing digitalization. This is mainly due to rising adoption of deployment based applications that demand upgrading to an equally advanced network infrastructure in order to leverage the full potential of these applications.Some other factors such as economic development, rapid urbanization, and employment rate along with rapid industrialization are also driving the global software defined perimeter market. Vendors in the software defined perimeter space have significant growth opportunities in regions such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa attributed to their significantly rising industrial economy.Get Sample Of Report @Nevertheless, growing market for software-defined networking (sdn) and growing number of connected devices due to bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and IoT trends will extend lucrative opportunities to the growth of this market.The review presented is based on the findings of Transparency Market Research report, titled Software Defined Perimeter (SDP) Market (Application - Security and Authentication; Component - Software and Services (Consulting, System Integration and Operation & Maintenance); End-use - BFSI, IT & Telecom, Manufacturing, Defense, Healthcare, Government, Education; Deployment Type - Cloud(Public, Private and Hybrid) and On-premise) - 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:
Lidar Market: Worldwide Industry Analysis and New Market Opportunities Explored

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Transparency Market Research has published a new research report that studies and assesses the structure, scope, dynamics, and components of the global light detection and ranging (LiDAR) market. The 80-page research study is titled LiDAR Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 and is available for sale on the company website. According to the report, the global LiDAR market is anticipated to expand at a 15.0% CAGR from 2014 to 2020, growing from a value of US$225 mn in 2013 to US$605.5 mn in 2020.Browse the full LiDAR Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 report atThe global LiDAR market is primarily driven by the host of comparative advantages over conventional mapping technologies, growing demand for 3D imagery in commercial, consumer, and government applications, and the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. However, gaps in software development and lack of standardization of data formats threaten to impede the LiDAR market.The research report reviews the LiDAR market by segmenting it based on three parameters: product type, geography, and application.On the basis of product type, the LiDAR market is bifurcated into terrestrial LiDAR and airborne LiDAR. Of these, airborne or aerial LiDAR mapping dominated the overall market.On the basis of application, the LiDAR market is segmented into forestry, infrastructure, transmission lines, coastal, transportation, defense and aerospace, flood mapping, and others such as hydrography and mining.Get A Brochure Of Report @Coastal applications dominate the overall LiDAR market owing to increased use of LiDAR in disaster management and control. Transmission lines, on the other hand, make up the fastest growing segment of the LiDAR market, thanks to the growing demand for power utilities.On the basis of geography, the worldwide LiDAR market is divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. North America held the largest share of the LiDAR market in 2013, driven by high penetration in defense and military applications as well as increased research and development spending to develop innovative LiDAR technologies.Europe presently follows North America; however, the former is anticipated to surpass the latter during the course of the forecast period owing to presence of major players supporting the growth of the market and catering to the rising demand for the massive consumer base. The Rest of the World region and Asia Pacific are also anticipated to witness considerable growth by 2020.Get Sample Report @The notable players within the global LiDAR market include DigitalWorld Mapping Inc., FARO Technology, Inc., 3D Laser Mapping Ltd., Mosaic 3D, Airborne Hydrography AB, Leica Geosystems AG, Firmatek 3D Mapping Solutions LLC, Aerometric Inc., Intermap Technologies Corp., Avent Lidar Technology, Optech Incorporated, and RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH. These companies have been reviewed in the report, keeping in mind certain aspects such as business overview, business strategy, recent developments, financial standing, and a SWOT analysis.Global LiDAR Market, by Product Type:Airborne LiDARTerrestrial LiDARGlobal LiDAR Market, by Application:CoastalForestryTransportationInfrastructureDefense and AerospaceTransmission linesFlood MappingOthers (Mining, Hydrography etc)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:
Failure Analysis Equipment In Semiconductor Industry: Industry Outlook, Growth Prospects and Key Opportunities

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A new report has been published by Transparency Market Research, titled Failure Analysis Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020. TMR, a market intelligence company based in the U.S., states in its report that the global failure analysis equipment market in the semiconductor industry was estimated to be worth US$1.28 billion in 2013 and is growing at a CAGR of 4.5% between 2014 and 2020.Browse the full Failure Analysis Equipment Market in Semiconductor Industry - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 report atFailure analysis is termed as an engineering approach to uncover how and why a component or equipment is not working in the desired manner. For the most part, failures are brought about because of manufacturing defects, improper maintenance, assembly errors, misuse or abuse, design errors, fastener failure, improper material, unforeseen operating conditions, improper heat treatments, inadequate quality assurance, casting discontinuities, and inadequate environmental protectioncontrol.According to this TMR report, on the basis of equipment, the failure analysis equipment market in the semiconductor industry is segmented into scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), focused ion beam system (FIB), dual beam (FIB/SEM) systems, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Focused ion beam system (FIB) equipment represented a large portion of worldwide market revenue in 2013, due to the diverse usage of this equipment.Get A Brochure Of Report @On the other hand, dual beam systems (FIB/SEM) are likely to develop at the highest pace in the forthcoming years owing to their numerous advantages upon single-beam FIB systems. The segment is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast horizon. In terms of customers, the failure analysis equipment market in the semiconductor industry is segmented into fab failure analysis (FA) labs, fabless FA labs, specialty labs, and others.Fab FA labs present world-class analysis with the assistance of skilled and multi-disciplinary analysis teams, which use sophisticated equipment.This TMR report states that the increasing investments in education and research infrastructure across the world coupled with development of the semiconductor industry are boosting the global failure analysis equipment market in the semiconductor industry.Moreover, increasing demand for consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, etc. are further anticipated to aid the development of the failure analysis equipment market. However, rising costs of failure analysis equipment lead to a decreased adoption rate, particularly in Asia Pacific. This hampers growth of the failure analysis equipment market to a great degree.Make An Enquiry @As per this TMR research report, the global failure analysis equipment market in the semiconductor industry is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Asia Pacific was the biggest revenue generator and constituted over half of the global market in 2013. The dominance of Asia Pacific is because of enormous growth in semiconductor technologies in the countries in Asia Pacific, in addition to growing investments in research and education infrastructure.Major players across the four regional segments of the global failure analysis equipment market in the semiconductor industry include FEI, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, and JEOL, Ltd.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 Laser Processing Market: An Insight On the Important Factors and Trends Influencing the Market

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Transparency Market Research announces the release of a new research report titled Laser Processing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020. This report states that expanding at a strong CAGR of 10.20% from 2014 to 2020, the global laser processing market is anticipated to rise from a value of US$8.7 bn in 2013 to US$17.2 bn in 2020.Browse the full Laser Processing Market (By Process - Material processing, Marking and Engraving and Micro-processing) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 report atThe global laser processing market is driven by growing advantages of laser technology over conventional material processing technologies, rising use of laser drilling in oil and gas exploration, government regulations mandating the use of laser technology in marking and engraving products, and increasing applications of laser products in medical devices and surgeries.While emerging applications of laser technology and growing use of disk lasers in industrial applications hold immense scope for growth, the laser processing market is likely to be challenged by high initial costs of laser processing machines and rising environmental concerns with respect to mining of rare earth elements.Get A Brochure Of Report @Other trends that have been influencing the workings of the laser processing market include growing adoption of laser technology in additive manufacturing, rising use of ultra-short lasers for industrial processes, and laser melting in 3D printing to be used for various applications such as medical, jewelry, and aerospace.The research report studies the overall laser processing market by segmenting it on the basis of four key parameters: product type, end use, process, and geography.By product type, the laser processing market is divided into solid-state lasers, gas lasers, fiber lasers, and others such as dye, excimer, and semiconductor lasers. By process, the laser processing market is segmented into marking and engraving, material processing, and micro-processing. By end-use industry, the laser processing market is categorized into aerospace, automotive, electronics and microelectronics, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), medical devices and treatment, and packaging.Make An Enquiry @The laser processing market is geographically divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific dominates the global market and held a share of 42.60% in 2013. This region is primarily driven by increased demand for laser technology from original equipment manufacturers in material processing. Asia Pacific is also projected to be most rapidly developing segment of the laser processing market owing to increasing number of manufacturing plants in countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea.The major players competing in the global laser processing market include Prima Industrie S.p.A., Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG, Bystronic Laser AG, Newport Corp., LaserStar Technologies Corp., Epilog Laser Inc., Eurolaser GmbH, Hans Laser Technology Co. Ltd., Coherent Inc., Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc., Amada Co. Ltd., IPG Photonics Corp., Universal Laser Systems Inc., and Jenoptik Laser GmbH. These players are profiled in the report based on attributes such as company and financial overview, recent developments, business strategies, and product portfolio.Laser Processing Market, by Product TypeGas LasersSolid-state LasersFiber LasersOther (Semiconductor, Excimer, Dye) LasersLaser Processing Market, by ProcessMaterial ProcessingMarking and EngravingMicro-processingLaser Processing Market, by End-use IndustryAutomotive IndustryAerospace IndustryOriginal Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) IndustryElectronics and Microelectronics IndustryMedical Devices and Treatment IndustryPackagingLaser Processing Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia -PacificRest of the World (RoW)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 Dehumidifier Market: Emergence of Advanced Technologies and Global Industry Analysis

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The global dehumidifier market is projected to have a CAGR of 6.4% between the years 2014 and 2020. This market was valued at US$1.92 bn in 2013. The current rate of growth is expected to propel the market to US$2.96 bn by the end of 2020, which is stated in a market intelligence report released by Transparency Market Research. The report is titled, Dehumidifier Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020.Browse the full Dehumidifier Market (Heat Pumps, Ventilating Dehumidifiers, Chemical Absorbent Dehumidifiers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 report atAccording to the report, the global dehumidifier market is currently being driven by the large-scale adoption of dehumidifiers in the industrial and commercial sectors. The report also explains that regulatory pressure on industries is causing a spike in the demand for dehumidifiers, thereby allowing a major scope of growth for this market.The global dehumidifier market is also being propelled by the booming construction industry. The heavy activity levels in the global construction industry, especially in developing economies of the Asia Pacific region, are creating a major increase in demand for dehumidifiers. The market is also expected to witness an increase in demand from previously untapped application segments such as power plants and military arms depots.Get A Brochure Of Report @The report also includes discussions on the restraints that are affecting the global dehumidifier market. This includes an uncharacteristically large number of product recalls that have recently occurred. Multiple major manufacturers of dehumidifiers have called for product recalls owing to manufacturing defects and other technical issues.One of the core categories of the global dehumidifier market, used by the report for segmentation purposes, is the application industries involved. The three main segments in this category are industrial, residential, and commercial applications. Of these, the industrial applications segment has led the global dehumidifier market so far. This is owing to the high demand for dehumidifiers in the construction industry, where dehumidifiers are used to dry up plaster and slabs in order to accelerate construction rates and to prevent the growth of mold.From the point of view of products, the global dehumidifier market was led by desiccant dehumidifiers in 2013, while the heat pumps segment is projected to have a high CAGR of 6.5% between 2014 and 2020.Make An Enquiry @North America has led the global dehumidifier market recently, until 2013. This regions demand is expected to continue increasing in the reports given forecast period, consequently maintaining its leading position. At the same time, its market share will be lost to Asia Pacific, which is showing the fastest growth rate in the global dehumidifier market for the same forecast period. The growth of the Asia Pacific dehumidifier market is largely owed to the high demand for cold storage applications as well as in the construction industry.The key players in the global dehumidifier market are General Filters, Inc., Electrolux (Frigidaire), Heat Controller, Inc. (Comfort Aire), Sunpentown International Inc., Honeywell International Inc., LG Electronics, Inc., Haier Group, Whirlpool Corporation, DeLonghi Appliances S.r.I, and Therma-Stor LLC.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:
Limited Growth Opportunities likely to curb Automotive Wires Market growth over 2027

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The global automotive wires market is estimated to be valued at US$ 9,781.6 Mn in terms of value and 1,700,440 MT in terms of volume by 2017 end. According to the newly published report titled Automotive Wires Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012  2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017  2027) by Future Market Insights, the global automotive wires market is expected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 6.0% over the forecast period (20172027) to reach a value of US$ 17,481.7 Mn by 2027 end. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% (by volume) over the forecast period and reach a volume of 2,826,309 MT by 2027 end. The market players are targeting APEJ as their key sales region. China is expected to remain a highly opportunistic market over the forecast period in terms of the overall demand of automotive wires. The growth in the automobile production will boost the automotive wires market in the near coming years.Global Automotive Wires Market- DriversIncrease in technological advancements and components of vehicle infrastructure in automotive fleetIncrease in demand for commercial vehicles, increase in capacity utilizationGrowth in the European automotive industry to fuel the demand of automotive wiresIncreased tariffs on aging cards leads to change in consumer behavior to opt for a new vehicleEmergence of innovative, high- quality and cost effective products and increase in R & D activitiesPresence of key automotive wire & cable manufacturers along with OEM playersGrowing investments in vehicle & component manufacturingRequest Sample Report@Global Automotive Wires Market- Forecast by Material TypeOn the basis of material type, the global automotive market is segmented into copper, aluminium and others such as nickel. The copper segment is further sub-segmented intoOxygenic Copper, Pure Copper, (Oxygen Free), Copper Silver (CuAg), Copper Magnesium (CuMg) and Copper Tin (CuSn). Aluminium & Copper both will gain significant BPS over the forecast period. Increasing demand for pure copper and copper magnesium are expected to witness significant growth across key the automotive wire material type. In terms of volume, Copper and Aluminum are expected to grow and become 1.66x and 2.14x, respectively, between 2017 and 2027. Incremental opportunity registered by the Copper material segment will contribute a lions share to the overall incremental $ opportunity registered by the material segment.Global Automotive Wires Market- Forecast by Vehicle TypeVehicle type segment consists of conventional fuel vehicles, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles. Conventional fuel vehicles are further sub-segmented into passengers vehicle and commercial vehicles. In terms of value and volume, conventional fuel vehicles are expected to hold the majority share in the global automotive wires market. Passenger cars in conventional fuel vehicles are expected to remain dominant and hold maximum market share during the forecast period.Global Automotive Wires Market- Forecast by ApplicationApplication segment includes chassis and safety, body and heating ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC). Chassis and safety segment is sub-segmented into conventional chassis, semi-forward chassis and full-forward chassis. Body segment includes sub-segments such as facia, roof, door and window, seat and interior. By application, chassis & safety is projected to hold major share in terms of value share in the global market over the forecast period. Chassis & safety segment is estimated to be valued at US $ 4084.7Mn by 2017 end and is expected to increase to US$ 6970.1 Mn by end of the forecast period while growing at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period.Request for Table of Contents@Global Automotive Wires Market- Forecast by RegionSeven regions have been covered in this report, such as North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, APEJ, Japan and MEA. APEJ is expected to dominate the global automotive wires market in 2027, accounting for 57.5% followed by North America and Western Europe. In terms of innovation, China is estimated to remain the center for the production and consumption of automotive wires. The market is largely influenced by investments in the Asia Pacific region. New establishments in APEJ will impact the growth of automotive wires. Western Europe and North America are cumulatively expected to account for around 21.3% value share in the total global Automotive Wires market by 2027 end.Global Automotive Wires Market- Key PlayersLEONI AG, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Fujikura Ltd., Delphi Automotive Plc., PKC Group, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Yazaki Corporation, General Cable, Lear Corporation, Draka (Subsidiary of Prysmian Group), Samvardhana Motherson Group, Allied Wire & Cable, Inc., Coroplast Fritz Muller GmbH & Co. KG., Kromberg & Schubert, Acome, Yura Corporation, and Kyungshin Corporation are some of the companies that are operating in the global automation wires market.Buy Automotive Wires Market Research Report@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 :
Trend Expected to Guide Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Market During 2017-2027

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Air travel has taken off in APEJ like never before, spurred on by rising affluence and a greater disposable income amongst consumers in this dynamic region. This is anticipated to require additional ground support equipment ensuring that the aircraft ground support equipment market grows at a healthy rate for the foreseeable future. Future Market Insights in its upcoming report titled Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012 - 2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017 - 2027) predicts that the aircraft ground support equipment market could record a robust CAGR of 6.5%.Equipment  Aircraft Service Segment Key in Aircraft Ground Support Equipment MarketThe aircraft service segment had a market share of more than half by equipment type in the aircraft ground support equipment market at the end of 2017 and is projected to grow this share by 30 BPS going forward. This is largely at the expense of cargo loading and passenger service. Aircraft service segment is greatly benefited by the high cost of different products such as aircraft tractors, de-icing, and fire fighting vehicles that explains its dominance in the aircraft ground support equipment market.Power  Electric Power Provides Spark in Aircraft Ground Support Equipment MarketThe electric segment is the most popular in the aircraft ground support equipment market and has seen rapid adoption in airport buses, de-icing vehicles, and aircraft tractors because of its reliability, support, and battery performance. Furthermore, advanced infrastructure in a number of airports in Europe and the US has led to electric chargers becoming commonplace fuelling the growth of the electric power segment in the aircraft ground support equipment market. The electric power segment is expected to cross a value of more than US$ 7.5 billion by end 2027, larger than the non-electric and hybrid segments combined.Request Sample Report@Region  APEJ to Double Market Share in Aircraft Ground Support Equipment MarketIn terms of value, APEJ is predicted to double its market share during the course of the decadal study. Explosive growth in passenger traffic in China and India is largely responsible for this with the former contributing to the bulk of it. In addition to this, open sky agreements such as that recently signed between India and Japan should further the prospects of the APEJ aircraft ground support equipment market.Ownership  Rental Gaining Popularity in Aircraft Ground Support Equipment MarketThe rental/lease segment is gaining greater acceptance in the aircraft ground support equipment market because of the high cost associated with it. There is a definite shift in focus of airline companies and airport management towards rental ownership as this saves capital, resources, and time. The rental/ lease segment is estimated to witness a CAGR of 7% for the forecast period.Application  Defence Unlikely to Topple Commercial Segment in Aircraft Ground Support Equipment MarketThe commercial segment holds a lions share in the aircraft ground support equipment market by application and is on track to lose 70 BPS till 2027. However, it has a two-third share of the market in 2017 on account of substantial movement of commercial aircraft, requiring evermore aircraft ground support equipment units. An incremental dollar opportunity of approx. US$ 4.8 billion from 2017 to 2027 makes the commercial segment large enough for all stakeholders in the aircraft ground support equipment market.Request for Table of Contents@Competition Dashboard in Aircraft Ground Support Equipment MarketThe companies profiled in the report are JBT Corporation, ALVEST Group, Air T, Alberth Aviation Ltd., Cavotec SA, Clyde Machines Inc., Textron, Weihai Guangtai Airport Equipment Co., China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Kalmar Motor AB, HYDRO Systems KG, Nepean Engineering & Innovation Pty Ltd., Tronair, Lektro, Charlatte Of America Inc., Schopf Maschinenbau GmbH, Mulag Fahrzeugwerk Heinz Wossner GmbH, Mallaghan Engineering Limited, SEMMCO, and DENGE Airport Equipment.Important TakeawaysAPEJ has immense potential in the long-term because of skyrocketing passenger traffic and companies would do well to focus their attention on this continent. Western companies should shift their production bases there to take advantage of lower cost coupled with manufacturing expertise. Companies must develop efficient products that have minimal maintenance and innovations in power technologies could provide the necessary breakthroughs.Buy Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Market Research Report@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 :
Mobile Middleware Market Sees Promising Growth in 2018

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Mobile Middleware to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Mobile Middleware is forever evolving, and it is important for everyone connected to the value chain to keep a track of which way the wind is blowing. This report on the global Mobile Middleware market aspires to serve as a credible business and commerce tool for its targeted audiences, providing quantitative and qualitative assessment of the market in its current scenario and its future prospects.This report begins with an elaborated introduction of the existing nature of the market for Mobile Middleware, and then drives into exploring the dynamics such as trends and opportunities, and drivers and restraints that will define the future. Moving on, the report acknowledges the importance of various smaller segments and hence bifurcates the market for Mobile Middleware into categories back on technology, end user, application, product type, services, or whichever applicable. For each of the segment, the report evaluates their present valuation and estimates future worth based on various factors. After that, the report dives into exploring the potential of Mobile Middleware market in every important region and country, such as North America including the U.S. and Canada, Asia Pacific including China, India, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea, and Europe including the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy.Get free sample copy of the report with TOC at:One of the featured aspect of this report, and something that extracted considerable amount of time and effort from the analysts, is the section of competitive landscape of the global Mobile Middleware market. Great emphasis was given on interviewing and interacting with experts of this market and explore the historical data to profile some of the key companies who are ahead of the curve in this market. The report picks out top five and top ten companies, evaluates their dominance in terms of market share, analyzes their product portfolio, and provides insights into their geographical presence, distribution network, and recent strategic decisions.This report studies the global Mobile Middleware market, analyzes and researches the Mobile Middleware development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeIBMKonyOracleSAP SETIBCOMicrosoftKidoZenAnyPresenceAxwayOpentextPegasystemsAdobeAligoRed HatVerivoBrowse Complete Table of Content of the Report at:Table of ContentsGlobal Mobile Middleware Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Mobile Middleware1.1 Mobile Middleware Market Overview1.1.1 Mobile Middleware Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Mobile Middleware 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 Mobile Middleware Market by Type1.3.1 Mobile Asset Management1.3.2 Mobile Operating System1.3.3 Mobile Device Management1.3.4 Mobile Application Management1.4 Mobile Middleware Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 BFSI1.4.2 Transportation and logistics1.4.3 Manufacturing1.4.4 Healthcare2 Global Mobile Middleware Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Mobile Middleware 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 IBM3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Mobile Middleware Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Kony3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Mobile Middleware Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Oracle3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Mobile Middleware Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 SAP SE3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Mobile Middleware Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 TIBCO3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Mobile Middleware Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments...About QYReseachReports.comQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Organic Yogurt Market Estimated to Reach a Value of US$ 15.48 Bn

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Organic yogurt is consumed on a large scale across the globe. The main reason for the rise in consumption of organic yogurt is the increasing awareness about its benefits associated with health.Moreover, it is available in various forms and reaches the end consumer via different distribution channels, such as specialty stores, online stores, grocery stores etc. It supports human health in different ways.Obtain Report Details:It enhances digestion, reduces the chances of type 2 diabetes, helps improve bone density, assists in preventing osteoporosis, reduces the chances of colorectal cancer, assists in weight loss and bad fat loss, normalizes moods, improves immune system of the body and possess a high potential in reducing chronic pain and supports brain functions. These various benefits of organic yogurt have tapped the population worldwide, triggering in higher consumption of organic yogurt.Transparency Market Research has come up with an intriguing research study on organic yogurt and has crafted all insights in a systematic manner in its new publication titled Organic Yogurt Market: Forecast, Analysis, Trends and Competition Track  Global Review 2017-2022. This fact based research report covers various aspects influencing the growth of the market. According to the research, the global organic yogurt market is anticipated to witness an exponential growth throughout the period of assessment to register a CAGR of 13.1% to reflect a high market valuation by the end of the assessment year.4 Key Insights on Global Organic Yogurt MarketThe global organic yogurt market is segmented on the basis of product type, by distribution channel, by form and by region.By region, Europe is expected to be highly lucrative for organic yogurt market. The Europe organic yogurt market is poised to reach a market value of about US$ 4.9 Bn by the end of 2022. This region is marked by several yogurt manufacturers owing to favorable conditions and supported by innovationsBy distribution channel, the specialty stores segment is projected to be the fastest growing segment and is also the largest with respect to market value. This segment is poised to gain a high BPS by the end of 2022Make Enquiry @In the form category, the spoonable yogurt segment dominated the market in 2017 and is expected to continue cementing its dominance during the period of assessment. In 2017, this segment reflected a high market share of 64.2% and is estimated toreach a valuation of about US$ 10.5 Bn by the end of 2022By product type, plain yogurt segment is the largest in terms of value share. However, the growth of the flavored yogurt segment is expected to show a remarkable increase and is poised to reach a CAGR of 16.6% during 2017-2022 period of assessmentKey Players Involved in the Global Organic Yogurt MarketThe comprehensive research report on organic yogurt market covers detailed analysis on the key players. Weighted SWOT analysis, key financials, product development and innovations, product portfolio and company overview of key players like BJ's Wholesale Club, Whole Foods Market Inc., Stonyfield Farm, Inc., Safeway Inc., Purity Foods, Inc., Kroger Co., Horizon Organic Holding Corp., Wallaby Yogurt Company, Inc., Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., and Aurora Organic Dairy is included in this research study.Get TOC @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.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.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Fresh Cherries Market Continual Venturing of New Players to Increase Competition

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With a large pool of fresh cherries vendors operating across the world, the global fresh cherries market is demonstrating a highly competitive business landscape, finds a new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The continuous entry of new players into this market is expected to intensify the competition in the years to come.Leelanau Fruit, Rainier Fruit, Vitin Fruits, Dell's Marachino Cherries, Alacam Tarim, The Global Green Company, Smelterz Orchard, Hood River Cherry, and Bel'Export are some of the most prominent vendors of fresh cherries across the world, states the research report.Increasing Preference for Fresh Fruits Reflect Positively on Demand for Fresh CherriesObtain Report Details:The rising awareness among consumers regarding the harmful effects of chemicals and preservatives, used for food preservation, has surfaced as the key factor behind the significant growth of the global market for fresh cherries, says a TMR analyst.People, nowadays, are preferring fresh fruits and vegetables for consumption, which is influencing the demand for fresh cherries, considerably. The markets opportunity is expected to increase to US$3.9 bn by 2017. Researchers expect this market to continue registering a high rise, expanding at a CAGR of 5.50% during the period from 2017 to 2022 and reaching US$5.2 bn by the end of the forecast period.Over the coming years, the increasing consumption of cherries in emerging countries, such as China and India, will create lucrative opportunities for the growth of this market. The surge in consumers purchasing power and the increasing export demand for fresh cherries are likely to boost this market in the years to come, notes the research study.Advent of China as Prominent Consumer to Boost APEJ Market for Fresh CherriesMake Enquiry @According to the research report, APEJ market for fresh cherries is leading the global market, thanks to the emergence of China as a prominent consumer of fresh cherries across the world.Researchers at TMR anticipate this regional market to remain on the top in the near future, rising at a CAGR of 5.90% and reporting immense increase over the period of the forecast.With the augmenting demand for cherries in China and several other Asian countries, fueled by the rising trend of urbanization and the surging influence of western culture on food habits, the APEJ fresh cherry market is projected to register high growth in the near future.The demand for sweet cherries is much higher demand than the sour ones, owing to which, the sweet cherries segment is estimated to hold more than 60% of the overall market by 2017. Analysts anticipated this segment to continue witnessing strong demand over the next few years.The traditional grocery stores and convenience stores have emerged the most prominent sales channels for fresh cherries across the world and this trend is projected to remain so over the next few years. However, online channels and direct sales are also expected to experience a rise in cherry sales from these sales channel over the forthcoming years, reports the research study.Get TOC @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.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.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Reusable Plastic Water Bottles Market To Exhibit Rapid Growth due to Growing Awareness about Pollution Control

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The global reusable plastic water bottles market is likely to exhibit rapid growth in the coming years on the back of growing demand for reusable products in the plastics space due to growing realization of the adverse environmental consequences of large-scale and unchecked use of plastic.The reusable plastic water bottles market has grown steadily across the world in the last few years due to growing support for environmental conservation movements and is likely to remain a key revenue earner in the coming years.Asia Pacific except Japan is likely to dominate proceedings of the global reusable plastic water bottles market, with the growing economies in the region providing the reusable plastic water bottles market fertile ground for smooth growth.Obtain Report Details:By material type, high density polyethylene is likely to remain the dominant segment in the global reusable plastic water bottles market over the 2017-2022 forecast period.According to Transparency Market Research, the global reusable plastic water bottles market is likely to exhibit a robust 4.5% CAGR over the 2017-2022 forecast period. Valuation of the reusable plastic water bottles market is likely to rise to US$3.2 bn by the end of 2017, with the market expected to be valued at more than US$4 bn by the end of 2022.Here are the key insights into the growth prospects of the global reusable plastic water bottles market:Growing awareness about the environmental damage caused by large-scale use of plastic is likely to remain a key driver for the global reusable plastic water bottles market.Growing amount of scientific data has demonstrated the clear risk of increasing the use of plastics at the current rates, with plastic being pointed out as a key pollutant in any ecosystem. Being nonbiodegradable, plastics cause havoc with any ecosystem in which they are dumped, including terrestrial and marine ecosystems.As a result, a growing number of governments now support the innovation of reusable plastic products, which reduce the burden caused by the need to degrade them.Rising demand for bottled water in Asia Pacific except Japan is likely to be a major driver for the global reusable plastic water bottles market over the 2017-2022 forecast period.Due to rampant urbanization, economies in Asia Pacific except Japan have become important consumers of bottled water, making them likely to be vital regional markets for global reusable plastic water bottles market players in the coming years. Countries such as China are leading producers of plastic water bottles, making growth of the reusable plastic water bottles market easier in the Asia Pacific except Japan region.Make Enquiry @The Asia Pacific reusable plastic water bottles market is expected to exhibit a robust 5.6% CAGR over the 2017-2022 forecast period, with the market expected to account for 34.7% of the global reusable plastic water bottles market by the end of 2022.The Asia Pacific except Japan market for reusable plastic water bottles is likely to gain 195 BPS over the 2017-2022 forecast period, cementing its position as the leading regional contributor to the global reusable plastic water bottles market.Global Reusable Plastic Water Bottles Market: Competitive DynamicsLeading companies in the global reusable plastic water bottles market include Vista Outdoor Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., BRITA GmbH, Tupperware Brands Corporation, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, ZheJiang Haers Vacuum Containers Co. Ltd., A. O. Smith Corporation, Implus LLC, Cascade Designs Inc., and Elite S.r.l.Get TOC @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.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.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Biometric Sensors Market: Firms Undergoing Mergers and Acquisitions to Secure the Market Position; this Fuels the Growth | CrossMatch Technologies, Fulcrum Biometrics, Infineon Technologies AG, 3M, ZKTeco Inc

Biometric Sensors Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Biometric Sensors Market By Type (Capacitive sensors, Optical sensors, Thermal sensors, Ultrasound sensors, Electric field Sensors) By Application (Voice Scan, Finger Scan, Hand Scan, Facial Scan, Iris Scan, Vein Scan) By End use (Consumer electronics, Commercial centers and buildings , Medical and research labs , Banking, Financial services sector, Defense and security) Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023" to its huge collection of research reports.Biometric sensors integrate physical traits of the human body with digital technology in order to provide biometric security. Semiconductor devices like biometric security systems contain algorithms and template database in order to match live biometric samples with the already stored samples in the database. Face metrics, fingerprints, and vein structures in hands among others are some of the physical traits used to prepare desired templates. Increasing concerns of privacy and security along with growing demand for smart gadgets with biometric security systems are some of the major driving factors for the market. A biometric sensor is a transducer that converts a biometric treat such as voice, face, and fingerprint etc. of a person into an electrical signal. Sensors generally measure temperature, pressure, light, electrical capacity, and speed. Biometric sensors are lightweight and compact in design. Furthermore, they can be installed in devices very conveniently. Some key attributes of biometric sensors include fast verification and identification. Biometric sensors are a breakthrough technology, which weed out various security-related issues from different domains.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Factors such as increasing emphasis on better security and safety, application of fingerprint scan, facial scan, hand scan, and voice scan are expected to see positive growth during the forecast period from 2015 to 2023. Increasing emergence of mobile and online financial transactions, biometric security solutions have found a huge opportunity in the financial sector. Biometric sensors technology can be used in a wide number of applications such as automotive, consumer electronics, commercial centers, and hospitality industries. In the sectors where safety, privacy, and security are of primary concern, biometric sensors are expected to find opportunities in applications such as making transactions and operations.Biometric and fingerprint sensors have become a standard feature in consumer electronic products. Sensing the consumer preference for security and privacy, the key manufacturers of smartphones and other gadgets have started offering fingerprint sensors as a part of certain products. The demand for biometric security technology is on the rise due to the fact that the users of smartphones and other smart gadgets have become more familiar and comfortable with using tools such as fingerprint identification for gaining access. Growing demand for tablets, smartwatches, wearable devices, and other consumer electronic products is acting as one of the major drivers for this market. Furthermore, some of the factors acting as restraining factors for the market include limitation of application in different geographical regions due to cultural barriers and lack of standardization in the process of implementation and development of technical standards. However, graphene enable sensors are the future of the biometric sensors market.Based on type, the market is segmented into capacitive sensors, optical sensors, thermal sensors, ultrasound sensors, and electric field sensors (eField). In terms of application, the market is segmented into voice scan, finger scan, hand scan, facial scan, iris scan, vein scan, and others. Furthermore, by end use, the market is segmented into consumer electronics, commercial centers and buildings, defense and security, medical and research labs, banking and financial services sector among others.Get Comple TOC With Tables and Figures @Geographically, the global biometric sensors market is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). The scope of the report offers an insight into biometric sensors market in these regions based on revenue (USD million) and volume (million units).The report also includes competitive profiling of leading players in the industry and their market share to aid in strategic decision making. The market attractiveness analysis and company market share analysis included in the report provide insight into market dynamics, industry competition and strategies adopted by market leaders.The report also breaks down and reviews the various factors impacting the market growth, which can be appropriately described as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. These factors help to determine the various existing trends and their impact on the market growth. Overall, taking into consideration the various factors affecting the biometric sensors market, the report includes a holistic analysis of the global biometric sensor market, and provides an estimate of growth for the period 2015 to 2023.Some of the leading players in the biometric sensors market are CrossMatch Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Fulcrum Biometrics (U.S.), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), 3M (U.S.), ZKTeco Inc (China), NEC Corporation (Japan), Safran (France), Precise Biometrics Ab (Sweden), Suprema Inc. (South Korea) and IDEX ASA (Norway) among others.Browse Detail Report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Vinylon Fiber Market Analysis & Trends (2017-2021)

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Vinylon Fiber Industry 2017 Market Research Report to its huge collection of research reports.The general market for Vinylon Fiber has been seen on a couple of points of view that are about there, and have satisfactorily improved the development in the market. The report additionally verbalizes unmistakable figures and information related to the general Vinylon Fiber market. The key clarification behind the report is to subtle elements out certain positive and negative highlights about the market condition with the target that potential financial specialists have a sensible and minimized thought concerning it. Particular learning data have been given a specific genuine goal to give an aggregate all around investigation of the market to the customers of the report. The market report in addition interweaves features, for instance, prospects, market figures, strategies, limitations, and drivers for measuring their outcome that are basic for both the area and general level. The examination in like manner consolidate the crucial market motivations behind eagerness being proposed, which contains distinctive highlights of the fundamental viewpoints which are anticipated to trigger headway in the market or reason that will have a negative impact.To Download Sample Report With TOC:This report puts additional undertakings on the general market for Vinylon Fiber by effectively gaging the open entryways and business shackle of the concerned market. This is relied on to go as a supplementary guide in giving fitting bits of learning and data on various plots for the market, for instance, data identifying with conventions of the organization bodies in the neighborhood and overall level, advancement rate and course structure, constraints, volume exchanged, and profit earned.Table of Contents1 Vinylon Fiber Market Overview11.1 Product Overview and Scope of Vinylon Fiber11.2 Vinylon Fiber Segment by Types21.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Vinylon Fiber by Types in 201621.2.2 Water-soluble Vinylon Fiber31.2.3 High Strength and High Modulus Vinylon Fiber51.2.4 Others71.3 Vinylon Fiber Segment by Applications81.3.1 Vinylon Fiber Consumption Market Share by Applications in 201681.3.2 Transport91.3.3 Construction91.3.4 Water Conservancy101.3.5 Aquaculture and Agriculture101.3.6 Textile Industry111.3.7 Others111.4 Vinylon Fiber Market by Regions121.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022F)121.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022F)12Complete table of content is available at:2 Vinylon Fiber Manufacturing Cost Analysis202.1 Vinylon Fiber Key Raw Materials Analysis202.1.1 Key Raw Materials Analysis202.1.2 Equipment Suppliers Analysis242.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure252.2.1 Raw Materials252.2.2 Labor Cost262.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses292.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Vinylon Fiber313 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis333.1 Production and Established Date of Global Key Manufacturers in 2016333.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key Vinylon Fiber Manufacturers in 2016333.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Vinylon Fiber Key Manufacturers in 2016343.4 Raw Materials Sources of Global Vinylon Fiber Key Manufacturers in 2016354 Global Vinylon Fiber Market Competition by Manufacturers364.1 Global Vinylon Fiber Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017E)364.2 Global Vinylon Fiber Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017E)374.3 Global Vinylon Fiber Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017E)394.4 Global Vinylon Fiber Gross Margin by Manufacturers (2012-2017E)414.5 Vinylon Fiber Market Competitive Situation and Trends434.5.1 Vinylon Fiber Market Concentration Rate434.5.2 Vinylon Fiber Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers445 Global Vinylon Fiber Production, Revenue (Value) by Regions (2012-2017E)465.1 Global Vinylon Fiber Production and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017E)465.2 Global Vinylon Fiber Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017E)495.3 Global Vinylon Fiber Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017E)525.4 North America Vinylon Fiber Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017E)52List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Vinylon Fiber1Table SX1 Index of Vinylon Fiber1Table SX2 Index of Vinylon Fiber2Figure Global Production Market Share of Vinylon Fiber by Types in 20162Table Classification of Vinylon Fiber2Table Picture and Specifications of Water-soluble Vinylon Fiber3Table Picture and Specifications of High Strength and High Modulus Vinylon Fiber5Figure Others Picture7Figure Vinylon Fiber Consumption Value Market Share by Applications in 20168Table Application of Vinylon Fiber8Figure Transport Examples9Figure Construction Examples9Figure Water Conservancy Examples10Figure Aquaculture and Agriculture Examples10QYReseachReports.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
Global Carrageenan Sales Market 2017-2022: Analysis By Application & Products

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Carrageenan Sales Market Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.The general market for Carrageenan has been seen on a couple of points of view that are about there, and have satisfactorily improved the development in the market. The report additionally verbalizes unmistakable figures and information related to the general Carrageenan market. The key clarification behind the report is to subtle elements out certain positive and negative highlights about the market condition with the target that potential financial specialists have a sensible and minimized thought concerning it. Particular learning data have been given a specific genuine goal to give an aggregate all around investigation of the market to the customers of the report. The market report in addition interweaves features, for instance, prospects, market figures, strategies, limitations, and drivers for measuring their outcome that are basic for both the area and general level. The examination in like manner consolidate the crucial market motivations behind eagerness being proposed, which contains distinctive highlights of the fundamental viewpoints which are anticipated to trigger headway in the market or reason that will have a negative impact.To Download Sample Report With TOC:This report puts additional undertakings on the general market for Carrageenan by effectively gaging the open entryways and business shackle of the concerned market. This is relied on to go as a supplementary guide in giving fitting bits of learning and data on various plots for the market, for instance, data identifying with conventions of the organization bodies in the neighborhood and overall level, advancement rate and course structure, constraints, volume exchanged, and profit earned.Table of ContentsGlobal Carrageenan Sales Market Report 20171 Carrageenan Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Carrageenan1.2 Classification of Carrageenan by Product Category1.2.1 Global Carrageenan Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Carrageenan Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Kappa-carrageenan1.2.4 Iota-carrageenan1.3 Global Carrageenan Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Carrageenan Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Food Industry1.3.3 Daily Chemical Industry1.3.4 Pharmaceutical Industry1.3.5 Biochemistry1.3.6 Others1.4 Global Carrageenan Market by Region1.4.1 Global Carrageenan Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Carrageenan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)Complete table of content is available at:2 Global Carrageenan Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Carrageenan Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Carrageenan Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Carrageenan Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Carrageenan (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Carrageenan Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Carrageenan Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Carrageenan (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Carrageenan Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Carrageenan Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4 Global Carrageenan (Volume) by Application3 United States Carrageenan (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Carrageenan Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Carrageenan Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Carrageenan Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Carrageenan Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 China Carrageenan (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Carrageenan Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China Carrageenan Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China Carrageenan Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China Carrageenan Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Players4.3 China Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.4 China Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Application5 Europe Carrageenan (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Carrageenan Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe Carrageenan Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe Carrageenan Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe Carrageenan Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 Europe Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by Players5.3 Europe Carrageenan Sales Volume and Market Share by TypeList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of CarrageenanFigure Global Carrageenan Sales Volume Comparison (K MT) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Carrageenan Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Kappa-carrageenan Product PictureFigure Iota-carrageenan Product PictureFigure Lambda carrageenan Product PictureFigure Others Product PictureFigure Global Carrageenan Sales Comparison (K MT) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Carrageenan by Application in 2016Figure Food Industry ExamplesFigure Daily Chemical Industry ExamplesFigure Pharmaceutical Industry ExamplesFigure Biochemistry ExamplesFigure Others ExamplesFigure Global Carrageenan Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Carrageenan Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)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
Global Natural Rubber and Gums Market 2017 Industry Trends, Growth, Analysis and Overview: QYResearchReports

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https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/2017-2022-natural-rubber-and-gums-report-on-global-and-united-states-market-status-and-forecast-by-players-types-and-applications.htm/toc

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report 2017-2022 Natural Rubber and Gums Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Natural Rubber and Gums market is a business tool aspiring to aid its targeted audiences, stockholders of this market, by providing information for better decision making. Developed by a group of professional and experienced research analysts, the report has followed all proven research methodologies to come up with evaluations and forecasts of the global Natural Rubber and Gums market.The report starts off with an elaborated overview of the current scenario of the global Natural Rubber and Gums market, providing evaluations of how it has flourished in the recent past. Then, it dives into exploring important market dynamics such as trends, drivers, restraints, and opportunities on which the demand for Natural Rubber and Gums will depend in the near future. Following that, the report breaks the market into smaller segments in order to represent the profitability of every aspect.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The analysts of the report have also realized the importance of not every buyer may be foraying in every region or country, and hence have divided the market into various important parts such as such as North America including the U.S. and Canada, Europe including Germany, France, Russia, the U.K., and Italy, Asia Pacific (APAC) including India, China, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. For each of these areas, the report gauges the potential of every segment and provides forecasts depending on buying ability of the consumers, government regulations, adoptability of new technology, and population.The report has given strong importance to the competitive landscape of the global Natural Rubber and Gums market. In this section, a number of leading companies have been profiled for the product portfolio, geographical presence, and recent strategic decisions that will help them gain shares in the near future.Table of Contents2017-2022 Natural Rubber and Gums Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications1 Methodology and Data Source1.1 Methodology/Research Approach1.1.1 Research Programs/Design1.1.2 Market Size Estimation1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.2 Data Source2.1.1 Secondary Sources2.1.2 Primary Sources1.3 DisclaimerAccess the full Report TOC @2 Natural Rubber and Gums Market Overview2.1 Natural Rubber and Gums Product Overview2.2 Natural Rubber and Gums Market Segment by Type2.2.1 Natural Rubber2.2.2 Natural Gums2.3 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Product Segment by Type2.3.1 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and Growth (%) by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.3.2 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.3 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.4 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Price (USD/MT) by Type (2012-2017)2.4 United States Natural Rubber and Gums Product Segment by Type2.4.1 United States Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and Growth by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.4.2 United States Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)3 Natural Rubber and Gums Application/End Users3.1 Natural Rubber and Gums Segment by Application/End Users3.1.1 Tires3.1.2 Chemical Industry3.1.3 Textile Industry3.1.4 Food Industry3.1.5 Others3.2 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Product Segment by Application3.2.1 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.2.2 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)3.3 United States Natural Rubber and Gums Product Segment by Application4 Natural Rubber and Gums Market Status and Outlook by Regions4.1 Global Market Status and Outlook by Regions4.1.1 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Market Size and CAGR by Regions (2012, 2016 and 2022)4.1.2 North America4.1.3 Asia-Pacific4.1.4 Europe4.1.5 South America4.1.6 Middle East and Africa4.1.7 United States4.2 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales and Revenue by Regions4.2.1 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)4.2.2 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)4.2.3 Global Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.4 North America Natural Rubber and Gums Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresTable Research Programs/Design for This ReportFigure Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches for This ReportFigure Data TriangulationTable Key Data Information from Secondary SourcesTable Key Data Information from Primary SourcesFigure Natural Rubber and Gums Product PictureFigure Global Natural Rubber and Gums Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure United States Natural Rubber and Gums Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Product Picture of Natural RubberTable Major Players of Natural RubberFigure Global Natural Rubber Sales (K MT) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Figure Product Picture of Natural GumsTable Major Players of Natural GumsFigure Global Natural Gums Sales (K MT) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)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
2017- 2022: Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Market For Scope Including Key vendors Such As Micro-Tech, Changzhou Zhiye

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments is discussed in detail within a new research study added recently to QYResearchReports.com. The report has been carefully examined both qualitatively and quantitatively and the results are revealed in the research report for the forecast period of 2017 to 2022. In addition to this, the various drivers and restraints, regulatory conditions, and the segmentation of this global market have also been included in the study. All data is supported by primary and secondary research methodologies. Expert analysts from the industry have also expressed their opinions on the industrial and economic scenario, creating the report as an authentic guide to the global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments market.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The research report makes use of various market-tested analytical tools such as market attractiveness readings, SWOT analysis, and Porters Five Forces analysis in order to provide readers a qualitative as well as quantitative overview of the Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments market. The information garnered from these research procedures is further investigated by seasoned industry analysts, who have made their contributions in the form of invaluable market insights on the workings of the global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments market.The biggest and the highly influential regions in the global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments market are determined and assessed in detail within the research report. The economic factors influencing the global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments market are stated, along with a 360-degree overview of the current conditions that are influencing the direction and expansion rate of the market and the key operations in its various regional segments. Top market trends are analyzed to offer clients appropriate guidance in compiling their own market strategies for their and the global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments markets growth trajectory. The report thus provides existing and established companies as well as new entrants all the relevant data they need to create business opportunities in lucrative and thriving economies. The report helps companies of any size and caliber establish a stronger foothold in the global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments market.Table of Contents1 Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Overview11.1 Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Product Overview11.2 Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Segment by Types21.2.1 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Comparison by Types21.2.2 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Market Share (%) by Types in 201631.2.3 14 mm Stent31.2.4 18 mm Stent41.2.5 20 mm Stent51.2.6 Other Stent51.3 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Segment by Applications61.3.1 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit) Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)61.3.2 Esophageal Cancer81.3.3 Biliary Cancer9Read Complete Table of Content @2 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Competition by Manufacturers/Brand202.1 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit) and Share by Manufacturers (2016-2017)202.2 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Revenue (K USD) and Share by Manufacturers (2016-2017)222.3 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Average Price (USD/Unit) by Manufacturers (2016-2017)242.4 Manufacturers Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Manufacturing Base Distribution and Sales Area252.5 Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Competitive Situation and Trends253 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD) by Regions (2012-2017)273.1 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)273.2 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Revenue (K USD) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)293.3 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)313.4 East China Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)313.5 South China Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)323.6 North China Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)323.7 Central China Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (2012-2017)333.8 RoW Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit), Revenue (K USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)334 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales, Revenue, Price Trend by Types344.1 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)344.2 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Revenue and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)364.3 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)385 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Analysis by Applications405.1 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales (Unit) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)405.2 Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)42List of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments1Figure Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Market Share Comparison by Types 2012-20172Figure Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Market Share (%) by Types in 20163Figure Product Picture of 14 mm Stent3Figure Product Picture of 18 mm Stent4Figure Product Picture of 20 mm Stent5Figure Product Picture of Other Stent5Figure Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)6Figure Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Sales Market Share (%) by Applications in 20167Figure Esophageal Cancer Examples8Figure Biliary Cancer Examples9Figure Global Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Market Size Comparison and Growth (%) by Regions in 201610Figure East China Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Revenue (K USD) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2022)11Figure North China Radioactive Stent Used for Cancer Treatments Revenue (K USD) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2022)12QYReseachReports.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
Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market 2017 : Business Rising Awareness, Financial Plan to 2021

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market Research Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.In the recent times, the global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals has been exhibiting frequent changes in its business landscape. This research report is an analytical study of the Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals, which comprehensively analyzes the competitive framework of this market. Using a number of effective assessment tools, such as porters five forces and value chain analysis, it performs in-depth analyses of the production and supply as well as the demand and sales of Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals and provides deep insights into the future prospects of this market.In this research report, apart from the trends, the driving forces, restraints, and opportunities has also been taken into consideration to determine the markets future. Further, it offers an estimation of the market size in terms of value (US$) and in volume (kilo tons) and talks about the key segments and the geographical subdivisions of the worldwide Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals market in details. It provides in-depth information on the development trends and the policies and regulations, concerning the usage of Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals, implemented in each of the geographical segments. The predominant applications of the Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals have also been discussed at length in this research study.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report also analyzes the nature of the global market for Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals on the basis of the market participants by reviewing their company profiles and offers a detailed competitive analysis of the business landscape present in this market. The main strategies and the future prospects of the leading players have also been discussed here with an objective to enable market participants to create better and rewarding strategies.Table of ContentsGlobal Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market Research Report 20171 Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals1.2 Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Skincare Products (Anti-aging, Acne treatment, Skin Whitening and, Hyperpigmentation, Dermal Fillers)1.2.4 Hair Care Products (Hair Repair, Anti-dandruff, Anti-hair Fall, Scalp Repair)1.2.5 Eye Care Products(Prescription Drops, Artificial Tears)1.2.6 Injectable Botox1.3 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Segment by Application1.3.1 Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Hospital Pharmacy1.3.3 Retail Pharmacy1.3.4 Online Sales1.4 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)Complete table of content is available at:2 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Physician Dispensed CosmeceuticalsFigure Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Product Picture of Skincare Products (Anti-aging, Acne treatment, Skin Whitening and, Hyperpigmentation, Dermal Fillers)Table Major Manufacturers of Skincare Products (Anti-aging, Acne treatment, Skin Whitening and, Hyperpigmentation, Dermal Fillers)Figure Product Picture of Hair Care Products (Hair Repair, Anti-dandruff, Anti-hair Fall, Scalp Repair)Table Major Manufacturers of Hair Care Products (Hair Repair, Anti-dandruff, Anti-hair Fall, Scalp Repair)Figure Product Picture of Eye Care Products(Prescription Drops, Artificial Tears)Table Major Manufacturers of Eye Care Products(Prescription Drops, Artificial Tears)Figure Product Picture of Injectable BotoxTable Major Manufacturers of Injectable BotoxFigure Global Physician Dispensed Cosmeceuticals Consumption (K Units) by Applications (2012-2022)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
Consumption of Sodium Metal Market will Account for Around 127,400 Metric Tonnes by 2024

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Global consumption of sodium metal will grow at a sluggish CAGR of 3.3% through 2024, according to Persistence Market Researchs report entitled, Sodium Metal Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016 - 2024. In 2016, over 98,400 MT sodium metal was consumed globally, and it is estimated to surpass 127,400 MT by 2024.The sluggish demand for sodium metal is attributed to hazardous effects of highly reactive sodium element. Challenges with handling and storage of sodium metal will continue to negatively impact the growth of the market. Further, limited availability of sodium metal on account of fewer players has resulted into introduction and use of alternatives, such as magnesium for use in industrial applications.Request to view table of content @Key players in this market are concentrating on expansion of their production capacities and making long-term contacts with end-use industries, especially in near proximity, to incur growth opportunities. Manufacturers are also focusing on introduction to new grades of application-specific sodium metal. Inner Mongolia Lantai Industrial Co. Ltd. held the highest volume market share in 2015. Other leading players in the global sodium metal market include Wanji Holdings Group Limited, Shandong Moris Tech Co. Ltd., and MSSA S.A.S.Request Sample Report@In terms of volume, chemical synthesis application of sodium metal held 70.4% share of the market in 2016; by 2024, this is expected to reach nearly 72%. Sodium metal is also used in the production of dyes, and it is projected that this application segment will grow at 4.7% CAGR in terms of volume through 2024. The weakness in demand will be offset to a certain extent by applications in chemical synthesis and textile industry.APAC is projected to be the most lucrative region for the global sodium metal market followed by North America and Europe. Asia Pacific forms a hub for textile industries owing to the ever-growing population and demand for a wide range of textiles, resulting in steady demand for sodium metal. Over 53,690 MT of sodium metal was consumed in APAC in 2016. The North America sodium metal market was around US$ 60 Mn in 2016, and it is expected to reach around US$ 80 Mn by 2024. Consumption of sodium metal in Europe, pegged at over 19,700 MT in 2016, is expected to surpass 24,200 MT by 2024.Buy Consumption of Sodium Metal 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:
Organic Fertilizers Market is Projected to Bring in US$ 10.23 Billion by 2025

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Belgium will continue to be the largest exporter of organic fertilizers, with total exports totalling 1.15 million tonnes in 2015. Netherlands and the U.S. will be the other two key exporters. In terms of imports, France continues to be the largest market globally. Global organic fertilizer demand was pegged at 17 million tonnes in 2016. In terms of value, the market was valued at US$ 5.57 billion. Persistence Market Research projects the market to grow at 7% CAGR through 2025 and reach US$ 10.23 billion.Manufacturers in Europe are focusing on expanding their customer base in high-growth regions, including Latin America and North America.Manufacturers in Europe are focusing on expanding their customer base in high-growth regions, including Latin America and North America.Non-profit organizations are playing a key role in promoting the use of organic fertilizers.According to Persistence Market Researchs analysis, demand for animal-based organic fertilizers is higher than plant-based variants. While 6.84 million tonnes of plant-origin organic fertilizers were sold in 2016, animal-origin organic fertilizer volume was pegged at 10.15 million tonnes.Request to view table of content @Use of organic fertilizers remains highest in the farming of cereals and crops. This application segment accounted for over 70% revenue share of the market in 2016. By volume, demand from cereals and crops was estimated at 12.53 million tonnes in 2016.Historically, solid organic fertilizers have remained sought-after, and the trend is expected to remain unchanged during the forecast period 2017-2025. While solid organic fertilizers are projected to grow at 6.2% CAGR, liquid organic fertilizers growth rate is estimated to be 5.1%.Request Sample Report@Europe is the largest market for organic fertilizers, followed by Asia Pacific. While Europe will continue to be the largest market for organic fertilizers, it will lose 2.3% revenue share to APAC during the forecast period. North America, the third largest market for organic fertilizers, is expected to account for 21.8% revenue share of the market by 2025-end.In its report, Persistence has profile key players in the organic fertilizers market, including Italpollina SpA, ILSA S.p.A, BioStar Renewables, Sustane Natural Fertilizer Inc., True Organic Products Inc., California Organic Fertilizers Inc., The Fertell Company, Purely Organics LLC, Pupuk Kaltim, and Qingdao Sonef Chemical Co., Ltd.Buy Global Organic Fertilizers 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:
Anthrax Market - Current and Projected industry size in terms of volume and value 2017-2025

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Anthrax 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.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: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.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.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this 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.About UsTransparency Market Research is a global 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 are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700Albany NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453E-mail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Antibodies in Oncology Market to receive overwhelming hike in Revenues by 2025

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Antibody based cancer therapy has achieved a considerable success in past 15 years. An antibody alternatively known as immunoglobulin is a large Y-shape protein produced by plasma cells that is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign particles such as viruses and bacteria. Therapeutic antibodies have become a significant strategy in clinical oncology owing to their ability to bind with primary and metastatic cancer cells with significant affinity. This leads to the development of anti-cancer/tumor effect out of various means such as direct action of the antibody by immune-mediated cell killing mechanisms, receptor blockage or agonist activities, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and developing specific effects of an antibody on tumor vasculature and stroma among others. Monoclonal antibodies hold a variety of applications in management of cancer including diagnosis, monitoring as well as treatment of diseases. These monoclonal antibodies are now a days is used by many oncologists to even monitor the disease progression such as estimation and measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen in colon cancer.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights:Monoclonal antibodies based on their mechanism of action can be classified into 3 prominent categories such as one which triggers the immune system, blocks tumor cell division signals and at last one which act as a carrier of cancer drugs. Since cancer cells are abnormal in nature and are usually difficult to detect. For triggering an immune system monoclonal antibodies attach themselves to cancerous cells making it easier for the immune systems to track and identify. Prominent antibodies of this type include Rituximab for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), Alemtuzumab for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). There are few monoclonal antibodies that attach themselves to immune cells which can enhance their cell division process so as to produce substantial immune cells to counterattack antibodies depending upon the kind of disease and its stage. For blocking signals with respect to cancerous/tumor cells division, some monoclonal antibodies inhibits growth factor receptors responsible for their cell proliferation process. Such kind of monoclonal antibodies include Trastuzumab (Herceptin) for breast and stomach cancer, Panitumumab (Vectibix) for advanced bowel cancer, Bevacizumab (Avastin) for advanced bowel cancer, breast cancer and some other cancers. In another type of monoclonal antibodies which possesses drugs or radiation attached to them. Now, the monoclonal antibodies search, track and delivers drugs and radiation directly to them.Some of the FDA approved monoclonal antibodies in oncology encompasses Trastuzumab for ERBB2-positive breast cancer, Bevacizumab for first-line and second-line treatment of metastatic colon cancer, Alemtuzumab against B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Brentuximab vedotin for curing refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma and systemic anaplastic lymphoma among others. During 2010 and 2011, the therapeutic antibody market was primarily concentrated only towards two prominent categories namely oncology and immunology. In 2010, oncology indications made up just over 50% of sales, while the immunological area accounted for almost 40%. Similar trend is likely to continue for next few years as well since majority of the monoclonal based antibodies are yet in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trial phases.One of the key drivers is the increasing prevalence of cancer across globe. According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 14.1 million adults were diagnosed with cancer in 2012 of which 8.2 million deaths happened across the globe. Monoclonal antibodies are more effective in the treatment of cancer than pharmaceutical drugs and chemotherapies. The increasing trend and use of monoclonal antibodies in the development of personalized medicines will have a positive impact on the market.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Some of the prominent players in antibodies in oncology market include: Amgen Inc., Novartis International AG, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Corporations Plc, Biogen Idec Inc., Eli Lilly, UCB S.A., Elan Human Genome Sciences Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Daiichi Sankyo, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Pfizer Inc., Bayer AG, Eisai Co. Ltd., and Alexion Pharmaceuticals.About UsTransparency Market Research is a global 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 are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700Albany NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453E-mail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Anti-Dermatomycosis Skin Drugs Market - Broad and general facts about Trends, CAGR and major Industrial players.

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Dermatomycosis is a type of skin disease majorly caused by the infection of different species of dermatophytes, yeast such as Candida species and Malassezia furfur or variety of fungi species like microsporum, genera trichophyton and epidermophyton. These organisms invade into the layer of skin and affect dermal appendices of hair, nails and epidermis. The condition is mainly characterized by colonization of the keratinized layers by these organisms on the surface of patients skin. These organisms have rigid cell wall and are complex in structure thus, anti-bacterial agents are not effective against organisms. Anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs like ketoconazole, clotrimazole and others are effectively used for the treatment of infection. These drugs are commonly used to treat conditions like ringworm, athletes foot and other systemic fungal infections like cryptococcal meningitis, and other types of infections. In addition, physical examination and microscopic examination of dermal lesions can be helpful to detect the disease condition.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights:The market of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs is witnessing positive growth owing to the rise in fungal infections cases globally. World Health Organization (WHO) stated that nearly 20% of the world population is suffering from skin infections and the percentage is even higher in subtropical or tropical areas. In addition, good penetration and distribution of these drugs into hair folicles and horny layers will offer effective treatment in skin infection disorders and hence drives the market growth of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs. However, less specific actions of anti-fungal drugs restrains the growth of global anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs market. In addition, high rate of side-effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation, hepatitis will restrain the market of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs. In severe condition, adverse effects like renal toxicity, hypokalaemia, hepatic failure, anaphylactic shock can be developed. Thus, high rate of adverse effects, using these drugs will restrain the market growth of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs. Additionally, high cost coupled with high rate of unwanted drug interactions of drugs will further restraint the market growth.Geographically, North America dominates the global anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs market. The growth of this market in North America is mainly attributed to increase incidence of skin infections. Europe is considered as the second largest region for global anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs market owing to increasing use of anti-dermatomycosis drugs. The market of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs in Asia-Pacific region holds strong growth opportunities due to favorable climate condition for the development of skin infectious organisms. This factor would ultimately increase the number of patients seeking for the treatment of skin infections hence drives the market growth of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs market. Additionally, countries like China and India are considered as the major market for anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs market owing to the high demand of these drugs among patient population which will eventually help Asia-Pacific region to grow steadily.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @The market of anti-dermatomycosis skin drugs is majorly dominated by the key players like Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Vectura Group plc, Pfizer, Inc., AstraZeneca PLC, Eli Lilly and Company, Aparna Biosciences Corporation, Helix BioMedix, Inc., Aegera Therapeutics, Inc., Globeimmune, Inc. and others.About UsTransparency Market Research is a global 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 are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700Albany NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453E-mail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Key Factors Inhibiting Growth of the Global Integrated Stack Systems Market Throughout 2017 - 2025

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An integrated stack system involves a bundled vendor product that helps in providing a scalable network, storage as well as server infrastructure done with the help of automation and management software. This are used by various organizations as this integrated stack system bundles servers, provides storage and networking within a preconfigured product that is both easy to install and manage. Essentially the customers have to only unpack the stack components and then add the associated software applications to get the system running.A sample of this report is available upon request @Although these stacks are packaged and then sold by a single vendor, there are some elements of the stack that includes networking interfaces and switches which might get supplied by a different vendor. Vendors may even form partnerships with other manufacturers to procure the parts of the stack they dont manufacture providing the final stack system. The global market for integrated stack systems has been segmented on the basis of type, application and geography. Based on type, the market has been segmented into system in converged software and hyper-converged software. In addition to this, healthcare, automotive and telecommunication among others forms the various end use industries for this market.Global integrated stack systems market geographically has been segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America and Middle East and Africa.Easier usage, longer stability and better performance are some of the key drivers for this market. Integrated stacks helps in reducing the overall cost of deployment along with managing IT infrastructure of the organization. These systems provide an alternative for companies that doesnt want to invest time as well as effort into integrating other solutions to their personal database. The suppliers here offer converged infrastructure delivering added value to the customer further providing validated configurations that are based on tested product components.Quick deployment that allows systems to be made in a short span of time along with a single support point providing solutions by a particular supplier makes things easier for the organization forming a major driver for this market. Moreover, certified solution by the vendors along with on-going maintenance support by suppliers also has a positive impact on the overall global demand. Even though there are numerous drivers that has pushed the demand for this market, still there are certain restraints that has posed challenges and limitations on its growth. One such factor being the fixed configurations and high costs associated with implementation of these systems that has acted as a major limitation for this market. Moreover, lack of choice for the components allows suppliers to provide parts that is only available to them and has been another major restraint for this market. Considering all these drivers and restraints, it is the rise of complex organization structure along with growing applications of different stacking methods may provide future opportunities for this market.Geographically, North America followed by Europe formed some of the major regions for this market. It is the growing complex database structures along with rise of big data that formed a few important factors to positively impact this market. Asia Pacific formed another major region for this market along with accounting one of the fastest growth globally. China and India among others formed a few important countries contributing to the growth of this market in APAC region. Growing complexities associated with organization infrastructure along with rise in IT based data systems are likely some of the key factors to have a positive impact on this market in APAC region.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key players that are present in the global integrated stack systems market include Oracle Corporation (The U.S.), International Business Machine Corporation (The U.S.), HP (The U.S.), Nutanix (The U.S.) and Dell (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 Us-U.S. OFFICE:State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207
Femoral Cannula Market Current and Projected industry size in terms of volume and value 2017-2025

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Femoral cannula is a type of intravenous cannula made up of a small and flexible tube, surrounding a needle performing functions such as hydration, administration of medication, and obtaining blood samples for diagnostic and other tests. The usage of invasive diagnostic and monitoring techniques, especially for hemodynamic purposes, has increased significantly. There is a growing demand for rapid and accurate vascular access from healthcare providers treating patients in emergency departments, owing to rapidly increasing patient population. Healthcare providers have long relied on peripheral veins for access to the patients blood stream; however, this method is time consuming and might affect criticality of the situation in case of emergencies. This has led to adoption of a new method of hemodynamic access, known as femoral cannulation. Femoral cannulation can be done via arterial access or venous access, depending upon the necessity of the situation and functionality of the procedure.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights:Major factors driving the femoral cannula market include increase in number of patients suffering from chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardio vascular disorders, and other hematological disorders; rise in demand for new and minimally invasive techniques for hemodynamic access from patients and healthcare providers; introduction of new and advanced femoral cannulae with distinct features by major and domestic market players; and distinct advantages of femoral cannulation over other peripheral catheterization techniques. Numerous clinical studies about new application areas of femoral cannula are being conducted around the world. This is expected to open up new applications and alternatives for the use of femoral cannulation technique. Increase in number of hospital emergency admissions due to trauma and rise in patient population requiring hemodialysis are some of the factors estimated to propel the global femoral cannula market during the forecast period.The global femoral cannula market can be segmented based on type, indication, end-user, and region. In terms of type, the market can be bifurcated into femoral arterial cannula and femoral venous cannula. Based on indication, the global femoral cannula market can be segregated into cardiac surgical interventions, hemodialysis access, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemoperfusion access, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support, extracorporeal life support, and others. The cardiac surgical interventions segment accounted for significant share of the global femoral cannula market in 2016. Growth in applications of femoral cannula in various other indications, as suggested and demonstrated by ongoing and completed clinical studies, is projected to augment the indication segment during 2017 to 2025. Based on end-user, the global femoral cannula market can be split into hospitals, clinics, dialysis centers, cardiac surgical centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and others. The hospitals segment accounted for major share of the market in 2016. Increasing incidence of dialysis patients especially in emerging countries such as China, India, and Brazil, along with growing number of new dialysis centers in these countries, are some factors expected to drive the growth of the dialysis centers end user segment in the global market during 2017-2025.Based on geography, the global femoral cannula market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Well-developed healthcare infrastructure, increase in healthcare spending, rise in demand for minimally invasive techniques for hemodynamic access among patients and healthcare providers, and growth in adoption of femoral cannulation technique in North America are some of the factors responsible for the large market share of this region in 2016.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Key players operating in the global femoral cannula market include MEDTRONIC, Sorin Group, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG., Chalice Medical Ltd., Changzhou Kangxin Medical Instruments Co., Ltd., Cardio Medical GmbH, and Andocor.About UsTransparency Market Research is a global 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 are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700Albany NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453E-mail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Vaginal Ring Market - Comprehensive Analysis of World Markets, Trade, Commodity Review and Outlook of Global Market Including Long-term Forecasts 2025

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The vaginal ring which is also called as V-ring are the devices (polymeric drug) that provide controlled release of medications for intra vaginal administration for a longer period of time. It is inserted in the vagina which gives contraception protection. The device comes in one size which fits most women. It is stated that hormones present in the rings had little risk of developing breast cancer. The ring products that are currently available include femring (for hot flashes relief), estring (for vaginal atrophy treatment). On leaving the ring for three weeks in the vagina, it releases the same hormones (estrogens) that are being used in the contraceptive (birth control) pills. Each ring gives one month of birth control by wearing continuously for three weeks with a week off. In case of continues contraception, users can wear the ring for full four week cycle. As they release estrogen, there is a risk of side effects that include heart attack, stroke and other effects. The vaginal ring can be easily inserted and removed as the walls of vagina hold them in place. The ring can be also removed prior to intercourse. The vaginal ring had a failure rate of 0.3% while prescribed and 9% when used frequently.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights:Vaginal ring market is classified on the basis product type, application, distribution channel and region. In term of product type vaginal ring market is segmented into estrogen vaginal ring, etonogestrel vaginal ring, progesterone vaginal ring, combined hormonal vaginal ring and others. Based on application vaginal ring market is segmented into contraception, menopause vasomotor symptoms, polycystic ovarian syndrome and others. Distribution channel for the vaginal ring market is retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, online pharmacies, clinics and others.Geographically, the vaginal ring market can be classified into five regional markets such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. The emerging markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America are expected to register robust growth during the forecast period 2017 to 2025. This would majorly be attributed to increasing investments by the key players operating in these countries, growing health care industry, and the aging population leading to growth in the patient population in these countries. India, China and Brazil are expected to drive strong growth among the emerging countries, owing to the increasing investments by government bodies to enhance healthcare facilities.Vaginal ring market is driven by rising prevalence of disease related to womens health. According to the Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Canada, around 80% women claim to suffer from at least one menopausal symptom including mood swings, irritability, interrupted sleep, hot flushes, and vaginal dryness. Moreover, According to National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) PCOS affects approximately 5%-10% of all the women of reproductive age or 30% of women worldwide. In U.S. the prevalence is around 1 in 40 or 2.5% or 6.8 million people in the year 2015. PCOS have been estimated to cost the USA healthcare system $4 billion annually. The community prevalence of PCOS using Rotterdam criteria was observed to be 6.3% in Sri Lanka, 2% in south China, 5% in Thailand, 8% in U.K. and 6.5% in Greece and Spain. Other key growth drivers include rapidly increasing population of geriatric women leads to high number of women with menopause symptoms, increasing awareness about family planning among the female population. The market is also witnessing restraints, in its path such as development of alternative method of treatment and risk of breast cancer with HRT treatment.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Key companies operating in the global vaginal ring market are Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc., Novo Nordisk Ltd, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan plc, and QPharma AB.About UsTransparency Market Research is a global 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 are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700Albany NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453E-mail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
5G Wireless Ecosystem Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2016  2030 | New Release

5G Wireless Ecosystem

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2016 - 2030 - Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts" to its huge collection of research reports.While LTE and LTE-Advanced deployments are still underway, mobile operators and vendors have already embarked on R&D initiatives to develop so-called 5G technology, with a vision of commercialization by 2020. 5G is essentially a revolutionary paradigm shift in wireless networking to support the throughput, latency and scalability requirements of future use cases such as extreme bandwidth augmented reality applications and connectivity management for Billions of M2M (Machine to Machine) devices.Although 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming. With large scale commercial deployments expected to begin in 2020, we estimate that 5G networks will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2016  2030  Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the emerging 5G ecosystem including key market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, use cases, vertical market applications, spectrum assessment, mobile operator deployment commitments, case studies, standardization, research initiatives and vendor strategies. The report also presents forecasts for 5G investments and operator services.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:- Although 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming.- Driven by regional, national government, mobile operator and vendor initiatives, we expect that over $6 Billion will be spent on 5G R&D and trial investments between 2015 and 2020.- With large scale commercial deployments expected to begin in 2020, we estimate that 5G networks will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025.- 5G networks are expected to utilize a variety of spectrum bands for diverse applications, ranging from established sub-6 GHz cellular bands to millimeter wave frequencies.The report covers the following topics:- 5G requirements, use cases and vertical market applications- 5G market drivers and barriers- Air interface and antenna technologies: new waveforms, millimeter wave radio access, MIMO, phased array antennas and beamforming- Spectrum technologies: cognitive radio, spectrum sensing, aggregation and LSA (Licensed Shared Access)- D2D (Device to Device) communications and self-backhauling networks- Complimentary technologies for 5G: NFV (Network Functions Virtualization), SDN (Software Defined Networking), HetNet (Heterogeneous Networking), C-RAN (Centralized RAN), Cloud RAN, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing), drones and satellites- Mobile operator commitments, case studies and 5G spectrum assessment- 5G Standardization and research initiatives- Competitive assessment of vendor strategies- R&D, commercial infrastructure and operator service forecasts till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:5G R&D Investments- New Waveforms & Millimeter Wave Radio Access- MIMO, Beamforming & Antenna Technologies- Interference & Spectrum Management- C-RAN, Virtualization & Other Technologies5G Commercial Infrastructure Investments- Distributed Macrocell Base Stations- Small Cells- RRHs (Remote Radio Heads)- C-RAN BBUs (Baseband Units)- Mobile Core- Fronthaul & Backhaul Networking5G Operator Services- Subscriptions- Service RevenueGet Comple TOC With Tables and Figures @Regional Segmentation- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Latin & Central America- Middle East & Africa- North America- Western EuropeKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:- How much will vendors and operators invest in 5G R&D commitments?- What will be the number of 5G subscriptions in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?- What will be the key applications of 5G networks?- What trends, challenges and barriers will influence the development and adoption of 5G?- Which regions and countries will be the first to adopt 5G?- Will 5G networks utilize new spectrum bands?- Who are the key 5G vendors and what are their strategies?- Will 5G networks rely on C-RAN architecture?- What are the prospects of millimeter wave technology for 5G radio access networking?- What will be the impact of 5G on the M2M and IoT ecosystem?- Will drone and satellite based communication platforms play a wider role in 5G networks?List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:- 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)- 5G Americas- 5G Forum, South Korea- 5G Lab (TU Dresden)- 5G PPP (5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership)- 5GIC (5G Innovation Center, University of Surrey)- 5GMF (Fifth Generation Mobile Communications Promotion Forum, Japan)- 5GRUS- Alcatel-Lucent- Alpental Technologies- America Movil- ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses)- Ascenta- AT&T Mobility- Athena Wireless Communications- ATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions)- AVC Networks Company- CableLabs- China Mobile- Cisco Systems- Cohere Technologies- DT (Deutsche Telekom)- du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company)- Ericsson- Etisalat- ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research)- ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)- Facebook- Fraunhofer FOKUS- Fraunhofer HHI- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft- Fujitsu- Future Forum, China- Google- GSMA- Hiroshima University- Huawei- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)- IMDEA Networks Institute- IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group, China- Intel Corporation- InterDigital- ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute)- ITU (International Telecommunication Union)- KDDI- Keysight Technologies- KT Corporation- Kumu Networks- LG Uplus- MegaFon- Mitsubishi Electric- MOEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan)- Moogsoft- MOST (Ministry of Science & Technology, China)- MOST (Ministry of Science & Technology, Taiwan)- MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, South Korea)- MTS (Mobile TeleSystems)- NEC Corporation- New Mexico Spaceport Authority- NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks) Alliance- NI (National Instruments)- Nokia- NTT DoCoMo- NYU WIRELESS (New York University)- Ofcom- Optus- Orange- Panasonic- Qualcomm- RF DSP- Rohde & Schwarz- Samsung- SES- SiBEAM- SingTel- SK Telecom- Small Cell Forum- SoftBank- Swisscom- TAICS (Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards)- Telecom Italia- Telefonica- TeliaSonera- Telstra- TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)- Titan Aerospace- T-Mobile USA- Tokyo Institute of Technology- U.S. Department of Commerce- U.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)- U.S. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)- U.S. NSF (National Science Foundation)- UN (United Nations)- University of Kaiserslautern- University of Oulu- Verizon Wireless- Viterbi School of Engineering (University of Southern California)- Vodafone Australia- Vodafone Group- VTT Technical Research Center- WWRF (World Wireless Research Forum)- Xilinx- ZTEMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Latest Study on HetNet Ecosystem (Small Cells, Carrier Wi-Fi, C-RAN & DAS): 2016 - 2030 | Now Available at Researchmoz.us

HetNet Ecosystem

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "The HetNet Ecosystem (Small Cells, Carrier Wi-Fi, C-RAN & DAS): 2016 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts" to its huge collection of research reports.Driven by in-building wireless coverage requirements and the growing influx of mobile data traffic, a conventional macrocell based cellular network deployment is not deemed to be a sufficient solution to address the coverage and capacity needs of todays wireless subscribers.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Mobile operators are thus increasing their investments in Heterogeneous Network or HetNet infrastructure such as strategically deployed small cells, carrier Wi-Fi and DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems), to cope with growing capacity and coverage requirements. Adding further to the heterogeneity is the 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 baseband pooling, enhanced coordination between cells, virtualization, network extensibility and energy efficiency.Driven by the thriving ecosystem, we expect small cell, carrier Wi-Fi, C-RAN and DAS investments to account for nearly $13 Billion by the end of 2016. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 15% between 2016 and 2020, as mobile operators remain committed to tackle the continued growth of mobile data traffic and evolving coverage requirements.The HetNet Ecosystem (Small Cells, Carrier Wi-Fi, C-RAN & DAS): 2016  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the HetNet ecosystem including enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization, regulatory landscape, deployment models, use cases, vertical markets, operator case studies, opportunities, future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also presents forecasts for HetNet infrastructure investments from 2016 till 2030. The forecasts cover 6 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.Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:- SNS Research estimates that global infrastructure investments on small cells, carrier Wi-Fi, C-RAN and DAS will reach nearly $13 Billion by the end of 2016, as mobile operators remain committed to tackle the continued growth of mobile data traffic and evolving coverage requirements- Small cell and C-RAN solutions are beginning to converge as small cell OEMs seek to capitalize on the benefits of centralized coordination for in-building and enterprise coverage- Despite opposition from the Wi-Fi community, unlicensed LTE small cell shipments are beginning to gain traction, with shipment revenues potentially reaching $220 Million by the end of 2020- The vendor ecosystem is gradually consolidating with several prominent acquisitions such as Nokias acquisition of French rival Alcatel-Lucent and CommScopes acquisition of small cell specialist AirvanaTopics Covered:The report covers the following topics:- HetNet ecosystem- Market drivers and barriers- Enabling technologies and key architectural components for small cells, carrier Wi-Fi, C-RAN and DAS- Key trends including SCaaS (Small Cells as a Service), unlicensed small cells, virtualization, baseband functional splitting, enterprise RAN and public safety/military small cells- Small cell backhaul and C-RAN fronthaul technologies- Integration, offloading and SON (Self-Organizing Network) technologies- HetNet deployment models, use cases and vertical markets- Case studies of over 30 mobile operator HetNet deployments- Regulatory landscape and standardization- Industry roadmap and value chain- Profiles and strategies of over 350 leading ecosystem players including HetNet infrastructure vendors and enabling technology providers- Strategic recommendations for HetNet infrastructure vendors and mobile operators- Market analysis and forecasts from 2016 till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:- Small Cells- Air Interface Technology Segmentation- 2G & 3G- LTE- 5G- Deployment Model Segmentation- Indoor- Outdoor- Use Case Segmentation- Residential- Enterprise- Urban- Rural & Suburban- Cell Size Segmentation- Femtocells- Picocells- Microcells- Small Cell Backhaul- Technology Segmentation- DSL- Ethernet- Microwave- Millimeter Wave- Satellite- Fiber & Others- Carrier Wi-Fi- Submarket Segmentation- Access Points- Access Point Controllers- Integration Approach Segmentation- Standalone Wi-Fi Hotspots- Managed Wi-Fi Offload- C-RAN- Air Interface Technology Segmentation- 3G & LTE- 5G- Deployment Model Segmentation- Indoor- Outdoor- Submarket Segmentation- BBUs (Baseband Units)- RRHs (Remote Radio Heads)- C-RAN Fronthaul- Technology Segmentation- Dedicated Fiber- WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing)- OTN (Optical Transport Network)- PON (Passive Optical Network)- Ethernet- Microwave- Millimeter Wave- DAS- Deployment Model Segmentation- Indoor- Outdoor- Regional Markets- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Latin & Central America- Middle East & Africa- North America- Western EuropeGet Comple TOC With Tables and Figures @Key Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:- How big is the HetNet 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 submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth?- How can HetNet infrastructure investments improve wireless coverage and alleviate congestion in mobile operator networks?- Is there a market for rural small cell deployments?- What are the prospects of millimeter wave technology for small cell backhaul and C-RAN fronthaul?- Is Ethernet a feasible solution for fronthaul networking?- How big is the market for virtualized Cloud RAN networks?- Who are the key market players, what is their market share and what are their strategies?- What strategies should HetNet infrastructure vendors and mobile operators adopt to remain competitive?List of Companies & Organizations Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:- 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project)- 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2)- 3Roam- 4ipnet- 4RF- 6WIND- ABB- Ablaze Wireless- Absolute Analysis- Accedian Networks- Accelink Technologies- Accelleran- Accuris Networks- AceAxis- Actelis Networks- Actiontec- Actus Networks- Adax- ADB- ADI (Analog Devices Inc.)- ADLINK Technology- ADRF (Advanced RF Technologies)- ADTRAN- ADVA Optical Networking- Advantech- Advantech Wireless- Aerohive Networks- Affarii Technologies- Affirmed Networks- AirHop Communications- Airspan Networks- Airvana- AKM (Asahi Kasei Microdevices)- ALAXALA Networks- Albis Technologies- Alcatel-Lucent- ALCOMA- Allied Data Technologies- Allied Telesis- Allot Communications- Alpha Networks- Altera Corporation- Altiostar Networks- Alvarion Technologies- Amarisoft- Amdocs- America Movil Group- American Tower Corporation- Anite- Anritsu Corporation- Aptilo Networks- Aquantia- Arcadyan Technology Corporation- Argela- Aricent- ARItel- ARM Holdings- Arqiva- Arris- Artemis Networks- Artesyn Embedded Technologies- Artiza Networks- Aruba Networks- Askey Computer Corporation- ASOCS- Astellia- ASTRI (Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute)- AT&T Mobility- Athena Wireless Communications- Athonet- Autelan- Avago Technologies- Avanti Communications- Aviat Networks- AVM- Axis Teknologies- Axxcelera Broadband Wireless (Moseley Associates)- Azcom TechnologyMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
New Study on Global and United States Citrate Plasticizer Market 2017-2022 | Vertellus (USA) Oxea, SurfaTech, Jungbunzlauer, Lanxess, Morimura, Asahi Kasei

Citrate Plasticizer

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Citrate Plasticizer In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Citrate Plasticizer industry.Major CompaniesVertellus (USA)Oxea (Germany)SurfaTech (USA)Jungbunzlauer (Switzerland)Lanxess (Germany)Morimura (Japan)Asahi Kasei (Japan)Indo Nippon (India)KLJ Group (India)Mamta Polycoats (India)Lemon (China)Duoleng (China)Bluesail (China)Kexing (China)Kailai (China)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsCitrate Plasticizer Market, by Product SegmentsTBCATBCTECOtherCitrate Plasticizer Market, by ToxicityToxicLow ToxicNon ToxicCitrate Plasticizer Market, by Key ConsumersFood PackingToy ManufacturingMedical IndustryOtherGet Comple TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Citrate Plasticizer In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Citrate Plasticizer Market Overview1.1 Global Citrate Plasticizer Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Citrate Plasticizer, by Product Segments 2012-20171.2.1 Global Citrate Plasticizer Sales Market Share by Product Segments 2012-20171.2.2 Global Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Market Share by Product Segments 2012-20171.2.3 Global Citrate Plasticizer Price by Product Segments 2012-20171.2.4 TBC1.2.5 ATBC1.2.6 TEC1.2.7 Other1.3 Citrate Plasticizer, by Toxicity 2012-20171.3.1 Global Citrate Plasticizer Sales Market Share by Toxicity 2012-20171.3.2 Global Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Market Share by Toxicity 2012-20171.3.3 Global Citrate Plasticizer Price by Toxicity 2012-20171.3.4 Toxic1.3.5 Low Toxic1.3.6 Non ToxicChapter Two United States Citrate Plasticizer Market Overview2.1 United States Citrate Plasticizer Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Citrate Plasticizer, by Product Segments 2012-20172.2.1 United States Citrate Plasticizer Sales Market Share by Product Segments 2012-20172.2.2 United States Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Market Share by Product Segments 2012-20172.2.3 United States Citrate Plasticizer Price by Product Segments 2012-20172.2.4 TBC2.2.5 ATBC2.2.6 TEC2.2.7 Other2.3 Citrate Plasticizer, by Toxicity 2012-20172.3.1 United States Citrate Plasticizer Sales Market Share by Toxicity 2012-20172.3.2 United States Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Market Share by Toxicity 2012-20172.3.3 United States Citrate Plasticizer Price by Toxicity 2012-20172.3.4 Toxic2.3.5 Low Toxic2.3.6 Non ToxicChapter Three Citrate Plasticizer by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Citrate Plasticizer Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Citrate Plasticizer Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Citrate Plasticizer by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Citrate Plasticizer Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Citrate Plasticizer Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Citrate Plasticizer Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Citrate Plasticizer by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Citrate Plasticizer Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Citrate Plasticizer Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Citrate Plasticizer Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Citrate Plasticizer Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Citrate Plasticizer by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Citrate Plasticizer Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Food Packing6.3 Toy Manufacturing6.4 Medical Industry6.5 Other6.6 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...Browse Detail Report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global and United States Jacquard Fabric Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2017-2022

Jacquard Fabric Industry

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Jacquard Fabric In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Jacquard Fabric industry.Major CompaniesCannon Street Jersey Fabrics Limited (UK)Devantex (Belgium)Humphries Weaving Company (UK)Kuanging Industrial (China)Regal Fabircs (USA)Stellini Group (Italy)Foshan Qiaoli Chemical Fiber Weaving (China)Deertex (USA)Jiaxing Yuelong Jacquard (China)Hangzhou Tianye Jacquard (China)Nantong Jialiang Texitle (China)Jiaxing Yuelong Jacquard (China)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsJacquard Fabric Market, by Type 1Warp JacquardWeft JacquardJacquard Fabric Market, by Type 2Mechanical JacquardHand JacquardJacquard Fabric Market, by Type 3Jacquard TattingJacquard KnittingJacquard Fabric Market, byhersJacquard Fabric Market, by Key ConsumersClothingDecorationOthersGet Comple TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Jacquard Fabric In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Jacquard Fabric Market Overview1.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Jacquard Fabric, by Type 1 2012-20171.2.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Type 1 2012-20171.2.2 Global Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Type 1 2012-20171.2.3 Global Jacquard Fabric Price by Type 1 2012-20171.2.4 Warp Jacquard1.2.5 Weft Jacquard1.3 Jacquard Fabric, by Type 2 2012-20171.3.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Type 2 2012-20171.3.2 Global Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Type 2 2012-20171.3.3 Global Jacquard Fabric Price by Type 2 2012-20171.3.4 Mechanical Jacquard1.3.5 Hand Jacquard1.4 Jacquard Fabric, by Type 3 2012-20171.4.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Type 3 2012-20171.4.2 Global Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Type 3 2012-20171.4.3 Global Jacquard Fabric Price by Type 3 2012-20171.4.4 Jacquard Tatting1.4.5 Jacquard Knitting1.5 Jacquard Fabric, by ers 2012-20171.5.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by ers 2012-20171.5.2 Global Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by ers 2012-20171.5.3 Global Jacquard Fabric Price by ers 2012-20171.5.41.5.5Chapter Two United States Jacquard Fabric Market Overview2.1 United States Jacquard Fabric Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Jacquard Fabric, by Type 1 2012-20172.2.1 United States Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Type 1 2012-20172.2.2 United States Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Type 1 2012-20172.2.3 United States Jacquard Fabric Price by Type 1 2012-20172.2.4 Warp Jacquard2.2.5 Weft Jacquard2.3 Jacquard Fabric, by Type 2 2012-20172.3.1 United States Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Type 2 2012-20172.3.2 United States Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Type 2 2012-20172.3.3 United States Jacquard Fabric Price by Type 2 2012-20172.3.4 Mechanical Jacquard2.3.5 Hand Jacquard2.4 Jacquard Fabric, by Type 3 2012-20172.4.1 United States Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Type 3 2012-20172.4.2 United States Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Type 3 2012-20172.4.3 United States Jacquard Fabric Price by Type 3 2012-20172.4.4 Jacquard Tatting2.4.5 Jacquard Knitting2.5 Jacquard Fabric, by ers 2012-20172.5.1 United States Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by ers 2012-20172.5.2 United States Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by ers 2012-20172.5.3 United States Jacquard Fabric Price by ers 2012-20172.5.42.5.5Chapter Three Jacquard Fabric by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Jacquard Fabric Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Jacquard Fabric Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Jacquard Fabric by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Jacquard Fabric Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Jacquard Fabric Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Jacquard Fabric Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Jacquard Fabric by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Jacquard Fabric Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Jacquard Fabric Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Jacquard Fabric Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Jacquard Fabric Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Jacquard Fabric by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Jacquard Fabric Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Clothing6.3 Decoration6.4 Others6.5 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...Browse Detail Report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global and United States Gas Sensors Market 2017-2022 | Now Available at Researchmoz.us

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Gas Sensors In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Gas Sensors industry.Major CompaniesCity Technology Ltd (UK)Dynament (UK)Alphasense (UK)Amphenol Corporation. (US)Bosch Sensortec (Germany)ams AG (Austria)SenseAir AB (Sweden)Figaro Engineering Inc. (Japan)Membrapor AG (Switzerland)Sensirion AG (Switzerland)MSA (US)Siemcubicens (Germany)Wuhan Cubic Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. (China)Apollo Electronics Co., Ltd (China)Ousj Technology (China)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsGas Sensors Market, by Gas TypeOxygenHydrogenOxidation gasesHydrocarbonsOthersGas Sensors Market, by TechnologyElectrochemicalPhotoionization DetectorsSolid State/Metal Oxide SemiconductorCatalyticOthersGas Sensors Market, by Key ConsumersWater & Wastewater TreatmentOil & GasAutomotive & TransportationFood & BeveragesMetals & ChemicalsPower StationsEnvironmental MonitoringOthersGet Comple TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Gas Sensors In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Gas Sensors Market Overview1.1 Global Gas Sensors Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Gas Sensors, by Gas Type 2012-20171.2.1 Global Gas Sensors Sales Market Share by Gas Type 2012-20171.2.2 Global Gas Sensors Revenue Market Share by Gas Type 2012-20171.2.3 Global Gas Sensors Price by Gas Type 2012-20171.2.4 Oxygen1.2.5 Hydrogen1.2.6 Oxidation gases1.2.7 Hydrocarbons1.2.8 Others1.3 Gas Sensors, by Technology 2012-20171.3.1 Global Gas Sensors Sales Market Share by Technology 2012-20171.3.2 Global Gas Sensors Revenue Market Share by Technology 2012-20171.3.3 Global Gas Sensors Price by Technology 2012-20171.3.4 Electrochemical1.3.5 Photoionization Detectors1.3.6 Solid State/Metal Oxide Semiconductor1.3.7 Catalytic1.3.8 OthersChapter Two United States Gas Sensors Market Overview2.1 United States Gas Sensors Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Gas Sensors, by Gas Type 2012-20172.2.1 United States Gas Sensors Sales Market Share by Gas Type 2012-20172.2.2 United States Gas Sensors Revenue Market Share by Gas Type 2012-20172.2.3 United States Gas Sensors Price by Gas Type 2012-20172.2.4 Oxygen2.2.5 Hydrogen2.2.6 Oxidation gases2.2.7 Hydrocarbons2.2.8 Others2.3 Gas Sensors, by Technology 2012-20172.3.1 United States Gas Sensors Sales Market Share by Technology 2012-20172.3.2 United States Gas Sensors Revenue Market Share by Technology 2012-20172.3.3 United States Gas Sensors Price by Technology 2012-20172.3.4 Electrochemical2.3.5 Photoionization Detectors2.3.6 Solid State/Metal Oxide Semiconductor2.3.7 Catalytic2.3.8 OthersChapter Three Gas Sensors by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Gas Sensors Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Gas Sensors Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Gas Sensors Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Gas Sensors by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Gas Sensors Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Gas Sensors Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Gas Sensors Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Gas Sensors Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Gas Sensors by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Gas Sensors Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Gas Sensors Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Gas Sensors Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Gas Sensors Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Gas Sensors by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Gas Sensors Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Water & Wastewater Treatment6.3 Oil & Gas6.4 Automotive & Transportation6.5 Food & Beverages6.6 Metals & Chemicals6.7 Power Stations6.8 Environmental Monitoring6.9 Others6.10 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...Browse Detail Report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
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If space-time ever aligned in such a way that I might have the chance to vote for Roberto Mangabeira Unger, I would most certainly do so. Unger might be a singular figure in the history of modern thought. The problem of philosophy is that philosophers almost never tell us how to go about our daily activities, and when they do tell us, we get into troubling gray areas. The problem of religion is that priests almost always tell us what do to about our daily activities, and when we lay out these rules, we get into troubling black and white areas. Politicians are merely watered down versions of philosophers or priests that see an urgency to act despite the perilously limited nature of modern thought.

Unger, a Brazilian politician who writes philosophy books about religion, is something of an escape artist from the obvious predicaments of modern thought  although let it be said that he would disagree with the characterization of his project as escapism because he readily admits there can be no escape and to think of his work as much means that it will inevitably be defeated. Thats fine. I do believe his main idea will inevitably be defeated, but I would still vote for it. The Religion of the Future is a critique of the three major branches of religious prescription that concludes by offering a vague alternative with little immunity to the broad strokes of Ungers original critique. This may bother Unger a great deal, though it bothers me not at all.

He identifies three and a half problems of human existence (he says the half-problem is not unsolvable but weve simply been dumb about it so far) that give rise to the worlds religions. He divides the religions into three branches: Semitic monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) that depict humans as struggling with the world, Buddhism and Hinduism that depict humans as overcoming the world, and Confucianism that depicts humans as humanizing the world. Unger analyzes the philosophical tenets that prove each of these depictions has failed to solve the three and a half problems of human existence. So what are those three and a half fundamental problems?

They are death, groundlessness, insatiability, and (the half-problem of) belittlement. The death problem is that we are terrified by the fact that we die no matter what. The groundlessness problem is that our individual lives might be entirely meaningless and unmotivated. The insatiability problem is that we are full of empty desires despite the constraints of mortality and purposelessness, and therefore we suffer. Our response to these problems is to take actions that can never match the unlimited potential of our human spirit, and so we end up compromised by routine half-measures that result in a feeling of self-contempt. This root is where Unger and I will disagree  not about the situation, but the connotations he attaches to it.

An adorable thing about philosophers is that they highly prize writing that will organize every warrant into an effective set of claims, but they always have a loose thread somewhere inside those warrants. In Ungers case, he ought to have mounted a defense of foolishness. No, seriously. Most of modern thought is obsessed with getting the practice of every day living into an order that brooks no inconsistency. Ralph Waldo Emersons hobgoblin goes by many names in Ungers book: hypocrisy, paradox, contradiction, irony, zero-sum, defect. These words all have negative connotations that amount to characterization as a problem; Unger repeatedly assumes a contradiction ought to be eradicated.

Perhaps the only advantage of religion over philosophy is that it usually characterizes inconsistencies through a more positive lens: mystery, gray area, tension, adventure. These dont require resolution, but unfortunately, they often give birth to faith. Faith still presumes that inconsistencies will be revealed as consistencies in due time, that we have some kind of friend in the universe (a god or a force or a fact) that is less unknown than yet-to-be-known and for this reason, the priest is ultimately subscribing to the same essential fallacy as the philosopher. But Unger is not just a priest or a philosopher, he is a politician. Politics is the field where waffling and hypocrisy are the original sin. Is it too much to ask that we stop characterizing our desire to grow futureward as a method of resolving the hypocrisies and ironies that are the very bedrock of our humanity?

Unger has some good (although vague in a policy sense) ideas about how we might go about improving the daily lives of people, how we might increase our perfection and claim for ourselves those divine aspects of character that previously we gifted only to our gods. He has some weird combination of neoliberalism and Marxism going on, like a more pragmatic and Westernized version of Gilles Deleuze and Pierre-Felix Guattari. If youre laughing because you see how easily those two ideologies contradict each other, Im right there with you. But lets recall: humans are hypocritical creatures because of these inevitable tensions that Unger identifies; holding two contradictory things to be simultaneously true is perhaps the only truly unchanging facet of human existence.

If only Unger himself would acknowledge this. Death, groundlessness, and insatiability are not defects in our existence; they are the definition of the human condition. Unger agrees that they cannot be solved, but does not go far enough in taking his criticisms to heart against his own alternative. There is no solving, no beyond in our religious and philosophical and political efforts to circumnavigate human experience. Ironically then, Unger reifies the half-problem into a self-fulfilling, full-blown consequence of his own project: he belittles the human condition itself by claiming not only that its defective but that its possible to eradicate its three defects.

So thats pretty funny, and I like him more for falling into his own traps. Thats very human. The awesome mysteries and hilarious contradictions of human progress over time should always be front and center. This is like Derrida 101, which applies to everything and is therefore quite meaningless, and haha and oh well. Aloha, you know? What Unger is actually doing is just shedding light on his little corner of daily things, and thats fine and good. We must. That usage of our space is pragmatic because time is incremental. We dont know the future. I would vote for Roberto Unger because hes wrong. Hes very serious about it, which does annoy me because Im invested deeply into the laughter part of what Nietzsche offers, but thats just a sign of our mutual insatiability.

This has only been an examination of the way The Religion of the Future collapses in on itself from a philosophical standpoint. Ive not yet said much of anything about whether its viable as a religion or a politics. My best guess is that it s at least as viable as the systems it criticizes because it deploys as its underpinning some of the very same bogus dilemma-making as those systems do. And hey, going to church or running for office or writing a book have gotten us undeniably pretty far in this life in its most practical sense.

Unger wants us to face our limitations in order to exceed them, an excellent contradiction. Thats always going on; its not a religion of the future. This book is 90 percent of the way there, but it should stand explicitly in praise of the tensions of the human condition. Unger is work-affirming instead of life-affirming. So Id at least vote for his work, which seems great right now but in the future will surely fail. He almost certainly knows it, but I dont understand why he doesnt laugh about it. On that score, hes a mystery to me. A fine one.
Let me tell you about a man and a place far away from the cornfields of the Midwest: Jeff Pleadwell and Jeffs Pirates Cove at 111 Route 4, Ip Read moreJeffs Pirates Cove: A place of history
Brahmi Market

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Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Brahmi Market: Introduction:Brahmi also known as Bacopa monnieri scientifically is an ayurvedic herb use for mental wellness. The main constituent of brahmi herb is bacosides. The active constituent of the brahmi herb increases the cerebral blood flow and hence it is largely used as brain health supplement. Barhmi repairs the damage hair follicles and make them strong hence, also use as hair tonic. The other benefits of brahmi are promotion brain comfort, increase in cognitive agility, and reduction of mental stress and is use in treatment of Alzheimers disease. The increase in demand of natural health supplement products has gone up in the pharmaceutical market. This creates an opportunistic market for the brahmi products which are natural brain health promoters. The brahmi products are anticipated to have a higher demands because of its properties.Brahmi Market: SegmentationThe brahmi market can be segmented based on the form and end user.Based on form the brahmi market can be segmented into oil, paste, tablet, powder and tonics.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=26567 Based on end user the brahmi market can be segmented into food and beverage industry, pharmaceutical industry, and personal care industry.The brahmi oil and paste are used for external use mainly as hair care products. Paste can be also found in edible form. Brahmi tablets and tonics are used in health supplement products. The powder form is of multiple use, can be used by consumers directly also the manufacturer can use it in der product to increase the nutritional value.In food and beverage industry the brahmi is use as nutritional drink ingredient and as herb in food peroration. The brahmi is use as brain health wellness supplement in the pharmaceutical industries. In personal care the brahmi products are for hair care and skin care products.Brahmi Market: Region-wise Outlook:Asia Pacific is the biggest market for the brahmi products in terms of producer and consumer. China and India stands the largest exporters of brahmi products globally. The increase in natural product demand in Northern American and European market has a great potential for the brahmi products to flourish. Hence, a high demand for brahmi products is anticipated in this regions.Brahmi Market: Drivers and Restraints:The brain health wellness property of the brahmi makes it a unique product of its type in the nurtraceutical market. This creates a potential market for the brahmi product. The internet of things have wide spread the knowledge of ayurvedic uses of the brahmi, which will drive the market into global consumption of brahmi.Strict regulation rules can bare the brahmi products to enter specific market regions, the restrain that most of the ayurvedic nutraceutical face.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=26567 Brahmi Market: Key Players:The major global player of the brahmi market are The Himalaya Drug Company, Hamdard Laboratories (India), Morpheme Remedies, Dabur India Limited, Organic India Pvt Ltd, Amrut Pharmaceuticals, VADIK HERBS, Natures Velvet Lifecare, Sanofi-Aventis Healthcare Pty Ltd, and Patanjali Ayurved LimitedThe 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.
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Buruli ulcer, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is an interminable devastating disorder that impacts basically the skin and bone now and then. The organism has a place with the gathering of microscopic organisms that causes tuberculosis and disease. The right strategy for transmission is dim. The essential weight of disease falls on kids living in sub-Saharan Africa, however stable people of all ages, races, and financial classes are defenseless. In spite of the way that it has been represented in more than 33 countries around the world, the best weight of the disease is in the tropical ranges of West and Central Africa, Japan, and Australia. It essentially impacts kids between 5 to 15 years. In any case, in some astoundingly endemic districts in Ghana, the regularity of Buruli ulcer has been evaluated to be as high as 150.8/100,000 individuals, and in southern Benin, a present survey has uncovered area rates of 21.5/100,000 consistently, higher than for either tuberculosis or uncleanliness.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22694 This ailment consistently prompts ulcers on the arms or legs, which can in like manner destroy skin or delicate tissue. Exactly when not properly treated, the disease can realize irreversible distortion or whole deal functional failure. The illness is in like manner endemic in a couple of various countries outside Africa, including nation regions of Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, French Guiana, and Mexico. In Australia, Buruli ulcer treatment remains phenomenal, however there have been additions in both quantity and occurrence of endemic territories over the latest 15 years.Buruli ulcer, brought about by Mycobacterium ulcerans is a perpetual crippling sickness that influences primarily the skin and bone sometimes. The organism has a place with the group of microscopic organisms that causes tuberculosis and infection. The correct method of transmission is hazy. The fundamental weight of malady falls on kids living in sub-Saharan Africa, however sound individuals of any age, races, and financial classes are vulnerable. Despite the fact that it has been accounted for in more than 33 nations around the globe, the best weight of infection is in the tropical areas of West and Central Africa, Australia, and Japan. It basically influences kids matured 5-15 years. Notwithstanding, in some exceptionally endemic regions in Ghana, the commonness of Buruli ulcer has been assessed to be as high as 150.8/100,000 people, and in southern Benin, a current review has revealed location rates of 21.5/100,000 every year, higher than for either tuberculosis or leprosy. Disease regularly prompts ulcers on the arms or legs, which can likewise devastate skin or soft tissue. At the point when not appropriately treated, the ailment can bring about irreversible disfigurement or long haul practical inability. The disease is likewise endemic in a few different nations outside Africa, including country territories of Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, French Guiana, and Mexico. In Australia, Buruli ulcer treatment stays uncommon, however there have been increments in both occurrence and the quantity of endemic territories over the most recent 15 years.Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsGrowing incidence of Buruli ulcers is expected to increase demand for antibiotics and surgeries.. As per WHO (World Health Organization) major have likewise been accounted for from South East Asia , Australia, South America and Central regions in Africa. In the course of the most recent 2 decades the rate of Buruli ulcer has expanded, in spite of critical underreporting of cases. In 1999 there were 6000 new cases in Ghana; in 2004 (Australia), there were 25 new cases, 47 more in 2005 and 72 in 2006. Ordinarily, 05 cases for every year happen in the Daintree area (Australia) in any case, in 20112012, there was a noteworthy flare-up, with no less than 75 cases recognized. In Victoria (Australia), 157 cases happened in 20112012. The development is basically determined by expanded prevalence. New companies in the antibiotics industry have indicated expanded competence and safety profiles along with lessening the chances of ulcers. The ulcer showcase likewise has majorly two different procedures of treatment, which are via antibiotics and surgery. Late information recommend that combinations of anti-mycobacterial antibiotics that incorporate rifampicin and either streptomycin or amikacin can execute M. ulcerans in human injuries. Temporary rules now suggest the utilization of chose hostile to mycobacterial drugs, generally consolidated with surgery, for the treatment of Buruli ulcer. Effective treatment will abbreviate the course of the sickness and limit distortion. Skilled surgery, expert nursing care, and therapeutic physiotherapy are regularly required to accomplish great results.Yet, the remedial action of such events still rests an undiscovered area of research and development for pharmaceutical & healthcare organizations to carry innovative medications and advanced treatment into the Buruli ulcer treatment market. However nonappearance of conclusive treatment, reactions, restricted adequacy of the medications and high cost of surgery accessible in the market and reliance in manifestation based treatment in a few cases is required to hamper treatment growth & development of the overall Buruli ulcer treatment market over the forecast period.Around 70% of those suffered with Buruli ulcer are kids under 15 years of age. In Ghana the normal cost to treat Buruli ulcer is over US$ 780 for each individual. The acknowledged current treatment for Buruli ulcer is typically surgery. Inconveniences incorporate contracture distortions, removal of appendages, and inclusion of the eye, breast and genitalia. In a few areas 2025% of those with recuperated injuries are left with inabilities that have a long-term social and financial effect. The current financial and social weight forced by Buruli ulcer is colossal. The global market for Buruli ulcer treatment is expected to witness firm growth owing to increasing incidence rate of the ulcers coupled with new treatment (branded and generic) approach.Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: Region  wise OutlookGlobally the Buruli ulcer treatment market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America and Western Europe are expected to be the leading markets in the global Buruli ulcer treatment market. Rising treatment options among the young age population, prescription rates and the maturing worldwide population are additionally considered vital drivers for this market. Public awareness via hospitals, drug manufacturers, medical campaigns and simply available diagnostic tests are relied upon to lift interest for Buruli ulcer treatment items in these areas. Japan and APEJ are relied upon to take after next as far as interest for the treatment of Buruli ulcer treatment advertise. Eastern Europe, Latin America and MEA markets are likewise anticipated that would witness normal development over the forecast period. Nonattendance of populace based reviews in creating nations is a noteworthy test in appraisal of ulcer related contaminations in these nations.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22694 Buruli ulcer treatment Market key Participants are GlaxoSmithKline plc., B Braun, Pfizer, Cipla Limited, Perk Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Lupin Laboratories Ltd, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie Inc., Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., DR Reddys Labs Ltd, Mylan Pharms Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 12:52:20

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Global Calcium Market: OverviewCalcium metal is commonly used in the metallurgy industry as a reducing agent for preparing metals such as uranium and thorium. The metal is also extensively used as an alloying agent for lead, beryllium, aluminum, and magnesium alloys. A number of calcium compounds find extensive usage across industries such as construction and chemicals. In the construction sector, compounds such as calcium carbonate, calcium oxide, and calcium hydroxide are used directly as building stones or for the manufacture of cement.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2346 In the past few years, the vast rise in construction activities, especially across developing economies such as India, China, Brazil, and many countries in the Middle East and Africa has led to a significant rise in the global demand for calcium and its compounds. Rising demand for calcium compounds across the chemicals industry is also leading to significant developments in the global calcium market.This report on the global calcium market presents a thorough overview of the present-day growth dynamics of the market and its core elements and segments. With the help of primary and secondary research methods and inputs from industry experts, the potential future impact of factors such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends, and regulatory policies is predicted. As a result, the report makes for a data repository providing a greater understanding of the way the market will be driven in the future years.Global Calcium Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe global calcium market is chiefly driven by the surging demand for calcium compounds across a number of end-use industries. In its several forms, calcium is extensively used as decarbonizing agents, deoxidizing agents, desulfurizing agents, as a reducing agent in the extraction of several metals, and the production of cement. The metal also finds usage as a coagulant in the production of cheese and as a catalyst in the manufacture of alloys of copper, aluminum, beryllium, and lead.The continuous rise in these sectors across the globe has been the chief driver of the global calcium market in the past years. Of the key end use industries, the construction industry has emerged as one of the most promising sectors for the market, accounting for a massive chunk in the overall revenue of the market. The sector is expected to retain its position as the leading contributor of revenue to the global market, chiefly owing to the significant expansion of the building and construction sector in developing economies in the past few years.Global Calcium Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsOf the key regional markets, the Asia Pacific calcium market presently dominates owing to the vast rise in demand across countries such as South Korea, India, China, and Japan. The strong growth observed by the chemicals industry of the region in the past few years has also led to vast growth opportunities for the global calcium market. The region is expected to remain the leading contributor to the global market in terms of revenue and volume in the next few years as well.Some of the key vendors operating in the highly fragmented global calcium market are Shiraishi Kogyo Kaisha, Ltd., Mississippi Lime Company, Omya AG, Minerals Technologies Inc., Okutama Kogyo Co. Ltd., Excalibar Minerals LLC, Schaefer Kalk GMBH & Co. KG, Huber Engineered Materials, Maruo Calcium Co. Ltd., Solvay S.A., and Imerys. The research report, with the help of various market research tools, analyzes detailed business profiles of these companies, their recent developments, and an overview of their contribution towards the development of the overall market in terms of consumption, demand, revenue, and volume.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2346
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 12:51:57

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Carbon Dioxide (CO2) monitors measures partial pressure or gas concentration with the use of two configurations namely, sidestream and mainstream. Mainstream CO2 monitors measure the respiratory gas directly from airway. Whereas, sidestream devices measure the respiratory gas through nasal or oral cannula. The global carbon dioxide monitors market is witnessing a significant growth owing to increasing requirements in patient monitoring and emerging new application areas. Capnography, recovery rooms, emergency rooms, post anesthesia care units, critical care units and others are various application areas of CO2 monitors. Of all the above mentioned application areas Capnography application segment accounts for the largest share.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2323 The global CO2 monitors market can be segmented as follows:By Product TypeEnd-Tidal Carbon Dioxide (EtCO2) MonitorsTranscutaneos Carbon Dioxide (tcpCO2) MonitorsIncreasing geriatric population, rising pollution levels and increasing breath related disorders are some of the key factors driving the growth of this market. In addition, technological advancements, favorable government regulations and increasing need for monitoring devices also propels the growth of CO2 monitors market. However, unfavorable reimbursement policies can restrict the growth of this market during the study period. End-tidal Carbon Dioxide monitorsegment accounts for the largest share in the global CO2 monitors market.Geographically, North America holds the largest share of the global CO2 monitors market owing to increasing geriatric population, rising awareness and technological advancements. However, Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period from 2013 to 2019. Factors such as rising adoption rate, increasing disposable income and product awareness accentuates the growth of CO2 monitors market in Asia-Pacific region.B.Braun, Criticare Systems, GE Healthcare, MIndray, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Nonin Medical, Inc., OSI Systems, Inc., Philips Healthcare and others are some of the key players engaged in developing and manufacturing CO2 monitors globally.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 yearsThis 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.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2323
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 12:51:59

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Chromium is a lustrous steel-colored brittle but hard chemical. It exhibits high gloss, high melting point, excellent resistance to corrosion and is highly resistant to tarnishing. Chromium can combine with other metals to form a number of metal compounds. For instance, ferrochromium and chromium metal are produced by the aluminothermic or silicothermic reactions. Chromium is used in a wide range of applications including metallurgy, dye and pigment, wood preservation, tanning, refractory material, catalysts and magnets among others. Majority of chromium is converted into ferrochromium alloys, due to its high demand in stainless steel and alloy industries.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2316 Rapid industrialization in emerging economies such as China, Brazil and India is expected to be one of the primary factors driving the demand for chromium in various industrial activities and processes over the next few years. In addition, the growing demand for stainless steel in various applications such as household goods, consumer goods and electronics due to its light weight, glossy luster and high resistance to corrosion, is expected to augment the demand for chromium over the next six years. However, the fluctuating cost of chromium and the increasing costs of mining are expected to hamper the growth of the market. Rising demand for chromium in BRICS is expected to open new opportunities for the growth of the market in the near future.South Africa, Kazakhstan and India are the leading producers of chromium and supply over three fourth of the worlds demand. Rising industrial activities in Asia Pacific is expected to drive the demand for chromium in this region and is expected to be the fastest growing market in the forecast period. Other developing regions such as South America and Africa are expected to witness a substantial growth in the chromium market over the next few years.Some of the key participants of the global chromium market include Norilsk Nickel, Cia De Ferro Ligas Da Bahia, Aquarius Platinum, African Rainbow Minerals, Assore, Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum, Merafe Resources and GlencoreXstrata among 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 yearsThis 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.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2316
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:57:47

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Coronary artery bypass graft is a type of surgery used to treat coronary heart diseases. This surgery improves blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart. According to the National Health Service (England), every year in the U.K., about 20,000 coronary artery bypass grafts are carried out. About 80% of the surgery is used to treat people aged 60 years and above. This surgery is carried out under general anesthetic. The coronary artery bypass graft is performed depending on the severity of the coronary heart disease and the narrowing of coronary blood vessels. Traditional bypass surgery involves a process where the function of the heart is taken over by a heart-lung bypass machine, the patient's breastbone is split, and the chest is cut open. In minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting, only a single three-inch incision is performed over the patient's left chest between the ribs, with no incision over the breastbone. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, a form of coronary artery bypass graft, is commonly known as beating heart bypass graft because it involves the opening of the chest bone but the heart beat is not stopped. According to the Texas Heart Institute, more than 200,000 procedures are performed in the U.S every year.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20828 Factors such as growth in number of geriatric population, increase in prevalence of cardiovascular disorder, and change in lifestyle are projected to drive the global coronary artery bypass grafts market during the forecast period. According to the WHO, 17.5 million people die each year due to cardiovascular disease, which is equal to 31% of all estimated deaths worldwide. Technological advancement is another fueling factor, which is likely to add value to the global market. On the other hand, stringent government guidelines are estimated to hinder the market growth.The global coronary artery bypass grafts market has been segmented by procedure type, product type, end-user, and geography. In terms of procedure type, the market is classified into traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting. The traditional coronary artery bypass grafting is performed when a major artery needs to be bypassed. In terms of product type, the market is classified into saphenous vein graft, left internal thoracic artery graft, and other arterial grafts such as radial artery, ulnar artery, gastroepiploic artery, and inferior epigastric artery. In terms of end-user, the market is classified into hospitals, specialty clinics, and ambulatory centers.In terms of geography, the coronary artery bypass grafts market is classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Geographically, North America dominates the market due to product availability, technological advancement, presence of top players, and growth in number of geriatric population, which in turn is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. The geriatric population represents about 14.5% of the U.S. population. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by 2060, the number is projected to grow to 98 million which is twice of the 2014 geriatric population in the U.S. Europe is the second leading market due to increasing number of coronary heart diseases among the population. The Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a higher rate in the near future due to presence of high target patient pool, growth in adoption of western lifestyle, increase in government initiatives, and rise in awareness among people.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=20828 The major global players operating in this market include Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, C.R. Bard, Cordis Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Terumo Corporation, Sorin Group, and Ethicon US.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:45:03

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Fetal doppler monitor, commonly known as baby heartbeat monitor, is a handheld ultrasound transducer used to detect the fetal heartbeat for prenatal care. Fetal doppler monitor provides information about the fetus, which is similar to that of fetal stethoscope, and it acts as an indicator of stress. The stress usually occurs during birth and labor period, which can be detected using the ultrasound probe and electrocardiography. Over the counter sale and use of Doppler ultrasound heartbeat monitors are used for listening to the heartbeat of a fetus. These are legally marketed as prescription devices and should be used under supervision of health care professionals. Doptone is a type of handheld portable ultrasound tool used for fetal monitoring. The tool is beneficial due to its waterproof technology. However, fetal monitoring increases the risk of C-section due to high rate of technological uses, which can develop many complications for the fetus and the mother during pregnancy.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20951 Increase in number of childbirth, awareness program for preventing the complications in childbirth, and demand for at-home fetal heart monitors are important driving factors of the global fetal doppler monitoring system market. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared the usage of Doppler ultrasound heartbeat monitors and fetal ultrasound imaging should be by trained health care professionals, and they are not intended for over the counter sale or use. Cost of treatment or ultrasonography and sensitivity of child toward ultrasound devices are expected to hamper the fetal doppler monitoring system market growth.The global market has been segmented based on monitoring process type, end-user, and geography. In terms of monitoring process type, the fetal doppler monitoring system market is classified into electronic fetal monitoring, external fetal monitoring, and internal fetal monitoring. In terms of end-user, the market for fetal doppler monitoring system is classified into diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, and research & development. In terms of geography, the market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Geographically, North America dominates the global market due to increase in advent of technology of ultrasound monitoring devices and growth in child development plan. Early-phase diagnosis and treatment of disease during pregnancy is driving the medical biotechnology market which in turn is expected to drive the fetal doppler monitoring system market in North America. Europe is the second leading market for fetal doppler monitoring system as there are favorable government policies regarding health care infrastructure and awareness of population development. The Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a higher rate due to rise in population, changing lifestyle, rise in awareness between patients, and increase in per capita expenditure. In addition, economic growth is supporting the health care infrastructure improvement in developing countries such as India and China.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=20951 The major players operating in the global fetal doppler monitoring system market include Medline Industries, Inc., Bionet Co., Ltd, Huntleigh Healthcare Limited, Promed Group Co., Ltd., ELCAT, Hadeco, Inc., Shenzhen Biocare Bio-Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., Advanced Instrumentations, and SonoScape Medical Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:42:41

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Traditional approaches to GMP facility design often tend to focus on the physical attributes or the process scales as a function of single-product throughput. This approach neglects the foundation of flexibility, especially in the process of balancing the quality of product and manufacturing costs. Hence, the design and implementation of flexible production processes is being established globally to meet the industry's emerging economic and production capacity requirements. The flexible biomanufacturing platform is characterized by operational and functional integration in the biomanufacturing process to adapt quickly to changing markets and production capacity demands for the improvement in quality, cost, complexity, and scale. Various flexible models have been proposed for biomanufacturing plants, which can be customized according to the program needs. Flexible biomanufacturing platform incorporates various tools in the process, such as manufacturing of multiple products with fast changeover, easy adoption of the manufacturing process, accommodation of both large and small volume production requirements, and easy conversion from clinical manufacturing to commercial production. Flexibility can be achieved in the equipment, process, or manufacturing facility.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22556 Globalization of the biopharmaceutical industry, patent expirations of blockbuster biopharmaceutical products, increasing pressure to reduce manufacturing costs, and shift in new product development toward more personalized products are expected to drive the flexible biomanufacturing platform market during the forecast period. However, regulatory requirements, selection of host manufacturers, high initial set-up cost, requirement of substantial pre-planning, concerns regarding product safety, efficacy, and quality, and capital investment and total product costs or profitability can hamper the growth of the flexible biomanufacturing platform market.The global flexible biomanufacturing platform market has been segmented based on technology and modality. In terms of technology, the market has been segmented into four types: single-use technology, modular environment, advanced process automation, and standardization. Single-use technology is the most preferred mode in flexible biomanufacturing process, accounting for the largest share of the flexible biomanufacturing platform market in terms of revenue in 2015. Dominance of the segment is attributed to its cost effectiveness, productivity, and efficiency. The technology reduces cross-contamination and allows multi-product bioprocessing of molecules. The single-use technology segment is projected to witness fastest growth as it lowers cost of equipment and saves labor time and cost. Modular environment is the second most popular segment of the flexible biomanufacturing platform market, wherein the controlled environmental modules (CEMs) handle and regulate each unit of operation. Based on modality, the flexible biomanufacturing platform market has been segmented into machine flexibility, material handling flexibility, and operational flexibility. Machine flexibility is the most commonly utilized technique and the segment captured the largest market share in 2015. Quick relocation of capacity, fast adaptability to capacity turnovers, and reduced time and labor costs are the major drivers of the machine flexibility segment.Geographically, the global flexible biomanufacturing platform market has been divided into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for the largest market share in terms of revenue in 2015. This is attributed to the rising number of complex molecules in the biologic pipeline, advancements in bioprocesses and capabilities, and rapid increase in product approvals in the pharmaceutical sector. Increasing demand for access to affordable biologic products in the developing economies such as Russia and Brazil, a desire for local production, and rising focus on personalized medicine for niche markets are the major factors anticipated to boost the flexible biomanufacturing platform market in North America and Europe in the next few years.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22556 Key players in the global flexible biomanufacturing platform market are GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Patheon, Inc., JHL Biotech, Xcellerex, Inc., McKinsey & Company, Nelson Biomedical, Setpoint Systems, Inc., R-Pharm, and Blue Ocean Biomanufacturing, among others. Management of disposable elements and increasing interaction with suppliers are the major strategies followed by key players to sustain in the flexible biomanufacturing platform market.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 12:52:13

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Flocculation is a process wherein colloids come out of suspension in the form of flake masses due to the addition of clarifying agents. Flocculants are substances which promote the clumping of particles used in treating of waste water, which is useful in separating solid harmful particles from water. These agents promote flocculation by causing colloids and other suspended particles to aggregate in liquid. They are used in various water treatment processes.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2330 Flocculants are multivalent cations such as calcium or magnesium .It changes the arrangement of the particle in the glaze which makes the particle attract each other and join up into larger groups. Vinegar, gelatin and aluminium sulfate are a few examples of flocculants. These agents are used in various industries such as chemical processing, food & beverage, oil & gas and power generation among others. Selection of flocculants depends on optimizing the cost to performance ratio. The commercial flocculants are classified as inorganic, synthetic organic and those derived from natural productsIncreasing number of waste water treatment projects on account of scarcity of water resources is expected to drive the market for flocculants within the forecast period. They are the most commonly used water treatment chemicals. However, stringent regulations on use of chemicals in water treatment may curb the demand for flocculants over the next few years. In addition, power generation is the most significant application segment for flocculants. Thus, the growing demand for power may augment the demand for flocculants in near future.Rising demand for clean and potable water in emerging economies such as China and India is expected to drive the demand for flocculants in Asia Pacific in near future. China is expected to be the largest consumer of flocculants during the forecasted period.Some of the major players in the flocculants market are 3F Chimica Americas, CRW Finishing Inc, Hubbart - Hall Inc and Severn Trent Services among 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 yearsThis 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.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2330
Functional Cosmetic Ingredient Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 07:00:53

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Functional Cosmetic Ingredient Market Introduction:Natural, organic and functional cosmetics are among the fastest growing beauty products category currently. This includes, skin care and anti-aging ingredients and products, sun protection ingredients and cosmetic products, hair care ingredients and products and others. Moreover, introduction of natural ingredients in cosmetic formulations has led to rapid growth of functional cosmetics ingredients in the cosmeceutical products. Functional cosmetic ingredients possess certain properties affecting the form, texture, consistency, fragrance and delivery system of the final cosmetic product. Functional ingredients are inactive ingredients that make over the counter drugs work delivering primary benefits to the skin and aid the performance of the active ingredient. Most common type of functional cosmetic ingredients are surfactants, conditioning and moisturizing agents, colorants, fragrance ingredients and others. Functional cosmetic ingredients in a skin care formulation are often regarded as vehicles for the delivery of active or performance ingredients. The global functional cosmetic ingredient market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to booming cosmetic industry across the globe.Functional Cosmetic Ingredient Market Segmentation:The functional cosmetic ingredient market is segmented into, product type, nature, form, area of application, and by region. By product type, the global functional cosmetic ingredient market is segmented into, emollient, emulsifying agent, preservative, surfactant, humectant, thickeners or texturizers and others. Such ingredients function as skin regenerating agents, skin lightening, anti-aging, skin brightening, and anti-microbial agents. By nature the global functional cosmetic ingredient market is segmented in to natural ingredients and synthetic ingredients. Natural ingredients segment is expected to represent significant growth opportunities in the global functional cosmetic ingredients market over the forecast period owing shift towards natural and clean label cosmetic products by consumers across the globe. By form the global functional cosmetic ingredient market is segmented into, solids, semi-solid and liquid form. By area of application the global functional cosmetic ingredient market is segmented into, skin and skin care applications, hair care, fragrance and aromatherapy, decorative cosmetics and toiletries. Skin care and decorative cosmetics application segment is expected to create immense growth opportunities in the global functional cosmetic ingredients market.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29747 Functional Cosmetic Ingredient Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of region the global functional cosmetic ingredient market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East and Africa. North America and Western Europe are expected to account for significant revenue shares in the global functional cosmetic ingredient market over the forecast period. Growing focus towards maintaining personal aesthetics coupled with rapidly aging population seeking to remain youthful, as well as increasing desire of younger individuals intending to stave off the first signs of aging is expected to fuel the market growth of cosmetic functional ingredients market over the forecast period. Asia pacific and Middle East countries are expected to create significant growth opportunities in the overall functional cosmetic ingredients market over the forecast period.Functional Cosmetic Ingredient Market Drivers and TrendsThe usage of cosmeceuticals has drastically hiked during the recent past years which in turn has expanded the spectrum of products offered by cosmetic products manufacturers thus fueling the functional cosmetic ingredients market growth over the forecast period. Increasing use of natural functional ingredients by cosmetic products manufacturers is expected to increases the sales prospects of cosmetic products that are organic and natural thus escalating the market growth over the forecast period. Moreover, rapidly aging population, growing skin care concerns coupled with rising healthcare spending power across the globe is expected to escalate the market revenues in the global cosmetic functional ingredients market growth over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=29747 Functional Cosmetic Ingredient Market Key Players:Some of the key players offering Functional Cosmetic Ingredient include; AAK Personal Care, AMSilk GmbH, Sensient Cosmetic Technologies, Merck & Co., Inc., NOF CORPORATION, Berg + Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG, Symrise AG, NVORGANICS PVT.LTD . and others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.
Tomato Paste Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 07:04:34

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Tomato Paste Market Introduction:Tomato is one of the major vegetable crop grown worldwide. Tomato paste is a concentrated long shelf life product used as an important food ingredient worldwide. As per Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2011, the global tomato production was approximately 130 million tons with China and Europe as leading tomato producing regions currently. Other major tomato producers across the globe are India, U.S. and Turkey. Tomato paste is prepared by removing skin, pulp of tomatoes to create tomato juice which is then concentrated generally by evaporation method in order to obtain a thick paste. Tomato paste market is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period owing to its widespread application in food industry.Tomato Paste Market Segmentation:Increasing demand for organic tomato paste is expected to uplift the global market revenues of tomatoes globally in the coming years. The global tomato paste market is segmented into, product type, packaging type, area of application, sales channels and by region. By product type, the global tomato paste market is segmented on the basis of dry matter content into, single concentrate, double concentrate and triple concentrate. Double concentrate is the most common type of tomato paste currently available in the market. By packaging type the global tomato paste market is segmented into, cans, carton packaging, bottles and pouches. Cans are the preferred mode of packaging for tomato paste due to its convenient packing and to increase the shelf life of the tomato paste based products. By application the global tomato paste market is segmented into, industrial, household and commercial applications. In industrial application the tomato paste is widely used in making sauces, and in finished products such as, pizzas, soups jams and others. By sales channels the global tomato paste market is segmented into, hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience stores, E-commerce and pother retail formats.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29756 Tomato Paste Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of region the global tomato paste market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East and Africa. North America and Western Europe are expected to account for significant revenue shares in the global tomato paste market over the forecast period. In European countries tomato is one of the most important vegetable consumed accounting for an approximate share of 19% as the largest fresh vegetable crop. Per capita tomato consumption is high in countries such as, Germany, Spain and France. Household use of tomato is increasing in countries such as China, India, Africa and U.S. where consumers use it for making several recipes thus, contributing towards escalating market revenues of tomato over the forecast period. Tomato paste manufactured in China enjoys great popularity in the world market because of its high quality. Also, growing manufacturers efforts to increase their tomato production capabilities is expected to fuel the tomato paste market growth over the forecast period.Tomato Paste Market Drivers and TrendsGrowing demand for convenience food products, shift towards organic and clean label products and growing consumption of tomato paste is expected to fuel the market revenue growth of tomato Paste market over the forecast period. Furthermore, growing demand for fresh tomatoes has contributed towards its escalating production across the globe. For example, in the U.S., California is the leading producer of tomato paste with fresh tomatoes production taking place across all the states in the region. Domestic tomato producers have recognized limited market opportunity in the global tomato business hence, a number of new greenhouse/hydroponic operations have come online in several States over the past few years which will further accelerate the tomato paste market growth in terms of value and value both.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=29756 Tomato Paste Market Key Players:Some of the key players offering Tomato Paste include; Conagra Brands, Del Monte Foods, Inc., Olam Spices & Vegetables Inc., Los Gatos Tomatos, Cento Fine Foods, Muir Glen Organic, Vigo Importing Co., PANOS brands, Bionaturae, LLC and others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.
Glucono Delta Lactone Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:59:19

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Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Glucono delta-lactone (GDL) is a food additive which is also known as gluconolactone. It is represented with the EU number E575. Glucono delta-lactone is used to improve the quality and stability of the food products. It is produced by oxidizing gluconic acid by various methods. Glucono delta-lactone is also used as a pH controlling agent as well as an acidulant. Glucono delta-lactone is also used as a tofu coagulant. Pure glucono delta-lactone is a white crystalline powder which is odourless and is non-toxic. Glucono delta-lactone is moderately soluble in alcohol but is freely soluble in water. Glucono delta-lactone is commonly found in fruit juices, royal jelly, honey, wine and other fermented products in its natural state (gluconic acid). Glucono delta-lactone is neutral in nature but slowly hydrolyses into gluconic acid in water which is acidic. Glucono delta-lactone helps to preserve the food from spoilage by enzyme and microorganism. Glucono delta-lactone is generally not made from any gluten containing grain, rather it is made by the fermentation of maize or rice.Glucono Delta Lactone Market Segmentation:Glucono delta-lactone is segmented on the basis of application, extraction method, and region. On the basis of application, the Glucono delta-lactone market is segmented into food production, beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other industries. In food production glucono delta-lactone is used as a stabilizer, preservative and leavening agent. In the beverage segment glucono delta-lactone is highly used as a gelling agent. In the cosmetics segment the glucono delta-lactone is used as a skin buffer/ moistureriser. Right now use of glucono delta-lactone in the pharmaceutical segment is very less but in the coming years its use will increase enormously. On the basis of extraction method the Glucono delta-lactone market is segmented into: D-glucose oxidation with enzymes derived from microorganisms, D-glucose oxidation with the help of nonpathogenic microorganisms and D-glucose oxidation with the help of bromine water. The method of oxidation of D-glucose by nonpathogenic microorganism is the widely used extraction method for Glucono delta- lactone. Generally microorganism which is used is Aspergillus Niger. On the basis of region the Glucono delta-lactone market is segmented into Latin America, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29738 Glucono Delta Lactone Market drivers:With the increase in demand of baking and bakery products among consumers worldwide is expected to drive the market of glucono delta lactone in the forecast period. The rising demand of glucono delta lactone in the cosmetic segment is one of the key reason which is pushing for the growth of the of glucono delta lactone market in the present market circumstances. Glucono delta lactone is widely used as an interme=diate for the production of sanitizers and nutritional supplements. These kind of applications is increasing the demand for glucono delta lactone and gradually it will drive the market in the forecast period. Pharmaceutical industries should heavily investing on the Research and Development of the glucono delta lactone will defiantly be a major factor for the increase in the market share of glucono delta lactone. Glucono delta lactone market is primarily driven by its versatile properties. Growing awareness among the people regarding the benefits of glucono delta lactone is going to make the market drive more in the coming future.Glucono Delta Lactone Market Regional Outlook:Regional segment for the market of glucono delta lactone is divided into five different regions: Latin America, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific. Among these, Asia Pacific is estimated to have the largest market share for glucono delta lactone market. Countries like China and India are growing at a constant pace in terms of production and demand.Glucono Delta Lactone Market Key Players:Some of the key players in glucono delta lactone market are Xinhong Pharmaceutical, Jungbunzlauer International, Roquette, BASF SE, TTCA CO., LTD., Arkema Group, Huntsman International LLC., Yuanming Group, Baisheng Biotechnology, Xingzhou Medicine Foods and others.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=29738 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.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:41:37

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Contrast medium or diagnostic imaging agent is a substance that enhances the contrast of structures and fluids present inside the body in medical imaging. The widely used contrast mediums are generally based on gadolinium (Gd). Based on the chemical structure and chelating part, these gadolinium-based contrast mediums are categorized into linear and macrocyclic agents. The macromolecule with cyclic portion structure is referred as macrocyclic compound. Gadolinium-based macrocyclic compounds used as contrast medium are referred as macrocyclic agents.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22658 Gadolinium-based macrocyclic agents include gadobutrol and gadoteridol. There are two structurally different compounds available: open chain and cyclic chain. The open chain agents are also called linear agents. The gadolinium ion is captured into ligand cavity to produce macrocyclic agents. Owing to lesser degree of dissociation, macrocyclic agents are considered more stable than linear agents. Stability of macrocyclic agents depend on the degree of dissociation and how tightly the chelates are formed with the gadolinium ion. Macrocyclic agents have proven to be the most stable agents as these do not bind to serum proteins. The stable macrocyclic agents are recommended in pregnancy and lactating patients. Ideally, macrocyclic agents should have the following characteristics: selectivity for biochemical targets, good ratio of specific to nonspecific binding, better safety profile, and signal amplification capabilities.Increasing number of diagnostic procedures and growing medical infrastructure are anticipated to drive the global macrocyclic agents market. Macrocyclic agents available in the market include Gadovist, ProHance, and Clariscan. Increase in the global use of gadolinium-based contrast agents is expected to fuel the growth of the global macrocyclic agents market. However, high costs are likely to hamper the growth of the global macrocyclic agents market.The global macrocyclic agents market has been segmented based on route of administration, procedure, application, and region. In terms of route of administration, the market has been segmented into oral, rectal, urethral, and parenteral. Increasing use of injectables in various procedures such as X-ray, CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound is expected to drive the global macrocyclic agents market. Based on procedure, the global macrocyclic agents market has been classified into X-ray, CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound. High number of approvals for MRI contrast media in various markets is one of the key factors driving the MRI segment.Based on application, the global macrocyclic agents market has been divided into radiology, interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, and others. The radiology segment is estimated to hold the largest market share due to increasing number of diagnostic procedures.In terms of region, the global macrocyclic agents market has been segmented into five key regions: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is projected to hold the largest share of the global macrocyclic agents market during the forecast period. This is attributed to highly-developed medical infrastructure and increasing number of diagnostic procedures. Europe is expected to be the second largest market for macrocyclic agents. Rapidly developing countries such as India and China are anticipated to fuel the growth of the macrocyclic agents market in Asia Pacific.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22658 Major players in the global macrocyclic agents market include GE Healthcare, Bayer AG, Bracco Imaging S.p.A., Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, Eisai Co. Ltd., and Guerbet Group. Bayer AG and Bracco Imaging S.p.A. are expected to account for considerable share of the global macrocyclic agents market.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 12:52:22

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Global Marine Grease Market: OverviewMarine grease used as a lubricant in the shipping industry is derived from crude oil, animal oil, vegetable oil, and various other chemicals. The superior properties of these lubricants such as higher thermal stability, high load carrying capacity, longer lubrication intervals, non-melting, mechanical stability, high pressure additives, wider temperature range, corrosion protection, and water resistance have made it suitable for use under extreme conditions. Marine greases therefore increase the overall efficiency of ships, which is a key factor fuelling its demand globally.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2305 The report provides a granular analysis of the various factors supporting the markets growth. In addition, it lists down the restraints that pose threat to the global marine grease market. It provides refined projections for the market and studies the effect of Porters five forces. The report thus compiles valuable information intended to provide a better perspective of the market to its stakeholders.Global Marine Grease Market: Trends and OpportunitiesMarine grease reduces the friction between the mechanical components of a ship, thus helping improve its overall efficiency. The increasing globalization of enterprises has spurred the demand for shipping services. While this led to the expansion of the shipping industry, it also created attractive growth opportunities for the global marine grease market. The increase budget allocation in the defense sector will also encourage the markets growth.On the downside, various hazards arising from the spillage of marine grease in marine bodies have resulted in the implementation of stringent environmental regulations. This could pose a major threat to the market. However, in order to pace with the evolving trends, the leading companies are shifting their focus towards less hazardous substitutes. The change in policies, aimed at meeting the stringent regulations, holds immense opportunities for the markets growth.With companies increasingly focusing on marine grease derived from mineral and vegetable oil, the marine grease market stands a chance of reporting progress through the course of the forecast period.Global Marine Grease Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, the global marine grease market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Among these regions, Europe holds dominance in the global market. However, the market is also expected to witness lucrative opportunities in Asia Pacific. The region has some of the busiest ports in the world, located in countries such as China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The rising infrastructural developments and increasing trade activities in these countries are expected to keep the demand for marine grease high in Asia Pacific.The demand witnessed in the developing countries of Africa and Latin America, will boost the markets growth in Rest of the World.Global Marine Grease Market: Vendor LandscapeBesides covering the growth drivers and restraints, the report also presents a thorough analysis of the prevailing vendor landscape. It therefore includes the profiles of companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Total Lubricants, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP Marine Castrol among others. Using SWOT analysis, it gauges the strengths and weaknesses of the companies profiled. The analysis also helps identifying the opportunities and threats that these companies could witness through the course of the forecast period.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2305
Shock Mount Packaging Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 07:07:20

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Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Shock Mount Packaging Market: Market OverviewThe shock mount packaging is one of the safest and preferred forms of packaging for highly delicate items such as the chemical compounds or electronic equipment. The shock mount packaging offers the customers a varied range of packaging options. These packaging options contain in-built shock absorption mechanisms, which protect the products or contents kept inside from various external factors such as the effects of noise, shock as well as vibrations. The shock mount packaging also protects the contents from dust, humidity as well as moisture. Aircraft, conveyors, railroads, and trucks create the transportation vibrations that can damage many products, which can be protected with the help of the shock mount packaging. The attributes of a good shock mount packaging systems are their abilities to store or retain the energy generated during the shock episode and a slow release of this energy later.Shock Mount Packaging Market: Market DynamicsThe increasing need for specific packaging equipped with dedicated mounts for a shock as well as vibration isolation is fueling the growth of the shock mount packaging market. The growing demand for packaging solutions while transportation of delicate and fragile products is also contributing to the growth of the shock mount packaging market. The need to transport highly sensitive products in a controlled environment to reduce the risk of jeopardizing is also driving the market growth. The increasing purchase of products from e-commerce websites coupled with the 3PL logistic services is also a driving factor. However, the high initial cost of investment is a restraining factor for the growth of the shock mount packaging market. The increasing export and import of the items that are more susceptible to the damage or breaking during the transit, is widening the scope of the shock mount packaging market. The transport of unstable chemicals for various research and development processes is also creating opportunities for growth of its market. One of the prominent trends in the global shock mount packaging market is the availability of customization as per the specific needs of the customer. Another trend is the inclusion of IoT (Internet of Things) devices to judge the state of the product kept inside the shock mount packaging.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29759 Shock Mount Packaging Market: Market SegmentationThe global shock mount packaging market can be segmented on the basis of end-use industries:DefenseAerospaceAutomobilesLife SciencesHealthcarePharmaceuticalNutraceuticalBio-pharmaceutical ProductsElectronicsTransportation ServicesOthersIt can also be segmented on the basis of material used for the manufacture of shock mount:RubberMetalsOthersShock Mount Packaging Market: Segmentation OverviewThe shock mount packaging solutions that use shock mounts made up of rubber can be further segmented into natural and synthetic rubber. Such mounts are ideal for aerospace, marine, military and naval packaging applications. Another higher versions of shock mounts are made up of poly-butadiene, nitrile rubber, and highly damped silicone. The shock protection demands a different approach to the vibration isolation. The shock mount packaging is of great importance in the transport services as it is common for any transport package to get impacted, dropped or kicked during the transportation process.Shock Mount Packaging Market: Regional OutlookThe global shock mount packaging market geographically is segmented as North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe hold a significant market share of shock mount packaging market owing to the fully developed packaging technologies. Furthermore, the increase in R & D activities related to aerospace and automobiles, wherein shock mount packaging are useful for safe transportation of components, aids in boosting the growth of shock mount packaging market in the region. The market in the APEJ region is more inclined towards the growing demand for shock mount packaging because of the increasing demand for advanced packaging solutions.Shock Mount Packaging Market: Recent DevelopmentsPack-All International uses impact indicators, such as the shock watch, which alerts all the intermediaries involved with the package handling process. The alert is usually about the necessity of extra care. The device is usually mounted on the container but it can also be mounted directly over the product inside to determine either the damage or the extent of the damage caused to the product. The device automatically gets activated when the level of impact over the product exceeds a certain level, which is also predetermined. Manufacturers such as Roddy Products Packaging Company offer the cushioning services along with the shock mounting packaging services for an added protection of the product.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=29759 Shock Mount Packaging Market: Prominent PlayersSome of the prominent players in the global shock mount packaging market are:Pack-All InternationalStop-choc LimitedLarson Packaging Company, LLC.Roddy Products Packaging CompanyGoodwin Robbins Packaging Company, Inc.Paulstra SNCPolymax Ltd.LORD CorporationAdvanced Antivibration ComponentsGlenair, Inc.Rycote Microphone Windshields Ltd.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:43:01

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The branch of medicines concerned with life threatening illnesses or injuries of brain is called as Neuro critical care or intensive care. The head or physical trauma of brain are called as traumatic brain injury (TBI). The traumatic brain injury are occurred when there is injury in brain. The brain injury can cause internal damage to the brain parts or skull fracture. Trauma center are intensive care unit or neuro critical care (ICU or CCU) which are medically equipped hospitals or private neuro centers where a neuro specialized health professionals treat complications of infection, accidents, surgery and severe other conditions.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22184 Neuro critical care (NCC) has developed as an individual medical specialty that links neurosurgery, neurology, and critical care medicine for treatment and management of complex severe life threatening neurological complications. The neurological impediments such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, aneurysmal, status epilepticus, traumatic spine and brain injuries, and other neurological disorders with multiple-organ failure. The neuro critical care has moved from primary care to the restoration of neurological emergency cases like traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain injury that are still remain a clinical challenge. About 1.7 million persons sustain a traumatic brain injury every year, by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Among them, about120,000 people have long-standing, substantial loss of function.The neuro critical care market is segmented as based type of equipment, by Indication and by end user. By equipment type the neuro critical care market is segmented as two main types, diagnostics and monitoring. By diagnostics, the neuro critical care market is further segmented as, Computed Tomography (CAT scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Electroencephalography (EEG). The Computed Tomography also called as CT scan uses a computer system to give a detailed picture of brain tissue to determine the location of injury of brain. For more in depth of brain imaging, magnetic resonance imaging is used and it provides three dimensional picture of brain. By monitoring equipment the neuro critical market is segmented as CNS Monitor, CNS Device Interfaces, CNS Advanced ICU Amplifier, CNS Video Camera, CNS Reader, ventilators, and other accessories including Endotracheal tube, Foley catheter, Infusion pumps, Feeding tube, etc. The equipment required for neuro critical care consist of emergency and life support devices, pain management devise, patient monitoring devices etc. to monitor the oxygen saturation in blood, pulse oximeters are used, acute care physiologic monitoring systems to constantly measure vital signs, for continuous monitoring of breathing apnea monitors are used.By Indication, the neuro critical care market is segmented as, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury, infections of the brain and spinal cord, neuromuscular disorders, status epilepticus and brain tumors. The rising incidences of stroke and head trauma will boost the growth of market. The increasing advances in neurosurgical techniques owing to rising need for neuro critical care will boost the growth of market over estimated period. By end user the neuro critical care market is segmented as hospital, emergency centers, and specialty clinics. The hospital segment governs the major share of neuro critical care market. In each hospital, atleast one critical care unit is required. The specialty clinics, comprises neuro specialized hospitals or clinics. Specialty clinics is the fast growing segment over forecast period, owing to increasing number of patient preferring specialty clinics for more patient care is provided over there and availability of more number of critical care units.By geography the neuro critical care market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. The North America will govern the major market of neuro critical care owing to increasing incidences stroke cases in the region. Asia Pacific is most progressive region for neuro critical care market due to increasing accidental cases in the region.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22184 The major players for the market for neuro critical care are Abbott, Teleflex Incorporated, Aspect Medical Systems, Inc., CardioDynamics International Corporation, Medtronic, General Electric Company, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Integra LifeSciences Corporation., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA and Terumo Medical Corporation, among others.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:58:21

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Antidiuretics are drugs used to control water balance in individuals suffering from diabetes insipidus (DI). Antidiuretic drug consist of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and use of thiazide base diuretics. Antidiuretic hormone is commonly known as arginine vasopressin. Antidiuretic hormone is secreted by the posterior pituitary gland. The rate of secretion of antidiuretic hormone is controlled by osmoreceptors present in the hypothalamus. Increase in contraction of plasma fluid leads to physiological stimuli for antidiuretic hormone release.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20816 Antidiuretics bind with receptor cells present in the kidney and increase water reabsorption by stimulating aquaporins present in membranes of kidney tubules. These aquaporins transport solute free water from the tubules to the blood by decreasing the osmolality of plasma cells. As the concentration of plasma cells increases, the rate of antidiuretic hormone release increases in the blood which increases reabsorption of water. This increases water retention and urine concentration. Deficiency of antidiuretic hormones causes two types of diabetes insipidus: cranial diabetes insipidus and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. The symptoms of diabetes insipidus are increase in water intake to compensate the loss of water. In very rare situations, diabetes insipidus can develop during pregnancy and lead to gastrointestinal diabetes insipidus.Cranial diabetes occurs when there is not enough antidiuretic hormone present in the body to control urine production. It is the most common type of diabetes insipidus which occurs when the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus does not function properly. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus occurs when the kidneys fail to function properly in the presence of antidiuretic hormone. It is caused due to kidney malfunction. In order to treat diabetes insipidus, desmopressin and vasopressin are used which replicate the function of antidiuretic hormone function. The most common medications used for the treatment of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus are thiazide diuretics, which help to reduce the amount of urine produced by the kidney. The inherited form of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is due to mutation in AVPR gene, in very rare cases approximately 10% of inherited diabetes insipidus results from mutation in aquaporin 2 gene. The acquired form of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus can lead to cyst formation in the kidney, high calcium levels in blood, and lead to kidney infections.The prevalence rate of diabetes insipidus in the U.S. is about 1 in 6,666, while the prevalence rate of diabetes insipidus among general population is approximately 1 in 25,000 individuals.Major drivers of the antidiuretics market are growing awareness, rising prevalence of diabetes, increasing geriatric population, increase in obesity in the young generation, and government initiatives to promote research related to the study of antidiuretics and its use to control diabetes insipidus. High cost associated with the drug, stringent regulatory scenarios in drug development, risk factors associated with antidiuretics such as excessive bleeding, light headedness, and hematoma during collection of blood sample from individuals on diuretics are likely to restrain the antidiuretics market during the forecast period.Geographically, the global antidiuretics market has been segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America leads the global antidiuretics market largely because of increasing population, rising number of diabetic population, and growing research activity. North America was closely followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is an emerging market for antidiuretics primarily because of increasing health care expenditure in the region and rising demand.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=20816 Key players in the global antidiuretics market are Pfizer, Novartis AG, F Hoffmann-La Roche, bioMerieux, Merck & Co., Sanofi, Cayman Chemical, and JHP Pharmaceuticals LLC, and others.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:58:40

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Drug rescue is also termed as rescue medicines. These are given only when needed or in emergency cases. Drug which is given to counter or block the effect of other medicines are called as rescue medicines. Rescue medications are often used for asthma, in chemotherapy, in severe allergies, in epilepsy, etc. These are fast acting or quick acting medications. Rescue medicines are used in severe asthma attack, migraine attack, or in severe allergy reaction and help to save lives. In clinical trials, rescue medicines are given with a drug to control the alleviated symptoms of the study treatment or lack of disease efficiency. The effect of rescue drugs are not long lasting, but these quickly stop the symptoms of study drug.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20807 The drug rescue market has been segmented based on drug class, indication, route of administration, and distribution channel. In terms of drug class, the market has been segmented into antiepileptics, analgesics, antinauseants, muscle relaxants, and bronchodilators.Based on indication, the drug rescue market has been categorized into asthma, migraine, epilepsy, cancer, hypertension, cardiac attack, and others. Rescue medicines prevent asthma attack quickly. Bronchodilators are the generally used medication in asthma. Bronchodilators help open the airways by dilating the bronchi and enable a patient to breathe more easily. Migraine is another medical condition where rescue medications are widely used. Migraine attacks are disabling and severe. Several over-the-counter or prescription medicines are available to stop a migraine attack. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen or drugs containing caffeine are the most common rescue medicines for migraine.Benzodiazepines are the most common rescue medicines for seizures or epilepsy attack. Benzodiazepine is a fast acting drug and starts work quickly once it gets into the bloodstream to prevent seizures. Benzodiazepines are available in different forms such chewing pills, oral tablet, or nasal sprays. The most common benzodiazepines used as rescue medications are diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam. Intravenous treatment is given in hypertension and cardiac emergencies. These directly go into the bloodstream and 100% bioavailability can be achieved by intravenous route. Sodium nitroprusside, nitroglycerin, labetalol, and nicardipine are the commonly used drugs for hypertension.In terms of route of administration, the drug rescue market has been segmented into oral, parenteral, sublingual, nasal, and rectal. Nasal route is the widely used route of administration for asthma and epilepsy attacks. Drugs given through nasal route have fast effect. The smaller mist particles directly go in systemic circulation and act quickly. Intravenous route is given in severe conditions when other route of administration do not work.Based on distribution channel, the drug rescue market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies. Retail pharmacies is widely used distribution channel as many over-the-counter rescue drugs are also available. Growth of the online pharmacies segment is likely to boost the market during the forecast period.In terms of region, the drug rescue market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is projected to account for the major share of the drug rescue market owing to increasing incidence of severe and chronic medical conditions. The rising geriatric population is also anticipated to boost the growth of the market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is the most progressive region for the drug rescue market due to increasing over-the-counter rescue medicines in the region.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=20807 Major factor boosting the growth of this market include rising demand for quick treatment for severe medical conditions. However, the increasing side effects of rescue medicines is likely to restrain the drug rescue market.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 06:44:08

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Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Pediatric ultrasound is a safe, noninvasive test that uses high frequency sound waves to generate precise images of the blood vessels and internal organs of childrens abdomen. Ultrasound does not use involve radiation, is painless, and is particularly useful for evaluating pelvic, abdominal, or scrotal pain in children. It is carried out to obtain a complete view of congenital as well as acquired diseases in children.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21008 As per statistics of Center for Disease Control and Prevention, blunt trauma is the leading cause of death and disability among children in the U.S. Due to the increased risk of radiation-induced scanning such as computed tomography, the use of abdominal ultrasound for blunt abdominal trauma among children has increased.Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: Key TrendsThe pediatric ultrasound market is developing mainly due to technological advancements such as 3D and 4d imaging for ultrasound systems, increased prevalence of pediatric diseases that need imaging for diagnostic purposes, increasing awareness about early diagnosis. Additionally, vast untapped opportunities in developing and less-developed countries are also expected to fuel the markets growth over the next few years.Conversely, lack of skilled personnel for operating imaging devices and carrying out imaging on children is restraining the growth of the pediatric ultrasound market. The limitations of ultrasound diagnostics is also hindering the growth of this market to some extent.Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: Market PotentialThe scope of ultrasound for diagnostics is more than for abdominal areas of the body. In a recent industry development, high intensity ultrasound was utilized for collapsed intervertebral discs, which would otherwise need invasive surgery.Developed at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Oxford University, the technology allows ultrasound to be targeted at a precise point on the spine. High-intensity focused ultrasound is being considered as the probable new approach for the treatment of chronic back pain that overcomes the limitations of predecessor techniques such as partial disc replacement. High-intensity focused ultrasound involves liquefying the core of the disc, which is advantageous over partial disc replacement that has chances of leaking of the implant through the wall of the disc.Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: Regional OutlookThe global pediatric ultrasound market can be analyzed with respect to the regional segments of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Amongst these, Asia Pacific contributed the highest revenue to the overall market in the recent past and is expected to be the fastest growing region over the fastest period. In this region, healthcare reforms for wider reach, high incidence of pediatric cardiac diseases, and unmet healthcare needs in developing countries such as China and India are favoring the growth of this market. Europe is expected to be the second-largest regional market as pediatric; while the region is matured for the use of ultrasound devices for pediatric cardiology, the use of technologically advanced devices is at a nascent stage, which is expected to bode well for the markets growth.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=21008 The top players operating in the global pediatric ultrasound market are General Electric Company, Siemens AG, Analogic Corporation, Fujifilm Corporation, Mindray Medical International Limited, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Medison Co. Ltd, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Esaote SpA, Hitachi Ltd., and Samsung Medison Co. Ltd.Key players in this market are focused on the development of advanced products to stay competitive in the pediatric ultrasound market. For instance, the increasing demand for compact handheld devices has compelled top players to focus on niche product segments to reap sustainable returns.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 12:52:21

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Surfactants are compounds that are used to reduce the surface tension between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants usually act as detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers, wetting agents and dispersants among others. Surfactants are the organic compounds that usually exhibit amphiphilic nature. Surfactants are organic compounds that consist of hydrophobic group (tail) as well as hydrophilic group (head). Thus, surfactants contain the water insoluble component as well as water insoluble component. Biosurfactants are the surfactants in which at least one of the two components is obtained from the plant. Thus, a biosurfactants are not necessarily required to be 100% obtained from the plants. Biosurfactants can be classified depending on the basis of their chemical composition and origin.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2348 Increasing emphasis on the environmental impact caused due to the extensive use of chemical surfactants has boosted the overall demand for biosurfactants. Chemical surfactants are very toxic in nature and also do not degrade easily in the environment. Increasing environmental awareness, emergence of stringent governmental regulations along with the advancement of innovative biotechnological techniques has majorly contributed to the development of the plant based biosurfactants. The plant biosurfactants is one of the most promising bioremediation processes which is an effective waste management tool. However, due to the high raw material cost, high manufacturing cost and low output are some of the major restrains for the overall growth of the biosurfactants market. Various researches re carried out to overcome these challenges faced by the plant based biosurfactants market.Many surfactants are manufactured from the renewable plant resources. Europe is the largest consumer of biosurfactants and a major quantity of the European surfactant market comprises of the plant derived surfactants. The increasing awareness among the consumers regarding the health hazards associated with the usage of the biosurfactants has boosted the overall growth of the plant based biosurfactants in this region. In addition, the presence of stringent government regulations in this region has further expected to augment the demand for plant based biosurfactants in this region.North America is the second largest consumer of the biosurfactants. The growing cosmetic and personal care industries are expected to boost the overall demand for the plant based biosurfactants in this region. Asia Pacific is relatively a small market for plant based biosurfactants. However, Asia Pacific is expected to be an emerging market for the plant based biosurfactants. The increasing end-use industries in the countries present in this region is expected to augment the overall demand for plant based biosurfactants. The presence of extensive textile, agriculture and personal care industries is expected to enhance the growth of the plant based biosurfactants market in the next few years.The global market for the plant based biosurfactants is highly consolidated in nature. Some of the major participants of the plant based biosurfactants include BASF Cognis, Saraya, MG Intobio, Urumqui Unite and Ecover among others. The companies are striving towards developing innovative products within the biosurfactants category. The major companies carry out extensive research and development to introduce plant based biosurfactants from various easily available plant resources. Thus, the companies aim at developing plant based biosurfactants from cheap raw material having easy manufacturing process and which also offers increased output.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2348
Paprika Oleoresin Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 07:03:51

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Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Oleoresin are highly concentrated pure extracts of spices or herbs. These are naturally occurring combination of oil and resins extracted from plants. Oleoresin can be obtained from various plant sources including, chilli, turmeric, valerian, paprika, clove, coriander and others. Paprika oleoresin is an oil soluble extract obtained from the dried and ground sweet pepper pods also called as fruits of Capsicum annum Linn or Capsicum frutescens with the prime function in food coloring and flavoring industry. Capsicum annum Linn is widely consumed as vegetable across the globe and is native to North America and northern South America. Paprika oleoresin is highly viscous and possess coloring properties due to presence of natural carotenoid pigments, especially capsanthin and capsorubin. Apart from this paprika oleoresin also contains capsaicin, which is the main flavoring compound giving pungent taste in higher concentrations. The global Paprika Oleoresin market is expected to witness significant revenue opportunity over the forecast period attributed to its expanded applications in food industry, cosmetic industry and pharmaceutical industry. Increasing demand for natural colours across the globe ispushing the marker revenue growth of the overall paprika oleoresin market.Paprika Oleoresin Market SegmentationGlobal paprika oleoresin market is segmented on the basis of application, sales channels and region. On the basis of application the global paprika oleoresin market can be segmented into, food and beverages industry, cosmetic industry and pharmaceutical industry. The food and beverages segment is further sub-segmented into bakery and confectionary, sauces and seasoning, dairy industry, desserts and ice cream, meat products, convenience foods, juices and others. While the cosmetic industry is further sub segmented into, skin care products, hair care products and others. The food and beverages industry is the largest industry for paprika oleoresin due to increasing application of paprika oleoresin as a coloring agent in various foods. Food and beverage industries commonly use the oil soluble form of paprika oleoresin for coloring. On the basis of sales channels the global paprika oleoresin market is segmented into, direct sales and indirect sales segment. The indirect sales segment is further sub segmented into, wholesaler, trader and retailer.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29753 On the basis of region the global paprika oleoresin market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. Europe and North America are expected to account for the maximum revenue share in the paprika oleoresin market attributed to increasing production of paprika oleoresin the regions. Owing to growing consumers demand for clean label natural paprika oleoresin the food products manufacturers are bringing transparency in the origin of their food products offerings. This clean label trend is also followed in cosmetic industry wherein the consumers seek cosmetics with minimal side effects.Paprika Oleoresin Market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:The global market for paprika oleoresin is relatively large in European countries particularly due to favorable climatic and soil conditions for paprika growth and further harvesting can be done me mechanically thus, contributing towards considerable domestic production. Globally approximately 7-8 thousand tonnes of paprika oleoresin are produced annually with India, Spain, Peru and China as the main suppliers of paprika oleoresin to Europe. As the global demand for coloring food stuff increases the market for paprika oleoresin also increases. Food products manufacturers increasingly use food stuffs with coloring properties instead of synthetic colors thus enabling them to keep their labels clean. Furthermore, a large proportion of consumers across the globe consume excessive amounts of salt then required. Paprika oleoresin is used to color salt and the demand for products containing less salt is strong. In regards to this various food product manufacturers are using paprika oleoresin in order to other to mask the salt reduction. Also growing demand for organic certified paprika oleoresin is contributing towards the market growth of paprika oleoresin over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=29753 Paprika Oleoresin Market Key Players:Variety of Paprika Oleoresin have been introduced by the manufacturers and some of the global market players manufacturing paprika oleoresin market include; DDW The Colour House, Holland Ingredients, KANCOR Naturex S.A., Synthite Industries, Chr. Hansen Kalsec Inc., Universal Oleoresins, Ingredientes Naturales Seleccionados S.L. and others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.
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Rigid Colored PU Foam Market: DescriptionRigid colored PU (polyurethane) foams find extensive usage across a vast set of industrial applications owing to their physical characteristics such as high thermal resistance, high stability, strength, and energy efficiency. The energy efficiency of rigid colored PU foams make them useful across applications requiring a high level of energy efficiency, such as insulating machineries, walls, and roofs.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2327 The rising use of these foams across end-use industries such as electronics and construction is expected to fuel the growth of the market. Transparency Market Research presents a detailed overview of the market, the key factors expected to have a significant impact on the overall development of the market in the future years, and the way competitive landscape of the market is transforming.The report offers an expansive account of key segments of the market along with an analysis of latest qualitative and quantitative data on the market. A holistic perspective of the growth dynamics of the market over the period between 2016 and 2024 in terms of revenue estimate (in US$ mn or bn) across key regional markets such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa has also been furnished.Rigid Colored PU Foam Market: OverviewThe rigid colored PU foam market is chiefly driven by the rising concerns regarding depleting natural resource stores, the resultant potential of energy crunch across the globe, and the various steps taken by government bodies to increase awareness and drive the increased adoption of energy efficient products, structures, and processes. Rigid colored PU foams, owing to the fact that they can be reused, recycled, and are harmless to the human as well as environmental health, are being seen as a key product variety capable of encouraging this trend.Of the key end users of rigid colored PU foams, the construction industry is the dominant consumer and is expected to continue to account for a leading share in the global rigid colored PU foams in the next few years as well. Demand for the material across other niche segments is driven by the rising investments channeled towards product innovation and R&D activities.In terms of geography, the market for rigid colored PU foam in North America dominates and the region is expected to remain a high-growth market over the forecast period as well. Europe is another dominant consumer of rigid colored PU foams and is expected to account for a leading share in the global market over the forecast period. Demand for rigid colored PU foams in North America and Europe will be primarily driven in the next few years owing to the rising focus on making energy efficiency an important aspect of any structure, product, or process.In Asia Pacific, factors such as healthy economic growth and rising investment in the industrial sector, especially in developing countries such as China and India, have led to the increased demand for rigid colored PU foams. As a result, these and other countries in the region are expected to offer healthy growth opportunities for the rigid colored PU foams market in the next few years.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe market features a concentrated competitive landscape and has few companies accounting for a large chunk in revenues, production, and supply of rigid colored PU foam market across the globe. The market is highly competitive and the procurement of raw materials is one of the most critical factors determining success of companies. Some of the markets key players are The Dow Chemical Company, Bayer MaterialScience, BASF SE, and Huntsman Corporation.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2327
MALACAnANG on Saturday said it was inclined to accept any recommendation coming from the military amid talks on the possible extension of martial law in Mindanao, after indicating that extremist threats still prevailed.

The President, in an interview in Davao City where he is spending the weekend, said It depends on the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police [if they will recommend it].

In a radio interview, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said martial law might be necessary since the government still had to spend more time in rehabilitating Marawi City.

While it would still be Dutertes discretion whether martial rule should be extended or not, the military should know the situation in the area, Padilla said.

Theyre the ones who know whats best especially when it comes to matters related to national security, Andanar told state radio Radyo Pilipinas.

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And they all have the reason to give their thoughts, he added.

The decision or the recommendation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is actually accepted.

The Palace official also added the military had valid basis to possibly ask the President to extend martial law, after they admitted that there were still terrorists who remain capable to launch belligerent attacks.

And they all have the reason to give their thoughts because the most important thing is the security of each Filipino. And in Mindanao, we all know that there are still problems after Maute and Isis have been defeated in Marawi, he said.

There is still rehabilitation. There is still clearing operation. There are also other elements, rogue elements in our society we need to closely monitor to prevent violence But then again, it will be the President who will decide, he added.

On Friday, Armed Forces spokesperson Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said there was a possibility that martial law in Mindanao might be extended, should terror groups continue to pose security threats in the embattled region.

Were working towards that (lifting of martial law). Were hoping to be able to address and normalize everything by the end of the year because that was the deadline given to us. But be that as it may, the network of the local terrorist groups still continue and this is the subject of our efforts, Padilla said in a Palace news briefing Friday.

So if we are able to address that by the remaining days of November, as well as the whole month of December, we will report that to you and give justification for the lifting of martial law. If not, we will have to request the extension to be able to address the remaining threats in the area, he added.

In related developments:

 Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate on Saturday expressed his opposition to the possibility of further extending the martial law rule over Mindanao beyond this year.

In his statement on Saturday, Zarate expressed fears over a possible further extension of the martial law rule, which went into effect after the Maute group launched an attack on Marawi City in May that sparked a five-month armed conflict with government forces.

As can be seen if it is up to the AFP they would place Mindanao and even the whole country under perpetual martial law so that they can operate with impunity. Until now many of those who wished to speak out against what truly happened in Marawi are still afraid from government retaliation, the Davao-based solon said.

 In Lanao del Sur, military authorities arrested Friday one of the inmates of Marawi City jail freed by Maute terrorists as they captured the city on May 23.

Lt. Col. Ruben Aquino, commander of the Armys 6th Infantry Battalion based, identified the recaptured fugitive as Arno Bationg, 40.

He was arrested by Army troops and local police in Barangay Tubok, Malabang town.

Bationg is now undergoing investigation for his alleged involvement in the five-month hostilities.

Col. Gerry Besana, chief of the Armys 6th Infantry Division Civil Military Operation, said Ationg is believed to have joined the ISIS-inspired group after he and about 100 other inmates were set free by the terrorists.

Maute and Abu Sayyaf gunmen stormed the facility on May 23, disarmed jail guards and allowed inmates to escape, some were convinced to join the terrorist group.

Bationg could be one of them, Besana said, adding that he has bullet scars on his right leg.

Army intelligence operatives said Bationg fled from Marawi after he was injured in government operations. With PNA

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Water Treatment Additives Market

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Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Water Treatment Additives Market Overview:Water treatment is a process of making contaminated water suitable for drinking, industry or medicinal purposes. Removal of water contaminants from the water is achieved by the use of additives. Pollution caused by industrial activities are offering frequent growth of bacterial contamination and algal blooms which lead to low density of dissolved oxygen. Water treatments using additives such as polyethylene glycol activated carbon and selected surfactants enhance the treatment of contaminated water. Availability of freshwater is very low, which is why the demand for Wastewater treatment is huge. The efficacy of the water treatment additives depends on the rate of dosage and time of presence of the additive in the water.Water Treatment Additives Market Segmentation:Water treatment additives market has been segmented on the basis of the type of additive, type of water, range of application and geography. On the basis of the type of water treatment additive market is segmented into corrosion inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, scale inhibitors, biocides, defoamer organic polymer and others. Scale inhibitors and the organic polymer has the highest share in the market. On the basis of the type of water, water treatment additives market is segmented into wastewater treatment and water treatment. On the basis of range of application water treatment additives market is segmented into food and beverage industry, pulp and paper industry, wastewater industry, electronic industry, water industry, oil and gas industry and others. The electronics industry is expected to grow at a faster rate, as water industry occupies the major share in this segment. On the basis of geography water treatment additives market is segmented into Latin America, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29744 Water Treatment Additives Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of regional outlook, water treatment additives market is segmented into five different regions: Latin America, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific. In the regional market, Asia Pacific has the biggest market for water treatment additives due to the increasing demand from developing country like India.Water Treatment Additives Market Drivers:A large volume of drinking water, approximately 80% which is used for the residential application is obtained from rivers, ocean, reservoirs, and lakes, which are found as contaminated and polluted by various industrial, residential and agricultural pollutants. Industrial pollutants generally come from chemical plants, pulp mills, steel factories and other manufacturing mills. These industries dump all their waste and billion pounds of toxic chemicals in the nearby water bodies, which affect the marine life adversely and also affects the public health via drinking water channels that are connected to the water bodies. The residential pollution also covers a major segment in the pollution of water bodies as large number of household garbage is being dumped in the water bodies, which contains microbes and various bacteria that infect the water and affect humans through drinking water channels. Agricultural pesticides and insecticides are also one of the factors for water pollution in rural areas. Toxic chemicals wash off from the fields into the water bodies causing infections in the aquatic animals and diseases in humans. Thus all these factors are expected to drive the water treatment additives market during the forecast period. Furthermore, lack of freshwater resources with regard to the increasing population is leading towards the greater demand for water treatment additives in the developing countries. A huge amount of water is consumed by the industrial sector as well as the agriculture sector worldwide, so the water treatment additives will be in huge demand, which is probably going to push the market to a great extent. The only challenge for the market players will be the proper distribution facilities of the treated water.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=29744 Market Key Players:Some of the key players in water treatment additives market includes Nalco holding company, GE power & water, Kurita water industries, BASF SE, Kemira OYJ, Akzo Nobel N.V, Kemira Chemicals Inc., Lubrizol Corporation, Numatik Engineers Pvt Ltd., PennarEnviro Limited, Primary Chemicals LLC, RX Marine International, TG Water Additives LLC, Tiarco Chemical and others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-19 13:29:06

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research titled "Global Market Study on Urinary Catheters: Intermittent Catheters Segment to Witness Highest Growth by 2021, the urinary catheters market is expected to be valued at US$1,377.5 Mn by the end of 2015. It is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of4.1% from 2015 to 2021, to reach US$1,755.0Mn by 2021.Presently, the urinary catheter market is mainly driven by factors such as growing ageing population, favorable reimbursement policies and increasing demand for advanced urinary catheters. However, factors such as growing incidence of urinary tract infections and the threat from substitutes are expected to hamper market growth. The urinary catheter market is segmented on the basis of product type and application.Request to view table of content @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3268 The global catheter market was valued at around US$ 25,895.6Mn 2014. The urinary catheter market accounted for 5.1% of global catheter market in 2014 and was valued at US$ 1,326.0 million. Revenue contribution by urinary catheter market to the global catheter market is expected to increase to US$ 1,755.0 by the end of 2021, expanding at a CAGR of 4.1% between 2015 and 2021. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and growing ageing population are factors expected to positively affect the growth of the urinary catheter market across the globe.Request Sample Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3268 By region, North America dominated the market with over 30% market share and is expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. The urinary catheter market in Asia and Latin America are expected to expand at a CAGRs of 4.7% and 4.6% respectively during the forecast period.Key players covered in this report include B. Braun Melsungen AG, Coloplast A/S., CR Bard Inc., Teleflex Incorporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Covidien Plc, Hollister Incorporated, and Cook Medical.Buy Urinary Catheters Market Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/3268
The ruling party in Zimbabwe, Zanu-PF, has sacked the countrys long-time leader, Robert Mugabe.

After a meeting of party leaders held on Sunday, officials said ex-Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired by Mr. Mugabe two weeks ago, has been appointed leader of the party, the BBC reports.

It was the sacking of Mr. Mnangagwa that triggered last weeks takeover of power by the military, thus stopping Mr. Mugabe, 93, from installing his wife, Grace, as leader of Zanu-PF and then president.

Grace was also expelled from the Zanu-PF at Sundays meeting.

The Southern Africa Development COmmission, led by officials from South Africa, have been mediating between Mr. Mugabe and the military.

The meetings continue on Sunday and are expected to ensure a peaceful exit of Mr. Mugabe from Zimbabwe.
The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Willie Obiano, has won the Anambra governorship election.

Mr. Obiano won in all the 21 local government areas of the state with a total of about 234,071 votes.

He was followed by the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Nwoye.

Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerged third while Osita Chidoka of United Progressives Party, UPP, came a distant fourth.

The APGA National Youth Leader, Chuks Nwoga, has described the election as being free and fair.

It was a peaceful process even in the face of threats by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to boycott the election though there were few cases of violence. INEC did a good job, you cant get a completely perfect process. In some places material didnt come on time but the election is fair, Mr. Nwoga said.

People came out to vote even with this IPOB threats, there was no case of low turnout of voters, the election was ok. You dont expect 100 per cent to come out but the turnout was impressive, Mr. Nwoga said.

The UPP candidate, Mr. Chidoka, has already conceded defeat, saying he lost to superior financial power.

Anambra election went down in history as being the governorship election with the highest number of candidates, 37, in Nigerias electoral history.

Details later..
Three persons were killed in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Sunday when gunmen stormed the country home of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Udo Ekpenyong.

The killing is coming two days after a similar incident where armed men riding a motorcycle shot dead a policeman and two other persons in a filling station in the local government area.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bala Elkana, who confirmed the latest incident, told PREMIUM TIMES that the commissioners younger sister was among those killed by the gunmen.

Mr. Elkana, a deputy superintendent of police, said the gunmen who rode on a motorcycle shot and killed the woman inside the commissioners country home at Ikot Oku Usung village.

Two more persons were killed elsewhere in the village as the gunmen fired indiscriminately while on their way out of the village, Mr. Elkana said.

The commissioner is safe, the police spokesperson said. Im not sure he was in the house when the incident happened.

He said the police were investigating the incident and that he couldnt give out more information in order not to jeopardise the investigation.

The police commissioner in the state, Zubairu Muazu, is said to be in Ukanafun to assess the situation in the area.

Meanwhile, the police have banned the use of motorcycles in Ukanafun and in the neighbouring local government area of Etim Ekpo from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The police spokesperson in the state, Mr. Elkana, said in a statement that the ban takes effect from Sunday.

This measure becomes necessary to tackle the rising tide of violent crimes, especially murder and kidnapping in the affected Local Government Areas mainly perpetrated with motorcycles, Mr. Elkana said, warning that anyone who violates the ban would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Both Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo have become notorious in the state of late for cult-related violence and killings.
Zimbabwes embattled leader, Robert Mugabe, has vowed to stay in power for several weeks, despite intense pressure on him to stand down.

The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes, Mr. Mugabe said in in a live TV address monitored by BBC.

Earlier on Sunday, the ruling party in Zimbabwe, Zanu-PF, sacked Mr. Mugabe who has been in power since 1980.

After a meeting of party leaders on Sunday, officials said ex-Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired by Mr. Mugabe two weeks ago, has been appointed leader of the party.

Mr Mugabes 52-year-old wife, Grace, was expelled from the party, alongside a number of other senior officials.

It is not entirely clear how Mr. Mugabe can preside over Zanu-PFs congress next month, following his dismissal as party leader.

Officials of the Southern African Development Commission, led by South African officials, are currently leading mediation talks between Mr. Mugabe and the military which ousted him from office.
Governor Willie Obiano has described his victory in Saturdays governorship election as showing a resolve by the people of the state to rise above varying interests and take full control of their destiny.

The governor disclosed this in an acceptance speech titled Time to Build a New world which he made after it became clear he had won the election.

Although, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as at the time of this report, had not declared Mr. Obiano winner, the electoral commission has announced that he won in all the 21 local governments of the state.

The text of his speech was sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Mr. Obianos media aide, Oliver Okpala.

Mr. Obiano said the victory belongs to every Igbo man who is concerned about the place of Ndigbo in the nations polity. He said in the next four years, APGA will make inroads into other South-east and South-south states.

The governor called on his co-contestants in the election to see the result as a victory for all Anambra residents. He said the interest of the state is bigger than the contestants private ambitions and urged them to join hands with him to build a better place for the people.

He said by the victory, Anambra people have demonstrated that they are capable of taking charge of their lives and making difficult decisions that will brighten their future.

Mr. Obiano described the mandate as a historic call not to relent until the state has fully assumed the status of the model state of Nigeria. He said the victory is the final product of the combined efforts of brilliant men and women who sacrificed their personal comfort to ensure that Anambras steady march to progress is not derailed.

The governor expressed gratitude to all members of APGA for their steadfastness, the INEC for conducting a transparent election and the law enforcement agencies whose alertness ensured that the peoples mandate is not thwarted.

He charged the people to prepare for the speedy transformation of the state into a prosperous sub-national entity in the next four years.

According to him, the state has stepped into its finest hour and its journey into greatness is now assured.

He added that his government is open to new ideas and vision and is willing to work with anyone who has something to share that will make Anambra State great.
Less than a quarter of the total number of registered voters actually participated in the Anambra governorship election on Saturday.

According to the Returning Officer of the election, Zana Akpagu, a total of 2,064,134 residents registered as eligible voters for the election with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Of this number, only 457, 511, about 22.16 per cent, actually came out on Election Day to be accredited.

Regardless, not all the 457,511 accredited people actually cast their vote. The INEC figure shows that only 21.74 per cent of the registered voters (448,771) actually cast their votes.

For example, Idemili North local Government Area which has the highest number of registered voters, 178,938, had only 25,254 (14.11 per cent) being accredited.

Already, the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, has claimed credit for the low voter turnout across the state. The secessionist group in a statement on Saturday said Anambra residents listened to is demand that they boycott the polls.

IPOB is calling for the breakaway of the Igbos from Nigeria to form an independent Biafra. The group has been labelled a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian government.

Beyond the IPOB threat, PREMIUM TIMES observed that many Anambra residents were not able to vote due to discrepancies in the INEC voters register and the failure of many card reader machines. Thousands of votes across the state were cancelled due to these reasons and over-voting in some polling units.

The low turnout of voters in Anambra State has, however, followed a consistent pattern in the state.

Since 1999, governorship elections in the state never witnessed up to 50 per cent of voter turnout, except in the 2007 election which was marred by allegations of massive rigging.

A review of the voters turnout figures since 2007 shows a progressive decline.

During the 2010 governorship election, of the 1.84 million registered voters in Anambra, only 302,000, or 16 per cent voters turned out to vote on Election Day.

In 2013, a similar pattern played out, with only 465,891, or 24 per cent of the total 1,770,127 registered voters actually voting.

On Saturday, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Oseloka Obaze, expressed disappointment over the low turnout of voters.

You can explain the situation in the cities that people travelled to the village to vote. But, in the villages there seemed to be a mix up, he said.

EXPERT SPEAKS

The Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, Idayat Hassan, explained that the low turnout of voters in the state was not something strange, as it followed a pattern in the state.

There is nothing unusual about it. The low turn-out followed a pattern that is known about elections in the state. It raises critical questions on what democracy means to the people in the state and country and how they judge the system, she said.

According to the CDD boss, some of these issues include questions of trust in the government by the people.

There are places where the total number of voters that turned out to vote was 14 per cent out of the total number of registered voters in the local government, which is quite low, she said. What should be the target is how to get people to turn out and vote. If nothing changes, then it means the country is still faced with lots of challenges going forward.

If Idemili North, one of the most populous local governments in the state, with about 180,000 people, had only 25,000 people, or 14 per cent turn-out, then this tells a story that the appetite of the people for democracy is going lower, and something needs to be done about it.

It is not just the civil society or media that need to take urgent action, but also the politicians as well. People need to be concerned about the level of governance and the paraphernalia that goes into policy making, she said.

Besides, she said, the large security presence and the nature of politics may have played a role in the poor turn-out of voters during elections, as some people could have become afraid of violence and political fracas at polling units among contesting political parties.

She also blamed the low turn-out on the threat by IPOB and the unusual security presence in the state in the run up to the elections, same as in 2003, 2010, and 2013.
Not making a profit since 1975! ...And since 2007, one of the Best Left-Wing Book & Culture Review Sites on the Net.
A doctor who was kidnapped on Thursday has been released.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Emeka Ogah, was kidnapped by armed persons at Ajaokuta axis of Kogi-Lokoja Highway.

Also freed were the Director of Administration in the Hospital, Christopher Ogbu, and the Director of Finance, Sunday Ugama. Both men were kidnapped alongside Mr. Ogah.

They were freed in the early hours of Sunday.

They trio were returning from a meeting in Abuja when they were ambushed by gunmen who took them to an unknown destination.

Though details of how they were freed are yet to be made public, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Emmanuel Uzor, confirmed their release.

The true situation is that the victims have been released. I dont know if there was ransom or not, but all I know is that the governor ensured their safe release. He was worried about their kidnap and urged security agents to assist to ensure they were released.

The governor has absolute confidence in the police and other security agents, he said.

The Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association in the state, Austin Ikwudinma, also confirmed the development. He appreciated the state government as well as security agencies for their quick

intervention.

We want to specially thank the government of Ebonyi State for keeping to its promise. We are happy they did what they promised for the release of our colleagues. We want to thank people who showed concern during this trying period, he said.
The Lagos State government said it has completed necessary arrangement to extend potable water supply to Ogudu Ori-Oke and Alapere areas of Lagos State.

The Managing Director/CEO, Lagos Water Corporation, Muminu Badmus, revealed this on Thursday at the stakeholders meeting on Network Extension of Water Distribution to Ogudu Ori-Oke and Alapere areas of the state.

The LWC boss said the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, made the promise some months ago that water would be provided for all Lagosians, particularly the residents of Ogudu Ori-Oke.

He said the governor is set to deliver on his promise with all sense of responsibility and commitment.

Lagos State Government places high premium on the interest of the people, that is why the State is committed to ensuring that this community is provided with uninterrupted water supply through this network extension that will be supplied directly from Adiyan Waterworks of 70MGD.

He said, the reticulation will cover Ogudu Ori-Oke, boost pressure to parts of Alapere and other neighbouring communities and will later be expanded to accommodate more households.

The project is part of governments efforts to strengthen water supply network, increase operational efficiency and water flow capacity to meet the demand for water and contribute to sustainable development in the state.

He reiterated that the government has not forgotten anybody in the state, adding that the usual character of the present administration is to allow Lagos residents participate in the initiation and execution of projects that affect their lives.

Mr. Badmus, however, said the present administration is working assiduously to make things work, and needs the support and cooperation of Lagos residents to achieve desired results.

When the reticulation of this project is completed, the connected properties would be fully metered, and ultimately assist us in increasing the efficiency and reliability of our water networks, reduce water wastages and encourage water conservation.

The Corporation, Executive Director, Operations, Suraj Ijaiya, in his brief project description, explained that from Ogudu roundabout, there is already a two-diameter pipe, from which water from Adiyan will be connected.

Mr. Ijaiya, an engineer, explained that a bigger pipe will be connected to the two diameter pipe, to cover 26 streets as phase I.

Some streets with inadequate water supply will be connected to the new Network Extension to enjoy fully charged water mains/pipe.

Alapere will also be taken into consideration, as well as Igboho and Oshodi areas of the axis, he said.

He said the project will connect about 700 households and also expected 30,000 customers.

He therefore urged the members of the public to pay their bills as at when due.

While seeking support of the residents, for the success of the project, the Managing Director of Salini Nigeria Ltd. Paolo Capelala, said the project will bring about uninterrupted potable water supply to the area and promised to deliver quality job.

The Chief Imam of Ogudu Community, Yusuf Durojaiye, urged the residents to support the project for its success.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160228/338238LOGO )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/607419/Salvator_Mundi_de_Leonardo_Da_Vinci.jpg )

Artprice - the world leader in art market services, solicited by hundreds of media organisations around world for the quality of its information about the Art Market - hereby wishes to explain that the price paid for Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi is in fact the culmination of a perfectly logical and sober price construction process that has nothing to do with flights of emotion or reckless risk-taking.

thierry Ehrmann founder and CEO of Artprice: "If you look carefully at each of our press releases on the AMF's (France's Financial Market's Authority) approved website and our studies of the Museum Industry (whose economic model Artprice fully conceptualised in 2005), you will see that our econometrics and statistics department has been preparing the Art market for this price for years. As reported by AOF press agency, Artprice predicted that Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi would fetch as much as $450 to 500 million.

In fact, Artprice has been the only organisation to repeatedly predict in studies (AMF reference document) that the global Fine Art auction record will inexorably head towards the billion dollar level, after a pause at the $500 million level. We have now reached the halfway stage with Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi.

We have discussed this price evolution since February 2015. We are now almost halfway there and it seems inevitable that our forecast will be confirmed by 2020." Meanwhile the enormous gap that has appeared between Pablo Picasso's Les Femmes d'Alger ($179.4 million in 2015) and Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi ($450.3 million) will no doubt diminish progressively over the coming months.

The latest auction records in the Contemporary Art segment (formerly the smallest of the Art Market) have promoted Jean-Michel Basquiat into an ever-expanding club of artists who have exceeded $100 million at auction.

Basquiat is the first Contemporary to join a club that already includes the Modern artists Picasso, Modigliani, Bacon, Giacometti, Munch and Warhol! Taking all parameters into account, the latest Basquiat result represents a genuinely important economic marker and an unprecedented economic performance that the Contemporary Art Market is highly likely to exceed again this year.

Indeed, Christie's idea of integrating Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi into a Contemporary Art instead of a traditional Old Masters sale was a stroke of genius reflecting their understanding that the Contemporary Art market now has very close ties with the financial sector and the banking sector.

As an American photographer told France's Europe 1 radio station, "the crazy 19-minute sequence crashed through thresholds that were inconceivable in an art auction context, even for art market specialists, and the tension in the room was reminiscent of Wall Street trading."

For Artprice, the price paid for the da Vinci painting is a perfectly logical result because it matches the economic and financial concept of the Museum Industry that Artprice (alone) formalized and IP-protected many years ago.

Artprice has been the global leader in Art Market information for 20 years and possesses the most comprehensive art market information bank in the world. With its databases and its longstanding partnership with Artron (China's powerful State-sponsored Art Market Information group) Artprice developed the innovative concept of a Museum Industry. Nowadays this concept is universally accepted and taught everyday throughout the world, and its validity is regularly confirmed by the Art Market's evolution.

According to thierry Ehrmann, "this new economic science within the Art Market is relentlessly inflating prices. We were quick to understand the exponential nature of museum openings around the world. Our meta-data revealed that more museums were built between January 2000 and December 2014 than during the entire 19th and 20th centuries.

The industry is producing no less than 700 museums a year on five continents, all with "international" vocations and a minimum of 4,500 works of art. The Soft Power race between major powers (with China now dominating the USA on the Art market) is a powerful geopolitical motor of the exponential development of the Museum Industry."

It is therefore this new industry - with its appetite for museum quality works - that is the primary driving factor in the spectacular growth of the Art Market. The Art Market is now mature, liquid and efficient, offering yields of 12% to 15% per annum on works acquired over $100,000. On museum pieces costing over a million dollars, the yields are outstanding, and works priced over a million dollars are now commonplace in public sales.

Faced with a negative interest-rate environment and seeing the Art Market's excellent resistance to the worst financial and economic crises of the past 17 years, lots of investments funds and wealth managers are directing big money towards the Museum Industry at the heart of the Art Market.

In short, top-bracket investment funds and wealth managers have found a level of profitability in the Art Market that has become increasingly difficult to generate elsewhere, and they are reassured by the Art Market's maturity, efficiency and liquidity.

With its decision-support tool that functions much like Bloomberg's financial trading screens, Artprice is now selling "Artprice Screen" to financial institutions and banks throughout the world. The figures speak for themselves: in 2005, financial institutions and banks represented 7,000 of Artprice's client accounts and these were essentially Private Banking and Family Office accounts.

Today we have more than 36,000 major accounts, including ordinary deposit banks, who have adopted Artprice's screens in their IT systems. This undoubtedly represents a revolution for the Art Market.

Our current sales projections concerning subscriptions to "Artprice Screen" from the financial and banking sector suggest a massive increase in Artprice's turnover.

Our current sales projections concerning subscriptions to "Artprice Screen" from the financial and banking sector suggest a massive increase in Artprice's turnover. Artprice is the only player on the financialised Art Market, and its proprietary R&D and intellectual property rights give it a perfectly legal monopoly resulting from years of innovation, research and development. Our state-awarded BPI status (for "innovative" companies) reflects this effort.

As well as trading rooms around the globe, Artprice notes that major museums have acquired dozens of screens (Artprice Screen Multi User), turning themselves into financial operators.

In strict compliance with European, US and French domestic laws on personal data, Artprice uses its Big Data and its algorithms (pre AI) to analyse more than 18 billion free or paid real-time searches every year.

Since the 1980s when the Art Market started to accelerate, we have seen an impressive series of museum constructions, extensions and renovations in metropolises and smaller cities around the world, often involving the most famous architects.

In addition, as of the 1990s, a whole generation of industrialists has made lasting impressions on the cultural lives of their respective countries by building an incredible number of Contemporary Art museums particularly in the USA, Europe, Middle East and China.

Museums are increasingly monumental... with grand and spectacular architecture. The latest to open was the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, designed by famous architect Jean Nouvel.

Museum now have an industrial vision of their own profitability because they need to know how long it will take to get a return on their investments. That is the fundamental reality underlying the Museum Industry developed by Artprice.

Conversely, the economy of live performances is governed by a very different logic. According to Baumol and Bowen's analysis, the performing arts suffer from a substantial productivity disadvantage: to put on a play by Moliere in 1664 you needed two hours and twelve actors. In 2017, it stall takes two hours and twelve actors: i.e. no productivity gain over more than three centuries.

The Museum Industry is based on a fundamental data

The Museum Industry is based on a fundamental data: the transformation of the role of the museum. In the past, museums developed in the spirit of French "enlightenment" where the primary function was to confiscate artworks from the aristocrats and the church and show them to the people (such was the will of Napoleon Bonaparte...). Today French sociologists refers to this model as having generated a particular museum malady... the curator's migraine.

Since the 1980s, Peggy Guggenheim, preceded by the visionary Andre Malraux, began the historic transformation of this function, and of the very definition of a museum.

Artprice has argued that museum malady is essentially caused by holding immutable and fixed collections focused on the period 1850/1980, and that this malady has now been permanently cured by the "cultural revolution" of museums.

No longer content with providing homes for the dusty treasures of bygone empires, the new museum concept offers a dynamic response to the public's free time in spaces where spectacular collections rub shoulders with all types of mass media expressions, real and virtual artworks and rewarding cultural activities... an exciting and often interactive spatial experience. These new spaces attract millions of visitors on every continent.

Artprice was the first to coin the phrase "Museum Industry". Indeed a museum, freed from its State-imposed constraint state of "preservation for posterity", can now be regarded as an industry, particularly from an investment point of view. Generally speaking, the design, construction and development of a museum's collection requires heavy investment over an 8 to 10-year period.

Once these heavy investments have been made, public attendance is not limited in the same way that it is with the performing arts, and structural expenses mainly boil down to insurance, maintenance, marketing and occasional restoration work on the collection. Once up and running, a museum can intervene in the Art Market as a key player.

This business logic has been extensively exploited by the Louvre Museum which has marketed its brand to wealthy countries like the USA and UAE. However, Artprice's presentation of the Museum Industry in 2017 must end with a superb quote from Andre Malraux's Imaginary Museum (1947) in which the author analyses the whole museological phenomenon:

"The role of museums in our relationship with art is so important we can hardly imagine a world without them, or that they have existed for just two centuries. The 19th century lived by them; we are still living by them and we forget that they imposed on visitors an entirely whole new relationship with art. They helped to release from their original functions the artworks they brought together."

Elsewhere in its Imaginary Museum Malraux makes the visionary prediction that "the museums of the 21st century will be the unique places for all art forms, where all cultures, generations and different social strata will converge."

These considerations are undoubtedly at the root of the logic that prompted the buyer (and his pool of investors) to acquire Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi. They also underpin Christie's extraordinary audacity last week... an audacity that has given the auction house a very substantial advantage over its rival Sotheby's. Indeed, according to a reliable source, the latter is planning a rapid and equally stunning commercial response to Christie's feat by offering the Art Market another priceless and historic piece.

Although the price paid for the da Vinci work may seem excessive to some, this impression recedes when put into perspective with other figures and the tangible economic reasoning underlying today's global Art Market.

In terms of perspective... it is interesting to note that stock exchanges around the world traded 780 million euros on Altice shares alone last week.

The price paid for da Vinci's work was apparently roughly equivalent to cost of a new Airbus A380. But consider the maintenance costs of an aircraft throughout its working life and its limited lifespan... only to end up in an airplane cemetery, abandoned. Such a comparison is therefore both irrelevant and ridiculous.

Leonardo da Vinci's painting, on the other hand, is eternal and will not require a huge budget to maintain. Moreover it will probably grow in value over the years. The millions of visitors it will attract will generate a financial cash flow and it is very likely to generate all kinds of 'derivative' incomes whether exhibited in its usual place or toured around the world (a strategy increasingly employed by museums).

This is the kind of clear-sighted logic that today motivates investors, with clearly defined ROI schedule. The acquisition is therefore everything but an irrational act. It is a highly organized investment in the medium to long term; in accounting terms (IFRS / IAS), it's a tangible asset generating a free cash flow.

thierry Ehrmann: "Artprice's added value stems from its ownership of the world's most extensive database of listed artists (700,000 artists) with the highest number of auction results (126 million, from 1700 to the present day). This information, combined with our market indicators and econometric tools developed over many years, enables us to anticipate the price constructions of artists... as we did before this latest historic sale.

It is this unique added-value that has made Artprice the global leader in art market information and it is this unique added-value that is highly prized by the world's leading museums, particularly with respect to their future purchases. In short, we help museums and buyers all over the world to fine-tune their economic model and calculate the expected profitability of their new acquisitions."

The sum paid for Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi has propelled the Art Market into a new era quite simply by reflecting the reality of a new scale now being used to calculate the value of artworks. After raising the auction record so much higher, it is inevitable that existing auction prices for many prestigious artists will have to the revised upwards. We may soon see a Basquiat work reach more than $200 million... in short, everything is now possible after this latest auction record of 15 November 2017.

In 2018, Artprice, creator of the Museum Industry concept since 1999, is planning to launch the world's largest Fine Art Museum Databank.

Artprice is the author and sole creator of the Museum Industry concept. For nearly 20 years Artprice has been helping Fine Art Museums -now one of its core economic target- transform their models. Museum demand is primarily focused on migration to digital, Internet and social media.

Artprice has thirty DNSs on Museums, including the world's best generic DNSs since 1996, that generate a large volume of activity. It is worth remembering that Artprice is perfectly familiar with the Museum world and its modus operandi since its headquarters are located within the famous Organ Museum of Contemporary Art which manages La Demeure du Chaos (Abode of Chaos dixit The New York Times).

This now-established Contemporary Art Museum (with 3,600 documentaries in 18 years) was the first French museum to be registered with the Commercial Register of Companies in 1999 and has been ranked as the top private Contemporary Art Museum in Rhone Alpes/Auvergne region with 120,000 visitors per year.

With a high number of customers for this new Museum databank in 2018, Artprice believes this new service will become one of its strategic activities. The turnover potential from the Museum Industry is colossal. With its know-how from the Organ Museum at its headquarters and its own R&D, Artprice possesses a range of digital products and services covering the entire spectrum of applications for Museums anywhere in the world in 2018.

Artprice will allow its Museum customers for its database to benefit from the its 4.5 million highly-qualified members. Artprice's numerous patents and intellectual property rights give it an undisputed world leader position in the Museum Industry and a substantial head-start.

An extremely detailed financial communique will be released in early December 2017 as regulated information.

Copyright thierry Ehrmann 1987/2017

About Artprice:

Artprice celebrates its 20th birthday, editorial by thierry Ehrmann, founder and CEO of Artprice. https://www.actusnews.com/fr/ARTPRICE/cp/2017/10/04/artprice-celebrates-its-20th-birthday-editorial-by-thierry-ehrmann-founder-and-ceo-of-artprice

Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF.

Artprice is the global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results covering more than 700,000 artists. Artprice Images(R) gives unlimited access to the largest Art Market resource in the world: a library of 126 million images or prints of artworks from the year 1700 to the present day, along with comments by Artprice's art historians.

Artprice permanently enriches its databanks with information from 6,300 auctioneers and it publishes a constant flow of art market trends for the world's principal news agencies and approximately 7,200 international press publications. For its 4,500,000 members, Artprice gives access to the world's leading Standardised Marketplace for buying and selling art. Artprice is preparing its blockchain for the Art Market. It is BPI-labelled (scientific national French label).

Artprice's Global Art Market Annual Report for 2016 published last March 2017: http://imgpublic.artprice.com/pdf/rama2016_en.pdf

Artprice's Contemporary Art Market Annual Report for 2016 - free access at https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2016

The text presented hereafter is a translation of Arte Creative's online presentation: ARTE: A gigantic Christmas tree in the guise of a butt plug, a machine that defecates five-star meals, an icon immersed in urine and staged corpses - subversive, trash, provocative or insulting? Thierry Ehrmann, the man behind The Abode of Chaos dixit "The New York Times", an artist and the founder of Artprice, is the mouthpiece for scandal and discloses the workings of the most striking controversies in contemporary art. And scandal sells. 9 episodes are online: http://www.arte.tv/guide/en/weekly-highlight

Artprice's press releases: http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseen.htm and https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom

News Artmarket:

http://twitter.com/artpricedotcom https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom

https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom

https://plus.google.com/+Artpricedotcom/posts

http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/

Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice http://web.artprice.com/video, which headquarters are the famous Museum of Contemporary Art, the Abode of Chaos http://goo.gl/zJssd https://vimeo.com/124643720

The Contemporary Art Museum The Abode of Chaos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999

The Abode of Chaos/Demeure du Chaos Contemporary Art Museum by thierry Ehrmann, author, sculptor, artist, photograph https://www.flickr.com/photos/home_of_chaos/sets/72157676803169034

SOURCE Artprice.com
LONDON and NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- D'Ieteren and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ("CD&R"), a global private investment firm, today announced that they have entered into exclusive discussions under which CD&R-managed funds would acquire a 40% ownership interest in the Belron group, the global leader in the vehicle glass repair and replacement ("VGRR") market. Under the proposed agreement, D'Ieteren and management would retain the remaining 60% ownership interest in the company. The proposed transaction would value Belron at EUR 3 billion (enterprise value) which, after deduction of debt-like items (including a dividend payment of EUR 453 million), translates into an equity value of about EUR 1,550 million. The proposed transaction is subject to an information and consultation process with Belron's French workers council, as well as the approval of the relevant regulatory and competition authorities.

With 2016 sales of EUR 3.3 billion, Belron is the sole global operator in the VGRR market, serving more than 11 million customers annually across 34 countries and five continents. The company holds the number one position in each of its top ten countries, including the US, France and Germany. Belron's portfolio of well-recognized brands includes Carglass, Safelite and Autoglass. The company employs approximately 26,000 associates worldwide.

Axel Miller, CEO of D'Ieteren, said: "We would welcome CD&R as a strategic shareholder in our business. The Firm is well known to be a trustworthy and value-added partner that plays a constructive role at the companies in which it invests. Our discussions have shown a very high level of alignment between us and the management on how to support the long-term growth of the business, building on its superior customer service, great relationships with insurers and other partners, outstanding brands and extraordinary people."

"We could not be more pleased to have the opportunity to invest in Belron and very much look forward to finalizing the proposed agreement," said CD&R Partner Christian Rochat. "D'leteren's long-term partnership with Belron has delivered impressive results; we would be very pleased to become their partner in this continuing journey. We share management's vision for the business and support the long-term strategy to build on the company's strong market position to accelerate growth and pursue operational excellence."

"We are excited about the prospect of partnering with CD&R as we redouble our efforts to deliver the quality service to our valued customers while creating long-term rewarding opportunities for Belron employees worldwide," said Gary Lubner, CEO of Belron.

About Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Founded in 1978, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is a private investment firm. Since inception, CD&R has managed the investment of more than $24 billion in 75 companies representing a broad range of industries with an aggregate transaction value of more than $100 billion. In Europe, the Firm's recent investments include BUT, SPIE and Rexel in France, and B&M, BCA, MFG and Exova in the U.K., as well as Kalle and Mauser in Germany. The Firm has offices in New York and London. For more information, visit www.cdr-inc.com.

Group Profile

In existence since 1805, and across family generations, D'Ieteren seeks growth and value creation by pursuing a strategy on the long term for its businesses and actively encouraging and supporting them to develop their position in their industry or in their geographies. The group has currently three activities articulated around strong brands:

D'Ieteren Auto distributes Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche and Yamaha vehicles in Belgium . It is the country's number one car distributor, with a market share of around 22% and 1.2 million vehicles on the road at the end of 2016. Sales and adjusted operating result reached respectively EUR 3.1 billion and EUR 75.8 million in FY 2016.

Belron (94.85% owned) makes a difference by solving people's problems with real care. It is the worldwide leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement, trading under more than 10 major brands including Carglass, Safelite AutoGlass and Autoglass. In addition, it manages vehicle glass and other insurance claims on behalf of insurance customers. Belron is also expanding its services to focus on solving problems for people who need assistance with repairs to their vehicles and homes. Sales and adjusted operating result reached respectively EUR 3.3 billion and EUR 190.7 million in FY 2016.

Moleskine (100% owned) is a premium and aspirational lifestyle brand which develops and sells iconic branded notebooks and writing, travel and reading accessories through a multichannel distribution strategy across 102 countries. Sales and operating result reached respectively EUR 145.2 million and EUR 34.0 million on a stand-alone basis in FY 2016.

SOURCE Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EY today announced that Kendra Scott, CEO, Designer and Philanthropist, and Founder of Kendra Scott LLC, the iconic Austin-based jewelry, home and lifestyle brand, best known for its use of natural gemstones and customizable jewelry, received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Award in the Consumer Products and Retail category. The prestigious award, now in its 31st year, recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Kendra Scott was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at EY's Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California, on Nov. 18.

"I am incredibly honored to win the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Consumer Products and Retail category," said Scott. "I started the Kendra Scott brand with $500 and a dream in Austin, Texas. I never could have imagined we'd be where we are today. I'm thankful to all of my customers and my team for helping turn this dream into reality. So much of our company's success is based on what our company stands for -- the three core pillars of family, fashion, and philanthropy. Staying true to these pillars has led to our success today."



Founded in Austin, Texas in 2002 by designer, philanthropist and the brand's namesake, Kendra Scott, the company has grown from a one-woman operation into a billion-dollar jewelry phenomenon with over 2,000 employees and 75 stores. With Kendra firmly at the helm, the company continues to champion its founding principles of family, fashion and philanthropy; in 2016 alone Kendra Scott donated over $3.5 million and 75,000 pieces of jewelry to 3,500 US and international charitable organizations, and in 2017 has a goal to give back $5million.

In 2014, Scott was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Central Texas region.

Since 1986, EY has celebrated entrepreneurial excellence by honoring those whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation, and discipline have propelled their companies' success, invigorated their industries, and benefited their communities. These men and women have created the products, services and jobs that help our economy and communities grow, while also encouraging others to follow their lead. In 2017, the 261 regional winners employed more than 230,000 people and had job growth of 20 percent. They also generated revenue of more than $52 billion this year, with revenue growth increasing more than 33 percent.

The program has honored the inspirational leadership of entrepreneurs including Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company and Mindy Grossman of HSN. Recent US national winners include Jayshree Ullal and Andy Bechtolsheim of Arista Networks and 2016 winner Bill Marriott of Marriott International.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award program has demonstrated a unique ability to identify the traits that lead companies to join the ranks of the some of the world's most successful companies.



About Kendra Scott

Kendra Scott is a loving mother, a driven entrepreneur and a passionate designer who believes the truest form of success is giving back in a meaningful way. As a creative mind with a love of natural gemstones, Kendra designed her first collection of jewelry in 2002. The foundation of Kendra's success has been her infectious energy and entrepreneurial spirit, which took her from a $500 project in the spare bedroom of her home to a billion-dollar fashion brand loved globally. Known for her unique use of color and quality materials, Kendra has created collections of timeless pieces that have won over loyal fans, media and celebrities alike. Since she began her company, Kendra has lived by three core values: Family, Fashion and Philanthropy. She created a brand and culture that authentically values giving back and making a positive difference in the community. The Kendra Scott company maintains a focus on its customers and the causes close to their hearts, abiding by the mantra 'What Matters to You, Matters to Us'.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

SOURCE Kendra Scott LLC

Related Links

https://www.kendrascott.com


BEIJING, Nov. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tsinghua Unigroup Co., LTD ("Unigroup") today announced the appointment of Dr. Leo Li to the position of Co-President of Unigroup, working directly with Unigroup Chairman Mr. Weiguo Zhao on business expansion as well as planning and implementing of key investment projects in the chip design area. Mr. Xuezhong Zeng will succeed Dr. Li as CEO of Spreadtrum Communications ("Spreadtrum"), while Dr. Li will continue in his role as Chairman of Spreadtrum .

Dr. Li has over 30 years of working experience in the wireless communication field. Under his leadership, Spreadtrum has made great progress in multiple fields, including technology, product development and market development. The new appointment of Dr. Li is in line with Unigroup's core talent strategy of integrating resources, which will effectively help realize Unigroup's 'Chip to Cloud' strategy, supporting company's strategy of chip design so as to improve its competitiveness in chip industry.

With Dr. Li's promotion, Unigroup has appointed Mr. Xuezhong Zeng as CEO of Spreadtrum. With a distinguished career and years of demonstrated business experience in ICT industry, Mr. Zeng is a strong leader, especially in integrating resources and motivating teams. He has successfully led business transformation, product innovation, research and development of intelligent technology in the terminal products market. He also has deep insights on the new technology trends.

As CEO, Mr. Zeng will take the overall responsibilities for Spreadtrum's business operations. Under the Unigroup's core business strategy, he will play a critical role in cultivating relationships to deliver value to clients by leveraging Spreadtrum's resources and capabilities as well as the overall advantages of the Unigroup. Meanwhile, Mr. Zeng will focus on more deeply motivating the organization and talents. He will lead the team to drive business performance through continuous innovation, building Spreadtrum as a global chip leader in the new era of 5G, and accelerating China's development in the integrated circuit industry.

SOURCE Tsinghua Unigroup Co., LTD
On Nov. 14, a cyclist and a pedestrian collided on Sanford Dr when the pedestrian stepped into the road, not using the crosswalk, simultaneously as the biker was passing a UGA Transit bus.
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.
Simply accepting the stress of finals week does not help students or professors, but making systematic changes as to dates when projects are assigned and due while giving students periods to themselves can help reduce the stress.
Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, who unexpectedly resigned on November 4, seems keen to maintain suspense over the reasons that pushed him to take such an abrupt decision that were followed by a controversial stay in Saudi Arabias capital Riyadh amid speculations that he might have been held against his will.

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 uncover the whole story once he returns to Beirut next Wednesday.

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.

Hariri announced his resignation in a Saudi TV channel. He had then accused Iran and Hezbollah of sowing discord, devastation and destruction in the region.
Thanksgiving travel: What to expect at the Indianapolis airport

Thanksgiving at the Indianapolis International Airport will be defined by inflated prices, nearly pre-pandemic crowds and competitive seat booking.
Afghan officials say more than two dozen people were rescued in a raid against a Taliban prison in the southern province of Helmand.

Army and provincial officials said on November 19 that those rescued in the overnight raid by Afghan and foreign special forces included four children under the age of 12 and two police officers.

Afghan military spokesman Abdul Qadir Bahadurzai said 20 of those released from the prison in Nawzad district had been arrested by the Taliban in connection with helping the government or were family members of the Afghan Army and police.

Mohammad Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, put the number of those rescued at 27.

Zwak said that an investigation is under way to identify the prisoners.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said in a statement that the people rescued were all criminals accused of murder, robbery, kidnapping, and other crimes.

In May, the Interior Ministry said 11 people were freed in a raid on a Taliban prison in Nad Ali district, including five civilians and six Afghan soldiers.

Also on November 19, officials in the western province of Farah said that at least six police officers were killed and eight others were wounded in Taliban attacks on three checkpoints.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said that the assaults were repelled with eight militants killed and six others wounded in the fighting.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come as the Western-backed government in Kabul is struggling to beat back insurgents in the wake of the exit of most NATO forces in 2014.

Earlier this month, the alliance announced that it would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan from the current 13,000 to 16,000 to aid the government in its fight against the Taliban and other militant groups.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the extra troops would not be involved in combat missions but would be part of the alliance's Resolute Support mission whose aim is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government forces.

The declared increase follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in August of a new South Asia strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Pentagon said on November 16 that approximately 3,000 additional American troops had been deployed to Afghanistan under Trump's revised strategy for the war-torn country,

With reporting by Reuters, AP and dpa
Ukraine has long expressed unhappiness about the presence of Serbian volunteer fighters among the Russia-backed separatist forces it is battling in its eastern regions.



But Ukraine's ambassador to Serbia, Oleksandr Aleksandrovych, seriously ratcheted up tensions when he not only accused Russia of using its propaganda and security services to lure Serbians to fight against Kyiv, but hit close to Belgrade's heart by suggesting in an interview that Moscow was using Serbia to sow discord in the Balkans.



He rattled off a long list of alleged Russian destabilization efforts in his November 1 interview with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN): "Russia trains Serbian mercenaries to kill Ukrainians. Russia used Serbian extremists to make a coup d'etat in Montenegro. Russia encourages Serbian separatism in [the Serb-dominated Bosnian entity of] Republika Srpska to destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina.... Russia uses the Serbian factor to destabilize Macedonia. Russia plays an active role in putting Serbian Kosovars against Albanian Kosovars. Russia sells its airplanes to Serbia to create tensions with Croatia."



The ambassador used those examples to highlight Kyiv's reasons to question Serbian intentions when it comes to their relationship.



"When you have Serbian politicians traveling to Crimea and praising Putin for his 'wise and strong policies', when you have Serbian mercenaries [fighting in separatist-held territories], when you have Serbia voting in the UN against Ukraine -- all of that naturally creates a negative image of Serbia in Ukraine," Aleksandrovych said.



Aside from Serbia's 2016 vote against a UN resolution calling for international monitoring of the human rights situation in Ukraine, Aleksandrovych's verbal volley referred to actions not officially endorsed by Belgrade: a trip to Crimea taken in early November by members of the opposition Radical Party, and, of course, the contentious Serbian volunteer fighters.

Cozy Relations



Aleksandrovych cited them as reasons to be wary of Serbia's cozy relations with Russia.



The Serbian Foreign Ministry did not react kindly to Aleksandroyvch's comments, warning Kyiv that it would be "forced to take steps" unless the diplomat corrected his "inadmissible behavior," and stressing that it was dedicated to building good relations with Ukraine.

In a statement, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic reminded us that Serbia had taken a number of steps to prosecute its citizens who had fought abroad, including in Ukraine. And he sent his own zinger by noting that it was well known that Ukrainian mercenaries had taken part in "the crimes committed by Croatian forces against the Serb people in Croatia [during the 1990s], whom moreover Ukraine never officially condemned, unlike Serbia [in the case of Serbian fighters in Ukraine]."



That came after Aleksandrovych had been recalled to Kyiv for consultations -- officially to discuss the issue of Serbian mercenaries fighting on the side of pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine -- prompting Serbia's Foreign Ministry, in turn, to recall its ambassador to Ukraine for consultations.



Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin called on Serbia to respect his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.



Some 300 Serbs are said to be fighting in eastern Ukraine, some of whom were featured in a recent video produced by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.



The Serbian ultra-nationalist Radical Party called during a November 2 parliamentary session for Aleksandrovych to be expelled. It also stoked the growing dispute by announcing that two of its parliamentarians had visited Crimea at Russia's invitation, and had co-founded an international organization called "Friends of Crimea."



The Radicals made no bones about their support for Russian claims to the Ukrainian peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014, issuing a statement that the party "respects the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation with Crimea as its territory, as the Russian Federation respects the territorial integrity of Serbia."



Another group of Serbian politicians, including members of the Serbian People's Party, attended events in Crimea to mark the centenary of the 1917 Russian Revolution.



That led the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to issue a statement in response expressing "serious concern about the illegal contacts by representatives of Serbia with occupied Crimea."

Flip-Flopping

The Serbian government, rather than disavowing the actions of Radical and other opposition parliamentarians, chose to blame Ukraine for the breakdown in relations. Dacic described the ratcheting up of tensions as part of "an effort to wreck Serbia's relations with Russia."



On the other hand, members of some of the opposition parties in Serbia saw the situation as the outcome of an unsustainable foreign policy.



Aleksandra Jerkov, a member of the Serbian Democratic Party's foreign policy committee, has said that flip-flopping between support for Russia's and the EU's stance on Ukraine only makes Serbia seem like an unserious partner.



"We cannot simply switch sides depending on which way the wind is blowing, or based on what suits us at any given moment," she said.



"Serbia seems to be forgetting its own position as an aspiring EU member, and the fact that Europe expects us to align our foreign policy with that of the EU," Jerkov added.



Others, however, see ulterior motives in the current spat between Serbia and Ukraine.



According to University College London Professor Eric Gordy, "Ukraine wants to exert indirect pressure on Russia, and perhaps also to put some pressure on Belgrade over its close relations with Moscow. As for the Serbian side, I would characterize much of the current rhetoric as pre-election posturing [a reference to possible early parliamentary elections in 2018], and a desire by various parties to goad the EU [as a means of earning their nationalist spurs]."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who exerts control over domestic and foreign policy, would like to give the impression of staying above the fray and acting as the peacemaker.



"Ukrainians are a friendly people to the Serbs, and I am convinced that we will resolve this quickly. I would refrain from commenting on any individual statements; the Serbian institutions are doing their job. It's important to defuse tensions and maintain our friendly relations. I will do everything in my power to achieve that," said Vucic on November 9.



Difficult Balancing Act

Yet according to some observers the current crisis in relations with Ukraine is a direct consequence of Vucic's foreign policy -- trying to stay loyal to Moscow while maintaining good relations with the EU.



Vucic has a twofold aim in pursuing this approach, according to Aleksandar Popov, the director of the Novi Sad-based Center for Regionalism. "On the one hand, there is a desire to send a message to Progressive Party voters that we have an alternative to EU membership, but also a message to Brussels that we have a backup if the EU accession process is delayed. But this policy has its limits."



Speaking to the RFE/RL Balkan Service's Most (Bridge) program, Popov pointed out that Serbia has been warned recently that it cannot occupy two seats at the same time.



The warning came from U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Hoyt Brian Yee, who said that Belgrade's balancing act between Moscow and the West was unsustainable.



In response, Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said that Yee's remarks represented "the greatest public pressure hitherto exerted on Serbia."



Vulin, whose pro-Russian stance is no secret, added that Serbia will pursue its course regardless of the demands of the "great powers."



Commenting on Vulin's statement, Popov is unconvinced by the bravado.



"In fact we've seen the anxiety that was caused by Hoyt Brian Yee's warning that Serbia cannot sit on both chairs at once. We were forced to look in the mirror, and were confronted by the reality that Vucic is not Josip Broz Tito, nor is Serbia the equivalent of the former Yugoslavia, and the international environment has changed. We will be in trouble when we are finally forced to choose -- EU or Russia."

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.


WASHINGTON -- An American stockbroker who made a fortune in the Russian market in the 1990s and 2000s and later co-founded a posh Moscow nightclub before leaving the country died of blunt force injuries suffered as a result of a fall from a Washington, D.C. building.

The findings, released on November 16 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), confirm that Dan Rapoport died on August 14 after falling from a height, but do not conclusively explain the circumstances leading up to his death.



Washington police told RFE/RL that an investigation into his death had ended and declined further comment. Earlier this year, a police spokeswoman told RFE/RL that foul play was not suspected, but that final conclusions were pending the autopsy.



Washington metropolitan police found Rapoports body on August 14 on the sidewalk outside 2400 M Street, a nine-story apartment building in the northwest part of the city.



The medical examiner's report said Rapoport, 52, died of multiple blunt force injuries due to fall from height and described the death as sudden/unexplained. The report also said the manner of his death was undetermined.



The OCME said no other information would be immediately released.



A preliminary police report said officers responded to a report of a jumper on the evening of August 14, and the man, later identified as Rapoport, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.



The apartment building has an open rooftop with a pool, running track, and seating area for residents.

The police report said officers found $2,620 in cash on Rapoport when they discovered his body on the sidewalk, along with headphones, a cracked cell phone, a Florida drivers license, and other items.



He was wearing flip-flops, perhaps indicating he had been at the pool on the roof prior to falling.



Brianna Burch, a police spokesperson, told RFE/RL in August that there did not appear to be anyone with Rapoport at the time and there were no listed witnesses. In follow-up correspondences with RFE/RL through early November, the police continued to say they did not suspect foul play.



Rapoport had recently moved back to Washington after spending several years working in finance in Ukraine.



While some friends said they did not believe he would have committed suicide, others said he had appeared depressed.



Go-To Location



A native of Latvia and a fluent Russian speaker, Rapoport emigrated with his family to the United States in 1980. After graduating from a U.S. university, he moved to Russia in the early 1990s as a wave of privatizations swept across the country.



The sale of former state-owned companies created a booming stock market, minting a new generation of millionaires, Russian and foreign.



Rapoport was respected within Russian financial circles, where he worked for more than a decade at a local brokerage called CenterInvest, making his way up to managing partner. He claimed his clients included some of the nation's wealthiest tycoons.

In 2007, he opened a swanky nightclub in downtown Moscow called Soho Rooms, which became the go-to location for Moscows elite.



In 2012, he left Russia and returned to the United States, saying the stock brokerage industry that had made him a fortune "had died" as commission fees shrunk with improvements in technology.



But in a media interview prior to his departure, he also criticized the direction Russia had taken and expressed support for Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, who was jailed last year.



"Our flight to Washington is in 12 hours. It's sad to leave Russia, but for thoughtful people, living here has become unbearable and disgusting," Rapoport wrote on his Facebook page on June 13, 2012.



He moved to Washington, where he said his parents lived, and set up a company called Rapoport Capital to advise and assist technology start-ups as well as venture capital funds on fundraising options.



In 2016, four years after leaving Russia, Rapaport set up an office in Kyiv and opened a private equity fund. In social media posts, he was a vocal supporter of Ukraine, and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Rapoport gained a degree of publicity in January 2017, after The New York Times reported that the daughter and son-in-law of the then newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump had purchased a mansion owned by him and his first wife. The mansion was located in an exclusive neighborhood of the U.S. capital.



Later that same month, Raporport's co-founder of the Soho Rooms nightclub, Sergei Tkachenko, was found dead outside a Moscow building. Investigators said Tkachenko's body was found on a building awning with injuries typical of a fall from a great height.



In 2018, the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat reported that Rapoport had been the creator of a fictional persona named David Jewberg, who was frequently quoted in Ukrainian media as a senior Pentagon analyst.

With reporting by Todd Prince in Washington, D.C. and Mike Eckel in Prague.
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.
Voters in Kosovo are heading to the polls for the second round of local elections that are seen as another step in the young republics effort to solidify its democratic credentials.

The November 19 runoffs are taking place in half of the country's 38 municipalities  including in the capital, Pristina -- where mayors and councilors were not elected in the first round last month.

People are also voting in the Serb-majority municipality of Partes, where the Central Election Commission (CEC) annulled the results of the first round following vote manipulations.

After casting her ballot in Pristina, CEC chief Valdete Daka urged all registered voters to go to the polls.

"Todays [vote] is closing the 2017 local elections process, she said. I hope that this day passes like the first round -- in a democratic and fair spirit. I invite the citizens to exercise their right to vote."

Election authorities said turnout was nearly 7 percent at 11 a.m. local time, four hours into voting, lower than the 8.8 percent reported at the same time in the first round.

CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi said that "the electoral process is proceeding smoothly."

Police said that a "sufficient number" of officers were deployed to guarantee order and security during the election process.

International Observers

More than 12,000 local and international observers were expected to be monitoring the vote.

The mayors race in the capital, Pristina, is seen as the big prize. Incumbent Mayor Shpend Ahmeti of the Self-Determination Party, also known as the Vetevendosje movement (VV), is running against Arban Abrashi of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

"I take the opportunity to invite all those who have the right to vote to come as early as possible to vote in greater numbers," Ahmeti said after casting his ballot, adding that "the municipality affects the lives of the citizens in many ways."

In the first round held on October 22, candidates of the LDK gathered more than 50 percent of votes in 4 municipalities, avoiding runoffs.

Candidates of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) were elected mayors in two municipalities each, while the Serbian List won mayoral positions in eight municipalities.

Independent candidates were elected mayors in two municipalities.

Election authorities said the turnout was around 44 percent.

'Genuinely Competitive'

In a preliminary statement, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) said that the elections were "genuinely competitive and the campaign environment was calm" in Albanian-majority municipalities, "allowing numerous candidates to freely communicate their messages to the voters."

However, it said that "deep concerns" persisted over the democratic process in many Kosovo Serb communities, where it said the campaign environment was "marred by intimidation."

Western-backed Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by 115 countries, although not by Serbia or Russia.

There are some 120,000 Serbs in Kosovo, and most of them oppose the Pristina authorities.

The CEC has said that 27 of the municipalities have an ethnic Albanian majority, 10 have ethnic-Serb majorities, and one is mostly ethnic Turkish.

Earlier this year, Kosovo experienced a prolonged period of political instability created by inconclusive June elections.

The political gridlock eased in September when a coalition headed by the PDK, the New Alliance for Kosovo (AKR), and the AAK agreed to form a government.

The deal gave the coalition, which also included ethnic-Serb and other non-Albanian minority parties, 63 of parliament's 120 seats.

President Hashim Thaci had said he would give Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the AAK, a formal mandate to try to form a government once he could show he had a deal showing a majority coalition was in place.
Voters in 19 cities and towns in Kosovo headed to the polls on November 19 to cast ballots in mayoral runoffs. The first round of Kosovo's local elections was held on October 22. Runoffs were needed to decide the winning candidates in mayoral races where no candidate earned more than 50 percent in the initial vote. RFE/RL filmed Kosovo's Central Election Commission chief, Valdete Daka, casting her ballot as the first voter at a polling station in the capital, Pristina. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)
In this latest session of the Majlis, we revisit the topic of rights abuses in Turkmenistan. Specifically, we'll be looking at the plight of those who have been imprisoned and not been heard from since.

International rights groups Crude Accountability and Human Rights Watch are cosponsors of a campaign called Prove They Are Alive, which calls on authorities in Turkmenistan to show that people kept in prisons are still alive and in good health.

Many of those on the missing list disappeared into Turkmen prisons more than a decade ago, under Turkmenistan's first president, Saparmurat Niyazov, but the process continues under current president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and the campaign recently added religious figures to the names of those whose whereabouts are unknown.

Muhammad Tahir, RFE/RL's media relations manager, moderated the discussion.

Taking part from New York was Rachel Denber, the deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch. Riccardo Lepri, EU advocacy coordinator at Crude Accountability, joined the talk from Tbilisi. As usual, I also had a few things to say on the subject.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
President Trump bid to broker a new deal between Palestine and Israel is put to a tough test as Palestinian authority threatens to cease ties with US administration if it closes the office of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Washington.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the US decision was very unfortunate and unacceptable, and accused Washington of bowing to pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government at a time when we are trying to cooperate to achieve the ultimate deal.

In a video statement on social media, Erekat said: We will put on hold all our communications with this American administration.

The Palestinian discontent was expressed after the State Department declined to reissue a six-monthly operating license to the PLO office.

A state department official cited certain statements made by Palestinian leaders about the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the reason behind the non-renewal.

In September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN that the Palestinians had called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute Israeli officials over involvement in settlement activities and aggression against our people.

The PLO, which is seen by the international community as representing all Palestinians, opened an office in DC in 1994.
The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will hand down its verdict on November 22 in the five-year war crimes trial of Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladic.

Mladic's trial is the last at the ICTY, which was established at The Hague in 1993 to prosecute crimes committed in the Balkan wars of the early 1990s. He is accused of 11 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Mladic, 75, is charged with ordering artillery attacks on civilians in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, and for organizing the summary execution of some 8,000 Muslim Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995, one of the more shocking events of the bloody Bosnian war.

Prosecutors say Mladics soldiers pushed past Dutch UN peacekeepers before separating the males for execution and putting the elderly, women, and children on buses and trucks to Bosniak-controlled territory.

In 2007, the ICTY that ruled the massacre was genocide carried out by Bosnian Serb forces.

The ICTY filed charges against Mladic in 1995, but he remained in hiding in Serbia until Belgrade arrested him and handed him over in May 2011.

Mladic has denied all charges.

The ICTY in 2016 found Mladic's political chief, Radovan Karadzic, guilty of similar charges, including genocide, and sentenced him to 40 years in prison. He has appealed that verdict.

Based on reporting by dpa, Reuters, AP, and Euronews
A local referendum held in Moldova's capital, Chisinau, on whether to dismiss the city's mayor is expected to be declared invalid after a low turnout.



The November 19 referendum needed a turnout of at least one third of the city's 647,000 eligible voters to be declared valid.

But official results put turnout just below 18 percent, with 88 percent voting to dismiss the mayor while 12 percent voted against.



The Constitutional Court is expected to rule the referendum invalid on November 20.



Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, who is facing accusations that include corruption, will remain suspended awaiting the judicial decision.



Several political parties and factions, including Chirtoaca's opposition Liberal Party, had called on voters to boycott the referendum.



Chisinau's municipal council voted in September to organize the referendum after suspending the mayor from office.



The move came after Chirtoaca and several other city officials, including Chisinau's two deputy mayors, were charged in a case involving a tender for the capital's paid parking lots.

Chirtoaca, deputy chairman of the pro-European Liberal Party, denies the passive-corruption and influence-peddling charges that have been filed against him.



Moldovan authorities detained Chirtoaca in May, and later placed him under house arrest pending a trial.



Chirtoaca, 38, is being investigated for alleged abuse of power in another criminal case regarding the allocation of municipal housing in the capital.



He has been mayor of Chisinau since 2007 and supports reunifying the country with neighboring Romania.



This year, the Liberal Party kicked off a campaign to collect signatures for a referendum to suspend the country's pro-Russian president, Socialist Igor Dodon, for actions incompatible with his office.



Dodon's Socialists have, in turn, started a campaign to suspend Chirtoaca.
A senior Russian official says Sweden and Uruguay have written a draft resolution that could lead to another vote to keep alive a United Nations investigation into who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, the press secretary of Russia's UN Mission, was quoted on November 18 by the state-run TASS news agency as saying the two nonpermanent members had submitted a "compromise" draft to the Security Council on resuming the work of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

TASS cited an unnamed UN source as saying a vote could take place on the resolution on November 19.

The report comes a day after Russia vetoed a proposal to temporarily keep alive the UN investigation program.

The Russian veto, its 11th in the UN in regard to the Syrian civil war since the conflict began in 2011, came a day after Moscow blacked a one-year extension of the JIM.

The mandate for the joint investigation by the UN 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 Associated Press (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 the AFP news agency that the 30-day extension was "pointless" and that urgent action on the expert panel's work was not needed.

'We've Unleashed A Monster'

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 the 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 okay 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.

'Fake Diplomacy'

Nebenzya called the mechanism "a puppet-like structure" which 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 17, 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. [Nikki] 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 [rival Russian and the U.S.] drafts of the [UN Security Council] resolution, 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.

Russian Resolution Rejected

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 TASS, AP, dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP
Journalists and activists in five Serbian cities launched a joint awareness-raising campaign called Noise Against Blackout on November 19. More than 200 media outlets and civil organizations have united in the For Media Freedom initiative to collect signatures in support of a list of 13 demands, including a call to investigate all attacks against journalists. The initiative was inspired by a statement made by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on October 10 that "there is no objective journalism in Serbia." RFE/RL filmed campaign activists canvassing people on the streets of the capital, Belgrade. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)
Senior aides will present U.S. President Donald Trump with a $47 million plan to finance and sell high-tech defensive weapons to Ukraine to bolster its efforts to repel Russian aggression in the region, ABC News reported, quoting a State Department source.

ABC News on November 18 said the plan would supply Ukraine with weapons that include portable Javelin antitank missiles.

News reports say a shoulder-mounted weapon Javelin costs about $126,000 per launcher and $78,000 for each missile.

A spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC) told ABC on November 17 that the agency had "no announcement at this time." The NSC decided earlier this week to green-light the presentation of the package, ABC said.

Any decision on the matter has to be approved by the U.S. Congress, as well as Trump.

Ukrainian government forces are battling Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014.

Russia also seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and annexed the region in March 2014.

Escalation Fears



During a visit to Ukraine in August, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis signaled his personal support for providing weapons to Kyiv. That comes in sharp contrast to the previous White House administration, which feared that supplying weapons could escalate the situation and tensions with Russia.

But such a move would also represent a reversal from the Republican party platform on sending lethal weapons to Ukraine.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, after Trump became the party nominee, the Republican platform was shifted from supporting "lethal defensive arms" to Ukraine to more vague language calling for "appropriate assistance.

Trump, during the campaign and into his presidency, has pressed for better relations with Russia, worrying some that he was looking to weaken support for the pro-Western government in Kyiv and to possibly attempt to ease sanctions on Moscow imposed for its aggression in Ukraine.

A State Department official told ABC that a meeting will be held in the coming weeks to discuss the "public messaging" related to the sale.

With reporting by ABC News, AP, and The Hill
Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists appear to be moving closer to a new round of prisoner exchanges after a flurry of comments from Kyiv, Moscow, and separatist groups.

Yuriy Tandit, an adviser to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), on November 18 told Ukraine's Channel 5 that the "most important thing is that it happens fast, because many of the men have been there for a good three years."

Optimism has grown over the past few days after the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 15 told separatist leaders Aleksandr Zakharchenko of the Donetsk region and Igor Plotnitsky of Luhansk by phone that he favored a prisoner swap with Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said 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."

The SBU on November 16 said it welcomed "any steps" by Russia that would facilitate exchanges of people held by Kyiv and the Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Tandit said the SBU was prepared to hand over the hundreds of separatist fighters being held by Ukrainian authorities in return for Ukrainian troops held by separatists.

Reports say Ukraine has 306 separatist fighters in custody, while the separatists are holding 74 government soldiers.

The separatists have controlled the capitals and some other districts of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces 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.

The Russian statements confirming that Putin spoke to the Russia-backed separatist leaders represented a rare public acknowledgment of such direct contacts.

With reporting by Christopher Miller in Kyiv, TASS, and dpa
Notes: What if Navy blitz becomes blueprint? Notre Dame 'would welcome that'
Morocco and the United states have officially launched this week a global initiative to address homegrown terrorism.

The initiative was launched at an event Held in Valletta, Malta, under the auspices of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and in partnership with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law. The event brough together over 70 government officials, law enforcement officers, academics, and non-governmental representatives from 25 countries.

The initiative 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.

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, said the US State Department in a statement announcing the launch of the initiative.

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 statement said.

The participants in the Malta event 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.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Aboriginal Australians have been observing the stars for more than 65,000 years, and many of their oral traditions have been recorded since colonisation. These traditions tell of all kinds of celestial events, such as the annual rising of stars, passing comets, eclipses of the Sun and Moon, auroral displays, and even meteorite impacts.

But new research, recently published in The Australian Journal of Anthropology, reveals that Aboriginal oral traditions describe the variable nature of three red-giant stars: Betelgeuse, Aldebaran and Antares.

This challenges the history of astronomy and tells us that Aboriginal Australians were even more careful observers of the night sky than they have been given credit for.

Read more: Kindred skies: ancient Greeks and Aboriginal Australians saw constellations in common

What is a variable star?

The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote in 350BCE that the stars are unchanging and invariable. This was the position held by Western science for nearly 2,000 years.

It wasn't until 1596 that this was proved wrong, when German astronomer David Fabricius showed that the star Mira (Omicron Ceti), in the constellation of Cetus, changed in brightness over time.

In the 1830s, astronomer John Herschel observed the relative brightness of a handful of stars in the sky. Over the course of four years, he noticed that the star Betelgeuse, in Orion, was sometimes fainter and sometimes brighter than some of the other stars. His discovery paved the way for an entire field of astrophysics dedicated to studying the variable nature of stars.

But was Herschel the first to recognise this?

There is evidence that ancient Egyptians observed the variability of the star Algol (Omicron Persei).

Algol consists of two stars that orbit each other. As one moves in front of the other, it blocks the other stars light, causing it to dim slightly. This is called an eclipsing binary. It can be seen in the sky as the winking eye of Medusas head in the Western constellation Perseus.

The variable star Algol is the winking eye of Medusas head, held by Perseus. (Image credit: Stellarium)

Are there any clear records from oral or Indigenous cultures that demonstrate knowledge of variable stars?

Emerging research reveals two Aboriginal traditions from South Australia that show the answer is a clear "yes."

Nyeeruna and the protective Kambugudha

A Kokatha oral tradition from the Great Victoria Desert tells of Nyeeruna, a vain hunter who comprises the same stars, in the same orientation, as the Greek Orion.

He is in love with the Yugarilya sisters of the Pleiades, but they are timid and shy away from his advances. Their eldest sister, Kambugudha (the Hyades star cluster), protects her younger sisters.

Nyreeuna creates fire-magic in his right hand (Betelgeuse) to overpower Kambugudha, so he can reach the sisters. She counters this with her own fire magic in her left foot (Aldebaran), which she uses to kick dust into Nyreeunas face. This humiliates Nyreeuna and his fire-magic dissipates.

Nyreeuna is persistent and replenishes his fire-magic again to get to the sisters. Kambugudha cannot generate hers in time, so she calls on Babba (the father dingo) for help. Babba fights Nyeeruna while Kambugudha and the other stars laugh at him, then places a row of dingo pups between them. This causes Nyeeruna much humiliation and his fire-magic dissipates again.

The story explains the variability of the stars Betelgeuse and Aldebaran. Trevor Leaman and I realised this in 2014, but we did not realise until now that the story also describes the relative periods of these changes.

Betelgeuse varies in brightness by one magnitude every 400 days, while Aldebaran varies by 0.2 magnitudes at irregular periods. The Aboriginal people recognised that Betelgeuse varies faster than Aldebaran, which is why they say that Kambugudha cannot generate her fire-magic in time to counter Nyreeuna.

Waiyungari and breaking sacred law

The second oral tradition comes from the Ngarrindjeri people, south of Adelaide. The story tells of Waiyungari, a young initiate who is covered in red ochre.

He is seen by two women, who find him very attractive. That night, they seduce him, which is strictly against the law for initiates. To escape punishment, they climb into the sky where Waiyungari becomes the star Antares and the women become the stars Tau and Sigma Scorpii, who flank him on either side.

The Ngarrindjeri people say Waiyungari signals the start of Spring (Riwuri) and occasionally gets brighter and hotter, symbolising his passion for the women. It is during this time that initiates must refrain from contact with the opposite sex. Antares is a variable star, which changes brightness by 1.3 magnitudes every 4.5 years.

What does this tell us?

Ruddy celestial objects hold special significance in Aboriginal traditions - from red stars to lunar eclipses to meteors - which may be one of the reasons why these stars are so significant.

Read more: The Memory Code: how oral cultures memorise so much information

Red objects are often related to fire, blood and passion. Psychological studies show that the colour red enhances sexual attraction between people, which may explain why both stories relate to sexual desire and taboos.

The Aboriginal traditions change the discovery timeline of these variable stars, which historians of astronomy say were discovered by Western scientists.

We see that Aboriginal people pay very close attention to subtle changes in nature, and incorporate this knowledge into their traditions. Astrophysicists have much to learn if we recognise the scientific achievements of Indigenous cultures and acknowledge the immense power of oral tradition.

Duane Hamacher is giving a plenary talk on this research into Aboriginal observations of red-giant variable stars at the Australian Space Research Conference, to be held at the University of Sydney on November 15, 2017.

Duane W. Hamacher, Senior ARC Discovery Early Career Research Fellow, Monash University
Without satellites, modern technologies such as mobiles phones and GPS would not exist.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome  serious, weird or wacky!

How do satellites get back to Earth? Charlie Crittenden, age 7, Coledale.

The short answer is that most satellites don't come back to Earth at all. Most of them burn to a crisp before they get anywhere near the ground.

Every day, bits of space junk get burnt up in the sky above our heads. Most of the time we don't even notice.

Satellites are always falling towards the Earth, but never reaching it - that's how they stay in orbit. They are meant to stay there, and usually there is no plan to bring them back to Earth. From orbit, they send us pictures of the Earth and signals to help us find our way about.

Read more: Curious Kids: Why is the sky blue and where does it start?

Those closest to the Earth will eventually fall into the atmosphere and burn up (atmosphere means the breathable air that surrounds our planet). This is a good thing, because we don't want old satellites staying up there as junk. Some fall back within weeks of being launched. Others are up there for hundreds of years.

Mostly, their orbits are above the thickest parts of the atmosphere. But eventually, the heat of the Sun makes them fall into Earth's atmosphere. I'll explain how.

Roaring into the atmosphere

Satellites don't move in circles. Their orbits are oval-shaped, which means that sometimes a satellite will be closer to the Earth than other times.

The Sun heats the atmosphere during the day and when it's more active. When the gases in the atmosphere are heated, they grow outwards and surround the satellites when they are nearest to the Earth. The particles rub against the satellite (scientists call this friction) and slow it down, dragging it a little lower. Over time, the satellite reaches the upper layers of atmosphere.

But when I say "reaches," it's actually very quick. The satellite roars into the atmosphere at high speed - as much as 28,000km per hour. That's about 35 times faster than a plane!

Read more: Space bling: 'jewelled' LAGEOS satellites help us to measure the Earth

And because the friction is even higher than before, it heats up. This is like rubbing sticks together to make fire. The heat makes the satellite break into pieces.

A European Space Agency freighter breaking apart and burning up.

Only some pieces survive to fall onto the surface of the Earth, or into the sea. These are often steel fuel tanks or titanium spheres - also called space balls. Sometimes, people find them on the ground many years later.

A few satellites, like China's Shijian-10, are designed to return to Earth, because they have collected samples that scientists want to study. These satellites have heat shields to keep them cool and parachutes to slow them down so that they land softly, still in one piece.

Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to us. They can:

* Email your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au

* Tell us on Twitter by tagging @ConversationEDU with the hashtag #curiouskids, or

* Tell us on Facebook

(Image credit: CC BY-ND)

Please tell us your name, age, and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We won't be able to answer every question but we will do our best.

Alice Gorman, Senior Lecturer in archaeology and space studies, Flinders University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com.
El-Aaiun (Occupied Territories) November 18, 2017 (SPS) - Western Sahara Resource Watch and Environment Protection Association on Saturday condemned the continued illegal activities of German company Siemens in the field of electric power in the cities of El-Aaiun, Dakhla and Boujdour in the occupied Western Sahara.

The Association pointed out in a statement that it is very concerned about the maximum speed with which the Moroccan regime is working on the development of the high-voltage electricity network in Western Sahara in El-Aaiun, Boujdour and Dakhla in order to accelerate the production of electricity through renewable energies.

In particular, it recently amended law 15-58, amending and completing Law 13-09 on energy, which aims to market electricity produced from sources of renewable energies by opening the low voltage, medium voltage, high voltage and very high voltage electricity market to the private sector for export, which is beneficial to Morocco's economy in exchange for the impoverishment and starvation of then Sahrawi people, the statement added.

The Association called on the international community to put pressure on Morocco to stop immediately the exercise of any activity within the territory of Western Sahara against the will and wishes of the Saharawi people, without consulting its sole legitimate representative, the Polisario Front. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA
Moscow, November 18, 2017 (SPS) - Human rights violations committed by the Moroccan occupying forces in Western Sahara were denounced in a conference organized Friday, in Moscow, jointly by the representation of the Polisario Front in the Russian capital and that of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Russia.

The audience, made up notably of students from various Russian universities and institutes, took the opportunity to learn about the Sahrawi cause through the screening of a documentary relating the genesis of the issue of Western Sahara and the suffering of people committed to continuing their struggle for their independence despite the stubbornness of Morocco which continues flouting the resolutions of the United Nations and the international law.

The representative of the Polisario Front in Russia Ali-Salem Mohamed-Fadel broached the main phases of the 42 years of the Moroccan occupation and the serious repercussions caused by this invasion against the Sahrawi people who have succeeded, thanks to their brave combatants, in resisting this colonizing military force.

Despite four decades of struggle and exile of refugees, the Sahrawi people succeeded, under the leadership of the Polisario Front, in paving the way for the building of a modern State and having cultivated and organized Sahrawi citizens, said Mohamed Fadhel Ali Salem. (SPS)

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A film director has criticised police for failing to tackle moped crooks who stole his phone - despite telling them exactly where it was using a mobile app.

Filmmaker Stuart Hazeldine, 46, said he had his phone snatched from his hands by a thief on a moped outside King's Cross railway station

When he returned home, he located the device using the 'Find my iPhone' app and tracked it down to an address in Elia Mews, Islington.

But when he contacted the police non-emergency 101 number, he said he was told by a Met Police officer "no-one is going to do anything tonight."

Scotland Yard told the Standard that due to the number of residences at the address they were unable to locate the device.

Mr Hazeldine said: "These thieves acted like pros. It seemed to me they had done this before so, I'm thinking, there's a fair chance there's a couple hundred phones sat up there.

"Of course, I didn't exactly expect any doors to be bust down there and then I was just looking for some sort of reassurance that some action was going to be taken."

Mr Hazeldine, who has worked on a number of Hollywood films and wrote and directed the 2009 cult thriller Exam, said there seemed to be a "response lottery" when reporting moped gangs to the police.

Rise in moped based mobile phone thefts in Islington

He said: "I know of one guy who reported a theft and, shortly after, he was in the car with two officers on the lookout for the guys who robbed him.

"There seems to be a kind of 'response lottery' at work where you just don't know what kind of assistance you're going to receive.

"I've had a mix of police communication face-to-face and over the internet. One officer said the crime wasn't serious enough to respond to."

A spokesman for the Met said: "Police were contacted by a man who reported the theft of his mobile phone during a scooter-enabled theft on Thursday, 9 November at approximately 23:50hrs.

"The victim subsequently informed officers that he had tracked his phone - using location software - to a block of flats in Elia Mews, Islington N1.

"Due to the number of residences at this address officers have been unable to locate the stolen property.

"Should any new information come to light police will not hesitate to act."

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
T errified neighbours have spoken of their fear after a woman was gagged and bound before being stabbed to death at her home in north London.

The victim, named locally as 55-year-old Cathy Burke, was found dead by officers at an address in Muswell Hill on Thursday.

According to the Sun, she had been tied up during a botched robbery before her death.

A post-mortem examination revealed her provisional cause of death to be from stab injuries, Scotland Yard said.

Shocked neighbours today paid tribute to a nice lady and said: We need to find her killer.

'Scary' incident: A woman, named locally as Cathy Burke, was stabbed to death at her home in Muswell Hill / PA

Lesly Gregory, who knew the victim for around 10 years, told Press Association: "She was just lovely. She was such a nice lady."

She said she did not believe it was a random attack, adding: "Cathy wouldn't open the door to just anyone."

Ms Gregory, who has lived on the street for three decades, added tearfully: "We need to find Cathy's killer."

Ms Burke lived alone after her son moved out to go to university, and had previously worked for the local council, she said.

Another neighbour, Fenelle Archer Wright, described Ms Burke as "a very warm person, very friendly." She added: "It's scary that this has happened in our road."

Ms Burke moved to England from Galway as a teenager, neighbours said, and had lived in the street for around 20 years.

Police visited the house on Thursday evening after concerns were raised for her well-being.

Detectives, who are awaiting formal identification of the victim, said they are keeping an open mind about the motive.

No-one has been arrested.

Floral tributes have been set in a hedge at the front of the terraced house, while a small police cordon remains in place at the entrance.
T he first in a new series of portraits of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have been released to mark the couple's 70th wedding anniversary.

The photographs, taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak, show Elizabeth II and Prince Philip standing side by side in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in early November.

The 91-year-old monarch opted to wear the cream day dress by Angela Kelly that she also wore at the Diamond Wedding Anniversary thanksgiving service, along with a yellow gold, ruby and diamond 'Scarab' brooch, designed by Andrew Grima and gifted to the couple in 1966.

They are framed by Thomas Gainsborough's 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years, and the Queen holds her hands clasped in front of her, while Prince Philip stands upright with his hands behind his back.

The first of a series of portraits to mark the Queen and Prince Philip's 70th wedding anniversary / Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters

Mr Holyoak has worked with a host of British and Hollywood celebrities and his photos have regularly been splashed on the covers of magazine such as Harper's Bazaar, Shortlist and Dazed and Confused.

The photographs were taken for Camera Press, which also celebrates its anniversary 70 years after the agency distributed the royal pair's official wedding photos as its first assignment.

Elizabeth II, who married her consort at Westminster Abbey on November 20 1947, is the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

New stamps mark Queen and Prince Philip's Platinum anniversary 1 /9 New stamps mark Queen and Prince Philip's Platinum anniversary Six stamps commemorating the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh PA The royal couple during their engagement annoucement PA The royal couple on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey PA The royal couple walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey after their wedding service on November 20 1947 PA The Queen and Prince Philip looking at photographs of their wedding. PA The Queen and Prince Philip on their honeymoon PA The royal couple during their engagement announcement PA

Their enduring relationship has lasted the longest of any British sovereign, and Philip has been at the Queen's side throughout the decades, supporting her as she devotes herself to her duties as head of state.

The monarch, who was a 21-year-old princess when she walked up the aisle, is the nation's longest reigning sovereign, having overtaken the record set by Queen Victoria.

The 96-year-old newly retired Duke, who was 26 and fresh from serving for the Royal Navy in the Second World War when he wed, is the longest serving consort in British history.

Together they have celebrated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen's reigns, and faced ups and downs over the years including the breakdown of three of their four children's marriages, and the backlash which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

With their family growing year by year, the Queen and Philip are preparing to welcome their sixth great-grandchild in April - a third child for the the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The Queen and Prince Philip: Early years of Marriage 1 /42 The Queen and Prince Philip: Early years of Marriage A personal photograph of the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the top of the Coyles of Muick, taken by The Countess of Wessex in 2003. PA 1951 The royal family AFP/Getty Images 1949 Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, looking over Valetta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia, Malta PA 1951 Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Queen Elizabeth Getty Images 1947 Then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey after their wedding ceremony PA 1949 Princess Elizabeth talking to Prince Philip at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England Getty Images 1950 Portrait of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne following her Christening Getty Images 1951 Attending a concert at festival hall Getty Images 1951 At Riverdale Park in Toronto PA 1951 In Quebec Getty Images 1951 In Fort William, Ontario Getty Images 1952 Portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip Getty Images 1952 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace PA 1952 The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral AFP/Getty Images 1953 Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown after her coronation PA 1954 Prince Philip with Princess Margaret PA 1954 In Hobart, Tasmania PA 1954 In Kandy, Sri Lanka Getty Images 1954 The royal family wave after returning from a trip around the world AFP/Getty Images 1955 In the grounds of Balmoral PA 1956 The Queen with one of her corgis PA 1957 Touring Springfield PA 1958 Watching a cricket match at Highclere Castle Getty Images 1959 During their royal tour of Canada PA 1959 Meeting President Eisenhower Getty Images 1960 With French President Charles de Gaulle and his wife PA 1961 With then-American President John F Kennedy and his with Jacqueline PA 1962 Driving around Hove Stadium PA 1964 At the conclusion of the Trooping of the Colour PA 1965 Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Queen, Prince Edward, Princess Margaret and Prince Andrew PA 1968 With Prince Andrew AFP/Getty Images 1972 In Balmoral AFP/Getty Images

They already have five great-grandchildren - Savannah and Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Prince George and Princess Charlotte - as well as eight grandchildren - Peter and Zara Phillips, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn - and their own four children the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.

Celebrations for the Queen and Duke's 70th wedding anniversary will be a private affair at their request, markedly different from the public commemorations of the diamond wedding anniversary in 2007 which included a service of thanksgiving.

Close family and friends are gathering with the couple at Windsor Castle for a special private dinner on Monday evening.

Bells will also ring out at the historic London church where they said their vows.

At Westminster Abbey on Monday at 1pm, a team of 10 ringers will sound a full celebratory peal in tribute, lasting three hours and 20 minutes.

Late in their life, the Queen and Philip have entered a new phase in their marriage as Philip enjoys his retirement.

But the Duke did make an appearance over Remembrance weekend, notably watching with the Queen from a balcony at the Cenotaph as the Prince of Wales led the nation in honouring the country's war dead.

It was a symbolic moment for the sovereign - the first time she has broken with tradition and not performed the duty of laying a wreath at the Whitehall service - and once again Philip was at her side.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
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T he Queen braved the rain to enjoy a horse ride in the grounds of Windsor Castle ahead of her 70th wedding anniversary.

The 91-year-old monarch donned a full-length rain mac over riding gear as she rode her favourite black fell alongside Head Groom Terry Pendry.

Tomorrow marks 70 years since the Queen married the 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh.

The pair will mark the occasion with private celebrations at their Windsor home.

The Queen rides in the grounds of Windsor Castle / Rex Features

On Saturday, the first in a series of portraits of the couple was released in celebration of the milestone.

The photographs, taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak, show Elizabeth II and Prince Philip standing side by side in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in early November.

The first of a series of portraits to mark the Queen and Prince Philip's 70th wedding anniversary / Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters

The 91-year-old monarch opted to wear the cream day dress by Angela Kelly that she also wore at the Diamond Wedding Anniversary thanksgiving service, along with a yellow gold, ruby and diamond 'Scarab' brooch, designed by Andrew Grima and gifted to the couple in 1966.

They are framed by Thomas Gainsborough's 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years, and the Queen holds her hands clasped in front of her, while Prince Philip stands upright with his hands behind his back.

New stamps mark Queen and Prince Philip's Platinum anniversary 1 /9 New stamps mark Queen and Prince Philip's Platinum anniversary Six stamps commemorating the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh PA The royal couple during their engagement annoucement PA The royal couple on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey PA The royal couple walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey after their wedding service on November 20 1947 PA The Queen and Prince Philip looking at photographs of their wedding. PA The Queen and Prince Philip on their honeymoon PA The royal couple during their engagement announcement PA

Mr Holyoak has worked with a host of British and Hollywood celebrities and his photos have regularly been splashed on the covers of magazine such as Harper's Bazaar, Shortlist and Dazed and Confused.

The photographs were taken for Camera Press, which also celebrates its anniversary 70 years after the agency distributed the royal pair's official wedding photos as its first assignment.

Elizabeth II, who married her consort at Westminster Abbey on November 20 1947, is the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

The Queen and Prince Philip - In pictures 1 /93 The Queen and Prince Philip - In pictures 1953 The Queen wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Duke of Edinburgh, in the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Queen's Coronation PA 1947 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey after their wedding ceremony PA 1948 Princess Elizabeth cradles Charles after his christening at Buckingham Palace, joined by her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth alongside Philip PA 1950 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with their daughter Princess Anne after her christening at Buckingham Palace PA 1949 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh looking across Valletta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia, Malta PA 1951 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Riverdale Park, Toronto, during their tour of Canada PA 1952 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace after her first State Opening of Parliament PA 1954 The Royal couple at Prince's Pier in Hobart, Tasmania PA 1955 The Duke pushes Prince Charles and Princess Anne on a swing at Balmoral, watched by the Queen PA 1956 The Queen, with one of her Corgis in tow, chats with the Duke as he plays polo at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park PA 1957 Jersey Royals: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh tour Springfield, the showground of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society PA 1958 The Queen delivers her speech from the throne in the House of Lords chamber at the State Opening of Parliament PA 1959 Thousands gather to welcome the Royal couple as the Royal Yacht Britannia arrives in Canada PA 1960 President Charles de Gaulle of France and Madame de Gaulle visit Buckingham Palace PA 1961 President John F Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline at Buckingham Palace PA 1962 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are greeted by a group of youngsters during a visit to Hove Stadium, East Sussex PA 1963 The Queen presents the Royal Windsor Horse Show Cup to the winning captain, the Duke of Edinburgh at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park PA 1964 The Queen, accompanied by the Duke, takes the salute outside Buckingham Palace at the conclusion of the Trooping the Colour ceremony PA 1965 The Queen surrounded by her family as she celebrates her 39th birthday, with Prince Edward in her arms. PA 1966 The Queen and Duke visit Aberfan in South Wales, after a coal-tip avalanche killed 144 people PA 1967 The Royal couple leave Heathrow for a four-day visit to Malta PA 1968 The Duke of Edinburgh climbs onto the roof of a Land Rover to get a better view of the Horse Trials at Badminton, accompanied by the Queen PA 1969 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh with the Prince of Wales during his investiture at Caernarfon Castle PA 1970 The Queen and the Duke arrive in Sydney during the royal tour of Australasia PA 1971 The Queen and Duke of arrive back at Heathrow PA 1972 The Royal couple celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary in the Belgian suite in Buckingham Palace PA 1973 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the procession to St George's Chapel, Windsor, for the Service of Thanksgiving for the Most Noble Order of the Garter PA 1974 Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark are welcomed at Windsor Castle PA 1975 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh parade in an open top car during their State visit to Japan PA 1976 The Royal couple during their traditional summer break at Balmoral PA 1977 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh kneeling in St Paul's Cathedral during the special thanksgiving service to mark her Silver Jubilee PA 1978 The Queen and Duke on the jetty at Maseline harbour during their visit to the Channel Island of Sark PA 1979 Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen and Prince Andrew PA 1980 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh seated in a haulage truck to go down to the lower level of the Geevor tin mine at Pendeen, Cornwall PA 1981 Duke of Edinburgh watching The Queen and their son-in-law Captain Mark Phillips at the presentation ceremony, after Phillips won the Badminton Horse Trials for the fourth time PA 1982 The Queen taking a photograph when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the South Sea Islands of Tuvalu PA 1983 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during the Remembrance Day ceremony at Nairobi's Commonwealth Cemeter PA 1984 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Prince Edward at Jesus College, during an official visit to Cambridge PA 1985 The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen with three of their grandchildren (left to right) Zara Phillips, Prince William and Peter Phillips, on board Britannia at Southampton docks PA 1986 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on the Great Wall of China at the Bedaling Pass, 50 miles north-west of Beijing, on the third day of their State Visit to the country PA 1987 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Belgian suite at Buckingham Palace, with messages of congratulations on their Silver Wedding anniversary PA 1988 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Port Sunlight in Wirral, opening the 12m Lever Brothers soap-making plant PA 1989 US President George Bush, his wife Barbara, the Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen , in the Picture Room at Buckingham Palace PA 1990 Duke of Edinburgh, Peter Phillips, Viscount David Linley, the Princess Royal, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, The Queen, Prince Edward, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at Clarence House for the Queen Mother's 90th birthday PA 1991 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with the Duke and Duchess of York on board HMS Campbeltown at Portsmouth Harbour PA 1992 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of her accession to the thron PA 1993 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh share an umbrella whilst enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride at Bugacs, on the Hungarian Plain during a State Visit to Hungary PA 1994 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelling on the new Eurostar train PA 1995 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh riding down the course at Ascot PA 1996 The Queen accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, laying a wreath on the newly-unveiled memorial to all innocent civilian victims across the world, sited near to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, during a ceremony PA 1997 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh viewing the floral tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales, at Buckingham Palace PA 1998 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh descending the steps of Buckingham Palace at a garden party PA 1999 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arriving at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the 1999 Royal Variety Performance PA 2000 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh raising their glasses as midnight strikes during the Opening Celebrations at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich PA 2001 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive for the Royal Variety Performance, at the Dominion Theatre in Londo PA 2002 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during a musical performance in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds PA 2003 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle PA 2005 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh wearing safety glasses during a laser surgery demonstration at the University College Hospital, London PA 2006 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the unveiling of a garden dedicated to the late Queen Mother at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh PA 2007 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the grounds of Broadlands on their Diamond wedding anniversary PA 2008 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attend a lecture during a visit to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), to open the eight-storey New Academic Building PA 2009 US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, talk with The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during an audience at Buckingham Palace PA 2010 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh welcoming the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (left) to Windsor Castle, Berkshire, during his state visit to the UK PA 2011 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attending the traditional Royal Maundy Service at Westminster Abbey on her 85th birthday PA 2012 The Queen receives a trophy from the Duke of Edinburgh after her horse Estimate won the Queen's Vase during day four of the 2012 Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire PA 2013 The Queen leaves after delivering her speech at the State Opening of Parliament, in central London, alongside the Duke of Edinburgh PA 2014 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit the Tower of London's Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation PA 2015 The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen during the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering, held a short distance from the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire PA 2016 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their way down The Mall in an open-topped Range Rover, during the Patron's Lunch in central London in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday PA 2017 Prince of Wales, Princess Eugenie,The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and the Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace PA

Their enduring relationship has lasted the longest of any British sovereign, and Philip has been at the Queen's side throughout the decades, supporting her as she devotes herself to her duties as head of state.

The monarch, who was a 21-year-old princess when she walked up the aisle, is the nation's longest reigning sovereign, having overtaken the record set by Queen Victoria.

The Queen rode with Head Groom Terry Pendry / Rex Features

The 96-year-old newly retired Duke, who was 26 and fresh from serving for the Royal Navy in the Second World War when he wed, is the longest serving consort in British history.

Together they have celebrated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen's reigns, and faced ups and downs over the years including the breakdown of three of their four children's marriages, and the backlash which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

With their family growing year by year, the Queen and Philip are preparing to welcome their sixth great-grandchild in April - a third child for the the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

They already have five great-grandchildren - Savannah and Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Prince George and Princess Charlotte - as well as eight grandchildren - Peter and Zara Phillips, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn - and their own four children the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.

Celebrations for the Queen and Duke's 70th wedding anniversary will be a private affair at their request, markedly different from the public commemorations of the diamond wedding anniversary in 2007 which included a service of thanksgiving.

Close family and friends are gathering with the couple at Windsor Castle for a special private dinner on Monday evening.

Bells will also ring out at the historic London church where they said their vows.

At Westminster Abbey on Monday at 1pm, a team of 10 ringers will sound a full celebratory peal in tribute, lasting three hours and 20 minutes.
R obert Mugabe has reportedly gone on hunger strike to protest his conditions under house arrest while Zimbabwean officials plot his removal from office.

Reports say the 93-year-old has not accepted food since Saturday as he continues to be held under house arrest by the military.

His protest comes as officials from the ruling party, Zanu-PF, meet to plan for the end of his reign, according to the Daily Mail

It is believed the committee will seek to reinstate vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa and remove Mugabes wife Grace, from the leadership, according to reports.

A protestor waves his Zimbabwean flag at the anti-Mugabe rally / AFP/Getty Images

Mugabe previously rejected a proposal to step down and allow Mr Mnangagwa, who he sacked as vice president earlier this month, to take over on an interim basis.

Crowds gather in Zimbabwe to demand Mugabe's departure

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.

Protesters hold up signs at London's Zimbabwe Embassy / Getty Images

Mugabe is said to be insisting he remain 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.

The announcement came as thousands took to the streets of Zimbabwe's capital Harare to demand the end of Mugabe's leadership after four decades in power.

Crowds have gathered at the Zimbabwe Embassy in London to celebrate Robert Mugabe's downfall

Euphoric crowds marched in celebration of the end of the Mugabe era, with people of all races calling for the official process to be sped up.

A protest was held at the Zimbabwe Embassy in London on Saturday in solidarity with the nation's people.
R obert Mugabe has been officially dismissed as president of Zimbabwe, sources say.

Reuters reports the ruling party, Zanu-PF, ousted the dictator following a meeting of its central committee this morning.

Reports say the committee installed former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new leader, expelling First Lady Grace Mugabe, who had been set to replace her husband.

Mugabe previously rejected a proposal to step down and allow Mr Mnangagwa, who he sacked as vice president earlier this month, to take over on an interim basis.

Protesters demand the end of Mugabe's rule / AFP/Getty Images

Most Zimbabweans believe Mr Mnangagwa was dismissed to clear the way for Mr Mugabes "despised" wife to become his successor.

Mugabe had reportedly gone on hunger strike to protest his conditions under house arrest while Zimbabwean officials plotted his removal from office.

Civilians cheered and hugged soldiers in the street / AP

The dictator is said to have insisted he remain 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, has agreed to these conditions.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of capital Harare to celebrate the end of Mugabe's rule, hugging and cheering the military soldiers who aided in his removal.

Mugabe ruled over Zimbabwe since it declared independence from Britain in 1980.
R obert Mugabe must resign as president by midday on Monday or impeachment proceedings will start, Zimbabwe's ruling party has said.

The central committee of Zanu-PF has already fired Mugabe as party leader but he technically remains president until he either resigns or is removed from office.

The party also expelled his wife and named the recently dismissed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new head.

Most Zimbabweans believe Mr Mnangagwa was dismissed to clear the way for Mr Mugabes "despised" wife to become his successor.

The Zimbabwe military took over the capital Harare earlier this week / AP

Mugabe had reportedly gone on hunger strike to protest his conditions under house arrest while Zimbabwean officials plotted his removal from office.

The dictator is said to have insisted he remain 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, has agreed to these conditions.

The Zimbabwean parliament resumes on Tuesday and impeachment proceedings would be expected to begin then.
R obert Mugabe has agreed to step down as Zimbabwe president after almost four decades in power, according to state run media.

The 93-year-old is set to make an announcement on Sunday night hours after the ruling party's Central Committee fired him as party leader and said if he did not resign as president by noon on Monday it would start impeachment proceedings.

The Central Committee of Zanu-PF fired Mugabe as party chief, expelled his wife and named the recently dismissed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new head.

The decisions follow a dramatic few days in which the military put Mugabe under house arrest, angered by his firing of Mr Mnangagwa and positioning of the unpopular first lady to replace him - and probably succeed her husband as leader.

Robert Mugabe removed as leader of Zimbabwe's ruling party

The party accuses Grace Mugabe of "preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office". She was removed as head of the women's league.

93-year-old Mugabe today met with the army commander who put him under house arrest days ago in a second round of talks on his departure after nearly four decades in power.

Protesters call for Mugabe to step down in Zimbabwe 1 /13 Protesters call for Mugabe to step down in Zimbabwe People wave a Zimbabwean national flag and carry banners during a demonstration AFP/Getty Images People taking to the streets as part of the mass action protests against President Robert Mugabe EPA People taking to the streets as part of the mass action protests against President Robert Mugabe EPA People gather at an anti President Mugabe rally EPA People gather at an anti President Mugabe rally AFP/Getty Images A man carries a placard during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Zimbabwe's president AFP/Getty Images People gather to demonstrate for the ouster of 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe AP Euphoric crowds march and chant on the streets of Harare AP A man waves a Zimbabwean national flag AFP/Getty Images One protester demanded Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger be sacked too AFP/Getty Images

Zimbabwean officials have not revealed details of the talks but the military appears to favour a voluntary resignation by Mugabe to maintain a veneer of legality in the political transition.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of capital Harare to celebrate the end of Mugabe's rule, hugging and cheering the military soldiers who aided in his removal.

Mugabe ruled over Zimbabwe since it declared independence from Britain in 1980.

More follows.
R obert Mugabe has shocked the world as he failed resign as president of Zimbabwe, despite rumours the leader would step down after almost 40 years in power.

Speaking on state-run television, the 93-year-old made a bizarre address hours after being sacked as leader of Zanu-PF on Sunday.

Mugabes wife Grace was also dismissed from the party as former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was named as its new head.

Mugabe previously rejected a proposal to step down and allow Mr Mnangagwa, who he sacked as vice president earlier this month, to take over on an interim basis.

Disappointed Zimbabweans watch the televised address / AP

Zimbabweans had gathered in the streets expecting a celebration, however Mugabe failed to step down and instead vowed to oversee the party's December conference.

He appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party by trying to stay on during the speech while flanked by military officials.

Baffled locals watch the televised address in Zimbabwe / AP

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

He added he was aware of issues within Zanu-PF and added the country must learn to resolve contradictions in a comradely spirit.

Officials close to the talks between Mugabe and the military had said the president would resign amid threats he would face impeachment on Monday.

Protesters call for Mugabe to step down in Zimbabwe 1 /13 Protesters call for Mugabe to step down in Zimbabwe People wave a Zimbabwean national flag and carry banners during a demonstration AFP/Getty Images People taking to the streets as part of the mass action protests against President Robert Mugabe EPA People taking to the streets as part of the mass action protests against President Robert Mugabe EPA People gather at an anti President Mugabe rally EPA People gather at an anti President Mugabe rally AFP/Getty Images A man carries a placard during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Zimbabwe's president AFP/Getty Images People gather to demonstrate for the ouster of 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe AP Euphoric crowds march and chant on the streets of Harare AP A man waves a Zimbabwean national flag AFP/Getty Images One protester demanded Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger be sacked too AFP/Getty Images

The leader of Zimbabwe's war veterans said plans to impeach Mugabe would go ahead as scheduled.

Chris Mutsvangwa, who has been leading a campaign to oust Mugabe, told Reuters in a text message moments after Mugabe finished his speech that people would take to the streets of Harare on Wednesday.

Last week, he was placed under house arrest while Zimbabwean officials plotted his removal from office.

Robert Mugabe removed as leader of Zimbabwe's ruling party

He then launched a hunger strike against conditions as he was held.

The dictator is said to have insisted he remain 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, has agreed to these conditions.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of capital Harare to celebrate the end of Mugabe's rule, hugging and cheering the military soldiers who aided in his removal.

Mugabe ruled over Zimbabwe since it declared independence from Britain in 1980.
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In late 2017 Russia announced that its army had received its first 40 Tigr-M vehicles equipped with a new Russian made Arbalet (crossbow) RWS (Remote Weapon Stations). The 250 kg Arbalet is armed with a 12.7mm machine-gun, 450 rounds of ammo and a fire control system equipped with a night vision system and a laser rangefinder. With both Tigr-M and Especially Arbalet Russia is trying to catch up with the United States and China in the RWS market, especially when used on relatively light vehicles like the armored hummer and the very similar Tigr. Russia has to compete on price because the RWS market has attracted a lot of business since 2001. And while the Americans have bought and used most of these new RWS design, the leading RWS design and manufacturing firm is from neither the U.S. nor China, but a Russian neighbor; Norway.

The concept of a modern RWS remote control turret has been around since the 1950s. But years of tinkering, and better technology, have made the remote control gun turret finally work effectively, dependably and affordably. This has made the RWS practical for widespread combat use. While some troops miss the greater feeling of situational awareness (especially being able to hear and smell the surroundings) you got as an old-school turret gunner standing up in a turret, most soldiers and marines have adapted and accepted the new system. What it lacks in the smelling and hearing department, it makes up in terms of night vision and zoom. And it's a lot safer, which is very compelling if you have seen old-school turret gunners get killed or wounded by all the fire they attract.

It was a Norwegian firm the pioneered the design and manufacture of the modern RWS and the United States was the first major military power to recognize the usefulness of the Norwegian design and use it on a large scale. The U.S. Army continues to improve its RWS systems and lead the world in RWS use. RWS was one of the most important (in terms of saving lives) new weapons to appear since 2001. The first U.S. Army CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations) in 2004 used an American designed RWS and over 10,000 of these were purchased. But the army sought better RWS tech and in 2006 began using the Kongsberg designs from a pioneering Norwegian firm that has become the world leader in RWS design.

An RWS allows an operator inside the vehicle to control the gun and its sensors. Among the improvements added in the last decade are the addition of a green laser, which can temporarily blind people, and has long been used to stop drivers who keep coming at checkpoints despite other signals to stop. Used in an RWS, it enables the RWS operator to flash suspicious people with the blinding light, rather than opening up with the weapon. Another upgrade was the addition of cameras to the side and rear of the turret so that the operator can quickly check for activity all around without moving the turret (which sometimes alerts an enemy that they have been spotted.) Another addition was an IR Pointer, which at night enabled the RWS operator to put a light, visible only to those using night-vision equipment, on something suspicious, or otherwise important.

The larger CROWS II RWS has also been equipped and tested with a Javelin missile launcher. The army sees RWS as a key element in the development of remotely controlled, or autonomous, armored vehicles. The Chinese RWS designs have been adding new features soon after they appear elsewhere but have not been able of offer much competition for the market leaders (the U.S., Norway and Israel).

This now ubiquitous remote control weapon (usually a machine-gun) is seen on many vehicles (from hummers to MRAPs and tanks). The U.S. Army ordered more new RWS turrets, all of them officially called the M153 CROWS, but is also upgrading older ones. This after 2013 6,000 CROWS II RWS were upgraded to the CROWS III standard.

Kongsberg remains, since 2006, the main supplier for the United States and it has delivered over 20,000 of these systems so far (most to the United States but also to about 20 other countries). An RWS turret costs, on average, about $220,000 each. The remote control gun turret has now become a standard system on American combat vehicles. Now there are a lot of competitors, if only because Kongsberg could not keep up with the demand.

Many of the new competitors, especially the Chinese, went after niche markets. The more obvious ones were those demanding RWS that can handle larger weapons, like 25mm or 30mm autocannon. But the most interesting new development was the portable RWS. It can be mounted on a hummer, but quickly removed, and carried by two troops, and set up anywhere using a tripod. The operator can stay behind cover, while the light machine-gun, exposed to hostile fire, unflinchingly takes on the enemy. There are lots of combat situations that could make use of this lightweight RWS.

CROWS is a real life saver, not to mention anxiety reducer, for troops who drive through bandit country a lot, and man the turret gun. You're a target up there, and too often, the bad guys get you. Not with CROWS. The gunner is inside the vehicle, checking out the surroundings (with night vision, zoom and telephoto capabilities). CROWS also has a laser rangefinder built in, as well as a stabilizer mechanism to allow more accurate fire while the vehicle is moving. The CROWS systems (RWS, weapon and installation) cost about $260,000 each, and can mount a variety of weapons (M2 12.7mm/.50 caliber machine-gun, MK19 40-mm automatic grenade launcher, M240B 7.62mm machine-gun and M249 5.56mm squad automatic weapon). CROWS comes in several different configurations, based on weapon mounted and armor installed (light, at 74 kg/163 pounds, standard, at 136 kg/298 pounds and CROWS II, at 172 kg/379 pounds.) The heaviest version is usually used in MRAP (armored trucks) and has a better user interface, a thermal imager and sniper detection system.

By the end of 2006, there were about a thousand CROWS in U.S. service. By 2011 there were over 8,000 and after that the numbers remained constant because American forces were withdrawn from Iraq and on their way to be greatly reduced in Afghanistan.

In Iraq and Afghanistan RWS inadvertently played on enemy exposure to Western action movies. Many of the enemy fighters had seen Western or Japanese films featuring killer robots, and often think that's what they are facing. The fear factor is real, and it helps. The accuracy of the fire, and uncanny speed with which the CROWS gun moves to point at a target, is due to something few officers expected; so many troops who quickly become expert RWS operators. The guys operating these systems grew up playing video games. They developed skills in operating computer systems (video games) very similar to the CROWS controls. This was important, because viewing the world around the vehicle via a vidcam is not as enlightening (although a lot safer) than having your head and chest exposed to the elements (and any firepower the enemy sends your way). But experienced video gamers are skilled at whipping that screen view around, and picking up any signs of danger.

Since many troops have years of experience with video games, they take to CROWS quickly, and very effectively. This has further frightened hostile gunmen, who are quick to attribute magical qualities to American equipment. However, many CROWS users have mixed feelings about the system, because they know that you have more awareness of your surroundings if you are actually standing with your head and shoulders outside the vehicle, manning a machine-gun. For this reason, RWS manufacturers are investigating adding more sensors (for things like sound, smell and wind direction.) But the biggest improvements have been more reliability, ease-of-use, more sensors and lower costs.

The initial Chinese use of RWS was more similar to Israeli use of RWS, in turrets guarding the long border with Gaza. The Chinese RWS might was pitched to the many Chinese firms setting up mines and industrial facilities in Africa and parts of Asia that are prone to criminal gangs that carry out large scale raids. Multiple RWS systems would be a deterrent to such attacks.

Since 2012 Chinese firms have been offering more and more RWS for export. The latest one is the UW4 and it is quite elaborate containing a 30mm auto-cannon, a 7.62mm machine-gun and twelve smoke grenade launchers plus the usual sensors. This is quite a bit more intricate than the first Chinese RWS models in 2011. That one was similar to the light (74 kg/163 pounds) model then (and now) used by the U.S. Army. The 2011 Chinese RWS was apparently not meant for vehicle use, but for facility or perimeter security. The Chinese RWS was shown mounting a light (5.8mm) machine-gun and touted for "counter-terror" missions. The UW4 is intended for vehicle or ground mount use. China has bought a lot of RWS for use on ships, which is a rapidly growing markets. Some of these naval RWS developed by Chinese firms have been installed on the artificial islands China has been creating in the South China Sea.

For the last decade China has been playing catch-up in this area, as Western nations have been developing RWS for decades. By 2011 the Chinese had developed a vehicle mounted RWS, but it was described as still in development. That RWS was armed with a 12.7mm machine-gun and two anti-aircraft missiles. While the missiles are unusual for an RWS, the control systems look familiar to Western RWS operators. The same video game features are used. China also has millions of young men with lots of video game experience.

Then there is the Russian Tigr (Tiger) vehicle, which has been in service since 2005 and is remarkably similar to 1980s American HMMWV "hummer". But the Russians it was noted that the hummer was most effective when a little armor and an RWS was added. As a result in 2013 an upgraded and better protected Tiger-M appeared. This was similar to the armored version of the U.S. hummer (the M1114 model) called Tigr-M (Tiger-M). Initially the major buyer was the Russian Interior Ministry, for its police and paramilitary units. Chechnya was a particularly popular destination for this new vehicle. Over 2,000 of all versions have been produced so far, mainly for Russian military and police use but there have been a growing number of export customers. .

Tigr is based on the Russian hummer-like SUV, the Gaz-2330. Like the M1114, the Tigr weighs five tons empty, carries a crew of four, and a load of about a ton (or an additional five men, if configured for that). The Tigr costs about 40 percent less than the M1114, and is being offered as a less expensive alternative to the M1114. The remote control driving systems can be installed in a few hours. Normally the Tiger has a 12.7mm machine-gun in the RWS turret. There are many other variants of the Tiger, some customized for carrying cargo or more (up to nine) passengers.
According to the President of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), twelve airlines have requested to operate with Venezuela. | Read More
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/11/2017 (1823 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An artist from the Town of Ste Anne has found a way to celebrate his hometown through his artwork, while also using that artwork to better his community.

Gerald Huberdeau, who lives in Ste Anne, has had a passion for art and for being creative since he was a child, and despite living with an intellectual disability spends much of his time working on countless art projects.

The Ste Anne resident recently painted and supplied all the artwork for a new calendar that can now be purchased, and will work to help local organizations in Ste Anne.

DAVE BAXTER | THE CARILLON Ste Anne based artist Gerald Huberdeau was busy working on one of his many art projects on Tuesday morning at his home.

The 2018 First Bell Calendar features paintings of historic and iconic Ste Anne buildings all painted by Huberdeau.

Its the old iconic Ste Anne buildings, Huberdeau said. Many of them arent around anymore, but they were landmarks that everyone knew in this community.

Huberdeau, who is in his early 30s said he has been involved for years with local organizations and charities including the Lions Club in Ste Anne, and that is how he got involved in creating the calendar.

The calendar will now be sold as a fundraiser with proceeds being split between the Ste Anne Knight of Columbus, as well as the food bank in Ste Anne, and the towns cultural committee.

Huberdeau said he found old photos of Ste Anne buildings and from there created his paintings by replicating the look of the buildings, while also adding his own touch.

Paintings in the calendar include landmarks such as the Piney Bridge, Ste Anne Hall and the old Ste Anne Municipal Office.

He said he is now proud to be able to sell some of his artwork because he has been passionate about creating art for years.

Im very proud, it was a lot of work and a lot of hours, but I love doing it. I can start to work on my art and I just get lost in it, Huberdeau said.

The calendars are now being sold for $20 each, and can be purchased by contacting Suzanne Huberdeau at 204-392-5031.

Huberdeau said he believes with the New Year coming up, the calendars would be perfect Christmas gifts, and would be appreciated by those who live in or have ties to Ste Anne and the Southeast.
Laura Saenz and Alexandra Morris. Photo: Ana Lorenza

Gallerists Laura Saenz and Alexandra Morris opened a new gallery on the Lower East Side today with one goal in mind: to bring more Latin American art to Manhattans art scene, specifically from Colombia and Mexico. Proxyco is the name of the space, and its debut exhibition is inspired by an old Spanish poem written in New York by a Mexican poet, a nod to the gallerys focus on intermingling cultures.

In 1919, poet Jose Juan Tablada penned the verses of Talon Rouge and described heartbreak. Now, the Talon Rouge show at Proxyco spotlights six contemporary Mexican artists who play with geometric shapes and bright colors in paintings, poetry, and film. Some artists works respond directly to Tabladas poem, like close-up photography by Veronica Gerber Bicecci, which is displayed beside the verses. Others question the source of our cultural identities, such as Ivan Krassoievitchs small ancient statues covered in absurdist clown noses and fake flowers.

The co-directors seek artists from their native countries: Saenz is from Bogota, Colombia, and Morris is from Mexico City. They met on Craigslist eight years ago, when Morris applied for an opening as Saenzs assistant at the Leon Tovar gallery in New York City, where Saenz was the director. Im excited to be working with her because were two women, Morris said. In a world like Latin America that tends to be kind of  if not very  macho, were doing this. I think thats cool.

The gallerys opening is a win for achieving more representation of women and people of color in the arts. The worlds top three museums  the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art  have never had female directors. And in a 2017 survey of New York Citys top 47 art galleries, a mere 4.7 percent of artists were Latino and 6.3 percent were black.

Saenz and Morris say theyre determined to show that Latin American art is not just a trend, but here to stay. We want to integrate it artistically into daily life, Morris said. Click ahead for a preview of Talon Rouge.

Talon Rouge is on view at Proxyco through January 18.

Photo: Fabiola Torres

Fabiola Torres-Alzaga, Polyphony, 2017

Talon Rouge

Photo: Ivan Krassoievitch

Ivan Krassoievitch, Poemas Sinteticos La Noche, 2017

Talon Rouge

Photo: Jose Clemente

Jose Clemente Orozco, Prometheus, 1935

Talon Rouge

Photo: Veronica Gerber

Veronica Gerber Bicecci, Otro dia, El Pavo Real, 2017

Photo: Marius de Zayas

Marius de Zayas, Dr.A.A. Berg, 1912

Talon Rouge

Photo: Veronica Gerber

Veronica Gerber Bicecci, Otro dia, La Pajarera, 2017

Talon Rouge
An Argentine Coast Guard ship is seen at at the naval base where the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine sailed from, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 18, 2017. (Reuters/Marcos Brindicci)

Argentina Says Signals Detected, Likely From Missing Submarine

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina/BUENOS AIRESHopes that 44 crew members of a missing Argentine navy submarine may be alive rose when the defense ministry said the vessel likely tried to communicate via satellite on Saturday as a search mission was underway in the stormy South Atlantic.

The ministry said seven failed satellite calls that it believes came from the ARA San Juan submarine were detected

in a likely sign the crew was trying to reestablish contact.

The signals, in the late morning and early afternoon, lasted between four and 36 seconds, the ministry said. Argentina is working on tracing the location with an unnamed U.S. company specialized in satellite communications, the ministry said.

It was not immediately clear what type of calls the vessel may have tried to make but submarines that are stricken underwater can float a location beacon known as an EPIRB to the surface that can then emit emergency signals via satellite.

Whipping winds and more than 20-foot waves in the South Atlantic hindered the international search for the submarine.

The last confirmed location of the German-built ARA San Juan was 432 km (268 miles) off Argentinas southern Atlantic coast early on Wednesday.

The U.S. Navy said it was deploying a deep-sea rescue mission to Argentina from California to support the effort, with a remotely operated vehicle and two vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines set to arrive in coming days.

As nations from Chile to South Africa offered help, Argentine sea vessels and planes scoured the southern sea.

But a storm pitching powerful winds and waves more than 6 meters (20 feet) high has disrupted visibility and movement in the area, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said. The submarines color and design, which aim to camouflage the vessel in the oceans surface, also posed a challenge.

The idea is to continue through the night and the early morning, depending on weather conditions, Balbi told reporters. The weather was expected to be somewhat improved on Sunday, he said.

A search of 80 percent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the vessel, but the crew should have ample supplies of food and oxygen, Balbi added.

The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million people, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens who were killed when a truck driver plowed through a bicycle path in New York City.

In the resort and fishing city of Mar del Plata, where the submarine had been destined to arrive before vanishing, a Catholic Mass was held in honor of the crew members.

Many family members of crew members awaited news at the citys naval base. Were hopeful this will end soon to remain only as a bad memory, Maria Morales, the mother of crew member Luis Esteban Garcia told journalists.

Messages of support poured in from around the world. Pope Francis, an Argentine, was praying fervently for the crew to return home soon, his office said.

The Argentine navy said an electrical outage on the diesel-electric-propelled vessel might have downed its communications. Protocol calls for submarines to surface if communication is lost.

If the search ends in tragedy, the episode could put the countrys poor safety record in the spotlight, with potential political implications for President Mauricio Macri.

His center-right government has set an ambitious target for cutting government spending and told Reuters in March that it had few funds at the ready to replace an outdated military fleet beyond buying aircraft for training pilots.

The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navys fleet.

Built in Germany by Nordseewerke, it underwent mid-life maintenance in 2008 in Argentina that required cutting its hull in half and sealing back it together again, according to state news agency Telam.

Nordseewerke now belongs to German industrial group Thyssenkrupp AG, which could not be reached for comment outside of regular business hours.

Carlos Zavalla, a navy commander, urged the loved ones of crew members not to give up hope. So far, the only concrete thing is the lack of communication, Zavalla said on TV channel A24. Thats all.

Reporting by Maximiliano Rizzi, Marcos Brindicci and Phil Stewart
Rohingya refugees walk towards a refugee camp after crossing the border in Anjuman Para near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Nov. 19, 2017. (Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)

Bangladesh Says Its in Talks With Burma on Rohingya Repatriation Deal

DHAKABangladesh is in negotiations with Burma aimed at a deal to repatriate Rohingya refugees and Dhakas foreign minister will address the matter at talks in Burma this week, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry said on Sunday.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since late August. A majority Muslim and minority Hindu, the Rohingya have been driven out by a military clearance operation in Burmas Rakhine State which is majority Buddhist. The suffering in the Rakhine and beyond has caused an international outcry.

Bangladesh and Myanmar [Burma] are in the process of negotiation for a bilateral agreement for repatriation of displaced people and expect to form a Joint Working Group to facilitate the repatriation, said a ministry statement, quoting remarks by Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Dhaka on Sunday.

A senior aide to Ali said he would leave for Burma late on Sunday to attend an Asia-Europe (ASEM) meeting on Monday and Tuesday and would stay on another couple of days for bilateral talks on the Rohingyas.

The official said Ali hoped for an agreement on allowing Rohingyas to return to Burma. Both countries have almost reached an understanding on this issue and there are a few points (still) to be agreed  We hope to reach an agreement.

We support Bangladeshs efforts towards a lasting solution, including the repatriation of displaced persons, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kona told Ali at their meeting, where Tokyo pledged $18.6 million in aid to ease the Rohingya crisis.

Last week a United Nations General Assembly committee called on Burma to end military operations that have led to the systematic violation and abuse of human rights they see as the Burmese militarys targeting of Rohingya Muslims.

The move revived a U.N. resolution that was dropped last year due to Burmas progress on human rights.

However, in the past three months there has been a Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh after Burmese armed forces began an operation against Rohingya Islamic extremists who attacked 30 security posts and an army base in Rakhine on Aug. 25.

Burmas 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.

Top U.N. officials have denounced the violence as a classic example of ethnic cleansing. The Burmese government has denied these allegations.

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

By Serajul Quadir
Former Leader Pinera Seen as Favorite as Chileans Vote for President

SANTIAGOChileans vote for a new president on Sunday, with billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera the favorite to win, although a crowded field of leftist challengers are likely to force a December runoff.

Opinion polls show Pinera, who was president between 2010 and 2014 and leads the Chile Vamos bloc, with a commanding lead over his seven mostly left-of-center rivals, but still shy of the 50 percent needed for an outright win.

Former TV anchorman, Senator Alejandro Guillier, is the flagbearer for President Michelle Bachelets fractured center-left Nueva Mayoria coalition. He leads the race for second place, with around 21 percent of likely voter support compared to about 42 percent for Pinera, according to a CEP poll last month.

The election is the latest in South America to pit left-leaning leaders against the conservatives taking their places.

It also marks a turning point for Chiles coalition of center-left parties, previously known as the Concertacion. The pact, which for decades has dominated Chilean politics, fissured under Bachelet, riven by disagreements over policies such as loosening Chiles strict abortion laws and strengthening unions.

Bachelet, who is barred from running in this election by term limits, will step down with approval ratings near 30 percent and the legacy of her social and economic policies uncertain.

Many Chileans view the election as a referendum on her second term, which focused on reducing inequality by making education more affordable and overhauling the tax code.

Pinera, the market favorite, campaigned on a platform of scaling back and perfecting her tax and labor laws, seen by many in the business community as having crimped investment at a time when slumping copper prices were already driving down economic growth in the worlds No. 1 copper producer.

Guillier, who is ideologically aligned with Bachelet, has promised to deepen her reforms and sought to tap into fears that a return of Pinera would mark a setback for gains made for students, women and workers.

Pinera garnered international attention and domestic praise for his handling of the dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners during his prior term in 2010, and is seen as a safe pair of hands by investors.

But his administration was marred by massive student protests seeking an education overhaul. His responses were often seen as out of touch and grassroots groups still oppose him.

Both Pinera and Guillier would keep in place the longstanding free-market economic model in one of Latin Americas most developed countries.

Subdued Atmosphere

On the eve of the vote, the atmosphere in Chilean capital Santiago was subdued. New restrictions on campaigning have left the city uncluttered with political posters and the sense that a Pinera victory was inevitable had quieted the usual political debates in cafes and bars.

In addition, Chileans have grown disenchanted with politics following campaign financing and other cash-for-influence scandals that have entangled politicians on both the left and right.

But voter turnout will serve as a bellwether for the runoff.

A strong showing of voters could help the left marshal enough votes to defeat Pinera in the second round, while apathy and continued quarrelling among left-leaning parties would pave the way for a Pinera victory.

Bachelets administration has offered free rides to voting centers on public transportation, part of a get-out-the-vote campaign criticized by Pineras campaign as a political maneuver aimed at bolstering Guillier.

Turnout in elections following Chiles transition from compulsory to voluntary voting in 2012 has dipped as low as 42 percent, near the bottom of developed countries, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

Im not going to vote because in the end it doesnt change anything, said Santiago resident Catalina Avedano, 38, as she waited in line at a public health center this week.

By Dave Sherwood and Antonio de la Jara
Officer Brian Shaw was gunned down in New Kensington, northeast of Pittsburgh on Friday, Nov.17. (Photo courtesy of Allegheny County Police Department)

Killer of Pennsylvania Policeman Still on the Run, Agencies Offer Reward

Multiple law enforcement agencies are hunting the individual who shot and killed a police officer on Friday, Nov. 17, near Pittsburgh, according to ABC news.

Update: Police have released the name, photograph and description of the suspect who shot and killed officer Brian Shaw.

Rahmael Sal Holt, 29, has been identified as the gunman. A warrant has been issued for Holts arrest and police warn the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.

At a Saturday morning news conference, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Stephen Limani made a plea to the public for any information, however small, that could assist the investigation and offered a reward, reported Pittsburgh Action 4 News.

New Kensington Officer Shaw Reward Update- The U.S. Marshall Service offered $5,000 and the ATF increased their original reward from $5,000 now to $10,000. The reward money leading to an arrest is now totaled at $40,000.  Troop A Public Information Officers (@PSPTroopAPIO) November 18, 2017

Brian Shaw, 25, was shot in the chest during a foot chase that began shortly after a traffic stop in New Kensington, approximately 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, reported ABC. Residents who came to the aid of the rookie police officer said he was gasping for air and not responsive when they arrived to offer their assistance. He was transported to a hospital after the shooting but was pronounced dead there a short time later, according to ABC.

A woman whose family lives across from the shooting scene told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that she was in the living room when she heard six or seven shots, one of which struck the house she was in. She said that she looked outside and saw Shaw collapse to the ground. She said she was the first person to reach him, reports ABC.

I was trying to talk to him, she said, according to ABC. He wasnt responding.

Another man who lives next door also heard the shots and went outside to offer assistance, reported ABC. He said Shaw tried to sit up before collapsing.

I dont know if he was trying to talk, said the man, according to ABC. He was gasping for air.

ABC reports that police recovered the bullet that hit the womans house and said it was a .40 caliber slug. Security camera footage from the house was also taken by the police.

The authorities continue to search for the suspect, who should be considered armed and dangerous.

The slain officers body was escorted to a local funeral home Saturday, Nov. 18.

Officer Brian Shaw was a 2014 graduate of the Allegheny County Police Training Academy.

I want to be a successful law enforcement officer, Shaw is cited as saying, according to a social media post by the Allegheny County Police Department.

Officer Brian Shaw, you were taken from us too soon. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Your life mattered and you will be missed, reads the post.
The location of the Equestrian Trails Elementary in Wellington, Fla. (Screenshot via Google My Maps)

Teacher Tracks Trail of Juice, Saves Boys Life

Reading teacher Mandi Kapopoulos was just leaving her classroom at Equestrian Trails Elementary in Florida when she noticed something that looked like a trail of juice spilled on the floor in the hallway.

She followed the trail, on Nov. 1, and at its end found third-grader Kolston Moradi.

Boy accidentally stabs himself with pencil; teachers save his life https://t.co/tU6p7LhvMV pic.twitter.com/tvZYH8NDob  Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) November 9, 2017

It wasnt juice, Kapopoulos realized. It was Kolstons blood. So much blood in fact, the boys life was in danger.

It happened at the end of the school day. As Kolston sat down in the dismissal room, a freshly sharpened pencil protruding from the side pocket of his backpack pierced his arm.

On the surface, it was just a tiny wound and Kolston later said he didnt feel much. It was kind of like a little pinch, he told Fox 8.

He wasnt screaming or crying, or saying anything, Kapopoulos described to the Sun Sentinel how she found the boy.

But the tip of the pencil reached deep and punctured an artery. When the boy pulled it out, the blood started gushing out.

There were pools of blood at his feet and his whole shirt was covered in blood, Kapopoulos said.

Kapopoulos pulled her arm inside her shirt and wrapped her sleeve around Kolstons arm as tight as she could.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Richards, who coordinates programs for the gifted and for the disabled at the school, turned around from putting up a bulletin board. She saw the blood on the floor and immediately rushed to help.

It was shocking to come upon the amount of blood the child had lost in such a quick amount of time, Richards said.

The two years she once spent at a nursing college rushed back to her. She laid the boy down, elevated his arm and pressed on the wound. She told him everything would be fine.

A school nurse arrived, cut the bloodied shirt off the boy and took his blood pressure.

Other teachers stepped in to keep other students at a distance.

After some 20 minutes, the emergency crew arrived. Somebody also called the boys mother, who was just outside the school. I turned a corner and thats when I see Kolston laying on the ground, she said.

Kolston was taken to a hospital where he received two staples. He was back in school the next day, ready for a field trip to the Miami Seaquarium.

Yet one of the responding paramedics told Kolstons mother that the boy would have died if it werent for the teachers stopping the bleeding.

You cant say thank you enough to someone that has saved your childs life, the mother said. Theres just no words that I could ever say to these two ladies or the principal or anyone at this school who had their hand in making sure this all went so well.

Im just so thankful that this little boy is still in school with us, walking the hallways, with no after effects, Richards said. When you know everything that could have gone so wrong went so right 

Principal Michele Johnson said shes never seen anything like it in her 28 years as an educator.

Thank you for saving my life, Kolston told the teachers.

While youre here

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Teen Who Shot Himself at Fla. School Left a Note Behind

A 17-year-old high school student last week shot and killed himself at a high school in Florida, and, according to WKMG, he was identified as Seth Sutherland, 17.

Police told the station that the suicide appeared to be planned. He shot himself before a routine fire drill at Lake Minneola High School in Florida on Tuesday, but details of the incident werent revealed until days later.

We have reasons to believe that this was a planned event. [The courtyard near the bus loop] is out in the open, but it was not a very populated and crowded area at that time. It seems like the majority of the student body was on the other side of the building, Lake County Sheriffs Office spokesman John Harrell was quoted as saying.

Sutherland sent a message to his loved ones before the suicide. He also apparently called out individuals that he claimed were responsible for his suicide.

I dont want anybody to think this was anyones fault. I love each one of you so much, Seth also wrote in a handwritten note, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

On Tuesday, he went to his school with a stolen Glock pistol and ammunition in his bag, the sheriffs office said. Then, he met his friends at a courtyard, and they said he appeared to be in a good mood, Herrell told the newspaper.

Minutes later, at around 8 a.m., he shot himself near a bus stop area. Seths parents didnt own a gun, but he somehow got his hands on one, police said.

In the note, he didnt elaborate on why he was depressed. I dont tell people about how I feel because people have their own problems to deal with, Seth wrote. My problems are meant to be mine. Ive just decided not to deal with them anymore.

I could go on and on, but the time has come, he wrote before signing his name and added, Goodnight.

Some parents expressed concern.

Given what goes on in our society right now, when somebody has a problem with somebody else, they seem to kill everyone, and Im just thankful that no one else was hurt. Its a shame that he did this to himself, but Im scared for my daughter if someone else decides to come with a gun, parent James Wolfe told WKMG.

I just want to keep my kid safe. Unfortunately, I cant do what I used to do anymore to make sure people are safe, so I have to rely on others. Lets pray for them too, he added.

Lake County Schools Communications Officer Sherri Owens told WKMG that the shooting and lockdown occurred very quickly.

In this age of social media, some of the students had alerted parents even before we had the opportunity to do so. But when we alerted parents, we wanted to make sure we had confirmed as many details as we could. So when our message went out, we told parents, It appeared a student took his life this morning, she told the station.

Owens said that now officials are attempting to figure out how Seth got a gun and how he got it on campus.

Thats part of what were going to be looking athow this happened. Well be taking a look at this as a school family, the things we can do differently, and Im sure the individual families will be doing the same, she said.
New associates

Mika Crist joined KPAX TV as director of sales. Crist comes to Missoula from Colorado where she served as local sales manager at KDVR in Denver, national/regional sales director at KOAA in Colorado Springs and local sales manager for Comcast in Champaign, Illinois. She has a degree in broadcast sales from Vincennes University in Indiana.

Promotion

The Brain Injury Alliance of Montana (BIAMT) recently promoted Outreach and Development Director John Bigart III to the position of executive director. Bigart will be responsible for leading BIAMT with its mission of creating a better future for those in Montana that have been impacted by brain injury. Part of this mission includes the Brain Injury Help Line which is a free, statewide service that provides support to persons affected by brain injury and their families. In addition to his work at BIAMT he also serves on the Mothers Milk Bank of Montana Board of Directors and is the Mayor Elect in Alberton. Bigart can be reached at 406-541-6442 or john_b@biamt.org.

Recognition

Caron Lavoie was Top Producer for the month of October at RE/MAX All Stars in Missoula. Lavoie has been a full time licensed Broker for 20 years and specializes in farm and ranch along with residential real estate. She can be reached at 406-880-8855.

The ERA Lambros Real Estate Top Producer awards for the month of October went to Jan and Rod Rogers in the Missoula office, the McQuirk Team (Barb, Bill, Mark and Tiffany) for commercial, Cheryl Smith for the Hamilton office, Ken McCarthy for the Florence office and Karen Nalley for the Libby office.

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) selected Great West Engineering, Inc.'s City of Laurel Water Treatment Plant Intake project for the 2018 Engineering Excellence Award in the Water Resources category. Great West Engineering, Inc. is a major multidisciplinary civil engineering and consulting firm with offices in Helena, Billings, Missoula and Boise, Idaho. Great West serves a wide range of public and private sector clients throughout Montana and Idaho.

Elected

The Missoula Job Service Employers Council has elected three new members to its board. They are Amber Kamps, Krystal Plantz and Demian Swab. Kamps is the outreach, recruitment, and retention program specialist for the Northern Region & National Office of the United States Forest Service. She has served in this position since October of 2014. She began her Forest Service career at the age of 16 working on the trail crew on the Bighorn National Forest. Her career has spanned across Wyoming, north Idaho and western Montana working in recreation, fire management, silviculture, timber and as a team leader. She also served nearly 12 years as a district ranger in Lincoln. Kamps has a bachelors degree in forest resource management and a masters degree in ecosystem management with a sociology emphasis, both from the University of Montana. Plantz has worked for Allegiance Benefit Plan Management for a total of 3 1/2 years. She currently is the HR manager and holds her PHR certification. She has over 15 years experience being in the insurance industry and the human resource field. She is very excited to learn and contribute ideas into our community with other experts of HR by joining JSEC, Job Service Employer Council. Swab is vice president of operations at Jones Brothers Trucking a logistics company located in Missoula. He is a graduate from the University of Texas at Dallas where he received a B.S. in business administration. After graduation, he moved back to Montana and spent four years as a wildland firefighter. Ten years ago he joined the team at Jones Brothers trucking in operations after completing their management trainee program.

The Montana based firm of JCCS, is proud to announce the following were elected to the board of directors at its annual Shareholder meeting: Tony Vanorny, CPA, executive vice president, Kalispell and Sharon Rhodes, CPA, Missoula. They join the rest of the board: newly appointed chairman, Jim Galipeau, CPA, CFE, Missoula; Mandi Boutilier, CPA, Great Falls; Dana Sondergaard, CPA, CFO, secretary, Great Falls; Greg Peck, CPA, treasurer, Kalispell and John Stevens, CPA, president/CEO, Whitefish.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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There is a strong demand for certain kinds of workers in Missoula, and local educational leaders are trying hard to keep up the pace of the supply.

Officials at Missoula College have been tailoring their educational programs to fit the local industries and businesses that are struggling to find enough workers. The result is that local employers can tap into a source of talent they otherwise might not have, which gives a boost to the local economy.

We are not doing students any service by recruiting them and encouraging them to go into programs that have minimal job placement and no need in the workforce, said Shannon OBrien, the dean of Missoula College. If were good stewards of taxpayer dollars in public education, then we are helping match students based on their interests to our programs that have a high need in the workforce. And the goal, the ultimate goal in a robust economy, is prosperity and dinner on the table and roofs over their heads.

Missoula College, which just built a shiny new river campus building on East Broadway, is a two-year educational facility that offers a variety of technical and vocational training in health care, business technology, industrial technology, applied computing and engineering technology, and applied arts and sciences.

In 2016, two economists with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, the director of a the states apprenticeship program and a data analyst with the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education compiled a report on labor market outcomes at Missoula College. The study found that roughly 79 percent of Missoula College graduates find employment after one year. Of those who were employed, 67 percent were working in Missoula County a year after graduation and another 7 percent were working in Ravalli County. The number of Missoula College grads working in the local area falls to 58 percent within five years, but the western portion of the state still retains a large gathering of graduates.

The large number of graduates employed in the local area suggest that Missoula College is filling an important role in the regional economy, said one of the studys authors, Amy Watson, an economist for the state.

The report also found that graduates earn more than the Missoula average entry-level wage within a year after graduation and earn more than the median income within five years.

Registered nursing graduates have the best wage and employment outcomes and are in demand in the local labor market.

Watson and her co-authors found 95 percent of graduates in the registered nursing program are employed within one year and are earning more than $41,000 per year. Other medical fields also have better-than-average workforce outcomes. In layman's terms, that means they find good-paying jobs easily.

However, because health care is both a large employer and growing at an above-average pace, Missoula College graduates are only filling 22 percent of expected demand from the health care industry in the Northwest region, Watson said. Health care is expected to need over 430 workers per year just to fill new positions, although some of this worker demand will require education levels higher than an associates degree.

OBrien said she uses the report to show students who are undecided on a major.

When students are looking at what their major should be, that document helps them understand the likelihood of getting a job and the need in the workforce, she said. Its a great recruitment tool and retention tool, and it shows that working hard in class will pay off because theyll have a job because theres a need.

The study also helped OBrien realize there are areas of high need that she wasnt aware of, such as accounting technology.

I knew nursing and culinary arts and hospitality and customer relations were high needs because of the tourism industry, but I started talking to CEOs and human resources directors about that report, and they said yes we do need payroll personnel and bookkeepers, OBrien recalled. The study was very helpful in that regard.

Missoula College also has a variety of apprenticeship programs, where students get paid to train and work at local employers such as Allegiance, a health insurance program benefits management company in Missoula that employs hundreds of people and is always looking for more workers.

We have an emphasis on work-based learning in general, OBrien continued. Were at a point with our economy as it is, were well below 4 percent unemployment, so students arent coming to Missoula College in the traditional manner. Theyre going to work. The brilliant model with Allegiance has been such a great solution to the problem. If the applicant pool works with Missoula College to do training while theyre on the job, theyre getting the work done and getting an education at the same time.

All in all, OBrien said the report recognizes the impact Missoula College has on the regions economy.

The report is both empowering and it brings on quite a sense of responsibility to continue that work, she said. All of the programs have a 100 percent return on investment in one year, and their earning potential after graduation is increased such that they will pay the cost of tuition within one year. So getting the word out is important to us. Were just starting to get there, which is very exciting. Were certainly at a point with the enrollment situation where it helps us think outside the box and make changes in a more timely matter.

To view the full report visit online at http://mc.umt.edu/about/MTDLI-MUS_Missoula_College_Report_A1.pdf.
We write to you today as representatives of the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace, the Harriet Tubman Boosters and Celebrate! Diverse Auburn. Our organizations exist in part to challenge intentional and incipient injustice due to race or other social characteristics, to stand for inclusion, and to celebrate diversity in all of its forms in and around Cayuga County.

We, as well as the members of our organizations, are deeply concerned about the recent incident at the home of Jeff Richardson, a black man, and Lisa Bachman in Owasco. According to the police report, on Sunday, Nov. 5, Eric Simmons and his son, who are white, drove into the familys driveway, posted a large sign with the words GET OUT in the yard, brandished a shotgun at the couple, and red a round before leaving in a vehicle. We are monitoring this case in collaboration with the local chapter of the NAACP and the Auburn Human Rights Commission and are aware of the ongoing communications between the leadership of those organizations and Sheriff Gould regarding the preliminary investigation.

Although it is our understanding that no hate crime charges have been led at this time, we believe that the facts of this case as set out in the police report warrant a thorough investigation into the possibility that a hate crime was committed. We respectfully request that legal hate crime criteria be thoroughly reviewed with respect to this matter and appropriate charges led.

We encourage law enforcement and/or the district attorneys ofce to connect with colleagues in Ithaca and Oswego regarding recent incidents in those communities which warranted investigation into possible hate crimes. In Oswego, the investigation was conducted in consultation with the New York State Police Hate Crimes Unit and we encourage such consultation in this case if possible.

We are deeply concerned about how this incident and the way it is handled by our law enforcement and justice departments reect on our community. Most importantly, we are concerned about the impact of this violation on the safety and security of Jeff Richardson, Lisa Bachman and their son, as well as the safety and security of others who may feel similarly targeted.

We will continue to monitor the handling of this situation closely and will do so through its conclusion. It is our hope that the law enforcement and judicial systems understand the severity of this matter and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law. We intend to remain public about our concerns until a fair solution is made on behalf of a family who was terrorized in their own home while their infant slept.
You've come a long way, smiley face emoji.

You're now officially art, part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, just like the Picassos and the Jackson Pollocks. Your crew has its own movie  aptly titled "The Emoji Movie."

Your image graces pillows and T-shirts; in 2015 an emoji ("face with tears of joy") was Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year.

And yet, we know, there's something missing. In those quiet moments when the crowds stop texting, there's a yearning for what Rodney Dangerfield wanted and Aretha Franklin demanded: a little something called respect.

"There's a lot of prejudice against emoji," said British linguist Vyvyan Evans, author of the recent book "The Emoji Code: The Linguistics Behind Smiley Faces and Scaredy Cats."

"A lot of people think it's the adolescent equivalent of a grunt."

We talked to Evans, a big fan of those expressive little faces, about a deceptively simple system of symbols that's taken the world by storm in the past few years. The following is an edited transcript.

Q: You call emojis "the world's global form of communication," which is a pretty strong claim. A lot of people would say English is the global form of communication.

A: There are around 340 million native speakers of English, around 600 million speakers who use it as a second language, so with English you can reach around a billion people, which is pretty heady stuff. English is the primary or official language in 101 countries, from Canada to Cameroon, from Malta to Malawi. The difference between English and Emoji is Emoji (capitalized to indicate the system of emojis) is intuitively accessible. There are 3.2 billion people who have regular internet access in the world, and studies show that 92 percent-plus of those 3.2 billion people regularly send emojis. So from that perspective, Emoji leaves English in the dust, in terms of its use and uptake.

Q: What's the greatest strength of emojis?

A: Think about the default mode of communication, which is face-to-face interaction. Most people think that when we communicate in that default mode, language is what's driving effective communication, and in fact it's not. Communication requires different channels of information  language is just one. The two other important ones are paralanguage, and that's how you're delivering the words, so tone of voice, and the really big one is kinesics, and that has to do with action-based, nonverbal communication.

Emoji functions analogously to tone of voice and to body language in text-speak, and without it we're reduced communicators. This gives rise to what I refer to as "the angry jerk phenomenon." Digital communication (can) suck out the empathy of the message and reduce all the nuance, and someone we know to be otherwise calm and sane comes across as a complete, angry-sounding jerk.

Q: Do emojis have a weakness?

A: Probably the most significant weakness comes from how it's controlled. It's controlled by Unicode, which is a California-based consortium that was founded in 1988, and this particular organization (provides an international standard for) fonts and scripts, so this is noble and important. The (members include) eight of the North American giants: Adobe, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Oracle and Yahoo. And there are 3 non-North American organizations. These organizations have a number of rules and regulations that govern emoji, and one is that for something to be accepted as a new emoji, it must be iconic in nature, it must be pictographic, so what that means is the thing that does the representing of the idea must look like the idea it's representing.

Q: Is that a problem?

A: The problem is that emoji cannot represent more abstract ideas, because it's limited up front in terms of what the symbols look like or can be. How do you represent feminism using an emoji? You can't. How do you represent iconoclastic? Or memory?

Q: Is there a censorship issue?

A: Emoji is potentially on a slippery slope to censorship. This goes back to (Unicode) rules and regulations and, arguably, the political correctness of Unicode, the gatekeeper, which is a force for good, but also in the overzealous interpretation of what is correct and what is good, this can potentially lead to an Orwellian nightmare. I'm not saying that's where we are, (but) just to give you an example, there have been a spate of court cases the last 18 months or so, where people have been arrested for issuing threats of various kinds (in the form of) sending gun emojis. In a case in France last year, a man in his 20s was sentenced to three months in (jail) for sending a gun emoji directed at his ex-girlfriend. What Apple did in its update last year was to change the representation of the gun, which previously was a revolver, to a water pistol, a harmless child's toy. These companies that sit on Unicode, that have shareholders and images they need to protect, are in essence constraining what the world's 3.2 billion internet users are able to use emoji to express.

Q: What's your favorite emoji?

A: My favorite is the dancing lady in the red dress.

Q: Oh, I like her too. Why do you like her?

A: I like her because she's inherently sexy. I kept saying this to people when they asked me what's your favorite emoji and my wife said, 'But you never use it!' So I started sending this emoji to my wife.
Without mincing words, I did like to confess publicly that I am one Nigerian who believes in President Muhammedu Buhari. I am not his partisan adherent, but my admiration for him as a person and now leader of Nigeria blossoms everyday like a flower.

Buhari is awesomely an intriguing leader and to me, he is not just a cerebral force, but someone in the region of an impenetrable being, who has overpowered all human debilitations, like some gods. Elsewhere in the world, leaders derive their sacredness and veneration from the effervescent of unassailability. And candidly, a leader is not just a piece of cake on a street shop to instantly decode in shape, colour and countenance. So, President Buhari has a big and matured heart. He rarely speaks, but believes more in action.

Today, President Buhari has proven that he emerged not just as an enigma on Nigerias political firmament, but on Africas delicate leadership ladder to rescue the continent. When one recalls African fables, and the thrilling roles of a talisman, the image of Buhari assail the senses defiantly.

So, when he sought leadership of Nigeria for the fourth time in 2015, many Nigerians, Africans and the world generally thought, this Mr. Uprightness was coming to battle corruption alone. They misconstrued him and underrated his personage.

I keep recounting that throughout his tedious campaigns for Nigerias presidency in 2015, the words corruption and insecurity, consistently dropped from his lips. His audience, supporters, haters and traducers alike heard him this loud, but never believed that he could do anything else outside battling the monster of corruption in Nigeria. Nigerians who busied themselves with such satanic mindsets, least remembered that President Buhari inherited a country on the cusp of extinction, propelled by these two vices, insecurity and corruption.

I can bet that Nigerians with good retentive memory would reminisce how the engaging immediate past first lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, echoed at the peak of the electioneering campaigns in the early months of 2015 that Nigerians should avoid conceding power to General Buhari.

And her simplistic reason was that if given the Presidency of Nigeria, Buhari would build more prisons to incarcerate many Nigerians, up to 300 years in jail. She sumptuously and contemptuously dwelt on Buharis years as military leader of Nigeria. She was emphatic that she has no resources to feed her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan in jail, then, President Buharis main contender in the 2015 general elections.

But today the reality is different. Among Nigerians and stretching further, the international community, I might be one soul who may not necessarily trust President Buhari as the liberator of Nigeria. I could even prefer to freely flow with his antagonists and critics to maliciously proclaim how worse or the depths he has rendered Nigeria prostrate.

Whatever negative excuses, or grudges the anti-Buhari elements have nursed against him in other sectors, I dont want to know or give a thought to it. They have their reasons, whether false or genuine. But on security and corruption, which these adversaries have often attempted to flatten him, the world has continued to persistently acknowledge his outstanding performances. Buhari is like no any other Nigerian leader since independence in 1960. Hes just in his own metaphysical realm, and I cannot stop admiring him.

We may disagree with President Buhari, and even insult his ancestors for breathing life into him. But in sober moments, we all accept it as unfair and influenced. The good works he is executing in Nigeria or the positive impact on leadership of this country has not escaped the lenses of the world in appreciation.

So, the doubting Thomases were again shocked when Nigeria cum President Buharis efforts on security or precisely, on defeating terrorism were celebrated globally, as impactful to reduction in terror-induced deaths across the world. Nigeria was part of the marginal reduction of 22 percent in five countries and as one of the nations which recorded 33 per cent fewer deaths on global terrorism index rating. We look back at 2011, 2012 and up to 2014; yet, we prefer not to see the changes on terrorism in 2016 and 2017.

But nothing has gladdened my heart in recent times like this global endorsement that in five countries around the world, most tortured by terrorism and condemned to its consuming inferno, Nigeria is mentioned in the report positively. Nigeria is one among the four countries , namely, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, which were in the furnace of terrorism, but have managed it effectively, thus contributing to global reduction of terrorism . The report expansively covered 163 countries, some 99 percent of world population.

The American-based Institute for Economics and Peaces report titled,  Global Terrorism Index 2017, officially launched at the Royal United Services Institute in London, a few days ago, published a comprehensive synopsis of  global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 17 years. It highlighted its peak in 2014, on the eve of Buharis Presidency and cheeringly disclosed a decline in years 2016 and 2017.

And the indicators upon which the report was based were incisive and commendable too. It looked at terrorism in Global results and trends, Terrorism trends in Europe and other developed countries, Characteristics driving terrorism recruitment, Profiles of the four most deadly terrorist groups and the Economics of terrorism. Yet, Nigeria came up tops.

And the most critical of audience within and outside Nigeria are unconsciously singing songs of Nigerias redemption under Buhari. Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) has led the pack of appreciators of President Buharis volte force on security, eloquently and elaborately commending his commitment to ridding Nigeria and the world of the de-humanizing crime of terrorism.

NDMGs President, Dr. Ibukun Ola, succinctly submitted that Nigerian Armys operations like  Operation Python Dance, Scorpion Sting, Lafiya Dole, Crocodile Smile are the backbone to such amazing accomplishments in security ranking of Nigeria. But some demented and cursed opposition elements never thought it wise to say thank you, Mr. President.

Nevertheless, diasporan Nigerians led by Dr. Ola pricked their conscience in these words, We note particularity the report by the Global Terrorism Index and that of the BBC on the development which has confirmed Nigerias contribution to winning the war against global terrorism and other crimes against humanitythe 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 theres being an 80% reduction.

The group added, In the South-south region too, the President has through the launch of military operations and other subtle and diplomatic means, been able to nip activities that could graduate into terrorist acts in the bud 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.

I cannot be less proud of my country. The wailing wailers can go and burn themselves in whatever fire pleasing to their souls. But for me, I am proud of President Buhari for ingraining his name in gold prints on global map of nations indubitably committed to rescuing humanity with fatal blows on terrorism. It is his prestigious seat in the history of the global fight against terrorism.

Quite strongly, I am grateful to the COAS, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai, and leader of this delicate counter-insurgency war and an incontestable emancipator of the afflicted masses of Nigeria. No current serving Service Chief of the Nigerian federation deserves lesser commendation and ovations.

The entire grain of the Nigerian military, especially, Nigerian soldiers have all occupied this hall of global fame and etched their names on the marble. If opposition Nigerians are not grateful and appreciative, I am truly and unfathomably grateful. And like the Late Captain Thomas Sankera of blessed memory once echoed, and I paraphrase, I stand to raise a voice for every liberated Nigerian, who cannot find a medium to raise a voice in appreciation of the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff and the President.

Okanga, wrote in from Agila, Benue State.
Canadian comic Russell Peters is unequivocally blunt about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey, both men who have been accused of sexual assault while sparking a larger conversation on harassment.

I met Harvey Weinstein once. He was a jerk when I met him. Same with Kevin Spacey who was kind of a d--k too. I wasnt surprised when this stuff came out. I just thought to myself, Ha, ha. At least its happening to the right people, said Peters on the phone from his home in Los Angeles.

You look at these guys and theres something common about them. Theyre predators. I was bullied growing up and this is completely bully mentality. I knew this stuff happened out there, but it never happened to me and I never perpetuated it. But thats what happens to a bully, you eventually get bullied.

We are supposed to be talking about Peters latest project for CTV, The Indian Detective, his first leading role in a scripted television series. It debuts Thursday at 9 p.m.

But the conversation has taken something of a U-turn. In Hollywood, the discussion is now firmly on sexism and abuse of power.

That would include the last time we talked before the Juno Awards when Peters called Heritage Minister Melanie Joly hot on live television. He also pointed out young females in the audience and commented that it was a felony waiting to happen.

The remarks created a social media furor, with Joly saying the comments were inappropriate, prompting the head of the awards ceremony to apologize.

It turned into a weird witch hunt for absolutely no reason, says Peters, who seemed befuddled over the backlash. It was just complete misquotes for the rest of the day.

But for someone who makes a living performing racial comedy and sending up stereotypes, Peters is used to creating politically incorrect controversy. And the title of his show, The Indian Detective, suggests hes not afraid of continue tackling the thorny subject of identity politics.

As his character, Toronto police constable Doug DMello, says, When I was in Canada I felt Indian, but when Im in India Im 100 per cent not Indian.

Its familiar ground for fans of Peters sometimes risque standup comedy. In development for five years, the show is his long-awaited starring debut in a series.

DMello becomes wrapped up in a murder mystery while on a visit to his ailing father in Mumbai. His investigation leads him to uncover a dangerous conspiracy while at the same time grappling with his heritage. Cue the fish out of water in Mumbai jokes.

It took a while, there were so many people in and out over the years. I was also leery of the process, says Peters. They would pitch me something, but my idea was that if youre hiring me to be me, then let me be me. But if youre hiring me to be somebody else, then hire somebody else.

The long gestation period had a silver lining. The series ended up being produced by Emmy-nominated Frank Spotnitz (The Man in the High Castle, The X-Files) who brings a certain gravitas to DMello and grounds the practised flippancy of Peters, who comes across at times like a snarky, South Asian version of the roles that once went to Jon Lovitz.

Frank is a great dramatic writer and he tried to write jokes. And I said, No, Frank, you write how you write and Ill read it the way I read it, and well find a happy medium.

It works. The Indian Detective has the heft of a good drama, but it also allows Peters to be his snide but likeable self. It also, for a Canadian show, feels expansive, with extensive location shooting and international cast in India, South Africa and Canada, allowing for a distinctive, first-rate dramedy on three continents.

Co-stars include William Shatner, who plays one of Canadas richest men, and Christina Cole (Casino Royale), perhaps best known as Harvey Specters psychiatrist love interest in Suits. The scene stealer, though, is veteran Bollywood star Anupam Kher as DMellos sardonic, toupee-wearing father.

The first day on the set William Shatner is standing across from me and all I can think in my head is that T.J. Hooker is on the set! How cool is that? says Peters.

I suggest to Peters that the concept seems to be eminently franchisable, since he can theoretically do just about any accent, casting himself in all the roles.

Youre right. You can just keep going. Like have The Chinese Detective or The Korean Detective. Thats good thinking.

CTV, Canadas largest broadcaster, is going all in with The Indian Detective, placing it in the crucial Thursday night block right after The Big Bang Theory, Canadas most watched show, and spinoff series Young Sheldon.

Not that, according to Peters, he ever watches The Big Bang Theory.

I never watched that show in my life and Im not going to watch it anytime soon, he says. Then I see parts of it and I think, This is great, and then its like, My god, when is it ever going to end?

Peters is confident that Canadians will watch The Indian Detective, although it doesnt hurt to have some stragglers left over who cant be bothered to change the channel after Young Sheldon. Or as he tweeted: I think theyre going to love it. Or at least like it. If they dont, theyre dead inside.

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A woman is in critical condition after a stabbing in Mississauga Saturday night.

Peel Regional police said they rushed to the area of Central Parkway E. and Mississauga Valley Blvd., south of Burnhamthorpe Rd. E. around 6:20 p.m.

When paramedics arrived, a woman was found with multiple stab wounds. Police said she was taken to a Toronto hospital in serious, possibly life-threatening condition.

Peel Police Const. Bancroft Wright said they arrested a woman at the scene. No charges have been laid. Police said there is no threat to public safety.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Peel police or Crime Stoppers.

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A class action lawsuit alleging a pattern of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment toward more than 9,000 inmates at a Southern Ontario prison has been slowly making its way through the court system.

The $325-million class action is the first certified lawsuit in Ontario against a prison. Led by London-based lawyer Kevin Egan, it covers all inmates who were at the jail from Jan. 1, 2010, to Aug. 25, 2013. It alleges a pattern of systemic negligence at the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre in London, stating that overcrowded, unsanitary and unsafe conditions and a lack of supervision that violated inmates charter rights.

According to these inmates affidavits, health records and court testimonies, the prison subjected them to a culture of violence and intimidation and a lack of proper medical care and rehabilitation facilities. A report shows that the 40-year-old institution mainly incarcerates those serving short custody times as they await bail or trial. Half of the 9,076 inmates were in custody for one month or less; in fact, a negligible number stayed longer than six months.

Over the past four years, the provincial Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has fought Egans efforts to certify the class action suit, arguing that the inmates experiences were too different and that there are other avenues they could use, such as submitting a written complaint to the jail superintendent.

In its statements of defence, the ministry denies all incidents, stating that, if they had occurred, they did not occur as a result of any breach of duty on behalf of the Crown. It denies allegations of negligence as well, clarifying that the complaints of overcrowding and lack of supervision are based on budgetary constraints and not a systemic breach of care.

The population density experienced by a particular inmate is wholly dependent on which unit they are bunked in, which particular cell they occupy, and on which day, the ministry wrote in its motion of appeal.

Despite the appeals, Superior Court Justice Duncan Grace certified the class action suit in August 2016.

The legal stalemate that has ensued since could soon be at an end, however, after a motion, issued Nov. 10, granted permission and access to the records of all inmates who have spent time at Elgin Middlesex.

A large number of inmates affected by the class action have a history of convictions that date back to their teenage years, Egan said. Their files were protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act. A judges order is needed to access their files and provide notice that they are eligible to be a member of the class action if they so choose.

Laura Van Colen, 28, is one such inmate. She was arrested for assault and drug-related charges over the past 10 years. She was in and out of Elgin Middlesex over a five-year period as she awaited bail and trial. For her, the class action is a way to reclaim the rights inmates should have.

Ive never been more humiliated, Van Colen said. Theres so much damage thats being done there  I have been traumatized.

When youre under (the guards) lock and their key, you have to do what they say, she said. Nobody is going to listen, let alone believe half the things that you say to them because youre the criminal, she said. Youre the one that broke the law. Youre the one that is being punished.

According to the affidavits and testimonies of the plaintiffs and other named inmates of this class action, other complaints against the Elgin Middlesex include:

Overcrowded cells: The Elgin Middlesex was designed to hold approximately 150 inmates when it was built in the late 1970s. The number of people in custody, however, regularly exceeded 400. The cells, designed to occupy two inmates at a time, frequently housed up to five, with people sleeping on mattresses, sometimes next to the cell toilet.

Unsanitary conditions: Bed bugs and black mould were common, according to the statement of claim. Sick prisoners were not housed separately. Cells were not cleaned often. Toilets overflowed frequently.

Frequent lockdowns: Prisoners were often confined to their cells for periods of time, sometimes lasting three to four days or up to a week.

Violence: Glenn Johnson, a former inmate at the Elgin Middlesex told the court during the certification about Friday fight nights. Two male inmates would be forced to square off against each other, Johnson alleged; one would be bigger than the other. Everybody had to fight. It is alleged the guards did not stop the fights.

An official notice of allegations from a different inmate spoke about the handwritten notices posted around the prison, allegedly advising all inmates to take their direction from senior inmates. The inmate describes being advised by a guard on his first day at the jail to keep his head down and become familiar with the internal rules or he would get hurt.

Through the grapevine staff will hear about (everything), said Johnson, in a cross-examination. Oh, it was this guy that said something? So then that guard might not like you and say, Hey guys, want an extra meal? Take that guy in the bathroom and punch the crap out of him. 

Lack of medical care: Inmates claim that there was no infirmary at Elgin Middlesex and there was no access to medical staff or health care between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., a period of time when fights were most common, according to the testimonies of inmates.

In response to inquiries about these allegations, a ministry of corrections spokesperson told the Star in emails that there is still no infirmary at the jail, and the gymnasium has only recently reopened, having been closed since 2002. The jail is running under capacity, wrote the spokesperson. At present, there are 391 inmates at Elgin Middlesex, 360 male and 31 female.

The ministry said that it has made a number of improvements over the past couple of years. These include:

357 new security cameras, six metal detectors and a new baggage X-ray machine;

24-hour nursing coverage for the inmates;

A new Regional Intermittent Centre for those who are serving a sentence of 90 days or lessa way to help resolve overcrowding issues; and

More full-time staff, including 80 new correctional officers, eight nurses, two mental health nurses, two psychologists, two social workers, two sergeants, six recreation officers, one rehabilitation officer, one volunteer coordinator and a deputy superintendent.

Marie-France Lalonde, the minister of correctional services, said in an email that it new legislation will be introduced this fall that if passed, will redefine correctional services in Ontario and help us improve conditions and outcomes for those in our custody and care.

The ministry is also looking for sites to build new correctional centres in Thunder Bay and Ottawa. It is also researching independent oversight models to find a system for Ontario that will enhance accountability to the public and ensure a high degree of evidence-based standards in corrections.

But, Egan remains skeptical. For starters, the new facilities will not reduce the problems in Londons jail, he said.

Egan and other lawyers in the province say they keep receiving more and more reports about prison conditions. The complaints shed light on issues ranging from segregation to lockdowns.

For this reason, Jonathan Ptak, a Toronto-based class action lawyer, believes that a lawsuit like this, if successful, will have a sweeping effect on the prison system. Ptak is not involved with this class action.

Its something thats of great importance to society, Ptak said, judging how we house and the conditions upon which we house people who are charged with crimes, many of whom will be acquitted.

Egan would like to get compensation for those who have suffered, but more than that we would like to see the situation corrected so that more people dont suffer, more families dont lose loved ones, he said. And actually, it becomes a rehabilitation centre as intended by the legislation, and not just a warehouse to store people in.

For Van Colen, its an attempt to change the culture and perception of prisons and inmates. She is still angry at the way she alleges she was treated  the overflowing toilets, the delayed health care, the physical assaults.

The guards were all in the mindset that they can do whatever they want because were animals, she said. Because were their prisoners.

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For three hours Bob Rae spoke with officials in Yangon, Burma, about how to reintegrate one of the worlds most persecuted minorities.

The way forward became apparent when he walked into a small space with a large table.

Gathered in the room were people from the Rohingya community and members of the non-Rohingya community, two sides of an inter-communal conflict, which became increasingly violent almost three months ago.

The Rohingya are a minority community of Muslims who have been refused citizenship by the government of the majority Buddhist country.

Read more:

Burmas cardinal defends Suu Kyi against very unfair criticism over Rohingya crisis

Rohingya woman who fled Burma as baby now helping others escape to Bangladesh

U.S. considering individual sanctions in response to Rohingya crisis: Tillerson

The two groups spoke to each other candidly.

Thirty years ago, people from both communities had gone to school together. They had done business together. They lived side by side in the state of Rakhine, which for all of them was still their home, their part of their world, their community.

Over a significant period of time all these relationships were allowed to deteriorate and fester, said Rae, who listened to both sides of the table expressed their frustrations and tried to figure out what the path forward might look like.

We have to work at that, he said, to help those dialogues take place, help those peace processes to take place in informal ways.

Rae returned from his first trip to the region as Canadas special envoy to Burma (also known as Myanmar) last weekend. There, he spoke with Burmese officials, Bangladeshi officials, NGOs working in both countries, and civil society groups.

He visited the refugee camp in Coxs Bazaar, Bangladesh, and met with members of the Rohingya people who have fled persecution. These number more than a million.

He wasnt, however, allowed to visit Rakhine state, where the violence has taken place.

Rae has pieced together a narrative of the conflict through the many varying accounts he heard. On August 25, a series of attacks took place in northern Rakhine state. The attack was coordinated by ARSA, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Rae describes as an insurgency group that represents the militant side of the conflict. This was the second major attack to occur in the area; the previous one occurred in October 2015.

The August attack was followed by a brutal counter attack, led initially by the army but involving vigilantes from non-Rohingya people, said Rae, and thats what led to a mass exodus.

Ninety percent of northern Rakhine has been evacuated.

Rae has been to refugee camps in Lebanon and the West Bank. Hes visited the Syrian camp in northern Jordan.

But Coxs Bazaar is different.

Its very fast-growing, he said.

More than 620,000 people have arrived since Aug. 25.

Almost half are children under the age of 15.

But the balance of the population in the camp has started to shift in the last weeks, as Rohingya men have started to arrive. It seems, said Rae, that women and children were sent ahead first.

The horizon of this hilly region is an endless sea of make-do bamboo and tarpaulin huts. There are no roads in this camp, no space for toilets. Its loud, the air full of the music of children singing, laughing, playing games. People are being inoculated for cholera and measles. Diarrhea is a constant problem.

Everyone has harrowing memories of death, or rape, or fire.

Other camps very quickly become communities in which people can live and do things, said Rae.

This is, right now, very much a stop-gap measure.

And we have to recognize its not a stop-gap problem.

This is an emergency, but its more than an emergency, he said.

Its a serious, serious, humanitarian and political issue.

Rae believes that things can be fixed, but he recognizes that this is a difficult issue that can go very wrong, very quickly, if the right steps arent taken.

He sees three critical aspects of the crisis that need to be addressed:

First, Rae wants there to be a greater understanding of the plural make-up of Burma, a country which has a number of ethnic conflicts, including the Rohingya crisis. Its a country where the military retains control of 25 percent of parliament and three key ministries, including defence and interior.

Last week, the Burmese army released the results of an internal investigation in which it exonerated itself of blame regarding the Rohingya crisis. This is contrary to reports from aid agencies and the United Nations, who called it a textbook example of ethnic-cleansing.

Its really important to figure out how to engage the civilian and military leadership, said Rae. We expect the walk and the talk to match, and right now they dont match.

Second, the humanitarian crisis needs the worlds attention.

This requires money and access.

Right now, there are enough funds and programs available until February 2018.

Thats only three months away, said Rae.

We have to look to medium and longer term plans.

This includes education, clean water, and healthcare.

Third, There has to be an independent investigation into the allegations of abuse and violence and intimidation, said Rae. We cant just let something like this happen with impunity.

Canada needs to be a part of the engagement of all three issues, says Rae, and it is. Hes met dozens of young Canadians working on the ground who are very involved with improving living conditions in the refugee camp. And, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development, will be travelling to the region next week.

We need to try something different, said Rae, when asked about economic sanctions, or the popular demand to revoke Burmese state counselor Aung San Suu Kyis honorary Canadian citizenship.

Past sanctions, said Rae, have only further impoverished the country and created deep suspicion and repression inside Burma.

And calls for revoking Suu Kyis citizenship, who Rae met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the APEC summit in Manila, ignore the fact that it was a symbolic gesture to commemorate her leadership in leading the country to general elections.

Revoking the gesture will not resolve the deep humanitarian and political issue, said Rae.

This is a stateless population, and now largely a homeless population, said Rae.

Around 400,000 Rohingya people remain in central Rakhine as internally displaced people. No one knows if theyre going to stay, remarked Rae, or if theyre going to be pushed out to become part of the exodus.

The question for the government of Myanmar, for the government of Bangladesh, for the world, is what are we going to do about that?

How are we going to respond to this?

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Mona Nemer is used to changing peoples minds.

When she was 17, Nemer and her fellow students had to fight to get her all-girls high school in Lebanon to open a science stream, academic courses that werent offered to them because they were female.

It was the 1970s, but school administrators didnt think girls went into careers that needed science, says Nemer.

We had a sort of mini-revolt, says Nemer. It succeeded, and she was one of 17 to enter the program.

Nemer, now 60 and a prominent cardiac researcher, will use those same persuasive powers as Canadas chief science adviser.

The job will be challenging.

Major cuts were made under the former prime minister Stephen Harpers Conservative government to departments such as Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans. The government laid off staff, leaving some departments with no trained researchers to replace outgoing scientists.

Funding for overall fundamental science was decimated as the Conservatives prioritized research into areas such as genomics and neuroscience. A report in June said an infusion of $459 million was needed just to bring fundamental research back to 2005 levels.

And early on, they abolished the position of science adviser, so there is no one to show Nemer the ropes. The countrys last science adviser was Arthur Carty, who held the position until 2008, when the Harper government eliminated the job.

Ninety per cent of scientists reported they were muzzled during the Harper years, according to a survey of 5,000 researchers by their union, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

They were completely silenced, at threat of discipline or termination, says Debi Daviau, president of PIPSC. They were not allowed to speak about their own work that they were experts in.

Even those that were designated as spokespeople had to go through rigorous approvals in order to be okayed to speak, she says, a process that took so long their comments were often no longer relevant.

Only weeks into her new position, Nemer says she is developing a work plan and meeting researchers before she can consider setting scientific priorities for the country.

There are more than 10,000 employees in federal government research and development jobs. One of Nemers responsibilities will be to ensure they can speak freely. She will also advise the prime minister, Science Minister Kirsty Duncan and the cabinet on all aspects of science policy.

The Liberal government promises the office will be completely independent.

We want our scientists talking, Duncan said in an interview. We want them collaborating. Thats how science works. We want our scientists to talk and Dr. Nemer must be independent and impartial.

Nemers office will produce an annual report, beginning next fall, on the state of science in Canada, says Duncan. The report will be made public.

The government and PIPSC negotiated language in their latest contract that also protects scientific freedom and integrity, language that Daviau believes is a first for a collective agreement.

As science adviser, Nemer will also promote collaboration between government departments and academia, a role she already knows something about.

She was vice-president of research at the University of Ottawa for 11 years, where she was responsible for encouraging collaborative research across departments and faculties.

One day in 2003, she gave a guest lecture at the university, about her cardiac stem cell research. Gilles Patry, who was then the schools president, was there. He turned to a colleague  Peter Walker, then dean of medicine  and told him they needed to find a way to hire her.

Not only was she one of the countrys top scientists in her field, says Patry, but the clarity of the way that she was communicating demonstrated to me that she was also a good teacher, a good mentor for graduate students.

Not every scientist is able to communicate their research, he says, and Nemer was coming across to a varied audience that was both academic and open to members of the public.

When Howard Alper, the University of Ottawas first VP of research, retired in 2006, Patry made sure Nemer was invited to apply. Nemer, who was at the time a professor at the University of Montreal and an established cardiac scientist at the nearby Clinical Research Institute, got the job.

She had come to Canada via the United States, where she fled in 1976, a year after the civil war broke out in her native Lebanon.

It was very difficult, says Nemer, who was then a first-year student at the American University in Beirut, where an attack on a bus by gunmen launched the war. Nemer spent more time in shelters than in classrooms and she decided to continue her education in the U.S.

Her mother, a schoolteacher, and her father, a mechanical technician who took care of printing presses for a couple of Beiruts major dailies, supported her decision, but there was a catch  she could only go to Wichita State University in Kansas or the University of Florida in Gainesville, two cities where the Nemers had family.

She chose the higher-ranked school in Florida but the university wanted her to do a semester of English before allowing her to enrol in chemistry. Nemer, who already spoke French and Arabic, had done a year and a half of English at university in Beirut and decided that was good enough.

I figured Ill go to Wichita for one semester in science then transfer back to Florida, she says.

But when she arrived in the U.S. she was overwhelmed by culture shock. It took her an entire semester to get over it and led to her decision to stay in Wichita rather than make the change.

I came from a metropolitan city that was quite international, where people walked on the streets and spoke many languages, explains Nemer. And I ended up in a place  this was the 70s, things have changed  but most people hadnt left their state, let alone their country.

They spoke English with a different accent, she says. Nobody walked in the streets. There was no public transport. I mean you name it.

She graduated and accepted a scholarship from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to do her PhD. But a chance weekend with friends in Montreal the summer before school put her on a different path.

I loved (the city) so I said Im going to stay here and do my PhD, says Nemer. She was accepted as a graduate student in chemistry at McGill in the summer of 1977 when she was 20.

After completing her PhD, she left the city to work for a biotech startup in the U.S., hoping to create new drugs, but returned to Montreal because she realized she didnt know enough molecular biology to know what to target.

I tell you this because its important. People think that I always knew that I wanted to be a university professor and so on, says Nemer. And a lot of the young people who are doing their graduate studies dont know what they want to do.

I keep telling them  go with the opportunities, she says. You dont need to know exactly right away.

Nemer did post-doctoral work at McGill and Columbia in molecular biology. By that time, her parents had immigrated to Canada because of the escalating Lebanese conflict.

She took a job as an assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Montreal and operated her lab at the nearby Clinical Research Institute, where she studied how genes are controlled.

There, she was able to isolate a gene that produces a hormone called ANF and discovered the hormone is created by the heart to control blood pressure, thereby proving the heart isnt just a pump but an endocrine organ.

Further research by her lab showed that production of the hormone increases when the organ is under stress or in heart failure. Six companies are now manufacturing tests that use ANF levels as a marker for cardiac stress.

Basically you can do a chemical test that is almost as accurate as a cardiologist assessment of whether there was heart failure or not, says Nemer.

Her lab also discovered GATA4, a gene that is an important regulator for heart development and that is now being used in stem cell research.

At the Clinical Research Institute, Nemer began taking on leadership roles, because she believes younger scientists need to be involved to improve the system.

She served as director of academic affairs where she oversaw scholarships and researcher training and later, as the executive director of planning and development, in charge of recruitment and expansion programs.

If we want the research system and academic system to keep improving then you need to have some of your actors and bright minds participate in it, says Nemer, who is married and has a daughter. Being an academic leader in my dictionary was not a retirement job.

When she took the job at the University of Ottawa, in her late 40s, she says she wasnt that young anymore but felt she had the right experience.

As VP there, she was behind a number of collaborative facilities such as the state-of-the-art Advanced Research Complex, where scientists are studying photonics, the science of harnessing energy from light particles  or photons  to allow for faster data transfer, as in fibre optics.

It was the first time the university created a centre based solely on one aspect of science and drew researchers from across departments and faculties.

Nemer also created a program to help undergraduates participate in research, and an initiative to encourage female scientists in STEM fields  science, technology, engineering and math.

Dr. Nemer left an enduring mark on the University of Ottawa, said university president Jacques Fremont, in an email. Her passion and tireless work to promote research drove our university towards excellence.

Meanwhile, Nemer continued to do research as director of the universitys Molecular Genetics and Cardiac Regeneration lab, where she worked with undergrads, graduate and postdoctoral students, as well as research associates and technicians.

When the science adviser position came open, Nemer applied. She was ready to move on after 11 years at the university.

I felt that I had enough perspective and information and experience working in a large university, she says. And I thought that perspective could actually be interesting if I were to have a position at the national level.

She has signed up for a three-year term, with an annual salary of $265,300 to $311,100, according to the Privy Council Office.

During the Harper years, Nemer says she witnessed how difficult it was to get grants. Scientists would try to align their research with the governments objectives, says Nemer, or they would spend more time writing grant proposals because of a limited success rate. They were researching money instead of researching knowledge, she says.

Nemers predecessor, Carty, warned the government in 2008 that abolishing the position of science adviser would tarnish our image as a leading player in science and technology, comments he made to a government standing committee on industry, science and technology.

Carty also said that shaping and providing science advice for decision-makers is never easy . . . for advice to be effective, there must be a receptor willing and able to use it.

Instead of heeding his words, the Harper government followed up in 2011 with the elimination of the long-form census and began to silence federal scientists, especially any with information on climate change.

Critics have also singled out legislation passed in 2012, Bill C-38, which they say cleared the way for resource extraction by cutting federal regulations for environmental protection of fish habitats, parks and water quality. The bill also repealed the Kyoto Protocol implementation act. (The climate treaty had been signed under the Liberals, who failed to meet Canadas commitments.)

The result of years of cuts is that the public willingness to put trust in government to make good, balanced decisions has been seriously eroded, said author Chris Turner, who wrote The War on Science: Muzzled Scientists and Wilful Blindness in Stephen Harpers Canada, in an interview with the Atlantic in January.

Renewing that trust could be hard.

The Liberal government announced a $95-million injection for the countrys three main federal granting councils in its 2016 budget but was criticized a year later for failing to provide another increase in 2017.

The government also committed to hiring 135 research scientists, biologists, oceanographers in Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a department that experienced such deep cuts that it could barely keep the lights on, never mind the boats afloat, says Daviau, the PIPSC president.

A review of the department by the Liberals, a promise made in their 2016 budget, resulted in an additional $1.4 billion in new funding over five years for the DFO, which oversees the Canadian Coast Guard as well as fisheries management.

Still, the union estimates 1,500 scientists were lost during the Conservative governments tenure. Some were scientists training to take over from researchers who were nearing retirement in departments such as chemical management, air quality control and fish habitat research.

Although we have made a lot of advances with this government on advancing scientific integrity, the capacity that disappeared during these cuts  they have not yet replaced or replenished their reserves of scientists and researchers, says Daviau.

The average Canadian may not be able to keep track of how many researchers have been rehired or whos getting government grants, but if Nemer is successful in her new role, they should see a scientific resurgence, says Daviau.

What the public should see is more science, more talk of science.

Nemer hopes her appointment could have another benefit as well, which her 17-year-old self would have appreciated.

I hope (the fact) that theres a woman in it sends a good message to all the women and women scientists out there.

Clarification - November 23, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that referenced Brain Canada as one of the organizations that received funding for neuroscience research under the Conservative government of former prime minister Stephen Harper. However, the article did not make clear that Brain Canada funds brain research projects, from investigator-led basic research to clinical trials, through the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF). The CBRF, established in 2011, is a partnership between Brain Canada and Health Canada designed to encourage Canadians to increase their support of brain research, and maximize the impact and efficiency of those investments. According to the organization's website, by the end of October 2017, the fund had allocated $202.9 million in new funding to support 203 projects across Canada involving more than 900 researchers at 113 institutions.

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The Missoulian was honored last week for its coverage of the devastating summer wildfires that claimed two lives and put at risk the homes and health of residents of western Montana.

The Missoulian staff was one of four Lee Newspapers honored for excellence in news coverage. The staff received an honorable mention in the President's Award competition, which recognizes "outstanding achievement in any aspect of print and online journalism, from reporting and writing to photography, video, graphics and presentation.''

The judges said that online and in print, the Missoulian newsroom "pushed out stories, photos, videos, and galleries to all platforms designed to help readers stay safe in the face of fast-moving fires, stay healthy in the choking smoke, understand why this fire season was so intense, and learn more about the two firefighters who lost their lives battling the blazes.''

President's Awards went to:

 The Arizona Daily Star in Tucson for its examination and documentation of changes to the United States-Mexico border following the election of President Donald Trump. The judges said the reporting "addressed the perception of change versus the reality of what has actually changed under the Trump administration.''

 The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, Illinois, for its investigation of issues plaguing the city of Cairo, Illinois, and the Alexander County Housing Authority. The judges said the newsroom spent three years writing about "issues of mismanagement that led to families living in substandard and unsanitary conditions. As a result, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development acted earlier this year to address many of these issues.''

 The Winona Daily News in Winona, Minnesota, for Becoming JamieAnn, the story of how one transgender person and her family navigated the complex and often painful transition from male to female in full view of a small Minnesota community. The judges said the reporter "put a known, local, human face on what might otherwise have remained just one more battleground in todays culture wars and, by doing so, made a genuine contribution to understanding and civility in the community.''
SAN FRANCISCOWhen 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 behaviour 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.

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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, TED acknowledged several incidents had occurred at the Vancouver conference and said it had taken action.

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. 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 one billion times worldwide.

Most people pay $10,000 (U.S.) to attend and must apply for tickets.

The Post reviewed email exchanges among senior TED officials at the time of the April conference, sparked by a complaint by a long-time 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.

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 fuelling 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.

Nilofer Merchant, an author and former Apple executive whose 2013 TED talk received nearly three 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. 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.

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 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 behaviours that constitute harassment, and coming up with a formal process to handle complaints.

The TED officials also expressed worries about the complaints becoming public.

International 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, Texas, said it has a broad code of conduct that 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 has also faced sexual harassment complaints against its own managers.

In 2014, TED offered to settle a sexual harassment case with a young woman who worked on one of the organizations digital marketing teams for about $31,000, according to documents.

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.

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 under her 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 the U.S. 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. 

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PHOENIXRepublican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake was caught on an open microphone saying that the GOP is toast if it follows President Donald Trump and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Flake was talking to the mayor of the Phoenix suburb of Mesa offstage Friday after speaking at a town hall session for aerospace company workers. He apparently didnt know the microphone attached to his lapel was still on when he said, (If we) become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast.

TV stations at the event picked up his comment. Flakes office told KNXV-TV that the Arizona senator said if we before the Phoenix stations cameras started but that it had nothing more to add. Flake made a surprised expression when someone pointed out the microphone afterward.

He later tweeted a link to a story about the remark and said, No news here. Ive been saying this to anyone who will listen.

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Flake has been an outspoken critic of Trump and announced in a forceful speech on the Senate floor last month that he would not seek re-election next year. He acknowledged that he could not win a GOP primary in the current political climate.

Flake also has criticized Moore, who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct against teenage girls decades ago and calls to drop his bid for the U.S. Senate. Flake said he would vote for the Democrat if he were in Alabama and had to choose between Moore and Democratic challenger Doug Jones.

In the exchange with Flake, Mesa Mayor John Giles appeared to tell the senator to run for higher office.

I am not throwing smoke at you, but youre the guy, Giles said. Just for fun, think about how much fun it would be, just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy is.

Giles didnt mention those comments in a statement to the TV station.

As a lifelong conservative Republican, I am troubled when candidates like Roy Moore send the wrong message about my partys ethics and policies, he said.

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BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINAArgentinas Defence Ministry said Saturday night it had detected seven communication attempts throughout the day from an Argentine navy submarine with 44 crew members aboard that has been missing since Wednesday.

We received seven signals from satellite calls that originated from the San Juan submarine, Defence Minister Oscar Aguad wrote on Twitter. We are working hard to locate it and we are transmitting hope to the families of the 44 crew members: that theyll soon be able to have them in their homes.

The Defence Ministry said it is working with a U.S. company that specializes in satellite communication to determine the exact location of the signals.

This changes everything, said Fernando Morales, a navy expert and vice-president of the Argentine Navy League. Its a very hopeful sign because it suggests at least several crew members are alive.

To carry out the communications attempt, the submarine had to be close enough to the surface of the water to take out its antenna, explained Morales.

It should move along relatively quickly now, Morales said, characterizing the communication attempts as the first optimistic news since reports of the missing submarine began transfixing Argentina on Friday morning.

NASA, a U.S. navy aircraft and a British Royal Navy ice patrol ship on Saturday joined the search for the missing submarine, the ARA San Juan.

The search was hindered by strong winds in waters off Argentinas Patagonia, where the submarine was believed to be stranded, officials said. A day after playing down the severity of the situation, Argentine officials on Saturday signalled growing concern as they welcomed all international assistance.

Detection has proved to be difficult despite the number of boats and aircraft, Capt. Enrique Balbi, a spokesperson for the Argentine navy, said in a televised interview Saturday. Waves are of approximately six metres, which makes it much more difficult.

The Argentine navy is accepting all possible or necessary help (to) not discard any hypothesis, Balbi said, noting that search teams had scoured about half the area where they believed the submarine could be.

The missing submarine was 240 nautical miles from the coast when it was last tracked.

NASA joined the search Saturday along with vessels from Chile, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, South Africa, the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

The submarine ARA San Juan had participated in naval exercises off southern Argentina before departing Monday from Ushuaia for a naval base in Mar de Plata. The last contact was made after the northbound vessel passed the Valdes Peninsula about 450 kilometres off Argentinas coast.

Anguished family members of the crew have gathered at the Mar de Plata base awaiting news.

Its agonizing the passing of the hours, a mixture of horrible feelings and silence, said Marcela Moyano, wife of submarine machinist Hernan Rodriguez, in an interview at the base with TodoNoticias TV channel. Its a situation of desperation and fear. But were still hopeful they are returning.

Of the 44 crew members, one is a woman: Lt. Eliana Maria Krawczyk, 34, the subs operations chief. Her father, Eduardo, said in a TV interview Thursday that he last talked to his daughter two weeks ago.

She told me that after arriving at Tierra del Fuego, that the (female) governor of the state came aboard the submarine and congratulated her because a woman was on the crew, Eduardo Krawczyk said. He added that he is praying for his daughters safe return and that their union will like being born again.

One of three submarines in the Argentine fleet, the diesel-powered sub measures 220 feet (67 metres) long and has a range of 21,000 kms. It underwent a major overhaul and reconditioning in 2008 that officials here say qualified it for 30 years more of use.

With files from Los Angeles Times

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WASHINGTONThe Palestinians threatened on Saturday to suspend all communication with the United States if the Trump administration follows through with plans to close their diplomatic office in Washington. The potential rupture in relations threatens to undermine President Donald Trumps bid for Mideast peace  a mission he has handed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the U.S. decision was very unfortunate and unacceptable, and accused Washington of bowing to pressure from the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when we are trying to co-operate to achieve the ultimate deal.

In a video statement on social media, Erekat said: We will put on hold all our communications with this American administration.

There was no immediate reaction from the Trump administration. Netanyahus office said the closing was a matter of U.S. law.

U.S. officials had insisted before Erekats statement that the move wasnt aimed at increasing leverage over the Palestinians, but merely the unavoidable consequence of U.S. law.

Cutting off ties would carry great risks for the Palestinians. It could antagonize an administration they already suspect is biased toward Israel and cut put millions of dollars of critical U.S. aid in jeopardy.

However, unresponsive Palestinians would deal an embarrassing blow to the Trump administration ahead of an expected peace initiative and potentially prevent it from getting off the ground. Their stance could also complicate U.S. efforts to promote a region-wide approach by bringing together Israel with Saudi Arabia and other moderate Arab allies in a joint effort against Iran. Arab countries might be reluctant to get too close to Israel in the absence of serious progress on the Palestinian issue.

The administration announced late Friday that the Palestinians had run afoul of a legal provision that says the Palestine Liberation Organization cannot operate a Washington office if the Palestinians try to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson determined that the Palestinians crossed that line in September, when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the court to investigate and prosecute Israelis, according to State Department officials. They werent authorized to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition they not be named.

It wasnt clear when the office would close or whether the Palestinians would have to clear out of the building entirely or just close it to the public. Riad Malki, the Palestinian foreign minister, said he was told by the Americans that U.S. and State Department legal teams would meet Monday to decide how the new situation would affect the office, the functioning of diplomats and contacts with the Palestinians.

We will wait to hear back from them, Malki said. After that, the Palestinians will decide how to react.

Under the law, Trump now has 90 days to consider whether the Palestinians are in direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel. If Trump determines they are, then the mission can reopen, officials said.

PLO official Hanan Ashrawi said the U.S. was disqualifying itself as a peace broker in the region by refusing to extend a waiver from the law.

Conditioning the renewal of the waiver on the Palestinians sticking to direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel is actually superfluous since negotiations are nonexistent, and the current U.S. administration has yet to present any kind of peace initiative, she said in a statement.

Washington said it wasnt cutting off relations with the Palestinians and remained focused on a comprehensive peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. One of the U.S. officials said in an email that this measure should in no way be seen as a signal that the U.S. is backing off those efforts.

The Palestinians quickly dismissed that argument, with Malki telling Palestine Radio that the Palestinian leadership will not accept any extortion or pressure. Erekat contended the move was the result of the pressure being exerted on this administration by the Netanyahu government.

In response, the Israeli prime ministers office said, We respect the decision and look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. to advance peace and security in the region.

The Israelis and Palestinians are not engaged in active, direct negotiations. But Trumps team, led by Kushner in his role as senior White House adviser, is working to broker a deal aimed at settling the intractable conflict.

The Palestinians, publicly supportive of the U.S. effort, are nonetheless skeptical because Trumps close ties to Israel suggest whatever deal he proposes might be unfavourable to them. The threat of losing their office in the U.S. capital could become one more pressure point as the Trump administration tries to persuade the Palestinians to come to the table.

The PLO is the group that formally represents all Palestinians. Although the U.S. does not recognize Palestinian statehood, the PLO maintains a general delegation office in Washington that facilitates Palestinian officials interactions with the U.S. government.

The United States allowed the PLO to open a mission in Washington in 1994. That required president Bill Clinton to waive a law that said the Palestinians couldnt have an office. In 2011, under the Obama administration, the U.S. started letting the Palestinians fly their flag over the office, an upgrade to the status of their mission that the Palestinians hailed as historic.

Israel opposes any Palestinian membership in UN-related organizations until a peace deal has been reached.

The Trump administration has not disclosed details about its effort to achieve an agreement that ostensibly would grant the Palestinians an independent state in exchange for an end to its conflict with the Israelis. Kushner and other top Trump aides have been shuttling to the region to meet with Palestinians, Israelis and officials from Arab countries.

The requirement about the mission closing stems from a little-noticed provision in U.S. law that says the U.S. cannot allow the Palestinians to have a Washington office if they back the international courts move to investigate or prosecute Israeli nationals for alleged crimes against Palestinians.

Abbas said at the United Nations in September that the Palestinians had called on the International Criminal Court to open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials for their involvement in settlement activities and aggressions against our people.

The U.S. president can let the Palestinians keep the office despite the violation, only if certifying to Congress that the Palestinians have entered into direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel. The provision doesnt explicitly define what would constitute direct or meaningful negotiations.

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These are the stark facts, and the only simple ones, about the situation in Yemen: The country has suffered the worlds worst cholera outbreak in modern history and people do not have access to food.

Cholera is spread by contaminated water, which is all that is now available in many parts of the country. More than 2,000 have died. The World Health Organization estimates there will be a million cases by the end of the year.

The lack of food is now endemic. Food prices have soared, the economy has collapsed, and government employees havent been paid for nearly a year, which has forced more than 20 million Yemenis, or about 70 per cent of the population, to rely on aid.

This month, a Saudi-led military coalition stopped most of that aid from entering the country by blocking airports, ports and borders. Ostensibly the blockade was to halt the shipment of arms. But illegal smuggling routes ensure the flow of weapons, and it is food, medicine and fuel that are being held back.

The heads of three UN agencies  World Food Program, UNICEF and the World Health Organization  issued a joint statement Thursday saying seven million Yemenis, mainly children, are on the brink of famine.

Children who die of starvation do not cry; they are so weak they quietly slip away, their deaths often unnoticed at first in hospitals overwhelmed by patients.

Which is also an apt description for Yemens slow demise.

Its not about us  we have no power to stop this war, says Sadeq Al-Ameen, an aid worker based in Yemens capital, about the countrys war-weary population and exhausted frontline aid workers.

Even if the international community  provides millions of dollars, says Al-Ameen, Yemen will not recover unless the war stops.

And there are those who do not want it to stop.

Describing Yemen simply as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran is too easy, and not entirely accurate.

Were looking for this simple, overarching narrative and this idea of a proxy war is something people can understand  group X backs these guys and group Y backs these guys, says Peter Salisbury, author of a forthcoming Chatham House paper on Yemens war economy.

The reality is youve got a multiplicity of different groups, each with different agendas working and fighting on the ground against one another.

This current crisis began in late 2014, when Houthi rebels seized control of the capital from Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis government. Hadi had been in power following the Arab Spring protests in 2011 and 2012, which ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh after three decades of autocratic rule.

The Houthis, a Shiite Islam group belonging to the Zaydi sect, began 13 years ago in the northern province of Saada as a theological movement. (The group is named after the movements founder, Hussein al-Houthi.) Saleh saw the Houthis as a challenge to his rule, and they faced relentless military and economic crackdowns.

The speed with which they took over the capital three years ago surprised many analysts. By early 2015, Hadi had fled to Saudi Arabia and the Houthis had control of the major ministries and continued to amass power.

In an ironic alliance of convenience, they joined forces with Saleh and those from his deposed government who still wielded power, against Hadis Saudi-backed forces.

Theyve gone from literally 25 guys in the mountains 13 years ago to thousands if not tens of thousands of men operating on the ground in control of all these resources, says Salisbury. Theyre being told, youre on the back foot and its time to give up, which to my mind if you look at their history, their trajectory, it just doesnt compute.

The conflict has killed an estimated 10,000 people.

Saudi Arabias attack against the Houthis has been relentless  much of it fuelled by the fear of Irans alliance with Houthis and the prospect of greater Iranian influence in the region.

But bringing peace to Yemen goes beyond navigating this Saudi-Iranian divide, says Salisbury. Its about understanding not just the rule of the Houthis, but the overall war economy and reaching out to those who have benefited from the conflict.

Lots of different groups control lots of different parts of the country and that control allows them to tax trade, he says. We end up in this situation where it becomes self-fuelling, where guys who have taken up arms, maybe for ideological reasons, maybe for local politics, now have money and power they didnt have before the war Theyre not being talked to, so what incentive do they have to give up their arms and newfound resources and power?

Toronto author and professor Kamal Al-Solaylee, who wrote a memoir about growing up in Sanaa and Aden, says empathy fatigue is another factor that adds to Yemens woes.

I do think Syria has exhausted resources, personal and governmental. Im not surprised given the extent of the war there, he says. But I also think if Yemen preceded Syria, nothing would change. Yemen is just not a country that western nations and peoples think of  hardly on their radar.

Salisbury agrees that what happens in Yemen does not receive the same scrutiny of military actions elsewhere.

The lesson the Saudis have learned is they can get away with a great deal when it comes to Yemen, he says, on the phone from London. They can really do things that if another country were doing it in another context there would be international outcry, there would be action at the Security Council level, but in this case thats just not happening because of the value western and other states place on their relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Aid agencies are warning that Yemen will become the worst humanitarian crisis in decades. On Friday, three Yemeni cities ran out of clean water because of the Saudi blockade of fuel needed for pumping and sanitation, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

The cholera epidemic has surpassed the 2010-2017 Haitian disaster to become the biggest since modern records began in 1949, the Guardian reported.

Al Ameen, who considers himself part of the fortunate minority still being paid for his work inside Sanaa, understands the seemingly intractable political situation, but all he witnesses on the front line of the crisis are the civilian victims.

Its so painful to see hopeless families, he says, in a telephone interview from Sanaa this week. Ive met some who are all infected with cholera or other diseases. Can you imagine a father, whose eight children who are infected and he is so poor?

Al Ameen says medical staff working at public hospitals have worked for months without being paid, out of a sense of duty, but are started to fear for their own families and well-being.

People are very pessimistic, Al Ameen says about the mood inside Yemen. I think we will be neglected slowly by the international community and the world.

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NEW ORLEANSLaToya Cantrell, a City Council member who first gained a political following as she worked to help her hard-hit neighbourhood recover from Hurricane Katrina, won a historic election Saturday that made her the first woman mayor of New Orleans.

The Democrat will succeed term-limited fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu as the city celebrates its 300th anniversary next year.

Almost 300 years, my friends. And New Orleans, were still making history, Cantrell told a cheering crowd in her victory speech.

The leader in most polls before the runoff election, she never trailed as votes were counted.

Her opponent, former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet, conceded the race and congratulated Cantrell late Saturday. Later, complete returns showed Cantrell with 60 per cent of the vote.

I do not regret one moment of anything about this campaign, Charbonnet said.

The two women led a field of 18 candidates in an October general election to win runoff spots.

Landrieu earned credit for accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in an administration cited for reduced blight, improvements in the celebrated tourism economy and economic development that included last weeks announcement that a digital services company is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the city.

But Cantrell will face lingering problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing the citys drinking water system and storm drainage  a problem that became evident during serious flash flooding in August.

Cantrell faced questions about her use of a city credit card. Charbonnet had to fight back against critics who cast her as an insider who would steer city work to cronies.

Katrina was a theme in the backstories of both candidates. Cantrell moved to the city from California. Her work as a neighbourhood activist in the aftermath of Katrina in the hard-hit Broadmoor neighbourhood helped her win a seat on council in 2012.

Charbonnet, from a well-known political family in New Orleans, was the citys elected recorder of mortgages before she was a judge. In the campaign, she made a point of saying hers was the first city office to reopen after Katrina, providing critical property records to the displaced.

Cantrell entered the race as the perceived front-runner, leading in fundraising and in various polls. She had an 11-percentage-point lead in a poll released last week by the University of New Orleans. It showed 46 per cent of 602 voters surveyed from Nov. 1-8 favoured Cantrell over Charbonnet, who had 35 per cent; 20 per cent were undecided.

Former state civil court Judge Michael Bagneris, who finished third in last months race, endorsed Cantrell, as did Troy Henry, a businessman who also ran for the post last month.

UNO political science professor Edward Chervenak said the endorsements appeared to help Cantrell overcome revelations that she had used her city-issued credit card for thousands of dollars in purchases without clear indications that they were for public purposes. The money was eventually reimbursed but questions lingered about whether she had improperly used city money for personal or campaign expenditures.

Voters also made history in a New Orleans City Council race.

Cyndi Nguyen defeated incumbent James Gray in an eastern New Orleans district. An immigrant who fled Vietnam with her family when she was 5 in 1975, Nguyen is the organizer of a non-profit and will be the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the council.

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Wynne says report on mercury was news to her, Nov. 16

Really? Does Premier Wynne actually expect the public to believe that she was unaware of the mercury contamination in Grassy Narrows? This catastrophe has been ongoing for over 40 years and the provincial government has done very little, if anything, to address the problem. Surely, using the most current, scientific assessment tools available, all levels of government should be able to review and assess the damage, develop a comprehensive plan to correct it and ensure the plan is carried out in a timely and cost-effective manner. If our elected officials and government bureaucracy continue to bury their heads in the sand over this issue, or are unable to arrive at and enact a viable solution, then I would suggest they are in the wrong business.

Steve Craine, Toronto

After the Holocaust there was much discussion about knowing and not knowing. Did people know a lot more about the genocide than they acknowledged? What responsibilities do citizens have to know about gross injustice? The ostrich defence would have it that people cannot simply bury their heads in the sand. Plausible deniability is a tactic to provide impunity to people in power by intentionally withholding information from them so that they can plead ignorance. But decency reasonably demands that people in positions of responsibility need to know, to inquire, simply out of a basic sense of concern for others. And this is what has been so lacking at the provincial and federal levels, when there has been sufficient information and public reports (including CBC since at least 1970, Ecojustice, Canadian and U.S. pollution inventories) for decades about extreme mercury contamination of water and soil and devastating health effects in Grassy Narrows. The Star article cites pleas of ignorance from Kathleen Wynne and by former environment minister Glen Murray. Many times people from Grassy Narrows have spoken and demonstrated in Toronto, including at Queens Park and in front of Kathleen Wynnes residence. Grassy Narrows is but one site of extreme environmental racism in Ontario. Aamjiwnaang, near Sarnia, is another neglected site. The World Health Organization in 2005 found this area the most polluted city in Canada, and it has only grown worse. The Serpent River First Nations at Elliot Lake were exposed to extreme radiation poisoning from uranium mining. In all these cases the First Nations people have been met with official neglect and utter disavowal of responsibility by leaders, by ministers of the environment and of Indigenous affairs. Noted Indigenous lawyer Pamela Palmater writes of Canadas ongoing genocide against First Nations people.

Clearly, provincial and federal funding must be available immediately to address the huge health-care needs, environmental cleanup and reparations.

Judith Deutsch, Toronto

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Saul Alinsky is unknown to probably 99 Americans out of 100. But he remains a revered guru to thousands of progressive activists around the world today, despite his passing more than 45 years ago.

Alinsky, a white middle class guy from Chicago, saw the raging discrimination and searing poverty in the citys Black ghetto and set out to make radical changes  and did. He was the icon who moved Barrack Obama to continue that work in community organization a generation later.

Over a lifetime of activism in many parts of the world Alinsky developed and polished many of the key techniques used in political and community organizing today. Alinskys great strength was his practicality and pragmatism. Never an ideologue he was the author of many pithy slogans for activist organizers, still in use today. As an organizer, I start from where the world is  as it is  not as I would like it to be.

And quoting early trade union pioneers, he would shout at the beginning and end of every exhortation to followers, Remember! Organize! Just Organize. By which he meant do the hard work of door-knocking, recruitment, and proclaiming your message over and over.

Canadian proof of the power of his message was, ironically, the success of the Harper campaign team a decade ago, who outhustled, out-fund raised and out-messaged all their opponents, in a modern form of organization. In 2015, the Trudeau Liberals focused on young disengaged Canadians and messaged, texted, phoned and chased millions of them to add to their base and go on to victory.

The American midterm elections in early November were another fascinating example of Alinskys wisdom. In several states, the Democrats contacted twice as many voters this fall than they had in the 2016 campaign  unheard of for a midterm round. It paid off with wins up and down the ticket: more state delegates [legislators], more mayors, and a new governor.

Similarly, Valerie Plante started from nowhere in challenging virtually the entire Montreal political establishment in deposing Denis Coderre. Her victory this month was a classically hard-fought, street-based, Alinsky-style campaign, too, with frequent events, messages and platform commitments for every target voter, and hundreds of volunteers getting out the message.

There are many things to rue about the weakness of Canadian political parties. They are the aging and enfeebled foundation of our democracy. If you are an insurgent candidate, however, their weakness is a Godsend!

If there is no incumbent, with 50 of your best friends and family you can win a nomination in a C-rated riding. This is a riding for which the party bosses have decided there is no hope. You can do it for any party, anywhere in Canada. The C ranking is usually a result of a strong opposing party elected member.

But as Virginia and Montreal voters demonstrated clearly this month, no incumbent is invulnerable to a well-organized challenge.

If you feel angry and left behind by Canadas political elites, you have three separate elections in Ontario to consider jumping into in the next two years: The provincial election in June, a whole series of municipal races in October 2018 and the federal election in October 2019. But you must run, or find a candidate you will work your heart out for, to make a difference.

In the United States, one of the lessons that young Democrats and unaffiliated progressives took from the thumping their candidates received last year was the number of places the party did not field a serious candidate, let alone a serious campaign.

So with typical American zeal they set up a new organization to fill the gap. Run for Something is a delightfully informal and optimistic website (runforsomething.net). They lay out how big is the opportunity, offer tools and access to funding. It is a more persuasive message about the joys of political activism than I have seen from any political party recently.

So Alinskys children continue to carry the flag he first raised.

If youve ever cursed politics, politicians or governments for their many transgressions  and who hasnt  there has probably never been a better time to show your world you can do it better. Because as the activist guru liked to say, Democracy is alive, and like any other living thing it either flourishes and grows or withers and dies ... A democracy lacking in popular participation dies of paralysis.

Robin V. Sears, a principal at Earnscliffe Stragtegy Group, was an NDP strategist for 20 years.

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Bon-Ton Stores Inc. undefined will close at least 40 stores next year, the department store chain announced Thursday, Nov. 16, in another indication that retail store closings in 2018 could top the frenetic pace of bankruptcies and store closings seen this year.

Bon-Ton, which operates 260 stores in 24 states, announced its closures as part of a broader push to regain profitability, with the help of restructuring advisors AlixPartners LLP and PJT Partners Inc., after another quarterly net loss and sales figures that missed analyst expectations.

Bon-Ton's announcement joins a recent one by Sears Holding Corp. (SHLD) . That ailing department store chain announced on Nov. 8 that it would close 63 stores after the holidays. Sears and its Kmart subsidiary have been closing stores at a rapid pace this year, 350 in all.

Bon-Ton and Sears are each considered anchor tenants in many of their locations, meaning that the closure of its stores could, in some cases, also allow other retailers in the same mall to break their leases.

Garrick Brown, vice president and head of retail research at Cushman & Wakefield Inc., said during a presentation Wednesday that the ratcheting up of department store closures in 2018, and the co-tenancy clauses that will be triggered by such closures, could mean that there will be 12,000 to 13,000 store closures in 2018.

By contrast, 2017 -- the year when the phrase "retail apocalypse" came into common usage -- is expected to end with 9,000 store closures, he said.

"We are executing with a sense of urgency," chief executive of Bon-Ton William Tracy said in a statement of the company's restructuring that includes enhancing merchandise, driving online sales and reducing costs. "We are working with our advisors to proactively engage with our debt holders to establish a sustainable capital structure to support the business."

Sales in the third quarter at Bon-Ton were $545.3 million, according to the company's release Thursday, missing analyst estimates of $571.6 million. The company posted a net loss of $44.9 million, or $2.19 a share, compared to a loss of $31.6 million during the same period of 2016, or $1.58 per share.

Additionally, Bon-Ton noted that it has $187 million available under its credit facility and that it classifies debt under that facility as current, even though the facility matures in 2021. Overall, cash and equivalents were $7.3 million as of Oct. 28 and it has $1 billion in debt.

Headquartered in York, Pa., and Milwaukee, Bon-Ton operates Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers stores in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains.

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Editors' pick: Originally published Nov. 17.
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 appears to be 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. But according to documents provided to The Deal, Litt is applying for a hearing and review of the transaction with the Ontario Securities Commission, Hudson Bay's primary regulator, arguing that the shareholders deserve the right to "fully understand and assess" the impact of the transaction.

Taking into account the Rhone allocation, roughly 42% of shares appear to now be in HBC-backed hands, making it almost impossible for Litt and his Land & Buildings Investment fund to win any director election battle.

"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."

The Litt OSC challenge suggests that the Rhone issuance was primarily motivated by wanting to defeat Land & Buildings management and board. Canadian incorporation regulations require a compelling justification for allocating a large block of shares to a private equity firm -- beyond 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 Companies, a global network of workspaces in buildings.

Nevertheless, a Toronto attorney familiar with the situation noted that it might be hard to distinguish between pure business purposes and defensive tactics.

But Litt suggests that L&T B (Cayman) Inc. is a firm with close ties to the Hudson Bay board and senior management and one that controls about 17.37% of HBC's common shares, according to Land & Buildings OSC application, obtained by The Deal. The activist fund suggests that the Rhone deal appears to be an improper defensive tactic and argues that "the board is effectively controlled by L&T and current management."

There is some precedence that could work in Litt's favor. The OSC issued an order in April that took away the voting rights for 10.6 million shares Ecco Oro Minerals Corp. EOM 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.

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.

For more coverage like this, sign up for the Activist Daily.

Join us in New York City on Nov. 30 for The Deal Economy Conference, where leading industry experts and other influential members of the deal community will gather to discuss key issues that will confront dealmakers in 2018.

Editors' pick: Originally published Nov. 10.
Montana lawmakers drastically changed the system by which liquor licenses are obtained from a lottery to a competitive bidding auction during the recent special session.

Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Rep. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, passed by a large majority in both the Senate and the House and will also eliminate so-called combined quota areas where city boundaries have overlapped.

Gov. Steve Bullock requested the bill, so he's expected to sign it within the next nine days.

The Department of Revenue has some rule-making to do, but it takes effect immediately, Fitzpatrick said.

Montana has had a lottery-based system for obtaining liquor licenses since about 1945. New licenses were essentially free, although fees were attached.

Under the new system, anyone who wants to buy a license must bid at an auction held by the state. The minimum bid will be three-quarters of the market value, as determined by the DOR. In Missoula, that could be more than half a million dollars, as several liquor licenses were recently listed for sale for $750,000.

The licenses will not include gambling licenses. The new system does not affect licenses that are bought and sold on the private market, only new ones created by rising populations or businesses letting them go.

After the buyer puts in the winning bid with the state, they then must purchase the license from a private owner in an area where they are for sale. In Butte and Anaconda, for example, there is a large surplus of licenses.

The Department of Revenue expects the new system to generate $2.5 million in fiscal year 2018, $3.8 million in fiscal year 2019 and $4 million in fiscal year 2020.

Fitzpatrick said that money is sorely needed and will go to the states general fund. In fact, the reason the special session was called in the first place was to address the states budget crisis. However, he concedes that only people with a lot of money will now be able to purchase liquor licenses.

Thats a conceivable downside, he said. The upside, though, is the states in a budget problem and we have basically been giving away property for free. These licenses are property with real value. The typical taxpayer wouldnt think it would be right for the state to give away old trucks or something like that, theyd expect it to be auctioned off.

The auction system is temporary, and in 2023, if its still working, the Legislature will have to reauthorize it.

The only way licenses can become available is if population growth in a certain area raises its quota, or if a license lapses out or the owner goes out of business. Using U.S. Census data and projecting growth, the DOR estimates that Missoula wont have new all-beverage liquor licenses until 2020, when it will get two, along with one beer license and one beer and wine license.

For 2018, the tiny town of Pinesdale north of Hamilton in the Bitterroot Valley is expected to get one all-beverage license, along with four other towns scattered across the state.

Another piece of the legislation will eliminate combined quota areas. In places like Columbia Falls and Whitefish, Belgrade and Bozeman, and Helena and East Helena, city boundaries have expanded and overlapped. That means licenses in lower-population areas are being sold to places where they are in higher demand. Belgrade business owners, for example, complained that they couldnt get licenses and that meant their restaurant business suffered.

The legislation was supported by the Montana Tavern Association, according to past president Jim Johnson, a saloon owner in Red Lodge and member of the MTA.

We felt like it was a fair solution for all persons concerned, he said. We didnt get everything we wanted, they didnt get everything they wanted. Some of our members didnt like it. But they say when everybodys a little dissatisfied its a pretty good compromise.

To separate places where the city boundaries overlap, the state will take the two nearest points of the city boundaries and draw a line equidistant between them.

Johnson said the bill was amenable to the Department of Revenue, the MTA and lawmakers.

Its hard to believe government got something done like that, he said, chuckling.
Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. It facilitates the processing of payment transactions, including authorization, clearing, and settlement, as well as delivers other payment-related products and services. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; prepaid programs and management services; commercial credit and debit payment products and solutions; and payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts. It also provides value-added products and services comprising cyber and intelligence solutions for parties to transact, as well as proprietary insights, drawing on principled use of consumer, and merchant data services. In addition, the company offers analytics, test and learn, consulting, managed services, loyalty, processing, and payment gateway solutions for e-commerce merchants. Further, it provides open banking and digital identity platforms services. The company offers payment solutions and services under the MasterCard, Maestro, and Cirrus. Mastercard Incorporated was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.
ALLETE, Inc. operates as an energy company. The company operates through Regulated Operations, ALLETE Clean Energy, and Corporate and Other segments. It generates electricity from coal-fired, biomass co-fired / natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, and solar. The company provides regulated utility electric services in northwestern Wisconsin to approximately 15,000 electric customers, 13,000 natural gas customers, and 10,000 water customers, as well as regulated utility electric services in northeastern Minnesota to approximately 145,000 retail customers and 15 non-affiliated municipal customers. It also owns and maintains electric transmission assets in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. In addition, the company focuses on developing, acquiring, and operating clean and renewable energy projects; and owns and operates approximately 1,000 megawatts of wind energy generation facility. Further, it is involved in the coal mining operations in North Dakota; and real estate investment activities in Florida. The company owns and operates 158 substations with a total capacity of 10,066 megavolt amperes. It serves taconite mining, paper, pulp and secondary wood products, pipeline, and other industries. The company was formerly known as Minnesota Power, Inc. and changed its name to ALLETE, Inc. in May 2001. ALLETE, Inc. was incorporated in 1906 and is headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota.
Under Armour, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the developing, marketing, and distributing performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth. The company offers its apparel in compression, fitted, and loose fit types. It also provides footwear products for running, training, basketball, cleated sports, recovery, and outdoor applications. In addition, the company offers accessories, which include gloves, bags, headwear, and sports masks; and digital subscription and advertising services under the MapMyRun and MapMyRide platforms. It primarily offers its products under the UNDER ARMOUR, UA, HEATGEAR, COLDGEAR, HOVR, PROTECT THIS HOUSE, I WILL, UA Logo, ARMOUR FLEECE, and ARMOUR BRA brands. The company sells its products through wholesale channels, including national and regional sporting goods chains, independent and specialty retailers, department store chains, mono-branded Under Armour retail stores, institutional athletic departments, and leagues and teams, as well as independent distributors; and directly to consumers through a network of 422 brand and factory house stores, as well as through e-commerce websites. It operates in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Under Armour, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence give Bloomington South a hard time

No. 4 BNL shows off all its weapons to go to 4-0 on the season
The top US nuclear commander said Saturday he would push back against an order from President Donald Trump for a nuclear strike if it were "illegal."

Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, Gen. John Hyten, who is the commander of US Strategic Command, shared what would happen if he were ordered to launch a nuclear strike.

"I provide advice to the President," Hyten said. "He'll tell me what to do, and if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm gonna say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' Guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated."

US Strategic Command oversees US nuclear weapons and missile defense.

Hyten's remarks come after a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing this week on the President's authority to launch nuclear weapons -- the first such congressional hearing in more than 40 years.

While the President retains that authority, Hyten publicly emphasized that the US military always has the obligation to follow only legal orders, including those entailing the launch of nuclear weapons.

At the Senate hearing this week, experts testified that the use of nuclear weapons must be proportional to a threat, and the Pentagon has extensive options for use of conventional weapons against North Korea.

"We are concerned that the President of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with US national security interests," said US Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut.

Republican members of the committee were less blunt in their criticism of Trump's judgment but did seek assurances that there are legal and strategic oversight measures in place to prevent the rash use of nuclear weapons.

Ultimately, some of those who testified warned against legislative changes to rein in the President's authority to exercise nuclear authority.

Brian McKeon, who served as principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy in the Obama administration, told the committee: "I think hard cases make bad law, and I think if we were to change the decision-making process in some way because of a distrust of this President, I think that would be an unfortunate precedent."

CNN's Barbara Starr, Siomara Germain and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
How much time to allow for T1-T3 transfer

How much time to allow for T1-T3 transfer

Having been given excellent advice here on my itinerary, I've decided to book an onward ticket from Sydney to Melbourne on the evening that we arrive next May.

We are arriving on a Qatar flight, with ETA 18.40, in business class. I will be booking a Qantas flight to Melbourne in economy, and the options are at either 20.30, or 22.00.

Having done a bit of reading on the transfer time, my understanding is:

1. We can use the Smartgates as hubby and I both hold UK passports (and we will make sure we get the right visa in time), and these should be fairly quick

2. We would need to pick up the luggage and clear customs in Sydney as the first port of arrival in Oz

3. We should be able to use the "Qantas seamless transfer". In the evening though they run less frequently

4. Mornings seem to be the busiest time for arrivals of wide body jets, so I am hoping that our arrival time would be better.

Would any of you helpful folks know:

a. whether there is a fast track passport control/baggage reclaim in Sydney when arriving in business class with Qatar?

b. would a 1 hour 50 minutes gap be too ambitious?

c. If I were to book the 20.30, rather than the 22.00, not on the same ticket as my inbound Qatar flight, if we don't make the transfer, would Qantas put us on the later flight anyway?

I'd quite like to book the earlier flight, since we'll have been travelling for about 24 hours by then, but of course wouldn't want to risk being "stranded" in Sydney because of this. Any advice/experience would be much appreciated!
Hello!

I'm visiting Australia from the United States in December and am trying to plan a trip to Queensland for about 4.5 days/4 nights. My friend, who lives in Melbourne, will be traveling with me--if it helps for context, we are both in our late 20s.

We're scheduled to arrive at the Sunshine Coast airport on a Tuesday morning and will fly out from the same airport the following Saturday afternoon and are renting a car in between.

We know it may be a lot to do in one trip, but are really hoping to see Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef. Any thoughts on how best to do this?

I'm thinking either we do 2 days on Fraser and then a day trip to see the reef via Lady Elliott Island OR 1 day on Fraser and then a reef visit via either Lady Musgrave or Heron Island. Any tips or suggestions are welcome!
We heard mixed reviews of the company mentioned in the reply 4. Just go on line, incl. TA, and check out lots of reviews. Many are excellent, some problematic. Make sure you select "All languages", otherwise the device automatically sets the reviews to be shown in English only, or in some other language, based on your IP address. . It is my understanding that when they have high demand, they may subcontract transfer / transportation services, which might create miscommunication. That and reported higher prices (in one of their responses to a review on TA, they explain why their prices are higher) made us not use them. E.g., for one transfer we needed, they wanted additional US$40 drop off fee for the location of our accommodations in Arenal (outside of La Fortuna), while another shared shuttle - Interbus- did it for their regular price. Multiplied it by two ways, we saved $80 by not booking with Desafio.
HAMILTON  A controversial land-use attorney drew more than 100 protesters and as many supporters to Hamilton Middle School Saturday, but the topic of her talk with county residents was interpreted differently by people attending the event.

Karen Budd-Falen, the Wyoming-based grazing-rights lawyer leading President Donald Trump's shortlist for Bureau of Land Management director, presented guidelines on land-use planning to Ravalli County residents.

Protesters characterized Budd-Falen as a supporter of privatizing public land, or at least supporting policies proven to lead to land sell-offs.

Budd-Falen, who once wrote a land-use plan for a New Mexico county stating that federal and state agents threaten the life, liberty and happiness" of the county's residents, was invited by state Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton.

Manzella described Budd-Falen as a "lawyer deeply seasoned in natural resource law and a fierce fighter for property rights due to be appointed as BLM director."

While the event was marketed by Manzella as a public meeting meant to open civil discourse, there was a $10 entrance fee. About half of the seats in the auditorium were empty.

In the 1990s, Budd-Falen represented rancher Cliven Bundy, known for later staging an armed standoff with federal authorities on his Nevada ranch in 2014, though throughout her presentation, the attorney sought to distance herself from the Bundys.

Blaze-orange vests and cardboard signs adorned with Theodore Roosevelt, who championed the establishment of public lands, lined the sidewalk up to the middle school where Budd-Falen was scheduled to speak. Protesters called for keeping public lands in public hands, and represented a number of conservation and outdoor recreation groups.

The protests were organized in part by the Montana Wildlife Federation. Bill Geer, MWF president, said Budd-Falen demonizes federal bureaucracy, but he said the bureaucracy actually helps public land users.

"Bureaucracy helps to protect public land because it makes it difficult for anyone to take it away," Geer said.

During her talk with county residents, Budd-Falen said she is for less regulation.

I would like to get rid of bureaucracy and make decisions faster, she said. Im not saying cut any analyzing of effects or issues, but theres got to be ways to make these processes faster.

Budd-Falens talk centered around having a more detailed county land-use plan that would be used to strengthen its own management desires carried out by federal agencies, including the Forest Service. She said that federal policymakers in Washington, D.C., were out of touch, and local governments could help guide more micro-level policies.

While Budd-Falen never spoke about public land transfer, state Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, gave a presentation about her efforts to support federal land transfer to states. She said she had introduced legislation to protect land acquired by the state from private sale, but it was harangued by Democrats and vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock. Opponents said the legislation offered little protections, as it could be repealed freely once the land was acquired.

Alec Underwood, western field representative for the Montana Wildlife Federation, said Fielders argument that state-owned land is more economically vibrant was faulty.

Saying they outperform federal land is like comparing apples to oranges, Underwood said. State lands are mandated to provide economic output, so naturally they are exploited, while federal lands are not. And when Fielder puts that legislative guarantee forward, its totally meaningless.

Conservationists, including Backcountry Hunters and Anglers President Land Tawney, said the kind of policies Budd-Falen called for are already in use.

What theyre proposing is what we already have, and it works fine, Tawney said. But her history of representing people who believe they should have private land rights to public grazing land is troubling. They said right off the bat they werent going to talk about public land transfer until protesters brought it up, but then they just happened to have this whole slideshow and presentation ready for it.

Manzella reserved an hour at the end of the talk for public comment, split into a half hour each for proponents and opponents.

Jim Rokosch, executive director of Bitterrooters for Planning and former county commissioner, said he was disappointed to be segregated into the opposition group for public comment.

Im certainly a proponent of land-use planning, so I was torn about which group I belonged in. Planning is in the name of our organization after all, Rokosch said after the talk. That was a disservice to the audience by Rep. Manzella. Why set it up as us against them? Were humans, were Americans, were land users. We need to start putting our heads together instead of banging our heads together.

Much of the Budd-Falens talk and audience questions centered around fire management and the effects smoke had on residents last summer. Budd-Falen criticized the let it burn policy that has become more popular among foresters who see forest fire as a natural process.

Audience members said silica and mercury in fire smoke were killing them, and blamed federal mismanagement for the amount of smoke this summer.

Manzella originally wanted Budd-Falen to make a four-hour presentation to the Ravalli County Commissioners on ways to "add teeth" to the Bitterroot Valley Natural Resource Use plan adopted in 2012. But the commissioners backed off after about a dozen residents objected.
For many years I have given support for Vinasun in an endeavor to do my bit to help clean up the terrible blight on Vietnam, their Taxis and the scams that apply.

This support now has come to a sudden halt after my experience at Saigon Railway station last week.

After pushing through the scrum at the station entrance I sought out and found the Vinasun Taxi Marshall and asked for a taxi to Elios Hotel on Pham Ngu Lao Street as I have done for over 10 years. The Marshall flagged down a Vinasun Taxi and told the driver where to go. The car moved off without operating the meter. I asked him to use the meter and he refused saying 100000 Dong would be the fare. This I know to be excessive so I opened the door and got out leaving the taxi in the middle of the street. The Marshall ran over to ask what happened, I told him the facts and added that in my opinion he is a crook and a disgrace to Vinasun. He said no worries and flagged me down another car. This was a plain car with no Vinasun livery, no meter or any other identifying taxi features. I refused the car and told him I would make a complaint about the first instance and his part in the second.

I returned to the kerb and waited for my turn for a legitimate Taxi. This was not to be. Everyone behind me got a Vinasun Taxi. I was completely ignored.

So I walked back to find the Mai Linh Marshall who got me a Taxi and I was finally away.

Vinasun boast their devotion to a better Taxi experience for all and have a complaints phone and email for contact. The next day I made a full account of this incident online with a promise that I would not make this public for a week to allow Vinasun a reasonable chance to investigate and take action. This week has now expired hence this post.

It is possible that the Vinasun Marshall himself was fake and is working in collusion with some bad drivers, I cannot say, but what I can say is, Vinasun has been silent regarding my complaint and makes a mockery of their advertised PR position.

In the early days of coming to Vietnam and posting on these pages, I noticed Mai LInh and used them entirely until I was impressed by others on their experience with Vinasun and began to lend support to them as well as Mai Linh. I am afraid that I now must return to Mai Linh.

Cheers

Ross
"but would prefer a less "busy " area & thats why I thought phu quoc instead. "

I think you got the worng impression of Phu Quoc, It is one of the most popular beach destinations of Vietnam. So I would not say PQ is less busy than Phan Thiet. Though it offers better beaches and nicer water in January.

Con Dao is clearly less touristy and has also very interesting historic sites, but apparently the water can be a bit choppy there in January.

Otherwise Scott's suggestion is a good one. Fly to Can Tho. Then either stay two nights there and fly to Phu Quoc. I would suggest 2 nights as the flight to PQ is around noon, so you will be rushed to see the floating markets. Besides, having the chance to explore the area is worthwhile a longer stay (check out some of the homestays there).

An alternative is staying a night in Can Tho, and after lunch (around 2pm) take the bus to Rach Gia, stay a night there and take the ferry the next morning. Rach Gia looks like an interesting little town, ad gives you the chance to visit a lesser touristy place.

In regards of Hoi An, it is not beach weather, but you can still enjoy the Old Town, the food and the tailors there (something your daughters might enjoy...). If you decide two nights around the Mekong Delta, I would then just stay4 nights in Hoi An.

Hope this helps a bit.
Hey guys,

Booked our tickets for a short holiday to Cambodia (4 days) and then moving to Vietnam for celebrating new year's eve next month in Ho chi minh city. We will be flying in Siam Reap on the 29th morning to HCMC and leaving 1st morning so in essence have around 3 days in the city.

We are looking to really have a relaxing visit and the must do's are really enjoying the nightlife ( nightclubs, bars and great food) and really not planned much for the day.

Day 1 : Arrival. Relax at hotel - Spa, pool etc ....evening head out to the markets for shopping , food etc or late drinks

Day 2 : Post breakfast check out the central area around the Ben thah market or go for a Chu ci tunnels tour or the Mekong delta tour - Yet to decide...

Day 3 : Relaxed morning and gear up more for the night ;) Clueless where to celebrate....Looking for a nice nightclub or dance party suggestion for couples.

Looking forward to get your feedback or advise on the following:

1. Suggestions on the itinery - Should be club include or pre-book tours?

2. Places to stay based on the itinery(any opinions on Alagon Saigon/ Oscar Saigon/ Roseland Centa/ Huong sen ---Some of the places which seem to fit our budget) - Please advise

3. Where to party on Nye 2018? Chill Skybar / Glow / Envy /Republic ....which one has the best dance music played out or should we try just walking on the Nguyen Hue street where I've read in these forums is very lively for this night?

Please advise :)
Hi,

We are heading to Japan mid March 2018 arriving Osaka Departing Tokyo early April. Having researched where we would like to visit we have come up with the following itinerary and would love any feed back regarding length of stay in each place - too short or too long:

3 Days Osaka (including one day trip to Nara and another to Himejii)

3 Days Kyoto

3 Days Takayama (incl day trip Shirawa-go)

2 Days Kanazawa

1 Day Matsumoto

1 Day Hakone

3 Days Tokyo

We will purchase a JR rail pass which I believe will take us to all these areas except Matusmoto to Hakone where we will need to work out how to travel.

We do not want to miss any highlights but at the same time would like a comfortable pace to enjoy our time without rushing around. Our interests are in Culture and scenery - we will not be going to theme parks and Museum visits limited.

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

CC
Hi All,

Will be doing Japan (our first time) in August 2018. I've tried to pull together an itinerary and wondered if anyone can give me an initial critique of it? e.g. does it sound doable. I think I'm trying to fit quite a lot in, but should precis this by saying we often do really busy holidays where we try to fit in loads, particularly in Asia as we're not sure when we may get to go back to a specific country again.

We also love cities the most, but want to try and see as much of Japan as we can in our time there.

Sunday 5th August arrive in Tokyo - Tokyo day 1 (thinking stay Hilton Tokyo as a treat)

Monday 6th - Tokyo day 2 (thinking stay Hilton Tokyo as a treat)

Tueday 7th - Disney Sea (Tokyo day 3) - should we stay near to Disney the night before or the night of the 7th? Or ok travelling from Shinjuku and back to Shinjuku?

Weds 8th Tokyo>Hakone - 1 day in Hakone - thinking stay overnight in Ryokan in Hakone? Or could come back to Tokyo and just make it a day trip?

Thursday 9th Hakone>Kyoto (stay in Kyoto)

Friday 10th Kyoto (stay in Kyoto)

Saturday 11th Kyoto (thinking day trip to Nara) - (stay in Kyoto)

Sunday 12th Kyoto>Hiroshima>Miyajima (spend some time in Hiroshima then spend night in Miyajima?)

Monday 13th Miyajima>Kanazawa (spend night in Kanazawa)

Tuesday 14th Kanazawa>Shirakawago>Takayama (been told only need a few hours in Shirakawago? Stay night in Takayama)

Weds 15th Tokyo day 4 (thinking stay in Citidines Shujinku)

Thursday 16th Tokyo day 5 (thinking stay in Citidines Shujinku)

Friday 17th Tokyo day 6 (thinking stay in Citidines Shujinku)

Saturday 18th Tokyo>London

We had hoped to fit in Mount Koya but can't seem to squeeze it in - any thoughts?

Also had thought a night to two in Osaka - but went for Kyoto instead? Thoughts? Or could we fit one night in somewhere?

A friend thought we'd put too much time in Tokyo but this is the bit we are most looking forward to and other friends have said you can easily spend 2 weeks in Tokyo.....

We split the Tokyo time like we did as we wanted to start and finish there as thats where we fly from.

Any thoughts / suggestions welcomed!
We are going to flying out of Osaka on May 11th, very early in the morning.

We need a hotel close to the airport to stay in before our flight, on May 10th.

Any recommendations for a hotel near the airport? We are flying to the USA, FROM Tokyo..

tHANKS!

wE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU GET FROM THE HOTEL TO THE AIRPORT. aNY TRANSPORTATION ARRANGED BY HOTELS?

hOW DO YOU TRANSFER FROM AIRPORT RO AIRPORT? wE ARE FLYING FROM Osaka TO Tokyo.

Thanks!
Hi all,

I'll be traveling to kyushu in a couple of days and I've bought the SUNQ bus pass.

I'll land in OITA Airport

1. OITA AIRPORT TO BEPPU (Can I use the SUNQ pass for the AIRLINER BUS? Or is there another bus service i can take for this ride?)

2. BEPPU TO FUKUOKA (Which buses can i take to fukuoka? using the SUNQ pass)

3. FUKUOKA to NAGASAKI (Which buses can i take to NAGASAKI? using the SUNQ pass)

Sorry for the questions, most sites are in japanese i couldn't understand them.
If going to CR and Oanama for just a week each, I agree with a prior post that you could focus on the S. Caribbean coast of CR (or SJO, one night by SJO, land + boat transfer to Tortuguero, 2 nights there, canal transfer by boat to Moin dock (a few hrs), land transfer to Cahuita, for ex., explore the national park, etc., then transfer to Bocas in Panama at the end of the week. Crossing the border not on the wknd might mean fewer ppl at the crossing.

See https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/transport-to-puerto-viejo.php how to get to S. Caribbean. There is a Bocas transport page there, too.

https://www.caribeshuttle.com has daily shared shuttles, prepaid, hotel to hotel, from CR to Bocas, on both the sides + border crossing assistance, but with a shared shuttle Co, for 6 ppl, you would be paying per person, not per vehicle, so you might be better off renting a whole van, with a driver, to get to the border. You cannot drive your own rental car or van across the border though, as far as I know.

There are some other companies that offer trips (transfers or tours) to Bocas from CR: http://www.pleasureridecr.com/bocas-del-toro , http://williestourscostarica.com/bocas-del-toro-transfers/ . See if they will quote you some options.
"thought this was a sales ploy but informed it is a Nevada requirement. "

Informed by someone trying to sell you more insurance?

I've never been asked for proof of insurance anywhere in decades of renting cars, including dozens of times in Nevada.

I guess it wouldn't take much effort to bring along an insurance card, but I probably won't bother.
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A state budget disaster has been averted, but Montanans must now brace ourselves for the drastic cuts to come.

Make no mistake: These reductions are going to hurt. They shift the states financial burden squarely onto some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Combined with other poor decisions made by some of Montanas legislators during the special session that adjourned shortly after 1 a.m. last Thursday, Montanans will be paying the price for legislators refusal to consider new sources of revenue far into the future.

And when we do, Montanans ought to talk to these same legislators who are now bragging about shrinking state government and not raising taxes.

The special session was absolutely necessary to fill significant budget gaps after state revenue projections fell short of the amounts appropriated by legislators during the regular session earlier this year.

Montana was facing a $227 million shortfall before Gov. Steve Bullock abruptly enacted $76 million in cuts he had outlined in a proposal announced shortly before the start of the special session. Bullock didnt have a deal in place with GOP majority leaders before convening the special session. In a meeting with the Missoulian editorial board several weeks ago, Bullock explained that he couldnt arrive at a deal because Republican leaders refused to compromise raising taxes. It turns out the governor was right.

The other two parts of Bullocks three-part budget proposal called for $75 million in temporary tax increases and $75 million in transfers from other funds. Republican leaders in the Legislature, however, remained unmoved from their oft-repeated pledge not to raise taxes.

A refusal to raise taxes no matter the consequences should never have become a driving factor in state budget talks. Legislators who are themselves a part of state government ought to be able to recognize the essential beneficial role of government in the everyday lives of Montanans. Their job, in fact, is to make that government work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Yet no one can seriously argue that the budget deal hammered out during the special session leaves Montana government better off.

Montana Republicans, who hold a majority in the state House and Senate, not only accepted the governors cuts  they demanded more. They also OKd transferring money from other funds and delaying state payments in order scrape up another $94 million. The closest they came to approving a new tax was voting to enact a new fee on the State Fund, the largest provider of workers compensation insurance in Montana. This badly conceived and possibly unlawful idea was originally suggested by Bullock, and is expected to generate $30 million over two years.

Demonstrating that they have little idea how the State Fund functions, legislators also approved a requirement that the funds managers cannot charge the fee to its policyholders. They fail to understand that this money will still come from policyholders pockets in the form of smaller dividends.

Legislators also agreed to require furloughs for certain state government employees who earn more than $50,000 a year, for a savings of $15 million, although Bullock has said he plans to veto this action.

One bright spot was the creative proposal to change the state liquor licensing system from a lottery to an auction, which is expected to generate about $6.3 million over the biennium. Its a sensible idea that seems worth a try, and can always be reversed if it ends up creating more problems than it solves.

Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by legislators stunning move to eliminate $13 million in block grants to school districts throughout the state. What that means is that local property owners will be forced to pick up a greater share of the tax burden  or watch our schools suffer their own budget shortfalls.

Finally, Republicans found a way to essentially force the governor into accepting a deal with a private prison company by passing a bill that creates an account to accept money from the company, CoreCivic. The company is offering to return $32 million in state payments if Montana puts that money toward the purchase of a prison facility in Shelby. It also wants its 20-year contract extended for another 10 years.

The way the fund is set up, half the money would be diverted to the state fire fund and the other half would be discretionary. This year alone the state racked up $75 million in wildfire costs. Theres no telling what sort of firefighting bill Montana will be facing next summer, though it would be smart to plan for at least as much as this year, if not more.

Still, Republican leaders are celebrating this arm-twisting as a win for Montanans  as they simultaneously try to pin blame on Bullock.

Within hours of the session adjourning, they released a statement saying, in part: The fact is that the Governor didnt have a plan when he called us here. He wanted to force us into a corner to raise taxes without taking any action on his part to mitigate what he was calling a crisis.

Far from being forced into a corner, however, these same Republicans are now crowing about how they did not, in fact, raise taxes. Ive ran six times for the Legislature and have always said Im not going to raise taxes, Senate President Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, said after the session. I feel good about the fact that transpired for the most part.

He should not feel good about that at all. No legislator should.

The main budget bill, House Bill 2, passed pretty much along party lines. It sets new budget bases that make the cuts essentially permanent  even if revenues come in higher than current projections.

Its clear, for one thing, that the revenue projection models on which the state budget is based are in need of improvement. Montanans should urge our legislators to work on that before the next regular session begins in 2019.

But even more urgently, legislators should also be made to understand that their refusal to consider raising taxes, and the cuts that some of them insisted on will end up costing the state more in the long run. The very serious consequences of their actions in the special session are not being treated with the gravity they warrant.

Instead, the GOP majority is giving all the appearance of playing political tiddlywinks with the lives of real Montanans. The careless, cavalier attitude of our legislative leaders only serves to erode the public's confidence in our state government; confidence that may prove difficult to earn back.
The informative sign outside the Steward Mine notes 79 mine deaths occurred during its more than 100-year history. However, according to lists found at the Butte Archives, 72 men died.

Thirty-five of those deaths occurred from 1910 to 1929. The year with the most deaths at the Steward was 1924.

Only one man was killed in the 1950s, and that death occurred in 1959. The victim was Matt Plutt, 47, a native of Dillon and World War II veteran. He was working at a concrete placing machine when it exploded and he was killed.

While the Steward may have only claimed one victim in the 1950s, the next decade was a different story with seven men dead.

One of the mines victims from the 1960s was John Jack Hogan Jr., 33, who was killed just days before Thanksgiving, on Nov. 18, 1961. According to newspaper accounts, Hogan, who was 6'2", was a foreman and electrician at the Steward. He was caught between a cage and a piece of shaft timber and was crushed. The Butte native left behind a wife, Winifred, and five children, ranging in age from 7 years to newborn.

It was reported that Hogans funeral Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church was filled with friends and family. He was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Like the majority of men who worked underground, E.J. McCool knew and accepted the risks. He witnessed first-hand the 1917 disaster at the Granite Mountain-Speculator. In fact, he served as a pallbearer for one of its victims, Con ONeill. In 1926, the 36-year-old McCool was a foreman at the Steward. On Oct. 25, while making his rounds on the 2,800-foot level, he was killed by falling rock. A native of Ireland, McCool left behind a wife and young daughter.

When it came to mining accidents, the company and management were never listed as at fault. Almost always, the blame was put solely on the victim or his coworkers.

John Hutka was not yet 22 when he died May 17, 1922, of shock and drowning caused from the breaking of a cable while trying to free a wall plate in the shaft. Following his death, a jury ruled the accident was caused through his own carelessness.

On Jan. 6, 1908, Steve Hartnett fell to his death when old timber gave way on the 900-foot level. In a later report, it was ruled, That the usual safety appliances were in readiness for us and we attach no blame to the mine management.

There was no finger-pointing during an inquest on the death of Mahmad Kaki. Instead, the death of the Turkish native was deemed purely accidental. On Feb. 11, 1918, Kaki, 30, was working on the 2,100-foot level when he was killed by a fall of ground.

Listed below are all the names of the miners who died in the Steward from 1898 to 1973.

1890s

Andrew Richter, 1898

1900s

Thomas Kelly, 1900

James Murray, 1900

Andrew Misevich, 1904

James Foy, 1904

Stephen Hartnett, 1908

Charles Stenbeck, 1908

James McGovern, 1908

George Lazarevich, 1909

1910s

Henry Witala, 1910

James Moika, 1911

Rade Visnejevac, 1912

Arthur Newman, 1914

John Leik, 1914

Edward Harrington, 1914

Patrick ODonnell, 1915

John Finnegan, 1915

Tony Popoff, 1916

Patrick Byrne, 1917

Najib Solomon, 1917

Mahmada Kaki, 1918

Jim Kaloff, 1918

Jerry Healy, 1919

George Bronson, 1919

1920s

John Geaning, 1920

William Tunhula, 1920

Thomas Potts, 1921

Rayko Maladenovich, 1921

John Hutka, 1922

Charles Kinnunen, 1923

Clarence ONeill, 1923

Earl Flynn, 1924

Alex Saari, 1924

Dan Connell, 1924

John Lowney, 1924

Oscar Lake, 1924

Charles Wold, 1925

Daniel Hartnett, 1925

Bernard Heidenreich, 1925

Peter Niva, 1925

Edward McCool, 1926

John Donnelly, 1927

Archie Koskela, 1929

William Miettunen, 1929

1930s

Roy Callen, 1930

John Kirbey, 1930

Mick Anderly, 1930

George Self, 1930

Ercel Sparrell, 1935

Carl Lofs, 1936

Jack McDougall, 1937

Glen Gorton, 1938

Edward Carollo, 1939

George Jacisin, 1939

Edward Toppola, 1939

1940s

Patrick Harrington, 1940

Charles Long, 1942

Charles Blanchard, 1942

Jay Holden, 1942

Carl Mercer, 1943

Walter Bengren, 1944

1950s

Matt Plutt, 1959

1960s

John Jack Hogan, 1961

Arthur Webster, 1963

Duffy Varner, 1963

Hirchel Chapman, 1964

Edward Porter, 1965

Michael Boysza, 1967

Earl Johnson, 1969

1970s

William Stover, 1970

Louis Plutt, 1972

Everett Gardipee, 1973
Like its neighbor, the Original Mine, the Steward has withstood the test of time. Deep within its depths, the mine, in its heyday, yielded its fair share of minerals.

Of course, each Butte mine has its unique history. But what makes the Steward stand out is the fact that the mine was not only one of Buttes largest producers of copper, but silver as well.

Below are some more interesting facts about the mine, which is located just off of Main and Woolman streets:

--More often than not, the mine has been pronounced and sometimes misspelled as the Stewart. The correct spelling is Steward.

--John Marshall Steward, a Missouri native, founded the mine more than 140 years ago, and soon had a wooden headframe built.

--While a prosperous venture for Steward, by the early 1880s, it was in the ownership of Copper King W.A. Clark. In 1898, Clark had the wooden frame replaced with a massive steel headframe.

--The Stewards headframe stands at 126 feet, which makes it approximately 37 feet taller than Our Lady of the Rockies. It also weighed in at approximately 80 tons.

--By 1900, the mine had a depth of approximately 1,000 feet, with a working force of 140 miners.

--Twelve years later, the number of miners working at the Steward had more than tripled.

--The Anaconda Company purchased the Steward, along with the Original, in 1910.

--Hey, someone turn the heat off! Well that was not going to happen if you worked at the Steward, which was more than a bit warm underground. In fact, the Steward and the Belmont were considered Buttes hottest mines.

--It could get so hot in the Steward that miners referred to the 3,200-foot level as the Chinese laundry.

--Other Butte mines John Steward owned at one time included the Chief Joseph, the Nipper and the Raven.

--Apparently mining was not Stewards only passion. He dabbled in real estate, owned a saloon, and sold musical instruments at his store on Main Street.

--In 1909, fine dining took place underground at the Steward. Apparently members of the Massachusetts Street Railway Association were visiting and a banquet in their honor took place at the 2,100-foot level. The menu included such dishes as Merry Widow drill sauce, sliced Minnie Healy apples, Parrot Lode chicken, Hidden Treasure salads, Never Sweat lobster and Olympia oyster cocktails.

--In its lifetime, the Steward produced over 1 million pounds of copper.

--According to a 1982 Montana Standard article, the Steward held the record for the deepest depth from 1923 to the late 1930s. By that time, it had reached the 3,800-foot level. It was surpassed by the Mountain Con Mine.

--There were five compartments to the Steward shaft. The two main compartments were used to transport the miners. Two other compartments were used for hauling ore and pipe; the fifth was for ventilation.

--John Steward had numerous mining ventures throughout his business career. He died in 1908 and was buried in the family vault at Mount Moriah Cemetery.

--For the Steward, the end came much later. One of the last working mines in Butte, it was completely shut down around 1981.
- Four people were confirmed to have been killed in Mathare after unknown assailants unleashed terror raising tension

- Area MP Anthony Oluoch was shot on the leg following a confrontation between police and residents

- The international community was called upon to help end the current political impasse to save Kenya from sliding into anarchy

Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Sunday, November 19 pleaded with the international community to urgently intervene and save the country from sliding into anarchy.

Raila who was speaking at Nairobi Hospital after visiting Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch who was shot on the leg, said that the current situation would turn ugly if a solution is not reached urgently.

The NASA leader said it was time for the church to rise to the occasion and speak against police brutality against Kenyans especially those supporting the Opposition.

Raila Odinga visits scene of killings in Ruaraka. Photo: NASA

READ ALSO: "Respect the law!" President Uhuru Kenyatta warns NASA leader

He tore into president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for what he termed as abdicating their duty in making the presidency a symbol of national unity.

He accused the duo of engaging in hate and incitement politics instead of preaching reconciliation and seeking an end to the current political impasse.

" They are pushing the country into a precipice...instead of apologizing, they are inciting people

"We need the international community to intervene at this stag...there is going to be turmoil in our country if the international community does not act now," Raila said.

READ ALSO: Tension high in a Nairobi estate after mysterious killing of five people

NASA leader Raila Odinga leads opposition politicians to cool tempers of Mathare residents. Photo: NASA

He said that he had witnessed as police shot Oluoch as the politicians visited the Mathare area to cool down tempers.

Raila said that NASA would not be intimidated to surrender its push for reforms insisting that the opposition will stand firm with the people.

Kenyans woke up to sad news following killings in Mathare raising tension of ethnic cleansing.

READ ALSO: Mathare attack has Raila's political finger prints all over it - Mutahi Ngunyi claims

Police confirmed that four people were killed by a group of unknown attackers and that security agencies had launched a manhunt for the suspects.

Nairobi police boss Japhet Koome called for calm and urged political leaders to hold urgent dialogue to end the chaos.

Kenyatta has since said that he would not allowed Kenya to be thrown into turmoil as he watches.

Gladys Wanga dares police officers to shoot her-on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
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Afghan and foreign special forces raided a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province Sunday and rescued at least 30 people, according to army and provincial officials.

Those rescued in the raid in Helmands Nawzad district included four children under the age of 12 and two policemen, the officials said. Twenty of the people had been arrested by the Taliban in connection with helping the government or were family members of Afghan army and police.

The reasons for the jailing of six of those rescued was still being investigated, said Abdul Qadir Bahadurzai, a deputy spokesman for the armys 215th Maiwand military corps.

The Taliban said in a statement that the people rescued were criminals accused of robbery, kidnapping, personal disputes and other crimes and were awaiting trial.

There wasnt anyone belonging to the enemy in that prison and there wasnt enough security for it, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said in the statement.
The U.S. Navy has ordered its Undersea Rescue Command to deploy to Argentina to assist with the efforts to locate an Argentine Navy submarine that disappeared four days ago with 44 crew members aboard.

A U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue Chamber and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle, were transported Sunday to Argentina. A U.S. space agency P-3 explorer aircraft and a U.S. P-8A Poseidon plane are already deployed for the search.



The Argentine navy said late Saturday it had detected seven failed "satellite calls," likely from the crew of a submarine that went missing earlier this week.

The Defense Ministry said the "satellite calls" were likely from the crew of the ARA San Juan, and officials saw it as a sign the crew of 44 was trying to reestablish contact.

Submarines underwater can deploy to the surface a location beacon that can then emit emergency signals via satellite, according to a Reuters report. The navy said a U.S. company that specializes in satellite communications was involved in trying to help locate the signals, according to Reuters.

Contact lost Wednesday

The navy lost contact with the German-built, diesel-electric submarine on Wednesday as it was returning from a routine mission from the naval base at Ushuaia, in Argentinas extreme south, to its base at Mar del Platamand.

Despite turbulent weather that included strong winds and 6-meter waves, base commander Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez said naval forces were increasing efforts above and below the waters surface and were preparing to comb the bottom of the ocean.

The underwater search is obviously much more complicated than the search at the surface because it requires a combination of high-tech tools, Gonzalez said at a news conference.

The navy, which launched an air and sea search Thursday, said an initial search at the vessels last known position, about 430 kilometers off the southeastern Valdez peninsula, turned up no clues.

US joins the search

Argentine officials said they accepted an offer from the United States to participate in the search. A NASA P-3 explorer aircraft that had been stationed in Ushuaia has joined Argentine military aircraft that have been flying over the area.

Late Friday, the U.S. Southern Command announced a P-8A Poseidon plane departed an air base in El Salvador to join the search.

Argentine navy commander Carlos Zavalla encouraged family, friends and colleagues of the crew members to remain positive.

So far, the only concrete thing is the lack of communication, he said on local TV.

Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, was among many from around the world to offer support. The popes office said on Saturday he was praying fervently for the crew to safely return to their families soon.

The navy has said it believed an electrical outage may have caused communication problems on the vessel. Navy protocol directs submarines to rise to the surface when communication is lost.
In connection with the establishment of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Cayuga County this year, we are publishing periodic history columns on influential African-Americans written by Auburn resident Pauline Copes Johnson, Tubman's great-great-grandniece:

Solomon Northups last name is sometimes spelled as "Northrup" because thats the spelling people are used to seeing. But his wife spelled it without the second r and thats the way most scholars have spelled it.

Solomon was born free in 1808 in Minerva, New York, an isolated community high in the Adirondack Mountains, north of Glens Falls. His father, Mintus Northup, had been a slave in Rhode island, but had been set free by his owner, Henry D. Northup, a lawyer. Little is known of Solomons mother except that she was mixed race.

As a boy, Solomon learned to play the violin, a skill that might have led to a career as a musician but led to him being enslaved despite his being born free. As a young man, Solomon worked on the family farm and as a laborer at neighbors farms. At the age of 20, he married a young woman named Anne Hampton on Christmas Day, 1828. For 12 years Anne and Solomon lived in and around Saratoga Springs, New York. Then, in 1841, the good life he had known came to an end. A couple of strangers, hearing of his skill as a violinist, invited him to join a circus band. The circus would be playing in Washington, D.C. Apparently, this chance of making some money and seeing the whole world appealed to Solomon because he accepted the offer. However, on his arrival in the capital city he was drugged and sold to slave traders. Kidnappings were not a rare occurrence in these pre-Civil War days. It was a time when slaves ran away in great numbers and slave catchers hid in both the South and the North along the riverbanks and byways.

So Solomons fate, while terrible, was not unusual. What was unusual was that he was held in slavery for 12 years. How he got out of it was because his wifes own words, taken from her petition to the governor of New York, dated Nov. 19, 1852.

The following appeared in Herbert Apthekers History of the Negro People in the United States": In the year 1814 she received information by a letter directed to Henry B. Northup Esq. of Sandy Hill, Washington County, New York and post marked on New Orleans, that said Solomon had been kidnapped in Washington, put on board of a vessel which was in New Orleans, but could not tell how he came to be in that situation, nor what was to be his destination. All Anne knew for a period of 10 years or more was that her husband was somewhere in Louisiana.

A Canadian carpenter named Samuel Bass, who was working in the South, got to know Solomon and came up with a plan that he hoped would gain his freedom. A letter arrived for Anne which she included in her petition to the governor: Ever since the last mentioned period I have been wholly unable to obtain information of where Solomon was, until the month of September 1851 when another letter was received from Solomon postmarked at Marksville, in the Parish of Avoyelles, in the state of Louisiana stating that he was being held there as a slave. It was this petition, and the action of the governor, that led to Solomons freedom. It was a political issue that led to the freeing of the slaves in New York state in 1828.

Reunited with his wife, Northup immediately began writing up an account of his years as a slave. Solomon Northup asked local writer David Wilson to help him tell his story and the two finished the work in just three months: Twelve Years A Slave. He received $3,000, which he used to buy a home in Glens Falls, where he lived the rest of his life, working as a carpenter. The description he provided of his kidnappers, resulted in their arrests and they were charged with kidnapping. The two men never went to prison, however. Both were released on technicalities.

A free man had lost his freedom for more than 10 harrowing years, and the two criminals who had deprived Solomon Northup of his freedom went free. The date of Solomons death is unknown but the deed to his home in Glens Falls was changed to his wifes name in 1863.
On November 8, 2017, Premier Industries held a public meeting in Anaconda to provide information on its proposed $50 million slag reprocessing facility to be built in Mill Creek east of Anaconda. During the meeting, Rick Tabish, Premiers spokesman, was asked how much local tax the project would pay. He answered between $200 and $225 million annually. Those numbers were reported by both The Montana Standard and Anaconda Leader in stories they wrote following the meeting.

Those tax numbers are not credible. In fact, they are preposterous. NorthWestern Energy is the largest taxpayer in Montana. In 2016, it paid $136 million in property tax on an investment of $2.7 billion. Included in NorthWesterns tax bill is approximately $4.0 million paid in Deer Lodge County for the Dave Gates Generating Station which is literally across the road from Premiers project site. Gates cost $186 million to build, almost four times more than Premiers project and yet, Premier says its going to pay 50 times more in taxes.

Estimating the amount of local property tax a new industry will pay is relatively simple. You multiply the amount of investment by the taxable value rate set for the applicable classification of property as established by state law. Premiers plant is a manufacturing facility and most of its equipment will be Class 8 property, whose effective taxable value rate is 2.814% for a project of that value. The product of that multiplication is then multiplied by the local mill levy and divided by a thousand because a mill is one thousandth of a dollar.

The calculation for Premiers project is shown below:

$50,000,000 Proposed Capital Investment

x .02814 Taxable Value Percentage

$1,407,000 Taxable Value

x 676 Mill Levy in Mill Creek TIFD

951,132,000 Mills

 1,000

$951,132.00 Estimated Property Tax

With a $50 million investment, the most Premier is going to pay in local taxes is $951,132.00 per year. Over time as the plant depreciates, tax payments will decline. For Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, a $951,000 increase in tax revenue is a good shot in the arm, but its only 4 tenths of one percent of what Premier represented to the public.

Pardon my skepticism, but when the spokesman for an industrial enterprise isnt remotely close to accurately estimating the property taxes the company will pay, I have to wonder how many other representations Mr. Tabish made at the meeting which were less than one percent correct.

-- John S. Fitzpatrick, of Georgetown Lake and Helena, is an Anaconda native. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Montana, and a master's degree and doctorate degree from Ohio State University. He worked on the team that did permitting for Colstrip Units 3 and 4, and the 500KV transmission line. He was deputy budget director for state of Montana under Gov. Tom Judge, and then established a consulting business. He has worked in the mining industry, and also permitted coal mines, metal mines, electric transmission lines and subdivisions. He was responsible for permitting the David Gates Generating Station at Mill Creek, Beal Mountain Mine near Fairmont, and Montana Tunnels and Basin Creek in Jefferson County. He also has extensive experience with legislation.
An international fleet of ships and planes is fighting eight-meter high waves and 74 kilometer per hour winds searching for the ARA San Juan, a missing Argentine submarine with a crew of 44.

The 2,000-ton, 66 meter long, German-built diesel-electric submersible disappeared Wednesday 430 kilometers off the coast of Argentina. The San Juan has been in service since 1985. Argentina's first female submarine officer, Eliana Krawczyk, is a member of the crew.

Saturday, a series of satellite calls, lasting just a few seconds, that might - or might not - have come from the missing sub, raised hopes for the crew.

Military and research ships and planes from Brazil, the United States, Chile, Uruguay and Britain have joined the search. Britain, which fought a war with Argentina in the 1980s, is using an Arctic research vessel with scientific sensors in the search. The United States has sent a NASA research plane, a submarine-hunting plane, along with a submarine rescue team.

Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, is said to be praying "fervently" for the crew's safe return.
When Britains 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth married 26-year-old Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in 1947, the wedding sparked joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II.



Seven decades on, the couple who would become Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, both now in their 90s, are still going strong, their marriage a bedrock in British public life amid a world of change.



On Monday, they mark their 70th wedding anniversary, though officials say the milestone will be celebrated privately and no public events are planned. The royal family is reportedly marking the date with a gathering at Windsor Castle.



The queen is the first monarch in British history to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

At their 50th wedding anniversary, Elizabeth praised her husband as quite simply... my strength and stay all these years.



Elizabeth first met Philip, a naval officer and the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, as they attended the wedding of Philips cousin in 1934.



The pair wed at Westminster Abbey in London on Nov. 20, 1947. It would be nearly another six years before Elizabeth would be crowned as monarch, also at Westminster Abbey.



In the decades that followed, Philip, who also holds the title Duke of Edinburgh, spent almost the entire duration of their marriage supporting his wife in her role as head of state. Both have cut back on their public engagements in recent years, and Philip retired from official duties earlier this year.



The royal couple has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Voters in Venezuela are going to the polls Sunday to select a president.

Billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera is favored to win, but is not expected to gain the 50 percent of the ballots, needed to avoid a December runoff.

Pinera, who is 67, ran a campaign proposing to cut taxes on businesses to promote growth.

The Harvard-educated entrepreneur was president from 2010 to 2014.

Pineras closest competition is center-left Senator Alejandro Guillier, a former television anchor. He campaigned with promises to continue President Michelle Bachelets plan to increase corporate taxes to pay for an education overhaul and other initiatives.

Bachelet previously served as president from 2006 to 2010, when Pinera succeeded her. That scenario seems likely to repeat this year.

Six other presidential candidates are also on the ballot.

Voters on Sunday will also select lawmakers for congressional seats.

Voter apathy could be an issue in the election. Since compulsory voting was dropped in 2012, a growing number of voters have declined to cast their ballots.
China's foreign minister said Sunday that the international community must help fight poverty and promote development in Myanmar's Rakhine state, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims flee amid a military crackdown.



Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the comments after meeting in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, with the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as its president, Htin Kyaw, and its powerful military chief, Min Aung Hlaing.



More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine for neighboring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched what it called "clearance operations" in response to insurgent attacks. The refugees say soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them and burned their villages to force them to flee.



The campaign has been described by the United Nations as "ethnic cleansing" and drawn widespread outrage from the international community. China, a long-standing friend of Myanmar during the Southeast Asian country's isolation from the West, has been helping shield Myanmar from the criticism.



Wang said at a news conference Sunday that China has a "three-stage plan" to solve the Rohingya crisis.



"First is to have a cease-fire and to restore order and stability, so the people could stop running away and live in peace," Wang said.



"In the second stage, all parties should encourage and support Myanmar and Bangladesh to strengthen exchanges, to find a way to solve this issue through consultation on the basis of equality," he said.



The third stage, he said, is for the international community to help develop Rakhine.



"Rakhine state has rich resources but develops them inadequately," Wang said. "We call on the international community to help the region get rid of poverty and increase investment. ... China is willing to help and play its part."



Suu Kyi, who as Myanmar's leader has drawn harsh criticism amid the crisis that has damaged her image as a democracy activist and human rights campaigner, lauded the relationship between China and her country.



"China and Myanmar are very much different in size and power, but when it comes to mutual understanding, the two countries are friends with the same values," she said.



On Saturday, Wang told reporters in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, where he met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, that the Rohingya crisis should be solved bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and should not involve outside parties.



On Monday, Myanmar hosts a meeting of Asian and European ministers at which the Rohingya issue is expected to be prominent.
Brexit is still well over year away but two European cities on Monday will already be celebrating Britain's departure from the European Union.



Two major EU agencies now in London  the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority  must move to a new EU city because Britain is leaving the bloc. The two prizes are being hotly fought over by most of the EU's other 27 nations.



Despite all the rigid rules and conditions the bloc imposed to try to make it a fair, objective decision, the process has turned into a deeply political beauty contest  part Olympic host city bidding, part Eurovision Song Contest.



It will culminate in a secret vote Monday at EU headquarters in Brussels that some say could be tainted by vote trading.



The move involves tens of millions in annual funding, about 1,000 top jobs with many more indirectly linked, prestige around the world and plenty of bragging rights for whichever leader can bring home the agencies.



"I will throw my full weight behind this," French President Emmanuel Macron said when he visited Lille, which is seeking to host the EMA once Britain leaves in the EU in March 2019. "Now is the final rush."



At an EU summit Friday in Goteborg, Sweden, leaders were lobbying each other to get support for their bids.



The EMA is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU. It has around 890 staff and hosts more than 500 scientific meetings every year, attracting about 36,000 experts.



The EBA, which has around 180 staff, monitors the regulation and supervision of Europe's banking sector.



With bids coming in from everywhere  from the newest member states to the EU's founding nations  who gets what agency will also give an indication of EU's future outlook.



The EU was created as club of six founding nations some 60 years ago, so it's logical that a great many key EU institutions are still in nations like Germany, France and Belgium. But as the bloc kept expanded east and south into the 21st century, these new member states see a prime opportunity now to claim one of these cherished EU headquarters, which cover everything from food safety to judicial cooperation to fisheries policy.



Romania and Bulgaria were the last to join the EU in 2007 and have no headquarters. Both now want the EMA  as does the tiny island nation of Malta.



"We deserve this. Because as we all know, Romania is an EU member with rights and obligations equal with all the rest of the member states," said Rodica Nassar of Romania's Healthcare Ministry.



But personnel at the EMA and EBA are highly skilled professionals, and many could be reluctant to move their careers and families from London to less prestigious locations.



"You have to imagine, for example, for the banking authority, which relies on basically 200 very high-level experts in banking regulatory matters to move to another place," said Karel Lannoo of the CEPS think tank. "First of all, to motivate these people to move elsewhere. And then if you don't manage to motivate these people, to find competent experts in another city."



As the vote nears, Milan and Bratislava are the favorites to win the EMA, with Frankfurt, and perhaps Dublin, leading the way for the EBA.
A stampede in a southern Moroccan village left at least 15 people dead and five others injured Sunday as food aid was being distributed, the Interior Ministry said.

The crush took place in Sidi Boulalam, in the province of Essaouira, as a local association was distributing food aid in a local weekly "souk," or market, the ministry said in a statement.



King Mohammed VI has given instructions that "all measures be taken to help the victims and their families," the ministry said. The king will pay for the hospitalization of the wounded and the burials of the dead, according to the statement.



Alyaoum24.com, a local and reliable news website, reported that people were rushing for food aid whose value was about $16 per person.



The mayor of the nearby city of Essaouira, Hicham Jbari, told The Associated Press that the tragedy's victims have been transported to his town's hospital. The village of Sidi Boulalam is about 60 kilometers from the city of Essaouira.



Distributions of food aid are common in the North African nation, notably in remote parts of the country. They are organized by private sponsors and groups as well as by the authorities.



Often held once a week in rural areas of Morocco, the souks are usually very busy places. People from nearby villages come to the markets to buy food and others items for a week.



A drought has greatly hurt agricultural output in Morocco recently, contributing to the high cost of basic food items.
Fighting terrorism starts with building relationships between communities and security forces, according to Miles Taylor, Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The key to preventing terror attacks is to detect threats early, and the key to that "Is in our community, Taylor said. And, that includes establishing a continuous connection with societies to dry up extremists bases of support worldwide.

Taylor spoke in Washington Friday at a meeting about violent extremism, where analysts discussed how the phenomenon is connected to other societal risks such as organized crime, social unrest and gang-related activities.

Comprehensive strategy?

The United States has taken a number of anti-terrorism initiatives in the past few years called Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), which includes some funding for VOA to pursue content in several language, including Kurdish Kurmanji, Kurdish Sorani, Persian, Urdu, Pashtu, Turkish and Russian -- focused on IS and extremist activities of other groups.

The CVE initiatives emphasize empowering local communities by engaging them along with religious leaders with law enforcement, health professionals, teachers and social service employees.

In its 2016 CVE strategy, the Department of Homeland Security found that Community partners understand the nature of the threat of violent extremism in their communities and can take action to intervene at the earliest opportunity.

Their plan of action for fighting violent extremism was not limited to jihadist groups, a region or an ideology, and included groups like white supremacists, neo-Nazis and extreme leftist groups.

However, CVE faced a number of challenges like avoiding stigmatizing communities and changing state-centric policies for countering terrorism.

Organic approach

Experts agreed that solutions vary and each case must be dealt with differently. That includes applying creative measures such as providing positive alternatives for people who might otherwise join extremist groups, and identifying why certain social environments produce extremists.

The key point of the seminar was the need to engage local communities in fighting and preventing violent extremism. This involves increasing international cooperation, building resilience among societies and enhancing awareness.

Magnus Ranstrop, the Research Director at the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies (CATS) at the Swedish National Defense College, urged decision makers to implement what he called a complex ecology approach in dealing with different communities.
The top U.S. nuclear commander was quoted as saying Saturday that he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an "illegal" launch of nuclear weapons.

CBS News said Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order.

"I think some people think we're stupid," Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario. "We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"

CBS said Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear arsenal, explained the process that would follow such a command.

"As head of STRATCOM, I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," he said.

"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up [with] options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated."

Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: "If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life."

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hyten's remarks.

They came after questions by U.S. senators, including Democrats and Trump's fellow Republicans, about Trump's authority to wage war, use nuclear weapons, and enter into or end international agreements, amid concern that tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs could lead to hostilities.

Trump has traded insults and threats with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and threatened in his maiden U.N. address to "totally destroy" the country of 26 million people if it threatened the United States.

Some senators want legislation to alter the nuclear authority of the U.S. president, and a Senate committee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing in more than four decades on the president's authority to launch a nuclear strike.
A fire at a building advertising low-cost rental apartments in a southern Beijing suburb killed 19 people and injured eight others Saturday, the official Chinese news agency said.

Xinhua News Agency said firefighters put out the fire at Xinjian Village in the district of Daxing by 9 p.m. local time, three hours after it was reported.

Xinhua said the injured had been taken to a hospital for treatment.

Photos released by Xinhua showed firefighters outside a two-story concrete building with a red signboard advertising units with attached bathrooms, hot water, kitchens, heating and other basic amenities.

Such units are commonly rented out at low cost to migrant workers seeking labor-intensive jobs in the city.

Reached by phone, the local fire department and district government refused to comment.
Fotis Kafatos, a Greek molecular biologist who had a distinguished academic career in both the United States and Europe and became the founding president of the European Research Council, has died. He was 77.

His family announced his death in Heraklion, Crete, on Saturday "after a long illness.''

Born in Crete in 1940, Kafatos was known for his research on malaria and for sequencing the genome of the mosquito that transmits the disease.

He was a professor at Harvard University from 1969 to 1994, where he also served as chairman of the Cellular and Developmental Biology Department, and at Imperial College in London since 2005. He had been an adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health since 2007.

Kafatos was also a part-time professor at the University of Crete in his hometown since 1982. He also was the third director of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, a life sciences research organization funded by multiple countries, from 1993 to 2005.

Kafatos considered the 2007 founding of the European Research Council under the auspices of the European Commission as his crowning achievement. The council funds and promotes projects driven by researchers. He stepped down as president in 2010.

He came to be disillusioned by the heavily bureaucratic rules that, in his mind, hampered research.

"We continuously had to spend energy, time and effort on busting bureaucracy roadblocks that kept appearing in our way,'' Kafatos told scientific journal Nature soon after he left the post. But, he added, "We delivered to Europe what we promised.''
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.

-- Leonard Pitts Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Miami Herald.
LaToya Cantrell, a City Council member who first gained a political following as she worked to help her hard-hit neighborhood recover from Hurricane Katrina, won a historic election Saturday that made her the first woman mayor of New Orleans.



The Democrat will succeed term-limited fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu as the city celebrates its 300th anniversary next year.



Almost 300 years, my friends. And New Orleans, were still making history, Cantrell told a cheering crowd in her victory speech.

Immigrant wins council seat

Voters also made history in a New Orleans City Council race.



Cyndi Nguyen defeated incumbent James Gray in an eastern New Orleans district. An immigrant who fled Vietnam with her family when she was 5 in 1975, Nguyen is the organizer of a nonprofit and will be the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the council.



Mayors race

In the mayors race, Cantrell was the leader in most polls before the runoff election, she never trailed as votes were counted.



Her opponent, former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet, conceded the race and congratulated Cantrell late Saturday. Later, complete returns showed Cantrell with 60 percent of the vote.



The two women led a field of 18 candidates in an October general election to win runoff spots.



Landrieu earned credit for accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in an administration cited for reduced blight, improvements in the celebrated tourism economy and economic development that included last weeks announcement that a digital services company is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the city.



But Cantrell will face lingering problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing the citys drinking water system and storm drainage  a problem that became evident during serious flash flooding in August.



About 32 percent of the citys voters took part in last months election. It was unclear whether turnout would surpass that on Saturday.



Cantrell faced questions about her use of a city credit card. Charbonnet had to fight back against critics who cast her as an insider who would steer city work to cronies.



Katrina a theme

Katrina was a theme in the backstory of both candidates. Cantrell moved to the city from California. Her work as a neighborhood activist in the aftermath of Katrina in the hard-hit Broadmoor neighborhood helped her win a seat on council in 2012.



Charbonnet, from a well-known political family in New Orleans, was the citys elected recorder of mortgages before she was a judge. In the campaign she made a point of saying hers was the first city office to re-open after Katrina, providing critical property records to the displaced.



Former state civil court Judge Michael Bagneris, who finished third in last months race, endorsed Cantrell, as did Troy Henry, a businessman who also ran for the post last month.



University of New Orleans political science professor Edward Chervenak said the endorsements appeared to help Cantrell overcome revelations that she had used her city-issued credit card for thousands of dollars in purchases without clear indications that they were for public purposes. The money was eventually reimbursed, but questions lingered about whether she had improperly used city money for personal or campaign expenditures.
Pakistan has seen a considerable decline in number of terror fatalities in 2016, according to a recent report.

Global Peace Index 2017, a detailed report containing data on terrorism released last week observed there were 736 terror attacks in Pakistan during 2016, which resulted in 956 deaths, a 12 percent decline in terror-related deaths from 2015.

The report said the Taliban in Pakistan, "was responsible for 283 deaths in 2016, which accounted for 30 percent of the deaths from terrorism that year, the report noted.

Most of these deaths resulted from suicide bombings. The largest bombing targeted Christians celebrating Easter Sunday in Lahore and killed 79 people.

The report noted the reduction in terrorism fatalities is due to a significant drop in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Talibans activities. The terror group has been responsible for more than 4,500 killings since 2000 in the country.

The 108-page detailed report is produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace, an Australian based research group that compiles a yearly terrorism report after gathering data from 163 countries based on global trends of terrorism, terror fatalities, terror recruitment, profiles of terror groups and economics of terrorism.

Despite being placed in the five most impacted countries by terrorism in the world, Pakistan has shown positive results of its efforts to combat terrorism, the fifth edition of the global terrorism index noted.

The reduction in deaths from terrorism is in part attributable to Operation Zarb-e-Azb by the Pakistani Army; a military effort which started in mid-2014, said the global terror report.

Pakistani lawmakers say the concrete steps taken by the government to root-out extremism have proved successful.

Military operations Radul Fasad [rejection of discontent] and Zarb-e-Azb [sharp strike], National Action Plan, execution of terrorists in the military courts  all these policies by the government have given us desired results against terrorism, Abdul Qayyum, chairperson of Pakistans Senate Defense Committee and leading member of the ruling party PML-N told VOA.

We had three flash points in Pakistan that were Karachi, Balochistan and FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas] region. We still see a few terror incidents here and there but it is almost 70 percent less than the past. This shows our resilience and commitment against terrorism, Qayyum added.

While the defense analysts believe the statistics of the report are encouraging, they also emphasize Pakistan needs to stay vigilant and undeterred in the fight against terrorism that poses a continued threat to its national security.

The facts mentioned in the global index are satisfactory and Pakistan should continue with a more powerful strategy to fight against terrorism and a will to execute it, Maria Sultan, a defense analyst from Islamabad told VOA.

We also need help from national and international community because terrorism is not only Pakistans issue, but is a joint problem of the region, Sultan added.

Extremism and militancy have remained a big challenge for the South Asian region particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan for decades now  where insurgent groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State have paved ways, established networks and launched numerous deadly attacks on both sides of the border.

Pakistan says it is determined to combat terrorism and claims several military operations launched in recent years have helped dismantle terror networks in the country.

Pakistan alleges, despite its efforts, it is still a victim of terrorism because Afghanistan harbors Taliban and IS militants who use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.

On the other hand, Afghanistan and the United States accuse Pakistan of providing safe havens for Taliban.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells recently criticized Pakistan on its selective approach against militants in the country.

We would like to see the same commitment that Pakistan brought in 2014 to the fight against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan; that same strategic commitment to the other militant proxy groups who take advantage of Pakistan territory, Wells told VOA.

Qayyum denies the allegation and says Pakistan has played its part and now Kabul and Washington should admit there are Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan and they have to make serious efforts to destroy them if they want peace in the region.
1 Members of Army Service Corps (ASC) "Tornadoes", the motorcycle display team of the Indian army, run to climb onto a motorcycle as they attempt to create a world record for most men on a single moving motorcycle at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru, India.
The Palestinians threatened Saturday to suspend all communication with the United States if the Trump administration follows through with plans to close their diplomatic office in Washington.

The potential rupture in relations threatens to undermine President Donald Trump's bid for Mideast peace, a mission he has handed his senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the U.S. decision was "very unfortunate and unacceptable," and he accused Washington of bowing to pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "at a time when we are trying to cooperate to achieve the ultimate deal."

In a video statement on social media, Erekat said: "We will put on hold all our communications with this American administration."

There was no immediate reaction from the Trump administration. Netanyahu's office said the closure was "a matter of U.S. law."

U.S. officials had insisted before Erekat's statement that the move wasn't aimed at increasing leverage over the Palestinians, but merely the unavoidable consequence of U.S. law.

The administration announced late Friday that the Palestinians had run afoul of a legal provision that says the Palestine Liberation Organization cannot operate a Washington office if the Palestinians try to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson determined that the Palestinians crossed that line in September, when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the court to investigate and prosecute Israelis, according to State Department officials. They weren't authorized to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Leave, or just close building?

It wasn't clear when the office would close or whether the Palestinians would have to clear out of the building entirely or just close it to the public.

Under the law, Trump now has 90 days to consider whether the Palestinians are in "direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel." If Trump determines they are, then the mission can reopen, officials said.

PLO official Hanan Ashrawi said the U.S. was "disqualifying itself as a peace broker in the region" by refusing to extend a waiver from the law.

"Conditioning the renewal of the waiver on the Palestinians' sticking to 'direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel' is actually superfluous since negotiations are nonexistent, and the current U.S. administration has yet to present any kind of peace initiative," she said in a statement.

The U.S. said it wasn't cutting off relations with the Palestinians and remained focused on a comprehensive peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. One of the U.S. officials said in an email that "this measure should in no way be seen as a signal that the U.S. is backing off those efforts."

The Palestinians quickly dismissed that argument, with Foreign Minister Riad Malki telling Palestine Radio that the Palestinian leadership "will not accept any extortion or pressure." Erekat contended the move was the result of "the pressure being exerted on this administration by the Netanyahu government."

In response, the Israeli prime minister's office said, "We respect the decision and look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. to advance peace and security in the region."

The Israelis and Palestinians are not engaged in active, direct negotiations. But Trump's team, led by Kushner, is working to broker a deal aimed at settling the intractable conflict.

Palestinians skeptical

The Palestinians, publicly supportive of the U.S. effort, are nonetheless skeptical because Trump's close ties to Israel suggest whatever deal he proposes might be unfavorable to them. The threat of losing their office in the American capital could become one more pressure point as the Trump administration tries to persuade the Palestinians to come to the table.

The PLO is the group that formally represents all Palestinians. Although the U.S. does not recognize Palestinian statehood, the PLO maintains a "general delegation" office in Washington that facilitates Palestinian officials' interactions with the U.S. government.

The United States allowed the PLO to open a mission in Washington in 1994. That required President Bill Clinton to waive a law that said the Palestinians couldn't have an office. In 2011, under the Obama administration, the U.S. started letting the Palestinians fly their flag over the office, an upgrade to the status of their mission that the Palestinians hailed as historic.

Israel opposes any Palestinian membership in U.N.-related organizations until a peace deal has been reached.

The Trump administration has not disclosed details about its effort to achieve an agreement that ostensibly would grant the Palestinians an independent state in exchange for an end to its conflict with the Israelis. Kushner and other top Trump aides have been shuttling to the region to meet with Palestinians, Israelis and officials from Arab nations.

The requirement about the mission closing stems from a little-noticed provision in U.S. law that says the U.S. cannot allow the Palestinians to have a Washington office if they back the international court's move to investigate or prosecute Israeli nationals for alleged crimes against Palestinians.

Abbas said at the United Nations in September that the Palestinians had "called on the International Criminal Court to open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials for their involvement in settlement activities and aggressions against our people."

The U.S. president can let the Palestinians keep the office despite the violation, only if certifying to Congress "that the Palestinians have entered into direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel." The provision doesn't explicitly define what would constitute direct or meaningful negotiations.
Police have arrived at the official residence of Israel's prime minister in what is believed to be part of an investigation into corruption allegations.

Police have previously questioned Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations that he received gifts from Hollywood and business figures. A separate probe is looking into secret talks with the publisher of a major Israeli newspaper in which Netanyahu allegedly requested positive coverage in exchange for reining in a free pro-Netanyahu daily.



Israeli media say police were questioning Netanyahu for the sixth time on Sunday. A police spokeswoman declined to confirm that.



Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and called the accusations against him a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media. The scandal has yet to threaten his lengthy rule, but has harmed his public approval ratings.
Saudi Arabia asked Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Sunday to condemn what Riyadh and its allies see as Iran's meddling in Arab affairs and its alleged support for militias in the region, according to Arab diplomats.



The diplomats said a Saudi draft resolution is proposing a declaration of solidarity with the kingdom and stating Arab support for actions it might take to safeguard its national security in the face of meddling by Tehran.



The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the draft's details with the media.



The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain  who since June have been boycotting the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in part over its warm ties with non-Arab and Shi'ite Iran  had held talks in the Egyptian capital ahead of the Arab League meeting set for later in the day. No details emerged from that meeting.



The Saudi draft also includes a warning to Iran against continuing its present policies in the region and orders Arab diplomats to request a meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss what it called Iranian "threats," added the diplomats.



The draft appears to be in synch with Saudi Arabia's recent hardening of its rhetoric against Iran after the Iran-allied Shiite rebels in Yemen, known as Houthis, fired a ballistic missile that was intercepted near Riyadh earlier this month.



The draft declaration cites the missile attack as well as the bombing of an oil pipeline in Bahrain this month as examples of Iran's threat to regional security. Iran denies arming the Houthis, who say they locally produced the missile.



Saudi Arabia has since 2015 been leading an Arab coalition fighting on the side of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The Houthis remain in control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and most of the country's north, while coalition-backed government forces and their allies have driven them out of most of the country's south.



Syria is another battlefield of the proxy conflict between Shiite Iran and Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia; Riyadh has been supporting groups fighting forces loyal to President Bashar Assad.



Iran, on the other hand, has supported Assad's government, providing it with billions of dollars' worth of economic and military aid since the civil war there began in 2011. Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a Shiite guerrilla group, and an assortment of Iranian-linked Shiite militias from places like Iraq and Afghanistan, have been fighting on Syrian government's side.



The Saudi draft is unlikely to win the support of everyone in the Arab League.



For example, Shiite-majority Iraq, bound to Iran by close military and religious ties, is likely to oppose a resolution that condemns or vilifies its neighbor. Lebanon's Iranian-backed guerrilla group Hezbollah is a key member in Beirut's government, which makes it unlikely for the country to support an anti-Iranian resolution.
Saudi Arabia has summoned its ambassador in Germany home for consultations over comments by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel about the political crisis in Lebanon.

The Saudi foreign ministry said the government also handed Germanys representative in Riyadh a protest note over what it said were shameful comments Gabriel made after a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart.

After a meeting in Berlin with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Gabriel told reporters that Europe could not tolerate the adventurism that has spread there. It was not clear from a Reuters television recording that the remark was targeted at Saudi Arabia.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned while in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 4.

Such remarks provoke the surprise and disapproval of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which considers them as aimless and based on false information that would not help bring about stability in the region, the Saudi ministry said.

The ministry later said on its Twitter account it had summoned the German ambassador in Riyadh and handed him a protest memorandum over the shameful and unjustified remarks made by the German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

Hariris abrupt resignation has raised concern over Lebanons stability. He met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday, several hours after he left Saudi Arabia.

Lebanons President Michel Aoun said on Twitter Hariri had told him in a phone call from Paris he would be in Lebanon on Wednesday for Independence Day celebrations.

The German foreign ministry welcomed Hariris departure from Saudi Arabia for Paris and impending return to Lebanon.

We are very concerned about regional stability and call on sides to reduce tensions, the statement read. We aim this message at all actors in the region.
Gerry Adams, the divisive politician known around the world as the face of the Irish republican movement as it shifted from violence to peace, announced Saturday that he was stepping down as leader of Sinn Fein next year after heading the party for over 30 years.

The 69-year-old veteran politician -- who has been president of Northern Ireland's second-largest party since 1983 -- told the party's annual conference in Dublin he would not run in the next Irish parliamentary elections.

"Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now," he said, adding the move was part of an ongoing process of leadership transition within the party.

A divisive figure, some have denounced Adams as a terrorist while others hail him as a peacemaker.

He was a key figure in Ireland's republican movement, which seeks to take Northern Ireland out of the U.K. and unite it with the Republic of Ireland.

The dominant faction of the movement's armed wing, the Provisional IRA, killed nearly 1,800 people during a failed 1970-1997 campaign to force Northern Ireland out of the U.K. It renounced violence and surrendered its weapons in 2005.

Although many identify Adams as a member of the IRA since 1966 and a commander for decades, Adams has long insisted he was never a member.

Adams was key in the peace process that saw the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the formation of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

Many believe Sinn Fein's popularity among voters is hampered by the presence of leaders from Ireland's era of Troubles.

The party is expected to elect a successor next year. Current deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald was seen as a favorite to succeed Adams.
Turkeys Foreign Minister Melvin Cavusolgu is hosting his Russian and Iranian counterparts at the Mediterranean Sea resort of Antalya to prepare the ground for Wednesdays summit in Russia to discuss Syria.

Despite Ankara backing opposing sides to Tehran and Moscow in the Syrian civil war, they have been increasingly cooperating to resolve the conflict. The three countries armed forces are deployed in creating a de-escalation zone in the Syrian enclave of Idlib, one of last strongholds of rebels fighting the Damascus regime.

Despite growing cooperation, the countries competing agendas are increasingly coming to the fore with the imminent defeat of Islamic State and rebel forces in the Syrian civil war. The meeting Sunday in Antalya is seeking to ease, if not resolve, those differences before the summit.

The hastily arranged summit came out of disputes over Moscows plan to hold a Syrian conference. Reportedly Tehran is unhappy at Moscow hosting the event, while Ankara was enraged over an invitation being extended to the Syrian Kurdish militia the PYD. Ankara accuses the militia of being linked to a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.

But shared opposition to Washingtons policy in the region is providing a powerful impetus to ongoing cooperation between the three countries. The 'zeitgeist' or spirit of times, forces the countries not to go into confrontation but cooperation, said international relations professor Huseyin Balci of Ankaras Middle East Technical University. The United States arming of PYD forces in their fight against the Islamic State continues to deeply strain relations with its NATO ally Turkey.

PYD controversy

U.S.-Turkish differences over the PYD, are increasingly dictating Turkish foreign policy. At the moment all of Ankaras priorities have been put in the Kurdish basket, notes political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website, and that seems to be the guiding motive, whether its relations with Russia and also its relations with Iran.

Cavusoglu is expected to press his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during talks in Antalya to agree to allow Turkey to launch a military operation against the PYD forces in the Syrian Afrin enclave. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing party supporters Sunday, promised a military operation would be launched to liberate Afrin.

In the past few days, Turkey has been reinforcing its forces in the Syrian enclave of Idlib that borders Afrin. But with Russian soldiers deployed in Afrin, Moscows agreement to any attack is seen as crucial by Ankara.

Moscow is competing with Washington for influence over the Syrian Kurdish forces. Russia has its own contacts to Kurdish politicians in the region, observes Zaur Gasimov an Istanbul-based Russia-Turkey analyst for the Max Weber Foundation, but [Moscow] is very concerned on pro-American mood among most Kurdish politicians. Analysts suggest Russia may view the threat of Turkish military action as important leverage to persuade Syrian Kurds to realize Moscow, rather than Washington, is the most useful ally.



NATO relations



But Ankaras courting of Moscow and Tehran is raising questions among its NATO partners. Turkish NATO relations received another blow, Friday, when Turkey withdrew its forces participating in a military drill in retaliation for slights made to Erdogan and the founder of the Turkish State Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, by other soldiers participating in the exercise.

The incident continues to reverberate in Turkey. Erdogan Sunday dismissed an apology by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg describing its as halfhearted.

Reportedly Stoltenberg said those soldiers responsible for the slight had been dismissed. Anger against NATO is being whipped up in the Turkish media and has created a rare consensus in Turkeys deeply polarized world.

Kemal Kilicdarolgu, leader of the main opposition CHP, joined in the condemnation of NATO. While Turkeys Culture Minister Numan Kurtulmus described the incident as an example anti-Islamic and anti-Turkey phobia.

NATO and in particular the United States are viewed with deep suspicion among many Turks, and analysts point out such verbal attacks offer politicians an easy opportunity to score points with the electorate. With Turkey due to hold general and presidential elections by 2019, polls that are predicted to be close, the growing anti-Western nationalist rhetoric and policies are seen likely to continue. Foreign policy in Turkey under the ruling AKP Party, it really has become an extension of domestic policy, observes political columnist Idiz.

In such a political climate the NATO controversy could have far reaching effects, Turkey currently has more than one serious problem with the U.S., the locomotive force of NATO, warned Murat Yetkin editor of Turkeys Hurriyet Daily News, these problems are causing a rift between the two countries, prompting both Americans and Turks to question the long-running alliance between their countries.
Ukraine has summoned the Polish ambassador in Kyiv after Poland denied entry to a Ukrainian official in an escalation of a diplomatic spat over the two neighbors troubled past.

Polands decision to refused entry on Saturday to the head of Ukraines commemoration commission, Svyatoslav Sheremet, was in response to a ban imposed earlier this year by Kyiv on the exhumation of Poles killed in Ukraine during World War II, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

The Ukrainian side has complained that Mr. Sheremet was not allowed into Poland, Polands ambassador to Kyiv, Jan Pieklo, told PAP after the meeting with Ukrainian authorities.

I have been also informed that this is a problem that concerns the restarting of exhumations because Sheremet is the person responsible for this, Pieklo said, adding that both sides had agreed that the exhumations should be restarted.

In an apparent effort to mend ties, representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian presidents said on Friday that they reconfirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership.

The parties agreed that the ban on the search and exhumation works in Ukraine should be lifted, the statement published Friday said.

The denial of entry to Sheremet came after the Polish foreign minister said earlier in November that Poland would bar Ukrainians with anti-Polish views.

Poland last year passed a resolution that declared the World War II-era killing of about 100,000 Polish men, women and children by units in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) genocide.

Ukraine rejects that label, saying the killings were a result of bilateral hostilities.
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.

-- Tom Muri is a retired military judge advocate general officer who graduated from Whitefish High School in 1970.
The U.S. ambassador to Russia has attacked Moscow's move toward forcing nine United States government-funded news operations to register as "foreign agents" as "a reach beyond" what the U.S. government did in requiring the Kremlin-funded RT television network to register as such in the United States.

Ambassador Jon Huntsman said during a visit Friday to the Moscow bureau of the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the Russian reaction is not "reciprocal at all" and Moscow's move toward regulation of the news agencies, if it is implemented, would make "it virtually impossible for them to operate" in Russia.

WATCH: Ambassador Jon Huntsman

He said the eight-decade-old Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) under which RT has registered as a foreign agent is aimed at promoting transparency, but does not restrict the television network's operation in the United States.

Russia's lower house of parliament approved amendments Wednesday to expand a 2012 law that targets non-governmental organizations, including 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.

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.

In response to a question from VOA, Huntsman said "It isn't at all similar to what we're doing under FARA - it's a reach beyond. And, we just think the principles of free media, in any free society and democracy, are absolutely critical to our strength, health, and well-being. Freedom of speech is part of that. So, that's why I care about the issue. That's why we in the embassy care about the issue. And, it'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."

The Justice Ministry said the new requirements in Russia were likely to become law "in the near future."

VOA Director Amanda Bennett said last week that if Russia imposes the new restrictions, "We can't say at this time what effect this will have on our news-gathering operations within Russia. All we can say is that Voice of America is, by law, an independent, unbiased, fact-based news organization, 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."



Kent said unlike Sputnik and other Russian media operating in the United States, 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.

Serious blow to freedom

The speaker of Russia's lower house, the Duma, said last week 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. "We are watching carefully... to see whether it is passed and how it is implemented," said Maria Olson, a spokeswoman at the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

The Russian 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 media channel denies.

The U.S. intelligence community concluded in early 2017 that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally directed a campaign to undermine American democracy and help real estate mogul Donald Trump win the presidency. A criminal investigation of the interference is underway in the United States, as are numerous congressional probes.

The foreign registration amendments must next be approved by the Russian Senate and then signed into law by Putin.

RT, which is funded by the Kremlin to provide Russia's perspective on global issues, confirmed last week it met the U.S. Justice Department's deadline by registering as a foreign agent in the United States.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen challenged the United States on Sunday to cut all aid after it announced it was ending funding for a general election next year in response to the dissolution of the main opposition party, media reported.

Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in an increasingly tense run-up to a 2018 election that has included a crackdown on critics, rights groups and independent media.

The United States announced on Friday it was ending funding for the election, and promised more concrete steps, after the Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at the request of the government, on the grounds it was plotting to seize power.

The party denied the accusation.

The pro-government Fresh News website reported that Hun Sen said in a speech to garment workers that he welcomed the U.S. aid cut and urged it to cut it all.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen confirmed that cutting U.S. aid wont kill the government but will only kill a group of people who serve American policies, Fresh News reported, using Hun Sens official title.

It did not identify the people suspected of serving U.S. policies but added: Hun Sen ... welcomes and encourages the U.S. to cut all aid.

The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to a request for comment.

In April, the U.S. embassy announced a $1.8 million grant to assist local elections this year and next years general election.

Chinese support

The U.S. State Department said on its website that U.S. assistance to Cambodia for programs in health, education, governance, economic growth and clearing unexploded ordnance was worth more than $77.6 million in 2014.

However, Chinese support for big ticket projects has allowed Hun Sen to brush off Western criticism of his crackdown on dissent.

China vastly outspends the United States in a country once destroyed by Cold War superpower rivalry, and its money goes on highly visible infrastructure projects and with no demands for political reform.

Opposition leader jailed

In September, authorities arrested the CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, and charged him with treason over what they said was a plot to take power with U.S. help. He denied any such plot. The U.S. State Department called on Friday for Cambodia to release him and reverse the decision to ban his party.

The court also banned 118 party members from politics for five years.

Police have begun to take down CNRP signs from their offices across the country. Mu Sochua, a senior CNRP member who moved abroad shortly before the party was banned, said Hun Sen was jeopardizing foreign investment.

Foreign investors serious about investing in Cambodia wont be coming and are, or will be, looking at an exit if they cant compete with Chinas monopoly in Cambodia because Hun Sen needs to pay back favors to China, she said.

Western countries, which for decades supported Cambodias emergence from war and isolation, have shown little appetite for sanctions in response to the crackdown, but the European Union has raised the possibility of Cambodia losing trade preferences.

Tariff-free access to Europe for Cambodian garments, and similar trade preferences in the United States, have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low-cost labour. EU and U.S. buyers take some 60 percent of Cambodias exports.
Officials of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are dismissing claims they brokered a covert deal with the Islamic State last month to allow safe passage to hundreds of besieged IS fighters evacuating from Raqqa, the de facto capital of the so-called Islamic State in northern Syria.

The BBC on Sunday reported it had uncovered details of a pact between the SDF and IS, with the blessing of the U.S.-led coalition, to allow hundreds of suspected IS fighters and their families escape from Raqqa.

The report claimed the deal enabled about 4,000 people, including hundreds of IS foreign and local fighters, to be evacuated by a fleet of trucks toward the border region in eastern Syria, and they then fanned out across the country and into parts of Turkey.

During an interview with VOA, U.S.-backed SDF spokesperson Mustafa Bali described the charges as a misrepresentation of an attempt by local tribal leaders to open a safe route for civilians caught in the fierce fighting for the city, which came under full SDF control last month.

What happened was an effort by Arab tribes and residents of Raqqa to evacuate 3,000 to 5,000 civilians, mostly children and women, trapped in the city, Bali told VOA.

This was not done secretly, but announced to the public at that time, he emphasized.

Bali did not rule out the possibility, however, that some IS fighters might have taken advantage of the opportunity and mingled with civilians to escape the city.

Did some [IS] people hide among 3,000 to 5,000 civilians and manage to escape? That can happen, Bali added.

Surrender or get killed

Bali said as civilians were being evacuated out of the city, 275 IS members handed themselves over to the SDF.

Those who refused to submit, We told them, You have two options; surrender or get killed, and that happened, Bali said, referring to the fate of the remaining IS fighters who opted for the latter option. They were eliminated as the SDF stormed the city.

During the last days of the operation for Raqqa, the SDF estimated up to 500 IS fighters, local and foreign, remained in the city. The coalition put the number lower, at 300 to 400 fighters.

While U.S. Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS, would not confirm the deal, he did not rule out the possibility of IS fighters evacuating with the crowd.

This [convoy of trucks carrying people] is not our ideal, Dillon told VOA on Tuesday. We did not want a negotiated surrender.

Dillon estimated the number of potential IS fighters who could have escaped at 300, adding that about 100 additional IS fighters tried to take the deal after the convoy had left, but by then it was too late.

Biometric verification

Dillon said as part of the convoy agreement, U.S.-backed fighters had gathered and processed biometric data from all potential fighters. That screening led to the discovery of four foreign fighters in the convoy, who were identified and detained by the SDF.

The coalition spokesperson said the argument for the SDF role has been that the negotiated deal would prevent further civilian casualties as the battle for Raqqa intensified. The U.S.-led coalition has often complained that IS fighters use of civilians as human shields hindered air and ground offensives against the terror group.

Meanwhile, French army spokesman Patrik Steiger, whose country has contributed to strikes against IS in Syria and has special forces operating in Raqqa province, said the coalition could not take action against the IS convoy because of concerns about civilian causalities.

It was monitored by drones, [but] the terrorists were mixed in with the population, which prevented airstrikes being carried out, Steiger told reporters in a weekly briefing Thursday.

Backlash

Experts say the alleged deal likely would face domestic and foreign backlash, particularly from those who have been critical of U.S. support for the Kurdish element of the SDF, known as the YPG.

Turkey, which views the YPG as a terrorist organization, has said it was appalled by the U.S. stance on the deal.

Nicholas Heras, a Middle East expert at the Center for New American Security, said the deal, as alleged, could have been used by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his supporters, such as Russia, which have questioned the U.S.s intentions in fighting IS in Syria.

When the Assad government and Hezbollah made the deal to remove ISIS fighters from the Syrian-Lebanese borders, the U.S. made a very distinct point about that, Heras told VOA, using an acronym for the militant group. Assad allies saw the opportunity to turn the tables on the U.S. and tried to point out the hypocrisy of the U.S. decrying Assad-Hezbollahs deal with ISIS  and comparing it to the U.S.-led coalitions approving of a deal made between SDF and ISIS in Raqqa.

By sparing civilians and making the Arab element of the SDF take the lead in the negotiated deal, Heras said, the SDF had a strategic interest to win over the hearts and minds of the Arab tribes of Raqqa.

The dynamic at play here is that the SDF listened to its Raqqa Arab tribal partners that said, Look, if you continue to press this offensive and thousands of civilians are killed as a result, this will cause a horrible degree of enmity that will actually open the door for insurgency and destabilizing activities after defeating ISIS in Raqqa. That could also challenge the mission of the U.S.-led coalition campaign to bring stability, Heras added.

Those opposed to the SDF control of Raqqa have accused the SDF of being a Kurdish-dominated front with an ethnic agenda.

VOAs Mahmoud Bali from Syria and VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb from Washington contributed to this report.
An inquiry in Australia is recommending the closure of a youth detention center involved in an abuse scandal that shocked the nation. Images of inmates being mistreated - including one teenage boy who was restrained and placed in a spit hood - were shown last year.

Last year, a TV documentary showed images of young detainees being tear-gassed and strip-searched in youth detention facilities in Australias Northern Territory.

The scandal prompted the authorities to set a royal commission, the highest form of inquiry in Australia.

Its final report contains more than 2,500 pages and demands sweeping changes to address the "shocking and systemic failures in the Territorys youth justice system. A teenage detainee told the investigating team that he had been deprived of food, repeatedly strip-searched and stopped from using a toilet during his detention. He said he was forced to defecate into a pillowcase.

The report said that the systems failures had happened "over many years and were known and ignored at the highest levels".

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner is promising to act on the proposals.

I am sorry [for] the stories that will live on in those children who were in our care, children that we have failed because our youth justice and child protection systems are supposed to make our kids better, not break them, he said.

The report calls for an end to detention for children aged under 14 in the Northern Territory, prohibiting the use of tear gas and force on child inmates and a move away from punishment to therapy and rehabilitation.

The Northern Territory's notorious Don Dale youth detention center, where much of the mistreatment of child inmates took place, should also be closed the report says.

Margaret White, one of the commissioners, said more humane alternative accommodation should take its place.

The point must be met that there will be some young people who must be kept in secure detention either because of the extreme seriousness of the crimes that they commit, or because of their own complex needs, and we have recommended a small, secure facility. We do not want any more than 12 beds in any one facility, she said.

Most of the teenage inmates in the Northern Territory are Aboriginal Australians, who are significantly over-represented in the justice system. The children who were tear-gassed have said they feared for their lives and still suffer disturbing flashbacks and nightmares.

Lawyers said detaining children in isolation was also a clear violation of the United Nations Convention against Torture.
President Robert Mugabe on Sunday defied his partys call for him to resign saying he will president over the ruling Zanu PFs Extra Ordinary Congress in December aimed at choosing the partys new leadership.

Speaking on the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation surrounded by security chiefs who toppled him last Wednesday, Mugabe acknowledged that there were serious issues in the party and government that should be tackled.

The president was expected to resign after meeting the military at State House but never mentioned it in his prepared speech but instead noted that the concerns of the securocrats, and war veterans needed to be addressed.

In respect of the party and issues raised by the commanders and the generality of membership of the party these two stand acknowledged. They have to be attended with a sense of urgency.

Indeed the current criticism raised by the command elements and its members have a reason from a well-founded perception that the party was stretching and even failing in its rules and procedures.

Mr. Mugabe said the dismissal of members of the party was not properly done. The era of victimization and arbitrary decisions must be put behind so as we all embrace new ethos predicated on the supreme law of our party and nourished by an abiding sense of comradeship.

He said all omissions and contradictions in the party will be addressed at the forthcoming congress which he will chair. The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over processes which must prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public.

 I am aware that many developments have occurred in the party or have been championed and done by individuals in the name of the party. The anger that this may have triggered in some quarters, such developments are understandable. However, we cannot be guided by bitterness of vengefulness which will not make us any better party members or any better Zimbabweans.

He appealed for reconciliation in Zimbabwe noting that a similar move was made towards white colonial rulers who brutalized local people before the country attained independence from British rule in 1980.

The ruling party has given President Mugabe up to Monday afternoon to resign or face impeachment after recalling him from the party and government.

Members of the so-called Generation 40, who were referred to as criminals by the military when it seized all state institutions last Wednesday, wanted First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband.

They targeted ruling party members linked to sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who allegedly harbored presidential ambitions, and forced them to leave the party claiming that they wanted to remove the president from office unconstitutionally.
President Robert Mugabe has been recalled by the ruling Zanu PF party and given up to Monday afternoon to resign or be impeached.

The partys Central Committee overwhelmingly voted to dump the 93 year old president, who has been in power since Zimbabwe attained independence from British rule.

At least 201 members of the powerful Central Committee endorsed the presidents removal from the helm of the party and the expulsion of his deputy, Phelekezela Mphoko, top Zanu PF officials Professor Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Ignatius Chombo and others, linked to a group calling itself Generation 40 that wanted First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed Mugabe.

The Central Committee resolved that sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa should take over the post of president and secretary of the party until the next elections.

Chinamasa announced the removal of the president from the two powerful Zanu PF positions.

He further noted that some members of the party who were suspended by members of Generation 40 be reinstated.

He said the president should resign forthwith or face impeachment in parliament.

The party, according to Chinamasa, has recalled Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, and expelled several members, including First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Constitutional lawyer Obert Gutu, who is also the opposition MDC-T spokesperson, said the ruling party is facing a constitutional crisis in reinstating Mnangagwa, who was expelled from the government.

Zanu PF transport secretary Joram Gumbo said it was sad that President Mugabe had to be recalled from his position but added that this was a necessary move as there were people in the party who had taken advantage of his old age.

War veterans leader Victor Matematanda said they would have preferred to work with all stakeholders as a way forward but was quick to say Mnangagwa will have to make his own options in forming a government.

Gutu said the MDC-T is not interested in getting into power through the back door.

Skeptics like prominent cleric, Bishop Paul Verryn of the Methodist Church, said there are fears that Zanu PF is entrenching its rule through the military.

Bishop Verryn, however, hoped that the country will one day achieve peace and development.

It remains to be seen how the country will transition to a democratic state as those who have been pushed out of the party will fight for a comeback.
Some Americans with ties to Zimbabwe offered solidarity messages to Zimbabweans from all over the US who converged at the Zimbabwe Embassy in Washington, Saturday calling for 93 year old President Robert Mugabe to step down. Zimbabweans held simultaneous protests at home/worldwide echoing the call.
Tens of thousands of people protested in Harare on Saturday urging President Robert Mugabe to step down in a show of solidarity among opposition and ruling party supporters and the Zimbabwe Defence Force that seized all state institutions and confined the president to his residence.

In a sign of the end of Mugabes rule, tens of thousands of Zimbabweans heeded a call by war veterans of the 1970s liberation struggle to flood the streets of Harare and march to State House in order to force President Mugabe to step down.

Senior Zanu PF officials, including former Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, leader of the National Peoples Party Joice Mujuru, Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Douglas Mwonzora, Pastor Evan Mawarire of This Flag Campaign and several others called Mugabe to step down immediately.

Chinamasa told thousands of people that its time for Mugabe to go. We are now in the dawn of a new era. We urge Mugabe to go

Mwonzora made a similar call, urging the military to respect the countrys constitution.

This is a Zimbabwean moment. We must forget our personal differences. We must forget our political differences. We must forget yesterday. We must remember tomorrow because we want to change our country.

This country is not a dynasty. This country is not for one family. Its for all of us. Its not for one race  I was happy when the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces put at the forefront of their program the constitution of our country. We must respect our constitution.

VOA Studio 7 talked to some of the people, including Nyari Miti, who were at the rally while they were outside President Mugabes official residence.

Another one, Getrude Chimange, said the demonstration was a message to SADC and other international organizations that Zimbabweans can solve their own problems. She pleaded with President Jacob Zuma of South Africa to let Zimbabweans decide their destiny, noting that President Mugabe is too old to remain the president of the country.

At the same time, all Zanu PF provinces have resolved to recall President Mugabe and reinstate all members that were suspended. Speaking at a meeting in Harare today, one of the senior party officials, Daniel Sigauke, said the Central Committee should reinstate suspended Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Alois Baloyi, a member of the party from Masvingo province, also said the party wants Mugabe to go.

He said ZANU PF was happy about the Zimbabwe Defence Forces move to seize all state institutions and place Mugabe under house arrest.

Reacting to the march, Patrick Zhuwao, who is part of the Generation 40, which wanted First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed the president, told VOA Studio 7 that the Zimbabwean leader will stay put.

The march ended with people embracing wholeheartedly members of the Zimbabwe National Army. The Zanu PF Central Committee is expected to meet on Sunday in Harare. It is expected to pass a vote of no confidence on Mr. Mugabe. The matter is also set to be tabled in parliament if the president does not step down voluntarily.
Flagstaff, AZ - 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.
It's almost Thanksgiving, and that means it's time to eat  and time to nap. You may have heard that turkey is to blame for your post-Thanksgiving sleepiness. But although turkey does contain a chemical that makes humans want to curl up in bed, you can't blame your sluggishness on the bird. Stuffing is the more likely culprit.

Many people believe that turkey makes them sleepy, and for good reason: The meat contains an amino (ah-ME-no) acid  those are the building blocks of proteins  called tryptophan (TRIP-toe-fan). It helps the body make important chemicals called hormones, including melatonin (MEL-ah-TOE-nin). High melatonin levels tell your brain its time to go to sleep.

Melatonin is well-known as being the hormone that lulls everyone to sleep. So people assume that this must be why turkey makes everyone so sleepy, says Kimberley Chien, a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital whose specialty is kids digestive systems. But lots of other foods have tryptophan  even chocolate has it  and some meats contain more of it than turkey does. So why is it just turkey that has a reputation for making us drowsy?

Chien thinks that other Thanksgiving foods give turkey a boost. All of the stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls and pies you eat are full of sugars, and the chemicals your body uses to digest them happen to make it easier for other chemicals to get to your brain. A sort of wall usually exists between the blood flowing through your body and the blood flowing through your brain, but the process of digesting a tummy full of sugar makes it easier for certain things to slip through. This means tryptophan can trigger sleepytime chemical production more quickly.

Eating a large meal full of fats and sugars will make you tired even without tryptophan, Chien says. When your stomach is full and stretched, your brain gets a signal telling it to send plenty of blood and energy down there to help you digest. That means less blood and energy for the rest of you!

Then theres the fact that the holiday is busy. You probably spent the morning helping clean up the house and set the table  or bundled up on a long car ride to have dinner at someone elses house. Who wouldnt be tired?

If you want to avoid feeling as stuffed as your roast turkey, try eating slowly and starting off with small portions. You can always have more food later, but taking your time will keep you from eating so much that you feel sick. Also, eat plenty of vegetables and drink plenty of water. Its easier to enjoy your pumpkin pie when youre not falling asleep in it!

Read more Ever Wondered columns:

Some scary-looking animals are all fang and no bite

Why do leaves change colors?

Does sugar make you hyper?
Columnist

Brian Donlon is a social studies teacher with 24 years in the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and two children in a Montgomery elementary school. He thinks all educational institutions should be judged by how highly staffers, parents and students rate them.

Im not sure hes right, but that doesnt matter. The new federal Every Student Succeeds Act encourages schools to move beyond test scores and add the measures Donlon favors, usually called school climate data. It has become our nations hottest educational trend.

Donlon is not only a smart advocate for this change, but a brave one. He sent me the most recent climate ratings for all of his district's high schools and middle schools posted on the district website and  I cannot overemphasize how daring this is  ranked them accordingly. The website didn't do that. Many parents  including me  find rankings useful, but they are frowned on in polite educational circles.

Here is his list of high schools ranked by the percentage of staffers who this year agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, Staff morale is positive in this school. I am providing each schools rank, name, percentage and its percent of low-income students (an interesting comparison because low morale often correlates with the difficulties of teaching disadvantaged children.)

1. Paint Branch, 77.9 percent, 34 percent

2. Walter Johnson, 73.4 percent, 7 percent

3. Whitman, 69.6 percent, 5 percent

4. Northwest, 68 percent, 25 percent

5. Poolesville, 64.6 percent, 6 percent

6. Einstein, 61 percent, 42 percent

7. Wootton, 59 percent, 5 percent

8. Blair, 55.4 percent, 36 percent

9. Watkins Mill, 54.6 percent, 53 percent

10. Wheaton, 51.1 percent, 49 percent

11. Damascus, 49.4 percent, 15 percent

12. Rockville, 48.6 percent, 36 percent

13. Richard Montgomery, 45.9 percent, 20 percent

14. Quince Orchard, 41.9 percent, 23 percent

15. Blake, 41.9 percent, 35 percent

16. Churchill, 39.7 percent, 5 percent

17. Northwood, 35.9 percent, 50 percent

18. Seneca Valley, 33.8 percent, 37 percent

19. Clarksburg, 32 percent, 27 percent

20. Kennedy, 30.4 percent, 51 percent

21. Sherwood, 25.4 percent, 17 percent

22. Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 23.9 percent, 11 percent

23. Magruder, 21.7 percent, 33 percent

24. Gaithersburg, 21.4 percent, 42 percent

25. Springbrook, 17.1 percent, 47 percent

Donlon told me he thinks theres high morale at some schools with lots of low-income kids because they have unusually good leaders. In the 2012-2013 school year, he said, Paint Branch ranked 18th. Then Principal Myriam Yarbrough arrived. The school rose to second place in 2013-2014, a tie for first in 2014-2015, and No. 1 by itself this year. (There were no surveys in 2015-2016.)

He said Einsteins good score reflects the leadership of Principal James Fernandez, whose work I have admired for more than a decade. Donlon said he also thinks Principals Jimmy DAndrea at Northwest, Debra Mugge at Wheaton and Carol Goddard at Watkins Mill helped boost their schools morale.

Neither Donlon nor I have explanations for what is happening at most schools. Opinions differ. I was surprised by the low rank of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, which seems to me well run. Jeanette Dixon suggested to me she deserved credit for Paint Branchs high 2013-2014 rating, based on a survey taken shortly after she was succeeded by Yarbrough as principal.

Survey data are tricky. If only a few staffers fill out the form, the numbers may not mean much. (Participation in this survey ranged from 36 percent to 71 percent.) Montgomery school board President Michael Durso, a legendary former principal, mentioned timing. Ive always said that if you want a negative survey, issue it right before spring break, where staff is frazzled and just hanging on, he said.

Ten states, including Maryland, have already added school climate data to their accountability systems, according to the nonprofit education policy organization Achieve Inc. Surveys of educators, parents and students will make up 10 percent of Maryland schools ratings.

Montgomery schools Superintendent Jack Smith told me climate surveys should be used as one of multiple measures for school performance.

Until now they have had little influence. We will soon see if this new way of assessing schools leads to significant changes in quality, and the length of principals tenures.
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of teaching Bible classes in a West Virginia public school district because the district has suspended the classes for a year while it evaluates the program.

The Bible in the Schools program, offered as a weekly 30-minute class for elementary school students and a 45-minute class for middle schoolers, had been a part of the curriculum in Mercer County schools for decades and is widely popular with parents and children in the school district.

[A popular public school Bible class in West Virginia faces legal challenge]

But earlier this year, two county residents with school-age children joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation  a national nonprofit group that works on issues concerning separation of church and state  to sue the district, saying the class violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution and 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. The Establishment Clause restricts government from prioritizing one religion over another.

The suit argued that Supreme Court rulings such as McCollum v. Board of Education in 1948 banned public schools from initiating or sponsoring religious activity. And, the plaintiffs said, the classes were similar to Sunday school lessons taught in churches and treated Bible stories as historical fact.

The suit quoted from one of the class lessons: If all of the Israelites had chosen to follow the Ten Commandments, think of how safe and happy they would have been. Another lesson asked students to imagine that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time. It said: So picture Adam being able to crawl up on the back of a dinosaur! He and Eve could have their own personal waterslide! Wouldnt that be so wild!

[W.Va. public school district halts weekly Bible classes]

In May, the school district announced that it would suspend the Bible classes for the 2017-2018 academic year while it reviewed the content of the lessons and conducted a thorough review with input from teachers, community members and religious leaders.

Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Faber, of the Southern District of West Virginia, ruled Tuesday that although two of the plaintiffs had standing to bring the suit, there was no reason for the court to act because the school district was not offering the Bible classes this school year.

The Bible in the Schools program of which plaintiffs complain is not currently offered nor will it be offered in the future, Faber wrote in his opinion. Furthermore, should a Bible in the Schools curriculum reemerge, the court has no information before it to determine the content of such a class.

But Faber, who was nominated to his seat by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, reserved the right to act if the classes were reinstituted.

If [Bible in the Schools] returns and it is clear the new . . . program violates constitutional law, this district is more than capable of granting a preliminary injunction, he wrote.

Both sides in the case claimed victory.

The First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit law firm in Texas that represents the district and specializes in religious freedom cases, issued a statement saying: Mercer County Schools is grateful to have this unfortunate lawsuit dismissed and remains committed to following the law as it provides diverse educational opportunities to its students. The court rightly rejected the notion that teaching students about the Bible is always unconstitutional.

Patrick Elliott, co-counsel for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said Friday that the lawsuit was unfairly dismissed but that the decision was a victory for the plaintiffs because the judge ruled that they had standing.

The class is suspended, but if the district goes forward with reinstituting the class, the plaintiffs have standing and can go back to court and get a ruling, Elliott said.

He added that the plaintiffs are considering an appeal of the ruling. They have until Dec. 14 to file.
Three teenagers are missing from Prince William County, and police there called them endangered and said the FBI has joined in the effort to find them.

The three left the Bristow area of the county about 2:30 a.m. Nov. 12, and they were listed by police as runaways.

But on Friday, the matter appeared more serious, and they were listed as endangered runaways, the police said. It was not clear led to the change in status.

However, the police said on Sunday that they were believed to have left this area voluntarily. The FBI involvement came after the three were thought to have left Virginia, the police said. The FBI investigates interstate matters.

It was not clear why the three were thought to have left the state.

County police said they may be in a vehicle.

The names and descriptions of the three were given by the police as follows.

Ashley Sarahy Lemus, a Hispanic female, 17 years old, 51 and 115lbs with brown hair, brown eyes, a Stay Strong tattoo on her chest, a heart tattoo on her sternum and other unknown tattoos on her arms and wrists

She was last seen wearing a black Nike sweatshirt and gray leggings

Breonia Andreia Thomas, a black female, 17 years old, 51, 136lbs with black hair and brown eyes

She was last seen wearing a multi-color romper and a purple bandana on her head

Chamareya Rontavia Wright, as a black female, 18 years p;f. 55, 195lbs with black hair and brown eyes

She was last seen wearing a sweatshirt and dark color leggings
One car may have bumped a second in upper northwest Washington earlier this month, touching off an apparent road rage incident in which the woman driving the first car was punched and robbed, police say.

The Nov. 8 incident, which police said occurred about 6:45 p.m. off Connecticut Avenue, seemed to exemplify the occasional volatility of daily life, and the unexpected consequences of seemingly minor events.

According to the police account, the incident occurred in the 3600 block of Fessenden Street NW as the first woman was parking her car. Police said she told them that she may have made contact with the second vehicle.

The second driver, the police said, got out of her car and went to the drivers side window of the first car, punching its driver  who was still seated inside  twice in the face.

Then the second motorist returned to her own car, and attempted to leave the scene, the police said.

The first driver tried to snap a photo of the license plate of the other car, the police said.

But the second driver apparently saw it, and again, according to police, got out of her car. Returning to the first car, the woman took the first drivers phone from her hand, and finally, police said, drove off.
Firefighters from the Districts Engine Company 16 attempt to retrieve Zoe Cadores cellphone from a storm drain on Tuesday. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

Columnist

Everything started going in slow motion last Tuesday morning when Zoe Cadore realized that her brand-new iPhone was slipping from her fingers.

She was downtown, on the phone with her Lyft driver, annoyed that he couldnt find her. She works at a trade association and had a meeting to get to. Her ungloved fingers were cold. Her phone was in one hand. She stumbled in the crosswalk and the phone  a rose gold iPhone 8, Zoes for less than a week  went flying.

Time stood still. The phone could have landed anywhere. Where it landed was in a storm drain, swallowed by the dark orifice at the northwest corner of 13th Street and New York Avenue NW.

The chilly city continued to move around Zoe: the office types scurrying to work at the Inter-American Development Bank, the panhandlers outside the McDonalds, the tourists waiting for the National Museum of Women in the Arts to open, the cyclists shoving their mounts into the Capital Bikeshare dock . . .

Who are you gonna call when your magical little lifeline  your phone  is suddenly in the sewer? Not that you can actually call anyone . . .

Zoe walked a few blocks north to the fire station on 13th Street between K and L, and soon a crew from Engine Company 16 rode to the incident location.

When I came upon the scene on my way into work, I saw a firefighter flat on his belly on the sidewalk, peering into the sewer, a manhole cover resting nearby. Three other firefighters were looking into the hole. So was Zoe.

It was a tableau worthy of Norman Rockwell. They looked as if they were ice fishing on a lake of concrete and brick.

At first we could see it, Zoe told me later.

The phone was submerged in water, but it seemed retrievable.

One of those dustpans on a long handle was borrowed from McDonalds, and a gray-haired firefighter reached down and dipped it into the water.

What is in those drains, just under the sidewalk? This one seemed to have a lot of plastic water bottles, which the firefighter lifted out with the dustpan and deposited in a nearby trash can.

This action made the water turbid, cloudy, opaque. The maintenance engineer from the office building on the corner came out holding a sump pump outfitted with a long black hose. The power cord was unrolled across the sidewalk and plugged in. The pump was lowered into the hole and switched on.

Suck away, said a firefighter.

Reddish-brown water spewed from the end of the hose and then, in the way of all water, it sought the lowest point and flowed back into the drain.

A firefighter stretched the hose farther away so the water would go somewhere else.

It must be something important, said a woman who, like me, had stopped to watch. Keys, a cellphone. But if its a cellphone, it probably wouldnt work. Keys you could just wash off.

The firefighters seemed stymied. Then the little radios clipped to their jackets chirped. They had another call. They promised to come back and try again later.

They were true to their word, but, alas, no amount of peering and sucking and reaching could bring back Zoes phone. It sleeps with the fishes now. [Sad emoticon.]

Im grateful to the team for their help and patience, Zoe emailed me later. They were out there in the cold for almost 45 minutes trying every technique imaginable.

It struck me that I had witnessed the modern equivalent of a cat stuck up a tree: not exactly something that would seem to be in a firefighters job description, but if not them, then who?

"Firemen are helpers," Vito Maggiolo, public information officer with the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, told me later. "When someone comes to them with a problem, they typically do everything they can to resolve it.

Its kind of in the nature of what firefighters are made up of. They dont like to pass up a citizen in need. And they like a challenge: How do we solve this problem?

Thats nice to hear, actually. Of course, the real moral of this story is this: Hold on tightly to your cellphones, especially when youre near a drain.

Paradise lost

Frankly, iPhones seem designed to be dropped. Theyre so slippery.

Whats the most extreme lengths youve gone to to retrieve something that was lost? Were you successful? Email your story  with Lost and Found in the subject line  to me at

john.kelly@washpost.com

.

Helping Hand

The Washington Post Helping Hand campaign is in full swing. Bright Beginnings, N Street Village and So Others Might Eat are three local charities working to raise people from poverty.

To learn more about them, and make a donation, visit posthelpinghand.com.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/john-kelly.
This will be no ordinary trial, set to begin Monday before Judge Lynn Leibovitz in D.C. Superior Court. It is unusual not only for the abundance of young activists who showed up to watch jury selection  earnestly scribbling notes in support of the accused  but because the six defendants are the first to be called to be accountable in a fiery, glass-shattering civil disturbance on President Trumps Inauguration Day.

Many more trials stemming from the rioting could lie ahead.

The protesters called their Jan. 20 demonstration Disrupt J20. By the hundreds that morning, clad in dark clothing, their faces hidden, they marched from Logan Circle to the Franklin Square area in downtown Washington. They came in waves, smashing windows, painting graffiti, toppling newspaper boxes and setting mostly small fires  except for a blaze that consumed a limousine.

[Inauguration Day 2017: Pomp and chaos collide as Trump becomes president]

Now, prosecutors plan to have their say. The defendants face felony charges of inciting a riot and destruction of property, with each offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. As for others arrested in the mayhem that day, the U.S. attorneys office said it intends to put more than 150 additional defendants on trial in groups of about a half dozen, a process that could stretch into the middle of next year.



Protesters set fire to a limousine on Inauguration Day in Washington. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

To the government, the case is strictly about a breach of law and order, an alleged instance of organized, premeditated property destruction.

But activists in the courtroom called it a stifling of free speech and a draconian effort by authorities to enforce collective responsibility.

The repression of dissent against Trump has been rife in this case, the defendants supporters said in a statement. The groups spokesman noted that the four women and two men on trial are not alleged to have personally caused any damage. Instead, they are accused of taking part in a demonstration that they knew was organized for the purpose of wreaking havoc in the city, including costly vandalism.

This case could have many implications for the future, the statement said, as the prosecution is attempting to establish a conspiracy based on clothing, chanting, and the same sort of organizing that goes into any march or protest.

In the days before the inauguration, authorities said, undercover D.C. police officers infiltrated meetings of Disrupt J20 members at which the rioting was planned.

During and after the disturbance, more than 200 people involved in the protest were arrested, police said. The U.S. attorneys office said 20 defendants pleaded guilty to reduced charges in deals with the government and another 20 cases were dismissed.

Whether the U.S. attorneys office will go through with its plan for multiple trials remains to be seen. Authorities have said that one purpose of the aggressive prosecutions is to send a message to would-be rioters that the city will respond decisively. But if the defendants mostly prevail in the early trials, it is possible that the government will rethink how it handles the rest.



Media and protesters move through the smoke of concussion grenades during clashes on Inauguration Day. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

The U.S. attorneys office declined to comment on that issue.

Sixteen jurors, including four alternates, were picked for the first trial, with opening statements set for Monday.

Leibovitz ruled that to secure guilty verdicts on the rioting counts, the government will have to do more than show a defendant took part in the protest. There must be proof that he or she helped organize or incite the mayhem, the judge said. Prosecutors said they will rely heavily on digital evidence, including social media postings, Internet messages and video from cellphones and police body cameras.

[Judge asks potential jurors in Inauguration Day riots trial, What are your feelings about the president?]

For alleged rioters who the government says were dressed like ninjas and bent on tearing up the city Jan. 20, the six defendants appeared composed and studiously attentive in the courtroom during two days of tedious jury selection. On Thursday, the men wore dress shirts, suit coats in shades of gray, and quiet ties. The womens attire included pantsuits, a skirt, a powder blue sweater and subdued blouses.

It was hard to distinguish them from their lawyers, although Alexei Wood, 37, of San Antonio, showed a flourish. He chose a light-gray pinstriped suit with coordinated shirt and neckwear, accented by canvas sneakers  one black, one purple.

The other defendants are Michelle Macchio, 26, of Naples, Fla.; Christina Simmons, 20, of Cockeysville, Md.; Brittne Lawson, 27, of Pittsburgh; and Jennifer Armento, 38, and Oliver Harris, 28, both of Philadelphia.

About two dozen of their supporters, nearly all millennials, sat in the gallery, some holding college-ruled notebooks. They wrote furiously, recording the responses of prospective jurors as Leibovitz asked about hardships or potential biases.

For young activists, they were remarkably disciplined about not saying a word to the press. In declining to be interviewed, most just turned away, adamantly shaking their heads.

One women in the back row of the gallery Thursday  sipping from a Mason jar and hoping the courtroom marshals wouldnt notice  said quietly, You can talk to Kris, and pointed to a middle-aged man in a blue plaid shirt, a few benches away.

Who is Kris? . . . But this was too much to ask.

Hes Kris, was all she would whisper. Kris is Kris.

Kris is Kris Hermes, 53, an activist from the San Francisco Bay area and the leading organizer of the support group Defend J20. In a courthouse hallway, explaining why the younger people had been instructed to keep quiet, he said, We wanted to make sure our message is coherent and accurate.

He said the message is: People are being railroaded in this case. What the government is saying to us is, dissent is not an acceptable form of expression in this country, and if you choose to go out on the street and express yourself, then you risk being arrested and seriously prosecuted. And were trying to push back against that.

Meanwhile, jury selection dragged on. On Wednesday, scores of prospective jurors listened to questions from Leibovitz and jotted their answers on index cards. Then, individually, they were called into the courtroom to be questioned further by the judge. The process went on for hours, until early Thursday afternoon, and, at times, it seemed to test even Leibovitzs patience.

One by one, each walked in and approached the judge.

Here was a pregnant woman who said she needed hot food every two hours.

When she was gone, the judge sighed, looked at the lawyers and said: Is there something thats changed in the last 28 years that you have to have a hot meal every two hours when youre expecting a child? I dont know. . . .

Here was an international lawyer whose answers were exceedingly precise.

After he left, Leibovitz had a warning for the trial attorneys: I just want to say, if you dont want deliberations to take the rest of our lives, he should stay off the jury.

And here came a young man in baggy jeans and a Batman T-shirt, sauntering up the aisle toward Leibovitz, carrying a half-empty bottle of Schweppes ginger ale.

How are you, sir? she said pleasantly.

How you doing, judge?

And he was excused moments later, after he told Leibovitz: You know, you go back to that date, and from where I stand, Id probably be in the riots, too, but I was busy. You know, to be honest with you, Im with the cause.
Earlier versions of this article mistakenly said Robert E. Lee was born in Alexandria. He was born in Stratford, in Westmoreland County, and moved to Alexandria at an early age.

This portrait of Robert E. Lee used to hang in Alexandria City Hall but is now part of a Civil War exhibit in the Lyceum, the citys local history museum. (Patricia Sullivan/The Washington Post)

The city of Alexandria has quietly removed a portrait of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that hung on the wall of the City Council chambers for 54 years, relocating it to the Lyceum, a local history museum.

Mayor Allison Silberberg (D) called the museum a more appropriate place for the large painting of Lee, who grew up in Alexandria and went on to command the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.

Like a similar portrait of George Washington, it was taken off the wall last summer as crews repaired the City Hall roof, and then cleaned and repainted the room. But when it was time to rehang the art, the Lee portrait was replaced by a 1798 map of the city. The Washington painting was returned to the wall.

I dont think any of us got a single email or call about it, City Manager Mark Jinks said. He said he called the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who donated the painting to the city in 1963, to inform them of the change.

The decision was another step in the national reconsideration of Confederate tributes that began with a 2015 mass shooting at an AME church in Charleston, S.C., by an avowed white supremacist who had been photographed with a Confederate flag.



An 18th-century plan for the city replaced the Robert E. Lee portrait in Alexandrias City Council chambers. The Confederate general was born in Alexandria. (Patricia Sullivan/The Washington Post)

South Carolina has since removed the flag that flew at its statehouse for more than a half-century. Confederate battle flags have disappeared from license plates in Georgia and Virginia, and Confederate statues were taken off public land in New Orleans, Kansas City, Mo., Maryland, Florida, Ohio and elsewhere.

With all thats going on in the country, with statues and all that, I think [the museum] is where it belongs, City Council member Willie Bailey (D) said of Lees portrait. Thats where history is.

Alexandria, the first Southern town to be occupied by Union troops, has a fraught relationship with its 19th-century past. After the shooting in Charleston, the city government stopped its longtime practice of flying the Confederate flag at Washington and Prince streets on Lee's birthday and Confederate Memorial Day.

The City Council then voted to move a statue of a Confederate soldier from that intersection to the front lawn of the Lyceum museum. But Virginia law prohibits the relocation of certain Civil War monuments, and state lawmakers from Alexandria said last year was the wrong time to seek special permission from Richmond to move the statue.

This past summer, after a white-supremacist rally to protest the relocation of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville turned deadly, state Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria) said he would introduce a bill in 2018 to allow the Alexandria monument's relocation.

Last week, noting a wave of Democratic victories in the Nov. 7 elections, Ebbin predicted that new members of the Virginia General Assembly may be more open to considering the merits of allowing the statue to be moved.

Leaders of a historic Episcopal church in Alexandria decided last month to remove a pair of plaques from its sanctuary that memorialize Washington and Lee, two of its most prominent parishioners.

View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor.

Also this fall, a hotel on King Street removed a plaque that had been bolted to the wall of the building for decades and gave an incomplete account of the first war-related deaths after the Union invaded Alexandria on May 24, 1861. The marker, posted in 1929 by the Sons and Daughters of Confederate Veterans, memorialized the first Southerner killed by the Union, without saying he had first shot and killed a Northern colonel on the property.

The Alexandria City Council faces another Confederacy-related decision next month, when it is expected to vote on what to rename its portion of Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as U.S. Route 1. A citizens group is pushing for Richmond Highway, as did a plurality of people in a nonscientific, online Washington Post survey last year.

Vice Mayor Justin Wilson (D) said that when Jinks and Silberberg asked the councils opinion about removing the Lee portrait, he suggested replacing it with a rotating display of people from all eras who were important to the city, including people of color.

Ive always been of the opinion . . . that part of the challenge we have is we only tell part of history, and we need a broader portrait and time period, Wilson said.

The oil-on-canvas portrait, painted by George Bagby Matthews in the late 1800s, is now part of a museum exhibit on Alexandria during the Civil War. A label next to the portrait outlines Lees life and quotes him as saying, There is no community to which my affections more strongly cling than that of Alexandria, composed of my earliest and oldest friends, my schoolfellows, and faithful neighbors.


Chimneys remain where homes once stood in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Nov. 13, one month after a deadly wave of wildfires in Northern California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The number of Americans registered for federal disaster aid jumped tenfold this year, costing billions of dollars in additional emergency funding as the nation nears the end of a historically calamitous year.

More than 4.7 million Americans  or about 1.4 percent of the population  have registered so far this year for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In 2016, 480,000 sought aid, and fewer than 180,000 people registered for disaster assistance in each of the three previous years.

Three hurricanes  Harvey, Irma and Maria  collectively affected an area with about 8 percent of the U.S. population. The hurricanes were followed by wildfires that killed 43 people and destroyed more than 7,000 homes here in wine country.

The series of record-setting disasters  combined with other storms, floods, mudslides and blazes that struck communities across the United States this year  have taxed emergency resources and left residents struggling to rebuild their lives long after the floods have receded and the flames have stopped burning.

The fallout will cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, much of it approved by Congress in supplemental spending bills. The White House on Friday asked Congress for an extra $44 billion in disaster relief; FEMA would get the majority of that, and much of the rest would be for a community block grant program.

FEMA has enlisted private phone-bank companies and employees from other federal agencies, including the IRS, to add 3,000 staffers to process disaster claims.

[A few months after Harvey, Houstons long recovery quietly heads inside]

In light of this challenging year of catastrophes, federal emergency officials are calling on Americans to improve their disaster preparedness.

You have to know the hazards and vulnerabilities, and how to be prepared, based on where you work and where you live and where you visit, FEMA Administrator William B. Brock Long said in an interview with The Washington Post.

FEMA has been using satellite imagery and other kinds of remote sensing, along with flooding data and housing records, to help calculate the cost of the damage suffered by disaster survivors. But a dismaying development has slowed these efforts: Identity thieves are filing fraudulent claims.

Hackers have used the names of real victims to divert aid to bogus bank accounts. They struck first in California  filing thousands of fraudulent claims  and the scam spread to other disaster areas, FEMA Region IX Director Bob Fenton told The Post. He said that the agencys inspector general is investigating the fraud and that the legitimate survivors will still get their financial assistance. But thieves already have siphoned away some of the money.

There is funding that has gone out fraudulently to individuals who have committed this, Fenton said.

Nothing left



An aerial view of devastation caused by a wildfire in October in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Here in wine country, a massive effort is underway to deal with the destruction of entire neighborhoods. Under California law, it is not enough to clear the slab that remains of a home. The entire foundation must be ripped up, Fenton said.

Theres no house here thats rebuildable. Theyre destroyed. The temperatures were in excess of 1,300 degrees, he said.

Entire streets look as if they were hit with incendiary bombs. Not much is left but chimneys sticking up like fingers in the wind.

There are moments I feel recovered. But most of the time I still feel shaky, said Manuel Flores, standing in front of the ruins of his home in Coffey Park several weeks after the fire.

Billboards and handmade signs offer encouragement with messages such as Love Is Thicker Than Smoke. The wineries have tried to lure tourists back for fall festivals, assuring them that most of the region was untouched by the fires.

One day recently, Dave Frost, 58, visited his home  what was left of it  off Mark West Springs Road to look for heirloom silver that had belonged to his grandparents.

I think this may be it, he said, holding an elongated, twisted and melted blob that might once have been a clutch of silver utensils.

His insurance company will pay off his mortgage, he said. But there are things he will never recover. Before the fire, he had been curating family photos, digitizing them and had wisely backed them up on a second computer, but he had not saved them to the cloud, and now all the photos were gone, immolated  because hardly anyone imagines a single point of failure of this magnitude.

Everyone knows a house can catch on fire. No one expects this, though  nothing left.

Its just stuff. But a lot of years of stuff. You cant go out and buy photos from 10 and 15 years ago when my kids were growing up.

A few blocks away, Carole Flaherty, 71, was coping with the post-wildfire stress by drawing a picture of the ruins of a fast-food restaurant on the west side of the 101 Freeway. She says her artwork helps her heal from the trauma.

I think it was a Taco Bell, she said of the charred, collapsed structure in front of her.

Actually, it was a McDonalds.

Culture of preparedness



Residents of the Cape Coral Shores memory-care facility in Florida kill time after Hurricane Irma hit in September. A power outage deprived them of TV and radio service. They also had no air conditioning. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

As the government processes claims and helps people rebuild, FEMA officials say the disasters of 2017 should prod everyone to improve their readiness for a bad day. But they know that many people assume that certain hazards do not apply to them.

Long, the FEMA head, has called for a culture of preparedness and says Americans are nowhere close to achieving that.

We have to overcome a lot of myths, he said, and cited the widespread belief that only structures in a flood plain are vulnerable to a flood.

Natural disasters can affect anyone. Here in Santa Rosa, the neighborhood of Coffey Park is nowhere near the wooded, tinder-filled high country where the Tubbs Fire exploded on the night of Oct. 8. But when the wildfire reached the citys outskirts, it jumped the 101 Freeway and incinerated block after block of homes where residents did not imagine they faced a wildfire danger.

[With thousands still in shelters, FEMAs caution about temporary housing hinders hurricane recovery]

Long and other emergency managers talk often of resilience  having contingency plans for when existing systems break down. In Puerto Rico, for example, Hurricane Maria knocked out communications across the island. That set off widespread panic and severely hampered the distribution of emergency supplies. The information blackout was excruciating for family members living off the island, who did not know whether their loved ones had survived.

Such a communications breakdown could happen in any big American city in a natural disaster or terrorist attack, Long said.

That is especially important for families that include children or the elderly. The majority of people killed in the Northern California wildfires last month were elderly. In Florida, 14 elderly people died in a rehabilitation center that lost its air conditioning in a power failure caused by Hurricane Irma in September.

How will you communicate with your child or with the child-care provider when youre miles away at work and not able to get out of an urban area? Long said. We have to start training citizens to ask these questions, and not only with assisted-living facilities, but also schools and day-care providers, and their own workplace.

Long has urged people to create their own rainy day fund, and he says asset poverty remains one of the greatest impediments to true preparedness. A huge percentage of Americans cannot put their hands on $500 in an emergency.

Recovery is even more challenging for undocumented immigrants. That is the case of Charlie and Cristalyn Robles, Santa Rosa residents who found themselves with no house, car or work after the wildfires. They had only the clothes they wore as they fled the fire  heroically saving four elderly people who were in their care.

The Robleses came from the Philippines and found work as the live-in caretakers of elderly, non-ambulatory people in a home on the north side of town. Their household included their son, Yeohan, 7, and Cristalyns mother, Alicia Tanael, 65.

When the fire came on suddenly in the middle of the night, propelled by ferocious winds, each member of the Robles family took responsibility for one of the four elderly people staying that night in the home. Even Yeohan took charge of a wheelchair, pushing it down the street and away from the thickening smoke.

I cant see! I cant breathe! Yeohan shouted.

Youre a brave boy. Just go ahead, his mother said.

With the assistance of strangers, the Robleses managed to get all four of the people to a hospital. That did not end the drama: The hospital had to be evacuated, and Charlie Robles had to carry one of his charges down the stairs. The family ended up in an emergency shelter at the fairgrounds.

Everyone was safe, but the group home was destroyed. The Robleses were out of work, because the people in their care were scattered to other locations. Tanael is a legal resident and has been eligible for food stamps from a federal disaster assistance program.

Weeks after the fire, they told their story in the home of a relative, where they were camping in the living room. And wondering what is next.
People gather at the Rally for the Republic, an event organized by free-speech advocates and conservative groups, in Boston on Saturday. Two counterprotesters were arrested, city police said. (Mark Lorenz/Boston Herald/Associated Press)

MICHIGAN

Catholic Church beatifies U.S. priest

A priest known for his steadfast devotion to the needy moved closer to sainthood Saturday as the Roman Catholic Church beatified Solanus Casey, who is credited with the miraculous cure of a woman with a chronic skin disease.

More than 60,000 people attended a Mass in Ford Field in Detroit, where Casey has an extraordinary following, decades after his death in 1957.

Pope Francis said Casey met the requirements to earn the title of blessed, especially after Paula Medina Zarate of Panama said she was instantly cured while she prayed at his tomb in 2012.

Casey could achieve sainthood if a second miracle is attributed to him. The native of Oak Grove, Wis., joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Detroit in 1897.

 Associated Press

Man pleads guilty to child porn charge: Authorities in New Jersey say a Florida man accused of blackmailing five teenage girls to pose nude and engage in sexual conduct on webcams has pleaded guilty to manufacturing child pornography. New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino says Daniel Derringer III, 28, also pleaded guilty Friday to distributing child pornography and debauching the morals of a child. Derringer faces up to 12 years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 9. Authorities say the former Union City, N.J., resident posed online as a young girl to trick teen girls into exposing themselves on their webcams and threatened to post those images online if the girls did not engage in further sexual conduct.

WWII dead to be buried in Calif.: Two U.S. servicemen whose remains were identified more than six decades after they were killed overseas during World War II will finally get funerals in their California home towns. The Defense Department said Homer Spence, an Army Air Forces first lieutenant, and Frank Masoni, a Marine Reserve assistant cook, will be buried Saturday with military honors. Spence's funeral is in Manteca, and the service for Masoni is in Gilroy.

From news reports
Middle East

Abbas calls closure of D.C. office dangerous

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that he was deeply surprised by a U.S. threat to close the Palestine Liberation Organizations office in Washington unless it enters direct peace negotiations with Israel.

He said that a U.S. decision not to recertify the office of the PLO, the main Palestinian negotiating body, this month was an unprecedented step in the history of U.S.-Palestinian relations, one that has dangerous consequences for peace.

A State Department official said the decision was made because of certain statements made by Palestinian leaders about the ICC, referring to the International Criminal Court. The office could be reopened if after 90 days the president determines the Palestinians have entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel.

Under conditions imposed by Congress, the PLO cannot operate a Washington office if it calls on the ICC to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians. Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly in September, Abbas called for ICC investigations into Israeli aggression.

 Loveday Morris and Carol Morello

TURKEY

U.S. prosecutors come under investigation

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation of two U.S. prosecutors involved in putting a Turkish-Iranian businessman on trial for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, according to Turkeys official news agency.

The Istanbul prosecutors office said it is investigating Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Bhararas successor, acting U.S. attorney Joon H. Kim.

A statement from the Istanbul prosecutors office claimed that the sources of the documents and wiretaps being used as evidence in the U.S. case against gold trader Reza Zarrab were unknown and violated international and domestic laws. The U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.

Zarrab, 34, has been charged in the United States for allegedly evading sanctions on Iran. An executive of Turkeys state-owned bank, Halkbank, also faces charges and is due to appear in court in New York on Nov. 27.

Former Turkish economy minister Zafer Caglayan is also among the nine defendants indicted in the case.

 Associated Press

Sinn Fein leader Adams to step down: Gerry Adams has announced that he plans to step down as leader of Sinn Fein next year. The 69-year-old has been party president of Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland's second-largest party, since 1983. A divisive figure, Adams has been denounced by some as a terrorist while being hailed by others as a peacemaker, known around the world as the face of Ireland's republican movement during its shift from violence to peace. Adams has been accused of being a senior member of the Irish Republican Army, a claim he has long denied.

Ukraine detains suspect in murder of U.S. journalist: Ukraine's intelligence agency has detained a man wanted for the high-profile murder of American journalist Paul Klebnikov in Russia 13 years ago. Klebnikov, the U.S.-born editor of Forbes magazine's Russian edition, was gunned down outside his Moscow office in July 2004. Many people believed the killing was connected to the 41-year-old Klebnikov's work investigating corruption in Russia and the country's shadowy business world. Ukraine's State Security Service said in a statement Saturday that it has detained a Russian man who was wanted for several slayings, including Klebnikov's. The Ukrainian agency did not identify the suspect.

New investigation opened at Vatican's youth seminary: A fresh investigation has been opened into allegations that a future priest had sex with a fellow student when they were teenagers at a youth seminary in Vatican City. The Vatican said there were "signals" starting in 2013, some of them provided anonymously, about the case at St. Pius X Pre-Seminary, which serves middle school and high school students. It said officials at the seminary and the bishop of Como investigated but didn't find "adequate" confirmation. Italian journalists recently reported that the older student was 14 years old when he started demanding sex at night from a 13-year-old. The Vatican says "a new investigation is underway to shed full light on what really happened." Students at St. Pius X serve as altar boys for papal Masses in St. Peter's Basilica.

 From news services
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) says harassment allegations against President Trump concern her and were one reason she did not vote for him in 2016. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) went further Sunday than most of her Republican colleagues in expressing worry about the sexual assault allegations against President Trump, saying they were one of the reasons she did not vote for him.

Those allegations remain very disturbing, Collins said in an interview on ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos. She noted that she did not support Trump in the 2016 campaign in part because of news reports about women accusing him of unwanted touching or kissing. Trump has denied those allegations, which include 12 women detailing incidents that occurred over many years.

With allegations emerging against officials from both political parties, few are like Collins  willing to discuss harassment within their own partys ranks.

Some of the concern involves sexual harassment claims against current and prospective members of Congress, leading to reconsideration of how such allegations are handled on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who has been outspoken in condemning the harassment reporting process in Congress, told CBSs John Dickerson on Sunday that the nation is experiencing a huge cultural shift when it comes to addressing sexual harassment.

If Trump were running today, she said, I bet he would not be elected.

But when asked how this changed standard might apply to former Democratic president Bill Clinton, Speier was less candid. She said that Clintons accusers were not treated as they should have been but did not go so far as to criticize Clinton.

Days earlier, a fellow Democrat, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), told the New York Times that Clinton should have resigned during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Few other members of her party have taken that position.

Similarly, Republicans have dodged questions about the accusations against Trump.

On NBCs Meet the Press, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said voters had made their judgment about the president.

Whatever they had to say, people heard that and they elected President Trump president of the United States, he said.

Within Congress, many female members say sexual harassment is pervasive. Speier and others have described unnamed male members exposing themselves to staff members and groping women on the House floor. During a hearing Tuesday, Speier said she knows two members of Congress  a Democrat and a Republican  who have sexually harassed women but have not been subject to review.

Just one accuser has named names: Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden said Thursday that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) forcibly kissed and groped her a decade ago, before he was elected. Franken apologized and said that he would gladly cooperate with an investigation by the Senates Ethics Committee.

That same day, Trump took to Twitter to condemn the Democratic senator.

That put White House officials in the awkward position of explaining why Trump quickly addressed the claim against Franken but not the allegations against Roy Moore, Alabamas Republican candidate for Senate. Nine women have accused Moore of a range of inappropriate conduct, including pursuing them when they were teenagers, groping and assault. The White House has not joined Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), in calling for Moore to withdraw from the race.

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told NBCs Andrea Mitchell on Sunday that the president criticized Franken because the senator admitted wrongdoing. Moore has denied the allegations against him.

Do you believe that the women who have come out against Roy Moore are credible? Mitchell asked.

I believe theyre credible. I dont know who to believe, Mulvaney said.

But if theyre credible, why wouldnt you believe them? Mitchell pressed him.

They went back and forth for several minutes. Eventually Mulvaney said, Folks who vote in the Alabama election can ultimately decide.

As for Franken, his behavior garnered widespread condemnation in Congress, but so far, no calls to immediately resign. Several members said Sunday that they thought an ethics investigation was the right way to handle the case.

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), who was among the first women in the House to call for Moore to step aside, went furthest. On Sunday, she told Mitchell that she still hopes Moore will do that and do the right thing. . . . For that matter, Al Franken can go hit the door with him.

Although the Senate has the authority to kick out members, that hasnt happened since the Civil War.

But Speier and others say that the procedures for handling misconduct in Congress are in desperate need of an overhaul.

On Sunday, Speier called the congressional Office of Compliance an enabler when it comes to sexual harassment. Settlement payments in cases of workplace violations come out of a special U.S. Treasury fund rather than from the accused members office.

We have a system in place that allows for the harasser to go unchecked, she said on Face the Nation.

On Meet the Press, Blunt also criticized the system as totally inappropriate, noting that the rules require congressional employees to go through months of counseling and a mediation process before filing a sexual harassment complaint.

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill requiring members and staff to undergo training to prevent sexual misconduct.

There wasnt even the kind of training  training is the wrong word for it  exposure to what sexual harassment is that is required in the federal sector and the private sector, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) told Stephanopoulos. I am convinced that many women even may not understand what some unwelcome advances are. And that they dont have to welcome them, or they can turn them away.


Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, left, welcomes Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch for a speech at the Federalist Society's 2017 National Lawyers Convention in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. (Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP)

The first time the Trump campaign talked with officials of The Federalist Society about judicial nominations, White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn II told the conservative legal groups annual conclave Friday night, McGahn said the campaign was going to come up with two lists.

The first would be filled with the names of mainstream folks who would have no trouble winning confirmation. The second would be those considered too hot for prime time . . . the kind of people who make some people nervous.

The first list, McGahn joked, would be thrown in the trash.

The second is who were going to put before the U.S. Senate because I know Leader McConnell is going to get it done, McGahn said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

It was a prank, McGahn said later. But the reality is that the cooperation between President Trump, McConnell and The Federalist Society has paid dividends for the conservative legal movement.

McConnell refused to hold a Senate confirmation hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obamas nominee to fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Ultimately, this kept the spot open for President Trumps nominee, Neil M. Gorsuch, and fortified the courts conservative majority.

[Gorsuch thank you tour raises questions about independence]

With Senate Republicans also refusing during the previous administration to act on openings in the lower courts, the number of vacancies that was on the table when the president was sworn in was unprecedented, McGahn said. He praised the courage that Mitch McConnell showed to make that happen.

McGahn said the Trump administration would not waste the opportunity to stock the federal judiciary with judges who take an originalist approach to constitutional interpretation and also abide closely to the text of statutes.

This administrations mandate on judicial selections is crystal clear: Choose judges in the mold of Justice Scalia, Justice [Clarence] Thomas and now Justice Gorsuch, McGahn said.

McGahn did not mention the other GOP-appointed members of the Supreme Court  Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose rulings have made them suspect in the eyes of some conservatives, and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Alito is a Federalist Society favorite, but he does not identify as an originalist  one who believes the first rule of constitutional interpretation is how the text was understood at the time of its enactment.

Gorsuch, who received long, standing ovations Friday night, was the featured attraction of the black-tie gala. Tonight I can report, a person can be both a committed originalist and textualist and be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, Gorsuch said.

Gorsuch was confirmed in April after McConnell did away with a Senate filibuster option that would have given Senate Democrats a way to derail his nomination. Originalism has regained its place, and textualism has triumphed, and neither is going anywhere on my watch, Gorsuch said.

Gorsuch mentioned somewhat obliquely a case he heard that relied on a textual reading of a statute in a decision that drew stinging criticism from Democrats and others at his confirmation hearings. In the frozen trucker case, Gorsuch dissented from previous court rulings that protected a truck driver who had decoupled his broken-down trailer and driven away in his truck cab out of fear he might freeze to death on the side of the road.

The law protected workers who refuse to operate a vehicle because of safety concerns, Gorsuch said, but the driver had clearly operated the truck by driving away in search of shelter.

Judicial modesty, Gorsuch said, requires judges to abide by the literal words of a law even if that means failing to provide the protection Congress probably intended to provide.

One, the law is telling me to do something really, really stupid, he said. Two, the law is constitutional, and I have no choice but to do that really stupid thing the law requires. And three, when its done, everyone whos not a lawyer is going to think I just hate truckers.

McGahn said he had not seen a presidential election in his lifetime turn so clearly on the issue of the Supreme Court and federal judges. To that end, the White House just before McGahns speech refreshed its list of those who would be considered for a Supreme Court opening should one arise.

The Federalist Society and its executive vice president, Leonard Leo, have played a large role in recommending and vetting candidates for the Supreme Court and other federal judgeships. Gorsuch and McGahn mocked concern about its influence.

If the group wants to keep its role as a secretive behind-the-scenes power, Gorsuch joked, maybe dont hold meetings in the middle of Union Station and then tell everyone to wear black-tie.

McGahn said it is completely false that the White House has outsourced the selection of federal judges to the organization.

Its not even necessary, he said. Ive been a member of the Federalist Society since law school  still am, he said. So frankly, it seems like its been in-sourced.
For decades, the battle lines in New England's most politically conservative state were clear. Republicans ran on tax cuts. Democrats ran on targeted tax credits. Both parties kept New Hampshire free of a state income or sales tax, blurring some distinctions for suburban voters.

Then came the Republican tax plan in Congress.

Do you think its right to raise taxes on millions of hard-working Americans? asked Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) at a Friday night Democratic fundraiser. Do you want to risk a $25 billion yearly cut to Medicare to give the wealthiest few a tax cut?

The crowd of about 600 Democrats bellowed no, still shocked by the partys recent political gains. Coming off Election Day wins from Seattle to Long Island, Democrats are starting to see the shape of a new majority, built on a potential suburban backlash to changes in the tax code.

Its incredible, said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a vice chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who has helped the party recruit candidates in suburban districts on the West Coast. I dont understand why they think raising taxes on the middle class to benefit the rich would be better for them electorally than doing nothing at all.



Sen. Maggie Hassan D-N.H.), accompanied by Sen. Maria Cantwell D-Wash.), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer D-N.Y.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar D-Minn.), speaks with reporters following the party luncheons Tuesday on Capitol Hill. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters)

Republicans have accused the minority party in Congress of demagoguery and bad math. In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has praised the House tax plan for doubling the standard deduction and retaining a property-tax exemption, albeit with a $10,000 cap. Democrats have falsely claimed that the bill would raise taxes on most working-class families  only 6.5 percent of lower-income households would take a direct hit, though many taxpayers making less than $100,000 would get little.

Yet Democratic wins, and polling about the tax bill, has led the party to think that it can cleave millions of voters from the GOP.

In a column for the conservative news website Newsmax this past week, pollsters John and Jim McLaughlin wrote that voters generally approved of "President Trump's plan to cut taxes," but opposed the elimination of deductions for state and local taxes  an idea that was "driving disapproval" for whatever Republicans proposed.

We have polled for 21 currently sitting House Republican members, the McLaughlins wrote. Many of these members are in hard-fought battleground districts which would see a tax increase if the state and local deduction was eliminated. We helped them get elected and want to make their re-election easier, not harder.

Thursdays tax vote in the House revealed who some of those members were, many from California, New Jersey and New York. In statements, they echoed Democrats in predicting that the bill would hurt the middle class.

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, said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who represents a prosperous stretch of the Southern California coastline.

Thirteen Republicans opposed the House bill  enough for easy passage, but a sea change in tax-cut politics. The 2001 Bush tax cuts, the closet comparison with the current bill, won unanimous support from House Republicans and 13 votes from Democrats. No Democrat voted for the Republicans tax bill last week.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who had warned in 2016 that Hillary Clinton would lose Michigan in the presidential election, said the tax bill would reverse Republicans gains. She compared the vote to Democrats 1993 passage of a tax hike package, which Republicans unanimously opposed while chanting bye-bye to Marjorie Margolies, a suburban Philadelphia Democrat who cast the bills deciding vote.

The Republicans are going to pay a real price, Dingell said. Margie voted for that knowing she was going to lose. I dont think they know theyre going to lose. I dont think they realize this is going to cost them those seats in the suburbs.

Democrats like Dingell paid close attention on Nov. 7. In even high-tax areas, such as New Yorks Westchester County, Republican promises of tax relief fell flat. In New Jersey, where Gov.-elect Phil Murphy (D) won easily, his Republican opponent came out loudly against the GOPs tax bill.

In Virginia, where the partys bigger-than-expected wave swept out suburban Republican legislators, GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie pitched a 10 percent across-the-board cut in state tax rates, with $1,285 in relief for the average family of four  $103 more than the cut promised by Republicans in Congress. But according to Geoff Garin, the pollster for Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northams campaign, the tax plan was a flop in the suburbs, which is why Gillespie pivoted  also ineffectively  to attacks on cultural issues.

First, there simply were not that many suburban voters who felt aggrieved by the amount they are paying in state income taxes, Garin said. Second, suburban voters quickly saw Gillespies proposed cuts as a dangerous gimmick, and the first question they had about his plan was what programs would have to be cut to pay for it.

In New Hampshire, Democrats saw the same Republican swoon. In 2017 special elections, Democrats won four state legislative races in Republican-held districts. Just as telling was where they did it  Republican-leaning suburbs of Manchester, and in the vacation area around Lake Winnipesaukee.

Those wins continued on Nov. 7, when Democrats took over Manchesters city hall for the first time since George W. Bushs presidency and made gains in large towns closer to high-tax Massachusetts. In Nashua, sweet Nashua, we pulled off a clean sweep, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley said at the partys dinner.

In an interview, Buckley said that many of the gains had come from ramped-up Democratic enthusiasm. The Manchester race had attracted 236 full-time volunteers, more than three times as many as Mayor-elect Joyce Craigs first bid in 2015.

Thereve been years where weve had to get volunteers from Massachusetts, he said, laughing.

The tax cut, Buckley argued, would help Democrats more than the party that actually wanted to pass it. A University of New Hampshire poll released Nov. 14 found the tax plan already underwater, with just 39 percent of voters in favor of it. A majority of New Hampshire voters supported the proposal's expanded child tax credit, but just 35 percent favored its reduction in corporate taxes, which Republicans have described for months as a job creator. But the talk of changes to state tax deductions overwhelmed all.

A lot of people here work in Massachusetts and pay some of those taxes, said Chris Pappas, a member of the states Executive Council whos now running for the Manchester-based 1st Congressional District. Theyre going to get whacked if they cut the state and local tax deduction.

Democratic confidence about fighting the tax cuts has also been bolstered by experience in recent years. In 2009, the party passed a stimulus package with little Republican support, and it waited for voters to appreciate its payroll tax and alternative minimum tax cuts. In a sluggish 2010 economy, Democrats were blown away, with voters largely unaware of minor changes to their taxes.

The unpopularity of 2017s tax cuts has sent Democrats back to a playbook that Republicans used effectively in 2010  warnings that Washington was going to pile up debt to redistribute money away from the people who needed it. At the New Hampshire dinner, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who just months earlier had warned his party not to rule out a tax plan, described a Republican Party that would put suburban and working-class taxpayers in hock.

Theyre going to go to the Chinese banks, the Chinese government, borrow $2.5 trillion, and give it away to the wealthiest people in our country, Ryan said.

Hassan hit on similar populist themes. The plan, she said, would not only cut health-care spending  the Senates version includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Acts insurance mandate  but also penalize small businesses.

Under this proposal there will be a real incentive to keep manufacturing overseas, Hassan said. She was quoting a colleague, she explained: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), one of the Republicans who was making the bill easy to oppose.

Read more at PowerPost
The synagogue is hidden in a parking garage.

Outside, a police guard. Inside, a woman rabbi  one of only three in France  and a growing liberal congregation.

In a country where official Jewish life is overwhelmingly Orthodox, Delphine Horvilleur is something of a scandal, a married mother of three who defies centuries of gender norms in a manicured corner of French public life. A cause celebre, she remains unrecognized by Frances central Jewish authority. Extremists regularly threaten her on social media.

But what is perhaps most scandalous about "Madame le Rabbin," as she is often called, transcends Jewish politics. Unlike the United States, France is a staunchly secular country that expressly bans religion from public life. In violation of that long-standing separation, Horvilleur is insisting that religion should play a role in this Western society, which is struggling with religious fundamentalism, both foreign and homegrown.

[In France, a 1961 massacre looms large behind a controversial new law]

So many here have the impression that when people want to express their religion, its just that we want halal meats or that we dont want exams on Shabbat. But its not that at all, she said, sipping green tea in the cafe beneath her daughters dance studio. People are in search of a dialogue with their personal identities and how they relate to their identities as a citizen.

Somewhat distinctly, France expects its citizens to bracket their affiliations with any particular identity group in favor of the Republic, an abstract community of equal citizens who bear no difference from one another, at least in theory. To that end, the state refuses to collect data on race, ethnicity or religion  categories that, officially, are not supposed to exist.

Horvilleur takes issue with this line, and her argument is that one can easily be French as well as something else. Im Jewish, yes, but Im not just Jewish  Im French, a woman, a mother, many things. Whenever I say that, people always tell me, Ah, what courage! And that just shows you how much work there is to do.

This month, Horvilleur published a book  "1,001 Ways of Being Jewish or Muslim"  with Rachid Benzine, one of France's most prominent advocates for a liberal, progressive Islam. The book is a defense of the plurality of religious identity, and a call to reclaim religions from leaders who "favor the return of obscurantisms, an isolation from the rest of the world and a rejection  sometimes deadly  of 'others.' "

In France, where more than 200 people have been killed in the past two years in terrorist attacks linked to or inspired by the Islamic State, the question of Islamist extremism is a mainstay of public debate. But obscurantism is not the exclusive province of conservative Islam, Horvilleur has argued. French Judaism is in dire need of a liberal renewal, she insists.

"For many years in France, there has been a rise in religious orthodoxy manifested in many ways. It goes in the same direction as the increase in religious practice we can see in the Muslim world," said Alain Granat, a journalist and the founding editor of "Jewpop," a popular website devoted to encouraging liberal interpretations of Judaism.

As it has elsewhere in Europe, the ultra-Orthodox Chabad movement has been successful in France in recent years, with more than 100 centers scattered across the country.

[French Jews: The first victims in a France where everyone is now in the crosshairs]

France is home to Europe's largest Jewish community, a group that, since the age of Napoleon, has been represented by the centralized, state-

sanctioned authority of a "grand rabbi." That authority, known as the Central Consistory, is deeply rooted in the Orthodox tradition and what Horvilleur calls "an obsession with rites and exclusive rituals." She said that although the constant presence of anti-Semitic violence in France explains this desire for "separation," the emphasis on strict interpretations of Jewish law "does not make our task easier  of opening, not closing, the door."

According to Granat, France's Jewish population could be even bigger if, for instance, more-

liberal notions of Jewish identity were accepted. Although in recent years the Consistory has shown signs of changing, it still mainly adheres to Orthodox definitions of who belongs: those with Jewish mothers, or those who have formally converted to Orthodox Judaism.

There is also the perception among liberals such as Horvilleur that the Consistory follows Israel's religious right too closely. In September, for instance, the Consistory invited Shlomo Amar, Jerusalem's controversial Sephardic chief rabbi, to speak in one of the most prominent Paris synagogues. Amar had previously argued that Reform Jews "deny more than Holocaust deniers" and called homosexuality an "abomination."

This for me was a violation of all that Franco-Judaism should stand for, as well as the Republic. Homophobia should not be allowed, Horvilleur said. Consistory officials did not respond to requests for comment.

A majority of Jews in France  and I see this on social networks  do not feel represented at all, Granat said. What should define a French Jew? This is a very broad question, because there are 10,000 ways to think of yourself as Jewish.

Horvilleur grew up in France in the Orthodox tradition and entered the rabbinate after stints in medicine and journalism. Although she had long been interested in Judaism and its philosophy, the idea came only after she arrived in New York in the early 2000s to study at Hebrew Union College. I met people there who told me that the rabbinate was an option for me, she said. At the time it seemed like a joke. To date, French Jewish authorities will not ordain women rabbis.

To American Jews, the majority of whom belong to the more liberal Reform or Conservative movements, little about her synagogue would seem surprising, Horvilleur said. She welcomes those with Jewish fathers and those who identify as LGBT, and she encourages community service in the name of Jewish values. Hers is also one of the few synagogues in France where girls are allowed to have bat mitzvahs, a coming-of-age ceremony after which a young person can fully participate in all aspects of communal life.

Horvilleurs congregation, the western Paris branch of what is officially called the Liberal Jewish Movement of France (MLJF), has about 1,200 members, she said. The movement has another synagogue of comparable size on the western side of the city. During the autumn Jewish High Holidays, the organization in recent years has had to rent massive concert halls in central Paris to accommodate all of the worshipers who register.

The [liberal Jewish movement] has grown exponentially, said Martine Cohen, a Paris-based sociologist and expert on the history of Franco-Judaism. There is clearly a public that doesnt march in the streets, and that isnt even visibly public. They seem to see these more liberal synagogues as the place to renew Jewish life in an intellectual and philosophical way.

Its as if religion is a museum, or  as we say in France, a madeleine of Proust, Horvilleur said. Theres so much nostalgia for a pure past that never actually existed. Our goal is to reenter into history  to say, We are what we are, but our texts, our beliefs, they are not locked in a box. 

Read more

The world-famous Louvre museum starts a lucrative new chapter in Abu Dhabi

In Europe, Manhattan attack underscores challenges to balance security and city life

In France, the murder of a Jewish woman ignites a debate over terrorism

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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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 []
Zimbabweans watched in disbelief Sunday as President Robert Mugabe, who they thought was going to resign, instead delivered a meandering speech on state television that made clear the 93-year-old leader has no plans to leave power.

In less than a week, Mugabe has survived both a military takeover and the largest public protests in the countrys history, reaffirming his uncanny ability to navigate the political tides.

Mugabe said the criticisms leveled against his government were inescapable. But he suggested that he could make the necessary reforms to satisfy his critics, a doubtful contention given the overwhelming opposition to his rule. That opposition was underscored Sunday, hours before his speech, when his own party dismissed him as leader. The party, ZANU-PF, also told Mugabe that he must resign by noon Monday or face impeachment proceedings.

Those actions, unimaginable only a week ago, added to the groundswell of public support for the ejection of the worlds oldest head of state.

He is senile and obviously his faculties were beginning to deteriorate, said Christopher Mutsvangwa, a member of the ZANU-PF central committee, which voted to oust Mugabe from the party.

Mugabe was placed under house arrest by the military Tuesday, though the generals insisted they werent conducting a coup. Huge protests followed, and it seemed by Sunday evening that events would finally bring about Mugabes resignation. The state broadcaster announced that he would address the nation. Zimbabweans gathered by their televisions. Some news outlets reported that he was about to resign. People discussed how they would celebrate the beginning of a new era.

But Mugabe did not resign. He spoke obliquely about the countrys economic challenges and disaffection with some of his partys rules and procedures. He said those matters would be settled and discussed at next months party congress.

It was a speech that prompted the same questions about Mugabe that Zimbabweans have asked for years. Was he showing signs of senility? Or was he displaying the same shrewd, stubborn ability to defy his critics that has kept him afloat for decades?

It was proof of his psychotic obsession with power, said Fadzayi Mahere, a lawyer and politician. We must never put ourselves in this place as a nation ever again.

Now, Mugabes critics are trying to sort out another way to unseat him. While the partys vote against him is a sign of its opposition, it does not have any immediate effect on Mugabes position as president. The party leaders have control only over their ranks and cannot influence the composition of Zimbabwes government.

Impeachment proceedings in parliament appear the most likely way forward, but they could take weeks, according to Zimbabwean legal experts, and would leave the country with a power vacuum in the interim.

This is not instant coffee, said Tendai Biti, a lawyer and opposition member. We cant sacrifice our constitution to get what we want.

1 of 69 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  The scene in Zimbabwe as Mugabe resigns as president after 37 years View Photos Robert Mugabe?s exit, which was announced by the speaker of parliament, marked the end of a tumultuous reign that lasted from Zimbabwe?s independence through economic collapse. Former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as the new president Friday. Caption Robert Mugabe?s exit, which was announced by the speaker of parliament, marked the end of a tumultuous reign that lasted from Zimbabwe?s independence through economic collapse. Former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as the new president Friday. Ben Curtis Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

The chief whip of the ruling party, Lovemore Matuke, said impeachment proceedings would start Tuesday. After 37 years in power, Mugabe is now technically a leader without a party, his closest allies having been detained by the military.

It is possible that the military will now move to oust Mugabe by force, but so far its commanders have gone out of their way to accommodate him, still referring to him as their commander in chief. In a picture taken Sunday and released by the state-owned newspaper, a general saluted Mugabe while the president stood behind his desk, one of many signs that Zimbabwe was hardly undergoing a textbook coup.

The military commanders have appeared intent on giving the public impression that they are not conducting a coup  probably to preserve the veneer of legitimacy that would sustain their relationship with the international community. In its bylaws, the regional bloc of southern African nations includes strong language against coups.

Even though Mugabes rule for years was above the law, many members of Zimbabwes opposition have shown enormous respect for the countrys constitution.

If the military had run roughshod, it would have lost the support of the people, Mahere said.

[Zimbabwes military is discovering it may not be so easy to remove Mugabe]

During Sundays meeting, the central committee of ZANU-PF, the ruling party, voted to replace Mugabe with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and expelled Mugabes once-powerful wife, Grace, from its ranks. The committee was composed of Mugabes rivals, some of whom had been forced from ZANU-PF months or years ago.

[Zimbabwe seized white farmers land. Now some are being invited back.]

Until Sunday, Zimbabweans had united behind the militarys actions, an unpredictable turn of events in a country where security forces have for years cracked down on political dissent.

Zimbabwes army is the voice of the people, one popular sign read.

By the time a protest march on Saturday was over, signs for Robert Mugabe Road had been trampled.

On Sunday morning, when members of ZANU-PF arrived at the party headquarters in downtown Harare, they saw that a billboard bearing Mugabes face had been vandalized, a hole sliced through the center.

Read more:

For 5,000 Somali refugees, a Canadian scholarship was the only way out.

They were rescued from war. Now South Sudans child soldiers are going back.

Its been 50 years since Britain left. Why are so many Africa judges still wearing wigs?

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Opinion

The Last Verse Trampled by Turtles embody the spirit of Americana on the album Alpenglow
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/11/2017 (1823 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Melissa Winter clutches a letter from her 17-year-old daughter, Jaedra. She found the handwritten note, along with three others, on Jaedras bed the night she took her own life.

Jaedra addressed the letter to her doctors. It criticizes the quality of Manitobas youth mental-health care.

Recently, I said to a psychiatrist that I need meds and that they should try to discover whats wrong, Jaedra wrote. He said, No, I dont think you need them. Didnt even try to check to see how my brain was feeling or working. So here is to prove a point. Get better doctors and people who are actually willing to help.

The treatment we have for suicidal people in the health system is abysmal. There is no suicide-specific treatment in Manitoba. Imagine if you walked into the emergency room with a broken bone and they said, Sorry, we dont have any treatments for broken bones Dr. James Bolton

Photos of Jaedra  two of her smiling on a Florida beach and another with flowers weaved in her hair  are scattered about Winters living room.

There were no signs Jaedra was suicidal, Winter says. She wore the mask: she was bubbly and happy all the time. She loved everyone but herself.

Jaedra tried to end her life four times in 21/2 years. The first time she attempted suicide, Winter took her to Health Sciences Centre emergency room at 8 p.m. on a Friday. They waited seven hours to be admitted to the adolescent psychiatric unit, only to find there were no psychiatrists available on weekends.

Jaedra was never diagnosed with a mental disorder, and received little therapy. Winter says the family could not afford private care, and long-term in-patient treatment does not exist for youth. After being released from the hospital, it took a month and a half for Jaedra to see her psychiatrist again. Winter says she slept in the same bed as her daughter and watched her like a hawk.

After Jaedras second and third attempts, Winter demanded better services from Health Sciences Centre. They did family counselling, and Jaedra attended outpatient therapy sessions. But it was not enough.

By June 2015, she had killed herself, Winter says. They tell you theres help out there, but where is it? They kept saying to me, Once youre out of the hospital, were going to set you up with all these supports, but nothing ever happened.

According to a report published in July  titled Toward Quality Mental Health Services in Canada  Manitoba has the highest youth suicide rate in the country, with about 18 attempts per 1,000 teens.

Dr. James Bolton, medical director of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority crisis response centre, assisted with the study that compared services in five Canadian provinces: Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. The report used health data, including documented suicide attempts, hospital discharges and physician followup rates, to analyze the state of Canadas mental-health system.

The overall message is youth with mental illness and addiction in Manitoba are not doing well, Dr. Bolton says. The report encourages not just the health system, but also policy makers and politicians, to say, This is a real problem we need to focus on.

Finland faced a suicide epidemic among young men in the early 1990s. In response to the rising attempt rates, the country implemented a new prevention program, slowly over a decade. The government, schools, churches, defence forces, welfare organizations and mental-health professionals worked together to develop supports across all community sectors. Followup care and communication between patients, their family and health-care professionals were also improved. The overall suicide rate in Finland fell by 25.8 per cent between 2000 and 2011, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Bolton says the Finnish model is one Manitoba could use as an example.

They had to go across a variety of domains, and thats what makes a suicide-prevention strategy work, Bolton says. Youre not just targeting health, especially when it comes to young people. You have to target all areas that intersect with their lives, like religion, school and friend networks.

Bolton says looking at the services other Canadian provinces have could also help Manitoba improve youth mental-health supports. Quebec, for instance, cut its suicide rate in half after introducing its own prevention strategy in 1999.

The treatment we have for suicidal people in the health system is abysmal, Bolton says.

There is no suicide-specific treatment in Manitoba. Imagine if you walked into the emergency room with a broken bone and they said, Sorry, we dont have any treatments for broken bones.

Outi Ruishalme, director of the SOS Crisis Centre at The Finnish Association for Mental Health, says Finland still has a long way to go.

We still have over 700 suicides each year, but the project was a success because professionals learned to pay attention to depression, Ruishalme said in an email. It also proved people in crisis need help early on.

Ruishalme says the country implemented mental-health skills training in elementary school curricula in 2016. There are also targeted youth programs, including bullying education and child-welfare clinics.

We currently have a project going on, applying the attempted suicide short intervention program developed in Switzerland to Finland, Ruishalme says. They had a two-year followup with good results, which means their suicide attempts decreased remarkably.

Finland is not the only country to reduce suicide rates. Twenty-eight others have a national suicide-prevention strategy, and 13 are developing one, according to the World Health Organization. Canada is not part of this.

Melissa Winter knows changes to Manitobas youth mental-health system will not bring back Jaedra. She does, however, believe they could prevent another family from experiencing the same loss.

Its been two years, but it still feels like it happened two months ago, Winter says.

Its doesnt get easier; it just gets more real.

Kelsey James is a senior journalism student in the creative communications program at Red River College in Winnipeg. This article was a product of a feature writing assignment.

kjames37@Academic.RRC.CA
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/11/2017 (1823 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Space-age shimmy

Shake off the scarves and snowpants with a family-friendly dance party at The Good Will Social Club (625 Portage Ave.) today from 1 to 5 p.m. DJ Mama Cutsworth is spinning space-themed tunes this time around  think Space Oddity, Shining Star and Intergalactic. Kids need to come with their parents or legal guardians, costumes are encouraged.

Staged sports

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Hiromi Omura as Cio-Cio-San and David Pomeroy as B.F. Pinkerton in the Manitoba Operas Madama Butterfly.

Packed with all the drama of the theatre and competition of live sports, Winnipegs improv community is putting on a free monthly showcase called Theatresports. This months iteration features four teams battling for stage supremacy with live music from Simon King. Head down to Wee Johnnys Irish Pub (177 McDermot Ave.) at 8 p.m. to take in all the action.

Two nights at the opera

The Manitoba Opera is staging two performances of Madama Butterfly on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Centennial Concert Hall. The story follows a Japanese woman whos abandoned by her American naval-officer husband. The Winnipeg adaptation will be performed in Italian with projected English translations. For ticket information, visit centennialconcerthall.com.

Spoken words

The Uniter Speaker Series is back Wednesday with author Robyn Maynard. Shell discuss her latest book, Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, which traces the violent realities of anti-blackness from the slave ships to prisons, classrooms and beyond. The free event at the West End Cultural Centre (586 Ellice Ave.) is open to all ages. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

Fairy-tale flashback

A nostalgic holiday favourite is back at the Childrens Museum (45 Forks Market Rd.) with a special showing for seniors Thursday. Starring the likes of Cinderella, Humpty Dumpty and the Three Blind Mice, Eatons fifteen fairytale vignettes are up until Jan. 7. On Thursday, the museum will host special holiday teas for seniors. To book a tea time, call (204) 924-4005 or visit childrensmuseum.com.

Friday night lights

Friday night, the Winnipeg Planetarium is hosting a star party. Local synth-soul act ATLAAS is releasing a self-titled EP. An hour before the concert at 8 p.m.  which will combine music with lights, projections and visual art  there will be a reception in the Science Gallery. Tickets are $20 at Music Trader (97 Osborne St.) and on universe.com.

Gift shopping galore

Diehard shoppers probably have this day circled on their calendars already  at least 10 craft sales are scheduled for Saturday. Third and Bird has its Christmas market at the Bay downtown from 10 a.m.  5 p.m. The Half Moon Market takes place at the Kings Head Pub (120 King St.) from 11 a.m.  7 p.m. and Signatures Craft Show is at the RBC Convention Centre from 10 a.m.  6 p.m. For a more exhaustive list, visit manitobahot.com.
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 []
Should he stay or should he go? Hollywood, never as monolithic as Fox News viewers believe, certainly has reached no consensus on Al Franken, the Saturday Night Live veteran turned Minnesota senator.

Zero tolerance, tweets Alyssa Milano, firmly in the he-needs-to-go camp. On the other side: He made a mistake, said Chelsea Handler, agreeing with a Franken-supporting Bill Maher on last nights Real Time With Bill Maher. Hes not a predator.

Maher neatly summed up the anti-resignation argument: He did a bad thing and the condemnation has been universal, which he deserves. What he doesnt deserve is to be lumped in with Roy Moore. Or Kevin Space. Or Harvey Weinstein. Or Donald Trump, who calls his accusers liars, threatens to sue them, did long riffs at his rallies where he said they were too ugly for him to assault.

But with calls for Frankens resignation coming from Republicans and some Democrats  including two candidates for governor of Frankens state  the topic of Frankens suitability for office remained a hot topic on cable news all day.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

Now, at least two of Frankens former SNL cohorts are wading in, both supporting their old colleague. Jane Curtin tells The New York Times today that shes upset about this atmosphere and good people being dragged into it.

Curtin, one of the original Not Ready For Prime-Time Players, said the longtime SNL writer and featured player was a powerful ally of the shows female writers and performers.

If he did that, Curtin said of Leeann Tweedens allegations, thats really stupid, but I have never seen him in a situation where he has been sexually aggressive with anybody.

Also today, Curtins SNL castmate Laraine Newman retweeted two posts supporting Franken. Newman first retweeted a Washington Post column by Feminasty podcaster Kate Harding that begins, Im a feminist. I study rape culture. And I dont want Al Franken to resign. Laurie Zaks, the president of Mandeville TV and former executive producer of Castle, retweeted the same column.

Story continues

Newman then retweeted a WaPo article about former female staffers of Franken who issued a statement in support of the senator that noted He treated us with the utmost respect.

Perspective | I'm a feminist. I study rape culture. And I don't want Al Franken to resign. https://t.co/y0Jgq1jUMo  Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) November 18, 2017

Former Franken female staffers speak out: He treated us with the utmost respect https://t.co/WCOaYCIDAx  Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) November 18, 2017

Another former SNL cast member, Rob Schneider (who recently said he too had been sexually harassed by a director), is in Frankens corner. Ive known @alfranken for over 27 years, I disagree with him on a lot of stuff, but he is not and has never been a sexual harasser.

I've known @alfranken for over 27 years, I disagree with him on a lot of stuff, but he is not and has never been a sexual harasser.  Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) November 17, 2017

Mike Shoemaker, Late Night With Seth Meyers producer, called the Franken photo inexcusable, but called his friend a good man and a great senator:

Been friends with @AlFranken since 1986. He's made countless crude inappropriate jokes. That picture is inexcusable and it's good that people were outraged.

BUT his apology was exemplary and he is a good man and a great senator.

Admire the people who admit when they're wrong.  Mike Shoemaker (@shoemakermike) November 18, 2017

Actor Terry Crews, who has also gone public with a harassment accusation, insists Franken be held accountable.

Zero tolerance. If we dont hold all accountable for horrible behavior  nothing changes. Sorry, @SenAlFranken you should not be in a position to represent the female constituents in your state. https://t.co/MrJi7QKCu1  Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) November 16, 2017

And finally, Bette Midler tells Franken  and men in general  to step outta the way and let women show you how to behave honorably!

Al? Franken??! Men have dropped their balls! Step outta the way and let women show you how you how to behave honorably! Vote for women!!  Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) November 17, 2017

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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.




Music mogul Russell Simmons has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in 1991 as movie producer Brett Ratner allegedly watched and did nothing to help.

The allegations, published in The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, come a little more than a week after it was reported that both Simmons and Ratner were investigated by the Beverly Hills Police Department for a similar incident in 2001. It also follows at least eight women recently accusing Ratner of sexual assault.

Keri Claussen Khalighi, a fashion model at the time of the alleged 1991 incident, told the Times she met Simmons at a casting call. At some later point, she said she had gone back to Simmons New York apartment to watch a music video the men were working on. There, she said, her clothes were yanked off and Simmons made unwanted sexual advances.

Russell Simmons (left) has been accused of forcing himself on a 17-year-old model and sexually assaulting her while Brett Ratner watched. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/VF13 via Getty Images)

I looked over at Brett and said, Help me, and Ill never forget the look on his face, she told the Times. In that moment, the realization fell on me that they were in it together.

Khalighi said Simmons tried to force her to have intercourse but she refused and acquiesced to perform oral sex instead. Ratner, she said, just sat there and watched.

She said that while taking a shower afterward Simmons came up behind her and briefly penetrated her without her consent. She jerked away from him and he left, she said.

Both men were investigated in 2001 for sexual battery by Beverly Hills Police following a report by a 29-year-old woman. No charges were filed. (Photo: John Shearer via Getty Images)

Both men, in statements to the Times, denied that anything happened with Khalighi without her consent. An attorney for Ratner also disputed her asking him for help or that he saw her protest.

I know Keri Claussen Khalighi and remember the weekend in 1991 that she has referenced. Everything that happened between us 26 years ago was completely consensual and with Keris full participation, Simmons said in a statement posted to Facebook Sunday morning. I completely and unequivocally deny the horrendous allegations of non-consensual sex against me with every fiber of my being.

Statement of Russell Simmons in Response to LA Times Article. pic.twitter.com/iwT7Wy3SoY  Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) November 19, 2017

Simmons attorney also released statements by three individuals who say they saw Khalighi with Simmons at his New York home during the 1991 weekend but said she never appeared in distress or held against her will. Two of the three statements were made anonymously. Simmons former assistant Anthony Mac McNair offered the third.

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Shortly after the allegations against Simmons were published, actor Terry Crews, who has accused Hollywood agent Adam Venit of sexually assaulting him, said on Twitter that Simmons reached out to him via email earlier this month and encouraged him to give the agent a pass.

Did he ever apologize, the email listed as coming from Simmons asked. Give the agent a pass ask that he be reinstated. Venits company, Williams Morris Endeavor, has placed him on leave.

Crews, who has urged sexual assault victims to come forward after publicly sharing his own story last month, tweeted to Simmons: NO ONE GETS A PASS.

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Message Russell Simmons sent to me regarding my sexual assault case against Adam Venit of @WME:



Dear @UncleRUSH

NO ONE GETS A PASS pic.twitter.com/DmEvqWVxkc  terrycrews (@terrycrews) November 19, 2017

Earlier this month it was first reported by Variety that both Simmons and Ratner had also been investigated for sexual battery against a 29-year-old woman in 2001.

The woman told Beverly Hills police that she was held against her will at a home by two males who both unlawfully touched her.

Charges were never filed in the case because of insufficient evidence, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office told both Variety and The L.A. Times.

This article has been updated with statements released by an attorney for Simmons.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The legal battles over Christian Louboutins red sole are seemingly unending. The Paris-based footwear brand is back in court in the Netherlands and facing off against Dutch shoemaker Van Haren for its own red-soled high heels. Meanwhile, Forever 21 has revealed that its point-of-sale systems have been subject to a hack, making it the latest in a string of retailers that have been targeted. And Italian design brands are busy working with the nations revenue authority to fashion various tax deals, ranging from efforts to boost transparency to initiatives to further boost the reputation of the Made in Italy label.

These (Red) Soles Are Meant for Litigating

It may have appeared as though the battle over the bottom of Christian Louboutins shoes was over in 2012 when a New York federal court held that the Paris-based footwear brand could rightfully claim protection in its distinctive Chinese red shoe soles (as long as the body of the shoe is a contrasting color). But while it may have ended proceedings involving Yves Saint Laurent, Louboutin was just preparing for a global trademark fight.

The celebrity-favored brand initiated a number of legal matters involving its red sole shortly thereafter, including a trademark infringement lawsuit against Dutch shoemaker Van Haren, which  much to Louboutins dismay  was offering a collection of red-soled high-heeled shoes for sale. The two companies have been in and out of court for nearly five years, with Louboutin seeking an order from a Dutch court to force Van Haren to stop selling its own red-soled shoes under its own brand name.

As of now, the case is in front of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest court in the European Union, which will determine whether Louboutins trademark is valid. Last June, the CJEU Advocate General issued a nonbinding opinion stating that the European Trademark Directive could apply to a shape in combination with a color (in this case, the sole of a high-heeled shoe and Louboutins color of choice, bright red).

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The CJEU, which heard the matter last week, will determine whether that is, in fact, the case. Its decision is expected in the coming months. It will serve to resolve Louboutins ongoing battle with Van Haren, but judging by its relative litigiousness in the past, it is not the end of the brands fight to protect and defend its red sole.

The Business of Being Hacked

Forever 21 is the latest retailer to suffer from a data breach. The Los Angeles-based fast-fashion giant confirmed last week that following a tip from a third party, it initiated an investigation that uncovered that hackers had, in fact, compromised point-of-sale devices at stores. That resulted in unauthorized access to data from credit and debit cards used at a number of the retailers brick-and-mortar locations. The company declined to indicate which of its 815 stores in 57 countries were affected by the hack, but did reveal that the transactions at issue occurred in stores between March and October.

The retailer revealed in a statement, Because the investigation is continuing, complete findings are not available, and it is too early to provide further details on the investigation. Forever 21 expects to provide an additional notice as it gets further clarity on the specific stores and timeframes that may have been involved.

The news comes after a large-scale breach was reported by Amazon in May, and before that by the TJX Cos., Target Corp. and Neiman Marcus Group, among others. The number of hacks of customer data has doubled in the past year among online retailers, in particular, as retailers and brands continue to seek an increased amount of information from consumers to increase regular sales, as well as additional digital marketing activities.

Such hacks, while increasingly common, are proving to be public relations and financial disasters for the brands involved. As for whether they have lasting effects on consumer perception, that is also very much on the table, with more than half of surveyed consumers routinely stating that they are not at all likely or not very likely to do business with an organization that had suffered a data breach involving credit or debit card details. With that in mind, analysts have been quick to reveal that the damage of reputation that comes hand-in-hand with such breaches can translate directly into a drop in sales, and retailers have escalated such concerns as a top priority in terms of legal and strategic efforts.

Trending in Milan? Taxes

Three years after an investigation by Milan prosecutors as part of a tax avoidance probe in connection with Pradas Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, which was formally dropped in December 2016, the Italian luxury fashion house has revealed that it recently signed a cooperative compliance agreement with Italys tax authorities in an attempt to minimize risk and promotefairness and compliance with the law.

The cooperative compliance regime, which was launched in Italy in 2013 as a pilot project, was enacted in 2015 as a way to promote new forms of communication and enhanced cooperation between the tax administration and taxpayers, as well as to prevent and resolve tax controversies.

While Prada is the most recent party to partner with the countrys tax authorities to strengthen the level of certainty on the most relevant tax matters, it is not the first fashion house to collaborate with the nations tax body. Fellow Italian brand Salvatore Ferragamo partnered with the Italian Revenue Agency early this year in furtherance of a new optional benefit that reduces taxation for income derived from the direct use or license of intellectual property assets.

Enacted in December 2014, the program, called Patent Box, is aimed at protecting Italian IP property and further boosting the countrys Made in Italy reputation by establishing the country as an attractive home for foreign investment and research and development activity, and in exchange, the participating IP holders are subject to favorable tax treatment.

Julie Zerbo is the founder of The Fashion Law.

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Belgrade (AFP) - Ahead of the judgement Wednesday of Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic, here is a timeline of the 1990s Balkans conflicts that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

- Bickering after Tito dies -

Communist Yugoslavia, which emerged shortly after the end of World War II, was made up of six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

Following the death of its autocratic leader Josip Broz Tito in 1980, the Yugoslav federation found itself in crisis, with bickering between ethnic groups and surging nationalist sentiments.

By the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, inter-ethnic relations in Yugoslavia were at breaking point. The first multiparty elections in the republics in 1990 were won mostly by nationalists.

The most prosperous republics, Slovenia and Croatia, started advocating a greater decentralisation of Yugoslavia's government.

But the largest republic, Serbia, led by Slobodan Milosevic, rallied fellow Serbs throughout Yugoslavia in a push for centralised control.

- Slovenia and Croatia declare independence -

On June 25, 1991, the parliaments of Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, which led to the deployment of the Belgrade-controlled Yugoslav army (JNA) towards affected borders and airports.

After a 10-day conflict, the JNA withdrew from ethnically homogeneous Slovenia.

But in Croatia, Serbian troops sided with ethnic Serb rebels who opposed independence, launching what would become a four-year war.

The eastern town of Vukovar was razed to the ground during a siege by Yugoslav forces in autumn 1991, while the medieval Adriatic town of Dubrovnik was severely damaged.

- Bosnian referendum -

In Bosnia, the most ethnically and religiously diverse republic and home to four million people, Muslims and Croats organised an independence referendum.

The move was fiercely opposed by Belgrade-backed Bosnian Serbs, who made up more than 30 percent of the population.

While Serbs boycotted the vote, 60 percent of Bosnia's citizens voted for independence.

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- Bosnian war -

In April 1992 war broke out between Bosnia's Muslims and Croats, who were on one side, and Bosnian Serbs. Bosnia won international recognition a day later.

Led by Radovan Karadzic and armed by the JNA, the Serbs declared that territories under their control belonged to an entity called Republika Srpska.

Soon after, Bosnian Croats turned against the republic's Muslims.

- Siege of Sarajevo -

Bosnian Serb troops immediately started a siege of the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo which would last 44 months.

The city's 350,000 residents struggled to get basic necessities and at least 10,000 were killed by sniping and shelling by Serbs.

By May 1992 Bosnian Serbs controlled two-thirds of Bosnia.

- Ethnic cleansing -

In August the first images of skeletal prisoners in camps awoke the world to the campaign of ethnic cleansing by Serb forces.

An estimated 20,000 women, mostly Muslims, were raped.

- Srebrenica massacre -

In July 1995 Bosnian Serb forces took over the UN-protected "safe area" of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and massacred up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Described by two international courts as genocide, the massacre was the worst mass killing in Europe since the end of World War II.

- NATO airstrikes, Dayton agreement -

In August 1995, after the fall of Srebrenica and the bombing of a Sarajevo market in which 41 people were killed, NATO unleashed airstrikes on Bosnian Serb positions.

On November 21, 1995, following three weeks of talks in the US city of Dayton, Ohio, the leaders of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia agreed to a peace deal.

In December 1995 a NATO peacekeeping force was deployed in Bosnia, which had been divided into a Muslim-Croat Federation, covering 51 percent of the territory, and a Serb entity, the Republika Srpska.

- The Kosovo conflict -

War then broke out in 1998 in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo between ethnic Albanian rebels seeking independence and Serbia's armed forces.

The fighting ended in 1999 after an 11-week bombing campaign by NATO, by which time about 13,000 people had been killed and hundreds of thousands had fled their homes.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move Serbia refuses to recognise.

- Legal postscript -

The International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia, established in 1993, has continued prosecuting those responsible for war crimes since the end of the conflicts.

It has indicted 161 people, convicted 83 and acquitted 19. Among those sentenced is Bosnian Serb wartime leader Karadzic, while Milosevic died in prison before being judged.

The court is scheduled to close down on December 31, and a separate tribunal has been set up to handle remaining appeals and other issues.
(WEST CHESTER, Pa.)  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.
With special election looming, Birmingham News editorial calls sexual assault allegations against candidate a turning point for women in Alabama

Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a rally in Fairhope, Alabama. Photograph: Brynn Anderson/AP

Alabamas biggest newspaper on Sunday urged voters to Stand for decency, reject Roy Moore in an editorial about the controversial Republican Senate candidate whose campaign has been engulfed by sexual assault allegations.

As Republican senator Susan Collins said she hoped voters would choose not to elect him, the Birmingham News went to press with an editorial saying the election was a turning point for women in Alabama and described the allegations as horrifying, but not shocking.

The editorial said the looming special election on 12 December  held to fill the vacancy in the Senate left by the US attorney general, Jeff Sessions  was a chance for women to make their voices heard in a state that has silenced them for too long.

It comes after a series of allegations against Moore  including that he abused a 14-year-old girl when he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney  has led Republican central command to ostracise him.



The Birmingham News, which endorsed the Democratic candidate Doug Jones, said that the Alabama Republican establishment had, in contrast, chosen to stand by him, attacking and belittling the brave women who have come forward.

Moore, a former judge, denies any misconduct.

Early look at Sundays front page. @aldotcom and the states 3 largest newspapers call on voters to unite for decency, support Democrat Doug Jones for U.S. Senate.

Read full editorial here: https://t.co/I7XfZqIesG pic.twitter.com/rgX5NpoSkq  Michelle Holmes (@mlh_holmes) November 19, 2017

Senator Collins, of Maine, told CNNs State of the Union that she had opposed Moore before the scandal, which began when the Washington Post reported on Leigh Corfman who said that, when she was 14 in 1979, Moore kissed and touched her and made her touch his genitals.

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Collins said: I was concerned about his performance as a member of the Alabama supreme court when he had been removed twice for failing to follow lawful order and also because of his comments on Muslims and LGBT individuals.

So these allegations are extremely disturbing. But under the constitution, the  [rules] on whether or not you seat someone is whether they satisfy the age and residency requirements. So we would have to seat him, but I hope we dont get there. I think were getting ahead of ourselves. And I hope that the voters of Alabama choose not to elect him.

She added that she did not find his denials convincing.

The allegations are stronger than the denial, Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, said on Fox News Sunday. Roy Moore should find something else to do.



Scott said that it would be in the best interest of the country, as well as the state of Alabama, for Moore to step aside, something the candidates wife said at a rally on Friday that her husband would not do.



Moore has said the allegations that he systematically pursued relationships with teenage girls was an effort from the Senates Republican leadership to undermine him.



This has nothing to do with establishment Republicans or politics, it has to do with the character that we want displayed in the United States of America, and especially in our leadership realm, Scott told Fox News anchor Chris Wallace.



Donald Trump has said little about the allegations against Moore, but has attacked Democrat senator Al Franken, who has apologised for kissing and groping a TV news anchor Leeann Tweeden in 2006.

The White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said on Friday that the difference between allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump and Al Franken was that Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasnt.



Trump has long insisted that all of the at least 16 women who have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct are lying, a position Sanders repeated from the White House podium on Friday. She was also asked why Trump had not fulfilled his promise during the campaign to sue all of his accusers. Sanders said: Ill have to ask him and let you know.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outcome of Alabama's Dec. 12 U.S. Senate election probably will not be certified until Dec. 26 at the earliest, a state official said on Friday, making it unlikely the race will affect major year-end legislation in Congress including Republican tax cuts. Republicans hold a slim 52-48 majority in the Senate. A victory by Democrat Doug Jones over Republican Roy Moore, who is facing sexual misconduct allegations, in the Alabama race would cut that margin to 51-49, making it harder for President Donald Trump's party to win congressional passage of major legislation. Lawmakers are due to take up legislation on government funding and immigration in December and also will try to pass a sweeping Republican tax cut bill ahead the Dec. 25 Christmas holiday. If the Alabama result is not certified until after Christmas, Republicans would have more time to get their legislative goals accomplished regardless of the Alabama contest's outcome. John Bennett, chief of staff for the Alabama secretary of state, said the state's 67 counties face a Dec. 22 deadline for officially reporting election results, but some are likely to miss it. Bennett said that would push the process back until after Christmas, making Dec. 26 the earliest possible date for certification. Once certified election results are available, a new senator would be sworn in during an open session of the Senate, according to Senate officials. With the Senate scheduled to be out the last week of December, the next open session would not be until early January. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and David Morgan in Washington; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Will Dunham)
(LOS ANGELES)  A Los Angeles County sheriffs patrol vehicle heading to an emergency call crashed with another car and then ran onto a sidewalk, killing two small boys and critically injuring their mother, authorities said Friday.

Two other people in a crosswalk were injured in the Thursday night crash as deputies responded to a report of a gunshot victim, Los Angeles police Capt. Alfonso Lopez said. Investigators were still trying to determine whether the patrol vehicle was using its emergency lights and siren at the time.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families and all those affected by this tragic accident, a sheriffs department statement said. The agency said it is cooperating with a city police investigation.

A witness, Julie Valle, said the SUV was speeding and didnt activate its lights until it reached the intersection, just before it collided with another car, ran off the road and hit the woman and her two boys.

They turned the lights on at that moment, a split-second, not enough time for anybody to get out of the way because they were going so fast, she said at a news conference Friday.

Valle said she rushed toward the crash and saw an injured woman.

She was trying to get up, Valle said. I told her, Dont move, you were just involved in a car accident.'

Valle also said she saw the boys.

All I see is little legs, she said. Then I see a boy, and thats when I start to get the full picture.

Luis Hernandez told the Los Angeles Times that the victims were his brothers, 7-year-old Jose Luis and 9-year-old Marcos. The 7-year-old died at the scene, and the older boy died at a hospital, relatives told the paper.

I got the call and I didnt believe it, Hernandez said tearfully Friday at a makeshift memorial of flowers, stuffed animals and candles at the intersection. I just didnt believe it.

Their mother was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The Times said a brief video clip from a liquor store security camera showed the patrol vehicle, its emergency lights on, driving on the sidewalk. A trash can and a person are seen bouncing off the front of the SUV.

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The car that collided with the sheriffs SUV hit a third car that struck two adults in a crosswalk, according to the sheriffs statement. Those adults, another pedestrian and two deputies were treated for minor injuries, authorities said.

It was the third crash involving law enforcement vehicles in a single day.

Leticia Ramirez, 15, died at a hospital Thursday night after she was struck by a sheriffs patrol car in nearby Riverside County. The girl ran into the street in the city of Perris and was struck by the vehicle, which wasnt using its lights or siren, authorities said.

A 25-year-old man was struck by a Riverside police car as he stepped off a center divider into its path early Thursday, police said. He was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Weekend Update co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che didnt cut Saturday Night Live veteran Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) any slack over accusations he forcibly kissed and groped journalist Leeann Tweeden in 2006.

Now I know this photo looks bad, says Jost showing the now widely circulated picture of a gleeful Franken reaching for Tweedens breasts as she sleeps. But remember it also is bad.

Jost concedes the photo was taken before Franken first ran for the Senate in 2008  but also after he was a sophomore in high school. Itspretty hard to be like Oh, cmon he didnt know any better, he was only 55, Jost added.

Franken, a former writer and performer for SNL, was blasted in a tweet by Trump who called him Al Frankenstein, which in turn triggered a tweet storm against the president, who has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct. As for Trump, Franken and Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican Senate candidate accused of sexual misconduct with teenagers decades ago  Che said he thinks theyre all bitches.

What to do when youre feeling blue about the current situation? Bring back Barack Obama, sang SNL host Chance the Rapper in another sketch. He belted out a plaintive R&B song to the former president with Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd, pleading with Obama to come back to the White House.

Every night I turn the TV on and cry, and I cry, and I cry. I say why? mourns Chance. I feel like were all gonna die. So come back Barack.

We didnt know what we had. Now things are looking bad. Like really bad, like nuclear bad, like World War bad.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Cairo (AFP) - Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo on Sunday at Saudi Arabia's request for an extraordinary meeting to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the region.

The Arab League meeting comes as tensions have been rising between long-standing rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, including over League member Lebanon.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

A diplomatic source said Riyadh was seeking to adopt a condemnation of "Iran and Arab militias linked to this country".

A committee is to prepare a draft resolution on Iran to be discussed later by all ministers.

The meeting is also expected to address a Yemen rebel missile that was intercepted near Riyadh on November 4, and a pipeline fire in Bahrain on November 10.

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Iran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemen rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Bahrain has also blamed Iran for the pipeline fire.

In its request for the meeting, Saudi Arabia referred to those two incidents and "to the violations committed by Iran in the Arab region, which undermines security and peace, not only in the Arab region, but around the globe," according to a memo seen by AFP.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates supported the Saudi request for an extraordinary meeting, which was also approved by Djibouti, the current chair of the pan-Arab bloc, it said.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have also soared since Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation on November 4, citing Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

Lebanon's foreign minister will not attend Sunday's Arab League meeting, a ministry source has told AFP, but the country's permanent representative would be present.

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For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by Hariri.

In Syria, Hezbollah has fought to defend the government of President Bashar al-Assad, also an ally of Iran.

The Arab League has 22 members, but Syria's membership was suspended at the end of 2011 following months of brutal repression of anti-government demonstrations and an opposition movement supported by Gulf monarchies.
By Marcos Brindicci and Maximiliano Rizzi MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Hopes that 44 crew members of a missing Argentine navy submarine may be found alive rose after the defense ministry said the vessel likely tried to communicate via satellite on Saturday as an international search mission was underway in the stormy South Atlantic. The ministry said seven failed "satellite calls" that it believes came from the ARA San Juan submarine were detected in a likely sign the crew was trying to reestablish contact. The signals, in the late morning and early afternoon, lasted between four and 36 seconds, the ministry said. Argentina is working on tracing the location with an unnamed U.S. company specialized in satellite communications, the ministry said. The satellite communications were believed to have failed because of foul weather, a source in the defense ministry who was not authorized to speak publicly told Reuters. It was not immediately clear what type of calls the vessel may have tried to make but submarines that are stricken underwater can float a location beacon known as an EPIRB to the surface that can then emit emergency signals via satellite. Whipping winds and more than 20-foot waves in the South Atlantic hindered the international search for the submarine. The last confirmed location of the German-built ARA San Juan was 432 km (268 miles) off Argentina's southern Atlantic coast early on Wednesday. The U.S. Navy said it was deploying a deep-sea rescue mission to Argentina from California to support the effort, with a remotely operated vehicle and two vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines set to arrive in coming days. As nations from Chile to South Africa offered help, Argentine sea vessels and planes scoured the southern sea. But a storm pitching powerful winds and waves more than 6 meters (20 feet) high has disrupted visibility and movement in the area, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said. The submarine's color and design, which aim to camouflage the vessel in the ocean's surface, also posed a challenge. "The idea is to continue through the night and the early morning, depending on weather conditions," Balbi told reporters. The weather was expected to be somewhat improved on Sunday, he said. A search of 80 percent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the vessel, but the crew should have ample supplies of food and oxygen, Balbi added. The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens killed when a truck driver plowed through a bicycle path in New York City. In the resort and fishing city of Mar del Plata, where the submarine had been destined to arrive before vanishing, a Catholic Mass was held in honor of the crew members. Many relatives of the crew members awaited news at the city's naval base. "We're hopeful this will end soon to remain only as a bad memory," Maria Morales, mother of crew member Luis Esteban Garcia, told journalists. Messages of support poured in from around the world. Pope Francis, an Argentine, was praying "fervently" for the crew to return home soon, his office said. The Argentine navy said an electrical outage on the diesel-electric-propelled vessel might have downed its communications. Protocol calls for submarines to surface if communication is lost. The episode could hold political implications for President Mauricio Macri. His center-right government has set an ambitious target for cutting government spending and told Reuters in March it had few funds available to replace an outdated military fleet beyond buying aircraft for training pilots. The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navy's fleet. Built in Germany by Nordseewerke, it underwent mid-life maintenance in 2008 in Argentina that required cutting its hull in half and sealing back it together again, according to state news agency Telam. Nordseewerke now belongs to German industrial group Thyssenkrupp AG , which could not be reached for comment outside of regular business hours. Carlos Zavalla, a navy commander, urged loved ones of crew members not to give up hope. "So far, the only concrete thing is the lack of communication," Zavalla said on TV channel A24. "That's all." (Reporting by Maximiliano Rizzi in Buenos Aires and Marcos Brindicci in Mar del Plata and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Alistair Bell and David Gregorio)
Historically, Ash Ketchums Pikachu, the lovable yellow Pokemon, has not spoken a human language.

Pikachu had always communicated with Ash, his beloved trainer, by saying his own name over and over again in different intonations.

So when Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You! debuted in the U.S. last week, the audience was understandably shocked when a particularly emotional scene featured Pikachu speaking to Ash in English.

In a (likely illegally filmed) video of the scene posted to Twitter, audience members gasp loudly when they hear Pikachu profess his devotion to Ash using English words. What the fuck? one moviegoer says. No! another yells.

Pokemon fans in Japan first heard Pikachus expanded vocabulary in July, when the Japanese-language version of the movie debuted there.

American audiences seemed particularly unsettled by the scene:

The most disrespected Ive felt in 2017 is when I heard Pikachu speak English  Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) November 17, 2017

SO. UM. I GUESS PIKACHU SPEAKS ENGLISH IN THE NEW POKEMON MOVIE? THIS IS AN ABOMINATION. GOTTA THROW THE WHOLE THEATER AWAY NOW.  Grace Ragan (@grace_kathryn_) November 16, 2017

Which is worse. Pikachu speaking English, or the fact that it wasn't Danny DeVito's voice.  julian yeo  (dm29) It's a Horse-Kinda Holiday (@judacris) November 15, 2017

The scene between Ash and the English-speaking Pikachu may have been part of a dream sequence in Ashs mind, according to The Guardian, which spoke to Kate Bristol, the English voice actor for Pikachu.

Bristol told the newspaper that she attempted to mimic Ikue Otani, the Japanese voice actor for Pikachu, in her own performance of the famous Pokemon.

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I know a lot of people might think its out of the ordinary for Pikachu to speak English. Its definitely out of the ordinary, Bristol told The Guardian. It was hilarious being in the theater with the rest of the cast and hearing the audiences reaction as a huge collective What? rose up.

For some Pokemon, speaking human language is nothing out of the ordinary. Meowth, one of the TV series antagonists, often hurled threats and insults at Ash and his friends. Other Pokemon that can communicate with humans in their language include Gastly, Slowking and Mewtwo, according to the Pokemon online encyclopedia Bulbapedia.

Pokemon, the video game, card game and subsequent film and TV series, has attracted a cult-like following since it was introduced as a pair of Game Boy video games in the late 90s.

Pikachu, with his round beady eyes, cherry cheeks and adorable squeaky voice, has become a key figure of the brand as Ash Ketchums sidekick. Its no wonder some fans in the U.S. have found themselves emotionally attached to the way the furry yellow Pokemon says Piiiiiiiiikachu.

Also on HuffPost

At The Holocaust Memorial Museum

The game spawned three Pokemon at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., to the dismay of ... almost everyone.



Playing the game is not appropriate in the museum, which is a memorial to the victims of Nazism, museum spokesman Andrew Hollinger told The Washington Post in July 2016. We are trying to find out if we can get the museum excluded from the game.

Here's a copy of the $151 ticket- Yukon Police say #PokemonGO while driving nearly caused a head on crash @OKCFOX pic.twitter.com/M0fVkkLyes  Tom George (@TheTomGeorge) July 12, 2016

Police Stations

Police in the northern Australia territory of Darwin formally requested "Pokemon Go" players stop walking into the station, which was labeled a Pokestop.



"For those budding Pokemon Trainers out there using Pokemon Go," the station said in a release, "whilst the Darwin Police Station may feature as a Pokestop, please be advised that you don't actually have to step inside in order to gain the pokeballs."

Restricted Areas On Military Bases

Joint Base Lewis-McChord issued a statement warning "budding Pokemon Trainers" against chasing fake characters into areas they shouldn't be: "DO NOT chase Pokemon into controlled or restricted areas, office buildings, or homes on base."

We do not consider playing "Pokemon Go" to be appropriate decorum on the grounds of ANC. We ask all visitors to refrain from such activity.  Arlington Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) July 12, 2016

Generally Sketchy Areas

If it's an unsafe space to begin with, think twice. Several "Pokemon Go" players in Missouri were reportedly robbed at gunpoint while playing shortly after the game launched. Pokeballs don't stop bullets.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Sunday they had arrested a suspected leader of an Islamist group wanted in connection with the death in 2015 a U.S. blogger critical of religious extremism.

Deputy police commissioner Masudur Rahman said the man, identified as Mojammel Hossain, 25, head of the intelligence wing of the al Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, was suspected of taking part in the killing of writer Avijit Roy.

Roy, a U.S. citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants in February 2015 while returning home with his wife from a Dhaka book fair. Roy's widow, Rafida Ahmed, was seriously injured.

Rahman said Hossain, who was identified after analyzing CCTV footage, was arrested on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, on Saturday.

"Acting on a tip-off, the counter-terrorism police unit arrested him," he told Reuters.

In the primary interrogation, he confessed his involvement in the killing of four other secular activists, Rahman said.

It was not possible to contact Hossain to comment as he was in police custody.

The arrest came after another suspected killer of Roy was detained early this month.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh of 160 million people has had a string of deadly attacks targeting bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities.

The most serious recent attack came in July 2016, when gunmen stormed a cafe in the diplomatic quarter of Dhaka and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners.

Police say the Ansar Ullah Bangla Team militant group is behind the murders of more than a dozen secular bloggers and gay rights activists. They believe a sacked army major, who is still at large, was the leader of the group and masterminded the killings.

Al Qaeda and Islamic State have also claimed responsibility for a series of killings over the past few years, including Roy's.

The government has denied the presence of such groups, blaming domestic militants instead. But security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe attack suggested links to a wider network.

Police and army commandos have killed more than 60 suspected militants and arrested hundreds since the cafe attack.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Jane Merriman)
Washington (AFP) - 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 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.

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"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.
By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will submit proposals on how to settle its divorce bill with the European Union before an EU summit next month and is expected to negotiate hard, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday. The EU told Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday that there was more work to be done to unlock the Brexit talks, repeating its early December deadline for her to flesh out Britain's opening offer on the financial settlement. "We will make our proposals to the European Union in time for the Council," Hammond told the BBC, referring to the Dec. 14-15 meeting of EU heads of government. He was speaking three days before he sets out Britain's budget plan, where he will have to find room within tight fiscal constraints to help May convince voters that the Conservative government is tackling Britain's domestic problems at the same time as negotiating its exit from the EU. Last week, May met fellow EU leaders to try to break a deadlock over how much Britain will pay on leaving the bloc, an issue threatening to derail British hopes for a negotiated exit and an agreement on a new trading relationship by March 2019. May has signaled she would increase an initial offer that is estimated at some 20 billion euros ($24 billion) - about a third of what Brussels wants. But Hammond, who has been criticized by supporters of Brexit for being too conciliatory towards Brussels and lobbying for a "softer" exit, said Britain would take a tough stance about how much it owes. "There are some things that we're very clear we do owe under the treaties, other things where we dispute the amounts or even whether something should be included," Hammond said in a separate interview with ITV television. "Of course we'll negotiate hard to get the very best deal for the British taxpayer." Asked about the prospect of Brexit without a trade deal, Hammond said he was "increasingly confident" that an agreement could be reached because it was in the interests of both parties. Despite scepticism in Brussels over the tight timetable, May and her chief negotiator David Davis have been clear they want to have a full post-Brexit free trade deal sealed by the time Britain leaves. However, Hammond set out a softer stance on the timing of the trade deal. "We hope that it will be agreed, certainly in principle, that the big elements of it will be agreed before March 2019 so that everybody knows where we are going," he told ITV. (Reporting by William James; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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Rob Goldstone said he was a 'useful idiot': AP images

The British music publicist who arranged a meeting between Donald Trump's inner circle and a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damaging information on Hillary Clinton has insisted he was a merely "useful idiot" who became inadvertently embroiled in the scandal.

Rob Goldstone has agreed to be questioned by Special Counsel Robert Mueller about the meeting, which is at the heart of a probe into alleged collusion between Mr Trump presidential campaign and the Kremlin.

The publicist emailed the US leader's son, Donald Trump Jr, last year offering "official" Russian documents he claimed would "incriminate" Hillary Clinton and "be very useful to your father".

He was acting on behalf of his client Emin Agalarov, an Azerbaijani-Russian pop star whose oligarch father wanted to make contact with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump Jr quickly replied: "If it's what you say it is, I love it."

The exchange was forwarded to Mr Trump's son -in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and his then campaign manager Paul Manafort. Both joined Mr Trump Jr at a subsequent meeting with a Russian delegation that included Natalia Veselnitskaya, a lawyer with links to the Kremlin, on 9 June last year.

Mr Goldstone, a former journalist, fled his New York him for the Far East shortly after the emails were published online in July this year, bringing intense new scrutiny on claims of collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and Moscow.

In his first interview since the scandal erupted, Mr Goldstone said he regretted his involvement but insisted he had merely been a "useful idiot".

"I never thought in a million years that an email I wrote to [Donald Trump Jr]... would be examined by the world many times over," he told The Sunday Times. "I should have listened to that little voice in my head. I remember specifically saying to Emin: you know, we probably shouldn't get involved in this."

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He said the meeting at Trump Tower ended inconclusively, adding he believed the Russians used the promise of dirt on Ms Clinton as a "pretext" to lobby the Trump campaign on unrelated issues.

Mr Goldstone claimed he "puffed up" the wording of his emails to Mr Trump Jr to secure the meeting.

"If I'm guilty of anything, and I hate the word guilty, it's hyping the message and going the extra mile for my clients," the publicist added

The said he did not know of any other collusion between Moscow and Mr Trump's campaign "but I'm sure I wasn't part of it".

Mr Goldstone has accepted an invitation to meet Mr Mueller's investigation team. He said: "I want to share what I know... I'm keen to talk to [the justice department] and put my recollection of events in the public record."

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By Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday urged Bangladesh and Myanmar resolve the Rohingya crisis through bilateral negotiations instead of an international initiative. "The international community should not complicate the situation," Wang said in a press briefing at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. "Actions in the United Nations Security Council must help Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral cooperation to resolve the problem peacefully", the minister told reporters. Wang arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday for a two-day visit and from there he will go to Myanmar to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting. (ASEM) "China supports resolving the crisis peacefully, bilaterally with mutual consultation between Bangladesh and Myanmar," he said. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State. "It is a complex situation and needs a comprehensive solution. Economic development of Rakhine State is needed. China is ready to help," Wang said. Earlier in the day Wang also met with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence in Dhaka and assured her of China's support in solving the crisis. "Myanmar will have to take back their nationals ensuring their safety, security and dignity for a durable solution to the crisis," Hasina's private secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the prime minister as saying. "We will not allow the land of Bangladesh to be used by any terrorist group to commit any act of insurgency in neighboring countries," Hasina added, according to Karim. Bangladeshs Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told Wang that Bangladesh is trying to resolve the issue both bilaterally and internationally as it could not afford the huge burden of the refugees. A statement from Bangladesh foreign ministry said that when the issue of displaced Myanmar nationals was raised, Wang stated that China would help resolve the issue and will not be partial to any side. He acknowledged that Bangladesh is facing the brunt of continuing influx of Rohingya refugees, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry statement said. A delegation of U.S. Congressmen is visiting Bangladesh to study the Rohingya crisis on Saturday. Sweden's foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Germany's foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kona will also visit Bangladesh this week. (Reporting By Serajul Quadir; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Shanghai (AFP) - A senior Chinese envoy discussed regional concerns with officials in Pyongyang on Saturday, North Korean state media said, as the US presses China to help ease the standoff over the North's nuclear weapons.

The visit by Song Tao, described by Pyongyang as a special envoy of President Xi Jinping, is the first by a senior Chinese envoy for more than a year.

Relations are severely stressed over Pyongyang's nuclear sabre-rattling and Beijing's support for tough UN sanctions on its neighbour.

"The two sides exchanged their views on such matters of mutual concern as the situation of the Korean peninsula and region and bilateral relations," the official KCNA news agency said in describing Song's talks with Ri Su-Yong, a senior ruling party leader, and other officials.

Relations between the two communist neighbours, once said by Mao Zedong to be "as close as lips and teeth", are at their worst in decades over North Korea's actions, and Beijing faces pressure from US President Donald Trump to pile pressure on Pyongyang.

Song, who arrived on Friday, met that day with Choe Ryong-Hae, another senior official in North Korea's ruling party and a close aide to leader Kim Jong-Un.

Each side's account of the meeting with Choe mentioned that both sides stressed the importance of their longstanding ties.

- 'Common treasure' -

A Chinese Communist Party report on the Choe-Song talks said they agreed that mutual ties were "the common treasure of the two peoples" and that both sides "should make concerted efforts" to maintain them.

The United States wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to apply more economic pressure.

Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing this month that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail Song's mission as "a big move, we'll see what happens!"

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But experts have expressed doubt it will yield breakthroughs, saying Beijing has far less political influence on Kim than is thought despite the economic ties.

"Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War. Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration," said Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enforcing 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. Analysts say Song's trip is probably aimed more at urging Kim's regime not to escalate tensions rather than applying real pressure for disarmament.

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 South Korea while North Korea halts its weapons programmes.

Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed during their talks last week to drop that approach, but Beijing subsequently stood by the policy.
Rabat (AFP) - At least 15 people were killed and five injured Sunday in a crush as food aid was distributed near the coastal tourist town of Essaouira in western Morocco, officials said.

The accident happened in the town of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Essaouira, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Local media said a "benefactor" had organised the food distribution at a stall in the rural town, which was rapidly "submerged in the crowd" of 800 people, mostly women.

An investigation has begun to "determine the circumstances of the incident" and establish who was responsible, the Moroccan authorities said.

The interior ministry said King Mohammed VI had issued orders to "provide the necessary help and support to the families of the victims and the injured".

He also decided to "personally cover the costs of victims' funerals and burials, and the care of the injured," it said.
Mar del Plata (Argentina) (AFP) - A multinational armada of aircraft and vessels battled high winds and raging seas Sunday as they intensified their search for a missing Argentine submarine, after apparent attempted distress calls raised hopes the 44 crew members may still be alive.

There has been no contact with the ARA San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric sub, since early Wednesday.

An air and sea search is under way with help from countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, the United States and Uruguay.

Hopes of finding survivors were revived when the navy said Saturday that its bases had received seven satellite calls attributed to the submersible.

The signals were received at 10:52 am (1352 GMT) and 3:42 pm (1842 GMT), but they did not lock in, thus preventing a full connection.

However, the navy was unable to confirm that those calls originated from the submarine.

"The communications are so short and the signal so low," Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said, later adding the military has yet to have contact with or detect radar from the sub.

- Seven-meter waves -

The calls revived hopes that the submarine has surfaced, but a powerful storm that has whipped up waves reaching seven meters (23 feet) in height has made geolocation difficult, officials said.

Balbi said weather conditions were not expected to improve before Tuesday.

Despite the bad weather, "10 aircraft, both domestic and foreign, are in a search rotation 24 hours a day, each in a different area," he said.

There is a feeling of "cautious enthusiasm," naval expert Fernando Morales told C5N television.

He said the attempt to use a satellite phone indicates that "the submarine had to emerge to a depth that allowed the call."

The last regular communication with the San Juan was early Wednesday, when the submarine was 430 kilometers (270 miles) off Argentina's coast in the Gulf of San Jorge.

Rescuers are focusing on an ocean patch about 300 kilometers in diameter, radiating from the last point of contact.

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US Southern Command has deployed a Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance plane with a crew of 21, along with a NASA P-3 research aircraft, and other equipment and personnel.

The US Navy has deployed two unmanned underwater vehicles that use a sonar system to create an image of large sections of the sea floor.

Britain's Royal Navy said it had sent the HMS Protector, an Antarctic patrol ship.

Balbi said it was following the northward course the submarine would have taken toward Mar del Plata.

Relatives of crew members unfurled a flag at the naval base that read: "Be strong Argentina, We trust in God, We wait for you."

- 'Got to be afloat' -

"We will do what is necessary to find the submarine as soon as possible," Argentine President Mauricio Macri wrote on Twitter.

All land communications bases along the coast were ordered to scan for any follow-up signals, as family members of the missing waited nervously in the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

Claudio Rodriguez, whose brother Hernan is aboard the submarine, was hopeful, saying the satellite signals suggested the vessel was still afloat and would be found.

"They've got to be afloat. Thank God," he said.

Among those on board is Argentina's first female submarine officer, 35-year-old weapons officer Eliana Krawczyk.

The navy has not ruled out any hypothesis. A spokesman said the most likely scenario given is that an electrical problem may have unexpectedly cut off the vessel's communications.

- Prayers from the pope -

The TR-1700 class submarine had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southernmost tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, about 400 kilometers south of Buenos Aires.

It is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

Sixty-five meters long and seven meters wide, it was built by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke and launched in 1983.

It underwent a refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its use by about 30 years.

At the Vatican, Argentine-born Pope Francis said he offered "his fervent prayer" for the safety of the submarine sailors.
Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs, won't say whether Trump believes the women accusing Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore of sexual misconduct. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

WASHINGTON  A top White House official on Sunday avoided answering the question  15 times  as to whether President Donald Trump supports Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by seven women.

Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, said on ABCs This Week with George Stephanopoulos that Trump thinks it would be disqualifying for Moore if the allegations that he routinely sought sexual relationships with teenage girls are true. But he repeatedly ducked questions about whether Trump thinks the womens accusations are credible.

Does the president believe them? Stephanopoulos asked.

We are uncomfortable with the explanations Roy Moore has given to date, Short said. At this point, we think, though, its best for the people of Alabama that all the information is in front of them for them to make the decision.

But Im asking you a direct question on behalf of the president, Stephanopoulos tried again. You work for the president. Does the president believe the women or not?

He has concerns about the accusations, but he is also concerned that these accusations are 38 years old, Short said. Roy Moore has been in public service for decades, and the accusations did not arise until a month before the election.

So youre not willing to make a yes or no judgment on whether the president believes the women? Stephanopoulos asked.

I think I have answered your questions three times now, Short said.

No, you have said you have questions and concerns, Stephanopoulos replied.

This back-and-forth exchange played out a total of 15 times as Stephanopoulos tried to get Short to clarify whether Trump is backing Moore ahead of his Dec. 12 special election against Democrat Doug Jones. At one point, Short said Trump would be campaigning for Moore if he didnt believe the women. But soon after that he said nobody really knows who is telling the truth.

If dating a 14-year-old  and you have used the word pedophilia in the past  is disqualifying, it comes down to a matter of whether or not you believe the women who made that allegation, Stephanopoulos said.

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Sitting here 40 years after the fact, I cannot have any more information to tell you one way or the other, Short replied. There are two people who know that: Roy Moore and the accuser.

The White Houses vagueness on whether Trump believes Moores accusers puts the president at odds with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who have said they believe the women.

Part of the reason its tricky for White House officials to talk about the allegations against Moore is because 16 women have accused Trump of sexual assault. The White Houses official position is that they are all lying.

Also on HuffPost

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

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Trump has faced backlash for praising Rodrigo Duterte and Xi Jinping: AP

Donald Trump is losing grip of his partys support as he returns from his first Presidential tour of Asia, a new poll has found.

The latest survey from Lucid found that 71.85 per cent of Republicans approve of Mr Trump as President, a drop of more than 3 per cent from the previous week at 75.21 per cent.

The same survey found the Presidents approval rating to be just 35 per cent.

The results come after GOP lawmakers, including Arizona Senator Jeff Flake and Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, criticised Mr Trump. Both Senators plan to retire after their terms end. Mr Flake said Mr Trumps actions were dangerous to our democracy. The new numbers also come as more evidence of links between the Trump campaign and Russia come to light.

The President, upon returning from his 12-day trip in Asia, said his travels were a tremendous success, even if it has done little to improve his popularity.

When leaving the Philippines, he said, Tell Rodrigo [Duterte] I like him very much. Hes a good guy. I had a great time here.

Almost 4,000 people have died as a result of the Mr Duterte's brutal crackdown on drugs.

Mr Trump also praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese communist leader in decades, as a very special man.

FiveThirtyEights latest average disapproval rating for Mr Trump  which weights a number of public polls, adjusted for survey quality, date, sample size and party bias  came out at 55.5 per cent.

Despite the slip of support in the Lucid survey, other polls find the President has a solid support base.

The latest poll from Survey Monkey found that Mr Trump has 85 per cent support from Republicans, the same result as the week before, and his approval rating was slightly higher than other surveys at 41 per cent.

Another poll from Morning Consult/Politico earlier this month revealed that 82 per cent of Trump voters would pick the former reality television star in 2020, while only 8 per cent of his voters would defect to a Democratic candidate at the next election.


Donald Trump, the US president - AP

Donald Trumps business empire was in the firing line on Friday after claims that an accused fraudster flogged rooms in a Panama apartment block to Russian mafia figures.

The US president agreed to lend his name and provide management services to the 70-floor tower, which was named the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower, in around 2005.

However a key salesman of apartments there, Alexandre Ventura Nogueira, has since been charged with fraud and admitted some of his partners and investors had links to the Russian mafia.

It has led to questions over whether Mr Trump did enough to ensure the project was not used by customers to launder money. There is no suggestion Mr Trump was aware of any criminal activity.

The allegations surfaced in an investigation by the news agency Reuters and broadcaster NBC, as well as a report by the anti-corruption group Global Witness.

Sales for the apartment block begun in 2006 and it opened in 2011. Mr Trump appears to have gained tens of millions from the deal before the project struggled after the global financial crash.

Mr Trump wanted the project to be a baby for his daughter Ivanka to gain experience in property, according to a local developer quoted in the investigation.

The Reuters report details numerous conversations between Ivanka Trump, who was handling the property, and Mr Nogueira, who was selling some of the apartments.

Mr Nogueira, who was interviewed for the piece, said he spoke a lot of times with Ms Trump and that she was assigned to the project.

But questions about who Mr Nogueira was selling the apartments to have now surfaced.

Mr Nogueira said he learned some of his partners and investors were connected to the Russian mafia when the project was almost complete, according to Reuters. He said he had not knowingly laundered any money through the Trump project.

Mr Nogueira is quoted as saying: Nobody ever asked me. The banks didnt ask. The developers didnt ask. The Trump Organisation didnt ask me. Nobody asked me: Who are the customers? Where did the money come from?

Story continues

Donald Trump and James Mattis, the US defence secretary Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Complaints, including allegations of fraud in Trump Ocean Club sales, resulted in four criminal cases against Mr Nogueira in Panama, according to Reuters. One is said to have culminated in his arrest on fraud charges in May 2009.

In a series of comments quoted in the article, a spokesman for the Trump Organisation said connections between Mr Nogueira and the Trump family were meaningless.

The spokesman said the Trump Organisation never had any contractual relationship or significant dealings with Mr Nogueira.

He added that the Trump Organisations role in the project was at all times limited to licensing its brand and providing management services. As the company was not the owner or developer, it had no involvement in the sale of any units at the property.
Donald Trump says he is halting a controversial change allowing the import of elephants killed by hunters abroad.

Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts, Mr Trump said in a Friday night tweet.

Earlier this week, it emerged that the Trump administration was lifting a ban on importing hunted elephant trophies. The US Fish and Wildlife Service had already moved to begin allowing people to import hunted lion trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The change drew immediate condemnations from wildlife advocates, who said the change would accelerate the destruction of sensitive species. Both elephants and lions are covered under the Endangered Species Act, a 2015 Fish and Wildlife Service press release announcing lion protections citing the dramatic decline of lion populations in the wild.

In an information sheet explaining why it was lifting the elephant import prohibition, the Fish and Wildlife Service noted that Zimbabwe had enacted a national elephant management plan and pointed to improvements in tracking hunting activity and a more systematic, scientific approach to establish national quotas.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says on its website that hunting lions can play a significant role in their conservation, adding that America is bound by the Endangered Species Act to ensure that hunters are contributing to the conservation of lions in the wild by participating in hunting programs that provide a clear conservation benefit and contribute to the long-term survival of the species in the wild.

But the relaxation of restrictions on lion and elephant imports was blasted by Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States, who argued that corruption in Zimbabwe  a country grappling with an apparent coup attempt  would undercut proper management and fuel the pillaging of that nations extraordinary wildlife.

African elephants and African lions drive billions of dollars of economic activity in Africa, Mr Pacelle wrote in a blog post. 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.
(DETROIT)  A priest who wasnt allowed to preach instead turned his ears and heart to the needy. Now, decades after his death, Solanus Casey is on a path to sainthood, celebrated as an incredibly humble man who brought people to God.

Father Solanus, as he was known, will be beatified Saturday at a Mass attended by 65,000 people at a stadium in Detroit where he spent much of his ministry. Pope Francis said he met the requirements to earn the title of blessed, especially after a woman from Panama was instantly cured of a chronic skin disease while she prayed at his tomb in 2012.

Father Solanus can be made a saint in the years ahead if a second miracle is attributed to him. Hell be only the second U.S.-born man to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, joining the Rev. Stanley Rother, a priest killed in Guatamalas civil war, who was beatified in Oklahoma in September. One U.S.-born woman has been beatified and two others have been declared saints.

Its a great event, Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who leads the southeastern Michigan church, said of the honor for Father Solanus. Its hard to communicate how vivid and real the presence of Father is to our community.

Even 60 years after his death, people dont say, Im going to Fathers tomb,' Vigneron told The Associated Press. They say, Im going to talk to Father.'

Father Solanus, a native of Oak Grove, Wisconsin, joined the Capuchin religious order in Detroit in 1897 and was ordained a priest seven years later. But there were conditions: Because of academic struggles, he was prohibited from giving homilies at Mass and couldnt hear confessions.

He accepted it, said the Rev. Martin Pable, 86, a fellow Capuchin. He believed whatever God wants, thats what he would do.

He served for 20 years in New York City and nearby Yonkers before the Capuchins transferred him back to the St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit in 1924. Wearing a traditional brown hooded robe and sandals, Father Solanus worked as a porter or doorkeeper for the next two decades, but his reputation for holiness far exceeded his modest title.

Story continues

The unemployed shared their anxieties with Father Solanus, the parents of wayward kids sought his advice, and the ill and addicted asked him to urge God to heal them. As he listened, he took notes that were later turned into typewritten volumes of his work.

Later in life, when Father Solanus was stationed at a seminary in Huntington, Indiana, Detroiters boarded buses for a four-hour ride just to see the man with a wispy white beard. Mail piled up from across the country.

He had a gentle presence. He left people with a wonderful feeling of peace inside their hearts, Pable said. He would say, Lets just pray about this and see what God wants to do. Some people were not healed. He told them to bear their problems with Gods help.

Father Solanus, who died in 1957, also co-founded the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, which serves up to 2,000 meals a day to Detroits poor.

The Capuchins built a center that bears his name and explains his life story. The public is invited to pray and leave handwritten pleas atop his tomb. Father Solanus name is invoked by many people who attend a weekly service for the sick.

Shirley Wilson, 78, said she regularly prayed to Father Solanus to help her nephew get a kidney. He got one a few weeks ago.

It was a perfect match, she said. I believe in miracles.

Vigneron hopes Father Solanus will inspire people to show mercy toward others.

We need to care for the poor and give them a high priority, the archbishop said. Father was very loving and understanding to people who came to him with their troubles.
Mafia ''boss of bosses'' Salvatore ''Toto'' Riina, center, enters handcuffed into Bologna's bunker-courtroom, escorted by Carabinieri, Italian paramiliary police, in Bologna, Italy, 1996 - AP

The death of a Mafia boss of bosses nicknamed The Beast, who ordered dozens of murders during a bloody reign of terror, could unleash a turf war between rival factions in Sicily, Italy was warned on Friday.

Salvatore Toto Riina, one of the most brutal godfathers in the history of Cosa Nostra, died of cancer at the age of 87.

He was serving 26 life sentences for multiple murder convictions. Riina, known in Sicilian dialect as U Cortu or Shorty because of his diminutive stature, led a reign of terror in Sicily for nearly 20 years until his arrest in 1993.

In establishing an iron grip on Cosa Nostra, he murdered rivals and sent many opponents into exile in the United States and Latin America.

There are now fears that the exiles could seek revenge against the Corleonesi, Riina loyalists who come from the hilltop town of Corleone, immortalised by The Godfather films, and Palermo, Sicilys capital.

Mafia "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina, is seen behind bars, during a trial in Rome, 1993 Credit: AP

Riinas allies are terrified that the exiles will return and exact vengeance for the slaughter of the 1980s, said John Dickie, an expert on Cosa Nostra and the author of several books, including Mafia Republic  Italys Criminal Curse.

Riina drove many of his enemies into exile. Since his capture, they have been angling to return.

Italian politicians and mafia experts also warned that the death of Riina by no means signaled the end of the Mafia.

Notwithstanding the godfathers arrest 24 years ago, Cosa Nostra has gone about its business, dealing in drugs and extorting money from legitimate businesses in Sicily and beyond, and is likely to continue to do so.

His death should not tempt us to lower our guard, said Andrea Orlando, the justice minister.

Rosy Bindi, the head of a government anti-Mafia commission, warned that Cosa Nostra still presented a grave threat. "The end of Riina is not the end of the Sicilian Mafia, which remains a highly dangerous criminal system," she said.

Monsignor Michele Pennisi, the archbishop of Monreale in Sicily, said: The delusional omnipotence of the boss of bosses may have finished, but the Mafia is by no means defeated.

Story continues

A cameraman films the Sicilian town of Corleone, where Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina was born. Credit: AP

After his incarceration, Riina was succeeded as the capo di tutti capi (boss of bosses) by Bernardo The Tractor Provenzano. But he in turn was arrested in 2006, after more than 40 years as a fugitive. Since then, Cosa Nostra has lacked clear leadership.

Its politically divided between Riinas Corleonesi faction and the exiles, said Prof Dickie, who teaches Italian studies at UCL. When he took control of Cosa Nostra in the early 1980s, Riina did so by decimating the most powerful bosses. He threw them out and took over the heroin trade to the US.

Families were virtually ethnically cleansed from parts of Palermo and went into exile. They have been trying to come back. Cosa Nostra needs leadership. My best guess, though, is that there will be continued drift.

Despite its fearsome reputation, experts say Cosa Nostra is weaker now than it has ever been in its 150-year history, and that is largely the fault of The Beast.

A picture taken on March 8, 1993 shows mafia boss Salvatore "Toto" Riina during his trial at a high security prison in Palermo. Credit: AFP

When Riina ordered the assassination in 1992 of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two high-profile anti-Mafia investigators, he went a step too far, bringing down the wrath of the Italian State on Cosa Nostra.

Italy dramatically stepped up its fight against organized crime, creating an FBI-style agency and keeping alleged Mafiosi under surveillance. Riiina responded with his customary savagery, ordering the murder of judges, magistrates, journalists and police officers.

The son of a poor farmer, he was born in 1930 in Corleone, the birthplace of Don Corleone, the fictional Godfather in Francis Ford Coppola's movie trilogy.

When he was 13, his father accidentally blew himself up while trying to remove explosives from an artillery shell fired by Allied forces as they invaded Sicily in 1943.

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. Once out of jail, he became a foot soldier for the then head of Cosa Nostra, before assuming leadership himself.

He married a teacher from a mafia family and had four children with her, one of whom is behind bars for four murders.

A group of Carabinieri and onlookers looking inside a car at the bodies of Chief Prosecutor of Palermo Pietro Scaglione and his driver Antonino Lo Russo, killed during a Mafia attack perpetrated by Salvatore Riina in 1971. Credit: Mondadori

Riina eluded police for almost a quarter of a century - without ever leaving Sicily. His reign of terror did not end with his arrest and imprisonment  while in prison he ordered the murder of a 13-year old boy who was kidnapped in a bid to stop his father from becoming an informer. The child was strangled and his body dissolved in acid.

During a killing spree known as The Slaughter in the early 1980s, Riina sought to annihilate his many rivals.

He turned 87 on Thursday and died just a few hours later, in the early hours of Friday morning, falling into a coma after complications following surgery.

He died in a ward for prisoners at a hospital in Parma in northern Italy  hundreds of miles from his fiefdom in Sicily.

His funeral is likely to be a private affair in Corleone, the town of his birth.

The Catholic Church said his family would not be allowed to hold the funeral in a church. The Pope has excommunicated Mafiosi, said Father Ivan Maffeis, spokesman for the Italian Bishops Conference. "The condemnation of the Italian Church regarding this phenomenon is unequivocal.
Calgarys pregame wardrobe was decidedly throwback on Saturday.

Several days removed from an old school donnybrook with the Detroit Red Wings, the Calgary Flames decided to wind back the clock even further for Saturdays tilt in Philadelphia.

Prior to the Flames 5-4 overtime win over the Flyers, the team suited up in 1950s-style attire and entered the arena in style. After the contest, the boys stuck to the theme as they prepared to travel by train to Washington where they will face the Capitals on Monday evening.

CAL going old-school with the attire and transportation  train to WASH. Love the cigar pic.twitter.com/k5j20Iw1Vq  Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 18, 2017

the Flames went with 50s attire for today's game pic.twitter.com/MSzRFbIqmy  ThanksBlinning (@NHLBlinn) November 18, 2017

With moustaches, three-piece suits, classic kicks, hats, canes, and even cigars all on point, the Flames won Halloween more than two weeks after it ended.
New York (AFP) - With the fifth round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement underway, Florida fruit and vegetable growers are pressing for changes.

They complain that subsidies in Mexico have flooded the US market with cheap competition under the landmark 1994 trade pact and want it amended -- unlike some corn growers and ranchers, who have benefited from the deal and prefer it to remain as it is.

All sides are trying to make their voices heard as negotiators from the United States, Canada and Mexico gather in Mexico City to continue the US-initiated effort to revamp the deal.

Under NAFTA, exports to Canada and Mexico of food produced in the United States have jumped to $39 billion this year from $8.7 billion in 1992. Imports of Mexican and Canadian agricultural products also have surged to $44.5 billion last year from $6.5 billion in 1992.

The lowering of tariff barriers made it easier for US corn producers to sell their crop to new markets.

"Our exports of corn have grown tremendously. We worked hard to build domestic and export markets," said Mark Recker, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, who favors remaining in the trade agreement.

"If we pull out of NAFTA, tariffs suddenly go up, and then we can't compete," he warns. "Mexico is already looking to South America or other sources for their corn."

- Blueberries, watermelons, eggplant -

But blueberries and broccoli in Georgia, watermelons in Texas, grapes and asparagus in California, and strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, squash and eggplants in Florida have all seen production fall.

"Since NAFTA's passage in the 1990s, there has been a steady decline in both the acreage and production value in regions around the United States," said Lisa Lochridge of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association.

And "The pace of that decline has increased significantly over the past five to 10 years as the Mexican government has provided subsidies for its farmers to grow produce for the US marketplace," she said.

Story continues

Fruit and vegetable growers are pushing for a clause in the trade deal that makes it easier to launch a lawsuit against subsidies or dumping in another country.

But Paul Mastronardi, president of produce company Sunset Grown, warns that those concerns do not represent the majority of farmers and the strategy is problematic.

"If we start to choose small subsections of each industry for different rules and standards, then we are exposed to retaliation from the NAFTA partners."

- Disagreements among ranchers -

Hope Pjesky, who raises cattle in Oklahoma, said at a time when agricultural commodity prices are particularly low, US farmers cannot afford to lose customers.

For example, while beef tongue does not appeal to many American cooks, it is widely used in Mexico, and that can add "between $250 and $300 in value to each calf at the end of his life," she said.

But the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA), the largest federation of cattle producers in the country, says NAFTA is mostly detrimental to American ranchers.

"Under NAFTA, US ranchers are forced to absorb Canada and Mexico's overproduction" and that is "driving down domestic cattle prices even when global US exports are growing," the group said.

- Remove barriers -

Like the ranchers, the farming organizations are not on the same page.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is clear: "Any renegotiation must protect the gains achieved in agricultural trade and work to remove remaining barriers to trade with Canada and Mexico."

But the National Farmers Union, which represents 200,000 farmers, is in favor of the renegotiation "to restore the United States' sovereignty over farm and food policy."

Juliette Majot, director of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), these positions reflect different visions of agriculture.

Defenders of the NAFTA promote a system where "the only way to keep your head above water is to get big, to consolidate your land and to do more intense farming," she said.

According to the institute, from 1992 to 2012, the United States lost 22 percent of its small farmers -- those with less than $350,000 in annual gross farm income -- while the number of those earning more than $1 million a year doubled.
Paris (AFP) - French authorities will stop Muslims from praying in a street north of Paris, the country's interior minister said Sunday, after a series of protests by lawmakers and locals over what they view as an unacceptable use of public space.

"They will not have prayers on the street, we will prevent street praying," Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told Questions Politics (Franceinfo, France Inter, Le Monde).

Prayers in the street have taken place every Friday in the multiethnic suburb of Clichy-la-Garenne since March to protest the closure of a popular local mosque that had operated in a government building but since been turned into a library.

Worshippers have accused the authorities of not offering suitable land to build a new mosque and the interior minister acknowledged the need for an alternative: "Muslims must have a place of worship to pray."

"We will make sure we resolve this conflict in the next few weeks," he added.

A local Muslim association has said it intends to hold prayers in the city centre next Friday.

The row about prayer space saw around 100 local French politicians attempt to block worshippers on November 10, disrupting the crowd by singing the French national anthem.

The rightwing mayor of Clichy, Remi Muzeau, has argued that another mosque already exists north of the town, but mosque leaders have dismissed that idea as unviable, arguing it is too small and has poor transport links.

France has around five million Muslims, and concern about the religion challenging the country's strict secular laws was a major theme in this year's presidential election.

Muslim religious leaders complain that not enough space is made available for those wanting to attend services, but building new mosques remains controversial, with the influential far-right National Front (FN) particularly hostile.

In 2011, FN leader Marine Le Pen compared the sight of Muslims praying on the streets to the occupation of France by the Nazis in World War II, leading her to be prosecuted -- and acquitted -- for inciting hatred.
By Conor Humphries

DUBLIN (Reuters) - As the public face of the Irish Republican Army during its bombing campaigns, then peacemaker and mainstream politician, Gerry Adams has been a defining figure of Northern Ireland's 50-year journey from sectarian torment to relative stability.

Adams announced his intention to step down as leader of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party on Saturday with his ultimate goal of a united Ireland still elusive.

But the party he leaves is not only the dominant Irish nationalist force in the British-ruled province, but also strong enough across the border in the Irish Republic to have a chance of entering government there, too.

During the 1970s and 80s, at the height of an IRA bombing campaign to end British rule over Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein operated as the IRA's political wing. As its leader from 1983 onwards, Adams thus became, for many in Britain and Northern Ireland, the face of the IRA.

As a result, he was loathed by pro-British unionists and the British government, but lionised in equal measure by Irish nationalists.

Yet when the prospect of political progress arose, he showed himself ready to compromise, working with late former IRA commander Martin McGuinness to swing the IRA and the province's Roman Catholic minority behind a 1998 deal with the pro-British Protestant majority.

The Good Friday agreement gave the province's Catholics a share of power and largely ended a conflict in which some 3,600 people had been killed, many at the hands of Irish republican groups such as the IRA, and others by pro-British unionist paramilitaries and British security forces.

Since then, Adams has helped to build Sinn Fein into the dominant Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland, overseeing its agreement in 2007 to share power with its bitter rival, the Democratic Unionist Party and, in recent months, its efforts to restore power-sharing after it collapsed in January.

Adams also announced on Saturday that he would not stand for re-election to the Dublin parliament, where he has sat since 2011, moving Sinn Fein from the fringes to become the Irish Republic's third party and its main left-wing force.

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REPUBLICAN HERITAGE

Adams was born into a Belfast family steeped in revolutionary politics, several of his relatives having been involved in armed republicanism.

At 20, he left his job as a barman to help defend fellow Catholics from what they saw as a hostile British state, and to fight for Northern Ireland to split from the United Kingdom and unite with the Irish Republic.

Like his father, Adams was interned - held without trial - on suspicion of being a senior IRA commander.

He has always denied membership of the IRA, although accusations from former IRA fighters that he was involved in its campaign of killings have dogged him throughout his career.

Between 1988 and 1994, Adams was banned from speaking on British airwaves. While his oversized glasses and red-tinged beard were instantly recognisable, his voice was unknown as broadcasters had actors dub his words.

Former British conservative prime minister John Major, one of the architects of peace in Northern Ireland, once said the thought of sitting down to talk with Adams had "turned my stomach".

But Adams was at the time walking a political tightrope - between IRA "hawks" who argued that only a continuation of violence would chase Britain from the island, and "doves" who said that negotiations were the route to a united Ireland.

He emerged from the political cold in October 1997 when he shook hands with the new Labour prime minister, Tony Blair, at their first meeting. Sinn Fein had polled 17 percent in Northern Ireland's elections and returned Adams to the British parliament, although he refused to take his seat.

Within a year, Adams and McGuinness had helped to broker a peace deal that largely ended the violence in the province.

Since that deal, his role as statesman has grown, and he has made several visits to the White House.

He was arrested in 2014 as part of an investigation into one of the province's most controversial murders, but no charges were brought.

Latterly he has used social media to create a grandfatherly image in the Irish Republic, with posts about his dog and his taste in cartoons.

(Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Conor Humphries DUBLIN (Reuters) - Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams, a pivotal figure in the political life of Ireland for almost 50 years, said on Saturday he will step down as party leader and complete a generational shift in the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Reviled by many as the face of the IRA during its campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland, Adams reinvented himself as a peacemaker in the troubled region and then as a populist opposition parliamentarian in the Irish Republic. Adams said he would be replaced as party president, a position he has held since 1983, at a party conference next year. He would also not stand for reelection to the Irish parliament. "Republicanism has never been stronger... But leadership means knowing when it is time for change. That time is now," Adams said in an emotional speech to a packed party conference. "I have complete confidence in the next generation of leaders," he said. Adams stayed on stage as the 2,500-strong crowd, some in tears, gave him a standing ovation and sang a traditional Irish song about the road home, followed by the national anthem. Adams will almost certainly hand over to a successor with no direct involvement in the decades of conflict in Northern Ireland, a prospect that would make Sinn Fein a more palatable coalition partner in the Irish Republic where it has never been in power. Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, an English literature graduate from Trinity College Dublin who has been at the forefront of a new breed of Sinn Fein politicians transforming the party's image, is the clear favourite to take over. That would mean the left-wing party being led on both sides of the Irish border by women in their 40s after Michelle O'Neill succeeded Martin McGuinness as leader in Northern Ireland shortly before the former IRA commander's death in March. IRA DENIALS Adams, who will turn 70 next October, has always denied membership of the IRA but accusations from former IRA fighters that he was involved in its campaign of killings have dogged him throughout his career. Adams was a key figure in the nationalist movement throughout the three decades of violence between Catholic militants seeking a united Ireland, mainly Protestant militants who wanted to maintain Northern Ireland's position as a part of Britain, and the British army. 3,600 died in the conflict, many at the hands of the IRA. As head of the political wing of the IRA during its bombing campaigns in 1980s Britain, Adams was a pariah and banned from speaking on British airwaves, forcing television stations to dub his voice with that of an actor. He and his party emerged from the political cold in October 1997 when he shook hands with Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair at their first meeting. A year later, he helped win sceptical elements in the IRA to the Good Friday peace deal, which largely ended the violence. Since the peace deal Adams and McGuinness turned Sinn Fein from a fringe party into the dominant Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland and the third largest party in south of the border. While its anti-austerity platform led to a six-fold increase in its number of seats in the Republic - 23 out of 158 - suspicion of Sinn Fein's role in the Northern Ireland troubles still runs deep and the far larger ruling Fine Gael and or main opposition Fianna Fail have ruled out governing alongside them. Analysts say a change of leader could help open the way to Sinn Fein entering government in Dublin for the first time. "Under a new Sinn Fein leader I think anything is possible," said David Farrell, politics professor at University College Dublin. A new Sinn Fein leader will also take over responsibility for rescuing power-sharing devolved government in Northern Ireland and avoid a return to full direct rule from London for the first time in decade. Power-sharing collapsed after Sinn Fein withdrew in January saying the Democratic Unionist Party was not treating it as an equal partner and a series of talks have failed to break the impasse. (Writing by Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin; Editing by Toby Chopra)
James Dempsey, 89, called for help multiple times before a nurse came to help him in an Atlanta nursing home. (Photo: 11Alive)

A World War II veterans last breaths were among nurses who were secretly filmed laughing and failing to adequately perform CPR or call for help in a timely fashion, a disturbing video shows.

James Dempsey, 89, was residing at Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation Center in February 2014 when he repeatedly triggered his call button while gasping for help, video recently obtained by WXIA-TV shows.

Roughly eight minutes later, a nurse comes in, raises his bed, turns off his call light and then leaves the room. Nearly an hour later, nurses called 911 but by that time it was too late.

Dempseys family sued the home the following year after reviewing the footage they had secretly recorded. The facility then fought to prevent the video from being released to the public, but ultimately lost, leading to it WXIA publishing it.

As the footage shows, the head nurses retelling of what happened that horrific morning contrasts with what appears to have actually happened.

Nursing supervisor Wanda Nuckles, in a video deposition obtained by WXIA, told an attorney for Dempseys family that she ran into his room and personally performed relentless chest compressions on him and that this desperate act went on until EMTs arrived.

From the time you came in, you took over doing chest compressions  correct? the Dempsey familys attorney, Michael Prieto, asked her.

Yes, she replied.

Until the time paramedics arrived, you were giving CPR continuously? he asked.

Yes, she answered.

After being shown video of her and several other nurses walking into the room and failing to immediately assist him  at one point they laughed and only briefly performed chest compressions  Nuckles admitted that she had made an honest mistake in getting her story wrong.

Nursing supervisor Wanda Nuckles said she immediately began performing CPR on James Dempsey when he was gasping for breath, but video footage tells a different story. (Photo: 11Alive)

There was an honest mistake because I was just basing it on what I normally do, she said of why her story and actions didnt match up. It was an honest mistake, thats what I generally do.

Story continues

Asked what was so funny for them to laugh, Nuckles answered: I have no clue. I cant even remember all of that, as you can see.

The nursing home was reportedly made aware of the video in November 2015 but the nurses werent fired until 10 months later. Two of the nurses seen in the video, including Nuckles, didnt surrender their licenses until this September.

The Georgia Board of Nursing declined to say when it first learned of the video. It took action shortly after it was sent a link to the video by WXIA, the station reported.

Dempseys family has since declined interview requests citing the terms of a settlement it recently reached with the Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation Center. In an earlier 2015 interview with Atlanta station WSB-TV, Dempseys son, James Dempsey, expressed absolute shock and disgust over how they treated him.

You would [have] never thought that people would just let a person die, he told WSB-TV.

A spokesperson for Sava Senior Care, which owns the facility, told WXIA that the facility has a new leadership team that has worked to improve the quality of life for our residents. The spokesperson added that the Georgia Department of Health found the facility deficiency-free during its last inspection in May.

HuffPosts attempts to reach Sava Senior Care, the Georgia Board of Nursing and Nuckles on Sunday for comment were not immediately successful.

The Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation Center has a much below average rating by Medicare and an overall poor rating by U.S. News and World Report.

Since 2014, it has received 48 complaints that resulted in citations and has paid three fines totaling $829,201, according to Medicares website.

According to an online obituary for Dempsey, he was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and retired from the Georgia Army National Guard.

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If you had to date a rodent, youd want to choose a vole. With their furry little dad bods, voles are part of the small group of animals that form lifelong, monogamous relationships. Unfortunately for them, their human-like mating habits mean theyre a favorite model for scientists researching human behavior.

The latest study on the tiny mammals, however, turned their reputations upside down: In an article, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry on Friday, scientists show that getting voles drunk turns them into bad boyfriends.

The Oregon Health and Science University scientists behind the study discovered that alcohol changes a specific brain region in male voles that, in turn, causes the voles long-term relationships to suffer. A similar process may happen in the brains of drunk humans, the researchers write, and understanding it may eventually help them discover ways to combat the devastating effects alcohol can have on social relationships.

Our results in prairie voles have identified a biological mechanism that could explain the link between discordant drinking and relationship breakdown, but we will need to do further work to confirm this for humans, co-author Andre Walcott, a Ph.D. candidate, explained in a statement.

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.

Sweet vole Alabama.

While its known that alcohol abuse is linked to negative relationships, scientists are still unsure whether alcohol directly contributes to the breakdown of the relationship or whether the bad relationships cause individuals to drink. To study this, the researchers allowed male and female prairie voles to pair-bond and form a relationship for one week. Then, the male voles were given a 10 percent alcohol solution, while the female voles were split into two groups  one that also received alcohol, and another that received only water. For the next week, the voles drank; some couples both drank, sharing the same bottle of alcohol, while other couples involved the male boozing while his female partner stayed sober in a separate room.

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Then, the scientists, much like that friend of your boyfriend who you dont like him hanging out with, offered all the male voles two choices: Go hang with their girlfriends, or go out and meet a new lady vole.

This woodland vole would never cheat on you.

In this situation, the alcohol-drinking males with sober partners spent less time with their original partner and showed changes in a brain region called the periaqueductal grey. This part of the brain is the primary control center for descending pain modulation, and the scientists theorize it might be responsible for the change in the voles behavior.

The same could not be said for the voles who boozed with their partners and the voles who stayed sober together. These voles chose to huddle with their original partner, even in the face of temptation. This, the scientists point out, mirrors human behavior  and anyone whos seen a couple make out in a club can attest to this statement. Overall, separation rates increased when one vole in a partnership drank, and separation rates didnt change when both voles were on the same page.

These prairie voles, who the scientists claim like drinking alcohol, are the first evidence that alcohol can affect established, monogamous animal pairs. While the idea that alcohol can affect a relationship may seem obvious anecdotally, this study is a step towards understanding exactly why that happens.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2), Bureau of Land Management/Flickr

Photos via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2), Bureau of Land Management/Flickr

Written by Sarah Sloat

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Investigators want to know what attendees of a Trump Tower meeting with campaign officials discussed in a subsequent meeting: Utrecht Robin/action press/REX

A meeting between a Russian-American lobbyist and a Russian businessman is reportedly drawing interest from congressional investigators probing possible ties between the Kremlin and Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

Investigators are looking into why lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin and businessman Ike Kaveladze, who had worked with Mr Trump, met in Moscow earlier this year after having attended an earlier meeting with campaign officials that has drawn intense scrutiny, according to the Associated Press.

It emerged earlier this year that then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, along with Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner - the Presidents son and son-in-law - attended a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer after being promised damaging information on presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Both Mr Akhmetshin and Mr Kaveladze attended the 2016 meeting, and now investigators want to know if they got together in Moscow to coordinate stories about what happened before it became public. Mr Kaveladzes attorney confirmed to the AP that the men met and discussed the Trump Tower meeting but said his client had not been contacted by associates of Mr Trump or given a heads up that the meeting would made public.

Mr Trump Jr has dismissed the meeting as an inconsequential attempt to glean opposition research, a common campaign tactic. Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading a probe into potential Trump-Russia ties, last month announced money laundering charges against Mr Manafort and his associate Rick Gates. Mr Manafort has said the charges have no merit.

A third campaign associate, former adviser George Papadopoulos, has pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about meetings with Russian-linked individuals who also offered information that could undermine Ms Clinton.

It was revealed this week that a Kremlin-linked individual sought to arrange a backdoor meeting with campaign officials at a National Rifle Association event in Kentucky. Congressional investigators have said Mr Kushner failed to disclose emails referencing the proposal.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and a lower-ranking Iranian fighter have been killed fighting Islamic State in Syria in recent days, Iranian media reported on Sunday. The Revolutionary Guards, Irans most powerful military force which also oversees an economic empire worth billions of dollars, have been fighting in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for several years. An Iranian official told the Tasnim news agency last year that more than 1,000 Iranians have been killed in Syria. Senior members of the Guards have been among those killed. Kheyrollah Samadi, a Guards commander in charge of a unit in Syria, died on Thursday in fighting in the Albu Kamal region, bordering Iraq, according to Fars News. Samadi was killed in clashes with Islamic State, according to the Ghatreh news site. Iranian media have previously reported on fighting in that area between Iran's Shi'ite militia allies and Islamic State. The Syrian army and its allies took complete control over Albu Kamal, Islamic State's last significant town in Syria, a military news service run by Hezbollah said on Sunday. Samadi, who fought in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s and had retired from the Iranian military before signing on to go to Syria, was killed by a mortar explosion, Fars News, a news agency, said. Iranian news sites posted pictures on Sunday of Samadi with Qassem Soleimani, head of the Guards branch responsible for operations outside Iran. The lower-ranking Iranian fighter, Mehdi Movahednia, was killed on Saturday in clashes with Islamic State in the town of Mayadin in eastern Syria, Fars News reported. The Revolutionary Guards initially kept quiet about their role in the Syria conflict. But in recent years, as casualties have mounted, they have been more outspoken about their engagement, framing it as an existential struggle against the Sunni Muslim fighters of Islamic State who see Shiites, the majority of Irans population, as apostates. On web sites linked to the Guards, members of the organization killed in Syria and Iraq are praised as protectors of Shiite holy sites and labeled defenders of the shrine. U.S. President Donald Trump last month gave the U.S. Treasury Department authority to impose economic sanctions on members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in response to what Washington calls its efforts to destabilize and undermine its opponents in the Middle East. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Adrian Croft)
The Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said on November 17 that the Iraqi forces captured Rawa town from Islamic State in record time.

The Iraqi forces raised the flag above the government building in Rawa and worked to secure the border with Syria.

Rawa was the last town held by Islamic State in Iraq.

This video was shared by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and is described as showing forces capturing Rawa. Credit: Iraqi Ministry of Defense via Storyful
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday formally rejected a request to pardon a soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a prone Palestinian assailant, Rivlin's office said.

"President Reuven Rivlin today took the decision to deny the request for pardon filed by Elor Azaria," it said in an English-language statement, exactly one month after the jailed soldier submitted his request.

On July 30, a military court turned down Azaria's appeal against his conviction for manslaughter and upheld an 18-month prison sentence, which he began serving on August 9.

In September, Israel's Chief of Staff General Gadi Eisenkot reduced the term by four months.

He will therefore complete his term in October 2018 unless the routine parole board considers him for earlier release when it reviews his case early next year.

Rights group Amnesty International has said Azaria's sentence does "not reflect the gravity of the offence".

The UN human rights office said it was an "unacceptable" punishment for "an apparent extra-judicial killing".

However, both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman have supported a full pardon.

The written reply to the pardon application, quoted in Sunday's statement, says that Rivlin noted Eisenkot's clemency and the court's "lenient" sentence.

"The President learned that in passing sentence, the military court took into account the circumstances raised by you... as consideration of leniency, and he noted it took them into account in passing a lighter sentence," it said.

- Lieberman 'saddened' -

Lieberman said in response that he respected Rivlin but was saddened at his ruling.

"I regret his decision to reject the request for a pardon of the soldier Elor Azaria," he said in a statement.

"President Rivlin had an opportunity to put an end to this affair, which has shaken Israeli society," he added.

Story continues

Lieberman said he believed it would have been in the public interest "to weigh the need to heal the rifts in society" opened by the case.

Last year's shooting deeply divided Israel and led to an extraordinary rift between right-wing politicians who wanted to see Azaria released and top military brass, who harshly condemned his actions.

Rivlin's decision stressed the potential damage done by the incident to the Israeli military's moral code.

"An additional lightening of your sentence would damage the Israel Defence Forces and the state of Israel," it said, adding that Azaria was expected to come before the parole board "in approximately three months" where his release under licence would be considered.

The March 2016 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.

Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He said he had feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up -- a claim judges rejected.

Azaria completed his mandatory three-year military service on July 20.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's cabinet voted on Sunday to close a migrant detention centre, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an agreement to deport 40,000 Africans who entered the country illegally.

Ministers unanimously approved plans to shutter the Holot centre in southern Israel and gave migrants a three-month deadline to leave the country or face deportation, said the interior and public security ministries.

"The infiltrators will have the option to be imprisoned or leave the country," the public security ministry said in a statement.

Israeli official figures from June 30 show a total of 38,043 African migrants in the country.

They include 27,494 Eritreans and 7,869 Sudanese, and their presence in south Tel Aviv has raised discontent among Israelis there and elsewhere.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's vote, Netanyahu noted that after building a fence on the Egyptian border and deporting some 20,000 African migrants through various deals, Israel has reached the third stage of its efforts -- "accelerated removal".

"This removal is taking place thanks to an international agreement I reached that enables us to remove the 40,000 infiltrators remaining, remove them without their consent," he told ministers.

"This will enable us to close down Holot and allocate some of the large funds going there to inspectors and removing more people," said Netanyahu.

Holot, an open facility in the desert that can host 1,200 migrants who are allowed to leave to work during the day, would be closed three months from December 16, according to the decision.

A public security ministry spokesman said an extension to that deadline would be set if necessary.

Ahead of the vote, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Holot had become "a hotel for infiltrators at the tax-payers' expense that does not encourage their exit" and costs 240 million shekels ($68 million, 58 million euros) a year.

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In a Twitter statement, Erdan however stressed the closure of Holot was conditioned on "us seeing that the policy of removing infiltrators to a third country was indeed taking place."

Neither Erdan nor Netanyahu gave details about the deal and the third country.

Israel tacitly recognises the Sudanese and Eritreans cannot be returned to their dangerous homelands, so it has signed deals with Rwanda and Uganda, which agree to accept departing migrants on condition they consent to the arrangement, according to activists.
Robin Hazlett of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, says she has known she wanted to be a music teacher since the 9th grade, when she was a student at Drexel Hill Middle School. By high school, Hazlett discovered that playing music was a way to participate and be a part of theatre performances without having to be up on stage, but still getting to experience the magic of live musical theatre.

Fast forward to the present, and Hazlett has combined all these revelations into a dedicated career at the very school where she first was inspired to become an educator: Hazlett has been the music teacher at Drexel Hill Middle School for 35 years now. After four decades as a music educator at the school  where shes had the privilege of teaching multiple generations within given families  shes finally hanging up her hat and thinking back on what it was that kept her so committed to her work for so long.

Its many hours of work, but its a lot of fun, Hazlett says of her work producing and directing the annual school musical. Its just been magical to watch. Its been so rewarding to look in these faces  and see the excitement of opening curtain. Its a great joy to bring that to kids.

Which is why the work is also so hard to walk away from now, she says.

When its time for the last curtain of the last day of the last show, I will be a mess. I know I will be crying. Because it is such a part of me  this school and these kids and doing a show. Its part of my personality. Its part of who I am . Im probably going to have a little difficulty figuring out who I am without this piece that is a big part of my life.

Hazlett also explains that another big part of her life  and her lifes work  is positivity and joy.

Ive always tried to stay positive with my students, she says. And especially in this time when a lot of them need positive things in their life, its just the key to success  for my classroom  is laughter and fun.

And her advice to her own students on how to build long-standing, committed careers like her own? Its simple: Keep searching until you find what you love.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle
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.

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Jane Kleeb, head of the Nebraska Democratic Party and longtime activist against the Keystone XL, told The Washington Post that TransCanada cannot be trusted.



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.



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Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk whose steadfast opposition to same-sex marriage made her a darling of Christian conservatives, may draw a re-election opponent next year that again puts her in the national spotlight.

The Associated Press reports that David Ermold, a gay man denied a marriage license by Davis in June 2015, is seriously considering a run for Rowan County clerk. Davis, for her part, already has announced plans to seek another term.

Davis sparked a media firestorm when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the wake of the Supreme Courts 2015 marriage equality ruling. Footage of Ermold and his now-husband, David Moore, engaging in a heated exchange with Davis at a Rowan County municipal office was featured in national news reports as the controversy unfolded.

David Ermold (left) and his husband, David Moore (center), were among the couples who were denied marriage licenses by Kim Davis in 2015. (Photo: Lexington Herald-Leader via Getty Images)

Ermold hinted at his campaign plans on Twitter Nov. 10, stressing that he needed to get a few things in order before a formal announcement could be made.

Thank you so much for the support, Attica. I just need to get a few things in order and get in contact with the right people to make it happen. #inspiration https://t.co/8Apt6DFLyj  David Ermold (@DErmold) November 9, 2017

Apathy in life is not an option. If we don't stand for something, we stand for nothing. #RowanCounty  David Ermold (@DErmold) November 10, 2017

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.

Liberty Counsels Mat Staver, who represented Davis during the battle over the marriage licenses, told AP his client doesnt have any major concerns about the 2018 election. She loves her job and she loves the people, he said.

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Davis was briefly jailed for contempt of court over her refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses. She was released under the condition that she not interfere with the issuance of the licenses by deputy county clerks.

Having spent much of 2017 out of the public eye, Davis made waves in October when she accompanied the Liberty Counsels Harry Mihet on a nine-day trip to Romania with the aim of encouraging that nations lawmakers to adopt legislation against same-sex marriage.

Mihet, who is a Romanian native, and Davis reportedly held conferences in several cities in an effort to persuade local politicians to support amending the countrys constitutional definition of family, which would, in turn, rule out the possibility of legalizing same-sex marriage. A national referendum on that proposal is expected before years end.

Catch the latest in LGBTQ news by subscribing to the Queer Voices newsletter.

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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

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Lyon (AFP) - Emmanuel Macron's party named a new leader Saturday as the French president faces the first rebellious grumblings in the 19-month-old movement that swept him to power.

Christophe Castaner, a smooth-talking, ultra-loyal government spokesman, takes the helm of Republic on the Move (LREM) six months after Macron won the presidency in a sensational upset for French politics.

Macron's handpicked favourite, Castaner is a former Socialist MP who joined the 39-year-old's centrist, pro-European campaign early in his run for presidency.

"It's not a dream, it's not an ambition, it's a chance, an honour, it's a duty," Castaner said, as he promised not to be "the leader of the movement", but an "organiser, a facilitator".

Castaner, 51, was elected unopposed via a show of hands at LREM's party congress in the eastern city of Lyon, to the irritation of some grassroots members of what Macron called a "citizens' movement".

The new party chief -- who admitted he had not been "dreaming" of the unpaid job -- struck a humble tone as he accepted a three-year term, telling party members: "Your vote gives me no rights, only responsibilities."

After widespread grumbling in private, a small group of 100 followers went public this week with an open resignation letter that claimed the party had no internal democracy and was consumed by political scheming.

- 'Contempt and arrogance' -

The anonymous rebels said in the letter that LREM was guilty of "contempt and arrogance".

The complaints are one of a number of challenges faced by Macron, who needs a support base as he battles opponents including trade unionists opposed to his labour reforms and leftists who accuse him of favouring the rich with his tax policies.

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters marched to Macron's official residence in Paris to denounce his "anti-social policies", including hugely contested labour reforms.

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Even senior figures admit that, since tasting glory over the summer with a membership that swelled to more than 350,000, the party has stagnated.

Some party activists criticised the decision to use a show of hands to elect Castaner, arguing it would pressure voters into toeing the line.

LREM will be vital for Macron at the local and regional level in France, where future elections for mayors and councils offer him the chance to push his pro-business agenda to "transform" France.

- 'Movement not completely matured' -

Launched simply as En Marche (On the Move) in April 2016, it was a hugely effective electoral force with its thousands of volunteers who knocked on doors, flocked to rallies and distributed leaflets.

Many were drawn to Macron's promise to do politics differently, with local committees invited to brainstorm and contribute to the party's manifesto.

Macron's rise to the presidency -- and subsequent parliamentary elections in June in which En Marche won a hefty majority -- marked a break in decades dominated by the traditional left and right.

Both the mainstream Socialists and rightwing Republicans are currently leaderless.

Speaking anonymously, one government minister said Castaner was what LREM needed to get through its growing pains, as someone who is both close to Macron and on good terms with ordinary party faithful.

"The movement has not completely matured," the minister said.

"We need to let the leaders emerge -- those who are already in the government and parliament -- and the best person to get them to emerge is Castaner."

Castaner's appointment will prompt a mini re-shuffle early next week as he will have to step down as government spokesman.
Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters: AP

Jack Ruby told an FBI informant to watch the fireworks on the day President John F Kennedy was assassinated, the latest release of JFK files reveals.

Ruby, who went on to shoot and mortally wound Lee Harvey Oswald two days later, made the comments hours before the President was killed in Dallas, Texas.

Although the President was assassinated on 22 November 1963, the interaction between Ruby and the FBI informant, identified as Bob Vanderslice, was not officially relayed to the FBI until March 1977.

The informant stated that on the morning of the assassination, Ruby contacted him and asked if he would like to watch the fireworks, the FBI record stated.

He was with Jack Ruby and standing at the corner of the Postal Annex Building facing the Texas School Book Depository Building, at the time of the shooting.

Immediately after the shooting, Ruby left and headed toward the area of the Dallas Morning News Building, without saying anything to him.

Vanderslice told the FBI that after Ruby was arrested for killing Oswald, he was also arrested on an unrelated criminal charge and got to know him better at the Dallas County Jail.

Ruby died in 1967 while he was still incarcerated.

Donald Trump ordered the release of 2,800 files relating to the assassination of President Kennedy and the documents have been published in batches on the National Archives website.

The US President agreed to withhold hundreds of documents the US intelligence community deemed were still sensitive for six months.
Lena Dunham apologized Saturday night for defending a writer and producer on Girls who was accused of sexual assault.

In a lengthy statement posted on her Twitter account on Saturday, Dunham said she never expected to defend someone accused of sexual assault, but she naively believed it was important to share her own perspective on her friends situation.

I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry. We have been given the gift of powerful voices and by speaking out we were putting the thumb on the scale and it was wrong, Dunham wrote.

Dunham and Girls co-showrunner Jenni Konner had questioned the allegations against Murray Miller, a writer and producer on Girls. Deadline reported on Friday that actor Aurora Perrineau had filed a report with the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department alleging Miller had assaulted her in 2012, when she was 17. Murray denied the allegations through his attorney, according to Deadline.

Dunham and Konner stood by Murray in a statement to Deadline, categorizing the allegation as one that was misreported.

While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murrays situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3% of assault cases that are misreported every year. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all well be saying about this issue, they said in their statement.
Tripoli (AFP) - Libya will investigate alleged slave trading in the country, the internationally recognised government announced Sunday, following the release of video footage appearing to show migrants being auctioned off.

Chaos-ridden Libya has long been a major transit hub for migrants trying to reach Europe, and many of them have fallen prey to serious abuse in the North African country at the hands of traffickers and others.

US television network CNN aired the footage last week of an apparent live auction in Libya where black men are presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would investigate the allegations, in a statement posted Sunday on the Facebook page of the GNA's press office.

Metig said he would instruct the formation of a "commission to investigate these reports in order to apprehend and bring those responsible to justice", the statement added.

The foreign ministry in a statement added: "If these allegations are confirmed, all implicated persons will be punished."

The CNN report apparently showing migrants being auctioned off in Libya was shared widely on social media, provoking outrage in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.

The grainy footage shot on a mobile telephone shows a man CNN said was Nigerian and in his 20s being offered up for sale as part of a group of "big strong boys for farm work".

In the CNN report, a person identified as an auctioneer can be heard saying "800... 900... 1,000... 1,100..." before two men are sold for 1,200 Libyan dinars ($875).

Around 1,000 people took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest against slavery in Libya, according to French police. The gathering led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a "despicable trade... from another era".

Story continues

Senegal's government expressed "outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil" that constituted a "blight on the conscience of humanity".

Niger's president Mahamadou Issoufou said the issue had made him "deeply angry" and urged Libyan authorities and international organisations to do "everything possible to stop this practice".

African migrants from nations including Guinea and Senegal but also Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Gambia make the dangerous crossing through the Sahara to Libya with hopes of making it over the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.

But testimony collected by AFP has revealed a litany of rights abuses at the hands of gangsters, human traffickers and the Libyan security forces, while many end up stuck in the unstable North African nation for years.

More than 8,800 stranded migrants have been returned home this year, according to the International Organization for Migration, which is also compiling evidence of slavery.
By John Irish and Marine Pennetier PARIS (Reuters) - Saad al-Hariri, who resigned as Lebanon's prime minister this month while in Saudi Arabia, said on Saturday he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut next week. Hariri's resignation on Nov. 4 threw Lebanon into political crisis and put it center-stage in the Middle East's overarching rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and its allies and a bloc led by Shi'ite Iran. "With regard to the political situation in Lebanon, I will go to Beirut in the coming days, I will participate in the independence celebrations, and it is there that I will make known my position on these subjects after meeting President (Michel) Aoun," Hariri said after holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Hariri declined to take questions, but is set to return to Beirut by Wednesday when Lebanon celebrates its independence day. He thanked Macron, who has been mediating as part of French efforts to try to ease tensions across the region, for his help. Macron had leveraged France's close relations with both Lebanon and Saudi Arabia to secure a deal that saw Hariri travel to Paris and open the door to a resolution of the crisis. Hariri, who arrived at his residence in Paris in the early hours of the morning, told Aoun in a phone call from Paris that he would be in Lebanon on Wednesday for the celebrations, the Lebanese president said on Twitter. "Lebanon is being shaken so it's important Hariri comes to Paris for us to work with him on the best way out of the crisis," said a senior French diplomat. "We're trying to create the conditions for a de-escalation in the region. We want to avoid a proliferation of crises that could get out of control." Hariri's abrupt resignation and continued stay in Saudi Arabia has caused fears for Lebanon's stability. Okab Saqr, a member of parliament for Hariri's Future Movement, said after Hariri's visit to France he would have "a small Arab tour" before traveling to Beirut. A French presidential source said Macron had reiterated that Paris wanted Hariri to return to Lebanon to ensure the country's political system continued to function and that it was imperative it remained "disassociated" from regional crises. The source said Macron would continue to be active on the dossier in the coming days and that France was considering whether to host a meeting of the International Lebanon Support Group to discuss the political crisis. IRAN TAKES AIM AT MACRON The crisis has thrust Lebanon into the regional rivalry pitting Saudi Arabia and its allies against a bloc led by Iran, which includes the heavily armed Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group. Aoun 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. Lebanon maintains a delicate sectarian balance after Sunnis, Shi'ites, Christians and Druze fought a civil war between 1975 and 1990, with factions often backed by regional rivals. Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, is a long-time ally of Saudi Arabia. Aoun, a Christian, is a political ally of Hezbollah. Hariri's government, a power-sharing coalition formed last year, includes Hezbollah. France, which controlled Lebanon between the world wars, has sought to play a key role in defusing tension with Macron personally getting involved and putting him at the heart of a regional power struggle that will test his diplomatic skills. That was evident since the outbreak of the Lebanese crisis over the last week with a surprise visit to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, followed by a flurry of calls, sending his foreign minister to Saudi Arabia and then the invitation to Hariri, which caught many diplomats unawares. While undoubtedly a diplomatic coup for Macron, some regional and French diplomats have cautioned that his strategy to try to appease all sides in the region may backfire. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Macron about the situation in Lebanon and Syria. The White House said the leaders agreed on the need to work with allies to counter Hezbollah's and Iran's destabilizing activities in the region. Paris has intensified its rhetoric over Iran's regional activities. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking alongside his Saudi counterpart, denounced Tehran's "hegemonic temptations". Iran responded by accusing France of taking sides and Macron on Friday said Iran should clarify its ballistic missile program. That was met by a rebuke in Tehran. On Saturday, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said Macron should stay out of its affairs. (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch in Beirut and Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Alistair Bell)
A Tennessee man accidentally shot himself and his wife Thursday during a discussion at their church about gun safety concerns.

Local news station WATE reports that the man and his wife, whose names have not been released, were attending a social club meeting at the First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains. The club is unaffiliated with the church itself.

We were talking about concealed carry and protecting ourselves, witness Ray Zillick told WATE.

During the discussion, one attendee pulled out his own gun to show others. The exact details of how the gun went off are somewhat unclear.

Tellico Plains Police Department Chief Russ Parks told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the man pulled the trigger after declaring the gun was unloaded  apparently forgetting he had just loaded it. However, Zillick said that the man accidentally squeezed the trigger while pulling the gun out of his pocket.

When the gun went off, the bullet hit the mans right hand before going through his wifes abdomen and forearm. The husband and wife, both in their 80s, each suffered from injuries that were not life-threatening.

Parks told ABC News that the man was carrying the gun legally and that no charges will be filed.

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The Oakland Raiders Marshawn Lynch has consistently sat for the national anthem this season, one of many players who have protested social inequality by sitting or kneeling during the anthem. Prior to Sundays game against the New England Patriots in Mexico City, Lynch sat during the national anthem and then, according to the Boston Globes Ben Volin, stood for the Mexican anthem.

Marshawn Lynch sits during the US national anthem, stands for Mexican anyhem pic.twitter.com/8wdaKprEki  Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 19, 2017

Lynch rarely speaks to the media, and even more rarely in any depth, so its unlikely hell explain his actions. But the likely rationale is that if one is protesting racial conditions in America, theres no need to protest during Mexicos anthem.

Protesting during the anthem is a particularly provocative act on foreign soil. The Jacksonville Jaguars took heat for their protest in London earlier this season. The team knelt during the national anthem  an act that was at least as much a response to President Donald Trump as an independent protest  but stood for God Save the Queen. That protest, which drew criticism as being disrespectful to the flag and the military while abroad, forced the Jaguars to apologize to local military officials.

Marshawn Lynch sat during the national anthem. (via @BenVolin)

____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Berlin (AFP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel was left battling for political survival Monday after high-stakes talks to form a new government collapsed, plunging Germany into a crisis that could trigger fresh elections.

Europe's biggest economy now faces weeks, if not months of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action.

And with no other viable coalition in sight, Germany may be forced to hold new elections that risk being as inconclusive as September's polls.

Merkel had been forced to seek an alliance with an unlikely group of parties after the ballot left her without a majority.

But following more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel's conservative alliance CDU-CSU and ecologist Greens.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," he said, adding that the parties did not share "a common vision on modernising" Germany.

Voicing regret for the FDP's decision, Merkel vowed to steer Germany through the crisis.

"As chancellor... I will do everything to ensure that this country comes out well through this difficult time," she said.

The Greens' leaders also deplored the collapse of talks, saying they had believed a deal could be done despite the differences.

The euro fell following the news, although analysts said the longer-term implications for the currency were not yet clear.

- 'Failure in the air' -

The negotiations, which turned increasingly acrimonious, had stumbled on a series of issues including immigration policy.

Merkel's liberal refugee policy that let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 had also pushed some voters to the far-right AfD, which in September campaigned on an Islamophobic and anti-immigration platform.

The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised the need to protect industry and jobs.

Story continues

Party chiefs had initially set a deadline of 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Sunday, but that passed without a breakthrough -- after already missing a previous target on Thursday.

But signs that talks were going badly began emerging and Bild daily said on its website that "failure is in the air" as the parties dug in their heels on key sticking points.

- Chancellor in danger -

Merkel could now try to convince the Social Democratic Party, which has been the junior coalition partner in her government since 2013, to return to the fold.

But after suffering a humiliating loss at the polls, the party's top brass has repeatedly said the SDP's place was now in the opposition.

Merkel, who has been in power for 12 years, could also lead a minority government although she had signalled that she was not in favour of such instability.

Germany could therefore likely be forced to hold new elections.

But that is not without peril for Merkel, who would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to lead them into a new electoral campaign.

Top-selling Bild daily said earlier Sunday that a failure to forge a tie-up -- dubbed a "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag -- puts "her chancellorship in danger".

A poll by Welt online also found that 61.4 percent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 percent thought otherwise.

As coalition talks dragged out without a breakthrough, Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a warning to parties in the talks.

"All sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters," he said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.

Sueddeutsche daily noted that Steinmeier's warning came because he sees in new elections "the risk that even a bigger coalition or a Jamaica coalition would no longer have a majority".

"Then the loss would have been greater than the failure of forging a government," it said.
By Tom Polansek (Reuters) - Missouri will limit the use of a weed killer made by BASF SE after farmers complained the chemical drifted and harmed their crops, following a move by Arkansas to prohibit sprayings next year of the herbicide and rival products. Missouri on Thursday banned sprayings of BASF's Engenia herbicide, which is based on a chemical known as dicamba, in 10 counties that had high numbers of complaints about crop damage, starting on June 1, 2018. The ban will expand statewide on July 15 and end in October. Missouri said it expects to impose similar bans on dicamba herbicides sold by Monsanto Co and DowDuPont Inc. The United States has faced a weed-killer crisis this year caused by new formulations of dicamba-based herbicides, which farmers and weed experts say harmed crops this summer because they evaporate and drift away from where they are applied. Summer can be a riskier time for sprayings, experts said, because high temperatures can increase vaporization. Manufacturers say the herbicides are safe when properly applied. The companies need to convince regulators, though, after farmers flooded state agriculture departments with complaints about crop damage associated with the products. The herbicides will carry tighter usage instructions next year, and the Environmental Protection Agency could block sales if complaints persist. Missouri wants the EPA to keep dicamba herbicides on the market to give farmers options for weed control, said Chris Chinn, director of the state's department of agriculture. "We wanted to make sure we had a very successful year in 2018," she said. BASF and DuPont, which makes the herbicide FeXapan, declined to discuss details of Missouri's restrictions. Nationwide, 3.6 million acres of soybeans suffered harm associated with dicamba, and states launched 2,708 investigations into dicamba-related crop damage, according to data compiled by the University of Missouri. Missouri received about 310 complaints from growers related to dicamba, second only to the nearly 1,000 filed in Arkansas. Arkansas blocked the use of Monsanto's herbicide, XtendiMax, on crops this year. A state board voted this month to ban it for a second summer, along with the products sold by BASF and DuPont. Monsanto, which is being acquired by Bayer AG for $63.5 billion, sued Arkansas to prevent the state from prohibiting sprayings after April 15, 2018. The limits on Engenia use in Missouri are "more reasonable" than Arkansas' proposed deadline for dicamba sprayings, said Scott Partridge, vice president of global strategy for Monsanto. "There's really no science that supports an arbitrary cutoff date," he said. (Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
The adoptive mother of Sherin Mathews, a 3-year-old whose body was found in Texas last month, has been charged in connection with the case, police said.

Sherin's adoptive father, Wesley Mathews, is already charged with injury to a child and child endangerment after he told police he watched Sherin choke on milk and die in the early morning hours of Oct. 7 inside of their garage.

Read: Dad of 3-Year-Old Sherin Mathews Charged Again After Body Found, Says She 'Choked on Milk'

He then said he removed her body from their Richardson home, police said.

Sherins body was found in Oct. 22 in a culvert. Wesley Mathews initially told police that Sherin disappeared after he put her in an alleyway near their house at 3 a.m. for not drinking her milk.

He told police hed returned to check on her 15 minutes and she was gone.

After further investigation, Sherins adoptive mother, Sini Mathews, 35, is charged with abandoning or endangering a child.

Authorities said that Sini Mathews left Sherin alone at home for and hour and a half the night before the toddler went missing.

The couple reportedly took their 4-year-old biological daughter out to dinner during that time, police said.

Police said they recovered a receipt from the restaurant and spoke to a waiter who confirmed the couple only had one child with them during dinner.

Read: Missing Baby Found Dead Inside Duffel Bag Dumped in the Woods As Dad is Questioned: Cops

Sini Mathews is being held on $250,000 bond.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner is still working to determine the cause of Sherin Mathews death, reports said.

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Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early December for talks expected to include developments in Lebanon, Netanyahu's office said on Sunday.

In a phone call on Sunday, "President Macron updated Prime Minister Netanyahu with the measures he is taking in the crisis in Lebanon," it said in a Hebrew-language statement.

"The two leaders decided to speak again in the coming days and to meet in Paris at the beginning of next month."

Netanyahu last visited the Elysee in July.

On November 4, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his shock resignation while in Saudi Arabia, citing Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

In a speech broadcast by the Al-Arabiya news network, he accused Tehran of "creating a state within the state" and blasted its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah.

He said Hezbollah was "Iran's arm not just in Lebanon but in other Arab countries too".

Iran rejected what it said were "unfounded accusations".

On Sunday, Netanyahu and Macron also spoke about the nuclear deal with Iran, its "attempts to set up bases in Syria and its activities in the region", the statement said.

It said Macron instigated the 30-minute phone call.

The French president has also telephoned his counterparts in the United States and Egypt, Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss "the situation in the Middle East".

Hariri flew from Riyadh to Paris on Friday for talks with Macron, who is attempting to help broker a solution to a political crisis that has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy.

France, 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.

Netanyahu has described Harari's resignation and his comments on Hezbollah as an "alarm call" to the world about Iran's ambitions.

Israel, which shares a border with Lebanon, accuses Hezbollah of having long held the reins of power in Lebanon and of seeking to strengthen its role in neighbouring Syria, where it is allied to President Bashar al-Assad in the country's civil war.
Ohio State University - www.alamy.com

Ohio State University has become the latest US academic institution to ban on fraternity ceremonies amid concern that alcohol-fuelled initiations are putting students at risk.

The move comes within days of Texas State University outlawing all "Greek Activities" - encompassing both fraternities and sororities - following the death of a Phi Kappa Psi inductee.

Similar steps have been taken in recent weeks at the University of Michigan and Florida State University.

There has been mounting concern at the human toll arising from the incidents of "hazing" at many universities in the US.

Such rituals involve pledgees drinking copious amounts of alcohol in a very short time, with at times fatal consequences.

In May, 18 students at Penn State were charged with offences including aggravated assault and furnishing alcohol to minors following with the death of Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old engineering student.

It is estimated there have been 40 deaths from hazing at US campuses over the last 10 years.

Attorney Stacy Parks Miller, left, announces findings an investigation into the death of Penn State University fraternity pledge Tim Piazza Credit: Abby Drey/AP

The Ohio decision was announced by Ryan Lovell, the senior director for sorority and fraternity life at the university, the New York Times reported.

During the period of this directive, your chapter may request to participate in essential activities only, Mr Lovell wrote.

Since the start of the academic year, 11 of the university's 37 fraternities have come under investigation, although details of the alleged offences have not been disclosed.
Pamela Anderson: Getty

Pamela Anderson has said she thinks her naivety protected her from harassment in Hollywood, after revealing a confrontation with Harvey Weinstein.

In an interview with the Times magazine, the 50-year-old actress and model described her reaction when someone asked her to do something she wasn't comfortable with. "I would be like, 'You want me to do what?' Then I'd say, 'Oh my God, you're the worst thing that people say about this industry and I'm going back to Canada.' I would storm off and shout, 'I believe in love!' And slam the door."

Ms Anderson said she had a confrontation with Weinstein that was not sexual."He told me I'd never work in this town again, because I refused to work with a dog," she said.

"He wanted me to play Invisible Girl on Superhero Movie. But they wanted me to work with an actual dog. I said, 'I won't work with animals in a film.' And he said, 'We're just going to put the dog there. What's the problem?' And I said, 'No. Put an X on the floor. I am talking to an invisible dog. Why do we need an actual dog?'

"And he was so mean. He called me back and shouted, 'You're Pamela Anderson; you're lucky I'm even putting you in a f***ing film. You're never going to work in this f***ing industry again, you son of a f***ing bitch.' "He's so intense. I've never been talked to that way by anybody. Not even by a boyfriend. He was really intimidating. And I did it. But I did it without the dog."

The actress also expressed confusion after being told photographer Terry Richardson has been banned from working for Conde Nast because of allegations of harassment against him. "Terry Richardson! The photographer? Oh, no. But I liked working with him. He was so nice when I met him. He's gay, right?" the Times says she responded.

Ms Anderson, who was a victim of domestic violence during her marriage to Tommy Lee, has also previously spoken about sexual abuse she experienced growing up on Vancouver Island.

Story continues

In a 2014 speech at a Pamela Anderson Foundation event, she said she was assaulted by a female babysitter from the age of six; by a man in his twenties when she was 12; and by a boyfriend and his friends at the age of 14.

In the Times interview, she said she wasn't willing to speak about what was a "difficult" time, but wanted to tell women sharing is a good thing. "Don't blame yourself," she added.

Ms Anderson has described domestic abuse as "an epidemic". She was involved in setting up and funding the US-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and she's answered phones there herself.

"You think, 'I'm in this, and this has happened and I'm embarrassed to tell anybody that this happened.' But the first time you notice any strangeness, tell your girlfriends, get advice," she urged.

The actress said she wanted to make sure her two sons exhibited none of the same behaviour. "I say to my sons, 'If you disrespect any woman, you disrespect me.' And they're like, 'Woo. Got it.' They're not going to do that."
Even intelligence gatherers aren't immune to making mistakes that leave data wide open. Researchers at UpGuard have revealed that the US military's Central Command and Pacific Command left "at least" 1.8 billion collected internet posts exposed on a misconfigured Amazon Web Services S3 server. Some of the data goes as far back as 2009. There doesn't appear to be any private content in the mix, and it's not clear that malicious intruders accessed it before the Department of Defense locked things down on October 1st (after notification from UpGuard). However, the exposure still raises concerns about both the government's approach to security and the kind of information it's collecting.

A large part of the data includes content that you'd expect the military to scrape, such as news articles and social network posts relating to ISIS as well as politics from hotbeds like Iraq and Pakistan. Some of it included social posts from Americans, however, and the discussions included relatively innocuous subjects like American music stars and the Pope. That raises questions about what criteria triggered the data collection (certain keywords, for example) and whether or not its search is overly broad. While it can be important to cast a wide net, this could hurt more than it helps.

And of course, the misconfiguration suggests that officials weren't diligent in keeping information secure. It might have been public data, but a hostile country could have studied the information to see what the US military was looking for and taken steps to keep its public material under the radar.

The good news: this could be less common going forward. Amazon recently added indicators and other measures to make it patently clear that S3 server data is publicly accessible. Even so, the incident suggests that intelligence collectors may need to rethink their security policies to make sure this kind of exposure can't happen again.
Napa Valley College invited local college and high school students to campus on Nov. 1 to meet representatives of two dozen historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

More than 300 students attended this event, part of the California Community Colleges Transfer Guarantee program, in which community college students who complete certain academic requirements are guaranteed transfer to 35 participating HBCUs.

Several HBCU colleges offered on-site admissions and full-ride tuition scholarships at the event.

While only about 17 percent of black undergraduate students attend an HBCU, more than 28 percent of African-Americans who earn bachelors degrees obtain them from an HBCU.

Many HBCUs are highly ranked and all are open to students of all ethnicities. There are more than 100 HBCUs in the nation, with most located in the South and on the East Coast.

Many students, including three seniors from Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo, were accepted for admission at the NVC event.

I wanted to find a prosthesis nursing program, and Nakeyah Bradford from Harris-Stowe State University told us about how fun and interesting her college is, and how chill it is, said Faith Goodwin, one of the students who was admitted on the spot.

Rachel Leguie, who was also admitted, said Bradford described the campus as a place with home-style values, where I would survive culturally.

Katrina Fragher, also admitted, said she was looking to be accepted at a college with a smaller, close-knit campus.

Bradford said Harris-Stowe has about 1,500 students, with classes averaging 10 students per class and a 14:1 teacher-to-student ratio, Bradford said.

The opportunity to host the regional California Community College HBCU event at NVC provided a great opportunity for our local students to be exposed to many highly ranked colleges, said Howard Willis, NVCs dean of counseling services and student success.

The HBCU representatives were very pleased with the quality and number of students they met, as well as the opportunity to educate students, faculty and staff about HBCU higher education opportunities.

I was excited to see students realize that they were academically eligible and prepared to attend these four-year colleges and universities. In the students eyes, you could see a dream come true.
Santiago (AFP) - Billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera, who held a commanding lead in Chile's first round of presidential voting, and leftist former TV journalist Alejandro Guillier will contest a runoff next month.

Ex-president Pinera had a 36.6 percent lead to Guillier's 22.6 percent with more than 90 percent of the votes counted after the first round.

"Tonight we have achieved a great electoral result and above all because we have opened the doors which will lead us to better times," Pinera told his triumphant supporters.

Guillier, an independent supported by President Michelle Bachelet's Socialist party, beat off a stiff challenge from an unheralded far-left candidate, Beatriz Sanchez, for the second runoff place.

Pinera, a 67-year-old billionaire who was president from 2010 to 2014, had been the clear favorite going into Sunday's first round. The second round is set for December 17.

"The result is very similar to the one we had in 2009, and in 2009 we won the election, and we managed to get our country up and running," said Pinera, who campaigned on reviving an economy that has suffered years of weak growth.

Guillier, a 64-year-old news anchor turned Senator, said Chile "wants another way, and has expressed that in the vote," which gives him a platform to build on in the second round if he can unify a fragmented left.

"The result completely reconfigures the Chilean political landscape," University of Santiago analyst Rene Jara told AFP after both far-left and far-right candidates polled more strongly than expected among the eight presidential candidates.

Sanchez, 46, a seasoned journalist who entered politics only in March, polled more than 1.2 million votes as a representative of the anti-austerity Frente Amplio party.

"Chile wants change and said it today by voting," she said.

Jara said Sanchez's vote had given her party "very strong negotiating power for the second round."

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Although her party had been reluctant to pledge support for Guillier, "they are obliged to do so because they will not be responsible for a return of Pinera to power."

Analysts said Pinera will be forced to appeal to the far right for support in the second round, after extreme right-candidate Jose Antonio Kast polled strongly, taking 7.9 percent of the votes.

- Voter apathy -

Bachelet, who was also Chile's first woman president, hugged and took photographs with female supporters before casting her ballot in Santiago.

"It is important that people come out and vote (for a candidate) because they feel they represent what they want for Chile," she said, predicting a second round.

As he headed to a Santiago polling station, Fernando Aravena, 76, said: "We need change. That's the idea."

Daniel Concha, a 31-year-old psychologist, said it was "very likely" that Pinera would win the election.

Paula Salas, 35, said she voted for Sanchez.

"If she became president, she would do more, because she has fewer links with the powerful class," Salas said.

Lawyer Cristian Barros cautioned against a Pinera victory being seen as a foregone conclusion.

"There were several former presidential candidates in Chilean history who were considered winners, and I think Pinera should not be given as a winner until the end of the election," said Barros, 37.

Chile's constitution bans consecutive terms for presidents, but re-election after skipping a term is permissible.

Bachelet herself led the conservative South American country -- Latin America's fifth-largest economy -- from 2006 to 2010 and then was re-elected to replace Pinera in 2014.

Compulsory voting was dropped in 2012. Since then, a growing number of Chile's 14 million eligible voters have decided to stay away from voting booths.

- No majority? -

Pinera's first presidential victory in 2009 elections signified a break from the center-left politics that had reigned in Chile since democracy was restored with the end of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990.

But a Pinera comeback is not seen as a rejection of the overall economic and social model erected in the Bachelet years, during which Chile posted annual growth of 1.8 percent and passed tax and labor reforms, as well as introduced free education and the right to abortion.

"Chileans don't want to tear down the model, just fix its structure," said political analyst Mauricio Morales of Talca University.

Pinera has promised modifications to Bachelet's reforms, and vowed to have Chile join the club of developed nations within eight years.

His effectiveness, though, could be hobbled by a shortfall in legislative support.

"He is not going to have a majority in Congress," predicted analyst Marta Lagos, founder of Latinobarometro and MORI Chile.

Sunday's elections also included legislative elections for 155 congressional seats and half the Senate.

The right was set to increase its share of the seats, but not by enough to have the majority in either chamber. It is the first poll in the country's history that includes expatriate citizens.
A progressive community organizer was elected mayor of New Orleans on Saturday, becoming the first female leader of the Big Easy in its nearly 300-year history.

City Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell, who successfully fought an effort to raze the Broadmoor neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina, defeated former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet in a runoff election. Both women are Democrats.

Cantrell has staked her mayoral campaign on providing equality to all the elements of the New Orleans community that were previously shut out  both in terms of economic opportunity and government contracting opportunities, said Brian Brox, a political science professor at Tulane University.

The support behind Charbonnet was clearly with the powers that be, and her campaign finance reports reflects that, Brox added.

Cantrells election marks the latest in a series of victories for national liberal organizations like the Working Families Party, the local chapter of Indivisible, and Our Revolution, the legacy organization of Sen. Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign. The Working Families Party and Our Revolution played a role this year in electing progressive mayors of Jackson, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as a city council member in a newly created city outside of Atlanta.

In New Orleans, the Working Families Party reached out to some 40,000 voters through text messages, canvassing and phone-banking, according to Joe Dinkin, WFPs national communications director.

Around the country, and especially in cities across the south, in 2017 were seeing outsider candidates who put forward a transformative, progressive vision of making government serve the many and not the few, and voters are rewarding them for it, Dinkin said in a an email.

Cantrell, 45, is also the citys first non-native mayor in recent history  and possibly since the citys inception, according to Brox.

New Orleans has been pretty strong in its preference for native sons and native daughters, Brox said. With Cantrells election, New Orleans has expanded its pool of potential candidates by showing you no longer have to have graduated high school in the city to be politically viable.

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City Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell was elected mayor of New Orleans on Saturday. (Photo: Riccardo S. Savi/Getty Images)

Cantrell grew up in Los Angeles, and moved to New Orleans to attend college at Xavier University of Louisiana. She first gained renown as head of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, where she helped thwart a city plan to raze the neighborhood in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Cantrell went on to win election to New Orleans City Council in 2012. Her biggest accomplishment on the governing body was spearheading the passage of a smoking ban in city bars, restaurants and casinos, which took effect in April 2015.

Ahead of last months nonpartisan primary, Cantrell picked up endorsements from the Working Families Party and local social justice groups like Step Up Louisiana, thanks to her support for a $15 minimum wage and her ambitious criminal justice reform policies. (Indivisible and Our Revolution got behind Cantrell during the runoff.)

Although Louisiana law bars New Orleans from raising its minimum wage above that of the state, Cantrell has said she would lobby the state legislature to change that law, and that in the meantime she would support making it the minimum for city employees.

Cantrells proposals for criminal justice reform include creating a job training and temporary employment program for released criminals and underprivileged young people. She has said she would also seek greater discretion in the prosecution of nonviolent crime.

After placing first in the primary, Cantrell picked up the support of third-place finisher and former Civil District Court Judge Michael Bagneris and fourth-place finisher Troy Henry. (Outgoing Mayor Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat who is term-limited after eight years at the helm, did not endorse in the race.)

Boosted by a wealth of endorsements, Cantrell led Charbonnet by a comfortable margin in several pre-election polls.

Cantrell did not walk back any of her progressive positions during the runoff, but she focused on a more consensus-driven message on the stump. The turn in Cantrells rhetoric led The Advocate to declare in a Sunday analysis that only in the fine points is one able to notice the differences between the two candidates.

She ran a frontrunners campaign in the runoff, trying not to lose the support she already had, Brox said.

Notwithstanding progressive excitement over Cantrells victory, the race was fundamentally about local issues, such as cleaning up the citys Sewerage and Water Board and addressing violent crime. New Orleans has one of the highest murder rates of any big city.

Particularly when it comes to making the city safer, Cantrell is likely to embrace short-term solutions, like an increased police presence, that are not exactly known to delight liberals, according to Brox.

I dont see a ton of ideological difference between Cantrell and Charbonnet, Brox said. And Cantrell is going to be constrained to some degree by the City Council and the district attorney, who favors a tough-on-crime approach.

This story has been updated to include Dinkins comments.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified the former civil district court judge who ran in the primary as Charles Bagneris. His name is Michael Bagneris.

Also on HuffPost

Anchorage, Alaska

Residents of Anchorage "take very good care of themselves," Witters told HuffPost. The city has the second-highest exercise rate in the nation, according to his research.

Barnstable Town, Massachusetts

Oral health is a closely linked to overall wellbeing, and this Cape Cod city ranked third in the nation for how frequently its residents visit the dentist, according to Witters. Many residents also report "feeling active and productive every day," he added.

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut

Witters says this metro area ranks within the top five percent of cities nationwide for residents who say they have "someone in their life who encourages health."

Provo, Utah

This beautiful city has the lowest smoking rate in the nation, according to Witters' research.

San Jose, California

More than in any other metro, residents in San Jose said they had "enough money to do everything they want to do."

San Luis Obispo, California

Residents in SLO told Witters that they "eat healthy every day."

Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins residents exercise often, and the city ranked second for how "safe and secure" its residents feel.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville ranked second overall for percentage of residents who said they've received "recognition for helping to improve their city or area" in the last year.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California

Residents of this coastal city stay mentally active: They're "the best in the nation at learning new and interesting things daily," Witters said.

Boulder, Colorado

Residents in Boulder reported exercising more than in any other city, according to Witters.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Health officials in New Hampshire are warning residents after a puppy brought to the state from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico tested positive for a bacterial infection that can be transmitted to humans.

Of a group of 10 puppies that were rescued and transported to New Hampshire and Vermont on Nov. 9, five have since become sick, according to a news release issued by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. One dog has tested positive for leptospirosis, a potentially serious infection that affects both animals and humans.

On Nov. 12, a number of the puppies interacted with diners at Ramuntos Brick and Brew Pizzeria in Hanover, N.H, according to the news release. The New Hampshire and Vermont health departments are investigating other possible exposures, and have notified the households that took in the puppies.

Individuals or pets who may have come into contact with these puppies should speak to their healthcare providers and veterinarians about whether antibiotics may be needed to prevent leptospirosis infection, New Hampshire State Epidemiologist Benjamin Chan said in the statement.

Leptospirosis is spread through exposure to the urine of animals that have been infected by the bacteria Leptospira, according to the CDC. Human-to-human transmission is rare; most often, humans contract the disease after coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with animals bodily fluids, or water tainted by these fluids, the agency says.

The disease is quite uncommon in the U.S., according to the CDC, though transmission grows more common after natural disasters, including hurricanes, when bacteria levels are high and contaminated water or soil is prevalent.

Symptoms in humans include fever, chills, headaches, body aches, jaundice, abdominal pain, diarrhea and a rash, the CDC says. If taken early in the diseases progression, antibiotics are usually enough to treat leptospirosis.
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating nearly two dozen cases of possible sexual misconduct after a wave of complaints about sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, sources tell NBC News.

And they expect several more.

While some of the investigations involve people who have already faced public accusations, others reportedly focus on people not yet identified in the media. Some under investigations are also reportedly the targets of multiple complaints. Allegations range from misdemeanor sexual battery to rape, the sources said.

Earlier this month, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey launched a special task force to deal with Hollywood sex crime cases. Veteran sex crimes prosecutors assigned to the task force will work together to ensure a uniformed approach to the legal review and possible prosecution of any case, Lacey said in a statement at the time.

By early November, Los Angeles detectives had already begun investigating several complaints, including allegations against Harvey Weinstein of rape and forced oral copulation, and accusations against film director James Toback, whom hundreds of women have accused of sexual assault, harassment or misconduct. Beverly Hills police are investigating similar claims against Weinstein and Toback.

Two women accused Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick of rape, and LAPD is investigating the allegations by actress Kristina Cohen.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews also filed a report with the LAPD after he was sexually assaulted by a Hollywood executive, whom he has since identified as Adam Venit. At the time Venit was head of the film department at the talent agency Williams Morris Endeavor, according to Crews.

Police have not publicly named all of those under investigation, but the probes follow similar allegations against producer and director Brett Ratner, Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K. The district attorney in Nantucket, Mass., has begun an investigation into allegations that Spacey assaulted the teenage son of former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh. The NYPD is also gathering evidence for a possible rape case against Weinstein.

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Some cases might face prosecution hurdles because of the statute of limitations, as was the case with Corey Feldmans accusations of abuse by adults in the industry when he was a child. But California dropped the statute of limitations for a number sex crimes in 2016 in wake of sexual assault accusations against Bill Cosby.

Lacey said her office has been in contact with Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police.

Also on HuffPost

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Greg Gianforte has been convicted of assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs on the eve of the special election that put him in office: AP

A US Republican congressman misled police over his assault on a journalist a day before he was elected, according to documents released by investigators.

Greg Gianforte told an officer that Guardian newspaper reporter Ben Jacobs had grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the floor of his campaign office after interrogating him, according to notes from a Gallatin County sheriffs officer who interviewed the politician after the incident unfolded.

He also claimed that the liberal media was trying to make a story out of the altercation that took place just a day before his victory in a 25 May special election.

Multiple witnesses came forward to contradict Gianfortes account, however, and the politician has since pleaded guilty to misdemeanour assault.

More than 100 pages of documents, photos and audio gathered over the course of the investigation were released under a court order after requests from a number of news organisations.

The documents include interviews with members of a Fox News crew who were in the room when the attack unfolded. They said Gianforte had been angry over what he perceived as biased coverage and body-slammed Mr Jacobs onto the ground before punching him.

One of the congressmans staffers, Josh Elle, who worked as Gianfortes driver, told officers that he had been in an adjacent room when he heard a commotion.

Reporter Ben Jacobs was portrayed by the congressman as the instigator of the incident (AP)

When he peered into the other room, he said he was Gianforte striking the journalist with closed fists before someone else in the room closed the door.

Another worker said Gianforte and others involved with the campaign had been complaining earlier on in the day about duplicitous coverage by the Guardian and Buzzfeed.

In his initial description of the altercation, Gianforte had told Sergeant Scott Secor that Mr Jacobs had approached him while he was preparing for an interview with Fox News and started interrogating in a very intensive way.

I probably shouldnt do it, but I reached out for his phone, Gianforte said. He grabbed my wrist, he spun and we ended up on the floor ... so he pulled me down on top of him, the sergeant quoted the politician as saying.

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Hours after the assault, Gianfortes campaign spokesman, Shane Scanlon, also issued a statement that blamed the attack on the reporter, claiming Mr Jacobs had grabbed the candidates wrist.

Gianforte has issued a public apology to Mr Jacobs and told supporters he wasnt proud of his actions.

His spokesman, Travis Hall, insisted on Friday that the documents revealed nothing new.

No one was misled, and anyone who says otherwise is mistaken.

Greg took responsibility for his actions and is focused on serving the people of Montana, he said in a statement emailed to AP.

Since pleading guilty to the assault, Gianforte has been forced to pay a $385 fine and complete 40 hours of community service, as well as 20 hours of anger management counselling.

He has also donated $50,000 (44,000) to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert said that while he was aware of the Republicans comments to investigators, additional charges, such as obstruction of justice, were not considered as authorities were focused specifically on the assault allegation.

When the police are investigating a case, suspects of crimes will say misleading things, and apparently thats exactly what happened here on the part of both Mr Gianforte and his campaign, Mr Lambert said.

It is not a crime per se to lie to the cops, he continued. The main thing here is he was charged with assaulting Ben Jacobs and pled guilty to that.

The politician is up for re-election next year and has filed an official bid to run, with six Democrats entering the race to challenge him.

Additional reporting by AP
Madrid (AFP) - Jailed and exiled figures from Catalonia's separatist movement feature prominently in party lists unveiled by the region's pro-independence factions, ahead of elections called for December 21.

Of the 14 members of the Catalan government who were dismissed by the central government in October, 12 are on the two main separatist lists, the "Together for Catalonia" group of sacked president Carles Puigdemont and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), led by his vice president Oriol Junqueras.

Seven of the former officials, including Junqueras, are currently jailed pending an investigation into charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, while Puigdemont and four others are in Belgium fighting an extradition request filed by Spain.

Prosecutors in Brussels asked a judge Friday to extradite Puigdemont and the others, and a new hearing has been set for December 4.

But a final decision could still be months away, as both sides are expected to appeal if the judge rules against them, which means Puigdemont might be out of the country when the Catalonia vote is held.

Junqueras and the others being held may be released before the election.

Puigdemont presented on Twitter the lists backed by his conservative PDeCAT party, saying the candidates supported "independence, the republic and freedom", as well as the restitution of the regional government and "a return of political prisoners and exiles".

He had hoped to form a united separatist front for the new elections, as was the case in the region's last elections in 2015, when the pro-independence camp secured a majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament.

But the ERC rejected a joint ticket, and opinion polls suggest that while it is leading in the current campaign, which officially opens on December 5, the independence coalition as a whole could lose its absolute majority.

The polls indicate a tight race against the "Constitutionalist" bloc which favours Spanish unity, which includes Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party (PP), the centrist Ciudadanos and Catalonia's Socialist party.

Madrid has imposed direct rule on the once semi-autonomous region since the independence declaration made after a banned referendum on October 1, and called the new elections in a bid to "restore normality".

Regional authorities said 90 percent chose to split from Spain, though less than half of eligible voters turned out in a region deeply divided on independence.
Metula (Israel) (AFP) - 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.

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 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.

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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.

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.

burs-scw/mjs-jod/dr
Washington (AFP) - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions was angry earlier this week when lawmakers accused him of lying about contacts with Russians during last year's election campaign.

But it was all a joke Friday when he returned to the scene of one of those meetings, with former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, for a speech.

"I was just thinking, you know, I want to ask you, is ambassador Kislyak in the room?" he opened his address.

"Before I get started here, any Russians? Anybody been to Russia? Got a cousin in Russia or something?"

The audience, the powerful, deeply conservative Federalist Society, rolled in laughter.

But it wasn't funny to Sessions on Tuesday when Democratic lawmakers accused him in a Congressional hearing of hiding suspicious ties between President Donald Trump's election campaign and Moscow.

He was visibly angered when they asked him why he had not told Congress in his January confirmation hearing about three encounters last year with Kislyak or discussions about a possible Trump trip to Russia by the campaign's foreign policy advisors, who were overseen by Sessions.

Sessions denied having lied to Congress over the meetings, repeating more than 20 times "I don't recall" or "I don't remember" to their questions.
There are still plenty of questions about Tesla's (TSLA) 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 (JBHT) said on Friday it is reserving multiple vehicles, and retailer Wal-Mart (WMT) said it preordered several.

"Tesla is doing what it does best, which is delivering innovation," Shanker said.

WATCH: Can Tesla deliver with new semi truck?
Protesters gather calling for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to step down, - PHILIMON BULAWAYO

Euphoric crowds of several thousand people have gathered in Zimbabwe's capital to demand the departure of President Robert Mugabe after nearly four decades in power.

In a colorful gathering that even days ago would have drawn an immediate police crackdown, Zimbabweans giddy with joy raced through intersections, raising their arms in triumph. Young men shouted, laughed and embraced.

Some had posters with an image of the military commander who swept in earlier this week and put Mugabe under house arrest, with the slogan: "Go, go, our general!!!" Marchers handed flags to soldiers, who accepted and waved.

"It's like Christmas," said one marcher, Fred Mubay, who said Zimbabweans have been suffering for a long time.

The 93-year-old Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, is said to be asking for more time amid negotiations with regional leaders that seek his exit with a veneer of dignity.

A man carries a poster calling for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to step down Credit: PHILIMON BULAWAYO

But he is virtually powerless and deserted by most of his allies, with others arrested, and the crowds in Harare on Saturday were making it clear the country was impatient to move on without him.

Even as concerns remained about who next would be in charge and what freedoms might be available if the military lingered in power - or if Mugabe's longtime but recently fired deputy led a new government - people reveled in the rare chance to speak out.

The party has started in Harare. Choppers overhead, 1000s here. More pouring in. #zimbabwepic.twitter.com/N3TqMUgxl0  Joe Parkinson (@JoeWSJ) November 18, 2017

The demonstrators, in the event approved by the military, hope a big turnout will speed up the official end of Mugabe's rule, which is widely blamed for the collapse of an economy that was once one of Africa's wealthiest.

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Veterans of the long liberation war against white minority rule, once close allies of Mugabe, took part, along with opposition activists who have faced police crackdowns by the Mugabe government.

At an intersection, a vendor held up a newspaper with the headline: "Mugabe cornered."

One driver was so jubilant that he got out of his moving car and danced in front of it for a couple of minutes as the empty vehicle coasted slowly down a street lined with cheering crowds.

Protesters gather calling for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe Credit: PHILIMON BULAWAYO

Some white Zimbabweans joined the crowd at Harare's Freedom Square, also known as Robert Mugabe Square. Some whites and blacks hugged each other.

Soldiers began approaching the demonstrators and urging them to head to the Zimbabwe Grounds, where speeches were set to be delivered.

The Zimbabwe Grounds were chosen for the symbolism. The location is where Zimbabweans gathered to cheer Mugabe's return from exile in 1980 after the liberation war from white minority rule.

Now the crowds wish to meet there and urge Mugabe's departure.
Supporters of Kenyan's opposition party NASA react following the sound of gunshots during a demonstration in Nairobi - AFP

Police opened fire on protesters escorting Raila Odinga, Kenyas opposition leader, from Nairobis international airport on Friday, killing at least five people in an ominous escalation of the countrys political crisis.

For the first time since protests erupted more than three months ago, serious violence erupted in the affluent centre of the Kenyan capital as police attempted to prevent Mr Odinga from addressing a rally called at a city park.

The car carrying Mr Odinga, who was returning from a trip to the United States and Britain, was struck by a teargas canister that splintered its bullet-proof windscreen, an incident that goaded his supporters into further fury.

Supporters of Kenyan opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition throw stones at police in Nairobi Credit: BAZ RATNER/Reuters

Helmeted police used teargas, water cannon and live fire to disperse stone-throwing protesters during repeated clashes along streets which the opposition motorcade passed. There was also violence in other parts of the city.

Although at least 66 people have been killed since Mr Odinga challenged his defeat in a presidential election in August, this is the first time that the opposition leader has been directly caught up in such extreme unrest.

Kenyan's opposition party National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga looks on during a demonstration following his arrival to the Jomo Kenyatta International airport on November 17 Credit: AFP

A police decision to ban his homecoming rally, also a first, coupled with the ruthless police response, suggests that Kenyas government may be adopting a more hardline approach to the protests.

The police insisted they had not used live ammunition and were responsible for none of the deaths. Journalists and witnesses who saw three corpses said all had bullet wounds.

Kathiani Member of Parliament Robert Mbui rolls to safety after he was hit by another car as riot police dispersed the convoy of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga Credit: Thomas Mukoya/REUTERS

Senior figures in Mr Odingas opposition NASA coalition warned it could prove more incendiary too.

The wanton use of force is ill-advised, Mutual Kilonzo Jr, an opposition senator, wrote on Twitter. It will only strengthen the resolve of NASA and its supporters.

Kathiani Member of Parliament Robert Mbui (beneath the darker vehicle number plate) is hit by another car as riot police disperse the convoy of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga Credit: REUTERS

Kenya is experiencing its worst political violence in a decade as anger simmers over two contentious presidential elections held in the past three months. The first, in August, saw President Uhuru Kenyattas re-election overturned by the supreme court, which found irregularities and illegalities in the transmission of votes.

Story continues

The second, held last month, was boycotted by Mr Odinga, who said that a failure to reform the electoral commission meant that the vote would be no fairer than the first.

Supporters of Kenyan's opposition party National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga march with his convoy upon his arrival to the Jomo Kenyatta international airport on November 17 Credit: AFP

Civil rights groups have mounted a legal challenge against Mr Kenyattas most recent win, which, in the absence of serious opposition, he won with 98 percent of the vote.

Kenyas supreme court will deliver its ruling on Monday. Analysts generally expect the judges to uphold the presidents victory this time round, although the hearing has been held in an atmosphere of intimidation after the deputy chief justices driver was shot and and wounded last month.
Three of Alabamas largest newspapers owned by the same company on Sunday urged voters to stand for decency and reject Alabama Republican Roy Moore in the states Dec. 12 Senate special election.

Moore, a former state supreme court justice, has been accused of sexual misconduct *by multiple women. One of the women said Moore initiated sexual contact with her when he was a 32-year-old in a local district attorneys office and she was just 14 years old.

The editorial appeared on the front pages of The Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register and The Huntsville Times, which are owned by the Alabama Media Group. The editorial is also featured at the top of the papers website, AL.com.

Early look at Sundays front page. @aldotcom and the states 3 largest newspapers call on voters to unite for decency, support Democrat Doug Jones for U.S. Senate.

Read full editorial here: https://t.co/I7XfZqIesG pic.twitter.com/rgX5NpoSkq  Michelle Holmes (@mlh_holmes) November 19, 2017

This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders, the editorial said, urging voters to instead support Democrat Doug Jones in next months election for the seat Republican Jeff Sessions vacated to serve as President Donald Trumps attorney general.

How can we look our neighbors, our parishioners, our colleagues, our partners, or our children in the eyes and tell them they are worth less than ensuring one political party keeps a Senate seat? it continued. How can we expect young Alabamians to have faith in their government or their church, when its leaders equivocate on matters as clear cut as sexual abuse?

A vote for Roy Moore sends the worst kind of message to Alabamians struggling with abuse: if you ever do tell your story, Alabama wont believe you, the editorial said.

Story continues

Moore, 70, has repeatedly denied the allegations, even as another woman came forward this week and accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 16.

Theyre not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them, he said at a rally on Friday.

The New York Times published a story Saturday detailing Moores behavior and frequent visits to a mall in Gadsden, Alabama, when he was in his 30s. The paper quoted Glenn Day, a store manager at the mall in those years, who said that a mall guard asked him to let security know whenever he saw Moore on the premises.

I cant believe theres such an outcry now, Day told the Times, about something everybody knew.

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Tracee Ellis Ross will host the 45th annual American Music Awards. (Photo: Getty Images)

The American Music Awards will celebrate the best and most influential artists on Sunday night as voted by the fans. The AMAs 45th annual event, to be held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, will be hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross.

Ross shared on her Instagram page with fans how she is rehearsing for her big night, where her mother, Diana Ross, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award.

MORE REHEARSALS ~ @amas #AMAs (more silly rehearsal antics in my story) A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Nov 18, 2017 at 8:52pm PST

The 45-year-old actress kept it casual for rehearsals, wearing a loose sweater over form-fitting black pants and silver stilettos.

Her hair braided up, and sporting natural makeup, the Black-ish star is not all work and no play. As the videos suggest, Ross is enjoying every minute of her gig as host of the awards show.

On Twitter, the actress shared the most important reason why you should watch tonights show: Because I am hosting, Ross said to her fans.

Tonights AMAs conclude a busy week for Ross as she has been promoting the award show.

On Friday, she shared a video practicing her fierce dance moves in a white jumpsuit at the Microsoft Theater.

MOVES ~ @amas #AMAs A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Nov 17, 2017 at 7:44am PST

Thursday she visited Jimmy Kimmel Live and Good Morning America to talk surprises, and what she is most excited about for tonights show.

Story continues

KIMMEL TONIGHT ~ #AMAs wearing @davidkomalondon styled by @karlawelchstylist A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Nov 16, 2017 at 8:22pm PST

There are some great powerhouse women performing, its the night and the year of the woman, she said at GMA. Powerful voices and powerful women.

Lady Gaga, Pink, Kelly Clarskon, Christina Aguilera, and Selena Gomez are scheduled to perform.

But if youre gonna hang out for any performances, hang out for my moms, she added.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Hi, dear readers.

Im so delighted about the following:

If you didnt catch the NV Registers editorial boards, Our View: Helping Seniors in our Community, please take a moment to do so. If, for some reason, you do not subscribe to the Register, I would like for you to have the opportunity to read this very informative editorial written on Nov. 5.

You can find it at this link:

As a senior, it was, indeed, heart-warming to read the exciting news that is happening for seniors in our county. Thank you to the Registers editorial board, and to their key players for this editorial.

I was curious who the key players were and thought you might be also, so I called around. As an active senior advocate, I was pleased to learn that they are, indeed, the key players in our county senior services.

Kris Brown, deputy director, Health and Human Services. Under her umbrella are the following services for seniors: Comprehensive Services for Older Adults; Veterans Service, Medi-Cal; In Home Supportive Services; Public Authority; Adult Protective Services; Older Adult Mental Health; Caregiver Ordinance; and the Public Guardian/Public Conservator/Public Administrator.

Celine Regalia, director of operations of Collabria Care (the former Napa Valley Hospice & Adult Day Services). Celine works collaboratively with all program directors to ensure the smooth operation of the agency. Additionally, she oversees the Human Resources, Volunteer Services and Medical Records departments. Celine holds a masters degree in medical social work, as well as both a bachelors degree and masters degree in speech pathology from California State University at San Jose.

Heather Stanton, chairman Napa County Commission on Aging. Past director of Napa Parks & Recreation, past project Manager Flood Control, and long time affiliate with Napa City Government.

We, also have Tara Blakley, with Comprehensive Services for Older Adults, to thank for our exciting new aging and disability resources website, NapaNAI.org.

Kristi Jourdan, communications and public information officer for Napa County. Kristi has proven over and over to be a good friend in helping get the word out concerning senior issues. Thank you, once again, Kristi.

A few highlights of the information that was covered are the following:

As pointed out by Our View, our Napa County is stepping up to improve the delivery of these services, adding resources in the county Health and Human Services department and better coordinating among the local, state, and federal agencies, private companies, and non-profits that constitute our large but traditionally fragmented network of senior-oriented services.

Ive written before about the one stop point of contact for senior, families and caretakers that are made possible by Health and Human Services, Area Agency on Aging and Callabria Care. These groups have established a hotline for seniors, families and caregivers to call: (707) 253-4248 or toll-free, (800) 510 2020. Workers from Callabria will be taking the calls, but will be located in the countys Health and Human Services offices, so they can connect callers to a wide variety of services.

We also have the Napa County network of Aging and Independence, which is the local version of a state-wide senior-serving website project, at NapaNAI.org.

This website answers questions about medications, fall prevention, allow families to search for companies that provide reliable caregiver services, or direct people to ways to report suspected fraud and abuse.

Speaking of reporting fraud and abuse, please do not hesitate to contact Adult Protective Services. They are just a phone call away, and they are there to help you and advise you. Unfortunately, people have the wrong impression about APS. They do not come into your home and move you into assisted care facilities, for instance. You and only you make the decisions. They will help you with advice and suggestions, but you make the decisions. The reason Im bringing this up is the fact that, people have this idea in their minds and they are giving up this excellent source of assistance. Please help me pass the word. Help is just a phone call away.

Kris Brown will be happy to help you. Call (707)-253-3818, or their 24-hour hotline: (888)-619-6913, or fax: (707)-253-6117

I hope that you all feel as well taken care of as I do, and enjoy the recognition of the importance of taking care of our seniors here in Napa County through the Registers excellent editorial. Many thanks to our Registers editorial board: Editor Sean Scully, Publisher Brenda Speth, and public members Cindy Webber, Ed Shenk, Mary Jean Mclaughlin and Chris Hammaker. Thank you all for caring.

I hope you are all getting into the spirit of Thanksgiving. Think of the many things that you have to be thankful for, even for those of you who have suffered a tragedy, try to find something to be thankful for.

Thank you all for joining me today. I am thankful for that. See you next week.
(Photo: Trader Joes)

Trader Joes is recalling a variety of packaged salads over fears they could contain glass shards or pieces of plastic.

The grocery store chain issued a statement Saturday on its website after a supplier alerted the company of the potential health hazard. Three types of packaged salads with USE BY stickers dated between Nov. 10-21 could be contaminated.

Potentially affected products include white meat chicken salad and curried white chicken deli salad sold in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma or Texas, as well as turkey cranberry apple salad sold in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon or Washington.

If you purchased any of these fresh salads with the affected codes, please do not eat it, according to the statement. We urge you to discard the product or return it to any Trader Joes for a full refund.

All potentially affected products have been removed from store shelves and destroyed, according to the statement.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, the company wrote.

For more information, click here.

Earlier this week, Trader Joes recalled two other products  tahini sauce and cilantro and chive yogurt dip  over worries they could be contaminated with the bacteria listeria.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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 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



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Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish authorities on Sunday announced a ban on all LGBTI cultural events in Ankara province until further notice to "maintain public order".

The move follows a ban on a festival of German-language gay films in the capital on Thursday, imposed on the grounds it could incite hatred and be at risk from terror attacks.

"Since (Saturday) 18 November and until further notice, all film and theatre events, screenings, panels, colloquium, exhibitions, etc... have been banned," the Ankara administration said on its website.

It argues that LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) events are likely to "provoke reactions within certain segments" of society and has issued the ban to "maintain public order".

But organisers of Thursday's film festival wanted authorities to instead offer greater protection, denouncing the move as a violation of their constitutional rights.

The ban announcement has fuelled concern amongst LGBTI activists in Turkey that their right to freedom of expression is being curtailed under the Islamic-rooted government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Two groups Kaos GL and Pink Life denounced the latest measure as "illegal, disciminatory and arbitrary" which "legitimises the violations of LGBTI rights."

"This ban... has no place in a democratic society," they said in a joint statement.

Homosexuality has been legal since the creation of the modern Turkish republic in 1923, and was also legalised in the Ottoman Empire from the mid-nineteenth century.

However, LGBTI individuals in the country frequently complain of mistreatment including harassment, abuse and rape as well as animosity.

The annual gay pride rally in Istanbul -- once a hugely popular event --- has been blocked by authorities for three years in a row also on security grounds.

Activists accuse the government of banning such events in a bid to impose a conservative morality on the hugely diverse country. But authorities insist they are acting to protect citizens' safety.

Earlier this month, Erdogan was outraged at the existence of a quota for gays on a neighbourhood committee, saying it was at odds with the nation's values.
It's been two months since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, leaving the island without power and causing the longest blackout in United States history.

Thousands of protesters marched throughout Washington D.C. on Sunday in the "Unity March for Puerto Rico," a show of support for ongoing disaster relief efforts after the U.S. territory was decimated by Maria, a Category 4 storm.

SEE ALSO: Trump says Puerto Rico hurricane response was a '10' but these numbers prove otherwise

The march, attended by numerous politicians, as well as celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda and chef Jose Andres, led protesters from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial.

A sea of Puerto Rican flags outside the US Capitol this morning. Ive never quite seen anything like it. Thousands here for the #unitymarchforpuertorico to call on the rest of America to help the island. pic.twitter.com/jOlo0qoVvy  Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) November 19, 2017

We are in DC marching for Unity with Puerto Rico & equality for our fellow American citizens! #ChefsForPuertoRico @HispanicFed @Lin_Manuel @EvelynMejil pic.twitter.com/eRlB7mhQDg  Jose Andres (@chefjoseandres) November 19, 2017

As of Nov. 19, two months after the storm made landfall, 50 percent of the island is still without power. Power lines that have been restored remain unstable, causing daily, widespread outages. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that 75 percent of the island will have power by the end of January.

According to their website, Unity March organizers are calling for more aid in rebuilding Puerto Rico, the permanent repeal of the Jones Act (which slows down recovery efforts), and the cancellation of Puerto Rico's more than $70 billion in debt.

President Donald Trump has previously criticized Puerto Rico's debt, suggesting that it could limit the aid it receives. In fact, that criticism is one of the factors that prompted Sunday's march.

Big crowd. Puerto Rico se levanta, they shout in unison. PR rises. #UnityMarchForPuertoRico pic.twitter.com/yZHQ3J6huR  Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) November 19, 2017

Sunday in Puerto Rico

60 days after Maria

Status.pr reports:

*49% power generation (power outages are occurring almost daily)

*91% of ppl have water (boil advisory remains in effect)



Today, Puerto Ricans are marching in Washigton DC using the hashtag #UnityMarchforPuertoRico  David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) November 19, 2017

Something tells me this crowd hasnt forgotten about that paper towel stunt. #UnityMarchforPuertoRico pic.twitter.com/YdWtFJL8Db  Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) November 19, 2017

This is the #UnityMarchforPuertoRico. Sea of Puerto Rican flags outside the Capitol. Want to change unjust laws stifling recovery. pic.twitter.com/uKsknN27GC  Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) November 19, 2017

The Trump administration recently requested $44 billion in hurricane aid from Congress, though much of it would be dedicated to recovery in Florida and Texas. The White House's request falls billions short of the aid sought by both Texas (Governor Abbot asked for $61 billion in aid) and Puerto Rico (Governor Rossello requested $94 billion).

According to the White House, Puerto Rico's damage assessment is still not completed, and more aid will be requested from Congress in the future.

Puerto Ricans are Americans citizens who are still suffering after Hurricane Maria. Standing in solidarity with those attending the #UnityMarchforPuertoRico today. pic.twitter.com/ooO3R46lOd  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 19, 2017

The #UnityMarchforPuertoRico moves from the Capitol to the National Mall along Independence Avenue. pic.twitter.com/G5K6jPk98Z  NBC Latino (@NBCLatino) November 19, 2017

We march for a just recovery for PR, led by the people, and for the people of Puerto Rico. #UnityMarchforPuertoRico#Power4PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/xVon7Zxhqz  Hispanic Federation (@HispanicFed) November 19, 2017

Unfurled a huge flag outside the Lincoln Memorial. @Lin_Manuel was there, speaking about fundraising efforts. #UnityMarchforPuertoRico pic.twitter.com/2ic1HGaQCI  Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) November 19, 2017

And the march has taken us to the Lincoln Memorial #UnityMarchforPuertoRico pic.twitter.com/0hDfJn24Ph  Eric Waldo (@ewwaldo) November 19, 2017

Democratic and Republican lawmakers from areas affected by the Hurricane have called the White House's response "wholly inadequate."

In response, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday, "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."
In the latest of a string of marine mishaps, a U.S. warship crashed into a Japanese tugboat in Japans Sagami Bay on Saturday.

The tugboat lost propulsion and drifted into the USS Benfold during a routine towing exercise, according to a press release from the U.S. Navys 7th Fleet. No injuries or fatalities resulted from the incident, and damage to the Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer ship, was minimal, according to the release.

While the crash was relatively harmless, it adds to a troubling trend for the 7th Fleet: Saturdays collision in the Pacific was the fleets fifth this year. Most recently, in August, the USS John S. McCain collided with a commercial boat off the coast of Singapore, killing 10 U.S. sailors, taking the warship out of commission and prompting a fleet-wide operational pause.

The Benfold, on the other hand, sustained only minor scrapes on its sides. It remains on the water and autonomously powered, though the Navy news release says the incident will be fully investigated.
Damascus (AFP) - The United Nations on Sunday called on Syria's warring sides to stop targeting civilians in the capital Damascus and nearby neighbourhoods, where escalating bombardment has killed dozens in recent days.

Rebel groups and regime forces are locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat attacks around Damascus and in the opposition-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

On Sunday, UN coordinator for humanitarian and development affairs in Syria Ali al-Zaatari called on "all warring sides to avoid targeting civilians".

"For days, there have been daily reports about civilians being killed and others being severely wounded, in addition to warehouses, hospitals and schools being put out of service during the exchange of shellfire, particularly in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta," Zaatari said.

His comments in Arabic came in a statement emailed to AFP.

Government forces have escalated their bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus, since hardline rebel group Ahrar al-Sham attacked a military base in the area last week.

Since Tuesday, heavy artillery fire and air strikes on Eastern Ghouta have killed at least 66 civilians including 13 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

At least 281 people have been wounded, the Britain-based monitor said on Sunday.

Rebel groups meanwhile have fired rockets into Damascus neighbourhoods, killing at least 16 people since Thursday, the Observatory said.

The toll included two people killed by rocket fire on Sunday.

"The United Nations hopes for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of secure humanitarian corridors to evacuate wounded, sick, and elderly people, as well as children, as soon as possible from areas seeing hostile operations," Zaatari said.

He called for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who need it across the country.

Eastern Ghouta is supposed to be part of a "de-escalation zone" under a deal between Russia, Iran and Turkey aimed at reducing the level of violence.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces have besieged Eastern Ghouta since 2013, making humanitarian conditions in the area, where some 400,000 people live, extremely dire.
The man is subdued by the Secret Service after leaping the barrier at the White House: AP

The US Secret Service has arrested a man after he tried to jump the fence at the White House while Donald Trump is believed to be inside.

The Secret Service tweeted at about 8am (1pm UK time) on Sunday that someone tried to jump a row of metal bike racks that are being used to create a second row of fencing outside the executive mansion.

Those racks were installed in response to a series of fence-jumping incidents in recent years, including a man who made it into the White House in 2014.

Pedestrians were briefly barred from walking in front of the White House during Sunday's incident.

Mr Trump was inside at the time of the incident but was unharmed.

The Secret Service announced it would be reducing public access to grounds of the White House after an intruder managed to walk around undetected for 17 minutes and rattled the door handle of the South Portico  known as the President's backdoor.

Jonathan T Tran had been seen lurking around outside in the hours before and when he was arrested, the Secret Service found he had been carrying mace and a letter for the President.

Despite activating alarms, the 26-year-old Californian was able to avoid officers at one point by hiding behind a pillar of the East Wing entrance.

Although Tran was able to get close to the building he did not gain entry and was arrested at the scene.

House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz said the incident was "a complete and utter total failure" of the complex, high-tech security system.

He said staff were frustrated that they had not been able to locate him despite him setting off multiple security sensors.

That's why we spend billions of dollars on personnel and dogs and technologies and fences and undercover people and video surveillance, Mr Chaffetz said.

And yet the person is able to get up close to the White House and spend 17 minutes before he's apprehended. That's unbelievable.

Additional reporting by PA
Perfecting moves nicknamed the bunny hop, the shimmy, shimmy and the wipers, a group of Pueblo Vista Elementary school students are learning both Bollywood dancing and how to appreciate a different culture.

About 15 students have joined a Bollywood dance after-school program taught by science teacher Bhavana Mody, with a performance planned in December.

What is Bollywood?

Bollywood means happy in a different language, said Helena Falk, one of the dancers. Falk is 9 years old and in the third grade at Pueblo Vista.

Bollywood is actually a type of dance that comes from Indian movies, explained Mody.

The movies in India are mostly musicals, said Mody. There is always singing and dancing.

In Bollywood dance, facial expressions are important because they are telling a story, she said.

In particular, the eyes and hips are really important, and are often connected in the dance.

The name Bollywood comes from a combination of Bombay and Hollywood. Bombay, now Mumbai, is the city where the Hindi film industry is located.

Mody was born in the U.S. but her family originally comes from India. She said she loves the dancing style because it is an expression of joy and its so playful.

Mody is a science teacher at the school, but shes also taught Bollywood dance at HealthQuest. This is the third year Mody has hosted the Pueblo Vista Bollywood class after school.

The Bollywood dancers at Pueblo Vista each begin their practice with a greeting and introduction in Hindi.

Namaste, said each student.

Mere nam Sonia hai, (My name is Sonia,) said Sonia Contreras, age 9.

On Wednesday, the students were practicing a song called Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, (Something is Happening in My Heart) from the Bollywood movie of the same name.

Modys dance class began with the students crouched on the floor and then rising as if emerging from an egg. From there, a series of other twists and turns were added, complete with specific eye movements and hand motions.

Pretend like youre sleeping in a dream, Mody suggested to her students as she helped them learn one particular pose.

I wanted to do this so I could learn about dances that are about a different place, said Sophia Sanchez, 8, third grade.

Sonia Contreras, a 9-year-old, third-grader, said she signed up for the class because I can do it with my sister and I really want to learn about India.

Bollywood dance student Lilly Dudley, age 6 and in first grade, said her favorite part of the dance was the start of the song.

I like to hatch out of the egg, she said.

I really, really, really like dancing, and I like music, especially in a different language, said Kairi Fleming, age 6 and in first grade.

Pueblo Vista is a dual immersion magnet school in the Napa Valley Unified School District that offers children a program integrating language and environmental sciences with all areas of the curriculum.

Besides Bollywood, other after-school enrichment classes include Tae Kwon Do, cooking and chess.

We want our students to have a global awareness of the world, said Helen Rocca, the principal of the school.

Rocca stopped by to watch the practice on Wednesday afternoon.

Look at her face. Its her passion, its who she is, said Rocca about Mody. I think its beautiful when a teacher has passion and a vehicle to share it with students.
White House officials on Sunday continued to provide dubious explanations for their refusal to take a firm stance on the growing number of sexual misconduct allegations against Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, more than a week after the first accusations came to light.

In the same breath, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney affirmed that he thinks the women who have come forward are credible, but still would not say whether he believes that their charges are true.

I believe theyre credible. I dont know who to believe, he said on NBCs Meet the Press.

You dont believe them? host Andrea Mitchell asked.

No, I said theyre credible. I dont know who to believe, Mulvaney repeated.

Well, if theyre credible, why wouldnt you believe them? Mitchell asked.

Mulvaney claimed that being in Washington meant that both he and Mitchell were not privy to the specifics of these allegations, and suggested her line of questioning came from a certain political persuasion.

Andrea, I run the office of management and budget in Washington D.C. You work for NBC News in Washington D.C. My guess is weve not spent that much time looking at the specifics of these allegations, he said. Youve arrived at a certain conclusion because of a certain political persuasion.

Nearly 10 women have now come forward with allegations against Moore, 70, many of them involving him preying on teenage girls at a mall when he was in his 30s.

Moore has continually denied the stories, claiming they are a conspiracy against him, constructed by reporters and establishment Republicans in Washington.

Asked why President Donald Trump continues to ignore questions about Moore, Mulvaney reiterated the administrations talking points. He said the allegations are very serious, but the decision whether to believe them and whether to support the candidate in Alabamas Dec. 12 Senate special election is up to the voters.

On ABCs This Week, White House legislative affairs director Marc Short dodged several questions on whether Trump believes the women, offering a similar explanation.

Story continues

I think he thinks its best for the people of Alabama to make that decision, Short said.

Despite his silence on Moore, Trump on Thursday seized upon an allegation of sexual misconduct against Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.).

Mulvaney argued that the situations were different because Franken admits it and Roy Moore denies it.

Related Coverage

Donald Trump Conspicuously Silent On Roy Moore

Donald Trump Denounces Al Franken But Remains Silent On Roy Moore

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By Cris Chinaka, MacDonald Dzirutwe and Joe Brock HARARE (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe stunned Zimbabwe on Sunday by making no mention of resignation in a television address, defying his own ZANU-PF party, which had sacked him hours earlier, and hundreds of thousands of protesters who had already hailed his downfall. Two sources - one a senior member of the government, the other familiar with talks with leaders of the military - had told Reuters Mugabe would announce his resignation to the nation after ZANU-PF dismissed him as its leader in a move precipitated by an army takeover four days earlier. But in the speech from his State House office, sitting alongside a row of generals, Mugabe acknowledged criticisms from ZANU-PF, the military and the public but made no mention of his own position. Instead, he said the events of the week were not "a challenge to my authority as head of state and government", and pledged to preside over the congress scheduled for next month. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was dumbstruck. "I am baffled. It's not just me, it's the whole nation. He's playing a game," he told Reuters. "He is trying to manipulate everyone. He has let the whole nation down." ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old, who has led his country since independence in 1980, less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto military coup. Chris Mutsvangwa, the leader of the liberation war veterans who have been spearheading an 18-month campaign to oust Mugabe, said plans to impeach him in parliament, which next sits on Tuesday, would now go ahead, and that there would be mass protests on Wednesday. He also implied that Mugabe, who spoke with a firm voice but occasionally lost his way in his script during the 20-minute address, was not aware of what had happened just hours earlier. "BLIND OR DEAF" "Either somebody within ZANU-PF didn't tell him what had happened within his own party, so he went and addressed that meeting oblivious, or (he was) blind or deaf to what his party has told him," Mutsvangwa said. ZANU-PF's central committee had earlier named Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new leader. It was Mugabe's sacking of Mnangagwa as his vice-president - to pave the way for his wife Grace to succeed him - that triggered the army's intervention. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands had taken to the streets of the capital Harare to celebrate Mugabe's expected downfall and hail a new era for their country. In jubilant scenes, men, women and children ran alongside armoured cars and the troops who stepped in to target what the army called "criminals" in Mugabe's inner circle. Many heralded a "second liberation" and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship. They, like the more than 3 million Zimbabweans who have emigrated to neighbouring South Africa in search of a better life, are likely to be bitterly disappointed by Mugabe's defiance. Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, had told Reuters that Mugabe and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup. Zhuwao, who was also sanctioned by ZANU-PF, did not answer his phone on Sunday. However, Mugabe's son Chatunga railed against those who had pushed out his father. "You can't fire a Revolutionary leader!" he wrote on this Facebook page. "ZANU-PF is nothing without President Mugabe." DANGER AHEAD The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would risk a diplomatic backlash. But some of Mugabe's opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader. "The real danger of the current situation is that, having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills," former education minister David Coltart said. The United States, a longtime Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once. Besides changing its leadership, ZANU-PF said it wanted to change the constitution to reduce the power of the president, a possible sign of a desire to move towards a more pluralistic and inclusive political system. However, Mnangagwa's history as state security chief during the so-called Gukurahundi crackdown, when an estimated 20,000 people were killed by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland in the early 1980s, suggested that quick, sweeping change was unlikely. "The deep state that engineered this change of leadership will remain, thwarting any real democratic reform," said Miles Tendi, a Zimbabwean academic at Oxford University. (Writing by Ed Cropley and Ed Stoddard; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Robert Mugabe agreed on Sunday to resign as Zimbabwe's president hours after the ruling ZANU-PF party fired him as its leader following 37 years in charge, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto coup.

The source said the Zimbabwe military was working on a resignation statement by Mugabe, without giving details.

Zimbabwe's state broadcaster ZBC said Mugabe would address the nation shortly. Earlier on Sunday, the official Herald newspaper showed pictures of him meeting top generals at his State House offices.

Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month in a move that triggered the mid-week intervention by the army.

In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement drew cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PF's Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.

Mugabe was given until noon (1000 GMT) on Monday to resign or face impeachment, an ignominious end to the career of the "Grand Old Man" of African politics who was once feted across the continent as an anti-colonial liberation hero.

Even in the West, he was renowned in his early years as the "Thinking Man's Guerrilla", an ironic nickname for a man who would later proudly declare he held a "degree in violence".

As the economy crumbled and political opposition to his rule grew in the late 1990s, Mugabe seized thousands of white-owned farms, detained opponents and unleashed security forces to crush dissent.

When the vote was announced, war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa, who has spearheaded an 18-month campaign to remove a man he openly described as a "dictator", embraced colleagues and shouted: "The President is gone. Long live the new President."

Story continues

Mugabe's 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from ZANU-PF, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her "G40" political faction.

Speaking before the meeting, Mutsvangwa said Mugabe, who has so far resisted calls to quit, was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could. "He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit," he said.

If Mugabe refused to go, "we will bring back the crowds and they will do their business," Mutsvangwa told reporters.

Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as "The Crocodile," is expected to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.

The next presidential election is due in 2018.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step down.

"READY TO DIE"

On Saturday, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and troops who stepped in to target what the army called "criminals" in Mugabe's inner circle.

Meanwhile, the man himself remained under house arrest in his lavish "Blue Roof" compound, watching the support from his party, security services and people evaporate.

Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Mugabe and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao, who was also sanctioned by ZANU-PF, did not answer his phone on Sunday. However, Mugabe's son Chatunga railed against those who had pushed out his father.

"You can't fire a Revolutionary leader!" he wrote on this Facebook page. "ZANU-PF is nothing without President Mugabe."

"SECOND LIBERATION"

On Harare's streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a "second liberation" and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

More than 3 million Zimbabweans - around 20 percent of the population - have emigrated to neighbouring South Africa in search of a better life.

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would risk a diplomatic backlash.

Despite the euphoria, some Mugabe opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

"The real danger of the current situation is that having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills," former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a longtime Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

Besides changing its leadership, ZANU-PF said it wanted to change the constitution to reduce the power of the president, a possible sign of its desire to move towards a more pluralistic and inclusive political system.

However, Mnangagwa's history as state security chief during the so-called Gukurahundi crackdown, when an estimated 20,000 people were killed by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland in the early 1980s, suggested that quick, sweeping change was unlikely.

"The deep state that engineered this change of leadership will remain, thwarting any real democratic reform," said Miles Tendi, a Zimbabwean academic at Oxford University.

(Additional reporting and writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Journalist Hadas Shteif claimed Saturday that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had sexually harassed her.

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"Olmert pressed me against the wall of the Channel 1 studio of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, and whispered in my ear," Shteif claimed at an event in Ness Ziona, adding he then licked her ear "with his disgusting tongue" until she pushed him away.

"I never dared to complain," Shteif, a crime reporter for Army Radio, said. She noted that the incident transpired many years ago,

Hadas Shteif (L) and Ehud Olmert (Photo: Abigail Uzi, EPA)

"All of it is true," Shteif asserted in a Facebook post. "I told a lot of people at the time. I was disgusted. I have not forgotten, and therefore I believe all the women who dare to expose (their harassersed) even after 30 years and talk.

"We are in the middle of the revolution For the sake of all of our children, the granddaughters, the grandchildren of all of us. It's our responsibility. We will not be afraid, we will not hide, even at the cost of personal attacks. That's the price I'm willing to pay for the new generation."

Shteif said that over the years she had been sexually harassed by about 40 men and that she remembers each of them.

She says she did not complain against them at the time it happened so she would not be called a serial complainant and belittled, but added that she intends to reveal additional names in the coming days.

Shelly Yachimovich (Photo: Chaim David)

Following Shteif's allegation, MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) posted on Facebook that during the time when former President Moshe Katsav was investigated for sexual assault and rape, a woman detailed to her how she was assaulted by Olmert.

"About 10 years ago, I spoke by a woman who told me that 20 years earlier, Olmert had sexually attacked her," Yachimovich wrote.

"A police complaint, unfortunately, was not an option because of the statute of limitations. Facebook has not yet been created, and exposure, as then as it is today, is not a simple choice for the victim."

A spokesperson on Olmert's behalf denied the allegation, saying the incident never took place.

Rachael Risby-Raz (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Rachael Risby-Raz, who was Olmert's secretary, published a post on Facebook in Olmert's defense following Shteif's claims.

"Anyone who knows Ehud Olmert knows that he is a warm and kind person," she wrote.

"After more than 40 years in the public service, anyone who has ever worked with him can testify that he respects women very much and has worked hard to promote them.

"This week we discussed exactly the subject of #metoo, and I told him that as women, we know who these men are that make us feel uncomfortable in their environment. Olmert is not one of them, just the opposite.

"In my 15 years of acquaintance with him, I can testify that I have never witnesses a single case that even approached the definition of 'sexual harassment' because he is simply not that kind of person.

"Ehud is a person who embraces, respects and loves people; women and men. He is one of the best in this matter, and it's a pity (he has to go through thised)."
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil warned Israel on Saturday not to start a war against his country "as we will surely win."

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"We should not be provoking Israel into a war simply because it is likely to lose it. We should restrain Israel from starting a war exactly because Lebanon is sure to win it," Bassil told Russian state TV channel RT.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah, which also holds political power in the country, has accused Saudi Arabia of pushing Israel to start a war against Lebanon. I speak here about facts, not analysis. Saudi Arabia is ready to pay tens of billions of dollars to Israel for that," Nasrallah alleged.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil (Photo: EPA)

Bassil claimed Lebanon has capabilities to deal with "any threat," warning that any country fighting against Beirut would suffer consequences that could reach as far as Europe.

"Even if Lebanon is a likely winner in a war, it does not mean it wants to fight," Bassil said, adding he did not think the "anti-Lebanon campaign" being waged in the Middle East would escalate into a full-blown armed conflict.

"I doubt that it will come to it because the party that starts such a war will have to deal with consequences," he noted.

Bassil was in Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Speaking about the current crisis with Saudi Arabia following the surprise resignation announcement of Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Riyadh, the Lebanese foreign minister noted this was a "good example that virtually anyone can start a war against us."

"We are ready to act in case of such developments, but we are trying to do everything we can to prevent this from happening and to maintain a good relationship with Saudi Arabia," he added.

Bassil accused Israel and the US, among others, of interference. "Any country can take action against Hezbollah like the US does, even though the leader of Hezbollah has said repeatedly: 'If you want to fight us, you can fight us, but leave Lebanon alone. We dont want Lebanon to suffer because of us,'" he said.

"We think if they target us, they will punish all the people of Lebanon, and those who dare do this will also face consequences. There will be consequences for the whole region, for Europe," he argued.
Breaking the Silence insisted Saturday night its spokesman Dean Issacharoff brutally beat a Palestinian during his army service, saying the Palestinian who was questioned and refuted Issacharoff's claims was not the one who was assaulted.

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"The State Attorney's Office determined Dean Issacharoff was not telling the truth based on the questioning of the wrong Palestinian," the group said.

Breaking the Silence released a video showing a photo of Issacharoff with Hassan Julani, the Palestinian questioned in the investigation, claiming the State Attoney's Office based its decision to question Julani on that photo.

Hassan Julani with Dean Issacharoff (Photo: Breaking the Silence)

"Issacharoff made it clear immediately upon seeing the photo that this was not the Palestinian from the incident he testified on and was questioned by police over," Breaking the Silence said. "We would like to note that the police did not bother asking Dean if this were the incident in question and certainly did not show him the photo."

The State Attorney's Office decided to close the case against Lt. Dean Issacharoff, determining he lied about the incident during a Breaking the Silence rally. His testimony, in which he described the assault in detail, was filmed and distributed online.

In the video, Issacharoff says he repeatedly kneed a Palestinian detainee in the face and chestcausing him to "bleed and faint"without any operational justification.

After hearing about Issacharoff's testimony from reservists, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked had asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to investigate him.

Dean Issacharoff

On Friday, Breaking the Silence raised the claim Ruben Silverstone, the company commander's signal operator who said he witnessed the brutal violence he inflicted upon the Palestinian, was not questioned as part of the investigation.

The group claimed these two alleged failures in the investigation indicate that "the conclusion Dean was not speaking the truth was incorrect."

Law enforcement officials, however, rejected the claim the Palestinian who was beaten was not questioned, and noted Issacharoff himself said in his questioning he used only the required amount of force to handcuff the Palestinian.

They further noted the details Issacharoff provided in his investigation were the same as those Julani provided.
David Ramati, 70, from Kiryat Arba, who was lightly wounded in a vehicular terror attack in Gush Etzion two days ago, was discharged from the hospital on Sunday morning.

The Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem said Ramati's condition was good.

Another man, 35, was seriously hurt in the attack.
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot rarely gives interviews. He has provided Israeli media outlets, including Ynet , with two-three interviews, and up until Thursday he hadnt given a single interview to a foreign media outlet.

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The interview to the Saudi online newspaper Elaph was the first interview the chief of staff gave a foreign media outlet since taking office. This is an important fact, because the timing and content of the interview point to the strategic interests behind it. The first interest is security-related and has to do with the fact that in the event of a decision to operate in Iran, Israel would need Saudi Arabia to at least turn a blind eye. Another interest is diplomatic. It has nothing to do with military or security issues, but rather with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Picture featured in Eisenkot interview on Saudi website

Elaph reporter Majdi Halabi asked to interview the chief of staff more than a week ago, but Eisenkot accepted the request only several days later, after consulting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and under his order. The timing of the interview was basically determined by the prime minister, while the content was determined by the chief of staff. What are the prime minister, chief of staff and defense minister trying to achieve through this interview with the Saudi news website?

Part of the answer can be found in the fact that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is in a state of distress. He is subject to criticism within the Saudi royal family and among Saudi clerics, and his aggressive move against Irana conscious and military moveis at its midst and is raising eyebrows in the international community.

Valuable support for Saudi claims

The things the chief of staff told the Saudi website strengthen and confirm the Saudi royal familys claims against Iran. The IDF Intelligence Directorate, and Israels intelligence community in general, are recognized and accepted in the Middle East and in the entire world as an authority on the Middle East in general and on Iran in particular. But when the Israeli chief of staff, who is considered a professional rather than a politician, specifies each of Irans intentions and the steps it is taking to gain regional hegemony, its a move that provides valuable support for Saudi Arabias claims.

There is also a great similarity between what Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said in his resignation speech in Riyadh and the intelligence analysis provided by the IDF chief in the Elaph interview. The chief of staffs interview on Lebanon indicates that an authorized Israeli source supports Saudi Arabias claims not only against Iran in general, but specifically against Hezbollah.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (R) with resigning Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri (Photo: Reuters) (Photo: Reuters)

Furthermore, when an IDF chief explicitly addresses the threat Hezbollah poses to the Arab world, it is seen as a sort of implicit threat. Eisenkot didnt threaten Hezbollah with war, like the Saudi crown prince might have wanted him to do. On the contrary, he said Israel wasnt interested in war with Lebanon or Syria. But the specification of the information Israel has on Iran, Hezbollah and their activities in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen serves as a very helpful hint for the Saudis in general, and for bin Salman in particular, in their efforts to enlist the Arab and American public opinion.

How does Israel benefit from Eisenkots interview? The main thing Israel stands to gain is tighter unofficial relations with Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince bin Salman basically owes Israel and the IDF chief for their swift help in confirming his claims against Iran and Hezbollah, and for the indirect aid they are offering him in his relations with US President Trump and with the Europeans concerning the Middle East.

But even more important is apparently the diplomatic benefit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would like to gain from the interview. President Trump is planning to present his plan or outline for an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians in about a month. This agreement will essentially be an American-Saudi initiative, largely based on the Saudi peace plan

Netanyahu and the current government are unwilling to accept the 2002 Saudi peace plan as it is, even after the small amendments that have been made to it, which is why Israel needs the Saudis to soften their plan and their demands regarding the Palestinians that they are presenting to the Americans. Netanyahu decided, therefore, to let the chief of staff give the interview at this time, while the Trump administrations plan to solve the conflict with the Palestinian is in its last stages of configuration.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and US President Donald Trump. A Saudi-American initiative for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement (Photo: AP) (Photo: AP)

Netanyahu hopes that a gesture towards the bin Salman, who is about to succeed his father and be appointed king, will be answered with a gesture from the 32-year-old crown prince concerning an agreement with the Palestinians. Netanyahu doesnt know what Trumps initiative will include, but he does know that Saudi Arabia will play a significant part in it.

The chief of staffs interview serves as an important leverage to enlist the Saudis goodwill and influence on Trump. The Saudis, by the way, have been constantly active on this issue, which is why they invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Saudi Arabia last week for talks aimed at softening his stance. Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the White House official in charge of the Israeli-Palestinian issue have also visited Riyadh several times recently.

All this proves that the Saudi royal family and the crown prince are deeply involved in forming the American initiative. Netanyahu, who isnt aware of the exact nature of this initiative, is concerned by it because it may put his governments survival to the test. This is the important context in which Eisenkots interview must be examined and understood.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has criticized a proposal to close the Holot detention center in southern Israel, which houses refugees and illegal infiltrators from Africa.

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The proposal is to be brought before the government on Sunday by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who visited Holot last week.

"UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is seriously concerned by proposals announced yesterday," UNHCR said in a statement on Friday. "Under these proposals, Eritreans and Sudanese asylum-seekers and refugees would be compelled to accept relocation to countries in Africa or face imprisonment in Israel.

Asylum seekers at Holot detention center (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The proposal of forced relocation, the UN body said, "follows a ruling by Israels High Court of Justice in August, which sanctioned the controversial forced relocation policy introduced by the Israeli Government in March 2015, provided that certain safeguards were put in place in third countries."



UNHCR estimated that since the "voluntary" deportation program's began in December 2013 and until June 2017, some 4,000 Eritrean and Sudanese infiltrators were relocated to two African countries, "named in media reports as Rwanda and Uganda."

It said Israel's policy was making it hard for the UNHCR to verify the well-being of those deported, many of whom may be at risk after once again looking for safe refuge.

"Due to the secrecy surrounding this policy and the lack of transparency concerning its implementation, it has been very difficult for UNHCR to follow up and systematically monitor the situation of people relocated to these African countries. UNHCR, however, is concerned that these persons have not found adequate safety or a durable solution to their plight and that many have subsequently attempted dangerous onward movements within Africa or to Europe."

UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Volker Turk, said that "as party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Israel has legal obligations to protect refugees and other persons in need of international protection."

According to UNHCR's estimates, roughly 27,500 Eritreans and 7,800 Sudanese currently reside in Israel. It added that "since Israel took over refugee status determination from UNHCR in 2009, only eight Eritreans and two Sudanese have been recognized as refugees by the authorities. Another 200 Sudanese, all from Darfur, were recently granted humanitarian status in Israel."

(Photo: Herzl Yosef)

Sunday's proposal aims to shut down Holot within a few months, in accordance with an agreement that was signed with Ruwanda.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanuyahu announced a month ago that Israel's agreement with Ruwanda had been revised, making it possible to deport infiltrators and asylum seekers to Ruwands even without their consent. The agreement was revised following the High Court's decision that infiltrators could not be detained for longer than 90 days if they refuse "voluntary deportation," as long as the agreement with the country to which they would be deported does not include forced labor.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The decision, therefore, leaves infiltrators with two options: either leave Israel or enter Saharonim Prison, also located in the Negev.

The Interior Ministry cites the yearly cost to operate Holot detention center at NIS 240 million.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

On Saturday, dozens of South Tel Aviv residents demonstrated in front of the home of Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut in north Tel Aviv in protest of court rulings they feel discriminate against Israeli citizens living in their area in favor of infiltrators. Protesters held signs saying "Esther Hayut bring back the sanity" and "Rights to citizens as well."

"The people demand an Israeli High Court," said South Tel Aviv activist Shefi Paz. "We're sick of the High Court's imperviousness when faced with the continued suffering of the residents of South Tel Aviv."
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will vote Sunday on a bill proposal to significantly limit the state comptroller's authorities.

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The legislation, proposed by Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich, would bar the state comptroller from intervening in the decision-making process of a state body under his investigation or instructing that body to do or refrain from certain actions.

According to the proposal, the comptroller would no longer have the authority to instruct these state bodies to fix the failings detailed in his reports or issue follow up reports to ensure the failings had indeed been rectified.

State Comptroller Yosef Shapira and Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich (Photos: Gil Yohanan, Alex Kolomoisky)

Instead, Smotrich proposes the prime minister would monitor the correction of failings found in government ministries, while the interior minister would monitor local authorities.

In addition, under the proposed legislation the comptroller would only be able to examine the work of the different state bodies rather than their judgment and decision-making.

The comptroller would also lose the authority to launch an investigation "into any other matter he deems necessary."

Smotrich explained that the state comptroller's "added value" over other gatekeepers is the fact it is an external body, independent from the executive branch and not involved in its decision-making.

Such intervention, Smotrich claims, "could undermine the ability to conduct the investigation from the unique external perspective, and even impose additional bureaucratic burden on the investigated bodies, which will require considerable investment of resources on their part."

'Trying to silence the state comptroller'

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu Party has already announced its objection to the legislation, while opposition parties strongly criticized it.

"The government of noblemen continues looking after only its own interests. This time, the state comptroller is the target," said Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay.

"The corrupt political culture of this government allows it to further undermine the gatekeepers. Limiting the comptroller's authorities doesn't serve the public, only government members who want to act without supervision," Gabbay added, vowing that "a government led by us would cancel all of the laws that hinder the war on corruption."

Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union), who chairs the Knesset's State Control Committee, argued that "preventing the comptroller from investigating in real time is akin to closing the State Comptroller's Office and dismissing the comptroller. All criticism is done in real time, be it on civilian issues or security matters, and if we wait until disaster strikes and corruption takes root, we would become a corrupt third world country, with no legal or moral boundaries."

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said the bill proposal seeks to "silence the state comptroller. They won't let him examine what they're doing, and mostly what they're not doing. Instead of fixing failings, they prefer citizens to just not know they exist."

Criticism also came from former state comptroller Eliezer Goldberg. "There is no reason to change the State Comptroller Law. This looks like a desire to neutralize and limit the State Comptroller's Office," the retired judge told Yedioth Ahronoth.

Former state comptroller Eliezer Goldberg

Goldberg said that while most comptroller reports investigate things that had already happened, "if the comptroller sees an accident is about to happen, should he sit idly by and wait for it to happen and only then investigate what caused it?"

The retired judge further said the comptroller "only alerts, he doesn't tell the executive branch how to act or how to deal with the problem."

Moreover, "the comptroller expresses his position on the decision-making process, not the decision itself, which the domain of the executive branch," he said.
Despite the Napa wine industrys ongoing efforts to spur the return of visitors following the October wildfires, winery foot traffic is still lukewarm and recovering.

The fires occurred during what is normally the busiest month of the year for winery visitorship. Yet now, a month on, visitor numbers for many are still below what would be a normal draw for this time of year.

Winery owners and leaders have attributed the tepid return of visitors in part to the outside worlds warped view of wine country as still being crippled.

Michael Beaulac, winemaker and general manager at Pine Ridge Vineyards in the Stags Leap District, lost his home in the fires. Yet, When I drive through Napa Valley, for the most part, you dont really see that much damage, he said this week. You go up Atlas Peak, that area, of course you do. But for the tourists coming to town, they probably arent going to see a whole lot.

Holding the medias portrayal of the disaster largely accountable, winery owner Dario Sattui said this week that beyond the immediate destruction throughout wine country, the fires also killed tourism.

Because people think the whole Napa Valley burned down and its not true, he said.

Mike Reynolds, president of HALL winery in St. Helena and WALT winery in Sonoma, stressed the fires toll on the rural areas of Napa County and in the neighborhoods of Santa Rosa. There are portions that were devastated and we dont want to understate that, he said. But the majority of the valley and certainly the wineries and the vineyards, were not impacted.

However, a month after the heat, flames and smoke, that majority of wineries continues to grapple with the lingering economic impact of the distorted wine country-turned-wasteland image.

Sattui, who was born in the area, said that last months wildfires had been the worst disaster to happen in Napa Valley in his lifetime. The runner-up, he says, is the economic disaster that is still unfolding.

Tourists are vital to both of Sattuis wineries, V. Sattui in St. Helena and the 13th century Tuscan-style Castello di Amorosa tucked off of Highway 29 near Calistoga. Each sells its wine entirely through on-premises sales, meaning the lower the visitor numbers and foot traffic, the lower the wineries overall revenue.

Both had reopened by Oct. 16, a week after the fires began, but as of last week, Sattui estimated visitorship at each was about half of what it normally would be this time of year.

Though he lost vineyards on Henry Road to the Partrick Fire and grapes to smoke taint, Sattuis wineries were left physically unharmed. But now with lagging visitorship and sales, the toll on business has been severe enough that some winery employee hours have been scaled back, leading to several resignations, he said. I dont blame them.

For the month of October, visitor numbers at the HALL and WALT tasting rooms were also down by about 55 percent, Reynolds said. Though the first week of the month was normal, after that, it was essentially we were wiped out.

Reynolds said no employee hours had been shortened and, optimistically, both wineries had seen a decent amount of traffic at the end of October, in part due to local visitorship.

The case has been similar at Pine Ridge Vineyards which, like HALL, WALT and Sattuis wineries, also reopened Oct. 16. Though met with a very, very quiet week of sales and guests upon reopening, Beaulac also credited visitors from San Francisco and the greater Bay Area as having helped buoy the winerys business as the weeks have progressed.

What Im seeing and hearing when Im in the tasting room is a lot of people saying, We want to come up, because we heard thats what youre supposed to do, he said. The generosity just continues to amaze me.

The local wine industry has in turn offered its own helping hand to the North Bays recovery, with many wineries donating their tasting fees and other funds to the fire relief efforts throughout the month of October, and in some cases beyond.

HALL and WALT wineries were among those donating tasting fees last month, while founders Craig and Kathryn Hall raised more than $500,000 through a matching campaign with Redwood Credit Union. Sattuis wineries donated more than $100,000 to the relief efforts.

And while concerns over lukewarm visitorship continue to loom over winery business, optimistic overtones are also very much coursing through the industry.

Jen Locke, senior vice president of direct to consumer at Treasury Wine Estates, the Australia-based company that owns a cast of Napa Valley hallmarks, including Beaulieu Vineyard, Beringer, Sterling and Stags Leap Winery, said in a statement this week, Our tasting rooms throughout the Valley are trending upward, especially the weekends.

In Sonoma County, Treasury-owned Chateau St. Jean winery reopened for the first time last Saturday, and was greeted by a line of guests, Locke said. We are without words for the outpouring of support and growing interest in visiting our tasting rooms has been very encouraging.

Russ Joy, general manager at iconic Ste. Michelle-owned Stags Leap Wine Cellars, a close neighbor to Pine Ridge Vineyards, wrote in an email this week that the winerys visitorship has also begun to recover, with weekend numbers improving in particular. Our current weekend traffic is essentially the same as last year, Joy wrote.

Now, more than ever, we need wine lovers visiting the wineries, buying wines, dining at our local restaurants and staying at our local hotels, he added.

Scott Goldie, co-owner of the Napa Valley Wine Train, which hosted a cast of Napa County political leaders and media for a luncheon last month to promote the regions recovery, wrote in an email that while cancellations brought ridership down to 20 percent of normal numbers in October and have carried on into this month, the impact is lessened as visitorship tends to slow this time of year regardless.

Rider numbers have also improved notably over the weekends, Goldie wrote. Longer term (into next year) we are very optimistic that the word will get out that Napa is back and better than ever and we will see a return to normalcy.

Sattui offered a similarly hopeful outlook for the coming year, noting that people maybe as the year progresses will come in greater numbers. But I think its really next year sometime  the spring  before they really come back full force.
Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information Gilad Erdan expressed his approval of the US government's recent statement, that it was considering closing the Palestinian Authority's office in the US capitol of DC if the PA continues to try to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians.

"I appreciate the US's proven policies," said Erdan during a meeting of the Likud party. "They are acting to delegitimize us and to pay salaries to terrorists and other steps that do not promote peace.

Erdan added that "such representation would be of value if it helped to advance negotiations and peace, but if it was used to the contrary and to incite and counter Israel's legitimacy, then it would certainly have to doubt its representation in Washington."
The rare and unusual interview the Israeli chief of staff gave a Saudi media outlet is not an Israeli gesture. Its a Saudi gesture as part of an ongoing process to prepare the Saudi public opinion for bringing the secret relations between the two countries out in the open.

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Israel has had an old dream to hold a public dialogue with the Saudis as part of a pro-American regional coalition against the Shiites growing strength. The Saudis werent interested in making this public, but now they have taken a small step with major repercussions: IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who isnt a politician but is a figure of national stature in Israel, is speaking directly to the Saudi public about the interests shared by the two countries, including security cooperation.

This text cant be random. It was coordinated between Israel and Saudi Arabia, word for word. Hosting an Israeli chief of staff in a Saudi media outlet isnt just sticking a finger in the Palestinians' eyes, its mainly giving the Iranians, the Syrians and Hezbollah the finger. Its another step in the Saudi royal familys political activism, just like the affair which led to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariris resignation on Saudi soil.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (R) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch, AFP)

Whats hiding behind this interview is likely certain movement in the American Mideast peace plan, which has been concocted for months by US President Donald Trumps Mideast envoys, Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner. In March, Trump will have to decide whether to adopt the plan and got for it with all his might, or to give up after realizing there is no chance of implementing it.

Several months ago, Israel and Saudi Arabia reached a certain agreementbrokered by the United Stateson trust-building measures between the two countries. The Saudis asked the Israelis for two declarative moves and two practical moves: On the declarative level, they asked the Israeli government to declare that it accepts the two-states-for-two-people idea. As far as the Saudis are concerned, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's old declaration on this issue is insufficient. They further demanded that the Israeli government would declare its acceptance of the Saudi peace plan, with the required amendments. That didnt happen.

On the practical level, Israel was asked to make a gesture towards the Palestinians and hand over a tiny part of Areas B and C. That didnt happen either. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman couldnt even get the government to approve the whitewashing of illegal buildings around Qalqilya. The Saudis second practical requestbuilding only within the settlement blocsis actually being maintained by Israel.

At the same time, the Saudis were supposed to carry out three practical moves: Open their airspace to Israeli civil flights, open communication lines between Israel and Saudi Arabia and allow a few Israeli businesspeople to work with Saudi Arabia. That hasnt happened yet either.

Nevertheless, there are signs that the countries are moving closer together: Quite a few commentaries published in the Saudi press recently reflect the governments stance that even if we dont like Israel, it doesnt mean we dont have shared interests. This is the way to prepare the public opinion, just like the Israeli chief of staffs interview to a Saudi news website.

Now we must wait and see whether these signs are indeed the harbingers of progress, of a breakthrough. The Americans are expecting a dramatic Israeli move, which Israel is unable to perform at this time due to the current coalition structure. The American presidents decision whether to put any effort into a Saudi-Israeli agreement depends, therefore, on Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision to change the composition of his coalitionor to call elections.
Some 10 protesters with disabilities blocked the entrances and exits to the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Sunday morning as part of their ongoing struggle to raise disability benefits.

The demonstration was held while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers convened for the weekly cabinet meeting.
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) said Sunday he would resign if a permanent solution is not found to prevent train maintenance work on Shabbat.

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After setting an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday and threatening to resign, Litzman allowed infrastructural work on the Dimona-Be'er Sheva line to go ahead as planned this past weekend after being assured by Labor and Welfare Minister Haim Katz that no Jewish workers would be carrying out the work.

"This can't be a permanent solution. If I can't live with the solution, I will quit," Litzman told Ynet in an interview.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Not for the first time, work planned to be carried out on the trains on Shabbat has threatened to derail Netanyahus coalition, with ultra-Orthodox parties sporadically holding its stability hostage to the prime ministers compliance with its demands.

At the end of last year, the ultra-Orthodox parties gave a similar ultimatum that threatened to disband the government over train maintenance work that was scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv on Shabbat, presaging a series of fiery government discussions on the matter.

"The threat was serious," Litzman claimed on Sunday. "I informed the prime minister in an unequivocal manner on Thursday that if train work is done on the Dimona-Be'er Sehva line (on Shabbat), I would resign."

"It is no secret that we in the Haredi parties are angry over the train works, and we've talked about it and dealt with it quite a few times in the past and it keeps going back to the same point," he said.

"So I decided that this was it, we're done, enough is enough. Either they treat us as serious partners (in the coalition), or they can do whatever they want," Litzman continued.

Train construction work done on Shabbat (Photo: Ofer Meir)

The UTJ chairman said he intends to meet this week with Netanyahu, along with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) and MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ), "to talk to him and straighten out all of the problems with the train. I'm not willing to carry on with the train desecrating the Shabbat."

On Wednesday, Litzman's office received routine notice from the Israel Railways that infrastructural works would be carried out during the weekend.

Litzman spoke to Netanyahu's chief of staff, telling him this was unacceptable, particularly in light of the fact repeated promises have been made in recent weeks that train works on Shabbat would be halted completely. Litzman also said he would not vote at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in protest.

After the matter was reported in the ultra-Orthodox media, Liztman sought counsel from the Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, Yaakov Aryeh Alter. Following his conversation with Alter, Litzman called Netanyahu and made his ultimatum.
The Jerusalem District Court has ordered the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the terrorists who carried out a deadly 2001 attack that claimed the lives of three Israelis to pay the victims' family NIS 62 million in compensation.

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Sharon and Yaniv Ben Shalom and Sharon's brother Doron Zvori were murdered by a six-member terror cell in the attack on route 443 on their way home from a family trip to the southern resort city of Eilat. Their vehicle was trailed by the terrorists, who then proceeded to open fire.

Sharon managed to save her two infant daughtersEfrat and Shachar Ben Shalom, who were also in the vehicleby throwing herself on top of them. The girls have since been raised by their mother's sister, Odelia Ben Shalom, and her husband, Atsmon Moshe.

Sharon Ben Shalom (L) and Yaniv Ben Shalom (Photo: Yedioth Ahronoth Archive)

In 2008, the victims' family submitted a NIS 559 million claim against the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Liberation Authority (PLO) and the six terrorists, who have been imprisoned in Israel. "We cannot describe the pain, sorrow, sense of loss and anger that have become part of the plaintiffs' daily life, all because of the vicious acts of villians," the suit stated.

The recent verdict is a follow up to a decision from 2014, which determined the terrorists were liable in damages, as is the PA for aiding and facilitating the attack.

The verdict detailed the physical and emotional damage caused to all the victims' family members, including a letter from Efrat and Shachar, the two orphaned daughters who were in the car.

The court decided to award NIS 10 million to each of the three victims' estates, NIS 6 million to each of the two orphaned daughters and NIS 5 million to each of the victims' (four) parents.

The PA was ordered to cover 40 percent (or NIS 24.8 million) of the awarded damages, with the terrorists themselves being ordered to pay 60 percent (NIS 37.2 NIS). The defendants were also ordered to pay plaintiffs' legal fees, amounting to 20 percent of the awarded sum.

"This ruling brings closure in a way," said Sharon and Doron's father, Zion Zvori, following Sunday's verdict. "We knew all along that the Palestinian Authority is guilty: it sent the murderers, it led to this. This is the verdict, so now they can't say 'the PA knew,' or 'the PA didn't know.' The PA paid, encouraged and supported terrorism."

"There's no feeling of joy or anything of the sort," stressed Zvori. "I've lost children, money isn't a factor in this matter. What is a factor is the proof the children were murdered because they were Jewish, and that the PA supported this."

Attorney Eliyada HaCohen, who represented the families in court, stated that "this verdict was given in favor of all of our children. The Palestinian equation in which the murderer of an Israeli is given respect, presitge and money, has been laid morally bare, and more importantlyin its bare consequences. There is no profit in murdering Jews."
The government approved on Sunday a proposal by Ministers Aryeh Deri and Gilad Erdan to close the Holot detention facility in the Negev, which houses African illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.

The facility is due to close within a few months, and the illegal immigrants and asylum seekers will either be imprisoned in the Saharonim Prison or expelled to Rwanda.

Israel has signed an agreement with Rwanda allowing it to expel asylum seekers to the African country even without their consent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris early next month, the PMO said Sunday.

The two leaders spoke on the phone for half an hour on Sunday, discussing both the nuclear deal with Iran and Macron's efforts to mediate in the crisis in Lebanon.

The two agreed to speak again in the coming days.
The government unanimously approved on Sunday a bill proposal to close the Holot detention facility, which houses African illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.

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The government extended the temporary order keeping the Holot facility open by only three months in an effort to encourage "voluntary departure" and close down the facility within four months.

The illegal immigrants and asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan will face two options: either be imprisoned in the Saharonim Prison or expelled to Rwanda under an agreemend the African country signed with the State of Israel.





Asylum seekers protesting against expulsion in Jerusalem (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

"Our policy towards infiltrators is three staged," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. "Stage one is halting. We built a fence and enacted laws that completely blocked the flow of infiltrators, and today we have zero infiltrators."

"Second stage is removal," he continued. "We removed approximately 20,000 out of the existing infiltrators using various measures."

"Stage three is increased removal," Netanyahu went on to say. "This removal is enabled thanks to an international agreement I achieved, which allows us to remove the 40,000 remaining infiltrators without their consent. This is very important. It will enable us later to make the 'Holot' facility unnecessary and to use part of the vast resources we allocate there for inspectors and increased removal. That is why we are succeeding here. But our goal is to continue removing significantly more then what we have until now."

According to the Public Security Ministry, the costs of keeping the facility open amount to NIS 240 million annually.

Asylum seekers protesting against expulsion in Jerusalem (Photo: EPA)

The proposal by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan includes a plan to gradually close the facility within a few months, provided that the agreement signed with Rwanda goes ahead as planned.

About a month ago, Netanyahu announced the agreement had been amended to allow Israel to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda even without their consent.

The agreement was altered following an August ruling by the High Court of Justice, which determined the State of Israel cannot detain illegal immigrants and asylum seekers who refuse "voluntary departure" for more than 60 days if the agreement with the third party does not allow forced deportation.

"An infiltrator who is not in Holot will either be in prison or outside of Israel," Deri said after the approval of the legislation proposal. "This is the right policy to ease the suffering of residents in south Tel Aviv and other neighborhoods where the infiltrators reside. My duty is to return peace and quiet to south Tel Aviv and many neighborhoods across the country."
China's foreign minister said Sunday that the international community must help fight poverty and promote development in Myanmar's Rakhine state, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims flee amid a military crackdown.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the comments after meeting in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, with the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as its president, Htin Kyaw, and its powerful military chief, Min Aung Hlaing.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine for neighboring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched what it called "clearance operations" in response to insurgent attacks. The refugees say soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them and burned their villages to force them to flee.
President Reuven Rivlin announced on Sunday that he has decided to commute the prison sentence of Yonatan Heilo, convicted in 2010 for the murder of Yaron Atalin, who it was discovered had raped Heilo. The presidential reprieve means that Heilo could be released on parole very soon.

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During Heilo's trial, it was found that he had been raped twice by Atalin, which led to a reduced sentence, of 20 years, in addition to Heilo being ordered to pay Atalin's family damages. In 2016, the court changed his conviction to manslaughter and reduced his sentence to 12 years.

In their ruling, the judges accepted Heilo's claim that he was petrified of Atalin, and that Heilo is suffering from severe distress due to experiencing prolonged and significant abuse.

Heilo in court (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

In December, 2016, Rivlin rejected Heilo's previous plea for a reprieve, stating that a presidential commute is not another level of appeals following the court's decision, and that the main points stressed in Heilo's plea, which stressed the extreme circumstances of the case, were already taken into account when the court made its decision to reduce his sentence from 20 years for murder to 12 for manslaughter.

Heilo reacted to Rivlin's original rejection by saying, "I feel I've faced racism from the system. It's clear to me that were I a white man, they would have looked at me differently. They would never have dared speak to a white man who had been raped the way they spoke to me, or to a woman. A man who is raped gets laughed at."

Despite his original rejection, Rivlin did tell Heilo that he would reconsider his position were Heilo to submit another appeal after a substantial amount of time had passed.

Such was the case on Sunday. "In light of the significant rehabilitation process that Heilo underwent over the past year, his unusual medical condition and the incredibly harsh circumstances, with him being the victim of severe acts prior to the act he committed, the president has decided to adopt the position of Justice Minister (Ayelet Shakeded) and exchange part of the sentence's jail time given to Heilo with parole time."

Rivlin's statement continued to say that as such, "the actual (minimal) jail time will be ten years and eight months, allowing him to stand before the parole committee in the near future."

Since Heilo has already served ten years and eight months in prison, Sunday's presidential commute reduced Heilo's prison time by a year and four months.

Two weeks ago, Minister Shaked issued a recommendation to shorten Heilo's sentence, after accepting the Justice Ministry's position, thereby allowing him to present his case before a parole board sooner than planned.

With his time spent in prison and the recommendations of Rivin, Shaked and the Justice Ministry, Heilo is expected to appear before a parole committee and be approved for release in the near future.

Heilo's case stirred many social activists into action, bringing about a nationwide campaign for his release. As part of the campaign, a request to reprieve Heilo was signed by dozens of MKs.

MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union) responded to the presidential commute by saying, "I applaud the president for his decision to lighten Yonatan Heilo's sentence. I initially got more than 70 MKs to sign the request to reprieve him." He added that "thankfully, the president saw this move as a supporting wind for his decision.

"Yonatan found himself under particularly tragic circumstances," said Hasson, before stating that "one the one hand, he has paid his debt to society and spent several years in prison, and one the other hand he has reached the point when he should be released and allowed to rehabilitate his life."
Thanksgiving isnt even here yet, but at the Napa Valley Expo, it feels like Christmas. Decorations are set up outside Chardonnay Hall and inside, artificial Christmas trees are adorned with homemade ornaments ready for the buying  its the 45th annual Gifts n Tyme Holiday Faire.

The three-day shopping event started Friday and, according to Brad Taylor of the Carneros area, its the best way to kick off your Christmas shopping.

It gets you in the holiday spirit, Taylor said Saturday.

Taylor and his wife, Debbie, have been coming to the shopping extravaganza for nearly 30 years  ever since they moved to Napa.

The couple started out their Saturday by visiting the almond guy, tried a few things and bought a bag of honey roasted cashews. Then they headed to the bakery to get some baked goods sold by the Greater Napa Valley Lions Club. Taylor says the stand always sells out, so you have to get there early.

He bought oatmeal raisin cookies and a wine cake, a Bundt-shaped cake made with wine. When asked whether or not hed be eating his purchases right away or saving them for later, Taylor said, Oh, its always better fresh.

Other than nuts and baked goods, the Taylors also purchased jewelry from Peter Bailey Designs.

Keep your eyes open, Taylor suggested. Look for deals.

Clair Weyandt, 86, of American Canyon has been patronizing the fair since it began 45 years ago and still looks forward to it every year.

I never miss this one, Weyandt said, sporting comfortable shoes and old lady jeans while pushing a red utility cart.

You gotta be ready, she said. You never know what youre gonna buy.

Over the years, Weyandt has bought everything from Christmas decorations and junk jewelry to dough art and hanging kitchen towels. Some things she buys for her church family and other things are for her 18 great-grandchildren, or as she calls them, the greats.

Weyandt recognizes the sellers since many of them are here every year, she said, but that doesnt mean she wont keep her eyes peeled for something different.

Im a lookie-loo  I look at everything, she said.

Hit every booth, take your time and, if it screams at you, buy it, suggests Lucia Roe of American Canyon. Roe started coming to the fair with her mother. It was their tradition to buy a new ornament every year. This is her second time at the fair since her moms death.

Now she is making a new tradition by coming with her nieces family, Roe said.

Best friends Dee Zaro and Mickey Rachel, both of Vacaville, enjoyed browsing items and eating an inexpensive hot dog lunch while at the fair.

Some of its pricey, but some of its reasonable, Rachel said. She bought a decorative snowman and a wooden cheese board. Zaro bought jam from one of the busiest booths, Hurley Farms.

Apple butter, she said, pulling it out of her shopping bag, it makes me think of my childhood. Growing up in Wisconsin, she said, we did a lot of apple butter.

Another big hit was Sue Foxs pottery booth.

Its a really good show, Fox said. Shes been a vendor at the Gifts n Tyme Holiday Faire for about 15 years. She does well, she said, because she has loyal customers and people like pottery.

Her hand thrown pieces range in price from an $11 sponge holder to a $125 salad bowl.

The longtime potter kept track of her sales using a yellow notepad and a calculator.

Thats one wedding gift out of the way, she told a woman buying a berry bowl for $34.

At the other end of the aisle, casual shoppers were drawn into Carol Rosevears booth, Bella Rose Naturals, by her invitation for a free hand spa.

Would you like a hand spa? shed ask as people walked by. Cinch up your sleeves and hold out your hands, she said to one woman before pouring water over the womans hands and supplying her with some handmade body scrub. 30 seconds to get rid of dead skin!

Rosevear, who has been a vendor at the fair for about 18 years, says the Gifts n Tyme Holiday Faire is an awesome event for her.

Ive got a beautiful following, she said. This year Ive added more bath bombs and sprays for kids.

There are 85 local and regional vendors at the fair selling crafts, artwork and gourmet food. The Gifts n Tyme Holiday Faire concludes Sunday. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss ways to confront Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite ally Hezbollah, who the Arab allies say are interfering in their internal affairs.

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Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Islamist Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's surprise resignation and after an escalation in Yemen's conflict.

Hariri, a long-time Saudi ally, resigned on November 4 in an announcement made from Riyadh. Hariri cited fear of assassination and accused Iran and Hezbollah of spreading strife in the Arab world.

Meeting with Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul (Photo: AFP)

Hezbollah, both a military force and a political movement, is part of a Lebanese government made up of rival factions, and an ally of Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

Aoun has accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri hostage. Senior Lebanese politicians close to Hariri also said he was coerced into resigning. Saudi Arabia and Hariri both deny those accusations.

"What Iran is doing against some Arab countries calls for taking more than one measure to stop these violations, interferences and threats, which are carried out through many various means," Hossam Zaki, Arab League Assistant Secretary, told Asharq al Awsat newspaper in an interview.

"Stopping them requires a joint Arab policy."

He said the meeting would send a "strong message" for Iran to step back from its current policies.

Egypt's state-owned newspaper Al Ahram cited an Arab diplomatic source saying the meeting may refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council.

The emergency Arab foreign ministers meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention, Egypt's state news agency MENA said.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told Reuters last week the kingdom's actions in the Middle East were only a response to what he called the "aggression" of Iran.

"Unfortunately countries like the Saudi regime are pursuing divisions and creating differences and because of this they don't see any results other than divisions," Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state media Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting in Antalya with his Russian and Turkish counterparts about the Syria conflict.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir (Photo: AFP)

Lebanon's state-run NNA media said the country's the foreign minister would not attend the Cairo meeting. Lebanon will be represented by its representative to the Arab League, Antoine Azzam, it said.

After French intervention, Hariri flew to France and met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday.

Speaking in Paris, Hariri said he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut in the coming days. He said he would take part in Lebanese independence day celebrations, which are scheduled for Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia also accuses Hezbollah of a role in the launching of a missile at Riyadh from Yemen this month. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Iran's supply of rockets to Houthi militias was an act of "direct military aggression".

Yemen's civil war pits the internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, against the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Iran denies charges it supplies Houthi forces.
About 20 demonstrators from the "Disabled Panthers" group blocked the road at the Jaffa-Nordau junction in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon.

Following the protest, the streets were blocked to traffic, and the light rail traffic stopped.

After about 40 minutes, the protesters dispersed, and traffic returned to normal.

Earlier that day, the protesters blocked the entrances and exits of the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem for a few hours while the weekly cabinet meeting was held there.

The group protests over low disability pensions and a recent compromiser made by representatives of disability groups they say only perpetuates their poverty.
An IDF tank fired another warning shot on a Syrian military position Sunday evening in the northern Golan Heights, a day after another tank opened fire near the Druze village of Hader in Syria as Israel discovered the Syrian army was conducting construction along their border.

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The IDF says Syria violated the 1974 ceasefire agreement on the Golan Heights by using heavy tools to fortify a military post in the demilitarized zone between the countries.

IDF tanks in the Golan Heights (:  ")

In response, the IDF says it complained to the United Nations peacekeeper force station on the Golan and fired a tank shell as a warning.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said earlier this week that the IDF had deployed tanks on the slopes of Mount Hermon to fulfill this intention of defending the settlement.

The same Israeli armored force was the one to fire at the outpost the Syrian army was trying to recapture in the strip adjacent to the border fencethrough which the car carrying an explosive charge into Hader infiltrated the village earlier this month.
The St. Helena City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, at Vintage Hall.

Here are some highlights from the agenda:

- Resolution establishing new water and wastewater rates, beginning with the December billing cycle

- Informational update on traffic safety enhancements near Highway 29 and Pratt Avenue

- Discussion of the conceptual mayors forum

- A proclamation in honor of Arbor Day

- Contract amendments with MarinIT to improve broadband technology at the library and cover unanticipated cost associated with upgrading the citys phone system to Voice Over Internet Protocol.
Emory University senior Chelsea Jackson is one of 32 American college students selected as a 2018 Rhodes Scholar.

Jackson, a political science and African American Studies double major in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, is the universitys 20th student to be selected for the prestigious scholarship that provides all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. She also is the fourth woman and first African American student from Emory College to receive the scholarship.

I am immediately blessed to be selected, says Jackson, who is from Lithonia, Georgia. Just the resources available and the opportunity to live outside the U.S. and interact and learn from scholars throughout the world is immense.

Jackson has focused her undergraduate research and her community leadership on efforts to create a more equitable campus and Atlanta community.

"Chelsea Jackson is a passionate and committed student who uses her intellectual talents and commitment to social justice to better our world, says Emory University President Claire E. Sterk. She will be a wonderful ambassador for the United States and Emory as she continues her work at Oxford University.

Jackson has been heavily involved with the Emory chapter of the NAACP and co-founded the Atlanta Black Students United (ATLBSU), a group with black student representatives from every school in metro Atlanta. The ATLBSU remains a support system for students and resource for allies.

Last year, she shifted from working as the groups media representative to putting additional energy into her academic commitments.

She presented a conference paper last year with her adviser, Andra Gillespie, associate professor of political science and director of Emorys James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, that looked at how different backstories affected public opinion on police shootings. She was also named Emorys first Truman Scholar since 2011.

Chelsea truly embodies the ideals of liberal arts and sciences education. Her pursuit of knowledge and inquiry informs her activism and her dedication to making our society a more just one for all, says Michael A. Elliott, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Charles Howard Candler Professor of English. We are extremely proud of her, and I am looking forward to watching her career unfold as she leaves our campus to have an impact on the world beyond it.

This year, Jackson is focused on her masters thesis as Emorys sole BA/MA candidate in political science. Her topic: examining whether the race of the prosecutor can affect racial discrepancies in the criminal justice system when looking at matters of discretion, such as whether to charge the accused with a felony or misdemeanor.

Chelsea is just brilliant, Gillespie says. She came to Emory with an abundance of brain power and the willingness to do the work to develop her skills. Her keen intellect and commitment to public service and social justice make her the student you dream of having the honor to teach.

Jackson plans to earn a masters degree in criminology at Oxford, home of a cutting-edge research center that focuses on the sociology of criminal justice. She hopes to examine how the law can be used to reform the criminal justice system by, for instance, reducing the use of solitary confinement and expanding the maternal rights of incarcerated women.

I want to learn how race and politics play out in other countries criminal justice systems to see how that shapes their world view, and to consider new ideas and ways to solve problems that I have not thought of yet, Jackson says.

After completing her Oxford degree, she plans to return to the U.S. to attend law school to become a civil rights attorney, either with the Department of Justice or a broad-reaching nonprofit focused on social justice.

The more empirical ideas I can learn, the more I can see how things are done elsewhere, it means I can be a better activist and propose better solutions, Jackson says.
11:11

Hardik Patel, the leader of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti said the people of Gujarat want to see what the BJP has done in 23 years rather than the video of a 23-year-old youth.





Hardik, who had earlier threatened to drop a "bomb" against Bharatiya Janata Party at "prestige rally" at Mansa, the home town of party's president Amit Shah, however, stuck to the script of hitting out at BJP.









The PAAS, which has been agitating against the government for more than two years over the issue of reservation for the Patidar community, has pledged to oppose the ruling BJP in the coming state assembly elections in December.





Earlier, they had sought the administration's permission to hold the rally in Mansa, but the same was denied by the Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police.





He said the BJP should not have played the game of CD, as people of Gujarat wanted to see the CD of 23-year rule and not that of a 23-year-old youngster.





"In 2007, they defamed Sanjay Joshi and now it is our turn," he said repeating his earlier allegations that the CDs were released at the behest of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani after spending Rs 40 crore.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 01:20:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia demands Libya to form a unified national government before resuming weapon supplies to the country, said Russian ambassador to Libya, Ivan Molotkov, in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.

"Russia, before the Libyan revolution, had strong military ties with Libya and provided the Libyan army with sophisticated weapons. But after that, international resolutions were issued banning the provision of arms to Libya. We, as a member of the UN Security Council, have to review the resolutions," said Molotkov.

Molotkov stressed Moscow's belief that "providing Libya with weapons in the current situation is dangerous, because there is no guarantee that the arms will not fall into the wrong hands, especially in the presence of terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State (IS)."

However, the Russian ambassador said that it is possible to provide arms to Libya again after the situation stabilizes and a national unity government is formed replacing the UN-backed government in Tripoli and the government in Tobrug.

Libya is suffering a political crisis with two rival powers in the east and the west, amid insecurity and chaos.

Regarding the request of Libya's eastern-based army commander, General Khalifa Haftar, for arms to eliminate terrorist organizations in Libya, Molotkov said that "Haftar wants and wishes to obtain weapons, but we do not provide arms to him or to any other parties in Libya."

Moscow is also interested in developing economic relations with Libya, added the Russian diplomat.

"About a month ago, a large delegation from Tripoli, headed by the Libyan Minister of Transport and accompanied by over 30 representatives of companies and institutions, were in Moscow and held discussions with Russian officials including Minister of Trade and Industry, as well as relevant Russian institutions interested in developing cooperation with Libya," Molotkov revealed.

Molotkov hoped for "a quick peaceful solution to Libya which Moscow supports."

Speaking of the UN-sponsored political dialogue between Libyan parties, Molotkov was optimistic about the talks, especially between the House of Representatives and the Higher Council of State. "However, we see that this dialogue is halted."

"Russia is against military solutions in Libya. Any military solution would make the issue more complicated. We are against any military solution as long as there is a possibility of dialogue and agreement," Molotkov explained.

"We believe that the solution to Libya's is political. Dialogue remains the best way to restore stability and establish a national unity government. We believe that this is better than any military solution," he added.

When asked about foreign interference, Molotkov said that "foreign military interference is totally unacceptable," explaining that the foreign interference in Libya in 2011 caused the turmoil that followed.

"Foreign aid, such as political assistance and help in finding a peaceful solution, is acceptable and is not interference. Other than that, we do not accept it," Molotkov said.

In the end, he called on all Libyans to "be patient and refrain from any attempts of weapons and forces to impose any solution."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 03:00:23|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HARARE, Nov. 18 (Xinhua)-- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is due to meet Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantine Chiwenga on Sunday, state broadcaster ZBC reported Saturday.

ZBC quoted Roman Catholic priest Fidelis Mokonori, one of the facilitators of the talks, as saying.

This will be the second meeting between Mugabe and Chiwenga since the military took over government this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 03:40:32|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HOUSTON, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Houston-based Star Energy International Corporation (SEIC) announced Saturday an acquisition of Glori Energy Technology Inc (GETI), aiming at increasing production and recovery from mature oil fields.

With the acquisition, Star Energy will continue to innovate and improve the Activated Environment for Recovery of Oil (AERO), a kind of method using biotechnology to recover oil from old oil fields.

Linhua Guan, chairman of Star Energy, said, "this transaction underpins the company's strategy for growth. We are excited to see this transaction completed and look forward to having Glori integrate with our existing assets and employees to further grow our U.S. and international business."

Glori was established in 2005 in Delaware state, the United States. It entered into a partnership in 2009 with Statoil to develop biotech-based production enhancement technology. Statoil is a Norwegian oil and gas company, which developed an early version of AERO.

Earlier this year, AERO was named one of the top technical breakthroughs by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The Star Energy is an oil and gas investment and management firm headquartered in Houston, Texas with extensive network from the North America to emerging markets.

Guan told Xinhua that there is once in a generation opportunity. "Due to the low-price running of oil in the global market, the oil field assets and technologies intend to be undervalued. It's good time to purchase assets or technologies as smart investments."
Tupolev Tu-22M3 strategic and maritime strike bomber fleet fly over the Red Square during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015. (Xinhua/Jia Yuchen)

MOSCOW, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian long-range military bombers launched an airstrike on Islamic States (IS) terrorist group in eastern Syria on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The strike was carried out by six Tu-22M3 strategic bombers on IS facilities near the city of Abu kamal in the Deir ez-Zor province, with the air cover provided by Su-30SM fighters deployed at the Khmeimim airbase in western Syria, a ministry statement said.

All targets including a number of terrorists, equipment and weapons were destroyed as a result of the strike, the statement said.

The aircraft returned to their bases after completing the combat mission, it added.

The Russian military has recently intensified its efforts to combat IS terrorists. Dozens of strikes have been launched by Russian bombers and submarines near Abu kamal, one of the last IS strongholds in Syria, since the beginning of November.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 05:30:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAGHDAD, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday said that the national elections in Iraq will be held as scheduled on May 15, urging Iraqi people to participate in the elections to support his anti-corruption plan in the coming years.

A statement by Abadi's office said the premier made his comments while visiting an electoral center in Baghdad in order to receive his own new voter card.

Abadi called on Iraqi citizens to participate in the elections, as "there is a campaign to fight corruption, which requires uniting the efforts of all (Iraqis) to eliminate it, just like we eliminated the gangs of terrorist Daesh (Islamic State group)," Abadi said.

"The country is moving on the right path," Abadi added.

Late on October, the Iraqi government decided to hold the parliamentary elections on May 15 of 2018, vowing that the federal government would provide a safe environment for the elections.

The federal government will work on returning the displaced people to their homes, and provided that "the parties running the elections must not have armed wings," according to an earlier statement by Abadi's office on Oct. 31.

On Oct. 22, the Iraqi electoral commission said it suggested the next parliamentary election to be held on May 12, 2018 for the next four-year legislative term.

According to the Iraqi constitution, the parliamentary elections must be held at least 45 days before the end of the current legislative term, and the date of the elections must be set by a resolution of Abadi's cabinet in coordination with the Independent High Electoral Commission.

The elections date must be ratified later by the current parliament before the endorsement of the Presidential Council to be fully approved.

Iraq's previous general election was held on April 30, 2014, when Iraqis elected 328 lawmakers for the parliament, which in turn elected Abadi to form an inclusive government from the Shiite alliance, Kurds and Sunnis.

Moreover, it is not yet clear whether the Kurdish parties will join the Iraqi elections following the referendum on Sept. 25 on the independence of the Kurdish region and disputed areas.

The latest date for the elections came despite escalating tensions between Baghdad and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan due to the controversial independence referendum.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 05:45:57|Editor: Zhou Xin

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WARSAW, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday that Ukrainian official Svyatoslav Sheremeta was banned from entering the country.

Sheremeta, who is in charge of Ukraine's Interdepartmental Commemorations Commission, tried to cross the border in Medyka in southeast Poland on Saturday noon with a German visa.

According to Elzbieta Pikor, spokeswoman for the local Polish Border Guard, Sheremeta was refused to enter as the register of people who are not welcome in the country.

Polish News Agency (PAP) reported that the decision to bar Sheremeta was the result of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance having in April issued a ban on the search and exhumation of remains of Polish war victims on Ukrainian territory.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has announced recently that the Polish government intends to revise its policy towards Ukraine over history. He emphasized that people representing anti-Polish views should be banned from entering the country.

In relation to Sheremeta's barring of entry, Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieklo was summoned by the government in Kiev to give some explanations.

Mariana Beca, spokeswoman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, tweeted: "we urgently summon Poland's ambassador to Ukraine in connection with the refusal to grant entry to Poland to the secretary of the State Inter-departmental Commission, Svyatoslav Sheremeta".
Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Romantic-era Russian composer, conductor and piano virtuoso, whose works include Piano Concerto No. 2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Isle of the Dead, once said, Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.

That is the favorite quote of 27-year-old pianist, instructor and educator Steven Schaefer.

You can spend all your days listening or studying or performing music, but its not enough, because we dont have enough time for everything, Schaefer said. I feel like amidst everything, [music is] a good thing to be dedicated to and fill your time with.

Since age 11, Schaefer has dedicated his studies to music, taking up piano at first. Then he started drumming, becoming a drum major for his high school marching band, and choir singing. After being one of the selected finalists during a concerto competition and graduating from Northern Arizona University in 2013 with a bachelors degree in instrumental performance, Schaefer landed a job at the Montessori School of Flagstaff as an elementary music and Spanish instructor. Now, he works as the choral instructor at Basis Flagstaff charter school. In only his third year with Basis, Schaefer has helped expand its enrollment from 90 choir students to more than 200.

Schaefer expresses concern for how music is taught in public schools, saying that, because some teachers have little time with students, their curriculum becomes more of a general music class.

I have much more time with the students to build direct literacy, really learning how to read music, assessing it in a seriously direct way, he said. Were more able to be a music education classroom and a performance classroom.

Like music, teaching came naturally for Schaefer.

When I got my first teaching job out of college, it was the most natural thing to do, making music with people. My job is never boring. Every day of the week is a different musical and choral experience, he said. I like setting [my students] up to have a better experience later. We might not be able to perform Mozart operas now, but if theyre getting solid foundations of literacy skills now, then when theyre in high school theyll be able to learn music easier. I like being a part of the legacy of their lifetime.

Schaefer also works as the artistic director for the Flagstaff Youth Chorale and is an active member of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, which begins its 2017 season Monday with its Go for Baroque concert.

With the Master Chorale, we try to bring people together to sing every week with a varied background of singing experiences. Some people are retired music teachers. There is this girl who said she was a rock star in Memphis. Some people are college kids who are just looking for another outlet to sing and perform, Schaefer said. There is something about being a part of a musical group that makes it feel like another family. Im a part of so many different little families. Its really healthy and supportive.

Originally from Scottsdale, Schaefer has lived in Flagstaff for almost a decade. He praises Flagstaffs musical community and the natural beauty of the San Francisco Peaks.

The sight of the Peaks is so grounding, and it keeps me present. At the same time, its like an escape, he said. There are so many things I want to do and places I want to explore. Its like this never-ending adventure here. Music, like the mountains, is a constant. Im a chorale educator, a performer and a pianist. Its all different shades of the same thing, and I love it all. But its like that Rachmaninoff quote. I cant experience it all, but I hope to experience as much of it as I can.

More than anything, Schaefer wishes to continue to enrich the lives of those he teaches with the wonders of music.

I used to think I wanted all the attention and all the glory of being the soloist on stage. Then I really got into conducting the church choir, then this teaching job rolled into my lap and now this directing job at the Youth Chorale. For me, its way more satisfying to help other people find that enthusiasm of reading music or playing music or singing music.

As for the future, Schaefer appears content with the varied communal pockets hes a part of. From playing and teaching music to rock climbing, hes made Flagstaff his niche, interweaving all of his different interests and communities into one big home. Schaefer has plans to continue his music education and has applied for NAUs choral conductor masters program.

Theres just a never-ending opportunity to perform and to create. So I can see myself doing this until Im in my 90s. There is a famous conductor, Weston Noble, who just passed away. He was, up until a year ago, I think, still conducting ensembles in his 90s. Its just like, hell yeah. Thats what I want to do.

Schaefer will be performing with the Master Chorale of Flagstaff during its Go for Baroque concert Monday night at San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 06:46:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIGALI, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Saturday awarded nine people the inaugural National Order of Outstanding Friendship, locally known as Igihango, for their contribution to Rwanda.

The recipients received the medals at a ceremony in the Rwandan capital Kigali.

Igihango is awarded to distinguished individuals who performed specific outstanding acts in promoting friendship and cooperation between Rwanda and other countries, as well as acts that promoted the dignity and honor of the Rwandan people and the country, on the international scene, according to Rwandan Minister of Culture Julienne Uwacu.

The recipients of the award include Israeli businessman Hezi Bezalel, American businessman and philanthropist Howard G. Buffett, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist Gilbert Chagoury, Canadian scientist John Dick, American anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer, Alain and Dafroza Gauthier who jointly have committed to bringing to justice those responsible for 1994's Rwandan genocide, British investigative journalist Linda Melvern and Joseph Ritchie, American businessman and founding CEO of Rwanda Development Board.

Kagame said at the event that Igihango is one of Rwanda's highest decoration of honour, adding that the recipients are most definitely an outstanding friend to Rwanda.

The purpose of awarding Igihango is to honour extraordinary contributions to Rwanda's national life, which serves to inspire young people to conduct their lives with the highest principles and ambitions, according to the president.

In Rwandan tradition, Igihango was the most solemn bond, that could unite two people, or two families. It was a freely chosen pact, based on truth and mutual sacrifice, which was unbreakable and lifelong, he said.

The ceremony will be a regular occurrence, the president said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 07:01:09|Editor: Zhou Xin

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DUBLIN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Gerry Adams announced on Saturday evening he will step down as president of the party Sinn Fein next year.

At the annual party conference in Dublin, Adams also announced that he will not run again for the Dail Eireann, lower house of Irish parliament.

In his keynote speech to party delegates, the 69-year-old head said this will be his last Ard Fheis (annual party conference) as party leader.

"Leadership means knowing when it is time to change. That time is now," he said.

"This is my last Ard Fheis as Uachtaran (President) of Sinn Fein. I will ask the incoming Ard Comhairle (National Executive Committee) to agree a date in 2018 for a special Ard Fheis to elect our next Uachartaran," said Adams.

At the annual party conference, Adams received a standing ovation as he confirmed his departure for the Sinn Fein leadership.

"I want to thank everyone who has welcomed me into their homes and communities and who have made me part of countless campaigns, countless elections and countless negotiations," he said.

Sinn Fein's National Executive Committee will meet within the next two weeks to decide for the special party conference and the process for Adams's replacement.

He has been president of Sinn Fein for 34 years since 1983.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 07:21:57|Editor: Zhou Xin

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A police car is seen outside the venue of the 13th foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Nov. 18, 2017. The 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be held on Nov. 20-21 in Nay Pyi Taw. (Xinhua/U Aung)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 07:46:17|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MEXICO CITY, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ninety percent of the murders and attacks on journalists in Mexico go unpunished, the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) said on Saturday.

An analysis by the group found that just 10 percent of 176 cases opened by prosecutors into homicides, disappearances and attacks against media had ended in sentences for those responsible.

Speaking at a forum on freedom of speech in the Mexican state of Yucatan, the national ombudsman Luis Raul Gonzalez said that crimes against the press have result in self-censorship by journalists, with many becoming displaced or even leaving the country altogether.

The CNDH analysis showed that federal and state governments have not fulfilled the task of investigating and punishing aggressions against the press, despite a warning from the profession, said Gonzalez.

Attacks on the press have increased, as only four murders of journalists happened in 2000, 13 in 2016 and 10 in 2017 so far.

These growing aggressions are also reflected in the number of complaints presented by journalists to CNDH, reaching 351 since 2014.

The Mexican government has vowed to improve mechanisms to protect journalists this year, after a series of murders across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 08:01:19|Editor: Zhou Xin

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By Juan Limachi

LIMA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. trade policy has taken such a drastic turn that it may well affect trade with Latin America, said Sebastian Herreros, the representative for economic affairs of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

In an interview with Xinhua, Herreros explained that, according to ECLAC, around 24.9 percent of total U.S. exports head to Latin America and the Caribbean, while imports from the region account for 19.2 percent of the total.

"Clearly, the emphasis that was on multilateralism and commitment to free trade and historic precepts of the U.S. trade policy, are now being questioned," he noted.

"There is a new focus that is far more centered on reducing trade deficits, on bilateralism, and in certain cases, far more protectionist attitudes," said Herreros.

Among U.S. President Donald Trump's first measures after taking office was to remove the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

"A very obvious proof was the U.S. exit from the TPP, the suspension of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU and the questions being directed at the World Trade Organization," he noted.

However, in the region, preoccupation has been centered around the current renegotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"The renegotiation of NAFTA falls under the same logic. It has not been going very well until now and many of the proposals made by the U.S. are really very radical, very difficult for Canada and Mexico to accept," explained Herreros.

"There is a very strong uncertainty on whether the negotiations will finish safe and sound, and if they do not, what will happen next," he indicated. "The U.S. has said that if the new agreement is not satisfactory, it will exit, which would certainly have strong consequences for Mexico and Canada."

However, Trump's threats are not limited to North America and has made it clear that other trade deals signed with other countries in the region, such as Chile, Colombia and Peru, will feel impact.

According to ECLAC, around 70 percent of U.S. imports from Latin America come from Mexico and cover 4,808 products. The renegotiation of NAFTA and other potential changes to U.S. trade policy could negatively affect trade in the region, ECLAC said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 09:51:46|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (R) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Dhaka Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Chuntao)

DHAKA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Saturday, with both sides emphasizing their willingness to further deepen pragmatic cooperation.

Hasina congratulated the successful holding of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and thanked the Chinese side for offering long-term support and aid to Bangladesh's development and construction.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Bangladesh, establishing the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Hasina said, adding that the Bangladeshi side is willing to further deepen pragmatic cooperation with the Chinese side in all fields.

For his part, Wang said China is willing to work with Bangladesh to firmly support each other on issues of core interests and major concern, and deepen China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership.

He expressed the hope that the two sides could speed up the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and actively push forward the building of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar-Economic Corridor.

The Chinese foreign minister also suggested the two sides to explore new cooperation areas such as maritime cooperation. China will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Bangladesh, he added.

Hasina and Wang also discussed the Rohingya issue. Wang said the issue should be resolved by Bangladesh and Myanmar through dialogue and consultation, and expected the two sides to sign an agreement as scheduled on the repatriation of the Rohingya people who have crossed into Bangladesh.

China is willing to continue to offer support for a proper settlement of the issue, he added.

Wang also met with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on the same day.

Both sides agreed to strengthen mutual trust and mutual support, and boost cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Regarding the Rohingya issue, Wang stressed that it should be resolved by Bangladesh and Myanmar through dialogue and consultation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 10:15:39|Editor: Yang Yi

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An American soldier participates in a drill at Camp Rilea in Seaside of Oregon, northwest United States, Nov. 18, 2017. The Chinese and U.S. militaries were holding the 5th joint drills on humanitarian relief and disaster rescue in Oregon. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 10:56:54|Editor: Lu Hui

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French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) welcomes Lebanese Prime Minister on resignation Saad Hariri (2nd L) at Elysee Palace in Paris, France on Nov. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)

PARIS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Half a month after surprisingly announcing resignation in Saudi Arabia, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said here Saturday that he would return to Lebanon for Independence Day celebrations on Nov. 22 and "make known his position on all subjects".

He made the remarks after a meeting and a lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace.

Hariri arrived in Paris with his wife Lara Saturday morning from the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

"I will go to Beirut in the coming days. I will participate in the celebration of our independence, and I will make known my position on all subjects after having met (Lebanese) president Michel Aoun," Hariri was quoted as saying by the French TV channel BFMTV.

"Hariri called Aoun to confirm that he would return to the country by Nov. 22, shortly after the PM arrived in Paris from Riyadh," said a statement issued by Lebanon's presidential media office.

According to a statement released later by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Hariri called the speaker and said he would attend Wednesday's celebrations, along with Aoun and Berri.

The Lebanese prime minister announced his resignation early this month in a televised speech aired from Riyadh and his visit there had prolonged to more than 10 days despite repeated calls from Beirut for his return, leading to speculations about his freedom of travel, including President Aoun's accusation that Saudi Arabia was "detaining" Hariri.

Hariri said Friday on his Twitter account that "his stay in Riyadh was for consultations on Lebanon's future and its relations with Arab countries. He dismissed on the same day as "rumors" the reports that he had been held against his will in Saudi Arabia.

Hariri had blamed Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group and Iran for his resignation, saying he got information about an assassination plot against him. His father, late Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was killed in a truck bombing in Beirut in 2005 and the case is still under investigation.

Iran and Saudi Arabia, two major rivals in the Middle East region, have been trading barbs following Hariri's sudden resignation and Saudi Arabia's interception of a ballistic missile fired at a Riyadh airport by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, both on Nov. 4.

France is seeking to mediate in a political impasse as a result of Hariri's resignation.

Macron invited Hariri and his family to France after speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Lebanese prime minister, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned that the Saudi Arabia-Lebanon crisis could lead to "devastating consequences" for the Middle East.

"What we want is for peace to be preserved in Lebanon. It is essential that no new conflict erupts in the region," he noted.

Guterres said he had been in "very intense contacts" at political and diplomatic levels with Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, and also with several other regional countries or countries "with an influence in the region."

The International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon, whose members include Britain, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States, said in a joint statement on Nov. 10 that the ISG had met with President Aoun, and expressed the welcome to "the call of the president for prime minister Hariri to return to Lebanon."

A devastating civil war wrecked Lebanon in 1975-1990, leaving lasting political impacts and a split of the nation among factions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 12:37:08|Editor: Jiaxin

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BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Argentinean economist Maria Cecilia Peralta amazed the boom of e-commerce in China and its massive influence worldwide, after Singles' Day on Nov. 11 reached new heights in online sales.

Alibaba, China's e-commerce giant, saw sales on its online shopping platform Tmall in 2017 for Singles' Day hit 168.3 billion yuan (about 25.4 billion U.S. dollars), a 39.35-percent rise compared to the 120 billion yuan (about 18.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016.

"Nov. 11 is one of the most awaited days by Chinese traders, from the smallest to the largest. On that day, Internet connections become slower for online sales, malls become swamped by tides of people enjoying big sales on all brands. Consumption goes overboard, especially among the young people," the expert said in an interview with Xinhua.

This year, "the day, as has happened year after year, set a new sales record. This is the case not only for sales but for deliveries. It is impressive to see small neighborhood businesses with online sales ... with the owners crouching at home packing up goods to send the orders from China," said Peralta.

She said that Argentina should learn "how this phenomenon is being manifested in virtual payment platform, with the related disappearance of payment in cash and credit cards."

"To benefit from China's e-commerce, Argentinean brands begin to adapt to the marketplace," she said, illustrating that most Argentineans do not know how to use China's Alipay or WeChat Pay.

During the Singles' Day, Argentinean Ambassador to China Diego Guelar gave a big surprise to a Chinese family in Shanghai by delivering to their home a box of Argentinean crawfish they ordered through Alibaba.

The family were amazed when opening their door to find Guelar saying "I am the Argentinean ambassador. You made an order of crawfish from my country and here they are. Enjoy this surprise coming from Argentina."

The day before, Alibaba's Tmall Fresh, specializing in foodstuffs, promoted Argentinean products, which was a huge success, as in the first four hours of the day, 36 million U.S. dollars worth of crawfish were sold.

"These numbers would be unbelievable in any country apart from China.The numbers have illustrated China's large scale of population and an enormous market demanding foreign products," said Guelar.

"The sales success of Argentinean products on the Singles' Day shows the potential of bilateral trade relationship and consolidates e-commerce platforms in China for our products. However, we must rise to the occasion and develop logistics for exports that allow us to meet Chinese demand," he noted.

Nov. 11 was first promoted by Alibaba in 2009 and has developed into an annual e-commerce frenzy.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 12:42:09|Editor: Jiaxin

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday denounced allegations of Hillary Clinton who questioned the legitimacy of his victory in last year's presidential election.

Calling his Democratic presidential rival the "worst of biggest loser of all time," Trump tweeted that "She just can't stop, which is so good for the Republican Party."

"Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years," he added.

Trump made the remarks a day after Clinton told media that the "Russian meddling" in the 2016 presidential campaign creates questions over the "legitimacy" of his victory.

Also on Friday in another media interview, Clinton lashed out at Trump and Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore for not taking responsibilities for sexual assault allegations made against them.

She said in an interview with WABC radio that by contrast Senator Al Franken, who was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a female broadcaster, had accepted "responsibility" and apologized to the victim.

But the White House argued that there is a clear difference between Franken's case and that of the president.

"I think in one case specifically, Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing, and the president hasn't," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told a press briefing Friday. "I think that's a very clear distinction."

In last year's presidential election, Clinton won the popular vote but Trump prevailed in the Electoral College as a result of narrow wins in U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker and fine-art photographer Miguel Gandert shows his work highlighting his mestizaje heritage, and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas. Runs through 12/29.

Querer means to want, to desire, to be in a place, with its people. In folk terminology, querencia is such a place, the center space of desire, the root of belonging and yearning to belong, that vicinity where you first beheld the light. Querencia, in collective terms, is homeland. ~Enrique Lamadrid, Nuevo Mexico Profundo

Miguel Gandert tells stories. He tells stories of his homeland, New Mexico (and beyond), its people and the cultural practices that distinguish communities from each other while simultaneously revealing their kinship. You will have to form your own words, however. Ganderts stories are told through penetrating, black and white photos. A primary focus of his work is his own mestizaje heritage and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas.

Miguel Gandert, a native of Espanola, NM, is an award-winning documentary and fine-art photographer and filmmaker. His photographs have been shown in galleries and museums throughout the world and are in numerous public collections including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Museum of American History and Art at the Smithsonian.

Querencia: Rituals of the Rio Arriba opens Friday, October 6 at the New Mexico Humanities Council, 4115 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque. An artists reception will be 6:00 pm  8:00 pm with an artist's discussion at 7:00 pm. The exhibit closes December 29, 2017.
The Phoenix Suns and Northern Arizona University are accepting nominations for the Educator of the Month program, an initiative designed to reward exceptional Arizona teachers for their work in the classroom and community.

High school students can nominate their favorite teacher as the Educator of the Month by submitting an application at Suns.com/naueducator. The Suns and NAU will select six honorees to be recognized throughout the 2017-18 season.

Honorees of the award, along with the students who nominated them, will each receive four lower-level tickets to an upcoming Suns home game and watch pre-game warm-ups courtside prior to taking a group photograph at center court. The teacher, student and their guests will enjoy dinner in Club Annexus at Talking Stick Resort Arena, and the Educator of the Month recipient will also receive a $50 Suns Team Shop gift card.

One of the six nominating students will receive a grand prize in April, inclusive of two courtside seats to a Suns regular season home game, an autographed Suns jersey and a tour of the teams locker room.

Northern Arizona University is the official education partner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 13:52:18|Editor: Yang Yi

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MANILA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez thanked China for its "understanding and sympathy" to the needs of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte by offering grants for building drug rehabilitation facilities and river bridges.

China has recently offered grants to the Philippines to build two drug rehabilitation facilities in the south of the Philippines and two bridges across the Pasig River in Manila that can help decongest Manila's worsening traffic.

"These projects indicate China's understanding and sympathy for the challenges that confront our people as we move forward towards a truly dynamic and inclusive economy," Dominguez said in a statement released on Sunday.

"On behalf of the Philippine government, we express our sincerest thanks to China for (funding) the projects. These projects, which will be purely funded by grants, will bring immediate benefits to our people," Dominguez said.

"The rehabilitation centers for drug-dependents are significant contributions to help us win the war against abuse of illegal substances," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the two bridges to be built at the heart of Metro Manila will help ease the traffic congestion in the area. "More than that, they symbolize the friendship we are building between our two peoples," he added.

He said that "over the next months and years," the government also expects to commence construction of the first batch of major infrastructure projects funded with China's assistance.

China has also provided grants and development assistance worth tens of millions of U.S. dollars for Marawi's rehabilitation program. The southern Philippine city is in ruins after a five-month war between government security forces and the pro-Islamic State militants that laid siege to the city in May.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 14:37:27|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Seven Taliban fighters were killed and two others injured after their explosive device went off prematurely in Imam Sahib district of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Sunday, district governor Mahboubullah Sayedi said.

"Seven Taliban militants were killed and two others critically wounded, when they were preparing a mine to plant on road in Imam Sahib district to target security forces but the device exploded prematurely early today morning killing seven on the spot and injuring two others," Sayedi told Xinhua.

Confirming the incident, Nasratullah Jamshidi, an army spokesman in the northern region said that seven Taliban fighters were killed in the blast of their own bomb in Kunduz early Sunday.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 14:37:28|Editor: pengying

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Adele Khodr, UNICEF's representative in Afghanistan, receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on Nov. 15, 2017. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Afghanistan has expressed concerns over the status of children, poor access to school, and malnutrition in Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Jawid Omid)

KABUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Afghanistan has expressed concerns over the status of children, poor access to school, and malnutrition in Afghanistan.

"We have very serious concern about the education of children in Afghanistan, because there are 3.5 million children who are out of school; while they are supposed to be in school," Adele Khodr, UNICEF's country representative, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

She said 75 percent of those 3.5 million children out of school are girls.

In conflict-hit Afghanistan where people, mostly in the countryside deeply believe in old traditions, many parents are reluctant to send their girls to school due to security concerns and cultural barriers.

"Even if the girls go to school, they leave the school earlier, when they became age of 12 or 15 years," the UNICEF representative said.

In the militancy-plagued areas where armed opposition groups including Taliban and Islamic State (IS) outfits are active, many schools remain closed, according to local officials in the countryside.

Early this year, an official with the Ministry of Education, Asadullah Mohaqiq, while briefing Mushrano Jirga or upper house of parliament, confirmed that 1,005 schools remained closed across the conflict-hit Afghanistan due to security problems, poverty and other reasons, depriving countless children including girls of the chance to get education.

Khodr also expressed concern over the quality of teaching for children and their learning levels.

The education situation has been improved in Afghanistan since the collapse of Taliban regime in late 2001.

According to Afghan Presidential Palace, less than 1 million children had access to education during Taliban reign, which collapsed in late 2001, but the number has soared to more than 9.5 million children with 40 percent of them girls attending 15,000 schools across the country in 2016.

However, the country still needs to do more to facilitate all children to get access to school.

Another challenging issue for children in Afghanistan is malnutrition, said the UNICEF representative.

Khodr said there are 600,000 children who are severely malnourished in Afghanistan, describing the situation as "severe acute malnutrition."

She said the rate of stunting or chronic malnutrition in Afghanistan is 41 percent; not only does this mean that children are short for their age, but more importantly it means that the mental and intellectual capacity of these children once they become adults is stunted too.

Noting that the malnutrition problem has a direct economic impact, she said investing in nutrition is investing in the country's economic growth.

She also noted that Afghanistan is one of the three countries in the world still fighting the crippling polio disease.

The official said polio is a disease that affects children all their life, adding that so far this year, 10 polio cases have been registered in the country, mostly in the southern Kandahar, Helmand and eastern Nangarhar provinces. Access to all the districts is difficult due to security reasons.

"And there are only 43 percent of children in Afghanistan under one year of age who are fully immunized against the five vaccine preventable infectious diseases, meaning they have received all the vaccines," she said. This has a direct impact on immunity of children and therefore on polio.

The official has also expressed concern over living conditions of street children, saying the children may easily fall victim of the war and smugglers and also may be recruited by fighting forces.

According to a report of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released in October, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan had caused 2,480 child casualties including 689 deaths and 1,791 injured during the first three quarters of this year.

Khodr, who has been UNICEF country director in Afghanistan since June 2016, said that UNICEF Afghanistan program is one of the biggest for UNICEF and among the top 10 in the world.

She added that UNICEF, besides supporting 300,000 out of 600,000 severely malnourished children with food and clothes, would also bring teaching and learning materials like pens and back bags to more than 1 million children in Afghanistan.

UNICEF also helps around 75,000 children to get education in community based schools in areas where the government does not have schools, besides buying vaccines for preventable diseases and supporting 3,700 social mobilizers to go house to house and give awareness about polio risk to help the war-ravaged country get rid of the crippling disease.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 15:17:35|Editor: liuxin

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SYDNEY, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Malcolm Young, guitarist and co-founder of Australian hard rock band AC/DC, died at the age of 64, the band announced Saturday on its Facebook page.

"It is with deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of Malcolm Young, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother," read the band's post.

"Malcolm had been suffering from dementia for several years and passed away peacefully with his family by his side," said the post.

Malcolm, together with his brother Angus Young, formed the legendary rock band in Sydney in 1973. Malcolm and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

"Renowned for his musical prowess Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many," said the post.

"He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever," the band noted in another post.

AC/DC has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 72 million albums in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The band's breakthrough album Back in Black, released in 1980, is the world's second best-selling album, ranking only behind Michael Jackson's Thriller in some estimations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 15:27:37|Editor: liuxin

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TRIPOLI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and some other major European countries have set mid-December as a deadline for the Libyan eastern-based parliament to amend the political agreement on ending the country's political crises, a parliament member said.

"We were informed by the president of a political bloc in the parliament that the EU and some other major European countries have informed him that parliament members must amend the political agreement because it is the only option to end the division between the Libyan parties, and that no alternative will be allowed by the international community," the MP, who asked not to be named, told Xinhua.

Those obstructing the implementation of the agreement face new sanctions, added the MP.

In December 2015, Libya's conflicting parties signed a U.N.-brokered deal in the Moroccan city of Skhirat to end the political crises in Libya.

U.N. envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame proposed a roadmap for Libya in September that includes amendment of the current U.N.-sponsored political agreement, holding a U.N.-sponsored national conference for all of Libya's political factions, and adopting a constitution and election of a president and a parliament. The action plan is aimed at ending the current political crisis of the country.

Tunisia has hosted U.N.-sponsored dialogue meetings recently between representatives of Libya's eastern-based parliament and Tripoli-based Higher Council of State to discuss final drafts to amend the current political agreement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 15:57:43|Editor: Xiang Bo

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URUMQI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese section of a transcontinental expressway project set to link western China with Western Europe has opened to traffic.

A key part of the project, a 10-km section of road in the border city of Horgos in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which connects a quarantine area with the Lianyungang-Horgos expressway, came into use on Saturday, marking the across-the-board opening of the expressway in China.

The project, with a total length of 8,445 km, links Lianyungang city in east China's Jiangsu Province to St. Petersburg in Russia. China and Kazakhstan in 2006 jointly proposed building a Western Europe-Western China transport corridor. Construction of the expressway began in 2008.

Li Zhinong, deputy head of the regional transport department, said the opening of the Horgos section of the expressway will help further open up China to the West and facilitate the economic and social development of countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Wang Haijiang, deputy mayor of Horgos, said the annual freight volume exported through the Horgos port will increase to 3.5 million tonnes with the opening of the section.

He said the quarantine area on the expressway is now under construction. Cargo sent from Lianyungang to Europe will have its journey shortened from 45 days to 10 days when road transport replaces sea freight.

According to the World Bank, the expressway project will help increase the road freight volume between China and Western Europe by 2.5 times. New companies and supporting facilities along the roads will benefit local people by offering more jobs.

Transport company Huaxin Co., Ltd. in Horgos has been sending Chinese products for daily use and machinery to Kazakhstan by truck.

"The old roads are in poor condition. The 370-km trip from Horgos to Almaty usually takes a whole day," company official Wang Yong said, stressing that the new expressway would help the company save time and lower costs.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 15:57:44|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Ye Zaiqi, Liu Yang

PORTLAND, the United States, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Over a "river" that cuts off a road in a "flooded city," an injured victim bound tightly to a stretcher was slid on a rope bridge from one side of the "river" to safety on the other side in a simulated disaster relief operation here Saturday.

The rope bridge erected by a group of Chinese and American soldiers became the only tool that shipped the victim covered with a blood-soaked bandage under a survival blanket, who was played by specialist Glen Rathwick from the U.S. army, to a safe place across the "river" in a joint drill where the Chinese and American soldiers worked together to respond to a simulated humanitarian disaster in a third country.

The field drill, which entered its fourth day after a three-day academic seminar and table-top exchange, was part of a week-long joint humanitarian and disaster relief exercise and seminar in Portland, Oregon in western United States.

The Chinese and U.S. soldiers worked in close cooperation to treat "injured victims" with patience and tacit understanding, though they did not know very much about each other's language.

"The medical personnel were good and knew what they were doing," said Rathwick.

"Felt the treatment was speedy and caused no further pain than necessary," he added, "I felt in safe hands."

He went on to say that it was good coordination from both sides when the soldiers from U.S. and Chinese armies came together to work on a same task.

While saving a victim suffering a broken neck and with weak life signs, a Chinese female army medic told him in soft and gentle tone: "Don't worry, you'll be OK."

She quickly fixed his legs and arms with aluminum splints before she asked her colleagues to take him away for further treatment.

The young soldiers from Chinese and U.S. armies came from different places and had totally different experience in response to real-world disasters, but they learned to team up quickly in the joint training.

"But after a few days, we were on the same page," said Staff Sergeant Daniel Schluter.

On another front was a simulated urban area flattened by a strong earthquake, where a bridge was pulled down and two private cars were buried under the rubble.

A team of Chinese and American soldiers were practicing to dig deep into the debris in order to find any possible life underneath.

A huge bulldozer and large cutting tools were employed, and the soldiers' faces were all wet with sweat, with roaring sounds coming from working rescue machines operating behind.

"This is a cement steel structure. Such large-scale equipment was used in rescue operations, most often by U.S. soldiers. While we were from China's southern part, we used more handy tools in enclosed-space rescue," said Wang Runze, a corporal from the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China.

The joint training provided a very good opportunity for both sides to learn from each other, he said.

At one point when they combed through a collapsed building, they would make a mark or sign that is universally recognizable on the surface of the structure after they finished their search, so that their fellow soldiers would not waste their precious rescue time in doing the same search.

He said American soldiers were puzzled about those signs and asked Wang about the reason, and the Chinese soldier explained in detail the no-more-searching sign to his American peers.

"The American soldier nodded in agreement and said it's very interesting and worth learning by the American Army," Wang smiled, beaming with a sense of pride.

"The Chinese soldiers were very professional and disciplined," said Staff Sergeant Newsburry Virgil from U.S. National Guards.

"I was fascinated by the Chinese soldiers, and they wasted no moment in the rescue," he added.

"Their coordination is almost perfect, and they know how they would make a team," Virgil noted, referring to his experience with the Chinese soldiers in the relief and rescue operation.

The joint training between Chinese and American troops has given him a valuable chance to learn how to respond to natural disasters, since he has never participated in rescue of any real-world calamities.

"I wanted to be part of the history," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 16:02:45|Editor: liuxin

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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Two congressmen from northern California strongly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's government for failing to include relief of California wildfires in its multi-billion-U.S.-dollar budget on Saturday, local media reports said.

Rep. Mike Thompson and his fellow Democrat, Jared Huffman, both from North Bay, a subregion of San Francisco Bay Area in northern California on the west U.S. coast, said the victims of wildfires that ripped through northern California in October are "in a time of need, and the administration is supposed to be helping, not playing political games."

The congressmen were stunned that the White House had requested 44 billion dollars in disaster relief funds from Congress without giving "a penny" to those wildfires victims, the reports said.

The "conspicuous absence" of wildfire relief funding in the appropriations bill that the White House asked for Friday had gone beyond his expectation, since the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in other U.S. states are expected to get the relief money, Huffman said.

He voiced strong support for California Governor Jerry Brown in urging the U.S. government to earmark 7.4 billion dollars for relief to the wildfires in the state.

Brown had made the request to Trump for relief budget shortly after the wildfires that swept several counties in western California.

Trump had promised to help Californian people on one occasion when he was asked about the California wildfire disaster.

The massive wildfires, which Brown described as the most lethal and destructive disaster in the history of California, erupted on Oct. 8 and quickly swept northern California in October.

A total of 44 people, including a 14-year-old boy and a firefighter, were killed by the blazes.

At least 8,900 structures, including homes and business facilities, were destroyed and over 245,000 acres (99,148 hectares) burned, with the total loss amounting to billions of dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 16:27:48|Editor: liuxin

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DAMASCUS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and allied fighters have captured 80 percent of the eastern city of al-Bukamal, the last Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Syria, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper said Sunday.

The Syrian forces are close to ending IS and eliminate their last stronghold in the city of al-Bukamal in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria.

The paper said the Syrian army made a major progress inside the city, capturing most of its neighborhoods following intense battles with IS.

The forces are now purging the city from the remnants of IS militants, the newspaper said, adding that the army besieged the remaining IS militants in areas they are still controlling in the city.

On Nov. 9, the Syrian forces declared capturing al-Bukamal from IS, but on Nov. 11, the IS launched a counter-offensive clawing back the city, their last stronghold in Syria near the Iraqi border.

The counter-offensive of IS prompted the Syrian army to launch another offensive to take back the city with the help of Iranian-backed fighters and Russian aerial bombing.

A day earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers struck the IS positions in al-Bukamal, destroying weaponry and killing militants of the terror-designated group.

Special monitoring equipment confirmed that all of the designated targets were hit, the ministry said, adding that the Tu-22M3 bombers were escorted by Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters from the Russian-run Hmeimim Air Base in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia to hit their target.

Al-Bukamal is very important for IS due to its proximity to IS-held areas on the Iraqi side of the border, which have recently been stormed by the Iraqi army and allied troops.

After losing it, the IS militants will have lost all of their strongholds in Syria, maintaining just a few pockets in northeastern and southern Syria.

Last month, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS.

This month, the Syrian army captured the capital city of Deir al-Zour.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 16:32:51|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Baidu plans to launch "small-scale production" of fully autonomous mini-buses in July of next year, according to Robin Li, CEO of the Chinese tech giant.

Baidu also plans to launch self-driving car models in cooperation with manufacturers JAC Motors and Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, Li said during the company's annual technology conference.

By connecting with the "Internet of cars," the driverless vehicles will analyse information on signals and roads to improve traffic efficiency.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to bring better road safety.

"The monitoring system developed by Baidu can monitor whether a driver is tired or not. If the driver is tired, the system will issue a warning and perk up the driver with a cheerful song," Li gave an example by demonstrating a feature during the conference.

Baidu's self-driving project was launched in 2013, featuring functions of precise mapping, positioning and intelligent decision.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 16:47:54|Editor: liuxin

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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The boss of one of the Windows Phone's best developers has slammed U.S. software giant Microsoft for destroying the dreams of loyal customers of the platform, media reports said Saturday.

The CEO of Game Troopers, which is known for its creations of popular iOS and Android games such as Tiny Troopers and Overkill series years ago, said Microsoft's mobile strategy was entirely wrong and basically destroyed every chance of its mobile push to succeed.

"Microsoft has done a lot of bad things with Windows Phone, from a commercial point of view, the way they treated very loyal developers like Game Troopers and how the company tried to attract others. These were all wrong," Game Troopers CEO Jesus Bosch said in a recent interview with a Spanish news outlet.

As more and more users and developers are switching to Android or iOS, some loyal Windows Phone customers can't get over the death of the Microsoft platform without complaining about Microsoft's failure.

Windows Phones have almost been dead since Microsoft recently announced that it has no plans to ship new features or hardware for its mobile operating system, according to those reports.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 17:02:56|Editor: ZD

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HAIKOU, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Visits by overseas tourists to China's Hainan Province reached 887,000 between January and October, up 57.1 percent year on year.

It is estimated that the visits made by inbound visitors will hit a historical high of 1 million by the beginning of December, according to Zhou Ping, deputy head of the Hainan tourism development commission, on Sunday.

In order to facilitate the travels of foreign tourists, the province has launched over 50 direct air routes connecting Russia, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

From 2013 to 2015, Hainan witnessed a plunge in inbound tourism with the number of overseas tourists falling from 970,000 to 500,000. At the same time, wealthier domestic tourists had shifted from vacationing in Hainan to overseas destinations.

Over the past few years, the province has invested heavily in promoting tourism through all kinds of media platforms and by organizing online and offline promotional activities.

Zhou said Hainan has hosted tourism promotions in European, Southeast Asian and Central Asian countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 17:12:58|Editor: ZD

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NAKURU, Kenya, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed and two others seriously injured in a road accident along a busy highway in northwest Kenya early Sunday, the police said.

Nakuru County Police Commander Hassan Barua said the incident involved 11-seater commuter shuttle and a truck which collided head-on along Nakuru-Eldoret road at around 3 a.m. local time.

"Twelve people were killed in a grisly accident at Salgaa and two others are in critical condition. All the 11 passengers in the Great Rift Shuttle and the driver died on the spot," Barua said by telephone.

The police commander said the driver of the truck and a passenger suffered serious injuries and are recuperating in the hospital. Salgaa area is a black spot where several commuters have lost their lives.

Road accidents still continue to occur despite stringent traffic rules which were introduced by the government to help curb road carnage.

An estimated number of 3,000 Kenyans die on road accidents annually despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 18:03:09|Editor: ZD

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FARAH, Afghanistan, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Clashes in the western Farah province have left 14 dead, including eight militants and six police officers, provincial police spokesman Iqbal Baher said Sunday.

A group of Taliban militants launched coordinated offensives on several security checkpoints in Farah Rod district in the wee hours of Sunday, which resulted in several hours' clash, leaving eight insurgents and six police killed, the official said.

Eight police officers and several militants sustained injuries in the fighting, Baher added.

The security forces would continue to chase the insurgents, the spokesman said.

Taliban militants have not commented.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 18:13:11|Editor: ZD

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TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif headed to Turkey for peace talks on Syria, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

Zarif left the capital Tehran for the Turkish Antalya city as the head of a ranking political delegation to take part in a trilateral meeting of Iran, Russia and Turkey.

Foreign ministers of the three countries will convene on Sunday to discuss the results of expert-level talk on the settlement of Syria crisis and prepare the ground for an upcoming summit of presidents in the Russian city of Sochi.

The three ministers would discuss the latest developments in Syria and the outcome of several rounds of expert-level sessions, and finalize the agenda of a presidential meeting in Sochi.

In the summit, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan will review peace effort in Syria, which has been gripped by war since March 2011.

Iran, Russia and Turkey have so far held seven rounds of peace talks in Kazakhstan to help end the conflict in Syria.

The fourth round of those talks in May produced a memorandum of understanding on de-escalation zones in Syria, reducing armed conflicts in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 18:13:12|Editor: ZD

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RAMALLAH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian observers see that the moment the U.S. shuts down the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington means that it is leaving the peace process, following Washington's threats to shut down the office.

Human Rights advocate Issam Aruri said in a Facebook post Sunday "we thank the Trump Administration in advance if it continues its stupidity towards the PLO office to end its role as a mediator because no good is coming from it."

London based Palestinian writer and activist Mohammad Masharqa said "shall President Trump's administration enacted its threat to shut down the Palestinian Mission office in Washington, I will pray to God in gratitude, because this means that American cannot carry on with the lie of negotiations and its sole control of the peace process and endless naming of reference. It's an opportunity to take the Palestinian question back to the UN and its resolutions and open the door for an international conference."

The PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said Saturday that "The U.S. State Department notifies us with an official letter that they cannot certify the continuance opening of the PLO office in Washington D.C., due to the fact that we are pursuing and encouraging the International Criminal Court (ICC)."

Erekat said "we responded to them with an official letter that in case you officially close the PLO office in Washington D.C., we will put on hold all our communication with this American administration."

Spokesperson for the Palestinian President, Nabil Abu Rdeineh expressed Saturday "deep surprise," according to a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 19:03:23|Editor: liuxin

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Sunday a reported peace plan of the White House, saying Israel's answer will be based solely on the country's interests.

"About President (Donald) Trump's diplomatic plan, we heard a lot of speculation over the weekend, and I will not address it," Netanyahu told Israel's weekly cabinet meeting, according to a statement released by the Prime minister's offices.

"I do want to say that my stance will be decided by the security and national interests of the State of Israel," he said, adding that "this was clarified to our American friends."

On Saturday night, Israel Television News reported that the Trump administration has drafted a new plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The White House quickly denied the report.

The last round of talks between Israel and the Palestinians reached an impasse in 2014.

In his visit to Israel in May, Trump vowed to "bring the ultimate deal" to the Israelis and the Palestinians, but did not elaborate on how he plans to do so. Over the past year, his son-in-law and top advisor, Jared Kushner, was dispatched to the region several times in a bid to revive the peace talks, so far without any apparent success.

During the 1967 Middle East war, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinians wish to establish their future state. Israel has been holding these territories ever since, despite international criticism.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2017-11-19 19:10:03|Editor: ZD

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Cao Wenze (L), CPC Committee Secretary of East China University of Political Science and Law, presents Ye Jianming (R) with the Distinguished Alumni nameplate and the letter of appointment in a ceremony held at the headquarters of CEFC China in Shanghai, east China, on November 16, 2017.(Photo by Ding Yi)

BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Ye Jianming, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CEFC China, was bestowed Distinguished Alumni Award by East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai.

He was also presented a letter of invitation as guest professor of the university in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the company on Thursday.

The award was presented to commend Yes achievements and to show appreciation for his support for and contribution to the development of education as well as the theoretical research and practice of legal affairs at the university.

According to CEFC China, the company also plans to launch fund and scholarship to reward those excellent enrolled students and young legal educators in the university on a yearly basis.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 19:23:28|Editor: liuxin

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NAIROBI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were brutally murdered and several others seriously injured by suspected members of a proscribed sect at a slum in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Saturday night.

Nairobi County police commander Japheth Koome said Sunday the deceased were killed in Nairobi's sprawling Ruaraka neighborhood by unknown assailants who are still at large.

"Unknown assailants may have killed the victims but we are investigating the incident. Its murder and we don't know why and by who," Koome said.

The mysterious killings prompted a major protest by youths who barricaded roads trying to block security officers from taking away the bodies which were still lying at the scene on Sunday morning.

Some commuter vehicles were torched in retaliatory attacks before the police came in and dispersed the protesters. Local residents said victims were shot in the head, while others were shot in the chest in what seemed to be an ethnic profiling.

But the Nairobi police commander dismissed the claims, saying it was a case of mysterious killings that police will be investigating and arrest those behind the heinous act.
Chinese national liquor Maotai launched a promotion drive in Cape Town on November 17, 2017 in a bid to enter the African market. This photo shows the debut of "Maotai entering Africa" brand during the event. (Xinhua/Gao Yuan)

CAPE TOWN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's national liquor Kweichow Moutai has launched a promotion drive in Cape Town in a bid to enter the African market.

The operation was rolled out with an official event that featured diplomats, government officials, as well as cultural and business representatives from both China and South Africa.

The event, addressed by Moutai Group General Manager Li Baofang who led the delegation of nearly 100 Chinese business people, was convened under the theme: "Meeting in Africa through the Unique Aroma -- China Kweichow Moutai, the Belt and Road Branding Initiatives in South Africa."

Chinese national liquor Maotai launched a promotion drive in Cape Town on November 17, 2017 in a bid to enter the African market. This photo shows Cape Town Deputy Mayor Alderman Ian Neilson (second from right) tasting Maotai cocktail. (Xinhua/Gao Yuan)

Also featured prominently among the speakers were Cape Town Deputy Mayor Alderman Ian Neilson and Yaw Peprah, Chief Operating Officer of WESGRO, the official trade and investment opportunities promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape Province.

This was the first time for Moutai to set foot on the African continent and Cape Town will serve as a springboard for Moutai to enter the African market, said Li.

Moutai is one of China's flagship companies that has been able to showcase global success and sustainability with a market value of more than 120.3 billion U.S. dollars.

Sketching the pathway that Moutai has travelled to achieve the distinction of being the number one brand of distilled spirits in both the Chinese and international markets, Li described the branding initiative in Cape Town as the first stop in a broader continental project that was underpinned by strong cooperation between China and South Africa.

"Moutai's coming to Africa is part of the Belt and Road Initiative to promote cultural exchange with Africa," Li said.

Chinese national liquor Maotai launched a promotion drive in Cape Town on November 17, 2017 in a bid to enter the African market. This photos shows local bartenders making Maotai cocktail.(Xinhua/Gao Yuan)

This would help achieve the objective of uniting all the peoples of Africa and Asia, according to him.

He voiced hope that the peoples of the world will be brought closer together through the aroma of Moutai.

Li added that this is "a win-win cooperation between Moutai and the rest of the world, involving cultural exchanges and economic cooperation."

The entry of Moutai into the South African market will contribute to the South African economy, Li said.

"There is a huge space and opportunity to collaborate, and by working together we can build a rainbow bridge between Africa and China," he said.

Chinese national liquor Maotai launched a promotion drive in Cape Town on November 17, 2017 in a bid to enter the African market. This photo shows a local woman signing on the signature board. (Xinhua/Gao Yuan)

Neilson said it was a great honor for the city to host this groundbreaking initiative and that Cape Town, which is strategically positioned on the West Coast of South Africa, has much to offer.

He highlighted the fact that many of South Africa's financial and consulting groups were based in the city and that two thirds of South Africa's green industry manufacturing happens in the province.

"We were recently designated a special economic zone and have launched a business brand initiative called Invest Cape Town," Neilson said.

"With China's Belt and Road Initiative, we are uniquely positioned," the deputy mayor added.

Speaking on behalf of WESGRO, Peprah explained that there were important areas of cooperation.

"Being part of BRICS, we see China as a very important market for us," Peprah noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 19:48:41|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China plans to install or upgrade 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020 in an effort to remove a major nuisance for travelers and develop domestic tourism.

The three-year project should be able to provide good, clean toilets that are reasonably distributed and effectively managed, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Sunday.

It came on the heels of a three-year "toilet revolution" launched in 2015, which saw over 20 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars) invested in installing or renovating 68,000 toilets at tourist sites, exceeding the target of 57,000 toilets.

Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA, said the "toilet revolution" is an imperative for upgrading tourism.

"Compared with the rapid growth of the tourism industry and people's increasing demand for better lives, the development [of toilets] is unbalanced and inadequate. Another three-year program is urgently needed," Li said.

For the coming three years, authorities aim to add 47,000 toilets and renovate 17,000, according to the plan.

Toilets at China's tourist sites have a bad reputation, with visitors often angered by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation workers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 20:28:52|Editor: liuxin

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MADRID, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least three migrants have been killed when the dinghy which they were aboard overturned in waters close to the Spanish north-African enclave of Ceuta, Red Cross sources confirmed Sunday.

The incident happened at around 4:00 a.m. local time on Sunday as the dinghy with at least 24 people onboard was approaching the shore.

At least three people were drowned as they tried to swim to shore. The rest, including two women and five minors, were being treated by Civil Guards and Maritime Rescue services. The Red Cross also set up a special operation to attend to the survivors close to the beach.

The cause of the overturn remains unknown, but a search operation for other possible victims still continues in the waters.

The tragedy happened just 24 hours after a total of 494 migrants rescued from 47 different dinghies, all of which are thought to have departed from Algeria, and reached the port of Cartagena in what the Regional government of the Community of Murcia described as "a coordinated attack on the Spanish frontier."

A further 150 people were rescued in other areas off the coast of Spain and taken to other ports such as Motril, Tarifa and Almeria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 20:33:53|Editor: liuxin

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LAGOS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's police in southern oil rich Bayelsa had deployed 16 patrol gunboats and 6,000 policemen to tackle sea piracy and criminality in waterways to ensure safety of the water channels.

The 6,000 personnel had been deployed after undergoing marine training, while some are still being trained, Asuquo Amba, police chief in charge of the state told reporters in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The police chief said intelligence report gathered by the police showed that the Delta and Rivers waterways had recorded relative calm due to synergy of the various state security agencies.

He admitted that there were still some challenges with sea piracy in the state, pledging that the police would soon deal with sea pirates terrorizing the state's waterways.

Amba said 14 of the 16 gunboats being deployed were refurbished by the state government, while two were procured by the police.

Bayelsa has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in the West African country, which the top oil producer and the most populous country in the continent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 20:48:56|Editor: Xiang Bo

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A visitor experiences 5G equipment at the 19th China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

SHENZHEN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong-listed Tencent Holdings rose nearly 3 percent Friday to 403.4 HK dollars per share, making the Chinese Internet giant Asia's largest company by market value.

The company's fiscal report, released Wednesday, showed third-quarter revenue rocketed up 61 percent year on year to 65 billion yuan (9.8 billion U.S. dollars).

The China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), China's largest high-tech fair, held annually in Shenzhen, where Tencent is based, has also witnessed spectacular growth since its days as a young startup.

In 1999, when Asia had yet to step out of the shadow of its financial crisis, the Shenzhen city government transformed a lychee agricultural trade festival into the CHTF, hoping technical innovation would help restore the economy.

Tencent, just one year old at that time, rented a booth to display its messaging tool OICQ, known for its penguin icon and for being a copycat of the early instant messaging client ICQ.

"To attract an audience, we prepared 1,000 penguin-shaped pots as gifts, which turned out to be very popular at the fair," said Chen Yidan, one of Tencent's founders. "We later sold them for 5 or 10 yuan each, with the sales income offsetting the booth rental."

In 2000, Tencent received its first round of investment of 2.2 million U.S. dollars from two investors.

The penguin has grown into an Internet mammoth with social networking, mobile payment, online music, games and live streaming services. It has also shifted from imitation to innovation.

Figures show Tencent filed more than 1,000 international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in 2013.

The company has also set up an artificial intelligence laboratory, eyeing success in the AI industry.

With its history of copying, then keeping up, and finally innovating, Tencent's development mirrors that of China in general.

China has made innovative development the priority among its five development concepts. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China said innovation is the "first force" to drive development.

China has become the world's second-largest economy after 30 years of reform and opening up, contributing more than 30 percent of the global economic growth. As supply-side structural reform shifts the country's growth pattern, science and technological innovation has been contributing more and leading growth in many sectors.

At the ongoing 19th CHTF, nuclear giant China General Nuclear Power Group has displayed robots for nuclear plant operations, including a radiation-resistant one that can climb through narrow spaces to take high-definition photos.

He Yu, chairman of the group, said the domestically developed robots have broken foreign monopolies, which will help reduce maintenance costs of nuclear power plants and increase the safety of plant operation.

At another pavilion, visitors tried on a "portable 3D cinema" device, which has a headset plus augmented reality (AR) glasses.

With flexible sensors on the headset, users can play movies simply by touching and sliding the earphone.

The latest 4G version of the product won the CES 2018 prize in the United States earlier this month, and a former WiFi version has been sold in more than 20 countries and regions.

"People will be able to have completely different interactions with machines through flexible products, as sensors will no longer be limited to a specific shape," said Liu Zihong, founder of the startup Royole.

China's science and technology innovation is also being recognized more widely in academic circles.

Statistics released by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China last month showed papers from Chinese research fellows from 2007 to October 2017 had been cited 19.35 million times, an increase of 29.9 percent compared with data collected in 2016, leading China into second place globally, surpassing Britain and Germany.

China plans to become an innovative nation by 2020, a leader in innovation by 2030, and a world powerhouse in scientific and technological innovation by 2050, according to a three-step strategy for its innovation-driven development released in May last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 20:58:58|Editor: liuxin

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KABUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Up to 20 inmates have been released from Taliban detention following an operation by Afghan commandos in Nawzad district of southern province of Helmand, an official said Sunday.

"Afghan security forces launched operation late on Saturday night against Taliban militants in Nawzad district of the province, releasing 20 innocent people including three policemen from Taliban clutches," a statement released by the provincial government and sent to media outlets said.

Afghan forces also arrested ten suspected individuals and destroyed a militants' mine manufacturing center during the onslaught in the province, the statement added.

The Taliban has yet to comment on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 20:58:59|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cai Qi, secretary of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, has ordered a city-wide safety check after a deadly fire killed 19 people and injured eight others.

A fire broke out on Saturday night at a three-story apartment at Xinjian Village, Daxing District in the southern suburb. A total of 19 people died. Eight people were sent to hospital, and seven of them have been out of danger.

Preliminary investigation showed there was a refrigeration facility in the basement of the apartment, where fire was likely to have started, fire fighters said. Fire fighters said there was heavy smoke in the building but no large flames.

Cai Qi and acting mayor Chen Jining led other officials to the site of the fire on Sunday morning and stood in silent tribute to the victims.

On Sunday afternoon, Cai convened a city-wide conference.

"Lessons of the fire is extremely grave. The city must be on high alert. We must take actions and protect people's lives and safeguard the safety and stability of the capital," he said.

Cai ordered a clean-up of industrial compounds, illegal construction and disorderly venues in order to eliminate fire risks.

Local officials must check every village and every courtyard for security risks, he said.

An investigation team has been set up to ascertain the cause of the fire and punish those who are responsible.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 21:09:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and allied fighters fully captured the eastern city of al-Bukamal, the last Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Syria, on Sunday, state news agency SANA reported.

The Syrian forces are mopping up the city to dismantle the explosives left by IS in al-Bukamal in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, according to the report.

On Nov. 9, the Syrian forces declared capturing al-Bukamal from IS, but on Nov. 11, the IS launched a counter-offensive clawing back the city, their last stronghold in Syria near the Iraqi border.

The counter-offensive of IS prompted the Syrian army to launch another offensive to take back the city with the help of Iranian-backed fighters and Russian aerial bombing.

A day earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers struck the IS positions in al-Bukamal, destroying weaponry and killing militants of the terror-designated group.

Special monitoring equipment confirmed that all of the designated targets were hit, the ministry said, adding that the Tu-22M3 bombers were escorted by Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters from the Russian-run Hmeimim Air Base in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia to hit their target.

Al-Bukamal is very important for IS due to its proximity to IS-held areas on the Iraqi side of the border, which have recently been stormed by the Iraqi army and allied troops.

After losing it, the IS militants have lost all of their strongholds in Syria, maintaining just a few pockets in northeastern and southern Syria.

Last month, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS.

This month, the Syrian army captured the capital city of Deir al-Zour.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 21:09:05|Editor: liuxin

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces launched an operation in the country's southwestern city of Quetta early Sunday after armed groups increased terrorist attacks on police, officials said.

The operation was launched following a series of terrorist attacks on police and military officials in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, in recent days. Banned groups had claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Over 750 members of the paramilitary troops, police and other security agencies are taking part in the operation in Pashtoon Abad neighborhood of Quetta, military and police officials told a news conference in Quetta.

Sector In-charge of the paramilitary force Frontier Corps in Quetta Brigadier Tassawar Abbas told reporters that the day-long operation was launched after intelligence reports suggested that terror suspects were hiding in the area.

Deputy Inspector General Police Abdul Razzaq Cheema said on the occasion that all entry and exit routes have been sealed to frustrate the escape of the suspects.

Cheema said that women security personnel are also part of the operation for house-to-house search, who will "distribute gifts among the children." A total of 300 houses will be searched and the operation will be completed before sunset, he said.

"The operation is also aimed at conveying the message to the public that the security officials are determined to eliminate terrorists and to ensure security of the citizens," the police officer said.

Pashtoon Abad is comprised of nearly 23,000 people and is dominated by ethnic Pashtoon population and is located in Quetta, according to officials.

The operation was launched days after terrorist attacks claimed the lives of dozens of security personnel in Quetta.

On Nov. 15, a senior police investigator, Mohammad Ilyas, his wife, son and grandson, were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in Quetta. The banned tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility.

On Nov. 9, provincial Deputy Inspector General Police Hamid Shakeel was among three officials killed in a suicide attack on Quetta's airport road. Eight others, including police officials, were injured in the Taliban-claimed attack on the vehicle of the senior police officer.

Besides attacks in Quetta, a banned terrorist group, Baloch Liberation Front, killed 15 labourers in Turbat district of Balochistan on Wednesday. On Friday, five more labourers were killed in the same area.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 21:09:06|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Zhao Jinlong assembles an ancient ship model in Jilin City of northeast China's Jilin Province, Nov. 18, 2017. Zhao Jinlong started to made ancient ship models when he got a set of drawings of the English ship "The Mayflower" in the 1990s, and he has successfully made nearly 20 models among which the longest one reaches 1.5 meters long since then.(Xinhua/Gao Nan)

CHANGCHUN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese carpenter has dedicated his retirement to making model ships, with some of them fetching thousands of dollars.

In the last five years, Zhao Jinlong, 65, has made 17 wooden models of famous ships by hand, including the Mayflower, HMS Victory, the Swedish ship Gotheborg and the Russian ship Ingermanland.

Zhao was a carpenter in a metal foundry in Jilin City of northeast China's Jilin Province.

"I live by the Songhuajiang River and have always had a fondness for ships. I wanted to build a ship with my own hands, but now that I've retired, I can only build models," he said.

Zhao bought boat drawings online and from friends, most of them written in English.

"These old ships had a complicated structure, and I had to study the drawings and make out every detail," said Zhao.

His first work, the Mayflower, took him a year.

"My wife hated me for being so crazy about making model ships, but eventually she had no choice but to change her mind. Now she helps me braid the ropes and buy canvasses," he said.

Zhao's meticulous work has drawn interested buyers. He was offered 27,500 yuan (4,166 U.S. dollars) for a 1.5-meter-long model of HMS Victory, the famed British naval ship.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 21:24:12|Editor: liuxin

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LAGOS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria has hailed the recent global endorsement of its fight against terrorism, as contained in the 2017 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, in a statement sent to Xinhua on Sunday, expressed delight at the report, which showed that the largest decrease in terrorism deaths globally occurred in Nigeria.

Mohammed added the report specifically showed that terrorism deaths attributed to Boko Haram fell by 80 percent in 2016, noting that it was also encouraging that for the second consecutive year, the total number of deaths was down with a 13 percent Year-On-Year reduction.

He said compared to 2015, with countries most affected by terrorism - Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria recorded 33 percent fewer deaths.

The minister said the progress made by Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, was duly acknowledged by the Executive Chairman of IEP, Steve Killelea.

"The decline of Boko Haram in Nigeria is having a positive ripple effect, with Cameroon, Chad and Niger collectively recording 75 percent fewer deaths," Killelea was quoted by the report as saying.

Mohammed said Nigeria's success in the fight against terrorism was a direct result of the leadership provided by President Buhari.

He said the president did not just provide the enabling environment for the Nigerian military to regain its lost glory in the fight against terrorism, but also rallied Nigeria's neighbors to forge a wide, sub-regional front against Boko Haram.

The minister recalled that President Buhari, in his inaugural speech on May 29. 2015, directed the relocation of the command center of the fight against Boko Haram to Maiduguri.

He said the 2017 Global Terrorism Index would provide a fresh shot in the arm for the Administration to continue its efforts to wipe out the vestige of Boko Haram, and to tackle all other forms of insecurity facing the nation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 21:34:15|Editor: liuxin

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COLOMBO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the police chief to maintain tight security in the areas of the southern Galle District affected by clashes involving Buddhist and Muslim groups, a statement from his office said on Sunday.

The violent clashes that erupted on Friday night caused damage to property in the town called Gintota in the southern district of Galle. The statement said the government would continue to provide special security to the Gintota area, as a precautionary measure.

"Therefore, additional police battalions and the Police Special Task Force will be positioned at Gintota, although the area remains calm at the moment," the statement said.

The prime minister, accompanied by Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka and Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena, visited the area on Sunday morning and inspected the houses and properties damaged due to the clashes. The prime minister called for a report on the incident.

The police have arrested 19 persons involved in the clashes from both groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 21:59:21|Editor: Xiang Bo

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XI'AN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Environmental industries are growing fast in China as the government attaches great importance to environmental protection, managers and analysts said.

At an environment services industry expo in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, companies exhumed great confidence in the industry.

Li Maolin, vice president of Guandong Dongri Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., said the company had strong sales in recent years after its founding in 2003.

"Previously we mainly sold water treatment facilities for factories and cities, now as the public environmental awareness grows, there is a great market potential for the general use of these facilities," he said.

Last year, the company sold 80 million yuan (about 12 million U.S. dollars) worth of waste water treatment facilities to rural households. This year sales volume is expected to exceed 100 million yuan, he said.

"If the industrial market is red sea, the market for general users is blue sea, full of market potential," he said.

Qingdao Dongyang Technology Co. Ltd. also eyes the potential for garbage processing equipment in the vast countryside, said sales manager Yang Tao.

"We have sold many garbage processing facilities to Henan Province. I expect strong growth for our sales in the immediate future," he said.

Analysts said investment in the environmental industry during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, from 2016 to 2020, is expected to reach 17 trillion yuan. Annual growth rate will reach 20 percent.

"The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set new target for environmental protection. China's environmental protection is really expanding and going deep," said Liu Qifeng, deputy head of the China Association of Environmental Protection Industry.
Members of Zimbabwe ruling party Zanu-PF central committee are having a meeting to recall President Mugabe to resign in Harare, Zimbabwe, November 19, 2017.(Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start.

The ruling party, at a special meeting of its central committee, also nullified expulsion of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and restored him as member of the central committee.

The party's congress for next month will ratify appointment of Mnangagwa as president and first secretary of Zanu-PF.

Members of Zimbabwe ruling party Zanu-PF central committee are having a meeting to recall President Mugabe to resign in Harare, Zimbabwe, November 19, 2017.(Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko was dismissed from position of vice president and second secretary of the party.

Mphoko, First Lady Grace Mugabe, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Ignatius Chombo, Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Patrick Zhuwao are expelled from the party.

Secretary for Finance Overt Mpofu and minister of home affairs chaired the meeting. With 201 members attending, quorum needs 151 members for decisions to pass.

Members of Zimbabwe ruling party Zanu-PF central committee are having a meeting to recall President Mugabe to resign in Harare, Zimbabwe, November 19, 2017.(Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

Already, all the 10 provincial branches of the party have passed a vote of no confidence in him, making Sunday's central committee meeting merely procedural.

Mugabe is due to meet Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantine Chiwenga on Sunday, state broadcaster ZBC reported Saturday. This will be the second meeting between Mugabe and Chiwenga since the military took over government this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 22:34:31|Editor: pengying

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PHNOM PENH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Sunday called for the United States to cut all of its foreign aid to the country, saying any cut in aid would not affect his government.

"I welcome the U.S. cut in aid to the (Cambodian) National Election Committee," he said in a speech during a get-together with more than 4,000 garment factory workers in Phnom Penh. "I appeal to the U.S. to cut all of its aid."

Hun Sen's remarks came after the U.S. said in a statement on Thursday that it would take "concrete steps" against the Cambodian government following a Supreme Court decision to dissolve the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The U.S. said that in the first step, it would terminate support for the National Election Committee.

The U.S. announced in April that it would allocate 1.8 million U.S. dollars to the National Election Committee for 2017 and 2018 to help improve the country's electoral system.

The Cambodian Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the CNRP dissolution and the ban of its 118 senior leaders from politics for five years after its leader Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with "treason." Kem Sokha, 64, was accused of plotting the overthrow of the government.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 23:14:37|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cai Qi, secretary of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, has ordered a 40-day city-wide safety check after a deadly fire killed 19 people and injured eight more.

A fire broke out Saturday night at a three-story apartment at Xinjian Village, Daxing District in the southern suburb of the city. A total of 19 people died. Eight people were sent to the hospital, and seven of them have been out of danger.

Preliminary investigation showed there was a refrigeration facility in the basement of the apartment, where fire was likely to have started, according to fire fighters.

There was heavy smoke in the building but no large flames, said the fire fighters.

Cai Qi and acting mayor Chen Jining led other officials to the site of the fire Sunday morning and stood in silent tribute to the dead.

"Lessons of the fire is extremely grave. The city must be on high alert. We must take actions and protect people's lives and safeguard the safety and stability of the capital," said Cai at a city-wide meeting convened Sunday afternoon.

Cai ordered a cleanup of industrial compounds, illegal construction and disorderly venues in order to eliminate fire risks. The city-wide cleanup work starts Monday.

He urged local officials to check every village and every courtyard for security risks.

An investigation team has been set up to ascertain the cause of the fire and those who are held accountable will be punished.

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Ye Changlong, a 27-year-old garment factory worker who lived on the third floor of the burnt apartment building, said he could be the last one to have escaped.

"I was taking an afternoon nap in my room and slept through until around 6:40 p.m. My dog kept barking and woke me up. Then I smelled the pungent smoke and realized there must be a fire," said Ye. "I did not have time to find my pants. Jumping out of the bed, I took my dog, grabbed a coat and stepped into my slippers before running all the way downstairs. There was heavy smoke in the stairway, so I could not breathe or make out the direction. When I finally made my way down to the yard, where many people were already standing. They were all tenants like me."

"I was the last one to have escaped," Ye repeated as he stayed at a nearby hotel, holding his dog tightly in his arms. Other witnesses said they wanted to rescue their neighbors but didn't have time to do so as they were engulfed by heavy smoke.

Ye, a native of east China's Zhejiang Province, and his wife worked in the same garment factory in Daxing. The couple rented the apartment at a monthly cost of 600 yuan (about 152 dollars) about six months ago. About 50 people lived on the third floor, he said.

"My company will move to Tangshan (in Hebei Province) next year. This apartment building is also about to be demolished, but it was burnt at the last minute," he said, rubbing his head in dismay.

Beijing fire squad said it dispatched 14 fire teams and 34 fire engines after it received a call about the fire at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. The fire was put out in about three hours.

The Daxing district government officials say that they have contacted 25 family members of the victims and set up working groups to deal with relevant affairs arising from the deadly fire.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 23:24:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JAKARTA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 367 houses damaged as flash floods struck West Nusa Tenggara province of central Indonesia, a government official said here Sunday.

Heavy downpours were blamed for the natural disaster in four sub-districts of Lombok Timur district, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

"The flash floods hit residential areas and agricultural lands," the spokesman told Xinhua in a text message.

One of the casualties was hit by a damaged building and another was swept away by currents, said Sutopo.

The floods also destroyed 14 bridges and one mosque, he added.

The rising water level affects 2,280 people but does not trigger any evacuation, he said.

Indonesia is frequently hit by floods and landslides during heavy rains.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 23:29:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The situation in eastern Ukraine will worsen rapidly if the United States supplies offensive weapons to Ukrainian government troops, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Sunday.

If Washington chooses to do so, it will be a very "irresponsible" move, Vladimir Shamanov, head of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, was quoted by the Sputnik news agency as saying.

The U.S. National Security Council reportedly approved arms sales to Kiev earlier this week amid prolonged conflicts between the government and insurgents in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin confirmed that his country would receive more weapons from the United States, although the time frame is not yet decided.

The possible arms supply could sharply destabilize the situation in the Donbas region, which to some extent has been under control due to efforts made by international organizations and local people, Shamanov said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 23:34:45|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS -- A policeman killed three people and wounded three others with his pistol before committing suicide on Saturday night in a town in the north of Paris, the French television channel BFMTV reported Sunday.

The policeman killed two people who were on a public road and had no relationship with him before killing his father-in-law and critically injuring his wife, the mother and the sister of the woman in the house where the family of his wife lives, the French channel said.(France-Policeman-Suicide)

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NAKURU, Kenya -- At least 12 people were killed and two others seriously injured in a road accident along a busy highway in northwest Kenya early Sunday, the police said.

Nakuru County Police Commander Hassan Barua said the incident involved 11-seater commuter shuttle and a truck which collided head-on along Nakuru-Eldoret road at around 3 a.m. local time.(Kenya-Accident)

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NAIROBI -- At least six people were brutally murdered and several others seriously injured by suspected members of a proscribed sect at a slum in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Saturday night.

Nairobi County police commander Japheth Koome said Sunday the deceased were killed in Nairobi's sprawling Ruaraka neighborhood by unknown assailants who are still at large.(Kenya-Security)

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FARAH, Afghanistan -- Clashes in the western Farah province have left 14 dead, including eight militants and six police officers, provincial police spokesman Iqbal Baher said Sunday.

A group of Taliban militants launched coordinated offensives on several security checkpoints in Farah Rod district in the wee hours of Sunday, which resulted in several hours' clash, leaving eight insurgents and six police killed, the official said.(Afghanistan-Clashes)

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HARARE -- Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start.

The ruling party, at a special meeting of its central committee, also nullified expulsion of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and restored him as member of the central committee.(Zimbabwe-Mugabe) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 23:39:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire and killed a senior officer of Yemen's armed forces in the southeastern province of Hadramout on Sunday, a security official told Xinhua.

"A senior officer of the military forces was assassinated by masked gunmen after he finished his prayers and came out from a mosque in Hadramout's historic city of Shibam," the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

The assassinated officer was identified as Rabey Jarwan and was working with the newly-recruited army forces in Hadramout, the security source said.

He added that Jarwan was responsible for the training and recruitment administration of the new troops backed by the United Arab Emirates in the province.

After conducting the drive-by shooting, the masked assassins managed to flee to unknown locations, according to the source.

No one has claimed responsibility for assassinating the officer, but Yemeni security officials accused gunmen linked to the Islamic State terrorist group of being behind such drive-by shootings in Hadramout.

Militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the Islamic State group (IS) are more active in the country's southeastern part and in recent weeks Yemeni armed forces supported by the UAE started waging large offensives against some hideouts there.

The al-Qaida and Islamic State-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in Yemen.

Security in Yemen has further deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

UN statistics show more than 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since the coalition intervened in the Yemeni civil war that also displaced around three million.

The impoverished Arab country is also suffering the world's largest cholera epidemic since April, with about 5,000 cases reported every day.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-19 23:49:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SANAA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A total of eight children and three women were killed when a Saudi-led airstrike struck a family house in Yemen's northern province of Jawf on Sunday, a provincial security official told Xinhua.

"Eight children and three women, all from the same family, were found dead under the rubble after try their home was hit by the coalition air strike in Masloob district," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Activists on social media from Jawf confirmed the airstrike and the number of victims.

This is the latest in a series of airstrikes by the coalition since the war began more than two and a half years.

Earlier this month, the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed and wounded at least 50 people, including civilians, in a village in Yemen's northwest province of Hajjah, according to a provincial security official and medics.

The coalition stepped up air campaign following the Yemeni rebel Houthi ballistic missile on Nov. 4 that was shot down north of Saudi capital Riyadh.

The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced more than 3 million others, according to UN agencies.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 00:25:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RAMALLAH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) Christopher Gunness warned the precarious situation of both UNRWA and Gaza Strip.

UNRWA, which is considered the world's oldest humanitarian organization, remains on the edge of its financial predicament with the growing humanitarian crisis in the region that are overshadowing the growing dependency of Palestinian refugees on the services of UNRWA.

In a special interview with Xinhua, Gunness explained that the root of the problem is not finding a solution for the plight of Palestinian refugees and their descendants until now.

"At the moment we have a 77 million U.S. dollars deficit in our operational budget, which, frankly, is large and unacceptable," he said, glaring his eyes wide open.

The advisory commission is made up of the major donors and the host governments for UNRWA's operations, he added.

The political stalemate and the absence of peace and "the direction and trajectory of the peace process since Oslo has had very direct consequences for UNRWA," he said.

The Gaza Strip is under a tightened blockade both on the Egyptian side and the Israeli side, and the West Bank is seeing a deepening of the occupation, he said. "There is an extreme proliferation of the indignities to which Palestinians are subjected," which increase demand for service and put the bill up for UNRWA.

The story of UNRWA's funding chances does not end here. The ongoing debate is also tackling sensitive issue such as trying prioritizing services.

The series of crises in the Middle Eastern region have overshadowed the needy humanitarian condition in Gaza, which has affected how much the UNRWA donors see the urgency of the situation in Gaza.

Gunness explained that with the tough situation of the population of Gaza, of which 80 percent receives UNRWA services, it is difficult to make the choice of selection or elimination and that "there is a certain problem with the profile of Gaza and the visibility of Gaza, but that hasn't diminished the crisis for the people living there."

"The world may not be paying attention to them, but the situation in Gaza has gotten incrementally worse hour by hour, while that attention has drifted to other parts of the world," he said, warning that "you now have 64 percent unemployment," which is a "record."

The situation in Gaza is further complicated as a result of the blockade and the extreme restrictions on movement of goods and individuals, which is considered a major impediment to the growth of the Palestinian economy and empowerment of the disadvantaged, according to various UN reports.

The official UNRWA spokesperson and various other UN officials have repeatedly cautioned of the ramifications of the continuation of the blockade on Gaza, to which Gunness said that "as a result of the blockade, of manmade policies, we have a situation where the number of people coming to us for food aid has gone up about 11 times."

In recent months, it was made public that 95 percent of the water in Gaza is undrinkable and power outages last for long hours every day, which has lead to a series of setbacks in the health, reconstruction and psychological situation of Gazans, among others.

Gunness said despite this dark situation, he sees a ray of hope for Gaza in the Palestinian national unity government that has recently taken over the executive bodies in the coastal enclave, after rival political parties Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in Cairo last October, ending a decade of the control of the Islamic Hamas movement on Gaza.

However, to many Palestinians, the siege and Israeli imposed restriction on the Gaza strip could continue, and that may jeopardize UNRWA's work on the ground, especially in Gaza, where the crisis would only deepen, mostly because the lifting of the blockade is hands of Israel.

Gunness warned that "if the present situation continues, there will be further humanitarian catastrophe for the people of Gaza and, again, we hope it won't happen, but while the blockade continues, there is always a risk of a flare up of violence, which we don't want and nobody needs in Gaza right now."

UNRWA's current strategy is now partly built on widening the donors' base, now urging more governments to meet the growing bill and pitch money in their bowl.

Gunness, who said he was particularly fond of China and its role in the world since he himself worked there as a journalist for a while, explained that an engagement between China and UNRWA is very helpful now.

"Certainly, we in UNRWA, hope that China would engage with us, through government, enterprises or whatever, because I think there is a very productive line of engagement for the Chinese," he said, hoping that "the engagement of China with some of the most disadvantaged communities, peoples and individuals in the Middle East, I think is a real opportunity."

China has been supporting the Palestinians through various means and hopes to revive the old Silk Road into a modern empowering project by launching the large scale Belt and Road Initiative across the world.
This combination of file pictures created on November 08, 2016 shows the then Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Raleigh, North Carolina, September 27, 2016, and the then Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Reno, Nevada on November 5, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday denounced allegations of Hillary Clinton who questioned the legitimacy of his victory in last year's presidential election.

Calling his Democratic presidential rival the "worst of biggest loser of all time," Trump tweeted that "She just can't stop, which is so good for the Republican Party."

"Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years," he added.

Trump made the remarks a day after Clinton told media that the "Russian meddling" in the 2016 presidential campaign creates questions over the "legitimacy" of his victory.

Also on Friday in another media interview, Clinton lashed out at Trump and Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore for not taking responsibilities for sexual assault allegations made against them.

She said in an interview with WABC radio that by contrast Senator Al Franken, who was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a female broadcaster, had accepted "responsibility" and apologized to the victim.

But the White House argued that there is a clear difference between Franken's case and that of the president.

"I think in one case specifically, Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing, and the president hasn't," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told a press briefing Friday. "I think that's a very clear distinction."

In last year's presidential election, Clinton won the popular vote but Trump prevailed in the Electoral College as a result of narrow wins in U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 01:20:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran discussed Syria issues Sunday in Turkey's Antalya, ahead of an upcoming trilateral summit in the Russian city of Sochi on Wednesday.

"The Astana talks achieved positive results. We have come a long way with Russia, especially in terms of the establishment of peace on the field and forming de-escalation zones. Situation on the field is much better compared to last year," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday after meeting Russian Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Javad Zarif.

Cavusoglu said the purpose of the Sochi summit was to evaluate what the three guarantor countries have succeeded about Syria so far, and the steps that should be taken in the future.

"We now have to concentrate on a political process, while continuing to target terrorist organizations like DAESH (Islamic State)," Cavusoglu said.

As for Kurdish issues, the minister stressed that the participation of PKK/PYD organization in Sochi summit would be "unacceptable" for Turkey.

The Presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran will hold a meeting to discuss Syria issue and recent regional situation in Russia's Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Nov. 22.

Turkey, Russia and Iran are guarantor countries that brokered a ceasefire in Syria in December 2016, which led to the Astana talks, being held in parallel with UN-backed discussions in Geneva to find a political solution to the six-year conflict.
Libyan coastguards drag a deflated rubber boat at the port of Garabulli city, 60 km east of Tripoli, Libya, on June 10, 2017. Altogether eight migrants drowned and dozens are missing on off the Libyan coast while attempting to reach Europe, according to the Libyan coast guards. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)

MADRID, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least three migrants have been killed when the dinghy which they were aboard overturned in waters close to the Spanish north-African enclave of Ceuta, Red Cross sources confirmed Sunday.

The incident happened at around 4:00 a.m. local time on Sunday as the dinghy with at least 24 people onboard was approaching the shore.

At least three people were drowned as they tried to swim to shore. The rest, including two women and five minors, were being treated by Civil Guards and Maritime Rescue services. The Red Cross also set up a special operation to attend to the survivors close to the beach.

The cause of the overturn remains unknown, but a search operation for other possible victims still continues in the waters.

The tragedy happened just 24 hours after a total of 494 migrants rescued from 47 different dinghies, all of which are thought to have departed from Algeria, and reached the port of Cartagena in what the Regional government of the Community of Murcia described as "a coordinated attack on the Spanish frontier."

A further 150 people were rescued in other areas off the coast of Spain and taken to other ports such as Motril, Tarifa and Almeria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 01:30:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DOHA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar has been a "frontrunner" in combating terrorism, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Sunday.

The Qatari official made the remarks during an interview with the U.S. TV channel MSNBC, the QNA report said.

"Qatar is a frontrunner in combating extremist ideologies when it establishes schools and provides high-quality education to vulnerable societies and poor countries abroad," Sheikh Mohamed said, dismissing the charges against Doha for supporting terrorism as baseless.

He pointed out that Qatar hosts the central command of the global coalition in fighting Islamic State (IS), referring to its hosting of the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, from which the U.S. launched airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria.

On the ongoing Gulf dispute, Sheikh Mohamed said that Qatar is still committed to resolving the crisis within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) crisis, of which Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain are members, because "there is a bigger threat in the region, which is terrorism."

In early June, Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a full blockade on the tiny rich Gulf nation, citing Doha's support to extremism and terrorism.

Qatar has strongly denied the charges, while rejecting a list of tough demands put forward in late June by the Saudi-led coalition for restoring the diplomatic ties.

But Sheikh Mohamed said that even the U.S. totally favors ending the siege imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Qatar.

On the relations between Qatar and Iran, he said that Qatar has a "unique relationship" with Tehran, while urging Gulf states to settle their dispute with the Islamic republic through dialogue.
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani holds a press conference with the US Secretary of State in the capital Doha on October 22, 2017. (AFP Photo)

DOHA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar has been a "frontrunner" in combating terrorism, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Sunday.

The Qatari official made the remarks during an interview with the U.S. TV channel MSNBC, the QNA report said.

"Qatar is a frontrunner in combating extremist ideologies when it establishes schools and provides high-quality education to vulnerable societies and poor countries abroad," Sheikh Mohamed said, dismissing the charges against Doha for supporting terrorism as baseless.

He pointed out that Qatar hosts the central command of the global coalition in fighting Islamic State (IS), referring to its hosting of the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, from which the U.S. launched airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria.

On the ongoing Gulf dispute, Sheikh Mohamed said that Qatar is still committed to resolving the crisis within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) crisis, of which Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain are members, because "there is a bigger threat in the region, which is terrorism."

In early June, Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a full blockade on the tiny rich Gulf nation, citing Doha's support to extremism and terrorism.

Qatar has strongly denied the charges, while rejecting a list of tough demands put forward in late June by the Saudi-led coalition for restoring the diplomatic ties.

But Sheikh Mohamed said that even the U.S. totally favors ending the siege imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Qatar.

On the relations between Qatar and Iran, he said that Qatar has a "unique relationship" with Tehran, while urging Gulf states to settle their dispute with the Islamic republic through dialogue.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:00:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Gunay Karakus was unaware that her life would tumble when she came with friends to Ankara on a sunny autumn day two years ago to attend a "peace" rally when vicious bombs exploded and killed 102 people.

Two years have passed since the deadliest terror attack of modern Turkey's history in which 102 people were killed and some 500 others injured on October 10,2015.

Two suicide attacks had occurred at the beginning of the "Peace and Democracy" rally organized in front of the Ankara main train station.

Turkish officials blamed the Islamic State (IS) of having masterminded and organized the bloody attack that has left many survivors with the similar harrowing and traumatic story.

"First I didn't realize how bad I was injured. But later on doctors told me that my right leg had to be amputated in order to keep me alives," said Gunay Karakus, who was then 25 years old and studying to be an English teacher at the Cukurova University of Adana, a town located in southern Turkey.

"There was a first explosion and immediately after a second one. It's the second one which had hit me. With the power of the explosion, I was swayed away. There was bodies all over the place," told the young girl in a sad voice.

Two of her closest friends were killed on the spot and several others wounded.

She spent six months in hospital where she decided to take on painting on her way to a painstaking recovery, both mentally and physically.

"Painting had a very good effect on be from the beginning. I used to paint since I was a little girl but this time I used oil painting and better brushes. It had really a therapeutic effect on me while I was in hospital and I continued afterwards," supported by doctors, indicated Karakus.

The young girl has launched first exhibition in downtown Ankara's Kizilay, supported by the Cankaya district municipality, entitled "Equinox", where 15 of her paintings are on display. The title of the exhibition, she explains, is a metaphor for life between the darkness of the massacre that she witnessed and suffered terribly and the light of painting towards inner healing.

The majority of her work has been sold for modest prices to art fans who understand that she is not a Picasso or a Gaugin but believe in her determination to create.

The benefits will be used for the maintenance of their bionic prosthetic leg that costs a small fortune, some 13,000 U.S dollars, payed mostly by donators and the Turkish state.

"It was a dream for me to open an exhibition of my artwork because I never got proper formal education in art. But now I know that I want to pursue this as a profession and I want to get a schooling in painting techniques," told Karakus.

She explains that she is generally drawn to paint women faces , some anxious and sad, others less unhappy and even with a subtle hint of happiness, like the ones exhibited, because she wants "people to see what does it feel to be a women, to make women a priority" in a country where the deepening tragedy of murdered women by misogynist men has become a scourge of society.

There are several painting workshops directed by renowned artists in Turkey's big cities like Ankara and Istanbul, and Karakus would love to be invited in one of them to improve her style.

"Honestly, I do not have the necessary money to support myself so if a philanthropist or an artist would decide to give me a hand, I would be very grateful," she said.

Some 20 km from the exhibition hall, more than dozen suspected members of IS are being jailed in a high security prison and trialed since last year for their involvement in Turkey's worst suicide bombing.

A total of 36 suspects, some still at large, are on trial for plotting the double suicide bombing that left Gunay Karakus an invalid.

The 35 Turks and one Kazakh face charges of murder, membership of a terrorist organization and seeking to change constitutional order, according to the indictment. Some face multiple sentences up to 11,750 years in prison.

IS has grown increasingly active in Turkey and claimed several high profile bombing and attacks that have killed dozens, mainly in 2015 and 2016.

Asked if she awaits justice from this ongoing trial, Karakus indicated that she is "hopeful" and "positive" about the outcome of the legal proceedings despite the fact that lives can never be brought back.

Many other families also follow closely the hearings and have promised never to forget lost loved ones. Five hearings have been held so far.

Victims were promised by the state to be treated free off charge, however, the Turkish press reported that many wounded people had to cover their medical expenses themselves.

And the state didn't also cover long psychological treatment necessary for most of the traumatized victims. The civil society stepped in to help those families in need.

According to data released by a support committee of victims and parents, physical treatment of most of the injured has ended but the psychological therapy of 30 people is still ongoing.

Still with a smile on her face, Karakus said that while she was outraged by this massacre, she is trying not to loose hope. "I have my painting that improve my quality of life and give me purpose. Without that you are lost."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:10:21|Editor: pengying

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CAPE TOWN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The South African government will continue to provide support to cash-strapped power utility Eskom so as to strengthen the state-owned entity, the presidency said on Sunday.

This came after President Jacob Zuma's special advisor on energy, Silas Zimu, indicated that the government would abandon the energy parastal, which has been gripped by allegations of corruption and poor governance.

Addressing a wind energy conference in Cape Town earlier last week, Zimu said Eskom was "going down and under very, very fast" as it was wasting billions of rand constructing power stations to supply electricity for which there was no demand.

The power parastatal is facing a cash crunch, holding just above half its funding requirements for the current financial year, Zimu said.

Zimu said breaking up the power utility had been in discussion since 1995.

His remarks raised concern about the fate of Eskom, the largest producer of electricity in Africa.

On Friday, rating agency Fitch put Eskom's long-term local currency issuer default ratings, or IDR, and its unguaranteed local currency senior unsecured ratings of "BB+" on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).

Fitch's move fueled the belief among some that the utility has become the biggest risk to South Africa's economy.

The presidency, however, objected to this view.

Eskom is one of the country's central engines for economic growth and development, presidential spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said in a statement.

Zimu's remarks are his personal views and do not represent the views of Zuma, the Presidency or government, Ngqulunga said.

He said Zimu was addressing the wind energy conference in his personal capacity.

In a related development, Eskom said it is confident that the liquidity challenges it faces will be resolved and that the funding initiatives planned until the end of the financial year will alleviate the pressure.

"We remain focused on improving corporate governance to address liquidity challenges in the near term to avert a downgrade," Eskom Interim Group Chief Executive Sean Maritz said.

Eskom is among the top seven utilities in the world in terms of generation capacity and among the top nine in terms of sales. The utility not only provides more than 95 percent of electricity consumed in South Africa but also supplies power to some neighboring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:35:28|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 19, 2017. At the press conference, Wang Yi expressed support for Myanmar's peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday that China proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

China believed that the Rakhine issue can be addressed by a solution acceptable to both Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations between the two neighboring countries, Wang told a joint press conference with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should encourage such efforts by creating conditions and good atmosphere for the consultations, he added.

The Chinese top diplomat said the Bangladesh government pledged to continue bilateral talks with Myanmar over the issue when he visited the country Saturday. Myanmar also expressed the same attitude, he said.

Wang said the Rakhine issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, which calls for both an urgent and long-term solution.

Thus China proposes a three-phase solution, he said.

The first phase is to achieve a ceasefire so that local residents can no longer be displaced. Through joint efforts, the ceasefire has been in place, Wang said.

Second, the international community should encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep communication in a bid to find a feasible solution to the issue, he said. The two countries have reached an initial agreement on repatriation of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

The third phase is to find a long-term solution. Stressing that poverty is the root cause of turbulence and conflict, the Chinese foreign minister called on the international community to support poverty alleviation efforts in Rakhine state.

Development can lead to stability, Wang said, adding that China's proposal has been backed by both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Chinese foreign minister will participate in the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in Nay Pyi Daw on Nov. 20-21. He also visited Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:45:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Jamal Hashim

BAGHDAD, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Long years of bloody violence, displacement, social division and political crises have imposed significant physical and emotional impacts on children of Iraq.

However, the defeat of Islamic State (IS) group from their last urban stronghold in Iraq, gives the Iraqi vulnerable children a great deal of hope that finally the light has glittered at the end of the dark tunnel.

Deprivation and horrendous images of devastation and torn bodies that scattered in the streets, and the scenes of killing their family members, relatives and friends will remain I the memories of dozens of thousands of Iraqi children, according to Mohammed al-Timimi, professor of sociology in Mustansriyah University in Baghdad.

"The danger of such images is that they left negative psychological and emotional impacts on the children and has increased their vulnerability," Timimi told Xinhua.

"They may keep the pattern of violence and hatred going on their future behaviors as they enter adulthood," Timimi said.

The advance of IS extremist group in Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's western province of Anbar, has pushed the 9-year-old Maher, and his mother Saja, 36, to beg at markets and outside mosques in Baghdad western neighborhood of Khadraa.

She left and her family their home in the IS-held city of Fallujah after the IS militants seized the city in 2014, after her husband was killed in the violence about two years ago. She and her three children fled to Khadraa and lived in a room at an under-construction building.

Their home now is only one room, but fairly clean, with a broken window covered by a piece of cardboard, and poorly furnished with old torn carpet and three single sponge beds and a closet on the edges of the room. Her kitchen is outside the room with only small cooker stove and an old cupboard.

"This is all what we got, although it is not enough with freezing weather in winter in the coming days," She said. "With the help of people around, my children and I can find some worm and enough clothes to wear."

Saja's husband, who was a teacher of primary school in Fallujah, was killed in early 2015 by a mortar barrage during the clashes between the Iraqi army and IS militants who seized the city.

"Before his (her husband) death, we used to have our own house and I wanted my sons to go school to be educated and to get happy life," she said with tears filling her eyes.

"I had to leave. Life was impossible in Fallujah under IS militants. My husband was killed and women have no right to work. My children and I needed protection, while most of my relatives were facing the same o different hurdles," she said.

Despite nearly 17 months have passed since the Iraqi forces liberated the city if Fallujah, Saja could not return after she realized that here house was destroyed and life is difficult there as the city's economy and infrastructure is still reviving gradually.

Her elder son, Maher, is hoping to convince his mother to let him go for work as a construction worker instead of going to school like many of his peers to help his mother and his younger brothers.

According to Timimi, the cycle of violence, displacement and poverty forced many Iraqi families to push their children to abandon their schools and seek jobs that mostly not suitable for their physical, mental and health capabilities.

"Under such circumstances, the children are suffering malnutrition and diseases like anemia and skin diseases of various kinds, as well as psychological difficulties," Timimi said.

Timimi, who visited Ramadi and Fallujah last month, said that the cities of Anbar province are still badly damaged and predicted long time for the schools to fully restore, despite the enthusiasm of the teachers and children.

"Many of the boys and girls who returned to Anbar cities are back to learning, many after some two years of absence. When we asked them, they still want to become doctors, engineers, teachers and other things. They are thirsty for rich and meaningful lives," Timimi said.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest report on November 11, that 5.3 million Iraqis displaced since June 2014, over 2.2 million have returned to their liberated cities, towns and villages.

In many cities and towns, most of the returnees are living in their habitual residence, but others had to live with relatives or in rented houses, or are temporarily living in public or unfinished buildings, waiting for their habitation to be repaired, according to the report.

During the long years of bloody conflict in Iraq, most of the militias, including the IS group, have long been using children and young adults to carry out attacks.

Najib al-Jubouri, a political analyst, told Xinhua that there have been reports about children being recruited by extremist militant groups, sometimes for money or under the veil of so-called sacred holy martyrdom.

"They are making use of their poverty, or using their ignorance and fanaticism that were widely spread among some Iraqi communities," said Jubouri.

Najih Ibrahim, an activist of children's rights, told Xinhua that during his visit to the refugee camps in Baghdad and the provinces of Salahudin, Nineveh and Anbar, the government relief actions toward the vulnerable children in too weak.

"There is an urgent need for psychological rehabilitation because most of the children have witnessed brutality and violent scenes during the presence of IS militants back in their homes and the current harsh circumstances in the refugee camps," Ibrahim said.

"Many of the children in the camps received different wounds, some are crippled, by the bombs and IS sniper shots either in their cities or while they fled their homes when the Iraqi forces liberate their cities," he said.

"There is still needs for some basics like enough drinking water, medical care and the sort of the food that they receive in the camps," Ibrahim added.

As the Iraqi forces have fully liberated last urban stronghold in Iraq and almost the full defeat of the terrorist IS group is looming, the hopes to ease the suffering of the Iraqi children is increasing.

"The Iraqi government with the help of the international community must put forward plans to rebuild the infrastructures of the devastated cities," Ibrahim said.

"The end of armed conflict against IS group and the disappearance of other militias is substantial in reviving welfare of Iraqis. These are essential conditions to bring families back to normal life, as educational order and social stability are substantial to achieving progress in children's protection," Ibrahim concluded.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:50:33|Editor: pengying

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Photo taken on June 22, 2017 shows Syrian children playing football in a refugee camp in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Nov. 16 released figures that about 3.3 million Syrian refugees, including 976,000 school-aged children, are living in Turkey. (Xinhua/Qin Yanyang)

ANKARA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkey, Iran and Russia have strived for political settlement in Syria ahead of the next round of talks between Syria's government and the opposition held in Geneva on Nov. 28.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his Turkish and Iranian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani, on Nov. 22 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for discussions on Syria as they spearheaded a ceasefire initiative in the war-torn country through Astana process.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on Sunday for preparatory talks of trilateral summit.

The framework of Sunday's meeting was to present a summary of what has been done so far and exchange ideas about the joint steps the three countries will take, Cavusoglu told reporters after the meeting.

Astana process yielded positive results in Syria regarding efforts for declaring ceasefire, establishing de-escalation zones and decreasing tension in the war-torn country, and situation on the ground is far better compared to last year, the minister said.

But the progress on the ground will not sustain unless a political solution is achieved, Cavusoglu pointed out.

"We have to concentrate on political process, while continuing to fight terrorist organizations such as Deash (the Islamic State)," the minister said.

Last week, Erdogan had the fifth face-to-face talk with Putin of this year in Sochi. "There is now a base that allows us to focus on the political process," the Turkish president said.

Having significant leverage on the Sunni Arab opposition groups in Syria as it has backed rebels seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al- Assad, Turkey plays a crucial role in mediating between some of these groups to cement the ceasefire agreement.

Turkish Armed Forces deployed troops in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib as part of the de-escalation zone agreement brokered by Russia and Iran in Astana earlier this year and have already established two observer posts on the northern border of Idlib.

The rebel-stronghold province is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group led by al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate, which has ousted more moderate rebels in recent months.

Turkey's coordination with Russia and Iran comes amid Turkey's rising tensions with the United States, exacerbated by the latter's support to the Syrian Kurds with thousands of arms delivered to clear Raqqa of Islamic State (IS) fighters.

Frustrated by U.S. policies in Syria, Ankara regards Moscow as a partner who can help Turkey achieve its priority in the Syrian conflict - preventing a Kurdish corridor between Afrin canton in the west and the cantons of Jazeera and Kobani in the east.

Turkish deployment in Idlib is also providing military reinforcement for Turkey near the Kurdish stronghold of Afrin in northern Syria.

"We could arrive suddenly one night" is a recent motto of the Turkish leadership who wants to contain advance of Syrian Kurds and threaten to launch a military operation against the People's Protection Units (YPG) forces in the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin as it regards the group as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkey has been seeking the support of Russia for a limited military action against the Kurds in northwest Syria and expand its military deployment from the Azaz region to the southwestern area of Daret Izza, Deir Ballut and Tel Rifaat town, in order to block any possible attempts of Syrian Kurds to connect three cantons they have declared as autonomous administration.

The issue about the YPG and PYD is the "primary sensitivity" of Turkey, said Cavusoglu after the meeting in Antalya.

Ankara objects the participation of these groups at "any meetings" including Astana and Geneva processes, he said, noting that both Russia and Iran were informed about this.

Moscow has recently postponed a dialogue conference with the participation of Syrian opposition groups that was due to take place in Russia on Nov. 18, after Ankara expressed strong objections against an invitation issued for the PYD and YPG.

Meanwhile, Ankara indicates it prioritizes measures against "Kurdish threat" across its borders, and eases its policy to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"A totally political solution would mean that the Turkish government would have to accept the al-Assad government as a counterpart in the Geneva talks. Perhaps it would also mean that Turkey would not be able to rule out the presence of al-Assad in any transition phase," said Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News columnist.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:55:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel's artillery fired at Syrian army positions in the Golan Heights for the second consecutive day on Sunday, claiming the Syrian army violated ceasefire agreement.

An Israeli military spokesperson said that "the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) fired warning shots towards the area using a tank."

According to the spokesperson, the Syrian army forces were observed by the Israeli military watchers "conducting works in order to strengthen a military post in the northern part of the demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel."

Under the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, entry of heavy construction tools or military vehicles into the demilitarized zone is prohibited.

The incident came a day after the Israeli army fired a shell towards a post of President Bashar Assad's army. A military spokesperson said the fire came after Syrian forces entered the demilitarized zone.

Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, a territory that Israel seized from Syria in the 1976 Middle East War and annexed it later.

Israel has been carrying out occasion airstrikes against Syrian army position, usually in response to errant fire from the six-year war between the Bashar Assad regime and rebel groups.
Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo at Saudi Arabia's request for an extraordinary meeting to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the region. (AFP Photo)

CAIRO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Arab foreign ministers on Sunday condemned Iran's intervention in the Arab countries' affairs, according to a statement released on Sunday.

In a statement after an extraordinary meeting requested by Saudi Arabia, the Arab foreign ministers said they will ask the Arab Group at the United Nations to address the UN Security Council about Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2231 on developing Tehran's ballistic missiles.

"This is contrary to Iran's claim that its ballistic missile program is defensive as it threatens the Arab national security," said the statement.
The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark sails into Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania,on Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Sibo)

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived on Sunday morning in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, starting an eight-day humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents.

The arrival of the Peace Ark, its second in seven years, was received with joy by Tanzanians.

The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark is welcomed by Tanzanian Navy soldiers at Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania,on Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Stringer)

At the welcome ceremony held at Dar es Salaam port, Task Group Commander of Peace Ark Guan Bailin said the visiting crew will carry out free medical services, humanitarian assistance, and conduct medical training to consolidate and promote friendly relations and deepen professional exchanges between China and Tanzania.

Tanzania Navy Commander Richard Mutayoba Makanzo thanked China for sending the Peace Ark to Tanzania again.

The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark is welcomed by Tanzanian local dancers at Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania,on Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Stringer)

"China has helped Tanzania in different sectors. One of the notable areas is the construction of Tazara railway, which connects Tanzania and Zambia," said Makanzo.

In 2010-2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. A total of 29 countries and regions, and 120,000 people received free on-board medical and humanitarian services.

Tanzania Navy Commander Richard Mutayoba Makanzo inpects Chinese navy soldiers on the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark at Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania,on Nov. 19, 2017.(Xinhua/Stringer)

The current tour has already taken the Peace Ark to Djibouti, Gabon, Sierra Leone, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Mozambique.

The Peace Ark is 178 meters long, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It has eight operation rooms, seven health care offices and 300 beds. A total of 115 health care workers are on board, mostly from the Naval Medical University, of which 60 percent have senior titles.
Israeli soldiers take part in a mobile artillery exercise near the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on November 19, 2017. (AFP Photo)

JERUSALEM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel's artillery fired at Syrian army positions in the Golan Heights for the second consecutive day on Sunday, claiming the Syrian army violated ceasefire agreement.

An Israeli military spokesperson said that "the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) fired warning shots towards the area using a tank."

According to the spokesperson, the Syrian army forces were observed by the Israeli military watchers "conducting works in order to strengthen a military post in the northern part of the demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel."

Under the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, entry of heavy construction tools or military vehicles into the demilitarized zone is prohibited.

The incident came a day after the Israeli army fired a shell towards a post of President Bashar Assad's army. A military spokesperson said the fire came after Syrian forces entered the demilitarized zone.

Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, a territory that Israel seized from Syria in the 1976 Middle East War and annexed it later.

Israel has been carrying out occasion airstrikes against Syrian army position, usually in response to errant fire from the six-year war between the Bashar Assad regime and rebel groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:15:54|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Myanmar on Sunday vowed to further promote their bilateral relationship and deepen their pragmatic cooperation.

The pledge came during talks held here between Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang said China regards Myanmar as an important partner in the joint development of the China- proposed Belt and Road Initiative, noting that China and Myanmar enjoy obvious complementarity.

He said China stands ready to work on an economic corridor between the two countries according to Myanmar's national development plan and its actual needs so as to further strengthen China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation.

At the talks, the Chinese minister stressed that China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, are neighbors with "paukphaw" ("fraternal" in the Myanmar language) friendship and China firmly supports Suu Kyi in governing the country in line with the will of the Myanmar people.

China also firmly supports Myanmar in its efforts to uphold the country's sovereignty, independence, security and dignity as well as in its endeavours to realize the national reconciliation, he said.

Wang expressed the hope that relevant parties in Myanmar follow the "Panglong" spirit and realize long-standing peace at an early date through friendly consultations.

Suu Kyi, for her part, said that what Myanmar people most want now is peace, stability and development, highlighting that it is of utmost importance for Myanmar to cooperate with China to realize these goals.

She expressed appreciation of China's proposal to build the China-Myanmar economic corridor, saying the initiative is highly matched with Myanmar's national development plan.

Suu Kyi said that by participating in the corridor building, Myanmar hopes to cooperate with China in such priority areas as transport and electricity. They are the two sectors facing problems that call for urgent action in the country, she added.

Myanmar would like to develop synergy with China on the proposal of building the economic corridor at an early date, she said.

On the Rakhine state issue, Wang Yi said at the talks that it is complex and can only be properly addressed between Myanmar and Bangladesh through friendly consultations.

He called on the international community to create necessary conditions and an enabling environment for the settlement of the issue.

According to Wang, China has proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue.

Suu Kyi said Myanmar values the understanding for the country China has expressed on the Rakhine state issue and agrees to the China-proposed three-phase solution.

The Myanmar state counsellor hoped that China continues to play an important role in pushing for the early settlement of the Rakhine state issue.

After the talks, Wang Yi and Suu Kyi attended an agreements exchange ceremony as well as an unveiling ceremony of a Chinese cultural center.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:25:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Sunday said it would not relinquish its share in the Nile water according to the 1959 deal, reiterating its adherence to the declaration of principles on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

"There is no way for relinquishing Sudan's share in the Nile water as approved in the 1959 agreement," said Mutaz Mussa, Sudan's water resources and electricity minister.

He reiterated Sudan's commitment to the professional and scientific approach to resolving all differences in views and positions related to the GERD.

Regarding the difference over a report made by a French consultative firm on the GERD, Mussa said that "the talks on the GERD are waiting for the Egyptian side, which asked for a time to consult with its country's leadership after reservation on many issues."

"Sudan and Ethiopia expressed reservation over some essential points in the initial study on the GERD's economic, social and environmental impact. At the top of these points was the nature of the baseline data from which any studies relating to the operation of the dam start, a point over which the Egyptian side expressed reservation," noted the Sudanese minister.

He said that Sudan and Ethiopia had offered constructive and objective proposals and suggested demanding the consultative firm to provide explanations to boost the negotiations, but the Egyptian side told the meeting that it needed to consult with its country's leadership.

A round of negotiations between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia concluded in the Egyptian capital Cairo last week, without reaching an agreement on a report prepared by a French consultative firm on the GERD.

The report was prepared by the French firms BRL and Artelia which were mandated by the three countries to carry out the study on the GERD's impacts.

Egypt fears that the construction of the dam would affect its share in the Nile water, while Ethiopia reiterated that the dam is likely to make a shift in its wealth, namely in the field of electricity.

The GERD, extending on an area of 1,800 square km, is scheduled to be completed in three years at a cost of 4.7 billion U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:40:59|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 19, 2017. At the press conference, Wang Yi expressed support for Myanmar's peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has proposed building an economic corridor with Myanmar to further enhance bilateral pragmatic cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Sunday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi following their talks held earlier, Wang stressed that China and Myanmar have great potential for cooperation as they are highly complementary in economy.

To further enhance China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, China has proposed building the China-Myanmar economic corridor so as to form a large cooperation pattern between the two countries, Wang said.

The economic corridor, in consideration of Myanmar's national development plan and its actual needs, will start in north from China's Yunnan Province, go down south to the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, and further extend east to the new city of Yangon and west to the Kyaukpyu special economic zone, forming a three-pillar giant cooperation pattern, he explained.

Such a design is supposed to boost connectivity among large projects along the routes to have an integrated effect, and at the same time to boost balanced development across Myanmar, he said.

The proposal is a further development of China-Myanmar cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said, adding that the plan should take into consideration Myanmar's most urgent needs and start from projects that Myanmar needs most and gradually achieve mutual benefit.

At the press conference, the Chinese top diplomat also expressed support for Myanmar's peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country.

China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, are friendly neighbors and a community of common destiny, he said, adding that China hopes the Myanmar government follows the ""Panglong" spirit and realizes lasting peace in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:51:02|Editor: Yamei

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U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the Capitol to deliver remarks about tax reform in Washington D.C. Nov 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and congressional Republican leaders are pushing a major tax overhaul through Congress, but it remains unknown whether it will pass, amid a GOP split and rivalry with Democrats.

On Thursday, the GOP-led House of Representatives passed the most sweeping tax overhaul in decades, a major step forward toward the ultimate passage of a major tax revamp, which would provide over a trillion U.S. dollars in tax cuts to companies and individuals.

But not all Republicans are on board, as some in the GOP believe the legislation is tilted too far in favor of large over small corporations, and others believe that a repeal of the current healthcare laws should be included in the tax legislation. That begs the question of whether the bill can be passed by Republicans alone.

"The bill can pass without Democratic support as long as Republicans stay united," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "The challenge is that Senate Republicans are not completely united at this point."

Moreover, there are feuds between Trump and some GOP lawmakers, such as the one between the president and Senator John McCain, one of the most powerful members of the party.

Tensions began to simmer in September, when McCain, who was the Republican nominee for the 2008 U.S. presidential election, refused to back Trump's healthcare legislation, which would have repealed and replaced the previous administration's healthcare overhaul, known as Obamacare. As a result, Trump's legislation derailed.

Now, the stakes are high for the White House to pass some of the major legislation that Trump promised to pass while on the campaign trail. Failure to do so could mean trouble for the GOP-led Congress when voters head to the ballot box in the 2018 congressional elections.

At the same time as GOP divisions, experts say the vast majority of Democrats are unlikely to back the bill.

"The legislation is unlikely to attract Democratic votes because it provides much more tax relief for the wealthy versus the middle class. That is simply unacceptable to many Democrats," West said.

Alan Viard, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, told Xinhua: "If it doesn't pass without Democrats' support, it probably won't pass ... it's not clear that any Democrats will support it."

"It's not clear that the Republicans can get any Democrats on board. Providing additional tax cuts to the middle class, and scaling back the high-income tax cuts, might get a few Democrats on board, but that's far from certain," he said.

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, echoed those thoughts, saying "there is little likelihood of any Democrats supporting it in its current form."

"The bill has been written by GOP committees without input from Democrats, and to get Democrats on board would likely require a significant rewriting of complex legislation," he said.

"There are already GOP Senators expressing their concerns about the current structure of the bill. If there were to be a compromise, there is no way that it could meet the quick time frame that is the GOP goal for getting tax reform to President Trump' s desk," Mahaffee said.

Trump and Republican leaders in recent months have vowed to pass the tax bill by the end of the year to overhaul what they call an outdated tax system, in a bid to make U.S. companies more competitive.

While critics call it a tax break for the wealthy, the White House says the bill's follow-on effect will be to boost the U.S. economy and create jobs.

While U.S. economic growth has picked up somewhat in recent quarters, the president wants to push it higher. Trump would also like to provide incentive for U.S. corporations to return home, at a time when around 3 trillion U.S. dollars in profits are accumulated overseas by American companies.

Analysts said the stakes of tax reform are high, as failure to pass tax legislation could cost Republican Party control of Congress, and that would derail the businessman-turned-politician's presidency.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:56:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MANDALAY, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar-born overseas Chinese celebrated their ninth reunion in Myanmar's Mandalay region, showing the strong PaukPhaw (fraternal) relationship between China and Myanmar.

The 9th Reunion Celebration was held in significant venues in Mandalay region on Nov. 18-19.

About 1,000 people including about 400 Myanmar-born Chinese from China's Macao, China's Hong Kong and the United States attended the reunion ceremony.

PaukPhaw (fraternal) forums on the friendship between China and Myanmar were held as part of the reunion celebration.

During the ceremony, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, Mandalay Region chief minister, called on Myanmar-born overseas Chinese to assist the Myanmar government in human resource development. Their help are also needed in promoting foreign investments into the country to boost such sectors as transportation, education and health, he added.

The reunion celebrations of Myanmar-born overseas Chinese have been held every two years since 2000.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 05:16:09|Editor: Yamei

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Members of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party central committee attend a special meeting in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Nov. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told his countrymen on live television on Sunday evening that he will chair the ruling party's congress in December to resolve problems afflicting the ZANU-PF.

Mugabe's address on national television came after the ZANU-PF's decision earlier Sunday to recall him from the position of party leader and give him until noon Monday to resign as president or face impeachment proceedings.

In his address from the State House, Mugabe, flanked by army generals, acknowledged the presence of ills afflicting his party and said he would chair the ZANU-PF's congress next month to resolve the problems once and for all.

He said he was in agreement with the concern raised by the army generals in a meeting at State House that the infighting in the party was hurting the economy.

"Among the issues discussed (with the army generals) is that relating to our economy, which as we all know is going through a difficult patch. Of greater concern to our commanders are the well-founded fears that the lack of unity and commonness of purpose in both party and government was translating into perceptions of inattentiveness to the economy.

"Public spates between high ranking officials in the party and government, exacerbated by multiple conflicting messages from both the party and government, made the criticisms leveled against us inescapable," Mugabe said.

He said some of the conflicts in the party were being caused by inter-generational conflict which he said must be resolved and harmonized through merging of old established players as they embrace and welcome new rules.

"Indeed all these matters will be discussed and settled at the forthcoming congress within the framework of a clear radioman that seeks to resolve once and for all any omissions or contradictions that have affected our party negatively," Mugabe said.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now and I will preside over its processes, which must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

Mugabe said the military operation last Wednesday was triggered by concerns arising from their reading of the state of affairs in the country and the party.

"Whatever the pros and cons of the way they went about registering those concerns, I as the president of Zimbabwe and their commander -in-chief do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to and I do believe that these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern of the stability of our nation and for the welfare of our people."

Mugabe said in his meeting with the commanders they underscored the need for the party to collectively start process that return the nation to normalcy.

Mugabe said the military operation did not amount to a threat to the country's constitutional order nor was it a challenge to his authority as head of state and government and commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.

"The command element remained respectful, and computed within the dictates and mores of constitutionalism. True, a few incidents may have occurred here and there but these are being corrected," Mugabe said.

He said he was happy that throughout the short period of the military intervention the pillars of state remained functioning.

Mugabe said the infighting in his party was affecting government projects and said this should now stop as the party inaugurates a new work culture which shows a strong sense of purpose and commitment to turning around the fortunes of the economy.

Mugabe also acknowledged the role played by liberation war fighters and said the party will strive to cater for their welfare and ensure their participation in strategic party and government positions.

He said the party has to return to its guiding principles as enshrined in the constitution, which must apply fairly and equitably in all situations.

"The era of victimization and arbitrary decisions must be put behind as we all embrace a new ethos predicated on the supreme law of our party," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 06:01:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson has spoke by phone with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss the ongoing Syrian crisis, said the U.S. State Department on Sunday.

During the phone call on Saturday, Tillerson and Safadi exchanged views on the two countries' interest in maintaining the de-escalation area in southern Syria, said the State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert in a statement.

The top diplomats also discussed the upcoming UN-sponsored Syrian political talks in Geneva.

Meanwhile, Tillerson pledged continued strong U.S. support for Jordan, according to the statement.

On Sunday, the Syrian army and allied fighters fully captured the eastern city of al-Bukamal, the last Islamic State stronghold in Syria, leaving the extremist militants just a few pockets in northeastern and southern Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 06:11:18|Editor: pengying

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Image provided by Chile's Presidency shows that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet (R) casts her ballot during the presidential elections at a polling station in Santiago, capital of Chile, on Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua)

SANTIAGO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chileans are voting Sunday for their president from eight candidates, as well as electing the Chamber of Deputies and part of the Senate.

These elections in Chile, however, are not being dominated by the usual two leading parties of the center-left and right. The 2017 election stands out due to the sheer diversity of presidential candidates.

However, of the eight, the favorite is former president Sebastian Pinera, from the right-wing Chile Vamos (Let's Go Chile). It is expected he will go through to a second round against Alejandro Guillier, from the left-wing New Majority coalition.

When voting in Santiago, President Michelle Bachelet, who is not running for re-election, said "today is a very special day, a civic day, where all our compatriots can ensure their voice makes sense. They have a right to elect who they want to represent them from March 2018."

Sunday's elections are also unique, because of new electoral rules, which will lead to a new political landscape in the Latin American country.

In a country with very high abstention rates of late (65 percent participation in the 2013 local elections), there were fears this election would see a similar event. However, on Sunday morning, thousands were turning out at the polls.

New political rules are also hoped to break the dominance of the traditional parties. One major change could come with the rise of Frente Amplio (Broad Front), which is made up of left-wing parties who want to expand the political landscape and begin a new development model.

This election sees the start of a new proportional vote, which is likely to favor a greater diversity of parties in parliament, meaning more negotiations are likely to form a government.

Both chambers of Congress are also now under a new law, stating that neither men nor women can account for more than 60 percent of candidates. This has led to a slew of female candidates, accounting for almost 33 percent in this election.

President Bachelet, of the Socialist Party of Chile (PS), has suffered in the polls after her taxation, labor and education reforms, as well as the decriminalization of abortion, have proved divisive.

Guillier is representing the PS as well as three other left-wing groups. Hoping to overcome Pinera's lead in the polls, he said on Sunday that "the country is giving its opinion and the vote is the key to all democracy in all countries in the world. I hope it is a clean, transparent, very participative day and that what is at play is the good of the country."

For his part, Pinera, upon voting in Santiago, said that "in democracy, all must have the opportunity to freely express their opinion, without resorting to violence."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 06:21:20|Editor: Yurou

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Photo taken on Nov. 19, 2017 shows a general view of an extraordinary meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Arab foreign ministers condemned on Sunday Iran's intervention into Arab countries' affairs, saying they have asked the Arab group at the UN to address the President of the UN Security Council over Iran's violations. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Arab foreign ministers condemned on Sunday Iran's intervention into Arab countries' affairs, saying they have asked the Arab group at the UN to address the President of the UN Security Council over Iran's violations.

In a statement after the an extraordinary meeting requested by Saudi Arabia, the Arab foreign ministers said they will ask the Arab Group at the UN to address the UN Security Council over Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2231 on developing Tehran's ballistic missiles.

"This undermines Iran's allegations that its ballistic missile program is defensive as it threatens the Arabs' national security," the statement said.

The ministers also said they will ask the Arab Group to address the UNSC over Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2216 by providing armed militias in Yemen with weapons, considering targeting Saudi Arabia with an Iranian-made ballistic missile launched from Yemen as an offensive from Iran.

"The Arab Group will ask the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility to maintain international peace and security," according to the statement.

The Arab foreign ministers condemned Iran's intervention into the internal affairs of Bahrain by supporting terrorists, providing them with weapons and training as well as stirring sectarian sedition.

They said that Iran establishes terrorist groups inside Bahrain that were financed and trained by Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Revolutionary Guard of Iran.

The ministers held Hezbollah responsible for aiding terror groups in many Arab countries and providing them with up-to-date weapons, including ballistic missiles.

For decades, Shiite Iran has been demonized in the Sunni-dominated Arab world who accuses the Persian state of attempting to destabilize Arab states through aiding terror and opposition groups in many Arab countries.

However, Iran has always dismissed these accusations, saying it has always sought good ties with its Arab neighbors.

During the ministerial meeting, Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, who chaired the meeting, described Iran's interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries as a major challenge that should be immediately handled.

He said that Iran's unprecedented interference in Arab affairs could hinder efforts aimed at restoring Yemen's security and stability, he stressed, calling on top Arab diplomats to take a firm stance towards Iran's malpractices in the Arab region.

For his part, AL Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said targeting an Arab capital with ballistic missiles by illegal and regionally supported militants is a dangerous threat which should not be dealt with as a normal matter.

Aboul-Gheit underlined that the missile launched by Houthi militants on a Riyadh airport on November 4, repelled by the Saudi air defense, is another dangerous episode in a series of violations and intervention in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia.

He explained that the missiles were Iranian-made and considered to be a clear aggressive message from Iran that the Arab capitals were in the range of Tehran's ballistic missiles, stressing that the message was unacceptable, as the Arab countries were able to defend their security and stability, as well as they refused to live under threat.

In addition, the secretary general also pointed to Iran's interference and acts of sabotage, including the targeting of an oil pipeline in Bahrain on November 10, as well as proven facts of espionage networks in Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Iran must respect the sovereignty of Arab states and stop interfering in their domestic affairs.

Shoukry urged Tehran to maintain good relations with the neighboring Arab countries and stop fomenting sedition in the Arab region.

Egypt will not allow any country to undermine security of the Gulf and Arab countries or interfere in their domestic affairs, he stressed.

Addressing the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that AL response to hold this urgent meeting reflected the Arab countries' perception of grave dangers facing the security of the region due to the Iranian blatant intervention in the Arab internal affairs with the aim of destabilizing the region and provoking sectarian strife.

Al Jubeir added that the ballistic missile, which was fired by Houthi militants towards Riyadh, was part of a series of repeated Iranian attacks against Saudi Arabia, pointing out that about 80 Iranian ballistic missiles were fired by the Houthi group in Yemen.

He went on to say that Saudi Arabia would not pass this attack without a reaction or hesitate to defend its national security to maintain the safety of its people.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara Nov. 17, 2017. 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", Erdogan said on Friday. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

OSLO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg hoped that Turkey will accept her country's apology after Turkish leaders appeared on an "enemy chart" at a NATO military exercise in the Nordic country, public broadcaster NRK reported Sunday.

However, should Turkey want to talk more about the event, Norway will be open for that, Solberg said, adding that the relationship between Norway and Turkey is not in crisis and is "good".

"We are clear towards Turkey, and they are clear back towards us. Now I hope they accept our apology, so that we can move on," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

On Friday, Turkey announced to withdraw 40 Turkish troops from the NATO exercise at the Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, Norway, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's name and the picture of Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were used in an "enemy chart".

Following the incident, both NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen apologized to Turkey, saying the message was written by a Norwegian national who was hired to work on staff during the exercise and the individual was terminated immediately.

Erdogan said on Saturday that the incident is "a reflection of a distorted point of view that we have seen in NATO for a while" and the matter "cannot be covered over with a simple apology".
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!)
Baring any last minute magic show, the incumbent Governor of the state of Anambra, is coasting home to an emphatic and quite impressive victory.

Though the opponents arrayed against him were supposedly heavyweights, with the way things are going, its like they were more of paperweights than the heavyweights people had thought they were, as their perceived influence apparently carried no weight at the end of it. Even with the calculations and permutations done to wrest power from Chief Willie Obiano, even with all the hell raised by his former friend and political ally in the person of former Governor, Mr Peter Obi, it is like the people seem to prefer the tested hand to a new one, its likely saying the devil we know rather than the saint we dont!

The PDP particularly had raised so much dust, claiming the Governor never really did anything that warranted him needing a 2nd term, they had raised so much hoopla that at a point many felt that they had a chance to tip the apple cart and cause a major upset, infact with their final campaign just a day to the election, where former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan GCFR, Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, Governor Iyesom Wike of Rivers, Governor Arthur Okowa Ifeanyi of Delta, former Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel and many other bigwigs were present and had spoken against the incumbent and his party, the APGA one would have thought there was some major, very potent magic they were going to perform, but alas, there visit was inconsequential in every way, as the voters were apparently not convinced by them and at the end of the day, they the voters, voted their conscience- Willie Obiano!

The battle for 2nd position is a straight forward one between APCs Dr. Tony Nwoye and PDPs Oseloka Henry Obaze. UPPs own Osita Chidoka would most definitely come in a very distant 4th, all the other candidates from the other parties needed not to have contested at all in the first place, reason being that its like it was just their friends and family members and few associates that voted for them and it was just a waste of resources. Maybe their calculation is that they would get relevance by contesting, we would see after all the dust has finally settled down if they have.

We just hope that once Chief Willie Obiano is officially declared as the winner, which might be via a landslide victory that he had confidently predicted before the election began he would get, that he would be magnanimous in victory. And that he would close ranks with all his opponents (those willing to work with him though) so that at the end of it all, it would be Anambra that is the ultimate winner. Though a bit of gloating is allowed, it shouldnt be the type that would be to the detriment of the state. Its good that at least Obiano has finally dealt with the nuisance factor of Peter Obi and has somewhat shown him, that without him he can win an election quite easily.

Now that the people have openly showed to the world their confidence in OBIANO, what he should also do to thank them for the confidence reposed on him is to work, work and work, doing things that would greatly advance the quality of lives of Ndi Anambra.

So its another 4 years of the Obiano magic, lets wait and see what the man would do for this 2nd term.

Imagine that the curious thing this election has brought to fore, is that the IPOB who had greatly over estimated themselves, couldnt disrupt the election, which they had ask the citizens to boycott. Now its very obvious that they had given themselves credit that they didnt actually deserve.

The Nigerian Police and other security arms must be greatly commended for ensuring that a peaceful election took place, with next to no trouble recorded. Also INEC must also be commended for conducting what many have tagged a Free and Fair, rancour free election. Hope we can always expect this?

But the biggest commendation should be for the people, who we see as the real heroes, who despite the unwholesome intimidation from all sides, especially from an IPOB that had threatened death for daring to vote, they still went out and performed their civic duties and picked for themselves their own choice in returning the Governor. Kudos!

Any person or group of persons or entity that can afford to threaten her own people with death, just to get their support is not worth listening to at all. Those kind of people are the type that would turn out to be tyrants if given the chance. Everything in life is by choice, it must not be by force or intimidation.

Congratulations in advance sir. The people are expecting so much from you, one just hope that you wouldnt disappoint them.
A US-based Nigerian businessman was dazed in Lagos, when land agents led him to the lagoon after the part-payment for 150 plots offered for N787.5 million.

Kennedy Chukwuemeka Nwabuoku told detectives led by DCP Abutu Yaro, at the Force Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon, how he had paid N577, 590, 792 in installments among other charges, plus another N18million for bush clearing in February, and how the agents were sending him pictures and videos of caterpillars in action at the purported site at Ifedele Agunbiade Village, Sangotedo, in Eti-Osa area of Lagos.

Nwabuoku told the police that he bought the unseen land with a foreign partner and had paid in fiduciary trust, sending monies on different occasions through his company, KenBouk Global Investment Ltd.

Identified as Emeka Okoronkwo and Michael Owolabi Alonge, the agents, according to Nwabuoku, had offered the land for sale at N5, 250, 000 per plot with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

CollegegistNG learnt that members of Nwabuokus family in Nigeria who wanted to see the site were told that the land was in an area bought by prominent Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Oba Riliwanu Akiolu, and it was cordoned off so that ordinary citizens could not gain access.

When he became suspicious, Nwabuoku sent the C of O to a friend to verify, and the friend found that no such land or location described in the document existed.

He decided to visit Nigeria and inspect the land for which he had paid the property agent, Okoronkwo, who was identified as owner of Kings Court Realtors at Plot 321A, Akin Ogunlewe Street, Victoria Island.

When he was quizzed by the police on November 8, 2017, Okoronkwo allegedly admitted that he collected N603, 000, 000 for 100 plots, agency fees and legal fees through transfers to Kings Court Realtors accounts in two banks.
A former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has advised politicians that politics should not be about life and death.

Obasanjo gave the advice in Calabar, Cross River State at the public presentation of a book titled: Stepping Forward with Uti J.D. Agba, written by Goddy Jedy-Agba and Mathias Okoi-Uyouyo.

The former president, who was the special guest of honour, said politicians who failed to win election could help those who won to succeed.

He said, Politics should not be about life and death. If you cannot be the chief servant, you can be the assistant chief servant. This is because the chief servant cannot do it on his own. He has to work with others.

In his comment, Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, said politicians who could not be in power to serve should support those in power.

He stressed the need for all to work together for the development of the people.

Power is like the wind which blows away. In using power, one must do so with the fear of God, Ayade said.

The governor launched the book for N5m on behalf of the state government and another N5m on behalf of himself.

One of the authors Mr Goddy Jedy Agba said Cross Riverians were one people, hence the need for all irrespective of their background to work towards the development of the state.

He expressed gratitude to all who made the event a success.

Uti J.D. Agba, the Paramount Ruler of Obudu in Cross River State is the longest-serving monarch in Africa and the second longest serving monarch in the world after the Queen of England, having been on the throne for 58 years.

The book was reviewed by Prof Kalu Uka of the University of Uyo.

Dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Etsu Nupe of Nupe Kingdom, Alhaji Dr Yahaya Abubakar; Uti J.D Agba; the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V; former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke; and Senator John Owan Enoh; Special Adviser to the President on Prosecution, Mr Okoi Obono Obla, among others.
Three Nigerian students have been arrested by narcotics police in Cyprus, over sale of 13 packets of drugs believed to be synthetic cannabinoid and ecstasy.

The three have been identified as Raymon Stephen Ekerete, Mary Jane Ahunna Onuegbu and Isabella Abosede Brown.

According to Police officer Mahir Ture, Ekerete one the suspects arraigned in court for additional detention, was arrested in front of his apartment building, while Onuegbu was arrested in her room. Scales used in drug weighing and materials used in the packaging the drugs were also retrieved from them.

More photos of them after the cut.
As ridicule never killed anyone, ailing Abdelaziz Bouteflika will not quit the Algerian Presidency after his fourth term. Despite his health condition, which has confined him to a wheelchair, his inability to speak intelligibly in public or even meet visiting counterparts, Bouteflika is poised to run for a fifth term. That is what his henchman, Farouk Ksentini announced to the Algerian press.

Ksentini, who is surprisingly head of the national Advisory Commission for human rights protection and promotion, said, I met President Bouteflika last week. We talked for an hour. This is the fourth time we meet this year. I knew him for thirty years and I noticed that he has a strong will to run for a fifth term. It is his right and we will back him.

Ksentini added in a statement to Algerian news outlet TSA, that Bouteflika wants to stay in power until he dies.

He also discarded the possibility of Bouteflika leaving the presidency in favor of his brother Said, who was reportedly secretly preparing to run for elections.

Ksentini went on to say that he saw that the President was in good health and that his analysis of the political situation is perfect, Yet he acknowledged that his voice has diminished and that he has difficulty moving his feet although his mental health is intact.

All that has been said about his memory loss or his incapacity to think is false. His health is improving with time, he claimed.

Bouteflika is not obliged to participate in the electoral campaign, Ksentini said. He has enough well-qualified people in his entourage who can do it on his behalf.

The statement of Ksentini, whose racist remarks regarding sub-Saharans are no secret, are indicative of a crumbling regime in denial and myopic to the impending economic and political crisis that threatens the countrys fragile stability and social peace.

As the Algerian economy crumbles against the backdrop of dwindling oil revenues, Algerian officials continue to seek comfort in time-buying measures shunning real structural reforms. This attitude also marks their analyses of the uncertainties concerning the failing health of Bouteflika, whose public appearances are a thing of the past.

The opacity characterizing the Algerian regime leaves little hope for a transparent and peaceful transition from Bouteflikas era to the next. The election of Bouteflika was a time-buying measure for the vying clans within the regime to reach a consensus on a successor to Bouteflika who would preserve the status-quo of a regime where interests of corrupt military officials are interlinked with clientelist businessmen.
Record Number of Black Candidates Seeking History During Midterm Elections

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Tell the Supreme Court: We Still Need Affirmative Action

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A vandalized image of Mugabe on a billboard in Harare. Photo: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images

Zimbabwes 93-year-old dictator, Robert Mugabe, was told to resign or face removal by his own political party on Sunday. Though he had been expected to resign in a televised address on Sunday night, Mugabe ended his remarks without doing so. Earlier in the day, Mugabe was ousted as the leader of his ruling party and told he would face impeachment by the countrys parliament if he did not resign within 24 hours. Mugabe, who was placed under house arrest following a military takeover on Wednesday, has run the country since the end of its war for independence in 1980. One way or another, his 37-year rule is now undoubtedly at an end.

The Guardian reports that the governing ZANU-PF party held emergency talks on Sunday and voted to remove Mugabe as its leader and expel his wife, who leads the partys Womens League, for life. Former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa was appointed his successor. Mugabe has refused to step down, so far, but the pressure to do so from the military and within his own government has continued to build, and party and military leaders worked, unsuccessfully, to negotiate his resignation over the weekend.

People cheered and danced in ZANU-PF headquarters following the vote to oust Mugabe on Sunday:

This is Mugabes political party dancing after sacking him & expelling his wife. Today is historic in Zimbabwe... pic.twitter.com/sfOEp3onju  Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) November 19, 2017

On Saturday, thousands of Zimbabweans held a rally opposing Mugabe in the nations capital, Harare, tearing up pictures of the leader and marching on his office and residence carrying banners. The Sunday Times Christina Lamb was there, and she reported that the diverse protests felt like a revolution, and that the fear that Zimbabweans had of Mugabe finally seemed to be gone.

People hold anti-Mugabe placards during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Zimbabwes president on November 18, 2017, in Harare. Photo: Zinyange Auntony/AFP/Getty Images

The former vice-president, Mnangagwa, was fired by Mugabe two weeks ago in a power grab meant to establish Mugabes wife, Grace, as his likely successor. A former intelligence chief and senior official in the ZANU-PF party, Mnangagwa had strong support from within the military, and his firing precipitated the coup, which he and military leaders had already been planning. Mnangagwa is now likely to become the countrys next president, but exactly how much of an improvement he will be over Mugabe remains an open question. Mnangagwa was responsible for repressing opposition political parties in Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2008, and his critics have accused him of having his own autocratic tendencies.

This post originally stated that Mugabe was expected to resign on Sunday night, and was updated when he did not.
Annet Lekeru

Having lost her mother who she depended for a living, ANNET LEKURU's future was blurred.

This was in 2000 while she was in primary six. However, hopping from various homes searching for help consequently inspired her to start a charity organization to equip women, girls and children with life skills that would help them become responsible citizens. She shared her life story with Arthur Matsiko.

Lekuru had become helpless and desperate for education until her maternal aunt, Florence Alezuyo, came to her rescue. Although her assistance was timely, it did not last.

Lekuru was in senior two at St Marys Ediofe Girls secondary school when Alezuyo told her she had run out of money.

After narrating her challenging life story to various individuals, one of her late mothers friends became her new hope. He sponsored her until 2010 when she graduated with a diploma in Catering and Hotel Management at Jimmy Sekasi Institute of Catering And Hotel Management in Arua.



AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST

The 28-year-old mother of two did not practice what she studied. Arguably, her destiny was shaped otherwise.

During St Augustines melody choir practices at Christ the King parish in Arua town, fellow members asked her to approach Radio Pacis for a candidate mentor programme. They convinced her because, they said, she has a good voice which she could use to work as a radio presenter.

Luckily, Lekuru was offered a career opportunity in 2011 at Radio Pacis where she worked as a talk show host, news anchor and reporter. Her work was noticed by the Africa Centre for Media Excellence in 2014 when she was named runner-up under the category of justice, law and order in the Uganda National Journalism awards. This, she says, has been her best achievement in the trade she never went to school for.

Working with a radio station was very thrilling because I was in an industry which people think is for celebrities, yet I was expected to deliver, she says. This was exciting, but also not easy because the pay was miserable. However, at the end of the day, serving people is what I believe I was born to do.

Feeling that she had given her best in radio journalism, Lekuru resigned in April 2015 to try out new challenges.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Meanwhile, she was a member of a social media group where colleagues would post their businesses to attract and expand markets for their products and services. Although she was doing no business at the time, Lekuru wrote on the platform that she was selling honey.

When members read my post, they immediately started asking me to send them honey to their respective locations, she says. Because honey is abundant in Arua, I used my savings and started buying and selling honey.

She would send honey to her Kampala-based clients through buses from Arua. Upon appreciating its quality, customers kept marketing it to colleagues.

The business became so lucrative that she had to leave Arua for Kampala, travelling with 14 litres of honey.

While marketing her business amongst friends at Uganda Radio Network (URN) offices, a conversation with one of the directors earned her a second job in journalism.

I was supposed to enroll at Kampala International University for a bachelors degree in Applied Statistics and Economics, but did not have the money, she says. So, the job offer at URN was timely.

Here, she worked as a freelance and retainer journalist before being offered a full-time job and subsequently posted to East Acholi region in Kitgum, until she resigned to focus on personal work.



CHARITY

Lekuru conceived the idea of founding Feminature Uganda, a not-for-profit organization in 2014, and registered it in 2016.

However, the challenges she went through after the death of her mother, Sarah Lekuru, in 2000, and her father Nasur Yeliga three years later, inspired her to become a helpful person to others. This was because society did not abandon her when she was helpless.

With her five colleagues, the organization focuses on empowering women, girls and children with various skills that would help them become responsible and reliable citizens.

Feminature Uganda operates under thematic areas which include governance and human rights, peace building and conflict resolution, education, agriculture and livelihood skills development. They also deal with health, sanitation, environmental protection and advocacy.

Although it is in its initial stages, the organization boasts of training some locals in Arua on how to make reusable sanitary pads.

I got the idea of pads when I met a girl being laughed at by male schoolmates because she had soiled her school uniform, she says.

I took her to my home from where she bathed, and I gave her some pads. When I realized the challenges such girls go through, especially on their first menstrual experience, I decided to conduct a door-to-door training on making reusable sanitary pads within my locality.

Using savings from her honey business, Lekuru also conducted a business challenge with rural women in Arua whom she asked to come up with business ideas. Although the challenge was informal, the winning group won a Shs 2m cash prize which they invested into piggery.

In preparation for this years World Malaria day, Feminature Uganda organized an essay writing competition dubbed The Malaria Challenge for primary five to primary seven pupils in selected schools in Arua.

The challenge was for the participating pupils to write essays about transmission, prevention and treatment of malaria. Out of the 16 participants from four schools, the three winners took home scholastic materials including books, pens and mathematical sets, among others.

The overall winning pupil took home a cash prize of Shs 100,000, whereas their school got an accolade. For Lekuru, such initiatives intend to inform and raise awareness about various issues affecting our society.

Christine Juruna, a businesswoman in Kampala, who is also a voluntary financial administrator at Feminature Uganda, talks of Lekuru as a young woman inspiring her community.

She has created a platform for the voiceless and has concern for the marginalized groups of people, Juruna says.

Besides charity, Lekuru runs a blog, is a member of the National Female Journalists Forum and is pursuing a bachelors degree in Local Governance and Human Rights at Uganda Martyrs University.



matsiko@observer.ug
Dr Abed Bwanika

Former presidential candidate Dr Abed Bwanika has written to telecommunications companies MTN and Airtel asking for help to collect signatures of Ugandans who support the idea of a national referendum to decide the issue of lifting presidential age limits.

In a letter dated November 15, 2017, Bwanika, through his lawyers, first wrote to the Electoral Commission saying that the exercise of collecting signatures had been slowed down by police brutality and other lawless vigilantes who have been confiscating signed materials.

This abuse has been replicated in many parts of the country, a letter to the EC reads in part.

Our client is asking MTN and Airtel to collect these signatures through SMS by which persons will send particulars of their national identification number and district of origin to codes given by MTN and Airtel.

Through Rwakafuzi and Company advocates, on November 16, Bwanika wrote to Airtel saying: Our client informed the Electoral Commission that he intends to petition for a referendum for the amendment of Articles 102(b) and 105(2) of the Constitution. The commission allowed our client to collect those signatureswe intend to collect those signatures under the Electronic Signatures Act via SMS to a code generated by you, the service provider, with a license to collect such signatures.

The same letter was sent to MTN Uganda. Bwanika wants the issue of removal of age limits from the constitution to be put to a referendum for Ugandans to decide.

However, some people have argued that given the history of elections in Uganda, such a referendum may not reflect the will of the people.

President Museveni will be 76 in 2021 and, therefore, not eligible to stand for president under the current constitutional provisions. The push to change the constitution has been seen as mainly to accommodate him.

The deputy spokesman at EC, Paul Bukenya, was unable to comment, saying yesterday that his boss, Jotham Taremwa, would be better placed to respond on the matter. By press time, Taremwas known phones were not being answered.
Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party dismissed President Robert Mugabe today as leader of the party and has installed former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the party's new chief. Mugabe had dismissed Mnangagwa as vice president of Zimbabwe last week.

Party leaders have also expelled Mugabe's wife, Grace, leader of the ZANU-PF Women's League, from membership in the ruling party.

Days numbered: Robert Mugabe is still president of Zimbabwe but only for a short while

If Mugabe does not willingly step down from the presidency, impeachment is a possibility, the opposition's parliamentary chief whip Innocent Gonese told the Associated Press. The MDC-T leader said MDC-T and ZANU-PF had been in discussions to act jointly.

"If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in," Gonese said.

On Saturday, thousands of exuberant Zimbabwean demonstrators flooded the streets of Harare, some of whom marched toward the official residence of Mugabe amid nationwide protests calling for the his resignation.

#Zimbabwe dance party extended to Washington DC. Zimbabweans living in USA dancing to Jah Prayzah's song 'Mdara Achauya' to show their solidarity with their counterparts back home pic.twitter.com/glrNfH3vGn  The Observer (@observerug) November 19, 2017

The protesters  some carrying signs that said, "Mugabe must go!" and "Not coup but cool"  came within 200 meters of the gates to the complex and staged a sit-down protest after being halted by national troops.

The State House is where Mugabe is under official house arrest and where negotiations for Mugabe's departure have taken place.

"This is not fair. Why are soldiers preventing us to march to the State House," said 26-year-old Rutendo Maisiri. "It is wrong. We will stay put."

Mugabe's nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Saturday his uncle and his uncle's wife were "ready to die for what is correct." Speaking from an undisclosed location in South Africa, Zhuwao said Mugabe had no plans to resign in order to validate what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao said his 93-year-old uncle's health was "good," although he has gotten little sleep since the military seized control on Wednesday.

The military has stopped such demonstrations in the capital in the past, but is now supporting the protests, directing demonstrators to the Zimbabwe Grounds where speeches were made by activists, politicians, and former freedom fighters calling for the president to resign.

The Zimbabwe Grounds is a symbolic location. It is where Zimbabweans welcomed Mugabe's return from exile in 1980 after the liberation war from white minority rule.

#Zimbabwe's once feared military is now a friend to many of the country's citizens, who've welcomed its recent take over of the state pic.twitter.com/eARaeMZaJW  The Observer (@observerug) November 18, 2017

Demands intensify

Members of opposition groups are expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations over Mugabes political future.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, told journalists that the protests are designed to push the president out of office.

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 last week from South Africa, where he is being treated for cancer.

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.
To fill the void left by the striking doctors, the Uganda Police Force has deployed 16 doctors and opened its medical facilities across the country to the general public to access health services.

Newly appointed Police spokesperson, Emilian Kayima says the Inspector General of Police directed the director Uganda Police Health Services, Dr Moses Byaruhanga on Friday to join ministry of health and the army medical team to provide services to Ugandans following the medical workers' strike that enters into the third week tomorrow, Monday.

"The Inspector General of Police on Friday last week, gave a directive to the director Uganda Police Force health services to support the ministry and of course the other teams from the UPDF and UPS [Uganda Prisons Services]. This directive has been complied with and when you come to Kampala you find these services given in Kibuli, in Nsambya. You go to Rukungiri, you go to Arua, you go to Masaka, you go to Soroti, you go to Tororo, you go to Mbale - all these facilities are there.

It is therefore our appeal to members of the public out there who may not have not known this, to freely come for these services. And I must stress that these services are totally free of charge. The total number of doctors we have across the country is 16 but of course we have other health service providers", Kayima said.

Doctors in the theatre at Nsambya hospital recently

The deployment of police doctors follows a request from the health minister, Jane Ruth Aceng to President Yoweri Museveni early this week to authorise the ministry to seek for doctors from armed forces to attend to patients.

Kayima however, says the police doctors will not move to Mulago, Kiruddu and Kawempe hospitals as had been requested by the health ministry but they will work with doctors or in hospitals within their localities. The army promised to deploy 10 doctors and about 20 nurses but said they were waiting for "logistics" from the side of government.



Medical doctors laid down their tools on November 6 to compel government to give them a pay rise, improve their welfare and working conditions. They are demanding improved remunerations, disbandment of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, which they claim has continued harassing them and a review of supply chain management of medicines, vaccines and medical supplies.

Government has since dismissed the strike as illegal, saying Uganda Medical Association (UMA), which called for the strike isn't a trade union and therefore cannot negotiate with on behalf of the doctors. There are about 1200 doctors including intern doctors on strike according to UMA.



Early this week, President Museveni accused the doctors of betrayal, warning that they will pay for the consequences of their defiance. While addressing a rally at Karambi sub-county grounds in Burahya county in Kabarole district, Museveni said the doctors are going to regret their decision to lay down their tools.



He warned that the doctors risk being sacked if they continue with the strike because government is going to recruit new doctors. The striking doctors have reportedly been asked by ministry of health to leave the government facilities including the hospitals and staff houses. Dr Ekwaro Obuku, the Uganda Medical Association president said, threats from the ministry and the president will not.

He said indeed if the president says they doctors will regret their decision to lay down tools, they are already regretting why they did not strike earlier.
Every grocery store has a smell. This one, though, is a different sort.

Its part patchouli oil and free-trade soap, yeast and stale sunshine.

What is that smell, anyway? said my eldest, walking past a field of bulk bins.

That, my dear, is the smell of people who dont buy American cheese.

She nodded her head in understanding as I explained its the same difference one gets sniffing an L.L. Bean versus a Sears.

We both agreed that whatever the exact provenance of the amalgam of aromas, we liked it very much and felt like we were making good choices just being there, wandering the aisles.

Oh, oh! Can we get fancy stuff from the bakery case? she asked.

Health food stores always have the most decadent desserts cases. Its as if they are trying to somehow make up for all the kale. I told my cherub, Well have to wait and see, but we both knew it was a sure thing.

Lets get what we came for before we do anything, I said, stopping to poke at a vat of honey.

We were there for a special edible with the bewitching ability to make literally anything taste good: freshly ground, sugary-coated peanuts (sorry, I mean honey roasted). And yes, they must be freshly ground by me pushing a button on a grinding machine, extruding a warm and wonderful paste that causes tiny carrot sticks and apple slices the world over to bow down at its brilliance.

Yeah, Im kind of a sucker for ground peanut butter. I even went as far as asking the grocery manager at my common mans market if they could get one of those peanut grinder things. I think I offended him, like asking a short person if he thinks he will get any taller.

He gave me the, Hey lady, you cant have your Captain Crunch and your health store peanut grinder too look. Its one or the other.

But as much as I enjoy the perfection that is freshly ground peanut butter, I clearly did not enjoy it as much as the guy my daughter and I were now watching like a zoo animal at the health food store. In his stylish plaid and even more stylish beard, he was curled up next to the nut machine. He was chatting it up with the employee who was having to restock the peanut grinder thanks to his shenanigans.

I might be here a while, he said to us, in a way that made me wish Id brought a camping chair and a Readers Digest.

He was licking peanut butter out of a tiny sample cup, as if he needed to sample the peanut butter he was clearly very well acquainted with. I was hard-pressed to pass judgement, however, as I was also licking well-acquainted-with peanut butter from a tiny sample cup. So was my kid.

As he dined, the grinder squeezed out one quart of fresh peanut butter. He tamped down the paste, clearly an expert on the process. He topped off his quart and then reached for another.

Settle down, man, my daughter whispered to me.

Then he grabbed a third quart. I began to wonder if we should go get security. This guy was clearly on a peanut butter bender.

We decided to go hit the bakery case and come back. We figured the guy would either be gone or dead upon our return. Either way, wed get the machine.

We eventually returned and got our pint of fresh peanut butter, which now felt like a rather meager portion, along with our two baked goodies and, as an added bonus, a sample of pie in a tiny plastic cup, which we licked out because we accidently dropped our tiny sample spoons on the ground.

We took one last inhale and headed to the parking lot. All in all, another successful trip to the health food store.
Cambridge soldier receives new rank

LATHAM  Maj. Gen. Anthony P. German, the adjutant general for the state of New York, announces the recent promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership.

Parker Bruce of Cambridge, assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-108th Infantry, received a promotion to the rank of specialist.

Army National Guard promotions are based on overall performance, attitude, leadership ability and development potential.

These promotions additionally recognize the best-qualified soldiers and attract and retain the highest-caliber citizen soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard.

For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov or www.1800goguard.com.

National Guard soldiers reenlist

LATHAM  Maj. Gen. Anthony P. German, the adjutant general, announced the recent reenlistment of members of the state National Guard in recognition of their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of the Army National Guard. Local soldiers include:

Sgt. Kevin Baker of Glens Falls, reenlisted for continued service with the 1427th Transportation Company;

Staff Sgt. Jarod Barber of Salem, reenlisted for continued service with the Company C, 2-108th infantry;

Sgt. Brendon Emery of Glens Falls, reenlisted for continued service with the 1427th Transportation Company;

Staff Sgt. Michael Farrell of Greenwich, reenlisted for continued service with the 206th Military Police Company;

Sgt. Carmen Leduc of Hudson Falls, reenlisted for continued service with the 1427th Transportation Company;

Sgt. Russell Smith of Queensbury, reenlisted for continued service with the 1427th Transportation Company;

Sgt. First Class Mark Wilson of Queensbury, reenlisted for continued service with the Headquarters and Support Company, 42nd Infantry Division; and

Sgt. Robert Yandow of Corinth, reenlisted for continued service with the 1427th Transportation.

For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov orwww.1800goguard.com.

Soldiers begin military careers

LATHAM  Maj. Gen. Anthony P. German, the adjutant general of New York, announced the recent service accomplishment of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their initial commitment to serve community, state and nation.

The newest citizen soldiers to complete Army basic combat training and advanced individual training were welcomed to their units during a New York Army National Guard battle hand-off ceremony. Local soldiers include:

Pfc. Bryanna Millard of Whitehall, who was formally welcomed into the 1427th Transportation Company during a transition ceremony at the Queensbury Soldier Readiness Center in Queensbury; and

Pvt. Norman Wilcox of Argyle, who was formally welcomed into the Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry during a transition ceremony at the Queensbury Soldier Readiness Center in Queensbury.

The ceremony marks their completion of the National Guard Recruit Sustainment Program, a preparatory training program that provides new recruits with training, lessons and skills to excel at their initial military training.

The soldiers will now embark on their traditional National Guard service to state and nation as part-time citizen soldiers.

For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov or www.1800goguard.com.
Indiana teacher earns top honor

MARTINSVILLE, Ind.  Andrew Smith, a teacher at Scecina Memorial High School, has been named the 2017 Indiana History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nations leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education. He is the son of Bob and Gayle Smith of Fort Edward.

Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories. In fall 2017, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.

A 2006 Fort Edward High School graduate, Smith received his bachelors degree at Hobart and William Smith Colleges located in Geneva in 2010. In 2012, he completed a masters degree in American History from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Smiths passions for history and technology have been combined in his classroom, and his students have reaped the benefits. He creates a classroom atmosphere in which history and current issues are directly correlated to students lives through undertaking finance projects, analyzing community-based issues and understanding government documents. When students leave his classroom they have not only learned valuable information, they have become engaged and informed world citizens.

In addition to an honorarium and an award ceremony in Indiana, Smiths school library will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. Smith will also receive an invitation to a 2018 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, a weeklong program that offers teachers daily discussions with eminent historians, visits to historic sites and hands-on work with primary sources.

Osgood receives chemistry award

GENESEO  Arianna Osgood of Queensbury, a junior chemistry major at SUNY Geneseo, has received the American Chemical Society/Joint Polymer Education Committee Award for Achievement in Organic Chemistry.

Osgood is a graduate of Queensbury High School. At Geneseo, she is a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and participates in college choral and vocal ensembles.

Students make honorary society

CANTON  St. Lawrence University students have been inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honorary society. Local students include:

Hannah S. Jones of Hampton, a member of the Class of 2019 majoring in biology. Jones attended Granville Junior Senior High School; and

Emma L. Kitchner of Hudson Falls, a member of the Class of 2019 majoring in mathematics and physics. Kitchner attended Hudson Falls High School.

Membership eligibility for Pi Mu Epsilon varies by class year, but all students must have taken a qualifying number of mathematics courses and have achieved minimum grade point averages in those courses, as well as overall, depending upon ones seniority.
The third leading cause of death in the U.S.  just behind heart disease and cancer  is death by hospital error, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins' Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.

If youre older than 65, theres more than a 14 percent chance your hospital visit will make you sicker.

And according to other patient safety research estimates, as many as 440,000 people die annually from preventable medical errors in U.S. hospitals.

Thats more than 1,000 preventable deaths a day.

But because of a lack of transparency and few reporting mandates, such errors are not always reported or tracked, leaving the public often unaware.

It tends to happen to a patient here, a patient there," said Matt Austin, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins' Armstrong Institute, on Thursday.

Because the errors and the deaths are spread out, they tend to pass unnoticed.

People go to hospitals to get better, Austin said. Unfortunately, bad things happen  people need to be aware of a hospitals safety record.

In 2011 an expert panel of patient safety experts from around the country  Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Stanford, UC Davis, UCLA, Vanderbilt, the Centers for Disease Control and University of Pennsylvania  along with a national nonprofit health-care ratings organization, Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, began working toward a way to measure hospital safety.

Thirty safety outcome measures were identified, including infections, patient falls and deaths from treatable conditions following surgery. Over time, the measures have changed, said Austin, with 27 today.

We started thinking about how to issue a safety rating on hospitals, Austin said. We define safety as freedom from harm. 

Following the work of the panel, the Leapfrog Group began assigning letter grades five years ago to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms.

Grades range from A to F, and 59 hospitals have always received an A.

Only a handful of New York state hospitals earned an A grade, with the state ranking 47th out of 49. Brooklyn alone has two failing-grade hospitals.

Its really important for people to consider what hospital they go to, said Erica Mobley, director of operations for Leapfrog, in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon.

Its possible to have world-class surgeons, but if the staff is not equipped with the right knowledge ... it doesnt matter how great the surgery was, Mobley said. Its really terrifying how many things can go wrong and do go wrong ... it really requires a strong commitment from administration and safety needs to be top of mind every day.

Locally, Saratoga Hospital ranks among the states seven highest-graded hospitals and is the only one in the Capital Region to receive an A on their fall report card. The hospital has received an A for the past four grading periods.

We are very pleased. It is a composite score of many, many activities and things that our employees, front-line caregivers, doctors do. Every single day (they) come to work with these outcomes in mind, said Mary Jo LaPosta, senior vice president of patient care and organizational excellence, in an interview on Thursday morning. All of these things represent a cultural commitment to safety.

Glens Falls Hospital earned a B grade this fall, up from a spring C and two other C grades; Ellis Medicine in Schenectady earned a D; and Albany Medical Center earned a C. Both Ellis and Albany Medical had B grades in 2015.

A Glens Falls Hospital spokeswoman released a statement Thursday to The Post-Star, regarding the health grades.

We believe that these health grades don't always show an accurate representation of an organization, as they are based on measures that dont always portray a precise reflection of patient safety or quality, due to the way in which the data is reported, the statement reads.

Getting to the grades

Nearly two decades ago, the Institute of Medicine shocked the medical community when it released data showing that nearly 100,000 people a year were dying from hospital errors.

Since that 1999 study, researchers have found the problems were underestimated.

In 2010, the Office of Inspector General for Health and Human Services said bad hospital care contributed to the deaths of 180,000 patients a year in Medicare alone.

By 2013, Dr. John James, a retired NASA toxicologist, spurred by his own 19-year-old sons death from hospital error, published in the Journal of Patient Safety that about 440,000 patient deaths a year were due to preventable errors.

The numbers are staggering, Mobley said.

The measures created by the expert panel fall into two domains that look at how hospitals promote safety and their processes and structures.

The panel had to decide what data to use, how to apply it fairly and what to do if there was missing data for a hospital. The team decided to use national data for consistency.

Take MRSA and C-diff infections  the numbers come from the NHSN. It is a high-risk adjustment model, Austin said.

The NHSN is the Centers for Disease Controls National Healthcare Safety Network, an extensive infection tracking system.

The network estimates, based on a hospitals size and patient base, how many MRSA infections a hospital should expect. Scores are based on whether the hospital did better or worse than expected.

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a hospital-acquired bacterial staph infection that is resistant to many antibiotics. MRSA can be found in bed linens or on medical equipment and can be spread if providers do not properly wash their hands between patients.

MRSA can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, pneumonia and surgical site infections.

Both Glens Falls Hospital and Saratoga Hospital scored in the red zone, because they had more than their expected number of MRSA infections.

Conversely, at Ellis Medicine and Albany Medical Center, MRSA scores were in the green because they had fewer MRSA infections than expected.

Understanding the grades

While some measures are based on expected outcomes like infections, others are based on actual numbers out of 1,000 patients. Take, for example, death from treatable serious complications  pneumonia, heart attack, loss of kidney or liver function  after surgery. If the hospital does not properly manage these conditions, patients can die.

Glens Falls Hospital scored in the red, with 166.8. This number represents the number of surgical patients who died for every 1,000 people who had a serious treatable complication after surgery at the hospital over a two-year period.

Saratoga Hospital scored in the green, with 128; Ellis Medicine in the red with 143; and Albany Medical Center in the red with 153.

A big area for improvement at New York hospitals, especially in more urban areas, is communication, which experts say is key to better outcomes. This report card measure is based upon patients perspectives on care and how well patients feel their nurses and doctors explained things, listened to them and treated them with courtesy and respect.

Experts say effective communication between caregivers and patients can be reassuring to patients and can prevent errors like medication mix-ups or misdiagnoses.

Saratoga Hospital and Glens Falls Hospital both scored in the low 90s, earning them a spot in the green for communication; while Ellis Medicine was placed in the red with a score of 89; and Albany Med in the red with scores of 89 and 90.

When dealing with patients, communication is planned, purposeful and standardized, Saratoga Hospital's LaPosta said, adding that different resources are important, like the voice-activated communication devices caregivers wear on lanyards around their necks. That way, nurses can talk directly to a doctor about patients.

The safest way is direct communication, it equals good outcomes, LaPosta said.

All patient rooms at Saratoga Hospital have white boards for families, patients and staff to write notes to each other.

Staff might write, Susan likes to walk in the morning; that way everyone knows, LaPosta said.

Intensive care unit physician staffing, another report card measure, is one on which area hospitals scored poorly. Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital and Ellis Medicine ranked in the Worst Hospital Category for this measure, each with scores of 5. Albany Med did much better with a yellow caution and a score of 45.

The best hospitals in the country had scores of 100, meaning they adequately staffed their ICUs with board-certified intensivists, who are doctors trained in working with extremely ill patients.

The data is pretty staggering. Mortality (death) rates for patients co-managed by intensivists are 40 percent lower in the ICU, Austin said. We are pushing hospitals toward more board-certified intensivists in the ICU. And it provides the opportunity for the hospitals to use tele-intensivists (available through videoconferencing), who have proven equally effective.

Nonetheless, LaPosta said Saratoga Hospital does staff its ICU appropriately.

Twenty-four hours a day, a physician is present. We have a wonderful team of intensivists that come from critical care medicine working with our team, she said.

After report cards are released

The report cards are just part of the picture. The real work happens every day in the hospitals. And experts caution that the grades are not necessarily pointing at doctors or specific hospitals, but rather offering a way to focus on and improve patient safety.

I believe the report cards are important and the grades can serve as a mechanism to have a conversation with a hospital or your doctor about their safety record, Austin said.

Mobley said she has seen a shift in hospitals toward paying more attention to safety measures.

Improvement is possible, very achievable, she said, pointing to Rhode Island.

In the first year the report cards came out, there were no A hospitals in the state. With this last round of grades, the state ranks No. 1 in patient safety.

Saratoga's LaPosta contends that, long before the Leapfrog measures existed, the hospital was engaged in looking at safety practices. For example, she said, the hospital has been tracking patient falls and putting fall prevention measures in place or more than a decade.

We invested resources to keep patients from falling, she said. We are not driven by external report cards, but internally for the best care. We pay attention to outcome measures and how to get the best outcome and monitor how well we are achieving those outcomes.

As measured on the report cards, patient fall data comes from an actual number of patient falls per 1,000 patients. Most recently, Albany Med was in the red with 0.42 falls per 1,000 patients; Ellis Medicine in the red with 0.79; Glens Falls in the green with 0.19; and Saratoga in the green with 0.27.

At Saratoga Hospital, caregivers assess a patients fall risk by using evidence-based practices and put protections in place designed by a fall prevention team.

We know that the more the elderly stay in bed, they become deconditioned and disoriented, so we keep them walking every day, LaPosta said. We keep them up and keep them walking.
I asked local political parties to put community before party on Wednesday.

I asked them to adopt a code of ethics, demanding vigorous factual debate while refraining from misleading campaign literature, social media and advertising.

After the ugliness in Queensbury, it is what is needed.

It is what is necessary.

Ill go further and argue it was the message voters sent to Queensbury Republicans on Election Day.

For me, my suggestion was a desperation plea for a commitment to the highest ideals of our democracy. It was a chance to start something here in our community that is right and good and contrary to everything we are seeing nationally.

At 8:35 on Wednesday morning, Mike Parwana, the chairman of the Queensbury Democrats, wrote me this message: I believe that I speak for everyone on our committee when I say that we have no problem with your proposed pledge.

That evening, the Queensbury Democrats adopted a code of ethics for their committee and their candidates.

And they didnt stop there.

A robust debate ensued about whether they should ban all negative attacks during campaigns.

It was a beginning, and a long overdue discussion that should be taking place among all political insiders.

It is the first step in citizens taking back their town from the political bad guys.

Im hoping we will hear from the Greens and Conservatives next and they will follow suit.

We did hear from Warren County Republican Chairman Michael Grasso, who said any type of ethics policy was unnecessary.

He said the party already stood for honesty and ethical behavior.

That statement is stunning in its absurdity.

It was as if the email controversy in Queensbury never happened. Perhaps Grasso forgot about how his party orchestrated a change in the town of Queensburys legal representation so the law firm of one of the partys officers could get the business.

Perhaps he forgot about the email conversation he initiated in which a plan was hatched to get the reluctant Republican Ward 1 candidate Hal Bain elected so Republicans could appoint someone else.

Perhaps, Grasso forgot about how the Republicans were hell-bent on revenge against fellow Republican Tony Metivier because he dared to cross the party leadership and vote his conscience.

Honest?

Ethical?

This is an assault on the intelligence of every citizen in Queensbury.

And a continued assault on our local democracy.

What I want to know is whether Michael Grasso speaks for every Republican in Warren County.

Do all Republicans believe that the recent shenanigans in Queensbury were honest and ethical?

Thats not what the voters told us on Election Day.

There is a once-in-a generation opportunity to make a difference in our political system in this county.

To adopt ethical guidelines.

To demand a civil discourse.

And most of all, to insist our chosen leaders will choose community over party.

That needs to be heard from the local Republicans.

Obviously, Mike Grasso is not ready to do that.
HUDSON FALLS  In New York, there are about 121 suicides a day, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

And for those surviving the loss of someone they love and care about to suicide, it is a long and often difficult journey toward healing, with many feeling isolated and unsure how to share their grief.

Thats why the AFSP sponsors an International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day each November to give people who have lost someone to suicide an opportunity to join with others for a day of healing together.

On Saturday, survivors from around the world gathered in their local communities to share their stories with each other. And locally, survivors gathered in Hudson Falls at the Center for Prevention as well as several other locations in the region, to find comfort from those who understand the issues and feelings they face each day.

For survivors, those who have lost someone from suicide, there is a stigma  but thats really changing, said Allison Reynolds, project director for the Council for Prevention on Saturday. This day is about remembering that person. And about how the survivor has healed or about where they are on their journey. They share what they have learned and what helped.

For Saturdays global event, there were over 375 Survivor Day events scheduled in 18 countries. Supporting those who have lost someone to suicide is part of our mission at AFSP, said Dr. Christine Moutier, AFSP chief medical officer in a release. We know that support after a suicide leads to healing and can reduce the number of suicides in the overall population. Im thankful we are able to help so many on this day in November.

In Hudson Falls, the event was private with a pre-registration, said Reynolds. Keeping it closed assured survivors had the privacy to share often painful and intimate thoughts and feelings. The gathering began just before lunch with a remembrance ceremony for those they had lost to suicide, followed by lunch together.

In the afternoon, Center for Prevention organizers showed the AFSP-produced documentary, The Journey: A Story of Healing and Hope, a film that chronicles the experiences of several survivors by tracing their journey of grief and healing. And it is this journey that creates a platform for a group discussion about the issues in the film.

According to Reynolds, having this time to hear from others who understand and to share their own stories, lets survivors know they are not alone.
When my application to be a citizen representative on The Post-Star Editorial Board was accepted, I was thrilled. Having grown up in Warrensburg, where my parents operated the Warrensburg News, Ive always had a strong belief in the importance of a community-based newspaper.

I was put on the first four-month rotation, which included the local candidate endorsement process. Little did I know at the time how much I was going to learn and how I would come away with a renewed respect for the paper, its editor and our community.

I participated in 34 of the 39 interviews. The process was fair and objective. Everyone got the same questions, and we did not know, nor did we ask, party affiliation. In fact, my takeaway is that on a local level, is party really relevant? Isnt it more important to know the experience the candidates bring to the job and how they plan to keep and hopefully to improve our quality of life?

I was very impressed with the caliber of many of the candidates and how passionate they were about their locale and their desire to serve. As we know, some of the local races were nasty-fests where candidates had to endure name-calling and character assassination. I asked one candidate why they were willing to put up with such nonsense and the answer was someone has to do it. Its a bumper sticker waiting to happen!

Its great that we have so many contested races and candidates who work hard to connect with the voters. There were multiple stories of going door-to-door (some on bicycle) to introduce themselves and ask for the vote. I was very impressed with people who were new to the political process running for office for the first time.

Finally, I leave the assignment with renewed vigor in supporting the work of The Post-Star.

To a person, each reporter I met just wanted to write stories based on facts. There are sources that will tell you that Ken Tingley, the editor, has an agenda. He does. Its called transparency and truth. Our discussions on the editorial board were open and robust and never did I feel I was expected to vote one way or another. I was appalled at some of the anonymous threats Ken received on social media. Really? If you have an opinion, have the guts to write a letter and sign your name.

Were a stronger community because we have tenacious, capable people wanting to be part of our government and a newspaper with objectivity and the integrity to report the facts.
Glens Falls Police Chief Tony Lydon believes that if his officers worked a 12-hour shift instead of the traditional 8 hours, he would be able to retain more staff and save the city money.

Lydon contends that many officers leave for other jobs because of the opportunity to work days or fewer overnight shifts.

That turnover can be expensive for the city in training new officers.

Our initial concern, despite the prevalence of departments across the region that have adopted 12-hour shifts, is that 12-hour shifts lead to fatigue, compromise reaction time and make police officers jobs more dangerous.

We did some research on the subject and were surprised to learn that there is growing concern over these compressed shifts within the law enforcement community and shift work in general.

The National Institute of Justice confirms that sleep disorders are common among officers who work demanding schedules that include substantial overtime, high levels of stress and irregular sleep patterns.

According to its studies, the result can be severe fatigue that degrades officers cognition, reaction time and alertness and impairs their ability to protect themselves and the communities they serve.

Those are pretty strong words that should concern us all.

One recent study from the NIJ found sleep disorders are twice as prevalent among police officers compared to the general public. Researchers examined 4,957 state and local law enforcement officers in the United States and Canada and found that just over 40 percent had at least one disorder such as sleep apnea (33.6 percent) or insomnia (6.5 percent).

It concluded:

These findings illustrate the necessity of having proper screening instruments available to detect sleep-related problems among officers. Not only is this a health and wellness issue, it is also an issue that can lead to performance problems over the course of their careers.

The study also found that officers with sleep disorders were more likely than their peers to make serious administrative errors or safety violations, fall asleep while driving or experience uncontrolled anger toward suspects.

There was also a study conducted by the Police Foundation that addressed the issue at hand regarding 12-hour shifts.

It conducted a randomized controlled experiment that examined how shift work affects officer performance, safety, health, quality of life and fatigue.

The researchers randomly assigned 275 officers in Detroit, Michigan and Arlington, Texas to work three types of shifts for six months  the traditional 8-hour shift, a 10-hour shift and a 12-hour shift.

The study revealed the optimal shift for police officers was 10 hours, saying the extra 30 minutes of sleep officers report each night amounted to 150 extra hours of sleep a year. They said that was significant.

Officers working 12-hour shifts reported greater levels of sleepiness and lower levels of alertness than those assigned to 8-hour shifts.

Researchers noted that subjects often underestimate their level of fatigue and because previous research showed that risk for accidents increases with the number of hours worked, caution should be used when considering adopting 12-hour shifts.

We hope the results of these studies are something that Chief Lydon and the Common Council give some weight to before going forward. There may be others worth considering as well.

The data also indicated the length of a shift did not impact personal lives, but that officers working 10-hour shifts reported higher quality of work life. The study also found that those working 10-hour shifts worked the least amount of overtime.

Were not sure how much research local law enforcement officials and local police unions have done on this subject, but considering the health impact on officers, it should be reviewed by all of them and screenings for sleep disorders should be part of an annual physical.

Officers and their unions have embraced the 12-hour work days in recent years because of an increased quality of life in their personal lives. But if it means a higher risk for their health, it might not be worth it.
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A 23-year-old East Moline man has been charged in connection with a shooting that took the life of a 69-year-old man Friday night.

Roman P. Knox is charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Robert E. Neal Sr., of East Moline, according to police.

Knox made his first appearance Saturday in Rock Island County Circuit Court.

Circuit Court Judge Richard Zimmer set Knoxs bond at $5 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 28 in Circuit Court.

Knox was being held Saturday night in the Rock Island County Jail.

According to a news release issued by the East Moline Police Department, at 9:31 p.m. Friday, officers were sent to the 200 block of 19th Street for a battery complaint.

Officers found a man with a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Witnesses were able to provide a description of the suspect and told officers that the man had fled the area on foot.

Officers apprehended Knox in the 100 block of 21st Street.

Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said that Neal was taken to Genesis Medical Center-Illini Campus, Silvis, where he died of his wound at 10:15 p.m.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Gustafson said the shooting remains under investigation by the East Moline Police Department and the Illinois State Police Crime Lab.

Anyone with information is asked to call the East Moline Police Department at 309-752-1545 or Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities at 309-762-9500.
If Iowa is going to grow economically and if the states children are to be able to compete for jobs, education funding has to be a top priority in the budget process, Iowa gubernatorial candidate Andrea Andy McGuire said.

I dont think this is a matter of finding that revenue in the state budget, she said. I think the revenue is already there.

This is a matter of our budget being mismanaged, McGuire said.

McGuire spoke to Davenport school students and faculty Saturday during a roundtable discussion held at Davenports Mid City High School.

McGuire was joined by members of The Iowa Democratic Black Caucus.

The discussion started out on mental health but by necessity turned to school funding.

Dave Thede, technology education teacher at Mid Cities, told McGuire about a number of students who wrote a bill that would allow the Davenport Community School District, and other districts, to dip into their cash reserves up to $175 per student for three years as the legislature figured out a way to fix the school funding disparity.

The Davenport School District, along with about 160 other districts in the state, receives the minimum funding from the state, which comes to $6,446 per student. The remaining districts, about 170, receive more than Davenport, with six receiving up to $175 more per student.

It was a real eye-opener for our kids, Thede said. The kids were told its the perfect bill, and then it was explained to them why it would not get out of committee. They all thought, This should pass easily. It doesnt cost the state a dime. But then they found that nothing passes easily.

Thede said it was strictly a Band-Aid bill that would give the legislature time to do it.

Students also came up with the idea of merely using the interest earned on the reserves, he said. But that went nowhere.

Thede also explained that there is a serious shortage engineers in Iowas workforce. Thats why we started the engineering program. Part of the group that helps to write the engineering curriculum are from NASA and McDonnell Douglas, he added. They know what they have to do for engineers. They have to go overseas and bring them over. They beg us for home-grown engineers.

Bernard Clayton, vice chair of The Iowa Democratic Black Caucus, told McGuire that there should be universal quality education throughout the state. Additionally, Clayton said that the public needs to understand that education is the bedrock of any economic development.

We give money to a company from Egypt to come here, we give money to Apple, but they have to import people into the state to work these jobs, Clayton said.

McGuire said that money should not be provided to companies that are not providing value back to Iowa and the education of Iowas children.

She added that there is a huge skill gap for the manufacturing jobs that already are in the state, and the jobs the state hopes to get for the future.

Those jobs are everywhere and we dont have the people to fill them, McGuire said. Education is the foundation on which everything else rests.

McGuire said she talked to one student who said there arent enough text books in many classes so kids cannot do homework.

Our kids need things right now, McGuire said. She should be getting to the point where every student everywhere in the state is getting the funding they need.

Were not talking about an extravagance, she said. Were talking about teaching our kids. If there is anything more important than that please explain it to me.

Education needs more revenue, no ifs, ands or buts about it, McGuire said. I think the money is there. We have to stop spending our money in ways that does not bring back value. The value that education brings back is huge.

After the meeting, Clayton said that Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids where he lives brings engineers in from overseas and then helps get them enculturated into American society. Those engineers were developed from an early age.

I understand that not every child is going to be an engineer or doctor, he said. Everyone is blessed with their own skills. But everyone should be able to receive a universal quality education, and even if they have to go to class in a tent, we should be able to put a computer in front of them and they should know how to use it.

Instead of being jealous of foreign engineers and being angry, we need to develop our own engineers, Clayton said. Its just that we want everything to be on the cheap and live off somebody elses investment. Were using their talent because we dont to invest money in our talent.
Kwik Star Festival of Trees is underway, giving you a chance to purchase or bid on a nature-oriented basket made by me!

Festival is a fundraiser, after all, so everything you see there is for sale  trees, rooms, stockings and baskets assembled by people and companies in the Quad-Cities.

So here's what you'll get if you buy mine: A 500-piece puzzle of a snowy owl on a tree branch. Two games intended to familiarize young people with nature  an insects-and-bugs card game and butterfly bingo. A pack of notecards with a bird on the cover. A butterfly coloring book, with 24 colored pencils. A finch feeder, with seeds to fill it. And one of my favorite nature books of all time, "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating."

All items were purchased locally at Blevins Bird Shop and Art Gallery in the Village of East Davenport, and the Figge Art Museum.

CHRISTMAS STAMPS: In keeping with my tradition of reviewing the year's new Christmas postage stamps, I learned something new. The four-stamp offering called "The Snowy Day" features illustrations of an African-American child exploring and playing in the snow, based on a book of the same name, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats.

In doing research, I learned that "The Snowy Day" was one of the first prominent 20th-century picture books centered on an African-American child, and in 1963, it won the Caldecott Medal for illustrating. Keats is credited with bringing multiculturalism into mainstream American children's literature.

As Keats said of the child named Peter, "my book would have him there simply because he should have been there all along."

In the stamps, Peter is wearing his signature red snowsuit, forming a snowball, sliding down a snow hill, making a snow angel and leaving footprints.

Another offering is called "Christmas Carols," consisting of four stamps each depicting a different song. There's a lamb for "Silent Night," a St. Nick and a child for "Jolly Old St. Nicholas," a harnessed horse for "Jingle Bells" and decorated cookies for "Deck the Halls."

There are no new religious stamps this year  by that I mean those depicting Jesus, or Jesus and Mary, or Jesus and Mary and Joseph  although at least two selections from past years are available.
I spent part of my convalescence from a recent illness reading some of the comprehensive timelines of the Russia investigation. 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 "hostile intelligence service helped by 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? 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 Mueller and his A-team of investigators have plenty of stupidity and venality to work with.

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's racial transgressiveness, providing permission and legitimacy to the alt-right.

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.
Nearly a century ago, Sen. Thomas Hardwick sent a blue sheet of paper to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee claiming that 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 toola 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 that 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-Mississippi, 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-Massachusetts, clarified that a negative or unreturned blue slip would not necessarily block Committee proceedings. Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-South Carolina, continued this policy, as did Sens. Joe Biden, D-Delaware and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

In a 1989 letter to President George H.W. Bush, Biden expressed his policy on the blue slip courtesy:

The return of a negative blue slip will be a significant factor to be weighed by the committee in its evaluation of a judicial nominee, but it will not preclude consideration of that nominee unless the Administration has not consulted with both home state Senators prior to submitting the nomination to the Senate.

Consultation with the White House is something we senators should value and encourage. But we should not allow home-state senators to abuse this courtesy by attempting to block committee proceedings for political or ideological reasons.

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.

For example, in 2003, Chairman Hatch held a hearing for Carolyn Kuhl, a Ninth Circuit nominee from California. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, returned her blue slip, assenting to a hearing, but Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, did not. The committee nonetheless reported the nominee to the full Senate, where the Democrats filibustered her. Kuhl was never confirmed.

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-Vermont, 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 that 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 that the Senate confirmed 329 of President Obamas judicial nomineesmore than President Bush had confirmed. President Obamas judicial nominees received a fair shake by the Senate. President Trumps nominees are entitled to the same.
After a budget impasse that persisted over two years, the state of Illinois passed a Fiscal Year 2018 budget on July 6, 2017. Prior to this most recent budget, significantly decreased state appropriated dollars were allocated to Illinois public higher education institutions for two consecutive years. This lack of adequate funding resulted in a ripple effect that continues to impact our regional public institutions.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the state of Illinois decreased higher education funding per student by 54 percent from 2008 to 2016 (a decrease of $3,479 per student). From 2015 to 2016 alone, Illinois support per higher education student dropped 37.1 percent.

Our leaders in this state must realize the value and necessity of regional public universities. Western Illinois University has done its part and we have been frugal and careful stewards of the public funds that we receive. As a result of the impasse and dwindling state support, faculty and staff at Western have weathered significant salary decreases and dealt with the effects of other substantial cuts. We appreciate our employees' many sacrifices. We all have sacrificed a great deal, from forgoing salary increases to decreasing salaries via furloughs and voluntary pay reductions, to taking on additional responsibilities and workloads to counteract reductions in funding. We have eliminated programs and reduced services across the University. We have done our share to ensure that the limited resources on hand are protected. Without consistent support from our state, we continue to be forced to make decisions to conform to the lack of adequate and predictable funding.

Now is the time for the state to adequately fund higher education in order to support our students, classrooms, employees, programs, and infrastructure. This funding is critical to maintain the University, including funding for faculty and staff salaries and operations. We must remain competitive in our efforts to recruit and retain world-class faculty and staff, as well as outstanding students. If we want our students, faculty and staff to remain in the state, and if we want to provide exemplary social and intellectual capital to rebuild Illinois' economy, the state must fund regional public higher education institutions, which provide outstanding educational opportunities and career preparation to students in our region, across the state, and throughout the world.

We need the state of Illinois to restore confidence in public higher education by investing in public higher education. It is time for Illinois' leaders to demonstrate to the state, and the nation, that the State of Illinois is willing to invest in the next generation through public higher education. Illinois' students are this state's greatest assets and resources. We must invest in our state's future, and this begins with ensuring access to public higher education, which is a proven path to upward mobility and a prosperous state.

In sum, an increased investment in public higher education is not an option. It is an absolute imperative.
The good ol' boys can't police themselves.

Sweeping allegations about cultures of sexual harassment and lewd conduct are roiling statehouses in Des Moines and Springfield. On Tuesday, dozens of women on Capitol Hill in Washington -- including lobbyists, congressional staff and lawmakers themselves -- told tales of salacious comments and wildly inappropriate behavior among male lawmakers and lobbyists. In all instances, women said reporting the degradation posed a threat to their careers. And so, in too many cases, they remained silent, while establishing a set of unofficial rules to protect themselves:

Avoid lawmakers who sleep in their offices

Avoid late night trips on the elevator

Avoid events where the booze is flowing

They're fooling themselves if lawmakers think that the very men guilty of the degrading, dehumanizing behavior can somehow lord over the fix.

Hundreds of victims have come forward in recent months. Male lawmakers have exposed themselves to young congressional staffers, one female member of Congress said. Dozens of women reported widespread harassment and lewd behavior throughout Illinois' Statehouse, many signing a letter that sent shock waves through the Capitol. And, in Iowa, Kirsten Anderson, the state Senate's former spokeswoman was recently awarded $1.7 million after she claimed in a lawsuit that she was fired by Senate Republican leaders for reporting incessant harassment by a male co-worker.

Anderson's is a case-study that confirms all the fears of the hundreds of women who said they spent years biting their tongues. In many ways, it remains a man's world and, in these cases, men have power over careers.

But, finally, the tipping point might have been reached. All the demeaning, punitive behavior, all the wielding of power for sex, the election of a president who, years ago, bragged about assaulting women and getting away with it because he's "a star": Women are speaking up. And -- out of self interest -- men are finally listening.

But the fix is neither clear-cut nor obvious -- be it among Democrats in Springfield or Republicans in Des Moines.

Take Tuesday's fiasco. Iowa Senate Majority Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, finally admitted that Anderson was harassed while working for his caucus. Yet, he still maintains that her firing had nothing to do with her complaints. And he's yet to offer a legitimate defense of his initial decision to keep the accused harasser on the Senate GOP's payroll. But Dix also did an about-face on Tuesday, scuttling plans to create a human resources position to grapple with what looks to be culture of sex and pressure.

Minutes later, Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, rebuked Dix by announcing that she created the post in the lower house.

While Dix has obfuscated and dodged his own responsibility throughout Anderson's case, Tuesday's events exposed the potential imperfections in any potential fix. Put simply, lawmakers cannot be trusted to police themselves. Any fix must include a wholly independent office capable of investigating complaints without political pressure or tinkering.

Upmeyer's new HR personnel won't be free from political pressure. He or she will answer to the House clerk, a political appointee, and, thereby, answer to the majority caucus. In Springfield, Illinois lawmakers appointed an emergency inspector general, who wields substantially greater independence, a move that might improve things in the short-term. But, during this month's veto session, creating a phone tip line and instituting mandatory sexual harassment training was the best Illinois lawmakers could come up with in the long-term.

Even the U.S. Senate is struggling to root out its culture that treats women like objects for conquering. So far, Sen. Chuck Grassley's bill, which would create mandatory training programs for staff, has been the best of a weak collection of less-than-inspired solutions. At least Grassley is thinking.

Female empowerment is an economic and moral issue. It speaks to the basic principles of equal protection and the ability of all Americans to wield agency over their lives. It cannot co-exist in a culture where men in power abuse their subordinates and sex is a commodity traded for one's career.

There's simply no reason to believe that the very institutions that foster the sexual harassment scourge can fix it. Only a full-time inspector general or ombudsman, appointed to a long tenure by a bipartisan committee, can operate independent from the very politics that created this culture of mental abuse and financial punishment.

That's if the men in the room actually believe any of their lofty rhetoric.
SAN FRANCISCO | From Chris Lehane's perspective, Airbnb has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.

The San Francisco-based home-sharing startup just saw its best quarter ever. It's big bet on activity booking is paying off. And more cities are coming to terms with its revolutionary short-term rental model.

Those were some of the main bragging points Lehane, Airbnb's head of global policy, touched last week in a media conference call the startup treats as a sort-of state of the company address.

Since it launched in 2008, Airbnb has accommodated more than 250 million guests at more than 4 million listings in 191 countries, which Lehane said accounts for more rooms than the top five hotel chains combined. Bloomberg on Tuesday reported Airbnb doubled its net revenue in the third quarter of this year  raking in about $1 billion, up from $500 million in the same period last year  and continues to make a profit. As a private company, Airbnb generally does not share its financial information, and when asked about those figures, Lehane did not confirm or deny them.

And while Airbnb remains controversial in some markets (like San Francisco and Oakland) where people worry it's removing housing units in an already tight market, the startup is increasingly making nice with city leaders. Lehane praised new rules in Vancouver that regulate home-sharing. And he said Airbnb in the past year has formed 119 new deals that let the startup collect and remit tourist taxes on behalf of the cities in which it operates.

"We certainly do not claim to be perfect," Lehane said, "but we are committed to trying to make this work as well as possible."

Airbnb also launched its latest attack against the hotel industry, continuing the ongoing battle between the two rivals. The startup has collected and remitted more than $510 million in travel and tourist taxes to cities around the world, according to a new Airbnb report. In contrast, the company's study of 91 U.S. hotels found the hotels received $4.9 billion in taxpayer dollars in the form of tax breaks and subsidies to support the construction and operation of hotels.

"They're getting these subsidies from taxpayers at the same time they're having record profits, paying up record executive compensation, and simultaneously trying to stop Airbnb from being able to collect and pay taxes back into these communities," Lehane said.

The hotel industry in the past has attacked Airbnb's tax deals, claiming they give cities a raw deal.

Meanwhile, Airbnb's new experiences feature is taking off, Lehane said. The startup took a risk in January when it launched a new activity booking platform  its first foray outside of home-sharing. Since then, weekly bookings are up about 15 times, Lehane said, and the service is bigger than the company's home-sharing service was at that stage of its life.

"The experiences our guests are having on these are pretty incredible if you look at the types of reviews that they're getting," he said.

Airbnb's instant book option also is growing  the company now has 2 million such listings around the world. Instant book listings let a traveler reserve a room in seconds, without waiting for the host's approval.

Lehane also spouted off a few other fun facts  so far nearly 600,000 Airbnb guests have stayed in boats, 130,000 in tree houses and 140,000 in yurts.

"We're hoping," he said, "that all of you on the phone have the chance to experience a night in a yurt somewhere in the world."
The Twitter ad seemed too good to be true: fares starting at $20 on JetBlue Airways.

A few hours after the ad appeared on the social media site, it was gone, leaving would-be travelers frustrated that they missed the remarkable deal.

Those who clicked too late ended up on a page advising: "This promotion has ended. Act fast! In some cases, a fare may not even last an hour."

Such "flash" sales are a tactic used by the airline industry to fill empty seats during slow travel periods and lure travelers to an airline website where they may be tempted to book a more expensive flight.

Airlines also have used flash sales to inflict economic pain on rivals. Cutting prices on routes dominated by competitors often forces the other airlines to try to match the lower fares.

"It's like kids in the airfare sandbox, fighting," said George Hobica, a fare expert and president of Airfarewatchdog.com.

But such flash sales are on the decline, industry experts say, partly because the airline industry has become more consolidated through mergers and acquisitions, which has diminished competition and reduced the need to undercut rivals with limited-time fares.

And with demand for travel reaching record levels, carriers can sell seats without resorting to deep discounts.

Flash sales are also used less often today because computer programs have made airlines more accurate at estimating the number of seats needed for a particular route so that empty seats are rarer.

That means travelers looking for deep discounts are going to have fewer opportunities to book a bargain seat.

Since 2008, the nation's biggest carriers have been buying smaller or weaker competitors, solidifying their dominance in specific markets and hubs throughout the country.

For example, Delta and its regional carriers fly nearly 80 percent of all passengers who travel out of the nation's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. American Airlines carries nearly 85 percent of all passengers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. United Airlines is dominant in Newark Liberty International Airport, flying about 51 percent of all passengers who use the New Jersey airport.

Combined, Delta, United, American and Southwest control more than 70 percent of all domestic flights in the U.S.

Flash sales are now used primarily by low-cost airlines, such as JetBlue, as they continue to battle with the major carriers to win bigger shares of the country's most popular markets and hubs.

A JetBlue representative declined to comment on the carrier's use of flash sales.

Industry experts say the restrictions imposed on such sales are so numerous that the goal is not to make money from the low fares but to boost publicity and interest in the carrier.

"From a marketing perspective, you want to get likes or visitors or Twitter followers," said Rick Seaney, who heads fare comparison site Farecompare.com.

Usually, flash sales are over within hours or minutes.

When JetBlue offered a $20 flash sale Aug. 30, it sold out in less than 60 seconds, according to the response from Twitter followers who tried unsuccessfully to book the bargain deals.

Instead of flash sales, Delta, United and American say they are competing against low-cost carriers by offering bare-bones fares  called basic economy seats  which are offered on highly competitive routes but come with fees for carry-on bags, rebookings and many other extras.

"We prefer to adjust prices on a longer-term basis  including reducing fares when needed, based on demand," said Joshua Freed, a spokesman for American Airlines. "For us, flash sales are just not a great way to do that."

Southwest, which has grown to be the nation's largest domestic carrier, has cut back on flash sales over the past decade as it has established itself as a dominant carrier across the country, according to industry experts.

As a result, the Dallas-based carrier now offers flash sales primarily during the slow travel season  to fill seats on flights mostly flown by leisure travelers to vacation spots.

Southwest spokesman Dan Landson declined to discuss the carrier's pricing tactics.
Q. My wife and I argue over what provides the most value and convenience for our money during the holiday season  shopping online or shopping with local businesses. Her questions always comes back to does it really matter where we spend our money if it all stimulates the economy? How can I convince her of the benefits of shopping at our local businesses?

A. Nov. 25 will offer the perfect opportunity to do business with local businesses in our area  on a day that has been dubbed Small Business Saturday. And while its fair to say that online shopping comes with benefits, choosing to shop locally has merits that outweigh the convenience of shopping from home.

Where you choose to spend your money is a lot like casting a vote. When you choose to shop locally, youre not only supporting small businesses, youre essentially voting to improve the community where you live.

When a local business provides products and services, the benefits ripple out into the community. Local businesses create jobs right where you live. And when these same businesses purchase supplies from other businesses, this create still more jobs. In turn, employees of small businesses can take their paychecks and spend them on products and services in our community, which also helps to create jobs.

When a business sells a product or service locally, they collect tax on them. Whats more, a businesss employees pay a variety of taxes where they live and work. These same taxes help support essential services, such as educational systems and police and fire departments. All these benefits are lost when you spend your money online.

Shopping locally has some immediate benefits, too. In many cases, small businesses offer prices at or below those available to you online. You can also avoid shipping costs when you choose to shop locally, and you wont have to worry about your gifts arriving on time. If it turns out that you purchased a gift in the wrong color or model, exchanging the item is much easier when you are working with a local small business.

You cant underestimate the value of personal touch, either. Nothing makes a good purchase better than excellent customer service. When you encounter a person who works for a small business who takes pride in assisting you with your purchase, it makes you feel good.

No matter what way you look at it, shopping locally is good for our community. So why not stimulate our economy this holiday season? Get out and support local businesses on Small Business Saturday, knowing that doing so is making our area a better place to live.
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 late last week by a metro-area economic development group representing nine Colorado counties.

The document doesn't specify what economic incentives the state and municipalities are willing to offer to attract Seattle-based Amazon's attention. Officials with the private Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, which submitted the bid with the state in October, sought to downplay the significance monetary incentives have in the proposal.

Rather, they portrayed the submission as an opportunity to get and keep Amazon interested, win or lose, for future investment, as well as a template for other firms interested in setting up shop in this rapidly-growing state.

"Colorado is a very modest state when it comes to incentives," J.J. Ament, the corporation's CEO, told investors and others during a brief presentation Thursday.

Potential incentives include state income tax credits, cash grants for job training and tax credits in economically-distressed areas. Local municipalities also are offering "custom" incentive packages, the document says.

The document doesn't identify the eight metro-area locations it says could host Amazon operations. In all, 30 municipalities, the state, and such entities as Xcel Energy, Comcast and Denver International Airport, all contributed to the proposal.

Tantalizingly, 11-plus pages under the heading, "In Colorado, we see Amazon HQ2 and Future Projects Locating At:" are redacted. So, too, is a list of other locations that could support the headquarters project. The pitch does provide profiles of metro-area companies ranging from DaVita to Western Union.

Seattle-based Amazon is promising its investment will generate as many as 50,000 jobs over 15 years  a figure Ament said the Denver metro area has generated over the past year. Amazon is expected to pick a location next year.

Amazon's first-round request for proposals in September set off a national  international, even  frenzy of bids from 238 municipalities, of which Ament said 53 qualify under population, transportation and other parameters laid out by the company. Denver's among those 53 contenders.

Officials with Denver and other cities, counties and entities that put Colorado's bid together were required to sign non-disclosure agreements on its contents.

The proposal cites FasTrack's $7.8 billion investment in commuter and light rail; Denver International Airport's planned expansion and 180-plus nonstop destinations; and a talent pool fostered by area universities and net migration to the state.

Of longstanding concern, Ament said, is Colorado's failure to invest in and maintain its congested highways as well as competing and increasing demands for the state's water supply.

"Whether Amazon chooses us or not, none of this is going to go away," he said.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Philipps has an idea to help restrain the number of wild horses that roam federal lands.

The solution, he wrote near the end of his new book, is mountain lions.

As naively simple as that may sound, the idea will not be easily dismissed by anyone who reads Wild Horse Country. Thats the title of the book and the name Philipps has assigned to the dry, desolate pockets of the intermountain West where most wild horses  aka mustangs  are found.

The book takes readers on a journey that begins with prehistoric horses in America, continues through their extirpation and later reintroduction to the continent by European explorers, and culminates with the near annihilation of wild horses as they were rounded up in great numbers and processed into dog food during the 1920s and 30s.

Along the way, Philipps demystifies the hold that wild horses exert on the American psyche, in part by explaining them as a reflection of the American spirit.

They are freedom. They are independence, Philipps wrote. They are the ragtag misfits defying incredible odds. They are the lowborn outsiders whose nobility springs from the adversity of living a simple life. In short, they are American. Or at least they are what we tell ourselves we are, and what we aspire to be.

That myth helps explain why Americans do not eat or indiscriminately kill wild horses, as people in some other countries do. And the myth is partly to blame for the U.S. governments modern wild-horse predicament.

Decades of activism and legislation have pushed horse slaughterhouses out of the United States and resulted in legal protections for wild horses on designated federal lands in the West, where horse numbers have grown exponentially.

Pressure from wild-horse advocates has kept government land managers from using euthanasia as a management tool. Instead, excess horses are rounded up and sent to big pastures, called holding areas, where landowners are paid to let the horses roam.

It is an unsustainable system that is collapsing under the weight of its own costs. There are now 73,000 wild horses roaming 31.6 million acres of federal land, despite the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements assertion  challenged by wild-horse advocates  that the land can support only 27,000 wild horses.

The roundups have not been able to reduce the wild-horse population to the target number, but the roundups have continued nevertheless. In addition to the wild horses on the public ranges, there are now 45,000 wild horses and burros in 60 off-range holding areas, including corrals, pastures and sanctuaries. About 1,200 of those horses are in South Dakota, at holding areas near Newell and Eagle Butte. The Newell land is owned by Neal Wanless, who bought it with the proceeds of a $232 million Powerball jackpot he won in 2009.

Philipps briefly referenced the Wanless holding area in the book and talked about it in a Journal interview.

It's ironic, Philipps said, that to preserve something wild and free, weve spent millions enriching the already wealthy while keeping animals captive.

During the 2016 fiscal year, the BLM paid a total of $49.43 million to keep wild horses in off-range holding areas, which amounted to 63 percent of the entire budget for the BLMs Wild Horse and Burro Program.

As an alternative to roundups, the BLM has made limited use of a contraceptive substance known as PZP, which can be administered to wild horses with dart guns. Philipps acknowledges a place for PZP in wild-horse management, but he does not like the human interference it introduces into wild herds.

The use of mountain lions, Philipps argues, would protect the wildness of wild horses. And there is proof that mountain lions can help keep wild-horse numbers in check.

In one study after another, researchers tracking wild horses in the Great Basin have come across significant numbers of lion kills, Philipps wrote in his new book. Each time, the impact was significant enough that scientists trying to study other aspects of horses were astounded.

But Philipps contends the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has ignored the research on mountain lions, in part because the bureau has been too busy rounding up and transporting horses to holding areas.

Since the publication of the book, Phillipps said, he has heard no reaction from the BLM. The Journal sought a comment about the book from the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program but did not receive one.

I still dont think they take it seriously, Phillips said. I dont think they will until somebody makes them.

Philipps said it will take a public outcry  perhaps motivated by the deaths of thousands of wild horses from euthanasia or drought, for example  to push the BLM in a new direction.

I dont think that the public is really going to get involved until we reach catastrophe, Philipps said. But I think we might be getting close to that.
Nov. 6

8:25 a.m.  Trespassing reported in the 800 block of Pine Court.

5:08 p.m.  Suspicious circumstances reported in the 1200 block of West Highway 20.

5:22 p.m.  Suspicious circumstances reported in the 700 block of West Second Street.

5:30 p.m.  Issued a no trespass order to a male subject from Colorado in the 1200 block of West Highway 20.

Nov. 8

8:36 a.m.  Injury accident in the 1200 block of West Highway 20.

7:03 p.m.  Narcotics violation suspected in the 500 block of West Niobrara Avenue.

7:03 p.m.  Search warrant served in the 500 block of West Niobrara Avenue.

Nov. 9

12:34 p.m.  Trespassing reported in the 500 block of Bordeaux Street.

1:39 p.m.  Non-injury accident reported in the 200 block of West Third Street.

5:48 p.m.  Suspicious circumstances reported in Pony Park Trailer Court.

Nov. 10

1:34 a.m.  Arrested 25-year-old female for DUI, refusal of preliminary breath test, open container, child abuse and operating a motor vehicle with a person under 16 while under the influence of alcohol.

8:51 a.m.  Domestic disturbance reported in the 200 block of North Mears Street.

11:15 a.m.  Search warrant served in the 800 block of Centennial Drive.

4:00 p.m.  Theft by unlawful taking reported to the police station.

4:31 p.m.  Suspicious circumstances reported in the 200 block of Ash Street.

6:13 p.m.  Burglary reported in the 500 block of West Niobrara Avenue.

6:21 p.m.  Trespassing reported in the 1000 block of Main Street.

9:22 p.m.  Suspected DUI reported on Third Street.

Nov. 11

3:08 a.m.  Suspicious circumstances reported at 10th and Maple Streets.
Eight new people and two returning volunteers have signed on as court-appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children.

A news release from the Seventh Circuit CASA Program said the 10 volunteers were sworn in by Judge Matthew Brown on Nov. 2 at the Pennington County Courthouse.

The newly appointed CASA volunteers join 50 others in the community advocating for foster children in the Seventh Circuit Court System.

Our volunteers pledge to speak for the best interest of the child and try to stay with each child until the case is closed, and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home," said Kehala Two Bulls, director of the Seventh Circuit CASA Program, in the news release. "The advocate is often the only consistent adult presence in the childs life.

The release says more volunteers are needed, with more than 315 children waiting for a court advocate. CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years old, clear a background check and complete 30 hours of training.

The next advocate training session begins Jan. 20. If interested, contact Two Bulls at 394-2203 or kehalatb@casaofrapidcity.org.

Mniluzahan Okolakicipayi Ambassadors receive grant

A Rapid City group recently received a $10,000 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation.

Mniluzahan Okolakicipayi Ambassadors, Rapid City Circle of Friends, was one of 14 nonprofits selected for a Community Innovation Grant.

The Community Innovation Grant program is a partnership between the South Dakota Community Foundation and the St. Paul, Minn.-based Bush Foundation. A news release from the foundation says the grants provide funding "aimed at uncovering breakthroughs in community needs across the state."

MOA has partnered with Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender and Rapid City Community Conversations to tell the history of the Sioux San Lands, as well as expand research and create learning opportunities for the community.

According to the release, the $10,000 will help MOA continue the project and present a series of community forums to share the history.

We believe by bringing the history and the acts forward, it will provide common knowledge for us to create a well-informed dialogue for difficult conversations, offering a path toward healing truth, and bringing out the best in our community, Karen Mortimer, executive director of Mniluzahan Okolakicipayi Ambassadors, said in the release. "This grant from the SDCF will support additional public forums and learning opportunities as well as expanding the research base.

Poker run raises $40K for veterans

A Brookings group raised $40,000 for the Disabled American Veterans Hospital Transportation Network last month.

On Oct. 14, the 727th Transportation U.S. Army National Guard Committee of Brookings presented the money to the DAV after its September charity poker run, according to a news release from the DAV.

According to the release, the network was started in Sioux Falls in 1984 and has 27 vehicles in South Dakota, including at Belle Fourche, Fort Thompson, Lemmon, Rapid City, Rosebud and Sturgis.

In June, the DAV bought new passenger vehicles for three areas, including Belle Fourche. Volunteer drivers with the program provide free rides for veterans to VA health care systems and clinics.
PIERRE | Once upon a time, South Dakota had two U.S. House of Representatives seats. They became one in 1982.

But there also was a 20-year stretch when we actually had three.

Upon 1889 statehood, South Dakota had two House votes. Those elections were statewide through 1910. However the 1910 census determined the states population was large enough for a third seat. The Legislature drew boundaries for three for the 1912 elections.

Voters had re-elected Charles H. Burke of Pierre and Eben W. Martin of Deadwood, both Republicans, in 1910.

For 1912, the First District covered 21 counties in southeastern South Dakota, including Sioux Falls and Yankton. Republican Charles H. Dillon of Yankton won.

The Second District encompassed counties in northeastern South Dakota, which included Aberdeen, Brookings, Huron and Watertown. Burke won re-election there.

The Third District spanned west of the Missouri River, including Rapid City and Spearfish. Martin won re-election there.

Martin retired in 1914. Western South Dakota voters then chose Harry L. Gandy, a Rapid City Democrat. Gandy won re-election in 1916 and 1918. He lost in 1920 to William Williamson, an Oacoma Republican. Williamson won re-election in 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928 and 1930.

But the 1930 U.S. census determined South Dakota didnt have sufficient population to keep the third seat for 1932.

What to do? Turn three back into two.

The First District covered counties East rRver. Second District took the west. Republican incumbents lost both House seats that November. Blame the Depression.

First District voters elected Fred H. Hildebrandt, a Watertown Democrat. He beat Charles A. Christopherson, a Sioux Falls Republican. Christopherson had held the seat since 1918.

Second District voters chose Theodore B. Werner, a Rapid City Democrat. He defeated Williamson.

The third House member was Royal C. Johnson, an Aberdeen Republican. He had been state attorney general. He won the Second District seat in 1914. Then Johnson won it eight more times. He didnt run in 1932.

South Dakota kept the two-district system until 1982, when the incumbents fought in a consolidation election.

Democrat Tom Daschle of Aberdeen took out Republican Clint Roberts of Presho. Daschle then won a U.S. Senate seat in 1986.

Tim Johnson, a Vermillion Democrat, won the House seat in 1986. John Thune, a Murdo Republican, won it in 1996 as Johnson took a Senate seat. Thune lost to Johnson for senator in 2002. Thune defeated Daschle for senator in 2004.

Gov. Bill Janklow, a Brandon Republican, won the House in 2002 but resigned in 2004 after being convicted of manslaughter, a charge that resulted from a traffic accident.

Stephanie Herseth, a Democrat, won the House in a 2004 special election. Kristi Noem, a Castlewood Republican, defeated the newly married Herseth Sandlin in 2010.

Former Gov. Mike Rounds, a Fort Pierre Republican, won a Senate seat in 2014 when Johnson retired.

Now, Noem is running for governor in 2018.

Dusty Johnson of Mitchell and Shantel Krebs of Fort Pierre want the Republican nomination for the House seat. Tim Bjorkman, a Canistota Democrat, is running too.

A wild ride indeed
South Dakota lawmakers believe they can do a better job if they get more money, which is what we usually hear when government officials make a case for improvements in service.

Lawmakers, famously stingy when distributing taxpayer funds, could be asking voters as soon as next year to increase their pay from $6,000 to $10,000 a year. This would be in addition to a per diem of $140 a day while they are working.

The Legislatures Executive Board voted unanimously for the proposal that if approved by the entire Legislature would be presented to voters as a constitutional amendment. This, of course, would be the same voters who approved Initiated Measure 22 that sought to reform politics in Pierre and then watched lawmakers dismantle it at the start of the 2017 legislative session.

This pursuit of a pay raise also comes as ballot measures proliferate in South Dakota, suggesting a degree of frustration with a Republican supermajority that seemingly has little interest in considering legislation not tailored to its agenda.

It is interesting to note that unlike teachers who were the lowest paid in the nation when the Legislature narrowly passed a half-cent sales tax increase to boost their wages, South Dakota lawmakers earn more than their peers in several states.

North Dakotas lawmakers, for example, only receive a per diem of $172 a day. It is the same in Montana $82.64 a day  and Wyoming  $150. The lowest paid lawmakers are in New Hampshire, where they earn $200 for a two-year term. Lawmakers in Texas, which has a population of 28 million, earn $7,000 a year with a per diem of $190 a day.

Higher pay also doesn't come with a guarantee of better results if one looks at states like California and Illinois, which are frequent targets of conservative critics. California's lawmakers earn $100,113 a year, while in Illinois they earn $67,836. Both states also have year-round legislatures, breeding grounds for professional politicians.

The biggest paychecks and the most perks, however, are reserved for those lawmakers who work in the place President Trump calls "the swamp." House members and U.S. senators earn $174,000 a year and get wined and dined by lobbyists who contribute lavishly to their campaign funds. For their pay and an outstanding benefits package that includes a pension, federal lawmakers have delivered a partisan and polarizing style of governance that primarily only satisfies their very special interests.

So, it is difficult to make the case that paying more will pay off for middle-class individuals who feel the political class is more focused on those with the deepest pockets.

But even if evidence exists that paying lawmakers more will benefit the public, this is simply not the time to seek a pay raise.

Recently, Gov. Daugaard said that lagging sales tax collections in 2017 means he will recommend a lean spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. In other words, South Dakotans are spending less for goods and services while our local governments raise property taxes and fees.

On the other hand, maybe voters shouldn't be denied an opportunity to vote on a pay raise for lawmakers. It could be seen as a statewide referendum on their performance and that would be interesting, as well.
Republican legislative leaders from western Montana called the recent special session a success Friday, saying the GOP-led Legislature proved to be both efficient and effective.

Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas, House Majority Leader Ron Ehli and House Appropriations Chair Nancy Ballance  all from Ravalli County  said they were proud of their partys efforts to shrink the government in Helena while protecting vital services for needy Montanans. They also touted their ability to hold the line on taxes. Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, had proposed temporary tax increases to raise $75 million to close the state's $227 million budget shortfall.

Raising taxes was a non-starter, even though we got thousands of letters from people saying Please raise taxes. We need these services,  Ballance said on Friday, sipping a large cup of coffee and trying to recover from the long hours legislators put in during the whirlwind session, which ended at 1:40 a.m. Thursday. But we knew that raising taxes only hurts vulnerable people, and the hard-working people of Montana who were already struggling.

Bullock called legislators back to Helena, with the special session beginning Monday, to figure out how to fill the hole in the state budget caused by lower-than-anticipated revenue and the $75 million fire season.

Bullock had suggested splitting the shortfall into three parts, which included him making $76 million in cuts from state agencies, finding $75 million in transfers and $75 million in temporary tax increases.

Republicans rejected the temporary tax increases, but moved forward with the transfers and passed legislation to make permanent the $75 million in cuts that Bullock ordered for state agencies.

Legislators gathered about $123 million through fund transfers, a new fee and delayed payments, according to a spreadsheet from Balance. That included almost $30 million from a fee charged to the Montana State Fund, which administers the state workers compensation program, and the elimination of about $15 million in block grants for schools, which primarily pay for student transportation.

Another $30 million may come from CoreCivic, the private prison company that runs Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby. It offered to return the money it placed into an escrow account in exchange for an extension of its contract, which ends in 2019.

The real key is that when we came away, theres $160 million that would have been cuts to service that arent, Balance added.

Ehli said the deep philosophical differences between Republicans and Democrats couldnt have been more highlighted during the special session. He accused Bullock of politicizing the process by not putting together a realistic solution before the Legislature reconvened.

So Nancy went to work to put together a large package of potential solutions we could take to the governor and talk about, Ehli said. Nancy was in the middle of some of the toughest decisions to be made to find cuts we felt harmed the most vulnerable.

As the majority leader in the House, I thank her for pulling my caucus together better than ever before. We are going to take care of people the best we can by limiting cuts and not putting this on the back of taxpayers.

Thomas said that the untold story is how Bullock sat on his hands for six months before the special session, not making any cuts despite evidence of the revenue reductions.

We knew there were problems, but we werent in Helena, dealing with it day to day, Thomas said. Within one week, we saw a tremendous job get done that was significantly better than what he would have done.

Bullock did oversee the implementation of SB 261, which included a series of cuts totaling $990,000 the Legislature created when revenue projections reached trigger points. Many of those cuts came through layoffs, program reductions and vacancy savings.
Early this year, thousands of Montanans packed the state capitol and made it abundantly clear that they want nothing to do with the fools errand of transferring ownership or management of our national public lands to the states. Montanans traveled from as far as Whitefish and Billings for the public lands rally because they knew that Montana could never afford to manage an additional 27 million acres of public lands. Montanans know such a move would inevitably force our state to either sell off or industrialize/lease our hunting grounds, fishing holes, trails and off-roading areas.

Apparently state Rep. Theresa Manzella plugged her ears during the rally when thousands of us chanted, Keep public lands in public hands! How else can you explain her rationale for recently inviting Karen Budd-Falen to Hamilton to give a presentation on land use planning?

A Wyoming lawyer who has made a career out of suing the federal government, Budd-Falen is one of the key architects of the radical lands transfer movement, the aim of which is to rob all Americans of a birthright  our public lands that are among the most incredible places on earth.

The Utah based land transfer group is largely backed by mysterious, unnamed deep pockets. Budd-Falens visit to Hamilton is funded by unnamed sources. Ironically, some of the proponents of transferring public lands to state ownership have been those contending the state doesnt have necessary resources to manage what it already owns. When budgets are in decline, those today advocating for lands transfer would simply say have no choice but to put some of these lands up for sale or to lease the state lands and close them to the general public as other states have done.

Among Budd-Falens past clients is none other than the infamous Cliven Bundy. This rancher tried to seize thousands of acres of national public land in Nevada as his own and today owes the American people more than $1 million in unpaid grazing fees. Today he sits in jail while being tried for leading an armed standoff against federal and state agents.

Representing the Bundy family is just the tip of the iceberg in Budd-Falens resume of anti-government extremism. She once stated that federal and state agents threaten the life, liberty and happiness of citizens while representing a New Mexico county that expected to take over ownership of millions of acres of forest lands that belong to all Americans.

Astonishingly, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is currently considering Budd-Falen as the next director of the Bureau of Land Management. Let that sink in for one second: One of the biggest foes of American public lands is being considering for the top position of running the largest public lands management agency in the country.

Budd-Falens views on public lands, which Manzella shares, are a direct threat to our liberty to freely enjoy public lands. Both are not only out of touch with many Montana hunters, anglers and recreationists, theyre blind to our agricultural economy. No major ranching group has supported the land transfer movement, and thats because ranchers depend on public lands for grazing and know that a transfer to the state, and inevitably the sale of these public lands into private hands, would mean higher grazing fees that could price them out of business.

Theres something else Budd-Falen, Manzella and their like-minded friends ignore: A special legislative session recently took place in Helena to debate how to plug a big budget hole made largely by firefighting costs the state incurred during the severe fire season we just experienced. What would the state do if it took over ownership or management of our national public lands and had to pay all firefighting costs with state dollars?

Please dont let this smoke and mirrors game end our outdoor heritage and way of life. Dont be fooled into believing that Budd-Falen has changed her tune from decades of pushing an agenda to privatize our public lands.

Lets make sure we let Secretary Zinke know that Montanans absolutely oppose Budd-Falen as our next BLM director. Lets also make sure that Rep. Manzella knows that Budd-Falens ideas on privatization of our public lands are not welcome in Montana.

Barry Twardoski, Hamilton
I'm a 21-year-old history major at the University of Montana, who grew up northwest of Hamilton and graduated from Corvallis High School in 2015. I'm a fourth-generation Montanan who's lived in the Bitterroot since 2002 (my great-grandparents on both sides mostly homesteaded in the Great Falls area).

I'm writing to the Ravalli Republic for the first time because I'm deeply concerned about the future of higher education in this state. The recent cuts to the Montana University System (or MUS) have been crippling. About $12.4 million was cut from the MUS during the 2017 legislative session. SB 261 has caused a decrease of $15 million in funding.

Undergraduate students, myself included, recently faced a tuition increase of 13 percent as a result of the 2017 legislative cuts. Gov. Bullock has requested a 10 percent reduction across all state agencies, leading to another $45 million reduction.

If it wasnt for a pair of very generous scholarships I received I would be unable to attend college in the U.S. without taking on crippling amounts of debt. And Im one of the lucky ones. I got an excellent education at Corvallis, and it is due to that alone that I am able to say that I am not drowning in debt like so many of my classmates and friends. Not everyone is so fortunate.

This is why it's essential that we, as a state, take steps to enhance our revenue. Revenue enhancements can and will alleviate the negative impacts felt by budget cuts without hurting other agencies by increasing the amount of money available for allocation. They're really the only way to go at this point.

As a state, we should not have to decide between people having access to healthcare and getting an education, or between fighting a fire and maintaining our roads and bridges. And yet, thanks to our current lack of funds, those very decisions may well have to be made in the near future, unless we find a way to replenish our coffers.

I hope you take this into consideration. Please support Gov. Bullocks proposal, for the future of Montana and of Montanan students of this and future generations. Education truly is the engine of social and economic mobility, and Gov. Bullocks proposal will enable students in the Bitterroot and across Montana to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to reach their highest potential, and in so doing, allow Montana to reach its highest potential.

Lets build a better state. And lets do it in the best possible way: by giving Montanans the tools to succeed.

Henry Curtis, Corvallis High School class of 2015
Guwahati : After registering eight cases against Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani for his controversial provocative remarks on the ongoing updation process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC)and few intellectuals of Assam in different several police stations in the state, three different persons on Saturday had filed two FIRs against a former editor of Assamese dailies and former government official for his outrageous comment.

According to the reports, social activist Kamal Kumar Medhi had filed an FIR against Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty at Chandmari police station in Guwahati.

Kamal Kumar Medhi said that, he had filed the FIR against Chakraborty for his outrageous and blatantly communal comment which has the potential to promote enimity among the Naga community and Assamese community.

It requires no mention that large number people belonging to the Naga community are residing in Assam and similarly Assamese people are staying in Nagaland for different purposes. Chakraborty had recently made a controversial communal comment during a book release programme held in Guwahati in front of the Assam CM advocated killing of Naga people who are encroaching land belonging to Assam. While encroachment of our land is required to be stopped, such provocative statement will create enmity between Naga and Assamese community people and endanger the life and property of the people, Kamal Kumar Medhi said.

Medhi further said that, the whole purpose behind making such statement to gain political mileage.

Two persons named Samar Jyoti Bezbaruah and Monmohan Das had also filed another FIR against Chakraborty on the same allegation at Jalukbari police

station in Guwahati.

On the other hand, row over the controversial provocative remarks on the ongoing updation process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) made by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani is still gripped in Assam.

On Saturday, several organizations had staged protest against Madanis comment and demanded arrest him immediately.

On November 13 last, Madani said while attending a seminar organized by Delhi Action Committee for Assam (DACA) held in New Delhi that, Assam will burn, there will be killings and retaliation, if 50 lakh Muslims are left from the updation process of NRC.

Meanwhile, the special team of Assam police on Saturday had grilled few persons including the organizers of the seminar in Delhi.

A top police official of Assam police said that, the investigating team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pranjal Bora had seized video footage of the seminar and other materials including invitation cards.

Earlier, at least eight cases were registered against Madani and Assamese intellectuals Dr Hiren Gohain, Manjit Mahanta, Haidar Hussain, Apurba

Baruah at different police stations in the state against Madanis provocative comment on the NRC.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : The governor of Assam had accepted the recommendations by the state advisory board of National Security Act (NSA) to arrest Assams farmer leader Akhil Gogoi under NSA act and now Gogoi needs to wait for at least a year to release from jail.

The farmer leader and RTI activist was re-arrested by the Assam police on September 25 last, who was earlier arrested on charge of threatening to wage war against the country by allegedly urging the indigenous people of Assam to take up AK-47 rifle to protect their rights.

According to the reports, the 3-member state advisory board headed by retired Judge of Gauhati High Court PG Agarwala had recently took hearing of the investigating officers of the cases loadged against Akhil Gogoi and sent their recommendations to the Assam governor to arrest Akhil Gogoi under NSA act.

On Saturday, Assam home department issued a notification after the governor accepted the recommendations by the state advisory board of NSA.

The state advisory board had started hearing process from October 22 last.

Meanwhile, the leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), who is now presently lodged in jail, can apply for his bail before the high court after the state advisory boards verdict.

Gogoi was re-arrested by the Nagaon police from the premises of district judge court in Dibrugarh in presence of a magistrate in connection with a case registered at Jakhalabandha police station (case no 139/2016 under sections 120/120 (B)/147/148/149/435 of IPC) related to the eviction drive in Kaziranga last year.

Earlier, Akhil Gogoi was arrested by the Dibrugarh police from his residence in Golaghat town on September 13 evening in connection with the case (180/2017 under sections 120 (B)/121/124 (A)/109/153/153 (A)/34 of IPC) registered at Moran police station against him.

Assam police had also slapped 33 other cases against the farmer leader where as many as 12 cases have been registered against Gogoi out of which four cases registered each in Nagaon, Lakhimpur, one each in Guwahati, Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Dhemaji.

The Assam farmer leader was earlier arrested by the Dibrugarh police after he allegedly threatened to take up arms to protect the indigenous people in the state in view of the BJP-led Union government attempt to grant citizenship to the hindu Bangladeshi people.

On the other hand, an umbrella body of 147 farmers organizations from across the country will launch a campaign on November 21 from Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi with a demand to release Akhil Gogoi.

Nearly 200 members of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) on Saturday had left to New Delhi to attend the agitation programme.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, November 18 : Karo Sambhav launched an E-Waste awareness initiative in the schools of Guwahat in association with principal sponsor partners, Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo and implementing partner Rongjeng Technologies.

Moderated by social entrepreneur Ranjan K Baruah, the workshop was attended by teachers from High School in Guwahati who are going to conduct 6 different classes to their students.

The programme was held at Bosco Reach Out, Ulubari, Guwahati on Saturday.

The Karo Sambhav School Programme on E-Waste aims at creating awareness on critical environmental issues concerning Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), preventive environmental strategies like circular economy, and inspiring them to take actions in their daily lives.

The programme enables development of 21st century skills of collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, communication, ICT competencies and real-world problem solving, by deploying contemporary pedagogical practices in the classroom.

The curriculum have been designed to enable the development of teachers competence and empower them to achieve the above mentioned goals.*

For the academic year 2017-18, the programme shall engage 1000+ schools across India in alignment with the State Education Departments and State Pollution Control Boards. The programme is an enabler for Swachh Bharat Mission, Digital India, and Smart Cities components.

The programme shall make an impact on stakeholders like students, their peers, parents, relatives, and communities to critically evaluate and consider the environmental impact of existing lifestyles, and move towards a creation of a circular economy.

The school programme encourages students to lead a sustainable lifestyle, and inspires them to become the catalysts of change.

The program consists of three phases divided over a period of 4 months. In the initial phase, teachers will be given a training on the specially designed toolkit for the purpose, consisting of 6 exercises based on Circular Economy, Understanding Waste, Design for environment, E-Waste introduction and Collection, Petitions and Potential career options in the field of Environment.

Thereafter, teachers will be working in their schools with the students on various activities, community projects, practical field-work.

The program will end with celebrating the efforts and the achievements of various schools, teachers, and students. Schools will be felicitated and the focus will be to keep sharing the best work done by them, with others.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kathmandu, Nepal: UCPN Maoist Center Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal lit funeral pyre on his only son Prakash Dahal at Pashupati Aryaghat as per Hindu ritual on Sunday evening.

Prakash Dahal had died on Sunday morning due to sudden cardiac arrest at his residence in Kathmandu. The Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital, where Dahal was rushed after cardiac arrest, has made clear that sudden cardiac arrest was the cause behind the death of Prakash Dahal.

According to the hospital, he had breathed his last before reaching to the Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital. He was reached at the hospital at around 4:30 am on Sunday morning.

The doctors at the hospital have said that he would have breath his last before three hour than the time he was reached to the hospital.

Hundreds of thousand people including the members of the family, various leaders from different political parties and well wishers have gathered at the site to pay their last respect to Dahal.

Similarly various leaders including Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN UML chairman KP Oli and many other leaders have expressed their deepest sorrow on the demise of Dahal.
Breanna Rolandson, Realtor at Heavenly Homes Real Estate, recently completed requirements to receive her State of Montana Broker license. As a real estate broker, she is more experienced and has proven mastery in real estate transactions, documents and contracts for buyers and sellers.

With that achievement, Rolandson will assume the role of supervising broker of the Heavenly Homes team. Her new responsibilities include overseeing all contracts and transactions for nine real estate agents.

Rolandson graduated from Montana State University Billings with an emphasis in communications and accounting. She is a member of the social committee of the Billings Association of Realtors.

Heavenly Homes has been helping buyers and sellers of land, residential homes, investment properties and developers for 15 years. All of its agents are members of the Billings MLS, Montana Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

Rolandson may be reached by calling 930-1063 or emailing breannarolandson@gmail.com.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
 New survey suggests that "medical community supports the use of medical marijuana" | Main | Notable new data on crime, punishment and mass incarceration 

April 30, 2014

Ugly Oklahoma execution leading to calls for national moratorium

Not surprisingly, the failing of government agents in Oklahoma to effectively and efficiently carry out a sentence of death yesterday (basics here) is now prompting new calls for a mortorium on all executions around the country. This lengthy new Washington Post article, headlined "Botched Oklahoma execution reignites death penalty debate," provides lots of details about last night's dysfunction in Oklahoma's machinery of death and the early reactions thereto. Here are the basics:

Tuesday nights botched execution in Oklahoma, which resulted in an inmates writhing death from a heart attack 43 minutes after he received what was supposed to be a lethal injection, was just one in a series of bungled execution attempts the past few years. Its prompting calls for a moratorium on capital punishment from death penalty opponents.... Patton told reporters Locketts vein line had blown. When asked what he meant, Patton said the vein had exploded. Soon afterward, an alarmed Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin stayed for 14 days the other execution that was scheduled for Tuesday night.... I have asked the Department of Corrections to conduct a full review of Oklahomas execution procedures to determine what happened and why during this evenings execution of Clayton Derrell Lockett, Fallin said. I have issued an executive order delaying the execution of Charles Frederick Warner for 14 days to allow for that review to be completed. Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, also called for an investigation as well as an immediate moratorium on all executions in the state, saying, In Oklahomas haste to conduct a science experiment on two men behind a veil of secrecy, our state has disgraced itself before the nation and world. And National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty responded in a statement: This night will be a catalyst for those aggrieved and outraged to continue to fight to abolish the death penalty in Oklahoma and every other state in America. Executions have become increasingly difficult for states to carry out over the past two years because of similar incidents.... These controversies have begun a whole new phase in the decades-long struggle over capital punishment. For years, opponents of the death penalty fought about its fundamental fairness under the Constitution. When they lost that fight, they attacked the capacity of the criminal justice system to actually mete out the death penalty reliably and without racial bias. They lost that fight, too, in the 1980s. Now the battle concerns not who dies, but how they die, and the competence of states to carry out executions humanely. The visibility and drama of Oklahomas trouble Tuesday night is likely to intensify that conflict, though, there has been no doubt about the guilt of these two condemned men. Lockett, 38, was convicted of shooting a teenager and watching as she was buried alive. Warner, 46, was convicted of raping and murdering his girlfriends 11-month-old baby. Both were set to be executed Tuesday, Lockett at 6 p.m. Central time and Warner at 8 p.m. Locketts execution was halted when it appeared the lethal injection administered to him was ineffective. Contrary to the description from media eyewitnesses, officials said he remained unconscious and passed away in the execution chamber at 7:06 p.m. There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having that [desired] effect, and the doctor observed the line at that time and determined the line had blown, Patton said in a news conference. After conferring with the warden, and unknown how much drugs went into him, it was my decision at that time to stop the execution. Still, 43 minutes after the first injection, Lockett suffered a heart attack and died.... After Tuesdays failure, Locketts attorney David Autry questioned the amount of the sedative, midazolam, that was injected, saying he thought the 100 milligrams called for in the Oklahomas execution protocol was an overdose quantity. He said he was also skeptical of the departments determination that Locketts vein had failed. Tuesday was the first time the state had administered midazolam as the first drug in its execution protocol. Earlier this year, the state attorney generals office announced that a deal to obtain pentobarbital and vecuronium bromide, a muscle relaxer, had fallen through, and Lockett and Warners executions were delayed. The new protocol was identified in court papers and included the combination of midazolam and hydromorphone.... Regarding Warners scheduled execution, federal public defender Madeline Cohen, one of his attorneys, told the Washington Post, Oh, we will be pursuing further action.

No matter what is revealed during the "full review of Oklahomas execution procedures" ordered by Oklahoma's Governor, I would be very surprised if Oklahoma succeeds in going forward with Warner's execution in the next two weeks. And I have seen this morning press releases from the ACLU and the NACDL urging a national moratorium on executions nationwide in response to what happened in Oklahoma last night. I doubt that any other state Governors will be quick to announce execution moratorium in states that regularly carry out death sentence, but I also doubt that various groups will let up on the pressure to halt executions.

According to this DPIC "Upcoming Executions" page, there are serious execution dates scheduled in May in the states of Texas, Missouri and Ohio. Notably, as reported in this local article (which I will discuss in a later post), clemency has now been recommended in the Ohio case, and I predict it will be granted. So the states to watch real closely for execution debate an action over the next month are Missouri and Texas.

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April 30, 2014 at 09:55 AM | Permalink

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Keep in mind that capital punishment is actually far less about the actual execution as it is about DA's able to get lifetime without parole pleas. Without capital punishment, LWOP becomes the max, which means that the highest level plea will allow for the likelihood that the murderer will be able to get out of prison at some point in his life. This in turn reverberates downward, of course, as now the pleas at different levels of murder and assault get lesser maximums than before.

This is not an argument for or against capital punishment, but rather the factual results of how capital punishment actually affects punishment beyond the moral dilemma of the actual execution.

Posted by: Eric Knight | Apr 30, 2014 11:20:39 AM

The death penalty does affect pleas though supermax prisons and so forth can also be used here to determine levels of punishment. And, noting the facts as noted does not answer if the punishment is legitimate. Illegitimate punishments or treatment can be imagined that if allowed would help plea bargains.

Right now "likelihood that the murderer will be able to get out of prison" is present in death penalty states, obviously. If that is the case for LWOP too, there is always a "we mean it" LWOP. This includes the number of death sentences overturned for a range of reasons. So, we are talking scope. And, if "some point" means in your 80s or when you are decrepit or something, the difference is somewhat marginal.

And, if states execute people in single digits over spans of decades, as some do, just how much of a bargaining chip is this in most places? I guess we are dealing with somewhat irrational types though that can go various ways. Also, places like NY seem to have a good number of pleas w/o the death penalty. So, while I understand the overall argument, it just don't take me that far.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 30, 2014 11:38:15 AM

well joe that's why it's time to bring back "I sentence you to spend the rest of your natural life in prison"

as for messed up executions. well sorry but they do have a point. If your agency is so retarded you can manage to fuckup what should be a simple procedure. Pump poison into inmate till dead! you shouldn't be doing any.

last time I looked using poison to kill people is not complicated. hell civilians do it all the time every year with no instruction at all.

Posted by: rodsmith | Apr 30, 2014 11:49:06 AM

"Also, places like NY seem to have a good number of pleas w/o the death penalty."

This shows, Joe, that you completely miss the point. The issue is not that there are fewer pleas, but that the pleas are for lesser sentences.

As for Madeline Cohen, the true believer federal public defender, maybe her further action will be successful, but if the federal courts believe in the rule of law, they'll determine that the Oklahoma proceedings are res judicata.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 30, 2014 11:12:34 PM

interesting fed. "res judicata" that's a non starter or did you miss the new thread about a judges order for sentencing that's being tossed by a higher court even when they can point to no type of conspiracy between the defendant and the judge. Sorry in my book that's the only way to change it at that point.

which of course means if they can't accept a prior judgement that they don't like. they can keep their friggin mouths shut in cases where the shoe is on the other foot.

see me. I figure when they start tossing pig latin in their briefs they are just showing they are full of shit and trying to fast talk the normal people.

Posted by: rodsmith | May 1, 2014 1:56:53 PM

"This shows, Joe, that you completely miss the point. The issue is not that there are fewer pleas, but that the pleas are for lesser sentences."

There usually isn't a singular issue here though some make out as if "the" issue is such and such, partially because it is the one that matters to them the most personally.

A major argument, offered by the professor at times too, is that the death penalty is important as leverage for plea bargains. But, NY et. al. manages to get plea bargains without having a death penalty. But, if "the" issue is for someone is something specific different, so be it.

Posted by: Joe | Nov 18, 2017 6:21:41 PM

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 "Justice for Veterans: Does Theory Matter?" | Main | Notable advocacy for Georgia as "national model" for sentencing reform 

November 18, 2017

Reviewing Ohio's unique execution difficulties ... which perhaps explains seemingly ho-hum reaction to latest botched Ohio execution

As detailed in this DPIC listing, this past week, there were scheduled executions in Nevada, Ohio and Texas, but two of these planned lethal injections were stayed. And in Ohio, as first reported here, Ohio tried but failed to complete the lethal injection of a double murderers. Only thrice in recent US history has the execution process been started and then halted with the condemned inmate living on, and two of those cases have taken place in the last decade in Ohio. Moreover, as reviewed in this recent ACLU posting, Ohio has an extraordinary recent history with troubled executions (links from the original):

Ohios lethal injection team spent more than 30 minutes poking Alva Campbells decrepit body in search of any decent vein into which they could inject their lethal cocktail to no avail. They finally relented  but only temporarily. Hours later, Gov. John Kasich announced not a commutation  or a plan to investigate what went wrong  but that Campbells execution would be rescheduled for 2019.... It was predictable and avoidable not only because of information furnished to the state by the defense, but because Ohio had already committed a similar bungle in 2009 when it failed to find a suitable vein to execute Rommell Broom after sticking him with needles for over two hours. The ability to find a suitable vein is basic to lethal injection. When it cannot be done  because of lack of training and qualifications of the lethal-injection team or the health of the prisoner  the process becomes impossible and the risk of a failure or botch undeniable. Ohio has earned its execution infamy over time. The states lethal-injection teams inability to find a suitable vein led to the botched execution of Joseph Clark in 2006, who raised his head from the gurney during the execution to say, It dont work. It dont work. Ohio persisted, working for another 30 minutes to find another vein before resuming the execution. Media witnesses heard moaning, crying, and guttural noises before the deed was finally done 90 minutes after it had begun. The botched two-hour execution of Christopher Newton in 2007 also stemmed from the execution teams inability to access a suitable vein. The states botched execution of Dennis McGuire in 2014 has been attributed to the use of midazolam  great if you need a sedative for a medical procedure but unsuitable for executions. The takeaway should be clear. Ohio cannot be trusted to use the death penalty, as time and time again the state fails and causes needless pain and unconstitutional torture. But Ohio is forging ahead. The states schedule of more than two dozen lethal-injections through 2022 gives Ohio the dubious distinction of maintaining the longest list of upcoming executions in the nation. A second attempt to take Campbells life is now set for 2019, while Rommell Brooms new date is in 2020. Last year, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Ohio could attempt to execute Broom, yet again....

Because I know and have respect for lots of folks involved in Ohio's criminal justice system, I am somewhat amazed and greatly troubled that Ohio has a uniquely disconcerting recent record in the carrying out of executions. At the same time, I have this week also been somewhat intrigued that Ohio's latest botched execution has not received all that much attention in Ohio or nationwide.

As highlighted via this post and this one, when Oklahoma had an ugly execution in 2014, it engendered lots of national attention and commentary and calls for a national moratorium on executions. Of course, that ugly execution was arguably more grotesque that what happened this past week in Ohio, and surely death penalty abolitionists figured in 2014 they had more national leaders who were sympathetic to their capital punishment criticisms. Still, I think it is notable and telling that the reaction to Ohio's latest execution difficulties is relatively "ho-hum."

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November 18, 2017 at 03:46 PM | Permalink

Comments

The remedies are self evident, except to the lawyer. The lawyer belongs to the stupidest group of people in our nation.

1) EMS training and experience for executioners.

2) Switch to carfentanyl. Buy it on the internet for a few dollars.

3) Or, for once, get smart, lawyer moron. End the death penalty. Adopt the Italian Death Penalty, where the evil murderer gets stabbed with shanks made of sharpened tooth brushes, multiple times, dies slowly and painfully. Reward the executioners with a carton of cigarettes.



Posted by: David Behar | Nov 18, 2017 5:43:24 PM

The other person dying might have mattered a tad.

Posted by: Joe | Nov 18, 2017 6:13:20 PM

"As detailed in this DPIC listing, this past week, there were scheduled executions in Nevada, Ohio and Texas, but two of these planned lethal injections were stayed."

14 NV Scott Raymond Dozier  STAYED

15 OH Robert Van Hook  RESCHEDULED

15 OH Alva Campbell, Jr.  ADMINISTRATIVE REPRIEVE

16 TX Larry Swearingen  STAYED

Posted by: Joe | Nov 18, 2017 6:16:58 PM

The Van Hook date was rescheduled long ago, Joe, and I am not sure why DPIC has it and other Ohio dates long ago reset on its serious execution list still.

Posted by: Doug B | Nov 18, 2017 9:38:39 PM

David Behar is an idiot.

Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Nov 19, 2017 4:53:44 PM

Claudio Giusti. What does your last name mean? Are you Hebraic? There is a Talmudic flavor to your commentary.

I find you brilliant. You have solved the dilemma of the American Death Penalty. I predict that in 10 years, the dimwit US lawyer profession will finally realize that.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 19, 2017 10:55:35 PM

"ho-hum" - You still don't get it Doug. Those of us who have seen so many botched executions like this over so many years now are sick, physically sick sometimes, to know of the torture inflicted on other human beings in the name of "justice". It is an act of deep cowardice and inhumanity. Why don't more people voice similar feelings afresh? Because the act is so shameful they want to block it out. They do not want to taint themselves in that shame by association with even the discussion - and therefore look the other way which is so much more comfortable for them. It is always someone else's problem. Only when those directly in a position to end or influence the end of this nightmare chose to stand up and be counted can abolition finally be achieved in a State or across America. It can happen, as we have thankfully seen over the past decade. It is time it happened in Ohio and like it or not, you have a significant responsibility to humanity and the people of Ohio to play your part. Being a detached commentator is I know so very much more comfortable. But not very honorable.

Posted by: peter | Nov 20, 2017 4:58:22 AM

Peter. Calm down. There is no torture. There are no botched executions. There is no pain. The people are unconscious the entire time. The IV has infiltrated into the tissue surrounding the vein. The entire dose is still being delivered, just more slowly.

I have proposed that all executioners get EMS training and experience. They may do so on prison pay, at no expense to the health care system. They will learn to find venous access in the very worst of conditions, in people in shock (low blood pressure), hanging upside down from their cars, very ill and dehydrated from cancer and diabetes, after seizures. They may also learn to start central venous lines. This is a line going into the big vein returning to the heart, the vena cava, found below the left shoulder. If you object to their finding it by anatomical landmarks, they may use ultrasound.

The identity as executioners should remain secret, even from their EMS supervisors. That way, low life, ultra-violent, left wing, pro-criminal scum will not harass and retaliate against them. Health licensing boards filled with those low life, left wing, pro-criminal scum should not be able to sanction their licenses, by a statute. If they do, the police should sanction them every time they exceed the speed limit by 1 mph. That policy should cover the low life, left wing pro-criminal judges, who are the very worst of all.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 20, 2017 10:57:39 AM

Peter. I actually prefer the Italian Death Penalty. Privacy is arranged. The prisoner is stabbed multiple times with shanks made of sharpened toothbrushes, dies a slow, painful, lonely death, screaming for his life. Then the guards say, we cannot find the murderer. Except some guy now has a full carton of cigarettes out of nowhere, and is buying all kinds of favors from other prisoners with it.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 20, 2017 11:01:28 AM

Mr. Behar, I think you mean to be edgy and bold. But your comments long ago became, well, "ho hum." They all simply repeat the same, old, uninteresting hysteria: "lawyers are stupid," "judges should be killed," "the Italian death penalty," et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You're just boring.

Posted by: Publius | Nov 20, 2017 1:27:31 PM

DB is a nazist.

Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Nov 20, 2017 2:42:11 PM

Publius. They are repetitive because thy are replies to the false propaganda of this left wing pro-criminal lawyer profession. That is really tiresome.

Here is something that is really unbearably tiresome, the 30 million repetitive crimes you assholes allow a year. Over and over, and you assholes do nothing about it.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 20, 2017 3:08:08 PM

Yet, having concluded that the writer and readers of this blog are "assholes" who plainly pay no serious attention to you, you nonetheless continue your repetitive ranting. Seems rather sad.

Posted by: Publius | Nov 20, 2017 3:24:19 PM

Publius. You are too stupid to know how stupid you are. I cannot control that.

You do not criticize the repetitive nature of the posts. Crime is low. Decarcerate. More mitigating factor are needed. Every fucking day, these lawyer lies.

That means your criticism is partisan, not really about repetitiveness.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 20, 2017 4:27:53 PM

Actually, I know just how stupid I am, but that is beside the point. The issue is whether your comments add anything to the discussion or simply represent unhelpful hyperventilating to an audience that has made clear it has no interest in your thoughts. I may indeed be stupid, but at least I don't post comments day in and day out that readers find bitter, bizarre and uninteresting. Speaking of which, this dialogue has grown tiresome, so I'm off to do some stupid, asshole thing as is my wont.

Posted by: Publius | Nov 20, 2017 4:39:59 PM

Publius. Here is the problem. Your stupidity and the stupid shit you do hurts millions of violent crime victims. It kills $trillions in economic value a year. So your stupid profession must be controlled better.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 20, 2017 4:48:30 PM

Anything not worth doing is not worth doing well.

Posted by: G. B. Robinson | Nov 21, 2017 4:27:05 AM

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The annual week aims to honour cultural heritage of Vietnams ethnic groups and help enhance the great national unity bloc. It marks the founding anniversary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930) and the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).



This years event draws the participation of nearly 200 people from 13 ethnic groups, namely Tay, Dao, Mong, Muong, Thai, Kho Mu, Ta Oi, Co Tu, E De, Khmer, Cham, Kinh and Raglai, along with local tourism associations and travel companies.



A highlight of the week, which lasts until November 23, is the re-enactment of the culture of Cai Rang floating market, which is part of national intangible cultural heritage. Cai Rang, one of the three biggest floating markets in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, specializes in trading fruit and specialties of the Mekong Delta region.



The re-enactment of Cai Rang markets culture will include performances of the art of Don ca tai tu music and song, named in UNESCOs Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.



Various activities will be held as part of the week such as ethnic groups exchanges, a workshop on developing the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, and the inauguration of phase I of Phap An Pagoda in the village.



At the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man said the great national unity bloc is always the most important and strongest resource for the whole Party, people and army to weather every difficulty and challenge to succeed in reform and national development.



Great unity is also one of the most precious cultural values of the Vietnamese people, he noted, calling on people from all social strata to join hands to bring into play the strength of the great national unity bloc.

Vietnamplus
Billings Rep. Adam Rosendale says he put a letter of resignation in the mail Saturday, beginning the process of vacating his legislative seat after moving to Great Falls.

"When I woke up after sleeping the special session off, I sent the letter in," Rosendale said.

The move to Great Falls was motivated by his brother Brien Rosendale's arrival in Montana from Wisconsin. The brothers plan on working together to construct primarily residential houses on a family-owned property near Black Eagle, Rosendale said.

Rosendale, a Republican, said he aims to remain involved in politics and will run for the seat of termed-out Sen. Ed Buttrey.

Rosendale said he began the process of moving to Great Falls after the legislative session ended in April by dropping off some of his belongings at his brother's place in Great Falls. Much of his summer was spent going back and forth between Billings and Great Falls, he said.

Rosendale has represented House District 52 since defeating Democrat Shoots Veis in November 2016.


He made the assertion at a reception for Nguyen Van Dung, first secretary in charge of consular affairs at the Embassy of Vietnam in Algiers, who came to visit the companys construction site of social houses in Berrouaghia, about 120km from Algiers capital, on November 17.



Qing said his company has freshly received nearly 50 Vietnamese workers, increasing the total number of Vietnamese workers at the company to 195.



He highly valued the working style and skills of the Vietnamese workers and hoped to employ more.



After completing contracts in Algeria, many Vietnamese workers have been introduced to work at companies of the MCC Group in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese workers at Qings company in Algeria have an average monthly salary of 600 USD. Skilled workers have earned up to 1,000 USD per month.



On behalf of the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria, Dung thanked the Chinese firm for facilitating Vietnamese workers over the past time.



He affirmed that the embassy will propose the discussion of the Vietnamese labour issue at the 11th inter-governmental meeting held in Algeria from November 27-29 to create more favourable conditions for them. VNS
SAN DIEGO |Private First class Boden J. Christensen recently graduated from U.S. Marine Corps Boot Camp at the branch's Recruit Depot in San Diego.

The Hinton native completed a 13-week program that consisted of physical training, confidence courses, swim week, weapons handling, close order drills, field training, rifle qualification and classroom instruction.

His final test was The Crucible, which tests every recruit physically, mentally and morally and is the defining experience of recruit training. The Crucible takes place over 54-hours and includes food and sleep deprivation and more than 45 miles of marching. After completion, Marines earn their Eagle Globe and Anchor.

Christensen is a 2017 graduate of North High School. He started in the Marine's delayed entry program his junior year of high school and earned 18 college credits during this period, which is how he was elevated to private first class prior to attending boot camp.

He is the son of Dave and Tonya Christensen of Hinton.
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa  Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center announced the hiring of Nathan Vander Plaats as its next executive director.

His selection culminates an extensive four-month search process to replace Promises founding executive director, Nancy Dykstra. She plans to retire at the end of the year after serving as the guiding hand of the health center since it opened in July 2008.

Vander Plaats, who currently serves as the director of retail for Goodwill of the Great Plains based in Sioux City, will assume the leadership role on Dec. 11. Dykstra will assist Vander Plaats as Promise makes the leadership transition.
SIOUX CITY | With just two of their seven children still at home, Chris and Sue Stanek said their house had become too quiet.

The constant coming and going of their kids' friends had slowed. Sue was no longer running an in-home daycare. They missed the hustle and bustle.

"It's just always been a house full of kids," Chris Stanek said.

In September, the Staneks became licensed foster care providers and recently had four children, ages 11 months to 7 years, living with them. Once again, their house is filled with the shouts of young children happily bounding through the rooms.

"I believe we should have done this a long time ago," Sue Stanek said. "What else in your life do you get to do where you're helping other people?"

Social workers would love to hear more families like the Staneks ask and answer that question. Across Iowa, and especially on the western side of the state, a shortage of foster families is leaving an increasing number of children waiting for foster care placement.

"One day we had 12 referrals, and we were like, 'Where are we going to go with those?' " said Dawn Luetje, foster care and adoption program director for Lutheran Services in Iowa in Denison which has a state contract to provide foster care and adoptive services in a 30-county area of western Iowa. "I think there's always been a high need, but now it just seems like removals (of children from homes) have gone up. We really are trying just to make the community aware (of the need)."

In Woodbury County, as of Oct. 31, there were 95 foster families, according to state figures. Of those, 14 take only children eligible for adoption, leaving 81 homes for the 103 children who were in foster care on that date. Plymouth County had 29 children in foster care and 17 available families.

It may seem like a workable ratio, but some of those foster families limit the ages of the children they will accept. In some cases, there may be only a handful of families who take a certain-aged child in need of placement. Chances are good that those families already have foster children living with them and may not be able to accept more.

Luetje recalled a recent case in which workers looked to place a group of three siblings in Woodbury County. Only one home was available, and the family wasn't accepting placements at the time.

"We definitely want enough homes available so we can match rather than just put kids in the first available home," Luetje said.

Workers in that case were left with the possibility of separating the siblings or placing them in a shelter, adding them to a list of approximately 34 children, most of them teenagers or with special needs, on a waiting list. Local children's shelters are full, Luetje said.

Not every county in LSI's service area, which covers roughly the western third of Iowa, has numbers as dire as those in Woodbury County.

On Oct. 31, Sioux County had 24 children in foster placements and 36 foster families, according to state figures. In Ida County, there are two resource families, and one child was in foster care.

Those numbers don't tell the whole story, Luetje said. It was likely that some kids from each county were staying with a family in another county. Some might be staying with relatives who are registered foster care providers in another town.

Regardless of which town or county the children are living in, more foster care providers are needed in Iowa, where more than 4,000 children need a foster home. The need is greatest in western Iowa, said Janee Harvey, chief of the Iowa Department of Human Services Child Welfare Bureau.

"The western side of the state has had for many years the highest removal rate in Iowa. We have a greater need per capita in that area," Harvey said.

The reasons, she said, are a more active juvenile justice system in this area, plus a higher rate of drug use. Of Iowa's child removals, 36 percent are due to parental drug use. The next two leading reasons are neglect and child behavior (delinquency or psychological issues), each at 17 percent.

Children are removed if a DHS worker doesn't think the child is safe in the home or if there's a risk issue such as housing or mental health problems in the family. Social workers immediately try to find a relative for the child to stay with. If that's not possible, foster care is the other option to provide the child's day-to-day needs and "try to make the child's life as normal as possible," Luetje said.

Her agency and others are finding it more challenging to recruit and retain enough families willing to do so. Some who provide foster care "retire" from it after years of service. Other couples become foster parents with the aim of adopting children and stop once they've fulfilled that goal. Complicating matters is the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which, among other things, encourages agencies to try to keep kids in their communities for foster care placement so they don't have to change schools. It means a child in Sioux City might not be placed with a family in Le Mars, for example.

LSI entered into a contract with the Iowa Department of Human Services to provide foster care and adoptive services in western Iowa's Area 1. Four Oaks provides those services in Iowa's other four service areas.

LSI and Four Oaks now lead the efforts to recruit and retain foster families, with assistance from the DHS. Both agencies have performance-based goals and financial incentives to increase the number of foster homes. The agencies took over the contract on July 1, so it's too soon to tell if they're making headway, though signs are encouraging, said Tracey Parker, DHS Foster Family and Adoption Program manager.

"I know that they're running training frequently," Parker said.

Chris and Sue Stanek took foster parent training 15 years ago, then put it off when they found out they were having their sixth child. Then came their seventh child. Providing foster care never left their minds, however, and they decided the time was right last November, when they began looking into it again.

"It came up through the years and things fell into place," Chris Stanek said.

They began the 10-week training class in April and were surprised when they saw the makeup of the class: three single women, one single man, one senior citizen, a young couple and a retired couple.

That variety dispels the notion that only married couples of a certain age can provide foster care. Single or married, you must be 21 years old and pass a background check, among other requirements.

"It really does take all kinds of families because all children have different needs," Luetje said. "We're not looking for perfect families. Sometimes the best families are those that have overcome problems."

There's a great need for all types of families, but especially African-American, Hispanic and Native American families, she said. Also of short supply are families willing to take teenagers, children with special needs and sibling groups of three or more.

The Staneks take children up to age 10. They decided to provide foster care so siblings could stay together while separated from their parents.

"Our intention in doing this was to keep sibling groups together," Sue Stanek said.

That stability, Harvey said, is important for children while their parents deal with the problems that led to removal. Once social workers are happy that the parental issues have been addressed, the family can be reunited.

"Ultimately, the goal is safety and permanency for the children," Harvey said. "Most of our kids that are removed are returned to their parents within 12 months."

While the parents sort out their situation, foster families are needed to care for their children. In western Iowa's Area 1, that means 539 kids living in foster care, with dozens more waiting for placement as of Oct. 31.

Ideally, there would be a foster home for every child, Harvey said, but it's not possible, and many children must live in child shelters.

"DHS is well aware of this challenge," she said.

It's a challenge that the Staneks are glad they accepted and think many others are capable of meeting. They encourage people they know who have indicated an interest to attend one of the free information meetings to find out more about being a foster parent.

"If you think you have an interest in it, just act on it and talk to someone about it," Chris Stanek said. "When you realize the need, you realize it's really worth it."
SIOUX CITY | Woodbury County's request to join the Rolling Hills Community Service Region has left board members of the seven-county mental health region questioning whether the addition would be in its best interest.

With Woodbury County set to withdraw from the three-county Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability Services agency on July 1, it's far from certain a majority of the Rolling Hills counties will vote to accept Iowa's fifth largest county as a member. At least two Rolling Hills counties have expressed strong reservations about the request. At an October meeting, some Rolling Hills board members raised questions related to finances, services and whether one or both of the other Sioux Rivers counties also might seek membership.

The state of Iowa in 2014 switched from a county-based to a regional method of delivering mental health services to low-income residents. The state calls such regions Mental Health and Disability Services systems, or MHDS regions.

Since its inception, Woodbury has been part of Sioux Rivers, which includes Plymouth and Sioux counties. Rolling Hills takes in seven smaller counties mostly east of Woodbury -- Buena Vista, Sac, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Crawford and Ida. Two other regions exist in Northwest Iowa. One, called Northwest Iowa Care Connection, includes six counties on the Minnesota border and in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Monona County is part of the Southwest Iowa MHDS, a nine-county region stretching south to the Missouri border. Neither the Northwest nor Southwest MHDS has shown interest in adding Woodbury, leaving Rolling Hills as the county's only viable alternative.

Rolling Hills CEO Dawn Mentzer said admitting Woodbury would require three separate votes -- one by the Rolling Hills governance board to forward the topic to the seven county boards of supervisors, a majority vote by those boards, then a final majority vote by the Rolling Hills governing body.

Mentzer, who is from Buena Vista County, said "it would be irresponsible to take" Woodbury without a proper vetting of how mental health programs might be impacted in the existing MHDS. Rolling Hills, she said, offers many services also provided in Woodbury County, and it will take further study to see if there are services in Woodbury County that might be extended to the seven Rolling Hills counties.

Official minutes from the two most recent Rolling Hills board meetings on Oct. 4 and Oct. 25 shows representatives from the seven counties plan to be methodical in vetting Woodbury County.

The board discussed at length the concern that if we were to allow Woodbury County to join that we may be forced to take the remaining two counties; Sioux and Plymouth," according to the minutes from one of the meetings.

A poll of the seven Rolling Hills board members was taken Oct. 4 on initial thoughts on adding Woodbury County. Crawford County representative, Cecil Blum, said his stance was "no." Neil Bock of Carroll County said his reaction was not favorable, but that subsequent research ahead could change that.

At least one board member, Dennis Bush of Cherokee County, raised questions about the possibility of not only Woodbury but Plymouth County joining the region, and his concerns for the financial health of the Rolling Hills region, if that happened.

Rolling Hills board chairman Rick Hecht, of Sac County, noted talks are very preliminary and the question of whether Woodbury County will be invited to join the region is an open question.

Mentzer said she has no position on whether Woodbury should be allowed to join. She noted the region has performed well connecting residents with services.

"We've got a very well functioning region," Mentzer said.

Woodbury County's recent notice that it planned to withdraw from the Sioux Rivers region came after after years of disagreements that began sometime after the agency was formed in July 2014. Sioux and Plymouth county representatives on the Sioux Rivers board voted against Woodbury's formal request to leave the region at the end of the current fiscal year on June 30.

Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor has said the machinations between Woodbury separating from Plymouth and Sioux counties could result in a lawsuit, or perhaps the less extreme step of arbitration.
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.
JOHNSTON, Iowa  Although its been nine years since historic floods caused more than $5 billion in damage to Cedar Rapids, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, believes there is a chance the city will get flood mitigation funds it is seeking.

Were doing what we can, he said Friday about his efforts with 1st Congressional District Rep. Rod Blum and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. We have to make sure that the money does come.

Cedar Rapids city officials estimate it will take about $600 million over 20 years to protect the city from future floods. This includes $269 million from the state  which already has been allocated  $110 million from Cedar Rapids and $73 million from the federal government. Another $150 million still is unfunded.

The federal money was authorized as part of the Water Resources Development Act, but that legislation includes numerous projects across the United States and no money has been appropriated for Cedar Rapids.

Loebsack, who represented Cedar Rapids at the time of the 2008 flood, acknowledged that the chance for the community to get federal funds may be limited.

Well, I think its fair to say given the problems that the federal government has had with the budget and all the rest, its hard to count on anything like that, he said during taping of Iowa Press, which can be seen online at IPTV.org. I think we can make some progress on that, (but) it remains to be seen whether we can get all the funding that we need.

Although the 2nd District, which Loebsack now represents, doesnt include Cedar Rapids, he promised to continue to work as hard as I can to make sure that funding does come.
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.

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 that 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.
Billings' second school-based clinic is slated to open in December at Medicine Crow Middle School.

The clinic will be similar to a model opened at Orchard Elementary in 2015, and will be open to any School District 2 student or family member, but not the general public.

"In general, it is really convenient access to health care," said Medicine Crow Principal Nikki Hofmann. "They don't have to figure out, 'Well, how am I going to get there?'"

The clinic will perform basic urgent care services, physicals, immunizations, well-child exams, help with chronic illnesses like diabetes, and offer some expanded behavioral health services. The planned first day of operation is Dec. 5.

The school-based health center model has been lauded by national health groups. Research has shown that in-school care improves attendance, which in turn improves academic performance. One study found that students using in-school clinics were more likely to graduate than their peers who didn't use an available clinic.

Another study found that students with asthma who attended a school with a health center were in class more than students with asthma who attended a school without a health center.

The Medicine Crow clinic will be staffed by a licensed clinical counselor, in addition to other medical staff.

Demand for services at the Orchard clinic was highest for behavioral health, said RiverStone Health vice president of clinical operations Nancy Taylor. And clinic use roughly doubled when access was expanded from Orchard students and families to include Ponderosa, Newman and Washington elementary schools and Riverside Middle School.

"Our goal at Orchard was to get established and work through a new startup," she said. "Medicine Crow was a natural next step ... we wanted to go to the next age level."

Students need parental consent to use the clinic.

The clinic, located near the school's southwest corner, will be able to buzz in patients through a secured side door of the school.

"We've got two elementary schools very close by. We've got the Boys and Girls Club," said Hofmann.

SD2 superintendent Terry Bouck floated the idea of adding another health center in a middle or high school back in 2015, but talks between RiverStone and the school district heated up over the last several months.

A classroom was remodeled to add a pair of exam-style rooms around a central room and reception area. The space is larger than the Orchard clinic.

School-based health clinics are a common model in several other states, but have been slow to catch on in Montana.

Missoula established a health center in 2012, and the first of four school-based health centers opened on the Fort Peck Reservation in 2007. Libby schools also have a partnership offering health services in school. The 2013-2014 census from the School-based Health Alliance shows an additional health center in northeast Montana.

States like West Virginia, New York and Maine all have expansive school-based health center networks, and 15 states have competitive grant programs to fund clinics. About half of health centers are in urban areas, but more than a quarter are in rural areas  and a higher percentage of rural students use health centers.

RiverStone has no immediate plans to expand in Billings, Taylor said, but the group has drawn lessons from other clinics around the country.

We had the benefit of learning from others that have gone before us, she said.
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has resigned after 37 years of autocratic rule, finally succumbing to the pressure of a military takeover and the humiliation of impeachment.

The announcement came minutes into a joint session of the Zimbabwean Parliament in Harare, convened to prise the 93-year-old from power.

As the Speaker read out a letter from Mugabe, lawmakers broke out in thunderous applause and cheers.

In the streets outside, crowds erupted in rapturous celebrations, dancing and cheering in joy, some raising their fists and waving Zimbabwean flags.

"We think that this is the work of God," one young man told CNN in Harare. "We were in crisis for a long time, and this is a new day for Zimbabweans."

In his letter, Mugabe insisted that his resignation was voluntary. "I have resigned to allow smooth transfer of power," he wrote. "Kindly give public notice of my decision as soon as possible."

Key developments

Mugabe's whereabouts: The President's resignation came in a short letter read out during a parliamentary session. He has not been seen since Sunday.

No sign of successor: It was not immediately clear who would take over. The former Vice President, whose sacking by Mugabe triggered the crisis, earlier said he would not return from abroad until his safety could be guaranteed.

International reaction: Theresa May, the Prime Minister of Britain, from which Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, said Mugabe's resignation provided the country "with an opportunity to forge a new path free of the oppression that characterized his rule."

What happened

Mugabe's decision was an acknowledgment of the inevitable. In reality, he lost his grip on power six days ago when the country's top generals launched what amounted to a military coup, placing the veteran leader under house arrest.

After nearly four decades of unimpeded rule, Mugabe's political downfall unfolded in just two weeks.

The crisis began on November 6 when Mugabe fired his Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in an apparent attempt to clear a path for his wife, Grace, to succeed him.

The prospect of Grace Mugabe in power horrified the generals and other senior elements in Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, who despise the First Lady's lavish lifestyle and were suspicious of her political ambitions.

On Tuesday, tanks were seen outside Harare and in the early hours of Wednesday morning, an army spokesman appeared on state TV to declare that a military operation was under way. By dawn it was clear that Mugabe was under house arrest, and his grip on power was over.

The whereabouts of the former President and his wife were unknown on Tuesday. Grace Mugabe has not been seen since the day of the military takeover, and her husband's last appearance was during a television statement on Sunday night.

What comes next

It was not clear who would take over from Mugabe. Had Mnangagwa had not been fired as Vice President, he would have served as interim leader. In his absence, the Speaker of Parliament would ordinarily step in.

Mnangagwa has not been seen in the country since his dismissal on November 6, but he broke his silence on Tuesday to add his voice to those calling on Mugabe to resign. Mnangagwa, who enjoys widespread support in the military, was widely believed to be in touch with senior generals behind the scenes.

ZANU-PF ousted Mugabe as leader of the party and installed Mnangagwa in his place on Sunday, and at the very least, Mugabe's resignation paves the way for him to stand for the presidency in elections planned for 2018.

End of an era

Mugabe's resignation marks the end of an era in Zimbabwe. He ruled the country with an iron fist for almost four decades and is the only leader the nation has known since it achieved independence from Britain in 1980.

Mugabe's political demise is the consequence of a struggle over who would succeed him in ZANU-PF, a party split between those loyal to Mnangagwa and supporters of Grace Mugabe.

It was a humiliating departure for Mugabe, who clung onto power for a week but eventually buckled to pressure.

The party he co-founded to usher the country into independence ousted him, the military that he commanded placed him under house arrest and his most powerful allies abandoned him.

Mugabe rose to power as a freedom fighter and was once regarded as Zimbabwe's own Nelson Mandela, but he quickly waged a campaign of oppression to shore up his authority, extinguishing the political opposition through violent crackdowns.

Mugabe's hardline policies also pushed the country into poverty. Its flourishing economy began to disintegrate after a program of land seizures from white farmers, and agricultural output plummeted and inflation soared.

Over the decades, Mugabe and his wife faced fierce criticism for leading lavish lifestyles as the country was plunged into economic ruin.

CNN's Hilary Clarke contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON -- As President Trump ends his Asia trip, he might sum up the 12-day journey with a revision of the remark attributed to Julius Caesar: Veni, vidi, blandivi. I came, I saw, I flattered.

Trump's trip was closer to a pilgrimage than a projection of power. The president rarely explained details of U.S. policy. Instead, he mostly asked other leaders for help, lauded their virtues, and embraced their worldviews.

Along the adulation tour, Trump spoke of his "really extraordinary" relationship with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; his "incredibly warm" feeling for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he called "a very special man"; his "great relationship" with the "very successful" Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte; and his empathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose nation is "an asset to our country, not a liability."

And the president praised himself at nearly every stop, telling reporters on the way home that the trip had been "tremendously successful" with "incredible" achievements.

Trump's trip may indeed prove to be historic, but probably not in the way he intends. It may signal a U.S. accommodation to rising Chinese power, plus a desire to mend fences with a belligerent Russia -- with few evident security gains for America. If the 1945 Yalta summit marked U.S. acceptance of the Soviet Union's hegemony in Eastern Europe, this trip seemed to validate China's arrival as a Pacific power. As Xi put it to Trump, "The Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate both China and the United States."

Trump voiced a clear desire for accommodation with an aggressive Russia, too. Much was made of his regurgitation of Putin's denial that he had conducted a covert action against America during last year's presidential campaign. "President Putin really feels -- and he feels strongly -- that he did not meddle in our election."

Remarked one former senior CIA official: "When the Art of the Deal meets the KGB, the KGB wins."

But far more important than Trump's credulous response to Putin was his eagerness for Moscow's help in bolstering America's global position. Trump has noisily drawn a red line on North Korea, for example, but he evidently needs Russia's help, in addition to China's, to deliver without going to war. To get Moscow's help on North Korea, and Syria, too, Trump seems willing to give Putin a pass.

Here's how Trump put it during a press conference in Hanoi, which may have been the most important statement of the trip: "People don't realize Russia has been very, very heavily sanctioned," Trump said. "It's now time to get back to healing a world that is shattered and broken. ... And I feel that having Russia in a friendly posture, as opposed to always fighting with them, is an asset to the world."

Trump's ingratiating comments come at a time of American strategic disorientation. "We're adrift," said one prominent congressional Republican staffer, expressing a view that's increasingly heard from nonpartisan analysts at the Pentagon, think tanks and universities. At a time when Russia, China and Iran are all rapidly advancing their military capabilities, the Trump administration has declaratory policies of military strength -- but hasn't yet made the necessary decisions about how it intends to actually combat these potential adversaries.

A blistering summary of the administration's overdue obligation to make strategic decisions to deter Russia and China, as opposed to glad-handing them, came in a little-noted Oct. 27 letter from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Stricken with cancer, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee holds nothing back these days.

"We now confront the most complex security environment in 70 years," McCain wrote. "Misplaced priorities and acquisition failures have left us without critical defense capabilities to counter increasingly advanced near-peer competitors. ... We no longer enjoy the wide margins of power we once had over competitors and adversaries. We cannot do everything we want everywhere. We must choose. We must prioritize."

McCain suggested what many analysts have been saying quietly for months. The most worrying thing about Trump isn't his impulsive military threats (though there's reason to be concerned there, too). The deeper fear is that in national security, this administration is an empty suit. It doesn't make decisions. It doesn't set priorities.

Trump is a vain man who flatters others so that he will be stroked himself. If there's a strategic concept underlying his approach, it may be realism married to acquiescence. The Asia trip left me feeling that we're watching an American retreat, accompanied by a shiny brass band.
Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,

Can be writ the nation's glory, Illinois, Illinois.

- official state song

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- This state's story, which lately has been depressing, soon will acquire a riveting new chapter. In 2018 Illinois will have the nation's most important, expensive and strange election.

Its importance derives from this fact: Self-government has failed in the nation's 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 California's $280 million gubernatorial race in 2010, when that state's 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 Rauner's real opponent is a Democrat who has been in the state assembly since Richard Nixon's first term (1971) and has been speaker all but two years since Ronald Reagan's 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 nation's 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 state's 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 nation's 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 he's since been bullied. Another Democratic legislator -- an African-American from Chicago's 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, Madigan's automatons passed a law (Rauner's 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 Madigan's 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 Madigan's 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 nation's glory.
In the West there was panic when the migrants multiplied on the highways. Men of property were terrified for their property. Men who had never been hungry saw the eyes of the hungry. Men who had never wanted anything very much saw the flare of want in the eyes of the migrants. And the mean of the towns and of the soft suburban country gathered to defend themselves; and they reassured themselves that they were good and the invaders bad, as a man must do before he fights. They said, Those goddamned Okies are dirty and ignorant. Theyre degenerate, sexual maniacs. Those goddamned Okies are thieves. Theyll steal anything. Theyve got no sense of property rights.

 John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath



Manus Island- Refugees are Welcome in Aotearoa this Christmas

Rally at the Auckland Unitarian church

1A Ponsonby Road, Auckland

November 26th at 2:20pm





Sex with underage girls. Rampant violence. Tables awash with gambling money. No, its not the latest Netflix blockbuster, but allegations against the 370 men detained on Manus Island. the claims.... some of them by Australian intelligence - are yet to be proven, or disproven, but it smacks of yet another outrage against vulnerable, desperate people whose only crime is to have sought asylum and a safe haven. You cant help but be sceptical of the claims. Smear campaigns against refugees is nothing new but more of that in a moment. And the timing of the leak is suspect. If this behaviour was rife, how come its only just been revealed hot on the heels of PM Jacinda Ardern offering - to Australias immense displeasure - to resettle 150 of the men in New Zealand?First up, who are these men? They are asylum seekers who arrived in Australia by boat from various strife-torn countries throughout the Middle East and Asia. In 2012, Australia began offshore processing of those seeking refuge on its shores under the rather chillingly named Pacific Solution. A washing-of-hands, more like, and certainly not a solution for the refugees themselves. The policy was condemned from the start for its ad hoc nature, and for the removal of desperate people to facilities that were barely inhabitable, with unreliable water and power supplies, poor medical facilities, as well as the mental impact that remaining in limbo would have on a population already fleeing dire situations in their home countries.Since July 2013, about 1500 people have been transferred to Manus, in Papua New Guinea, from Australia. As The Conversation reports, The number of asylum seekers on Manus Island has slowly reduced over the years as people have either accepted packages to return to their country of origin , been deported from PNG, been resettled in the US or temporarily settled in PNG. Six others have died. A war of attrition, designed to do anything but welcome these people to Australia, to do the decent thing and resettle them. The very act of shipping them to a detention centre suggests they have committed some crime. Asylum seeker seems almost synonymous, in some minds, with outlaw.And then in October, the Manus detention centre was closed. Ever since, theyve had limited food, water and power supplies. The men were offered relocation to premises that have been deemed unacceptable by both the refugees and humanitarian experts - not least for well-founded fear of attack by local townspeople. So the men have refused to budge from their current place. A case of better the hell you know, if ever there was one. The UN has said of the situation: The abrupt ending of services and the closure of the regional processing centre needs to involve the people who have been in this regional processing centre for years in a very vulnerable state It is really high time to bring an end to this unconscionable human suffering.Human suffering. To address human suffering, you do one of two things. You either take steps to end it. Or you somehow make those involved appear less than human. You accuse them of crimes that alienate them from sympathy.As stated at the start, smear campaigns against refugees are hardly original. Just think back a couple of years to Germany, where it was claimed a mob of asylum seekers assaulted women on one of Frankfurts main shopping streets during New Year celebrations. Leading German newspaper Bild was forced to apologise earlier this year for the the false allegations.Again in Germany, a Muslim mob was accused, falsely, of burning down the countrys oldest church.In Hungary, migrants have been portrayed as a danger to society. A government-sponsored poster campaign on billboards around the country claimed sexual harassment of women has risen sharply across Europe since the beginning of the migrant crisis.In 2015, Amnesty condemned UK foreign secretary Phil Hammond for his shameful comments about migrants. Speaking during a visit to Singapore Hammond said those migrants arriving in Europe were undermining its standard of living.He said Britains number one priority was to find a way to send back would-be asylum seekers to where they came from. He attacked the freedom of movement laws with the European Union and warned that in Calais, "there are large numbers of pretty desperate migrants marauding around the area".Steve Symonds of Amnesty was rightly shocked, saying: "Rather than throwing up the drawbridge and talking about how Europe can 'protect' itself from migrants, Mr Hammond should be working with our EU partners to ensure that people don't drown in the Mediterranean or get crushed beneath lorries at Calais.This contempt for those genuinely seeking safe haven goes way back. Reel back to post-war Britain, when youd think fleeing Jews would have been welcomed with open arms - and its a similar story. There was widespread intolerance by the media at the notion of accepting refugees. As Tony Kushner and Katharine Knox write in their book Refugees In an Age of Genocide, "Of all the groups in the 20th century, refugees from Nazism are now widely and popularly perceived as 'genuine', but at the time German, Austrian and Czechoslovakian Jews were treated with ambivalence and outright hostility as well as sympathy." Adds Kushner, "People feel that the country should maintain asylum for genuine asylum seekers, but they're always in the past, never today."The fact is that capitalism creates wars, and dire poverty and fuels climate change, engendering the conditions that give rise to refugees in the first place. And then it closes or opens its borders to them as it suits. Capitalism has a long history of moving people around the globe, sometimes forcefully - aka slavery - to meet the needs of the system in its expansionary phases. And yet when the system is in crisis, and struggles to provide houses or feed its own, migrants are a convenient scapegoat for the ills that capitalism creates.As socialists we say there should be no borders dividing workers. We should welcome all immigrants with open arms - and especially those who are fleeing war, genocide, terror, the loss of land thanks to climate change, poverty and political persecution. Workers are not pieces on a chessboard to be picked up and put down at will. These men on Manus, and all migrants/refugees/asylum seekers, are human beings with hopes and dreams just like the rest of us. Above all we should reject the notion that some refugees are somehow unworthy of a place in our society.Bring the Manus refugees here and lets stop demonising migrants - both those wishing to come here and those already in our midst.Maria SA
Browse the work of artists, painters, printmakers, ceramic and glass artists, woodworkers, silk painters, photographers, gourd artists, jewelers, metal artists and more. Go online for all locations.

Well-known for the arts, the Placitas Holiday Sale will be celebrating 36 years as one of the most entertaining arts & crafts fairs in New Mexico. Some of the finest Artists and Artisans come from all over the state to show their art at the Holiday Sale, held every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving in the historic Village of Placitas. On November 18-19, the art show will be from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday.

The Placitas Holiday Sale will be spotlighting Nancy Wood Taber as the 2017 Featured Artist of the show. Taber expresses her passion for nature and animals through her detailed and thought provoking colored pencil drawings that captures the unique spirit of animals. She continues to expand her creativity as she has now added jewelry alongside her colored pencil drawings. Spiritually inspired pendants, her totem animal jewelry come in the many shapes of a wolf, raven, cougar, bear, horse, owl and rabbits.

Special this year, the Holiday Sale will highlight the work of Jim Fish, owner of Anasazi Fields Winery, who suddenly passed away earlier in the year. He was a master of seeing the beauty in nature in wood and transforming them even further into unique wooden sculptures and walking sticks.

The many artists, painters, printmakers, ceramic and glass artists, woodworkers, silk painters, photographers, gourd artists, jewelers, metal artists will bring their handmade work to sell. Homemade clothing, leather goods, painted drums, hand-carved furniture, and much more art will be on display at the three central locations. Site #1, Anasazi Fields Winery; Site #2, The Big Tent, next to the Presbyterian Church and Site #3 the Placitas Elementary School.

Nestled at the foot of the Sandia Mountains and known for its beauty, Placitas is 25 miles north of Albuquerque and 50 miles south of Santa Fe. Visitors can take exit #242 from I-25 and drive east on Highway 165 for 6 miles to reach the village. Colorful signs will lead the way.

You can get more information at the website: www.placitasholidaysale.com.
New so-called vice taxes on cigarettes and alcohol have been one of the few popular taxes among Wyomingites. A poll last year found that 81 percent favored raising taxes on alcohol and 78 percent favored raising them on cigarettes.

UW poll: Wyomingites have little interest in cutting government Most Cowboy State residents want government spending to stay at the same levels or increase, a new poll from the University of Wyoming shows.

Now, the Legislatures Interim Joint Revenue Committee is moving forward on both proposals. While the committees consideration of a $1 per pack increase on cigarettes drew more attention and discussion at its meeting in Cheyenne earlier this month, the panel also advanced proposals to raise three separate alcohol taxes:

Raising the sales tax on malt beverages from one-half cent per 100 milliliter to four and three-fourths centers per liter;

Raising the sales tax on wine and spirits an additional one cent per 750 milliliters, and raising the tax on malt beverages an additional one cent per 12 ounces to fund an alcohol abuse recovery fund;

Allowing the Wyoming liquor division, which oversees wholesale distribution of alcohol to retailers, to generate a profit of 20.6 percent rather than the current 17.6 percent.

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The revenue committee will debate the bills at its December meeting, where members will decide whether or not to sponsor the measures and encourage passage by the full Legislature.

Sen. Dave Kinskey, R-Sheridan, said he requested the bill on taxing alcohol to pay for substance abuse programs in part to learn how much money could be raised.

Kinskey said he had been researching the history of Wyomings sales tax and learned that in the 1930s, the governor  Democrat Leslie Miller  believed that if a liquor tax was introduced, counties would have enough money to eliminate the property tax.

Easier sell

While taxes on alcohol are an easier political sell than raising sales or property tax  or implementing an income tax  theyre also not able to raise as much money.

Quadrupling the malt beverage tax would raise just under $2 million per year. Raising the sales tax an additional 1 cent on wine, spirits and beer would bring in roughly $1.4 million, while allowing the liquor division to increase its profit margin would lead to around $3 million per year in annual revenue.

In all, the Legislative Service Office estimates that all the alcohol taxes combined would generate about $6.4 million per year, a drop in the bucket next to the $385 million budget gap the state is facing for the upcoming fiscal year due to declines in the energy sector.

Still, the alcohol taxes may be able to sneak through a Legislature, and especially a state senate, that has been hostile to looking at new revenue before deep cuts are imposed on state spending.

I do support raising the cigarette tax, as well as taxes on beer and alcohol, said Revenue Committee co-chair Sen. R. Ray Peterson, R-Cowley. All those things cost the state money.

The measures to increase taxes specifically on alcohol are also not the only bills being considered by the committee that would affect drinkers in Wyoming. A proposed tourism tax  which the committee renamed as a lodging and hospitality tax  would raise the state sales tax by 1 percent on businesses that are thought to cater to out-of-state visitors, including bars.

Zannie Driskill, who operates hospitality businesses near Devils Tower, testified in favor of that tax. Driskill acknowledged that the levy would be applied to Wyoming residents who went to bars but said that they could choose not to go.

Drinking is a luxury, she said. Not a right.
On November 3, Aniplex held the North American premiere for the first film in a three part trilogy, Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] THE MOVIE I. presage flower at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Heaven's Feel is the third and final route of the original Fate/Stay night visual novel released in 2004. Learn a little about the history and the creation process of the film as we briefly chat with Director Tomonori Sudo (Sudou).

T-ONO: How does it feel to be back in Los Angeles for a major movie release?

Sudo: Two years ago when I came here for Anime Expo, I was here as the Character Designer for Unlimited Blade Works (UBW). While I was here, I was able to meet the fans for the first time. Seeing their reactions was new and interesting for me. Now that I am back as the Director for Heavens Feel, I am looking forward to seeing their reactions to the film.

T-ONO: Have you had the opportunity to see the fans lined up outside?

Sudo: Right now the line is probably a lot longer than when I first saw it. When I originally heard there were that many seats in this theater, I was very surprised. I am glad so many people came here to see Heavens Feel.

T-ONO: Youve had a very prolific career so far, often working as a character designer, an animation director, and also as a director on the same project. Can you tell us a little bit about what its like balancing the different roles?

Sudo: At the beginning when I was a character designer, essentially I took orders from the director and animation director for direction on how to draw the characters. As an animation director when it comes to Type-Moon works, I am continuously handed materials and key animation for review. As a Type-Moon fan, I ask myself at a particular scene how will the be character portrayed; what will the characters expression be? I will try to fix those character expressions so when they appear on screen, they will match. As a director, I am the last person to review the material. Most of the time I trust the screen and animation directors to do their best assembling everything together into multiple layers. When I see the semi-final product, I will try to fix stuff to make sure that character expressions are correct. I am using my experience as an animation director to perform my duty as a director.

T-ONO: Since working on various titles such as Kara No Kyoukai and Fate/Zero, what have you learned while working on those projects that you were able to apply to Heavens Feel?

Sudo: When it comes to Type-Moon works, I have been working with them for a very long time and not just me personally but, the animation studio Ufotable. Ever since we worked on Fate/Zero, we already established many of the necessary preparations to make Heavens Feel. Starting from there, we already had multiple channels of communication with the staff to make sure that they can do the best that they can. Also, because we had experience working on the previous titles, we were able to identity different areas we could improve on, such as maybe we can do better with this type of facial expression. We are constantly trying to improve ourselves and our work so please look forward to our films with Heavens Feel.

T-ONO: Were there any types of pressure that you felt leading the project as this is the first time Heavens Feel has been adapted as an animation?

Sudo: Being a long time Type-Moon fan, I played through all three routes for Fate/stay night and my favorite route is Heavens Feel. In addition, Sakura is my favorite heroine.

Its been awhile since Ufotable got the offer to make Heavens Feel. When we found out that we were making Heavens Feel, I volunteered myself to be the director. I compiled a plan together with the staff and showed it to the original author, Kinoko Nasu from Type-Moon to make sure this is how I want to do Heavens Feel. Obviously there are some difficulty adapting certain parts, but for me, Its a long time dream and I have the opportunity to express it.

T-ONO: We noticed from the trailer the animation looks smoother than what we have seen in the past. Can you tell us a little bit about how this was achieved?

Sudo: With the UBW TV series, we were able to achieve a high quality level of animation with a lot of impressive action scenes. So for Heavens Feel, I actually asked the director of UBW, Takahiro Miura to do the storyboarding for the action sequences. Miura-san presented us with storyboards that were even better than UBW. Everyone on the animation team followed Miuras example and came together to work even harder, such as creating more detailed backgrounds, and made sure that they were able to achieve better animation together.

TYPE-MOONufotableFSNPC

T-ONO: Finally a message for the fans who will be watching this movie in the US?

Sudo: Everyone has waited for Heavens Feel for a long time, even in America, and finally we are able to release Heavens Feel. Heavens Feel is the last route out of all three. With Fate/stay night we have the Saber route and now we have the Sakura route. We finally get to express what is really hidden, the secrets behind the entire story of Fate/stay night. Fans can look forward to finally finding out the true hidden secret.
Under the sparkle of disco lights and chandeliers, dozens of grandparents twirled, clapped and cut a rug with their grandchildren Saturday night at the second annual YMCA Grandparents-Grandchildren Ball at the Monticello Hotel.

The annual event was started last year to raise money for the YMCAs Goodtymes recreational program for disabled adults. Yet its also a chance to promote inter-generational bonding.

This is so beautiful and its so fun to have a good time with the grandchildren, said Loreen Dillman of Longview with a broad smile. Dillman brought her grandchildren, 4-year-old Lily and 9-year-old Teo, to the ball after enjoying last years event at the Kelso Red Lion.

The kids are having a blast dancing and its nice to have an event centered around them, Dillman said.

Les Cornwell, coordinater of the Goodtymes program, said YMCA wanted to create an equivalent of a father-daughter ball but for grandparents.

Nobody has ever done anything for the grandparents, and grandparents are watching grandkids more and more these days, Cornwell said. I wanted to do something that brought generations together, because there is not a lot (of activities that do that). Grandparents are a forgotten resource.

He selected the Monticellos newly-refurbished Crystal Ballroom as a way to create more excitement around the event.

The hotel and the Y were both built in 1923 so it made sense that two of Longviews oldest establishments are working together to bring generations together, Cornwell said.

The YMCA sold 160 pre-sale tickets, but he estimated that about 200 people would attend. The fundraiser will help the program purchase a new bus to transport participants to and from Goodtymes activities.

Tish Harper cradled her infant granddaughter as she swayed to Elvis Presley music.

This is so much fun. I came to dance with my babies, Harper.

Harper said she remembers attending events at the Monticello in the 1980s when the ballroom was more contemporary. The newly restored building looks totally different, but its gorgeous. Its nice to see it restored.

Six-year-old Ryan Lynn and 4-year-old Paitynn wore white corsages on their wrists and tiaras in their hair for the ball.

When the girls found out they were going to a ball, they asked if Cinderella would be here and we told them that you were the princesses, gushed grandma Kimberley Lemmons.

Lemmons and her husband, Mike, said it was there first time going to a ball together.

I want to create memories with them every year, Lemmons said.

And between the chocolate cupcakes and the cha-cha-slide, it certainly was a night the girls wont forget.Contact Daily News reporter Marissa Luck at 360-577-2539
The holiday season is here and The Daily News will be distributing the biggest paper of the year on Thanksgiving Day.

The Thanksgiving edition of the paper will weigh about 2 pounds and be full of Black Friday and other special deals from local retailers.

We will be stocking extra copies of the paper in convenience stores and in racks throughout the area on Thanksgiving Day through Sunday. We dont want you to miss out the great deals you cant find anywhere else.

The Daily News is proud to be part of your holiday shopping tradition. According to a Nielsen media study newspapers, newspaper websites and digital apps reach 69 percent of the national market every month. On Thanksgiving Day many of these readers are only looking for the sales flyers.

Again this year, The Daily News will be giving away money just for reading the Thanksgiving Day paper. The Thanks-GIVE-away promotion was so successful last year we decided to run it again this year.

Well be awarding three $100 Visa gift cards to local readers who enter. One lucky reader in the markets served by The Daily News owner, Lee Enterprises Inc., will win $5,000.

Enter by finding the ad for our ThanksGIVEaway contest in the Thanksgiving edition of The Daily News. There youll find a special website address where you can enter.

Thanks for reading throughout the year. And happy holidays.
Assault  Cowlitz County sheriffs deputies Friday arrested Irving Santana-Padilla, 29, of El Paso, Texas on suspicion of second-degree assault, felony harassment and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

Drugs  Cowlitz County Corrections Department officers Friday arrested Jerry Allen Anderson,36, of Kelso on a temporary removal order and suspicion of a drug violation.

Drugs Cowlitz County sheriffs deputies Friday arrested Raul Hinojosa III, 38, a transient on suspicion of a drug violation.

Drugs  Longview police Friday arrested Brandi Marie Lake,23, of Longview on a contempt of court charge, a Department of Corrections warrant and suspicion of possession of drugs.

Burglary  Longview police Friday arrested Jamie Lynn Cruz, 36, of Longview on suspicion of second-degree burglary and a drug violation.

Drugs  Longview police Friday arrested Angie Dea Lucas, 41, of Longview on a contempt of court charge and suspicion of a drug violation.

Theft  Longview police Friday arrested Jacob Michael Phillips,30, of Longview on suspicion of theft.

Thefts

100 block of McGeary Road, Kelso. Friday. Firewood.

1000 block of Fifth Avenue, Kelso. Friday. Xbox.

400 block of Main Street, Kelso. Friday. Medications.

800 block of Ocean Beach Highway, Longview. Friday. Cash from register by known suspect.

200 block of CC Street, Woodland. Friday. Gray BMX bicycle.

Stolen Vehicles

3000 block of Columbia Heights Road, Longview. Friday. Blue 2004 Hyundai Sonata.

800 block of First Avenue, Kelso. Friday. Red 1993 Chevrolet S10 pick-up truck.

1400 bock of Industrial Way, Longview. Friday. White 2000 Chevrolet Dually. Oregon license 930JYX.

2700 block of Columbia Heights Road, Longview. Gold 1997 Ford F150.

Vehicle Prowls

200 block of Alpha Drive, Longview. Friday.

200 block of Scott Avenue, Woodland. Friday.

Malicious Mischief

1800 block of Pacific Avenue, Kelso. Friday. Suspect throwing garbage everywhere.

4300 block of Dike Road, Woodland. Friday. Suspect throwing rocks at boaters in river.
For now, the Rainier School District will have no comment on a $1.8 million lawsuit brought against the district, Superintendent Michael Carter and former special education director Laurie Kash, school board Chairman Darren Vaughn said Saturday.

It is outside our policy to comment on litigation of any kind. Once we decide what to do it will become public knowledge, Vaughn said in a brief phone interview.

The Rainier School Boards next meeting takes place Monday, Dec. 11. Vaughn declined to say whether the board will discuss the suit or take any action, such as putting Carter on administrative leave. In addition to the lawsuit, this is now a personnel matter he cant discuss, said Vaughn.

He said he first heard about the lawsuit from press coverage that appeared Friday, but the lawsuit indicates the complaints were brought to the school boards attention over a year ago. However, the board decided not to investigate.

In the lawsuit, Rainier instructional assistants Michelle Eastham and Terrianne MacElleven say Carter and Kash, who are married, ostracized and harassed them when they tried to report that a 6-year-old student allegedly had been sexually and physically abused by a 15-year-old student.

When they received a graphic disclosure of sexual abuse from a six-year-old student ... Carter and his wife prohibited plaintiffs from reporting the abuse because they had a personal relationship with the alleged abusers caretaker and did not believe the students disclosures. When plaintiffs followed Oregon law and reported the suspected abuse anyway, defendants engaged in a sustained campaign of harassment, abuse, and intimidation not only of the plaintiffs but also one of the plaintiffs school-aged children, the suit alleges.

Reached Saturday, Carter declined to comment about the specifics of the lawsuit, citing district policy. But he said the allegations against him and his wife are disappointing and that the facts will come out.

Eastham and MacElleven were mandatory reporters and were required to report any abuse immediately under the law, the suit says. On Oct. 16, 2015, according to the suit, the 6-year-old reported that a high school boy lured her outside her home, touched her beneath her underwear and had punched her. She had bruises and evidence of a recent bloody nose that were consistent with that report, the lawsuit says. She also also told the aides that the boy had covered her mouth and pinched her nose to prevent her from breathing.

The student was crying and begging not to be sent back to her home, the suit says.

When Kash was told of the report, Kash forbade them to make any disclosures and told them the girl was a fantastical liar who was making up the abuse story. Nevertheless, Eastham and MacElleven reported the case to the Columbia County Child Abuse Assessment Center, Rainier Police and other officials, the suit claims.

Kash reprimanded Eastham and MacElleven and told them she had a personal relationship with the boy accused of the abuse and that she was friends with his caretaker. Defendant Kash also repeated her allegations that the disclosing 6-year-old old student was a liar, nuts, and a flirt who likes to flirt with men and bat her eyelashes at them. Kash said the girls mother is a prostitute, according to the suit.

Kash threatened Eastham and MacElleven with a written reprimand if they made any further reports and threatened them with retaliation, saying,You want to play this game, lets play this game. She also threatened to make false reports about them, the lawsuit says.

On Oct. 22, 2015, Kash circulated an email to teachers and instructional assistants asserting they should wait 24 hours to make a report about suspected abuse. On the same day, Carter in a meeting with Eastham and MacElleven, the principal and other teaching assistants endorsed the delayed-reporting order.

Immediately afterward, the suit reports, Eastham and MacElleven met with their union representative, Jim Tift, who told them they already had a target on their backs and, if they filed a complaint, would have even bigger targets on their backs. (Tift later told them he did not want to file a grievance or complaint against Kash and Carter because he feared retaliation against his own granddaughter, a pupil in the district at the time, the suit says.)

The same day, MacElleven filed a letter of complaint about the situation to the school board. Again on Nov. 1, Eastham and MacElleven submitted complaints about Carter and Kash to the school board, but they believe the letter never reached the board. On information and belief, the complaints never reached the School Board ... because defendant Carter intercepted the complaints and prevented them from being delivered to the School Board, the suit says.

Thje lawsuit lays out evidence asserting that Carter and Kash harassed Eastham and MacElleven. Eastham says one of her sons grades was inexplicably changed from an A to an F. She received a school district letter threatening court action because her son was supposedly a habitual truant, though in fact his attendance was in good standing, the suit says. Other harassment, according to the suit, included falsely accusing the plaintiffs of being habitually late for work, conducting union business on school time, misusing sick days and giving them separate lunch breaks.

In January 2016, Eastham contacted the chairman of the school board and learned he had never received any of the complaints directed to the board, according to the suit. Subsequently, on Jan. 27, 2016, they were interviewed by a school board investigator. The next month, Eastham received a letter from the board saying it would not investigate and that she should work out the problem with Kash and Carter on her own.

Eastham was terminated on June 15,2016, receiving the notice that very day. However, she returned to work there the following October. Her layoff officially was for nondisciplinary reasons, and the district reinstated her after she filed a Bureau of Labor and Industries complaint about the termination, according to her lawyer, Jose Klein of Portland.

Nevertheless, the alleged harassment continued after Eastham returned: A cafeteria worker refused to serve her lunch; her photo was not included with the rest of the staffs. She has suffered a variety of health problems she blames on the stress over the conflict with Kash and Carter, such as insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and hair loss, the suit says.

McEllven resigned on Sept. 28, 2016, because she found the hostile work environment at the school district, perpetrated and maintained by defendants Carter and Kash to be intolerable ... and that the school board could not or would not establish a workplace where she could be free from harassment and retaliation.

It was not clear Saturday what happened to the two children involved at the core of this dispute. The 6-year-old girl left school immediately after revealing the alleged abuse, Klein said. But he had no further information about her or whether the 15-year-old was investigated or disciplined.
At the council meeting in Kalama on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 15, Mayor Pete Poulsen showed an incredible amount of unprofessionalism by going ballistic on supporters of the Kalama Library when confronted with his plan to fire the entire existing staff of the library and giving the excuse that he wanted to bring the library into the 21st century. As everyone knows, the library had just gone through an exhaustive and extensive rebuilding after the flood of December 2015. So the building has been brought into the 21st century. Is the mayor now insinuating that replacing the well-seasoned library staff with 20-somethings? Is this discrimination because of the age of our library staff?

In my entire 13 years on the City Council, the mayor  for some reason  has had a grudge against the library. On at least three occasions I personally witnessed him publicly state his disdain for the library, resisting increasing the book budget, salaries and threatening to close the library forever. Even as late as April of 2017, he suggested he would close the library when asked if Public Works might add some gravel to holes in the pavement in front of the book mobile to assist the elderly in entering the bookmobile.

In May of this year, he called a secret, unpublished, illegal meeting with the Library Board and swore them to secrecy. At that time he stated he was going to fire the head librarian of 16 years and another part-time librarian of over 30 years. When confronted about that meeting and the firing of those librarians, he stated that people complained about seeing someone different each time they visited the library. He also stated that only half of the citizens of Kalama wanted to see our library rebuilt after the flood.

The librarians and volunteers worked tirelessly after the flood to continue service of the library to the public and the staff endured both freezing temperatures and sweltering heat serving the public out of the bookmobile donated by Fort Vancouver. This donation of the bookmobile was arranged by the head librarian and not by any city staff. Is the firing of the entire library staff the thanks they get for their efforts in serving the public during such difficult times?

This library staff are the most dedicated employees and volunteers to be found anywhere. They were allowed no breaks during their five-hour day, put in extra time on their own without pay and work tirelessly in providing excellent service to the citizens of Kalama. It is interesting that at this time, just before the mayors term ends, he chooses to fire the entire staff giving the reason that the library isnt up to his expectations of service since he has not (not even during the reopening of the new library) found it necessary to even enter the library.

According to the Library Board manual of 2011, the Board is the responsible body for making policy and recommendations to the mayor and staff. The mayor chose to ignore the Board, and along with the city council representative for the library continues a vendetta against the long-time staff. The supporters of the library are both confused and dismayed at this approach and can make no sense of it.

And at that meeting the mayor refused to give any explanation to the packed audience. The last time the council chambers saw a crowd this size was when the council was asking the city attorney for information on sanctuary cities. The patrons of the Kalama Library are very passionate about their love for their library and staff has never has any complaints about their 20-century librarians. Out librarians are constantly keeping up with the latest trends and are among the only ones with college degrees on the entire city staff except for the city manager. So we ask: Why now, Mr. Mayor, do you want to make these changes to a well-oiled machine? It is very unfortunate that the Daily News was absent for this meeting. The public needs to be made aware of what the Mayor intends to do before his final days in office.

Dominic F. Ciancibelli

Retired Planning Commission member, City Council member
CHICAGO  Theres a moment in John Hodgmans new book, Vacationland, when we find the author and comedian at his cabin in the great disappearing emptiness that is the woods of Maine, impaled on a hook on a barn door.

For anyone whos ever sustained a serious injury  when you realize that youre going to need immediate medical attention  theres one thing you understand about such an instance: Its dead serious.

And yet, in the hands of our charming narrator, you cant help but smile and shake your head when the trip to the nearest emergency room  a half-hour ride through dark, snowy roads  is just a stop on a supermarket run to pick up gin and milk.

Priorities, right?

Such are the pleasures of reading Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches, a book which, as the title suggests, is a collection of true stories that Hodgman calls white-privilege mortality comedy. Fans might prefer to call it a peek under the robes of the man we know best as Judge John Hodgman, from both his podcast and his column in The New York Times Magazine.

Hodgmans latest book is notable not just because its a memoir centered around the angst of a middle-aged white man confronting his own eventual death. Its also in contrast to his three books of fake facts  the endlessly delightful The Areas of My Expertise, which features 700 made-up hobo names, More Information Than You Require and That Is All  because this one is funny and completely true.

As a member of the super-smart-afraid-of-conflict-narcissist club that is only-childhood, and being from Massachusetts, I grew up with a puritanical shame and sense that I shouldnt be talking about myself, Hodgman told me recently, as he wrapped up his book tour with a visit to Chicago and then Austin, Texas. So the book began as a one-man comedy show in a basement in Brooklyn where I felt it would be acceptable to tell personal and vulnerable stories about myself and my family, because once told to just the audience in the room, theyd be gone. But I grew to like the show so much that I felt it would be a meaningful thing to capture and share with people in a more permanent way.

What Vacationland shares with his first three books is that, just as he wrote those for a potentially tiny audience of geeky people who just really enjoy gags about hooks for hands and hobo culture (guilty as charged), Hodgman said that this memoir was a book that I couldnt not write.

You really overestimate me if you think I had a grand plan or any ambition of redefining the memoir genre, Hodgman said. I only wanted to continue to tell stories, and I knew fake facts was not authentic anymore. Over the course of my career I had worn a lot of costumes as John Hodgman, as the lunatic resident expert and deranged millionaire on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and, suddenly, I didnt want to wear any more costumes or hide behind elaborately formatted charts and graphs.

Readers get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth  and are better for it.

You think itd be cool to own a vacation home? Well, theres no garbage collection in rural western Massachusetts, and going to the nearest dump is, shall we say, fraught on a variety of physical, psychic and emotional levels.

The joys of frolicking in the waters of the local swimming hole are tinged with menace, as is the act of attempting to use a bathroom in a Maine candy store (believe me, after reading this book you will never want to visit the state of Maine, which is just as well, since Hodgman is pretty explicit about not wanting to see you there).

But for all the crabby-old-man vibe Hodgman tries to project, Vacationland is sweet, introspective, and a little sad in the way that any book about the loss of youth and the march toward certain death inevitably is.

Mostly, however, its hilarious. Without a doubt, its a remarkable read in print but a not-to-be-missed listen as an audiobook, which is read by the author in his inimitable self-deprecating yet superior voice (thats an only child for you  take it from someone who knows).

Hodgman told me, Vacationland makes a wonderful gift for your weird, middle-aged dad. But I can assure you that weird middle-aged moms will love it, too.
PALMETTO  Port Manatee is seen as an ideal gateway for Ecuadorian imports to burgeoning Central and Southwest Florida markets, according to a top trade official visiting the Florida Gulf Coast port this week.





"Opportunities are really growing for reaching Central and Southwest Florida by way of Port Manatee , said Manuel Echeverria Castro, Ecuadors trade commissioner for the southern United States. "We have a very high interest in Port Manatee.





"We are looking to increase awareness that ports on the Gulf of Mexico, such as Port Manatee, offer great opportunity, in addition to traditional South Florida gateways, said Echeverria, who noted that about 30 percent of Ecuadors non-oil exports go to the United States, with approximately 40 percent of those products currently entering via South Florida ports on the Atlantic Ocean.





Central and Southwest Florida markets combine to put nearly 10 million consumers within a two-hour drive of Port Manatee while attracting some 100 million annual visitors.





In recent years, shipments to Port Manatee from Ecuador have included bananas and fertilizer, but Echeverria sees those products being joined by mangos and other fruit, as well as dozens of other potential items, from shrimp to cocoa beans and chocolate to Panama hats. The latter haberdashery good, Echeverria pointed out, is, despite its name, actually made in Ecuador.









Daniela Munoz, business development manager for Pro Ecuador; Manuel Echeverria Castro, Ecuadors trade commissioner for the southern United States; and Carlos Buqueras, executive director of Port Manatee discuss trade opportunities between Port Manatee and Ecuador.







Echeverria was joined by Daniela Munoz, business development manager in the Pro Ecuador trade development office in Doral, Florida, for a presentation at the Manatee County Port Authoritys monthly meeting, as well as a tour of Port Manatee, including the International Trade Hub at Port Manatee, and engagement at a Manatee County Chamber of Commerce luncheon.





"We greatly appreciate the interest shown in Port Manatee by Ecuadorian trade officials, said Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatees executive director, "and we look forward to working together to advance mutually beneficial commercial ties.





The Ecuadorian officials visit to Port Manatee is the latest of several by Latin American trade leaders, augmenting those earlier this year by representative of Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. The International Trade Hub at Port Manatee has played an integral role in attracting for such activity since its opening in 2014.





Vanessa Baugh, chairwoman of the Manatee County Port Authority, cited Port Manatees recent completion of a record fiscal year for container volume and cargo tonnage and commented, "Growing trade with Ecuador and other Latin American countries seeking ready access to Central and Southwest Florida markets bodes to significantly enhance Port Manatees already impressive position as a critical economic engine for our region.




Open edn programs for children, elderly people

The journey of Happiness School for under privileged children and elderly people as initiated by 'Mission of Happiness Bangladesh' NGO was launched at Roufabad Miar Pahar area in Oxygen area recently with the slogan of ' Read & Build Bangladesh then country will laugh '. Women war councillor Jesmin Parvin Jesi graced the inauguration ceremony as chief guest.

President of the Mission of Happiness Bangladesh Fatematuz Jaman presided the inauguration duly attended by special representative of Bangladesh Human Rights commission and President of Chittagong zone Aminul Hoque Babu, Rtn Nowshed Chowdhury Mito and human rights organiser Masud Parvez as special guests.

The speakers on the occasion emphasised the educations of the underprivileged and urchin children and elderly people of the socity and following the launching of Happiness School the urchins and under privileged people will get scope of being educated and build prosperous Bangladesh in coming days. The discussants also hoped for Prosperous Bangladesh as dreamed by the father of the Nation, sources said.


Zimbabwe's ruling party to expel Mugabe, war vets head says

Grace Mugabe\'s bid to succeed her husband sparked the crisis.

Reuters, Harare :

Zimbabwe's ruling party will dismiss 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe as its leader on Sunday and kick him out, stripping its ruler for the last 37 years of one of his final vestiges of authority, the head of the liberation war veterans said.

Speaking to Reuters as he walked into an extraordinary meeting of ZANU-PF's central committee, Chris Mutsvangwa said Mugabe was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.

"We are going all the way," Mutsvangwa said. "He's trying to bargain for a dignified exit."

Mutsvangwa, who has spearheaded a campaign over the last 18 months to remove the only leader Zimbabwe has known, said ZANU-PF would also dismiss Mugabe's wife Grace as head of its Women's League and reinstate ousted vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The former state security chief, known as "The Crocodile" is thought to be in line to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilizing an economy in freefall.

State television said late on Friday that Mugabe, who has so far resisted pressure to quit, would meet military commanders who seized power in a de facto coup four days ago, along with a Catholic priest who has been mediating between the two sides.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall in just four days is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to quit.

Men, women and children ran alongside the armored cars and troops who stepped in this week to oust the man who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980.

Under house arrest in his lavish 'Blue Roof' compound, Mugabe has refused to stand down even as he has watched his support from party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.

His nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters the elderly leader and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimize what he described as a coup.

But on Harare's streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a "second liberation" for the former British colony and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

"These are tears of joy," said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. "I've been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last."

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would entail a diplomatic backlash.

Despite the euphoria, some Mugabe opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat with another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

"The real danger of the current situation is that having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills," former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a long-time Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighboring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.




We celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legislation that has protected some of the most revered places in Montana on Nov. 1. 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 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 (WSAs), 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 (H.J. 9) 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. H.J. 9 was a serious threat to our blue-ribbon streams, wildlife, economy, drinking water and our outdoor way of life.

In a matter of hours and continuing for 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 H.J. 9, while only 10 signed in as proponents, mostly industry representatives.

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.

The reaction to H.J. 9 made clear that 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.
Trump blasts Hillary for questioning legitimacy of election result

Donald Trump stands with Hillary Clinton at the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, 2016, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. AP file photo

Xinhua, Washington :

US President Donald Trump on Saturday denounced allegations of Hillary Clinton who questioned the legitimacy of his victory in last year's presidential election.

Calling his Democratic presidential rival the "worst of biggest loser of all time," Trump tweeted that "She just can't stop, which is so good for the Republican Party."

"Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years," he added.

Trump made the remarks a day after Clinton told media that the "Russian meddling" in the 2016 presidential campaign creates questions over the "legitimacy" of his victory.

Also on Friday in another media interview, Clinton lashed out at Trump and Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore for not taking responsibilities for sexual assault allegations made against them. She said in an interview with WABC radio that by contrast Senator Al Franken, who was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a female broadcaster, had accepted "responsibility" and apologized to the victim.

But the White House argued that there is a clear difference between Franken's case and that of the president.

"I think in one case specifically, Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing, and the president hasn't," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told a press briefing Friday. "I think that's a very clear distinction."

In last year's presidential election, Clinton won the popular vote but Trump prevailed in the Electoral College as a result of narrow wins in U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin President Trump on Saturday returned to attacking his favorite target: Hillary Clinton, the election foe he vanquished more than a year ago.

"Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst (and biggest) loser of all time," the commander in chief tweeted.

Trump continued: "She just can't stop, which is so good for the Republican Party. Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years!"

It wasn't clear what, exactly, Trump was responding to. But Clinton recently suggested to Mother Jones that Russian government interference undermined the "legitimacy" of Trump's win.

"There are lots of questions about its legitimacy," the 2016 Democratic nominee said in the interview, published this week. "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."

She added: "Because, look, this is the first time we've ever been attacked by a foreign adversary, and then they suffer no real consequences."Both Trump and Clinton have continued to lob criticisms of one another long after the election. Clinton talked to Mother Jones while promoting her memoir, "What Happened," while Trump takes to Twitter for his attacks.

"There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!" the president exclaimed last month.

After winning the Oval Office, Trump signaled he was done with going after Clinton. "She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways, and I am not looking to hurt them at all," he told the New York Times.

But Trump has repeatedly urged his own Justice Department to investigate Clinton instead of looking into his campaign's contacts with Russians. The U.S. intelligence community has accused the Kremlin of spearheading the hacks that led to WikiLeaks publishing troves of emails from Democratic officials.
News In Brief

Defiant Hun Sen tells US to cut all aid to Cambodia

Reuters, Phnom Penh

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen challenged the United States on Sunday to cut all aid after it announced it was ending funding for a general election next year in response to the dissolution of the main opposition party, media reported.

Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in an increasingly tense run-up to a 2018 election that has included a crackdown on critics, rights groups and independent media.



Frail Mladic awaits fate in UN cell

AFP, The Hague

For the past six years, home for the man who once commanded fear across a swathe of Bosnia has been a small, spartan cell in a UN prison, close to the dunes and the stormy North Sea.

In the imposing jail, part of a Dutch prison complex in the seaside resort of Scheveningen, Ratko Mladic, accused of genocide as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes, has been free to walk his corridor during daylight hours.



Arab allies in Cairo talks on Iran, Hezbollah

Reuters, Cairo

Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss confronting Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite ally Hezbollah, who the Arab allies say are interfering in their internal affairs.

Regional tensions have risen between Sunni monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Islamist Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's surprise resignation and after an escalation in Yemen's conflict.



Hundreds of Haitians protest govt corruption

AFP, Port-Au-Prince

Hundreds of Haitian opposition activists took to the streets of Port-au-Prince on Saturday to protest the army's remobilization and government corruption.

While there were no immediate reports of injuries, protesters burned tires, blocked roads and set fire to a truck carrying refrigerators. Some banged on percussion instruments. "We don't want this army of thieves. We need an army that brings us security...



Pinera poised for presidential

comeback in Chile

AFP, Santiago

Sebastian Pinera, one of Chile's richest men, looks likely to prevail in the first round of the country's presidential election on Sunday, confirming his frontrunner status to succeed Socialist leader Michelle Bachelet.

If the 67-year-old billionaire does ultimately become head of state, it would be his second chance to run Latin America's fifth-biggest economy-confirming a tag team for power that he and Bachelet, 66, have been performing for the past decade.
CUB, DIU celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal addressing the inaugural ceremony of a 5 daylong celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2017 organized by Entrepreneurship Department of Daffodil International University on Wednesday.

Campus Report :



Department of Entrepreneurship of Daffodil International University (DIU) and The School of Business, Canadian University of Bangladesh (CUB) have celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2017. DIU organised a 5 daylong program from 15-19 November 2017 to mark the event. Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the program as chief guest on Wednesday at 71 Milonayoton of the University. Presided over by Dr Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Board of Trustees, DIU, the function was also addressed by Prof Dr Yousuf M Islam, Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr SM Mahabubul Haque Majumder, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Sohael Chowdhury, Country Host, Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), Abu Taher Khan, Director, Career Development Center (CDC) and Mohammad Shibli Shahriar, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Entrepreneurship. This year Entrepreneurship department of DIU in association with Career Development Center (CDC) and Strategic Partner Bangladesh Venture Capital celebrating this week in Bangladesh.

The program includes Discussion Program on Entrepreneurship Development in Bangladesh, Business Proposal Competition among talent and potential educated youths of the country Entrepreneurs meet with the participation of entrepreneurs from all over the country including Chambers, Associations and other trade bodies and Start Up Fair participated by Students and Alumni of Daffodil International University' Workshop on Digital Marketing, Seminar on Venture capital policy and procedure, Discussion on Women Entrepreneurship Day. Abdul Matlub Ahmed, President, India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be present as the chief guest at Entrepreneurs meet program on November 18, 2017 while Industry Minister Amir Hossain Amu will be present as the chief guest at the closing and Award Giving Ceremony on November 19, 2017.

Addressing as chief guest, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, Bangladesh achieved record growth in this year. The economic growth is 7.28pc now. It has been possible only for contribution of entrepreneurs. Besides, Bangladesh has reduced poverty rate and that is now only 22pc, while it was 83pc after independence.

Planning Minister also said, after independence total GDP of Bangladesh was only 38 billion, but last eight year it has increased up to 250 billion from 100 billion. Showing this economical growth trend of Bangladesh, World Bank and IMF and other donor agencies treat Bangladesh as wonder of the world.

Planning Minister also said, government has under taken 1450 projects and these projects are now being implemented and under progress. After completion of these 1450 projects Bangladesh will appear before the county men with a new look. Government is trying to complete all those projects as soon as possible, added Planning Minister.

Addressing among the students Planning Minister said, to become an entrepreneur one must have to be visionary as well as having courage of facing the risks and challenges. Those people are successful who can handle the risks with insight, he added.

In his presidential address Md. Sabur Khan said that a country couldn't go ahead only based on traditional education system. That is why we need change of course curriculum. We need to focus on practical education besides theoretical education. That's why Daffodil International University has introduced Entrepreneurship Department.

Sabur Khan also said, entrepreneurship doesn't only meaning of doing business. It's possible to make entrepreneur within the organization. For that we will have to change our mentality, attitude and vision. Besides, we will have to change our education system. Our teachers also have to inspire the students and act in class with entrepreneurial behavior, he added.

Meanwhile, the School of Business, Canadian University of Bangladesh organised a workshop titled 'Global Entrepreneurship Week 2017: Start-up in e-commerce' in collaboration with e-CAB (e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh) Youth Forum.

The workshop has been organized on Tuesday at the university's Banani campus for new entrepreneurs to encourage them to initiate e-Commerce business in Bangladesh.Md. Nazrul Islam Khan, Advisor of e-CAB and Former Secretary, Ministry of Education inaugurated the event as chief guest and the guest of honor was Susanta Kumar Saha, Additional Secretary, ICT Division.
IUT holds 31st Convocation

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP distributing certificates among the students in the 31st Convocation of Islamic University of Technology held on its campus at Board Bazar, Gazipur on Wednesday.

Campus Report :



The 31st Convocation of Islamic University of Technology (IUT) was held on its campus at Board Bazar, Gazipur on Wednesday amid festivity and traditional solemnity. Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP was the chief guest at the vent while Prof Dr Munaz Ahmed Noor, Vice-Chancellor of IUT presided over the ceremony.

The chief guest expressed his happiness to IUT being an institution which offers education, skills, know-how and required ability to bring sustainable development and balanced progress for the Muslim world by developing human resources as a constructive force for inclusive growth and he assured that Bangladesh Government will take all endeavours for the development of IUT.

Prof Dr Munaz Ahmed Noor, Vice-Chancellor of IUT in his speech advised the graduate students to keep always in mind that having sight is not enough for seeing things in their right perspective and to have a vision to gain a successful career.

Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the OIC and Chancellor of IUT in his message expressed his pleasure for the efforts being made by the IUT administration, under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Munaz Ahmed Noor, in improving the university's infrastructure, strengthening the faculty and introducing new academic programmes.

Dr Mohammad Said A. Alzahrani, Chairman of the Governing Board of IUT and Vice-President of Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Kingdom Saudi Arabia (KSA) was also present and congratulated the new graduates on their success which is the result of their years of determination, optimism and patience. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group was represented by Abdi Moalin Abdullahi, Senior Education Specialist at Education Division of Human Development Department, IDB-Jeddah. The reception was attended also by the heads and representatives of diplomatic missions of the OIC member countries in Bangladesh.

Three hundred sixteen students from different OIC member countries graduated this year. For the outstanding result, OIC gold medal was awarded to Ibrahim Adamou, a national of Nigeria and IUT gold medals were awarded to Bangladeshi nationals namely Irteza Enan Kabir, Abir Ahsan, Omar Sadab Chowdhury and Sabbir Ahmed.


BUET students still boycott classes

The students of BUET staged a protest rally and delivered a memorandum to the administration on Sunday. This photo was taken from near BUET campus.

Students at the Bangladesh University for Engineering and Technology, BUET, have now boycotted class for 21 days over a list of demands, including punishment to the students tied to an attack by 'outsiders' on their peers.

The students at the country's leading engineering institution had clashed with students tied to Dhaka University's Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall over a 'drive to remove outsiders' on Oct 26-27. Five BUET students were injured in the incident. BUET students have boycotted classes and labs since Oct 29, demanding those involved in the violence be brought to justice and a list of seven other demands. On Oct 30 they held a protest rally and delivered a memorandum to the BUET administration. The administration has repeatedly made promises and ordered students to return to class, but have not met all of the demands, protest convener and mechanical engineering department student Partha Pritom Das told this news agency.

"We have only received promises. We will continue our peaceful protests until the demands are met."

The four thousand students at BUET support the protests, he said. "We are not going to class. We hope the vice chancellor will take swift action on this matter."

BUET Directorate Student Welfare Director Prof Satya Prasad Majumder had filed a case over the incident at Chowkbazar Police Station against the son of an employee, Raju, and several others. Police detained Raju, but students claim he was released on bail soon afterwards. Dhaka University and BUET have each formed a committee to investigate the incident. But neither has submitted a report, even after three weeks have passed.

The probe led by Zahurul Haque Hall Residential Teacher Abdur Rahim was supposed to turn in its report a week after the incident. The committee interviewed eyewitnesses, hall staff and students on Oct 28, 29 and 31 and Nov 6 and Nov 7. "We need more time," Abdur Rahim told bdnews24.com when asked about the delay.

"The matter is complicated. It has become even more complicated since CCTV footage of the BUET students' violence was leaked on the internet." The BUET administration has yet to give them the entirety of the CCTV footage, he said. "As the incident occurred on the BUET campus it is mainly their responsibility. They will be able to give a clear idea of how it started. We are investigating if any of our students are involved."

The Dhaka University teacher said he favoured 'remedial' measures instead of punishment for those responsible in an effort to avoid such 'misunderstandings' in the future. Despite repeated notices from the BUET administration urging students to return to class, no one is willing to speak about the probe report.

"I don't know," said Student Welfare Director Prof Satya Prasad Majumder when asked about the issue. "This is under the registrar's jurisdiction. Contact them." "I cannot say anything about the probe," said Registrar Prof Md Saidur Rahman. "We have a Student Welfare director who handles such things."

"I do not have the jurisdiction to discuss this matter," he said after he was told that Prof Majumder referred journalists to him. None of the officials and staff at the Registrar's Office and the Directorate of Student Welfare were willing to speak to journalists. The office of Vice Chancellor Prof Saiful Islam was contacted for comment, but it said he was 'busy'.
DB Inspector stabbed by muggers in city

Staff Reporter :

A Detective Branch (DB) officer of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has suffered minor injuries after two muggers attacked him in the city's Mouchak area early Sunday.

Inspector Mahbubul Huq was attacked around 4:30am when he was on his way to home, said Deputy Commissioner Md Sajjadur Rahman of the DB police.

He was returning to his residence from his Mintu Road office riding on a rickshaw in the morning. When Mahbubul reached in front of Sirajul Islam Medical College and Hospital at Mouchak, a group of muggers waylaid him and snatched away his wallet.

As the DB inspector tried to resist them, the miscreants stabbed him, leaving the detective injured.

Later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said Sub-Inspector Bachchu Miah of DMCH Police Camp quoting doctors.

"He suffered minor injuries on his right hand as a scuffle broke out between him and the muggers," the SI said.
China`s FM meets with Myanmar leaders

Myanmar\'s President Htin Kyaw, right, speaks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting at the President House in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday.

AP :

China's foreign minister met with Myanmar's top leaders on Sunday during a visit to the country, a day after discussing the Rohingya refugee crisis with Bangladesh's prime minister.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for neighboring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched what it called "clearance operations" in response to insurgent attacks. The refugees say soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them and burned their villages to force them to flee.

The campaign has been described by the United Nations as "ethnic cleansing" and drawn widespread outrage from the international community. China, a long-standing friend of Myanmar during the Southeast Asian country's isolation from the West, has been helping shield Myanmar from the criticism.

On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Dhaka, where he met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, that the Rohingya crisis should be solved bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and should not involve outside parties. As well as meeting President Htin Kyaw in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, Wang met with Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the powerful commander-in-chief of the military, Min Aung Hlaing. "China and Myanmar are very much different in size and power, but when it comes to mutual understanding, the two countries are friends with the same values," Suu Kyi said at a news conference with Wang Yi. On Monday, Myanmar hosts a meeting of Asian and European ministers at which the Rohingya issue is expected to be prominent.
Attack on minorities won`t sway in Rangpur city polls

Staff Reporter :

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Sunday said that the attack on Hindu community in Rangpur would have no impact on Rangpur City Corporation Election.

The CEC said this after a meeting with law enforcers at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.

The agenda of the meeting was to hold the upcoming city election in an acceptable manner.

"All sorts of steps will be taken to hold a free, fair and acceptable election," the CEC said adding there is nothing to worry about the atmosphere of polls.

He said that all the candidates would get equal opportunity and voters would be able to exercise their franchise without any fear. "Congenial atmosphere will be created for all the candidates," he assured.

Asked about the deployment of army in the polls, he said that the Election Commission did not take any decision in this regard as yet. The CEC said more than 3,500 members of different law enforcing agencies including police, RAB, APBN and Ansar will be deployed in the district during the polls scheduled to be held on December 21.

Protesting a Facebook post, hundreds of people attacked Thakurpara village in Rangpur in the afternoon of November 10. They torched 11 houses, vandalised many more and looted valuables from there.

A man was killed and about 20 others were injured after police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
Rohingya issue top on agenda

UNB, Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar) :

Foreign Ministers from Asian and European countries get together here on Monday to strengthen partnership for peace, find joint efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with focus on Rohingya issue.

Though the Rohingya issue is not mentioned specifically in the draft agenda of the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of Foreign Ministers, this biggest humanitarian crisis of the world will come up in a big way to put further pressure on Myanmar for a solution to it.

A diplomat told UNB that regional, international issues, promotion of peace, traditional and non-traditional security challenges will be discussed in the meeting. "So, the Rohingya issue will definitely be there at some point." Ahead of ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Myanmar, Bangladesh tried to make the best use of high-level visits from a number countries, including China and Japan in the last two days-Saturday and Sunday-to mount pressure on Myanmar and expedite talks for sending Rohingyas back to their homeland. After visiting Rohingya camps, the Foreign Ministers on Sunday said they will raise the issue at the ASEM FMs meeting. "Surely, they all said they now have even a better understanding and will raise it," State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam told UNB on Sunday.

Bangladesh is expecting louder voice from the international community at the meeting that begins at Myanmar International Convention Centre (MICC) this morning.

State Counsellor and Union Minister of Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi and European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, among others, will address the opening session, said an official.

He said two youth representatives will present their vision on ASEM process.

The ASEM FMs will lay emphasis on making ASEM partnership more dynamic and connected.

Connectivity across the diverse domains, transport, tourism, climate change, energy security, poverty reduction, people to people contact and cultural cooperation, education, trade and investment cooperation will also be discussed, an official told UNB. The official said the Rohingya issue might emerge in a big way at the discussion. The visits of the Foreign Ministers of China, Japan, Germany, Sweden and the European Union High Representative took place on Saturday and Sunday just after a key UN committee has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Myanmar's authorities to end military operations against Rohingya Muslims, ensure their voluntary return from Bangladesh and grant them "full citizenship rights".

"These visits just after the third committee resolution will play a supportive role," State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam told UNB. The same visit of the European Union Vice President, he said, will ultimately put pressure on Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis. "I hope, their role will help expedite our bilateral initiative to send back Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh," said the State Minister.


Violence against women on rise

60pc victims are below 15 yrs of age: Yet another ex-husband raped divorced wife

Special Correspondent :

In an increasing trend of violence against women, the wives are getting kidnapped, tortured, raped and even killed in the hands of their husbands or ex-husbands in different parts of the country in the recent days.

Some of the incidents have occurred when the wives decided to get separated from their husbands.

Although there is no accurate government data available, the media reports revealed that at least a dozen of wives had so far been murdered, raped and kidnapped by their present or ex-husband directly or indirectly in the last three months across the country.

In the latest incident, a woman was reportedly gang raped by her former husband and his two accomplices at Torabganj under Kamalnagar upazila in Laxmipur district.

According to the information available, Md Abul Kalam, son of Anwar Ali, hailing from Torabganj, along with his two friends, forcibly picked up his ex-wife when the victim was going to Laxmipur by an auto-rickshaw on Friday evening.

Later, the trio took the victim to an isolated house and raped her one after another throughout the night and beat up her. Later, the victim was rescued on Saturday afternoon and admitted to Laxmipur Sadar Hospital.

Officer-in-Charge of Kamalnagar Police Station Akul Chandra Biswas said the prime accused Md Kalam got a divorce from her wife following family feud a few months ago.

In another sensational incident, a Rajshahi university student was abducted on Friday from the campus allegedly by her ex-husband. The victim was rescued by the law enforcers from Mohammadpur area in Dhaka on Saturday. Police also arrested the former husband Shohel from the spot.

Country's eminent sociologists have expressed grave concern over the recent trend of family violence saying that these incidents are happening as the government has failed to educate the male mentally about the "women empowerment".

Expressing severe dissatisfaction over the increasing trend of violence against women, Chairman of Women and Gender Studies of Dhaka University Dr Syed Md Shaikh Imtiaz told The New Nation on Sunday, "We're definitely observing a very difficult situation."

The risk factor is that, in the incidents those occurred in the last three years, the majority of the victims were bellow 15 years of age. That means, more than 60 percent of the victims were children, Dr Imtiaz further said referring to the latest research report.

Experts said the gender based violence [GBV] persists largely in Bangladesh due to deep rooted patriarchal social norms. The worst manifestation of such social malaises as well as the existing forms of GBV is child marriage which is widely prevalent in the country.

A report prepared by Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys, about 59 percent of women aged 20-24 marry before they turn 18. "Child marriage puts girls at particular risk of sexual, physical and psychological violence throughout their lives," the BDHS report said.

Pointing the issue, Dr Imtiaz said, "In most of the cases of GBV, we see involvement of the victim's close relations or known persons in the violence."

He said the male youths do not get any education about "women respect" or "women empowerment" at school, college and even university level. So, most of the men do not know how to respect the women, even the members of his own family."


It could have been worse. Thats the best most Montanans can say of the November special legislative session.

In the big picture, the Legislature and Gov. Steve Bullock limited some of the fallout from the biennial budget they adopted at the end of the regular session six months ago.

We walked out in a much better place than when we walked in, Bullock told The Gazette Friday in a phone interview. Instead of cutting $227 million from an already-lean biennial budget, Bullock and the Legislature agreed to cut $76 million.

The biennial budget over-estimated how much revenue the state general fund would collect through the end of the fiscal year on June 30, and it over-estimated how much money would be collected in the first few months of the present fiscal year. Meanwhile, Montana had its most expensive wildfire season ever and burned through $70 million.

Based on those facts, Budget Director Dan Villa projected in September that the general fund would will be $227 million short of its legally required minimum balance at the end of the biennium on June 30, 2019.

Republican legislative leaders, chiefly Sen. Llew Jones, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee, and Rep. Nancy Balance, chairwoman of the House appropriations committee, met with the governors office. The bills they introduced in the two-day session last week showed a considerable degree of thought, research and strategy. Unfortunately, there was no bipartisan agreement on exactly what the Democratic governor and the Republican legislative majority would do.

Republicans stuck with their no-tax-increases position, rejecting even temporary increases in the states lodging and rental car taxes.

About $49 million of the $76 million in budget cuts is in the Department of Public Health and Human Services, and will result in a loss of federal matching funds. The cuts will fall hardest on Montanans with severe disabilities who rely on in-home care and mental health services to live independently outside of hospitals and nursing homes.

Bullock said he made 10 percent cuts in several other agencies so that the DPHHS reduction would be lower percentage: 4.69 percent.

Lets remember that the April budget bill already reduced state spending by shifting school funding to local property taxpayers, putting a hole in the university system budget (that resulted in tuition increases and faculty reductions) and requiring state agencies to achieve 8 percent vacancy savings by leaving budgeted jobs unfilled. The budget also calls for a 1 percent raise next year for state employees, but the raise wasnt actually funded.

In the final days of the Legislature in April, Senate Bill 261 passed, mandating about $94 million in cuts if general fund revenues dipped below certain trigger levels. Those cuts are automatic and some have been taken, including reductions in K-12 school funding.

The public and some legislators pushed back against proposed cuts in rates paid to hospitals, doctors and clinics who care for Medicaid enrollees. But the SB261 cuts still loom because that new law says the budget must be reduced.

What does this all mean?

Essential public services will be reduced to Montanans in every county.

A special session isnt the place to make major policy changes. The timeline is too short for meaningful public participation. Bills are written, voted on in committee and passed by House and Senate all within 24-48 hours.

Now that lawmakers have returned home, Montana voters must step up. Pay attention. If you, your friends or neighbors are affected by the shrinking of state-supported health care, human services or education, speak up. All 100 House seats and 25 Senate seats are up for election in 2018. Prepare to vote for your best interests.
Japan to help return Rohingyas

Japanese delegation led by its Foreign Minister Taro Kono meets his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali at Sonargaon Hotel on Sunday morning.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Sunday assured that Japan will continue to be a development partner of Bangladesh in its course to become a middle income country by 2021 and will support return of displaced Myanmar nationals back to their homeland.

Taro Kono, now on an official visit to Bangladesh, had a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali

Mahmood Ali expressed his gratitude to Japan for their support in adoption of Statement (PRST) by the President of the United Nations Security Council on November 6, which condemned widespread violence in Rakhine state and displacement of over 6,20,000 people, human rights violation and abuse.

Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali said that Bangladesh and Myanmar are in the process of negotiation for a bilateral agreement for repatriation of displaced people and expecting to form a Joint Working Group to facilitate the repatriation. He further said that as a short term measure, Japan will extend humanitarian assistance of 15 million US$ for the displaced people affected by the destabilization of the situation in Rakhine state. During the meeting, major issues of bilateral and regional interests were discussed.

Japanese Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for the security measures undertaken for the implementation of mega projects of Japanese Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), according to Foreign Ministry here. Taro Kono said that 600 billion JPY (Japanese Yen) that was committed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during Prime Minister Sheik Hasina's visit to Japan in May, 2014 to finance mega projects in Bangladesh are being implemented. Later, Japanese Foreign Minister and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali went together to Cox's Bazar to visit the camps of the displaced people.

State Minister Md. Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque accompanied them.

Japanese Foreign Minister was keen to see for himself the humanitarian crisis situation that displaced people are going through in Bangladesh-Myanmar border area.
Myanmar Army`s atrocities not acceptable

Foreign Ministers, EU rep say after visiting Rohingya camps

Japan, Germany and Sweden\'s Foreign Ministers including EU Ambassador visited the Ukhiya\'s Kutupalong camp in Cox\'s Bazar to see for themselves the Rohingya situation on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :

Foreign Ministers of Germany, Sweden, Japan and a European Union High Representative on Saturday visited Cox's Bazar to see the plights of minority Rohingyas who fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar.

They visited makeshift shelters in Ukhia upazila built for newly fled Rohingyas from Myanmar.

High Representative of the EU Federica Mogherini and Foreign Ministers Taro Kono of Japan, Sigmar Gabriel of Germany and Margot Wallstrom of Sweden visited the camps accompanied by Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.

They heard the horrific experiences of the Rohingya people coming from Myanmar amid persecution.

They stressed the need for immediate end of persecution and said sustainable resolution of Rohingya crises would be possible only after repatriation of Rohingyas to their ancestral home in Rakhine State.

In a press briefing after the visit, Sigmar Gabriel said they talked to the Rohingya people and it was clear that the atrocities on the Rohingya people by the Myanmar army must not be acceptable and this would be discussed at ASEM meeting.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam in a press briefing after the visit said the visiting foreign ministers and EU envoy thanked the government of Bangladesh for giving shelter to such huge number of Rohingyas . The ministers and EU representatives are expected to report to their respective governments on Rohingya situation on the ground.

The foreign ministers and the EU envoy will go to Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar for attending the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and they will discuss there the Rohingya issue, said the junior minister.

They also monitored the relief distribution work and visited health centers at the camps.

Earlier on Saturday morning, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono met AH Mahmood Ali at Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel in the capital.

Thousands of minority Rohingyas, mostly women, children and aged people, fled into Bangladesh, as Myanmar military and religious bigots launched a 'security operation' killing thousands of people and burning villages and houses since August 25.

The total number of undocumented Myanmar nationals and refugees living in Bangladesh has risen to 8,00,000, according to unofficial estimate.
The world is losing the battle against child labour

Daniel Gutman :

The IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour, which drew nearly 2000 delegates from 190 countries to the Argentine capital, left many declarations of good intentions but nothing to celebrate.

Child labour is declining far too slowly, in the midst of unprecedented growth in migration and forced displacement that aggravate the situation, said representatives of governments, workers and employers in the Buenos Aires Declaration on Child Labour Forced Labour and Youth Employment.

The document, signed at the end of the Nov. 14-16 meeting, recognises that unless something changes, the goals set by the international community will not be met.

As a result, there is a pressing need to "Accelerate efforts to end child labour in all its forms by 2025," the text states.

In the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), target seven of goal eight - which promotes decent work - states that child labour in all its forms is to be eradicated by 2025.

"For the first time, this Conference recognised that child labour is mostly concentrated in agriculture and is growing," said Bernd Seiffert, focal point on child labour, gender, equity and rural employment at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

"While the general numbers for child labour dwindled from 162 million to 152 million since 2013, in rural areas the number grew: from 98 to 108 million," he explained in a conversation with IPS.

Seiffert said: "We heard a lot in this conference about the role played by child labour in global supply chains. But the majority of boys and girls work for the local value chains, in the production of food."

The declared aim of the Conference, organised by the Argentine Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security with technical assistance from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), was to "take stock of the progress made" since the previous meeting, held in 2013 in Brasilia. Guest of honour 2014 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Kailash Satyarthi said he was "confident that the young will be able to steer the situation that we are leaving them," but warned that it would not make sense to hold a new conference in four years if the situation remains the same.

Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in his country, India, in defence of children's rights, and in particular for his fight against forced labour, from which he has saved thousands of children.

"We know that children are used because they are the cheapest labour force. But I ask how much longer we are going to keep coming to these conferences to go over the same things again. The next meeting should be held only if it is to celebrate achievements," he said.

Junko Sasaki, director of the Social Policies and Rural Institutions Division at FAO, said "the increase in child labour in the countryside has to do with informal employment. Most of the children work in family farming, without pay, in areas where the state does not reach."

"We must promote the incorporation of technologies and good agricultural practices to allow many poor families to stop having to make their children work," she told IPS.

According to the ILO, as reflected by the final declaration, 71 percent of child labour is concentrated in agriculture, and 42 percent of that work is hazardous and is carried out in informal and family enterprises.

"There are also gender differences. While it is common for children to be exposed to pesticides that can affect their health, girls usually have to work more on household chores. In India, for example, many girls receive less food than boys," said Sazaki.

Children were notably absent from the crowded event, which brought together government officials and delegates of international organisations, the business community and trade unionists.

Their voice was only heard through the presentation of the document "It's Time to Talk", the result of research carried out by civil society organisations, which interviewed 1,822 children between the ages of five and 18 who work, in 36 countries. The study revealed that children who work do so mainly to help support their families, and that their main concern is the conditions in which they work. They feel good if their work allows them to continue studying, if they can learn from work and earn money; and they become frustrated when their education is hindered, when they do not develop any skills, or their health is affected.

"We understand that children who work have no other option and that we should not criminalise but protect them and make sure that the conditions in which they perform tasks do not put them at risk or prevent their education," said Anne Jacob, of the Germany-based Kindernothilfe, one of the organisations that participated in the research.

For Jacob, "it is outrageous that the problem of child labour should be addressed without listening to children."

"After talking with them, we understood that there is no global solution to this issue, but that the structural causes can only be resolved locally, depending on the economic, cultural and social circumstances of each place," she told IPS.

The participants in the Conference warned in the final declaration that armed conflicts, which affect 250 million children, are aggravating the situation of child labour.

Virginia Gamba, special representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, explained that "modern armed conflicts use children as if they were disposable materials. Children are no longer in the periphery of conflicts but at the centre."

In this respect, she pointed out that hundreds of thousands of children are left without the possibility of access to formal education every year in different parts of the world. Her office counted 750 attacks on schools in the midst of armed conflict in 2016, while this year it registered 175 in just one month.

"To fight child labour and help children, we have to think about mobile learning and home-based education. Education must be provided even in the most fragile situations, even in refugee camps, since that is the only means of providing normality for a child in the midst of a conflict," said Gamba.

In the end, the Conference left the bitter sensation that solutions are still far away.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder warned that the concentration of child labour in rural work indicates that it often has nothing to do with employers, but with families.

It is easy for some to blame transnational corporations or governments. But the truth is that it is everyone's fault, he concluded.

- IPS
Ex-Dy Speaker Akhtar Hamid dead

UNB, Dhaka :

Former deputy speaker of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui passed away at a city hospital on Sunday. He was 71.

Siddiqui, also a member

of BNP chairperson's advisory council, breathed his last around 12:10 pm at United Hospital, said BNP chairperson's media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan. He said the BNP leader was taken to the hospital on Saturday morning after he complained of chest pain. Siddiqui had long been suffering of lung cancer, Sayrul added. He is survived by wife, two sons, a daughter, a host of relatives and admirers to mourn his death. His first namaz-e-janaza will be held in front of BNP's Nayapaltan central office after Asr prayers today while the second one at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad at 10:00 am on Monday.

Born in Naogaon in 1947, Siddiqui joined politics on completion of his graduation from Dhaka

University.

He was elected MP with BNP ticket four times since 1991 from Naogaon-3 constituency. He was made the deputy speaker of the 8th parliament. Siddiqui's eldest son Parvez Arefin Siddiqui told UNB that his father's body will be kept at United Hospital mortuary after his janaza at Nayapaltan.

It will be taken to Naogaon after his second Janaza on Parliament premises this morning. He will be buried at his family graveyard in Naogaon. Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep shock at his death.

In separate condolence messages, they prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed their profound sympathy to the bereaved family members.
ABT leader held over Avijit, Xulhaz murder

Staff Reporter :

A leader of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team(ABT) was arrested on Saturday from Badaldi road in Baunia here in blogger and writer Avijit Roy and USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan murder cases.

Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)

said tipped off, a unit of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) conducted a drive in Baunia area under Turag Police Station and arrested Mojammel Hossain alias Saimun in the afternoon.

Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Tanoy, an activist of theatre group Loknatya Dal, were hacked to death by some unidentified miscreants at an apartment in the capital's Kalabagan area on April 25 in 2015.

Meanwhile, Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born US citizen and founder of Mukto-Mona blog, was hacked to death, and his wife Rafida Afrin Banya was injured as unidentified killers attacked them with meat cleavers near TSC on the Dhaka University Campus on February 26 in 2015.
NSI man among two involved with extortion: SP

Traders postpone demo: Seven-day ultimatum to return looted gold

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

The investigators have found the connection of two members of intelligence agencies, including National Security Intelligence (NSI) official, with the demand of extortion of Tk 2 crore from the president of Manikganj Shwarno Shilpa Samity just a week ago of the film style robbery at Nag Jewellers on Wednesday.

The robbers entered the Shwarnokar Potti by introducing themselves as the members of Detective Branch (DB) of Police and looted about 700 tolas of gold and ornaments from Nag jewelers within five minutes in the evening.

Mahfujur Rahman, Superintendent of Police (Additional Deputy Inspector General) told a private TV channel on Sunday, "After primary investigation, we have found the connection of two members of law enforcing agencies with the demand of extortion of Tk 2 crore from Jewellery traders in Manikganj."

The extortion with involvement the two law enforcers has been informed to the concerned higher authorities to take necessary actions, the police official said.

He also said that nobody would be allowed to go free from the allegation in order to maintain discipline in the force.

The SP also pointed his fingers to another NSI official who is now staying abroad.

He assured the victims of taking necessary actions against the culprits by conducting the proper investigation.

After the discloser of the SP, the robbery incident turned as the storm in tea cup in the town and locality.

Even some concerned officials opined that the extortion might have led the robbery.

Contacted, the NSI official Asif Chowdhury rejected the allegation of extortion from the jewelry traders in Manikganj.

On Saturday, Jewellery shop traders alleged that Ashif Chowdhury, Assistant Director of National Intelligence Agency, demanded an extortion of Tk 2 crore from the Jewellery traders, Raghunath Roy, General Secretary of the samity said.

Raghunath Roy told The New Nation on Sunday, "Ashif Chowdhury demanded extortion of Tk 2 crore from the president of the samity. When they refused to pay the money, then the AD decreased the money to Tk 70 lakh. After passing a week, the robbery incident was committed."

Meanwhile, Jewellery shop traders on Saturday postponed their ongoing demonstration programme after getting assurance from the local administration and police, said our Manikganj Correspondent.

They also gave a 7-day ultimatum from the rally to return their looted gold and ornaments.

"We are investigating the link of the robbers and other suspected men with the crime," said Habibullah Sarker, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Manikganj Police Station.






Rohingya crisis is international and the global community must act decisively

The visit of five foreign ministers from top Asian and European countries to Dhaka on Sunday to see the Rohingya crisis just shows how the international community is now concerned about the fate of over a million homeless Rohingyas in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Over 600.000 entered the country since August 25 while two lakhs more are on the move as killing and eviction by Myanmar military continues.







The visit is taking place at a terrible time. Foreign Minister of Germany Sigmar Gabriel, Foreign Minister of Sweden Margot Wallstrom, Foreign Minister of Japan Taro Kono and High Representative of the EU Federica Mogherini waste no time yesterday as they spent the whole day visiting the refugee camps.







Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also arrived in the city on a brief visit on this occasion to exchange views on Rohingya issue. But he left without visiting refugee camps at Cox's Bazar area while calling for bilateral solution of the crisis. In his view UN involvement would only complicate the issue.







He agreed that Rohingya problem is a domestic problem of Myanmar but it is affecting Bangladesh putting burden on the country. It is providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees. He said his country would provide additional assistance to Bangladesh in the light of actual needs.





It goes without saying Bangladesh is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis caused by Myanmar by resorting to brutalities against its own people and forcing them on Bangladesh. This has to be seen as extremely inimical and provocative move by Myanmar against Bangladesh. The question is not how much international help we can get to feed and take care of lakhs of refugees. The question is how actively the international community can be engaged to force Myanmar to take back the Rohingyas. Along with Rohingyas we also express our gratitude to the members of the international community to be with the suffering refugees from Myanmar.





We want to be clear like the Rohingyas Bangladesh is a victim of the savagery of Myanmar military. It is absurd to think that any bilateral discussion between Bangladesh and Myanmar will be any help. Myanmar military has thrown a challenge to the international community and shown their sense of impunity in committing genocide.

But we must say we are dismayed by the Chinese position. If the foreign minister realises that Myanmar's internal problem is affecting Bangladesh then why his country is not asking Myanmar to end the problem taking its nationals back. In this difficult time Bangladesh want to be sure how much it can rely on our friendship with China.





Rohingya crisis is not a bilateral matter between Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is a grave international matter of violation of international law and committing genocide. Myanmar has created a dangerous situation for Bangladesh.





The four foreign ministers on their visit to Rohingya camps listen the terrible stories of brutalities from men, women and children who left homes as their villages were burnt and people were killed. The ministers were overwhelmed by the narrative of rapes of women and young girls by Myanmar military and Burmese vigilantes.

It is a rare event for Dhaka to host the dignitaries even for a small time but it shows the world is slowly uniting behind the Rohingya cause. We are told that some more high profile visits are on card including a Canadian minister from November 21 to see for themselves the refugee situation.







A US Senate team is also on a visit to Bangladesh now to assess the plight of the Rohingyas and they made no secret that Myanmar has committed 'war crimes and violated basic human rights' But the leg dragging of the US administration to openly accept that ethnic cleansing and war crimes have taken place and impose sanction on Myanmar military to force it to stop the genocide and take back refugees shows that the USA and others have to act decisively.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
Sen. Steve Daines, Rep. Greg Gianforte and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke have all stated that they oppose the proposed mining in the Paradise Valley area. Lucky Minerals wants to drill exploratory holes up Emigrant Creek way and sell their claims to a major mining consortium if it looks profitable, which they say it does. Crevice Mountain wants to develop a major mining operation in the Jardine area, which abuts the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone National Park,.

Neither of these mining schemes would be good for the area ecology, economy or the environment. One has only to look at the history of mining in Montana to know that they mine and we pay for cleaning the mess up. If mining in these areas proceeds, farming and ranching, tourism, fishing and the quality of air and water will be adversely affected.

Sen. Jon Tester has a bill that would take 30,000 acres of public land in and around the Absaroka-Beartooth area out of play for the extractors. Daines, Gianforte and Zinke say they are for some sort of similar action to the Tester bill, but, to date, there is nothing that appears in print. Daines office said they would be have an alternative bill out by the first of November, but, to date, none has appeared. The time to get the Tester bill passed in 2017 is getting short. It is time for Daines and Gianforte to stand and deliver on their vague statements of support for the Mineral Withdrawal .

Daines and Gianforte should give the citizens of Montana some positive bipartisan good will and support the Tester bill in 2017.

Enough idle merriment, on with the work of the day! Make a call, and tell the good folks in D.C. that we need their support of the Tester Bill in 2017. Sen. Steve Daines D.C. phone: 202-224-9412. Rep. Gianfortes D.C. phone: 202-225-3211. Secretary Ryan Zinkes D.C. phone: 202-208-7351

Peter Murray

Emigrant
Trump and others in his administration say the Republican tax plan will reduce taxes for middle-class people. My adjusted gross income for 2016 was $84,700. $54,500 of this income was the amount I was forced to withdraw from my IRA accounts as required by IRS rules, not real income, but shifting taxable funds from one pocket to another. My 2016 tax payment was $10,600.

I calculated what my 2016 tax would have been under the proposed Republican tax revision plan using details of it furnished by the Heritage Foundation. The result was my tax would have been $12,300. That is $1,700 more than the $10,600 I paid for 2016. This is middle-class tax reduction?

Walter Shapiro's editorial in the Oct. 3 Chattanooga Times Free Press said, "In 2018 according to the Tax Policy Center, 12 percent of all taxpayers would have to pay more under the Trump plan, with an average tax increase of $1,800." In an Oct. 12 Great Falls Tribune editorial, Herb Jackson of USA Today said, "The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated that 13.5 percent of taxpayers who earn between $48,600 and $86,100 would see a tax increase, averaging $1,000."

On CNBC, Jim Stewart, financial editor for the New York Times, stated the complicated massive tax code will not change much based on the proposed tax plan. He also said the tax lawyers will be pleased with that.

Dale Smith

Cut Bank
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Bismarck Runnings part of fundraising

The Runnings Ladies Night promotion on Oct. 18 generated $21,025 to help in the fight against breast cancer.

The store in Bismarck was among 28 perticipating in the annual event.

Dans locations collect money for pantry

The six Dans Supermarkets in Bismarck-Mandan, in collaboration with SpartanNash Foundation, collected $19,000 for the local Salvation Armys food pantry during a companywide effort to provide hunger relief.

The retail scan campaign was conducted Aug. 30-Sept. 10.

Home-related publication planned

Bismarck Magazine owners Hannah Haynes and Caroline Crary plan to launch another magazine, River & Ranch, in February.

The publication will focus on creativity and design of homes, with initial circulation in the Bismarck-Mandan and Lincoln area.

Guild Mortgage opens N.D. branches

Guild Mortgage, headquartered in San Diego, has opened three branches in North Dakota, according to a statement from the company.

Branch mananager and loan officer Tracy Roberts, who has more than 12 years of experience in finance and lending and more than 20 years in management and business ownership, will oversee the new offices from Bismarck.

The Bismarck branch is at 4501 Coleman St. Suite 102. The Dickinson office is at 30 First Ave. E and the Minot branch is at 315 Third Ave. S.W.

Brian Hanson will be a loan officer in Bismarck and Susan Lemon and Amanda Mathews will be sales managers in Dickinson and Minot, respectively.

A Hazen location also is planned, with Christine Berger as loan officer.

The companys statement says it has more than 250 offices in 26 states.
CARBONDALE  Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Carlo Montemagno rolled out the second draft of his academic restructuring plan Friday.

In a video posted to the chancellors website, Montemagno said the revised plan reflects feedback his office has received from faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members and others since the first-draft proposal was unveiled Oct. 19.

Under the new draft, the core elements of the restructuring remain the same: all departments will be eliminated, and programs will be housed in newly created colleges and schools.

Montemagno addressed the SIUC facultys unease about the elimination of departments and department chairs.

I have been a department chair myself, and I know that it is hard work. I understand the importance of maintaining disciplinary identity around academic programs, Montemagno said.

But the universitys current structure does not support change, he said.

We are spending too much time and money on administration and not enough time on teaching and research, the chancellor said.

To eliminate the role of department chairs, the university must retire the term department in order to comply with collective bargaining agreements. But Montemagno said departments might be reimagined as divisions.

Unfortunately, no proposals for a workable alternative to the proposed administrative structure have come forward. I welcome those who are opposed to this path to help illuminate another way, he said.

The bulk of Fridays announcement consisted of changes to the placement of programs. The proposed five colleges include the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; the College of Business and Analytics; the College of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Applied Technology; the College of Health and Human Services; and the College of Social Sciences, Humanities, Media and Arts.

One of the more striking changes is the placement of the newly proposed School of Homeland Security in the College of Social Sciences, Humanities, Media and Arts.

The School of Homeland Security will include Criminology and Criminal Justice, Fire Safety Management, Information Systems Technology, Political Science, Paralegal Studies and Pre-Law. Three new programs will also be housed in the school: Public Safety Institute (previously referred to as a police academy), Cybersecurity and Forensic Sciences.

First, we are persuaded by the argument that criminology and criminal justice, as well as aspects of the other programs in the school, are founded in the social sciences," Montemagno said of the school's placement. "Further, we see great opportunities here to align the work of the school with other programs in the college, including multicultural programs."

Montemagno said the school could position SIU as a national leader in preparing culturally competent law enforcement professionals.

As I am out and about meeting with potential donors and funding agencies, there is a great deal of enthusiasm for this concept and for the school in general, given the prospects for jobs after graduation, he said.

Information Systems Technology is placed within the school to build on our strengths in cybersecurity, he said.

The School of Integrated Biological Sciences is now simply the School of Biological Sciences, with four programs taught by School of Medicine faculty. The School of Physical Sciences has been renamed the School of Computer and Physical Sciences.

The School of Social Sciences and Multicultural Studies will house Communications Studies, Anthropology, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology and Africana Studies. (Montemagno recently announced that the decision to cut the Africana Studies major, handed down in the Financial Sustainability Plan presented to the Board of Trustees in July, will be deferred for a year.)

The Graduate Council and Faculty Senate will formally weigh in on the second draft before a final version of the plan is released in the spring.

The chancellor hopes to implement the changes July 1, 2018.

The full proposed academic structure can be found at www.chancellor.siu.edu.
Article accepted

Jane M. Schreck, professor of English at Bismarck State College, has had an article accepted for publication next month in Religion and the Arts, published by Boston College.

The article is titled "Theological Voices in Wendell Berry's Fiction." Berry is an American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic and farmer who visited Bismarck in 2004 for the BSC Visiting Writers Series.

Schreck holds a doctor of philosophy degree in teaching and learning in higher education from the University of North Dakota, and her article expands the research she did for her dissertation.

History honors

Kathy Holtan Wilner, Bowdon, has received the Heritage Profile Honor Award.

The award, given by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, honors individual achievements related to North Dakota history.

Holtan Wilner has documented more than 500 historic one-room schools throughout North Dakota and received several Cultural Heritage Grants to document and nominate schools to the National Register of Historic Places.

Bjelland elected

Ellen Bjelland, an Extension agent in Ward County, was elected to a two-year term as Central Region director when the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences held its annual meeting in Omaha, Neb.

It has been several decades since North Dakota had representation on the organizations board.

Deutsch gets award

Keith Deutsch, a durum producer from Plaza, received a 2017 Amber Award from the United States Durum Growers Association during the Crop Outlook and International Durum Forum banquet on Nov. 6 in Minot.

The award recognizes individuals who have shown outstanding commitment and dedication to the durum industry in the areas of production, research or education.

Deutsch was raised on a grain and cattle farm 5 miles northeast of Plaza. He graduated from North Dakota State University and worked for the United States Department of Agriculture as a soil conservationist in Minot, Crosby and Edgeley. He returned home in 1984 to farm.

The Deutsch farm is exclusively a no-till operation raising durum, barley, flax, oats, mustard, sunflowers, canola, winter wheat, soybeans, crambe and lentils. Deutsch was a director on the USDGA board in 2008-16, including serving as president. He also served as a director of the Plaza-Makoti Equity Elevator, supervisor of the Spring Coulee Township and member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Board.
Hinkel performs

Wheaton College student Ethan Hinkel, of Minot, performed in the fall 2017 Concert Choir concert, "Singing the Reformation: The Hymns of Luther and Praetorius," of the Illinois college.

Hinkel sang bass.

Carlos inducted

Dakota College at Bottineau students were inducted into the schools Beta Rho Eta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor society for two-year colleges.

Meghan Carlos, Minot, is among the new members.

Criteria for membership includes outstanding academic performance, significant service to community and demonstration of exceptional leadership skills.

API scholarships

Williston State College students Jennifer Householder and Trevor Smith received $1,000 scholarships from the Williston Basin Chapter of API on Oct. 2.

Petroleum and welding department instructors at WSC selected students who might need these additional scholarship dollars to help complete the second year of their degree.

Both students expect to graduate this spring with associate of applied science degrees.

Media awards

Bismarck State College mass communications students received several awards at the College Media Association/Associated Collegiate Press national fall convention in Dallas.

In the Pinnacle Awards for organizations, BSCs The MYX placed first as Two-Year Radio Station of the Year. MystiCast took second place as Two-Year TV Station of the Year. Figments of Imagination, the BSC literary arts magazine, placed third in the Two-Year Literary Magazine of the Year category.

Pinnacle Awards contest is open to student work produced for any college media organization during an academic year.

The MYX, MystiCast and Figments of Imagination can be accessed online at bscmysticmedia.com.

The faculty advisers of each are Cole Bernhardt, Dustin Anderson and Kimberly Crowley, respectively.
Mary Janes School of Dance will be heading to New York City this Thanksgiving to participate in the 91st Annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. Forty-four of the group's high school students will be dancing in the parade with dancers from across the country, performing under the name Spirit of America Dance Stars.

The group arrived in New York City Saturday and will return Friday, Nov. 24. The dancers will spend countless hours rehearsing for their nationally televised performance that will be aired live on NBC on Thanksgiving morning. Not only will the dancers have the opportunity to perform in the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, they will also explore and experience everything that is unique to New York, such as a Broadway show, a Statue of Liberty Harbor Cruise, the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular and much more.

Mary Janes School of Dance is owned and operated by Mary Jane Maxwell and Mary Bray Mehrzad. Students from both the Bamberg and Orangeburg studios will be participating. This will be the fourth time Mary Jane's School of Dance has participated in the Macy's parade. Maxwell and Mehrzad said they like to take a group to the parade every four years so everyone gets an opportunity to be a part of the amazing event.

For more information, contact Mary Bray Mehrzad at 803-682-5805 or Mary.bray.dance@gmail.com.
ST. MATTHEWS -- The Calhoun County School District Board of Trustees heard a report on the declining teacher retention rate across the state at its November meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Steve Wilson introduced Dr. Jenna Hallman of the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement, who provided statistics about the annual decline.

In the last three years in South Carolina, the number of certified teachers not returning to the same position went from 5,277 to 6,482, while the number not returning to any position went from 4,108 to 4,842, Hallman said. Also, the number of graduates who completed a South Carolina teacher education program declined from 2,219 to 1,898 for fiscal year 2015-2016.

Holman said more information on teacher retention can be found at https://www.cerra.org/supply-and-demand.html.

Also during the meeting, the board approved the wording of a contract for engineering of the parking areas around Calhoun County High School. A request for bids on the work has not yet gone out, it was noted.

During public comments, parents Jacqueline Carson and Tiffany Jones asked if the district takes any action when weapons are found on school campuses and what steps are taken to ensure the safety of students in such situations.

Chairman Gary Porth told them the policy of the board is to respond to all questions in written form, not during meetings.

In other business:

District Chief of Curriculum Instruction Christia Murdaugh and Cynthia Johnson presented data on the new Accountability Model Implications and Perceptions and SC Ready-Reading to Succeed.

The superintendent asked the board to establish the district's core values.

District Finance Director Sky Strickland presented the financial report and adjustments for August and September, which were approved by the board. She reported revenues collected stood at 11 percent and expenses stood at 19 percent.

The trustees held two executive sessions, one to discuss a facilities proposal and the other to consider an employee disciplinary issue.
DENMARK -- The final set of plans for construction of the new Denmark-Olar facilities will be ready on Dec. 10, Bamberg School District 2 trustees learned at their November meeting.

Unfortunately, this is going to fall right in the middle of the holidays. We looked into some options to be able to start earlier. The civil engineer is actually going to be able to submit an early site package to us next week," said Ginny McGill Kirk of Thompson Turner Construction. "Unfortunately, because of the requirements that USDA has with financing and actually approving the entire package, the entire drawing has to be approved.

Kirk said the team will start taking pricing from subcontractors at the beginning of next year. The construction company is ready to start taking bids, she said, noting its a priority of the company and the district to include as many community members as they can in the project. An outreach meeting will be scheduled, Kirk said. She asked for input from the trustees on the location and the time for the meeting and ways get the public involved.

Nathaniel Spells Sr., president and CEO of Construction Dynamics Inc., who is coordinating outreach, said if the final plans are submitted on Dec. 10, it would be practical to have the meeting two weeks out from that.

The purpose of the outreach session is to allow minorities and women to network with some of the larger firms. Our goals and objectives are to maximize participation, particularly with minority firms. We want to try to keep as much of the money as possible in this area, Spells said.

Also during the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Thelma Sojourner reported that Voorhees College will begin working with eighth-grade students in the district through the Voorhees College Scholars Program.

She also reported that the district held an outstanding Veterans Day program.

Also, Ron Graves, a 1978 graduate of Denmark-Olar High School, was the guest speaker at the high schools awards day program, the superintendent said, adding that Graves is an accomplished pilot who wants to give back to the Denmark-Olar community.

Sojourner also announced that staff will attend Why Poverty Matters training to help them understand the impact that poverty has on learning.

During public comments, parent Stephanie Ephram expressed concerns regarding an incident that took place at the middle school involving her child. She said the principal and a school nurse ignored and disrespected her when she came to handle a situation regarding her son misplacing his student ID. Ephram, who told the board she is a very involved parent and her son is an A student, said she was dissatisfied with the treatment her family received.

Board Chairman Larry Bias advised her to speak with the superintendent who was not previously available. He told her that if she is still not satisfield after she speaks with Sojourner to come back before the school board.

Cathy Self, a Denmark resident, updated the board on the districts partnership with the Feed My Sheep Ministries. Self said this is the 11th year that First Baptist Church in Denmark and the Denmark-Olar class of 1983 have sponsored a poster contest with the art department under the leadership of Dr. Anna Martin. The theme of the poster contest was Our community coming together, meeting each others needs, in whatever way possible; working together to care for and unite our community, Self said.

She noted that last year on Thanksgiving Day, the ministry served more than 1,000 traditional Thanksgiving dinners and gave away clothing and bags of groceries.

This year, we anticipate doing the same, she said.

The 2017 poster contest winners were as follows:

High School -- Jessie Collins, first place; Sheila Seranno, second; Jada Ashley, third; Tonya Walker, fourth; honorable mention, Tyrasia Murvin.

Middle School -- Laila Donaldson, first; Tyliyah Fold, second; La'Kia Robertson, third; honorable mention, Tonia Glover and Ernest Brown.

The district also recognized its students and teacher of the month as follows: Elementary School Student of the Month, Roniah Riley; Middle School Student of the Month, Sonashia Williams; High School Student of the Month, Quatasha Donaldson and Teacher of the Month, Dionne Bennett-Scully, Denmark-Olar Elementary.
Voters will go to the polls soon to choose an Orangeburg County Council member to fill the seat once held by the late Clyde Livingston.

Livingston died in July with more than a year left on his term.

The special election to fill the council District 6 seat will be held Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Voters will choose between Josh Ridley, a Republican, and Ray Wannamaker Sabalis, a Democrat.

Josh Ridley

Ridley was the only Republican candidate to file for the seat. Several candidates sought to be the Democratic nominee.

He said most of the candidates want the same fundamental things.

We want more jobs, better education and workforce development, and improved quality of life for all citizens, Ridley said. The difference that I bring is the way that Ill go about getting it done and the real ability to deliver.

Ridley said he is seeking the council seat because, the value and importance of civic-mindedness was instilled in me at a young age.

When a group of people work together to build social capital through civic responsibility, it breeds stronger families, stronger communities and ultimately stronger cities and counties, he said. When I moved my family to Orangeburg in 2012, I made a point to reach out to individual and organizational leaders within our community and ask for an opportunity to serve.

Ridley started by serving as a mentor at Mellichamp Elementary School.

Most recently, he served as chairman of the board of directors with the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce.

He feels the county can improve its competitiveness for businesses, the quality of life for its citizens and more.

I think we have an opportunity to streamline some of our activity and effort, but we need a leader on council who will facilitate and enable our county in planning, prioritizing and executing, he said.

Addressing the countys new business license ordinance, Ridley said hell work with other councilmembers to find a solution that wont harm existing businesses or future growth.

We are on the verge of some considerable economic growth and this ordinance puts Orangeburg County at a serious disadvantage from a competitiveness perspective, he said. It also places an unnecessary and unfair burden on the existing businesses who are trying to thrive or merely sustain within our county.

Ridley says District 6 residents need, someone who will be able to apply fiscal responsibility and pragmatic leadership without burdening the taxpayers with unnecessary government involvement and oversight, he said. We need a leader to move us forward as a district and we need a leader who can work with other members of council to move us forward as a county.

Ridley has not held any elected offices in the past.

He has more than 16 years of local and global business experience including areas of negotiation, strategic planning, financial planning/budgeting, high-level leadership and decision making.

He is also involved with various economic development entities and initiatives throughout the state, including SCBIO, S.C. Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Research Authority and the Southeastern Medical Device Association.

Born and raised in Spartanburg, he and his wife Kelly moved to Summerville after college and started raising a family there. They moved to Lexington in 2004 and to Orangeburg in 2012.

They have two daughters, Delaney and Reagan.

Ridley is a 2001 graduate of Clemson University where he majored in biological and biomedical sciences with a minor in psychology.

He is the director of global market development at Zeus.

I would ask all voters, regardless of party affiliation, to give me a chance, he said. Give me the 13 months left on this term and if I havent delivered real results that have positively impacted District 6 and our entire county as a whole, go right back to the polls and vote me out next November.

My opponent is an intelligent, extremely nice person, but she is not the best candidate for this position, he continued. Dont vote for a party, vote for the most qualified candidate for Orangeburg County Council District 6.

Ray Wannamaker Sabalis

Sabalis became the Democratic nominee for the seat after winning the Oct. 10 primary runoff.

The Orangeburg native said she is seeking the council seat to use positive, constructive, cooperative and effective leadership skills to help my colleagues on county council to address the challenges that face Orangeburg County, whether economic, social, educational, environmental, or other, while continuing to support the countys vital services to its residents and striking a balance between available resources and the countys needs.

To attract businesses, Sabalis said she wants the county to have a vision for its future, welcoming people, well-cared-for neighborhoods, a willing and prepared workforce, civic pride and citizens who are invested in their community.

In her district specifically, she wants to instill hope within the current and future generations of youth for the future of Orangeburg County.

They will need an excellent education, access to opportunities for employment-related skill development and satisfying jobs at which to use those skills so that they can lead meaningful and productive lives in an even-more-vibrant community, Sabalis said. The people of District 6 want what every parent wants for their children: a better future. It is one of county councils responsibilities to contribute to fulfilling that goal.

A hot-button issue in recent county council meetings has been the decision to implement a license fee for businesses operating in the county.

While I was not a part of those discussions, I would look forward, if elected, to addressing any outstanding concerns, Sabalis said. My conversations with small business owners have highlighted some fears: whether there is a cap on license fees, whether the county can inspect a companys financial records, the hassles of paperwork with various deadlines, etc.

She said county council members and small business owners have the opportunity to discuss and work through the concerns together.

Such discussions have the best outcomes when specific areas of concern are identified and specific solutions and remedies are proposed and considered, she said.

Sabalis was born in Orangeburg and has had a six-decade-long bond with the city and county through relationships with both of her parents extended families.

She spent her childhood in Camden then moved to Columbia for 30 years. In 2000, she and her husband, Robert Sabalis, moved to Alexandria, Virginia for his job.

After retiring in 2012, they returned to South Carolina and chose Orangeburg as their home.

Though she has not held an elected office in the past, Sabalis said her past work experience will help her on council.

She has worked as a director of Christian education and a church administrator, in the technology field as a network administrator, in fundraising and in development in a school and seminary.

Each of these positions required technical expertise, the ability to work as a member of a team, the willingness to consider various points of view before proposing and implementing solutions and collaborative relationships with members of the community at large, Sabalis said.

She and her husband have been married for 45 years and have three grown children and six grandchildren, ages 6 to 13 years.

She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in political science.

My 35-year work history, my constructive leadership skills and positive, patient approach to problem-solving have successfully supported the educational and religious institutions where I have been employed, Sabalis said. I hope to be able to use those same attributes and skills to help meet Orangeburg County's present and future needs and fulfill its long-term goals.
Step into a classroom during sixth period at Wolford Public School and there are 11 students taking nine courses online.

About six years ago, the small, rural district  with an enrollment of 42 students  lacked course offerings, and Wolford Superintendent Larry Zavada said he longed for more academic rigor and accountability.

The district was limited due to finances, and good teachers were hard to come by, according to Zavada. So, he tried something new: online classes.

Now, students in Wolford are taking an array of online courses through the North Dakota Center for Distance Education, which offers 330 courses, including Advanced Placement, credit-recovery courses and a variety of electives.

Online classes have made a difference in some rural schools in North Dakota, including Zavada's, where more than half the students are taking an online class through the center.

There are millions of K-12 students in the United States taking online courses, though it's hard to determine an exact number. An Education Week article in June noted one estimate from the Evergreen Education Group, a consultancy organization, which said 2.7 million students took about 4.5 million supplemental online courses during the 2014-15 school year.

In North Dakota, the number of course enrollments at the Center for Distance Education has increased considerably, which can be tied to when the state Legislature began subsidizing the cost of courses for North Dakota students. There were students enrolled in 2,173 courses in 2011, compared to 7,530 this year, according to data from the center.

Some rural school districts find help through the center because they lack financial resources to offer certain classes, such as foreign languages and science. Other districts simply can't find certified classroom instructors, which was the case in Medina this year.

But schools utilizing the center are not all rural. Matthew Lonn, the center's director of statewide programs, said students are enrolled from 170 of the state's approximately 180 districts. The district with the highest enrollment is Fargo Public Schools, according to Lonn, who said most of these students are taking credit-recovery courses.

The North Dakota Center for Distance Education was created in 1935 by the North Dakota Legislature as a correspondence learning program offered to those struggling to complete their studies in rural towns.

Funding for the center is provided by an appropriation from the Legislature every two years, as well as through tuition charged to districts and students. The center offers courses to students in grades 6-12 in North Dakota, other states and overseas.

Ninety percent of enrollments this year are in-state, up greatly from about 10 years ago when out-of-state enrollments accounted for 70 percent of students, according to Lonn.

Filling in

Finding teachers is the biggest challenge for Medina Public School, according to Brian Christopherson, superintendent.

Last school year, his science teacher retired and applications for her replacement came up short. He finally found a qualified teacher, but she's still in college and won't be able to start until spring.

His 162-student district started utilizing the North Dakota Center for Distance Education during the 2015-16 school year, as a way to offer more elective courses to seniors. Christopherson decided to expand those online choices this school year with science and business courses.

"I think that every school wants to have that teacher in-house, wants the students to be in front of a teacher. If you can't find one, you have to go to Plan B, and that was our Plan B to get through the fall semester," he said. "So far, it's worked well."

In the spring, the new science teacher will begin her student teaching alongside the former science teacher, who has agreed to come back for the second semester.

"One of the challenges smaller schools have is we can't offer the number of electives that Class A schools offer," he said. "I feel like if we wouldn't offer any online courses, any of these unique electives, then we're holding our kids back."

'Work at your own pace'

Before Zavada, who is in his 14th year as superintendent at Wolford Public School, started offering online classes to students six years ago, he said he and other school officials tried the classes.

"Before we say we're going to to have students do it, we have to experience it ourselves," he said.

After the school officials' trial run, they approved of the classes and began offering them to students. Since then, Zavada said the response he's gotten from students and teachers about the online courses has been "overwhelmingly positive."

Two Wolford students have been able to take classes online while working full-time jobs.

Lynnsey Slaughbaugh, 18, a recent Wolford graduate, said she's held a full-time job since her sophomore year at a salon and coffee shop.

"I definitely enjoyed taking the online courses just because you get to work at your own pace, and I like to work ahead," said Slaughbaugh, who started taking online classes in seventh grade. "There were so many different areas that you could choose from. If you're interested about something, you could take a class and learn from it."

She took three AP classes, including two English classes and a speech course, which saved her money in college. This year, she's taking online courses through the University of North Dakota.

Her cousin, Kaitlin Slaubaugh, 16, also has taken seven online courses in Wolford. She's taken seven classes, including photography, nursing, business and computer fundamentals, and said online classes helped her decide she wants to study nursing in college.

"Being able to take classes that I'm interested in and that I want to learn about has really helped," she said. "With this nursing course, I'm able to see more into this field and (if) I really want to go into it after high school."

Communication is key

Shannon Dillman, who has been teaching since 1994, is a full-time instructor for the North Dakota Center for Distance Education. Her first job was at the center.

Dillman, who now has 110 students, teaches AP English language and composition, and a hodgepodge of other courses, including public speaking, journalism and mythology.

Dillman, who lives in Bismarck, each day runs a virtual classroom, similar to a chat room, where students can ask questions. Texting is the students' preferred method of communication, so each day her phone will ding with questions from students, she said. Teachers also can utilize Facetime and Skype to interact with their students.

Building a relationship with these students is important, Dillman said.

"If you could hear me talk about my students, my kids, you can see that I know them," she said.

Online teachers at the center have worked to improve how they interact with students. Jill Daignault, a part-time online social studies instructor and assistant principal at the center, said, for the past three years, instructors at the center have been working on a "teacher process," which essentially outlines standard practices.

"Our completion rates went up, our failure rates went down significantly, and it was just really great to see," she said of the improvements resulting from that process.
By Trend





Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 135 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on November 19.

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.
By Trend





Turkey has launched a probe into a former and a current US prosecutors who are currently involved in a case against Turkish citizens in New York, Anadolu reported November 18.

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office on Saturday accused former US prosecutor Preet Bharara and current US prosecutor Joon H. Kim of using information and documents from previous investigations in Turkey for an ongoing case in the US.

The US prosecutors had obtained some voice recordings and other fake documents from unknown persons instead of official channels, which was contrary to international law, for building their case against Turkish citizens in America, according to Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office.
Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad Esco) has been awarded the contract for the development, and installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) water reservoirs.



The installation of solar PV systems on Dewas water reservoirs will reduce the emirates carbon footprint and increase the proportion of solar power in Dubai's energy mix, said a statement from Esco.

"The installation of solar PV systems at Dewa water reservoirs comes under the implementation of the vision of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to transform Dubai into one of the most sustainable cities in the world. The solar PV systems will promote sustainable development, which will reinforce the UAEs position as one of the most advanced countries for alternative energy, said Ali Al Jassim, CEO of Etihad Esco.



As per the contract, Etihad Esco will design the solar PV systems and install them on Dewas water reservoirs.



Christos Mimikopoulos, executive director of Solar, Etihad Esco, said the company is committed to the social, economic and environmental development of the UAE.

"Since its establishment, Etihad Esco has not only brought the best integrated solar solutions, but has also offered innovative solutions to address strategic gaps in this sector. The installation of solar PV systems on Dewas water reservoirs is another breakthrough, which drives us closer to achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, that aims to provide seven per cent of Dubai's total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050," he stated.



The company pointed out that the total installed capacity of solar PV systems on water reservoirs could reach up to 60 Mega Watt peak.



According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the GCCs installed solar capacity is expected to reach 76 GW by 2020. Egypt is hoping to interconnect 2,650 MW of PV capacity by 2020, Morocco is aiming for 600 MW, while Jordan has 540 MW of PV projects under construction with more expected before the end of 2017. With a wave of solar projects already underway across Dubai, the Emirate is set for a green revolution with alternative energy.-TradeArabia News Service
Omans Port of Duqm plans to appoint a consultancy firm to assist in the proposed transformation of the gateway into a smart port, characterised by automated terminals, truck appointment systems, integrated port community systems, use of big data, and so on, said a report.



To this end, the first of many tenders will be floated early next year for the appointment of a consultant to assist in the implementation of smart projects at the port, a key port executive, was quoted as saying in an Oman Daily Observer report.



Talal Al Barwani, sales and marketing specialist, said that in line with global trends, they are trying to have a smart port where, through an app for example, to link all of the agents, custom, shippers and so on, which will facilitate the easier flow of trucks and goods through the port.



He added that in 2018, the port is appointing a consultant to start on the smart projects.



Al Barwani further noted that they are travelling to ports around the world to see some of the best innovations which can be brought down to Duqm and can help facilitate traffic and goods flows.



Key considerations in its upgrade into a smart port include the roll-out of a Port Community System (PCS) that seeks to link all stakeholders  customs, agents, shippers and so on  into one online system.



Also envisioned are truck appointment systems to improve productivity and efficiency, automatic gate control, terminal automation to reduce human / machine interface, crane automation, trunk radio communication, and use of big data for efficiency and optimisation.



The port aims to float a consultancy tender  aimed at aligning all of the stakeholders, examining best practices, as well as preparing tender documents  in the first quarter of 2018. A contract award is slated during the second quarter of the year, added the report.
Dubai Trade, the single window for cross-border trade and a DP World company, has implemented the ISO 18295-1:2017 standard in its Customer Contact Centre.



It is one of the first organisations in the world to implement the standard which was launched in July detailing the service requirements for such facilities and complements Dubai Trades integrated electronic and smart platforms on its portal www.dubaitrade.ae and its smart applications Tradeshield and LogiGate, said a statement from the company.



Dubai Trades Contact Centre provides assistance in languages including Arabic, English, Hindi and Urdu, it said.



The support covers over 800 electronic services, as well as Dubai Trade's smart platforms such as Tradeshield and LogiGate, it added.



Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said: "We are committed to supporting smart trade, which helps businesses connect to their markets, especially in logistics. Our customers can complete all their transactions online anytime, anywhere and integrated functions include round-the-clock service and technical support in using smart trading tools.



He added: Implementing this standard underscores our commitment to pursue excellence and deliver world-class services across our network. It also supports the Smart Dubai initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world.



We congratulate the Dubai Trade team for taking the initiative to adopt the new standard within two months of its publication, he said.



Mohammed Al Muallem, senior vice president and managing director, DP World, UAE Region, said: "At our company, we realised early that our real success was not just in launching smart services and platforms, but in making customers use them easily.



Our customer contact centre with its professionally trained staff plays a major role in building trust, confident and they can perform their business requirements easily and efficiently. It has helped increase the adoption rate of our smart electronic services and this certification enhances our reputation and competitiveness, he added.



By adopting the standard, Dubai Trade delivers benefits including reducing the time callers wait to get the information they seek, technical support in multiple languages and enhanced understanding of customers issues by service agents. The Centre has received nearly 195,000 phone calls and over 63,000 emails so far this year.



Eng Mahmood Al Bastaki, CEO of Dubai Trade, added: Our centre provides technical support to our customers and helps gather information that we need to improve services, enabling us to think ahead about customer needs.



We take all enquiries and suggestions seriously and address any issues that they face in using our portal. The aim is to make Dubai a global destination for smart and easy trading, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) urged the swift implementation by states of the first Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP) which was established this week by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

"Flying is secure, but it is also clear that aviation faces security challenges. GASeP has the potential to strengthen security globally by providing governments with a global plan to which they can align their national efforts. The critical factor is implementation. It must be quick, comprehensive and global. The industry congratulates ICAO and its member states for putting the plan together. Industry is ready to support its swift implementation," said Alexandre de Juniac, Iatas director general and CEO.

ICAOs standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for aviation security are contained in Annex 17 of the Chicago Convention. GASeP creates a framework for states to incorporate Annex 17 responsibilities into their national civil aviation security programs in four focus areas: (1) risk awareness and response, (2) security culture, (3) technology enhancement and innovation, (4) security oversight and cooperation among states and with local organisations.

"Governments have the primary responsibility for the security of their citizensincluding when they are flying. But differences in the capacity of governments to do this are clear. The implementation of Annex 17 SARPs is far from universal. Focused efforts will be needed to foster cooperation and capacity-building to enable states to meet their obligations," said de Juniac.

GASeP, if comprehensively implemented, will address four key elements to improve security that de Juniac outlined in a keynote address to the IATA AVSEC World Conference in Abu Dhabi. These are:

 Closer government-to-government cooperation to eliminate the long-term challenges of extraterritorial measures;

 The universal application of global standards;

 Better information-sharing among governments and with industry, and

 The efficient implementation of new and existing technology capabilities.

"We have great expectations for GASeP. But states are sovereign and there is no global security regulator. So governments must fully feel the weight of their responsibility to protect the security of 4 billion travellers each year. To stay a step ahead of the threats, governments must incorporate GASeP into their national plans and cooperate through ICAO to make sure that the global system works," said de Juniac. - TradeArabia News Service
Raising Canes fans in Bahrain can enjoy more of their favourite chicken fingers, as the brand opens its second restaurant at The Avenues  Bahrain.

The opening follows the brands successful opening at the Bahrain City Centre last September, a statement said.

Raising Canes, known for its premium chicken tenderloin meals, was founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, LA by Todd Graves, the CEO of the company. Voted one of the USs fastest growing brands and most popular chicken in the US, the brand today has more than 300 restaurants across the US and currently seven restaurants in the Middle East.

Brand business director Maan Kouly said: What makes Raising Canes a favourite is the difference in our chicken and the combination of flavours - our use of premium chicken tenderloins and the freshest ingredients. Were excited to be bring our fans in Bahrain more of their favourites as we continue to share the One Love for premium chicken.

Included in the Top Five US Quick Service Restaurants in the United States for seven years and counting, Raising Canes is a food lovers dream. With its 24-hour marinated hand-battered chicken tenderloins, premium crinkle-cut fries, golden-brown buttery Texas toast, secret recipe handmade Canes sauce and creamy coleslaw, Raising Canes is known for its One Love  premium chicken tenderloin meals. It uses only the highest ingredients and a handmade, cook-to-order system that ensures a great-tasting chicken tenderloin meal served hot and fresh every time, the statement said.

The new restaurant is open daily from 10 am to 12 am.  TradeArabia News Service
SALT LAKE CITY  A former Utah state trooper and fire chief has pleaded guilty to deliberately starting a wildfire that caused more than $800,000 in damage.

37-year-old Rex Richard Olsen entered a plea this week to second-degree felony arson.

A misdemeanor charge of violating wildfire prevention restrictions was dropped as part of the agreement.

Authorities say Olsen admitted to starting a fire June 9 near the town of Maeser.

A subdivision was evacuated but there were no injuries.

He also was federally indicted last month with starting a May 30 wildfire in the same area.

Olsen worked for the Highway Patrol from 2004 to 2012 and again starting in 2016 until he was fired in July.

He previously was fire chief in Neola in Duchesne County.
BILLINGS, Mont.  A Montana man has died after being shot by police officers following a car chase. Authorities said the man also rammed into police cars and ignored officers' orders before being shot.

Billings Police Chief Rich St. John told local media that police received a call late Friday about a man ramming into a car and officers tried to chase the suspect.

Officers found the man slumped over the wheel of a pickup truck just after midnight and he reached toward the glove box. The Billings Gazette reports that the man then backed into a patrol car, hit a minivan and struck another patrol car.

St. John said officers then fired their weapons.

The 24-year-old man's name has not been released. Five officers were put on administrative leave.
Former fire chief pleads guilty to igniting Utah wildfire

SALT LAKE CITY  A former Utah state trooper and fire chief has pleaded guilty to deliberately starting a wildfire that caused more than $800,000 in damage.

37-year-old Rex Richard Olsen entered a plea this week to second-degree felony arson.

A misdemeanor charge of violating wildfire prevention restrictions was dropped as part of the agreement.

Authorities say Olsen admitted to starting a fire June 9 near the town of Maeser.

A subdivision was evacuated but there were no injuries.

He also was federally indicted last month with starting a May 30 wildfire in the same area.

Olsen worked for the Highway Patrol from 2004 to 2012 and again starting in 2016 until he was fired in July.

He previously was fire chief in Neola in Duchesne County.

Montana man killed in police shooting after car chase

BILLINGS, Mont.  A Montana man has died after being shot by police officers following a car chase. Authorities said the man also rammed into police cars and ignored officers orders before being shot.

Billings Police Chief Rich St. John told local media that police received a call late Friday about a man ramming into a car and officers tried to chase the suspect.

Officers found the man slumped over the wheel of a pickup truck just after midnight and he reached toward the glove box. The Billings Gazette reports that the man then backed into a patrol car, hit a minivan and struck another patrol car.

St. John said officers then fired their weapons.

The 24-year-old mans name has not been released. Five officers were put on administrative leave.

More than 100 animals seized in Colorado cruelty case

DURANGO, Colo.  Officials in southwest Colorado say they have seized more than 100 animals after an investigation of animal cruelty.

The La Plata County Sheriffs Office and the La Plata County Humane Society havent identified the person cited for animal cruelty.

The humane society seized dogs, a cat, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, chickens, cattle and a burro and a duck from the property this week.

Humane society officials didnt immediately say what will happen to the animals. La Plata County spokeswoman Megan Graham says the animals are being cared for but would not provide details.

University of Colorado plans $15,000 online degree programs

DENVER  University of Colorado officials are backing the creation of online programs that could let students earn college degrees for $15,000.

The Board of Regents backed the plan this week and approved $20 million to let the university begin creating the programs. Officials say the program will launch in 2022 and will focus on students who live in rural areas or work full time and cant easily access the university.

But theres a lot of work ahead. Regent Steve Ludwig says he wants to ensure that the flat fee includes tuition, books, fees and all other expenses without hurting the quality of the education students receive.

University spokesman Ken McConnellogue says CU already offers 41 degree programs online but hasnt met a goal of 6,000 students.
If not for the help of local nonprofit agencies, with support from the Bismarck-Mandan community, many holiday stockings would hang empty Christmas morning, dampening the spirits of those less fortunate.

In an effort to help fill these empty stockings, the Bismarck Tribune highlights the needs of a handful of these agencies each year, making it easier for readers to donate both time and goods to families in need.

The Abused Adult Resource Center, the Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program, Community Action, Charles Hall Youth Services, AID Inc. and the Ruth Meiers Hospitality House are all accepting donations to play the part of Santa, come Christmas Eve.

Abused Adult Resource Center

The Abused Adult Resource Center has been open since 1976, serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault throughout south central North Dakota. The agency offers a 24-hour emergency hotline, counseling and shelter in an effort to break the cycle of abuse.

The agency has two shelters  Pams House and the Diane Zainhofsky Hope House  which provide temporary housing, food, clothing and counseling. Last year, 126 families found refuge in these homes.

Each year, the AARC holds a Hope for the Holidays event, in which items are accepted from the community and gifted to families in need. Last year, 324 individuals from 110 families benefited from the program.

Hope for the Holidays brings a little hope to individuals who have had a tough year, said Kayce Loraas, child advocate. The holidays can be a tough time, in general, and can be stressful. Hope for the Holidays brings smiles to kids faces and joy to families.

AARC staff members will set up a donation center at the Southdale Business Center, 549 Airport Road, Bismarck, with this year's event slated for Dec. 5-21. The east/back entrance will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

For women, suggested donations are gift cards to purchase gas and groceries and Verizon and Straight Talk "pay as you go" phone cards.

Movie theater tickets and indoor trampoline park passes, as well as big-box store gift cards and haircut vouchers, are gift recommendations for older children.

The AARC will also accept monetary donations at its main office, 218 W. Broadway Ave., Bismarck.

For day-to-day operations, the shelter is in need of twin- to queen-size bedding, womens lotion and body wash, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, disinfecting wipes and new women's socks and underwear.

For more information or to "adopt" a family, donate or volunteer, call 701-222-8370 or visit www.abusedadultresourcecenter.com.

BECEP

The Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program, which focuses on preparing preschoolers for kindergarten, is operated by the Bismarck Public School District. Children up to the age of 5 are taught social, emotional, self-care and academic skills, helping them to achieve their full learning potential.

I think BECEP is a great early intervention and prevention program, in terms of children and families that may be at risk of being behind in developments, said Mary MacArthur, parent/family engagement coordinator. We try to provide a safe, healthy and secure learning environment so children can grow.

BECEP offers the following six programs: Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Intervention, Right Track, Early Childhood Special Education and Community Friends.

The organization is in need of training pants, size 6 diapers, size 4-6 elastic-waist pants, waterproof gloves and mittens, size 4-6 snow pants, size 11-13 winter boots, brand new booster and car seats, toilet paper, paper towels, board and matching games for preschoolers, art kits, modeling clay, toy trucks and baby dolls. BECEP also accepts monetary donations or gas station and grocery store gift cards for families to use in emergency situations.

Donations are accepted at BECEP, 720 N. 14 St., Bismarck. For more information, visit www.becep.bismarckschools.org or call 701-323-4400.

Community Action

Community Action offers a variety of resources and programs to homeless and low-income families in Bismarck, Mandan and surrounding areas in 10 North Dakota counties.

One of its largest programs is Backpacks for Kids, in which 1,040 children each receive a backpack full of "kid-friendly" food items every two weeks. Backpacks are delivered to 35 schools in the Bismarck-Mandan area.

"The program was started in 2006 to address the need for food for children identified as being homeless or at risk of homelessness in the Bismarck-Mandan area, said Amy Winkelman, backpack and food pantry coordinator. Our numbers continue to increase as schools see more of a need.

Individually wrapped food items needed to fill backpacks include microwaveable macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, pop-top canned dinners, peanut butter and jelly in plastic containers, granola bars, toaster pastries, fruit and pudding cups, crackers and fruit snacks.

Community Action also welcomes donations to its food pantry, as well as volunteers.

Theres obviously a need in the community, Winkelman said. "Along with all of the other organizations, I think were all trying to do the best we can.

Through Dec. 20, low-income families can stop by Community Action's main office, 2105 Lee Ave., Bismarck, to fill out a Christmas application, which asks for children's names, ages and interests. The information is then used to compile a wish list to purchase gifts for families in need.

The organization also is accepting donations, especially gift items for infants and teenagers. Diapers, blankets and learning toys are needed for infants, while gift cards, perfumes/colognes and sweatshirts are suggested for teenagers. Monetary donations are welcomed. Members of the community also may sponsor a family in need.

For more information, or to sponsor a family, donate or volunteer, call 701-258-2240 or search "Community Action Backpack Program for Kids" on Facebook.

Charles Hall Youth Services

Charles Hall Youth Services, Bismarck, has been supporting North Dakotas youth for more than 50 years. Annually, about 65 youth ages 10 to 19 find shelter at one of the agency's three neighborhood-based homes, where basic needs are met and an individualized program is developed.

The youth of CHYS have been adjudicated into the foster care system for a variety of reasons. Many of the teenagers come from families unable or unwilling to provide adequate care for them. Others are court-ordered due to drug or alcohol abuse, truancies, run-away charges or charges of delinquency or unruliness.

Many struggle with post-traumatic stress, attention deficit disorder, mental illnesses, eating disorders, thoughts of suicide and other self-destructive acts.

The kids we care for dont have a home, said Rhonda Styles-Rohde, director of marketing and communications. We try to dig deeper into what brought them to foster care and help them become contributing members to society.

"We, basically, are their family," she said.

Each year, the staff and youth at CHYS celebrate the holidays with a dinner and a Christmas party with gifts. Most gifts given to the children come from community donations, and donors may provide gifts for specific children upon request.

"We love it when we can get gift cards for the movie theater or Sky Zone, so we can take these kids some place fun," said Styles-Rohde.

In addition, household items, clothing and back-to-school supplies are welcomed.

To make a donation, provide for a specific child or receive more information, call 701-255-2773 ext. 301, visit www.charleshallyouthservices.com, or go to the facility at 513 E. Bismarck Expressway.

AID Inc.

Established in 1983, AID Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency and temporary relief for working people with unmet needs, such as rent, utilities and transportation. The goal is to help individuals and families stay in their homes and become self-sufficient.

Cash for rent, utilities and medical bills, as well as gift cards for groceries and gas, are types of financial assistance available to those who qualify. Last year, AID Inc. provided $120,000 to 1,071 individuals and families, who were struggling to make ends meet.

The organization's food pantry and thrift store, 314 W. Main Ave., Mandan, help to ensure that the needy of Burleigh and Morton counties are clothed and fed.

Members of the community are welcome to drop off gently used items at the thrift store, and volunteers are needed to sort merchandise and price items. Monetary and food donations also are welcomed.

"Crisis knows no timing. And no family in the Bismarck-Mandan area is unscathed," said Executive Director Patti Regan, who noted that AID Inc. is willing to help anyone working to better themselves.

AID Inc. is hosting the free annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner beginning at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at First Lutheran Church, 408 Ninth St. N.W., Mandan.

Volunteers are needed Wednesday to set up tables, prepare food and wipe down dishes. Call 701-663-1274, ext. 18, for more information.

AID Inc.'s annual Care and Share Program, in which food baskets are gifted to the needy, will take place Dec. 8-9. About 300 families will benefit from the program this year.

For more information, or to donate, call 701-663-2122 or visit www.aidincnd.com.

Ruth Meiers

The Ruth Meiers Hospitality House has been in operation since 1987, offering programs and services to the homeless to help them access resources and overcome barriers as they integrate into the Bismarck-Mandan community.

Their transitional living program provides short-term housing for homeless men, women and families and offers services, such as job training, case management, child care and transportation, to those in need.

The overall goal of the program is to provide individuals and families a place to call home while they find employment and establish permanency in the community or elsewhere.

Ruth Meiers' affordable housing units allow families to move into temporary apartments, where they pay rent based on their income. Tenants have access to health care, nutrition and employment services, as well as child care to ensure successful reintegration.

Currently, more than 100 individuals are benefiting from Ruth Meiers' transitional living program, and 85 affordable housing units are occupied.

We provide a place for people to restart their lives, said Peggy Netzer, director of client services and community outreach. "We help people get back on their feet."

In 2016, Ruth Meiers provided the homeless with 36,341 nights of shelter, 63,094 meals, 23,166 pounds of food pantry food, 892 community food baskets per week and 143 free health care appointments.

The agency is in need of everyday items, such as pasta, peanut butter, canned vegetables, garbage bags (any size), printer paper, snow pants and winter boots.

Volunteers are always welcomed, to help serve meals and process donations.

Every single day I get to change someones life, said Netzer. We get to see people at their absolute worst and then see them succeed.

To donate or receive more information, call 701-222-2108 or visit www.ruthmeiers.org.
GLENROCK  The operations center at the Rolling Hills rig site looks like a surveillance trailer and smells of diesel. Guys in heavy boots clomp in for a word with the ops team before moving out again. A pot of coffee cools on the counter and a half dozen computer screens show whats going on downhole. Its Nov. 7, and the well is just 800 feet shy of its goal.

Sixty miles away, Ron Auflick, woke in the dark to the sound of his phone ringing.

The drill bit was taking on too much vibration. Auflicks team had it taken care of, but they wanted to check in with the chief roughneck at Wold Energy Partners. Sleep wouldnt come after the call, so Auflick headed to work.

At dawn the well cracked 22,000 feet.

Wold is a small firm, based in Casper. Its currently attacking all 11 of the Powder River Basins crude-saturated layers despite a modest $50 a barrel oil price. The company has a drilling strategy with a laser focus on the Powder River Basin.

Two years ago, the number of trailers like Wolds was few and far between. The PRB, as it is often called, was the next big play that failed to tip before prices fell in 2014.

Rig counts hit single digits. Jobs waned like a tide pulling out from Wyoming, and the revenue that provides about three-quarters of the states income declined rapidly.

The states income projections dont predict any surprises from the oil and gas side, just modest improvements. But out in the PRB the attitude has shifted.

Those that can are lining up like a host of roughnecks with paychecks in their pockets to play the latest hand in one of the oldest games in Wyoming. The only thing standing in their way are federal regulations.

The PRB is poised for a boom Wyoming desperately needs, but it could be messy. Industry says the feds are slowing down opportunities and hampering development, while environmentalists say Wyoming needs federal regulations to avoid disaster when a bust inevitably strikes. No matter what, as oil prices stabilize, changes are likely coming to Wyomings northeast corner.

A complex basin

Drilling has changed in recent years, but despite the technological revolution advancing drilling in the PRB, theres nothing new about a boom there.

The PRB is 120 miles wide and some 200 miles long. Its the center of the nations coal sector and has been an oil play for more than 100 years.

Coal bed methane blew up in the early 2000s, but crumbled in under a decade when gas prices fell. In the run up of the price of oil in 2014, operators were expecting the PRB to be the next big oil play, then the value of crude plummeted and activities stopped.

Its a complex basin for energy, and the rules that govern activities there have changed with the times.

The PRB has federally owned minerals and state-owned resources, public land and private. At the center of this basin poised to do big things are two oil and gas regulators, the Bureau of Land Management and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission with overlapping responsibilities.

The latter has to process permits for drilling within 90 days. The feds dont come close to that timeline. At worst, they can take up to 3 years.

Facing delays

Wold is already preparing to drill its next well at a site a few miles from the one in Rolling Hills. Theyve sketched out the pad that will eventually hold more than a dozen horizontal wells, with a shaded area on the corner of the diagram. Thats federal land, and operators have come to avoid it when possible.

Simply put, anytime oil and gas activities hit either federal land or federal minerals, it opens up the possibility for federal regulations. And thats frustrated operators in the PRB.

A company drilling millions of dollars into the basin is looking for a return, and federal complications slow down otherwise improving economics in the PRB, operators say.

It can be a real downside for Wyoming, said Jarred Kubat, vice president of land, legal and regulatory for Wold.

Ultimately people are going to go where there is really good rock and regulatory certainty helps add investment certainty, he said. Whats going to be (the question) for the state is how quickly that can be recovered.

The Casper Field Office, part of the district overseeing the Powder River Basin, had more than 600 applications to drill on backlog earlier this year.

And more than rules, its the inconsistency applying them that bothers oil men like Kubat.

Policies overlap with no real deadline to get permits through and no clear direction, he said.

Communication and policy

In a way, industry is dealing with the fallout from their own skill.

Much of the trouble in the PRB is coming from advanced drilling techniques that can send a well long distances, said Duane Spencer deputy state director of minerals and lands for the BLM in Wyoming.

If you send a well out for two miles beneath surface of the PRB, theres a good chance youll hit federal minerals. And although the BLM doesnt have as much authority on the surface when the well starts on private land, it does have some obligations like protecting historical sites and endangered species, Spencer said.

Its a workable balance and high time the state and the feds updated their MOU on permitting, he said.

The best thing the agency can do, and what is says it is working on now, is better communication, Spencer said.

The agency has increased internal training and its specialists are sitting down with industry and landowners alike.

Kubat, from Wold, affirmed that operators have seen an improvement in the last few months since the issue boiled over.

But some hurdles are beyond a communication fix and come down to policy.

When 90 percent of a project is on state or private land, it doesnt make sense that the 10 percent that is federal can slow down the whole operation, Kubat said.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney has floated a number of bills that establish the right for states to take over more of the oil and gas permitting process on federal land, or with federal minerals. Shes also proposed an exemption for private landowners if a well is drilled on private surface but hits federal minerals below.

The idea has been met with mixed reviews in Wyoming. Industry likes the idea that states should have more say, as do many landowners. State regulators want more details on how that would work before they wade in. But environmental groups are nervous. They could lose key protections if the federal rules are winnowed by Congress.

Slow and steady

Jill Morrison witnessed the rise and fall of the coal bed methane industry. Shes an organizer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council and is watching interest in the Powder warily.

The state went through a period of reform after that bust, she said. It increased the rules on industry, put in more mitigation for development, but the deep drilling of today and the sheer size of the PRB offers unique risks if there is a boom, and others if there is a bust, she said.

CBM left thousands of orphan wells behind. The state has been working for years to plug those wells using a tax on operators, but its not halfway through.

Earlier this year nearly 1,000 more orphan wells were added to their list from bankrupt CBM operators.

If horizontal wells reaching two miles away from their starting point are abandoned, the state will face more challenges, she said.

Plugging these deep oil wells is going to make the coal bed methane orphan well situation look like a picnic, she said.

And busts are part of the business of oil and gas. A flurry of activity brings in people. Small communities face housing shortages and increased crime during a boom. Then, as soon as theyve adapted, the boom is over and the communities absorb the impact, she said.

Its drill baby drill, and they drill themselves right into a bust, she said.

Federal regulations play an important role in slowing down development and taking a birds-eye view of the landscape, she said.

Though Wyoming does a good job with a host of regulations, they dont look at some of those wider concerns when permitting a well, Morrison said.

Landowners in the PRB are aware that another boom could come to their backyard and aware that they need to broker strong surface agreements with developers. Theyve seen this before.

For Morrison, the state needs to learn from past mistakes, and develop the PRB carefully.

The learning process

Back at the Rolling Hills, Auflick drives his truck on the curved roads that lead to Casper. Hes tall, with a square, handsome face. His career in drilling for oil and gas has carried him and his family to Russia, Venezuela and the gas fields of western Wyoming.

Tapping the PRB for Wold may be Auflicks last rodeo, he said.

He expects it to be a good one.

Last year, Wold drilled a difficult well that went through 20 diamond-encrusted bits. The Rolling Hills well just a few miles away went through two.

Thats the learning process thats rapidly happening in the PRB today, he said.

The PRB could use some planning to balance environmental concerns, Auflick added, steering his truck alongside a wind farm south of the well site. In the shadow of the turbines, rusty pump jacks bobbed, relics of a different era for oil and gas.

Different sides could sit down together and come up with a compromise, he said.

As Wyoming contemplates the future of the PRB and politicians wrangle with state and federal control, one thing is certain: The draw of the Powder River Basin is growing in industry. And operators are eager to play.
Join Christ Episcopal Church, 415 W. Cedar in Glenrock, for the 9:30 a.m. service and the Greening of the Church, decorating for Christmas, on Sunday, Dec. 17. All are invited for Holy Eucharist, refreshments, and fun as we hang greenery and candles, decorate our tree, and set up the Nativity. For info, call Deacon Leigh at 258-2524. The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
Almost two years after work began and 10 years after discussions first started, the Custer Gallatin National Forest has finished writing a preliminary environmental assessment examining a proposed land exchange north of Yellowstone National Park.

Were excited to have it moving closer to the finish line, said Michael Thom, Gardiner District ranger.

Shooting Star Ranch owner William D. Morean, a billionaire businessman who also owns property outside Red Lodge, is offering to trade 583 acres of land along Slip and Slide Creek, a tributary to the east side of the Yellowstone River northwest of Gardiner, for a 590-acre federal inholding at his ranch in the Upper Cinnabar Basin, on the west side of the Yellowstone River and 12 miles northwest of Gardiner.

With appraisals and a hazardous material review of the properties done, the Forest Service is hoping to have the deal finalized within six months.

Otherwise, the hazardous review would have to be rewritten as they are only good for six months, Thom said.

Prime property

The Slip and Slide Creek land is a key puzzle piece to connecting public lands in the Gardiner Basin. The property adjoins the southernmost portion of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 4,800-acre Dome Mountain wildlife management area. The northern border of the Slip and Slide land borders Custer Gallatin National Forest property. Morean bought the ranch in 2008 after the Rigler family failed to reach a deal with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

This parcel is key to wildlife and land interests for a couple of reasons.

The big purpose is wildlife habitat and public access, Thom said. Thats a big migration route for that Northern Yellowstone elk herd. So its a pretty important spot to maintain that corridor.

Elk and other wildlife that are traveling to and from Yellowstone National Park north to the Dome Mountain WMA and the Paradise Valley travel through this mountainous area in the spring and fall.

Acquisition of the land would also mean public access to the locale.

Currently on the east side of (Highway) 89, north of Gardiner to Yankee Jim Canyon, only three trailheads exist, making the public use/enjoyment of these areas difficult, the EA stated.

One of those access points is the Forest Services Slip and Slide trail, which skirts the northern edge of the private property before tying into the Cedar Creek trail to the south for a 9-mile route.

The land swap would also serve another important function.

The acquisition would  conserve important scenic values in the upper Gardiner Basin, the EA stated, protecting a portion of the narrow section of the Highway 89 corridor to the parks Northern Entrance, located about 12 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, from subdivision and development. Maintaining migration corridors around Yellowstone has been a key focus of many conservation groups and wildlife researchers who have seen the effects of increasing development around the parks boundaries on migratory animals.

In addition

Although federal land law requires the properties to be of equal value, Morean has agreed to donate the difference if the appraisal for his land is higher. The Forest Service wont disclose the appraisals until the final EA and decision notice is issued. Morean has also arranged to grant a permanent conservation easement if he acquires the federal land inholding at his Upper Cinnabar Basin property, although the easement would allow one recreation cabin to be built.

As part of the deal, at closing Morean would also transfer to the Forest Service, without fee, the right of first refusal for about 90 acres of land owned by the Rigler family that adjoins the Slip and Slide property. That transfer does not include other lands owned by the Riglers located between Highway 89 and the Yellowstone River, or lands in the Sphinx Mountain Trailer Park, according to the EA.

The lower portion of the Slip and Slide property is leased to the Montana Department of Livestock and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for use as a bison quarantine facility. The DOL lease affects most of the 90-acre-right-of-first-refusal property that is held by Morean. Morean will not extend the bison lease. Thom said those bison may be moved out by Feb. 28.

Other points

Also modified would be a lease by Rob Stermitz, owner of Wilderness Connections, a local hunting outfitter. The Forest Service would change Stermitzs lease that had allowed him to hunt on its Cinnabar Basin property if the land swap is finalized. Stermitz was able to access the forest land from his property.

One other part of the complicated land exchange would put the sportsmans access provided to FWP by Franklin Rigler to become (forest) lands directly available to the public upon completion of this land exchange. Thom said the route had allowed hunters to reach forest land across the private property.

Although Slip and Slide Creek feeds the river, its not large enough to attract spawning fish. There are three ponds on the land proposed for exchange, totaling 12.5 acres, that have been stocked with rainbow trout, which are not self-sustaining. No fish were detected during a 2011 electrofishing survey of Slip and Slide Creek on NFS lands, the EA said.

Comments are being taken on the preliminary EA through Nov. 22. To comment, log on to the Forest Services website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=48017 or write to Sitka Pence c/o Mary Erickson Forest Supervisor, P.O. Box 130, Bozeman, MT 59771.

Following the comment period the Forest Service will write an EA and final decision notice.

By next spring it should be wrapped up, Thom said.
Hannah Danford smiled and greeted customers at the door from behind a booth of her handmade items.

The colorful array of jewelry, hair ornaments and scarves and knitted goods lay on display near a rack of childrens tutus shed also crafted.

The 14-year-old spent Saturday selling them during the Holiday Extravaganza at Beautiful Feet Academy of the Dance Arts. The event raised funds for the studios dance company to perform its Under God program at the Statue of Liberty this summer in New York, the studios owner Julie Oliver said.

I just hope its a great memory for them as they grow up, she said, and if they ever decide to take their dance somewhere professional, that its something really great for their resume  that theyre able to say theyve performed in all these places.

The studios second annual holiday shopping event featured booths of jewelry, knitted items, makeup, handmade bath products and other items from nearly 20 local vendors, said Hannahs mother, Erin Danford, who organized Saturdays fundraiser. Shes head of the dance studios fundraising team, which helps the students raise travel money to perform and compete.

Hannah and her brother, Nathan, 8, have danced with the company on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and at the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. They also performed last December during the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Beautiful Feet company has twice entertained at Mount Rushmore, which started the tradition of traveling to national monuments, Oliver said.

The dancers bring the studios Under God program as part of its Christian ministry, Oliver said. The program also honors the military and pays tribute to those whove given their lives in service, she added.

Hannah and Nathan said they felt nervous, at first, about dancing in front of the large crowds that gathered to watch them in Washington D.C.

I was scared, but it got better, Nathan said.

They might perform in front of a lot of people in New York as well, they said. Hannah looks forward to another chance to dance at another national monument to spread the gospel to other people and tell them the good news of Jesus Christ and to help support our soldiers that have served us, she said.

The teen chatted Saturday with a few customers about how excited she is to see New York for the first time and dance there and the work she put into her crafts to help her get there.

I think it would just be a special moment that we could look back when were older, and remember that we performed at the Statue of Liberty, Hannah said.
Thanksgiving is a big holiday. We serve big meals, attend big gatherings and clean up big messes afterward.

At the Casper Star-Tribune, Thanksgiving is the day we produce our biggest newspaper.

This year is no exception. Our Thanksgiving Day paper will weigh in at more than 2 12 pounds. Like every day, it will be loaded with compelling stories and photographs that help readers all over Wyoming better understand their state. Youll read about the mysterious disappearance of one of Caspers most well-known  and some would say notorious  animals. Youll also find out ways to help others during this holiday season.

Theres a reason our Thanksgiving newspaper is so large. Print readers will find 32 inserts inside four special shopping sections  the perfect way to get the most out of Black Friday and the shopping season beyond.

The Nov. 23 edition of the Star-Tribune will also have exclusive information on how Wyoming readers can enter a contest that will result in one lucky reader of Lee Enterprise newspapers winning $5,000. Three runners-up will earn $100 gift cards. Details will only be available in our Thanksgiving newspaper.

Speaking of gifts, you can give a Star-Tribune subscription to a friend this holiday season by calling 307-266-0500 and pressing zero.

The same goes for readers whove purchased a Star-Tribune looking for the best Black Friday deals and want our great coverage delivered to their doors every day.

Id also invite readers to visit our website, trib.com, for the latest news throughout the holiday season. Along with articles, youll find photo galleries, podcasts, contests and more.

The holiday season is a time to express our thanks and appreciation to the people around us. At the Star-Tribune, we are thankful for our employees, who work tirelessly to report and deliver the latest news and information.

Were thankful for living in a unique and wonderful state. And most of all, were thankful for the tens of thousands of readers who continue to make our news organization the best in Wyoming. Thank you for reading and your continued support.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Travelers from Tucson International Airport can expect bigger crowds this Thanksgiving holiday week as airlines have added flights and new security procedures are underway, airport officials say.

Like other airports, TIA is recommending passengers arrive at least two hours ahead of their departure time as airlines have added 6 percent more flights this week to cope with demand, Tucson Airport Authority spokeswoman Jessie Butler said.

Statewide, AAA projects that Thanksgiving holiday air travel will rise 4.4 percent, with more than 66,000 Arizona air travelers.

The biggest surge at TIA will be on Sunday, Nov. 26, when airlines have scheduled 128 departing and arriving flights  a 25 percent increase over the airports daily average.

Heavy traffic is expected at the airport from Tuesday afternoon through Thanksgiving morning; the quietest times will be Thanksgiving evening and Friday, TIA said.

Travelers also should be aware of new security screening procedures rolled out at TIA in late October by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, which among other things require all electronic devices larger than a mobile phone to be scanned separately.

The new procedures havent noticeably increased checkpoint lines, Butler said.

Were not expecting longer than the normal checkpoint lines we get during the holidays, she said.

The length of security checkpoint lines is largely dependent on TSA staffing levels and the availability of PreCheck expedited screening lanes, she said, noting that the TSA monitors airline departure schedules to staff for expected traffic.

Those who havent flown from TIA recently will notice several changes in gate and security areas, including wider checkpoints with Disneyland-like roped queues winding back and forth.

If the checkpoint queues are full when you arrive, dont despair  Butler said with all lanes open it only takes about 10 minutes to move through the entire queue.

WHATS NEW

TSA security checkpoints: The checkpoint entrances to both concourses have been moved. Passengers departing on Southwest or United airlines reach the A gates at the east end of the ticketing level. Passengers departing on Alaska, American or Delta airlines reach the B gates from the checkpoint at the west end of the ticketing level.

The checkpoint entrances to both concourses have been moved. Passengers departing on Southwest or United airlines reach the A gates at the east end of the ticketing level. Passengers departing on Alaska, American or Delta airlines reach the B gates from the checkpoint at the west end of the ticketing level. Parking and construction: Installation of solar canopies in the parking lots in front of the terminal has been completed and all spaces are now available.

Installation of solar canopies in the parking lots in front of the terminal has been completed and all spaces are now available. Concessions: Construction continues on new food and beverage concessions. Sir Vezas Kitchen and Kantina and Beyond Bread are open past security near the A gates for Southwest and United passengers. Mixta Kitchen Express, a temporary food outlet, is open for passengers on Alaska, American and Delta departing from the B gates. Pre-security, Noble Hops is open in the center of the ticketing level.

Construction continues on new food and beverage concessions. Sir Vezas Kitchen and Kantina and Beyond Bread are open past security near the A gates for Southwest and United passengers. Mixta Kitchen Express, a temporary food outlet, is open for passengers on Alaska, American and Delta departing from the B gates. Pre-security, Noble Hops is open in the center of the ticketing level. New TSA requirements: Carry-on electronic devices larger than a cellphone must be removed from cases and placed in a bin for screening. Also, passengers now are required to put liquids such as soaps  limited to 3 ounces each and bagged in a quart-size resealable clear bag under the TSAs 3-1-1 rule  in single screening bowls or bins, rather than keeping them in carry-on bags. Members of the TSA's PreCheck expedited screening program are exempt from the new rules. For complete details, go to tsa.gov

Carry-on electronic devices larger than a cellphone must be removed from cases and placed in a bin for screening. Also, passengers now are required to put liquids such as soaps  limited to 3 ounces each and bagged in a quart-size resealable clear bag under the TSAs 3-1-1 rule  in single screening bowls or bins, rather than keeping them in carry-on bags. Members of the TSA's PreCheck expedited screening program are exempt from the new rules. For complete details, go to tsa.gov Meeting arriving passengers: Real-time flight arrival times are available at flytucson.com. A cellphone waiting lot is available for free, provided the driver remains with the vehicle. Turn right just before reaching the terminal to access the lot.
The Tucson-based microsatellite launch company Vector is looking to team up with a Florida satellite technology company to launch payloads from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The fast-growing company, which plans its first orbital flight in mid-2018, said its exploring an arrangement with Harris Corp. to set up commercial launch operations of its Vector-R launch vehicle at Harris Spaceport Systems at Vandenberg, which is near the coast in Santa Barbara County.

Initially, Vector will demonstrate a full-scale prototype of its two-stage Vector-R rocket and its mobile transporter-erector-launcher at Vandenbergs Space Launch Complex 8, the company said.

Harris Spaceport Systems, part of the Florida-based multibillion-dollar defense and information technology provider Harris Corp., has operated the launch complex under a federal launch site operators license it has had since 1996. The site was used to launch Orbital ATKs Minotaur rockets in the 2000s.

Other launch sites at Vandenberg have been used to launch Delta and Altas rockets and most recently, commercial space provider SpaceXs Falcon launch vehicles.

The Harris site is just the latest proposed launch site for Vector, which eventually plans hundreds of small-satellite launches from five sites, said Jim Cantrell, Vectors CEO and co-founder.

Vector has demonstrated its mobile launch system  which Cantrell says allows a rocket to be set up and launched within three hours  with a technical showcase at Virginia Spaces Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia coast.

The company conducted a flight with a commercial payload in August from Spaceport Camden in Georgia, and is planning some launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida and possibly Kodiak Island, Alaska, Cantrell said.

We need as many launch sites as we can possibly get, because were looking to launches of these every year, he said.

The company plans a suborbital test flight in January from a site in the Mojave Desert and remains on track for its first orbital flight using its Vector Block 1 rocket, in a flight sponsored by NASA from the Wallops facility in July 2018, Cantrell said.

Vector plans four orbital launches in 2018, ramping up to 25 in 2019 and 100 in 2019, eventually building to some 400 launches a year, Cantrell said, citing a continuing backlog of small-satellite launches industrywide.

All that potential business has Vector ramping up its rocket-building operations.

Cantrell said the company is opening a second production facility in Tucson soon, and will produce rockets there and at its original site near downtown.

The company now has about 80 employees but expects to have about 200 by mid-2018, Cantrell said, noting that with the companys engineering team largely in place its major need is for skilled manufacturing workers.

Meanwhile, Vector is finalizing a contractor to build its planned new headquarters and manufacturing plant south of Tucson International Airport, and will keep its other facilities when the airport site opens sometime next year, Cantrell said.

Were out raising additional money to accelerate, he said, noting that he has one potential customer from Denmark who is trying to schedule hundreds of small-sat launches.

While established launch companies like SpaceX launch microsatellites as part of larger payloads, they have long backlogs of small-sat customers, and Vector has little direct competition in its small-launch class so far.

Rocket Lab, a New Zealand-based company, plans to launch two small satellites into orbit in early December, though during a test flight in May its Electron rocket malfunctioned and was destroyed by ground controllers.

To make more money and to service the sector and become No. 1, were going to build them faster and fly them faster, thats really what weve got to do, said Cantrell, who left SpaceX after helping Elon Musk start the company in 2002.
Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford journeyed into a magic a world when Disney asked her to write a related children's adventure book for Disney-Pixar's highly anticipated animated film 'Coco,' which opens the day before the long Thanksgiving weekend.

The 64-year-old Tucsonan, an award-winning bilingual children's book author, was accompanied in her mystical journey by her son, Aaron Rivera-Ashford, 41, a University of Arizona and American Film Institute graduate. He also was contracted by Disney through Random House, to collaborate on the book.

Coco is a film about 12-year-old Miguel Rivera, a Mexican boy who dreams of becoming an accomplished musician and his adventures into the the Land of the Dead on Dia de los Muertos. He is on a mission to discover the history of his family and why he is forbidden  like generations before him  to stay away from music.

The film was released in Mexico in late October for Dia de los Muertos.

Roni and Aaron brought their family to the recent premiere at Hollywoods El Capitan Theatre.

Roni spent time at the premiere with actor and director Edward James Olmos, who plays the voice of Chicharron in the film. Chicharron, named for a treat of fried beef or pork fat, is a skeletal musician in the Land of the Dead who is sadly disappearing from the Land of the Living because he is being forgotten.

Other voice roles include that of Miguel Rivera by Anthony Gonzalez, Mama Imelda by Alanna Ubach, Abuelita (grandmother) by Renee Victor, Hector by Gael Garcia Bernal, Ernesto de la Cruz by Benjamin Bratt, Mama Coco by Ana Ofelia Murguia and the voice of a clerk in the Department of Family Reunions is that of Gabriel Iglesias.

After reading portions of the unfinished Coco scripts last year, Roni and Aaron teamed up to write the related adventure book Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes.

The story is set in the Mexican town of Santa Cecilia in Oaxaca, a southern state in Mexico. Miguel embarks on a class project to identify eight of his favorite living creatures and he will transform them into alebrijes  colorful, fantastical sculptures that were invented about 100 years ago. The sculptures, which are made from paper mache, are a mix of ancient and modern Mexican art.

Roni gave characters in the story to people who touched her life deeply. Senora Sena, Miguels teacher, is based on Tina Sena, a dear friend and mentor of myself and my husbands when we were in college studying to be teachers at the University of Southern Colorado.

She was a special human being who did not discriminate. She spoke English and Spanish, and we loved each other like sisters, and now she is in the land of the dead, said Roni of Sena, who died at the age of 71 in Las Vegas of rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid cancer.

Also in the story is a red-tailed hawk and a butterfly that are among Miguels favorite creatures. The hawk symbolizes Ronis brother, Mark Capin, who died of tongue cancer at age 49 in Nogales in 2006. Before his death, the two spoke and Roni told him she wanted a sign of him coming to visit her after he entered the land of the dead. That sign would be him as a red-tailed hawk, and that bird, said Roni, has flown into the backyard at her southwest side home several times.

The butterfly in the book signifies the migration of butterflies from Canada to the midwest on into Mexico. The legend is that the butterflies are bringing the spirits home for Dia de los Muertos, said Aaron. I was blown away when I saw the artwork, he said. The personal touches we put in the book, the butterflies and the red-tailed hawk, made the cover.

Aaron, a director of production and development at Pantelion Films, also wrote the read-along with CD for Coco and Roni translated it into Spanish. The read-along was straightforward. They gave me the script and I had to reduce it from 120 pages to 32 pages using as much dialogue as possible, said Aaron.

It was a lot of rewriting and using more structure, and being able to fit the story into a specific space. The story was based on the artwork as well, explained Aaron, whose daily work at Pantelion deals with reading scripts, doing screenings and talking to directors about developing scripts onto the big screen. The company is a joint venture of Televisa and Lionsgate.

Storytelling is in my blood, said Aaron, who left a successful restaurant business in Chicago and returned to the classroom, receiving two bachelor degrees in 2012, one in media arts and the other in English and creative writing from the UA. He then went on and earned a masters in screen writing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 2015.

I love creating stories and my moms expertise in childrens books combined our talents, said Aaron of their collaboration on the Coco read-along and Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes.

Roni also wrote the Spanish translation for the Coco related adventure book Miguel and the Grand Harmony written by Matt de la Pena. It won the 2016 Newbery Award. In the story, music is personified as a live character that visits a town and the whole Rivera family because music is trying to touch the familys heart, explained Roni.

The retired bilingual elementary school teacher grew up in Nogales and comes from pioneering Jewish families. She embraced the culture and language of the community along the international border, which also is home to her husband, Daniel, a retired educator. The couple, who moved to Tucson nearly 30 years ago, raised three children and enjoy one grandson.

Children fill Ronis life, teaching for more than 30 years in the Nogales and Tucson unified school districts and reading to children from her five books, including My Tatas Remedies/Los Remedios de mi Tata, take her to book fairs throughout the Southwest.

My Tatas Remedies, which was published by Cinco Puntos Press in 2015, received nearly one dozen national, international and state awards, including two first-place bilingual awards from the International Latino Book Awards. The awards are produced by Latino Literacy Now, an organization co-founded by Olmos and Kirk Whisler.

Those awards, said Roni, brought her childrens books to the attention of Disney editors.

I want to continue building bridges of acceptance, communication and diversity through my stories, she said.

Disney consultant Marcela Davison Aviles, also a native of Nogales, said she suggested and recruited Roni for the publishing aspect of the film.

Im thrilled that Roni and Aarons perspective is a part of Cocos journey. ....I come from a family of Mexican poets, teachers and artists  so having the book translated into Spanish was critical and important, said Davison Aviles.

For decades, Mexican-Americans have advocated for opportunity, equitable treatment and positive representation of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in and by the Hollywood Studio system. Many of those pioneer civil rights activists, and their second generation mentees, worked on this film.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Nov. 19 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
A new computer system is causing problems, including delays for patients, at Banner Healths Tucson hospitals and clinics.

The difficulties are happening as the facilities get accustomed to a new electronic health records, or EHR, program  the second new system in five years.

Issues with the $45 million switch include reports of slowdowns as staff gets used to the new system, officials confirmed last week.

The Cerner EHR system, which went live Oct. 1, will ultimately be better for local operations, said Dr. John Hensing, chief clinical officer for Phoenix-based Banner Health, which took over operations of the University of Arizona Health Network in 2015.

But the transition has been a painful period for Banners Tucson operations, he added.

There will be a degradation in the way the system operates, Hensing said. Patients and physicians, and nurses and others will almost certainly experience that. That is true for any new application like this. Its a complicated event to move everyone from one system to another.

Among the advice company officials are giving to Tucson patients: this is temporary. Also, patients are welcome to call ahead to confirm that the health provider they are visiting is on schedule.

We dont want patients to wait or receive slow service, so we have been actively reaching out to reschedule appointments if we are running behind, company officials said in written responses to questions from the Star.

We strive to make health care easier, and are disappointed when that doesnt happen. We are focused on improving the current experience for patients, and eliminating delays that have been caused by this transition.

Hensing estimated stability by the end of the year.

Not-for-profit Banner Health operates two Tucson hospitals: Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, 1501 N. Campbell Ave., and Banner-University Medical Center South, 2800 E. Ajo Way. Its Tucson operations, also including clinics, employ nearly 6,000 people.

Complaints

Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed they are investigating complaints about Banners new computer system in Tucson, but would not give any details about those complaints, including the number theyve received.

Katie Riley, a spokeswoman for Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, said the company is committed to working with ADHS in full transparency.

ADHS is well apprised of the scale of this kind of installation, Riley said.

The state agency is also aware of the patient care value in having a fully integrated electronic records system across all of Banners campuses, Riley said.

We have substantially increased our normal level of onsite IT clinical support, and will maintain that level as long as staff and providers are continuing to access support, she said. We anticipate the need could be through the beginning of 2018.

Banner has been preparing for the switch to a system made by Missouri-based Cerner Corp. for more than a year.

Hensing said that in the long run the change from the Epic system to Cerner is expected to result in better care for patients and improved research abilities because of the large data sets that will be available through a system shared between all Banner facilities.

Banner Health is one of the largest health systems in the U.S. and the largest private employer in Arizona. It owns, leases or manages 28 acute-care hospitals in six states, as well as home health agencies, primary care clinics, urgent care facilities and home medical equipment supply services.

Banners Tucson facilities had previously used Epic, an EHR system made by Wisconsin-based Epic Systems Corp., which the UA Health Network implemented in 2013 at an estimated cost of $115 million.

The investment in Epic was so expensive that the UA Health Network experienced unprecedented operating losses in its 2014 fiscal year, including $32 million in unbudgeted costs. The extra costs were due primarily to a delay in getting the system live and funding additional training and support, officials said.

Patient safety

EHRs in a health care company like Banner serve two main functions.

First, the electronic system acts as an alert mechanism and clinical decision support tool when care is being delivered.

And that tool needs to be modified over time to keep up with clinical evidence in the literature and so on. It needs to be used as a patient safety tool, Hensing said.

The second major use for the EHR is looking at data across a very large collection of patients.

Big data, which is a term that is used in a whole variety of industries  retail, travel and so on  is becoming increasingly important in health care, Hensing said.

The university faculty and the university itself was keenly interested in having access to this very large data set beyond just the Tucson operations  that is, access to hospitals and medical group activities across the six states that Banner operates.

That is the reason you really want to put everyone on the same system.
Editors note: For more than seven decades, Edith Fox kept her Holocaust story inside.

She sometimes told friends she wanted the words Holocaust Survivor on her tombstone. But she didnt want to talk about what she had endured. It was simply too painful.

In recent months Foxs health began to fail and she decided  at age 90  that she did not want her story to die with her. She was concerned people were forgetting about the Holocaust, and was horrified to hear that some deny it ever took place. She wanted to do her part to make sure people never forget.

And so, here is Foxs story, in her own words, as told to Nina Trasoff, Foxs friendly visitor through a Jewish Family and Childrens Services program designed to keep Holocaust Survivors active and engaged, and to family friend Sharon Price.

My name is Edith Fox, maiden name Weingarten. I was born and lived in Czechoslovakia in a town called Teplice (Teplice-Sanov before 1948).

My mother, Giselle Weingarten, never talked about her parents, so I dont know what happened to them, but her big brother raised her and two other sisters. At that time in Europe we didnt discuss family matters. In my time, all I did was go to school, prepare food, play with my friends and do homework. My mother was married to my father, Mano Fogel, who worked at a lumber yard. She had a fabric store; she always was a businesswoman.

I was the youngest in my family. I had five brothers. They were very protective of me. Their names were Heskel, Ignat, Sam, Harry and Zigmant. Two of my brothers were drafted into the Czech army.

I was 13 years old when the war started. In 1941, Nazis came and rounded us up: my parents and my 3 other brothers. They told us to take our personal belongings. They also told us they would take us to Poland, which at that time was divided, occupied by Germans and Russians. They told us we will get homes and businesses for free.

Instead, when we got to Poland, the Nazis made us run; if you couldnt run, youd get killed. They killed my mother right in front of me. She couldnt run fast enough. I grabbed her. It was too much for a kid to see. I told the Nazis to kill me, too, but they said no, you are going to work. People were dying in front of me. I saw a rabbi who was lying in the corner with his feet cut off, but he was still alive. He was lying out there until he died. It was unbelievable what they did.

Then they separated men and women and after that I never saw my father or my brothers again.

They took me and my friend, Leah, to the ghetto in Stanislau in Poland, where all the toddlers of Jewish families were housed. We had to wash the diapers of 300 babies. When we found out that the Nazis were coming to take us all, we asked the adults caring for the children if we could go into the bunker with them to be safe, but there was no room, so Leah and I went into the cellar where the furnace was and climbed into its chimney to hide.

The Nazis came and threw all the children into trucks like trash. Then they killed everyone in the bunker.

Leah and I stayed there hiding near the furnace for two to three days. Then we walked and walked, trying to get to the Czech border with Hungary. We saw a Czech soldier and thought he would help us, but he was controlled by the Nazis and was going to turn us in at the headquarters near Auschwitz. At the last minute, he let us go, telling us to go with God. We hid in the gutter. Leah wanted to go home, but she was killed when she tried. I was recaptured, and they took me to the Auschwitz concentration camp and I was all alone there. I didnt know what happened to the rest of my family. I was put in the line where (Josef) Mengele sent people to the right or to the left. To the left, people were killed. To the right, they were sent to work.

One day they came and took us  50 girls. We thought that they were going to kill us, but instead they got us to Gleiwitz near Auschwitz and put us to work at an ammunition factory. We had to stand in line for 8 hours and were not allowed to talk to anybody. We had to clean a little light with a stick of black soot. They made bullets out of it. I worked there for about three years or so.

While I was in Auschwitz, I saw too many things. Some people couldnt take it anymore and ran into the electrified fence to kill themselves. They just went up in flames. I saw people coming into Auschwitz from different places who were sent to take a shower and were killed. Then they took them to the crematorium. I met a boy who was watching the crematorium where he had seen his parents die. He was hoping they would come and bomb the place. He told me to come to that spot once a week and hed throw me a package. Shoes or clothes. Maybe they were from people they killed in the gas chamber, I dont know.

It was unbelievable. They were so organized. They said they wanted to kill 10,000 Jews every day.

As the war was ending, Nazis put all of us who were strong enough and could still run fast  the young ones  on a freight train with open boxcars without water, without food. They wanted us to die. Three days I was on that train. People were dying, stepping on everybody, lying on the floors. There were already dead bodies. Three days I was on that train. Finally I said, No! I dont want to be stepped on! So I jumped off the train. I jumped during the night when the train was moving slowly. I didnt want people to step on me; I decided if I die Id rather die outside on the snow; it was January. Many people were shot after they jumped off the train. But there were not so many who had the courage to jump. I kept running and running. I hit a tree and bumped my forehead. I thought I was shot, but then I realized it was only a small injury from running into something. I was in Mala Pevnost: Czech territory. I was hurt and still have a mark.

I didnt know exactly where I was, but I was in the woods. I was waiting for daytime to figure out where to go. I saw a person in a Czech uniform, I was so happy and I figured that a Czech soldier will never give me trouble. The war was ending. They knew they lost the war, but it was a Nazi in a Czech uniform.

He was taking me to Theresienstadt camp. There were seven girls with me. I dont know where they came from. They were running away, too, but the Germans caught them. When they were taking us, they put us in a house and were going to rape us. The first girl, a 13-year-old, started screaming and fighting them, so they pushed everyone else out. They killed the girl who was screaming and put up such a fight. They shot her. She saved the rest of us.

At Theresienstadt camp, one day a week guards would give us hot water and a piece of bread. But political prisoners who were also being held there (they were good and smart people) walked by every morning and threw pieces of bread through the wired open window.

Nazis wanted to starve us, but we survived. We had nothing: it was a toilet and the floor, cement and little windows; thats it. The Nazis would come in and kick us in the heads and call us swine and ask us, How are you still alive? Only one of the girls died.

From January until May we were there. But we were lucky. The Russians liberated us on May 8. They were just in time, because the Nazis had already killed all the political prisoners and we were next.

The Russians took us to the hospitals. We couldnt even walk. At the hospital, they tried to help us to get jobs. I said I wanted to go to America. They smuggled us from Czechoslovakia to Germany to get to the place where I could register to go to America. I didnt want to go home; there was no one there.

It took me two years to get to America. I was staying in the Displaced Person Camp run by Americans. While I was waiting, I volunteered at the hospital. I was 17 when I registered, and I was 19 when I came to America.

First, I came to New York City. They told me they will fix my nose, which I broke when I jumped off the train, if I leave New York City. Thats how I moved to Buffalo. Everybody wanted to live in the big city. I said I will go to Buffalo because I want to fix my nose. It was all flat. They fixed my nose in Buffalo. I didnt do anything for three to four weeks, but then they put me to work. I never went back to school. I only finished eighth grade when the war had started.

Two years later I met my husband, Joseph Fox, through my future sister-in-law. Her parents came from Israel and stayed in the same house where I had a room. Thats how I met her and thats how I met my husband. I worked as a manager of apartments: fixing them up, dealing with the mortgage, loans. My husband had a good job as an electrical assembly line technician in Bell Helicopter in Buffalo, N.Y. We raised three children in Buffalo  two sons and a daughter. Then we moved to Tucson for my husbands health, but he died in 1997. We have six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

My brothers Sam and Zigmant survived the concentration camp. Sam moved to New York, Zigmant moved to Argentina, but I dont know what happened to the rest of my family. I looked for them after the war but could never find them.

I wanted to tell my story because Im afraid people are forgetting. We can never forget what happened. We can never let it happen again.
Steve Bannon, the political strategist who helped guide Donald Trump to the White House told a Tucson crowd that the president needs their support to fight off groups seeking to undermine the 2016 election.

"President Trump needs your backing now more than ever, this nullification project that is underway, this nullification project that is trying to take away the 2016 victory from the American people and Trump supporters. It has to be stopped," Bannon said.

"If we allow any one sector of this country to nullify a presidential election, we will doing this back and for the foreseeable future. Next time we lose, the same thing will happen."

Bannon was the keynote speaker Saturday night at the Brian Terry Foundations benefit dinner at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa. He received a courage in journalism award.

Bannon remained a top adviser to Trump until he resigned and returned to Breitbart News, a conservative news website. He was recognized Saturday for Breitbarts reporting on Fast and Furious, a national scandal in which the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms lost track of about 1,400 guns.

Two of those weapons ended up in the hands of drug smugglers who in 2010 killed Terry, a member of the Border Patrols tactical unit, near the border west of Rio Rico.

The foundation was formed in Terrys memory. Since 2012, the foundation has given scholarships to individuals looking to pursue a career in law enforcement.

On Saturday, Bannon blamed "the elite globalist apparatus" and multinational corporations as the entrenched resistance the Trump administration has encountered trying to build a massive wall across the U.S.-Mexico border.

He also praised Terry, saying the agents death opened the eyes of the American public to the serious problems along the Mexican border.

"He wouldn't be President of the United States if the incident that happened here. Brian Terry will live in history as a historic figure," he said.

About 200 protesters were gathered outside the resort on Tucsons west side. No arrests were reported.

Representatives of the Brian Terry Foundation said earlier in the week that they did not regret inviting Bannon to its annual dinner, despite some of the negative publicity that followed.

John Dodson, a former ATF agent, and Norma Zimdahl, a performer and philanthropist, also were honored by the foundation.

Locally, Bannon has supported Republican Senate candidate Kelli Ward - part of a larger movement in the party replace established leaders with pro-Trump candidates.

With Senator Jeff Flake announcing he will not seek another term in the Senate, Ward is the current front-runner, although Rep. Martha McSally is expected to get into the race in the coming days.

On Friday, Flake told ABC 15 that the bickering inside the party has become toxic. "We've become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump  we're toast," he said.
Tucsons largest school district has allowed a controversial economics class with a biased textbook and ties to the Koch network to slip through the cracks and be taught at four high schools without being properly vetted or approved.

Now, in the middle of the second year of the yearlong class, the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board is scrambling to decide what to do with students who are currently enrolled and grappling with the consequences of having already graduated students who technically didnt take an approved, required economics class.

Critics of the class say the way it was quietly inserted into district curriculum highlights the worst aspects of both the Koch network and TUSD  that the former is attempting to fund an ideological revolution through its clandestine infiltration of public institutions, and the latter is too incompetent to notice a contentious, unapproved course in its schools.

I dont think its ironic that such a controversial class slipped through the system, TUSD Governing Board member Kristel Foster said at a recent board meeting about the problem.

The course, dubbed Ethics, Economy and Entrepreneurship, is offered as a dual-credit college course developed in partnership with the University of Arizonas Center for the Philosophy of Freedom, better known as the Freedom Center. The Freedom Center receives funding from Charles Koch and other Libertarian-minded donors, some of them unnamed, as well as from a special appropriation from the Legislature.

Students who take the yearlong class, which is condensed to one semester at the university level, can earn three credits for Philosophy 101 through the University of Arizona at a discounted price. Classes are supposed to cover the same material with the same rigor as the college version.

About 100 TUSD students are enrolled in the course.

Teachers prepared for the class by taking a graduate-level course called The Ethical Entrepreneur under the UAs department of political economy and moral science, which houses the Freedom Center.

The course is currently taught at Tucson, Rincon, Pueblo and Cholla high schools. Cholla offers it only as an elective, which does not satisfy the requirement for a high school economics credit. The others allow it to fulfill state requirement that high schoolers take an economics class.

At least three other public school districts in Pima County  Amphitheater, Sahuarita and Vail  along with some private and charter schools, offer the course, either as an elective or to meet a core requirement for graduation.

Students are expected to learn concepts including micro- and macroeconomics, business ethics, personal and business finance and the process of innovation.

But TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said other districts that offer the class should beware  the course, as developed through the Freedom Center, has some biases and omissions that may throw it out of alignment with state standards for a required economics credit.

It would behoove (other districts) to undergo a detailed review, to pull the syllabus and make sure that it aligns with state standards for college and career readiness for issuance of economics credit. When we did that process, we did have to work a little bit to make sure everything was aligned, he said.

COURSE MERITS

Supporters of the class note that funding for the course development didnt come from the Koch brothers, the powerful billionaires behind Koch Industries who have spent fortunes to push free-market politicians and policies. Instead, it was funded through a $2.9 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation, which is often called a spiritually inclined nonprofit that funds interdisciplinary research in areas including religion, science and free-market economics.

The foundation says the goal of the program is to help students come to a deeper understanding of the nature of success and the virtues that are required to secure it in our distinctively American context.

And the foundation has big goals for the course, which it hopes will reach 25 percent of Arizona high school students by 2025.

Supporters argue that while the rollout at TUSD was flawed, the controversy around the classes is misplaced. They say the course itself should be judged on its own merit, not on its loose affiliation to a controversial political figure.

Mario Villarreal-Diaz, formerly of the Freedom Center but now an associate professor of ethics, economy and entrepreneurship at the department of political economy and moral science, argued that people are concerned about the centers donors but should focus on their output and the course curriculum.

Ultimately, the course teaches economic concepts that are used to explore what it means to be an ethical businessperson in hopes of teaching both economic and moral concepts, he said.

Villarreal-Diaz realizes the course may be done at TUSD due to the controversy, but if the district does get rid of the course as a knee-jerk reaction because it is associated with the controversial Freedom Center, it will just hurt students.

Its interesting that the issue is the district approved the course without proper vetting and review, and the outcome now may be that they get rid of it without proper vetting or review, he said, encouraging skeptics to sit in on a class.

But critics argue students who took the class have been cheated out of a balanced look at economics in the only class many of them will ever take on the topic.

Instead, critics argue, public school students are being exposed to what equates to right-wing, free-market propaganda sponsored by an organization of wealthy business owners whose ultimate goal is to indoctrinate children and groom a new generation of free-market ideologues who will grow up to loosen regulations on business.

David Gibbs, a history professor at UA and a member of Kochs Off Campus  an organization opposed to undue donor influence in academia  said the course is a disturbing example of how the Koch family and other like-minded donors use massive amounts of money to influence the educational system as a means to influence political climate.

Theres something fundamentally undemocratic about that process. And theres something disturbing about the way theyre trying to instill their ideological opinion in education, particularly at the K-12 level, Gibbs said.

Gibbs argued that the course presents a skewed version of economics that ignores concepts that dont fit in neatly with free-market ideals, and that the main text used to teach it, which was developed by academics affiliated with the Freedom Center, is pure propaganda.

Ive read the textbook, and its basically an effort to indoctrinate students and give the impression that the economics profession is dedicated entirely to kind of a pure, free-market paradigm, with a very heavy emphasis on deregulation, low taxes and the like. Theres a skewed representation of economics there, which does not represent the consensus of the economics profession, Gibbs said, noting that he teaches economics history.

A colleague at the UA history department, Douglas Weiner, told the TUSD Governing Board the textbook used in the course teaches a kind of fairy-tale economics that has no basis in history. For example, he said, the text argues that private property and patent laws are the keys to successful companies.

Those things are true enough, but those textbooks completely ignore that the whole industrial revolution has been built on the foundation of plantation slavery  and all sorts of other more complex economic developments, he said, noting he teaches economics history, and thinks the textbook is junk science.

Whether the course amounts to libertarian propaganda or entrepreneurial inspiration, TUSD has a problem: It was never approved to be taught in the district.

To remedy the problem, the Governing Board is considering retroactively certifying the class for those who took it last year or are currently enrolled, causing minimal disruption to the students and teachers. But the board is going to re-evaluate whether it wants to keep its ties with the class after this year.

DERELICTION OF DUTY

The district and students are in this mess because former district employees failed in their duties, according to Superintendent Trujillo.

In 2015, three teachers wanted to bring the course to schools in the district and started the approval process, Trujillo said. Those teachers did everything right, he said, and received initial approval from two administrators who are no longer at the district.

But another administrator who is also no longer at the district never forwarded the request for approval to former Superintendent H.T. Sanchez, who, in turn, never brought it to the Governing Board for approval, Trujillo said.

Approving courses is one of the most important jobs of the board and superintendent, right alongside crafting a budget, Trujillo said, and that the district failed in its duties is embarrassing.

When Trujillo asked the Governing Board to review the problem and come up with a solution before the Dec. 5 meeting, board members clearly felt hoodwinked that they werent even aware a controversial course was being taught right under their noses, without their approval.

Quite frankly, I didnt know this course existed. And Ive visited all of these campuses, Governing Board Member Adelita Grijalva said.

How many unapproved courses are there in TUSD? asked Board Member Rachael Sedgwick.

And the course itself has some problems. John Kramkowski, the districts assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, recently audited the curriculum and found that the core textbook, which was developed by the Freedom Center, did not offer a balanced look at macroeconomics.

The issue was whether there truly was a balanced deep-dive effort to give the students broad perspective in the three types of markets  traditional, command and market economies  and whether those were all treated fairly, Kramkowski said. He said while the core text developed by the Freedom Center was too one-sided to achieve that goal, the addition of supplemental material satisfied those requirements.

If you just looked at the textbook, and if these teachers were just teaching this textbook, then I would absolutely say it does not meet the requirements of a Tucson Unified School District economics class. With what the teachers do to supplement the text, it does meet the requirements of a required economics class, he said.

IN OTHER DISTRICTS

Ethics, Economics and Entrepreneurship is not TUSDs first controversial course.

Interestingly, the controversy swirling around the class mirrors the controversy that surrounded TUSDs Mexican American Studies program, but on the opposite side of the political spectrum.

And while TUSD is once again mired in controversy, this time over the courses roots and the fact that it was never formally approved, other districts that approved the class through the proper channels say they havent seen any problems or controversy surrounding the course.

The Vail Unified School District offers the course purely as an elective, per Superintendent Calvin Baker.

Baker noted that electives are free to explore viewpoints on a subject area and arent necessarily expected to provide a totally balanced overview like a required economics course might. And he noted that because the course offers dual enrollment at the UA, its like taking a college course, where the standards for bias are lower than in high school.

Baker said he thinks the students, who are all high school seniors, can handle it.

If it were a dual-enrollment literature class, for example, the standard might be a little different, the material a little more controversial, he said.

The Amphitheater district also offered the course only as an elective at Ironwood High School, beginning this year, district spokeswoman Amy Sharpe said.

Manuel Valenzuela, superintendent at Sahuarita Unified School District, said that like TUSD, Sahuarita offers the class to fulfill the economics requirement. Unlike TUSD, the district did a full review and approval before it started teaching it, and didnt see anything wrong with the class.

He noted that the curriculum Sahuarita is using seems balanced  and the 12 or so texts used in the course quote both free-market and socialist figures, from Adam Smith to Karl Marx.

Being a collegiate course, it does seem to go above and beyond the rigor of a usual high school class, he said.

HANGING IN THE BALANCE

Stacia Reeves stood in front of a class of 21 seniors at Rincon High on Friday afternoon, using pizza and hamburger restaurants as examples to explain concepts like opportunity costs, economics of scale and comparative advantage as the allegedly propagandistic text lay open on a handful of desks.

Besides Ethics, Economics and Entrepreneurship, Reeves also teaches economics, advanced placement macroeconomics, advanced placement U.S. government and politics. The class covers the same topics as her other economics class, but also includes aspects of morality and entrepreneurship , she said.

The students had no clue that theyd been sitting through a controversial class critics say is designed to brainwash them. And when told about this dilemma, they seemed unconcerned.

Vienne Winston and Kariah Walker, both Rincon seniors, said they took the class to fulfill the economics requirement and arent seeking credit through the university, since neither plans to attend the UA.

Neither had ever heard of the Koch brothers or their network of wealthy political donors. When a reporter explained the controversy behind the course, they rejected the criticism.

I dont feel like anyone is brainwashing me. (Reeves) asks a lot of questions and she asks us to reflect a lot. I dont think someone would do that if they were trying to make you think a certain way, Winston said.

Inside of the class, its not very controversial. But for people who dont understand whats going on inside of the class, maybe theyre basing (their opinions) on assumptions, Walker said.

The students were more concerned that the fallout may affect their ability to graduate and urged the Governing Board to leave the course in place, at least until theyre finished.

Im not going to be able to graduate if they pull this class (midyear), and thats really going to impact my life. But if they want to scale back (in the future) based on the opinion of everybody, I think thats fair, Winston added.
Several recent experiences with the staff members of local politicians have made it clear to me that Native Americans face both additional scrutiny and a level of socially accepted ignorance that most groups dont have to deal with.

Here in Arizona, there are 22 District Tribal Nations, 21 of which are federally recognized. This fact seems to be more of a burden than an asset, even to Democrats who preach diversity and claim to champion underrepresented populations.

As a politically active, indigenous woman living in Arizonas Congressional District 2, which according to United States Census is 1.6 percent Native American, I often have doors shut in my face.

Recently I attended a Democratic congressional candidate forum in my district. One of the five candidates, Ann Kirkpatrick, was greeted with a small protest for having pushed for the removal of federal protections for Oak Flat, land sacred to the San Carlos Apache, to make way for a copper mine in the Congressional district she represented, before she moved to District 2.

I was not with their group, but I was given a sign, which I held, just like many of my counterparts, who held signs about healthcare, immigration and taxes.

After the forum, I attempted to speak to Kirkpatrick, but her daughter physically blocked me from the candidate. It was clear that the candidate had directed her daughter to distract me. It wasnt until I pointed out that in a roomful of over 400 people, not only was I one of only a few people of color in attendance but one of maybe five Native Americans represented, did she consent to let me speak to the candidate.

As we approached Kirkpatrick I was then asked to please be respectful and watch your tone, which was unnecessary. I addressed how offensive and disrespectful that request was, but it continued.

Why was I given additional rules when engaging with a candidate who is vying for my vote? What type of invisible Native American policies are politicians directing their staff to adhere to?

This type of gatekeeping and disregard for indigenous people is not isolated to simply one politician or even one party.

The regional coordinator at Republican Sen. John McCains local office told me that if I had questions about the increase in Border Patrol agents being assigned to the Tohono Oodham reservation, where I work, that I should really speak with my own tribal leaders.

When pressed to discuss additional issues that were impacting the 22 Tribal Nations of Arizona, I was told that the one person on their staff who deals with those specific issues is in the D.C. Office. In short, dont bother asking us those questions in this office.

As an Arizona resident, arent I Sen. McCains constituent? The regional coordinator didnt even bother pretend to take notes about our concerns during a scheduled, sit-down meeting with myself and other tribal members.

Even on the state level, where politicians and their staff have the opportunity to become more familiar with the populations they serve, Ive been discouraged.

When calling Democratic state Rep. Charlene Fernandezs office to ask how many miles of her district is shared with the United States-Mexico Border, I encountered a staffer who wasnt familiar with my nations reservation, though it is the size of Connecticut and sits within her district.

Despite the original intention of my call, to ask questions about their website, I was still asked if I had access to the internet. When I jokingly reminded her that we had just spent 10 minutes combing through two websites over the phone looking for the answer to my question, she hesitatingly said, I didnt know if you guys had the internet down there.

Yes, it is difficult to know about all 500 tribes in the United States. But for local politicians, it is their job to know more about the local indigenous tribes theyre serving, especially when proposing legislation that impacts or targets our communities.

It is not enough for politicians to speak about the respect they have for indigenous people and their commitment to serving underrepresented populations. They must ensure that the people who represent them also see their indigenous community as an asset, rather than a burden.

Staffers must be directed by the politicians they serve to be respectful and watch your tone when addressing their indigenous constituents.
The call to ban all assault weapons has come around again. There are many reasons why that is a bad idea, but I would like to focus on just one . It has to do with closing the door after the horse leaves the barn.

When people speak of assault-style rifles they generally mean the AR-15, a semi-auto-only version of the military M-16 rifle. It is, by far, the most popular rifle in America.

You can see them in almost every gun store in Tucson and at any number of the shooting ranges in Pima County. Two ranges are operated by Pima County Parks and Recreation along with others, including the Tucson Rifle Club and the Pima Pistol Club.

I occasionally participate in a service rifle (military-style) match at the Tucson Rifle Club. Service rifles, mostly AR-15s, are fired from prone, sitting and standing positions at targets 200 yards away. Im not particularly competitive, but its good practice and fun.

There are a number of reasons for the popularity of the AR-15. First, the standard AR-15 cartridge (5.56 NATO) is small compared to traditional military rifle cartridges and incorporates a small (.224-inch diameter) bullet. This not only results in a low level of felt recoil, but one with relatively low-cost ammunition.

The biggest attribute, however, is the rifles versatility. It is better thought of as a rifle platform rather than a particular model. For example, an owner can change the configuration of his rifle by swapping out the top half for a different one  a process that takes about five minutes and requires no tools. Owner modifications are not limited to swapping upper halves. Stocks, foregrips, sights, pistol grips, you name it, can be changed out  the key being customization.

As with any product, increased popularity resulted in even more variety and options. For example, in addition to the original cartridge, AR-15s are now available in a broad spectrum of chamberings (cartridges used). I checked the website of a popular manufacturer and counted nine alternatives to the small standard cartridge.

What does all this diversity have to do with anything? Well, one myth is that the AR-15 rifle has no legitimate sporting purpose. May I mention that the venerable .30-06 bolt-action hunting rifle, considered a legitimate non-military rifle by many, is derived from the 1903 Springfield .30-06 bolt-action military rifle. So it is with the AR-15, which can now be found not only in target-shooting matches but in all forms of hunting. Pick your game, then select the appropriate cartridge, sights, etc. The AR-15 has become everyones every-rifle.

So, what does this have to do with a ban? Recall that there was a nationwide assault rifle ban from 1994 to 2004. It was allowed to sunset because most realized that it changed the cosmetics of the rifles but little else. Today, the banning action, where it exists, is at the state level. A number of states limit a rifles features to varying degrees. AR-15 manufacturers respond by offering a given model, then a New York-compliant version, a New Jersey-compliant version, a California-compliant version, etc. Some of them look pretty goofy, but they all function the same.

People think that banning the AR-15 would prevent people like the perp who attacked the church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, with an AR-15 from committing murder; yet, it was Mr. Stephen Willeford next door who stopped the attack with his AR-15. Trust me, we AR-15 shooters identify with Mr. Willeford, not the perp.
As the president of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ive seen firsthand that our current tax code places a stifling burden on local employers, disproportionately harming the Hispanic community, the fastest growing business segment in the nation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, startup activity has slumped in the 2000s  even after the Great Recession was over. In spite of this difficult economic environment, the Hispanic community has managed to start new businesses at an impressive rate, 50 times faster than any other demographic group in the United States, according to this study from the Georgetown Public Policy review.

This is not a new trend. The five-year average growth rate in the number of Hispanic-owned businesses has remained at double or triple that of the national average for the past 15 years, according to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative.

But small businesses cannot compete globally when they are taxed as high as 44.6 percent. They face compliance costs that tear their time and their resources away from what they want to do: their job.

Americas job creators now spend an estimated 2.8 billion hours each year filing business income tax returns.

The result? Uncertainty.

Businesses cannot plan for the future, save or make long-term investments when they dont know how much they will pay in taxes.

Local employers wish they could serve more customers, pay more wages and hire more people  but Washington is fighting against them and a healthy economy.

As chamber president, I work daily with businesses from all industries who could gain from significant tax reform. Simplifying and clarifying our tax system for businesses would go a long way in stimulating investment and providing business owners the ability to hire more people throughout our country.

Similarly, the American workforce and future workers could better understand and plan with a simplified, equitable tax system.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which passed the House last week, will reduce the tax rate on small business income to the lowest level since World War II. It even provides a new, low tax rate of 9 percent for businesses earning less than $75,000 in income to help microbusiness startups that fuel innovation and job creation in communities across the country.

Many businesses throughout Southern Arizona fall within this income range. This bill establishes strong safeguards to distinguish between individual wage income and pass-through business income, so tax relief goes to the local job creators it was designed to help most.

This would have an immediate impact in Southern Arizona and assist our businesses in finding the cash flow to hire new employees and focus on revenue growth.

A specific provision of the act allows small employers to immediately write off the full cost of new equipment such as computers, vehicles and machinery to improve operations and enhance the skills of their workers. It also protects the ability to write off the interest on business loans that help them start or expand a business, hire workers and increase paychecks.

Arizona ranks among the top five states for Hispanic-owned small-business-loan applications. This provision will help small business owners throughout our country as well as the more than 120,000 Hispanic-owned small businesses in Arizona.

We face a once-in-a-generation chance to reform our complicated tax system. Our current tax code makes it harder to start a business, to create jobs and to maintain adequate cash flow to grow our revenues. If we do it right, it could be one of the single most important steps to driving economic growth for our country.

The Houses Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will help our local economy and the business climate in Southern Arizona. We appreciate Congresswoman Martha McSallys support of this important issue and encourage all of our lawmakers to support tax reform.
Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,

Can be writ the nations glory, Illinois, Illinois.

 official state song

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.

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.

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.
Reports are piling up about the Iranian regime's destructive meddling in the region. Lebanon's prime minister has resigned, citing growing Iranian influence through Hezbollah. Bahrain said iran terrorism was behind an explosion at a major oil pipeline on Friday. And US officials say that a ballistic missile fired by pro-Iran militias in Yemen toward the Saudi capital bore "Iranian markings." So dangerous were the regime's regional adventures that France suggested on Monday that new sanctions could be imposed on Iran over its ballistic missile program.

Growing domestic unrest

Iran depends on its regional meddling as a show of force, intimidating neighbors and warning global leaders to back off. But events at home tell a very different story. Growing domestic unrest has plagued the regime and reveals to the international community the biggest chink in Irans armor.

That chink was on display on October 29th, as the regime launched a massive crackdown to prevent a planned gathering marking International Cyrus Day, in memory of the ancient Persian emperor known to be the author of the world's first human rights charter. His choice by the people was not accidental, and Tehran officials got the message. Reports indicate the government deployed more than 6,000 Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Basij and Intelligence Ministry agents to prevent the gathering from getting out of control.

Further Domestic unrest surfaced in the growing number of protests by ordinary investors who discovered their life savings in state-run institutions had been plundered. The Iranian regime has usurped billions from ordinary peoples investments to fuel its wars across the region. After 38 years, this has left the Iranian people in dire straits.

Rampant corruption and pervasive mismanagement add to the problem, leaving little hope for any improvement in economic or social conditions.

Poverty and executions

The middle-class in Iran has been all but extinguished, a report by Iran Human Rights Monitor indicates, adding that a majority of Irans 80-million populace currently lives in poverty.

City walls are filled with hand-scrawled advertisements by people willing to sell various body parts, such as kidneys for $2,000, to survive.

Protests are mushrooming in cities across the country, responded to by the regime with arrests and other harsh measures. The per capita rate of executions in Iran is the worlds highest. Self-described moderate president Hassan Rouhani is known to have carried out over 3,100 executions during his tenure. Tehrans human rights violations include issuing long prison terms for dissent, torture, public hangings and even mass executions. Yet, political prisoners are bravely challenging this system.

The theocracy is also widely known for its practice of repressing ethnic and religious minorities, involving persecution, discrimination, and cultural and economic marginalization.

Iran cannot but resort to such measures, knowing it lacks all social support. When Rouhanis foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that all Iranians are supporters of the murderous Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (after Washington imposed sanctions on the IRGC), thousands of Iranian citizens reacted angrily in social media, rejecting Zarif's abhorrent claim.

End of policy of engagement

Developments across the globe in the past year or so have given Iranians hope that the times are changing. For eight years, the ruling regime fed off the engagement policy adopted by the Obama administration, which turned a blind eye to the domestic crackdowns and foreign meddling. To their dismay, President Obama turned his back on Irans people during the 2009 uprisings, in contrast to the expressions of support and solidarity they have received from the current administration under president Trump.

This is a welcome change.

On three different opportunities, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has voiced the Iranian peoples desire for freedom.There are strong feelings and values inside of Iran that we want to promote in terms of one day the Iranian people being able to retake control of their government, he said during his recent trip to India.

In the United Nations General Assembly and in his October 13th Iran policy speech, President Trump sent a message of unity, describing Irans population as the primary victims of the regimes atrocities. We stand in total solidarity with the Iranian regimes longest-suffering victims: its own people. The citizens of Iran have paid a heavy price for the violence and extremism of their leaders.

The Iranian people long to -- and they just are longing, to reclaim their countrys proud history, its culture, its civilization, its cooperation with its neighbors, the President said.

That longing is being expressed on a daily basis, as the Iranian people give voice to their discontent and anger in protests, demonstrations, and messages of dissent on banned social media platforms. It is time for the international community to stand up and stand with them. That is the regime's worst nightmare.
There can be little doubt that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has done nothing to ingratiate himself with the powers-that-be in the West. His ongoing feud with US President Donald Trump has been rumbling on for months. Nevertheless, since 2010 the UK has donated around 4 million of the Official Development Assistance fund to the communist regime that has shown it already has developed its own nuclear arsenal.

Daily Express crusade

The national daily newspaper, the Daily Express, was rightly horrified by this and began a campaign to persuade the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to stop donating funds from the ODA to regimes with such horrific histories in human rights violations.

The crusade by the Express set out to highlight a succession of donations that form part of the UK's annual bill for foreign aid of 13.4 billion. It questions Prime Minister Theresa May's target of spending 0.7% of Britain's annual income on foreign aid and calls for her to scrap it in favor of investing more heavily into the UK's infrastructure such as the NHS and education.

After a donation in excess of 200,000 this year alone to North Korea, the Foreign Office has issued a statement showing their support for the campaign. It clearly states that they resolutely condemn North Korea's human rights abuses and that " North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons are unacceptable."

UK Foreign Aid

The cancellation of foreign aid to North Korea is but a drop in the ocean however to the gargantuan amount that we commit annually to overseas aid to countries that have resources for space and nuclear weapons programmes like Pakistan ( 463 million last year).

We also send 2 million a week to Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. The country which has recently seen Mugabe's despotic government overthrown in a peaceful military coup receives the funds, bizarrely, to 'promote democracy'. Amongst the other nations benefitting from the generosity of the UK taxpayers are Sierra Leone, Syria, India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Tanzania.

The situation in the UK

There seems to be little common sense in the decisions made by the Official Development Assistance fund to donate money to countries who have the capabilities to develop their own nuclear programmes, particularly where headteachers in the UK are begging parents for money to fund schools, NHS hospitals are crippled through lack of funding and there is a massive housing crisis throughout the UK.

Chief Executive of The Taxpayers Alliance John O'Connell has expressed serious concern that the UK is building up serious debt problems for future generations because we are still spending much more every year than we collect in taxes.

It does indeed seem to be a serious disparity when families are forced to go to food banks, homelessness is at an all-time high and yet we can still 'afford' to donate billions in foreign aid to countries with nuclear programmes.
FARGO  The FBI last week released its annual statistical report on hate crimes and, for the first time in several years, North Dakota was not among the top 10 states based on hate crimes per capita.

Its possible, however, the FBI report didn't contain pertinent data from the city of Fargo, which logged seven hate crimes in 2016 that may not be reflected in the FBI report.

In the latest FBI report, North Dakota ranked 38th among the states and the District of Columbia for hate crimes per capita, with 1.05 crimes per 100,000 population.

Since 2012, North Dakota ranked second in the nation every year except 2013.

In the latest report, North Dakota reported eight hate crimes in 2016, with seven of them relating to ethnicity.

Those seven cases included two in Bismarck, two in Watford City, one in Williston, one in Hettinger and one at the University of North Dakota.

One religion-based bias crime was reported in Grand Forks in 2016, according to the report.

Apparently missing from the report were seven bias crimes reported to the Fargo Police Department in 2016.

If those seven crimes are added to North Dakotas total, it could conceivably push the states hate-crimes-per-capita ranking to No. 5.

Fargo Police Chief David Todd said the seven cases include two based on physical disability; two based on race - including one that was anti-white; and three crimes that were based on religion, including one that was biased against Islam.

Todd said that while bias crimes tend to get more attention in the media than other types of cases, we investigate them the same way we investigate a crime without bias.

Our goal is to solve that crime and present that information to the judicial system that can then decide how to prosecute that crime, Todd said.

We're talking seven crimes here, he added. Last year, we answered 80,000 calls for service, or something close to that. Statistically speaking, that's a pretty minute percentage.

Todd said that so far in 2017, six hate crimes have been reported in Fargo.

In addition, there have been incidents that involve clashes between cultures that some may view as hate crimes, while others dont.

A situation arose this past summer in which a white woman was caught on cellphone video threatening a group of three Muslim women in the Walmart parking lot on 13th Avenue South in Fargo.

The white woman is heard telling the trio to go home and were gonna kill all of ya.

No charges have been brought in that case.

Likewise, no one has been charged in connection with a situation that occurred this past spring at a Hornbachers store in Moorhead, Minn., involving a man who reportedly verbally harassed a pregnant woman who was wearing a hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women in public.

In another case, a U.S. citizen from Somalia reported to Fargo police in September that he found what he believed was animal feces smeared on the seats and other interior parts of his car.

In a separate case, two men were charged in Cass County District Court in Fargo earlier this year with simple assault for attacking a Somali-American.

The charge the men faced was not a bias crime charge, however.

Moorhead and Minnesota

According to the FBI report on hate crimes in 2016, the city of Moorhead had one such crime reported last year.

Based on hate crimes per capita, Minnesota ranked 15th among the states and the District of Columbia with 5.18 bias crimes per 100,000 residents.

Nationwide, the latest FBI report stated that out of 15,254 participating law enforcement agencies, 1,776, or 11.6 percent, reported a total of 6,121 hate-crime incidents.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that specializes in civil rights and public interest litigation, said the report indicates that the number of reported hate crimes in the nation has risen by nearly 12 percent over the past two years.

"Government studies show that the actual number of hate crimes may be as high as 250,000 -- more than 40 times the 6,121 incidents that the FBI reports for 2016. But the FBI figures do serve as a rough barometer for whats occurring in our country, SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a written statement.

"The significant increase over the last two years coincides with Donald Trumps racist, xenophobic campaign and its immediate aftermath, Cohen said, adding: The words of our political leaders have consequences. President Trump has energized the radical right with his xenophobic rhetoric and has given bigots a license to act on their worst instincts. The most vulnerable people in our country are paying the price.
A London Labour Group has defended voting against Conservative plans for more affordable housing in the capital.

Wandsworth Council voted in favour of creating a thousand new homes across the London borough, with over sixty per cent of them for low cost and shared ownership.

Councillor Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth Labour Group, defended his decision to Blasting News: "Labour councillors voted against these plans as they don't deliver enough affordable housing. If we win the council next year, this fifty per cent affordable scheme will become sixty-five per cent."

"We are getting on with the job of building one thousand new homes"

Councillor Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council, told Blasting News: "We are getting on with the job of building one thousand new homes as part of our hugely successful 'hidden homes' scheme, which has already delivered some three-hundred new council homes for low income families in our borough.

More than sixty per cent of these one thousand new homes will be offered either for social rents to people on our housing waiting lists or on shared ownership terms to middle income owners who dream of owning their own home.

"That the Wandsworth Labour Party should vote against a sixty per cent affordable housing quota beggars belief, especially when they were so vocal in support of the miserly nine per cent that Mayor Sadiq Khan approved at the nearby Wimbledon dog stadium."

Wandsworth Council issued a press release last Friday explaining the plans to its residents. The Tories' housing policy would create a total of 605 new council houses, which will be commencing at thirty-five per cent of market rents.

They said these plans are unique because they will be aimed at residents and workers living in Wandsworth through local lettings and marketing. The scheme is named Building Homes for Wandsworth People.

Overcrowded houses will be given priority status as council tenants residing nearby and under-occupying their existing homes would be provided with the chance to downsize into the newly-built council housing if they wish to.

"Wandsworth Council said they are one of the very few local authorities that prioritise homes in this way"

Since the expansion of shared ownership in the London borough, ninety per cent of houses of shared ownership homes were purchased by people living or working there. Wandsworth Council said they are one of the very few local authorities that prioritise properties in this way.

The homes are set to be constructed over the next eight years. The building programme would be funded by 136 million of council investment if the Council's Executive approve of the plans during their meeting on 27th November.

Councillor Hogg attacked the Conservatives over their housing scheme, saying: "It's a bit rich of Wandsworth Conservatives to go on about affordable housing. They just let property developers cut 250 affordable homes from Battersea Power Station. In the past 25 years, Wandsworth Tory council has sold off 14,791 homes. Only 5,170 affordable houses were built locally to replace them in that time.

"Their record on affordable housing is appalling"

"Their record on affordable housing is appalling and local people know it."

Councillor Govindia said: "The truth of the matter is that while we fund and build the homes that local families need, the local Labour Party, riven by Momentum factionalism, offers nothing to local people apart from Venezuelan-style ideology, hot air and opportunism."

Last month, Labour was accused of "social cleansing" in another London borough, Lambeth, by the Leader of the Lambeth's Conservative Group, Councillor Tim Briggs, in reference to Lambeth Council's policy of deploying discretionary powers to stop residents from becoming intentionally homeless once they fall into rent arrears.

During Mayor's Question Time of 16th October 2016, Mayor Sadiq Khan referred to Wandsworth Council as a fantastic example of local authority house building.
BREXIT has largely dominated parliament this week however, there have been a few stories that may have been missed. Boris Johnson's gaffe could be and most likely be very costly to the UK, the British Medical Journal released a study underlining the amount of deaths directly linked to Conservative austerity since 2010, Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, has announced he will step down and we look ahead to Philip Hammond's Budget.

The world has seen a coup against Robert Mugabe inn Zimbabwe, Australia voted in a non-binding referendum over gay marriage, Russia accused of influencing Brexit, Norway begin divesting away from oil and the Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, headed to France.

UK news

Boris Johnson has likely cost the UK 450 million along with other concessions with Iran because of the remarks he made over imprisoned mum Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Both him and Chancellor Philip Hammond have reportedly authorised a payment of 450 million to Iran to settle a 38-year long disputer over a tank deal, which saw the UK government keep Iran's money after pulling out of the deal to sell them tanks. The government have claimed that the settlement of the dispute is a separate issue to the Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe case.

The British Medical Journal published a study by researchers from Oxford, Cambridge and UCL, have estimated that 120,000 deaths are directly linked to Conservative austerity measures since 2010.

Current estimates suggest that if the trend is to continue, 200,000 excess deaths will occur by 2020. The study states that the critical factor behind these unnecessary deaths was a huge lack of both NHS and care home nurses and that if the government fail to act now, 100 people will die unnecessarily every day.

Gerry Adams has announced that he is to step down as president of Sinn Fein after 34 years in charge.

He played a pivotal role in the IRA ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement that saw the republicans and unionists enter a power sharing agreement. He stated that him and Martin McGuinness saw a need for new leadership in the party. Parliament this week saw the beginning of the Brexit Bill amendments begin their process through the Commons, this has already seen some controversial amendments being voted down by the government, read more here.

World news

The Army of Zimbabwe seized power from Robert Mugabe after soldiers took control of government buildings and state television.

Though they claimed it was to target criminals around Mugabe, but the move follows Mugabe's firing of Vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, which cleared the way for his wife, Grace, to succeed him. The move raises concerns that the dictator will be replaced by Mnangagwa, who is known as the crocodile, which would mean a step from one dictator to another.

Australia voted in favour of same-sex marriage, the non-binding postal survey which confirmed what every opinion poll had already said, saw 61.6% of a 79.5% turnout vote in favour of legalising same-sex marriage. The PM, Malcolm Turnbull has said that it could be enshrined into law by Christmas, but the survey is estimated to cost A$122m ($93) just to appease their Conservative coalition partners.

Russia have been yet again accused of using social media to influence foreign votes. It has now been alleged that they have meddle in the UK's Brexit vote and Catalonia's referendum on independence. However, a lot of the online trolls used by Russia have been found to have been most active in the 4 days after the Brexit referendum, which means they are using the internet to divide nations internally.

Norway have proposed to divest its $1 trillion wealth fund away from oil, potentially selling 40 billion worth of shares in firms like Exxon Mobil and Shell to reduce the risk of exposure of a fall in the price of oil, this accounts of much of the capital fund. The move will have to be approved by the government and parliament but is seen as a positive move by economists and green campaigners.

Saad Hariri, Lebanon's prime minister, travelled to France on Saturday following accusations he was being held against his will in Saudi Arabia. Lebanon's president accuses Saudi Arabia of having forced Mr Hariri to resign, for having co-operated with Hizbullah, Iran's proxy; the Saudis deny it. They do not however want him to return to Lebanon, where he has been challenged to submit his resignation in person.
With Turkey Day coming this week, this news may come as a shock. Animal activists have been up in arms for some time over an infamous event held each year at the Turkey Trot festival in Yellville, Arkansas. Yellvilles Turkey Drop involves throwing live turkeys from a plane  from 500 feet up  while the locals then madly chase after and try to catch the birds that survive the scary experience. Its been going on for some 50 years or more, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finds no violations  and indeed has no specific rules  relating to the event, possibly because they never thought theyd need them.

Dropping live turkeys from aircraft is not prohibited

The Huffington Post quotes an FAA spokesman as saying their regulations dont actually prohibit the dropping of live animals  or in this case turkeys  from planes, most likely because authors of the regulations never really anticipated a need for such an explicit prohibition. However the spokesman did add that this does not mean they endorse the practice.

Heavy metal rocker against turkey cruelty

That spokesman is not the only one who doesnt endorse the cruel event. The latest Turkey Drop event was held in Yellville on October 14, which has led Tommy Lee  well known animal welfare activist and heavy metal rocker from the band Motley Crue  to try to put a stop to the practice.

Lee has in the past been involved in trying to stop the Running of the Bulls event in Pamplona, Spain, among other cruel animal-related events.

Outraged About Arkansas' Turkey Drop? Here Are 3 Ways to Stop It https://t.co/v85WcIWNtb  Americanist (@Americanist4u) November 18, 2017

Lee sent a letter this week to the Mayor of Yellville, Shawn Lane, about the brutal Turkey Drop, saying he has met some wild Arkansans in the past while touring there with his band and he believed he had heard it all.

However, he only recently heard from his friends at PETA about the Turkey Drop, held each year at Yellvilles Turkey Trot festival, and he couldnt believe what he was hearing. He said the ritual is something that even the most deranged headbanger couldnt have come up with, saying he is adding his voice to thousands of animal activists to ask the town to stop the sick event.

'Family-friendly' event in Yellville, Arkansas

The Turkey Trot fall festival covers a range of "family-friendly" events, but the Turkey Drop is the one catching animal activists ire. The Arkansas-Democrat Gazette reports that in 2016, a dozen turkeys faced the 500 foot drop from the plane and two were killed on impact. At this years event, while several turkeys faced the grueling drop from the plane, apparently none of them died. However even if they do survive, animal activists point to the noise of the plane, and then the grueling drop itself, which must be terrifying for the turkeys.

Turkeys are dropped in a safe place (for humans, anyway)

Getting back to the FAA regulations, the spokesman continued by telling the Huffington Post that these only cover dropping objects from planes and specify conditions where things can be dropped, while assuming they will pose no danger to property or people on the ground.

When investigators looked into the Turkey Drop, they established the pilot was dropping the poor birds over a park and creek that was well clear of the crowds of people attending the festival.

Rock star calls turkey drop at Arkansas festival a "twisted Ozark ritual" and "sick stunt." More on his letter + what the FAA decided: https://t.co/FC1CkqUqrE #ArkDG #ARnews pic.twitter.com/broPWSmJ14  AR Democrat-Gazette (@ArkansasOnline) November 16, 2017

According to the spokesman the only ones likely to address animal cruelty issues would be local and state officials, but it doesnt look like that is going to happen soon. The Democrat-Gazette quotes Marion County Sheriff Clinton Evans as saying the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney is not pursuing any charges relating to last months Turkey Drop. Sorry, turkeys, its going to happen again next year at the Turkey Trot festival in Yellville, Arkansas.
It's no secret that Fox News has been a political safe space for Donald Trump and other Republicans for some time. Despite this, some hosts on the network appear to be getting fed up with how their colleagues have been handling their reporting, especially when it comes to the president and the media.

Wallace on Fox News

For the better part of the last 20 years, the Fox News Channel has been the number one cable news network in the United States. Known for its conservative-leaning politics, Republicans and those on the right of the political spectrum have stood by the network's side during that time.

Since Donald Trump announced his campaign for president, Fox News has taken an overwhelmingly partisan approach to their coverage, with many hosts not even hiding their full support for the former host of "The Apprentice." Sean Hannity, the hosts on "Fox & Friends," and others have been promoted by the president on his personal Twitter feed, with Trump claiming nearly all other networks and media outlets to be "fake news." While the majority of the names on Fox News have been pro-Trump, others have offered criticism. Shepard Smith has been the most consistent in holding the president's feet to the fire, though Chris Wallace has offered his fair share of criticism. During an interview with the Associated Press on October 20, Wallace decided to hit back at his own network for how they have handled their coverage of the president.

Fox News Wallace Blasts FNC Colleagues Media Attacks: Dont Know Whats In Their Head https://t.co/l5e7flQL2a pic.twitter.com/IOt3EFF9f0  Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 20, 2017

While speaking to the Associated Press earlier this week, Fox News host Chris Wallace opened up about the network and how some have reported on Donald Trump and the constant controversy surrounding the White House.

"It bothers me," Wallace said, before explaining that if they want to "say they like Trump," it's OK as long as it's done in the form of an opinion.

Chris Wallace calls out absurdity of Fox News hosts attacking fake media. https://t.co/jSvR7R7EAZ  Max Boot (@MaxBoot) October 20, 2017

"I dont like them bashing the media," Chris Wallace explained, while noting, "Oftentimes what theyre bashing is stuff that we on the news side are doing." "I dont think they recognize that they have a role at Fox News," he continued.

"I dont know whats in their head. I just think it's bad form," Wallace concluded.

Moving forward

On Thursday night, Donald Trump took to social media to give a shout-out to Sean Hannity for his show on Fox News. "Big ratings getter @seanhannity and Apprentice Champion John Rich are right now going on stage in Las Vegas for #VegasStrong," Trump tweeted, while adding, "Great Show!" Trump's Twitter praise of the network is nothing new, but it's unlikely that he will be promoting Chris Wallace anytime soon.
The United States has just experienced three tragic mass shootings, two of which are among the worst shootings in United States history. These shootings have brought more attention to the gun problem in the U.S. and have made it clear that steps must be taken to avoid more tragedies in the future. A bipartisan bill has been announced, after years of inaction.

There has been a rise in gun-related deaths

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a widely respected source on gun violence data, the United States has had 54,021 gun-related incidents since the start of 2017.

Three hundred and eighteen of those incidents were mass shootings, and two of those mass shootings were among the top five worst mass shootings in United States history. So it should be a simple matter to admit that the U.S. has a gun problem. However, any time Gun Control has been mentioned in the past the National Rifle Associations supporters have gone to great lengths to claim that the guns werent truly responsible.

Theyve used the pithy response that guns dont kill people, people do, which incorrectly suggests that people could do just as much damage without the help of guns. Or they claim it would be disrespectful to politicize a tragedy by passing laws to stop it from happening again.

As though laws are passed solely for the effect they will have on the congresses public appearance and the effect on public safety or day to day life is actually a side issue. Most of the National Rifle Associations greatest supporters are Republican, and we currently have a Republican majority in Congress. So even after the tragedy in Las Vegas, it seemed unlikely that wed receive stricter gun control laws, but everything thats happened in the last two months may have finally changed their mind.

For those of you who arent familiar with the recent Las Vegas tragedy, on October 1, a 64-year-old man named Stephen Paddock stood on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and fired a semi-automatic rifle into the crowd below, were the Harvest Music Festival was taking place. He killed 58 people and injured 500 more, in what might be the deadliest mass shooting in U.S.

history.

There is no denying that Paddock could not have accomplished this horrible act without a gun. He would never have been able to attack them from so far away, and no one would ever have been able to injure so many, with any other type of legal weapon. At the age of 64, its possible Paddock wouldnt have been able to injure even one person without a gun.

Of course, a more common argument after the Las Vegas shooting was that trying to pass laws that would stop this from happening again was disrespectful. That it was politicizing a national tragedy. It seems easier to claim that the victims would be insulted by any efforts to stop this from happening again than it would be to claim he could have done just as much damage if there had been stricter gun laws in place.

The more recent mass shootings prove that this was a purely political move. Another major attack occurred on November 5, in the small town of Sutherland Springs, Texas. There, a man named David Kelley, 26, took a semi-automatic rifle into a First Baptist church and killed 26 people, wounding twenty more.

The parishioners who were shot ranged in age from 72 to five and included a pregnant woman and the pastors 14-year-old daughter, who passed away. Ten of the wounded were in critical condition, and four more were seriously injured. This was the deadliest shooting the state of Texas had ever seen, and among the top five worst shootings in United States history. It could have been avoided if the U.S.

air force had taken gun control more seriously.

Kelley had worked in the United States air force, where hed been charged with domestic assault in 2012, and served twelve months of confinement. In 2014 he would go on to receive a bad conduct discharge. Even our current laws on gun control should have kept him from buying the rifle, do to his criminal record.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Air Force neglected to report him to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation database of those who cannot legally by a gun. If they had, it would have kept this tragedy from happening. President Trump responded to this tragedy in a press conference, where he gave his condolences, then said that this was a mental health issue, not a gun issue.

On November 15, an attack occurred on an elementary school in Tehama County, Northern California. It started when the gunman, Kevin Neal, 44, killed a man and the gunmans female neighbor. He then stole a pickup truck and drove around shooting at random members of the community, including a mother taking her son to school, who is in critical condition. He then rammed his pick up truck through the gates of the elementary school and began firing a semi-automatic rifle.

It was before the first bell, so students would normally have been playing in the quad, but teachers had heard the gunshots throughout town, realized something was wrong and were already rushing students into classrooms when he arrived.

Thanks to their quick thinking no children were killed and only three children were injured. However, there were four other reported deaths, ten people total were injured, and one of the injured children, only five years old, had been shot in the chest.

This shooting was undeniably horrifying and heartbreaking, every one of them was, but you may wonder why its been included in a list where the other death tolls were well over twenty people. It has been added for two reasons.

The first is that it emphasizes an already troubling trend in the past two months mass shootings. We didnt just have two mass shootings that make the top five worst mass shootings in U.S. history, we didnt just have the worst mass shooting in U.S.

history and the worst mass shooting in Texas State history.

We also just had three mass shootings in only one and a half months, and every shooter used a semi-automatic rifle. A weapon that was given a ten-year ban in 1994, after it was used in a series of mass shootings. During those ten years, the number of semi-automatics recovered from criminals dropped by up to 72 percent in some neighborhoods, which suggests the ban was doing exactly what it was supposed to. However, when the ban came up for renewal in 2004 it was dropped by Congress. Despite the series of recent mass shootings, there has been no mention of reinstating the ban.

The government's response sends mixed signals

The second reason its mentioned here is that Donald Trumps tweet to send his condolences used the wrong town name.

Instead of sending a tweet out to Tehama County he accidentally sent the tweet out to Sutherland Springs, the place of the mass shooting on November fifth. In fact, aside from the fact that the last line was removed, his words of comfort looked exactly like the message hed sent to Sutherland Springs a week earlier.

He has deleted the message, after several news sites picked up on it, but has offered no explanation or apology. It seems entirely possible that when he learned that four people had been killed, and children had been injured, he copy and pasted his message from the last shooting, and forgot to change the name. It was an incredibly disrespectful act that has earned many enraged responses both on twitter and throughout the news.

It has also rendered the Republican claim, that their lack of action on gun laws is a sign of respect, virtually meaningless.

With no excuse not to, and a trail of horrible tragedies behind them, is our Congress finally going to do something to regulate guns? Surprisingly, the answer might finally be yes. On November 16, Senator John Cornyn announced a bipartisan legislation that, if successful, will help the NICS do its job. The NICS, run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is a database meant to ensure that anyone with a criminal record cannot buy a gun.

The bill will require that all federal agencies create a plan for the efficient transfer of necessary information to the NICS. It also allocates funds to help states report criminal records to the NICS and creates unspecified rewards and punishments based on whether they comply with the law or fail to do the bare minimum when reporting this information.

Lastly, it creates the Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative, which ensures that states are able to report domestic abuse and felonies to the NICS. This is a small step in the right direction.

Lets be honest, this is an incredibly small step in the right direction. Large parts of the population have been asking for a ban on semi-automatic weapons since the first mass shooting in October. However, the Republican Party has rejected every gun control bill since Sandy Hook.

After the mass shooting in 2012, of twenty children and seven adults, there was an immediate public outcry and a demand for change. This sparked more than one hundred gun control bills over the last five years, but every single one of them has been voted down.

This may be because Republican congress members truly believe that the second amendment applies to a type of weapon that did not exist when the amendment was made and is not powerful enough to ensure the defense against government overreach that the amendment was made for. Or it could have something to do with the fact that Republican Congress member earned 54 million dollars in advertising or donations from the National Rifle Association in 2016 alone.

Whatever the reason, the Republican Party has stopped all previous attempts at gun control. So, even though the bill makes small changes, and even though only eight Senators have introduced this legislation, seeing a bipartisan alliance made to create such a bill brings a small amount of hope. It may not seem like much, but it shows that some members are willing to step forward and suggest a change.
David Petersen is the third interim police chief that the city council in Colbert, OK, has hired in just 12 months. Not only has Chief David Petersens unique spin on being officer friendly been photographed, it has reportedly gone viral after two photos landed on Facebook, according to Blue Lives Matter.

Petersen was photographed in his uniform and seated in his police cruiser with two teens, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old female, standing outside and beside the Colbert Police Department vehicle and with each flipping the proverbial bird at the camera, KFOR reported.

It wasnt only the teen females giving the middle finger, so, too, was Petersen. Another photo showed the police chief with the same teens flanking him  while he posed with an arm around each.

Third interim chief in a year problematic just like predecessors

Squeamish to think about for too long? Consider this: Petersen also has a bit of a past. One incident involved an arrest for embezzlement, KXII noted. The case was dropped. End of story? Oh, no, though one instance would be easier to chalk up to a bad experience more readily than two instances. Pushmataha County Sheriff's Office also fired the most recently hired Colbert police chief.

Petersen was fired from the Sherriffs office in 2016 for reportedly using one of the county vehicles for his personal use.

KXII cited documents related to Petersens termination, stating that he gave rides to people who didnt work for the county. Whats more is that Petersen used his personal vehicle for professional use.

Colberts current chief caused serious accident involving another officer

Dewayne Morgan was the police chief in Antlers, OK, when Petersen was driving his truck while responding to an official police call about a creepy clown sighting, Blue Lives Matter, noted.

Officers from Antlers were not aware that Petersen was the driver of a speeding truck, so an officer pursued him. The officer, in pursuit, crashed. The states highway patrol determined that Petersen was responsible for the crash and cited him. The police unit was totaled.

Morgan stated that Petersen should have stopped and informed the Antlers officer that he was backing up another officer.

He also said the other officer could have been inquired quite seriously  due to Petersen and the choice he made to drive his own truck and speed after someone.

Towns top cop refused initial comment about conduct

When asked about his termination from Pushmataha County Sheriff's Office in 2016, Petersen declined to provide any type of explanation to KXII. When asked about the recently posted social media photos that soon shocked many Colbert residents, he, again, declined to comment. Thats a winning spin, but nothing new when caught in an embarrassing situation.

Despite his past, and the city councils history of selecting interim police chiefs that have behaved in ways that are less than stellar, the council hung up the phone on a KXII reporter.

The reporter was doing what a reporter is supposed to do: Asking questions. Its not as if the reporter was flipping off the camera, as well.

Petersen is not fresh out of college. He is a 36-year-old man who should very well know and remember how to act in public, especially in a town that has already had more than its fair share of chiefs in one year who had questionable ethics.

Officer didnt know flipping the bird was photographed, apologized

When Tuesday rolled around, Petersen was ready to give a statement to KTEN. He apologized. Thats always a good start. A problem enters the picture he paints of his questionable decision-making, however, when he claims that he did not know that the photographs were taken.

How can that be? If that is the truth, then what was he doing with his arms around teenage females, appearing to pose? It makes no sense.

Colbert resident Charles Davis remarked to KXII about Chief Petersens photo time spent with the teens disgraceful. Davis asked what many want to know: What kind of police department does that? A police department that appears to have no one on city council endeavoring to prevent such controversial instances from recurrence.

Past interim chief a neo-Nazi, city council didnt care

Prior to the city council hiring Petersen, there was Bart Alsbrook. He made national headlines when it was discovered that his past involved his entrenchment in neo-Nazism. The city council didnt fire him when it was brought to members attention.

Rather, individual members defended Alsbrook and also told several media sources that the council planned to retain him. Alsbrook eventually made the decision for the council. He resigned in August. Petersen was hired in September.

Before Alsbrook and Petersen were hired as Colberts police chief, the town had Frank Burrola as its police chief. He was flat-out fired. He was insubordinate and didnt turn in proper scheduling and time sheets, news media reported.

Colbert City Council replaced Burrola with the first of its three interim police chiefs, Michelle Vannier. She lasted a whopping three days on the job. She was fired when it was learned that she was not a certified police officer, according to Blue Lives Matter.

Chief being friendly police flipping the middle finger, made mistake

While interim police chiefs come and go in Colbert, the residents are subjected to the chiefs questionable ethics and explanations. Petersen told news media that his intention was not to stir controversy, but to be a friendly police officer after the two girls had said they hated cops, KTEN relayed. He realizes that he should have acted more professional. He promises to behave in the future. He chalked it up to being human and making mistakes, just like everybody else does.

Good point. Petersen made a mistake. That mistake justifies wearing a police uniform and giving the middle finger while there are thousands of people nationwide doing the exact same thing but not in uniform.

Emulating a type of behavior that is disrespectful is not how to foster a commitment toward public service or to engage the public in seeing law enforcement in a positive light.

City council stands by its man

James Coble, a city council member, is standing by Petersen and empathizes with the police chief. He stated, All of us get into a stick situation once in a while, KTEN reported. He further stated that it is human compassion to give people a second chance.

Another valid point. Exactly how many chances will the city council have to get it right in the vetting and hiring of an interim police chief before, lets say, the state Attorney Generals office questions whether the council has any clue what it is even doing in hiring?

Where is respect for the oath officers take?

People are fallible. Police make mistakes. The heart of the problem is not whether someone errs or how they recover. The crux of the issue is ethics: A chief creative with time sheets, a chief who lacked certification, a chief who was a well-documented, videotaped bigot, and now, and currently a chief who has a history of arrest and causing a serious accident who also mistakenly flipped the bird to a camera. Where is the respect for the Police Officers Oath? How can people be expected to respect other human beings who wear a uniform serving the public but who dont present themselves in the same manner that Petersen has for a camera?

Maybe Petersen did uphold the oath and that, on his honor, he did not betray his character when he gave the bird. The people of Colbert warrant far better than what the city council has repeatedly delivered in terms of a qualified public servant who wont tarnish the profession and the badge.
EMMONS COUNTY  Mark Naaden gives cryptic instructions to his place: When you see Jesus, turn toward Jesus.

The site of the towering metal crucifix along the road heading west into Braddock clears up the mystery. Just beyond the sculpture lies Naaden Ranch.

Naadens father, Pete, had a stroke years back and resolved to put up a monument as a symbol of his faith and his thankfulness to God. So he commissioned Cross on the Prairie.

Naaden knows something about being thankful in the face of adversity after the help hes received through bouts of cancer. So does Doug Bichler, who ranches farther south in Emmons County near Linton and in June lost his arm in a baler accident.

Across the country, farmers and ranchers get sick. They get hurt. They die. And in most cases, someone is there to help plant or harvest or get the cows fed. Someone brings a meal and someone brings support.

With everything going on today in the world and everything that you see on the news and hear on the radio, it's nice to know that there are so many good people out there, and they're willing to help, Bichler said.

Two rounds of help

Naaden and his son, Theo, raise small grains, corn, sunflowers and cattle. When Naaden needed an operation for colon cancer four years ago, Farm Rescue put in his crop.

This summer, tests indicated the cancer may have returned, which was confirmed by a lymph node biopsy. Naaden needed chemotherapy. But he didnt want to leave his son with all of the harvest tasks.

So Naaden again applied for help from Farm Rescue. They came in August and combined his wheat. A neighbor also came over with a combine to help.

It meant a lot for us. We were able to get our harvest done in a timely fashion. Without them, wed have been working another 10 days trying to get our wheat harvest done, Naaden said.

The Farm Rescue volunteers came from all walks of life, including a father and son from Florida, a UPS pilot and a man who turned out to be a distant relative of Naadens wife.

The distant relative, Garry Deckert, delivered a combine. When they realized their connection, Naadens wife remembered that Deckerts mother had been the first person to show up to offer condolences and food after her father died.

And here was Garry, Naaden said. First one to show up, just like his mother.

Safety and appreciation

Bichler, who runs Bichler Simmentals, has told his story many times in the months since his accident. It was June 26. He was getting ready to bale the first cutting of alfalfa, cutting net wrap, greasing the baler. He had the tractor running, the PTO going. He saw a piece of net wrap that had fallen off the roller.

Before I even thought about what I was doing, I went to grab it, he said.

His right hand got caught between two rollers, with the belts still moving. He thinks he was unconscious for more than half an hour and came to only when he couldnt breathe because his shirt started strangling him. He doesnt remember exactly how, but he was able to rip his shirt and free his hand from the baler.

I knew as soon as I was able to look at my arm  I knew I was going to lose it, he said.

He managed to wrap his arm and call 911. The rest, he said, is history.

Bichler hopes his story helps someone else learn about machinery safety.

I just want people to be safe, and I want people to appreciate each other, Bichler said.

Hes found plenty of reasons to appreciate the people in his life and in his community.

His wife, Maria, was pregnant and in her third trimester at the time of the accident and continues to support him. And when conversation turns to his new daughter, Amelia, Bichlers face lights up.

Shes been really great medicine, he said.

Bichler, one of eight children, considers the assistance hes received from his family to be nothing short of amazing.

There are no words to describe how great my family is, he said.

His nephew, Patrick Schumacher, went to work with Bichler on the ranch in March 2017. Bichler was grateful then, but I didnt know how fortunate I was until all of this happened.

Bichlers brother Paul and Schumacher spent the summer at the ranch, doing the day-to-day things that need to be done on a ranch.

But it wasnt just family who stepped up.

The North Dakota Stockmens Association held a work weekend, where they completed necessary maintenance around Bichler Simmentals.

Theres not a day that goes by where I dont walk through this facility now and think about all the people who were here that stepped up and just took time out of their day to come and help me, Bichler said. I still cant believe that all those people did that for me.

Neighbors donated hay, and Farm Rescue brought in another three loads. That was helpful not just because of Bichlers accident but also because of drought conditions in Emmons County.

Every bale of hay helps, Bichler said. The community has rallied around us.

More than 500 helped

Farm Rescue now has helped more than 500 farmers and ranchers, with the loads of hay to Bichler representing the organizations 500th case, said Dan Erdmann, Farm Rescues marketing communications officer. The organization helps farmers who have experienced injury, illness or natural disaster in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Iowa and Nebraska.

Bill Gross, a UPS pilot who grew up in North Dakota, started Farm Rescue in 2005 to fulfill his dream of helping farmers in need. The group helped its first farmer the following year, with Gross and another man making up the entirety of the volunteer roster.

Now they have a database of more than 1,000 volunteers, and they provide free planting, haying and harvesting services, along with hay hauling through Operation Hay Lift, which began in light of this summers drought. Erdmann said Farm Rescue has hauled around 170 loads so far, with more still to go.

Farm Rescue always is looking for new volunteers, and with loads of hay left to be hauled over the winter, CDL drivers are a pressing need. Donations and sponsorships also are vital, and those interested can visit farmrescue.org/donate.

Though the help provided to farmers and ranchers like Naaden and Bichler can seem like a drop in the bucket, Erdmann said Farm Rescue has become vital for many.

There arent a lot of organizations like Farm Rescue, and theres a big need for the services, Erdmann said. A lot of times it can be the difference between a family farm having to hang things up or leaving a legacy for future generations

Moving forward

Last year, Bichler custom artificially inseminated more than 1,000 head, in addition to breeding his own cattle. The accident took the hand he inserts in the procedure. But he has a friend with the same amputation who has resumed AIing, so Bichler is confident he will figure out a way to relearn it with his left hand once he gets a prosthetic.

There are some things, obviously, that I cannot do, but theres a heckuva lot that I can do, he said. And I try to do as much as I can.

Naaden still is getting treatment. He opted for chemotherapy via pills and only going to Bismarck for intravenous treatments every few weeks. Hes getting along well. The cold weather that set in during early November has been harder on him because of the chemo, but he only half jokes about joining his sister who lives in Arizona.

The cancer numbers are coming down. So thats a good sign, he said.

While his father showed his thankfulness in part by putting up a cross, Naaden hopes to show his in a different way.

I just hope that someday Im able to volunteer for Farm Rescue, he said.
After yet another week of controversy in Washington, Donald Trump had a lot to say after returning from his 12-day foreign trip through Asia. As the president made headlines, it didn't take long before the cast of "Saturday Night Live" went to work by pointing out a story Trump decided to ignore.

"SNL" on Trump

It all started back in the summer of 2015 when Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president on the floor of Trump Tower in New York City. While the initial reaction to Trump's campaign was met with humor, he quickly vaulted ahead of his 16 opponents in the Republican primary and was eventually named the GOP nominee.

Once the match up was set between the former host of "The Apprentice" and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, comedy shows and late night TV had a field day with the idea of a potential Trump presidency. For "Saturday Night Live," the producers hired veteran actor Alec Baldwin to play a satirical version of the president, which quickly gained steam and brought the show its highest ratings in years. In response, Trump wasn't pleased and took time to lash out on Twitter on more than one occasion, calling on the show to be canceled and criticizing Baldwin's performance. Since his election win over Clinton last November, Trump has remained quiet in regards to "SNL," but that hasn't stopped the sketch comedy show from carrying on with their business.

As seen during the November 18 edition of "SNL," the administration was once again a top target.

Assange: I trust you came alone

Don Jr: My brother Eric is waiting in the car. Not to worry, I told him to honk the horn if he gets scared. pic.twitter.com/ZSQekAMGMf  Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 19, 2017

Kicking off the cold open for "Saturday Night Live," a segment titled "The Mueller Files" took place which reenacted a mock version of what might have taken place between Donald Trump's children meeting with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

A satirical version of Donald Trump Jr. was shown meeting with Assange, played by Kate Mckinnon, who was decked out in full gear. The skit was in reference to a story that broke earlier in the week revealing WikiLeaks being in contact with Trump Jr. during the 2016 election.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!!! #ChanceOnSNL



(Close enough, Eric.) pic.twitter.com/3ELFIW1XHI  Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 19, 2017

"I want dirt on Hillary," the mock Donald Trump Jr.

said. "You're in luck," Kate McKinnon replied, as a satirical Eric Trump joined. "What I want, Mr. Trump Jr., is to be cleared of all espionage charges," McKinnon noted. "I assure you that you're efforts will be rewarded," Donald Jr. said, while adding, "my father will never sell you out." "What about Chris Christie?" Eric wondered, while being played off as the goofy brother. The humorous segment came to a close as the Russian investigation continued.

Next up

While "Saturday Night Live" and other comedy shows continue to poke fun at Donald Trump and the White House, the president has many other issues to face. As the Republican Party faces issues like the Roy Moore scandal and the future of health care and tax reform, only time will tell how it all plays out.
Known for its rocky, rugged coastline, turbulent maritime history, and spectacular nature, Maine is steeped in a history formed by hard-working people and is a wonderful place to visit whether you are a history buff or a nature lover. Maine museums  the Portland Museum of Art or the Farnsworth Art Museum  showcase some of the countrys best and most influential painters. The entire coast of Maine is magnificent, from colorful lighthouses such as the Cape Neddick Light or West Quoddy Head Light to the fine sandy beaches of Mount Desert Island.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Portland Head Light & Fort Williams Park  Courtesy of hstiver - Fotolia.com

Located in Cape Elizabeth, perched on the headland above the rocky shores of Fort Williams Park, Portland Head Light was completed in 1791 to guide a safe passage through the main shipping channel into Portland Harbor. Originally, the lighthouse used whale oil lamps for illumination. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1855 and in 1991 it was updated with an aero beacon. The former keepers' quarters are now a museum featuring various lighthouse lenses and with an interesting interpretative display. There is also a shop selling Maine souvenirs. The head light is part of Forth Williams Park, which is popular for hiking, picnics, sports, and gazing over the ocean. 1000 Shore Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107-1916, Phone: 207-799-9574

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2. Hamilton House  Hamilton House

A National Historic Landmark and a popular local venue for weddings and other festivities, Jonathan Hamilton House, or Hamilton House, is a beautiful late-Georgian mansion completed in 1788. It sits on 50 acres of land on the banks of the Salmon Falls River between Rollinsford and South Berwick. It is made of wood on two and a half stories, with clapboard siding and a hip roof. It has four brick chimneys and gabled dormers and it was originally owned by a merchant from Portsmouth. The house has changed hands many times since then, but has fortunately survived almost intact, with very few alterations. It is now a well-preserved historical house museum owned by Historic New England. It is open for tours from June to October. 40 Vaughans Ln, South Berwick, ME 03908-1711, Phone: 207-384-2454

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3. Eastern Trail  Dave/stock.adobe.com

The Eastern Trail is a 28.9 mile rail trail which takes visitors on an interesting journey through Southwestern Maine, from historic Kennebunk to the harbor lighthouse in South Portland. The rail trail switches between packed dirt, asphalt and sand surfaces and is used by cyclists, hikers, walkers, in-line skaters (as well as cross-country skiers in winter). As you make your way along greenways, rivers and streams you will find two gaps in the trail where you will need to proceed along sections of urban streets and sidewalks before re-joining the trail. You will also cross the beautiful wetlands at Scarborough March, perfect for observing the abundant bird life.



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4. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens  Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens



Located on the Boothbay Peninsula close to Portland and Augusta, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a 270-acre lush green oasis with diverse plant families stretching along a mile of waterfront. The garden was opened in 2007 and also contains a visitors center, a gift shop, and a cafe. One of the most popular areas is the Giles Rhododendron Garden, which has a spectacular multi-level waterfall on Barters Island Road. Kids love the waterfront Fairy House Village and the Bibby and Harold Alfond Childrens Garden, which was inspired by childrens literature penned by Maine authors. There are also the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, the Burpee Kitchen Garden, the Perennial and Rose Garden, Slater Forest Pond, the Haney Hillside Garden, the Cleaver Event Lawn and Garden, and the Vayo Meditation Garden. There are a number of permanent sculptures scattered across the gardens as well as artworks by Maine artists that are part of temporary exhibits. 105 Botanical Gardens Dr, Boothbay, ME 04537, Phone: 207-633-8000

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5. Ogunquit Museum of American Art  Ogunquit Museum of American Art



Founded in 1953 by Henry Strater, the Ogunquit Museum of American Art is a small art museum in Ogunquit surrounded by 3 acres of gardens that is exclusively devoted to American artists. The museums permanent collection has more than 1,600 pieces that wonderfully represent American art, especially Maine artists. Some of the artists featured in the museum are Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, Charles Burchfield, Rockwell Kent, George Bellows, John Marin, Peggy Bacon, and Robert Henri. The museum has the complete graphical works of Jack Levine, a number of ceramics by Carl Walters, and many other significant works. Many of the larger sculptures are exhibited in the museum garden. 543 Shore Rd, Ogunquit, ME, Phone: 207-646-4909

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6. Farnsworth Art Museum  Farnsworth Art Museum



The Farnsworth Art Museum, built in 1948, is a 20,000-acre facility that features more than 15,000 artworks from some of Americas most influential artists, many of them from Maine. The museum complex includes the Farnsworth Library, the Farnsworth Homestead, the Rockland home of its founder Lucy Farnsworth, the Olson House, and Julias Gallery for Young Artists. The museums permanent collection includes works by great American artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Eakins, Thomas Sully, Eastman Johnson, Frank Benson, Fitz Henry Lane, Maurice Prendergast, and Childe Hassam. The museums collection of works by Louise Nevelson is one of the largest in the country and its Wyeth Center showcases works by N. C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth. 16 Museum St, Rockland, ME 04841-2867, Phone: 207-596-6457

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7. Schooner Stephen Taber  deirdrebrennan/stock.adobe.com

There are plenty of different cruise ships, yachts, and schooners out there, but none are quite like the Stephen Taber. This is a truly historic vessel that was actually sailing back in the 19th century. The decks and cabins on board have played host to countless people over the years, and the Stephen Taber has so many stories to tell. Traveling on such a truly historic schooner is a big part of why these cruises are so special and unique, and you can really feel the history coming to life around you as the Stephen Taber sets off across the waters of Maine for new adventures. Guests can really feel like theyre a part of history and learn a lot about the past exploits of the vessel from the captain and crew. There are 12 cabins in total, so the schooner can accommodate small or large groups for special events and occasions. Each room is fitted with cozy beds and various little features like a sink, mirror, reading lamps, hooks to hang your clothes, a towel bar, and more. Shared amenities include toilets and showers, and there are several communal areas and amenities around the Stephen Taber, with a book and game library for entertainment and a nice little galley area with comfortable seating. Phone: 800-999-7352, Website: stephentaber.com



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8. Fun Things to Do in Maine: Seashore Trolley Museum  Seashore Trolley Museum

Located in Kennebunkport, Maine, the Seashore Trolley Museum is the oldest and largest mass transit vehicle museum in the world. While its main focus, and most of the collection, consists of trolley cars or trams, the museums 250 exhibits also include trolley buses, rapid transit trains, and motor buses. The museum is owned and run by the New England Electric Railway Historical Society. Of the museums 250 vehicles, 10 trolley and railroad cars that once operated in Maine are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While most museum exhibits are from New England, there are also trolleys from Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, England, Hungary, Italy, Scotland, and several other countries. Things to Do in Kennebunkport 195 Log Cabin Rd, Kennebunkport, ME04046-5219, Phone: 207-967-2712



9. What to Do in Maine: The Colby College Museum of Art  The Colby College Museum of Art

The Colby College Museum of Art is the premiere art museum of Waterville's Colby College, originally founded in 1959. Today, the museum spans more than 38,000 square feet of exhibition space over five wings, showcasing a permanent collection of more than 8,000 works of art, with a focus on American and contemporary art, Chinese antiquities, and European paintings. Major collections include the Alex Katz Collection, which showcases more than 800 pieces by the noted American figurative artist, and the John Marin Collection, which highlights the multimedia artist's paintings, watercolor works, etchings, and photography. Traveling and rotating exhibitions showcase the works of major modern and historic American artists. The museum is also home to the Skowhegan Lecture Archive, which showcases more than 500 recorded talks from prominent American artists on post-war American art. 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr, Waterville, ME 04901, Phone: 207- 859-5600

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10. Maine Things to Do: Asticou Azalea Garden  Courtesy of styxclick - Fotolia.com

The Asticou Azalea Garden is located in Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island, near Acadia National Park, and was created by Charles Kenneth Savage in 1956. The beautiful 2.3-acre garden with its serene pond is open to the public from May to October. The garden has various species of azaleas and rhododendrons planted all over its landscape, including Maines native Rhododendron canadense. It is designed to be similar to a Japanese stroll garden, with gravel paths that are raked to give the impression of flowing water. The garden is home to 86 bird species. While the best time to see the azaleas in full bloom is between mid-May and mid-June, there is beauty at any time of the year. A flowering cherry tree marks the beginning of the season in mid-May, while Japanese iris, rosebay rhododendron, smoke bush, and the sweet fragrant azalea bloom in July. August brings water lilies, and September and October herald the explosion of fall colors. 3 Sound Dr, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662, Phone: 207-276-3727



11. Places of Interest in Maine: Thuya Gardens  Courtesy of nd700 - Fotolia.com

Spread over a granite hillside with the magnificent view of Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island and surrounded by ancient white cedars (thuyas) lies Thuya Garden, a beautiful flowering garden built by Charles K. Savage in 1956. This long-term resident of Northeast Harbor, who had financial support from John D. Rockefeller and special input from Beatrix Farrand, built the garden in the English style with a clear coastal Maine influence, so that it incorporates the character of rugged Maine coast. The two sides of the garden are lined with an abundant variety of annuals and perennials. There is an open observation pavilion at the top of an incline overlooking the main garden, which flows down the slope to a shallow reflecting pool at the bottom. Thuya Lodge was completed 1916 by Joseph H. Curtis, a Boston-based landscape architect and summer resident of the island. He designed the orchard garden around the lodge. Thuya Drive, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662, Phone: 207-276-5130

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12. Portland Museum of Art  Portland Museum of Art

Located in downtown Portland in the area known as the Arts District, the Portland Museum of Art is the oldest and largest public art institution in Maine. Founded in 1882 as the Portland Society of Art, the museum moved to its current location, the McLellan House, in 1908. After extensive renovation, the museum was opened in 1911. Since then, the scope and size of the museums exhibitions have significantly expanded. Today, the museum holds over 18,000 artworks from the 18th century to the present, featuring artists such as Winslow Homer, John Marin, Marsden Hartley, Louise Nevelson, John Greenleaf Cloudman, and Andrew Wyeth. The museums European collection is the biggest in Maine, with works from major European movements from Impressionism to Surrealism, including some by Mary Cassatt, Rene Magritte, Edgar Degas, Edvard Munch, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Auguste Rodin. Things to Do in Portland 7 Congress Sq, Portland, ME 04101-1119, Phone: 207-775-6148



13. Fun Things to Do in Maine: Merryspring Nature Center  Merryspring Nature Center

Merryspring Nature Center is a lovely 66-acre private park and nature center located in Camden and Rockport. With winding walking trails, a herb garden, an arboretum, a rock garden, a birds & bees garden, a childrens garden, a rose garden, three different greenhouses, and an informative and welcoming visitors center, the garden offers a wonderful green oasis where something is blooming all the time and where white-tailed deer are as common as squirrels. You can also spot barred owls, ruffed grouse, and all sorts of songbirds. The center was founded by local horticulturist Mary Ellen Ross in 1974. Her goal was to create a sanctuary and a place where people can study horticulture and enjoy nature. The center offers a range of special events such as lectures, discussions, classes, and workshops. Things to Do in Camden 30 Conway Rd, Camden, ME 04843-1938, Phone: 207-236-2239



14. Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Observatory  Courtesy of demerzel21 - Fotolia.com

Located in the Penobscot Narrows on the west bank of the Penobscot River in Prospect, Maine, Fort Knox is one of the most significant and best preserved fortifications on the coast of New England. The fort is known for its many unique architectural features and its cannon batteries have seen quite some action. Fort Knox was established in 1844 to defend the Penobscot River valley from future British naval attacks. Named after Major General Henry Knox, Americas first Secretary of War, the fort was designed by Joseph Totten and housed the first troops in 1863. They were mostly volunteers in training before going to active posts. There were troops in Fort Knox during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Routes 1 & 3, Prospect, ME, Phone: 207-469-6553



15. Maine Attractions: Ogunquit Playhouse  Ogunquit Playhouse



The Ogunquit Playhouse is a historic theater located in Ogunquit, Maine, and was established in 1933. It is one of the last summer theatres from the straw-hat circuit  theatres that only produce during the summer. It produces five or more musicals every season, between mid-May and mid-October, with shows from Tuesday to Sunday. Throughout the years, Ogunquit audiences have had the opportunity to enjoy some of the brightest stars as well as professional actors in Broadway's best shows. Many stars have graced its stage  Bette Davis, Lorenzo Lamas, Myrna Loy, and many others. The playhouse has a rich theatre program for small children as well as high school ages, offering them the opportunity to learn about all the aspects of theater. With the children's theater program and one or more kid-friendly performances every year, students are able to see Broadway-quality shows and meet the actors backstage in a professional theater close to home. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 10 Main St, Ogunquit, ME, Phone: 207-646-5511

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16. Maine Tourist Attractions: Wadsworth-Longfellow House  Wadsworth-Longfellow House



Wadsworth-Longfellow House was the 1800s home of renowned American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and is today the oldest standing building on the Portland peninsula. The historic house has been preserved with estate furnishings and is now a house museum operated by the Maine Historical Society. The house was completed in 1786 by Peleg Wadsworth, the American Revolutionary War General. It was the first dwelling in Portland built completely out of bricks and has two floors and a pitched roof. Wadsworth raised ten children here. His grandson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, moved into the house with his parents when he was eight months old and lived in it for the next 35 years. The family added the third story in 1815. The last family member to live here was Anne Longfellow Pierce, who pretty much preserved the house as it was in Peleg Wadsworth's time and who was famous among the neighbors for growing oranges in the house window. She left the house to the Maine Historical Society upon her death, and the society opened the house to the public soon after. 489 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101-3414, Phone: 207-774-1822



17. Pineland Farms  Pineland Farms



Located in New Gloucesters beautiful green hills, Pineland Farms is a 5,000-acre farm, business campus, and recreational and educational venue. The farm is the former site of the Pineland Hospital and Training Center, which operated from 1908 to 1996 as the Maine School for the Feeble Minded and was later renamed. As a working farm, it was regarded as a model for the care and treatment of the mentally handicapped. In 2000, the farm was purchased and completely renovated by the Libra Foundation from Portland. Today, Pineland is used mostly for public recreation. There are about 15.5 miles of hiking and cross country trails as well as trails for mountain biking and cyclo-cross. The trails are often used for students cross country training and races. Pineland is also used for orienteering competitions and championships as well as corporate meetings, weddings, retreats, picnics, and so on. 15 Farm View Rd, New Gloucester, ME 04260, Phone: 207-688-4539

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18. Must Do in Maine: Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village  Courtesy of AndreasJ - Fotolia.com



Located on 1,800 acres of forests and farms near New Gloucester, the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is home to the last active Shaker Community in the world. The village was established in 1783 and today consists of 17 historic buildings that date from the 1780s through the 1950s. The Shakers, a religious group that branched out from the Quakers, came to the New World from England looking for religious freedom. There are today only four Shakers left. The entire property was declared a National Historic Landmark. The Shakers are best known today for their exquisite 19th-century furniture and crafts, but the Shaker legacy includes many innovations and achievements. The museum in the village is the largest world repository of Maine Shaker culture. There are more than 13,000 artifacts with examples of oval boxes, furniture, woodenware, technology, metal and tin wares, tools, costumes, textiles, "fancy" sales goods, visual arts, and medicinal and herbal products. 707 Shaker Rd, New Gloucester, ME 04260, Phone: 207-926-4597



19. Maine Activities: The Maine Brew Bus  The Maine Brew Bus



With more than 140 craft breweries and an endless number of different kinds of handcrafted beers, Maine is an attractive destination for beer aficionados. The Maine Brew Bus offers brewery tours in Portland, Maine, and the surrounding areas as well as an all-inclusive transport to Maines award-winning breweries, including some of the smaller upcoming ones. You get a guided tour of each brewery, beer trivia, snacks, fun, and of course samples of beer and other beverages. Whether you are a tourist, a local, an amateur beer drinker, or a seasoned connoisseur, you will enjoy learning about and tasting some of Maines brews. You can join one of the regular scheduled tours or you can even organize a private one. 79 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101, Phone: 207-200-9111

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20. Fun Things to Do in Maine: Cape Neddick Nubble Lighthouse  Courtesy of Chee-Onn Leong - Fotolia.com



The Cape Neddick Light was built in 1837 on Nubble Island, a steep and rocky little island less than 100 yards off Cape Neddick Point. The lighthouse tower is brick-lined and enclosed in cast iron sheet. It is 41 feet tall and the light is 88 feet above sea level. The railing stanchions of the walkway circling the lantern room are adorned with four-inch replicas of the lighthouse, an interesting feature not seen anywhere else. The lighthouse is not accessible to visitors, but the area around it is popular for fishing and scuba diving. On the mainland off Nubble Island is Sohier Park, which has a gift shop offering lighthouse-themed souvenirs and a telescope that visitors can use to take a better look at the lighthouse. Sohier Park Rd, York, ME 03909, Phone: 207-363-1040



21. Victoria Mansion  Victoria Mansion



A magnificent example of Victorian residential architecture and pre-Civil War opulence, Victoria Mansion is located in downtown Portland, Maine, and is one of the most important examples of a historic house museum in the States. The mansion was built in 1860 as a summer residence for Ruggles Sylvester Morse, who made his wealth in New Orleans luxury hotels. The house itself was designed by the architect Henry Austin of New Haven and is considered an important expression of the Italian villa architectural style in the States. The mansions interiors were designed by Gustave Herter and most of the furnishings are still in place. Victoria Mansion is a registered National Historic Landmark and is a popular site for various events such as fundraisers, functions, and celebrations. 109 Danforth St, Portland, ME 04101-4504, Phone: 207-772-4841



22. Things to Do in Maine this weekend: Owls Head Transportation Museum  Owls Head Transportation Museum



Founded in 1974 and located off the beaten tourist path in a pine forest off Route 73, the Owls Head Transportation Museum explores the history of not just aviation, but also automobiles, bicycles, trains, and old factory engines. It started with one high-wheel bicycle, a 100-ton working steam engine, two antique automobiles, and two old aircraft to become one the Americas most comprehensive transportation collections. Those who live in the area are used to watching the museums demonstrations and shows  every single vehicle in the museum is fully operational. A bunch of highly skilled craftsmen work hard to keep each mechanical piece of history in top functioning condition. Check the museums schedule for shows and demonstrations so you can take part in them. 117 Museum Street, Owls Head, ME 04854, Phone: 207-594-4418

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23. Things to See in Maine: Maine State Museum  Maine State Museum The Maine State Museum is the official Government of Maine museum and is located next to the Maine State House in Augusta, sharing the building with the state archives and the state library. The museum exhibits the very best of Maine under one roof: the pre-history, history, and natural sciences. Exhibits range widely, from nature scenes with live trout and a three-story working mill to artifacts made by Maine's earliest inhabitants. The visitors can see the Lion, one of the earliest steam locomotives in America dating from 1846, the Peary necklace that was given by Admiral Robert E. Peary to his wife Josephine in 1913, a 10,000-year-old meat cache made of stone by paleo-Indians, one of the oldest structures in North America, the 20th Maine battle flag and Confederate gun from the Battle of Gettysburg, the Spear Mill, which is a spectacular three-story water-powered mill, and so much more. 230 State Street, Augusta, ME 04330-6845, Phone: 207-287-2301



24. Wiggly Bridge Distillery  Wiggly Bridge Distillery Wiggly Bridge Distillery is a small-batch distillery in York, Maine. Their award-winning spirits are hand-crafted from sour mash recipes in small batches using their traditional handmade copper pot still. The still is Handmade, hand rolled, and hand riveted  it is true it is a lot of labor but the decision to go that route was guided by the belief that it produces a superior taste found only in original hand crafted spirits. The quality shows, and many of their spirits are award winning. One of the best-sellers is White Whisky, a 100-proof whiskey made from bourbon sour mash that rested in used bourbon barrels. Wiggly Bridge offers tours of the distillery, tasting, cocktails, and bottle sales at their distillery barn, where there is live music every Saturday night. 19 Railroad Avenue, York, ME 03909, Phone: 207-363-9322



25. Things to Do in Maine This Weekend: Kisma Preserve  Kisma Preserve The Kisma Preserve is located on Mount Desert Island, about half an hour from Acadia National Park. It provides a unique opportunity for visitors to observe animals that have been removed from their natural habitat through various human activities. The goal of Kisma is to raise awareness of the inappropriate use of wild animals as well as to rescue them, rehabilitate them, release them, and include them in breeding programs if and when possible. The animals in the preserve are refugees from illegal facilities, showbusiness, or someones home, where they had been kept as exotic pets. While the animals in the preserve change, you might be able to see Maine natives such as fox, white-tailed deer, owls, birds, and raccoons, and exotic wildlife such as big cats, tropical fish, monkeys, reptiles, and birds. Trenton, ME 04605, Phone: 207-667-3244



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What to Do in Maine: Maine Maritime Museum

The Maine Maritime Museum, previously known as the Bath Marine Museum, celebrates Maine's maritime heritage and culture and the role of Maine in maritime history. Its exhibits cover more than 400 years of ship-building history in Bath. It is located on the banks of the Kennebec River in Bath and besides exhibits offers activities for all ages. The museum occupies a 20-acre campus with the only whole historic U.S. shipyard, comprising five original buildings.

There is a working boat shop, which demonstrates traditional wooden boatbuilding and keeps the tradition alive. A part of the museum visit is a daily lighthouse cruise or a trolley tour. You can visit the life-size sculpture of the schooner Wyoming, the largest of its kind in New England. You can also tour the Victorian Donnell House, listen to the story of America's last clipper ship while visiting its remains, have a picnic by the river while the kids roam around a pirate ship, and do so much more.

243 Washington St, Bath, ME 04530-1638, Phone: 207-443-1316

More Ideas: Hog Island

Located along the eastern edge of Eggemoggin Reach off the coast of Maine, United States, Hog Island is a 72-acre island best known as the former home of author E.B. White of Charlottes Web fame. The rugged coastline of the state of Maine was formed as the result of glacier retreat at the end of the last Ice Age approximately 11,700 years ago.

History

Today, more than 4,000 islands, inlets, and bars are located off the coast of Maine. A large number of Maines islands remain uninhabited or are preserved as natural refuges, including the islands preserved as part of Acadia National Park. Many islands have been developed and house seasonal or year-round populations, offering historic lighthouse facilities, New England-style towns and villages, and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. Most of the islands within the Gulf of Maine are accessible via ferry or water taxi service from coastal harbor cities such as Portland, Boothbay, and Portsmouth.

Hog Island is best known as the former home of American author and federalist Elwyn Brooks White, who served as a contributor for The New Yorker for more than 50 years throughout the 20th century. White was noted for his technical writing, including his co-authorship of English style guide The Elements of Style. Throughout his career, he authored several noted childrens novels, including Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan, and the classic 1952 novel Charlottes Web, which has been voted as the top childrens novel of the 20th century by the readers of the School Library Journal. Charlottes Web was famously inspired by Whites experiences at his seasonal Maine farmhouse in the 1930s, where he frequently observed spiders spinning egg sacs.

White first came into possession of Hog Island in 1941, though he continued to allow public recreational access to the island throughout his ownership. Throughout Whites ownership of the island, a mailbox was kept near a boulder in the islands western cove area, known as the Hog Island Post Office, which allowed passing sailors to exchange messages back and forth. In 1954, Whites family sold the island to new owners, and in 1976, the island was protected by a conservation easement from nearby Acadia National Park. In 1990, Whites son, Joel, purchased the island, returning ownership to the family for two more decades. In 2009, the island was donated by the White family to the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, under a guarantee that its history of public recreational access would continue.

Attractions

Today, Hog Island is owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which continues to honor the Acadia National Park conservation easement and Whites wishes to maintain the island as a public recreation site. MCHT has embarked on a number of ecological conservation programs throughout its stewardship in order to preserve the island for future generations of visitors. The 72-acre island, which is located on the eastern edge of Eggemoggin Reach near the confluence of Blue Hill and Penobscot Bays, is incorporated as part of the town of Brooklin, Maine and offers natural attractions which provide opportunities for a variety of outdoor tourist activities, including sailing, kayaking, picnicking, and wildlife watching. The island is only accessible via boat and is an easy 0.6-mile sail from the Brooklin municipal boat ramp, located on Naskeag Point. Boat anchorage is offered along the islands surrounding waters, with beach landing access for smaller crafts such as kayaks and canoes.

The islands topography consists of two lobes separated by a north-south isthmus stretching into extensive mud flats at low tide, creating two cove areas on the east and west sides of the island. Seven pocket beaches are located throughout the island, offering popular sites for picnicking and wildlife watching. The islands internal geography is highly varied, with areas of maturing spruce and fir forest, fringing salt marsh, and steep cliffs and bedrock ledges. Areas that were formerly cleared for farmland have been repopulated with a variety of native flora and fauna species. An informal network of trails traverses the islands southern lobe, offering nature walking and wildlife watching experiences.

An established campsite is located on the island, allowing overnight accommodations for visitors for up to two nights. Camping groups of more than six campers and commercial camping groups must obtain permission from MCHT before using the islands campsite. Fires are allowed by permit from the Maine Forest Service only. Visitors must not leave fires unattended and must extinguish all fires before leaving the island. The island enforces a strict carry-out policy, including human and pet waste and waste products. Pets are allowed on the island with strict observation.

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More Ideas: Great Diamond Island

Located in Casco Bay off the eastern coast of the United States, Great Diamond Island is a part of the city of Portland, Maine offering a public restaurant and hotel and historic museum dedicated to the history of World War II-era Fort McKinley.

History

The Diamond Cove area of Great Diamond Island was known during the late 19th century as a prominent artists retreat community, frequently visited by American literary icons such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. During its artistic retreat era, the island boasted amenities such as a nine-hole golf course. At the end of the 19th century, construction on the Fort McKinley military base was commissioned, beginning in 1891 and operating in the Spanish-American War with facilities only partially completed. The fort was named in honor of assassinated President William McKinley in 1902 and was officially completed in 1906. More than 70 structures were operated on the island between 1891 and 1942, including more than 30 tactical buildings, along with a number of observation stations, batteries, and storehouses. The forts completed barracks and quarters housed nearly 1,000 soldiers and officers during its operation. Following the end of World War II, the fort was abandoned due to advancements in military air tactics that rendered the forts naval-based technologies obsolete. In the late 20th century, the fort was fully restored and converted into the Diamond Cove gated community, which transformed former military structures into private waterfront historic homes and community services.

Attractions

Today, Great Diamond Island has a year-round population of 77, with summer populations increasing to over 300 due to island tourism. The island is only accessible via boat and is approximately 25 minutes away from mainland Portland, depending on weather conditions and cargo volume. As the island has a limited network of roads, most island transportation is accomplished via golf cart or bicycle, creating a car-free, family-friendly historic atmosphere.

The islands Diamond Cove gated community, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is operated as a year-round private community and is mostly closed to the general public. Several facilities within Diamond Cove are open to tourists, including the Diamonds Edge Restaurant, which offers fine dining experiences with meals prepared from locally-sourced and organic ingredients. Menu offerings include seafood dishes such as steamed lobster, seafood chowder, and Maine crab cakes, along with classic American fare such as New York strip steak and southern fried chicken. Vegetarian dishes are also offered, including soups, salads, and pasta. Sunday brunches are offered, serving dishes such as lobster eggs Benedict and Bang Island mussels. Catering services may be provided for private special events, including weddings, reunions, and corporate events. Reservations are recommended for all restaurant visitors.

Overnight accommodations are provided at the Inn at Diamond Cove, which features 44 guest rooms and suites offering amenities such as balconies, fireplaces, parlors, and in-room dining rooms. An outdoor pool and cabana bar are offered at the hotel, which is located next door to the Diamonds Edge Restaurant. The hotel is a member facility of the Historic Hotels of America association. Accommodations are provided seasonally and reservations must be made by contacting the hotels innkeeper directly via phone or email.

The islands Fort McKinley Museum is operated by a volunteer staff with the Diamond Cove Homeowners Association and commemorates the history of military operations on the island during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum is open to the public Fridays through Mondays from July through September and offers visitor exhibits and tours of the remaining historic fort buildings. Special events such as historical presentations, film screenings, and guest author visits are also held periodically at the museum.

Great Diamond Island is accessible via ferry through the Casco Bay Lines passenger transit service, which transports more than one million annual travelers to eight islands within Casco Bay and provides mail service and education transportation for island residents. The service, which began year-round transit in 1878 as the Casco Bay Steamboat Company, was rebranded as Casco Bay Lines in 1919 and taken over by the nonprofit Casco Bay Island Transit District corporation in 1981. Daily ferry service is provided from Portland and nearby Peaks, Great and Little Diamond, Long, Chebeague, and Cliff Islands and Diamond Cove. A variety of scenic tours and special excursion cruises are also offered, including music cruises featuring local musicians and special event cruises in correlation with major holidays.

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York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park

Located in York Beach, Maine, Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park is New Englands only zoo and amusement park. It offers fun for all family members  there are hundreds of animals in nicely landscaped animal enclosures, rides for both adrenaline junkies and little kids, a butterfly enclosure, ice cream stands, and much more.

There's even a small sandy beach not far away. Animal lovers can see rare white Bengal tigers, monkeys, snakes, parrots, zebras, kangaroos, and many other wild and domestic creatures. There is a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a roller coaster, go carts, a haunted house, and more. There are also batting cages, a mini-golf course, and a whole bunch of games in the arcade.

1 Animal Park Rd, York, ME 03909, Phone: 207-363-4911

West Quoddy Head Light

West Quoddy Head Historic Lighthouse is Americas most famous lighthouse  its red and white candy-stripes are depicted in endless calendars and postcards. Built in 1808 to aid mariners travelling through the south entrance to Quoddy Roads, between Campobello Island and the mainland, it is perched on Americas easternmost point.

The first lighthouse on the site was made of wood but had to be rebuilt in 1831, when the new 49-foot-tall rubblestone structure was made. It lasted until 1857, when the current brick tower was completed together with a Victorian keepers house. It was equipped with a third-order Fresnel lens and given its red and white stripes, influenced by Canadian lighthouses, where such coloring is common to stand out against the snow. The lighthouse was automated in 1988. There is a small visitors center and museum in the keepers house. It is maintained by the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association.

189 S Lubec Rd, Lubec, Phone: 207-733-2180

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Kansas City, Missouri offers visitors a choice of unique museums, gardens, breakfast spots, hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. Top things to do in Kansas City include the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, relaxing surrounded by nature in the Kauffman Memorial Garden, and eating great BBQ. On a sunny morning, families on their weekend getaway or day trip can stroll through the farmers market which is one of the best in the Midwest, offering a great variety of local produce and gifts.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri  The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is famed for its award-winning neoclassical architecture and its impressive collection of Asian Art. The museum was designed by prominent Kansas City architects Wight and Wight in the classical Beaux-Arts architectural style and opened in 1933; the Bloch Building was added in 2007. The museums collections include European and American paintings, Asian art, Native American art, photography, Kansas City sculpture, and works by such great artists as Caravaggio, Pissarro, and De Kooning. Visitors to the museum will enjoy the museum store and the on-site restaurant, Rozelle Court. The Nelson-Atkins also hosts a number of educational programs, workshops and art classes for adults and children throughout the year. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is one of the top Kansas City points of interest. 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111, Phone: 816-751-1278 Next read: Best Day Trips from Kansas City

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2. Kauffman Memorial Garden, Kansas City, Missouri  Courtesy of YAROSHIK - Fotolia.com

The Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden is a beautiful, tranquil garden in the heart of Kansas City. The garden serves as an oasis for urbanites seeking a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Honoring the memory of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman and their commitment to sharing with others, the exquisite garden welcomes visitors throughout the year. Inspired by the couples world travels, the garden features wide open spaces and intimate enclaves akin to those in European parks. Bronze sculptures by Tom Corbin are tucked away among rainbows of annuals and perennials, and brick pathways link foliage-laden stone walls and lovely fountains. 4800 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, Phone: 816-932-1200

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3. Taste of Kansas City Food Tours, Kansas City, Missouri  Courtesy of Taratorki - Fotolia.com

Taste of Kansas City Food Tours takes guests on fantastic food and culture tours exploring the culinary side of Kansas City. The tours visit one-of-a-kind specialty food stores, famous local restaurants, and unique eateries in some of the citys most vibrant neighborhoods. Visitors get a chance to explore not only the food, but also the beautiful architecture, rich history, and diverse culture of the Paris of the Plains. Kansas City Food Tours offers two enjoyable walking tours, Crossroads and Westport. Each tour takes visitors on a sweet and savory journey to the heart of a Kansas City neighborhood. The guide will introduce the citys favorite dining spots as well as many local favorites off the beaten path. Visitors should wear comortable clothes and walking shoes and come hungry, as they will be tasting delicious Kansas City cuisine all along the route (Phone: 800-979-3370). Weekend and day trip ideas: Best Relaxing Weekend Getaways in Missouri



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4. SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium, Kansas City, Missouri  Courtesy of ASP Inc - Fotolia.com



SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium, home to more than 5,000 sea creatures in a variety of ocean habitats, is a fantastic introduction to the worlds oceans. The aquariums diverse habitats include the interactive TouchPool Experience, where visitors can touch a crab or hold a starfish, and a spectacular underwater tunnel gives a 360-degree view of life underwater. Fun and informative talks, workshops, and educational presentations are held throughout the day, and a free kids quiz trail is a fun way to test creature knowledge. Sea animals are fed multiple times during open hours, to the delight of both animals and aquarium visitors. The aquarium also hosts a variety of conservation programs such as seahorse breeding, seal rescue and re-homing lost or abandoned sea animals. If you are wondering what to do in Kansas City with kids on a rainy day, this is a great place to visit. 2475 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, Phone: 816-471-4386

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5. Things to Do in Kansas City: City Market  City Market



The City Market has consistently been one of the largest and most popular farmers markets in the Midwest since its inception in 1857. Open daily year-round, the City Market is a mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment in an open-air setting. Market-goers can find fresh, locally sourced produce and meat products, specialty groceries, herbs, flowers, and handcrafted gifts from all over the world. The market hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including Yoga in the Park, Farm-to-Table Kitchen Classes, the City Market Crawfish Festival, and the City Market Busker Festival. 20 E. 5th Street # 201, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, Phone: 816-842-1271

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6. Starlight Theater, Kansas City, Missouri  Courtesy of Sport Moments - Fotolia.com



The Starlight Theater has been a Kansas City landmark since the 1950s. Today it is one of only three self-producing outdoor theaters left in the United States. The theater has presented a wealth of spectacular Broadway shows and outstanding concerts by stars known the world over, including Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett, and Ginger Rogers. Starlights Applause Club, the theaters elegant on-site restaurant, provides gorgeous views of the Shirley Bush Helzberg fountain and garden. If you are looking for unique date night ideas in Kansas City, watch a show at the Starlight Theater. The theater company has an active community outreach program with a variety of fun and educational workshops, camps, and classes for children of all ages. 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64132, Phone: 816-363-7827

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7. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City, MO  Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, offers all visitors an experience like no other. The Kauffman Center's aim is to provide diverse, world class, extraordinary performances of all kinds to the community. The non-profit organization has an exquisite facility that consists of two distinct venues under one roof, and it has been touted as the ultimate place for seeing and hearing performing arts due to its magnificent acoustics. It is home to the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyrics Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Ballet, which showcases high quality programs on both the national and international level through resident companies and community partnerships. The facility promotes the performing arts beyond its performances through its various art programs, tours, rentals, and events. 1601 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, Phone: 816-994-7200



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8. Worlds of Fun  Worlds of Fun

If you are looking for a fun day out for the family, you need look no further than Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. This is by far the largest family amusement park in the Midwest, offering acres of thrilling themed rides spread over 6 separate world areas, as well as a seasonal water park. There are rides and thrills for all ages and sizes, including Planet Snoopy where younger visitors can have fun. At the other end of the scale you will find many thrilling dare-devil rides like the Patriot and Mamba coasters, the Spinning Dragons and Ripcord rides. The water park is equally exciting and also offers rides and slides for all ages. A single season pass gives access to all the rides. If you are looking for a fun day out for the family, you need look no further than Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. This is by far the largest family amusement park in the Midwest, offering acres of thrilling themed rides spread over 6 separate world areas, as well as a seasonal water park. There are rides and thrills for all ages and sizes, including Planet Snoopy where younger visitors can have fun. At the other end of the scale you will find many thrilling dare-devil rides like the Patriot and Mamba coasters, the Spinning Dragons and Ripcord rides. The water park is equally exciting and also offers rides and slides for all ages. A single season pass gives access to all the rides. Worlds of Fun, 4545 Worlds of Fun Ave, Kansas City, MO 64161 816 454 4545



9. Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City, Missouri  Courtesy of eyetronic - Fotolia.com

The Kansas City Zoo lies within Swope Park and spans an impressive 202 acres. More than just a zoo, it also features an aquarium and has won many prestigious awards for its animal exhibitions that feature species from other continents such as Africa and Australia. Visitors can enjoy polar bear exhibits with resident bears Nikita and Berlin and marvel at over 1,300 different species of animals, birds, and aquatic life from all over the world. The zoo also includes a range of fun and efficient transportation options for adults and children to further explore the area such as trams, trains, boats, and a sky safari. f you are looking for great things to do in Kansas City MO on a sunny afternoon, Kansas City Zoo is a great place to visit. 6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, Missouri 64132, Phone: 816-595-1234

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10. Arabia Steamboat Museum, Kansas City, Missouri  Arabia Steamboat Museum

The Arabia Steamboat Museum is home to the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world and is one of Kansas Citys most popular attractions. The museum takes visitors on a journey to the American frontier of the mid-nineteenth century and documents the 1988 salvage of the Arabia Steamboat. The museum captivates visitors with its incredible collection of items and artifacts from the recovered steamboat Arabia, which sank in the Missouri River in 1856, and with displays and presentations on pioneer life in the 1800s. The objects found in the ship range from fine china to the worlds oldest pickles. A guided tour of the museum includes a short movie about the process of salvaging the sunken steamboat. 400 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, Phone: 816-471-1856



11. KC Fountains, Kansas City, MO  Courtesy of Gino Santa Maria - Fotolia.com

At the City of Fountains, the emphasis is on preserving and lovingly restoring these beautiful architectural relics for all Kansas City residents and visitors to enjoy. Back in the day, the fountains were a water source for travelers and animals, and today the City of Fountains Foundation believe that the fountains comprise a key part of the city and provide decorative and spiritual engagement. Visitors can wander the city to explore all the fountains. The fountains are one of the best things to do in KC. There is something for everyone, from simple structures to opulent and ornate sculptures. There is even an adoption program should you want to become further involved in the preservation effort. The fountains are located all over the city.

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12. Things to Do in Kansas City: Loose Park  Courtesy of dlhedberg - Fotolia.com

Besides park land, there is so much to enjoy on the 75 acres that make up Loose Park, including flower gardens, tennis courts, a lake, picnic areas, and even a water park! The site also holds historical significance, as it served as a strategic location during the Civil War, and visitors can also browse Civil War markers in the area such as antique cannons. The park also hosts special events throughout the year in the form of plant and flower exhibitions and activities organized by the Loose Park Garden Centre. Some of these include jazz and poetry sessions in the park, wine tastings, and plant care education sessions. 5200 Wornall, Kansas City, Missouri 64119, Phone: 816-513-7710



13. Things to Do in Kansas City, Missouri: The Money Museum  The Money Museum

For an unusual and engaging day out, head to the Money Museum located in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Visitors can take self-guided tours of the facility that include an audio tour to help you uncover the history of the museum, where the emphasis is on education through interactive exhibitions. There are gold bars, coin collections, and vaults on display as part of the tour, as well as art projects for budding artists looking to design the latest banknote. At the end of your day at the museum, you can take home a bag of shredded money made from old notes that are no longer in circulation. 1 Memorial Dr, Kansas City, Missouri 64198, Phone: 816-881-2683



14. Things to Do in Kansas City, Missouri: Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art  Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

Opened in 1994, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art houses a permanent collection of over 700 exhibits for visitors to peruse, sourced from personal works compiled by the founders of the museum. In addition to pieces that date back to the early twentieth century and more contemporary art works, the site also features non-permanent exhibitions throughout the year, showcasing rare or unusual pieces, including photography collections and sculpture exhibits. The museum aims please the whole family, and visitors with children can book a guided tour will hopefully foster a dialogue between patrons of all ages regarding the significance of contemporary art. 4420 Warwick Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri 64111, Phone: 816-753-5784



15. Things to Do in Kansas City: Sprint Center  Sprint Center



Head down to the Sprint Center and catch a concert by your favorite visiting artist or performer. With a capacity of 19,000 spectators, the Spirit Center offers unparalleled views and a lively ambiance in this arena where you can take advantage of dining options and a bar located on site. The Sprint Center is also famous for hosting the College Basketball Experience for visitors interested in all things basketball related, and there is a hall of fame and a wealth of interactive attractions that even feature a Kids Court for budding basketball stars. If you are feeling brave you can try to beat the clock and practice your best throws and passes as you take in the history. 1407 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, Phone: 816-949-7100

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16. The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, Kansas City, Missouri  The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures



Embrace your childhood with a trip to the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures and check out over 300,000 different pieces on display. The museum had its beginnings as the collections of two avid toy enthusiasts before it became a portfolio of all things toy related including nostalgic historical pieces ranging from dolls to marbles, and everything else in between. Visitors can stroll around at their leisure and admire the permanent collections. The museum also features travelling collections and exhibits throughout the year. After you have spent the day visiting the miniatures, take a moment to enjoy the museum building itself, which is actually an Italian style mansion. 5235 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64112, Phone: 816-235-8000



17. National World War I Museum and Memorial  Courtesy of Gino Santa Maria - Fotolia.com



The National World War I Museum and Memorial opened on December 2nd, 2006 with the intention of honoring the memory of those who sacrificed their lives to preserve the independence of our country. With its extensive collection of historical artifacts and photographs, the museum provides an interactive narrative of the war through each of its exhibits, including how aviation and artillery affected the outcome of the war. By chronicling of the war, the museum highlights how each generation has been affected by the conflict and the magnitude it has had on our history. Guests will see history come to life as they walk across the poppy field, listen to the music, and enjoy the beverages and delicious food. A souvenir gift shop sells postcards as well as vintage apparel. The museum operates on a rotating seasonal schedule. 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO 64108, Phone: 816-888-8100

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18. Kauffman Stadium Tours, Kansas City, Missouri  Courtesy of Michael Flippo - Fotolia.com



The Kauffman Stadium Tours offers enthusiastic fans a look into all things Kansas Baseball by providing fans with a tour experience that accesses private sections of the stadium. These areas are not normally seen by the public eye, and tour-goers receive a behind the scenes look. Visitors can sign up for the 90-minute tour of the Press Box, the Royals Interview Room, the Dugout, and the Hall of Fame. For reservations, call 816-504-4030.



19. Union Station, Kansas City, MO  Courtesy of bev - Fotolia.com



Union Station is so much more than an old train station that has serviced millions over the years. It provides patrons with multiple learning experiences as it hosts many exhibits throughout the year. The station has 95-foot ceilings, a six-foot wide clock that hangs in the central arch, and chandeliers mounted on the vaulted ceiling. The aim of the station is to showcase artifacts that represent a broad scope of history, illustrate the importance of historical preservation, and inspire the exploration of science. The station attracts high quality travelling exhibits such as Da Vinci the Exhibition, and it has a permanent Kansas City rail experience. Union Station also has a planetarium, an extreme screen theatre, a model train display, and many restaurants and shops to enjoy while adventuring through the activities. 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, Phone: 816-460-2020

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20. Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, MO  Courtesy of Burke Jones - Fotolia.com



For those who want to take their shopping to the next level, the elegant Country Club Plaza offers a wide range of high end stores such as Michael Kors and Tiffany's, and mixed within these are a large number of restaurants and bars. The Country Club makes its shopping experience accessible to all by making it easy to park, walk to every store, and enjoy the scenery. The Country Club Plaza sits on a 15-block district that hosts over 150 shops new and old. The Country Club Plaza features outdoor dining and private dining, as well as over eight different hotel and inns to stay at. If events are more your thing, the plaza has art fairs, light events, and even live concerts for those who want to do more than shop and enjoy fine dining. 4706 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64112



21. Things to Do in Kansas City, Missouri: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum  Negro Leagues Baseball Museum



The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, founded in 1990, provides all patrons with a wonderful learning experience and uses a hands-on approach in delivering the history of the African American culture and cuisine. The museum celebrates a largely ignored era where African-American baseball players were forced to play in their own league rather than in the major leagues. Through exhibits that use interactive media, all visitors can learn about the talented African-American people through a positive perspective. The museum has hundreds of photographs as well as artifacts that display the heritage in an educational and respectful way. The museum offers more than just a baseball history, as it goes beyond and reminds visitors that issues of race and hatred can be transcended in the realm of sports. 1616 East 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, Phone: 816-221-1920



22. Kaleidoscope, Kansas City, Missouri  Kaleidoscope



The Hallmark Kaleidoscope venue in Kansas City is a free admission community space that allows children to nourish their creative spirit through the use of their art supplies. The venue runs forty-minute sessions for children and their families based around area school schedules. There are multiple creative rooms for children, including an outer space area where children can create artwork that will glow in the dark as well as a room that provides strictly painting materials. The bulk of creations that children can create are made out of Kaleidoscope's massive assortment of paper goods. Reservations are required if you have a group of fifteen or more, and the venue works on a first-come first-served basis. Every group of six children will require at least one adult for supervision purposes. 2500 Grand, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, Phone: 816-274-8300

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23. SouveNEAR  SouveNEAR Founded on the belief and concept that good quality souvenirs should have some real meaning and connection with the place in which they were purchased, SouveNEAR is offering something totally different to travelers all across America: vending machines with locally-made gifts and souvenirs inside. SouveNEAR lets you buy locally made, artisanal gifts and souvenirs that can really mean something to you or to the person you give them to when you get back home. This company has established a network of artists and craft-makers all around America. SouveNEAR machines can be found in Kansas City International Airport, Missouri. There are several machines dotted around the airport.



24. Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, MO  Boulevard Brewing Company A powerhouse of a working brewery, Boulevard Brewing Company offers so much for visitors to enjoy, and they make for a unique sightseeing stop in the city. Founded in the 1980s, the brewery is now a top beer supplier across the United States and is famous for producing a variety of beverages including pale ale and unfiltered wheat beer to name just a few. If you fancy sampling the local delights then head to the brewery for a guided tour and tasting session where the working history of the brewery will be explained to you as you enjoy a cold glass. Visitors can even book the space for an event should they want to celebrate at Boulevard Brewing Company. 2501 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, Phone: 816-474-7095



25. Things to Do in Kansas City, Missouri: Arrowhead Stadium  Courtesy of digi dream grafix - Fotolia.com Arrowhead Stadium is a world-class venue that serves as a superb venue for concerts and football games. The stadium features accessible seating with enhanced sight lines, made possible with the raised platforms. The stadium has assisted listening devices at all major events that are free of charge, plus closed captioning LED boards for those who need to be able to read all announcements. One of the main draws of the stadium is its world class tailgating experience and its stadium tours. There are public, private, game-day, and art collection tours that take place throughout the stadium, and the public tours last for ninety minutes and visit the Press Box, Scout Investments Club, Locker Room, Field and Chiefs Hall of Honour. In addition to offering tours, concerts, and football games, the Arrowhead Stadium also has cheerleading, fantasy football leagues, a virtual tour, a kid's club, and a fantasy camp. One Arrowhead Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64129, Phone: 816-920-9300



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Blue Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri

Blue Gallery is one of Kansas City's premiere art galleries, established in 2000 within the city's Crossroads Arts District. The gallery, which is helmed by director Kelly Kuhn, has been the recipient of numerous awards from publications such as KC Magazine, Ingram's, and 435 Magazine, including awards as Kansas City's best local art gallery. Exhibitions showcase inventive, beautiful works by emerging and mid-career regional and national artists, with more than 40 regular artists represented by the gallery. The gallery is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays during the afternoon hours, with additional evening hours offered as part of citywide First Friday art events.

118 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108, Phone: 816-527-0823

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New Hampshire's independent spirit, rooted in the Revolutionary War, permeates the seven tourist areas of the Granite State. There is the tranquility of hiking the North Woods, the thrill of skiing the White Mountains, or the allure of boating the Lakes Region. Visitors escape to the Lake Sunapee region to de-stress, commune with nature in the Monadnock region, and explore the state's culture in Merrimack Valley. Here are the best things to do in New Hampshire.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Squam Lakes Natural Science Center  Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, founded in 1966, is the only New England institution accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. It's dedicated to teaching visitors about ecology through exploring New Hampshire's natural world. They offer an informal public garden, lake cruises, live animal exhibits, and natural science education programs. Guests can take self-guided or docent-led tours on the impressive grounds, into mature forests, across meadows, and along marsh boardwalks that connect to natural interactive exhibits. While walking or hiking the animal exhibit trail, visitors will have an opportunity to see native animals such as mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, and river otters. 23 Science Center Road, Holderness, NH, Phone: 603-968-7194

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2. McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center  McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center honors Alan Shepard and Sharon McAuliffe while simultaneously inspiring all generations to explore earth and space science, aviation, and astronomy through engaging educational activities. Visitors to the discovery center can explore their collection of over 15 inventive, hands-on exhibits in a fun, high-energy environment. Two of the most popular exhibits are Living and Working in Space, equipped with simulators and a large-scale space shuttle model, and Sunstruck, where visitors can view the sun on a 3D screen. The center also offers programs and workshops, from Little Explorers to Educators, held in their high-tech observatory and the Planetarium Theater. 2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH, Phone: 603-271-7827

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3. Mount Washington Auto Road  Mount Washington Auto Road

Mount Washington Auto Road is the oldest manmade attraction in the United States. Opened in 1861, it's the premier self-driving adventure in Eastern North America. Guests may embark on this one-of-a-kind excursion from May to October. Drivers pass through four distinct climate zones and experience ever-changing weather and terrain on their climb to the highest peak in the Northeast. They're rewarded with dramatic cloud formations, diverse foliage, above-tree line landscapes, and spectacular panoramic mountaintop views. Those who don't want to take on the challenge alone can opt for a Snowcoach guided tour, where they'll breathe easy and enjoy the ride. 1 Mount Washington Auto Road, Gorham, NH, Phone: 603-466-3988



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4. Things to Do in New Hampshire: Santa's Village  Santa's Village



Santa's Village in Jefferson is a year-round amusement-style park that features a variety of activities each season. Guests will have a ball on the wide range of Christmas-themed rides in the park and on slides, splashes, and climbs in the waterpark, aptly named Ho Ho H2O. There are tons of fun activities like the Christmas Cookie Caper live puppet show, the Polar Theater's 3D animated movie A Tinkerdoodle Christmas, tours of Santa's House, and Christmas Carol-o-key singalongs. The park is open daily from Father's Day to Labor Day and weekends from Labor Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend. Day passes include unlimited park rides, attractions, and performances. 528 Presidential Highway, Jefferson, NH, Phone: 603-586-4445

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5. The Mount Washington Cog Railway  The Mount Washington Cog Railway



The The Mount Washington Cog Railway provides a completely unique experience aboard a vintage coach steam-powered train or aboard a contemporary eco-friendly locomotive with a biodiesel-powered engine. Both climb Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England. The 3-hour guided tours gently climb the mountainside while guides explain the rich local history and guests take in panoramic views of the valleys and mountains of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean. At the top of the 6,200-foot mountain, guests can disembark and spend an hour touring the Weather Museum, and Sherman Adams Visitor Center, among other attractions. 3168 Base Station Road, Mount Washington, NH, Phone: 603-278-5404

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6. New Hampshire Telephone Museum  New Hampshire Telephone Museum



The New Hampshire Telephone Museum (NHTM) provides visitors with a fascinating look into the history of telecommunications in the United States. Guests can view over 1,000 artifacts that offer insights into the amazing evolution of the industry. The NHTM houses collections from the Bartlett and Violette families, who worked in the trade for a combined 85 years, as well as a collection from Garry Mitchell, an original telephone worker from Connecticut, among others. Tours are led by entertaining and knowledgeable staff and cover the industry's highlights such as the invention of the dial system and the race to the patent office. One Depot Street, Warner, NH, Phone: 603-456-2234

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7. Fun Things to Do in New Hampshire: Castle in the Clouds  Castle in the Clouds

Castle in the Clouds offers guests a chance to explore the 1914 Lucknow mansion, a mountaintop estate built by architectural firm J. Williams Beal & Sons of Boston for Tom and Olive Plant. Open to the public since 1959, visitors have admired its Arts and Crafts architecture, which is an architectural philosophy of existing harmoniously with nature  a combination of handcraftsmanship and technological modernization. The experience begins at the Carriage House, where guests explore the art gallery of ever-changing exhibits featuring both local artists and student works, followed by a trolley ride, brief orientation, and self-guided tour of the mansion. RT 171, 455 Old Mountain Road, Moultonborough, NH, Phone: 603-476-5900



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8. What to Do in NH: Currier Museum of Art  Currier Museum of Art

The Currier Museum of Art is a world-renowned art museum in Manchester, New Hampshire, featuring photographs, sculptures, decorative arts, and American and European paintings. Visitors will enjoy perusing classic works by LeWitt, Wyeth, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Picasso, to name a few, and will have the opportunity to tour the Zimmerman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The extensive collections featured at the Currier Museum cover every era from the Renaissance to the present and showcase everything from furniture to glass-blown figures. In addition, guests can opt to partake in one of several programs and classes offered for all experience levels. 150 Ash Street, Manchester, NH, Phone: 603-669-6144



9. NH Things to Do: USS Albacore Museum  USS Albacore Museum

The USS Albacore Museum started out as a research submarine for the US Navy to test features for use on the next generation of submarines. It is currently open to the public as a meticulously preserved vessel providing guests with an in-depth look at the first true underwater submarine. Visitors begin their journey at the park's visitors center, which houses a museum of historical artifacts and photos of the Albacore as well as additional submarines. The self-guided tour progresses from the visitors center to the submarine and is narrated via audio files recorded by previous crew members and others expounding on the daily happenings aboard the USS Albacore during that time. 600 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH, Phone: 603-436-3680

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10. New Hampshire Vacation: Fuller Gardens  Fuller Gardens

Fuller Gardens are North Hampton's premiere botanical garden facility, originally commissioned in the 1920s by Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller and designed by the firm of legendary landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The lovely gardens, which are housed on Fuller's former summer estate property, are known for their gorgeous Colonial Revival-style rose gardens, which showcase more than 1,700 rose bushes in over 125 varieties. Roses typically bloom between June and October, with grounds open to the public starting in mid-May each year. Other gardens showcased on site include a Japanese-style garden, a dahlia display garden, and English perennial plantings. A gift shop on site offers a variety of gifts and goods for gardeners, bird lovers, and nature enthusiasts. 10 Willow Ave, North Hampton, NH 03862, Phone: 603-964-5414



11. Fun Things to Do in New Hampshire: Canobie Lake Park  Canobie Lake Park

Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, is a vintage amusement park with roots dating back to the late 1800s. Over the years, the park went through many transformations until three close friends purchased it together in 1958. They've continually renovated the park throughout the years, adding new rides, games, and concessions, ensuring they remain a New England family-fun leader nearly 100 years later. Guests will discover a wide range of thrill rides, family and kid-friendly rides, and water rides. Other highlights include arcade and carnival-style games as well as delicious fair-style eats like cotton candy, funnel cakes, and fried ice cream. 85 N Policy Street, Salem, NH, Phone: 603-893-3506

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12. The Woodman Institute Museum  The Woodman Institute Museum

The Woodman Institute Museum is a science, history, and arts museum in Dover that was originally founded in 1915 by philanthropist Annie E. Woodman, intended to stimulate and supplement lifelong learning and arts appreciation for New Hampshire residents. Today, the museum is housed within four historic homes across an extensive campus, including the 1818 Woodman House, which is home to the museum's mineral, fossil, and taxidermy collection, and the 1675 Damm Garrison House, which preserves Dover's oldest historic house and showcases more than 800 colonial-era artifacts. In the 1813 John Parker Hale House, visitors can learn about the life and career of one of America's most prominent Abolitionists. The 1825 Keefe House also houses an extensive collection of Dover city records. On the museum's grounds, visitors can see Stafford County's oldest sycamore tree, along with several landscaped functional gardens and a preserved 17th-century garrison house. 182 Central Ave, Dover, NH 03820, Phone: 603-742-1038



13. Places of Interest in New Hampshire: Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway  Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway> in Franconia is the highest lift access point in New Hampshire. Open seasonally from late spring to mid-fall, guests can ride this exciting 80-passenger cable car to the summit of Cannon Mountain at just under 4,100 feet in less than 10 minutes. Along the way, visitors can indulge in panoramic mountainous views of Canada, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and New York. Atop the summit, guests will find a 360-degree observation deck, plus a cafe and bar. There are also a number of scenic walking, hiking, and biking paths to commune with nature more personally. 260 Tramway Drive, Franconia, NH, Phone: 603-823-8800



14. Bretton Woods  Bretton Woods

Bretton Woods is the ideal place to enjoy skiing and snowboarding on the East Coast, as well as an array of summer adventures. Winter sports enthusiasts will find 460 acres of alpine skiing on 62 trails and 35 ungroomed glades in three distinct terrain parks. As New Hampshire's premier ski area, Bretton Woods also features ten lifts, four of which are high-speed quads. The ski resort has racing courses for aspiring junior racers, plus guided winter adventures like mountain skiing, backcountry skiing, and cross-country and snowshoeing tours. Night skiing is also available. 99 Ski Area Road, Bretton Woods, NH, Phone: 603-278-3320



15. Loon Mountain  Loon Mountain



Loon Mountain provides visitors with over 300 acres of outdoor entertainment. The resort has more than 28 miles of ski and snowboard trails and six terrain parks supported by 12 lifts. Depending on the time of year, guests to Loon Mountain can choose from a variety of activities, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snow tubing, ice skating, hiking, and biking. A few adventure amenities are offered all year round, including zip-lines, sky-ride gondolas, and an indoor rock climbing wall. Guests can also take advantage of special events and activities like the annual Monster Mud Run, Summit Worship Services, or snowboard and ski camps and lessons. 60 Loon Mountain Road, Lincoln, NH, Phone: 603-745-8111

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16. New Hampshire Attractions: Polar Caves Park  Polar Caves Park



Polar Caves Park in Rumney is a spelunker's paradise. This is where visitors come to get a first-hand look at why New Hampshire has been dubbed the Granite State. There are nine boulder granite caves  the result of a glacier  tucked away on a cliffside in the midst of a pine forest. Guests move from cave to cave along a series of boardwalks that allow for easy exploration on self-guided or docent-led tours. At Polar Park Caves, fun activities abound such as picnicking among the tranquil pines, feeding corn to park ducks, guided climbing and rappelling, and sluicing, among others. 705 New Hampshire 25, Rumney, NH, Phone: 603-536-1888



17. NH Tourist Attractions: Gunstock Mountain Resort  Courtesy of per444inka - Fotolia.com



Gunstock Mountain Resort is a year-round, family resort just 90 minutes outside of Boston in Gilford, New Hampshire. It offers a wide variety of seasonal activities, including mountain biking, hiking, alpine and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and tubing. Guests can ride fat tire bikes in the winter across 32 miles of cross-country trails while enjoying views of Lake Winnipesaukee. The resort claims more than 220 acres of skiable land, accessible day or night, and the largest tubing run in the state. One of the resort's newest highlights is a 6-minute ride on the 4100-foot-long Mountain Coaster, which whizzes among the trees at up to 25 mph. 719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford, NH, Phone: 603-293-4341

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18. New Hampshire Activities: Alpine Adventures  Alpine Adventures



From its humble beginnings in 1997, Alpine Adventures has evolved into a world-class outdoor adventure park. It sits on 300 acres in the White Mountains and invites guests to indulge in the biggest zip-line park in New Hampshire. There are three zip-line tours  a tame canopy tour that's perfect for the whole family, a mid-level zip-line tour, and an extreme zip-line adventure with nine lines, six suspension bridges, and a 30-foot vertical ladder climb. Alpine Adventures' outdoor thrills continue with 90-minute off-road tours aboard custom Pinzgauers, guided backcountry snowshoe tours, and a challenging aerial course that includes a Powerfan free-fall drop and their BigAirBag Stuntzone. 41 Main Street, Lincoln, NH, Phone: 603-745-9911



19. New Hampshire Motor Speedway  New Hampshire Motor Speedway



When you have a need for speed, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) is your New Hampshire destination. They've been providing thrills for racing enthusiasts since 1990. This multi-use complex sits on roughly 1,200 acres with a 1.058-mile oval speedway and 1.6-mile road course, making it the largest sports venue in the New England area. NHMS can accommodate more than 80,000 visitors each year and hosts several top-notch speedway events and races, including the only NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Monster Energy NASCAR XFINITY Series events. Additionally, they host monthly race weekends and Amateur series events such as the Vintage Racer Group and the Sports Club of America. 1122 Route 106 N, Loudon, NH, Phone: 603-783-4931

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20. Things to Do Around Me: Charmingfare Farm  Charmingfare Farm



Charmingfare Farm is a working farm in Candia, New Hampshire, that raises livestock, grows crops, and offers visitors a wide selection of seasonal activities to delight in. Guests can feed and pet farm animals, join in the CSA program to get their share of weekly vegetable harvests, and hit the trails on horseback when the seasons permit. In winter months, guests will enjoy festive holiday activities such as sleigh rides  including one that features a cabaret dinner  holiday lights, and live music. Other events and activities that occur throughout the year are hayrides, magic shows, concerts, and pumpkin picking. 774 High Street, Candia, NH, Phone: 603-483-5623



21. Things to See in New Hampshire: Moffatt - Ladd House & Garden  Moffatt - Ladd House & Garden



The 1763 Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden has been a National Historic Landmark since 1912. A rarity, this Georgian mansion is one of America's finest reflections of 18th-century architecture. Over the years, it has been carefully renovated and restored to maintain its historical integrity. It was once the home of William Whipple, New Hampshire representative of the Continental Congress and signatory on the Declaration of Independence. Guests are welcome to take self-guided or docent-led tours of the house and gardens from June to October each year and the site is open to the public for educational, social, and musical events. 154 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH, Phone: 603-436-8221



22. Things to Near Me: Children's Museum of New Hampshire  Children's Museum of New Hampshire



The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is dedicated to inspiring the innovators of the future with hands-on museum experiences. Families will find more than 15 museum exhibits, including the Thinkering and STEAM innovation labs, Dino Detective, and Music Matrix & Sound Watch. Kids will have fun playing interactive games within the exhibits. Mindball, in the Play it Cool exhibit, pits kids in head-to-head competitions using an electrode headband to see who can stay the most relaxed. This is a great space for keeping kids engaged and making learning fun. In addition, the museum hosts several annual events, including Earth Day Celebration and Books Alive! 6 Washington Street, Dover, NH, Phone: 603-742-2002

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23. Fun Things to Do in NH: SEE Science Center  SEE Science Center The SEE Science Center, dedicated in 1986, is an interactive learning center designed to engage the public and foster a better understanding of science, mathematics, technology, and engineering for all ages. Guests to SEE will have the chance to experience a variety of activities including hands-on exhibits covering subjects like sound, electricity, light, simple machines, forces, and more. The center hosts several traveling exhibits throughout the year, daily demonstrations, educational programs, workshops and mini-courses, and a technology academy. Visitors will appreciate the science center's permanent displays, such as the LEGO Millyard Project, and relish exploring the science gift shop, among other activities. 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, NH, Phone: 603-669-0400



24. Strawbery Banke Museum  Strawbery Banke Museum Strawbery Banke Museum is an outdoor history museum sprawling across 10 acres of downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The museum gives visitors a unique look at over 300 years of American history. Guests can explore more than 40 historic buildings, eight heritage gardens, annual exhibits, traditional crafts, hands-on activities, and local preservation programs. Museum visitors immerse themselves in an experience of the past with costumed role-players telling tales that utilize a collection of over 30,000 artifacts. These displays allow visitors to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing re-enactments of what life was like in Portsmouth's Puddle Dock neighborhood in the 1700s. 14 Hancock Street, Portsmouth, NH, Phone: 603-433-1100



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Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, is the location of the studio, home, and gardens of one of America's finest sculptors, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Visitors to this site will have the chance to explore the impressive grounds featuring over 100 pieces of his artwork in both galleries and throughout the property.

Everything from gold coins and relief portraits to stately heroic monuments like The Shaw Memorial can be viewed within the Saint-Gaudens estate. In addition, guests can participate in a wide range of seasonal, educational, and artistic activities from summer concerts and nature hikes to snowshoe tours and sculpture classes.

139 Saint Gaudens Road, Cornish, NH, Phone: 603-675-2175

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Wright Museum of WWII

The Wright Museum of WWII was founded by visionary David Wright and opened in 1994. This nationally recognized museum is dedicated to the WWII era, when all Americans, at home and abroad, came together behind a common cause. Guests can tour the 20,000-square-foot museum featuring over 14,000 items in their collections of battlefield and home-front memorabilia, including operational military vehicles.

The Wright Museum also hosts traveling exhibits such as the Anne Frank exhibit, D-Day photographs, and the WWII Home Front Challenge Quilts exhibit. The museum provides educational programs and tours for all ages in the interest of expanding their guardianship of this cultural period.

77 Center Street, Wolfeboro, NH, Phone: 603-569-1212

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GRAND FORKS -- Actor Josh Duhamels contract for North Dakota tourism ads amounts to a handsome payday for a handsome North Dakotan native.

Inked in July between Duhamels production company and Odney Advertising -- the North Dakota ad firm working on behalf of the state -- the current contract lasts until the end of 2019 and pays out $365,000. A full $15,000 of that figure goes to Duhamels publicity and social media support firms.

Its an extension of a previous contract finalized in 2015 that paid the actor $475,000, a figure that also paid for publicity and social media support.

Sara Otte Coleman, state tourism division director, said her division's marketing budget comes to $6.4 million for the 2017-19 biennium, but that its an important expenditure for the state. In 2016, $3.2 million spent on paid media resulted in 354,000 trips to North Dakota, she said, during which about $328 million was spent. The images and video tourism officials can use under the new contract are an important part of that effort, Coleman said.

People arent familiar with North Dakota, she said. Its a challenge when so many of the other states have been doing this for so many years longer.

The contract extension means state officials can keep using photos and videos of Duhamel that were made under the first contract, and grants them access to the actor in a variety of ways. The state can use 10 more photos from previous shoots, and Duhamel will sit for up to five national print media interviews.

It also brings Duhamel to the state for three separate photo and video shoots as well as transportation and lodging on those visits. The first of those was in July in Minot, and the second was in late October in Grand Forks, when Duhamel was spotted downtown, near the Alerus Center and at Ralph Engelstad Arena, where UND took on the University of Minnesota in a highly anticipated matchup. The third date and location, state officials said, hasnt been set yet.

Duhamels visit to Grand Forks cost nearly an additional $45,000 in funds not laid out in the contract. More than $24,000 was spent on a photo and video shoot, while expenses on travel, lodging and other items for state officials and production crews -- including some props for the shoot -- came to nearly $5,000. Expenditures for welcoming media came to nearly $4,000, the majority of which was spent on welcoming four national journalists.

An in-arena sponsorship at the UND-Minnesota game, which included advertising at Ralph Engelstad Arena and a meet-and-greet with Duhamel and sportscaster Marney Gellner, cost nearly $12,000, a price Coleman said was well worth the promotional value that came along with it.

Expenditures for the Grand Forks visit are expected to be more significant than both the visits to Minot and the third, to-be-determined visit to North Dakota, Coleman said.
HA NOI  A Vietnamese pilot was killed in a mid-air crash between a helicopter and an aircraft in the United Kingdom, the Ministry of National Defence announced on Sunday.

According to the defence ministry and the Helicopter Services Company at the Wycombe Air Park in Buckinghamshire, where the collision occurred on Friday, Captain Nguyen Thanh Trung was taking an advanced helicopter training session on a Cabri G2.

He was in the students seat and his mentor was on the pilots seat.

Contact with the helicopter was lost 15 minutes after it took off.

The Helicopter Services Company said that the helicopter was hit in the rear by a light two-seat aircraft Cessna, which was also on a training session, at the height of 1,000 feet or about 330m.

The mid-air collision killed all four people on the helipcopter and the aircraft, according to UK media reports.

The crash is being investigated.  VNS
Gumiho Grill & Shabu in Ha Noi provides a comfortable atmosphere in which women can unwind and enjoy delicious food. Moc Mien reports.

Korean culture, especially its food, has become popular in big cities in Viet Nam. It is now so easy to find a Korean restaurant on streets, but I followed a friends recommendation and visited a restaurant in Ha Nois Bui Thi Xuan Street named Gumiho Grill & Shabu.

This is the first bistro for women in Ha Noi. The owner sees it as an initiative for Vietnamese women to relieve their sorrow, unlike men who can disappear in bars and bia hoi. The objective is for the place to become a civilised and safe place for women to unwind, like in South Korean movies.

Curious, I went along and immediately felt in love with the cozy and simple atmosphere. The restaurant is not too luxurious. On the first floor, there is a path with flower lights alongside. The second floor is cozy which is suitable for a family gathering, while the third floor is furnished with round tables and decorated with wine pots. Since I was alone, I chose a small table on the third floor.

I was excited about the delicious and diversified menu. There were many options, such as meat and sauces made with an exclusive recipe, grilled tripe, pork belly and beef. There were also more than 50 types of panchan (side dishes). I decided to choose the grill combo, including pork, rib and tripe for only VN179,000 with unlimited meat and panchan. This is such a reasonable price in comparison to other restaurants in Ha Noi.

The special dish was five-layer pork belly, which was thick and succulent, not dry and naturally sweet without much seasoning. Home-made sauces had a distinctive flavour unlike any other restaurants. The table was covered with side dishes such as kimchi, chili, sliced garlic, onion, pickles, seaweed soup, bean sprouts mixed with ground sweet potato covered with coconut milk, salad and Japanese perilla.
by Bach Lien

Two weeks ago, I was invited to a new modern well-equipped apartment of a friend in Ha Nois Royal City, a super modern apartment world smelling of luxury.

My friend was happy to leave her old apartment in Kim Lien living quarters where the infrastructure was poor and many neighbours were too curious about her private life.

But the main reason she left was the noise created by aerobic classes every evening in her block.

Every evening, from 8 to 10pm, residents attended aerobic lessons. The heavy music prevented her children from concentrating on their studies. Other neighbours were also upset, but the management board of the block said the classes brought in a lot of money as space was hired at a high price.

I have also lived in this kind of apartment building in Ha ong District, 10km from the centre of Ha Noi, for more than 20 years.

Strange enough, while I live in a big city, I often feel I live in a village as the community spirit is very strong.

From early morning, I am woken up by a group of aged people who do morning exercises with loud music in the communal house.

Most inhabitants in my living quarter come from different northern provinces. Many grandmothers come from the countryside to help look after their grandchildren. They sit together on the benches, and talk with each other every day.

In the afternoon, some families bring their coal stoves to a corner of the yard to cook. All the living quarters are enveloped in charcoal smoke.

The Soviet-style flats first appeared in Ha Noi in the 60s. They are often three to five storey buildings.

Condos mean to me yards full of children playing and families spending time together to make traditional sticky rice cakes for Lunar New Year festival, a strong community spirit shared with friendly neighbours.

When they first appeared, the condo became a symbolic representation of modern life, with all necessities grounded in one enclosed space  something rather luxurious when people were discontented with the involuntary shared accommodation of the villas or tube houses in the Old Quarter.

This old flat buildings has lasted for more than 50 years with various transformations, both in terms of facade and structure. Its easy to notice these apartments with their tiger cages that residents build to extend living space.

From the sixties to the end of the eighties, thousands of these apartment blocs were built in big cities in northern Viet Nam. They were devoted to public employees.

Ha Noi houses more than 1,200 old collective building covering an area of five million square metres. Most have been downgraded.

An apartment with an area of 25sq.m to 40sq.m in a four-story or five-storey collective housing was a dream of many families of workers and civil servants.

But during the last 10 years, Viet Nam has changed a lot. Many modern apartments have been built to satisfy the needs of the multitudes now living in big cities.

Those apartments were originally for high income families, but their owners changed constantly. After living there for years, many succeeded in buying larger flats in more modern areas.

Most new owners come from other provinces. They do different jobs, speak with different accents and have different lifestyles. Some are keen on preserving their habits in the countryside and this sometimes causes disagreements between neighbours.

While many young people who grow up in a big city are sometimes upset at living in this type of condo, many aged people enjoy their lives there.

I was lucky to be owner of this apartment when the country was very difficult in a subsidised economy, said Nguyen Hai, 80, who has lived here for 30 years.

I have often new neighbours and try to adapt. Life here is quite easy and interesting for me as I have nice neighbours, we spend lot of time together enjoying a bowl of pho in a small restaurant in front of the living quarters or on a bench.

However, to live in harmony with them, I have to know what I should tell to my neighbours and what not.

Hai said that he enjoyed his life as he had the feeling of being close to his neighbours, as he used to live in the countryside when he was young.

This lifestyle in a community spirit can comfort those who left rural life to live in the cities. When they come here, they again find a village with friendly neighbours, he said.

As we move toward to a civilised urban life, I think neighbours should live together with a warm heart but strict rules should be imposed and respected in one flat building to make sure that its members are safe, free and private in their living space.

When everyone knows the limit between caring about others and being too curious, life will be perfect. VNS
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Dupaco Community Credit Union has several staff announcements: MARINA HENRIKSEN was appointed member service representative II at the Cedar Heights Drive location in Cedar Falls. ADELA IKANOVIC was appointed member service representative at the Mullan Avenue location in Waterloo.

CODY FUNK has joined Cardinal Construction Inc. as business development manager. Funk, a graduate of Iowa State Universitys landscape design program, previously worked in the Cedar Valley construction industry, in a related capacity, for several years.

CHARLES McNULTY, associate superintendent with the Waterloo School District, was honored with the Dr. Carmen Sosa Award for Leadership and Service to English Language Learners at the Iowa Culture and Language Conference in Coralville. He joined the district three years ago.

JOEY TAYLOR joined the Riverview Center as its new executive director. Taylor has more than 15 years of leadership experience in the Dubuque community. She worked for Hospice of Dubuque as the director of development and public relations, Dubuque Racing Association as community relations director, and United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States as president /CEO.

AMY SCHRADER, ARNP, and ROSIE MORREY, ARNP, joined Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa. Schrader, a nurse practitioner, will provide care at Covenant Clinics in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, La Porte City, Parkersburg, Jesup, Dysart, Gladbrook and Traer. She completed her LPN training in 2009, and her associates degree in nursing in 2011, both at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo. She received her bachelor of science in nursing from Upper Iowa University in Cedar Rapids in 2014 and her master of science in nursing  family nurse practitioner from Walden University in Minneapolis in 2017. She has been a registered nurse at Covenant Medical Center since 2012. Morrey, a family nurse practitioner, will be at the Covenant Clinic in Shell Rock. She worked as a staff nurse on the medical/surgical unit at Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls from 2002 to 2012 and as manager from 2012 to 2015. She received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2002, and completed her masters of science in nursing-family nurse practitioner at Allen College in Waterloo in August 2017.

ZACH TOMKINS joined Community Bank & Trust as an account executive at the Waterloo downtown location. Tomkins has more than seven years of banking, sales, management and customer service experience.

ASHLEY LINDLEY was appointed to the board of directors at Veridian Credit Union. A resident of Iowa City, Lindley is a graduate of the University of Iowa and an AmeriCorps alumna. She currently works with nonprofit organizations in eastern Iowa.

ANGIE SCHMITZ, ARNP, joined Covenant Clinics gastroenterology department. Schmitz received her associate degree in nursing from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, her bachelor of science in nursing from Allen College of Nursing, and her master of science in nursing from the University of Phoenix. She received her post-masters certificate in adult-gerontology/ARNP from Allen College of Nursing. Schmitz has been employed by Covenant Medical Center since 2000.

Four new associates joined HOMELINK at VGM Group in Waterloo. WESLEY BRO, a software developer, graduated from Hawkeye Community College and Bellevue University. He previously was with CBE Companies. NICHOLAS STEICHEN is a .NET developer. He is a graduate of Coe College and previously was at ESCO Group. MICHELLE WALTERS is a patient care coordinator. She graduated from Kaplan University and worked at Dike-New Hartford Schools. MICHAELA MERCHANT also is a patient care coordinator.
CEDAR FALLS  The Great Decisions discussion group will tackle the enduring challenge of nuclear weapons from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Cedar Falls Public Library conference room.

After viewing a DVD, participants will discuss the challenges from North Korea and the Iran nuclear deal.

People are welcome to join in to learn more about this foreign policy.

This discussion group is sponsored by the American Association of University Women and the Cedar Valley United Nations Association.

Library to host

authors Nov. 27

DENVER  The Denver Public Library will host authors Betty Brandt Passick and Karla Rigdon Wright for an evening of stories and Iowa history at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27.

Both women grew up in small towns in Buchanan County. After raising families, retiring and uncovering hometown and family stories both wrote books of historical fiction. When their paths crossed, they decided to share their love of history and neglected Iowa stories with others.

Passicks latest book, Gangster in Our Midst, takes place in the late 1920s in the fictional town of Oxbow, Iowa.

Wright is the author of Iowas Devoted Daughter  the Story of Miss Harriet Louise Ankeny and Her American Family. The Ankenys were prominent and influential early Iowans. Wright focused her book on Harriet Louise Ankeny, a precocious child born in 1844 who grew into a woman with unique ambitions for her time.

The program will feature readings from both authors along with facts about Iowa history and discussion on how each author researched and wrote their books. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Refreshments will be served.

Blood drive set

in Cedar Falls

CEDAR FALLS  A Cedar Falls community blood drive is planned for 12:30 to 6 p.m. Nov. 27 at First United Methodist Church, 718 Clay St.Make an appointment at lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903.

UNI art gallery

exhibit planned

CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art will present a bachelor of fine arts group exhibition from Dec. 7-16.

An opening reception is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 7 in the south lobby of the Kamerick Art Building. In addition to student exhibits, the UNI Permanent Art Collection exhibition Propaganda?: Truth, Lies & Spin in Art will remain on view in the gallery during this time.
AMES (AP)  Police in central Iowa say an Ames man has died after two masked men burst into his apartment and a shot was fired.

Ames police say officers were called to the man's apartment around 3:40 a.m. Saturday for a report of a shooting. Arriving officers found a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound to his upper chest. The man was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses told police that two people wearing masks entered the apartment in what seemed like a robbery, and one of them shot the victim. Witnesses told police the suspects sped away in a black or blue pickup truck.

Police are asking public for any information about the shooting. The victim's name was not released pending notification of family members.
GRAFTON  Denise Moe is thankful for something she didnt see a lot of a year ago: local farm-family customers walking through her store.

Theyre doing more looking than buying. But theyre looking, and they werent doing much of that last year, said Moe, who owns and operates B & D Flooring and Furniture in Grafton with her husband, Brad.

Grafton, a farm town of 4,300 in northeast North Dakota, was hammered by excess rain in 2016. Some Grafton-area fields  like others in parts of northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota  received twice their normal precipitation, which cut sharply into yields and producers bottom lines. That left farmers with less to spend at Grafton merchants  who, like other farm-town merchants, thrive or struggle along with their local ag producers.

Whats more, 2016 brought exceptionally difficult harvest conditions, which inevitably generated stress and frustration in the Grafton community.

But 2017 is much different. Weather generally cooperated during the growing season, helping yields and income. And though early winter snows complicate combining the last of the corn crop, this years harvest  especially of potatoes, a top crop in the Grafton area  has gone smoothly overall.

This year and last year are like night and day, said Mike Sackett, proprietor of Graftons NAPA Auto Parts store. Hes been in business in Grafton since 1978.

In 16 with all the rain  it was just so tough on farmers. And that it made it tough for everyone because our economy is 99 percent or 99.9 percent dependent on agriculture, he said.

In contrast, This year the yields are better and the stress level is down so much, Sackett said.

Grafton is the county seat of Walsh County, population about 11,100. The county is in the heart of the Red River Valley of the North, and the Red forms the boundary between North Dakota and Minnesota.

The flat, fertile farmland in the Grafton area allows farmers to grow many crops, including sugar beets, potatoes, dry edible beans, spring wheat and canola. Potatoes, production of which Walsh County traditionally leads the state, are particularly important.

So the 2017 rebound in potato yields, combined with relatively attractive prices for the crop, are a major boost to the Grafton economy, Sackett said.

Historically and logically, farm family living expenses reflect farm profitability. When times are tough financially, farm families overall spend less on things like furniture. When financial conditions improve, farm families spend more.

But as Denise Moe notes, farm families prudently wait to spend until they have a clear grasp of how they finished the crop season financially. When theyre optimistic about the outcome, they look at furniture. When that optimism gels into confidence, they buy furniture, she said.

So B & D Flooring and Furniture in particular  and Grafton merchants in general  might not see a big upturn in business until later this winter, when farm families have a better handle on their finances, Moe and Sackett say.

But the turnaround so far is heartening.

What I really want to emphasize is how happy we are for them. Last year was just so hard on them. Im thankful this year is better, Moe said.
WATERLOO  The third floor of the Black Hawk County Courthouse was buzzing with activity Friday afternoon. Family members chatted and kids wandered the halls.

All were in attendance for National Adoption Day, which normally falls on the Friday before Thanksgiving. This is the sixth year Black Hawk County has observed the event.

As families and friends gathered in one of the courtrooms enjoying food and collecting gift bags, local judges were preparing to preside over dozens of adoptions.

The Juza family was immediately recognizable, all sporting Team Juza T-shirts emblazoned with the words Lifetime member.

Geoff and Molly Juza of Cedar Falls, who have two biological sons, Daniel, 5, and Matthew, 3, were at the courthouse to finalize the adoption of 2-year-old David, a foster child who has been in their care since February.

Our initial thought was to adopt domestically, Molly Juza said. Then we got involved in the foster system, but the more we learned about reunification and keeping families together, our goal was to get David home to his family. When that wasnt possible, this was a perfect Plan B.

He has been a natural addition to our family. They play like brothers. They fight like brothers. Its been a very smooth transition. Hes a typical 2-year-old. Its been a great experience for all of us.

The Juzas were accompanied by about 25 friends and family members.

We brought our village, Molly Juza said.

Angela and Albert Carl Herring kept track of their three grandchildren, Isabella, 8, and Joey and Alexia, 3, as they waited for their turn in front of the judge. The couple, who traveled from Horn Lake, Miss., for the proceedings, came to adopt their daughters youngest children. They already have custody of her oldest son, 15-year-old Jacob.

Their daughter had moved to Iowa from Mississippi with a boyfriend, got into trouble with drugs and lost custody of the children.

The state took them, Angela Herring said. The two babies tested positive for crystal meth.

The state contacted the Herrings and they immediately started working to get custody of the kids.

Nobody is getting my babies, Angela Herring said.

The couple got their foster license in February and the children were placed with them in March.

Its a lot of work, but you couldnt give me a million bucks for those kids. They know they have a place to sleep and food to eat and that they will be loved and spoiled.

Angela Herring said she is in weekly contact with her daughter, who is incarcerated.

I love her very much. She is all for the adoption. She just wants to make sure the kids are safe.

As family members visited, Jack Kendall, owner of the Cedar Falls and Waterloo Culvers restaurants, was on hand to give out treats to those attending the event.

We were made aware that the chief judge has a rule that all the families go out for ice cream after the proceedings, so we are providing fresh frozen custard. Its a pretty emotional experience. Were seeing lots of smiles, all the way from the kids to the adults. You can feel the energy in the room.

The event was previously funded by the state, but due to current fiscal conditions no money was provided this year. Donations were raised by area businesses and law firms: Culvers National donated more than $2,000 in gift certificates in addition to the local restaurants efforts; the Waterloo Public Library donated books for the adoptees; and Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, Target and the Black Hawk County Bar Association contributed money.

Waterloo and Cedar Falls mayors Quentin Hart and Jim Brown attended the event. It was the first time for both.

This is one of the most hope-filled events Ive attended in my life, Hart said. As mayors, we get a lot of attention just by the nature of what we do, but these families are the real heroes  super heroes  for ensuring that these kids have the most successful life possible.

I actually have very good friends adopting a baby today, Brown said. Its a sweet experience all the way around. It is a great thing to see these families taking these kids in to improve their lot in life.

Judge Dan Block oversaw eight adoptions Friday, all the conclusion of ongoing juvenile court cases he presided over.

Its the best day of the year, he said of National Adoption Day. Its like Christmas and having your first child all rolled into one.

Its a joy. Its a culmination of all the hard work of social workers, foster care, the adoptive families, the extended families, the lawyers and the judges. I had one child adopted today who has been waiting for five years to get placed. Its the happiest day in the courthouse.
Home. Family. Peace. Love. Liberty. Those are values we all treasure.

We dont always appreciate them, but we should. When theyre absent, its like someone cut off our oxygen.

We all know separation. We all know loss. We all know what its like to not be able to put our head on our own pillow at night.

So when we send young people thousands of miles away at great risk to preserve that which we cherish, we should treasure those young people, too.

That was true 75 years ago, when George, Joseph, Francis, Madison and Albert Sullivan of Waterloo joined millions of their fellow countrymen and women in service during World War II. Its been true for every generation since, and definitely for the crew of their namesake ship, the USS The Sullivans.

I spent five days in New York around Veterans Day attending ceremonies and sharing experiences with the crew and friends on the 75th anniversary of the deaths of the Sullivans and their nearly 700 USS Juneau shipmates, as I did 20 years ago when the USS The Sullivans was commissioned.

I come away from that experience remembering a comment made years ago by a late dear friend and a bona fide American hero, Lester Zook. He was a shipmate of the Sullivans and one of a handful of sailors who survived the Juneaus sinking. He went on to serve 20 years in the Navy.

During a talk in Waterloo when Waterloos convention center was renamed for the Sullivans in 1988, Lester said, People do care, and people do remember.

I saw that in New York.

As The Sullivans crew walked down Broadway in midtown Manhattan, they received handshakes and thanks from total strangers, young and old. Some of the crew got to tour the New York Stock Exchange courtesy of a friendly New York Police Department officer and scrimmage with the New York Knicks. And of course, there were free beverages at some fine microbreweries.

Amid the hoopla, there were stark reminders of the necessity for the service of The Sullivans crew and many others and why we should appreciate it.

I saw it on the Staten Island Ferry, drawing ever closer to the spectacular Manhattan skyline.

Freedom Tower stands front and center where the Twin Towers stood when I was there 20 years ago. Buildings may fall but the love of peace and freedom endures in the hearts of the people of New York, in Iowa and all over America. The tower is a reminder of lives loved and lost and all who stand watch for liberty.

As we drew closer to ground zero and the 9-11 Memorial, I anticipated an experience similar to two previous visits to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. I was right. A block away, I felt a lump in my throat and my chest was heaving. It was my first time there, as it was for Kelly Sullivan and Roger Schnitker, a Sullivans crew member from Council Bluffs and the only Iowan serving on the ship. Grief hit us all like a fist as we stood over the chasm of the foundation of the South Tower, now a gently cascading fountain.

Asked if there was a tie between the memorial fountains and her grandfather and great-uncles sacrifice at sea, Kelly Sullivan identified the water.

I think what I see when I look at the water is that it reminds me just of peace, she said. And I guess what Im saying about that is, we need peace in the world. In World War II there was no peace; Sept. 11 (2001), there was no peace. And right here you almost feel peaceful. And I want our country to have that peace. Were not having it.

Two weeks earlier, when I interviewed the Sullivan family, Kelly and her father, Jim Sullivan, hit on the same themes when asked to reflect on the anniversary of their familys loss.

The Sullivans symbolize all veterans past, present and future, that have that integrity, righteousness, sense of right and wrong that we dont always see in todays world, Kelly Sullivan said. That, I want to do my part to make the world a better place. I want people to have good hearts.

I think you should take away from this that life is precious, Jim Sullivan said. We should treasure the time we have with our families.

Thats true from the waters of the Pacific 75 years ago to ground zero today. Life and freedom are precious. And in the tradition of the Sullivan brothers, we all need to stick together, be good to each other and love one another.
The story of the five Sullivan brothers will forever be intertwined with the history of Waterloo. Its up to us as a community to make sure the colossal sacrifice of the Sullivan family is never forgotten.

When George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert Sullivan perished together with hundreds of their shipmates, it served as one of the most poignant junctures in one of the most historic wars the world has ever seen.

The headlines, articles and photos published in this newspaper in November 1942 were arguably some of the most heartbreaking and thought-provoking in the history of The Courier.

Five Waterloo brothers, all died when their ship, the Navy cruiser USS Juneau, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine Nov. 13, 1942.

Their deaths are generally considered the greatest combat-related loss of life by one family at one time in U.S. military history.

No matter how much time has passed, that kind of sacrifice is worth remembering, honoring and passing on to coming generations of Cedar Valley residents.

In commemorating the 75th anniversary of their deaths, The Courier published several articles. News Editor Pat Kinney accompanied Kelly Sullivan, granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, to New York, where members of the USS The Sullivans took part in various commemorations.

We hope you found the series interesting. More importantly, we hope the stories gave you opportunity to reflect on the tremendous impact the brothers fates had on one family and on one community out of all the communities across this nation who mourned sons of their own.

The festivities and solemn commemorations last week served as a timely reminder of our duty here through the actions and reactions of people far away from Waterloo.

That included shipboard ceremonies aboard the USS The Sullivans that marked the 75th anniversary of the deaths of the brothers and the 20th anniversary of the ships commissioning at Staten Island.

It took sailors from the ship to ground zero in Manhattan and participation in a Manhattan Veterans Day parade.

In the 75 years since the sinking of the Juneau, the honors, recognitions and memorials have been numerous and widespread. They include two Navy ships named the USS The Sullivans  a World War II era destroyer, now decommissioned and docked at Buffalo, N.Y., and the present USS The Sullivans, a guided missile destroyer.

Stapleton Pier at Staten Island, where the USS The Sullivans was commissioned in 1997, was renamed USS The Sullivans Pier.

In 2001, five memorial markers for each of the Sullivan brothers were placed at Arlington National Cemetery.

A Department of Defense Sullivans American Elementary School is located on the island of Okinawa, Japan, and The Sullivans School is located on Yokosuka Navy Base in Yokosuka, Japan.

In 1956, a memorial to the Sullivan brothers was erected in their home parish, St. Marys Catholic Church in Waterloo. The memorial fund was initiated by those bearing the Sullivan name in Boston and quickly spread across the country.

Contributions were solicited from schoolchildren all over the United Sates. The statue was truly a gift from a sorrowful nation.

The 60-year-old statue has most recently been relocated to an outdoor chapel on the grounds of Columbus High School.

Our duty here was reinforced recently, when there was some discussion that a new owner of The Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center would change the name to the Waterloo Convention Center  dropping the iconic Sullivan name from the title.

Individuals with strong ties to the brothers quickly urged the city to keep the name. That included the grandson of Capt. Lyman Swenson, the Sullivans commanding officer aboard the USS Juneau. The captain died along with most of the crew of 700.

Fortunately, through discussions with city officials, members of the Sullivan family and the new owner of the convention center, a palatable agreement was reached.

It was determined the entire block where the convention center is located will be named for the Sullivan brothers, and the center will be named Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza.

Last weeks activities in New York, and all of the honors and recognition bestowed upon the Sullivan brothers in this country and overseas only strengthens our resolve to maintain and cherish each and every memorial and landmark in our own city. They stand not only for the Sullivan family, but for all soldiers and sailors who have died in the line of duty.

And in the case of the Sullivan family, Waterloos history is a very heroic and a very sad chapter of American history.
Tax legislation

AL CHARLSON

WAVERLY  The message to younger Americans in the income tax bill currently before Congress is clear. Their financially fortunate, primarily older neighbors will do everything possible to protect their wealth. And they have no qualms about cutting rungs out of the ladder younger generations are trying to climb. Investment income continues to be treated more favorably than the earnings received for labor, skill and talent. Special treatment of dividends and capital gains is preserved.

A new break for pass through business income is added. A typical pass through investment is a passive interest in a limited liability company engaged in real estate development and marketed only to high net worth accredited investors. The choices made to offset the cost of new tax breaks are stunning. The specific deductions eliminated or trimmed include a number typically most important to younger people: student loan interest, moving expenses and home mortgage interest.

Also lost is the medical expense deduction which typically has been most important to people not protected by the employer sponsored health insurance/Medicare safety net. Yet the special carried interest break for compensation earned by hedge fund and private equity fund managers is largely untouched.

No men harassed?

DANN MYERS

WATERLOO  It seems like every day we read about more and more women from different walks of life who have come forward to publicly share their unpleasant experiences concerning having been intimidated, subjected to lewd behavior, unwelcome advances, etc., by males in positions of authority at some point during their careers. Conversely, during the same time frame there have been zero reports from male victims who have been put in the same position during their careers by their female superiors.

Are we supposed to believe that this type of behavior is non-existent in the workplace simply because no male has had the courage yet to come forward?

Madisons day

ROGER W. SMITH

WATERLOO  We are now well into another academic year in which young people seeking a post-secondary education are being introduced to binge drinking, rampant sexual activities, initiation into the drug culture and who can imagine what else.

Is it possible there is too much time available for these self-destructive and self-indulged activities?

Consider, for example, the schedule of our fourth president, James Madison, when he was a student at Princeton University in the 18th century, as described by Lynne Cheney in James Madison: A Life Reconsidered: A bell ran at 5 a.m. and lest anyone fail to hear it, a servant followed, beating on every door. Students rushed to morning prayers then returned to their rooms to study until breakfast at 8 a.m. Recitation came after breakfast and was followed by a time for study that lasted until 1 p.m. dinner. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. was another study period. After 9 p.m. students could go go bed, but, as one noted, to go before is reproachful.

Madison seems to have turned out quite well without any of the aforementioned destructive diversions.

Good Samaritans

ROSELYN DIERS

CARROLL  On Oct. 21, my husband and I and my sister and her husband were in Waterloo for a family wedding at the beautiful Elks Club downtown. It was a dark rainy night and we were not familiar with the route back to our hotel. We are senior citizens, and my sister has COPD. In the heavy air, she was unable to breath and was choking. We had no idea what street we were on, and in our panic I could not even operate my phone.

My husband jumped out in the pouring rain and stood in the middle of the street to flag down a car. Our angels name was Pablo. He called 911 and gave our correct address. He stayed with us till the ambulance arrived.

We are so thankful to this young man for his care about our well being. As we were making our way across the parking area to the emergency room, a young woman who was leaving handed us her umbrella. Such a lovely gesture.

My sister was in Covenant Medical Center for five days and received excellent care.

So this is a shout out to some good Samaritans in your city. It makes us feel good about society in spite of bad news every day.

GOP tax plan

STEPHANIE SCHWINN

WAVERLY  The GOP tax plan is out. It lowers the corporate statutory tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent alleging such a reduction will increase wages, improve benefits and stimulate hiring. While it is true the statutory corporate rate (what the tax code says corporations have to pay) is 35 percent, many highly profitable companies use loopholes in the tax code to reduce their tax liability, eliminate it or even get refunds. For example, in 2016 Wal-Marts revenue was $485 billion but it paid only 1.2 percent in taxes, Wells Fargos revenue was $98 billion, but it paid 10 percent in taxes.

Without closing those loopholes, lowering the statutory rate is meaningless because those companies will still be able to use those loopholes to minimize their tax liability. It will not increase wages or hiring, those savings will be used to increase CEO pay and shareholder profits as has been the case since the inception of Reaganomics in 1980s as evidenced by stagnate wages and decreasing benefits.

Their tax plan eliminates many deductions the middle class benefits from such as mortgage interest, medical expenses, state and local taxes, student loan interest etc. It will result in increased taxation of the middle class.

GOP tax plan

TIM WAGNER

DECORAH  More eastern Iowans realize Rod Blum does not represent them. Blum is an integral player in the increased wealth concentration in the upper 1 percent of American society, which now controls 20 percent of the national income.

Since 1980, the top tax bracket has gone from 70 percent to 40 percent, under the narrative of trickle-down economics, a theory proven false by economists many times. Rob Blum, worth an estimated $15.4 million, continues to preach it because it only helps millionaires like him.

Why do we see this increased concentration of wealth while middle class wages have stagnated, middle class debt and bankruptcies are the highest level ever and more people are having to work longer hours or two to three jobs just to pay rent or put food on the table? Pay attention to what is actually going on instead of smooth GOP talking points.

We should be investing in people, i.e., education, affordable and accessible health care, infrastructure, etc., programs that keep people productive, healthy and improving. But those programs will be cut even more so the wealthy can get another tax cut they dont need.

If Rod Blum doesnt oppose the GOP/Trump tax plan, Id say District 1 needs a new congressperson.

Waterloo taxes

FOREST DILLAVOU

WATERLOO  Taxes in Waterloo are the talk of the town. This time of year the mayor and council say we lowered taxes. My properties all showed increased taxes. The levy rate went down but spending did not.

The city over the past few years has increased rental fees from $25 for five years to $25 per year. Added storm water fees are paid on all properties, so we pay this on our homes, on our county properties, school properties, churches and all nonprofits, so theres lots of added dollars for the city to spend. The city says we should lobby the state for continued backfill dollars for the commercial tax rollback dollars. All state dollars and fee dollars are paid by us.
NEWTON  An Ankeny man accused of trying to lure children in three Iowa counties is now facing a weapons charge.

Jeff Lee Altmayer, 57, is accused of having a sharpened toothbrush in his cell at the Jasper County Jail in Newton where is awaiting trial on charges in Grundy, Jasper and Monona counties.

According to court records, Altmayer sharpened a toothbrush handle, creating an instrument capable of inflicting injury. The toothbrush was found in a cup in his cell on Tuesday, and other items around the toothbrush hid the alteration, records state.

He was charged with possession of a weapon in a correctional institution. The charge is a felony.

Altmayer is awaiting trial on enticement, sexual abuse and kidnapping charges for allegedly approaching children in Dike, Colfax and Onawa and offering them money to get into his vehicle in 2016.

In August 2016, he allegedly groped a girl who entered his vehicle in Colfax after telling her he would pay her $100 to do yard work at his home. The Grundy County incidents happened in June and August 2016 near Dike City Park and a mobile home park east of Dike. He was arrested in November 2016 after he allegedly attempted to lure a 6-year-old girl into this car and then claimed to be a police officer when neighbors intervened.

Altmayer is also considered a person of interest in a August 2016 incident in which a man approached children at Clay Park in Cedar Falls, according to authorities.

M

an arrested

for exploitation

LAMONT  A Lamont man has been arrested for allegedly exchanging explicit photos with a teen on Facebook.

Fayette County sheriffs deputies detained 37-year-old Gregory Michael German in Wadena on Thursday on Buchanan County warrants for dissemination of a obscene material to a minor and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He was transferred to the Buchanan County Jail in Independence, and bond was set at $15,000.

Court records indicate German admitted asking 10 to 15 girls for sexy pictures through the social media site, and he also told investigators he sent pictures of his genitals to eight or nine teens.

The arrest stems from a January incident in which the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip about possible solicitations of a 14-year-old girl on Facebook and another tip that flagged 15 uploaded photos as possible child porn, records state.

According to court records, investigators recovered an online conversation between German and the girl where the girl told him she is 14, and he claimed to be 24. He then asked her You not going to turn me in if I ask for a sexy picture of you?

The girl sent 15 photos to German, and he sent at least one sexually explicit photo to her, records state.

Authorities searched Germans home Aug. 4.

German is on probation for allegedly taking $1,700 worth of welding equipment from his employer in Delhi in 2015 and 2016 and pawning the equipment at a Waterloo pawn shop.

CF sex abuse

trial continues

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 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 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.
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Gov. Doug Burgum promises a task force hes forming will take a fresh look at the states higher education system. Its focus, he said, will be on governance.

The governor plans to appoint 15 people to the task force and hell chair it. Hes taking applications until Nov. 30 and hopes to hold the first meeting sometime next month.

It certainly makes sense to review the higher education system. There has been a lot of turmoil with the chancellor, higher education board, university presidents and the Legislature for a long time. A little friction between the board and Legislature is understandable as they debate budgets. Unfortunately, the disagreements go beyond budget debates. The chancellors office has seemed to have a revolving door, with chancellors leaving due to a variety of conflicts.

Burgum has indicated he wants to examine the governance structure and isnt interested in closing any of the states 11 colleges or universities. North Dakota voters have shown a reluctance to make major changes in higher education. They have refused to approve measures that would allow the state to close some colleges or universities. They also easily defeated a proposal three years ago to replace the higher education board with a three-member, full-time commission appointed by the governor. The present board has eight part-time members appointed by the governor along with advisory members who cant vote.

The board has authority over the 11 colleges and universities, but the Legislature controls the purse strings. This gives lawmakers a lot of clout since they decide how the money is allocated.

If Burgums task force can find ways to smooth out higher education operations it will be a major accomplishment. In an opinion article for the Tribune, Burgum wrote:

"Creating such a system requires a governance structure that is nimble and empowers our educational leaders and faculty to make responsive decisions that enable our system to remain economically viable amid external forces transforming education across the world."

Burgum says he has an open mind about what the task force will do. He argues times change quickly and what voters rejected three years ago doesnt automatically disqualify the proposal. Burgum wants the task force to develop recommendations for the 2019 Legislature and there might be proposals that have to go to the voters. That gives the task force a little over a year to complete its work, no easy job. It will be interesting to see who the governor appoints to the task force since it could be an indication of the direction he wants to go.

The Tribune Editorial Board believes the states higher education system can be improved. Whether that means a change in structure  a smaller higher education board, eliminating the chancellor or giving the chancellor more power  needs to be studied. The ultimate goal is to produce graduates who will lead the state through the century.

This isnt going to be easy. The task force no doubt will get a lot of ideas, some conflicting. Agreeing on recommendations could be tough and getting approval of the Legislature and the voters could be tougher. Its a challenge the state needs to tackle and the governor is right to launch the effort. If successful it will pay dividends for years to come.
Description



Bangladesh is full of natural blassings like River , Hill , Forest etc . Hill track is our most productive part of our country . Chittagong hill track is one the most reknown which is situated southestern part of Bangladesh bordering India and Myanmar (Burma). Covering 13,295 square kilometres (5,133 sq mi), they formed a single district until 1984, when they were divided into three districts: Khagrachari District, Rangamati Hill District, and Bandarban District . Topographically, the Hill Tracts are the only extensively hilly area in Bangladesh.

Thanchi is upazila of Bandarban . Thanchi is vary much reknown for its bazar which is called Thanchi bazar . It is situated 90km from Bandarban . There are some history behind thanchi name . Some people say that the name come from the bay called thanchi bay which is situated near thanchi bazar . From the historian they said thanchi name come from a local language marna word than chai which means place for rest . Also some people said that long time ago some people from main town chittagong or other site of the bandarban came here to take rest and do business with the tribal people in that place . Than stay there 2/3 days after that they take there hand made thing . From that time people think to build a bazar to do business with that local people . From that bazar growth the surrounding development is going on.



There are some difference from other bazar . It can be said a city or it can be said a bazar . Because here the people who area shop holder they live in their shop . The uniqueness of that bazar is a city development based on that bazar . Here tourist come to see that uniqueness of that bazar and lifestyle of the tribal people . Also see the natural beauty of the river bank of the Sango . Also here people see the birds came from the different part of the country.

OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT:

Thanchi is renown for its natural beauty and the life style of the bazar . For that reason many people from our country or foreign come

here to see the natural beauty of the hill track and also to feel their cultural festival of the tribal group of the Bangladesh . Also there are some tourist spot near this place and tourist have came here to visit there .So it is high time to develop the thanchi bazar . This development is based on the tourist sport . Because there is not good accommodation facility for the tourist in that bazar or near around . Also there are a reason behind that development is that people here who area shopkeeper they do there selling in this shops and also they stay in that shops. Now a day some of the shopkeeper are fad up with there business because the economical situation is going down . So they stop there business and move away from that place and doing any kind of job . For that reason the history of that place going to be reined .

For that reason this place need to develop a tourist based development also it can be a base camp for the tourist .

PROJECT RATIONALE:

From the beginning Thanchi bazar is renown for its natural beauty and thanchi bazar . For that reason that place need to develop that bazar as base camp for the tourists . Because from here tourist can go many different sport like Jadipig jorna , double falce , Jinsam satar , Nafakum , Amirakum , satvaikum , safahig etc . For that reason there should be a basecamp for the tourist where they can stay and know the history of that place . So some development need in that bazar like -

1. Rethinking the prototype of the shops ( for accommodating the tourists )

2. Relocating some of the shops like craftman shop , Barbar shop , Resturant

3.Stablishing office for controlling the shops

4.Creating a space for public sitting , library , public toilet , indoor gaming etc

5.Also creating a space for preservation area ( fish and vegetable )

6.Parking area for tourist vehicles and goods vehicles

7.Riverfront development

Also there some attraction in that place like some kind of seasonal bird like Barn Swallow ,White-crested Laughingthrush , Saxicola caprata , Pied Bushchat , -Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush , River Lapwing , Yellow-Browed Warbler (Phylloscopus Inormatus) , Pied Kingfisher , Red Headed Trogon , Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) , Lesser Coucal , Brown-breasted Flycatcher etc .















Designed

2016

Completed

2016

Technical data

Detail Design Narration:

According to the analysis and finding I decided to develop this place by designing some keynote thing like .



1. Redesign of the shops + tourist rest area.

2. Bazar control office

3. Public sitting + community gathering area .

4. Redesign of the restaurant .

5. Establishing 6 cottage for tourist .

6. Parking area for tourist vehicle and goods vehicle .

7. Redesigning hut bazar part .

8. Rethinking the pathway of bazar and giving the public amenities .



In that case take some design decision that

Shop prototype A

Shop prototype B

Shop prototype C

Cottage prototype

Hut settlement and prototype design





Shop prototype A : This prototype is design not only for local shop keepers but also tourist . So that here I given 3 part where first part is used for shop keeper to make their business , 2nd part is served for kitchen and other function and 3rd part is for tourist resting place . This kind of prototype is design in the bank of the river front so that they can observed the nature .



Shop prototype B : This prototype is design for local shop keeper so that I given 2 part where 1st part is business part here shopkeeper make his business good and 2nd part is served for kitchen and other functions .



Shop prototype C : This prototype is design for craftsmen shop where I given 2 part here 1st part here craftsmen make is designs and 2nd part is served for kitchen and other functions .



Cottage prototype : This prototype is design for the vip tourist here I given 2 part where 1st part is served for the reception and 2nd part is the resting place for vip tourist here I given tow room .









Project team

KARAN SRIJAN

ASHIK VASKOR MANNAN

MD. SARIFUL ISLAM

AJMERI NUSRAT SHOMA
A lot has happened since my last blog post more than seven months ago. In the fall I made several trips - in October to Wyoming for the annual meeting of ...

3 years ago
Accolades started pouring in for Manushi Chhillar after winning the Miss World 2017 crown. She becomes the sixth Indian to win the coveted title after a gap of 17 years. Priyanka Chopra had won the prestigious title in the year 2000. Manushi hails from Haryana a state which has the worst male-female ratio in the country. Netizens took to social networking sites to congratulate Manushi for her achievement. Reita Faria was the first Indian woman to claim the title back in 1966, followed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in 1994, Diana Hayden in 1997, Yukta Mookhey in 1999 and Priyanka Chopra in 2000. Last years Miss World winner Stephanie Del Valle from Peurto Rico presented the crown to Chhillar at an event held at a resort in the coastal city of Sanya.

AV spoke to celebrities to know their opinion about Manushis achievement, Indian winning a title after long gap of 17 years and winners making a foray into Bollywood after winning the title. Here is what they had to say about it:

Sandip Soparrkar, Bollywood choreographer said, Girls representing India at Miss World contest must be ambitious to win the title. Manushi has given an outstanding answer that nobody is bigger than mother in this world. Some girls are doing social work after winning the pageant. Girls join Bollywood as they are paid higher remuneration. Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen had worked with NGOs doing social work. Kishori Shahane, actress said, The Miss World contest is planned taking into consideration the commercial aspects. Many girls who had participated in the Miss World contest after Priyanka Chopra were better even though they didnt win the title. Girls should give their frank opinions to judges instead of speaking about unrealistic objectives that are difficult to fulfil. I dont need to become Miss India, Miss World for doing charity work. Guru Singh, model and actor said, Most of the girls participate in Miss World contest to gain popularity and some of them are self-obsessed. Why cant they become highest tax payers? Girls have to work hard to win the pageant. They have to learn several languages and etiquettes. Many corporates are associated with the Miss World organisers. Indian ayurvedic companies must have a tie-up with them to promote domestic brands. Sai Tamhankar actress said, I am pleased that Manushi Chhillar has won the Miss World title after 17 years. We should appreciate her efforts and it is a positive sign for India.

Sameer Gupta a fashion designer said, Since last few years there has been a huge demand for Ayurveda products in the country and across the world. Manushi winning Miss World pageant has come at a time when Patanjali Ayurveda products are gaining popularity in the country. The firm is already challenging renowned multi-national companies. Even the Moodys have upgraded Indias rating and endorsed Modis reform policy. Thus Manushis victory will give a boost to Ayurveda products in the country.

Well! The reply she has given for the question which profession she thought deserved the highest salary and why, itself is sufficient to make her eligible for the Miss World title and all Indians should be proud of her, not only for her being crowned Miss World but also that she is a true Indian to the core. May God bless her, says our reader and doctor Manasvi.

Beauty and Brains goes hand in hand and dwell with it on the best way forward. Do good for the people who deserves it all over, not only India, said Yukta Mookhey.

Beauty and brains, Manushi has them all as she won the coveted title amidst tough competition to prove her supremacy. Her title is a victory for the weaker sex in our country which should make every girl child proud. The government should honour her for this great achievement by making her the face of the save the girl child campaign. Every Indian today is proud of your achievement Manushi Chhillar and wishing you great success in the dream journey which awaits you after winning the pageant, said contributor S.N. Kabra.

According to Chhillars profile on the Miss World website, her father, Dr. Mitra Basu Chhillar, is a scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation, while her mother, Dr. Neelam Chhillar, is an associate professor and department head of neurochemistry at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences. She aspires to be a cardiac surgeon and wants to open a chain of non-profitable hospitals based in rural areas.
Pakistani authorities on Sunday deferred by 24 hours the operation against protesters led by hard line clerics blocking two busy highways in the capital, as the earlier deadline for them to disperse peacefully or face a crackdown came to an end on Sunday morning.

About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) for about two weeks have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connect Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government has decided to give talks one last chance and convince the protesters to disperse peacefully instead of resorting to force.

The government is trying to deal with the situation. We will wait for the outcome of the talks with leaders of protesters, he said.

Iqbal said Senator Raja Zafarul Haq will head the negotiating team and expressed hope that he would succeed.

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 (Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of the Prophethood) 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 on Thursday 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 on Saturday ordered the city administration to clear the roads and issued a 24-hour deadline for protesters to disperse. Hundreds of security personnel in riot gear were deployed to take action against the protesters.

The protesters, however, refused to call off the demonstration and demanded that Law Minister Hamid be removed for allegedly orchestrating the changes in the electoral oath.
It is a shame that the country and the government is not celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, senior Congress leader Palaniappan Chidambaram said.

The former Union finance minister also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed in his economic policies and was thus, trying to play the friend of the poor.

Indira Gandhi, like any other prime minister, must be judged and assessed in the context in which she was PM and the challenges she faced as PM and what she did.

I think she was extremely successful in some areas, she was not successful in others and she made a mistake which she acknowledged later that Emergency was a mistake and I will never make it again, he said.

Chidambaram was speaking during a discussion titled Remembering Indira Commemorating Her Centenary at the Tata Literature Live festival here.

Gandhi was born on this day in 1917 in Allahabad.

Former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh and ex-United States Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith were also part of the discussion.

It is a shame that the country is not celebrating the centenary of its only female prime minister. The government of India did not celebrate her centenary. I do not know which state government celebrated her centenary, Chidambaram said.

The Congress party is doing it in its own way but the country is not celebrating Indira Gandhis centenary much like Russia seems to have forgotten the centenary of the Russian revolution, he said.

The Congress will continue to criticise Modi for not fulfilling the promises he made before coming to power, Chidambaram said, alleging that the prime minister has also failed to create job opportunities.

Modi has failed in his economic policies. He came as a great reformer, trying to play the friend of the poor. He has abandoned his Rs 10 lakh suits and switched over to desi (Indian) dresses. I do not know how the poor will react to him, he said.

Yes there are arguments that a significant part of India still believes that he (Modi) will deliver. But will he succeed or fail in his ability to create jobs? Yes, we will taunt him on the promises he made before coming to power, especially the one about putting Rs 15 lakh in accounts of Indians, the senior Congress leader said.

Eventually, his failure or success will depend on his ability to create jobs for 1.2 crore people who enter the job market every year, Chidambaram said.

So far on that front, he (Modi) has failed. He has another 15 months to deliver. Let us see if he can, he added.


By Cathy Jameson

When I was growing up, we were taught four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter. Lasting 3 months each, they make up our year. At some point in time, the medical and the advertising industry created a new season. They call it the Flu Season. Starting in October and lasting well into spring, a better term to use for those months of the year is Flu Shot Season.

Even earlier, depending on where you live, this man-made season begins with signage. Never advertising simple tipslike hand washing, avoiding contact with others while feeling under the weather, or covering sneezesFlu Shot Season advertising goes into full force around the time that school begins. Steadily increasing during the holidays, the advertising becomes more in-your-face. So do the monetary incentives for flu shot consumers.

A quick internet search of flu shot incentives and flu shot freebies brings listing upon listing of how to cash in on free or reduced products. How this is ethical is beyond me. Were not usually offered $5 off of groceries for other medical procedures, like for allergy testing or testicular cancer screenings; why, then, just for vaccines?









Flu shot sign images source: Google

No matter when, and no matter how many signs are placed or how many commercial spots are aired, the flu shot has, once again, received failing marks. Straight from the CDCs mouth, this years flu shot has been reported as ineffective.







Image source: CDC

Even with that news, advertising continues. Its push, push, push that failed shot one more Flu Shot Season in a row. If any of my children come home with academic scores similar to the yearly efficacyor better said, the inefficacyof the flu shot (Adjusted Overall VE % column), my eyebrows would be raised. My patience would be worn thin. My head would be spinning, and you know that there will be tons of questions  why is your average so low? Did you miss class that day? Were you goofing off? Did you forget your book? Notes? To study? My children know that they are responsible for their studies and that consequences follow low scores. That doesnt seem to be the case for the US vaccine programs watchdogs.
Before and after photos are shown Thursday April 7, 2016 of a boxer named Brewster cared for at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ) forensic unit, after he was dropped off last year by a good Samaritan who said he found the starving animal in a park, in New York.
All Adar M., an Israeli student living in Germany, wanted last summer was to travel from Frankfurt to Bangkok. He booked a ticket with Kuwait Airlines which provides global service to thousands of customers around the world each year. Except Israelis, which the airline refuses to fly.

A few days before his scheduled departure in August 2016, Kuwait Airlines learned that Adar M. (his full last name has been withheld in court papers) possesses an Israeli passport and cancelled his ticket. The state-owned companys hatred of Israelis meant that not even one previously-issued ticket could be honored if the passenger carried a passport from the Jewish state.

Kuwait Airlines offered to re-book Adar on a different airline but Adar refused. He was flying from Germany, a country that bars discrimination. He felt Kuwait Airlines Israeli-free policies have no place in Western Europe today. Adars case was taken up by the Lawfare Project, a New York-based nonprofit think tank that fights the abuse of law to harm Israelis. Lawyer Nathan Gelbart argued that Kuwait Airlines refusal to transport Israelis violated Germanys own anti-discrimination laws.

Yet in a landmark decision last week, the District Court in Frankfurt ruled in favor the airline, protecting its right to refuse service to Israelis. German law bans discrimination based on race, ethnicity and religion, it concluded, but does not ban discrimination based on nationality. The court declined to say whether the law banning Israelis made sense, but noted that Kuwait Airlines employees could face prison or other punishments back in Kuwait if they dared to do business with Israelis. Even Israeli Arabs or Israelis with dual citizenship are deemed too tainted for the airline to carry.

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, Mr. Gelbart said. He promised to appeal the decision, calling it shameful for democracy and for Germany in general.

Frankfurts mayor Uwe Becker echoed that criticism, adding that An airline that practices discrimination and anti-Semitism by refusing to fly Israeli passengers should not be allowed to take off or land in Frankfurt, or at any other airport in Germany.

That principled position has already been taken by other nations, particularly the United States, when it comes to Kuwait Airlines and its anti-Semitic, discriminatory practices. In 2015, the US Department of Transportation ordered Kuwait Airlines to cease and desist from refusing to transport Israeli citizens between the US and any third country Rather than sell tickets to Israelis, the airline dropped their popular New York to London route.

The following year, Switzerland temporarily stopped the airline after an Israeli filed suit in that country after being denied a ticket from Geneva to Frankfurt. Hatred trumped profit for the state-owned airline, and for several weeks, Kuwait grounded all its intra-European flights.

Tragically, the European ban on Kuwait Airlines did not last, and the discriminatory airline continues to fly European citizens - so long as they dont carry any Israeli passports.

Most recently, in September 2017, Kuwait Airlines canceled the New York to India ticket of Nuseir Yassin, an Israeli Arab who blogs about his world travels. Because Im an Israeli, the entire airline is not allowed to take me on their planes. This is daylight discrimination and it should be illegal the blogger declared in a post that quickly went viral.

Standing up to do the right thing is the hallmark of freedom and democracy. Thats why its so troubling to see Frankfurts District Court cave into hatred and anti-Semitism. If we want ideals like freedom and human rights to mean anything real, we cant just pay them lip service when its easy; we have to work to defend these concepts when theyre under attack.

Kuwait Airlines refusal to fly Israeli passengers is discrimination, pure and simple, and has no place in the travel markets of liberal democracies. Its time to take a stand and demand Kuwait Airlines start flying Israelis. Such a hateful, discriminatory airline has no place in our own national airline markets today.
Most people have no problem rattling off their weaknesses and have a much harder time articulating their strengths.

This is especially true for children.

We can build our childrens healthy sense of self by teaching them what their strengths are and how to cultivate those strengths.

Here are six ways we can help children develop their strengths:

1. Parents Matter:

Children need to know that they are loved for who they are. As we mentioned above, they need to be cherished and valued for their natural abilities and strengths. Dont underestimate the power of being your childs biggest fan and supporter. When parents foster childrens strengths, children learn to be independent, confident and responsible. Help them shine by promoting their interests in the areas they love and naturally excel at.

According to psychologist Martin Seligman, helping kids appreciate their strengths may take some detective work. We may also need to check our own biases since oftentimes our childs strength may go against what is culturally valued in our society. Ask yourself:

What does my child enjoy doing?

What comes to him/her naturally?

Once you have a picture of what your childs strengths are, gently encourage them to pursue those activities. Play math games with your child who loves numbers, sign your child up for dance or art lessons, buy your child a journal if they love to make up stories.

And give them space. Let them cultivate their talents in peace. Practicing dance moves in front of their mirror, being able to relax and color or write during down time might just be what your child needs. Being pushed to do activities, even ones they may love, can take away the joy in doing them.

2. There are lots of ways to be smart:

In order to help children appreciate their strengths parents may need to broaden their vocabulary and understanding of what constitutes a strength. For example, there are nine different categories of intelligence. These intelligences can assist parents with identifying what their childs strengths are:

Intelligence Area Represented in society by: Visual/Spatial Artist, Navigator, Architect: You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding. Verbal/Linguistic Journalist, Teacher, Lawyer: You prefer using words, both in speech and writing Logical/Mathematical Accountants, Computers, Engineers: You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems. Interpersonal Salesperson, Mental Health, Politician: You prefer to learn in groups or with other people. Intrapersonal Researcher, Novelist, Entrepreneur: You prefer to work alone and use self-study. Aural/Musical/Rhythmic Musician, Composer, DJ: You prefer using sound and music. Naturalist: Farmer, Botanist, Environmentalist: You prefer working outdoors with animals and plants. Existential: Philosopher, Theorist: You prefer dealing with abstract theories Bodily/Kinesthetic Athlete, Firefighter, Actor: You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

3. Teach children to notice their strengths

Knowing about strengths and weaknesses is helpful to children, but it has to be taken a few steps further in order to be useful to them. How can we help children use their personal strengths to build self-confidence and a positive attitude? Part of this depends on the childs age. Young children love to tell you about themselves, and are open to telling you what they like to learn. In contrast, older children and teens may have a hard time opening up. We need to point out their strengths:

I noticed you love basketball, you seem so comfortable holding and dribbling the ball.

"I noticed that you love to figure out math problems in your head.

Sometimes children wont talk about themselves and we need to find a clever in to help them understand the concept of strengths.

For example, when children talk about their friends they might say, Sara is so klutzy in dance. It is a perfect opportunity to ask, Well, what are Saras strengths? What does she like to do? Everyone has strengths and weaknesses

4. Listen to children

The most important thing we can do to encourage a child to use their strengths is to listen to them. In our house, whenever someone comes up with an innovative or even silly idea, we try to listen as best as we can and say, In this house, we encourage innovation and creativity! Just keep on coming up with ideas! Even if it is said tongue in cheek, it still sends a powerful message.

5. Help children tackle new challenges:

Self-esteem comes from learning new skills and undertaking challenges. We all need to do things that we dont like to do and things that dont come naturally to us. Even pursuing our strengths can take hard work and effort.

We can teach our children tackle challenges by making sure that they are doing chores at home, volunteering in the community and taking responsibility for their schoolwork.

Role modeling also works. Talk about the challenges that you have and how you managed them. I had a really challenging issue at work today. I pushed through, asked for help, and spent a few extra hours on it. It paid off, we dealt with it successfully!

According to Carol Dweck, children who are praised for their effort and hard work will feel confident taking on more challenging work. So instead of telling your child, You are so smart! say, Wow! You worked hard studying for your math test, you reviewed the problems several times, and studied with your friend. Looks like it paid off.

6. Strengths are a life long pursuit:

Not everyone will figure out their strengths right away. It might take a while. Thats what childhood is for. Encouraging children to take part in different extra curricular activities (within your budget and time frame) is an important part of the process. Parents often get frustrated when children lose interest in karate, art, or tuba lessons, but those are clues. Encouraging kids to try different things without any strings attached, will help you have a happier and more confident kids.
On November 15, 2017, military authorities placed Zimbabwes long-time dictator, President Robert Mugabe, under house arrest. His wife, Grace Mugabe, is challenging former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa for leadership. Both would-be new presidents have fearsome reputations and widespread demonstrations have been planned throughout the country.

Unknown to many observers, Zimbabwe is home to a Jewish community. Here are seven little-known facts about Jews and Zimbabwe.

Early Adventurers

In the late 1800s, the British South African Company, led by Cecil Rhodes, carved out an enormous area of influence in southern Africa. Named Rhodesia, it encompassed what today are the nations of Zambia in the north and Zimbabwe in the south.

Cecil Rhodes

Jews, like other European settlers, began to pour into southern Africa in the late 1800s. According to historian Hugh MacMillan, these Jews were both economic migrants and refugees, escaping from the kind of religious and political persecution in the Russian Empire, and also economic migrants looking for a place where they could make a better living. Most of these immigrants went to South Africa, but some more adventurous settlers ventured further north, into Rhodesia, where many worked as cattle traders.

Alfred Beit, Founder of Rhodesia

No history of Rhodesia should fail to mention the remarkable generosity of Sir Alfred Beit, (Cecil) Rhodes silent and self-effacing partner, observes historian Robert Blake in his landmark work A History of Rhodesia.

Although Rhodesia was named after the famous British businessman and politician Cecil Rhodes, Rhodes success was enabled by Alfred Beit, a Jewish immigrant from Germany. Beit was one of the first Europeans to see business potential in southern Africa.

Beit was born into a poor Jewish family in Germany in 1853. He started his working life with a firm that imported wool and diamonds, and soon worked in the diamond industry in Holland. In 1875, Beit was sent to South Africa to help set up a diamond mine. He realized that African diamonds were of a much higher quality than any diamonds currently for sale in Europe and he started developing diamond mines and championing new mining techniques.

Alfred Beit, 1905

A few years later, Beit met Cecil Rhodes, another diamond industry manager. Beit later recalled that Rhodes asked him if he ever took a rest; not often Beit replied. Rhodes explained his idea of launching a consolidated mining company to develop the regions mines, and Beit advanced him the 250,000 pounds he needed for the venture - with no security down. Beits gamble paid off, and the British South African Corporation received its Royal Charter in 1889, with Beit helping to run the massive venture.

Beit was responsible for much of Southern Africas diamond industrys development, but his great passion was endowing railroads and other infrastructure that developed the region. He endowed the Beit Trust before his death in 1906, and this fund still exists, giving grants to buildings and transportation infrastructure that continues to transform and improve the region today. http://www.beittrust.org.uk/

Tents and Frontier Buildings: Synagogues and Jewish Life in Rhodesia

The first synagogue in what is today Zimbabwe was set up in a tent in what then was the remote town of Bulawayo. In 1894, twenty Jews came together to establish a place of worship in their new home.

The following year, a synagogue was established in Harare (then called Salisbury), and a third synagogue was established in Gwelo in 1901. The smaller cities of Kadoma and Kwekwe were also home to Jewish communities. In 1898, Bulawayos Jews set up a chapter of the Zionist organization Chovevei Zion to help express their yearning for and aid to a future Jewish state. By 1900, about 400 Jews lived in what was formerly called Southern Rhodesia and today is known as the independent nation of Zimbabwe.

From Rhodes to Rhodesia

The Greek island of Rhodes (which, despite its name, has no connection with Rhodesia), was home to a rich, 3,000 year old Jewish community. Many Jews of Rhodes spoke Ladino and could trace their familys histories to the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492.

In 1911, Rhodes came under Italian rule; the Jewish population at the time numbered about 4,000. As fascism gained adherents, and particularly after Mussolini rose to power in 1938, most of Rhodes Jews fled. In a coincidental overlap of place-names, hundreds of these Jews fled to the southern African territory of Rhodesia, today known as Zimbabwe. In 1931, these refugees established the Sephardi Hebrew Congregation in Harare, Zimbabwes capital.

Sephardi Jewish immigrants also founded two of the most well-known shopping malls in Harare: Sam Levys Village and Avondale Shopping Center. Sephardi Jews also set up textile mills and factories in their new home, providing thousands of jobs in the region.

Declining Jewish Population

Zimbabwes Jewish population peaked during the boom years following the Second World War. In 1961, the region was home to over 7,000 Jews. Years of political instability saw that number decrease sharply.

In 1964, Zambia (formerly known as Northern Rhodesia) declared independence. Southern Rhodesia remained a British colony until 1965: that year the white supremacist leader Ian Smith declared independence for his Rhodesian Front government. A decade of bitter civil war ensued, during which most of the countrys Jewish population fled to neighboring South Africa. In 1980, the nation became the Republic of Zimbabwe, with Robert Mugabe as leader.

Mugabes Zimbabwe originally was home to over a thousand Jews, but years of poor economic policy saw more and more Jewish Zimbabweans flee the country. As Mugabes long rule continued, the leader became increasingly irrational, lashing out at minorities, including Jews, whom he accused of undermining the country.

Synagogue in Harare

Today, about 120-130 Jews live in Zimbabwe, primarily in Harare and Bulawayo. Two thirds of the community is aged 65 or older. Harare is home to two synagogues, one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi, but since the early 2000s, they have held joint services in order to ensure they can get a minyan. In 2003, Bulawayos only surviving synagogue burned to the ground, though a new building has been erected. A shochet, or kosher slaughterer, visits Zimbabwe twice a year from South Africa. Despite the small size of the community, there are still two Jewish schools in Zimbabwe: one in Bulawayo and one in Harare.

Jewish Roots among Christian and Muslim Africans?

The Lemba are a southern African group that lives in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and has long noted some similarities between their traditions and Jewish practices. Lemba people do not eat pork, they observe a weekly holiday, and they even have a custom of carving stars that look like the Jewish symbol the Star of David on their tombstones. They also speak a sacred language that has elements of Hebrew and Arabic, and likely was imported to Africa hundreds of years ago from ancestors in Yemen.

Lemba tribe members

Lemba people have long believed they are descended in part from Jewish visitors to Africa, and recent genetic testing seems to support the claim that many Lemba tribesmen have some Jewish origins. Most Lemba are Christian, though some are Muslim. Although the group used to be very close-knit and closed to outsiders, in recent years younger Lemba people seem to be more willing to marry non-Lembas and assimilate into wider southern African culture.

A Tense Shabbat

As the political turmoil in Zimbabwe continues, the countrys tiny Jewish community is determined to carry on as usual. Harares Jewish school did close briefly after Pres. Mugabe was arrested, but then reopened as usual. At this stage, Shabbat services will go ahead, explained Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, of the African Jewish Congress.

One local resident told The Jerusalem Post in the days after the change of government that Zimbabwes Jews are hoping for better times to come, and in the face of current turmoil, they remain cautiously optimistic.
Courtesy Mobile Symphony Orchestra

JAZZ MEETS CLASSICAL

The rhythms of jazz will collide with the majesty of classical music at the Mobile Symphony Orchestras annual laid-back Beethoven and Blue Jeans concert. This years program contrasts Beethovens spirited Symphony No. 7 with George Gershwins jazz-infused Piano Concerto in F. Renowned jazz pianist Marcus Roberts, known for his remarkable Gershwin performances, will join the orchestra for the concerto.

Beethoven and Blue Jeans, Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m., Saenger Theatre, $15-$75, www.mobilesymphony.org or (251) 432-2010.

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MICRO-MEMOIRS

Poet Laureate of Mississippi Beth Ann Fennelly reads from her latest book, Heating and Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs, described as a genre-defying powerhouse that offers bright glimpses into a richly lived life. They build on each other to arrive at a portrait of Fennelly as a wife, mother, writer and deeply original observer of lifes challenges and joys.

Beth Ann Fennelly, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m., Page & Palette, 32 S. Section St., Fairhope, free, www.facebook.com/events/2166072683629022/.

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AT THE ZENITH

J. Gary Cooper will deliver a speech, Theres Always Room at the Top, to the Historic Mobile Preservation Society. A native of Lafayette, La., Cooper, the first African-American ever to command a Marine Corps infantry company, left the Marines in 1970 to head up his familys insurance and funeral home business in Mobile. In 1988, he returned to active duty and was promoted to major general and director of personnel. He was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to be assistant secretary of the Air Force, and President Clinton named him U.S. ambassador to Jamaica in 1994. In 1997, he returned to Mobile.

Maj. Gen. Gary Cooper Lecture, Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m., Oakleigh House Museum, 350 Oakleigh Place, $10 general admission, free for HMPS members, www.historicmobile.org/events.

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HAVE A BALL

The inaugural Outsiders Ball is a special night-before-Thanksgiving show starring Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh with The Terrapin Family Band and special guests Eric Krasno, George Porter Jr., Marcus King, Ivan Neville, Jennifer Hartswick and The Jake Peavy Foundation, to raise money for disaster relief. The proceeds from this show will directly support individuals and families affected by the recent hurricanes in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, as well as the victims of the Northern California fires.

The Outsiders Ball, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m., Mobile Civic Center, $60-$99, www.facebook.com/events/133164947339682/.

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ROCK ON

Mobile Rock and Gem Societys annual, three-day show features 40-plus exhibits of gems, specimens, fossils and lapidary art; more than 30 dealers presenting gems, jewelry, minerals, fossils and more; live demonstrations of lapidary arts, featuring cabbing, wire wrapping and gem faceting; special visiting wire wrap artist at McDuffee; flint knapping with live demonstrations; a fluorescent mineral display; and other events for the whole family.

Annual Gem and Mineral Show, Nov. 24 from 1 to 6 p.m., Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nov. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Abba Shrine Center, 7701 Hitt Road, $4, free for children under 4, www.mobilerockandgem.com/show-summary.

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After a decade without them, school report cards will be issued in December. And for the first time in more than a decade, schools will be given a letter grade.

Under development for five years, school report cards will contain information on how well students are learning, overall achievement in math and reading, graduation rates, and whether a school is struggling with getting kids to attend school.

State officials released preliminary report cards online last year showing achievement-based information, but without letter grades attached.

The law requiring schools to be given letter grades was passed in 2012, and its sponsor, Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, is looking forward to the release.

Over the past five years, Collins has worked on multiple task forces to work out the details and has kept a positive outlook despite the length of time it has taken to decide on a final format.

"My patience comes from the fact that I truly wanted to get it right, not just get it done," Collins said.

Collins said she recently met with state education officials and is pleased with the information included on the report card.

State officials have released no prototypes of what the report card will look like, but have said it will be in an online dashboard format.

The state report card for 2016-2017 will contain only the indicators required in state law, and the report card containing those required by federal law will be published separately.

Education officials planned to keep the state and federal report cards separate, but interim state superintendent Dr. Ed Richardson nixed that idea, saying it's too confusing to have two different report cards.

Richardson told local superintendents in a memo dated Nov. 9 that future report cards, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, will contain both state and federally-required information. Superintendents will get a look at what the unified report card will look like not later than the end of December.

The last time Alabama issued school report cards was for the 2006-2007 school year. Those report cards met both state and federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind law.

At that time, the report cards were being printed and shipped to schools across the state, and costs were mounting.

Former state superintendent Dr. Joe Morton told AL.com in an email that financial pressures that began during the 2007-2008 school year caused state officials to rethink how best to compile and distribute the information required by both state and federal law.

Ultimately, all accountability reporting was made available through the state department's website, and no more report cards were printed.

The elements that were part of a school's report card were scattered across the department's website, making it difficult for parents and community members and the media to get the full picture of what was happening within a school.

In the years following, test results and measures of "adequate yearly progress," required by federal law, were easy to access and often formed the basis of media reports, but that focus on test scores is too narrow, critics of school grading systems say.

Collins said the multiple measures and indicators, beyond test results, that will be on Alabama's new school report card give a more well-rounded view of what is happening in schools.

Educators, administrators, parents and legislators have been at the table during discussions of what would be published on the final report card, and their voices have been heard, Collins said.

Alabamians are used to seeing public schools and public education rank low nationwide. Educators worry these new grades will do more of the same, seeing the grades to further beat down already struggling schools.

The intent has never been to use ratings as a hammer, Collins said, but to use the information to continuously improve schools. "How will we get better," she asked, "if we never acknowledge where we really are right now and have a goal to improve?"

Collins said she has seen prototypes of the new report card, and believes it reveals a more well-rounded picture of what happens in a school.

Thomas Rains, Vice President of Operations and Policy for the A Plus Education Partnership, sees value in school report cards. "It's really a matter of putting that information out there and owning it," he said. "[It's] for the schools and the parents and the taxpayers to be able to see and understand how their schools are performing."

Rains said the information can help pinpoint which schools need the most support as well as help parents choose a school for their child.

Board member Mary Scott Hunter, R-Huntsville, said she is looking forward to having a report card again because, she said, "We need to be telling our own story. If we don't, others will tell our story for us."

Hunter referenced school ratings site like GreatSchools.org that use publicly available data on their web sites to compare performance of schools.

While no date has been set for release, Richardson told board members on Nov. 9 he plans to bring the final report card to them at their next meeting, Dec. 14.

The deadline for releasing both the state and federal report cards for 2016-2017 is Dec. 31.

Separate and apart from state law, federal law has its own reporting requirements. Federal law requires states to report measures of equity, such as how many qualified teachers are in each school and what percentage of students in the school took required tests, and Alabama is way behind getting that information online.

In 2016, after finding Alabama no longer published the indicators required under federal law, federal officials placed a condition on Alabama's federal Title I funding used to administer education for students in poverty after finding state officials weren't providing required information to the public. The condition remains in place, but no funding has been withheld.

Federal officials can impose conditions on federal funding to get state officials to comply with state law, but it is rare that funds are ever actually withheld.

AL.com reported on this in 2016 when state officials published a 1,074-page report card for the 2014-2015 school year online. Another 400 pages were added in February to complete the requirements.

Both the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 federal report cards will be online before the end of the year, education officials said, and will likely be just as large, containing more than a thousand pages, but will be streamlined in the future as a part of the unified report card.

As for the state report card, Collins said, "At the end of the day, nobody may think [all of the indicators on the report card are] the best thing in the whole wide world." But, she said, the report will provide multiple measures and indicators of student achievement, which is what schools should be aiming for.

Rains, too, cautions parents and policymakers to remember that whatever indicators are on the report card only give a partial view of what's happening in a school, but does believe the information will be valuable. "This is one more piece of a very complicated puzzle," Rains said.

"All of us in Alabama are stakeholders in public education in one way or another," Rains said. "This is important information for us to have to improve and get better."

1/31/2018 - Updated to clarify that schools have previously been given an overall letter grade, but not since 2001.
CNN isn't giving President Donald Trump a pass when it comes to controversial Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.

The cable news network's online politics page now features a clock tracking Trump and his lack of comment on the Moore situation. The countdown is titled "Has Trump weighed in on Moore yet?

As of Sunday night, the clock was at 3 days, 22 hours.

Trump has been mostly quiet on allegations Moore, now 70, had improper sexual contact with teenage girls in the 1970s. Moore has denied the allegations.

White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders did address the allegations, first during Trump's 13-day trip Asia.

"The president believes we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a person's life. However, the president also believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside," Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One last week.

Trump returned from his trip last week and has since addressed sexual misconduct allegations against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. Franken has been accused of improper behavior towards a female reporter during a 2006 USO tour.

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 backed Moore's opponent Luther Strange in the GOP primary but congratulated the former Alabama Chief Justice after his runoff win.
A 74-year-old man died yesterday after he was struck by a car outside his home near Athens, said Limestone County Coroner Mike West.

West identified the victim as Cordell Barnett. The accident happened on AL 99 northwest of Athens early on Saturday evening.

Emergency services received the call at 5:07 p.m. The accident occurred when the victim crossed the road to get his mail, West said. The vehicle was traveling eastbound on AL 99, West said.

No arrests were made and West said officers from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency are still investigating the accident. The occupants of the vehicle that struck Barnett were transported to Athens-Limestone Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, West said.
A 60-year-old Hanceville man died in a single-vehicle crash Saturday in Blount County, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Carl Wallace Williams was driving a 2004 Ford pickup when it left the roadway, struck a fence and overturned. Williams was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, according to a press release issued by the agency. No one else was injured in the crash.

The crash happened at about 7:30 p.m. on Blount County 47 about three miles north of Blountsville. Troopers are still investigating the crash.
This election is a turning point for women in Alabama. A chance to make their voices heard in a state that has silenced them for too long.

The accusations against Roy Moore have been horrifying, but not shocking.

Every day new allegations arise that illustrate a pattern of a man in his 30s strutting through town like the cock of the walk, courting and preying on young women and girls. And though Roy Moore has denied the accusations of these women, his own platform and record is hostile to so many Alabamians.

Unlike the national party, the Alabama Republican establishment has chosen to stand by him, attacking and belittling the brave women who have come forward.

As a news organization, we have independently investigated stories of several Alabama woman who have spoken to us and the Washington Post about the abuse they say they suffered at the hands of Roy Moore decades ago.

The seriousness of these incidents, including one involving a 14-year-old child, cannot be overstated. Nor can the growing number of accusations -- from the women who were at the receiving end of unwanted adult male overtures as teens, to those who say they were physically assaulted -- be parsed with talk of statutes of limitations or whether proof has been recorded on a stone tablet. In the American system, proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a consideration for the courtroom, not the ballot box. It is our job as voters to look closely at the candidates and make up our own minds.

Do not let this conversation be muddled. This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders.

Alabamians have never cared about what the rest of country thinks of them. And we do not expect all the handwringing from national pundits, conservative or liberal, to make much of a difference. This election isn't about what a late-night comedian may think of Alabama or whether Sean Hannity can sell advertisements; it's not about Saturday Night Live or Mitch McConnell. It's not about Breitbart or National Democrats. It is about the moral values of the people of Alabama.

Do not make your voting decision based on who it will affect on a national stage. Vote based on who it will affect in your hometown.

We each know someone in our lives who is a survivor of sexual assault or child abuse. Many of us are still searching for the words needed to tell our own stories and some may never find that voice. This election is about them.

How can we look our neighbors, our parishioners, our colleagues, our partners, or our children in the eyes and tell them they are worth less than ensuring one political party keeps a Senate seat? How can we expect young Alabamians to have faith in their government or their church, when its leaders equivocate on matters as clear cut as sexual abuse?

A vote for Roy Moore sends the worst kind of message to Alabamians struggling with abuse: "if you ever do tell your story, Alabama won't believe you."

Or, worse, we'll believe you but we just won't care.

To be clear: it's not only his record on women and children that disqualifies Moore. If we vote for Roy Moore, Alabama will also show that we don't care about you if you're gay or Muslim or Catholic. If you're an atheist or an immigrant. We'll show each other that we only care about Roy Moore's definition of Alabama. And that there's not room for the rest of us.

Click here to read AL.com's coverage of Roy Moore.

Roy Moore says he has faith in the Alabama voters. But apparently only a select few.

This utter disregard for people unlike himself, his pathological fixation on sex, and the steps he's taken to actively diminish other people's freedoms, is more than enough to have disqualified him from this office long before these women stepped into the public eye.

So what now?

Alabamians opposed to Roy Moore have three options on election day: stay home, write in a candidate, or vote for Doug Jones.

As a news organization, we could never advise voters to stay home. Low turnout in the Republican primary contributed to Roy Moore winning a spot on the ballot. Elections matter. And from soldiers overseas to Civil Rights foot soldiers at home, too many people have risked their lives to secure that privilege for Alabamians. And given what's at stake in this election, we urge you to register by November 27.

If your conscience tells you that you cannot vote for either man, write in a candidate that shares your convictions. While we believe that state Republicans response to the allegations brought against Roy Moore has cast a permanent shadow on many others - particularly GOP Chairwoman Terry Lathan who has threatened any Republican who speaks out - there are good options in the Republican Party.

However, we endorse the third option: Doug Jones.

Despite what you may have heard, Doug Jones is a moderate Democrat and a strong candidate for all Alabamians. As the son of a steel family, he understands the concerns facing working class families as factories close and jobs disappear. He's been an active member of Canterbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham. He has built a platform around issues that will define Alabama: job creation, small business development, child healthcare, criminal justice reform and, perhaps most needed of all, compromise.

By bringing justice to four little girls killed at Birmingham's 16th Baptist Church, Jones helped Alabama move forward from the sins of our past. But unlike some national Democrats, he isn't interested in shaming Alabama voters because of their history. As a Red State Democrat, we expect Jones would have a larger seat at the table crafting policy in the Senate. Neither Majority Leader Mitch McConnell nor Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would be able to take Jones' vote for granted (for relevant examples look to West Virginia's Joe Manchin, Montana's Jon Tester or North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp). That would put Jones in a strong position to work with Sen. Richard Shelby to secure policies that benefit Alabamians.

While Jones is a vocal Christian, despite Moore's claims to be the sole Christian in politics, we know his pro-choice stance may be a deal breaker for some Alabamians, but his stance only advocates the law as it is currently written. After a year of complete control of the White House, the Senate and the House, we are skeptical that this Congress plans to pass any relevant legislation on abortion. Jones' commitment to affordable healthcare for women and children will improve the lives of Alabama's families, and, for us, his pro-choice stance is not disqualifying.

What is disqualifying is the conduct of Roy Moore against women and children. It was disqualifying for his party leaders. It was disqualifying for Alabama's senior senator. And it should be disqualifying for his state party.

By the various misdeeds, miscalculations and mistakes of its voters and leaders, Alabama has left itself with few options. Alabamians must show themselves to be people of principle, reject Roy Moore and all that he stands for.

There is only one candidate left in this race who has proven worthy of the task of representing Alabama. He is Doug Jones.

The voters must make their voices heard.
Athens, Greece  When the Athens Polytechnic student uprising happened in 1973, Evangelos Kouris had just recently finished law school.

Now 75, he comes out every November 17 to commemorate that uprising, which set into motion a chain of events that toppled a hardline military government  known as the Regime of Colonels, or in Greece, simply as the Junta  the following year.

Standing at the front of the march and holding one end of a large banner that reads against fascism, he said he recalled being arrested and tortured by the military regime.

All of the youth resisted fascism and fought for democracy, he told Al Jazeera. They fought for their human rights and for a humane society.

Every year, thousands of Greeks march to mark that uprising. Between Wednesday and Friday, several marches, events and protests were held in the Greek capital.

Communists, socialists and anarchists marched to the United States embassy in Athens on Friday evening, chanting against the Junta and in honour of at least 24 people who were killed during the Polytechnic student uprising.

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Greek police deployed thousands of officers and heavily armed riot police across the city.

In Exarchia, a neighbourhood that is a stronghold for anarchists and leftists, clashes between youth and police lasted into the early morning.

At least two bystanders were injured in Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki, according to the local Ekathimerini newspaper.
November 19 marks World Toilet Day and aims to raise awareness about health problems caused by poor sanitation.

A UN-recognised event, World Toilet Day on November 19, aims to raise awareness about poor sanitation and defecation in the open.

An estimated 2.3 billion people worldwide are without toilets to safely dispose of their waste. Al Jazeera looks at the impact caused by the lack of access to sanitation facilities.





Open defecation is most widespread in countries that also have the highest number of deaths for children aged five and under, as well as the highest levels of malnutrition and poverty, and large disparities in wealth.

A World Health Organization study in 2012 calculated that for every $1 invested in sanitation, there was a return of $5.50 in lower healthcare costs, greater productivity, and fewer premature deaths.
Apart from being disastrous for Palestine, normalising relations with Israel could get Saudi Arabia in real trouble.

Driven by succession plans and a strategy to confront Irans influence in the Arab region, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has engaged in several taboo-breaking steps. These include the arrest of dozens of princes and ministers and a process of normalising relations, at least partially, with Israel.

But taking concrete measures to end the Arab boycott of Israel, without reaching a just solution to the Palestinian issue first, will be detrimental to both Palestine and Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, the Israeli armys chief-of-staff, Gadi Eizenkot, gave the first-ever interview to a Saudi news outlet, saying that Israel is ready to share intelligence with Saudi Arabia on Iran. Also for the first time, Israel co-sponsored with Saudi Arabia a resolution against Syria in the UN Human Rights Council last week. Furthermore, Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara extended a warm invitation to Saudi Arabias Grand Mufti, Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh, to visit Israel for what he said were his friendly comments about the country.

To legitimise steps taken to normalise relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia summoned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to Riyadh last week, to convince him to accept a peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trumps special adviser, Jared Kushner. Saudi-Israeli collaboration is an integral part of that plan. According to the New York Times, the proposal could include, among other normalisation measures, overflights by Israeli passenger planes, visas for business people, and telecommunication links with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.

If MBS proceeds with the plan, he risks Saudi Arabia's leading position in the Islamic world being delegitimised. by

Abbas cooperation is essential for Saudi-Israeli normalisation to proceed; without it, the Saudi move would be seen as a betrayal to the Arab and Muslim position on Palestine. Although not much has been revealed about what really happened during Abbas visit to Riyadh, some reports talk about the Saudi leadership pressuring Abbas to accept whatever plan Kushner puts forward, or to resign.

Abbas is in an unenviable position, as pressure on him is likely to increase when Kushners plan is released in the not-so-distant future. He needs Saudi and US financial support for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to continue to function.

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However, the Kushner deal will not do even minimum justice to the Palestinian national project. While the deal offers strategic gains to Israel, such as ending a Saudi Arab boycott, it offers only tactical gains for the Palestinians, such as financial assistance, prisoners release, and a silent, partial freeze of settlement activities outside the large settlement blocs.

The Kushner deal will practically fragment the Saudi-sponsored 2002 Arab Peace Plan that offered Israel full normalisation in return for full withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in 1967. By pressuring Abbas to accept the deal, the Saudi leadership is undermining its own initiative, accepting to partially normalise relations with Israel in exchange for an alliance against Iran.

Moreover, the Saudi normalisation plan is likely to further complicate internal Palestinian reconciliation. Aiming to end Iranian influence in Gaza, Saudi Arabias close ally, Egypt, brokered  or as some view it, dictated  Palestinian reconciliation that resulted in Hamas surrendering power to the Palestinian Authority.

To pressure Abbas further, Saudi Arabia reportedly summoned his bitter enemy, Mohammed Dahlan, to Riyadh at the same time he was there. The purpose of the move was supposedly to have the two discuss Fatahs internal reconciliation. In other words, Saudi Arabia brought Dahlan into the scene in case the PA president rejects the Kushner deal. In what could be interpreted as a sign of resistance to the Saudi pressure, some commentators in the West Bank and Gaza observed that upon his return to Ramallah, Abbas started cracking down on Dahlans supporters.

Just a few days later, another blow was dealt to the PA. On Sunday, the US administration announced that the license of the PLO office in Washington will not be renewed  this could not be a mere coincidence. In fact, it might be another strong sign that Abbas continues to resist Saudi-US pressure. In line with this argument, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Fatah Central Committee member and one of the candidates to succeed Abbas, told me, Reconciliation will not be a railway for a regional political project at the expense of the Palestinian cause.

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Saudis demands have put the Palestinian president is a very difficult position, as his people would overwhelmingly reject the stipulations of the Kushner deal. This situation is reminiscent of his predecessor, Yasser Arafats, dilemma at Camp David in 2000, when he faced US pressure to accept Ehud Baraks plan offering partial Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza. Immediately after the Camp David Accords, Arafat was sidelined and, two years later, died mysteriously. To what extent Abbas will be able to resist US-Saudi pressure and hang on to his presidency is yet to be seen.

What is clear, however, is that Saudi Arabia will proceed with its normalisation efforts with Israel, with or without Abbas. The way MBS is managing succession at home and escalation with Iran abroad suggests that he is up for making radical decisions.

But his move on Israel might not work as well as some of his other bold policies have. In fact, he might end up shooting himself in the foot. Pushing through with the Kushner deal would mean acting against the consensus of Arab and Muslim countries, which reject normalisation with Israel without a fair and just solution to the Palestinian cause.

Saudi Arabia might receive support from countries like the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Jordan, but not from the rest of the 57 Muslim-majority member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Kuwait, for example, is already holding anti-normalisation activities at home.

If MBS proceeds with the plan, he risks Saudi Arabias leading position in the Islamic world being delegitimised. His father, King Salman, the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, will appear to be conceding on the third holiest site for Muslims  al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. If he normalises relations with Israel, MBS will be giving Tehran the strongest hand to play against Riyadh, in Irans efforts to delegitimise Saudi Arabia in the Muslim world.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The resignation of Robert Mugabe, who has been given a Monday noon deadline to step down as Zimbabwes president or face impeachment, will not automatically result in free and fair elections next year, according to an analyst.

The ultimatum from the ruling ZANU-PF party on Sunday came after party officials dismissed Mugabe as their leader, further cornering the 93-year-old president in the wake of the armys takeover on Wednesday.

Political analyst Alex Magaisa said the militarys surprise intervention, coupled with the ZANU-PFs moves against the man leading it for decades confirms that what Mugabe believed to be popular support was only a facade created by people in his party.

Everybody else outside ZANU-PF was warning them that it was terrible to have a 94-year-old in 2018 as a candidate, but all these people were supporting him for their own interest, Magaisa, a lawyer and adviser to Morgan Tsvangirai, a former Zimbabwean prime minister, told Al Jazeera from Britains capital, London.

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Zimbabwe is expected to hold elections next year, but Magaisa raised questions whether that vote would be credible, even with Mugabe gone.

It was always very doubtful whether there would be free and fair elections next year, given that the electoral landscape had not been changed significantly, he said.

The removal of Mugabe would be an important part of changing that landscape, but we must understand that Mugabe was part of a system  that system hasnt changed, added Magaisa.

The new actors who are coming in were part of the system that propped up Mugabe. The only question is, have they got the leadership to change the mindset, to change the way with which they approached elections and democracy? Are they born-again democrats or is it going to be the same?

Watch Alex Magaisas full interview with Al Jazeeras Folly Bah Thibault in the video above.
At Saudi Arabias request, Arab foreign ministers are holding an emergency meeting in Cairo.

Arab foreign ministers are holding an emergency meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, following Saudi Arabias request to discuss Irans violations and its role in undermining Arab security and peace.

The meeting in the Egyptian capital on Sunday comes amid escalated political tensions between Riyadh on the one hand, and Tehran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement on the other.

According to a report from the Reuters news agency, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil would not be present.

A decision was taken that Lebanon would be presented by Antoine Azzam, the permanent representative to the Arab League, a source from the ministry told Reuters.

Saudi is set to discuss the act of aggression by the Houthi militias of Iran in Yemen after Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile towards Riyadh on November 4, according to a memorandum distributed by the leagues general secretariat, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, to member states.

Bahrain has also accused Iran of being responsible for blowing up its oil pipelines.

What Iran is doing is undermining security and peace, not only in the Arab region but throughout the world, the memorandum stated.





Saad Hariri, Lebanons prime minister, announced his resignation from Riyadh on the same day that the Houthis fired the missile.

The move caused Lebanons top politicians to speculate that he was under some form of house arrest, despite his visit to Paris on Saturday, and has led to heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political, said Saudi Arabia is trying to escalate Arab tensions with Tehran over what it perceives to be increasing Iranian influence and threat to regional security.

He said the meeting was an attempt by Riyadh to garner regional support at a time when reports from the mainstream press in the US and Europe are signaling alarm in Western circles about the reckleness of the Saidi leadership in the region, whether vis-a-vis Yemen, Qatar, Lebanon and Iran.

Bishara noted, however, that the Arab countries are divided, as usual.

There are a few, like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, that are behind Saudi Arabia. But Egypt, the host of Arab League, is not as enthusiastic as people think to support Saudi escalation against Iran at this point in time, he said.

While they might vote in favour of a watered-down resolution against Iran or putting Iran in notice, there is no sense that Egypt really today wants to come to some sort of regional conflict with Iran, added Bishara.

Other countries are not as enthusiastic as Saudi Arabia.
Students at LSE and Oxford strip Burmese Nobel Peace Prize winner of honours over her alleged inaction over atrocities.

Student activists in the UK are working to strip Aung San Suu Kyi of honours bestowed on her during the course of her career as a democracy activist, as anger mounts over her alleged inaction over the Rohingya crisis.

Last week, students at the London School of Economics (LSE) voted to remove an honourary presidency awarded to Myanmars de facto leader by the Students Union in 1992, with immediate effect.

In a statement issued shortly afterwards, the union said the move would act as a strong symbol of our opposition to (Aung San) Suu Kyis current position and inaction in the face of genocide.

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LSE Students Union president, Mahatir Pasha, told Al Jazeera the organisation has a long and proud history of embracing political progress and speaking out against injustice.

We have made clear to the world that LSE students stand in solidarity with the brutally oppressed Rohingya people, he said.

Aung San Suu Kyi led a decades-long struggle against the Burmese military that culminated in a landslide victory for her party in elections held in 2015.

During the course of that campaign, she earned international acclaim and was awarded accolades across the world, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

However, many who once supported her have taken issue with her silence over the Burmese armys ongoing campaign against the Rohingya Muslim people in Rakhine state, which the UN has condemned as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a campaign ostensibly targeting Rohingya armed groups in August.

Journalists and human rights groups have documented widespread rape, killing, and destruction of homes by government troops but Aung San Suu Kyi has yet to recognise the atrocities and condemn the Burmese military.

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The students at LSE are not alone; activists at her alma mater have also moved to remove the Burmese state chancellors honours.

In October, students at St Hughs College at the University Oxford dropped Aung San Suu Kyis name from its common room. In September, her portrait was removed from display.





The 72-year-old leader studied at the college between 1964 and 1967 and is regarded as one of its most famous former students.

Affnafee Rahman, a student of Engineering at St Hughs, told Al Jazeera he and others at the college were not convinced by the argument that Myanmars political leadership was powerless to act against its military.

(Aung San Suu Kyi) has been celebrated across the globe because of her stance on democracy, human rights, equality and she has been deemed the champion of human rights (but) now shes a changed as a person, he said. Shes more complicit than silent  shes just refusing that things are going on at all.

Rahman said the group of student activists, having played a role in removing Aung San Suu Kyis name from the common room, are now petitioning the college principal to write a letter to the politician condemning her complicity and silence on the Rohingya issue.

St Hughs College representatives failed to respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment.

Western governments are reluctant to act, and therefore reluctant to speak of genocide. Academic institutions and student unions can pressure their own governments on this by Thomas MacManus, Queen Mary University of London

According to Dr Thomas MacManus, a researcher at the International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary University of London, activism on campuses serves a practical as well as symbolic purpose.

Western governments are reluctant to act, and therefore reluctant to speak of genocide. Academic institutions and student unions can pressure their own governments on this, he said.

They can also pressure the Myanmar state by boycotting Burmese state academic institutions while reaching out to those individual academics and senior members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions who will listen in order to foster understanding and condemn widespread anti-Rohingya, Islamophobic hate speech inside Burma.

Beyond academia

The backlash extends beyond academic institutions: The Burmese leader was stripped of her Freedom of the City award by Oxford City Council in October after a unanimous vote by councillors.

The City Council has written to Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor of Myanmar, to ask her to speak out and to do whatever she can to stop the ethnic cleansing in her country, the motion enshrining the move read. In the absence of a helpful response from her and with deep regret, Council believes it is no longer appropriate for Aung San Suu Kyi to hold the Freedom of the City.

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Other local authorities in the UK are pursuing similar moves, including the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

One of Britains largest unions, Unison, has also suspended Aung San Suu Kyis honourary membership in response to the crisis in Myanmar.

For Pasha and the students at LSE, it is time for other bodies that have conferred the Burmese leader honours to follow their example.

I would urge all other institutions who have conferred similar awards to Suu Kyi, especially the Nobel Committee, to follow suit and immediately strip her of the honour she no longer deserves.

Follow Anealla Safdar and Shafik Mandhai on Twitter: @anealla and @ShafikFM
Arab foreign ministers meet in Cairo to condemn Irans alleged meddling and support for militias in the region.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have called on Arab countries to unite and confront Iran over its role in regional conflicts and its alleged support for militias.

Speaking at an emergency session of the Arab League in Cairo on Sunday, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi foreign minister, said Iran was aiming to destabilise and fuel sectarian rift in the region and to drive a wedge between ourselves and our people.

This swift response reflects the gravity of the situation our countries are facing  as a result of the ballistic missiles violations of Iran and the blunt interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries, said al-Jubeir.

The special summit in the Egyptian capital was requested by Saudi Arabia to discuss alleged violations committed by Iran in the Arab region.

It comes amid heightened tensions in the Arab world following the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who cited Iranian intervention in his country through Hezbollah, Irans ally in Lebanon.

Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrains foreign minister, said his country had been inflicted by thousands of wounds by Iran.

Iran has arms in the region, the largest of which is Hezbollah, he said, adding that Iran threatened the security of Arab states.

Bahrain has seen scores of incidents of violence since 2011 when tens of thousands of the countrys majority Shia Muslims demanded reforms and greater rights from the minority Sunni-controlled kingdom.

Bahrain crushed the protests with the help of its Sunni Arab Gulf allies suspicious of Iran and opposed to a growing Shia influence across the region.

In the final statement, the Arab foreign ministers referred to Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

Yemen war

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the summit that a missile that was recently fired by Houthi rebels from Yemen towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was Iranian-made, describing it as an unacceptable Iranian message.

The Houthis have repeatedly denied receiving any assistance from Tehran in Yemens war, claiming the Burkan 2-H missile was produced in Yemen from modified weaponry.

On Saturday, Irans foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said on Twitter in Arabic that he had submitted a letter to the United Nations in which he urged the implementation of a previous four-point plan to solve to what he called the tragic situation in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition to defeat the Houthi rebels.

Despite being mired in the war for more than two years, the coalition has so far failed to achieve its stated aims as Houthi rebels continue to hold the capital, Sanaa and control the countrys north.

The war has taken a huge toll on the country  more than 10,000 civilians have been killed, and millions of Yemenis have been left without basic necessities.

Fatemeh Aman, an Iranian-American political analyst, said Zarifs letter could be used to improve Irans badly-damaged image at a time when Saudi Arabia is also facing a progressively deteriorating image, especially due to its foreign policy.

If, in coming days, [the] Lebanon crisis  [led] to more unpleasant revelation about Saudis intentions, one could expect more scrutiny of the Yemen policy by the international community. In such environment Zarifs letters could gain more significance and increase pressure on Saudis.

Divided Arab region

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have soared since Hariris shock resignation on November 4, citing Irans grip on his country and threats to his life.

Lebanons foreign minister, Gebran Bassil, did not attend the Cairo meeting. Antoine Azzam, the countrys representative to the Arab League, sat in for the summit instead.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political analyst, said Saudi Arabia had convened the Cairo meeting in a bid to consolidate its position in a divided Arab region, hoping that there will condemnation of Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as of the Houthis.

The Arab world is divided and a lot of countries convened to Cairo today dont see eye to eye with Saudi Arabia on its ways and means or how it plans to confront Iran in the region, he said.

That doesnt mean they agree to the escalation of Iranian interference in various Arab countries, but paradoxically it was the incompetence and the division among those Arab countries that was the main factor why Iran is able to expand its influence in the region, added Bishara.
The European Union will cut funds allocated to Turkey due to the deteriorating situation in relation to democracy, rule of law and human rights there, according to a European Parliament (EP) statement.

The bloc will shrink the so-called pre-ascension funds for Turkey by 105m euros ($124m) and suspend an additional 70m euros in the 2018 budget, the statement said on Saturday.

Ankara is entitled to receive 4.45 billion euros from the EU between 2014 and 2020 in the framework of the blocs Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance.

The Council of the EU and the EP, the two legislative institutions of the bloc, still need to formally approve the new budget.

Concerning Turkey, MEPs made sure to cut pre-accession funds by 105 million euros (with a further 70 million in commitments put in reserve), as they consider the deteriorating situation in relation to democracy, rule of law and human rights worrying, the statement by the EP said, referring to its members as MEPs.

Many of the EU member states have been in condemnation of the Turkish governments arrests and purges of tens of thousands of people after a failed coup attempt in July 2016.

Local and international rights groups have accused the government of using the coup attempt as a pretext to silence opposition in the country.

The government has said that the purges and detentions aimed to remove from state institutions and other parts of society the supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based, self-exiled religious leader on whom Ankara blames the attempted coup.

For those  that depart from our democratic standards and breach fundamental rights, we have sent a clear message that the money that the EU provides cannot come without strings attached, MEP Siegfred Muresan the rapporteur for the 2018 general budget, told reporters after the announcement of the deal.

Turkey denies accusations

Ravza Kavakci Kan, a deputy chairperson of Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said Ankara takes the EU membership and its relations with the bloc seriously, despite, what she called Turkeys unfair treatment by the bloc.

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The EU, as well as some member states, have not been acting fair in their attitude towards Turkey for a while now. We can see it in decisions taken against Turkey by the EP as well as some national parliaments. This situation bothers us, Kavakci Kan, who is also a member of Turkish parliaments committee on EU harmonisation, told Al Jazeera.

We do not accept the accusations made by the EU. We have been particularly closely monitoring the investigations and trials that started after the failed coup in order for them to be carried out within the rule of law. Turkey should be congratulated for these efforts, she said, regarding the EU move to cut Turkeys funds.

The EP, which has a limited impact over Turkeys membership talks, has at various times called for the process to be suspended in non-binding votes.

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The latest was in July, when the EP called on the European Commission, the EUs executive body, and member states to suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the constitutional reform package is implemented unchanged after a referendum in April that changed Turkeys parliamentary system to an executive presidency.

In March, before the referendum in question, relations hit a new low when the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and Denmark prevented Turkish politicians, including ministers, from taking part in rallies within their borders to back a Yes vote to the referendum.

Dutch authorities actively intervened after a Turkish minister tried to reach a consulate in the country to address Turks living there, leading to a diplomatic crisis.

Erdogan compared the ban on ministers to Nazi practices and called Dutch authorities Nazi remnants.

Germany backs cutting funds

Since the post-coup attempt purges and arrests started, EU member states have discussed sanctions on Turkey, including cutting EU aid.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has led the calls to reduce the funds to Turkey in the recent months.

Not only are Germans being arrested, but the entire rule of law in Turkey is moving in the wrong direction. We are very worried about this. And I will back a reduction in pre-accession funds, Merkel said last month.

The chancellor also threatened to restrict her countrys economic ties with NATO ally Turkey to pressure Ankara to release several German citizens arrested after the coup attempt. They include journalists Deniz Yucel and Mesale Tolu.

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In September, in a televised debate before Germanys parliamentary elections, Merkel said that Turkey should not become a member of the EU.

Germany at various times also advised its citizens not to go to Turkey over what the government in Berlin called risk of arbitrary arrest.

Turkeys membership talks with the EU have been practically frozen, with no progress made in recent years. However, no official decision has been taken by the EU to suspend the talks.

EU expert Can Baydarol, the deputy chairman of the Ankara-based European Union and Global Research Association, told Al Jazeera that the European Commissions annual progress report on the membership talks, expected to be released in November, is likely to sharply criticise Turkey and might pave the way to more serious measures against Ankara.

Taking these criticisms in the report and the Commissions recommendation into consideration, the EU leaders might make a concrete decision on Turkeys EU bid in the coming summits, he said in an interview last month, adding officially freezing talks would likely to be on the table.

Follow Umut Uras on Twitter: @Um_Uras
Students will counterprotest a rally by neo-Nazis at the University of North Florida on Monday.

Students and activists are planning to counterprotest a neo-Nazi rally at the University of North Florida (UNF) on Monday, while the university plans to deploy regular and undercover police officers to prevent clashes.

The neo-Nazi rally was called to support Ken Parker, a political science student who was suspended this month after publishing a threatening image on a Black Lives Matter-linked student groups Facebook page.

Let SDS [Students for a Democratic Society] and the other clowns come at me, I will shut them down, he wrote in the post that was accompanied by a photo in which Parker is shirtless and wielding a rifle. Tattooed on his chest is a large swastika.

Parker is a former Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and a member of the National Socialist Movement (NSM), according to an expose published by The Tab, a university news site for schools in the US and UK.

Speaking to the local Action News Jax, Parker defended his comments and said he did not believe they constituted a threat.

Monique Williamson, president of SDS and a junior at UNF, told Al Jazeera that she expects between 100 and 200 counterdemonstrators to show up to oppose around 40 neo-Nazis on Monday.

We thought this is happening because the president of the university refused to take a strong stance on racism [in the past], she said.

Williamson, who says she has been personally threatened by neo-Nazis, said that people dont feel safe on the campus.

Undercover police

In an email sent to students, faculty, staff and parents, UNF President John Delaney assured the campus community that proper security precautions were under way.

I wish I had a magic wand that could address all of that and could solve the historic problems of racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, etc, he said in the email, which was provided to Al Jazeera. I really wish that we could take away the pain and fear.

Explaining that the university is coordinating with the Jacksonville Sheriffs Department, Delaney said the campus would bring extra police in uniform and also undercover.

Law enforcement practice is to request that there isnt a counterprotest. Theres always a possibility of friction between the opposing parties, Delaney added, urging both sides to protest peaceably.

In response, Williamson of the SDS said: Do you really want students to not push back against Nazis on campus? Thats unacceptable.

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According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an Alabama-based watchdog that monitors hate groups, the NSM is the largest neo-Nazi organisation in the US and had 61 chapters in 35 states in 2009.

Speaking to Al Jazeera by email, NSM Commander Jeff Schoepp confirmed that Parker is a member of his organisation. He referred to the suspension of Parker as part of a political witch-hunt, pure and simple.

White nationalism is rising, and if these left-wing lunatics expect to be treated fairly when our time arrives, they had better quit their punch-a-Nazi-and-kill-white-people ideology right now  or it could come back to bite them later on when the tables have turned, Schoepp said.

Campuses as a focal point

The rally and counterdemonstration come amid increased tensions over white supremacist activity on campuses across the US.

In October, more than a thousand students and community members held a demonstration at the University of Florida in Gainesville to oppose a speech by Richard Spencer, a leader in the alt-right.

The alt-right is a loosely knit coalition of white supremacist, white nationalist and neo-Nazi organisations that advocate a white ethno-state.

White supremacist and neo-Nazi groups have faced widespread public backlash since the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12. The NSM was among the groups that participated in the protest.

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During that rally, hundreds of far-rightists descended on the city to protest a decision to remove a Confederate monument. They clashed with community members, activists and anti-fascists throughout Charlottesville.

That afternoon, James Alex Fields, a 20-year-old Ohio resident who had been photographed marching with a neo-Nazi group earlier in the day, allegedly ploughed his car into a march and killed 32-year-old anti-racist activist Heather Heyer. At least 19 others were injured in the incident.

According to the SPLC, at least 130 chapters of the KKK, 100 white nationalist organisations and 99 neo-Nazi groups are currently active in the US.

The watchdog group has documented a sharp uptick in far-right recruitment efforts on US universities this year, with at least 329 incidents of white nationalist fliers distributed at 241 college campuses between January 1 and October 17.

Earlier this month, the FBI reported a five-year high in hate crimes, with a five-percent increase in 2016 when compared with the previous year.